Sola at USF — dance by women, for women
USF’s new dance performance defies restraints on artists in the 21st century.
Album review: FKA twigs’ LP1
A debut record continues the growing trend of PBR&B — intensely weird music mixing soul and avant-garde pop
Q&A/book review: Author Kathleen Flinn, author of Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good
The foodie author chats with CL before her visit to Inkwood Books this Monday.
Volunteer for Gulfport’s Gecko Fest
Dozens of volunteer opportunities are still available for GeckoFest on Saturday, Aug. 30th. Gulfport’s largest street festival — a family-friendly spin on Mardi Gras — attracts 30,000-plus people annually and event organizers are still recruiting volunteers. Volunteer shifts are typically two hours long and are available throughout the day from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m.…
Fall Arts Preview 2014 — Envisioning the Enclave
If the adage “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” were only literal truth, St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District Association would be well on its way to raising $350,000 before Nov. 1 to create a 50,000-square-foot complex of below-market rate artists’ studios by renovating the five warehouses of the Ace Recycling compound at 515 22nd…
Lights on Tampa 2015: A bright future
The electronic arts and light festival Lights On Tampa returns to downtown on Feb. 20 and 21, 2015. The program, begun in 2006 and reprised in 2009, 2011 and 2012, commissions new artworks to illuminate the city’s landscape during the event and, in some cases, year ’round. Last year, it got a $50,000 boost from…
Michael Weston says he’s the candidate for blue-collar voters in School Board District 2 race
Although the political establishment in Tampa has essentially conceded the Hillsborough County School Board District 2 race to Michelle Popp Shimberg, Michael Weston isn't buying it. The 58-year-old former IT consultant and schoolteacher hasn't raised nearly as much in campaign contributions as Shimberg (nor earned the endorsements of the Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times), but…
Rick Scott says he’ll spend more money on per student spending than anyone ever has in Florida
To paraphrase a hackneyed John McCain saying, Rick Scott has been spending (or more accurately, proposing to spend) more money than a drunken sailor on the 2014 campaign trail, and he made his boldest funding proposal of the campaign this morning, announcing an increase in total state funding for education to over $19.6 billion. That…
Mitch Perry Report 8.21.14 – Ferry project temporarily capsized?
A year and a half ago, the Board of Hillsborough County Commission approved $125,000 to study a future ferry service that initially would run between Apollo Beach to MacDill Air Force Base, with the potential to go to downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg. Since then, the project has moved along swimmingly, with former County Commissioner…
Fall Arts Preview 2014: Theater
What to watch for at American Stage, Stageworks, freeFall, USF, Jobsite and the Studio@620.
Fall Arts Preview 2014: Visual Art
Don’t miss… Ruth Bernhard: Body and Form Bernhard, a black-and-white photographer of the mid-20th century who associated with Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, her mentor, saw abstract beauty in the bodies of women. An FMoPA exhibition affirms her legacy—Bernhard died in 2006 in San Francisco at the age of 101 — and highlights…
Fall Arts Preview 2014: Movies
Don’t miss .. Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival TIGLFF has always been a fabulous cinematic celebration, but this year’s event marks a particularly meaningful milestone — 25 years. Headlined by an appearance by legendary filmmaker John Waters performing his one-man show This Filthy World: Filthier & Dirtier, this year’s fest will also feature…
Florida DOC Secretary vows to correct serious problems in state prisons
A year ago, the Legislature and Governor Rick Scott authorized the privatization of health care services to the state's Department of Corrections. The state ended up choosing Corizon to provide such care, at a guaranteed seven percent reduction in savings from the state's in-house health providers. Corizon is the most powerful health care provider for…
Fall Restaurant Preview 2014: New joints to fall for
Autumn restaurant openings on both sides of the bay.
Passionate preserves
At home with St. Petersburg’s Urban Canning Company.
Restaurant review: C’est magnifique at Tampa’s Bizou Brasserie
Bizou at Le Méridien adds American twists without compromising French flair.
Rick Scott (sort of) discusses his talk with climate scientists
After meeting with climate scientists in his office in Tallahassee on Tuesday afternoon, Rick Scott was mum with the press immediately afterwards on what the half-hour encounter actually meant to him regarding his thoughts about climate change. The Governor has dismissed the idea that human beings have anything to do with the earth's rising temperatures,…
Good People Drink Good Beer—And Beer Fest Will Have Plenty of It!
T-minus three days until Beer Fest at MOSI. Are you ready? We are! If you haven’t already gotten your tickets, there’s still time! But you better hurry. We just sold out of 2-4-1 deals. Procrastinators, you're in luck! You still have two more days to get tickets for $45 (until August 22nd) or you can purchase tickets the…
Gina Vivinetto to curate night of local bands covering New Wave at Palladium
St. Pete writer, professor and noted '80s-music addict Gina Vivinetto (DISCLOSURE: She's written for CL before) has announced via her Facebook page that she's putting together a night of New Wave coverage at St. Pete venue the Palladium Theater on Sunday, October 26. According to Vivinetto's post, this will be an early show featuring six…
Partying Russian-style with St. Petersburg Nights
Dine and dance during Russian Nights at the St. Petersburg Nights restaurant.
Activists want Jolly to consider bill to provide undocumented immigrants attorneys
One of the biggest domestic stories to take place this summer has been the tens of thousands of undocumented children coming across the southern border from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, many escaping from drug violence. Concerned about the fact that many of these children are going before immigration judges without legal representation, House Democrats…
Mitch Perry Report 8.20.14 The Ice Bucket Challenge — more than slacktivisim?
You'd have to have been on another planet these days not to have heard of the Ice Bucket Challenge, or should I say #icebucketbchallenge, which has become all the rage in late summer. It seems like when you see one of your favorite celebs getting ice dumped on his head, the real message is getting…
Southern Darkness Fest crushes Ybor City this Saturday with Pelican and others
A giant influx of heavy crushing bands – 27 to be exact – amass in Ybor City for the inaugural Southern Darkness Fest. Three venues play host to metal of most types (heavy, sludge, drone, black, post-, stoner, doom) as well as hard rock, hardcore (regular and punk varieties), grindcore, crust punk, d-beat, power violence,…
Avenue owner plunges into the Ice Bucket Challenge (with video)
Stephen Schrutt of the Avenue puts a spin on the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge trend.
Photo review: Motley Crue’s farewell tour featuring Alice Cooper and The Raskins
A look back at the Aug. 17, 2014 show, in photos
Report says 1 in 6 Tampa Bay residents seeks food assistance through food banks
Feeding America Tampa Bay is the local affiliate of the nation's largest food bank network, Feeding America. Today the national group released what they are calling the most comprehensive examination of hunger in the U.S. It includes sobering statistics about what is happening on the local front in terms of the issue of hunger. Here…
New study says legalizing same-sex marriage would be an economic boon for the Sunshine State
While Pam Bondi wants to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to make the ultimate decision about whether the ban on same-sex marriage in Florida is unconstitutional, supporters are touting a new study released today from UCLA’s Williams Institute shows that Florida’s economy would get a massive economic boost from extending the freedom to marry to…
Yes, you can now play pingpong for free in downtown Tampa
Instagram (@theurbanconga) Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn (left) and Urban Conga founder Ryan Swanson go head to head at the unveiling of "Ping Pong In The Park" on July 25, 2014. Passersby may have noticed a new, big ol' bright pink table in Tampa's Lykes Gaslight Square. Well, it's calling your name. The permanent piece is…
Mark Nash goes negative on Pat Kemp a week before primary
Up until now the Democratic primary for Hillsborough County Commission's District 7 countywide seat between Pat Kemp and Mark Nash has been a relatively genteel affair. Not anymore. Over the weekend, residents in Hillsborough County received a direct mail piece put out by the Nash campaign that accuses Kemp of failed leadership when she was…
New Music Tuesday! (August 19): Wiz Khalifa, Benjamin Booker, Dr. John, Beach Day & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
Mike Epps is one of three headliners at Wild 94.1's Shut Up and Laugh event at The Mahaffey on Friday. Nationally-touring headliners and local talent make up this week's stand-up fare. The list ranges from comedians with television and movie credits to guys who just have a long resume of making audiences laugh. Either way,…
Tampa Bay’s weekly literary happenings
New York Times bestseling author Randy Wayne White is at Inkwood Books Wednesday, Aug. 20. Elizabeth Phillips Goehringer, an accomplished photographer, graphic artist, poet and author, will speak at the next East Lake Community Library Author Showcase Tuesday, Aug. 19, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Her latest book, Fuel for the Fire: A Photographer Looks at…
Geek culture goes to pasture — a look back at The Brony Gala
Plushies and figures as far as the eye could see.
Mitch Perry Report 8.19.14: Here’s to one foreign policy success
It was almost exactly a year ago (August 21, 2013) that the government of Bashar al-Assad was reported to have used poison gas to kill more than 1,400 Syrians, prompting a major crisis for President Obama, who had earlier declared that if Assad dared to use such chemical weapons, he would simply "have to go."…
Tonight in live music: Michael McDonald & Toto
The co-headliners on this tour have been working together on various projects for more than three decades. Members of LA rock band Toto met the blue-eyed soulful former Doobie Brother via Steely Dan and the DBs, and collaborated with Michael McDonald on his 1982 solo debut, If That's What It Takes; he returned the favor…
Concert review: WMNF Groovefest 5 at Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
A look back at the Saturday fest; photos included.
Noms for the Emmys
Recipes influenced by Emmy Awards candidates Orange is the New Black and True Detective.
David Jolly working on bill that would require local law enforcement to be trained to use military equipment
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon lifted a curfew in Ferguson today, hours after deploying the Missouri National Guard to try to tamp down the civic unrest that has lasted for over a week now in the aftermath of an unarmed black teenager being killed by a white police officer. The tensions have persisted in Ferguson even…
Tampa Bay Congressional delegation comes together to laud Tampa International Airport
It's rare when the four members of the House of Representatives from the Tampa Bay area meet for a local news conference, but when it comes to lavishing praise on one of the region's most prized assets —Tampa International Airport — it's apparently a no-brainer for all of them to show up. The news hook…
David Gregory leaves Meet The Press without getting to say goodbye
Most Sundays on this blog, this reporter usually writes up the highlights of one of the Sunday morning political shows. Sort of a "we watch so you don't have to" summary. Many of those reports have summed up what happened on NBC's Meet The Press with David Gregory, who has been hosting the weekly program…
Mitch Perry Report 8.18.14: Political consultants think Eastern Hillsborough voters are pretty stupid
Eastern Hillsborough is easily the most socially conservative part of the vast county, but there are a sizable number of Democrats out there who believe that credible moderate candidates have a chance. No doubt the Republican Party of Florida was worried about that during the last 10 days of the 2012 campaign, when they feared that…
John’s Pass tradition introduces seafood showdowns
Aug. 23 is the deadline for eateries interested in competing at the John’s Pass Seafood Festival.
Stolen motorcycle restored, returned to veteran
This past June, local Iraq war Veteran Paul Badillo’s motorcycle was stolen from in front of his Tampa apartment. He said he thought he was being followed that day and it turned out he was. As a Black Hawk crew member when he served in the Army, tinkering with his bike was not only therapeutic…
UPDATE: Bee Against Monsanto celebrates National Honeybee Day
In celebration of National Honeybee Day, the Tampa born activist group Bee Against Monsanto gathered for a protest at the Stained Marketplace in Ybor City on Saturday. Before they set out on a march through downtown Ybor, they hosted a family friendly education and awareness meet-up with merchandise, literature, signs, toys and fresh ice water.…
Pinellas House candidates take their case to libertarians in Clearwater
Early voting for what will undoubtedly be a low turnout primary election began Saturday in Pinellas County, but one of the few intriguing primary races could be in the Democratic contest in House District 67 (Clearwater & Largo), where Shawna Vercher is competing against Steve Sarnoff and Thomas Ryan. "We cannot run the third largest state…
Do This — The Weekend Top 10
The riverfront spot known as the Water Works Park has been a secret spot to watch the sunset and eat some takeout with a lovely view. Too special to languish in obscurity, the city of Tampa has revamped the park to make it a family-friendly landmark with new landscaping, a water attraction, playground equipment and a…
Florida championship mixed martial arts events in Brandon
This weekend features a plethora of sports options for Tampa Bay fans, including the Tampa Bay Rays three-game series against the New York Yankees and the historic rivalry match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the New York Cosmos. For those looking for something outside the box, the Florida Championship Fighting organization will hold a…
Tampa Bay Rowdies meet historic rival New York Cosmos
After a 1-1 road trip that extended over two weeks, the Tampa Bay Rowdies begin a two-game home stand when they host the New York Cosmos in a 7:30 p.m. match on Saturday, Aug. 16 at Al Lang Field. The Rowdies sit alone in third with nine points, one ahead of the Cosmos, six behind…
Movie review: Teenagers vanquish our dystopian future (yes, again) in The Giver
Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep and more populate the latest adaptation of a YA classic.
Crist brings bus tour to Tampa as he pledges to “Restore the Cuts” to education
Charlie Crist speaks to supporters As the campaign to become Florida's next governor continues, signs are appearing of Charlie Crist going on the offensive after a summer on the receiving end of attack ads that has turned the race slightly in Scott's favor. While the three-day, five-city tour under the slogan “Restore the Cuts” may…
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter T
The alphabetical rap battles continue…and can you guess who won ‘T’?
Tonight in live music: OFF!, Hail Dale Pale Ale Release Party & more
Thank god it's Friday. Here's some music that's happening all over Tampa Bay tonight. OFF! with Gay Kiss Seething, roiling and raging through potent, muscular, to-the-point odes is LA’s Off!, a hardcore punk supergroup made up of Black Flag/Circle Jerks vocalist Keith Morris, Rocket From The Crypt drummer Mario Rubalcaba, Burning Brides guitarist/frontman Dimitri Coats and…
Mitch Perry Report 8.15.14 – Opposition to the militarization of police forces goes mainstream
A calm came over Ferguson, Missouri last night after Governor Jay Nixon ordered the state highway patrol to take over security operations from local law enforcement. That move came days after local passions exploded with the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old who was killed by the police in what have been characterized as "disputed…
Drink More Wine: Kings of riesling
Winemakers in Germany and Washington are redefining the varietal.
Floridians demand fair rates from Duke Energy
Recently activists in the Tampa Bay area have held events calling out lawmakers who oppose climate change. Today at a press conference in front of Duke Energy’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, City Councilman Karl Nurse and Representative Dwight Dudley joined activists with Floridians for Fair Rates, the Consumer Action Network, NextGen and Progress Florida did just…
Concert review: Miniature Tigers at Crowbar, Kishi Bashi at New World Brewery, Ybor City
A look back at the Tue., Aug. 12 shows.
Hillsborough County school board candidate Dipa Shah reacts to negative mailer
Hillsborough County School Board candidate Dipa Shah broke her silence today regarding that attack mailer that was sent to households in the county last weekend, that accused her of being opposed to "traditional values." "I entered the school board race hoping to improve the education and opportunities for the children of Hillsborough County," Shaw said today…
Watch Ty Segall’s incredible Conan performance, then see him in Tampa next month
Ty Segall destroys on Conan with “Feel” before heading to Tampa’s Epic Problem Sept. 12.
John Waters to headline 25th anniversary TIGLFF event Oct. 4
Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Executive Director Margaret Murray announced today that famed film director John Waters will be headlining a 25th anniversary event at Tampa Theatre on Oct. 4, 6:30-9 p.m. Waters will perform his acclaimed one-man show, Dirty, Filthy World: Dirtier & Filthier. After the show, the midnight movie master will…
Uber and Lyft not impressed by PTC’s half-way measures
(UPDATE) Is that all there is? That appears to be the sentiment of ride-sharing behemoths Uber and Lyft after the Hillsborough County Public Transportation proposed two changes to regulations that critics of the agency have been calling on for years. One is on the long derided minimum fare rate (for which the PTC is currently being…
Holy crap, Afghan Whigs cover The Police and it’s awesome
The reinvigorated act unleashes another unexpected high-quality cover.
High on style: Goodwill toward kids
Thrifting: When one visits several different thrift shops, second-hand shops, and vintage clothing stores in the hopes of buying several items of cheap and unusual clothing and other items. One usually does this with friends. —Urban Dictionary Sounds like the ideal option for back-to-school shopping, right? Styling on a budget can be challenging, but it…
Dark & Sinful: Viva Europa!
I got lucky last winter. A good friend of mine asked me to teach a poetry class at a two-week literary program in Lisbon: my first trip overseas. The complimentary, Solo cup-sized glass of wine, and some more-than-the-doctor-prescribed Xanax, made the flight fly by. I fell in love with my hotel’s breakfast buffet, where a…
Save Water, Drink Beer!
By now, you’ve heard about Beer Fest—and if you haven’t, you’ve been living under a rock! Beer Fest at MOSI is back with a vengeance with twice as much craft beer as last year: more than 90 local and national craft beers, to be exact. The Official Beer List is mind-blowing (you can check it…
Head of the class: Asher Edelson is Hillsborough’s youngest school board candidate
Asher Edelson leans against the bar at Maestro’s, waiting for his name to be called. The Straz Center eatery plays host once a month to the Tampa Tiger Bay Club, and today 10 candidates for the Hillsborough County School Board are about to engage in a Q&A with the public. He’s not noticeably nervous, though…
Theater review — Miracle on South Division Street
Miracle on South Division Street runs through Aug. 17 at Bininger Theatre, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-864-7811, 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, $25-$30 There’s almost a miracle in Act Two of Miracle on South Division Street, the ultimately disappointing comedy being offered these days by A Simple Theatre in residence at Eckerd College. What happens…
Live and Local Spotlight: Sunshine Drenchy Records Party
St. Petersburg’s boutique label Sunshine Drenchy Records reps some high-class talent and five acts on its roster hit the Palladium during a special showcase party. [More info after the jump.] The past several months have seen The Ditchflowers on hiatus while member Ed Woltil worked the solo angle and pimped a fresh LP, Paper Boats,…
Meet the Brewers: Jon McCracken of St. Pete Brewing
When word got out in late 2012 that St. Pete Brewing Company — whose Orange Wheat beer was already popular at other pubs — was opening in the heart of downtown St. Pete, ’Burg beer aficionados collectively smiled, high-fived, and waited. And waited. And waited. But that’s all behind the brewpub now. St. Pete Brewing…
Meet the Brewers: Jay Dingman of Barley Mow Brewing Co.
Jay Dingman looks around the cavernous 20,000-square-foot warehouse, from the stacks of hundreds of empty kegs to the two guys raking dirt in preparation for a bug treatment and cement pour. “We should be cranking beer out of here by October 1,” he says, then laughs, shaking his head. “I’d been saying for a long…
Meet the Brewers: Tim Shackton of Ulele
Ulele, the latest Tampa foodie destination from iconic local restaurateur Richard Gonzmart’s Columbia Restaurant Group, will open on August 26. It’s the ultimate payoff for a heady anticipatory buzz that’s been building for the better part of a year. But that’s only a fraction of the time head brewer Tim Shackton has been working, refining…
Concert review: Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden storm MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater
A look back at the Mon., Aug. 11 show; photos & slideshow included
Meet the Brewers: Greg Rapp of Rapp Brewing
To find ratebeer.com’s Top New Florida Brewer of 2013, you wouldn’t go to downtown St. Pete, or Ybor City. You’d head instead to that Central Pinellas County no-man’s-land where Largo, Seminole and southern Clearwater sort of, kind of, maybe don’t blend into one another. You’d turn off of Bryan Dairy Road into your standard, unassuming…
Meet the Brewers: David Doble of Tampa Bay Brewing Company
If you follow craft beer, you’ve probably read about some of the hurdles that small breweries face in an economy dominated by corporations, and the influence their profits buy. Real estate. Licensing. Distribution. Marketing. It goes on and on. While the recent explosion of local commercial brewing has brought some of these issues back to…
Meet the Brewers: Devon Kreps & Justin Stange of 7venth Sun
The two principals of Dunedin’s 7venth Sun came to brewing via very different paths, but their complementary styles and experiences have come together to create one of the most talked-about breweries on the Tampa Bay craft beer scene. Devon Kreps studied fermentation science at Oregon State before making her bones with Anheuser-Busch, working in the…
Meet the Brewers: Richard Crance of Dunedin Brewery
It’s virtually impossible to be a Bay area beer lover and not be intimately familiar with Dunedin Brewery, Florida’s oldest family-owned microbrewery. It’s an institution with a welcoming vibe and friendly crew who work diligently to keep things in the (extended) family. Case in point: brewer Richard Crance (foreground at left), who got his job…
Meet the Brewers: Brian Fenstermacher of Southern Brewing & Winemaking
In the midst of a scene full of brewers scrambling to expand and take full advantage of the local (and national) craft beer boom, Brian Fenstermacher and Seminole Heights’ Southern Brewing & Winemaking are happy to stay small. “I was able to circle back around to what I liked,” he says. “We don’t distribute. We…
Meet the Brewers: Khris Johnson of Green Bench Brewing
Ya gotta admit it: The Green Bench brewery in St. Pete’s EDGE District is impressive. Modern construction, roomy patio, plenty of green space for kids to play or food trucks to park. But would it matter if the beer weren’t great? In the months since opening, head brewer Khris Johnson’s offerings have only gotten more…
Meet the Brewers: Doug Dozark of Cycle Brewing
"I think it was inevitable,” says Doug Dozark of Tampa Bay’s burgeoning craft brewery scene. “There was really no way around it. Once craft beer passed 10 years of popularity elsewhere, it was officially not a fad, it was a trend that was coming. In 2009, there were breweries that survived the recession and by…
Meet the Brewers: Ty Weaver and Steve Buyens of 3 Daughters Brewing
If craft beer was ever the province of some hip, haughty more-in-the-know-than-you clique — and it was — then it’s not anymore. Craft breweries want to be successful, and that means reaching an audience beyond insiders and diehards. There’s a new populism to craft beer, and it’s embodied not only in big, fun, family-friendly spaces…
Meet the Brewers: Wayne Wambles of Cigar City Brewing
Cigar City is unarguably one of Tampa’s most nationally visible craft brew brands. Beers like the Jai Alai IPA and annually heralded Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout have gained countrywide recognition, thanks not only to their obvious quality but also to the muscle, means and marketing Cigar City has brought to its efforts. And while Joey Redner…
Savage love: Pups
Dan Savage helps out with puppy play and multi-gendered relationships.
Meet the Brewers
The men and women behind local beer.
