Laura Troyer, Author at Creative Loafing Tampa - Page 3 of 3

Three smiling staff members wearing matching 'Pete's Bagels' t-shirts standing together in front of the menu board.

Pete’s Bagels opens in Tarpon springs

The Dolphin Gift Shop now has sponges with a side of schmear.

by Laura Troyer February 10, 2026February 10, 2026

Tampa Bay’s first Whataburger opens this week in Largo

Two more Tampa Bay spots are planned for this Spring.

by Laura Troyer February 10, 2026February 10, 2026

A still from 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart gazing at each other in a field of purple and white flowers.

Arts & Entertainment

Armature Works screens another ‘Twilight’ movie for free this month

How long have you been 17?

by Laura Troyer February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

A person wearing an oversized caricature mask of the rapper Bad Bunny, complete with braided hair and sunglasses, wearing a shiny blue jacket and sunglasses holding a lit sparkler at a party.

The 6 best places in Tampa Bay to watch Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show

Puerto Rico está bien cabrón.

by Selene San Felice, Ray Roa and Laura Troyer February 2, 2026February 2, 2026

A close-up side view of an ornate, white and gold Southern Lion Dance costume being performed outdoors. The lion head features fluffy white fur, shimmering gold sequins, and colorful pom-poms, with a large pink and gold decorative tongue hanging from the mouth. In the background, a sunny parking lot is visible with several people watching the performance near parked cars and a white building under a clear blue sky.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa artist is collecting funds to save Café Hey’s endangered lion dance

Michelle Sawyer is rallying support to keep Tampa Heights’ Chinese New Year tradition alive.

by Laura Troyer January 31, 2026January 31, 2026

Music

Ortrotasce is Tampa Bay’s lord of analog darkwave

Nic Hamersly’s most recent release, “Muscle Memory (Malfunctioning),” feels otherworldly.

by Laura Troyer January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

A black-and-white group portrait of three people standing on and near a set of railroad tracks. The individual on the left is wearing a striped polo shirt and dark trousers; the person in the center is wearing a sleeveless black top and sunglasses; and the person on the right is wearing a graphic t-shirt, sunglasses, and athletic sneakers. In the background, a large industrial building with graffiti and a "W X" railroad sign are visible.

Music

Tampa band Sleeping Pills fuses jagged post-punk with garage-y surf riffs and new-wave hooks

The outfit celebrates a new album, ‘Patterns in the Sea,’ in February.

by Laura Troyer January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

A warm-toned, slightly grainy group portrait of four people standing in a line, receding into the background. The individual in the foreground has wavy dark hair and is wearing a grey patterned knit sweater. The people behind them have varying hair lengths and colors, all looking toward the camera with neutral expressions in a dimly lit indoor setting with a soft green glow in the background.

Music

Tampa’s Social Wreckage blends indie-rock and punk to great effect

This band has made its home right at the intersection of melody and abrasion.

by Laura Troyer January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

Music

Tampa’s Pusha Preme blends rap with electro-soul

The masked artist has spent years building traction through sharp lyricism and a strong sense of identity.

by Laura Troyer January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

A flash-lit group portrait of three people holding bouquets of flowers. The individual on the left has voluminous curly dark hair and is wearing a brown textured button-down shirt with baby's breath tucked into the pocket. The person in the center has long wavy hair with a pink flower tucked behind their ear, looking upward. The person on the right has long curly dark hair and a wide smile, holding a bouquet of yellow and pink lilies.

Music

Jupiter Bloom is the indie-rock crew Tampa didn’t know it needed

The band’s releases and live shows alike feel youthful without being naive.

by Laura Troyer January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

A high-energy, wide-angle live music photograph taken from a low perspective. In the foreground, a person in a black t-shirt and baseball cap plays a light-colored bass guitar while another person in a light blue shirt stands with their hands on their head. A diverse crowd in a dimly lit venue is visible in the background, clapping and cheering under warm, streaking stage lights that create a sense of motion.

Music

Tampa’s Miller Lowlifes are the beer-sloshing uncle at the backyard barbecue of pop-punk

The Lowlifes’ full-length album, Pinch Hitters, dropped on storied Tampa punk label A.D.D. Records,

by Laura Troyer January 30, 2026January 30, 2026

Music

Six Tampa Bay bands to follow in 2026

Tampa Bay isn’t just incubating talent–it’s exporting it.

by Laura Troyer January 27, 2026January 30, 2026

Music

Pusha Preme says he’s headlining the ‘first ever’ Afro-symphony in Tampa

He’s giving out tickets via Instagram DM.

by Laura Troyer January 22, 2026February 24, 2026

Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers band promo photo featuring guitarists Mike Zito, Albert Castiglia, and Jimmy Vivino at Thalia Hall in Chicago.

Music

Bill Murray brings his all-star blues band to Clearwater this spring

Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia are in the lineup for Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers.

by Laura Troyer January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

Two white people looking at orchids amid a busy plant festival.

Arts & Entertainment

Plantapolooza takes over St. Pete’s Sunken Gardens this weekend

Ready, set, grow.

by Laura Troyer January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

A group of five white people sit on stools onstage for a panel in front of a film screen in a sunny outdoor venue.

Arts & Entertainment

Dunedin International Film Festival rolls out the red carpet this weekend

Filmmakers will answer questions after some screenings.

by Laura Troyer January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

Four people walk down a sidewalk smiling and laughing while carrying bags of litter and a discarded orange traffic cone. They are all wearing matching white t-shirts with a blue graphic, shorts, and baseball caps.

Neighborhood cleanup? There’s a Gasparilla for that

Gasparilla Clean Team turns Tampa’s trash into a community treasure.

by Laura Troyer January 19, 2026February 25, 2026