Photos By Jacob Striewski

With a lineup as full as the one at this past Saturday’s Freestyle Explosion Throwback Jam at the Amway Center on July 15, there was no doubt Rewind It Magazine would make an appearance there of some sort. Unfortunately, not all of us could attend this time due to other prior commitments, so for the first time ever, I’m actually taking the place of Jesse Striewski as reviewer, and stepped back from behind the camera lens the night of to let our son/apprentice Jacob Striewski shoot another show.

The title of the show did not let down, with one consecutive throwback act from the ’80s/’90s after the other coming on stage and getting straight to the point, launching one hit after another in quick procession. Cynthia was first up for the night, getting things going with dance numbers like “Break Up to Make Up” and “Thief of Heart.”

Cynthia and Johnny O performing “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” together on stage.

The Jets have always been one of those quaint acts with catchy hits like “Crush on You” and “You Got It All” that were fun to hear live, and the windbreakers each member of the group adorned help keep the old-school vibe going for sure. But one-hit wonders Color Me Badd were not the best act to follow them, and it seemed apparent that some members of the band were only actually lip-syncing the words to songs like “I Wanna Sex You Up.”

Johnny O was up next with songs like “Fantasy Girl,” but the true highlight was without a doubt when Cynthia came back out and joined him on stage at the end of his set to tackle the 1990 hit “Dreamboy/Dreamgirl” together.

Freestyle were no doubt one of my personal favorites of the night, and are a true embodiment of ’80s freestyle music worthy of break-dancing on broken cardboard boxes to. I couldn’t help but move listening to tracks like “It’s Automatic” from 1986 while also wishing I could go back in time.

Freestyle doing their thing on Saturday night at Amway Center.

What ’80s freestyle party would be complete without such skating-rink anthems as “Lookout Weekend” and “When I Hear Music” by Debbie Deb? The singer gave it her all as she belted out some of the most memorable hits of the night.

Robb Base then broke out with his early ’90s hit “It Takes Two” before stepping aside for TKA K7, who I wouldn’t say are exactly in my music range per se, though they seemed to get the crowd moving with hits like “Come Baby Come.”

Then there’s Lisa Lisa, who burst on the scene in the mid-’80s as the leader of Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. Sure hits like “Head to Toe” and “Lost in Emotion” were fun to hear live, but it seemed as though a little too much emphasis was put on her back up dancers, rather than the overall performance.

Lisa Lisa giving it all she’s got in Orlando on Saturday.

And finally, the one and only Stevie B closed out the night. His set did not stray far from when Rewind It Magazine last caught him in 2021, with “Party Your Body,” “I Wanna Be the One,” “In My Eyes,” “Because I Love You (The Postman Song),” and “Spring Love” dominating his set. And on that note, the crowd at Amway Center went home feeling just a little more fulfilled than they had been before stepping into the arena that night.

Michale Graves at Oasis on the River in Sanford, FL on 10/23/21 By Jesse Striewski (Photos by Brooke and Jacob Striewski)

Somehow, it’s been over twenty years since I last saw Rewind It Magazine interviewee Michale Graves perform on stage with the Misfits (one of my absolute favorite punk bands during my formative years, who I’ve personally seen live more than any other band in my lifetime – a half a dozen times from 1999-2003, plus a Misfits set during a 2005 Danzig show with guitarist Doyle as a special guest, and now Graves solo). And although “they”have tried to cancel him for having views that simply don’t fit in with what they’re “supposed to be” these days, it was apparent he was more than welcomed by the crowd at Oasis on the River/Oasis After Dark in Sanford, FL this past Saturday, October 23.

Upon arrival, Graves had already started his set (we came directly from another engagement we had already committed to prior to learning of the show earlier last week), fully in the middle of a passionate performance of “I Believe.” The night was much more low key than the last time we visited Oasis (for Stevie B), and the light breeze and outdoor, ocean back drop added to the overall atmosphere of the evening. Another more recent solo track in the form of “American Prayer” followed before going into the Misfits track “Descending Angel.” Another Famous Monsters-era Misfits number, “Die Monster Die,” found itself tucked in between “Locked Away” and “Dawn of the Dead.”

A couple of favorites from the American Psycho album, “Resurrection” and “Dig up Her Bones” (the latter of which Graves gave the crowd a little back story on how it was written) before a cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” found it’s way into the set list. Graves then broke out a harmonica for “Lucifer I am,” before another couple of Misfits songs, “Scream” and “Saturday Night,” segued into two more final solo tracks, “The World Turned Upside Down” and “New Song.” By the time he was finished, I realized I actually prefer this more stripped-down version of Graves, then the one I saw fronting the Misfits so long ago.

*Rewind It Magazine’*s Brooke (left) and Jesse Striewski with Michale Graves after his set.

After his set, Graves stuck around to of course mingle with guests for awhile. An unexpected after party show of sorts with local rockers FYRE Insyde actually kept the party going. Their arena-rock presence coupled with anthems like “The Truth Behind the Lies” (which could compete with any of the generic rock that gets played on mainstream radio these days) was a sheer, welcomed surprise.

But something else happened this evening I felt I needed to address; much like when I interviewed Graves last year, I once again found myself being attacked and harassed online – while still there – for supporting someone with conservative beliefs. Since starting Rewind It Magazine in late 2017, I have always maintained as open a mind as possible, and have worked with/interviewed clients of all walks of life. And unlike larger mainstream media outlets with biased agendas, I have tried keeping politics as neutral – or completely out of all together – our work (we are after all, an entertainment publication). These hypocritical morons in the punk and metal scenes don’t even know what it is they actually hate about Graves and other conservatives, just that their herd leaders have brainwashed them so deeply to hate anyone that doesn’t comply with their same conformist views, even to the point of applauding their deaths (so much for “freedom” or “individuality,”right?).

I honestly have a deep respect for Graves – and anyone else willing to stand up for their beliefs against the grain – especially these goons in the scene with their group think mentalities. Open your eyes, and see who the real fascists are that you should be fighting against.

FYRE Insyde performing (photo by Jacob Striewski).

Stevie B at Oasis on the River in Sanford, FL on 9/25/21 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

I can vividly remember being a kid in New Jersey and riding in my older sister’s convertible, listening to her Stevie B tape of Party Your Body while riding with the top down. One of the few things I knew about Stevie B at the time was that he was from this mystical place called Florida, so as far as my young mind was concerned, that was what “Florida music” was exactly supposed to sound like.

It’s funny how life works sometimes; not only do I now reside in Florida myself, but I can even watch Stevie B perform in the very state I once thought was so exotic so many years ago. That’s exactly what happened this past Saturday, September 25, when the freestyle legend himself graced the stage at Oasis on the River in Sanford, FL. And between the large pool nearby the stage and bikini-clad bartenders/waitresses, the Miami-vibe was no doubt alive and well, too.

The night started just after 7:00 pm, with live music being provided by a revolving door of DJ’s such as DJ Frank Dee, DJ Daggett, and DJ Mark Sanchez. Now, it’s no secret I’m more of a “rock” guy, so admittedly I don’t know a whole lot about DJ’s (nor quite understand why anyone would want to hear yet another riveting rendition of “This is How We Do It” for the umpteenth time, but that’s just me). But I suppose each DJ possessed their own uniqueness, and the crowd no doubt responded to them with plenty of enthusiasm.

At some point during all of those beats, local newcomer John Skoolyaad was invited onto the stage to sing an obscure Stevie B song in the form of “Running For Miles.” The young performer oozed style and professionalism, and brought a different level of talent to the stage before Stevie B’s own DJ Slice kept the party going for what seemed like an excessive amount of time (even if he was the most talented of all the DJ’s that night – would have definitely preferred a longer set from Stevie B in place of the numerous opening acts).

Local singer John Skoolyaad performing shortly before Stevie B’s set.

Finally, the man of the hour himself, Stevie B, took the stage at approximately 11:35 pm (call me an old man, but that’s about two hours later than a desired start time for this guy, considering I’m up no later than 7:00 am seven days a week). But the entire night instantly became worthwhile as he kicked things off with the club anthem “Party Your Body.”

More hits continued, including “Dreamin’ of Love,” “I Wanna Be the One,” and the massive 1990 number one ballad, “Because I Love You (The Postman’s Song).” Another song or two (which the names of escape me at the moment) followed before Stevie took it back to 1988 (his own words) and ended the night with the freestyle/dance classic, “Spring Love.”

Beyond exhausted by the end of his set, my always lovely photographer/assistant (who also happens to be my wife) and I took just a few extra minutes to mingle before exiting. In the process, we ran into not only said singer John Skoolyaad, but also ’90s pop star Rockell (best remembered for her 1997 dance hit “In a Dream”), who was watching Stevie B’s set from the stage the entire time. It was the perfect high-note ending to a very, very long night.