This year Pinecrest Gardens has summoned up a great jazz line-up that includes Grammy Award winning musicians and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters. It does so after receiving a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Art Works grant to help fund the series.
“NEA awarded us a generous grant for this initiative that will mark its seventh anniversary with the third year of an explosive expansion that will bring an exceptional caliber of internationally celebrated artists,” said Pinecrest Gardens Director Alana Perez. “From the earliest days of jazz, grassroots mentoring was part of its oral tradition—far exceeding matters of pedagogy.”
Jazz greats that include Nestor Torres, Brain Lynch, Spyro Gyra and Jazz Master Elis Marsalis and The World-Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform at the 500-seat Banyan Bowl amphitheater, starting this October 21 and running through April 14, 2018.
Through the generosity of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation along with special funding from South Motors, all 2017-2018 Jazz Series artists will also participate in Gen-Next Jam, a music mentorship program for local students, held on Sunday afternoons following each Saturday concert.
Subscriptions are now being sold for the seven-performance series for $155 and $180 and can be purchased online at www.pinecrestgardens.org. For tickets call 877-496-8499. For information call: 305-669-6990.
Guns N’ Roses Not in This Lifetime
On August 8, Guns N’ Roses rocked Miami Marlins Stadium with their Not In This Lifetime Tour. It was the first time a rock concert was hosted at the stadium and it showed.
Depending on where you sat, amongst the estimated 37,000 other fans, the sound system either sounded great or like a cacophony of musical echo and shouting. Ed Ferenczi lamented, “We paid $90 each for our seats and seriously thought about leaving after the first few songs.”
I, too, was in the (audibly) cheap seats and decided to investigate an alternative listening spot. When I found it, the concert went from a blah to a blast. I hope future shows learn how to better set up at the venue.
Meanwhile, after lots of public feuding and separate musical projects, “The Most Dangerous Band in the World” reunited 30 years after the career-defining Appetite for Destruction album. Axl Rose and Slash, although older and heavier, battled the evening heat in the open stadium to perform a blistering 3-hour show peppered with jumps and long runs across the huge center-field stage.
One surprise was a large amount of cover songs the band did. They played tunes from Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers, Soundgarden, Bob Dylan, The Who and Wings. Not what you’d expect from the super group.
As a ticketholder, Miami Marlins Stadium wasn’t perfect by any stretch. Traffic going in was snarled. Uber and Lyft were a disaster going out. The concession stands had endless lines and asking $15 for a beer was just outrageous after standing in a hot line. Also, keeping the roof open and the air conditioning off mid-summer was NOT cool.
It’s nice to see that live music is alive and well with many of the older acts resurging. It’s even nicer that they have several accommodating venues in South Florida. Marlins Stadium has quite a few adjustments to make, but it looks like it will grow to be one of those great spots where musical memories are made.
The Best Side of the Moon
Having sold over four million tickets in concerts that have taken place in 35 countries, The Australian Pink Floyd Show is rightfully hailed as one of the most in demand touring entities currently operating. The London Times describes them as “The Gold Standard”. This act is so good they were even asked by David Gilmour to perform at his 50th birthday celebration.
On August 10, they rolled into the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL to perform their The Best Side of the Moon show. Two solid hours of music with an intermission. This allowed many of the show goers to grab another drink, leaving many people “Comfortably Numb” and totally happy.
The vocals on the show were spot on to the original Pink Floyd tracks. The musicianship was amazing. The staging and lighting, including the inflatable pig, ghoul and kangaroo were spectacular. It seemed there was nothing left unplayed with a set list including: Money, Time, Breathe, Great Gig in the Sky, Us and Them, Another Brick in the Wall, Wish You Were Here and the encore of Comfortably Numb.
It seems Pink Floyd music will last forever. Since 1988, The Australian Pink Floyd Show has wowed crowds and their stop in South Florida was certainly no exception.
Real Estate Update
As of August 11, the Pinecrest market remains soft, but in recent weeks continues a slow improvement. Homes listed over $1M are at 14 months of inventory, still indicating a strong Buyers’ market. A healthy market has 3-6 months of supply. No matter where you live, let me assist you with local expertise, realistic expectations and guidance to get you to wherever ‘next’ is. It’s easy to get started at miamihal.com/myvalue.
Hal Feldman (MiamiHal) is a Realtor with RE/MAX Advance Realty. You can contact him with your story ideas or real estate questions at www.MiamiHal.com, Hal@MiamiHal.com or www.facebook.com/MiamiHal.
