+ Rosemary boutique comes out of ‘The Closet’
When one door closes, another one opens.

Sure, it’s a stale expression. But it was the first thing that came to mind last month, when merchant Laura Daniel Gale announced that she had plans to transform her Rosemary District boutique, everything but the girl, into a live-music venue.

After live-music café The Venue closed its doors within three months of opening, music hipsters were crushed.

Gale’s ebtg, which opened its doors six years ago on Central Avenue, has become a beloved haunt for downtown shoppers. Now the merchant responsible for helping buoy the up-and-coming neighborhood is making sure the district continues to rock.

Gale has partnered with brother/sister rock duo Erin and Mike Murphy (of local band The Equines) to launch a new a live-music venue, dubbed The Closet, which will open this weekend in the ebtg space.
The Murphys, who will run the operation, have already booked several local and regional acts, including Sons of Hippies, Cassolette, Alias Punch, The Pauses and The Broken Inn.

Fans of Gale’s eclectic store need not worry. The location will continue to function as a vintage-clothing and gift shop during the day.

The Closet’s grand opening is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12.

+ Arts Council forms a new ‘Alliance’
Is the Sarasota County Arts Council having a quarter-life crisis?

The 25-year-old arts institution announced last week that after three months of preparation, it’s officially changed its name to the Arts and Cultural Alliance.

The organization also revealed its new logo, which has retained its signature baby blue color and painterly “A” font.

According to Executive Director Jim Shirley, the name change has been a long time coming. With the recently restructured board of directors and focus on collaboration and unity in Sarasota’s arts community, the word “alliance” better illustrated the organization’s new business model.

We couldn’t agree more. Quarter-life crisis or not — the word “council” just sounds dated.

HOT TICKETS
Pianist Wu Han at the Van Wezel: The Sarasota Concert Association presents The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMSLC) at 8 p.m. Feb. 16, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. If that seems like a mouthful, let’s boil it down to this: Pianist Wu Han, artistic director of the CMSLC, is an internationally recognized concerto soloist, recitalist, educator and recording artist. She’s played at Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and London’s Wigmore Hall, to name a few. The VW ticket price is worth it for Han’s performance alone. Add to the program violinists Erin Keefe and Arnaud Sussmann, violists Mark Holloway and Paul Neubauer, and cellists Gary Hoffman and Jakob Koranyi, and you’re in for one unforgettable evening. For tickets, call 955-0040 or visit www.sarasotaconcertassociation.org.

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