
I was on hand for the âSymphony in Lightsâ Presented by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel â the every-hour-on-the-hour (between 6 p.m.-9 p.m.) tree-lighting-set-to-musicâ event at Wiregrass â on Nov. 25, when the Tampa based kid band (its oldest member is 11-year-old Max, the groupâs lead singer) known as âBeyond Chaoticâ performed three sets of â if you can believe it â alternative rock music â between each of the 10-minute tree-lighting events. Iâm not the biggest fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but between synthetic ice skating on Piazza Ave., and music every night through December 31, the Shops is still a cool place to shop, with multiple restaurants that sell alcohol and provide additional entertainment.
I was at the Shops that night as part of an informal gathering of Rotarians from the original New Tampa (which has been meeting at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club on Friday mornings for 20 years, the oldest Rotary in either of our distribution areas; weâll have pics from the clubâs 20th anniversary, which was celebrated on Black Friday Night, the night I went to press, but weâll have a recap in our next issue) and Wesley Chapel (our areaâs largest current club, which meets Wednesdays at noon at Stage Left Bar & Kitchen in Lutz) Rotary Clubs. Fun.
While many of those same WC Rotarians were serving meals to 500 people in need at Atonement Lutheran Church on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel the following morning, a number of NT âBreakfastâ Rotary members also were on hand at the Shops the following morning for the third annual âWiregrass Wobble 5K,â of which which the New Tampa club has been a major sponsor (along with the New Tampa Family YMCA & the FitNiche store in the Shops) since the eventâs inception.
I neither attended nor covered this yearâs âWobble,â an event which already has had more than 3,000 participants and raised $45,000 (combined) the previous two years. But, with perfect weather this year, I hear the 5K run was packed again this time around. Since my friend and New Tampa Rotarian (and TV/film director/producer) Craig Miller of Full Throttle Intermedia (Facebook.com/Full Throttle Intermedia) was there, I âborrowedâ a couple of his great pics for this story. I hope to soon update the huge number of runners and funds raised at NTNeighborhoodNews.com and in our next issue.
Truly âBeyond Chaoticâ
My favorite thing about the mall at this time of year is definitely the entertainment. Beyond Chaotic is made up of music students ranging in age from 8 to no older than 11, no less at Bigel Music on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. across from Paul R. Wharton High, in the plaza next to MidFlorida Credit Union.
If you havenât seen this too-young-to-be-this-good alternative rock band that performs everything from Imagine Dragons to AC/DC, make sure you like their page at Facebook.com/Beyond Chaotic. If youâre like…well, everyone who has seen these kids sing and play guitar, bass, drums, violin and keyboards, youâre going to want to check out their upcoming gigs. And you should.
And, if you or your children want to explore your own musical talents, I think Beyond Chaotic and the Bigel Music Chorus both speak loudly (yet melodically) about owner Larry Bigelâs Bigel Music. For info, visit BigelMusic.com.
Thereâs lots of other great local entertainers performing every night at the Shops through December 23, too.
For more information about synthetic ice skating, Visits with Santa, or your chance to win a âSantaâs Gift Grabâ $1,000 shopping spree, visit TheShopsatWiregrass.com.