shangra-what?

when i walked into work this morning i noticed a few places that were apparently shangrala is a local indie band with a new cd coming out! i went to the myspace page but my work computer doesn't have speakers so i'm not sure how the music sounds. if it's good, shangrala should play the next first fridays event for us as a payback for the free advertising. while i applaud their underground marketing campaign, i do wish that someone would have asked if it was cool to spray paint.

good thing their logo is pretty cool and they didn't spray on brick, otherwise i would have been really pissed. and apparently the perpetrators knew who would be cool with having the work on the sidewalk... as far as i know, it's only in front of raglands and anomaly. i like it and it adds more character to our eclectic neighborhood. i know some of the other merchants will probably be less than enthused but oh well.

the other day experiencejax had a similar grassroots approach to getting their website out... but the stencil was put down with chalk instead of spray paint. i would like to see more of the chalk version around 5 points...

talleyrand 2008?

i know, i know... MORE talleyrand coverage? this will be short and sweet...

we've had lots of people ask and just wanted to put it out there that, YES, there will be a talleyrand 2008! even though we are roughly 351 days away, the promoters are already getting pumped up about next year's event! anomaly will sponsor again next year and have a super cool lounge/craft tent! so stay tuned throughout the year!

laura capitano wrote a great follow-up article so if you missed it, check it out here.

there are also TONS of pictures up on the Times Union website as well!

thank you again to everyone that came out and supported and made this groundbreaking jacksonville event truly one to remember!

save the date...

this saturday (6-9P) is the annual 5 points fall wine festival! save the date! it's always a really great time and the weather should be perfect! tickets are $30 (available at riverside liquor) and includes live music, tasting 400+ (can you do it?) wines, a riedel wine glass for tasting that is yours to keep and a $5 coupon that is good for a purchase in any store in 5 points that night. and just when you thought you couldn't get anything else, riverside liquor provides FREE 1-way transportation anywhere in the city. that gives you the opportunity to really become a professional taster while being safe and smart!!

Talleyrand Music and Arts Festival!!!

We went to Talleyrand yesterday. We had a booth set up near the main stage. We didn’t pay attention to too many of the bands, but here is our rundown of the day:


The first highlight of our day came early, as we left to take our son to our parents’ house for the day after we set up our merch booth. We were standing in the parking lot, making a call on our cell phone, waiting for our father to answer, as we also waited to speak to the parking attendant to make sure we could get back in. A car drove up and also waited to speak to the parking attendant, who was talking on his walkie-talkie. As we waited for our father to answer, and the guy in the car waited for the attendant, we looked at the guy in the car and said, “Hey, you’re Sage Francis, right?”
To which the guy replied, “Yeah.”
He was in his Honda hybrid, which I realized was his tour bus. I found that to be so refreshing as I saw other, much less talented, much-more hyped bands— ahemBraverycoughcough— in huge tour buses with large trailers. Here was one of America’s best indie/underground rappers, touring across the country from his car.

From there, we had to drive across town to drop off our son and also stop at a friend’s house to pick up a radio so we could all get score updates from the Gator game later that day. Fortunately, we made it back in time to see Sage Francis perform on the main stage, and that is when we realized how he really can tour around in that Honda: he is his whole show, all by himself. No backing band, no DJ, just him and box where he kept his beats, where he’d hit a button, the track would start and he would rap. While that sounds formulaic and boring, somehow he made it work and it was actually one of the better rap shows we have seen. He performed with lots of energy, interacted with the crowd- jumping off the 6 foot high stage to get closer to everyone-, and had good between the song banter, which is a must for live shows. He even did a really cool, un-released (we think) rap over a remix of Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Closer’ beat (and if we can master the tubes of the interwebs, we’ll post a video of this) Our only complaints were that he played no songs from his new record, ‘Human the Death Dance’ (we think— the day was already getting a little blurry at that point), and that he was cut off right in the middle of ‘Makeshift Patriot’, an awesome song, and one he was performing with much energy. But, time ran out on his set and the sound guy pulled his sound right in the middle. LAME.

After that, we pretty much hung out at the merch booth with our friends, walked around a bit, and took in, from far away and without much interest, Pepper and the Bravery. The Polyphonic Spree actually played the main stage before those two, but we didn’t pay too much attention, except for their kick-ass, more Guns n’ Roses than the Beatles, cover of Live and Let Die. But, it seemed like most people agreed Polyphonic Spree was the one of the best live shows of the day. All I noticed from Pepper is that the one dude was wearing just a pair of baggies and no t-shirt, which in our book pretty much speaks for itself as being an indicator of not-very-goodedness, and that they played a not too bad cover of ‘Bro Hymn’.

A few hours later, we ventured out of the merch booth to see Arrested Development, a band with whom we were once obsessed, circa 1992. We saw a few songs from them, and I will say that they performed with a passion and gusto that had everyone near their stage dancing and having a great time. We could feel the energy of the crowd as we approached, and it was fun to watch them and have a good time. Plus, we ran into the drummer from Against Me!, and spoke briefly to him, which was very cool. He was really nice, and even addressed us as ‘sir’.

We were so happy to see our friends at Burrito Gallery there! Their vegetarian bean burrito was exactly what we needed to refuel and keep us going till 11 that night! It was nice to see a healthy option like BG there to offer something other than fried foods galore.

After Arrested Development, we made our way back to the merch booth tent for a beer before we really used our backstage passes for the first time that day, to go see Against Me! Right before they played, we were able to speak with Against Me!’s singer, Tom, an incredibly nice guy, which was another of the highlights of the day for us, because we like this band a lot. As they started to play, we were able to hoist ourselves up to a discreet spot onstage behind the drummer to take in this great performance. They played all the songs we love, mostly from ‘Searching for a Former Clarity’ and their new record, ‘New Wave’. All the pictures of this band are from behind them, where we stood behind the drummer. We were really excited to see these guys, and they didn’t disappoint, ripping through songs without much of a pause, and generally playing a great set.

After Against Me!, we headed back to the merch tent to mix up a strong Crown and water (advantage of being a vendor: you can bring your own booze and not pay $6 for a drink), before we again headed to a sweet spot backstage to see the band we were most excited to see, Spoon. Unfortunately, at that point, we had been at the park since like 10:30 and had been drinking since about 11:00. That isn’t some ‘Ooooh, look how tough we are and how long we drink’ comment, but just to say that by the time Spoon played, we were pretty much exhausted…and extremely drunk. So, while we don’t remember every song Spoon played, we do remember them starting with a face-melting ‘My Mathematical Mind’, a song we love to hear drunk in the first place, let alone live, with extra trippy guitar effects, with the band standing 10 feet away. We also remember them playing ‘The Way We Get By’, ‘The Ghost of You Lingers’, ‘The Underdog’, but the rest were songs we had never heard before and ones we don’t remember. We were just so happy to be watching Spoon, so close, SO LIVE!, in such good weather, in front of such a big crowd, that it was a great way to end a long day, and we were so happy to have been there for the first one, and to have helped our friend Jason Lewis out with some festival details. And the night did pretty much end there for us, as we were not too interested in Keller Williams and the WMD’s, and it appeared none of the rest of the crowd was either, as Spoon’s crowd pretty much dwindled to less than half as KW&WMD’s took the stage.

All in all, it was a great event! While ticket sales were reported to be lagging last week, the turnout looked much better than previously expected (Thank you Jacksonville!) and we hope it was successful for the organizers and promoters as this has the potential to be a huge yearly festival. And, we never remembered how nice Metro Park is, it really is a GREAT outdoor venue that does not get utilized enough.

RADO, Main Ingredients, and Raglands

We had the pleasure of attending Riverside and Avondale Development Organization (RADO)’s Harvest Gala, which was held in the 5 Points Theater building Saturday night. It was a silent auction with drinks and food, followed by a main event (see below). The building was filled with incredible art from Ali Isabelle (nee Fuder), a RADO participant (or client? We don’t know what the right word is here). But, several large pieces were for sale, and someone got a great deal on another big piece in the silent auction. The silent auction also had gifts donated by Violet, Anomaly, Peterbrooke, Moon River, The Resident newspaper, a spa, and a bunch of others we unfortunately cannot remember.

However, the highlight of the night came when the event portion of the night began. DJ Triclops (who we think is an owner of Shantytown?) got on stage and the Main Ingredients break dancing crew took the floor. Some of you may be hesitant about a break dancing group, but if you saw these guys, you would be won over in about one second, as was the entire building (including one drunk lady near us who kept yelling “Whooo! Eminem! Whoo! Eminem! Yeah!” every few seconds, for some reason). These guys were doing things that Olympic gymnasts would have trouble pulling off. We’re talking full-on head spinning, horizontal full body spins on just their hands, and all kinds of other stuff we cannot even describe. If you have ever seen the Beastie Boys’ ’Root Down’ video, these guys could easily keep up with anything in that. Tony Allegretti told us that they travel all over the country and are highly respected, and he himself seemed pretty excited to see them. We may have been able to talk them into performing at the next First Friday-- we're keeping our fingers crossed.

After that we headed over to Raglands with some friends for some beers on the back deck. We haven’t really been going to Raglands enough, especially given that it has the a great patio on the back deck, which was even better with the great weather. After several drinks at RADO and then a beer at Raglands, we needed a snack and ordered up a huge order of some dank onion rings and fries. Before too long, we had to head home, where one of us vomited, a sure sign of a good night.

Airport Factory Rocks 5 Points!

If airplane factories are where airplanes are made, then Airport Factory is where completely awesome piano-and-drums songs are made. Airport Factory, complete with large piano— NOT a keyboard; a real, like-you-have-in-your-house-piano—, rocked the sidewalk of Five Point’s First Friday last Friday night. Literally: they set up the piano and drums in front of Anomaly/Nicotine, and proceeded to blow away everyone who was watching. The guy on the drums was definitely a good drummer, and not to take away from him, but the singer/piano player/guitar player, Chris, was really amazing. This kid was playing and singing like he was at a sold out show, and not on the sidewalk in front of 20 or so people. We think that is always a sign of a good band: they give it their all no matter how many people are there. Chris sang with no microphone and did some awesome handclap breakdowns for the chorus of one song. The two guys also got up from their instruments so the drummer could slap out a beat with his hands and feet, while Chris also did some clapping and stomping and singing, which made for a pretty cool sight: two guys making music with nothing but their bodies and a voice, all on the sidewalk of 5 Points. Based on their live show, we went to Pallidvirgin.com, Airport Factory’s website, and downloaded all the songs we could. These guys are good, and we hope to have them back again for another great First Fridays performance.

the latest victims...

i am sick right now. i just got a call from texie @ VIOLET... she AND TIME WARP got robbed last night!!! it's been almost exactly one month since it happened to ANOMALY. luckily there was only about $4 cash in texie's drawer, but she doesn't even have a cash register and the thief knew exactly what drawer her money was in. so now texie is left with a broken door ($300+) and a broken clothing rack (from the boulder thrown in to break the door). all for $4... actually $3... the robber dropped one of the bills on his way out. dumb ass.

TIME WARP wasn't so lucky. money did get left in the drawer overnight so it got taken. i'm not sure how much at this point but money is tight all over the neighborhood right now and this sure didn't help the situation any!

this smash and grab thing HAS TO stop! it's happening all over town, not just in one specific area. here's a bit from first coast news. i know that at the beginning of october in san marco rosie true, phiosophie (the new shoe store) and krista eberle all had their windows broken in i'm not sure if anything was taken or not though.

GO ROB A WAL-MART!

coming, going, and here to stay

as the history of 5 points has shown, some shops of 5 points can be a bit fickle. here one day, gone the next. now, in it’s resurgence period (as i like to call it) we are seeing more changes every day! but, 5 points, aside from the commerce of downtown, was jacksonville’s ORIGINAL town center.

URBANE:
urbane has completely closed it’s location here and moved to a place with much more character, the corner of phillips/baymeadows... ha ha! keith, the owner just thinks that’s more of a draw for people since scan design (a modern furniture store) is also in that shopping center.

GOLD EXCHANGE:
this business has been passed down in the family and the current owner is just ready to throw in the towel and retire. his building is for sale and clearing out his inventory from now through the end of the year. then they will be closing their doors for ever.

so, this is my open call to all aspiring entrepreneurs... open your business here!!! 5 points is bursting with opportunity if your are willing to work for it! instead of focusing on the closing businesses, take a look at all the success stories... EDGE CITY has been opened 30+ years, NICOTINE has been around over 10, ALOHA PARADISE is in their 8th year, Wolfgang has been a staple here for over 7, although VIOLET has changed hands a few times the reinvention of the store is celebrating it’s 1 year anniversary, ANOMALY is pushing 2 ½ years, MIDNIGHT SUN has a huge following, and GRASSROOTS market is always crowded when i go in! plus, there are many many others i could name but don’t want to bore you! the 1661 riverside condos open down the street now, all the other housing around here, the businesses located in the renovated 5 points theater building, all the large corporations with offices on riverside avenue and the close proximity to downtown, 5 POINTS is the perfect urban environment!

this area desperately needs 1)a clean and consistent vegan/vegetarian/raw foods restaurant 2) same as #1 but a coffee shop 3) a “grotto-esque” wine/beer bar 4) a tasty neighborhood restaurant that is NOT Mexican, pizza or asian (unless we’re talking THAI food...) i have tons more ideas but can’t keep giving all my ideas away unless there is a consulting fee involved... money talks! 

5 points isn’t the only place with changes happening. i heard that the ‘san marco south’ development is going under and now the developers are giving people their deposits back. again, this is not a confirmation, but something I heard through the grapevine, so please let me know if you know the facts or have heard differently.

signing off till next time...

halloween

starlite is having their annual halloween bash (which i believe is on the actual night of) and i heard there's a possibility that fuel may throw a party as well, but i do not have confirmation on that. i will find out and keep you posted.

halloween is always fun, i just hate that it's an excuse to be as slutty as possible. i like the creative costumes... my neighbor is somehow attaching a nightstand to her and going as a one-night-stand. that's great!

and only a few minutes away from 5 points, springfield is putting on 'nightmare on 9th street' at 9th and main. i'm really going to try to go to that... well, that is as long as i still have a date and he's not too haggard from his fl/ga tailgating!!
speaking of springfield... TO INERTIA: great paint! it looks really nice and beats the hell out of that nasty paint that was on there. it's amazing what a little paint can do!

oh, and exciting news. we picked a movie for the next 5 Points $5 Flick. it's GOONIES! so, save the date for friday november 2nd. doors open at 9:15! see you there.

we haven't forgotten about our blog. there just hasn't been much to write about. we'll be back soon.

First Friday in Five Points and the Five Dollar Flick

The first First Friday in Five Points and the Five Dollar Five Points Flick went well, despite the terrible weather. From 6-9, all the shops were open and all the restaurants provided delicious treats for all the shoppers. Plus, Violet and Anomaly had art openings featuring some really good paintings. All three bands canceled because of the weather, so next month, we’ll hope for no rain, as everyone would have loved some Airport Factory, KymBarry, and Matt Butler Trio as they shopped.

The highlight of the night was definitely the movie— Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’. Not only was the movie great, but it was BYOB (and BYOWendy’s for one kid), and some great homemade rice krispie treats and cookies. Those that came seemed to really enjoy the experience of seeing a film during what was essentially an indoor picnic, with blankets, pillows, and pop-up chairs covering the theatre floor.

Devoy from Wolfgang suggested setting up a voting system, so that in the future we’ll show the movies that the audience chooses, which is something I think we’ll try to do. Tentatively, we are looking at November’s film being one of the following: ‘Goonies’, ‘Hoosiers’, ‘Dead Poets Society’, or ‘Field of Dreams’, all of which we thought were good Fall movies. Let us know what you think, and come out in November for the second Five Dollar Flick and get it on Riverside’s best new night.

YAY! heartworks isn't closing afterall!

in regards to a post a few days ago about heartworks closing, i was mistaken. the information that i provided was what i found out from josh @ inertia. this was posted in response to that post:

Heartworks Cafe said...

People should really do some research before making false statements. Karen and George Lovenguth have purchased Heartworks and after some remodeling will be open for business and will enhance the vegetarian menu and organic coffee for all to enjoy. Thank you, George Lovenguth - October 3rd, 2007

welcome to the neighborhood george and karen! we are looking forward to having you in the neighborhood. i would love to find out some more information about the time frame for reopening, hours, etc... 5 points and is need of a consistent, good coffee shop!

rain rain go away!

well, the rain allowed alot of us merchants to get some things done for our upcoming first fridays event that starts this friday. didn't help us pay any bills though. 5 points was unfortunately pretty much D-E-A-D today! so, nothing exciting to report. i guess that's a good thing though, considering all the 'exciting' news on this blog so far has been either about stores closing or getting robbed! ha ha!

the event this friday is going to be great though!!! the info is up on the marquee now and we've been getting calls about it! yay! also, we're getting the gift baskets together. all the merchants have donated all kinds of great things (products, gift certificates, etc...) and it's all going to get seperated into 3 baskets. for each purchase a customer makes in a store he/she will get a raffle ticket. then at the end of the night, there will be a drawing for the prizes.

one bummer though, we had 3 bands scheduled to play this friday... 2 bailed today... so then there was one. well, they will be playing under the marquee in front of the theater so that will be a good central location with plenty of room!

have a wonderful evening!!!

you've got to be kidding...

anomaly got broken into this early morning. whoever did it just launched a huge cement chunk right through the front door. and since they now have no front door, adam, one of the co-owners, is up there right now, waiting for the glass company to get there. i am beyong disgusted.

THANK GOD no merchandise was stolen. an ipod was even sitting right by the counter and luckily that didn't get taken. the criminals only wanted the register. there was about $200 in cash in the drawer (which never should have been left in there in the first place... lesson learned). so considering that the door has to be completely replaced and then a new logo and store hours put on the front, that will be about $400 or so. and the register was smashed into a million pieces, a cheap new one will be around $100. so the thieves got a little bit of cash and in return left anomaly out around $700 when all is said and done. and on rent day no less. yay.

according to the police, there has been a rash of burglaries around riverside and avondale. a little over a month ago basel's tailor shop got hit, then in the past few weeks it's been shirk thompson's shoe store (i think that's the name), the cleaners next to the a&p on park street, harpoon louies, and a few others i can't remember. all the incidents have pretty much been smash and grabs for the register. the officer also told me that his patrol runs from riverside ave to casset, around to san juan and st johns and all the area in between. that is a lot of territory for only a handful of cops... and unfortunately the criminals know and take full advantage of that.

and i ended my previous post saturday night on such a happy positive note for october. well, this isn't stopping our october from being a great month, i can tell you that right now.

**there are some crappy pics for a camera phone to be posted later.
**check out emily from anomaly on first coast news about the break in!

another one bites the dust.

josh from inertia posted here earlier today about heartworks closing. joey beat me to the post! ha ha!

i am really so sad to see them go! there are not enough delicious vegetarian (josh-i've got to make it to the next potluck!!!) places in town!!! my only beef with them was that every time i wanted to go there, they were closed. you will be missed!

i wonder what's going to go in there? is there any chance that they could be moving to 5th and main? i just hope the space doesn't sit there vacant!!! i will have to find out how much rent is going to be. when i find out about urbane (which can be split into 2 spaces i think), i'll post that too.

you know, i was listening to npr this afternoon and there was a really interesting piece on wall street. the discussion was that september is supposedly/superstitiously the worst month of the year, economy wise. everyone has been on vacation for 2 months and spent all their money. honestly, it really is true. and it's trickled down to the tiny little mom and pop businesses. 5 points has been really DEAD lately. i mean, scary! and for some reason, i feel like all these random bills are popping up this month.

it's not cheap to run a business. rent alone costs SO much every year. (especially as it goes up and up in 5 points and really everywhere for that matter) and then the little things that really add up... bags, wrapping, credit card fees, etc... plus there's that expectation from the customer to always have new exciting inventory in! i know i'm not alone in saying that there's been some stress this month. plus, coming off a slow summer, that's really hard. don't get me wrong, i love what i do and am so thankful i have the freedom i do. sometimes though, the security of a normal paycheck and benefits is wonderful feeling!!!

i love what i do and will fight for it! i'm not going anywhere. there are some wonderful businesses that have deep roots in the neighborhood. others have been popping up in the last few years and have beaten the odds as well! gunnel (who owns edge city with her partner tom) has one of the most long standing businesses in 5 points. 30+years. i've had conversations with both her and tom about the constant reinvention you should undergo. 5 points is always reinventing itself. that's what makes it so unique. you never know what you are going to find.

ladies and gentleman, so long september. here's to a fresh start for 5 points in october (and to no more people closing)! we're going to have a great month. i feel it!

we really need to take some new pictures of 5 points and put them up on here. joey has a really cool one.

mmmm...

if you have a sweet tooth at night like me, you've got to pick up an 'endangered species chocolate' bar next time you are at grassroots. they have an assortment. my favorite is the one with the bat on the front, it's dark chocolate with crunchy little cocoa nibs. (i am enjoying a bite right now!) it's 100% ethically traded cocoa AND everytime you buy one you are helping ... 10% off this companies net profits go towards species, habitat and humanity. yay for chocolate!

hyp-NO-tique?!?!

what has happened to curtis's first store??? if you aren't familiar, hypnotique has been a staple in 5 points for years and is now never open. this has been going on now for over a year! it's sitting there, with sparse merchandise and a few broken mannequins. why? wolfgang, curtis's other store, is what really brings in the bacon. it's a great store with alot of great lines and it's really an asset to the neighborhood! that store is now a combination of the former satu (women's) and old wolfgang (men's only). it's now all under one name. curtis recently opened a new store in gainesville and maybe that is where he's putting all his energy/capital but the merchants aren't the only ones wondering what's going on with this prime retail space. customers are always wondering what happened to hypnotique. leave the space for someone that will actually put it to good use and be an asset to the community. why is he just letting that space sit there and rot? it really pulls that end of the block down. just wondering what's going on. does anyone want to enlighten me? i say either shape up or close up, completely.

goodbye urbane!

yes, urbane will be missed. it was wonderful having keith and clay in 5 points and i am so sad they are leaving us. i am just so bummed!!! it looks bad when stores open and close like this! first procyon... but then one of each gifts opened and jonathan is SUCH an asset to our neighborhood! now urbane... but who knows, maybe it just wasn't the right fit. they are moving their location to baymeadows/phillips, 'the furniture district'. hopefully they will flourish over there! the whole store is on sale now through when they sell everything... 25-75% off!

i have to say when i heard urbane was leaving, i almost didn't believe it! there are some people out there who call 5 points 'san five marco points' and then to others, 5 points is scary! that's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard. our wonderful area is stuck in this weird nomansland! too alternative? or not eclectic enough? there is so much opportunity in 5 points! open your business here!

when was the last time you were in 5 points? people, this is how a district close to the urban core is. there will be transients, there will be litter, but we are fighting every day to clean it up and keep it the wonderful, pleasant and fun area that it is. if you see garbage on the ground, just pick up a few pieces. every little bit helps! and if you are a litterer, shame on you!

i see homeless people in avondale and san marco all the time. yes it is sad and yes they sometimes smell and yes you probably think he or she did it to himself but these people are harmless. you may get asked for some money, but give them directions to the city rescue mission there and walk away. when someone asks me for "money for food" i always offer to go buy him/her a burger at wendy's. when that offer gets declined i simply say that i am a merchant in 5 points and do not support panhandling. period.

so sick of it!

what is up with all the shoplifting these days??? yesterday there were 3 black tranny-hookers (got nothing against black tranny hookers, these just happened to be slimy low-life THEIVES!!!) roaming the streets and taking whatever they could from the shops! midnight sun had 2 items stolen, anomaly had a pair of $100 womens jeans stolen (a size that this idiot will never in hell fit in!) and phil from time warp had a womens shirt stolen. PLEASE STOP STEALING! BUT ESPECIALLY STOP STEALING FROM SMALL STORES!!!

First Fridays in 5 Points! Oct. 5th!

Starting Friday, October 5^th, 5 Points will launch it’s monthy First Fridays promotion with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, “Rear Window”. First Fridays will take place, as the name suggests, the first Friday of each month. All the stores in 5 Points area, and particularly along Park St. will stay open until 9PM and the area’s restaurants and bars will offer drink and food specials. Once the retail shops close at 9PM, 5 Point’s own theatre will open for a screening of ‘Rear Window’ at 9:15. Tickets for the film will be $5, concessions will be available, but BYOB, and a blanket or lawn chair is a good idea as the theatre no longer has permanent seating.

here it goes...

are blogs sometimes worthless acts of self promotion? of course. people love hearing themselves talk, and this gives someone the perfect outlet to do it. other people love being in another person's business, so i can see why blogs have become an attraction to many!

without further ado, may we present a little promotion... 5 points buzz! forget the malls! check out jacksonville's most unique independent shopping.