Weekend things to do: Everything we love about Fort Lauderdale in one place
Fort Lauderdale is one of those “cool if you know where to go” cities, where locating the distinctive culture of a place takes time and distance, trial and error.
But, every once in a while, there’s a shortcut, like this weekend’s festivities at LauderAle Brewery & Tap Room. Ostensibly a celebration of its seventh anniversary, the three-day event gathers some of the things that out-of-towners (and newcomers) have helped remind me to appreciate more about Fort Lauderdale.
Brewery scene: Hidden behind a bunch of warehouses lost in an industrial maze near Port Everglades, LauderAle is exactly the kind of place you’d tell friends about when you got back from Pittsburgh or Lubbock. There is mystery and serendipity in the arrival — memorialized in the friendly, fruity pale ale called I Got Lost On the Way Here — and an attractive contrast in the rustic, dimly illuminated tap room and its airy, light rimmed beer garden. There’s no better opening statement when picking up visitors at the airport nearby than a quick detour to LauderAle. Yes, South Florida breweries are cool.
Dining scene: This weekend’s anniversary events will include a range of new beer releases, pairings and pop-up meals, with representation from Chef Takeshi Kamioka of Kaminari Ramen (Friday), Blackthorn Kitchen and La Mexicana (Saturday), and Cousins Maine Lobster and Fat Boyz BBQ (Sunday). Chef Takeshi is a restaurateur of wide local renown who has run popular brick-and-mortars but makes his magic in a food truck (Kaminari Ramen) these days. If you are looking for an introduction to the bold possibilities of the local dining scene, check out Chef Takeshi’s five-course beer-pairing dinner at 7 p.m. Friday. There are a few remaining tickets at $100.
Music scene: One of several local music acts performing at LauderAle this weekend, the Copper Tones specialize in a twangy “soulgrass” sound not often associated with South Florida. (The name Copper Tones is a brilliant balance of the beach and the old-timey, earthy metal.) It’s music that would be cool in New York or Nashville, and it’s even cooler here. Catch the Copper Tones live at LauderAle 4 p.m. Sunday.
The celebration at LauderAle is rain or shine (the beer garden will be covered by a 2,000-square-foot tent), it’s dog-friendly and parking is free. For a full rundown of all the beer, food and music on tap at LauderAle this weekend, visit Facebook.com/LauderAle.
The most direct route to LauderAle will take you on South Andrews Avenue as it dead-ends and bends east under Federal Highway just north of I-595. There are one-way streets, railroad tracks and a u-turn to navigate, so the best way to find it is to plug the address into a map app: 3305 SE 14th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.
Music is your friend
Prog-rock innovators King Crimson — guitar genius Robert Fripp’s band employs three drummers — bring their Music Is Our Friend tour to Old School Square in downtown Delray Beach 7:30 p.m. Friday. The California Guitar Trio will open. All the pods seats are gone, with a few dozen individual seats on the lawn behind the pod zone still available, starting at $39.50. On Sunday night on the Square, hard-edged New Yorkers Living Colour (“Cult of Personality”) will be joined by SoCal rockers Hoobastank (“The Reason”). Tickets start at $20. Visit OldSchoolSquare.org.
Nashville heat
The kitchen takeover you’ve been waiting for happens this weekend at Roxanne’s Liquor Bar & Kitchen in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village. Chef André Prince Jeffries from Nashville’s legendary Prince’s Hot Chicken will be in the house Saturday (5 p.m.-close) and Sunday (2 p.m.-close) cooking up the crunchy goodness that has made the restaurant a Music City institution for 75 years. Visit Facebook.com/ROXANNESFTL.
Weekend movie
Friday at 10:37 p.m. brings a full moon, this one known as the Buck Moon (or Thunder Moon), to reflect the time of year male deer begin growing new antlers (as always, thanks Farmer’s Almanac). Friday also brings a free sundown screening of the beloved Cher-Nicolas Cage romance “Moonstruck,” kicking off the Movies by Moonlight Summer Series at Las Olas Oceanside Park on Fort Lauderdale beach. Looking ahead, the series includes “(500) Days of Summer” on Aug. 20 and “La La Land” on Sept. 24. Visit MyFortLauderdaleBeach.com.
Sweet somethings
Cult-y pop-up baker Annie McFadden (M’s Sweets n Treats) will be the belle of Pastry Bash, a cheesecake and beer pairing 2-5 p.m. Sunday at Fat Tap Beer Bar in Oakland Park. You are hereby warned that McFadden also is bringing her borderline illegal bourbon-bacon brownies (Bulleit Bourbon inside, salted caramel and crisp bacon on top, with a pretzel crust). Tickets are $15. Visit FatTapBeerBar.com. … On Thursday, July 29, Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park will host Wilton Manors’ Wilton Creamery for a pairing of five special beers with five small-batch ice cream selections. Cost $25 (plus 18% for the staff). Visit FunkyBuddhaBrewery.com.
Yes, Dave Matthews tickets
The annual two-day summer picnic with the Dave Matthews Band is right around the corner — July 30-31 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach — and you can still get tickets. How’s that for an economic indicator? Friday lawn tickets are available for $49.50 (there are also some down front for $255 each); Saturday tickets are lawn-only as part of an $80 two-day pass. Visit LiveNation.com. … Equally surprising: You can still get tickets (starting at $50) to see Steve Earle & the Dukes Aug. 21 at Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center. Visit BrowardCenter.org.
New at Culture Room
Fort Lauderdale’s Culture Room roars to life this weekend with a 7:30 p.m. Friday show by South Florida-based baroque ‘n’ roll guitar god Yngwie Malmsteen sharing music from a new album, “Parabellum” (GA tickets $34.50 at Ticketmaster.com), and Zach Deputy 7:30 p.m. Saturday ($15 at Ticketmaster.com). The Culture Room recently put tickets on sale for a flurry of new shows, including the Fixx and English Beat (Oct. 23), Sebastian Bach (Nov. 6), Tech N9ne (Nov. 21) and the Circle Jerks (Dec. 19). Visit CultureRoom.net.
Vamos Colombia!
One of the most effortlessly funny guys I’ve ever known is Colombian (looking at you, Camilo Velez), so I’m excited about the Hilarious Colombian Americans tour stop at the Palm Beach Improv in West Palm Beach 4 p.m. Sunday. Performed in English, the show features Colombian film actor and comedian Antonio Sanint, and three New York-based comics: Pedro Gonzalez (seen on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”), Alex Carabaño (HBO’s “Entre Nos”) and Oscar Collazos (he’s performed at the Apollo Theater). Tickets cost $28. Visit PalmBeachImprov.com.
Future laughs
Comedian Ron White has five shows scheduled this weekend at the intimate Palm Beach Improv in West Palm Beach, alas all sold out. … Tickets remain for Dave Chappelle at 7,000-seat Hard Rock Live on Sunday, Aug. 8, the last of three nights of performances (just scattered singles left for the first two shows). The cheap seats cost $165 (MyHRL.com). … Tickets (starting at $66) go on sale 10 a.m. Friday at MyHRL.com for comedian Kevin James at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Dec. 3. A venue presale can be found on the Hard Rock Twitter and Facebook.
Thee place to be
Cover models Megan Thee Stallion (in town for Rolling Loud) and transgender activist Leyna Bloom will be on hand when the pop-culture magnet that is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue comes to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood for two days of free beauty and wellness events 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The 2021 swimsuit edition of the magazine is notable for its upfront celebration of diversity (a third cover features Japanese-Haitian tennis star Naomi Osaka), and more than two-dozen other SI models also will be at the Hard Rock. Events take place on the lawn adjacent to the Terrace Ballroom. Admission is free. Visit MyHRL.com.
Now music
Out of respect for victims of Sunrise condominium collapse nearby, July events at the North Beach Bandshell have been relocated. This includes Friday night’s intriguing 8 p.m. double bill featuring Now vs Now (led by Jason Lindner, a keyboardist on David Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar”) and adventurous locals Twyn, a collaboration between Electric Kif keyboardist Jason Matthews and Lemon City Trio drummer Aaron Glueckauf. The new location is Space Park, 298 NE 61st St., Miami. Tickets cost $22 at RhythmFoundation.com.
MASS appeal
The City of Fort Lauderdale and the MASS District are looking for artists to design and install two painted intersections at a couple of prominent corners on Flagler Drive at Northeast Second Avenue (outside Wells Coffee) and Northeast Fourth Avenue (The Hive). Proposals are due by Aug. 5 at FTLCity.info/madetomoveart.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com.
