Best Acid Trip Comedown: The Venus 'Ancestor Stimulator'
The Venus 'Ancestor Stimulator'
The Venus’ 19-track debut album was written in 2016 with a lot of psychedelics on hand; that time forced frontman Alexander Charos to face pain that’d been buried deep within him. A new album, Ancestor Simulator, captures the inevitable comedown of that chemical whirlwind, but it’s also a poignant and artfully composed and produced reflection on what it’s like to face America’s demons head on and fight for a more just and equitable world. “I’m more hopeful now for our country than I’ve been in a long time. I hope that we can keep this momentum going and actually change policy and vote out the final old guard of racists and bigots,” Charos told CL.”Don’t stop protesting and don’t stop singing.” thevenus.bandcamp.com —Ray Roa
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Best of the Bay 2020 Arts & Entertainment: Our readers and critics pick the best in local theater, poets, museums and so much more.
Critics' Picks
Best Beautiful Reminder That We’re Wasteful Pieces of Shit
Best BLM Protest Sign-Making Station
Best Four-Wheeled It’s About Time
Best New New Year’s Eve Tradition
Best Online Making Art Campaign
Best Raising Awareness For Human Trafficking
Best Remember Us When You’re A Megastar
Best Virtual Literary Litertainment During Lockdown
Readers' Picks
Best Book by a Local Author Published in the Last 12 Months
Best Gallery (Non-Museum) Show
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Best of the Bay 2020 Food & Drink: Our critics and readers pick all the best things that made their mouths water in 2020.
Food & Drink Critics' Picks
Best Coffee Shop Boss Who’s More Than That
Best End To The Week (That’s Not Happy Hour)
Best Gastronomic Antidote to 2020
Best Gluten-Free & Vegan Bakery
Best Greek Diner That’s Not a Diner
Best Irish Pub That Survived the Quarantine
Best Kosher Food For The Restaurant Worker Soul
Best Locally-Published Comfort Food Cookbook
Best Making The Best Out Of A Shitty Situation
Best New Use For An Old Favorite
Best NY-Style Pizza (St. Pete)
Best Place To Fill Yuh Nalgene With Beer
Best Place To Own The Libs
Best Restaurant Design Revelation
Best Way To DIY Japanese Cusiine At Home
Best Way To Support Your Local Coffee Shop While Ity’s Closed And Adapted To Coronavrius
Best Well-Intentioned Knee-Jerk Reaction
Best You Giveth And COVID Taketh Away
Worst COVID-19 Coffee Shop Casualty
Food & Drink Readers' Picks
Best Ice Cream/Gelato/Frozen Yogurt
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
Best Neighborhood Bar, Hillsborough
Best Neighborhood Bar, Pinellas
Best New Brewery, Hillsborough
Best Seminole Heights Restaurant
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant
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Best of the Bay 2020 Goods & Services: Our critics and readers pick the best goods and services in Tampa Bay.
Goods & Services Critics' Picks
Best Badass Lady Tattooer Shop
Best Bus Tour You Should Go On
Best Clean Ass Sticker Tattoos
Best Easy Meal Hack/Way To Impress Your New Boyfriend Or Girlfriend
Best Excuse For Chugging A Beer Before 8 a.m. (Pre-COVID)
Best Gym (If Diversity Matters To You)
Best Local Kids Brain Builders
Best Locally Produced Etsy Product
Best Local Veterinarian Office That Gives A Damn And Won’t Rip You Off
Best Next Best Thing To Actually Talking To A Record Store Employee
Best New Thing That’s Old To Happen In Ybor
Best Nonprofit That Actually Puts Its Money To Its Mission
Best Nonprofit That Shouldn’t Have To Exist
Best Place To Play With Baby Goats
Best Plant Therapy To Make Staying At Home More Pleasant
Best Reason For A Big-Box Music Fan To Fall In Love With An Indie
Best Unintentional Pandemic ‘Stimulus’
Best Way To Teach Your Kids About Equality
Best Yoga Studio For Beginners
Goods & Services Readers' Picks
Best Clothing Boutique (Women)
Best Doctor for a Nip and Tuck
Best Locally-Owned Business You Wish Hadn't Gone Out of Business (in the last 12 months)
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Best of the Bay 2020 Music: Our readers and critics pick the best songwriters, rock and rollers, clubs, DJs and more.
Music Critics' Picks
Best Coronavirus Concert Livestream
Best Coronavirus Concert Livestream That Landed A Local Band On Forbes
Best COVID-19 Concert Scene Cage Rattler
Best Dojo Where There’s No Karate
Best Eerily Relevant Concept Album
Best Guitarist (Senior Division)
Best Guitarist (Youngblood Division)
Best Last Music Festival Before It All Went To Shit
Best Local Music Gear Transition
Best Local Who Technically Won A Grammy This Year
Best On-Air Celebration of Local Music
Best Pandemic-Induced Exit-Entrance
Best Place To Get Irreparable Ear Damage And See A WMNF-er Twerk
Best Pube-y Product Placement
Best Rapper-Turned Ally For The Working Class
Best That Was Great While It Lasted
Best Tribute To An Adopted Local Legend
Best Unlikely Venue That Got Saved By Its Community
Music Readers' Picks
Best Concert in the Last 12 Months
Best Large Concert Venue (2,000-plus capacity)
Best Metal/Hardcore Band (Original)
Best Music School (Institutional/academic)
Best Music School (Non-Academic)
Best Roots/Alt-Country Act (Original)
Best Small Concert Venue (Under 2,000 capacity)
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Best of the Bay 2020 People, Places and Politics: Our critics and readers pick the best—and shittiest—people, places and politicians of the last year.
People, Places & Politics Critics' Picks
Best Case of Mistaken Identity
Best High School Newspaper Story
Best Hometown Reality Show Connection
Best Instagram To Live Vicariously Through
Best It's About Time (Asphalt Division)
Best It's About Time (Racist Intonation Division)
Best Local News App Push Notification
Best Poor Choice Of A Hill To Die On, Vol. I
Best Poor Choice Of A Hill To Die On, Vol. 2
Best Safe Space To Bike From South Tampa To The Heights
Best Shit Starter (In A Good Way)
Best Socially Distant Day Trip
Biggest South Tampa Asshole Until Coronavirus Arrived
Best Thorn in Scientology's Side
Best Way To Get A Kids-Glove Editorial In The Daily Newspaper
Best Way To Keep Sports Fans In Their Seats During A Pandemic
Best We Don't Give A Fuck Anymore
Best You Knew This Would End Badly
People, Places & Politics Readers' Picks
Best Environmental Organization
Best Neighborhood, Hillsborough
Best Personality to Follow on Twitter
Best Place to Instagram A Selfie
Best Place to Socially Distance
Best Up-And-Coming Radio Personality
Best Waste of Taxpayers' Money
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Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you up to the minute news on how Coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
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Allendale Methodist Church
St. Petersburg’s Allendale United Methodist Church has been no stranger to activism since 2017, so it came as no surprise to see the house of worship say something about the murder of George Floyd. One side of the church sign said “George Floyd was lynched today by the police. We can’t breathe!” while the other reads, “White Supremacy: The most dangerous virus infecting our country since 1492.” We’re going to need this kind of moral clarity and gumption to call it like it is over the next month, and maybe four years. allendaleumc.org —Ray Roa
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'Pint And A Pocket'
Ron DeSantis’ lack of a plan to combat, track and contain coronavirus is extremely bad news for bars and breweries, and while many of them are still navigating the governor’s fuck up, several took Halsey Beshears (DeSantis’ Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation since Jan. 2019) upon his 509 restaurant license loophole that basically let any bar open if it served food. None pointed out the ludicrousness of the 509 gimmick louder than Dissent Craft Brewing Company which offered a Hot Pocket and pint of beer special to patrons both desperate to get out of the house and pour money into one of their favorite breweries. dissentcraftbrewing.com —Ray Roa
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Tampa Bay Times Mugshot Galleries
Progressive media junkies have long questioned the continued use of mugshots by Tampa Bay Times (and other papers across the country). In the midst of the George Floyd protests and a push for racial justice, Sarasota Herald-Tribune—alongside all Gannet-owned properties—made the decision to discontinue the publication of mugshot galleries. The following day, June 10, CL contributor Jo Ellen Schilke further explored the ethics of TBT’s continued use of the photos in her article, “It’s 2020, and The Tampa Bay Times still has a mugshot gallery.” Five days later on June 15, the Times announced plans to drop its mugshot galleries. “The galleries lack context and further negative stereotypes. We think the data is an important resource that our newsroom will continue to analyze and watch carefully, but the galleries alone serve little journalistic purpose,” Executive Editor Mark Katches said in a statement. It’s about damn time. —Jenna Rimensnyder
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Winner: SOHO Juice Co. sohojuiceco.com
Second Place: Sweet Soul ilovesweetsoul.com
Runner Up: Escape Root Juicery escaperootjuicery.com
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2020.
