St. Pete for Peace Movie Night offers an opportunity to see a political/socially conscious film for free, and it happens every Wednesday night in the outdoor patio of Cafe Bohemia.
This week's installment of the series features a documentary that's a little shorter, but it's followed by a provocative discussion. After the 30-minute doc Imperial Geography — which centers on the geography of Palestine and how the drawing of boundaries on maps reflects the conflict in the region — Bettejo Passalaqua (pictured left) shares experiences of her second trip to the West Bank with International Women's Peace Service. Following her presentation she will discuss our nation's role in the occupation of Palestine. Note: Films starts this week at 7:30 p.m. (an hour earlier than previous screenings). Customers are invited to bring their own chairs. For schedule of future movies, visit stpeteforpeace.org. A trailer of the film can be viewed here: blip.tv/file/1674292. Cafe Bohemia, 937 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-895-4495.
According to theater critic Mark E. Leib, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom "is a wonderful play about a few hours in the life of the fabled blues singer and her accompanists," though his review says the American Stage production is "uneven," it's graced by Sharon E. Scott's magnificent performance as Ma (pictured, right). Judge for yourself tonight at 7:30 p.m.
American Stage is 163 Third St. N., St. Petersburg. show runs through Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. $29-$50, $10 student rush. 727-823-PLAY, americanstage.org.
In the six years since Ontario's Tokyo Police Club was formed by a group of 19-year-old musicians who were just barely a band when they played the Pop Montreal festival in 2005, the quartet has experienced a steady rise in the indie ranks with two promising EPs followed by a first LP that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers charts. The band's mix of Strokes-style post punk revival and scrappy garage-flavored synth pop in their 2010 sophomore full-length, Champ, earned them high marks from Rolling Stone, which praised their use of high-speed guitars and bright melodies. The band hits town to promote the album along with a just-released deluxe edition available exclusively through iTunes. Wed., Jan. 26, 8 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $15 in advance/$18 day of show (all ages). –-Text by Leilani Polk; photo by Chrissy Piper
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2011.