Outside the Box: Metrocon 2012
Making better costumes one interview at a time.
Kathy Castor wants Arnie Duncan to study what happened with the FCAT this year
Gerard Robinson Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson announced Tuesday night he will be leaving his job at the end of August. His stated reason was that he no longer wanted to live apart from his family members, who stayed in Virginia after he took the job last year. His resignation comes after a months-long controversy…
Pro FemDom, Mistress T, on the art of control
MistressT.net Men can be humiliated and have their balls busted — at least metaphorically — by countless women. It takes a special kind of woman to make a living out of dominating men and literally crushing their manhood. Mistress T is a professional dominatrix who shoots her own fetish porn, often enlisting fans as slaves…
City & County officials come out for Bike Bash festival announcement in Tampa
Swiftbud Alan Snel addresses his audience With kegs of beer flowing, an assortment of pizzas placed side by side on a table next to a tray of sandwiches, coffee from Buddy Brew and a DJ providing a party vibe, approximately two dozen local bicycling aficionados gathered Tuesday night at Velo Champ in Tampa's Seminole Heights…
Cigar City Brewing wins at U.S. Beer Open
cigarcitybrewing.com On Tuesday, July 31, Cigar City Brewing competed against 1,650 beers at the United States Open Beer Championship in Atlanta. The U.S. Open Beer Championship is the only competition that includes professional breweries and notable home-brewers. Hundreds of beers competed in 65 categories. Atlanta's Sweetwater Brewing was named Grand National Champion when it took…
FDOT to hold roundtable discussion on pedestrian and bicycle safety this Monday at CUTR at USF
It's no secret that being walking or riding along the streets of Tampa and throughout the Sunshine State can be a dangerous journey. So what can we do about it? The Florida Department of Transportation is holding pedestrian safety roundtables across the state next week, beginning this coming Monday morning at the USF Center for…
Help a pup with your pint
According to the ASPCA, five to seven million animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Help a furry friend out Thursday, August 9, at the Downtown St. Petersburg World of Beer. Yappy Hour at World of Beer will benefit Pet Pals Animal Shelter, a no-kill non-profit in St. Petersburg. Bring your pups and enjoy fine…
Mitch Perry Report – R.I.P. Gore Vidal
The world loses a literary lion.
When Gore Vidal & Norman Mailer went off
Gore Vidal died last night at the age of 86. His passing ends one of the great careers in public life, as an author, dramatist, essayist, political analyst and cultural figure. He also was extremely funny, which made him a favorite of Johnny Carson back in the 60's, 70's and 80's. His infamous feud with…
People’s Budget Review to launch fire fee survey
peoplesbudgetreview.org St. Petersburg's citizen-driven People's Budget Review will announce their third survey Monday, August 6. The survey's focus will be on the proposed fire fee and Mayor Bill Foster's budget proposal. "We really view this survey as the most important one," Aaron Dietrich, organizer with People’s Budget Review said."This is the final survey before the…
Willie Nelson coming to Tampa for RNC performance
New military support group Got Your 6 is sponsoring the event.
St. Pete for Peace film series revived
filmmovement.com Showing documentaries, uncensored and free of charge, is no simple task. St. Pete for Peace showed films every Wednesday for over five years at Café Bohemia, but disagreements over appropriate material in mid-July left the series without a home. The group secured a location for the screenings at T & Me Tea Company in…
Death of a diner
St. Pete Diner was a 24-7 neighborhood comfort food mainstay, the place to go if you found yourself with a 3 a.m. craving for Mom’s Thanksgiving dinner, complete with turkey, green beans and mashed potatoes. Late-night patrons, including drag queens and their kings from Georgie’s Alibi, would come for food and folly after the bar…
Pierola on opening edison: food+drink lab
JAMES OSTRAND Chef Jeannie Pierola opens her latest project, edison: food+drink lab, in Tampa on August 7. Chef Jeannie Pierola won renown last decade for overseeing the kitchens at Sidebern’s and Bern’s, and attracted plaudits more recently for her pop-up restaurant concept, Kitchenbar. But her latest venture, Edison: food+drink, promises to be a departure from…
Democrats respond to McCain led town halls on sequestration
Rhode Island Democratic U.S. Senator Jack Reed In Tampa on Monday, South Carolina U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said that if massive budgets cuts to the defense department take place as currently scheduled, "MacDill Air Force Base will be toast." Today a former Democratic Congressman slammed the tone of those remarks, saying that the traveling tour…
Half-price beers at Ale and the Witch
thealeandthewitch.com When you were a tiny tot, Mommy and Daddy counted your age in months. St. Petersburg's American craft brew and tap house is turning 18 months Tuesday, July 31. Instead of smashing their face into a cake, they are giving everyone half-off all 32 American craft beers on tap from 6 p.m. until midnight.…
Tampa RNC Host Commitee says they’re still on pace to raise $55 million for convention
Ken Jones Since taking over as CEO of the Host Committee for the Tampa Republican National Convention, Ken Jones has been extremely circumspect when asked how fundraising is going for the August 2012 event. And with less than a month to go before the main event happens, he's not changing his tune now. One of…
Losing a drinking contest, and my manhood, to Jesse Jane
modelsandmma.com Shawn Alff and Jesse Jane “This is Shawn,” said Maria, the manager of The Penthouse Club, by way of introducing me to the infamous porn star, Jesse Jane. “He was the one bragging on Twitter that he would outdrink you tonight.” This was not true — not entirely. It was true that I wanted…
Hillsborough County presents 10-Year plan to prevent and end homelessness
On Monday at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County (HCHC) organized an informal question and answers forum. The Q&A followed a presentation by Tampa-Hillsborough Citizens Task Force on Homelessness as they unveiled their recommendations for a 10-year plan to stave off and end homelessness in Hillsborough County. The…
PiL to play Ybor City in October
John Lydon's Public Image Ltd., the groundbreaking band he formed after the demise of the Sex Pistols in the late 1970's that produced some great records in the 1980's, will be performing at the Cuban Club in Ybor City on October 6. The Tampa gig will be their third show on their 2012 fall tour,…
Obama campaign hits Romney again on tax issue in new web ad
It's been a few weeks since Team Obama was hammering Mitt Romney for his failure to release more than one year of his tax returns (That was for 2010. He says he'll soon release his returns for 2011). Romney and his surrogates say he's followed the law, and won't release any more than two years.…
Mitch Perry Report 7.31.12 – What’s the next step for the Friendship Trail Bridge?
Three weeks ago CL reported that there appeared to be little support among the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners to get behind a proposed property tax referendum that would provide funding to restore the Friendship Trail Bridge and a host of other projects. Now the Tampa Tribune's Mike Salinero reports that the referendum proposal appears…
Fitzgerald blasts Vern Buchanan for failing to appear at court deposition
Vern Buchanan Sarasota area Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan did not appear for a scheduled court deposition in Orlando on Monday because allegedly his attorney was sick. But that's not stopping him from attending a fundraiser late Monday afternoon in Sarasota. "I think it's disgraceful," Keith Fitzgerald, Buchanan's Democratic opponent replied to a reporter's question when…
Log Cabin Republicans want to strike defense of marriage language from Tampa RNC Platform
R. Clarke Cooper The Log Cabin Republicans have released their list of events for their members during the week of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, and one of those events will be a mid-week brunch entitled "Young Conservatives for the Freedom To Marry," that will be held in conjunction with Freedom to Marry, the…
#MusicMonday Vol. 74: Justin Townes Earle, The Ventures, Dirty Projectors & More
Find out what the CL Music Team is jamming this fine Monday to rocket launch the work week; with video.
Review: The Dukes of September rock Ruth Eckerd Hall
Unless you lived in a cave or didn't own an FM radio in the 1970's, it's damn near impossible to be unfamiliar with the music of Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers or Boz Scaggs. Each had an enormous string of hits that penetrated radio playlists in just about every corner of the globe during that decade.…
GOP Senators get some pushback from audience in Tampa on defense cuts
John McCain & Kelly Ayotte "MacDill Air Force Base is toast if this goes through." That chilling message came via South Carolina Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham at a town hall meeting in Tampa regarding major defense budget cuts that could happen by the end of year if Congress doesn't act before then. Graham and…
On the Island: How Tracey Garvis Graves’s romance novel survived the barren literary seas
Before heading to work at Wells Fargo each morning, Tracey Garvis Graves took a trip to her own private island in the Maldives. On these mini-vacations, she penned a romance novel that mixes the story lines of Blue Lagoon, Castaway, and the kind of student-teacher affairs that fill the tabloids. After being rejected by fourteen…
Mitch Perry Report 7.30.12 – London Calling
Swimmer Michael Phelps took home his 17th career medal last night as the U.S. team took the silver in the 400-meter freestyle relay in London, putting him just one away from tying the mark for most career medals (held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina). Phelps still has five more events to go in London, and…
Platform for Democratic National Convention to include plank in support of same-sex marrriage?
Barney Frank My, what a difference eight years makes when you're talking about the politics of same-sex marriage in America. At the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004, some of the leading figures of the Democratic party outright shunned San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, after he began allowing same-sex marriage licenses to be granted…
Rowdies keep rolling, win third straight
Chris Girandola The Rowdies won their third straight game, their fifth game in a row at home and have now won seven of their past eight games. In the 67th minute of the Rowdies’ 1-0 victory over FC Edmonton Saturday, Rowdies forwards Daniel Antoniuk and Matt Clare exited the game for substitutes Tsuyoshi Yoshitake and…
Concert review: The Zombies 50th Anniversary Tour
The seminal British Invasion band hit the stage with confidence and impressively solid musicianship; photos by Daniel Veintimilla
Kelly Ayotte lays down her marker in advance of Tampa talk on looming defense cuts
New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte comes to Tampa Monday morning in the first of a multi (battleground) state tour to denounce looming defense cuts – defense cuts that many of her GOP colleagues in Congress supported last year as a way to get a deal on raising the debt ceiling. Ayotte previewed what she'll be…
Feedback: Casey Anthony, Cafe Bohemia and more
You wrote it, we printed it.
Roberts’ rules
The conservative Chief Justice’s morals trumped his politics.
Drag fantasy
An average girl looks to satisfy a kink.
Neighborhood Dining Guide: Live Music
Great tunes meet great food at these Bay area eateries.
Turanchik & friends gather to watch Olympic opening ceremonies and think about what might have been
As people gathered around televisions Friday night in the Tampa Bay area to watch the opening ceremonies of the London Summer Olympics, dozens of people did the same at a sports bar in downtown Tampa. But this group's mindset was somewhat conflicted. Excited about what the next two weeks will bring in terms of the…
The Real Fighting Championships takes over the A La Carte Pavilion in grand style
Before Friday night, I admittedly considered mixed martial arts fighting with the proverbial grain of salt, nothing but a fringe sport for the savages.
A “fashion-forward” night in downtown St. Pete
Well, it was a slow night in sports, so your intrepid sports reporter decided to venture down to Suite Six Bar & Lounge in downtown St. Petersburg Thurs., July 26, to check out the Fashion Forward event hosted by Doug Hensel, aka Dougie Fresh.
Call to artists issued for Cafe Hey poster art show during RNC
Azraelangel Though this poster is funny, please refrain from the Shepherd Fairey knock-offs. Thanks. Are you an artist or always wanted to be one? Or are you just itching to make a political statement? Satisfy both urges by entering the Poster Art Show at Cafe Hey late August. The event is scheduled to coincide with…
Hillsborough County Celebrates 22 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
The 22nd anniversary of the signing of Americans with Disabilities Act was celebrated Wednesday at the Fred Karl Hillsborough County Center building in downtown Tampa. Although the building dates from the early 1990's and is nearly 30 stories tall, a skyscraper by Floridian standards, it is nevertheless equipped with many ADA regulated accessible modifications. The…
Watch out for hilarity
Silly raunch-fest The Watch is sure to entertain.
Dancing disaster
Step Up Revolution can’t find its footing.
Looking for something to do this weekend? (video)
Someday Souvenir takes the stage Sunday at Gaspars Grotto. Hardpressed for something to do this weekend? There's a number of fun and fabulous LGBT events going on in our area for you to choose from. Tonight, Friday, July 27, head downtown to the Tampa Museum of Art after work for Equality Florida's Women for Equality…
Mitch Perry Report 7.27.12 – Let the games begin
The opening ceremonies of the 30th Olympiad from London is being directed tonight by British film director Danny Boyle, known for his work on such sterling films as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours and 28 Days. They'll be broadcast (on taped delay) on NBC at 7:30, and some folks in Tampa are gathering tonight to observe…
Hillsborough County GOP activist files election complaints against Rachel Burgin & lobbyist Kenya Cora
Rachel Burgin All's fair in a contested GOP primary, right? Maybe not, after allies of Hillsborough County Representative Rachel Burgin mailed out a recent hit piece against her Senate District 24 GOP opponent Tom Lee, a mailer that Florida GOP state chair Lenny Curry said crossed the line of being acceptable. The Eastern Hillsborough county…
From Beirut with love
Beirut Café’s story is one of food, war and love against all odds.
Articulate spells it all out
Creative Pinellas’ new site helps arts lovers stay informed.
How to: Salad
Is your salad healthy or just green fast food?
Chapel Perilous: Tempest in a C cup
The language is ripe but the vision is limited in this new Job-side project.
Two Big Mouths #110 Now Live
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths110/Tbm07-26.mp3] Welcome friends! We're back live this week. On the big show, after the Colorado movie theatre shooting, we're going to hear about ANY violence at ANY movie theatre from this point forward. They cleaned up the streets in London for the Olympics. Got rid of all the trash, chased all the hookers out….wait….that's redundant.…
Two Big Mouths #110 Now Live
[audio-path:http://archive.org/download/TwoBigMouths110/Tbm07-26.mp3] Welcome friends! We're back live this week. On the big show, after the Colorado movie theatre shooting, we're going to hear about ANY violence at ANY movie theatre from this point forward. They cleaned up the streets in London for the Olympics. Got rid of all the trash, chased all the hookers out….wait….that's redundant.…
The Elephant Walk Dispatch: RNC FYI, July 26
A spot of tea, no fishies for kids and high school football delays.
New report exposes the work of ALEC in Florida
Rachel Burgin works with ALEC Although it's been in existence for four decades, it's only been in the last year or so that the vast power that the American Legislative Exchange Council has in passing conservative legislation in the states has been exposed. This morning a coalition of groups held a conference call to announce…
Sports Binge: Countdown to training camp
The Bucs are coming! Plus: The Rays slump, Penn State gets whacked, and Chad changes his name … again.
Health care advocates say 3.8 million Floridians with pre-existing conditions now have access to health care because of ACA
Although Governor Rick Scott has joined with a group of GOP governors who refused to expand Medicaid after the Supreme Court's affirmative ruling on President Obama's health care reform legislation, there are aspects of the 2010 bill that are already taking effect right now. Such as the fact that health insurance companies can no longer…
Parents of 16-year-old slain Tampa black teen say they just want justice
Kethessa Fordoms & Michael Lovett talk about the death of their son, Javon Neal Kethessa Fordoms just says she just wants justice. Her sixteen-year-old son, Javon Neal, was shot and killed Sunday night by Tampa Police officer Gregory Pryor inside Central Court Apartments on Central Avenue. The police say he was shot because he refused…
This week in Tampa Bay area live music: Travis Porter, Antiwarpt, Little Feat, Kiss & Motley Crue + more
Concerts, July 21-August 1.
Live and Local Spotlight: Antiwarpt III Kickoff Party
With around 90 bands on the bill and a rising national profile, St. Pete's own downtown takeover festival Antiwarpt more than justifies its need for an appropriately notable night-before shindig. And like the one-off shows that inevitably crop up around much larger fests like Lollapalooza or Voodoo Music Experience, the Antiwarpt Eve gig is as…
Three Palms Brewery launches Hefeweizen beer
Three Palms Brewery Tampa's Three Palms Brewery will debut their new "Queen of Wheat" Hefeweizen on Friday, August 3 at 9 p.m. The first official release and tasting of the new local Hefeweizen is at Williards Tap House in Largo, 12500 Starkey Road. Three Palms Brewery opened up on Hobbs Street in Tampa in 2011.
Drinking with philanthropy
Saturday, July 21: Sporting a torn Ramone's tee, perched behind the Blur Nightclub I watched two of their ladies on staff climb in to a dunk tank showcased in tubular florescent bikinis. Tonight is the Back to the 80’s Annual Pub Crawl, one of the many community fundraisers the night club participates in. The night…
Mitch Perry Report 7.26.12 – the candidates talk guns and Aurora
Hours after the country learned of the horrific shooting massacre in Colorado last Friday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took to the airwaves of his weekly radio show to demand that President Obama and Mitt Romney discuss the issue of guns in our culture. The co-chair of the national group Mayors Against Illegal Guns,…
Connie Mack IV gets dissed by local newspaper
Connie Mack's semi-charmed life might get him into the elite club of 100 U.S. Senators next year. But you have to wonder if his name was say, Cornelius McGillicuddy, how it would all work out for him? Tuesday night was supposed to when the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate engaged in a debate, three weeks…
Music Issue 2012: Let’s get festival!
The art and science of the mega-concert event.
Antiwarpt III: The Must-Sees
Twenty-five acts worth seeing at today’s music fest in downtown St. Pete.
Antiwarpt III Must-See Spotlight: Florida Night Heat
In 2010, when Brokenmold Entertainment caravanned to Austin to support several local bands playing SXSW, the musicians of Florida Night Heat tagged along. "We went completely uninvited, with no intentions of doing anything there, no shows set up," drummer Chris Wood recounted. On day three, in a spontaneous act of DIY whimsy, Wood and bandmates…
Antiwarpt III Must-See Spotlight: Permanent Makeup
Founded by Blast and the Detergents' husband-wife team Chris Nadeau (vocals, bass) and Susan Dickson (drums), Permanent Makeup formed in early 2010. They enlisted third member James Bess (vocals, guitar) to play their first gigs with nary a practice beforehand. Bess was a longtime friend and helped them record Blast tunes, and together they played…
Antiwarpt III Must-See Spotlight: November Foxtrot Whiskey
Antiwarpt marks a comeback of sorts for prodigal Tampa favorite November Foxtrot Whiskey. Formed in the late ’90s and having played regularly up until 2010, the musicians have re-shifted their focus to recording 30-odd new songs (some to be debuted during their Antiwarpt set) for a highly anticipated new album, ostensibly due out later this…
Antiwarpt III Must-See Spotlight: Jensen Serf Company
Even with all their ages combined, the guys of Jensen Serf Co. still don't have as many years on Earth as the vintage equipment they use on a daily basis. With Fender Silverface amps (a model manufactured from 1967-81), 19-year-old musicians Benjamin Saylor, Peter Kokkinakos and Asa Ferqueron have crafted a catalog of salt-washed, lo-fi…
Antiwarpt III Must-See Spotlight: RedFeather
"Music from the city about the beauty and mind of the country" reads the description on Redfeather's Facebook page. For a band that's garnered comparisons to Fleet Foxes and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in their short existence, the description couldn't be more appropriate. Sprung from the mind of Mark Etherington (also the drummer of…
Bacon makes it better?
Pigging out on Rogue Ales’ Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale.
Paradise lost at The Garden
The ambience is a thing of beauty, but everything else fails to blossom.
Birth of the cool
The origin, history and people behind Antiwarpt.
South by Southeast?
A St. Pete city councilman is dreaming of a music fest modeled after the early years of SXSW.
Dancing in the sunlight
An almost-complete guide to Florida’s many music festivals.
What’s your fantasy fest?
Inventing new events that could put Tampa Bay on the rock ’n’ roll map.
Don’t be “That Guy”
Tips on surviving an all-day festival like Antiwarpt.
Throw your own festival
Going the DIY route in your backyard or living room.
Festival food
Your guide to dining at Antiwarpt.
Buckhorn to host 3 Town Hall meetings regarding RNC coming to Tampa
Bob Buckhorn in Ybor City last month Pissed off about how you think the RNC will disrupt your life when it comes to town late next month? Bob Buckhorn wants to hear from you. Well, whether he really wants to hear a lot of complaints from the public, we can't say. But it is his…
Congratulations, New York!
One year ago this week, the New York state Senate made history when it legalized same-sex marriage in a razor-thin 33 – 29 vote.
Frozen over
The fourth Ice Agejust drifts along.
