Matt's List: Five ways to get lucky

First things first. In order to fully feel me in what I'm saying here I've included this song for you to listen to while you read, so go ahead and click "play" now for the full effect.  

Sarasota summers can drain your energy. The air is heavy and the heat is crushing. Everything seems to require a little extra work ... including getting in the mood. My desire for you loyal readers is for you to have the best time imaginable in our sunny city on the bay, even during the summer. Follow this advice, and you will have some great summer nights ahead. 

1) Lotta Love Lounge ---  The Lotta Love Lounge is Sarasota's Friday and Saturday night "get your groove on" stop. There's something about the sultry sound of the decadent Miss Lotta Love singing tunes from a time gone by that's sure to get you in the mood. The lounge is an extension of the popular Divino's Italian Restaurant on Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Lotta Love (that's her stage name) enters Divino's in her cocktail dress at 7:30 p.m., grabs her drink and spends three and a half hours singing breathy songs to help you celebrate sexuality. It's sorta like Ann Margret meets Julie London meets the Rat Pack all bundled up in a cute cocktail dress with piano accompaniment. The entire experience will remind you of the '50s and '60s when couples went and watched live music at round tables, danced cheek-to-cheek and ate good food. It's a simple evening sure to get you results.  Reservations are recommended in season.

2) Morton's Picnic on Siesta --- Listen up and listen good. When you are in a pinch for time, pull this out of your bag-o-tricks to impress anyone in all the right ways. It's a little-known fact that Morton's Gourmet Market makes a mighty fine picnic basket almost designed to get you (and yours) in the mood. Morton's not only has the best cheese selection in town, but they have awesome wines, fruits and a number of tasty finger foods that are sure to draw attention to your lips on a sultry summer night. How do you obtain one of these super-awesome picnic baskets of lip-attracting fun? It's easy: call Morton's up  and ask if they'll make one for you. Pick it up, then head off to your key du jour for sunset. Don't forget your blanket and any device with a Pandora connection for some easy listening, getting-in-the-mood tunes. If you do what I say, you're sure to set the stage for an unforgettable chain of events that will likely leave sand in all the right places.

 3) Rent Out Michaels On East Wine Cellar --- The MOE Wine Cellar is a room in Sarasota that says what you're trying to say, if what you're trying to say is, "I will go to great lengths to get you in the right frame of mind for some loving." If you know Michael Klauber, then you know his thing is attention to detail in the context of experience. When you pepper that sort of detail with fresh flowers, awesome food and wine, beautiful ambience and great service, then you may just have the most romantic dinner possibility ever. Michael's Wine Cellar is available for rent, and it's a unique spot to take your honey for a special night. If the room rental is a bit too pricy for your one-on-one dinner budget, I also suggest going in with a group of friends for some group culinary action. Hey, you never know what you may discover about your dinner posse over raw oysters. Reserve the room by calling 366-0007, ext. 227.

4) Black Diamond Burlesque --- There is nothing better then the art of tease to get you in the mood, so the Black Diamond Burlesque Troupe takes my number one spot for a surefire way to get your heart pumping for late-night fun. What is burlesque? First of all, it's not "stripping," and if you call it such you'll be the first in line to lick the boots of a-damn-dorable Miss Petite Coquette, Black Diamond's troupe leader. She's five feet tall and effin' feisty, and she takes her job of protecting the burlesque brand seriously. Coquette built the reputation of Black Diamond with a very clear vision of a classic style burlesque show mixed with a little campy comedy and spiced with the anticipation of tease. Add a fat pinch of sexuality and the super promoter Lady La La (a.k.a. Laura Gayle), and you have one of our nation's best burlesque troupes right here in our backyard.

The troupe always leaves a little to the imagination and this show is certainly good for men who like women and women who like women ... but it's also great for women who like men and men who like men due to their hyper hot "Top Hat Dave" Boylesque numbers. Top Hat Dave is a tall drink of water, and I've seen almost all of it. Would you like to know how? Upon meeting him I asked if I could see all of his tattoos. Without flinching, he dropped his drawers and bam!  Nom NOM!  Their next show is next weekend. Check it out here for some dirty-for-the-1950s-but-clean-for-2012 fun.

5) Admiral Travel --- Did you know we have one of the most connected travel groups in the country sitting right at Palm Avenue? Well, we do, and they are rip-roaring and ready to show your and your honey every corner of the earth. Would you like to go to Sting's villa in Tuscany for a wine party? They can make it happen. How about a private yacht with a personal chef for a romantic trip around the U.S. Virgin Islands? They have you covered. What if you want a quiet weekend in a hammock with your arm (and every other appendage) wrapped around the person you love? They can do it. Admiral Travel specializes in authentic travel experiences that can't be duplicated. From safaris to tours through Europe to weekend getaways, Admiral can accommodate your travel itch. They do it better then anyone in the world, so get clever, make up a trip and surprise the person you love with a life-changing getaway.