You may find your new best friend

Jason Turner, Staff

July 4, 2018

When writing some recent stories, I got to thinking about live music. Festival season is about to begin with Welcome to Rockville in Jacksonville. This is the last year for the Warped Tour as we know it. Slayer announced this will be their farewell tour. Evanescence and Lindsey Stirling are teaming up to presen...

Elephant Jane takes the cake

Cedria Davis, Staff

June 14, 2018

  The Elephant Jane Dance bought laughs, sadness, concentration, and silence mixed with all over the place dancing. The choreography is accompanied by musical selections including Schubert, Bowie, Nirvana, Frampton, and this year’s Super Bowl headliner, Justin Timberlake.   Choreographer...

“The House of Tomorrow” offers hope

Jason Turner, Staff

June 5, 2018

Good movies tell good stories that people want to see. While it is true that the highest grossing movies are special-effects driven, those with a lasting impact tell compelling stories. Think of “The Godfather,” “The Sound of Music” and “Gone With the Wind.” These all are story-driven and...

Some boys love dolls

Katie Loudermilk, Editor-in-Chief

June 1, 2018

Hobbies are a healthy escape from reality. They give people something to help focus their passion. John Whiting, a resident of Riverview, has an unusual one: he loves dolls. Big dolls. His home is a display case for his unique collection of vintage mannequins he has gathered since the 1990s. His...

Prometheus returns

Jason Turner, Staff

May 17, 2018

AJ Channer, vocalist for the Austin, Texas, band Fire From The Gods, thinks of himself as the modern-day Prometheus. Although the band had existed for 10 years before he joined, he feels the band’s name is strong and wants to tie it in more to the Greek story. He feels Prometheus bringing fire and...

P. Smith: Unfiltered @Gallery 221

May 1, 2018

People chattered with excitement at the Gallery 221 reception for Utopias by Mark Thomas Gibson, William Villalongo and Princess Smith: Unfiltered. It was clear to see from the moment you arrive that this exhibit reception was unlike any other before. The crowd filled in quickly and the air was abuzz...

Today Norway, tomorrow the world

Jason Turner, Staff

April 10, 2018

Øyvind Aarnes Hansen says that music is probably the most important form of art because of its impact. He loves being able to share it with others and wants everyone to hear his art. Hansen is the brainchild of The Echo Within, a music project based in Lillehammer, Norway, but he is ready to take...

Making art from pain

Jason Turner, Staff

April 9, 2018

Some say the best art comes from painful experiences. If one were to watch many of the films screened at Sundance Film Festival 2018, one would believe the current filmmakers have taken this advice to heart. Films of all types and lengths are shown at Sundance. This year, a common theme in multiple...

A ripple of hope makes the difference

Jason Turner, Staff

March 12, 2018

What gives people hope? For some, it is the idea of a better life. For others, it is raising a family. In his 1988 Cape Town speech, Robert F. Kennedy said, “Each time a man stands up for an idea, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple...

A moment to connect

Jason Turner, Staff

February 22, 2018

In This Moment is a band that truly connects with its fans. Led by Maria Brink, the band’s performances are highly theatrical. Unlike other theatrical acts, In This Moment is able to include the audience in the experience. On Jan. 19, In This Moment played a show at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg as...