Accordion Bay report #1: Kevin Smith, Mel Brooks, Open Hack Ybor / New World Brewery, more rain a-comin’

Kevin Smith tonight at Tampa Improv

Kevin Smith is already tooling around the in the vicinity of Accordion Bay! Anitra and I will be catching his live storytelling-and-Q-and-A show, An Evening with Kevin Smith, at 8:00 tonight at the Tampa Improv in Ybor. That show is sold out online, but you might be able to get a ticket or two if you call the club at (813) 864-4000. There’s also a 10:15 show, and tickets for that one are still available online.

Another funny filmmaker coming to Tampa: Mel Brooks!

Creative Loafing Tampa reports that Mel Brooks, creator of Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and Spaceballs, will take his speaking tour, Mel Brooks…Back in the Saddle Again! to Tampa’s Straz Center on Wednesday, October 14th at 7:30 p.m.. The event will feature a screening of Blazing Saddles followed by a live conversation and Q&A with Brooks.

Regularly-priced tickets are $49-$99, and VIP tickets are available go for $300, for which you’ll get primo seats and a photo-op with Mel himself. No matter which tickets you buy, you know there’ll be additional fees. Tickets may be purchased by calling 813-229-STAR (7827) or online at strazcenter.org.

A lovely, geeky, get-together at New World Brewery

Open Hack Ybor (that’s pronounced “Eee-bor” to those of you who aren’t from Tampa) meetup took place in a great setting last night: the patio of New World Brewery, a lovely little pub located on what’s still considered the outer edge of Tampa’s club district.

Open Hack Ybor is a monthly gathering that brings together interesting and socially-inclined developers together to work on or discuss code, enjoy each other’s company, and partake in some beer and pizza. It’s organized by Tony Winn (who deserves kudos aplenty for putting it together) and is the local chapter of Open Hack, whose mantra is “code together, on anything”.

New World Brewery is a great bar with an eclectic beer selection, knowledgable staff, a great jukebox, the perfect patio for watching people come and go out of Ybor, and solid air conditioning (very important here in Accordion Bay). If you’re into beer and are every in Tampa, add this to your to-do list. Don’t take my word for it, take Beer Advocate’s: this is a fantastic beer bar.

The meetup ended about 9, which was about the same time that local alt-rock band Empire Cinema came on New World’s covered outdoor patio stage. They’re pretty good — I’ll have to keep an eye out for them.