Welcome to the second edition of Rad Times, brought to you by JAX IS RAD.
We hope this brings you holiday cheer this season, as well as tell you a little more about our community. Rad Times isn’t here to remind you of any of the curveballs that came out of 2020. This paper exists for you to get off the endless scroll of social media and give you a moment to see the good in the world / our RAD community.
We hope as this year wraps up your joy is rekindled. Here at JAX IS RAD, our mission is to shine a light on the unknown in our city and make things happen Mostly, we hope at the end of the day you know you are loved this holiday season and beyond.
-JAX IS RAD
For those of you who know, you know. For those who don’t, you’re missing out on this incredible little gem, a music venue called Blue Jay Listening Room. It’s tucked away, right here in Jacksonville Beach. It’s located right across the street from Bold Bean Coffee, in the building directly above Casa Maria. This cozy hangout was built from the ground-up, by the sole owner and operator, Cara Murphy. Murphy has a very keen eye for thrifting and customizing all upholstered furniture, including the ones you see in the venue. Integrating deep shades of blue creates a welcoming atmosphere for all. Blue Jay Listening Room has been standing strong at its current location for the past three years.
Murphy’s motivation for creating this establishment came from years of watching her friends play music at bars and restaurants. She noticed the crowds constantly talked over the music instead of enjoying the music at it’s full potential, which discouraged her friends to showcase their original work. Murphy took it upon herself to create a one-of-a-kind place where artists could be given a platform to be truly seen and heard. Blue Jay is beautifully lit with candles, and the crowd is encouraged to silence their phones, and remain quiet for the duration of the show, allowing for the artists to share their music. This allows for a more intimate experience, shared by artists as well as the audience. Their mutual enjoyment gives fellow music-lovers an opportunity to connect through music. Performers often feel more comfortable, and share deeply personal stories from the stage, opening a window to inspirations, which are the backstory of their music. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced before. If that’s not enough, Blue Jay Listening Room also serves domestic, import, and craft beer, as well as wine, and other interesting cocktails to sip on, while the show is in progress. The bar service is excellent and the staff carefully focuses on details in their drink-crafting.
Since opening, Cara has managed to pull in some very reputable names to play at Blue Jay, artists such as John Paul White from the Civil Wars, Nathaniel Rateliff of the Night Sweats, Bernard Purdie, members of the Allman Brothers family, Randell Bramblett, Brett Dennen, Kaleigh Baker, Corey Kilgannon and a whole host of other local artists just to name a few. As Murphy explains, “we have a seriously kick-ass music scene here in Jacksonville, right under our noses,” so the talent is consistently flowing through the doors. She doesn’t just have solo artists; every other Monday Blue Jay hosts a jam band called “3” with several members from the band Mo Fro. Every Tuesday some of the finest UNF jazz instructors host Jazz Jam, featuring the world-class musical gifts of UNF jazz students.
Blue Jay Listening Room may also be rented for special events. They are no strangers to wedding receptions, surprise parties, live stream parties, and video premieres. The venue’s versatile aesthetic classifies as a comfortable, visually pleasing, eclectic vibe. As the holidays are approaching, make sure you drop by and show some support for local businesses; you won’t regret it! 2020 has been an especially hard year for live music and live music venues. Gift cards and Blue Jay Listening Room merchandise are available for purchase on-site, and if you’re feeling extra generous this holiday season, scan the code below and donate to their gofundme webssite, to keep this amazing spot alive.
I met up with owner/operator Cara Murphy and asked a couple questions.
Check out the full interview at jaxisrad.com or click the QR code below.
Taylor…
“Recordingsare paintings ofsound onacanvas ofsilence”
Vane… Let those two names sink in for a bit…
Taylor is truly gifted as a guitarist and exceptionally talented behind the mic. He is deeply driven by his unconscious state of mind, always concocting some groovy psychedelic tune to bless our ears. Twenty years ago, at the age of nine, he began playing guitar over and has recently brought his astounding talent to Jacksonville from Atlanta. His reasons for making the trek down here: his friends, the beach, the sense of freedom, and the happiness he gained from past visits. Taylor’s stage name, “Lazuli Vane,” is emotionally charged and wellthought out, with sentimental aspects. The name “Vane” comes from the main character in George Macdonald’s 1895 novel called “Lilith,” a book which gave Taylor courage in exploring new doorways in the deep mind early in life. The name “Lazuli” comes from a blue stone called Lapis Lazuli that evokes the qualities of regality, truth, wisdom, spirit and vision. Seeing as Patrick loves the color blue, matching his eye color, the name Lazuli was icing on the cake, which was why he put Lazuli with Vane, for a one-of-a-kind stage name.
Lazuli Vane’s debut album, “The Orphic Right of the Cult of Sedna,” takes you on a journey like no other. His creative process is very unique. He taps into the unconscious state of mind through dreams, meditation, and all kinds of experimentation, in order to invoke the content of his creations. Once, as he dove deep into the well of his unconscious mind, he began his creative expression with an improvisational approach. Riding each creative wave, speaking freely without much self-analysis or criticism, riffing, writing free verse, even just doodling or sketching. While riffing or “riding the creative wave,” Taylor plays until he hits something beyond his conscious realm and captures it. He then takes those recordings and works on them until they make an effect on his conscious mind. As Vane’s said, “find the invisible fruits.” His fruits for the first album were primarily focused on the dark, shadowy underworld of his own mind that he voluntarily accessed in order to create deep patterns of being. Taylor states “The dark underworld of the mind and the darker times in our lives aren’t necessarily all bad. They’re natural parts of transformation, dissolving old thought processes and patterns in order for new ones to arise. It’s similar to the circle of life: with death comes rebirth, only it’s within one’s mind, within all of our minds."”
Lazuli Vane always has a creative masterpiece in the works. For his newest project, he is taking new gifts and values he’s retrieved from delving into the underworld and shedding light on them, incorporating them into everyday life. Vane underwent a beautiful eye-opening adventure, camping through Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and many other states. After this he settled down at Snaggy Mountain Farm, during the month of October. This farm is a music and arts retreat, north of Asheville, NC. Through this experience, he had an insightful confirmation of his path in life. While this new album is still untitled, it will be almost the polar opposite of his previous work, depicting ways to find and create heaven on earth, the emotional experience of being in love, and living life to the fulllest. It compliments his first album, showing the other end of the circle of life: rebirth.
I personally cannot wait until this new album reaches our eyes and it’s sound waves bless our ears, with this new-found perspective of happiness. The future is bright for Lazuli Vane.
I was able to sit down with Lazuli vane and ask a few questions.
Full interview will be on jaxisrad.com for your viewing pleasure.
RWhen I was a/an kid, I loved going to the mall at Christmas time.
ADJECTIVE
ADJECTIVE
My parents would dress me and my in our cutest holiday outfits.
Then, we’d all cram into the family and drive to the mall to sit on ‘s lap.
PLURAL NOUN NOUN CELEBRITY
VERB (PAST TENSE) NOUN
As we in the long line for Santa’s - shop, we looked around at all of the , lights strung around the , drink hot , and sing carols.
ADJECTIVE NOUN
TYPE OF LIQUID ADJECTIVE
Then, the moment would arrive - We’d finally get to meet Santa, and tell him what we wanted to find under the on Christmas morning.
ADJECTIVE NOUN
Of course, now that I’m older, I avoid the mall at all .
It’s so crowded, and all the push into one another.
PLURAL NOUN
You can’t even catch a glimpse of Santa and his
These days, I buy all of my online.
PLURAL NOUN
With just the click of a/an , Christmas ing is so much easier!
PLURAL NOUN NOUN VERB ENDING IN “ING” PLURAL NOUN
JAX IS RAD because of creatives like, Maiya Elane, Who is an insanly talented artist. We interviewed her for our RADCAST early this year. Since then she has not only grown even more as an artist, but has been killing it in the creative scene of JAX. Here is a recap of what Maiya has been working on:“
“These last few months, I’ve been largely focused on refining the vision of my work. Luckily quarantine has given me plenty of time to to explore new ideas. I’ve completed two new murals, one located on a private residence along Trout River Boulevard, and another inside of the wedding room at The Jacksonville Flower Market off of Beach Blvd. These two projects have allowed me to reach new heights in creating large scale pieces. I’ve also been working on a series of smaller pieces, in order to capture small moments that help grow to larger, more detailed works, essentially working as a map to larger concepts. This fall I was also the host, and acted as Art Curtor for the TedxFCSJ event “Not the Enemy”, where we discussed the idea of hyphenated identities and stereotypes that effect the world that we live in. Also we plan on coming up with ways to reach common ground, by improving not only our communities, but also the rest of the world.
In the future, I plan to work on more mural projects, including one, with the new art initiative, “The Black Mural Map”, which aims to highlight works by African-American artists as well as bring artwork to different parts of the Jacksonville community. This being their first project, I’ll be featured alongside Jacksonville’s favorites, Chris Clark and Tatiana Phoenix, at a mural located along Blanding Boulevard. I also have an upcoming workshop, in collaboration with MOCA in January of 2021. I will be giving instruction on my artistic creation process. This will be my first workshop, so I’m quite excited for the experience of sharing my knowledge of the arts. Other than that, I’m still keeping my eyes peeled for future opportunities to expand my craft.’’
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teasoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 & 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed candy cane
4 oz. White chocolate chopped
Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 1 minute until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add the white chocolate chips and crushed candy cane, then mix for about 5 seconds until combined. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together as you work the dough with your hands. Roll about 1.5 tablespoons of dough into balls.
Bake for 12 mins.
Melt the chopped white chocolate in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after every 20 minutes, until completely melted. Drizzle over cooled cookies.
