Urban Jacksonville

It’s that time of year again!  The Jacksonville Film Festival is my favorite time of the year.  It comes and goes so quickly that I’m left wondering if it really even happened.  Last year was no exception to the awesomeness that occurs!

The festival begins Thursday evening, May 15, at the Florida Theatre with the Opening Night Celebration and the Southeast premier of Crazy, an independent feature based on the life of legendary Nashville guitarist Hank Garland.  Director, producer and writer of the film, Rick Bieber, will attend the opening night, along with some of the actors.

Things just get better from there.  Friday night is another Southeast premier!  Meteoro, a Brazillian film, will be screening at the Theatre followed by the Samba! Salsa! And Swing! Party at the Jacksonville Landing, which is included in the price of the film ticket.

Saturday is the Hollywood Night Film Presentation with the screening of The Year of Getting to Know Us, a film starring Sharon Stone, Jimmy Fallon, Lucy Liu, Tom Arnold and Ileana Douglas.  The film is about a successful New York journalist forced to face the realization that if he does not learn how to feel, he will face an empty life.  This is the film I’m most excited to see.

Sunday night is going to be oh so hot at Hip Hop for the Masses!  Inside the Circle is screening beforehand at the Theatre and sounds like a really cool film.  It’s a multi-award-winning documentary about two talented B Boys who are best friends and become rivals when they join competing break dance crews.  Hip Hop for the Masses is a street party right outside of the Florida Theatre with B Boy circles, live graffiti artists and a hip-hop stage with guest DJ’s and performers.  Heck to the yes!

Visit the Film Festival site to find out about the other films that are showing.  I can’t testify enough as to the amazingness of this event.  Thanks to the Florida Theatre and the sponsors for making it an undoubtably good time.  Don’t miss out!

If anyone found a Blackberry Pearl last night at TSI, it’s mine! Please return it. Reward! It was a fun show even though I lost my phone.

All Photos courtesy of JaxScene. Also this is the first post by contributor Jon Bosworth.

While many hood rats were sleeping off their hangovers from First Friday in Five Points, the dead were rising in Springfield. You may have spotted some of them, walking… or rather riding among the living at First Friday because Friday was day one of the free Bury Your Bike Festival.

A subculture is rising in Springfield. Even after the sad departure of Inertia Records (don’t worry, Royal Treatment Records is selling Days of War Nights of Love on their behalf), the ironic fashions and deeply held ideals thrive on. Replacing Inertia Records is Zombie Bikes, a bicycle collective and a bike shop that welcomes you to come to customize your ride among fellow enthusiasts.

We are just adamant bikers that wanted a bike shop that we’d like going to said Zombie Bikes’ founder Devin Wolf. 

This most recent tenant puts the building at 1520 N Main Street at capacity, since only a few weeks ago Burro Bags also opened their shop inside of the space. What was once being tentatively referred to as Buyers Market Lodge is truly living up to that name. But rather than being a traditional commerce center, it is more like a community center where recycled materials are being made into useful luggage, old records are being re-sold to new fans, and old bike parts are being brought back from the dead and returned to the street.

I spoke with Devin Wolf while he was busy welding two children’s bikes into one medium-tall bike. I presume he was doing this so that this bike could enter the tall bike race that would happen tomorrow. According to Wolf he was one of the people responsible for the tall bike movement in St. Augustine and now we can expect them to be invading the streets of Jacksonville.

The tall bike trend has arrived, Wolf proclaims. We’re definitely gonna make an impact on the community. 

I didn’t catch the tall bike race, but I did get to watch some of the bike polo tournament on Saturday. It was brutal. From seeing shirtless dudes fly over the front of their bike as their wheel jackknifed to seeing an ambitious player fly wildly into the a busy mid-day Main Street, it was nerve racking, but the players seemed to be capable of striking the small rubber ball with their oddly long mallets without striking one another. Bystanders had lawn chairs and beers. It was like tailgating but with more tattoos and an uncommon sense of community.

Following the bike polo was a Zombie hunt, wherein painted tires were hidden all over the city and participants raced around trying to collect the most. Other activities included a bike build-off at Wild Bill’s (a rather surly bar near the stadium) a bike toss and a dirt jump.

Zombie Bikes has a workshop with pipe cutters, welding equipment, tools and plenty of spare parts. Zombie has the sort of vibe that makes a welcoming place to hang. There are couches and a television and plenty of workspace. Resurrect your bike at Zombie Bikes. Go to zombiebikes.com to learn more.

As for Burro Bags, they’ve only been open for a few weeks but they are already managing to crank out a substantial collection of custom luggage. Spend as little as $40 for a small bag or get a $200 large custom bag. In addition to courier satchels and smaller bags, they also make bags from recycled vinyl fast food promotional banners and other reclaimed materials. They hope to soon introduce wallets. Check out burrobags.blogspot.com.

Burro owners Chris Williams and Matt Bort live in the same house as some of the Zombie Bike guys, so being neighboring businesses has just become an extension of their home and the partnership is flowering into something much more significant. It is just another evolution as Springfield grows its own distinct personality and brings Jacksonville another step closer to being the kind of community that can sustain a variety of interests, the way a big city should.

More Photos
Bike Jax’s Bury Your Bike pics
JaxScene’s Bury Your Bike pics

Tags: burro bags, bury your bike, zombie bikes

This show is May 25th at The Pearl in Springfield. Anybody have a link for Fruit Machine?

• Manatella
• Tuffy
• Heavy Flow
• Tough Junkie
• Helios Eye
• America Del Sur
• Wuden
• Fruit Machine
• Buffalo Tears
• LazerStar
• Airport Factory
• Sharing Needles with Jesus

Tags: community, festival, the pearl

This will be a massive show. Not only do these bands kick ass, it’s right after Art Walk. I missed seeing The DeathSet four times at SXSW. It sucked. Wednesday should make up for that. Bring your fun pants, it should be a wild one.

Buy Tickets Online

Oh! I have two guest list spots. If you want to be on the guest list, leave a comment or contact me and tell me why you deserve it. The best answers by end of day Tuesday will get on the guest list.

Bonde Do Role

The DeathSet

Heavy Flow

P.S. sorry about the animated gif! I should have told Brendon no animation, but I kinda like it so it stays. It will only be there for three days anyway.

Tags: art walk, bonde do role, heavy flow, the deathset, tsi

Zombie Bikes, a bike co-op in Springfield, kicks off it grand opening tonight with a critical mass and ending with live music at Shantytown.

Here’s all the events and the times for the 3 day mega-bike event

• Polo Tournament - Represent your city!
• Zombie themed Alleycat - On Sunday!, with a lot of miles through 2 cemeteries (one being Evergreen - The largest in Florida!)
• Dirt Jump Jam - Behind the shop will be freshly set up with a full dirt jump course and a jump to wallride off the shop’s walls.
• Live Bands - Too many to list here, there will a be a show every night!
• Bike Games - Footdown, Skids, Tricks (BMX, Fixed, Tall, Chopper…)
• Tall Bike Race - Down the Riverwalk, Up and down spiral bridges
• Tall Bike Jousting - At afterparty - Wild Bill’s No. 8 Saloon
• Kid-Bike Dirt Race - On the dirt jumps to kick off the comp
• Tandem Sprints - Couples race down Springfield Alleys
• Tall Bike Team Build-off - Two Teams will be given a welder, grinder and two bikes to make the best tall bike.

Friday @ Zombie Bikes
5pm Register @ Zombie Bikes
6pm Critical Mass
730pm Tandem Relay
8pm BBQ
9pm Music @ Shanty Town

Saturday @ Zombie Bikes
12pm First Round Polo
1pm Tall Bike Build
3pm Scavenger Hunt
5pm Pizza Dance Party

Sunday @ Zombie Bikes
2pm Food Not Bombs Brunch
1pm BMX Dirt Jam @ The Garden
3pm Alley Cat
5p.m. Closing Ceremonies
8pm Bands and Bike Games @ Wild Bills

More Links!
http://burrobags.blogspot.com/2008/04/festival-new-shop-and-warranty.html
http://jaxscene.blogspot.com/2008/04/may-23and-4th-may-10th.html

Last Month’s First Friday event in Five Points had blowout attendance. Here’s what’s in store for the May edition of this free community event.

• Delicious vegan bake sale. Cupcakes, cookies and more!
• First Fridays for the dogs at Violet. Bring an old leash/collar/etc… (to be donated to a local rescue) and get a discount on any pet purchase.
• DJ ROY will be getting the dance party going at Anomaly! For those of age, wine and beer is on the house
• New spring fashions at Edge City, Violet, Anomaly and Wolfgang!
• Great art throughout the street provided by Bogda
• Check out 5 points’ newest shop, Nest Living, for your modern home!
• Free wine tasting at Riverside Liquor.
• Live glass blowing at Bead Here Now
• Check out the 20+ specialty beers on tap at Raglands!

It’s THIS FRIDAY, May 2nd from 6-9 (or later!)

First Friday on Facebook

Tags: first friday