Pro skateboarders visit Pensacola

World-renowned skateboarders RICHARD MULDER and CHAD TIM TIM will be making guest appearances 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox Place.

The free REVEAL TOUR features the premiere of "KALEIDOSCOPE," a full-length skateboard movie produced by Steelroots. Pensacola is one of the 10 cities on the east coast of the Reveal Tour.

Both Mulder and Tim will be on hand to judge a skateboarding competition. Bring your skateboards. The best trick competition has a grand prize of $1000 in cash, with other prizes for both competitors and non-competitors.

Click here for more information.

Roth's song airs nationally

Adam Roth, former lead singer of the Gulf Breeze-based jam band Suburban Shakedown and current singer-songwriter based out of Los Angeles, was recently featured on my Loaded Gun music segment on "IN Your Head Radio."

The producers were so impressed with the material from his new album "A Little Voodoo" they've decided to air his track "Back to New Orleans" on the nationally syndicated Air America show "Ring of Fire" hosted by local attorney Mike Papantonio and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Click here for an Air America station near you.

To download my radio interview with Roth, click here.

Ol' dirty bastard

When Clarence Reid’s foulmouthed alter ego, the original dirty rapper Blowfly, says, “you're making a big mistake white boy," he means it.

The 62-year-old pseudo-superhero—known for his dirty rap parodies of popular soul songs like “Shittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” and “My Baby Keeps Farting In My Face”—is rambling a mile a minute about anything and everything imaginable over the phone. And the old man is cussin’ up a storm. But this sort of behavior should be expected from the original ol’ dirty bastard.

Wearing a mask to disguise his true identity in the ‘70s, Reid’s nasty-as-he-wants-to-be Blowfly built a reputation by releasing X-rated underground party records. Those albums, which included “The Weird World of Blowfly” (1971) and “Porno-Freak” (1977), developed a huge following among the “no-he-didn’t” hipster crowd.

Fast-forward 20 years, After working with the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone, Blowfly signed to Jello Biafra’s label, Alternative Tentacles, and assembled an oddly catchy collection of XXX gems in 2005. Armed with his surprisingly good new CD, “Blowfly's Punk Rock Party,” the old-school rapper got his groove back.

BLOWFLY
9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30
$8
Sluggo’s 2403 W. Cervantes St.
435-1541 or www.blowflymusic.com

IN Music Awards '06 Showcase

6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 at UWF’s Commons Auditorium

Awards Ceremony: 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, Atlas Oyster House

The Independent News, Pensacola’s alternative newsweekly, is excited to announce that ENDINGS EDGE, 60 CYCLES OF SOUND and headliner GLORY OF THIS will rock out at the 3rd Annual INDEPENDENT NEWS MUSIC AWARDS showcase from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 at the University of West Florida’s Commons Auditorium.

This free, all-ages music event will be hosted by A.J. Fratto, known to the masses as ROCKER AJ, and will be the final performance for James Harrah, the former vocalist for Glory of This.

The show is co-sponsored by CARS Committee of the Campus Activity Board.

Now in its third year, the Independent News Music Awards (INMA) has solidified its status as a leading local music event, drawing thousands of fans over the past two years and establishing itself as a regional leader in showcasing local talent and emerging artists.

New this year is the INMA awards ceremony to be held 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13 at the Atlas Oyster House, 600 Barracks St. Our official award sponsor, Kevin Marchetti from Renaissance Man, Inc., has crafted one-of-a-kind statues that will be handed out to our INMA ’06 winners.

Also, the anticipated INMA print edition, highlighting all of the winners and nominees, will hit stands Thursday, Sept. 14 to coincide with our annual music showcase.

For general information please call the Independent News 850-438-8115 or visit www.inweekly.net.

What: IN Music Awards '06 showcase
When: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14
Where: UWF Commons Auditorium, 11000 University Pkwy, Bldg. 22
Cost: Free
Details: 438-8115 or www.inweekly.net

Cat Country nominated for station of the year

The Country Music Association (CMA) announced the 2006 Broadcast Award Nominees this morning and WYCT--Pensacola’s Cat Country 98.7 FM--has been nominated for this nationwide award.

Kevin King, Operations Manager for Cat Country 98.7 says, "We are all very pleased and honored to be listed as a nominee for this prestigious award. I could not be more proud for our staff and our listener family! Cat Country has been on the air for nearly three years and for our young station to be included with heritage stations from all over the US is very special."

The CMA Broadcast Awards are among the most prestigious awards given out in the field of country radio. The best in Country Radio are honored annually during the pre-telecast ceremonies for “The 40th Annual CMA Awards” and will be recognized during the live broadcast on the ABC Television Network. Be sure to watch 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, 2006 on ABC, live from Gaylord Entertainment Center in Downtown Nashville.

Photos of The Molly Ringwalds

“We’re not your average cover band,” explains Sir Devon Nooner, vocalist for the New Orleans-based The Molly Ringwalds. “It’s more like a theatrical experience and less like a typical tribute or cover act.”

Everyone's fave '80s-inspired tribute act is returning to Seville Quarter 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1. Click here to see exclusive photos of the band shot by Independent News' art director, Justin Griffith.

Pensacola featured in national magazine

Pensacola is featured in US Airways Magazine’s September 2006 issue. The special section, Profile: Pensacola Bay Area, will consist of 22 or more pages devoted entirely to showcasing our town as one of the nation’s foremost areas to visit, work, live and prosper.

Our Chamber of Commerce and the Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau worked with US Airways Magazine editorial and marketing staff on developing this feature section. In addition to the printed editorial, Profile: Pensacola Bay Area will also be available here.

Pensacola moves up Nielsen food chain

More proof that Pensacola is growing...

Recently released rankings compiled by Nielsen Research show the Pensacola-Mobile television market jumped three spots from 62nd to 59th in the nation.

This growth of three slots tied fellow Katrina beneficiary Baton Rouge, which moved from 96 last year to 93 this year.

Pensacola was estimated to have picked up more than 23,000 TV homes, moving from 501,130 last year to 524,200 this year. New Orleans, since the devastation suffered from Katrina, fell from 43 to 54, and lost approximately 105,000 TV homes, going from 672,150 last year to 566,960 this year.

Click here for the report.

Bernadette Peters performs

"Bernadette Peters – A Journey Through Broadway" will be the debut performance by Sinfonia Gulf Coast at the Panama City Marina Civic Center on September 22 and the Emerald Coast Convention Center on September 23 in Ft. Walton Beach.

Headline guest artist Bernadette Peters is a seven-time nominated and two-time Tony Award-winning actress, movie star and singer. Bernadette Peters is widely acclaimed as the finest singing actress on the scene today. She was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 1996 and is the youngest inductee in its history.

Peter’s first Tony for best actress was in 1986 for the lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Song & Dance’. The second Tony was for her lead role in 1999 as Annie Oakley in Irving Berlin’s ‘Annie Get Your Gun’. Talkin’ Broadway Reviews said of her Annie role, “Any appearance by Bernadette Peters in a musical is just cause for popping open bottles of the best champagne and dancing in the streets.”

In 2003, she received her seventh Tony Award nomination for her electrifying portrayal of Momma Rose in Sam Mendes’ record-breaking Broadway revival of ‘Gypsy’. Her brilliant performance was captured on the Grammy award-winning ‘Gypsy’ cast recording.

Call Sinfonia at (850) 267-1478, or purchase and print tickets online at www.sinfoniagulfcoast.org

Native's film role turns heads

Katy Mixon, a Gulf Breeze native and a Pensacola Children's Chorus alum, is earning rave reviews for her portrayal as a bitchy cheerleader in the indie film "The Quiet."

While the Jamie Babbit-directed flick may not make much noise at the box office, Mixon's small-but-memorable performance as the sex-obsessed mean girl is raising eyebrows.

The film critic for Newsday, Gene Seymour, writes, "Katy Mixon's turn as Nina's vixenish gal pal suggests unmined potential."

What's the plot? Following the death of her widowed father, Dot (Camilla Belle) is taken in by her adoptive godparents, Paul (Martin Donovan) and Olivia (Edie Falco). Deaf and silent since age 7 when her mother died, Dot is sullen and introspective and is badgered by a group of dysfunctional high school teens all in a hormonal tizzy.

Mixon's character, Michelle, is a sexually boisterous cheerleader who is best friends with the complex popular girl, Nina (Elisha Cuthbert). Think "Heathers" meets "But I'm a Cheerleader."

The content is dark but Mixon's performance, according to critics, is funny as hell.

Another reviewer describes the local actress' character as "a girl who is seemingly unable to talk about anyone without announcing that she wants to 'f*ck him.'"

While her portrayal in "The Quiet" is generating national buzz, it’s her upcoming role in "High Fidelity," a Broadway-bound musical based on Nick Hornby's novel and the cult film starring John Cusack, that's positioning the young starlet as a triple threat.

Mixon has won the role of "Liz," performed by Cusack's sister, Joan, in the movie that follows a record store owner who knows a lot about vinyl but not much about love. "High Fidelity" opens on the Great White Way, December 7, after a month-long stint in Boston at the Colonial Theatre.

The native, who was recently in town to rest before heading to Manhattan for rehearsals, seems to be taking all of the attention in stride. "It's just a very busy time," she says about her successful string of roles. "Thank you so much for the encouragement. I feel so blessed that these opportunities have been given to me."

Loaded Gun will keep you posted.

Roth's "A Little Voodoo"

Our weekly audio component to the Independent News called "IN Your Head Radio," airing 11 a.m. Fridays on WUWF's digital channel 1 and 4:35 p.m. Saturdays on WEBY (1330 AM), is growing now that the show is available for download and podcast.

For this weekend's program, I have a candid chat with Suburban Shakedown's former lead singer, Adam Roth, who has moved to Los Angeles to pursue a solo career...

Here's an excerpt from our interview:

Remember vocalist Adam Roth? He was the former lead singer of the Gulf Breeze-based jam band Suburban Shakedown who fled to Los Angeles days before Hurricane Ivan devastated Pensacola in 2004.

The 22-year-old is in town to promo his soon-to-be released full-length record, “A Little Voodoo.”

Armed with an evolved, yet malleable, pop-rock sound that ranges from a Jack Johnson-esque title track to a bluegrass-infused homage to the Big Easy called “Back to New Orleans,” Roth has crafted a Southern-fried gem.

“When I moved to Los Angeles, I learned that I have to structure my songs in a different way in order to appeal to a large number of people,” he says, sporting a long, Jim Morrison-style haircut. “Someone told me, ‘don’t bore us, get to the chorus’ and that kinda stayed with me.”

Roth—who collaborated with luminaries like Little Feat’s Richie Hayward and well-known harmonica player Stanley Behrens on the new material—believes all of the 10 tracks on “A Little Voodoo” can stand alone.

“My goal with this record was to make every song a single,” he says during a recent taping of “IN Your Head Radio.” “Before, it was about jamming out and making sure everyone in the room was enjoying the music.”

As far as his impressions of the Pensacola music scene since leaving in’04, Roth says he’s noticed a shift—and not necessarily for the good. “It seems like everything has changed but the people are the same,” he explains. “I’m having a hard time finding original music since coming back. I’ve asked all of my old musician friends and they’re telling me that the local music scene is pretty much dead.”

Based on his experiences living near the Sunset Strip, Roth argues that we should embrace and nurture acts putting out original music.

“I would like for Pensacola to change into an original scene,” he remarks. “It’s always been a cover band scene, which is what I was a part of with Suburban Shakedown. But, there’s so much great original music out there that always seems to be overlooked.”

Roth’s advice to the locals: “Don’t let the scene change you. Change the scene.”

Click here to download the radio interview.

Pensacola Beach featured on Discovery Channel

Pensacola Beach will be featured on the Discovery Channel’s series "Biker Build-Off" at 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28. The show will pit a custom bike built by Kevin Alsop of Big Bear Choppers in California against a bike built by Ivy Trosclair of Metry Custom Cycles in New Orleans. The two contestants will ride from New Orleans to Daytona Beach’s famous Bike Week where they will face off before their fellow bikers whose votes will determine the winner.

As Alsop and Trosclair ride east, they will cruise through Pensacola Beach as aerial footage displays the beautiful white-sand beaches and emerald Gulf of Mexico waters.

“I’m sure they chose Pensacola Beach because it’s the most scenic drive between New Orleans and Daytona and we were thrilled to work with them to showcase our beautiful destination,” says Buck Lee, Santa Rosa Island Authority general manager.

This episode will rebroadcast at midnight on August 29 and at 9 a.m. on Sept. 11.

Let's get ready to rumble...

It’s been four long years since Pensacola fans welcomed the superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment. The premier wrestlers of WWE Raw are back and ready for battle at The Pensacola Civic Center on Saturday, October 7.

Slated to appear along with WWE Divas Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle are DX (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) vs. Edge and Randy Orton; Rick Flair vs. Umaga and the Intercontinental Championship Match with Jeff Hardy vs. Nitro.

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. Prices range from $23-$58. Call 434-7444 or click here for details.

"Sex and Love" at UWF

Nicholas Power, chair of the UWF Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, for a lecture, “Sex and Love,” on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Lecture Hall 206. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The lecture is part of “Genius Loci,” a program of visiting artists and scholars sponsored by the UWF Department of Art. The first in a series, the lecture will directly precede the Art Faculty Show opening reception in the UWF Art Gallery.

“This series is intended to enhance the curriculum for students and to engage the surrounding community with an open dialogue on contemporary art and ideas,” says Felecia Chizuko Carlisle, an adjunct faculty member in the Art Department and coordinator of the event. “Visiting artists and local scholars will approach issues of global identity, scientific discovery, community and love.”

Click here for details.

Long Hollow Park unveiling

This hidden gem hosts a garden of metal sculptures, boasting a work-in-progress by glass artisan Joe Hobbs, a metal fountain by Jacob Cawthon and a functional labyrinth with benches by 60 Cycles of Sound musician Jason Holstein.

For Hobbs, the park is a public art utopia. “Long Hollow is an example of people having a vision and doing what it takes to fulfill that dream,” he says. “Art really needs to be present in our everyday lives and not only at craft fairs.”

Michelle MacNeil, the neighborhood association president and co-owner of Architectural Affairs Inc., says her group wanted a place where children could play safely and where the community could come together. MacNeil says the Long Hollow community is planning a public unveiling 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24 of Hobbs’ work—a glass and steel piece he's currently crafting at the famed Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle—and officially turn on the centerpiece fountain by metal artisan Cawthon.

“Public art is crucial for our cities,” Hobbs adds. “I’m happy to do my part to shake things up a bit.”

LONG HOLLOW PARK UNVEILING
6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24
Free
Long Hollow Park Corner of DeSoto and Guillemard streets
434-3700

Click here for more about public art in Pensacola.

Recovering junket whore

Eric D. Snider, a film critic for two respected alt-weeklies Willamette Week and the Salt Lake City Weekly, never attended one of those film press junkets until last month when he interviewed the cast and crew from Oliver Stone's flick "World Trade Center."

He could've enjoyed the pampered treatment critics usually enjoy at these lavish junkets--instead he decided to expose the unethical process on his blog.

The column resulted in Paramount banning Snider from their press screenings and allegedly using their muscle to get the 10-year veteran blacklisted from a few other studios' screenings.

His account reminds me of my press junket experiences back in the early '90s when I was arts editor at my college paper in Boston. For several sub-par movies--including Al Pacino's "Scent of a Woman" and Robert DeNiro's "Mad Dog and Glory'--I was flown in on the studios' dime and put up in some of the nicest hotels in NYC--everything from the Rihga Royal to The Mark. I was given the royal treatment and basically spent the last day interviewing the stars of the movies.

Snider contends that "[Critics on the junket] are basically being bought by the studio: We'll show you a good time, and then you be our monkey-boys and write lots of nice stories about us!"

Any truth to his words? Absolutely. It's funny how studios would always set up these junkets specifically for movies that basically stunk. There were always a few redeeeming qualities like casting (i.e. "Mad Dog") and performances (Pacino in "Scent of a Woman").

Like Snider, I always felt dirty and unethical after going to these things. I remember somehow convincing myself that if the movie truly sucked, I would pan it in my review. However, looking back, my take on the movies were far less critical because of the junkets.

Anyway, kudos to Snider for exposing this smarmy practice.

Pensacola film fest update

As reported in previous Loaded Guns, the three-day Pensacola Bay International Film Festival has been moved from the spring to the fall, with an official kick-off bash on Friday, Nov. 3.

The festival’s artistic director, Tom Roush, has a few surprises in the works for this year’s event.

“The vast majority of the festival is moving to downtown Pensacola,” Roush tells Loaded Gun in an earlier interview. “And it’s going to be in venues that are all within walking distance of each other.”

Historical structures like the Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola Cultural Center, The Beacon as well as the Earle Bowden Building have been secured for the weekend-long festival.

Roush has added several locally shot independent films to his lineup, including “Jesus Camp,” a movie that follows several evangelical Christian children who attend the “Kids on Fire” summer gathering in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. Local attorney and syndicated “Ring of Fire” Air America radio host, Mike Papantonio, appears in scenes shot in his Pensacola studio and serves as “the devil’s advocate” in the documentary by acclaimed filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (“The Boys of Baraka”).

Gulf Breeze native, Kevin Wheatley, will finally have a Pensacola premiere of his post-Apocalyptic frat fracas called “The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell”—a full-length feature that was primarily shot on Pensacola Beach near Fort Pickens—at the PBIFF.

Also, Dylan O’Leary’s “Scouts,” a locally shot horror film centering around five young Freedom Scouts as they try to survive a camping trip from hell. The film’s ominous tagline: “Five scouts enter Satan’s woods. One returns.”

According to insiders, the directing team of Ewing and Grady will be flying in from New York City for a Q&A session and a special screening of “Jesus Camp” at the festival.

Click here for the lowdown.

INMA '06 lineup announced

The Independent News' local music showcase continues to evolve from a pipe dream in 2004 to a two-day outdoor rock extravaganza that engulfed downtown Pensacola in 2005.

This fall, we're heading to the University of West Florida's Commons Auditorium 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14.

INMA goes to college with Endings Edge, 60 Cycles of Sound and headliners Glory of This, with the band's former vocalist James Harrah performing one last time.

UWF, are you ready to rock?

Jazz Gumbo with Robin Stine

It's not what singer-songwriter Robin Stine does during her live performance that takes our breath away. It's what she doesn't do.

"Shirley Horn is one of those jazz vocalists that has always resonated for me," she says. "I obviously don't have the pauses and the pain, but I identify with her style. You don't consciously try to sound like another singer and I don't think I sound like anybody in particular, but her music is always in the back of my mind."

Working in a genre that easily could be all about style over substance, Stine's true talent lies within her subtle nuances coupled with complex crescendos that could easily be executed with a blonde-haired bravado dressed in fishnet stockings.

Stine doesn't knock us over the head with her vocal ability. She teases us. Pulls away. And then brings us back wanting more. Armed with a new CD of originals called "Daydream" that's slowly earning spins on NPR stations across the country, Stine will perform at her first Jazz Gumbo 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21 at Seville.

ROBIN STINE AT 'JAZZ GUMBO'
6-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21
$7-$10
Seville Quarter
130 E. Government St.
434-6211 or www.rosies.com

Vroom, vroom

Head on over to Five Flags Speedway tonight to see a slew of local media personalities--folks like WEAR-TV's Mollye Barrows, Q100's John Stewart and TK101's Mark The Shark-- get their motors running starting at 8 p.m. tonight, Friday, Aug. 18.

Here's the list of locals:

1. Marty White--WXBM
2. Mollye Barrows--WEAR-TV3
3. Mark The Shark--TK-101
4. John Stewart--Q100
5. Scott McKinney--98.1 The Ticket
6. Brent Lane--Cat Country
7. Eric Richey--Fox10
8. George Moore--Pensacola News Journal

Five Flags Speedway, 7451 Pine Forest Rd. $10. 944-8400 or here.

10 Years goes IN Your Head

Our weekly audio component to the Independent News called "IN Your Head Radio," airing 11 a.m. Fridays on WUWF's digital channel 1 and 4:35 p.m. Saturdays on WEBY (1330 AM), is growing now that the show is available for download and podcast.

Several IN Music Award nominees are profiled in the 5- to 10-minute music segment nestled in the middle of the show hosted by IN publisher Rick Outzen. For this weekend's program, I have a candid chat with 10 Years' guitarist, Lewis Cosby.

Speaking of 10 Years, they've signed on as one of the headlining acts at this fall's BayFest Saturday, Oct. 7 in Mobilie, Ala. Click here for details.

"Single White Female" copycat

Authorities in Pensacola captured Jody Ann Urbanek this week in a real-life case that oddly mimics the plot of the '90s thriller, "Single White Female."

Click here for details.

BayFest spills '06 lineup

Mobile's anticipated outdoor music festival, BayFest, is boasting an eclectic mix of national modern rock acts, country crooners like Gretchen Wilson and one Pensacola-based band, Revel.

With Wilson and Michael Bolton opening up the weekend festival on Friday, October 6, the modern rock lineup announced for Saturday, Oct. 7 starts with area group Top of the Orange, followed by Evans Blue, 10 Years, Hinder and Shinedown.

IN Music Award nominees, Revel, is rumored to be opening on the rock stage.

Advance three-day passes are on sale now at www.bayfest.com for $35, the same price as last year. Single-day passes will be $25 at the gate.

Lyndsey Battle unplugged

While her aggressive-sounding name may be fitting for the way acoustic singer-songwriter Lyndsey Battle is stirring the local music scene's pot, it's her mellow, unobtrusive folk-funk style that has ultimately won us over. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter snagged four IN Music Awards '06 nominations--including "Vocalist of the Year" and "Best Indie"—and two nods for her debut CD, "The Prototype." Battle's sound? Think Ani DiFranco's voice coupled with Joni Mitchell's lyrics and Patti Smith's passion.

As far as being one of only a handful of women performing in the local scene, Battle says she doesn't try to categorize it as a gender-specific problem. "I don't think about it too much," she says about the difficulties of being female in a male-dominated area. "There's not too many folky, jazz acts around here," Battle continues. "It's a rock-dominated scene and it's kind of cool to be able to create your own niche."

LYNDSEY BATTLE WITH THE CRIPPLE LILIES
9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17
$5
Sluggo's
2403 W. Cervantes
435-1541 or www.sluggos.tk

Git-R-Done, again

Southern-fried comic Larry the Cable Guy is coming again to the Pensacola Civic Center on October 6.

You remember his sister Moley, the one he calls Holy Moley on Sundays? Most folks know Larry the Cable Guy from the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" where he co-starred with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Just about everyone else knows him from his hit TV show "Blue Collar TV" and his roles in "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" and "Cars." The rest just know him. But, one thing everyone knows is: he'll Git-R-Done!

His latest comedy album, “The Right to Bear Arms” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country charts.

Tickets are $43.75, and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 18 at the Pensacola Civic Center Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 434-7444. Additional fees may apply.

Pensacola roll models?

A group of women are starting a grassroots-style Roller Derby league--similar to the down-n-dirty derby chicks featured in A&E's "Rollergirls"--in Pensacola.

The group's recruiter, Kat A. Lyst, says they're looking for women 21 and older with health insurance, the ability to practice twice a week and have the means to purchase skates and safety gear. They welcome ladies of all fitness and skating levels.

Skaters are part of a team that has a unique theme (ie, waitresses, cops, pirate wenches, car mechanics, pilots, etc.) and some even wear fishnets! Each skater chooses her own unique Roller Girl persona (i.e, "Helena Handbasket," "Darth Skater" and "Amelia Scareheart" to name a few). No two are alike!

According to Kat A. Lyst, it's a fun way to dress up, play hard, have tons of fun, meet friends and get a super workout.

Practices will begin right away at Skateland in Milton.

Click here for more info.

Also, here's my article on the roller derby contenders featured on A&E's "Rollergirls" from the Austin-based Texas Roller Derby league.

Pensacola earns Save Our History grant

Building on two successful years of nationwide efforts to help communities preserve their local history, The History Channel today announced that 27 organizations across the country will receive Save Our History preservation grants.

Pensacola's West Florida Historic Preservation, which actively collects, holds and administers objects of historical and antiquarian interest for the area, was one of the Save Our History grant recipients.

The Save Our History philanthropic initiative is committed to inspiring and motivating local communities to learn about and take an active role in the preservation of their past through projects involving artifacts, oral histories, sites, museums or landmarks that exist in their own neighborhoods.

Click here for details.

First taste of "Snakes"

What started off as a sure-to-stink B-movie has grown into one of the most anticipated cult films of the summer—thanks to those viral Internet videos and, of course, the movie’s more-than-obvious title.

Snakes. A plane. Is there really anything else you need to know about “Snakes on a Plane” other than it stars Samuel L. Jackson?

Get a first bite of the flick as it slithers into two local theaters one day before its national theatrical release—10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 at The Silver Screen and 10:30 p.m. at Rave Motion Pictures Pensacola 18, at the corner of Pensacola Boulevard and North W Street.

In the film, Jackson is a FBI agent escorting a young man--who has witnessed a brutal mob murder--on a cross-Pacific flight. In an attempt to hinder the witness from testifying, the crime boss facing prison smuggles hundreds of poisonous snakes onto the commercial aircraft in a crate timed to release its deadly cargo halfway over the Pacific. Jackson’ character, along with a frightened flight crew and passengers, must then band together in a desperate attempt to survive.

Click here for the official site.

IN radio show on Cox Channel 4

Listen to this week's edition of "IN Your Head Radio" on WUWF-TV, Cox Channel 4, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13 or 7:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14.

Also, you can download the entire program here.

IN Your Head Radio goes IN Studio

Our weekly audio component to the Independent News called "IN Your Head Radio," airing 11 a.m. Fridays on WUWF's digital channel 1 and 4:35 p.m. Saturdays on WEBY (1330 AM), is generating a lot of local buzz.

Several IN Music Award nominees are profiled in the 5- to 10-minute music segment nestled in the middle of the show hosted by IN publisher Rick Outzen. For this weekend's program, I have a candid chat with Ending Edge's guitarist, Josh Apple.

Also in the works is a public access show collaboration with WUWF-TV.

The Independent News is launching a 30-minute televised music segment called "IN Studio." The show, premiering on Cox Channel 4 at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, will showcase many of the IN Music Awards winners/nominees and will feature a 10-minute interview session led by me, A&E editor Sam Baltrusis, followed by a 15-minute set with three original songs performed by the band.

"IN Studio" is part of the Independent News' "IN Your Face TV" program spearheaded by WUWF's Pat Crawford and our fearless publisher, Rick Outzen.

Click here for an archive of IN Your Head Radio segments.

Boob ban in Orange Beach

Orange Beach, Ala. mayor, Pete Blalock, points his finger at Joe Francis' soft-core porn franchise, "Girls Gone Wild."

In a letter obtained by the Independent News, Blalock says, "We will not allow any promotion or production of this sort in our city."

Citing an Orange Beach city ordinance adopted in 1995, the mayor has approached area bars about the alcohol clause that bans the filming of nudity at establishments that serve booze.

"We promote ourselves as a family community and a family destination for tourists," he comments. "And this sort of activity is definitely not in keeping with our values. The Orange Beach Police Dept. has made the owners of all establishments that sell alcohol for onsite consumption in Orange Beach aware that they could lose their licenses if such behavior is allowed."

Rocker AJ bobblehead

Our pal, AJ Fratto, has emerged from the Nu-metal ashes after first breaking up with the IN Music Award-winning band Imperial Shreds and then Below The Stitch to launch a new act called Baqslash. The tweaked sound is a throwback to the balls-out arena rock from bands like Buckcherry and Quiet Riot.

He's going by the stage name Rocker AJ these days and has a few projects in the works that could rival his entertaining show on the stage outside of the Staind performance at the Pensacola Civic Center on April 28.

All we have is this goofy Rocker AJ bobblehead to keep us company while he's on tour as the Blue Angels crew chief.

"Girls Gone Wild" at Flora-Bama

Crews from the soft-core porn outfit, "Girls Gone Wild," were spotted at the infamous Flora-Bama Lounge in Gulf Shores, Ala. yesterday.

It's part of the group's search for the "Wildest Bar In America." Click here for the "Girls Gone Wild" promotion.

The sighting prompted the city of nearby Orange Beach, Ala. to warn bar owners that allowing the risque behavior to happen on their premises could put them out of business.

Click here for details.

Shooter Jennings shoots off

The only child of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, “Shooter” Jennings (who officially shares his father’s first name) lived his first few years in a crib wearing diapers on his parents’ tour bus. Armed with two hit releases “Put The O Back In Country” and “Electric Rodeo,” the 27-year-old singer-songwriter has amassed enough critical and commercial acclaim to make pops proud. In a candid interview with the Independent News, the outspoken country-rock musician talks about preserving his iconic father’s legacy, his role in the movie “Walk The Line” and his take on the whole outlaw country movement.

ABOUT HIS FATHER: My dad and I were very close. We shared the love for music in almost a childish way. I’m proud of our relationship. I don’t think I’m milking it because I know I can walk in a room and wave the (Waylon Jennings) flag out of pride and not out of insecurity. If anyone can keep his legacy alive it’s going to be me.

ABOUT ‘WALK THE LINE’: When I was playing my father in the movie I was very nervous because I didn’t want to come across as a poseur. As a whole, it was such a great experience for me. I loved the idea that Hollywood was focusing on this part of American history that a lot of people, especially in that world, didn’t know about.

ABOUT OUTLAW COUNTRY: People like Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich are great and all, but they put out the idea that there’s an outlaw country movement and there isn’t. It’s so stagnant right now. It’s been important for me to distance myself from that whole thing, because it raises the public’s expectations that there are these groups of outlaws or something. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

What: Shooter Jennings with The Whigs
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 16
Where: Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St.
Cost: $12 advance; $15 at door
Details: 434-6211 or www.rosies.com

Photos from Korn "Family Values Tour"

We've posted our pics from last week's "Family Values Tour" with Korn.

Here's our interview with 10 Years. Enjoy.

James Harrah leaves Glory of This

Last year's IN Music Awards "Vocalist of the Year" nominee, James Harrah, has officially left the Pensacola-based band Glory of This citing "something that came up in my family that has led me to make this life-altering decision."

Harrah continues, "I am broken down on a multitude of levels. There is the situation I left my brothers in GOT with, the feeling I have and had when I had to tell them, the feeling I have when I wake up now, and inevitably the response from all of you. It's something that haunts me and will tear away at me but its something that I just had to do. I haven't had a lot of things in my life and my family is one of those few."

In a gut-wrenching letter on the band's MySpace blog, Harrah says, "It may not be permanant. Thanks GOT for being understanding. I love you guys."

Cory Seals, guitarist of Glory of This, responds while on tour promoting "The Lover, The Liar, The Ruse": "We are on the lookout for a new lead singer who could scream/sing the parts as well as James for these up and coming tour dates. We had no luck in doing so. As a band we have decided the best person to fill in for the part and to hold the band down vocally for the long run would be our second vocalist/guitar player CHINO."

Listen here to our recent radio interview with Seals and bassist Grant Mosley.

Loaded Gun will keep you posted.

Buffett talks about Flora-Bama video

Parrothead minstrel, Jimmy Buffett, chats about the video "Bama Breeze" that recreates the destruction of the Flora-Bama Lounge in nearby Gulf Shores, Ala.

Q. You just made a new video for the song, ``Bama Breeze," about a club damaged in another hurricane.

A. It's a tribute to those honky-tonks that line the Gulf Coast where I grew up on the Alabama, Mississippi, Florida coast of the Gulf. It's about the infamous Flora-Bama bar. It had been blown away in a storm. The patrons had given it an Irish wake and that was a neat story. So I used that as the format for the video.

SOURCE: The Boston Globe

Choppa and Roy Jones Jr. collaborate

Local boxing legend, Roy Jones Jr., collaborates with IN Music Award nominee, Choppa, on his latest track "Walk With Me." The song also features Juvenile.

The rap is the first single off of Choppa's Body Head Entertainment album, "Comin Back Home" which was recorded in Pensacola.

Click here for details.

NPR producer to visit Pensacola

WUWF Public Radio will present “An Evening with Peter Breslow” Sept. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Museum of Commerce in Historic Pensacola Village. Breslow is the supervising senior producer for NPR’s newsmagazine “Weekend Edition Saturday” hosted by Scott Simon. He has reported and produced from all parts of the U.S. and the world including war zones in both hemispheres.

Before joining NPR, Breslow worked as a freelance writer and English teacher and traveled extensively throughout South America. He joined NPR in 1982 as a production assistant for “All Things Considered.” Breslow later became a producer for “All Things Considered.” Taking a one-year hiatus from NPR to pursue a William Benton Fellowship at the University of Chicago, he has been with “Weekend Saturday” since September 1992.

Breslow’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Prior to his program, heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $25. Seating is limited. To reserve your seat, visit WUWF or call (850) 474-2787.

Critics bully Rockstar's "Bully"

The creators of the videogame series, "Grand Theft Auto," announced that it will launch "Bully"-- a controversial game with themes of school fighting--sometime in October.

Anti-violence critics are in a tizzy.

Rockstar's main character, Jimmy Hopkins, is a 15-year-old at a U.S. boarding school called Bullworth Academy. The teen must defend himself--using weapons such as baseball bats, bombs and bags of marbles--at any cost.

Last March, schools in Florida's Miami-Dade County called on retailers not to sell the game to minors and required district officials to warn parents about the potential harmful effects of playing violent games.

Click here for the lowdown.

Local "Treasure Hunter" kicked off

Mark West, a Pensacola-based chief financial officer and former CIA operative with the U.S. State Department, was given the boot last night on the NBC reality show, “Treasure Hunters."

The program, a reality-based “quest” series that will feature teams of treasure-hunting competitors who will use folklore, fantasy and actual history as clues to solve a complex puzzle, is a cross between “The Da Vinci Code” and “Amazing Race.”

West’s team—which included friends Todd More and Jacob Porter who he met during a government-sponsored internship program—was appropriately called “Team Ex-CIA.”

While the 36-year-old is originally from New Orleans, West and his family recently moved to the Gulf Coast where he enjoys fishing, sailing and scuba diving.

The local's team made it into the final four--barely losing to "Team Genius" in a challenge at Girard College's Founder's Hall in Philadelphia.

The evening before their cut, "Team Ex-CIA" spent the night at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel in midtown Manhattan where West had a drunken evening of revelry. Critics say that West's drinking possibly hindered his team in the challenge and was one of several mistakes that caused the team a slot in the finals.

Go to www.nbc.com/treasure_hunters for more information.

Paisley, Underwood coming to Civic Center

Country music’s hottest new headliner, Brad Paisley, is bringing one of the year’s biggest tours to The Pensacola Civic Center on Sunday, September 24^th. The “Time Well Wasted” tour is a showcase of Paisley’s recent mega-hits including No. 1 single “The World," which has spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country charts. Paisley is on a roll with four straight platinum albums and a big win at The Academy of Country Music Awards for Album of the Year. America’s current country sweetheart--and last year's "American Idol" winner-- is on a roll of her own. Carrie Underwood’s first two singles, “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” both hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts. She also nabbed Top New Female Vocalist honors at The Academy of Country Music Awards.

Ticket Information
Tickets on sale Saturday, August 12^th at 10 a.m. Ticket prices to be announced. Tickets are available at The Pensacola Civic Center Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, Charge By Phone (850) 434-7444, www.ticketmaster.com, or www.livenation.com.

Emmitt Smith joins "Dancing With The Stars"

Who could've imagined that ABC's crew of waltzing celebs—like former teen star Joey Lawrence, soap star Harry Hamlin and actress Vivica A. Fox —parading around in frilly outfits and ballroom dancing would attract football legend and Pensacola native Emmitt Smith? Definitely not us.

According to reports, Smith will waltz into living rooms when the third season of the popular reality show "Dancing With The Stars" hits ABC in a two-hour episode 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12.

In 2005, the 36-year-old Smith retired from the National Football League as the all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards and a record 164 touchdowns.

Recently, Smith was a judge of the Miss Universe pagaent, run by another Pensacola native, Paula Shugart.

Loaded Gun will keep you posted.

Buffett's video about Flora-Bama

Jimmy Buffett, everyone's fave flip-flop wearing "Margaritaville" crooner, recently shot a music video in a blown-out shell of a tavern in Bay St. Louis, Miss.--but the song isn't an homage to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

According to Bay St. Louis officials, Buffett's video is recreating the effects of Hurricane Ivan when it virtually wiped out the legendary Flora-Bama in Gulf Shores, Ala. in 2004.

That's right, Buffett is paying tribute to the last great American road house sitting on the Florida/Alabama line.

Workers spent most of last week carefully pouring four truckloads of fresh white sand into the Katrina-wrecked remains of a bar in Mississippi. Also, set designers spent hours trying to recreate the local music mecca assembling Florida and Alabama license plate tags to cars.

HK Management, the Los Angeles firm that represents Buffett, says the Flora-Bama song and video--called "Bama Breeze"-- is expected to be the first release from Buffett's new album, due out in October.

Here's one fan's account of the video shoot:

The song is a dedication to the destruction of the Flora-Bama Lounge, a popular club in Gulf Shores, Ala. The club suffered heavy damage as a result of Hurricane Ivan in 2004. A song played out-loud during the video shoot described how a bar called the "Bama Breeze" meant so much to the patrons who frequented it. The song describes Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger stopping in the bar in 1984 and writing his name on the wall of the ladies’ bathroom. The chorus of the song being played said, "at the Bama Breeze you are one of us down there, you never drink alone down there, good God, I really feel at home down there."

In one scene, Buffett sits alone amid the wreckage inside the bar playing his guitar. Another scene depicts a track-hoe knocking down the building, and another shows Buffett and the extras raising their beers and shouting loudly as they give a toast to the "Bama Breeze."

Meanwhile, the Flora-Bama has opened its doors again, playing music daily starting at noon. Click here for details.

Shadowyze slams Mayoki Indians

Shadowyze, the local rapper who uses his mic to raise awareness for Native American issues and the IN Music Awards '05 winner for best hip-hop, continues to spearhead an e-mail campaign against the Mayoki Indians, a Pensacola-based mock-Indian tribe that negatively perpetuates Native American stereotypes.

"We're not just feathers and beads," explains Shadowyze, a.k.a. Shawn Enfinger. "If some of the members claim to have Native blood, they should want to put an end to the degrading and stereotypical image they're putting out there," he continues.

After receiving top billing by the annual Fiesta of Five Flags since the group's inception in 1961, the Mayoki shook their tail feathers again at this year's DeLuna Landing Cermony on Saturday, June 3 despite protests from area Native groups.

"They dance their way into popular tourists bars in the local area and drink beer and strong liquors in these outfits until they can only stagger out drunk and wasted," says Shadowyze in his e-mail plea. "This has got to stop ASAP...The outfits they wear are cheap cartoon-like insults and geographically mixed matched embarassments."

Click here for the lowdown.

Controversial MTV cartoon

Watchdogs are barking mad over a MTV cartoon that potrays a Snoop Dogg-esque character guiding two women on a leash and ultimately scoops up their poop.

The new MTV2 series "Where My Dogs At?" allegedly dehumanizes women and blacks in the half-hour episode, "Woolfie Loves Snoop."

At the end of the segment, Snoop dons a plastic glove and picks up his enslaved ladies' defecation.

Execs at MTV.com have removed the offensive clip from the network's website. However, media watchdogs are screaming foul over the animated mess.

"This only serves to reinforce negative images of women, conveying to kids on a Saturday afternoon that all women are bitches and hos," says Paul Porter, founder of IndustryEars.com, to the New York Post.

"In my 10 years of monitoring children's programming, I've never seen anything this offensive," he adds.

No word if MTV will officially pull the episode from their "Where My Dogs At?" lineup.

Click here for details.

"Project Runway" spoiler

Still trying to figure out why the models on Bravo's "Project Runway" are going nuts to grab photos for in the promos for next week's challenge. According to JustJared.com, Each of the models choose a fashion icon for their designers to modernize and this is how everybody matched up (designer / fashion icon / model):

Angela / Audrey Hepburn / Clarissa
Michael / Pam Grier / Nazri
Robert / Jackie O / Danielle
Jeffrey / Madonna / Marilinda
Kayne / Marilyn Monroe / Amanda
Uli / Diana Ross / Lindsay
Vincent / Twiggy / Jia
Alison / Farrah Fawcett / Alexandra
Laura / Cher / Katie
Bradley / Katharine Hepburn / Camilla

Also, People magazine just released an interview with Keith Michael, the bad boy who was the first ever "Project Runway" contestant to get kicked off for breaking the rules.

Trailer for locally shot film

Here's the trailer for the film, "What We Did On Our Holidays," shot in downtown Pensacola and the Adventures Unlimited campgrounds in Milton.



Director: W. Scott Peake
Starring: Frank Harper, Gina Bellman, Phoebe Thomas, Jonathan Bailey, David Carradine and Michael Bowen
Status: Post-production
Website: www.whateverentertainment.com
Plot: In this outlandish black comedy, Eric (Frank Harper), a mild mannered man, takes his wife (Gina Bellman) and his children (Jonathan Bailey and Phoebe Thomas) on what he believes will be a final happy holiday before his kids leave the nest. Instead of a peaceful vacation, Eric is thrust into a world of sexual decadence, headless corpses, sadistic policemen (Michael Bowen), murderous fish and one wise old man (David Carradine).
Possible Film Fests: Cannes Film Festival, Pensacola Bay International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance.

For more info about "What We Did On Our Holidays," click here and here and here.

Michael Moore's "Jesus Camp" controversy

Despite repeated requests to pull the documentary "Jesus Camp" from his lineup, controversial filmmaker Michael Moore plans two screenings of the film at his Traverse City (Mich.) Film Festival this weekend.

The flick follows several evangelical Christian children who attend the "Kids on Fire" summer gathering in Devil's Lake, North Dakota. The camp is designed to deepen their spiritual commitment to a particular brand of fundamentalist Christianity.

Local attorney and syndicated Air America radio host, Mike Papantonio, appears in the documentary by acclaimed filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady ("The Boys of Baraka") and was featured at the film's world premiere to much acclaim at the Tribeca Film Fest in April.

Magnolia Films, who acquired the North American distribution rights last week, plans to market "Jesus Camp" to conservative areas and wants to distance the film from the polarizing appeal of the "Fahrenheit 9/11" director.

Papantonio, who chatted with Loaded Gun when the documentary debuted at Tribeca, feels like "Jesus Camp" is a well-balanced look into the politics of the evangelical movement. However, the outspoken radio host feels the film had a strong impact on the generally left-wing folks in NYC.

"People in the blue states don't realize that there's a political movement that really runs the risk of destroying both religion and democracy," he remarks.

"I have to tell you, it was a very startling movie," he explains. "I live here in the South and I understand what a political evangelist is, but until you see how spooky it can become you really don't have the appreciation."

Click here for more info about the controversy.

Click here for our review of the film "Jesus Camp."

Radio killed the video star

We've launched our weekly audio component to the Independent News called "IN Your Head Radio," airing 11 a.m. Fridays on WUWF's digital channel 1 and 4:35 p.m. Saturdays on WEBY (1330 AM).

Several IN Music Award nominees are profiled in the 10-minute music segment nestled in the middle of the show. For this weekend's program, I interviewed "Best Vocalist" and "Best Album" nominee, Lyndsey Battle. Coming soon is a candid chat with Ending Edge's guitarist, Josh Apple.

Also, for those who missed my talk with bassist Grant Mosley and guitarist Cory Seals from Glory of This, you can download the show here.

"Project Runway" villain kicked off

Bad boy contestant Keith Michaels was booted off "Project Runway" last night for hiding fashion "how to" pattern books under his bed.

Stone Sour's vocalist slams Bush

Stone Sour released its second album, called "Come What(ever) May," on Tuesday, August 1st and performed to a pack house last night at the Pensacola Civic Center. The CD is the successor to Stone Sour's 2002 self-titled debut, which featured the hit "Bother."

Singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root are also both members of Slipknot. Taylor takes off his mask and spill to Loaded Gun that the title track on the new album is directed toward President Bush.

In the song “Come What(ever) May,” there’s that line, “You’re still the rapist of an entire generation.” What brought you to write that particular song? I can imagine that’s calling out Bush.

Absolutely. In the strongest sense. It has nothing to do with troops, it has nothing to do with the supporters. It has to do with the administration and the things that they’ve gotten away with, and the upper 1% of America who have supported him in making these insane decisions. Basically it was a backlash. I was really mad that not enough people were calling “bullshit.” Even though his approval rating is insanely low, people still are supporting him on these issues and it’s insane. Everything that he’s done…trying to roll back every civil right we have. When a dude comes out and says the Constitution is just a goddamn piece of paper, there’s something very, very wrong there. He’s not the brightest fucking crayon in the box. All you have to do is listen to one goddamn speech to realize that. He’s a talking head, with a lot of really smart, really devious people behind him.