Search results matching tags 'Community ', 'Live Music', and '2008'

Chris Bolister Croons at The Luna Blue in Playa del Carmen

435836 — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:41:00 GMT

Last night was the inauguration of "Bolister in The Blue", an evening of acoustic music and song from Playa favorite, the talented and charming Chris Bolister. Perched on a swing at the bar, surrounded by friends old and new, Chris entertained the crowd with well-loved tunes from yesterday and today. There was a lot of laughing and singing along and I am certain Tuesday nights will be hopping at The Luna Blue Hotel from now on. Here are a few of the many pictures taken throughout the evening. Lots and lots of familiar faces here including but by no means limited to StewartG, Barry, Vanessa, Maggie, A'ndrea and Larry, Jimmy and Jan.

Bolister and Papa T.

Keith and Mayte

Jan, Jimmymn and Maggie (Rissask)

Heather and Jimmy

Lawyer, General Contractor, Spinning Instructor and Good Pal StewartG.....and Rob

Stuart (Who I might add, as of this posting, has not yet turned up today!)

Barry Launius and Papa T.

Jimmy and Vanessa (Lolabella)

There was a lot of this.......

.....which led to this......

.....and, rather inevitably, to this delighful "duet":

Click here to enjoy the dulcet tones of Mr. Bolister and some unusual interpretive "signing" from our dear friend Heather.

It was a lovely evening of good fun with good friends. We look forward to more of the same and hope to see you all there!

Fusion Hotel - The Culture Orphans and More!

435836 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:30:00 GMT

I always say I am going to make a point of breaking out of my routine but, somehow, I usually end up at the same old places. Then, I get bored with "the same old places" and I don't go out at all! Thursday night, I broke from my usual routine and wandered down to Fusion Hotel on the beach. I met up with Rob, Jill, J.J. and Cheryl from Atlanta, after The Nasty Bastards finished up their regular Thursday night gig at Bad Boys. Some of us (and I'm not naming names) had, apparently, been seriously over-served earlier in the evening so it was a rather rambunctious group! Bad Brad and the Culture Orphans are part of the Thursday night line up at Fusion and always put on a great show. We would also be entertained by a percussion group and the ever appealing fire dancers. If you haven't had a chance to get down there yet, Fusion should be on your short list for not just night-time fun but delicious food as well. The staff is super friendly and the whole Caribbean atmosphere makes even ME, a seasoned expat, feel like I am on vacation! Here are some shots from the evening.

Rob, Sharky and J.J.

Cheryl from Atlanta and Rob.

Drummers Drumming!

Hips Shaking!

Chillin' and relaxing on the beach.

Always a crowd pleaser.

Bad Brad and the Culture Orphans

Andy, Sharky and J.J. looking down from the bar.

Tim Budd aka "Barefoot Skinny" on keyboard.

Sharky and J.J.

Rob and Andy (Peanut Pet Shelter)

J.J., Gary, Jen and Rob

So, Fusion is a blast and am going to try to get down there much more often. The music, the candles on the beach, the breeze of the ocean. What more could I ask for? With a big "thank you" to Kim for the info, I have posted Fusion's weekly entertainment schedule below. They have a little something for everyone.

Monday            Chivo Azul (Jazz)
Tuesday           Chivo Azul (Jazz)
Wednesday      Natural Mistic (Reggae)
Thursday          The Culture Orphans (Rock)
Friday              Latin Taxi (Salsa, Reggae)
Saturday          Latin Taxi (Salsa, Reggae)
Sunday            Chivo Azul (Jazz)

Plus music by Natural Mistic everyday starting at 3pm. Fire Show nightly at 10:00pm.

Hotel Fusion is located on the beach at calle 6, next to Luna Encantada Condominiums. See you there!!

Fundraiser for Ak Lu'um School a Spectacular Success!!

435836 — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:24:00 GMT

Pinche Gringo's Sports Bar provided the perfect venue for the Fall fundraiser for Ak Lu'um International School. Given the time of year and the incliment weather, we had no way of anticipating what a huge turn-out we would have for this event! Every seat in the house was filled with standing room only! We actually SOLD OUT all of our printed raffle tickets due in no small part to the fabulous prizes donated by local businesses and generous individuals.

There are so many people to credit with the success of our event but I will name just a few:

Thank you to Jimmy Brown, owner/operator of PG's for giving us the space for the evening, paying for the live music permit and compensating out talented musicians for their time and efforts. Thank you to the band, Jeff Johnson, Brad Ryan, Barefoot Skinny and Gary for rocking the house and making our evening into a real party! Thank you to Judy, Paty and all the Ak Lu'um moms who solicited donations and worked tirelessly to organize this event. Thank you to all of our generous supporters and everyone who attended our fundraiser and bought raffle tickets! I took a gazillion pictures and have posted most of them so this page may take some time to load up. I haven't tagged everyone in every photo but you all know who you are and your presence was noticed and much appreciated!

Faculty Leader, Gaby, looking beautiful

Paty working hard on the raffle set up

Dave and Julie (Abyss Dive Shop) with son Ryder (the little dude) and Laurence

Birdie with her best pal Stuart

Rick and Andy (Peanut Pet Shelter)

Hi Bob!!

Siobhan and Richard

Heather (Caribe Sunrise) Erika, Jill and Michael

Doug eyes up the prizes...later winning the Mayakoba Classic passes, damn it.

John (In the Roo) and Michael

Chris and Carrie and friends

A seriously packed house

Bjorn and friends

Ak Lu'um Faculty Leader, Siobhan, and Vaughan (Ajua Maya)

Libby (In the Roo) and Mary (Rancho Mayab)

Ak Lu'um interns, Sascia and Laurence, took a turn entertaining the crowd

The Playa All-Stars!!

Ak Lu'um students and future musicians

Waldorf Girls Gone Wild!!!

MIss Edie and Jill

Julie and Emily

Franklin and Stacy

Melissa, Judy and friend

Thank you again to everyone who played a part in the success of this Fundraiser. We managed to raise nearly $20,000 pesos which will be put to good use improving our jungle campus and providing a stimulating educational environment for the children of Playa del Carmen.

Deb's Birthday Blast At Bad Boys in Playa del Carmen!

435836 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:12:00 GMT

Our great friend, Deb, managed to make a last minute trip from Oregon to Playa del Carmen just in time for the "alien invasion that wasn't" and her Birthday! What better way to celebrate another fabulous year than with a night of music and merriment at Bad Boys Beach Bar. Gal pals Diane and Tina made the trip south of the border as well and helped to make this one a memorable birthday. J.J. and the Nasty Bastards put on a hell of a good show with special guest Deb showing off her own musical stylings. Here are just a few photos from the festivities!

Happy Birthday Miss Deb!! Here's to another year of good times with good friends!!

Sarah and Adam Get Married and Rock the Mojo Zone in Playa del Carmen

435836 — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:17:00 GMT

Well, the rain finally let up enough to allow Sarah and Adam to make their vows on the beautiful beach of the Sian Kaan. We met the newlyweds and their entourage later in Playa for an after party at Brad Ryans' place, The Mojo Zone. I was lucky to meet and talk to many of their close friends and relatives who came so far to share in their special day. It really speaks volumes to the essense of who these young people are that they are surrounded by so much love and support. My pictures vary quality-wise due to the low light inside. I hope they paint a picture of not just a great party but of a couple much in love and so fortunate to have so many caring people to help guide them on their path as they set forth to build a life together..

The wedding party parades down 5th Avenue.

Steve and Adam

Libby, Sara and Shawn

Sara and Steve

Adam and Ryan

Rob and Sarah

Congratulations and best wishes to Sarah and Adam. We wish you many years of love and laughter.

Welcome Back, Sarah and Adam

435836 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:07:00 GMT

Still suffering from a bad "rainy season" cold, I managed to drag my snifflly, achy self off of the sofa and down to Captain Dave's to meet up with our dear friend SarahB and her adorable fiance (very soon to be husband) Adam. They have planned a beautiful ceremony on the beach in the Sian Kaan, surrounded by family and friends, followed by an evening of revellry downtown. We wanted to make sure the kids had a chance to see Miss Sarah and Adam and to welcome their guests to Playa properly. I can think of no better way than with an evening of fun at Captain Dave's listening to J.J. and the Nasty B.astards. Then again, I'm probably a bit biased ;)

SarahB with Cole, Birdie and Connor on the beach at Captain Dave's

Rob imparting words of wisdom. Remember Adam, "Follow, pay, carry".

SarahB with friends and family.

Oh yes. Look who's back as well!! Welcome back Shar!!

John, SarahB, Judy, Libby and Adam

And Jana's back too, snuggling with Stuart.

Roger, our own Tropical Santa.

Miss Edie and Kim enjoying the festivities.

Rob, Randy and Connor. (Excuse me! Who gave him permission to grow up?)

Me and my Bird. (also growing up too fast, damn it)

Party girls, Judy, Kim and Jana.

J.J. gets the crowd up and moving!

Well not everyone. Adrian was pretty beat.

Jana, SarahB and Stuart.

Mellow Mitch and Shawn.

Anna and Shar. (What's that yer drinkin' there missy?)

Jana with the legendary Captain Dave.

Kim and Judy missing Deb!!

Rob, SarahB and me!

We wish Sarah and Adam all the happiness in the world as they start their new life together as husband and wife. I can't think of two people better suited for each other. We are so happy to have them both as friends and to have been able to watch this relationship blossom and grow. Congratulations and best wishes to you both. We will see you on Sunday!!

Stay tuned to watch Sarah trash her wedding gown on the streets of Playa del Carmen!

Chillin' at The Mojo Zone

435836 — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:08:00 GMT

This weekend, after our ritual Friday dinner at Chicago Don Jose with Kim and J.J., we all headed over to Bad Brad's place, The Mojo Zone, to see if there was any live music to be had. Small bars and live music venues like this are hit particularly hard in the low season. When the world famous Tequilla Barrel has only 5 tables full on a Friday night, you KNOW that it's October in Playa! We were joined by Andy and Jen, our own English Stuart and Brad's girlfriend Monica and managed to have a great time and make some music of our own. J.J. and Andy both joined Brad and his crew on stage, entertaining our small group until closing time.

A very quiet 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen

Enjoying a cool night of Mojo Zone's rooftop terrace.

Me and Andy

Pretty Kim

Monica and Brad

Jen and me

Kim, Jen and Monica

Andy lovin' up on Rob.

Monica lovin' up on Jen

J.J. and Andy

Thanks to Brad and his crew for a fun night. Even though we were the only customers, I'm pretty sure we drank enough for a full house! Just doing our part to keep the doors open for another day. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it ;)

The Mojo Zone is located on 5th Avenue just south of the Tequila Barrel. There is a retail shop below and just to the right a staircase leading upstairs to the bar and performance area. Stop in the next time you are wandering down 5th and check out what's going on. You never know who will be playing!