Can you hear summer sizzling?

Summer is so close you can almost taste it. The season is already heating up with a host of new events popping up on the social calendar. 

For starters… a brand new competition is being launched that will pit the island’s best DJs against each other for the title of Best DJ of the Summer as Snorkel Park Beach teams up with Vibe 103.

And Will Black won’t only be gracing the Hogpenny with his rocking set — he and fellow muso Tony Brannon will also take to the stage at Frog and Onion to get the tourists’ groove on.

Meanwhile, Lemon Tree is no longer just the spot for Friday night happy hour. There’s now a new happy hour on Saturday with a totally different twist and the venue will also be the centre point for Harbour Nights on Wednesdays.  

These are just a few of the new offerings about to start up. Read on to find out what’s coming to the island this
summer... 

Snorkel Park Beach: 

Snorkel opens this Tuesday but later in the summer it is launching what is believed to be the first island wide DJ competition. The beach nightspot has teamed up with Vibe 103 and Wicked drinks for the Wicked Wednesdays which will see our top spinners battling it out against a sunset sky. The winner will receive a shiny new set of decks and the first ever title of Bermuda’s Best DJ. 

Snorkel owner Tom Steinhoff said the contest, which kicks off in June, said it is based on the annual Heineken Green Synergy contest.

This Tuesday, Snorkel is bringing back its Island Beach Party including a Gombey troupe, fire limbo dancers and fire throwers Rock Fire. Nadanja Bailey will be hosting the event this year with tickets going at $44. There is a special membership for locals which will be released on the website currently being revamped. The next parties will be April 15 and 29 and then in May will take place every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.  The big Summer Kick Off party is on May 24.

Come May there will be entertainment, mostly live, on Wednesdays and Sundays and a host of one offs including a Wet ‘n’ Wild party and Fashion show. 

See www.snorkelparkbeach.com.

Big Chill:

We are all waiting in anticipation for the island’s newest vibe — the Big Chill. Heather Nova’s music producer Felix Tod aims to bring an Ibiza-style vibe to Bermuda offering an alternative to the “generic” Top 40s music found in many venues. It is due to be launched on May 17 at Elbow Beach’s Lido and will include laid back style music ranging from Latin to dub to African. Big Chill will also be hosting a Sunday afternoon social at Cambridge Beaches where guests can enjoy cocktails in the pool.

Tod is also involved in the Thursday night John Lennon tribute concerts in the Victualling Yard at Dockyard staring up May 16 from 6:45pm. See www.the-big-chill.com

Hog Penny:

Will Black is back tonight and is getting interactive... This season he will be streaming the show live on the Internet on select nights. He will also be filming the Thursday open mic nights and posting certain performances on YouTube. 

He is about to release his latest album on May 7, so expect some new original songs later in the month. 

Black told the Bermuda Sun: “I have a bunch of new material to put into the regular show including songs by The Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, Muse and Bruno Mars. I’m mixing up a bit, getting some newer stuff in there but will still be doing all the classic rock stuff as well.”

The Music Trivia nights will continue as will the open mic nights – once Harbour Nights starts on May 1, open mics will take place on Wednesdays to attract the new busking style performers, and Music Trivia will be Thursdays.

Next Tuesday he will launch his new single and video Pretty Garden and from April 27 he will also be playing with his band Hogfish once a month.

Frog and Onion:

Will Black will be joined by Tony Brannon for the first time at the Frog and Onion pub in Dockyard now it is owned by Phil Barnett of Island Restaurant Group (which owns Hog Penny). Black said: “It will mainly be requests for the tourists — it will be mainly the cruise ship crowd. We want to get them off the ships and give them a holiday atmosphere in the late evening. It’s acoustic guitar driven — more of a vacation hotspot vibe.”
 It begins Monday, May 6 and runs from 10pm.

Lemon Tree:

Lemon Tree adds a new Happy Hour to its Friday offering this year and for the first time will be pumping out the party vibes on a Saturday night too.

“Saturdays will include rolling DJs and we might even go later on Saturdays – we have a licence to go until 3am,” said owner Brendan Huttick. “Fridays we close at midnight. There will be four DJs playing different themes each week — we will have a 80s, 90s, house, soca and reggae... It will be completely different than the Friday nights but it will still outside having fun in the park.”

What’s more, to take advantage of Harbour Nights expanding to Reid and Queen Streets, the venue will host a Pub Night on Wednesdays including a simple pub menu dining.

Next Friday, April 12, is the first Happy Hour of the season with Uncle DJ. Huttick said of the DJ: “Old school, new school, if he don’t got it, bring it! Guaranteed good times.”

He added: “We will be having some fun again this year from the end of April we will do a Turkey in the Park, Cow in the Park (with the bucking bronco) and Pig in the Park. 

Pickled Onion: 

The popular Pickled Onion band Graffiti Park are back from tonight and with a host of new, high energy tunes. 

Lead singer, the sassy Suzi Stevenson, told us: “We are still going to keep up with all the new shiny stuff, but are also injecting a lot of the fun upbeat sing-along classics — we have everything from James, Queen and Bob Marley, to Pit Bull and Taylor Swift — a little bit of every genre from the 50’s to now.” 

They perform every night except Sundays — music generally begins at 10pm. 

Phase One building:

For a more mature and relaxed affair you can head to the old Phase 1 store on South Shore Road (next to Northrock Pub) for an interesting little set up combining music and art. The Art Jam Pop Up Gallery will see nine local artists selling their wares set against the backdrop of cool tunes by Tony Bari and Ronnie Lopes. 

The Art and Jam takes place every Sunday during April from 12pm to 5pm with the music striking up at 4pm.