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DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 1

Downtown Crowd | March 2017 10

Editor’s Letter

Publisher Malcolm Ballinger Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Hana Frenette Art Director Guy Stevens

8

6

15

contents 5 Who’s Your Crawdaddy?

6 Asking Yoni Wolf, Why? 8 Sunshine State of Mind 10 Pensa-Comedy 15 Record Store Day 18 Film and Music 22 Dateline Downtown 27 Chocolate For a Cause 2 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Graphic Design and Ad Coordination Anna Hitchcock

Hana Frenette editor

A

pril is here already. Soon it’ll be summer, and then Thanksgiving time. We should probably all just start doing our holiday shopping now because Christmas is technically right around the corner.

There are so many great things going on in Pensacola that time slips by easily and undetected.

There are always dozens of things to do when the weather is nice, i.e. below 102 degrees, and this month is no exception. Our cover comedy story, Pensa-Comedy, highlights several comics and groups around town who are performing, hosting and booking amazing acts locally, sometimes two or three times a week. If you’re tired and stressed from work, or just looking for a laugh outside the realm of Netflix comedy specials, check out an open mic night or catch a touring comedian on Friday nights—you can read the full story starting on page 10.

A really great band is coming into town in early April—WHY? If you haven’t had a chance to see the westcoast-based band, check them out at Vinyl on April 7. To read our full interview with WHY? frontman, Yoni Wolf, flip to page 6.

Just in time for summer, Florida author, Sarah Gerard released her book “Sunshine State of Mind,” which offers a dozen or so personal essays on coming of age in rural Florida. Our intern Haley was able to talk with Gerard about the book and her memories of the Panhandle on page 8.

Last but not least, we have all the details of the annual Pensacola Crawfish Festival. There’s been some debate in the office over whether the correct pronunciation should be “cray” or “craw” but I like to focus more on which beer I’m going to pair the shrimp-like delicacy with and if I’m going to get corn or potatoes. We’ve got everything you need to know about the festival on page 5. We’ve also got you covered on details for the Gulf Coast Kid’s House annual fundraiser, Chocolate Fest, in case eating buttery, spicy mudbugs isn’t your thing. Buy chocolate, and the proceeds help children– seems like a no-brainer right? To read more about participating Choclatiers, flip on over to page 27.

Cheers to you and the lovely spring weather-

Editorial Assistant Tanner Yea Editorial Intern Haley Weaver Advertising Account Executives Paula Rode paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange geneva@ballingerpublishing.com Deadline for space and information is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433-1166 · Fax: 435-9174 DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing.

Offices located at 314 N Spring St., Ste. A, Pensacola Florida 32501 Published by Ballinger Publishing

Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions.

The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser.

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Cover design by Anna Hitchcock

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 3

A word from Curt Morris, Director of the Downtown Improvement Board What a great time to be in Downtown Pensacola! Spring is officially here, giving you the perfect excuse to explore our beautiful parks, museums, shops and restaurants. Speaking of the latter, keep an eye out for something new and exciting that should soon be debuting in a few downtown restaurants. Thanks to Donnie McMahon, oysters are officially back in Pensacola. Most know Donnie for his insurance expertise, as president of McMahon Hadder, but he actually got his degree in business and marine biology. Donnie has taken his passion for the water and used it to revive an industry that some thought long gone, after hurricanes and the BP oil spill destroyed our wild oyster beds. I had the pleasure of trying the first harvest of the Pensacola Bay Oyster Company’s Magnolia Bluff oysters at a recent event at Jackson’s Steakhouse, and I can tell you that he really has something special here. Those shucking the oysters could hardly even keep up with the guests, who were all enthusiastic to get another taste. They are salty, perfectly-sized, and their shells are so beautiful, you’ll want to keep them as a souvenir. In addition to the raw oysters, Chef Irv Miller also served up some roasted oysters drizzled with his incredible sriracha garlic butter. The oysters recently made their debut on Jackson’s menu, and were served on the half shell with Chef Irv’s house mignonette sauce, cocktail sauce, crackers and lemon. Simple is best, when oysters have flavor like this. Chef Irv told me that Magnolia Bluff will be making more appearances at Jackson’s in the future, so stay tuned!

In the next few weeks, I will be getting ready for May’s National Physical Fitness and Sports Month by trying out a few of the fun and unique exercise opportunities the downtown area has to offer. Do I have what it takes to do yoga while suspended in the air by ribbons? Perhaps I’m the next Mikhail Baryshnikov in the making? I suppose we shall all find out soon enough! I will detail my fitness adventures in the next column, so be sure to check it out. Hopefully, it will inspire you to try out a few of the cool fitness classes our downtown businesses have to offer. Be sure to follow the Downtown Improvement Board on social media to keep up with all of the fun going on in our beautiful area!

Facebook Downtown Pensacola Instagram @downtownpensacola Twitter @downtownpcola 4 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

By Tanner Yea

Who’s your crawdaddy?

S

pring has finally sprung, and that means a Pensacola tradition is once again starting to boil up. From Friday, April 28 until Sunday, April 30, the 33rd annual Pensacola Crawfish Festival will be held at Bartram Park. Starting in 1984 as a small gathering, the Pensacola Crawfish Festival has blossomed into a landmark celebration of Southern and Creole food, music and culture.

“The original event was held by Shanahan’s, a local Pensacola hangout,” said Adelene Lovelace, the Executive Director of the Fiesta of Five Flags, the organization that puts on the Crawfish Festival and several other Pensacola events. “When Shanahan’s closed, Fiesta purchased the festival from them.”

The crustacean that the South calls crawfish has different names depending on the region: names like crayfish, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, mudbugs and yabbies. Crayfish are closely related to lobsters, being in the same infraorder of Astacidea.

These little creatures can be found all throughout the world, but according to the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center, as of 2005 roughly 95% of US crayfish are harvested in Louisiana – hence its close association and love in the South.

The Crawfish Festival is not just an important cultural event for the locals of the city – it also serves as a way to boost our economy. According to Visit Pensacola, the official tourism

During 2016, over 16,000 pounds of crawfish were served at the festival, and festival organizers are expecting even more in 2017 organization for the city, the Crawfish Festival brings over $1.5 million of revenue into our local economy. This is not just from the festival, but outside tourists spending at our local businesses as well.

“Crawfish and Cajun music enthusiasts come from the surrounding areas for the weekend,” said Bridget Middleton, Event Coordinator at Fiesta of Five Flags.

During 2016, over 16,000 pounds of crawfish were served at the festival, and Middleton expects that much, if not more this year. “Our crawfish vendor, Cordova Crawfish Company, is returning for a second year after last year’s rave reviews,” she said. “I don’t think you will find the quality, preparation and flavors of our crawfish anywhere else.”

At its heart, the Crawfish Festival is a food festival, so in addition to crawfish, other southern fare like gumbo, etoufee, crab cakes and more will be offered.

Fiesta of Five Flags has also gained a new liquor partnership with country music star Kenny Chesney’s rum brand,

Blue Chair Bay Rum. The Crawfish Festival isn’t only about food – entertainment and live performances will be happening all weekend. On their main concert stage, different zydeco and cajun bands will be performing each evening: Grammyaward winning Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band on Friday, Voodoo Gumbo on Saturday, and Zydefunk featuring Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. on Sunday afternoon.

“We’ll also have a children’s area, where families can purchase tickets to participate in our many activities,” said Margaret-Anne West, the PR and Marketing Coordinator for Fiesta of Five Flags. “Our wonderful face painters will be back again this year, in addition to a variety of games, arts and crafts.”

Another big draw for the fest is the Annual Cat Country 98.7 Crawfish Eating Contest, which is divided into Kids, Adult and CrawDADDY contests. The first two are judged on speed – each contestant is given a to-go box of crawfish and tries to be the first to finish. The CrawDADDY

contest, however, is timed – contestants are given a full box of crawfish, and the winner is determined on who ate the most crawfish as soon as the buzzer sounds.

“This event is for people of all ages.

It’s so great to see families bonding over big plates of crawfish and Cajun music in a beautiful park,” said West. “It’s an unbeatable weekend.”

The 33rd annual Pensacola Crawfish Festival will take place from Friday to Sunday, April 28, 29 and 30 in Bartram Park in downtown Pensacola. Admission is $5 per day, or $10 for the weekend, and children 12 and under recieve free admission. If you go before 3 pm on April 28, admission is free for all ages – those with an active military ID enjoy free admission for the entire day. The festival takes place on Friday from 12 pm to 11 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 5pm.

For more information on the Crawfish Festival and the other events Fiesta of Five Flags holds, visit fiestaoffiveflags. org.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 5

asking Yoni WolF, Why? Life has many mysteries and unanswerable questions.

What is good? What is evil?

How did the universe begin, and will it end? Why? Many of these may never be answered, but on Friday, April 7 we may figure out one, as the alternative rock band WHY? takes the stage at Vinyl Music Hall.

Jonathan “Yoni” Wolf is the frontman of WHY?, and has used the name in some capacity since 1997. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Yoni said he was about 12 or 13 when he first started experimenting with creating music.

“There was this closet I ended up going in, and it had a bunch of music gear in it,” said Yoni, describing his discovery in his father’s synagogue. “There was a 4-track and I asked my dad what it was. He has always written songs since he was young, and he showed me how to work it.”

In those early days, Yoni started experimenting with hip-hop, drumming and poetry. He said his biggest influences at that time were groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, because they weren’t stereotypes of the typical rap artist.

“Rock music has all these very specific textures. You know, you have electric guitar, bass guitar, drums. I like that with hip-hop you can have all these sounds,” he said, explaining his initial attraction to rap music.

Throughout his college years at the University 6 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

©Phoebe Streblow

by Tanner Yea

Josiah Wolf, Yoni Wolf + Doug McDiarmid of WHY? of Cincinnati, Yoni worked on multiple music projects. These were done with long time collaborators such as future Anticon label-mates Adam Drucker (Doseone) and David Madson (Odd Nosdom), as well Yoni’s older brother, Josiah.

These projects included the improvisational group Apogee, and the rap groups Greenthink and cLOUDDEAD. In 1999, Yoni released his first project under the name WHY? entitled “Part Time People Cage... or Part Time Key?” The project eventually transformed into a full band with current members Josiah Wolf, Doug McDiarmid, Liz Hodson, Matt Meldon and Ben Sloan, putting out five LPs and four EPstheir most recent album, “Moh Lhean”, was released on March 3 through Joyful Noise Records.

Yoni described the style of “Moh Lhean” as trying to move away from the “sarcastic” attitude of some earlier WHY? records and instead focusing on being more accepting – both of himself and the music in general.

“The recording process was kind of arduous,” said Yoni. “My brother and I recorded it in our home studios.” Out of all the tracks, Yoni said the hardest to record was “Proactive Evolution,” which had to be recorded four different times to get the sound they desired. The easiest? “The Water,” which Yoni wrote in about an hour and made a workable take in one recording. “‘Moh Lhean’ is kind of an intimate psychedelic album, but styles are so linked up now it’s hard to describe,” said Yoni. “The genre argument is basically dead.”

WHY? is not afraid to break down barriers, both stylistically and artistically. For example, on their 2013 EP “Golden Tickets,” the group drummed up merch sales by writing ‘theme songs’ for seven of their select fans. Yoni and Josiah followed these fans on the internet and wrote these songs for them, eventually compiling them onto the EP. “Moh Lhean” didn’t have as much of a clear path, only that Yoni wanted it to be genuine. Yoni said he is really influenced by everything—sometimes getting in different phases, like how for weeks all he could listen to was the new Bon Iver record, “22, A Million.” When he sits down to work on a new album, he said a general idea is in his head, and he has to figure out how to make the sound become that vision.

“Time moves from the past to the future, so you don’t know what is supposed to be coming,” he said. “You just have to guess at it.”

As for the upcoming tour stop at Vinyl, Yoni hopes that they just play the songs well and connect to the audience. During the five years between “Moh Lhean” and their last album, “Mumps, Etc.,”WHY? Has been touring, working on side projects, and most of all working on “Moh Lhean.”

“After the tour ends in June, we’ll just see where life takes us,” said Yoni.

WHY? will be performing at Vinyl Music Hall as a part of their “Moh Lhean” tour on April 2, starting at 8 pm. They will be supported by Eskimeaux.

Sunshine State of Mind

By HALEY WEAVER

When asked about her latest collection of essays, “Sunshine State,” Sarah Gerard notes that she was familiar with Pensacola.

“My childhood best friend lives there and I used to visit a lot – she would surf, and we never surfed in Tampa Bay, we just don’t have waves there.”

“Sunshine State” will be released in mid-April, and gives readers a peek into the life of a young Florida resident. Growing up on the Gulf Coast in Clearwater, Fla., Gerard never appreciated her home until she moved away and visited as an adult. Now, she loves it.

“I moved to New York to go to school, and then I was brought back to Florida involuntarily … I was kind of stuck there.

I just hated it for that reason, it was such a symbol of all the ways I’d failed,” she said. After she’d moved again and been away for a couple of years, she could recognize the beauty in what she’d left behind.

Gerard captures the elements of life on the Gulf Coast with consideration and tact, without over exaggerating their existence. The essay “Going Diamond” covers her family’s slightly fictionalized obsession with selling AmWay products and earning top-seller status; here AmWay is replaced with Mary Kay, but the buy-sell culture is still recognizable.

“The Mayor of Williams Park” captures the commonality of homelessness in Florida, the state which held the third highest population of homeless people in the country in 2015.

Gerard also explores her own inner troubles. The opening essay,“BFF,” details the pitfalls of a childhood friendship that deteriorated in adulthood. In “Records,” she examines her senior year of high school and her two primary romantic relationships during that period; it was while writing this essay that she came to terms with a rape she’d repressed the memory of.

Acknowledging the relationship of Florida to its unique flora and fauna, 8 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Gerard explores the influence of animals in her own life through these essays as well. “Rabbit” gives the history of the men in her family while relating them to a gift given to her by her grandmother as a child, intertwining with it a comparison to the “The Velveteen Rabbit” and a study on love worth dying for. “Before: an Inventory” appears as a pile of polaroids, snapshots of all the animals she’s encountered in her life.

In the collection’s best blending of past and present, the titular essay revolves around Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, a place Gerard visited as a child. She set out to write an essay about birds, but instead found a mystery in the management and ownership of this bird sanctuary, where the employees would hint at the business’s troubled past but left town before she could ask them too many questions.

The sanctuary barely had enough money to stay afloat, many employees had quit over failure to receive wages, and owner Ralph Heath was hoarding birds from the sanctuary in his own home and warehouse without proper permits or sanitation. For Gerard, the themes of the essay and of Ralph Heath’s conduct were universal: his staunch unwillingness to face himself is reminiscent of the same sentiments found in the struggles of anorexia, sexual assault or addiction. “It’s fascinating how people are really good at lying to themselves, and how other people are really good at enabling them to do that,” Gerard mused.

When asked why she chose that particular essay for the title, an essay about corruption and denial, to encompass a book about a supposedly bright state, Gerard said she’d wanted to

explore the dark underbelly of a “sunshine state of mind.”

“Florida is the perfect example of this idea that heaven is not real as far as we can see, but we need to believe in it because otherwise there’s no reason to live,” she said.

Gerard noted the opportunity to experiment is what pulled her to write the book in the first place. Gerard has submitted to “The New York Times” and other publications, but she wanted to enable herself to write essays without the limits sanctioned by print publishing. “I knew I could write some of these essays if I knew they were appearing in a book and not worry about the word count so much, and I could spread them out until I’d satisfied my curiosity about them,” she explained.

“I also wrote the book because I wanted to dig into what it means to be

from a place… these stories could only take place in Florida. I felt like I didn’t really have a grasp of place as a writer and I wanted to kind of learn how it could shape character and thought and theme.”

What’s most refreshing about “Sunshine State” is her ability to weave the feel of Florida throughout the narrative, casually, as if the setting isn’t important – except it is. The culture of Florida, and consequently of the South, humbly invites the reader into Gerard’s world, without straying into tropes and inauthent icity. Her essays are far from a tourist trap.

“Sunshine State” will be released worldwide by Harper Perennial on April 11 . To learn more about Sarah Gerard and her work, visit sarahgerard.com.

BY HANA FRENETTE

By Hana Frenette & Tanner Yea

In dimly-lit basements, back porches and bars around the world, men and women are reaching for a microphone in hopes of making onlookers laugh.

Some might be nervous or awkward, while others are bold and charming. No matter their personality type, subject matter or delivery style, they all share an insatiable desire to bring humor into the lives of strangers.

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The comedy scene in Pensacola has grown steadily over the last 10 years and encompasses a growing group of dedicated comedians, filmmakers, writers and performers. Some of these

people perform each week at open mics or alongside touring comedians at booked venues.

Others are more comfortable filming a skit on location and sharing their jokes via YouTube or Facebook once a new video is complete.

The blue lighted patio of Chizuko or the back porch of the Back Porch Bar & Grill could serve as the birthplace for jokes that will one day be heard on Saturday Night Live or

a Netflix comedy special. More comedians are getting involved in the local scene each month, and regardless of fame, cash or even laughs, they keep coming back for more with no signs of slowing down.

Here’s a look at six local comedians and comedy groups that are making Pensacola a funnier place to live.

oliva searcy

Olivia Searcy got into comedy while living in Tallahassee a few years ago. Her roommates at the time were into comedy and regularly grabbed the microphone themselves at local open mics. After attending a show with them, Searcy was

PENSACOMEDY

intrigued and decided to try her hand at the next show.

She moved back to Pensacola and performed at a few small open mics before becoming a regular with Back Porch Comedy at the Big Easy Tavern, which has recently been renamed Back Porch Bar and Grill.

Searcy said about six to eight comics regularly attend every single open mic or performance and each help out with various duties of the evening.

“All of us really take a part in doing something —like occasionally I’ll work the door at open mic or I’ll host, or other comedians will host— we all help each other out,” she said.

Searcy noted the group of regulars has become very close with each other.

“We’re all like a big family honestly— those are some of my best friends, even though we mostly only see each other at

comedy nights— they’re like my comedy family,” she said.

In addition to the weekly jaunts to the Back Porch Bar and Grill or wherever else the comedy group has booked a show, Searcy travels to Mobile for performances at the Blind Mule. Recently, she and fellow comedian Andrew Farrara traveled to Birmingham to film a reality TV show about comedians.

Searcy and Farrara heard about the taping of the show through a regional comedy Facebook group. The auditioned for the show and were surprised to get a call back a year and a half later.

The comedians involved aren’t allowed to mention the name of the show, she said, and they don’t know what network the show will air on—or if it will ever air— but they’re excited nonetheless.

Searcy is also busy submitting videos to a comedy festival titled She Devil, in

New York, and another smaller festival in Asheville later this year.

The more performing and exposure you can get under your belt, the better she says.

Searcy suggests newcomers to comedy try out the open mic at Shooters—the longest running open mic in Pensacola and the first place she did standup.

“It’s not usually too crowded so it’s a good place to get the feel of things- and if you bomb, it’s totally fine,” she said.

Although Searcy and the other comedians involved with Back Porch Comedy are very busy writing new material and sharing responsibilities for each open mic night, they’re currently planning to create and film a variety comedy show, so keep your eyes peeled for that later this year, and check out her YouTube page in the meantime.

Cause hosted,” said Cusack, one of the troupe’s members. Kuhn and Dickson, on the other hand, have been doing improve for over 20 years, having both been around since the beginning of the troupe when it was just an actor’s workshop.

IMPROVable Cause does events and activities all throughout the year, with their most recent being their performance at Pensacola Little Theatre’s Cabaret fundraiser. Though many of the members are self taught or learned from shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” others have training from more famous improv troupes.

“I have been in many companies and have attended Master classes in imrpov by groups like Loose Moose Intl, Second City and UCB (Upright Citizens

Brigade),” said Dickson, who is the founder of IMPROVable Cause and their companion, Improbable Cause Mystery Theater.

An average IMPROVable Cause show consists of the cast playing improv games, usually with suggestions from the audience. These include games with evocative titles like Sex With Me, Party Quirks, John Waters and Four Square.

“We rehearse once a week for 3 hours, perfecting our skills and working with each other,” said Dickson. “Sometimes we’ll work new games, other times we’ll revisit basic improv skills, and other times we’ll work games that we’re going to play in an upcoming show.”

Improv can often be a difficult form of comedy to do, but the troupe thinks that trust and simply letting go of your fears and ego on stage are the keys to success. “We have seen people ‘try to be funny’ on stage, and it doesn’t play nearly as well,” said Kuhn, the CoDirector of IMPROVable Cause, along with Bill Whalen.

“We’re all actually friends who hang out in real life outside of improv, so that probably helps our on-stage chemistry,” said Cusack. If you’re interested in improv, the trio suggests watching local groups and participating in their workshops, or watching other improv comedians to learn from the masters – people and groups like Monty Python; Zucker, Abrahams & Zucker; Key & Peele: and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.

“The great thing about improv is everyone gets something a little different out of it,” said Kuhn. “Everyone is a better actor, speaker, teacher, parent, businessperson, whatever, because they are more confident and they know how to take work and make it into play.”

For more information on IMPROVable Cause, such as when their next show or workshop is happening, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ improvablecause.

improvable cause

Sometimes the best comedy is what you think up in the spur of the moment.

Debi Kuhn, Nicole Dickson and Christina Cusack would probably agree with this.

They are all members of IMPROVable Cause, a local improv comedy group that hosts shows throughout the city.

“The troupe formed in 2005, but I joined in December of 2014 after attending a workshop that IMPROVable

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 11

PENSACOMEDY

Graham Clark Graham Clark said that even though he didn’t start performing stand-up until about four years ago, he’s known that he wanted to be a comedian ever since he saw the late George Carlin perform at the Saenger Theatre in 2007.

“My favorite comedians growing up have to be the classics. People like Carlin, and Pryor, even Bill Cosby,” said Clark. “I borrowed a copy of Bill Cosby’s “Himself” from one of my dad’s ex-girlfriends and then definitely never returned it. In retrospect, probably good Cosby never got money from me.”

Clark, who is 28-years-old, said he started by doing standup at a music open mic inside a bowling alley, citing it as the worst time he ever bombed.

But it didn’t deter him from performing.

“A lot of bits for me just kind of pop up out of nowhere,” Clark said, when asked here he gets his inspiration. “I’ll be talking with friends, or in the shower, or at 2 am I shoot up out of bed and furiously reach for my phone or my joke book so I don’t forget it.”

Clark’s biggest influences were comedians like John Mulaney, Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn.

He admired their casual delivery and the everyday subject matter they could put a humorous spin on.

“I’d say as simple as it is, ‘things are weird’ would probably be the overall theme of my comedy,” he said.

In order to stay sharp, Clark said he goes to an open mic about once a month – usually either the Back Porch Bar & Grill, the Blind Mule in Mobile, or Shooters Sports Bar next to Cordova Lanes. His favorite venues are those that are relaxed, where the guests are ready to laugh, and willing to accept most subject matters. “I don’t smoke, but I have such a romantic association with a smoke filled room,” he said. “Personally, I prefer it since it keeps the people in the room as opposed to running outside to get their fix.”

Clark said that while Pensacola may not be as bustling as a large city like New York or Atlanta, the comedy scene has a strong group of comedians that help keep the scene alive. He credits Tony Burkett of Back Porch Comedy in Pensacola and Ryan Jetten of Comedy Whatever in Mobile for being some of the strongest proponents, with their success allowing locals to open for more wellknown comedians.

Clark said the secret to being a better comedian is to roll with the punches and have fun when you do it. He encourages those interested in trying comedy not be afraid to try open mics and just keep working at it. “If you can be funny to two people, you can be funny to 200.”

Chris Jadallah studied film and marketing at the University of West Florida and covered all the basics in his schooling. Editing, lighting, writing screenplays, production quality, etc. He spent some time in front of the camera but found he enjoyed being behind it more than anything else.

He began doing several freelance projects right out of college, and started his own production company, Calliope Films. He’s worked on

commercials for large corporations, put together videos for large companies, and has grown his professional network to include clients all over the country.

Lately he’s found a more humorous niche for his video production talents.

Jadallah has been producing and filming short, sketch comedy videos under the name Kitty Get a Job. Kitty Get a Job consists of a team of writers and actors, as well as a film production crew. The group of roughly 12 people meets once a week for their writer’s meeting, where they discuss video ideas and brainstorm together as a group.

Anyone can join the group, as long as they’re willing to attend the meetings regularly, Jadallah said. Although the videos are fun and done in a playful manner, everyone involved is very serious about the portion they contribute—whether that’s writing, filming assistance, or on-screen acting.

“I wanted to build a team that produced quality projects and I wanted to build relationships with people- that’s how good crews works,” Jadallah said.

The videos feature a wide array of topics, from a girlfriend who falls in love with her boyfriend’s childhood toy, Bop It, to workplace romance gone awry. The sketches are each different in their tone, but all come together with a similar undertone of quality production and familiar faces.

The group releases videos on their Youtube page on the first Friday of every month, and then simultaneously posts them to their Facebook page, where they are steadily gaining a local following.

Jadallah said he gets a little emotional thinking about where the project is now and how much it’s grown since it first started.

“It’s just so cool to see how far everyone has come, and what they’re all doing now,” Jadallah said.

He noted being funny is important to them, but also pointed out that being funny is very subjective.

“We want to also focus on production value too, and train ourselves on how we would actually approach this if we were filming it for a larger company,” he said.

Look for new videos on the Kitty Get a Job Facebook page on the first Friday of every month, or subscribe to their Youtube channel.

KIT TY GET A JOB

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Tony Burkett Back Porch Comedy started in 2009 and has grown to become a central hub for the comedy scene in Penascola.

Eight years ago, Tony Burkett started an open mic night at Coyotes on Bayou Boulevard. The bar patrons payed little attention to the comics as they tried to speak over the rowdy crowds playing pool and taking shots.

The open mic moved to a nearby bowling alley, then the Big Easy Tavern, which is now called Back Porch Bar and Grill.

“Another person was running the Back Porch Comedy thing for a few years, and it featured touring people, an open mic on Tuesdays and Fridays, and then sometimes Friday would have a booked show,” Burkett said.

Two years later, Burkett and his friend Jason Switzer decided to take over Back Porch Comedy and started adding a little more structure to the show lineups.

“We decided to take all the money we made doing comedy and to put it back into comedy and try to make this a real thing,” he said. “We always

have a booked show on Fridays, and an open mic on Tuesdays. It’s just all team work now—everybody shares and posts events on social media and comes out to support the shows. We’re all invested in the success—it’s really is an amazing team effort.”

Burkett said that although comedy is very competitive, all the regulars from Back Porch Comedy are all rooting for one another, and that while they’re all hoping to perform more shows, and bigger shows, they are generally excited when someone gets a “break.”

Although he’s been working hard at it for the last few years, Burkett said the desire to do comedy was always there.

“I was always quiet in school but funny amongst my friends,” he said. “I always loved standup as a kid, and then in 2009, I went on a trip to Austin,Texas and tried standup for the first time and just did terribly.”

Shortly after that, Burkett gave it one more go at Coyotes on a whim, and just kept it going ever since.

He’s happy growing the comedy scene locally, but is hoping to tour more in the future.

“I want to get out on the road, and then as far as

Andrew Ferrara

Andrew Ferrara is a 29-year-old comedian, who, when not moonlighting at Back Porch Comedy, works as a funeral assistant “hauling dead bodies,” as he puts it.

Though Andrew has only been performing stand-up for two years, his first experience with standup was roughly 10 years ago at a open mic event at UWF.

PENSACOMEDY

“What I didn’t know is that it was a music open mic,” said Ferrara. “I went up there to tell jokes, and no one reacted. It was traumatizing.” Years later, he was approached by fellow comedian Olivia Searcy to try again, and he has been doing it since.

Andrew said he bases most of his comedy on stories from his life, many of them touching on the social and sexual realities of being gay. He admits that most of it comes across as shock humor in more conservative places like the South.

“In general, there is just a stigma against making fun of a male sexually,” said Andrew. “It’s not just gay guys, but women too.”

Andrew said some of his biggest influences outside are Roseanne Barr as well as his family, saying that your family are “the first comedians you know.” But his day-to-day life is what fuels most of his jokes.

“Life presents itself as a joke everyday,” he said, with more than a nod and a wink. He admits that not every event or joke is worthy to be told though. If he can’t find the “core” of the event or the idea that truly makes it funny to a wider audience, he said there is no point in telling the joke.

Andrew recently took part in a stand-up comic reality TV show, where he was away for a few weeks performing comedy across the South. Though he said

Back Porch Comedy goes, I want to keep putting on really good shows,” he said. “I’m hoping to have a place where we could have comedy every night.”

he was not allowed to talk about the content of the show, who was on it, who filmed the show, or if it will even be released, Andrew said the experience was strange yet rewarding.

“The main point of it is that you were supposed to be prepared the do comedy anywhere,” he said. “Which is true, but I did some performances in odd places.”

Currently, Andrew can be found working new and old material at Back Porch Bar and Grill, where he and a solid circle of six or seven other comedians hone their craft. He also performs around the area, at venues in places like Ft. Walton Beach and Mobile.

As for the future, Andrew hopes to use his comedy career to get more into writing and acting, and to hopefully go on tour. For now though, you can catch him at the Back Porch Bar and Grill open mics nearly every week.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 13

publicly traded, 70 percent of the ownership must live in state and 50 percent of sales must be in retail. FYEs and Best Buys will be missing out on the party.

Justin Bauer looks forward to Record Store Day every year, and is always one of the first people in the mile-long line. Orginally from Niceville, he typically starts his morning at Central Square records. This year, after a move to Pensacola, he’ll be scoping out the merchandise at Revolver Records, first and foremost.

“I’ve got my eye on a few releases­—one from Air and a live one from Bruce Springsteen,” he said.

Bauer noted that even if a store doesn’t have the RSD releases he was hoping for, or the only copy was grabbed by another lucky shopper, he always finds something he’s happy about.

Eric Jones, Owner of Revolver Records photo by Hana Frenette

RSD will include participating stores from all over the world and offer more than 100 new releases­—from David Bowie, The War on Drugs and Morrisey to Andrew 3000­, Danny Brown and Prince—there will be something to suit even the pickiest of musical tastes.

BY HANA FRENETTE

R

ecord Store Day is the global celebration of independent record stores, the unique role these stores play in their local communities, and the music that continues to be made on vinyl.

For the 10th year in a row, independent record stores and artists around the world will team up to offer the public exclusive releases made especially for Record Store Day— debut albums, singles, compilations and re-releases of old favorites formerly out of print.

For a store to participate, it must be non-

According to Time Magazine, vinyl sales have been on the rise since 2005, with sales increasing at least 13 percent each year.

Whether the shelves in your home are ready for the extra weight or not, RSD is here to stay.

Before venturing out on April 22 this year, take a peek at your desired record store’s Facebook page to see if they’ve listed their RSD items. Remember, not all stores receive the same merchandise so you might have to go to more than one spot on your new release hunt ­—and arrive early because there’s always a line around the block!

Participating regional stores Revolver Records 9 E. Gregory St. Pensacola, Fl (850) 712-6373

Remember Wynn Records 7007 Lanier Dr. Pensacola, Fl (850) 476-8630

The Music Box

3960 W. Navy Blvd.

Pensacola, Fl (850) 434-1977

Mobile Records 140 S Sage Ave. Mobile, AL (251) 479-0096

Central Square Records

89 Central Square Santa Rosa Beach, FL (850) 231-5669

Dr. Music Records 35 S Section St. Fairhope, AL (251) 990-3412

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 15

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Film: In which we unfairly judge upcoming attractions based solely on their trailers.

By Tanner Yea

FREE FIRE RELEASE DATE: April 21 CAST: Brie Larson, Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor What I got from the preview: In a hyperstylized 1970s Boston, two groups of criminals meet in an old warehouse to perform a run-of-the-mill gun deal. However, tensions rise when miscommunication of the deal surfaces, and the deal turns into a no-holdsbarred shoot out. Lead and one-liners will fly, as this action-comedy seems to combine both American action sensibilities with trademark dry British humor.

ie”—aka a movie which takes place in one location. The 70s style is interesting and has become a recent favorite in movies, with films like Inherent Vice and The Nice Guys playing up the same angles pretty hard.

The cast roster has some great but uncommon actors like Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy, so it’s always great to see them get work, and Brie Larson is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I saw this preview in the theatres and I was instantly drawn to the Unqualified critical observation: Free Fire idea, so my hopes are high. seems like a pretty high-octane “bottle mov-

SLEIGHT RELEASE DATE: April 28 CAST: Jacob Latimore, Seychelle Gabriel, Dulé Hill, Storm Reid, Sasheer What I got from the preview: In modern day Los Angeles, a young street magician named Bo (Jacob Latimore) has powers that are a little more than simple sleight of hand. In order to support his little sister after their parents’ deaths, Bo resorts to a life of crime. He gets in too deep, resulting in his sister getting kidnapped, and must train his very real magical powers in order to save her.

poorly cut trailers with a lot of jumps that make the action look overly kinetic. I had to get the plot from the trailer’s description, none of it was suggested at all in the trailer aside from the magic powers. It is good, however, to see a bunch of new names on this project, and Jacob Latimore has a chance to show off his acting chops after a somewhat successful solo music career. It reminds me of those weird off-brand mid-2000s super hero movies, Unqualified critical observation: There is like Jumper, Chronicle and Push – so who honestly not much to this trailer. It’s only knows how it’l l go. forty seconds long, and it is one of those

MUSIC: What our staff is listening to this month Tennis, Yours Conditionally

Hana’s pick: I heard Tennis for the first time about four years ago. I heard a song off their 2012 album, Young & Old. It was full of synth, pop melodies and Alaina Moore’s airy vocals. I picked up their last album in 2014 but didn’t find the playful and emotional contradictory lyrics or catchy choruses I’d come to enjoy.

With their 2017 release of Conditionally Yours, I found the sounds that drew me initially, but they were accompanied by warmer 70s bass lines, glorious harmonies and several sarcastic sets of lyrics. It was what I was hoping for with the last go-around, but better, and with a little more depth.

18 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Your Old Droog, Packs Guy’s pick: In 2014 a Ukranian-born New Yorker with no social media presence uploaded a EP to soundcloud that immediately sparked a conspiracy theory that Nas was working under the pseudonym Your Old Droog—the confusion was understandable. That guy sounded just like Nas—if Nas picked up a habit for writing pop culture references and selfdeprecating humor into his bars. The buzz created around Your Old Droog was incredible, leading to a sold-out, first-ever show and write-ups in the New Yorker and The New York Times. Packs— YLD’s 2nd and most cohesive album—is New York as hell, with beats and lyrical storytelling that pay homage to 90s golden-era rap. Hood characters and references to Timberlands and bodegas accentuate Droogs excellent story-telling. The album uses some great production by The Alchemist, 88-Keys, RTNC and Edan with some really colorful flourishes over sparse boom-bap beats.

Fellow New Yorkers Wiki (of Ratking), Heems (Das Racist) and Detroit’s Danny Brown show up with some great verses, but YLD is never 1-up’ed.

Packs delivers some of the years best raps by far.

Film: In which we unfairly judge upcoming attractions based solely on their trailers.

GOING IN STYLE RELEASE DATE: April 7 CAST: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin What I got from the preview: Willie (Morgan Freeman), Joe (Michael Caine), and Albert (Alan Arkin) are longtime best friends who watch “The Bachelorette” together. When Joe witnesses a bank robbery, and is later shorted the money owed to him by said bank, he devises a plan with his friends to pull a heist of their own. Of course, they’re old men and a bit disconnected from modern technology (cue gag about the elderly’s inability to use cellphones), so after an unsuccessful robbery attempt at a grocery store they hit the shooting range and enlist help from a professional. If all goes according to plan they’ll get their money and then some, donating the rest to charity.

By Haley Weaver

Unqualified critical observation: I’ll admit, this trailer made me laugh. Zach Braff is the director, and given his past directing track record with Scrubs, Garden State (one of my favorite films) and Wish I Were Here, he has obvious talent. That being said, Going In Style is a remake of a 1979 film, and remakes are typically hit or miss (hit: Ocean’s Eleven, miss: 75% of horror films made after 2005). He essentially collected half the cast of Batman Begins to pull a bank job, sans Bruce Wayne, which could be really funny or really cheesy. Braff has a knack for mixing wit and dark humor into serious themes like depression, so I’m curious to see if he’ll succeed in doing so this go round.

THE CIRCLE RELEASE DATE: April 28 CAST: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Jonn Boyega What I got from the preview: Tom Hanks, as company head Eamon Bailey, believes in the perfectibility of humans, and the possibility of a utopia. “Knowing is good, but knowing everything is better,” he says to a full lecture hall. Enter the Circle, an internet company with omnipercipient presence among the world’s population, particularly members of the Circle. Emma Watson’s Mae is hired to the company, and comes to see them as family: However, as her time with them progresses, she realizes that the ability to be all-seeing and all-knowing can be dangerous, as the information collected can be used for any purpose deemed “the greater good.”

Drake, More Life

Tanner’s pick: Drake has finally dropped his first thing since last year’s hit, Views. I say thing, because I don’t think anyone is sure what More Life is. It’s billed as “A Playlist by October Firm,” but you can buy it as an album on iTunes.

Either way, More Life is an impressive hour and 20 minute jaunt of musical styles for Drake. From his signature rap and R&B style, to his recent love for Jamaican dancehall, to some over-the-seas East London-esque grime. The problem is the album is too all over the place. The grime songs don’t use grime beats, some of the songs don’t even have Drake on them, and Drake is back with his awful fake patois. There are some standouts like “Passionfruit,” “Get It Together,” and the hit “Fake Love,” but that’s about it. Good for die hard Drake fans, but could have used another edit.

Unqualified critical observation: “Nineteen Eighty-Four” modernized to fit the ever growing concern of privacy, in relation to the internet. Technically speaking, The Circle has a lot of potential: Tom Hanks is in it, Emma Watson plays the role she was biologically created for as a doe-eyed, opinionated do-gooder, Danny Elfman composed the score, Tom Hanks is in it. But it’s adapted from a 2013 novel of the same name by Dave Eggers, which leaves plenty of room for it to have plot holes in its plot holes because nobody seems to get book adaptations right, ever (I’m looking at you, Hunger Games). Doesn’t appear to be Academy Award-winning material, but potentially entertaining nonetheless. Also, cover your laptop cameras, for the love of God.

RVRB, Faded EP Haley’s pick: The first few months of the year are always cloudy for me—not in weather so much as state of mind.

Overcast feelings call for overcast tunes, like this EP by RVRB (pronounced reverb). The project’s head, Cameron Mitchell, began creating this music as a way of coping with an unfulfilled life in LA, addressing a loss of self head-on.

However, RVRB employs the synth style of M83 and the vocal smoothness of Fyfe to add a sense of effervescence to a collection of songs for driving at 2 am As a whole, Faded has a visual quality, with songs like “Falling // Away” and “Maybe I Could” appearing like blurred lights over the water from the Pensacola Bay Bridge. The EP packages what it feels like to be searching while stationary—no weepiness, just the impression of floating.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 19

EMERALD COAST REVIEW IS NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, graphic design and art for its 14th issue, “Life in Our Time.”

Complete submission guidelines are available online at www.wflf.org. Reading and submission fee $10 for four poems, up to six photos or illustrations or up to 3000 words fiction. Student entry fee $5.

Deadline June 1st. For more information email the editor at emeraldcoastreview@gmail.com.

Date l i n e D o w n t o w n Pensacola Ice Flyers Games

Continuing out of a playoff championship during the 2015-2016 season, the Pensacola Ice Flyers continue their 2016-2017 season in the Southern Professional Hockey League, lead by the returning former head coach Rod Aldoff. The dates listed are for home games at the Pensacola Bay Center. For more info and to purchase a ticket for the game, visit pensacolaiceflyers.com.

April 1: vs. Knoxville Ice Bears

Pensacola Blue Wahoos Games

Pensacola’s own Double-A Affiliate of the Cincinatti Reds kicks off their 2017 season. The dates listed are for home games at Blue Wahoos Stadium. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bluewahoos.com.

April 6-10: vs. Tennessee Smokies April 12-16: vs. Biloxi Shuckers April 22-26: vs. Mobile Baybears

mances that run the gamut of the arts. Opera, plays, and musical artists will grace the stage. For more info and to purchase tickets for any of these events, visit www.pensacolasaenger.com.

April 1: Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Presents: Russian Spectacular April 3: Stephen Stills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg – The Rides April 8: Pensacola Civic Band Presents: “Out of This World” April 14: UWF Department of Theatre Presents: Romeo and Juliet April 19: Mamma Mia!, The Broadway Musical April 23: ROCKTOPIA LIVE April 27: Greater Tuna April 29: Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Presents: Bernstein & Beethoven

Vinyl Music Hall

Vinyl Music Hall hosts a variety of events, and April will feature acts like the famous WHY? - don’t forget to read our interview with them this issue – The Wailers, and Young Dubliners. For more information and to purchase tickets for any of these events, visit vinylmusichall.com.

April 1: Muscadine Bloodline April 3: Shovels & Rope April 4: The Wailers April 7: WHY? April 8: Chris Thomas King- King of 21st Century Blues April 9: Young Dubliners April 11: Fortunate Youth April 15: The Dirty Doors- Tribute To The Doors April 19: Local H April 20: SuicideGirls: Blackheart Burlesque April 21: Maggie Koerner April 27: JJ Grey & Mofro April 29: Departure- The Journey Tribute Band

Pensacola Saenger Theatre

The Saenger Theatre is home to a host of events every month, and April sets the stage for shows and perfor22 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

A Bark to Remember

April 1 Maritime Park Join Gulf Coast Health Care as we host a dog friendly event to raise awareness for the local Alzheimer’s Association. A ‘BARK’ to Remember is a great event for anyone interested in helping to end this disease through the love of dogs. There will be dog contests, a variety of vendors, silent auction, entertainment, food and drink and much more! Begins at 10 am. Begins at 10 am. For more information, visit facebook.com/gulfcoasthealthcare.

Leave A Legacy Silent Auction

2017 Pensacola JazzFest

April 1 Bayfront Parkway Pensacola JazzFest is a FREE all-jazz festival held in historic Seville Square in downtown Pensacola. Jazz Pensacola produces the event with assistance from a variety of corporate sponsors, community organizations and donations. The two-day festival celebrates America’s unique musical art form – jazz. Great music, kids areas, arts and crafts, food and drinks, and more! Begins at 10:30 am. For more information, visit jazzpensacola.com

April 1 TBD The Visual Arts Association of Northwest Florida, Inc. (VAA) invites the public to attend its first annual Leave a Legacy fundraiser and silent auction, with proceeds benefiting the VAA arts scholarship program. The event will be held at the historic North Hill home of Bob and Pat Regan on Saturday, April 1st, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Address provided upon ticket purchase. Tickets may be purchased through the VAA for $50 per person $60 at the door. Tickets are available online at www.visualartsnwf.com or by visiting Creative House, located at 1200 N. Palafox Street. For additional information please contact Pat Page at (850) 293-5414 or email visualartsnwf@gmail.com.

Bands on the Beach

April 4 Gulfside Pavilion, Pensacola Beach Enjoy this week’s performance of “Not Quite Fab”. Every Tuesday Pensacola Beach’s popular outdoor summer concert series, Bands on the Beach, features a lineup of performers sure to please every musical taste. Located in the beautiful Gulfside Pavilion overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the series features regional artists performing a wide variety of music. Bring your lawn chair and join us every summer for hot music, smooth grooves and a whole lot of good times. Join them at 7 pm at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. For more information, visit visitpensacola.com.

Daddy & Daughter Date Night

April 8 Sanders Beach Resource Center “Daddy & Daughter Date Night” brings fathers and their daughters out for an evening of food, fun, creating memories and strengthening the special bonds between them. The events are full of entertainment from various artists as well as motivational speakers and opportunities for the daddies and daughters to take pictures and dance together. Begins at 5 pm. For more information, visit www.mybrothersandsisters.org

Dateline Downtown Annual Easter Egg Hunt

April 8 2130 Summit Blvd The Easter Bunny is coming to town!

Join us for a day of fun with Easter Egg Hunts (ages 0-12), carnival games, bounce houses, bubble stations, pictures with the Easter Bunny and more! Begins at 10 am. For more information, visit playpensacola.com

Blue Angels Practice

April 11 – 14 1750 Radford Blvd Come see our boys in blue practice their insane aerial stunts all this weekend. Watch from the National Naval Aviation Museum, where bleacher seating for 1000 and chair service is available. Sit back and relax as the Blue Angels roar overhead and pull barrel rolls, loops and other flights of skill. Admission is free, but concessions will be available for purchase. Be advised, only small purses, medicine bags and diaper bags are allowed into the viewing area and are subject to search. Practice begins at 11:30 am. For more information, visit navalaviationmuseum.org.

DDC Book 2017 Spring Tour

April 12 Pensacola State College Aaron James Draplin is a graphic designer, famous for his own design at Draplin Design Co has well as the popular Field Notes brand. On April 12, Aaron will host a public lecture at PSC as part of his tour promoting his DDC Book – a collection of graphic designs, maps, illustrations and so on, available for purchase on May 17. The lecture is free, but an RSVP is required and seating is limited. The lecture will be held in the Switzer Center for Visual Art, Building 15, Room 1590 at 7 pm. For more information, visit draplin.com

Pensacola Justice Jog 5K & Street Party

April 15 17 E Main Street All proceeds from the Downtown Justice Jog will benefit Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz Justice Foundation scholarship fund for local high-school seniors! The course is a 3.1 mile course and 1 mile fun run through

historic downtown Pensacola. Come dressed as your favorite Super Hero!

Following the race we will host a family friendly street party! Join us for the free Budweiser Beer Garden, complimentary food tastings from local restaurants, a Kids Zone & so much more! With your paid registration you will receive a race packet including goodies from all of our sponsors and a limited edition dri-fit race shirt.

Shirt sizes are limited so sign-up today! Begins at 8 am. For more information, call 850-202-1010.

Grill on the Hill BBQ Competition

April 18 Hilton-Green Episcopal Day School It’s that time again! Are you ready for some BBQ? Join us at the Episcopal Day School Hilton-Green Campus for the 7th Annual Grill on the Hill BBQ competition. This year we are “Grilling he Dream, Shelley LeCroy Style”!

Your ticket to this 21+ event includes a fun-filled afternoon of BBQ provided by our grilling teams, unlimited beer and wine, live music, and silent and live auction. We grill rain or shine! Begins at 2 pm. Visit http://www.edscc. org/pso for more information.

Pensacola Chocolate Fest

April 22 Cordova Mall Please join the Gulf Coast Kid’s House for Chocolate Fest 2017, presented

by Sandy Sansing Dealerships. We will present our 14th annual chocolate lover’s extravaganza on Saturday, April 22 at Cordova Mall. Attendees may purchase a VIP ticket for $20 for exclusive access from 12 – 1 pm or a General Admission ticket for $15 and attend from 1-3 pm. For more information, visit pensacolachocolatefest. com.

Mullet Man Triathlon

April 22 Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar The Mullet Man Triathlon has proven to be a definite addition to the Annual Interstate Mullet Toss® and Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party (held this year on April 28th-30th). This is our 21st Annual Mullet Man Triathlon, a high quality event, promises a great course, super volunteers, awards

three deep and overall, as well as a post-race party with fabulous food and fun. Starts at 7:30 am. Visit florabama.com for more information.

Pensacola Crawfish Festival

April 28-30 Bartram Park Don’t be shy, dig in! Fiesta of Five Flags is excited to announce that the 33rd annual Pensacola Crawfish Festival will take place Friday-Sunday, April 28, 29 & 30 in Bartram Park, downtown Pensacola. Admission is $5 daily or $10 for a weekend pass (children 12 and under get in free).

Join us before 3 pm on Friday, April 28, and admission is free! Admission for active duty military with ID on Friday, April 28 is also free. Great food, live entertainment, and activities for all ages await you! For more information, visit fiestoffiveflags.org.

Sam’s Seafood, Steak and Spirits 34th Anniversary

Throughout April 420 South A Street The oldest seafood restaurant in Pensacola is getting a facelift just in time for their 34th anniversary. Sam’s Seafood, Steak and Spirits originally opened in 1983, and they have been serving from their 420 South A Street location ever since. As part of their celebration, they have added new menu times, a revamped wine and cocktail list, various lunch and dinner specials, and discounts throughout the whole month. “For a restaurant to successfully endure for 24 years is a rarity,” said Sam Camariotes III, the current manager, who has taken over his father’s duty. “To accomplish this milestone while being locally owned and family managed is even rarer.” Camariotes III said that the key to the longevity of the restaurant is that they serve the finest Gulf Coast seafood, the finest in-house and hand-cut steaks, and have excellent staff and service. “We look forward to many more years of quality food DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 23

Date l i n e D o w n t o w n and service here in Pensacola,” said Camariotes III. Visit Sam’s Seafood, Steak and Spirits all throughout the month of April for special offers, new menus and a revamped feel.

Annual Members Juried Exhibition

March 24 – April 22 Pensacola Museum of Art The Pensacola Museum of Art celebrates its 63rd annual Member’s Juried Exhibition. The PMA takes this opportunity each year to highlight our talented members and showcase their works on the Museum walls.The Museum is very proud to continue this beloved tradition, which continues to delight visitors every year. This exhibition is a glimpse into the incredible level of artistic skill and excellence of member artists. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

Robotics Day

April 15 National Naval Aviation Museum The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) will host a free, familyfriendly event on Sat., April 15, from 12 – 5 p.m. The event celebrates National Robotics Week and will feature IHMC robot demonstrations in the Blue Angels Atrium and free screenings of National Geographic’s film, “Robots.”

National Robotics Week is all about celebrating the United States’ leadership in robotics technology and development and inspiring students of all ages to pursue careers in these areas. At Robotics Day, IHMC will demonstrate kid-friendly robotics concepts and realworld applications that inspire and amaze. Hands-on science kit activities will also be set up by the Pensacola MESS Hall.

For more information, visit navalaviationmuseum.org.

24 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Easter Brunch at Five Sister’s Blues Cafe

April 16 421 W Belmont St Five Sisters Blues Café will be open for our traditional Sunday Jazz brunch on Easter Sunday, April 16, from 10 am until 5 pm We will be serving from our standard brunch menu, which features a selection of starters, salads, entrées, seafood and sandwiches as well brunch favorites; Eggs Benedict, The New Orleans Napoleon, Chicken and Waffles, French Toast and Belgium Waffles. As always, we will have live jazz performances throughout brunch service.

For more information, visit fivesistersbluescafe.com

Rise: SUP & Yoga Retreat

April 28 – April 29 5 Via de Luna Join us for a time of renewal and adventure to include standup-paddleboarding (sup), yoga, and more. It starts off with a fun, Friday night sunset paddle, bonfire and music. Launch location on a white, sandy beach at Outdoor Gulf Coast next to Red Fish Blue Fish. Join Susan Neal on Saturday for a refreshing afternoon including lunch, yoga, and helpful tips for finding optimal health for your mind, body, and spirit. Beings at 5 pm. For more information, call 850-466-8477.

New Horizons Expo

A Body, Mind, and Spirit and Healing Arts Fair

Saturday April 8

Door Prizes!

$10 Entry fe

10:00 Am to 6:00 Pm

Featuring Amazing Services, Intuitive Readers, Life Coaches, Speakers, Products, Healers, Chair Massage, Yoga, Fitness, & Much More!

e

Now Accepting Vendors, Intuitive, Readers, Healers, & more!!

WWW.NEWHORIZONSEXPO.COM

(850) 941 4321 Osceola Country Club 300 Tonawanda Dr. Pensacola, Fl 32506

Quayside Art Gallery 17 E. Zarragossa Street, Pensacola, Florida 850-438-2363 www.quaysidegallery.com

A Valentine’s Gift with Plenty of Heart

Adopt-A-Manatee® for All You Love This Year

Call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) savethemanatee.org Photo © David Schrichte

THUNDERBIRDS AIRSHOW Saturday, April 22nd

$30 Per Adult $25 Per Child (12 & Under)

Join us as we travel to Tyndall Air Force Base for an exciting demonstration that combines years of training and experience into a breathtaking showcase of the F-16 fighting falcons aerial acrobatics and fighter pilot strategies.

The Thunderbirds are the Air Force’s answer to the Pensacola Navy’s Blue Angels Pensacola - 5:30am Navarre - 6:15am Mary Esther - 6:45am Destin - 7:00am

Sunday, May 7th 2am - Pensacola Lot

Ride and Race Ticket - $140 Ride Only - $60

Tickets are located in the OV Hill South Grand Stand on the Straight Away

JUNE 10TH

8am - Pensacola Lot Ride and Race Ticket - $75 (GENERAL SEATING)

Ride Only - $60

Daily Biloxi Tours

CALL TO RESERVE TODAY

850-476-0046 • 1-800-446-0886

Goodtimetours.com

Celebrating 34 years

10% off Active & Retired Military with ID

420 South A Street

Across from Joe Patti’s Seafood

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CHOCOLATE FOR A CAUSE

By Haley Weaver If you’ve ever wandered around the mall at the end of April, you’ve probably seen the Pensacola Chocolate Fest; different tables and booths scattered throughout, offering the best chocolate and deserts from chocolatiers in the area. For the 14th year in a row, Cordova Mall will be hosting the Pensacola Chocolate Fest presented

by Sandy Sansing, with ticket sales benefitting the non-profit organization Gulf Coast Kids House.

The featured Chocolatiers for 2017 include Krispy Kreme, Cloud 9 Chocolates, Let ‘Em Eat Cake, Cheddars Scratch Kitchen, Applebee’s, Red Robin, Starbucks, Olive Garden, and Longhorn Steakhouse, with more to be announced. In addition, Szotski’s Cheesecakes is returning to defend their title as the 2016 People’s Choice Award Winner.

Spokeswoman for Chocolate Fest and executive director for Gulf Coast Kids House, Stacey Kostevicki, said that funds raised from this event can facilitate GCKH’s ability to support a full staff. “Fundraisers like Chocolate Fest and sponsors like Sandy Sansing Dealerships have allowed us to grow our support staff so that we can better support families impacted by abuse,” said Kostevicki. On average, the event raises about $30,000 each year.

Gulf Coast Kids House offers support to children and families who have been victims of abuse, in the form of medical exams, recorded interviews, mental health counseling and the investigation, treatment and prosecution of abuse cases. The organization, which prides itself on its child-friendly environment, provides these services in order to reduce trauma and assist children and families through the court process.

In 2016, GCKH provided services to over 3,600 child victims of sexual and physical abuse and severe neglect in Escambia County.

According to Kostevicki, the process of choosing chocolatiers each year is simple. “Chocolate Fest is open to any restaurant, bakery, or civic group willing to provide handmade chocolate treats,” she said. “Because we have been doing Chocolate Fest for so many years, we have a really loyal group of restaurants who

participate, but our goal is to add a few new ones every year.”

The 2017 Chocolate Fest will take place on Saturday, April 22, throughout the corridors of Cordova Mall. VIP tickets, which ensure earlier entry to the event and therefore more immediate access to the treats, cost $20 with entry from 12 to 1 pm.

General admission tickets are $15, with entry from 1 to 3 pm.

event with their game face! Last year they were dethroned by Szotski’s Cheesecake, so we’re excited to see who reigns supreme in 2017!”

If you’re interested in participating with your business in the 2017 Chocolate Fest, it’s not too late!

The only requirement is that each chocolatier bring 1,200 bite-size samples of their chocolate creations and fill out the form located at their website, or email Stacey Kostevicki at executivedirector@gckh.org.

Since the introduction of VIP option, there’s been an increase in money raised; last year when the option was introduced, they sold out all 500 tickets before the event. There are over 1,000 attendees every year and this year Kostevicki expects 1,500.

“The most exciting thing about Chocolate Fest,” noted Kostevicki, “is seeing which Chocolatier will win the People’s Choice Award.

H2O has won several years and they always come to the DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 27

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