The below is a special extended-play version of the Do This weekend edition to include Pride events and Thursday happenings.
PRIDE EVENTS
Ross Matthews at Tyrone Square Thursday evening! Click here for more details.
LGBT Open Mic Take a break from St. Pete and venture north county with Oral Fixation and Wordier Than Thou for their second annual LGBT Pride open mic. Bring poems, short prose, songs, jokes, rants, and raves. Features performances from Samira Obeid, Jeremy Gloff, Christopher Clawson, Figment and Masiel. $5 donation. Thurs., June 25, 7 p.m. Sawgrass Bar and Grill, 610 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. 516-906-2140.
Pride in the EDGE Organized by the EDGE Business District Association, the downtown St. Pete event will include nearly 50 businesses taking part in four features: Shop Proud, Dining Out, Pride Pub Stroll, and Open House. Unique activities across the district will include contests, live music, live demos, a collaborative mural painting, and art and craft classes. Commemorative event buttons are also available at various locations. Visitors wearing the button will receive added specials at participating businesses. Free. Thurs., June 25, noon-midnight. The EDGE District, Central Avenue and First Avenue North and South, between 9th and 16th streets, St. Petersburg. 727-329-8869. edgedistrict.org.
PRIDE Art Show Featured artists include Sue Woodall, John Gascot, Hugo Porcaro, Leandro Gongora Photography, Sara Norine James, John Taormina, Khalid Hameed, Xina Scuderi, Annie Gonzalez, Mishou Sanchez, TCris Alencar and Rodney Alexander. Kyle Fleming Photography PRIDE Photobooth. Instant Upload starting at $10. Rainbow Tie Dye Tees by Davidson Fine Art will be on sale for $15. DJ Mega spins. No Cover. Beer, wine, and, most importantly of all, A/C. Free. Sat., June 27, 3-11 p.m. Creative Soul Studio, 2425 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-575-7977. Event page on Facebook.
Grand central-stationed It’s been a year of milestones, strides, tragedy and setbacks, making it all the more important to show your support for human rights for all. Set once again in the afternoon in the Grand Central District of downtown St. Pete, the Saturday afternoon
St. Pete Pride Fest and evening Pride Parade offer saucy and family-friendly fun and a colorful, festive array of citizenry promenading down Central Avenue (including CL folks on a big shiny firetruck!). The parade begins right after dusk, and the Pride Fest block takes over Central Avenue between 22nd and 27th streets and starts at 5 p.m. For more info, click here.
Scott & Patti Disco Pride Show It’s raining men, hallelujah … and some ladies, too, to be fair — well, at least one in a big bouffant wig. Join Tampa Bay’s favorite mother/son cabaret act for a night of songs and sass as they celebrate St. Pete Pride. Sun., June 28, 7:30 p.m. Alvin’s Lounge in downtown St Pete. 119 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg. facebook.com/SandPshow.
OTHER STUFF
Kinetic Senses of Self Spend an evening filled with collaborative dance, live music and fixed media exploring the self, perception, and cognitive dissonance. The show spotlights dancers Jacqueline Dugal, Sharon McCaman, Laura Mobley, Sarah Walston, Brett Copeland, Sean Hamilton, Tyler Kline, Eli Ponder-Twardy, and Alex Ravitz. $5-$10 donation. Thurs., June 25, 7:30 p.m. The Venture Compound, 2621 Fairfield Ave. S., St. Petersburg. Click here for more info.
Putting It Together St. Petersburg Opera's latest takes to a high society party, where relationships are all topsy-turvy. An older couple faces their disillusion and marital troubles; a younger couple struggles with sacrifice, compromise and wanting more. Peppered with songs from the Sondheim canon, the production is narrated by a character who plays a number of behind-the-scenes roles: waiter, servant, boytoy. Party with the Operazzi group at the Hollander after the show Friday. A ticket stub earns you a free drink. Fri., June 26, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., June 28, 2 p.m.; Tues., June 30, 7:30 p.m. The performance takes place at the Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg; the Hollander is at 421 Fourth St. N. stpeteopera.org.
Also on Friday night: World by a String: Masters of Puppetry at Florida Craft Art; opening reception 6-9 p.m.
Funny people: Comedians Billy Gardell and Wendy Leibman pay a visit on Friday-Sunday. See Laugh Tract for more.
A handful of art events: Cory Allen Contemporary Art presents Spathe, the latest installment of vibrant, unusual and just plain amazing palm spathe sculptures by Scott Durfee and George Medeiros, creators of Spathose. Free. Thurs., June 25, 6-10 p.m. Cory Allen Contemporary Art’s The Showroom, 2121 2nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-365-0254. Event page on Facebook.
Contemplation 2 showcases the enigmatic works of Chon Mosely on Fri., June 26, 7-9:30 p.m. Oleson Gallery and Bloom Art Center, 910 Fifth Ave N., St. Petersburg. facebook.com/BloomUnderground.
Home Is Where You Hang This See new works by Kosharek Art, aka beloved St. Pete-based artist Jennifer Kosharek. On display will be handpainted purses, rag dolls, and small-to-medium-sized paintings. The works are sweet and lovely with a smidge of dark humor. Begins Fri. at Dysfunctional Grace Art. Co., 1903 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa. facebook.com/DysfunctionalGrace.
Meet fellow mail art lovers, and bring your own samples at the Paper Seahorse's Mail Art Meet Up. See how others create their art and try your hand at making some. You will walk away with ideas, resources and some new friends. The shop will have vintage ephemera to work with as well as modern materials for inspiration. Free. Sat., June 27, 2-5 p.m. The Paper Seahorse, 211 S. Howard Ave., Tampa. 813-251-8096. Sign up here.
Tampa’s Upcycled Art Show allows you to meet crafters and artists who transform shabby, discarded materials into something attractive and new. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun., June 28, Harbour Island, Tampa. harbourislandartwalk.com.
'Wright stuff: A proliferation of showcases highlighting locally written plays is one of our favorite theater trends of the past couple of years. The 4X6 Fest Performance and Awards Gala is the latest such sampling, and it offers a cool twist — four new one-act plays by six playwrights, and it takes place at the CL Space Sunday evening. Click here for more info.
Sibling revelry: Those high-steppin’ TV-reality show darlings Julianne and Derek Hough are back, and the sibs say their Move Live on Tour 2015 will be bigger and better than ever. The show will feature “a brand new stage production to showcase the fresh, exciting and high impact choreography spanning across a multitude of different dance styles that all audience members are sure to love!” If you’re not sold yet, the Houghs will be joined by the Move Company Dancers and live vocal performances from both Julianne and Derek. Word is the costumes are fab! June 28, 2 & 7 p.m., $38.75-$150, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater, rutheckerdhall.com.
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2015.