Ray Roa

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The Daily Beast. Products and media for review consideration should be sent to 204 E. Henderson Ave., Tampa, FL 33602.

rroa@cltampa.com

Two shirtless people celebrate in the stands of a large, crowded outdoor stadium at night. The individual on the left wears a white Tampa Bay Lightning baseball cap and sunglasses, holding up a black shirt and making a "rock on" hand gesture. The individual on the right wears a white bandana around their neck, a patterned headband, and teal-framed sunglasses. In the background, thousands of fans fill the stadium seats under bright arena lights, with a large video scoreboard visible in the distance.

Arts & Entertainment

Photos: At NHL Stadium Series, Tampa Bay Lightning fans get the best game ever

by Ray Roa and Nicole Abbett 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 high-energy group portrait of approximately ten people celebrating at the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Many are wearing pirate-themed attire, including red bandanas, gold jewelry, sunglasses, and colorful beaded necklaces. They are smiling and shouting toward the camera, with several individuals making "rock on" hand gestures while leaning against a metal crowd-control barricade. The outdoor background features palm trees and a residential building under an overcast sky.

Arts & Entertainment

Gasparilla 2026 photos: Every stone cold pirate we saw on Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard over the weekend

Their timbers were shivered.

by Ray Roa and Dave Decker February 2, 2026February 2, 2026

A wide-angle street view of a two-story historic red brick building on a corner, identified by a black sign as "THE BRICKS." The sidewalk in front features a yellow fire hydrant and two bright orange diamond-shaped construction signs that read "ROAD WORK AHEAD" and "ROAD CLOSED AHEAD." The scene is captured on a clear day with a blue sky and tall palm trees visible further down the street.

Property that’s home to Ybor City restaurant The Bricks has been sold

Plans for the restaurant are still unclear after the property transferred ownership in January.

by Ray Roa February 1, 2026February 9, 2026

A close-up of a wooden display stand at an outdoor market featuring "Beard & Beauty" skincare products. The top shelf holds glass dropper bottles of face oil and small jars of face masks, while the bottom shelf displays several bars of artisanal soap in brown paper packaging labeled "FACE." In the bright, out-of-focus background, customers are seen browsing the various vendor stalls under a white canopy.

Arts & Entertainment

Indie Flea returns to Tampa with pre-Valentines waterfront market

by Ray Roa January 31, 2026January 31, 2026

A wide shot of the Tampa City Council seated at a curved wooden dais during a morning workshop. Seven council members are visible behind the desk, with the City of Tampa seal and American and Florida flags centered on the wall behind them. A digital overlay in the corner identifies the meeting as a "Tampa City Council 9:00 a.m. Workshop" dated January 29, 2026.

Business alliance posts legal challenge over meeting discussing South Tampa’s Howard Avenue flood relief project

Attorneys for the City of Tampa say the meeting is not a violation of Sunshine Law.

by Jasmin Parrado and Ray Roa January 29, 2026January 29, 2026

Five individuals stand together with their arms around each other on a brick-lined rooftop during sunset. The group is dressed in a mix of casual styles, including green trousers, a red satin jacket, and a copper-colored jumpsuit. In the background, a sprawling city skyline featuring several skyscrapers is visible under a clear, pale blue sky.

Music

Gasparilla Music Festival 2026 lineup: Mt. Joy, Two Friends, Gov’t Mule coming to Tampa in April

More than 50 more acts will be announced soon.

by Ray Roa January 28, 2026January 29, 2026

A sunlit outdoor view of the entrance to the Hillsborough Community College (HCC) Dale Mabry Campus. The main signage consists of a concrete wall featuring the HCC seal and a large, grey mesh structure adorned with blue hawk silhouettes. Green shrubs line the base of the sign, with a clear blue sky and several palm trees in the background.

Letters: Hillsborough College is ready to play ball with the Rays, but are students getting shut out of the deal?

Is it in the best interest of Hillsborough College students and the surrounding community to confine academic growth while continuing a trend that prioritizes lucrative sports industries, unaffordable housing, more concrete and cars?

By Jeffrey RubinsteinJanuary 28, 2026January 28, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa comedians roast Gasparilla legend Jose Gaspar this week

Sure, you can roast a guy who didn’t exist.

by Ray Roa January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

The exterior of "Lara Apothecary Bar & Bazaar," a two-story tan brick building with a black awning and green double doors. The storefront features large windows reflecting the street, a vintage-style black lamppost with five white globe lights in the foreground, and a geometric tiled sidewalk out front.

Ybor City restaurant Lara celebrates first anniversary with free beer and tacos, more

Chef Suzanne Crouch opened the much-anticipated concept after years in other peoples’ kitchens.

by Ray Roa January 24, 2026January 26, 2026

A black-and-white portrait of a person with short white hair and a warm smile, wearing a patterned tuxedo jacket and a dark bow tie with a white flower pinned to the lapel. They are posed behind a dark surface, likely a piano, with dramatic lighting creating a soft shadow in the background.

Music

Al Downing Jazz Association hosts free Saturday concert in St. Pete

This annual concert honors Downing’s legacy as well as the work and teaching of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.

by Ray Roa January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

A musician with dark hair and a beard sings passionately into a microphone while playing an acoustic guitar during a live indoor performance. They are wearing a black graphic t-shirt and blue shorts. In the background, another individual plays acoustic guitar while seated, and a colorful banner with cartoon illustrations hangs behind the stage area.

Music

Minneapolis punk band Off With Their Heads returns to Tampa this weekend

Two totems of Florida punk and emo open at New World.

by Ray Roa January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

A studio portrait of a person with long, wavy blonde hair and pink lipstick, posed against a solid pink background. They are wearing a vibrant, one-shoulder tropical print garment featuring green palm leaves and orange-and-yellow Macaw patterns, finished with fringe on the sleeve.

Brazilian jazz artist Daniela Soledade debuts new band at St. Pete ‘Caricoa Nights’ concert

by Ray Roa January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

A close-up of a person wearing a black jacket, dark sunglasses, and a white and black baseball cap. They are holding a microphone to their mouth with a gold ring visible on their hand, gesturing with their other hand while standing in front of a bright window.

Music

BeatsNChill producer series brings Oakland rapper MG to Ybor City

The hang happens at The Bricks this Friday.

by Ray Roa January 21, 2026January 21, 2026

A musician in a bright orange jumpsuit and a white face mask tucked under their chin performs at a night event. They are focused on adjusting a synthesizer and mixer on a tiered stand, with a laptop displaying audio software in the foreground and green-tinted projections visible on the wall behind them.

Music

St. Pete bands stage Thursday benefit for photographer recovering from cancer

The 600 Block’s rock and roll heyday might’ve never been captured on film if it wasn’t for Brian Mahar.

by Ray Roa January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

Four members of a musical group smile together for a high-angle photo. They are gathered around an organ and a violin; one person wears a patterned shirt, another has blonde hair with a headband, another has reddish hair, and the fourth wears a brown hat with a feather and has blue-braided hair.

Music

Alligator Records’ Southern Avenue plays Tampa on Wednesday

Kristopher James opens at Skipper’s Smokehouse.

by Ray Roa January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

A large, energetic crowd of people dressed as pirates cheering and waving beads on the deck of a ship

Arts & Entertainment

All the best Gasparilla events of 2026

It’s p-arrrrgh-ty time, Tampa Bay.

by Ray Roa and Selene San Felice January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

A live concert photograph features Morrissey singing into a microphone on stage, accompanied by a guitarist in a pink shirt playing a yellow semi-hollow body electric guitar.

Music

Morrissey just canceled his Tuesday concert in St. Pete

Bigmouth, who was supposed to play Mahaffey Theater on Jan. 20, strikes again.

by Ray Roa January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

A performer with long dreadlocks and face tattoos walks through a crowd at night, wearing a leopard-print coat and layered necklaces, while people around them hold up phones with camera lights on.

Music

Photos: Trippie Redd, Riff Raff and Waka Flocka Flame play Ybor City’s Cuban Club

By Ray Roa / Photos by Dorvell FergusonJanuary 19, 2026January 19, 2026

A black metal sidewalk sign reads “Creative Loafing Free,” mounted on a stand against a white stucco wall.

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has been sold, and is locally-owned for the first time since 2009

A group of current employees and two new partners completed the purchase on Thursday afternoon.

by Ray Roa January 15, 2026January 15, 2026