Make no doubts about it -- Florida is entering it's hot phase of the year. It was painfully noticeable Saturday at the Orlando label/group Grandma Party sponsored Bazaar at the Stardust Video parking lot. Seeing a sea of hipsters and hippies didn't make the weather any more bearable. People were selling anything and everything from homemade jewelry, clothing to paintings and mock photobooths.

In addition to the selling tents there was entertainment with bands and DJs. One of the first bands was Jeanie and the Tits. They seemed totally out of place for the event. There were a lot of young kids running around and right there performing was one of the dirtiest, foul-mouthed bands in the state. The girls did their Teddy and the Fratgirl covers. You know, the ones about spreading shit over themselves and quaaludes and cock holding. Not to mention the originals like "Bitch Control" and "Is Your Cock As Big As Your Mouth?". I thought for certain someone would shut down their pottymouth performance. No one did. In fact, little kids were dancing to it. When the band got too hot and sweaty they stopped. The crowd screamed for more so the girls obliged with one more scorching song.

It was the same hotness on Sunday.

Kristin and I went to the Central Florida Fair and wouldn't you know it-- not a cloud in sight. It made every $5 lemonade worth every dollar. End sarcasm.This year we both went on all the rides and we had fun between bouts of heat exhaustion. They never had the fair this late in the year. I may have pictures to share though I lost a roll and my split cam somehow broke the film so none of the pictures from that came out.

Our band, Courtneys, was scheduled to play later that night so we left the fair to get ready for the show. We got to the car, where my phone was, and I check my messages and found out one of the Courtneys was sick and they canceled out of the show. We were pretty bummed. We went back to the fair for a few more hours and left for the show just because we wanted to go to the show anyway.

That's because The Elks were playing with The Fashion and Flashlight Party at a new bar on Mills Avenue called Uncle Lou's. Uncle Lou's was relocated from it's original home on Michigan Avenue in South Orlando. I used to go play arcade games there because it was a couple of doors down from the laundrymat I go to.

We arrived, still sunburned and dusty from the fair, to find an out of town band finishing. I didn't catch their name or find out how they replaced Courtneys. The Elks were setting up. I never heard of the Elks before playing at a house show a few months back with Cars Can Be Blue. They are one hundred percent refreshing. They're an indiepop band true to indiepop, which are too few and too far for this town. Mike Speigs and Chris V are super nice guys to boot. Tonight they were changing things up. Chris V, drummer, set up with bass and the other guy was playing drums. I didn't know if it was the old bass player or not. Chris announced it was his first time playing bass. The Elks played and it was still all right - even a bit cute they couldn't tune the bass. After a couple songs Chris gave up the bass and switched back to drums. They should have left it there because the other guy was really sloppy and because he was too loud kinda messed it up for the other guys. Man, I love this band.

Up next was The Fashion, friends of ours. They even live down the street. They play out often at small places but I never have more than a couple hours notice so we never get to see them. I must admit horrors greeted our faces when they whipped out a laptop. Listen up bands -- don't use a laptop for your shows. Especially if you don't know how to set up with a PA. And most especially if you are a good band that can play your own instruments well. Just don't do it! The Fashion attempted to play along with a track but it was so loud it drowned out the band -- you couldn't even hear the drums. Thankfully that was the only time they used it. They went back to what makes The Fashion interesting -- cool songs with instruments played by cool people.

The last band was Flashlight Party. I don't have a kind opinion of them. Honestly, I don't know how they can function as a band. I saw them at a house party and they were a disaster. They tried to play along to a laptop -- not a single one could keep time. The drummer would hit the drums, then stop, look around and start again. Totally random! The girl was playing a keyboard but what I heard coming out of the PA was not what she was playing. The guitar player turned down so low you couldn't hear him at all. And the singer came across as trying to be cool rather than being cool. Oh, they also want to be The Faint.

Tonight was different. I expected them to be better after that last show -- it really wasn't possible to be worse. Right off the band, like The Elks, did some changing. They got a different drummer who had a full kit. The girl switched to guitar. Another guy played a little keyboard and the singer, with scarf around his neck, worked a Moog Rouge when not singing. Gone was the laptop -- but they still used some sort of sequencer/CD player. Also missing was their old guitar player. He was nice guy.

Because they still relied on sequencers and not on individual talent playing abilities they still could not hold one single song together. The drummer struggled with the headphones, was offtime nearly the whole time. The keyboards sounded off from the prerecording. It was a mess! I really can't make sense of it all.

Some friends of ours were just bewildered how bad they were. I had to come to the bands defense -- they were improved from the last time. Our friends watched for a little longer with agape faces and eventually left. We stayed and gave a fair listen but it was too much - we had to get out. What gets me is this band, according to their website, has 3-5 shows a month - some at respectable places. I don't get it. Their sound is dated, their look is dated and they don't even do it well to justify it. I walk away baffled.

At least the weekend can finally be over.

More Pictures: Jeanie & the Tits | The Fashion | The Elks.

Links: Grandma Party | Jeanie & the Tits | The Elks | The Fashion | Flashlight Party.