FLORIDA HOLIDAYS: MUSIC, NIGHTCLUBS & BARS

LIVE MUSIC AT THE THEME PARKS

Universal’s CityWalk and Disney’s Pleasure Island are two exciting hot spots for adults. CityJazz presents both the Down Beat Hall of Fame jazz museum and live music from top jazz talents. Nearby, Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom plays reggae music. Both Hard Rock Live at CityWalk and House of Blues at Disney’s West Side are enormous world-class venues, featuring famous bands from around the globe.

The Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Pleasure Island features live music. Disney also stages the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival from April to June, with a Flower Power concert of stars from the 1960s. Held annually, the Blues Festival at Pleasure Island features live performances on several stages, and Universal celebrates Mardi Gras in spring with concerts by stars such as Cyndi Lauper and the Black Eyed Peas

 

LIVE MUSIC AWAY FROM THE PARKS

The eclectic nature of Orlando’s music scene is reflected at Glo Lounge, an upscale lounge with a glo-ing interior. The Orange Avenue strip in Downtown Orlando offers hip-hop and avantgarde rock in underground clubs such as Tanqueray’s. The hip Ballard & Corum offers great live music and The Social is Orlando’s best club for live music. April brings music lovers to downtown’s Florida Music Festival.

The Copper Rocket Pub in Maitland is a local favorite for folk and rock bands. Backstage at the Rosen Plaza is a swinging club with live bands in the Rosen Plaza Hotel, while singers at the popular Red Fox Lounge croon love songs. For something different, the waiters at Bergamo’s sing arias, opera, and Broadway hits, while the high ceilings and dim lighting at Adobe Gilas add to the low-key atmosphere of this live-music club.

CLASSICAL MUSIC & DANCE

Orlando’s public radio station, WMFE (90.7 FM), broadcasts classical music almost continuously. Broadcasting more than two dozen performances a year on the radio, the highly gifted Orlando Philharmonic orchestra also performs more than 100 times each season.

They also provide the accompaniment to Orlando Ballet, one of the oldest and most renowned professional dance companies in the Southern United States. The Central Florida Ballet, a popular dance company in Orlando, also gives several performances through the year. The Orlando Opera stages great Verdi, Puccini, and Mozart recitals, plus performances of less well-known pieces.

Classical music festivals, such as the Festival of Orchestras concert series, features five or more internationally acclaimed symphony orchestras each year, including the National Orchestra of France and the New York Philharmonic. The Rollins College Winter Park Bach Festival offers performances from the famous Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra.

NIGHTCLUBS & BARS

While clubs and bars are found everywhere, from the theme parks to the coast, the hub of nighttime entertainment is Downtown Orlando. The Social is the ideal destination for everything from rock music to the weekly Phat-n-Jazzy show. Most clubs have DJs and places such as The Club at Firestone are perennial hot spots with nights of Latin, hip-hop,

and dance music.

Central Station Bar and Sky 60, a rooftop bar with small booths and a great view of the Orlando skyline, are more intimate downtown clubs for dancing. Clubs such as Parliament House and Southern Nights form an east-west bracket of downtown for gay nightlife. The fun usually ends at 2am when bars stop serving liquor. Read more at : http://lollipop-holidays.org.uk/florida-holidays.html