Interview With Danny Hammontree, Artist At This Thursday’s Dialect

by | May 11, 2011 | Art, Music

By Strawberry Jam

Thursday, Twilight Notes and Freedom Art are teaming up for this month’s Dialect to bring you another exceptional night of art and music. This time they’ll be featuring nine photographers from the South Florida area and DJs Kent Lawlor, Mikey Ramirez, and Adam Foster. Come and lounge in the intimate comfort of Brew, soak up some good tunes, and perhaps buy some art to take home with you. We’re super-excited for this one and below have an interview with one of the artists, Danny Hammontree.

Photo by Danny Hammontree

This will be your second time participating in Dialect but you’ve been around for a while. How and when did you get started in photography?

I have always had an interest in photography but didn’t get into it seriously until 2003 when I bought my first serious camera. In the beginning I started shooting everything but most of all my children. At one point I thought I wanted to to do glamour/fashion photography but quickly developed a distaste for it. In 2005 I also developed a huge distaste for George W. Bush and the decision to go into Iraq. I heard about an anti-war rally in Miami and went down to photograph it. My intentions in photographing were because I was against the war but also because I felt it was a great way to photograph people without having to ask them first if I could. When I got home I quickly posted my photos to art and photography communities I was a part of online namely deviantART and Flickr and got great responses from them. This feedback fueled my interest and I began hunting down opportunities to photograph social and political events I was most interested in and most importantly believed in. I feel the meshing of passions made my photography better and inspired me more.

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2ofUs Gets By Quite Well With A Little Help From Their Friends

by | May 9, 2011 | Local Business, Music

By Strawberry Jam

We previously posted about the already tasty and lively Field Irish Pub hosting the Hot Rod Show. Read below to find out about their charming duo 2ofUs Beatles Tribute band.


It seems to me that most people either love the nostalgia and music of the Beatles or can’t stomach their “cheesiness” as they might call it. Any Beatles fan would know that the songs go beyond corny and delve into concepts and phases like few others have, from pop to mature experimentation, carving a path that many would follow in one way or another. 2ofUs the Tribute Band seems to appropriately showcase the evolution of the Beatles’ music through a variety of songs, though I admit, maybe dressed a bit cheesy (they wore identical outfits this night).

In no time, it’s evident that the two do justice to the songs lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally, not to mention physically look the part (McCartney and Lennon, whose songs they feature). The duo take turns singing separately as well as harmonizing, making up for a slightly smaller crowd than Hot Rod, by filling The Field with the notion that you might actually be watching the real thing years ago in a small pub in Liverpool.

As the cherry on top, their humble (though solid) audience adds to the experience through genuine smiles and other expressions of satisfaction, a variety of tambourines, song requests which were immediately honored, and group drinking. A proper night at the pub.

Side Note: Though The Field’s menu is largely designed for the carnivore in you, there are a couple of fish options and a surprisingly satisfying Veggie Burger. The sandwich, which actually doesn’t taste like it was dusted off in the back before being thrown in the fryer, may very well be made on-site,with chopped onion, whole peas and green beans of some sort visible in the patty. Update: Though it sure tastes homemade, The Field confirms their veggie burger is not made there.

2ofUs Beatles Tribute Band can be seen at various venues including Waxy’s on 17th Street and Lauderdale Grill on Cordova Rd. View all gigs here.

Dania Jai-Alai Sold, Sort Of

by | May 3, 2011 | Local Business, News

By Strawberry Jam

Dania Jai-Alai

Photo by Strawberry Jam

It was recently announced that the Dania Jai-Alai is set to close in September on an $80 million sale.  For some, it will be a bitter end to a vintage sport that has been around for thirty-plus years.  But according to the president and CEO of Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming which owns the space, Dania Jai-Alai “no longer fits our current growth strategy.”  It is supposedly being sold to private investors through an all-cash deal.  You can read the article in Forbes here.

Dania Beach has long been known as a quirky place. It is Broward’s first city (incorporated in 1904), “stuck in the past” some might call it, and known for it’s antiquing.  Sorry to say, but it might be time for a facelift.  Last summer, the Dania Beach Press (which apparently does not have a website) stated that the Pirates Inn (located just West of the Jai-Alai) was hoping to be marketed to a supermarket of sorts, possibly a Trader Joe’s.  You’ll have to take my word for it as we don’t have the actual article and it was in print, but you can read a similar, less specific Sun-Sentinel article about it here.  Little information is known at this time as to whether or not live jai-alai will continue.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?  Many argue that Dania would be one of the last on the list of Trader Joe’s openings, whose current closest locations are in Georgia and South Carolina.  At the same time, I think it can be said that Dania is a nice buffer between populated cities such as Aventura and Ft Lauderdale which already have a similar market (Whole Foods).  Weigh in on your opinions in the comments.