From the dawn of rock n' roll it has been many a teenager’s dream to start a band with their friends. And many do, from the garage rock movement in the early 1960s to the grunge culture of the mid-80s and ‘90s to the self-produced, soundcloud era of the late 2010s. Most of these endeavors, however, are not successful. Bands and artists flame out, some from a lack of talent, others from a lack of dedication and many from the harsh reality of the entertainment industry: making music is hard. Making commercially viable music is even more difficult.

That’s why those who persevere, who continue to create and push themselves in the face of these tough truths should be celebrated. Such is the case with Youth Antics, a Parrish-based indie rock band who have been creating music on and off since 2017. Earlier this year, the four-man band released Silhouette their first single in two years and dropped their latest song, Too Close last week. “We started out originally as a cover band in 2017. We did the whole bar scene around here in Tampa and Sarasota, but it wasn’t until 2018 that we got involved in the music scene in Tampa and hooked up with a lot of bands around the area,” says guitar and synth player Dylan Nicholas. “Once we did that we really found our ground and audience and released a lot of singles.”

The band, whose sound can best be described as a mashup between modern indie rock and 80s synth-filled new wave, took a two year hiatus in 2022 to attend to life matters. All of the members have full-time jobs–music is their passion and hopefully, one day their career, but until then they will continue to create in their time off, exploring their creativity and pushing for a new and larger audience. “Everything we’ve done up to this point has been pretty much completely DIY. We take care of all our recording now, we have a studio at my house and my younger brother Cameron, our drummer, does all of the filming and editing for our music videos,” says lead singer and bassist Derek Luna. “Having the time off was really key for us. It allowed us to invest in ourselves and have fun making music again.”

https://www.facebook.com/youthantics/; https://open.spotify.com/artist/33vkDAawaiJbtxqy1kWRpN 

Pictured: from L to R - Derek Luna, Cameron Luna, Dylan Nicholas, Panagiotis Pete Bell. Photo courtesy of Youth Antics.

Come on out this Friday, August 2nd, 5:30pm, to Sarasota's historic Burns Court, for an evening of Art on South Pineapple Avenue. Visit Andrew Ford Fine Art's new space at 510 South Pineapple, showing Jorge Blanco's work. Also you can visit Sarasota's newest art venue the "502 Gallery" exhibiting small-scale works by Sarasota's top artists!

Andrew Ford Fine Arts, 941-650-8854‬, 510 South Pineapple Ave Sarasota. 

Pictured: HOT COLORS, HAPPY SUMMER Exhibition at Andrew Ford Fine Arts Gallery

Four-time EMMY® winner Derek Hough announced today the dates for his all new Derek Hough Dance for the Holidays tour.  The 38-city tour begins November 1, 2024 in Atlantic City, NJ and concludes on December 29, 2024 with a stop in Sarasota on Wednesday, December 4. Tickets for Dance for the Holidays are on sale to the public Friday, August 2nd at 10am EDT. Derek Hough Dance for the Holidays is an all-new joyous celebration of the most festive time of the year!  With jingle bells and sleigh bells, holiday carols and cheer, Hough’s latest dance spectacular is a show stopping event for the whole family.  Fans will be thrilled and delighted as Hough and his cast of phenomenal dancers bring your favorite holiday tunes to life through dance, from the well sung classics to modern pop hits with all of the incredible choreography, exciting stage production and dance mastery that audiences have come to expect.   Creative team and EMMY® winners, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs (Jennifer Lopez’s ‘All I Have’, Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, GRAMMYs®), co-create, direct and supervise choreography for the tour.  Presales start Wednesday, July 31 at 10AM EDT with general on sale in most markets following on Friday, August 2.  For up-to-date information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.derekhough.com or www.vanwezel.org. VIP packages are available giving fans the chance to purchase premium tickets, including pre-show parties and meet and greet opportunities. Groups of 10 or more should contact 941-263-6726. Derek Hough Dance for the Holidays is produced by Greg Young of Mojave Ghost, a Tony & Drama Desk Award nominated producer. He's produced award-winning Broadway shows (Bob Fosse's Dancin', The Illusionists, Little Women), Las Vegas Residencies (Derek Hough No-Limit!, Donny Osmond) and live tours (Derek Hough Symphony of Dance). 

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman presented several awards at a ceremony on Wednesday. Communications Operator III Alyssa Rodriguez received the Life Saving Award for her handling of a 911 call regarding an unconscious male within the Carlton Preserve. Deputies Aleksandr Gorislavets and Leonard Weg Jr. received the Life Saving Award for their actions at a call for an unresponsive male inside a vehicle.Human Resources Director Staci J. Pickavance, Personnel Manager Emily M. Mruczek, Senior Human Resources Specialist Lacy Zahidi, Human Resources Specialists Laura L. Carlen and Carrie D. Shaw, Administrative Assistant III Shannon L. Benton, and Background Investigators Keith E. Muncy and Paul G. Santos received the coveted Meritorious Achievement Award for their extensive work to streamline recruitment efforts.