This weekend was chock full of fun parties and good music, with a laid-back Christmas party at its climax.
The fun began Thursday night with Joe Bardi’s Unofficial 30th Birthday Party at Yeoman’s Road Pub on Davis Island. A crew of Planeteers and other random Bardi clan fans showed up to enjoy some jazzy funk and funky jazz by Infinite Groove Orchestra, which features Rocksteady@8 drummer Jonathan Priest and key man John Richardson as well as On the Fly bassist Jon Shea. The jams were hot, the beer was flowing and we were kicked out of the place at around 2 a.m.
Friday night, the spouse equivalent and I headed to Joe Bardi’s apartmentstead for a pre-party gathering, which was followed by some street carousing and shuffleboard gaming. Phil and I retreated to Ybor City around 10 p.m. to see Brothers Past, a pop-electronica “jam band†who played Masquerade’s Infinity Room while Obituary (prominent, Florida-based death metal band) commanded the stage in the main room. The evening’s highlight? When Obituary bassist Frank Watkins joined Brothers Past for a hardcore jam to close out the show. Hot, hot shit. The evening’s lowlight? My first encounter with a female bartender who served my drink only after serving every single guy around me first.
Saturday, we went to a Christmas party at Bob Hite’s house in Apollo Beach (Phil works for him and his wife, Bonnie, at The Media Factory). Although we missed the lighted boat parade, I got to play with Hite’s four cutie pie dogs, whose names I remember better than most people I meet — Echo, who won everyone over with her soft, soft fur and needy brown eyes; O’Keith, a deaf and fuzzy blonde and just as loveable if not as sociable as Echo; Peanuts, a chocolate lab mix with white whiskers and arthritic joints; and Max, a Dalmatian with a touch of social anxiety cured by my scratchy fingers. This evening’s highlight? When Bob performed a few of his “Singing Reports†on acoustic guitar.
Sunday, I got my new glasses (can see while driving, hallelujah!!), and, in a fit of productiveness, purchased new lights and decorated the apartment for Christmas (see photo of the baby tree).
This week, I look forward to turning 26, using everyone else’s drink tickets for the Planet Party (which falls on my birthday, hint, hint) and seeing a bunch more live music.
This article appears in Dec 7-13, 2005.