It's an '80s 'gasm, folks! I'm still in disbelief. Androgynous, pasty Brits I adored as a teen are playing a concert festival … on the beach. I can all but smell the clove cigarette smoke already! Middle aged music fans who remember Aqua Net-hazed nights at the new wave underage clubs (locally, Skyfeather, Faces, etc.) will get their nostalgia on today at UnityFest today, featuring some primo acts at the new Madeira Beach Park. The lineup in chronological order includes Book of Love, C&C Music Factory, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Marc Almond (of the underrated and brief act Soft Cell, pictured), Howard Jones and Culture Club. The show is on Saturday and kicks off at 3 p.m. Click here for schedule and details from Music Editor Leilani Polk.
Because we love a good country-city mouse story … Award-winning local actor/singer Becca McCoy has a real-life urbanite-in-the-boonies tale to tell. The performer who’s recently appeared as Sleeping Beauty in the Disney princess spoof Disenchanted!, talks and sings about how she went from working as a professional actor in Chicago to a stay-at-home mom in Palatka, Fla., in The Pearl in the Hogwaller, a new cabaret show at American Stage. Includes an eclectic mix of songs, Facebook statuses, and personal writings that goes from culture shock and displacement to appreciation and acceptance. The title, we’re told, comes from Palatka’s best-known attraction: a mudbog. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Aug. 15, 8 p.m. American Stage Theatre Company, 163 Third St. N., St Petersburg, americanstage.org.
A new market called So Tangerine! is using fresh produce and local art to bridge the gap between Gulfport and St. Petersburg's Greater Childs Park neighborhood. Starting Aug. 15, the newest bazaar in the Tampa Bay area will be a "Florida Market" that runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Click here for details.
Here and Now at SARTQ The Sarasota Art Collective affirms their local love with an abbreviated nickname that borrows from the area’s three-letter airport code “SRQ,” was founded and formed in early 2008 by local artists Tim Jaeger and Joseph Arnegger. Tonight the group will be hosting a great show featuring Tampa Bay artists along with those south of the Skyway. The redesigned 501c(3) network of accomplished Sarasota and Manatee artists presents their first 2015 exhibition in downtown Sarasota. Featured artists include: Andrew Long, Cassia Kite, Caui Lofgren, Daniel Miller, Elena De La Ville, Javier Rodriguez, Jenny Medved, Laine Nixon, Larry Forgard, Morgan Janssen, Natalya Swanson, Nathan Wilson, Noelle McCleaf, Steven Strenk, Tim Jaeger, Zachary Gilliland, and curated by Danny Olda. 6-9 p.m. Saturday. 1525 State St., Sarasota. Click here for more about SARTQ
Yo ho and a bottle of … This Saturday is the National Relaxation Day, so put aside those chores and just do something fun. Because it’s also the eve of National Rum Day, you can pack in a twofer — if that’s not too much effort and you don’t mind crowds. The Summer of Rum Festival will roll out its annual all-afternoon, all-evening fiesta at the historic Cuban Club. The event will fill three floors of the ornate historic building in Ybor with a mad assortment of concoctions and brands, including the launch of Carmelita’s Rum. The bands playing the fest appropriately have an ska-reggae/Afro-Caribbean bent, including Hip Abduction, UNRB, Control This, Badda Skat, Pressure Dem and Jim Morris. $17-$85. noon-11 p.m. 2010 Avenida Republica De Cuba, Tampa, 813-248-2954, summerofrumfest.com.
Heeeeere’s Jackie! That stare, that smirk, that swagger — there’s no actor quite like Jack Nicholson. Two of his all-time best roles will be featured back to back in a double feature screening in Capitol Theatre’s 70s Classic Movie Series. Start off with Jack as J. J. “Jake” Gittes in Chinatown, Roman Polanski’s lush 1974 noir mystery co-starring Faye Dunaway (a gig that began a lifetime feud between the actress and femme-obsessed director), screens at 7 p.m. The 1975 loony-bin classic that nabbed Nicholson a Best Actor Oscar, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, follows at 9 p.m. Warning: Arrive to the films on time or purchase your tickets in advance; they box office clerks pretty much disappear as soon as the movies start. Aug. 15, Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater, $7, atthecap.com.
Non-carbonated talent: You've seen him in 7-Up spots a while back, but he’s much more than a guy you know from commercials. Godfrey has more than two decades of stand-up experience and used to warm-up the crowds for “The Cosby Show.” Expect plenty of sharp wit and the likable personality that’s made him a staple in movies and television.He’s a sharp writer, tackling controversial topics with ease and animated storytelling. And to say he’s comfortable on stage is an understatement. He owns it, and his comedy stature keeps growing as he draws crowds around the country. Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. $15-$17. 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Tampa (Ybor City). Info: improvtampa.com or 813-864-4000. (Text by Michael Murillo)
A Peculiar Crossroads: A Celebration of Flannery O’Connor Silver Meteor Gallery presents a celebration of the life and art of a great Southern wit, portrayed by Betty-Jane Parks. 8 p.m. . Silver Meteor Gallery, Ybor City. Event page on Facebook.
The best film of the summer See a film that lives up the hype, The End of the Tour, at Tampa Theatre. Click here for for my 4.5-star review.
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2015.