What's HOT South Florida (01/09 - 01/15)

New Year's Eve was clearly a success all over South Florida. Unfortunately, I was in bed with a bad flu, but Ryan Seacrest and Jennie McCarthy kept me company on the TV as I watched the Ball drop in Times Square. However, I was able to keep up with all the goings on through Facebook and from the texts and phone calls I was receiving.

The next day I was getting texts from the Genesis Party and that also was a success, which only goes to show that South Florida is a party town! The events continued this past weekend with the biggest talent "America's Got Talent" has ever produced, Jackie Evancho, and the King of Soul, B.B. King, playing at the Adrienne Arsht, and parties in the nightclubs including Pig Dance at Ramrod, Havana B.C. at Manor, The First 1 at Discotekka, The Monthly T at Flip Flops Dockside, The Monthly Evolution T at Scandals, and Score's APP Launch with DJ Ralphi Rosario. I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year filled with happiness, health and success!

Thursday, January 9

The Village Pub presents "An Evening at The Birdcage," with incredible illusions, outrageous comedy along with live vocal performances. The night will start at 9:30 pm and star Joe Posa and Thirsty Burlington.

The Monthly Men's Life Drawing Event - Guy's Night Out! - takes place on the second Thursday of each month; tonight 6pm - 9pm. They have a nude model for both short and long poses. All levels welcome - explore your creativity - bring your art supplies. Drawing / painting / charcoal / pencil / watercolor. Sessions will be held in a private studio at Leather Werks in Ft. Lauderdale, with guest artists from the community attending. $25 fee with advance reservation, $35 walk-in - (subject to available space). Internationally published Ira C. Smith is scheduled to be their guest artist.

To secure a reservation (and a guaranteed spot - space is limited) please send your name and phone number to [email protected] You will receive a confirmation email to present at the studio. Please put the word EVENT in the subject line to weed out spam.

The Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce presents an information sharing and networking at the LGBT Visitor Center, 1130 Washington Avenue, from 10-11am. Whether you are a new, existing or potential new MDGLCC member, learn how to maximize the use of all the Marketing tools and Programs available through the Chamber. Learn about the new Chamber's website and access to features as well as bounce ideas and ask questions to chamber staff and Membership Committee on how to engage the LGBT consumer with your products and/or services. Free admission. RSVP at GayBizMiami.com, or [email protected] or 305-673-4440.

Creative Male in Downtown Miami is featuring 30% off all gym wear through January 20th. This is a great opportunity to stock up on your gym wear for the 2014 season!

Friday, January 10

The South Florida Symphony Orchestra presents "The Humanity of Music & Starry Night All in White" at the Josephine S. Leiser Opera Center (221 SW 3rd Ave, Fort Lauderdale) at 6:30 p.m. Experience classical music, elegance, artistic creations, inspired cuisine by Chef Lenore Nolan-Ryan and great fun! The evening begins with a reception followed by an all in white dinner gala. Guests will enjoy a sumptuous dinner where hosts are encouraged to create their own original centerpieces.

The gala is to benefit the South Florida symphony Orchestra in its mission to enrich the quality of life in the communities it serves through a commitment to the highest quality of symphonic performance and music education. Before dessert, the Blue Door String Quartet will perform Goldmark: String Quartet in B Flat, Op. 8 and Zwilich: Septet for String Quartet and Piano Trio. Karl Goldmark's music, which is being rediscovered, reveals the romantic sounds of 1860's Vienna.Ellen Zwilich, on the other hand, strives to be different. Her sound is not only more modern, she also writes for string quartet and piano trio. A native of Coral Gables, she is the first female composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1983. Tickets are $150. For tickets and information, contact 954-522-8445 or visit SouthFloridaSymphony.org.

Tonight South Florida is offered a sneak peak at the new club, Floppy Roosters (7018 NW 72nd Avenue in Miami), which is all new, all male and all nude! For more information call 786-766-0778.

Saturday, January 11

Score's BIGGER Saturdays presents DJ Nina Flowers star from Ru-Paul Drag Race season with Dj Troy spinning in the lounge from 7pm-12am.

Epic Saturdays at The Manor presents recording artist Vernessa Mitchell performing "This Joy," and more in the ballroom along with DJ Oren Nizri and a birthday bash for Give Me A Beat Productions George Coronado. In the Ivy Lounge and patio, Noche Latina Saturdays presents some of the hottest Latin shows and beautiful boy starring Viva Mirage with special guests Taina Norell and Alandra Matthews with DJ Nena. 11 pm to 4 am with no cover!

Tuesday, January 14

The Monthly Fort Lauderdale Mack Mixer takes place tonight at Solita Las Olas (1032 East Las Olas) from 6:30-9pm. No RSVP is required. For more information visit MackPlanet.com.

Starting tonight the Village Pub will be featuring Show tunes on Tuesday's beginning at 8pm. That's right, you can catch your favorite classics from Broadway and the movies every Tuesday!

Wednesday, January 15

Gay Writes - Stonewall Writers Group takes place at 7pm at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives (1300 East Sunrise Boulevard). Do you have a new year's resolution to write more, read more, and revise more? Join a weekly group to share your writing, gain valuable feedback and share the challenges and joys of writing with others in an LGBT affirming space. All genres and walk-ins welcome. Please be LGBT or otherwise writing about a LGBT character. Currently a mixed group of nine meets regularly to read a maximum of 5 pages each week. Call Stonewall with question or more information 954-763-8565; stonewall-museum.org.

This is HOT

Mercury Records recording artist Jennifer Nettles will release her highly anticipated debut solo album "That Girl" on January 14. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and recorded at the famous Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California. See the video for the lead single and title track "That Girl" at: youtu.be/yh4n9tdS5yo.

"I started writing this album three years ago," shares Nettles. "I put no conscious guides or governors on the creation of this album other than to write songs that I want to sing. Working with Rick Rubin was a dream come true and the result is an album that plays to my roots - country, 70's radio, gospel and singer songwriter."

10 of the 11 tracks on the album were written or co-written by Nettles and include collaborations with songwriters Butch Walker, Phillip Sweet (Little Big Town), Richard Marx and Sara Bareilles, among others. Jennifer covers Bob Seger's "Like A Rock," which she was drawn to as she is the same age as Seger was when he wrote the song. Jennifer wanted to interpret the song from the female perspective, exploring feminine strength. The title track from the album is currently climbing the country radio charts.