A downer for Downey?
Those looking for their next fix of the talented Robert Downey Jr. (currently riding the tremendous box office wave of Iron Man), will have to settle for the alleged comedy Tropic Thunder, due to be released this August. But be warned: Downey, who plays an actor who goes to extremes to play a black man,…
Local Opposition against Green Swath goes Regional
I attended the TBARTA board meeting last week. If there is a hell, then suffering through one of those meetings could be it! My concerns are with "Corridors" C and D on Map 8 Hillsborough Connections which would destroy rural and preservation lands and bring certain unwanted sprawl along with them. The meeting started without…
Rod Stewart to play Tampa Aug. 28
Hasn't he punished us enough with all those Great American Songbook discs? Seriously, has another rocker betrayed his talent more than Stewart? And, yes, Stewart was a great talent from about 1969-1975. Anyway, here's the press release: TAMPA – MAY 27, 2008 — Rod Stewart has confirmed plans to bring his 2008 North American Summer…
Hip Hop Soda Shop Opens In Miami
The restaurant/bar/video gamery/recording studio/money pit brought luminaries like Fat Joe and Fabolous to walk the red carpet at the opening of the restaurant chain's second location last week. It must have been scheduled to coincide with an unprecedented lull in hip-hop song collaboration to attract those also rans. Hey, wait a minute – second location?…
Riffin’ on the Rays
I think I crossed a tipping point over the weekend. It’s exciting, and a little scary. As recently as a few weeks ago, I would sort of stumble across Rays games on TV, watch a few innings until I lost interest. Kept up with ’em in the papers. It was about last week that I…
That’s entertainment
Russian commies call for boycott of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Where was this kind of outcry against Boris and Natasha? Sex and the City opens May 30. Cineplexes are on full estrogen alert. Further proof that nurture trumps nature, at least where Lindsay Lohan is concerned. Sharon Stone speaks eloquently…
Soho swag
Cross-posted from Blurbex: Just a few of the perks (pictured left). "Wade, why do you like SoHo so much?" reads a comment posted by "Gigglecream" on a recent Bar Tab column. "I can't stand it. I can't stand the shallowness and douchebaggery." People love to hate on SoHo. Especially people who use words like "douchebaggery."…
FROM THE STREET (Mud Wrestling and Cadillacs)
"You here for the mud wrestling?" the shuttle driver asked. "Mud wrestling?" I repeated, weighing the box of promo gear I was to handout at a wine tasting against my primal need to watch naked women squabble in mud. "Just get in," The driver said, and I did. It turned out he was just screwing…
SoHo swag
Just a few of the perks (pictured left). "Wade, why do you like SoHo so much?" reads a comment posted by "Gigglecream" on a recent Bar Tab column. "I can't stand it. I can't stand the shallowness and douchebaggery." People love to hate on SoHo. Especially people who use words like "douchebaggery." I'm not sure…
‘The will to blog’
Emily Gould, blog diva supreme, late of Gawker, appeared on the cover of the NY Times mag this weekend in a come-hither glam pose that may have been intended ironically, but nonetheless seemed to undercut her professed disenchantment with exposing herself online. Still, she'd probably cop to the contradiction, if this passage is any indication:…
SI Rays cover going, going, gone?
Tried to find the SI issue with the much-hyped cartoon-style cover yesterday, but the clerk at the South Pasadena CVS told me they'd long ago sold out — and that customers had told her they couldn't find a copy anywhere in Pinellas. Anyone actually own a copy of this about-to-be-a-collector's item? And does this mean…
Five Things to Do Today
"The Persistence of Memory." ©The Museum of Modern Art/Licenses by SCALA/Art Resource, NY 1. See Salvador Dalí’s most legendary painting, “The Persistence of Memory,” and more than 60 other borrowed works at Salvador Dalí Museum before they are returned to their rightful owners. 2. Studio 10 host/comedian Tim Wilkins pits his stand-up skills against seven…
Memorial Day 2008
From our YouShoot page submissions, this shot from the Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell, about an hour north of Tampa: Photo by juxtapose^esopatxuj/some rights reserved
Folk singer/activist Utah Phillips ’has caught the westbound’
Bruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips died Friday, May 23, at age 73. He was at home with his wife in Nevada City, Calif. A highly overlooked folk singer in the Woody Guthrie/Pete Seeger tradition, Phillips finally enjoyed semi-mainstream acclaim in the 1990s when he came out of retirement to make a couple albums with Ani DiFranco,…
From the Street with Alfie: Mud Wrestling and Cadillacs
"You here for the mud wrestling?" the shuttle driver asked. "Mud wrestling?" I repeated, weighing the box of promo gear I was to handout at a wine tasting against my primal need to watch naked women squabble in mud. "Just get in," The driver said, and I did. It turned out he was just screwing…
Late Monday round-up
Filmmaker Sydney Pollack (Out of Africa, Tootsie) dead at age 73. Triple Crown hopeful Big Brown has a crack in his left front hoof. Let's hope the Belmont favorite doesn't repeat Eight Belles' Kentucky Derby tragedy. 12-year-old girl stung by scorpion at Wal-Mart. Always hurts like a bitch. Always.
Hogan fender-bender makes headlines
Daughter of Hulk, pop singer and Tampa native Brooke Hogan gets in a fender-bender Sunday on the Bayside Bridge; makes headlines across the web. (Apparently the Hogan clan is also big in Ireland; an Emerald Isle publication ran the story, but got it wrong, reporting Brooke and her pro wrestling papa were both involved.) Here's…
Saturday morning surprises
Cross-posted from TampaCalling: I'm at the Grecian restaurant on Davis Islands gnoshing on smoked sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and white toast lathered with real butter and grape jelly. I peruse the several newspapers spread out on my table, soak up the still-tolerable sunshine and listen to the latest Bob Dylan hits collection, which is…
Saturday morning surprises
I'm at the Grecian restaurant on Davis Islands gnoshing on smoked sausage, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and white toast lathered with real butter and grape jelly. I peruse the several newspapers spread out on my table, soak up the still-tolerable sunshine and listen to the latest Bob Dylan hits collection, which is being played in…
Krakauer’s da man
I’ve now read all of Jon Krakauer’s books — all three: Into the Wild, Into Thin Air and (the one I just finished), Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, an in-depth examination of the Mormonism. If you haven’t read Krakauer, you must start. Immediately. He’s among the best long-form non-fiction writers…
Dining extremes
I can now cross two more eateries off my nonexistent list of Tampa restaurants I’ve never been to before. After work yesterday, I met some friends for drinks over at Bella’s in SoHo. Later, I went (at my friend’s request) to La Teresita Cafeteria on Columbus Avenue. Why mention these? Not to praise or criticize,…
One more summer song…
It's the summer after my senior year in high school. My best buddy at the time, Gaither High School middle linebacker Jason Ancer, drives a bunch of us to the liquor store in Northdale. We go in to purchase the booze and return to find Ancer singing along to "Summer Nights" from the Grease soundtrack…
The previews are almost as good as the movie.
I saw the new Indiana Jones movie last night and it was just as good I expected it to be, maybe better. I mean, it’s kind of hard not to do an Indiana Jones movie justice – the formula is pretty easy to follow. Plus, Harrison Ford is looking pretty damn good for a self-admitted…
Our beaches win again; let’s keep it that way
Just in time for Memorial Day: Yesterday, coastal expert Dr. Stephen Leatherman — better known as "Dr. Beach" — named Caladesi Island State Park as America's Top Beach for 2008. If you've ever taken a trip out there, you know exactly why: The sand is white and powdery and the water is a perfect blue-green.…
Top 10: Summer songs
Memorial Day weekend has always marked the start of summer. The calendar says the season begins June 20 but that's silly. The end of May is when the temps heat up and classes let out, making me fondly recall coming home from the last day and having my dad blast Alice Cooper's "School's Out." Unlike…
Score one for the teachers!
Cross-posted from PoHo blog: Screw timeouts. This Lake County teacher straight-up body slams his students.Apparently teacher Stephen Berry was messing around (and by that I do not mean like a predateacher) with a 14-year old student when things went a little too far and the student wouldn’t calm down. So Berry did what any kickin’-ass-and-takin’-names…
The 600 Central Avenue boondoggle
I got some props from St. Petersblog today over my cover story about the most endangered buildings in St. Pete. It's good to hear people still appreciate an article on history; not exactly the most sexy material out there, you know. One of the blog's writers, Casey, makes a good point about the planned demolition…
ALERT: movie-rental tip.
I was watching the Spurs/Lakers game a couple nights ago and during a commercial I clicked over to Ramones: End of the Century. I ended up watching the whole film, switched back to the game in the fourth quarter in time to watch the Satanic Lakers beat the Slightly-Less-Satanic Spurs in a big comeback. But…
Dead Man’s Blowjob
Kind of like those old spaghetti westerns, the dead man's blowjob may seem a little corny, but damn they sure are good!The idea behind this technique is that pain intensifies pleasure. Just the same as ice, hot wax, whips, and gerbils with Vaseline and a toilet paper roll… well, maybe not that last one, but…
Five Things to Do This Memorial Day Weekend
(Pictured at left) A tribal doll by Chris Malone, on display at Florida Craftsmen Gallery. 1. Two venerable St. Petersburg art venues – Florida Craftsmen Gallery and The Arts Center – open fiber exhibitions this Friday. 2. Creative Loafing in Concert presents a local music showcase with SMA Florida – SMASH 10, which includes sets by…
Parkshore Grill Owner Almost Has Monopoly On Beach Drive
In a move towards increasing rents and building more green houses and red hotels, Parkshore Grill (300 Beach Dr.) owner Steve Westphal has just signed a lease at the (almost) location of Robert Irvine's Ooze and Schmooze (400 Beach Dr.). He and Parkshore chef Tyson Grant plan on opening a restaurant, opting more for the…
Homemade music symposium June 7
I just signed on for the media panel at the Homemade Music Symposium. It looks like it should be an exciting event for musicians and music fans. Stay tuned for more details. Here's an overview: HOMEMADE: A Symposium On the Art, Business and Culture of Making Music Presented by The Artists and Writers Group, BAAMO…
Be Your Own Pet review
Concert review and photo of Jemina Pearl by Creative Loafing receptionist/admin Gabe Loewenberg. Be Your Own Pet w/She Wants Revenge, The Virgins and Switches Tuesday May 20th, 2008, Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg Be Your Own Pet released its second full-length, Get Awkward, back in March. Under normal circumstances, an album on Thurston Moore's (of Sonic…
In this week’s Creative Loafing: Preservation, Rays
It's all about preservation and the Rays' stadium proposal in this week's Creative Loafing. Be sure to check out the cover story on the nine most endangered historical buildings in St. Pete. Even if you already read the print edition, there's some new information about the fate of the First Baptist Church and the older…
Buy me that!
The new Indiana Jones flick is finally in theaters, with die-hard Raiders fans now choking down overpriced popcorn and enjoying the event movie of the summer. While reviews have been mixed, enough people will love the movie for Lucas and Spielberg to have their offices flooded by a bonanza of ancillary tie-in cash. Here's some…
C.E. is 2 P.C. 4 Me
I just ran across a bit of vernacular that I was previously unfamiliar with. Maybe I’ll sound like a rube, but I’d never heard of C.E. For you fellow rubes, C.E. means “Common Era,” and is a substitute for A.D. — as in, it’s currently the year 2008 C.E. Common Era’s counterpart to B.C. is…
Marty abandons Marley project
Is Martin Scorsese finally tired of making music flicks? It had been announced that the famed filmmaker would direct an upcoming, family-endorsed Bob Marley documentary but Scorsese has dropped out due to "scheduling conflicts," reports Billboard.com. Jonathan Demme, who helmed the Neil Young concert film, Heart of Gold, replaces.
Indiana Jones — worth the wait?
After a 19-year absence, cinema’s most famous archaeologist is back in action with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So was it worth the wait? That depends on what you've been waiting for. I saw the opening midnight showing of the latest Indy flick at the Park Side cineplex. And when I,…
Wanna sit courtside at the Lakers?
I always figured sitting a few seats down from Jack at a Lakers game was a pricey proposition. Courtside seats. Los Angeles. Big bucks, huh? I found out last night just how pricey. If someone had asked me prior to last night’s telecast (when they flashed the courtside ducats on the screen) what they cost,…
Fast Food Showdown — McD Southern Chicken Sandwich vs. Chick-Fil-A
I've been eying the new McDonald's sandwich creation since it was launched a few weeks ago — fried chicken, pickles, on a "buttery tasting" bun. Sound familiar? Yep, it's a direct shot across the bow of Chick-Fil-A's signature sammy. In the interests of full disclosure, my first job was at the Chick-Fil-A in the Sarasota…
Five Things to Do Today
1. It’s the 2008 Jagermeister Music Tour – metalcore purveyors Hatebreed (pictured) headline the State Theatre stop with support by 3 Inches of Blood, Colossick and The Absence. 2. Will the Last Comic Standing talent pool just keep diminishing with each new season? Find out when the sixth season kicks off tonight at 9:30 p.m. on NBC.…
And the winner is… #!!#???
Anyone else DVR Am Idol tonight and have the recording end – with utterly laughable bad timing – exactly at the moment that Seafoam was about to announce the name of the winner? Not that you missed much. I watched Fox News (!) to find out who won, and caught an excerpt of the song…
Food Stamp Use On The Rise, Part 2 — Suncoast Stats
After the previous post, I called the Florida Department of Children and Families to find out how Food Stamp usage has changed over the past year for our neck of the woods. Turns out that the Suncoast is leading the way on the drastic rise of families on Food Stamps. (The data indicates number of…
Alicia Keys, bar etiquette and more in new CL
Here's what I have running in the new Creative Loafing: Bar Tab: Bar etiquette (part one); the do's and don'ts of drinking. Tailgunner Joe's clean machine: Rock 'n' roll, without the sex and drugs. Alicia has the Keys to the Forum. Yo Majesty gives Crowbar the royal treatment. Band Marino psyches up New World. Natasha…
Zero Punctuation, many laughs
You don't have to be a video-game aficionado to have a laugh riot at Zero Punctuation, where Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw uploads his weekly reviews of releases both new and old. Simple, amusing and often disturbingly graphic 2D images illustrate Croshaw's hilarious, profanity-laced, lightning-fast narration. He speaks so fast, in fact, that you'll have to listen…
Beach group rails against erosion controls
After returning to Florida two years ago, one of my first "urban explorations" was driving on down to Upham Beach and taking a swim. Nearly every summer day growing up, my grandmother, who worked on St. Pete Beach, used to bring my brother and I there for some fun in the sun. But on this…
Used Civic: Let the bidding begin!
Who could have predicted a Geo would be cool? Not me. But with the rising price of gasoline, small economical cars are in high demand. I should take advantage of this while I have a chance. "1998 Honda Civic CX, goes to the highest bidder: 1.6-liter 4-cylinder, 115,000 miles but well-maintained drive train, clean interior,…
Gulf Trace Elementary is built green
Cross-posted to PoHo blog: By Ben Fry Our buildings pretty much suck. Too many of them are monuments of energy inefficiency. They suck too much electricity off the power grid and water out of the ground. Construction materials often travel far to the work site, sucking fuel out of the tanks of big rigs. Many…
Midnight screenings of Indiana Jones
Wanna avoid opening day lines while supporting a local indie cinema house? See Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at Beach Theatre tonight at midnight. Or, join loads of other fanatics at the corporate Channelside Cinemas for its midnight screening event.
Indiana Jones gets Cannes-d
If you didn't know that IMDB.com relies on two news services to provide its daily Movie/TV news, you might think the good folks there have a split personality regarding Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which opens nationwide Thursday, May 22. This from news outlet Studio Briefing, which appeared on IMDB the…
PoHo Live-Blogs Obama Rally
Obamaniacs, Pam Iorio endorsements and photos galore! Check out Wayne Garcia's coverage of the Obama rally here.
‘N Clink
Boy band mogul Lou Pearlman fleeces investors for millions. Sentenced to 25 years in jail. Judge still pissed about having to take his daughter to Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync concerts.
Five Things to Do Today
1. Cali comedian Ward Anderson (pictured) brings his show, “Sex, Singlehood … and Pizza Boxes?” to the Tampa Improv. 2. Mingle with members of the marketing community and enjoy food and wine pairings courtesy of Pepin Distributing at American Marketing Association Tampa Bay’s Michelob Craft Collection Brewmaster Networking Experience. 3. The monthly Clip Film Series presents…
Maniac’s Curve
A couple of busted up cars and emergency vehicles were arrayed on the side of the 4th Street on-ramp to I-275 in St. Pete this morning. It was bound to happen — actually, it’s probably happened a bunch, I just happened to witness this particular wreck. I take that on-ramp most every morning, and from…
Food Stamp Use On The Rise
Last year I lived for a week on just $3 a day for food, the average amount that food stamp clients receive from the USDA to fill the grocery cart. It wasn't easy, and it couldn't end quickly enough for my taste. The real story wasn't my gimmicky experience, though. It's the large numbers of…
Adrian Belew, Jason Isbell
Plus Skafest 2008
Mark Sforzini: “Stay loose at the hips.”
Talking with the St. Petersburg Opera Company’s young impresario
Film: Film Fests
Friday, May 23
Band Marino psyches up New World
An indie-rock/pop ensemble that also navigates alt-country territory, Orlando-based Band Marino turned in a tight, impressive set when it played Creative Loafing's Sensory Overload bash in March at the Cuban Club in Ybor City. The quintet's debut full-length, The Sea and the Beast, came out a few months ago and features numbers such as "Chasing…
Alicia has the Keys to the Forum
She’s so hot she’s even getting name-checked by Dylan
The Rays’ toughest crowd?
Why African-American leaders are suspicious of the stadium plan
Then She Found Me and Bunny Chow
Helen Hunt’s directorial debut and a South African import
The human hair trap
A changed person is all I’ve ever been.
Tailgunner Joe’s clean machine
Rock ‘n’ roll, without the sex and drugs.
Stageworks delivers Brighton Beach Memoirs
Strong performances carry Neil Simon’s sunny play.
Wine List
Got an upcoming or ongoing wine event? Send information to: The Wine List, 810 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606, fax 813-739-4801 or e-mail brian.ries@creativeloafing.com. CL's Best Bets SPAIN/ARGENTINA WINE/DINE/LEARN Charlie's will teach you about vino while stuffing you full of food and full-glass pours of three examples of the winemaker's art. This week features…
Art: A Sense of Space
Monday, May 26
Ten reasons we’re still jonesing for Indy
We want the new Indiana Jones movie, and we want it bad.
Folk Art: Florida, Up South, and the Rest of America
Thursday, May 22
Going to the multiplex? Read our mini-reviews
New and recent releases
Yo Majesty gives Crowbar the royal treatment
Tampa's hottest new act, Yo Majesty has spent the past two years rewriting the macho-dominated hip-hop rulebook with brash, clever raps that champion "Kryptonite Pussy" to British-made, booty-shaking beats. Formerly a trio, MC Shunda K. and singer/hype-woman Jwl B. have soared from local to international sensations — both L.A. Weekly and Time Out London have…
Comedy: The Kids in the Hall
Friday, May 23
Stars in the East
Wujcik and Giroux: Passing the torch at Nova 535.
Concert: STEVE MILLER BAND w/JOE COCKER
Sunday, May 25
Amy Winehouse does Good
DVD documentary tracks British diva’s rise.
Leave it to weavers
Tampa Bay ups its fiber intake with ‘Convergence 2008’
Art: Looking
Tuesday, May 27
Indiana Jones cracks the whip
Ford, Spielberg, Lucas — and dastardly Cate Blanchett.
Riding the Pacific Wave
Asian fusion gets a tasty treatment in downtown St. Pete.
Shrinkage at the Trib and the Times
The dailies get smaller. Can they still satisfy readers?
Comedy: Christian Finnegan
Saturday, May 24
Then you saw it, now you don’t
The St. Pete that isn’t there anymore, preserved on postcards
St. Pete’s most endangered buildings?
These nine need protection most, say historic preservationists.
Don’t Panic
Your war questions answered.
Cliff Eberhardt, Pennywise
Plus Creative Loafing in Concert Presents
St. Pete Times redesign, McCain pulls a funny
Plus, Indy’s back
Terock goes Hustlin
Tampa rapper issues slick, confident release.
Creative Clay artists tea it up
Hooker Tea Company hosts local agency’s exhibition.
.com-ments
On housing, beer and blogs
Theater: Betrayal
Wednesday, May 28
Bar etiquette (part one)
The do’s and don’ts of drinking out.
Was (Not Was) scares up the old magic with latest release
Boo!, plus new CDs by Atmosphere and Craig David
Eberhard Weber’s Fluid sounds
Ambient music with improvisational force.
We will bury you
"Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. … We have an obligation to call this what it is: the false comfort of appeasement. …"President George W. Bush, in an address to the Israeli Knesset on…
The rosé renaissance
Think pink for the all-purpose wine.
She wins!
A woman can win. Even if her opponent is a wildly popular dashingly handsome tall African-American man. OK, it's just Dancing with the Stars, and the woman is a former Olympics figure skater (Kristi Yamaguchi) and the man is a professional football player (Jason Taylor). But what do you wanna bet Hillary will take it…
On the waterfront: The fight is on
OK, got a nice comment on Undertow – but still just 1 % after more than a thousand votes? And no love for Oystercatchers? Swigwam? Crazy Conch? The Hurricane? Beach bums, get in there and vote, or your favorite hangouts will never get the respect they deserve!
