After-school special — a Q&A with Late Nite Catechism‘s Mary Z
Don’t be late to this class!
Sh*t happened 4/23/15: Earth Day, abortion and transit, oh my
Yesterday was Earth Day. Earth Day! And yet our millions of earnest enthusiastic "likes," "shares" and "reblogs" failed to completely reverse thousands of years of humanity's thoughtless exhaustion of our life-giving planet's precious limited resources. But hey, don't feel down — just go out to the beach and pick up a couple of fucking red…
Theater Review: Chicken Shop at the new Urbanite Theater in Sarasota
Expect professionalism and style from the company run by Summer Dawn Wallace, Harry Lipstein and Brendan Ragan.
Urban Comfort kickstarts campaign to build its own shuffleboard courts
St. Pete’s soon-to-open Urban Comfort wants to offer shuffleboard, and you can help via Kickstarter.
Bard-y on! Celebrate Will’s birthday with 2 plays
A pastiche of Shakespeare dramas and comedies can be enjoyed in Clearwater and Tarpon Springs.
True bromance — Tes One and Bask at CASS
Pound and a Bear Hug reunites the artists for a redux of their first joint show.
President calls for action on climate in state that refuses climate science
President Obama spent much of Earth Day in Florida, a state that recently got national notoriety for barring use of the term "climate change" and all of its related nomenclature because, you know, it's bad for business. He spoke to the media at Everglades National Park, an area that's been imperiled by bad land-use decisions…
Silverking Brewing throws two-day grand opening bash
The region’s newest craft brewery, Silverking Brewing, will celebrate its official debut May 8 and 9.
Graduating BFA students from USF present Nonrefundable gallery show at The Lockbox
Get a sneak peek of artists to look out for!
SCENE BREAKER: In the Heights homecoming, the crew gets its due and short Shakespeare = funny Shakespeare
A favorite performer comes home to American Stage
Celebrate Earth Day like a fashion designer!
ARTpool is seeking upcycled looks for their eighth annual Trashion Fashion.
Restaurant review: Pollo Garden’s seductive spice
Authentic Peruvian flavors are found at Ybor City’s Pollo Garden.
Five Courses: Oh, Goody for Hyde Park & more
New food and drink spots, including Goody Goody and Craft & Curd, in Hillsborough and Pinellas.
Tampa to get money to study feasibility of proper rail
Since its 2002 inception, Tampa's streetcar has largely been targeted toward tourists as a way to get from the cruise ship terminal at Channelside to downtown or Ybor City. At the moment, the system, dubbed the TECO line, spans 2.7 miles and 11 stops and doesn't start running until 11 a.m. on weekends and noon…
Way Back Wednesday: Radiohead, Nas
A weekly video spotlight on artists who came up pre-’00s
Sh*t happened 4/22/15: Hillsborough’s new superintendent, who’ll be Tampa’s next top cop & that moron who got bitten by a cottonmouth
Did you know Tuesday was originally dedicated to a one-handed god of war, and also given to the celebration of the life and actions of John The Baptist? Yeah, Tuesday kind of got some mixed signals there in the early days. What I'm saying is, Tuesday was kind of screwed from the jump. The Hillsborough…
Tonight in live music: Cherub, Bob Dylan, Dance Gavin Dance, JW Teller
Live music happening this Wed., April 22
The House race you never heard of wraps up
Florida House District 64 was cobbled together from parts of northeast Pinellas County and the Carrollwood and New Tampa areas of Hillsborough. Its incumbent Republican State Representative, James Grant (one of the 'young guns' you'll hear about from time to time), probably would have sailed back into his post last November with the rest of…
New Hillsborough Schools superintendent’s contract approved during very nice hearing
With a unanimous vote of the Hillsborough County School Board, Jeff Eakins got a promotion today. The acting superintendent, who has been serving in the capacity of superintendent in the wake of MaryEllen Elia's dismissal, will get to keep that job; the signing of his contract, $225,000 salary and all, made it official at a…
Two mid-week tastings for New Port Richey, St. Pete wine buffs
Experience #WineWednesday in real life at Sea Salt and Dulcet Restaurant & Lounge this week.
Lightning to Host Watch Party at Channelside Bay Plaza for Game 3
The Lightning offer a special viewing party for fans to watch game 3.
Long-loved grain: Talking rice, culture at USFSP
USFSP’s Florida Food Conference featured varying perspectives on a universal staple: rice.
New Music Tuesday! (April 21): Alabama Shakes, Passion Pit, Joywave, Speedy Ortiz, Built to Spill & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included
On the menu: A La Segunda celebration, Mise en Place founder talks business
On Thursday, Mise en Place’s Maryann Ferenc speaks at Centre Club, and La Segunda turns 100.
Tonight in live music: Tim Barry at Local 662
Former Avail frontman Tim Barry was among the first of the current generation of punk rockers to commit to a second career as a populist acoustic solo act — not that it was a tough transition, given Avail’s twangy, blue-collar brand of stomp. He’s currently touring behind last November’s Lost & Rootless, with indie-rootsy UK…
Kacey Musgraves to play the Trop, Pre-Fest announces bands, Surfer Blood needs help & Weezer’s Brian Bell brings his new group to Ybor
Some Florida-centric newsbits to kick off your day.
The Laugh Tract — Who’s Bringing the Funny
Kathy Griffin, John Leguizamo and the One-Man Star Wars Trilogy top a full stand-up schedule this week.
Sh*t happened 4/21/15: Lyft, Trib real estate deal & marathon marriage
While you were trying not to get caught out in the rain — and possibly celebrating 4/20 the way you celebrate pretty much every other day — a few things occurred yesterday (besides my power going out). While fighting a citation in court, ridesharing service Lyft argued that it couldn't be regulated by Hillsborough County's…
Equality Florida applauds State Senate panel for its sanity on gay adoption
Yes, we live in a place where postponing a vote on a discriminatory bill passes as forward thinking. We acknowledge that in most other states, a proposed law that is on its face discriminatory wouldn't see the light of day. But with the State Senate, the more moderate chamber in the legislature, deciding to table…
USF Dance Shorts College Film Festival celebrates outstanding art students
Saturday’s gala awarded top student submissions from across the country
Top environmentalist: Black bears aren’t the problem. We are.
You made it through Monday and braved the vicious storms of your afternoon commute home. Time to relax and take our one-question personality quiz. Here goes. You live in a cookie-cutter house in a new subdivision that skirts Florida's gorgeously unkempt wilderness, say near Ocala or a tad inland from Ft. Myers. Overnight, a black…
Red wine pasta to cure any case of the Mondays
A simple one-pot dish that incorporates noodles, wine and cheese to help kiss Monday goodbye.
And speaking of the Pulitzers… Tom Tomorrow is a finalist!
Congrats to Dan Perkins for being named one of this year's Pulitzer finalists for Editorial Cartooning. Dan's syndicated cartoon, "This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow," is a longtime favorite of CL readers and a welcome antidote to political nonsense of all stripes. He won the Pulitzer recognition for cartoons that run in the Daily Kos,…
Hey, Pam Bondi, you just helped the New York Times win a Pulitzer!
Eric Lipton's disturbing New York Times series about the influence of corporate lobbyists on state attorneys general, including Florida's own Pam Bondi, has won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Bondi was prominently featured in the story, which showed how lobbyists are are using campaign donations, fancy dinners and other inducements to pressure attorneys general to…
Sh*t happened 4/20/15: Rays woes, meth bust
The weather blazed, then blew, and anyone taking I-75 on Saturday was SOL. How was your weekend? Here's the roundup. FRIDAY, APRIL 17: A Pinellas man was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to manipulating more than 100 girls to send him explicit images and videos online. You know what's funny about…
Tonight in live music: John Gorka at Straz Center for Performing Arts
Did you miss his Craftsman House show last night? Here’s one more chance to see the folkie in Tampa Bay
This Sunday in live music: John Gorka, The Real Clash Wednesday Benefit Show & more
Concerts this Sun., April 19.
Interview with a War Virgin — a conversation with the comedy’s director
CL chats with West Point grad Laura Westley about her new show, War Virgin.
This Saturday in live music: New World Brewery Anniversary Party with Iska Dhaaf, Peter Hook, Jimmy Buffett & more
Concerts taking place this Sat., April 18.
Downtown St. Pete to get new grocery store…but which one will it be?
If you've ever worked in one of the shops or offices on the 600 and 700 blocks, then you're familiar with a certain aggravating phenomenon. Come 3:00 p.m., right when your tummy starts a-rumblin', you are completely out of food choices within walking distance, especially if you're wearing ridiculously high platforms or stilettos that day,…
Local juicery Gush debuts fresh juice cruiser
Gush Juice’s on-the-go concept plans to keep the streets of downtown St. Pete wheely cool.
The Hip Hop ABCs: Winner of Letter H; vote on Letter I
The alphabetical rap battles continue… vote now!
The Best of 1991: Howard Troxler
Ever wonder what columnist Howard Troxler has been up to since he retired from the Times four years ago? We did. In anticipation of the 25th anniversary of Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay awards coming up this September, we've been checking up on past winners like Troxler. An indispensable voice of common sense at the Tribune…
ARTpool’s 7-year anniversary — catching up with the Williams family
A chat with Marina and Evan Williams before the big celebration Saturday night.
Eat this: Tacos, more from Brandon’s Chicken & Taco Loco
Chicken and Taco Loco could be Brandon’s best-kept secret, but probably not for long.
Weekend Tune-Up, VII: Mark Ronson, Pond, Jose Gonzalez, Calexico, Death Cab for Cutie & more
A quarterly review playlist spotlighting noteworthy releases (by song) that came out January-April; Spotify playlist included.
Concert review: The Who Hits 50! tour opens in Tampa Bay
The Who’s final tour — a retrospective of their 50-year career — opens in Tampa with support from Joan Jett
It’s “Rush Hour” to see Chris Tucker live
Actor/comedian Chris Tucker performs at The Straz in June. In the early 90s, Chris Tucker was an up-and-coming stand-up comedian, and it looked like he had a long career of road gigs ahead of him. Then Hollywood came calling. Instead, Tucker became a bona-fide movie star. He's one of the best known faces of the…
JJ Abrams drops a tense, new, Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer!
With a mere 248 days till the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, director JJ Abrams revealed a second teaser for the long-awaited film today at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, Calif. After a presentation and Q/A with new stars to the franchise, and some of our favorite Star Wars veterans, the new teaser…
Sh*t happened 4/17/15: Polk County juvenile lawsuit, wage theft ordinance, dog-kicking guy
Ah, Thursday. Gateway drug to the weekend. America's light at the end of the tunnel. The day when, at some point, somebody always asks if you want to get a drink after work, and you have to decide in advance what Friday's productivity is going to look like — assuming, of course, your employer actually…
Tonight in live music: The Ting Tings, Lauris Vidal, Lita Ford & more
Concerts happening this Fri., April 17
Wage theft ordinance passes unanimously in St. Pete
Not that it was much of a shock, but on Thursday evening the St. Pete City Council passed an ordinance to protect residents against wage theft, and did so unanimously. After it passed, the audience applauded. "We're setting a very strong tone for leadership in the Tampa Bay area," said Council member Darden Rice. "And…
Oh, that’s original: Florida sues feds over Obamacare
Well, this is dumb. As the clock ticks on a proposal to expand Medicaid to roughly a million uninsured Floridians, Governor Rick Scott has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over its withdrawal of Low Income Pool money, because suing people is better than facing the reality that people are suffering and dying because…
Delicious iced coffee trike doesn’t sway council on Ybor vendor rules
As CL contributor Ray Roa wrote in February, Joel Davis sells pressure-brewed, nitrogen-tapped iced coffee out of an old-timey trike under the moniker Commune + Co., but red tape at the city level bars him from traversing Ybor City peddling his cold brew. In the late ’90s, when mobile street vendors were getting out of hand, a…
Iron & Wine and Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell team up for covers album, perform on Letterman
Sing Into My Mouth features covers of the Talking Heads, Sade and more.
Gather ’round the Tampa Heights community garden for Earth Day
The celebration pays homage to the planet.
With little discussion, “Tampa Accord” Cuba resolution unanimously passes City Council
On the heels of the U.S. removing Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism, Tampa City Council members passed a resolution asking the Obama Administration to hold any signing ceremony it has with the country in Tampa. The resolution was brought about by Councilwoman Yvonne "Yolie" Capin. “As the president's actions lead to…
Tampa Bay named No. 6 on Foursquare’s list of Top Cities ‘Keeping Vinyl Alive’
We’re better than New York, Philly, and Austin!
Poet’s Notebook: Sweet briar
Bones in an African cave gave the show away they went violent to their grave like us today Our familiarity with Sweet Briar College came from three summers working at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, affiliated with the college and nestled nearby in bucolic Mount San Angelo. Novelist Sterling Watson and I used…
Larger than life: The creations of Kumpa Tawornprom
His vivid paintings and statues can be seen around downtown Safety Harbor.
Neighborhood Issue: Safety Harbor’s Todd Ramquist, Kiaralinda & SHAMc
This supercouple is poised to begin a new chapter for Safety Harbor arts and music.
Record Store Day 2015 lands at an indie shop near you this Saturday
Daddy Kool, Microgroove, Planet Retro, Bananas and Mojo Books & Records all host April 18 events and sales
The Neighborhood Issue: Safety Harbor
A bayside town of ancient trees and new restaurants, small-town warmth and non-stop fests.
Neighborhood Issue: A look at Sideshow, the satellite venue of SHAMc
SHAMc’s outdoor showspace brings music to Main Street as the center nears completion
