CRESTVIEW — Crestview's newest performance hall has corralled one of country music's hottest touring bands for a one-night performance next Saturday.

Mustang Sally, an all-girl band with "one lucky man," as their ads say, will play three 45-minute sets Nov. 16, mingling with fans in between performing a foot-stomping, hand-clapping variety of music.

"Expect anything when it comes to us," lead singer Tobi Lee said in an exclusive interview with the News Bulletin. "We never know what's going to happen in our show. We like spontaneous."

The girls, with Jake Taylor, are the biggest act to hit the two-month-old Azteca Backroom Bar in Crestview.

Mike Stewart, a manager of the showroom, said Mustang Sally's appearance comes after several requests.

"I had some local people ask about the girls because they put on such a good show," Stewart said.

Before the show, Stewart said band members will visit with members of the military, whom they honor in their single, "To the Ones That Got Away."

"It's an absolute honor to come in and play for a big military crowd," Lee said. "We love to do military shows. We don't get to sing if they don't fight for our freedoms."

'Phenomenal musicians'

Lee praised her fellow band members, saying, "You have to kind of take the girl card off the table" and appreciate them as "just a group of phenomenal musicians."

Taylor joined the group after discovering an early shift as a country music radio DJ didn't fit with his late-night performer schedule. He moved to Nashville to become a country musician.

"We heard him downtown," Lee said. "He is a great guy. We thought to ourselves, 'We can always use somebody to carry the heavy suitcases,'" she added jokingly. In fact, Taylor plays multiple string instruments in the band.

Stewart promised a night of great music by a band known for its audience rapport and versatility. Mustang Sally's repertoire includes original music, country covers and even ventures into classic rock.

"In our show, you never know what we might pull out.We have our originals, of course, but we're not afraid to try anything, that's for sure," Lee said. "Come out and have a good time with us. Laugh and dance and expect anything."

Want to go?

WHAT: Mustang Sally in concert

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Nov. 16

WHERE: Azteca Backroom Bar, Northview Plaza, 789 N. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview

TICKETS:$15 at Azteca in advance or at the door, or call 398-0765 or 865-8385

Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mustang Sally performing in Crestview Nov. 16

CRESTVIEW — As an enthusiast of England's super smart, oh-so-debonair secret agent, James Bond, I'm often asked what I find appealing about him.

With his birthday coming up Monday —according to John Pearson's "007: The Authorized Biography of James Bond" — now's an excellent time to reflect on the character.

Why do I like James Bond? Unlike a Jason Bourne superhero, in author Ian Fleming's original Bond, there's always something with which any reader can identify. I may not know how to do a racing change in an Aston-Martin DB5, as a teetotaler I don't tipple martinis, nor can I afford a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, but I can certainly appreciate Sea Island Cotton polo shirts and scrambled eggs, as does Bond.

Favorite Bond film: Also my favorite book, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Bond is human and vulnerable in a film that adheres most closely to its book; and the books were written much better than the films.

Favorite Bond: George Lazenby. To get in character, he'd read the corresponding scenes in Fleming's novel. Thus, Fleming's Bond was at last on the big screen.

The worst film: None of Roger Moore's less memorable outings such as "Moonraker" can compare to that hideous 2008 "Quantum of Solace." A stellar title was squandered on a plot-less, noisy exercise in jerky camera work and washed-out color that lacked anything remotely Bondian.

Best title song: John Barry's exquisite music, Leslie Bricusse's poetic lyrics and Nancy Sinatra's silky-smooth vocals make "You Only Live Twice" the most elegant of the Bond film themes. Coupled with main title designer Maurice Binder's gorgeous graphics, the song and title sequence has yet to be equaled in the 53-year-old film series.

Worst title song: That blather Madonna wrote for "Die Another Day" is closely followed by "Another Way to Die." It only contributed to making "Quantum" so deplorable.

Best Bond girl: So many to choose from, but it must be Tracy, the Contessa di Vicenzo, played by Dame Diana Rigg. Bond women are strong, liberated, independent and resourceful, or at least they should be, which is why Tanya Roberts' portrayal in "A View to a Kill" was a disaster.

As we honor our veterans Monday, I'll quietly add my thanks to Commander Ian Fleming, RN, for giving us Commander James Bond. Oh, how we need our heroes, even those that seem — but aren't quite — real.

Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: COMMENTARY: Reflecting on James Bond's birthday

For lovers of stage shows and musicals, the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College's Niceville campus is an unlikely blessing.

Few communities — thanks to a perfect storm of geographical and technical factors — can lure Broadway blockbusters such as "The Addams Family," which runs Nov. 12.

But the convergence of the center's prime location, on a route well-traveled by touring shows, and being a state-of-the-art facility leads to the Mattie Kelly Center being a Mecca for stage buffs.

"We're in a marvelous location for the touring shows," Sylvia Bryan, the center's assistant director, said.

"When the shows travel the circuit, they're going to go to the bigger cities. Well, guess who's right in the middle, right off I-10?"

The Mattie Kelly Center's previous Broadway hits established NWFSC's ability to attract successively impressive seasons, Bryan said.

"We've gained a reputation over the years that we can accommodate these shows," she said.

Location and tech

Bryan said planning each new season depends on which productions are touring along the Interstate 10 corridor, often between performances in Jacksonville and New Orleans.

Smaller cities, such as Pensacola and Mobile, also attract touring shows, but the Mattie Kelly Center's versatility and technical superiority can mean local audiences get shows that might skip those cities.

Making a stop en route to the next major engagement also explains why most touring Broadway shows only run one night, Bryan said. It can also reflect the local market, she added.

"Usually the one-nighter is a function of their schedule … but it's hard in this market to fill up that house two nights," she said.

A towering fly space — the multi-story space above the stage — along with wide wings and a deep stage attract shows dependent on several sets, scenery and technical effects.

When the curtain rises Tuesday on the creepy, kooky and all together ooky "Addams Family" musical, local audiences will enjoy a show that entertained New York audiences for 722 performances.

But their appreciation of the Mattie Kelly Main Stage's technical advances is unlikely. And that's just fine with Bryan, who said it's the show, not how it's produced, that matters to ticketholders.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: "The Addams Family" musical

WHEN:7:30 p.m. Nov. 12

WHERE: Mattie Kelly Arts Center, Northwest Florida State College, Niceville

TICKETS: $51; call 729-6000or see www.mattiekellyartscenter.org

Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mattie Kelly Center's location lures Broadway blockbusters

Nov. 29 and Dec. 28 are license-free freshwater fishing days, and Nov. 30 is a saltwater license-free day in Florida.

Regulations such as seasons, size limits and bag limits still apply, even on license-free days or if you are exempt from a license.

If you can’t wait for a license-free day, an annual resident license is $17 for freshwater or saltwater fishing, and a combination to do both is $32.50.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Three more license-free fishing days scheduled in Florida

NICEVILLE — In his debut book, “Maze,” author Wayne Goodson weaves tales of seemingly magical lands and situations.

Readers will journey through South America with Dr. Marlow Dunne and his son, who aim to prove the existence of pygmies.

In the stories “Thumper,” “The Behemoth of Boggy Bayou” and “Squirrel Tree,” readers will learn about the author’s strange connection to various animals in the world.

Finally, in the story “Martha,” readers will learn about Wayne and Martha Goodson, whose lives are filled with love, adventures and misadventures — and the proverbial glue that keeps them together.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available through bookstores nationwide.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Niceville author releases new short story collection nationwide