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If there exists one genre of popular music with the most cantankerous and anal fans and critics, progressive rock would take the prize. Some of rock's most talented musicians work in the genre. They often bring experience from classical music and a working knowledge of music theory. Some of the bravest musical experiments were pioneered within the genre, yet rule-breaking is received with much doubt. One long-suffering band of this aspect of prog rock is the U.K. act Yes, which made its recorded debut in 1969.
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After living and traveling all over the planet, Steven Machat recently moved to Florida, full time, with the intention of staying. His condo sits bayside, overlooking the weird majesty that is Miami Beach. This expanse of clubs and sunbathers is where the former lawyer, record label owner, and music industry guy has decided to work with SoBe Institute of the Arts. His goal is to foster an "organic music scene" by teaching a ten-week series, "The Secret and Sacred Knowledge of Music: From Creation to Exploitation," starting this Wednesday.

Machat is the son of late entertainment lawyer Marty, whose clients included the Platters, the Drifters, Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, and even boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. He learned contracts starting at age 12 and remembers reading a 1964 Rolling Stones contract before puberty. According to his bio, the younger Machat's first record deal, one between CBS Records and ELO, was the largest of that time.

"He couldn't get into property law," he says of his father, "because he was Jewish." At that point, Machat goes on a tangent about the word "Jewish," which bothers him because of its Roman roots. Machat is a man interested in taking a hard, analytical look at just about everything. And he has a story and opinion about any musician you can name, all sorts of politics, and the expanse of human history.

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From the Delta to the bayou, the blues touch the hearts, souls, and ears of the love-struck, down-and-out, and the everyday soul-searcher. It connects all people through its emotional expression of the human condition.
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This was originally slated to open with a paragraph comparing boring seafood and snobby food-shoppers to the sheer awesomeness of one of our favorite local outfits. Needless to say, the steadier thinking of the County Grind sheriffs prevailed, like they sometimes do over their intoxicated bloggers.

But I'm happy to report that the beautiful ladies of South Florida metal, Jean Saiz, Janette Valentine and their gentleman consort Felipe Torres have without a shadow of a doubt brought me back to square one. As a longtime fan, I'm glad that I was steered away from the stupid ways of "holier-than-thou" grocery shopping. Not that there is anything wrong with being proactive about our food choices, but there is something wrong with getting one's head way too far up one's ass.

In the meantime, catch them on their Southeast mini tour with Holly Hunt and listen to their new single "Tempest."

See also:
Shroud Eater Continues the Brutality With Thunder Noise

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John Kux

Boca band Montage is offering tribute tonight to Ray Pachter, whom his brother and former band mate Ben calls, "our fallen cofounder and original guiding force."

See also
- Montage and Maddie Besser Take on Dada This Friday with Vulgarity but Not Destruction
- Flaunt at Respectable Street: Fashion Meets Music in West Palm Beach

Montage is performing to celebrate Ray's memory at Flaunt, Respectable Street's Thursday night indie dance and fashion fest. It's not totally going to be just another mindless, drunken night on Clematis, but don't expect a weepy room of depressed downers either. Ben says there will be loud rock and roll, and "the unexpected." The two tasty ingredients that, mixed up just right, make delicious fun.

But tonight is definitely also a time for Ray, who passed away in 2010 of an accidental overdose. Besides Montage, the multi-instrumentalist, sound engineer, and songwriter performed with bands Third Nostril and Expo. "We had a near telepathic connection for musicality, and his taste is still unsurpassed," his brother remembers.

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Photo by Roy Varga

Morgan La Rue and her Shimmy Shake Revue are a staple in the ever growing, and always titillating, SoFla burlesque scene. With hundreds of shows under her belt, and dozens of girls participating in her local and nationwide burlesque events, the Shimmy Shake Revue has made a home for itself at Mickey's Bar in Pompano Beach.

This monthly event featuring Miss La Rue and her troupe of bedazzled babes also features Mickey's Monthly Cruise Night, a retro car and bike expo with trophies and prizes for Best Hot Rod, Best Custom, Best in Show, and loads more. The ever studly gents of the Sweet Chariots will be providing the soundtrack to this week's festivities.

In anticipation of this Saturday's burlesque night, and the two year anniversary of the Shimmy Shake Revue, we caught up with Morgan La Rue and talked venues, music, and of course -- the art of tease.

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If you're used to going to local shows, you know how rare it is for the bar crowd to shut up and pay attention for two seconds. It's not their fault, they came for the booze and maybe a little bit of pool. Half the patrons didn't even know there even was a show that night. If they did, they're confused, asking themselves, "it's not jazz night?" So when everyone actually stops their conversation to pay attention, you know that you're looking at something worthwhile.

From note one, Vice City Rockers set themselves apart from other fledgling punk outfits performing at a recent Churchill's show. The drums were blaring and precise, the singer was running around, yelling like a madman, and the guitars drew us to the stage like a fly drawn to a big ol' hunk of delicious horse poop.

We were able to land a few words with frontman Shawn Perkins and the boys to see what the band is up to.

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Who says South Florida has no soul? Certainly not Bobby Lee Rodgers or his fans. With his unique mix of jazz, rock, and funk, the musician not only writes his own songs, but puts an original spin on the tunes of former musical legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Mess Montgomery at Fort Lauderdale's Green Room once a month.

Before becoming a guitar toting, blues crooning rock star, Rodgers studied classical and jazz guitar at the University of Georgia. Upon graduating, he embarked to Boston and became a jazz studies instructor at the esteemed Berklee College of music at the ripe young age of 23. Not surprisingly, he earned the title of one of the youngest instructors in that field.

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Nestled in an expanse of urban sprawl just north of the airport is Kreepy Tiki Tattoos, a high-end tattoo parlor that is reminiscent of a turn of the century swanky island paradise. It's decked from top to bottom with retro tiki mugs, candlelit shrines, and vintage furniture and the buzz of modern electric tattooing is heard over nostalgic bluesy jams. See also -Tattoo Tuesdays: "Kreepy Tiki" Jackson Valiente of Kreepy Tiki Tattoos and Boutique Kreepy Tiki is home to some of the most talented artists this side of the Mississippi, all of whom have helped build and expand owner and tattooer Jackson Valiente's empire. Amidst the BOGO tatties (and consequently gnarly strains of Hepatitis) and garage zappers that come a dime a dozen, Valiente and his gang of top notch artists have made quite a name for themselves.

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