On Thursday, Sept. 6, the Ringling Museum of Art hosted the latest event in its “Ringling Underground” series and showed college students in the area that the grounds can be a hip place to hang out and take in contemporary art of all kinds, from live bands and an emcee to a disorienting optical installation and a pair of girls wandering the lawn in the characters of master and puppy. The event marked another successful step forward in a concerted effort undertaken by Ringling curators over the past couple of [...]

Orlando native Andy White –– who releases and performs music under the moniker Andy Boay and is also one half of experimental rock duo Tonstartssbandht –– has spent the past few years living in Montreal, Quebec, getting intimate with a city known for its booming music scene. About a month ago, he decided to move back to his hometown and, despite expressing an affinity for Montreal, said he’s been looking forward to diving back into Florida’s musical underground. After performing alongside local Sarasota acts Hapeas Porpoise and Baklavabalaklava and fellow Orlando band [...]

Many adults fondly recall the day that they received their first driver’s license, which afforded them the independence to get behind the wheel of a car and go … well, anywhere! Suzy Wilburn, Director of Admissions and Student Services at Southeastern Guide Dogs, remembers that rush of exhilaration well. In an interview with This Week in Sarasota, she recounted “that feeling you get of giddiness, where you think, ‘I’m in control and I can do what I want, and I have this unfound freedom that I had no idea was [...]

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 [...]

Sitting in the new WSLR broadcast studio with volunteer DJ and 53-year veteran of the industry David Milberg—known on the air as “Radio Dave”—for just a few moments will likely instill in any guest an appreciation for the enthusiasm that he exudes while running through his agenda of carefully selected song choices, playful banter and, yes, even custom-made WSLR jingles. “This is real. This is radio the way it used to was,” he jokingly said in an interview with This Week in Sarasota that took place in between music breaks [...]

Photography by Arielle Scherr. Grimacing, hobbling and snarling are not techniques traditionally employed by fashion models hoping to garner praise on the runway, but at the second annual Gore Fest Beach Party—a zombie fashion show that took place on Saturday, May 5, in the Garment District of Sarasota—they may have been considered essential maneuvers by those hoping to be crowned undead catwalk royalty. Clearly, this was not a typical fashion show. Models arrived at the warehouse around 3 p.m. for a lengthy makeup application process and a number of practice [...]