Philadelphia recording artist Tony Juliano to perform at Boardwalk on Monday night

Philadelphia recording artist Tony Juliano, who will perform Monday night at Boardwalk Pasta and Seafood in Isla Del Sol, may have come up in the ’60s and ’70s rock ’n’ roll era but he has an impressive repertoire that spans musical genres.

He may be an old rock ’n’ roller but he’s as comfortable crooning oldies as he is playing music from the islands — and a little bit of everything in between. If you want traditional boot-scootin’ country, he’s got it. If you want peace and harmony folk, he’s got that, too.

The video above gives you an idea. Stepping’ Out With My Baby was a hit for Fred Astaire in 1948 in the movie Easter Parade. Tony Bennett did a cover in 1993. He recorded it with Christina Aguilera. And it’s part of what Tony Juliano does. Eight decades worth of music. Pretty much anything you’d want.

Tony’s first paid gig was for a school dance when he was 11 years old. In the ‘60s, he had an a cappella doo-wop group called The Durhams. (“They were white boys but they wanted to sound as black as possible,” he says.) In the 1970s, he formed a band with friends called Johnny’s Dance Band. (“Rock ’n’ roll vaudeville.”) In college around that time, he started teaching music, and still does that today.  In the ’80s, he performed in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. He had a group called the Down Island Dogs. In the ’90s, he had a group called The Avenue.

“My wife saved my life — several times — including my musical life,” says Tony on his website. He credits Dyann Juliano with getting him back into music after he’d left for four years to run an antiques business. So that’s what he does, and his lifetime of experience has given him a broad range of musical styles from which to choose.

That’s why when Tony Juliano appears from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. on Monday at Boardwalk in Isla Del Sol, he’ll probably play something you like.

As for Boardwalk, it boasts a pretty good variety itself. Known for the pasta and seafood dishes, the restaurant also serves up steaks and ribs, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and salads. Boardwalk also has a full bar.

Boardwalk is in Island Del Sol Shoppers Village at 5901 Sun Boulevard on the Pinellas Bay Way. It’s near the intersection of the Bay Way and the road to Tierra Verde. Call (727) 867-8000 for more information.

Baltimore novelist Laura Lippman loves our community and lends her support to it

Author Laura Lippman

What a lovely article. We saw this article in the Tampa Bay Times and just had to share it. What a treat to have Laura Lippman here as part of the faculty of Eckerd College's Writer In Paradise conference. And what a treat to have her supporting the Eckerd College Friends of the Library.

From the Tampa Bay Times

Novelist Laura Lippman is glad she started early as a teacher at Eckerd College's Writer In Paradise conference in 2006.

"Now I think there's not enough room for everybody who wants to speak," said the author of the successful Tess Monaghan, PI series. "It's like summer camp for novelists. … The students are such good critics."

Lippman spoke last week at the Eckerd College Friends of the Library dinner, the group's annual fundraiser. The library's continued enhancement goes beyond just helping Eckerd students, said event organizer Betty Shamus.

"This is a community effort. What's good for Eckerd is good for the whole Tampa Bay community," echoed Eileen Deegan, another supporter.

Read the rest of the story in the Tampa Bay Tiimes

The sunsets on our Gulf coast are the stuff of legends: Have you seen the Green Flash?

Excerpt from The Broadwater Breeze, Winter 2015 issue.

We couldn’t help but notice the amazing sunset pictures in the winter edition of The Broadwater Breeze newsletter, probably because we’re such big fans of sunsets. This was back in September and folks gathered out on the dock next to Maximo Seafood Shack to watch the spectacular show. The fact that the sun was setting right down the canal leading to the marina made it particularly exciting.

A Florida Gulf coast Green Flash

Sunsets along Florida’s Gulf coast are among the most acclaimed in the world and we’re all fortunate to be here. We’d guess most of our friends out on Tierra Verde and Vina Del Mar and Isla Del Sol and Bayway Isles would agree. Rituals abound surrounding the daily occurrence. Most days visitors and locals ring the bell at Pass-a-Grille Pavilion as the sun sinks below the horizon out over the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum maintains a logbook with names of people who have participated.

Part of the lore of watching sunsets here is spotting the Green Flash. It’s a phenomenon that’s seen in other parts of the world but here it has been raised to the level of legend. It’s a mirage, really, occurring when the water is warmer than the air above it. It’s best seen on clear days after a cold front.

John D. MacDonald, the author of the Travis McGee adventure series set in Florida, wrote another book called A Flash of Green (1962), in which he used the term to refer not only to the phenomenon but also as a metaphor for crass over development in the Sunshine State. In 1984, the book was adapted for a movie of the same name. You can still find it on DVD. It’s interesting, though, that the Green Flash as it is depicted in the movie isn’t anything like the real event, which is very subtle. In the movie, it looks like a Green Armageddon. In case you’ve never seen the Green Flash, we took a still frame from a Gulf coast sunset we found on YouTube. As you can see, it’s a visually quiet event that could easily be missed if you blink. You can see the sunset video here.