Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Ribs and country music stars in West Palm Beach, last days of ‘Stranger Things’ in Aventura
Before there was Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, there was the annual country-flavored Rib Round Up, now presented by radio station New Country 103.1, which returns on Saturday to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach.
For my money — Rib Round Up tickets start at $36.50+ vs. nearly $100+ per day at Tortuga (which isn’t offering daily passes) — a country music fan doesn’t have to squint too hard to feel like Saturday at the Amp is like a bootsand-shorts day of fun in the sun at Tortuga.
OK, no beach. But there’s a lawn. And ribs! And, yes, no Kenny Chesney. But if you’re looking to sing along to modern country chart-toppers, Rib Round Up will offer a heaping helping from acts that would be near the top of the bill at Tortuga.
Who’s hotter right now than Lainey Wilson? Not only is she part of the cast of the TV hit “Yellowstone,” but at the most recent CMA Awards she won Vocalist of the Year and Best
New Artist honors. One of the best moments at Rib Round Up is likely to be her rendition of CMA Song of the Year nominee “Things a Man Oughta Know.” Wilson performs on the Main Stage at 8:15 p.m.
The Rib Round Up closer is Russell Dickerson, whose four No. 1 hits may soon have company with his new single, the redemptive “God Gave Me a Girl,” destined to be a major singalong on Saturday. He performs on the Main Stage at 9:45 p.m.
Meanwhile, young country rocker Bailey Zimmerman (7 p.m.), with recent hits “Fall in Love” and “Rock and a Hard
Place,” has future star written all over him. Other names to look out for among more than a dozen performers include veteran crooner Joe Nichols (5:15 p.m.), fast-rising Corey Kent (4:05 p.m.), country-soul singer Breland (2:10 p.m.) and Parkland singer-songwriter Ashley Cooke (2:10 p.m.).
Gates open at Rib Round Up at noon Saturday. Visit NewCountry1031.com.
Thursday
Nerds, do you copy? This is your last weekend to check out Netflix’s Stranger Things: The Store, which will end its run at Aventura Mall on Sunday. The pop-up shop — where fans can shop for exclusive merch, get up close to a Demogorgon, tour iconic locations and take photos inside “Joyce’s House” — will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Visit StrangerThings-store.com.
Agave love: Mezcal Lauderdale, the three-day celebration of “the elixir of the gods” that debuted in 2022, is returning June 3 to 5 in a new spot, downtown Fort Lauderdale restaurant Canyon and its clandestine tequila lounge, Rio’s. The weekend will include exclusive tastings, dinners, food pairings, workshops, brunch and more. Get tickets at MezcalLauderdale. com.
Dream team: Miami-based orchestral experimentalists Nu Deco Ensemble will conjure a dreamy partnership with Colombian pop band Monsieur Periné at the Arsht Center in Miami at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets start at $35+ at ArshtCenter.org.
Witch end: “Wicked” ends its run at Miami’s Arsht Center with six final performances Thursday through Sunday. There are varying amounts of tickets available for each show, with prices starting at $33+ at ArshtCenter.org. The production next moves to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, with performances scheduled for March 29 through April 9. Visit Kravis.org.
Ticket window: Argentinian rapper and singer DUKI will test his popularity with a U.S. tour this summer, a five-city trek that includes a stop at Oasis Wynwood on May 19. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday at LiveNation.com.
Friday
Boca ‘Fantasia’: Festival of the Arts Boca opens its 10-day run of music, dance, author events and other cultural gatherings on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. screening of the animated classic ”Fantasia,” accompanied by a live soundtrack provided by music director Constantine Kitsopoulos and Festival Orchestra Boca at Mizner Park Amphitheater. Gates open at 6 p.m. for an hour of family activities, including interactive art, popcorn and candy. Tickets cost $15 and $25 at FestivalBoca.org.
Weekend laughs: She made a name for herself at age 7 as a prank caller known as Little Ali on
Ryan Seacrest’s radio show — and more recently, as a standup comedian, Ali Macofsky was the opening act for indie-rock goddess St. Vincent’s 2022 tour. Kind of the perfect resume. Macofsky performs at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Dania Improv in Dania Beach. Tickets start at $22+ at DaniaImprov. com.
Future laughs: Actor and comedy star Kevin Hart has expanded his global 2023 Reality Check Tour to include a stop at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on June 3. After a presale, tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at KevinHartNation. com. … Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee will bring the touring version of their hit podcast “Bad Friends” to Hard Rock Live on June 2. Tickets will go on sale 10 a.m. Friday at Ticketmaster.com.
Ticket window: Hip-hop legends Wu-Tang Clan and Nas are bringing their co-headlining NY State of Mind Tour to Hollywood’s Hard Rock Live on Sept.
22, with a series of presales leading into the general on-sale at 9 a.m. Friday at Ticketmaster.com. … Citing high demand for her Nov. 14 concert at Miami-Dade Arena, P!NK has added another South Florida show to her Trustfall Tour, on Nov. 15 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at LiveNation.com. … British rockers The Struts will play the intimate confines of Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on July 3, with tickets on sale 10 a.m. Friday at JoinTheRevoluton.net.
Saturday
Free poke bowls: Fort
Lauderdale food-and-bev conceptualist Memphis Garrett (No Man’s Land, Ya Mas!) on Saturday will have a grand opening for his new spot in Plantation called Point Break, featuring “Pan-Asian cuisine from surf beaches around the world” (yes, Spam). Located in the Shoppes at Cleary (8970 Cleary Blvd.), the eatery will say aloha to customers with free poke bowls from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Nice. Visit EatPointBreak.com.
Take the kids: Now in its 39th year, the Southeast Florida Scottish Festival & Highland Games will gather the clans for a family-friendly day of kilts, caber tossing, live music (including Steel City Rovers and the “bareknuckle pipes and drums” of Albannach), food (yes, haggis), drink, and children’s games on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Plantation Heritage Park. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate for general admission; $5 for guests age 6 to 14; and free for age 5 and younger. The weekend begins with a traditional cèilidh, a social gathering and concert,
8 to 11 p.m. Friday at the Broward PBA Hall (2901 SW 26th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale). Tickets cost $15. There will be a cash bar, but bring your own snacks. Visit SASSF.org.
Saturday night live: The 16th edition of Global
Cuba Fest at the Miami Beach Bandshell begins with charismatic Grammy winner Alex Cuba at 8 p.m. Saturday. General-admission seats cost $41.20 at MiamiBeachBandshell. com. … Fun-loving ska veterans Mustard Plug will be joined by Stop the Presses and Spred the Dub at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets cost $15+ at RespectableStreet.com. ... Metal hellions Queensrÿche (with originals Michael Wilton and Eddie Jackson) play the Culture Room in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $36.50+ at CultureRoom. net. … Fidgety Americana duo Hymn for Her play a free show at 9 p.m. Saturday at Lagniappe House in Miami. Visit LagniappeHouse.com.
Spirited night at MODS:
The 26th annual Bank of America Wine, Spirits and Culinary Celebration will take place 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale. As always, the event mixes food from favorite local restaurants (among them Lobster Bar Sea Grille, Boatyard, YOLO, Bo’s Pub and Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop) with bottles from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, craft beer by Funky Buddha Brewery, and a silent auction benefiting the museum. Tickets start at $150 at MODS.org. The official after-party will be a short stroll away at The Wharf Fort Lauderdale from 9 to 11:30 p.m.
Hard Rock life: Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest, the annual mingling of talkand-tasting events hosted by Cigar Aficionado magazine and Whisky Advocate magazine, brings premium distillers, cigarmakers and other industry leaders to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Saturday. Tickets cost $350, or $450 VIP, at BigSmokeWhiskyFest.com.
A new brunch: I keep (James Beard Award-winning chef and owner) Michael Schwartz’s Edgewater restaurant Amara at Paraiso in my back pocket for a special occasion to be named. My wife loves Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in the Design District and inevitably I’ll do something stupid that can only be fixed by spending some serious coin on Schwartz’s food at this spectacular Miami waterfront spot. This weekend, Amara will debut its Samba Saturdays brunch series, with live music, Carnaval-style dancers and Latin American brunch items from noon to 4 p.m. In addition to the brunch menu, guests will find feijoada made on an open-air grill, caipirinhas and other cocktails. Visit AmaraAtParaiso.com.
Sunday
Middle East of Loxahatchee: Swank Specialty Produce continues its series of family-style meals with A Middle Eastern Dinner Party in the barn on the Loxahatchee farm on Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. The dinner will include fare from Joe Bonavita (Wet Restaurant & Lounge), Natasha Kortabani (Tasha’s Table), Nicolas and Susanna Kurban (Amar Mediterranean Bistro), and Anna Ross (Anna Bakes & Candid Coffee Co.). Tickets cost $175 per person at SwankSpecialtyProduce.com. The dinner benefits the Boca Raton Historical Society.