Kirsten writes: “The Academy Awards are this Sunday with fun ways to view the show. It’s entertaining to watch Hollywood, but I hope everyone is making the most out of their own lives in the starring role! Get out there this weekend and enjoy it all.”

The Background: Sarasota’s oldest arts organization, Art Center Sarasota, and Sarasota’s music event coordinator extraordinaires, The Closet, teamed up last Friday, August 31, to present a four-band, five-dolla, concert at the recently renovated Art Center. Darwin’s on 4th contributed to the event by donating two pony kegs of their fabulous locally brewed beer.  The Shamrock Pub, another regular supporter of arts and music, also donated beer for the event. The Set-up: Last year’s renovations at Art Center Sarasota made the building into a unique local music venue. The newly walled and renovated sculpture [...]

Zoe and I were all about the music last weekend. Check out these shots from Friday night at The Venue 1927 — where Physical Plant, (the) Umbrella Cult and Villanova Junction rocked out until closing time — and from the Shindig II, not in Burns Square but visiting a new spot at Word of Mouth Café.  Check in with me after work on Thursday for This Weekend in Sarasota with yours truly, and get ready for another awesome weekend! – Photography by Zoe Rayor.

Last Thursday evening, gaggles of Sarasota locals braved an epic lightning storm to make their way out to Growler’s Pub and relish glasses of ‘Gansett and other fine beers while loosening up to a triple-threat lineup of area favorites: Physical Plant, The Wallies and (the) somewhat-mysterious-but-becoming-less-mysterious Umbrella Cult. Physical Plant, who described their sound in an interview with This Week in Sarasota as “psychedelic rock and folk,” strummed their first chord at around 9:30 p.m. and played an electrifying set that overflowed with melodious, four-part vocal harmonies, galvanizing guitar solos, heaving [...]

I know what some of you are thinking. Oh, great. Another amateur writer thinks her music taste is totally the greatest and feels compelled to enlighten the rest of us culturally-starved chumps. I also thought the last thing Sarasotans needed was another “Song of the Week” column. Then I asked the almighty Facebook what it thought, and it turns out you guys actually want this crap. (You also want more band photos, but I am even worse at photography than I am at thought-vomitus, so that’s that.) There’s one thing I [...]

Remember that video last Friday, where Kirsten told you where to go and what to do? She is the boss of the weekend, after all. Anyway, as promised, here are some snapshots from three of the weekend’s best parties, shows and events for you to relive the fun you had (or if you unfortunately missed out). Enjoy the gorgeous camerawork of Scott Braun and Gabe Hernandez from a rock show at the Rusty Hook Tavern, the Duct Tape Prom and a skate-stravaganza at Payne Skate Park.