Ladies Rock premiers new grrl bands in St. Pete this weekend
I’m joining about two dozen women and nonbinary folks for Ladies Rock camp in St. Pete, where we’ll form bands, learn instruments and collaborate on an original song for the big show.
Dunedin celebrates Mardi Gras next week with a concert and parade
Downtown Dunedin turns into the Latin Quarter this Fat Tuesday with a parade along Douglas Avenue.
Lunar Lantern Festival lights up Dade City this weekend
The family-friendly festival promises a “massive” lantern release, along with traditional Lion Dance performances, a $1,000 “Squid Game”-style challenge and dozens of Asian street food and retail vendors.
Ahead of Clearwater concert, production legend Don Was reveals the album that set him free
Yes, the band gets through pretty much the entirety of the record—a six-tracker of soulful, Detroit-esque renditions of songs that have spoken to Was and friends—but Bob Weir’s passing last month shook Was to his core, so it was almost inevitable for him to throw a whole Grateful Dead portion into the set.
Tampa City Ballet opens studio for behind-the-scenes show this week
This intimate evening inside its rehearsal room brings together finished works from the company’s repertoire alongside a live, in-progress choreographic demonstration led by guest choreographer Osnel Delgado.
Dads’ Kitchen and Co. taking over 2D Cafe spot in St. Pete
Dads’ Kitchen and Co. is owned by Nicholas Ellis and Joseph Christianson, who describe themselves on social media as “two proud dads raising four incredible kids.”
![Wharton High students walk out to protest ICE [Photos]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/untitled-38-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Wharton High students walk out to protest ICE [Photos]
Florida schools are under pressure from state leaders to stop student protests.
Pete’s Bagels opens in Tarpon springs
The opening follows a period of steady expansion for the St. Pete-born bagel spot, which launched a drive-thru location and introduced a café concept, Seymour’s, last year.
Tampa Bay’s first Whataburger opens this week in Largo
Eight spots are planned to open across Bay area by the end of 2027, with additional restaurants already slated for Brandon and Lutz in spring 2026. The brand now operates 48 locations statewide.
The company proposing a new cruise port in Tampa Bay has a history of violating environmental laws
A well known marine developer says it will conserve Rattlesnake Key. Court settlements and the company’s record in other parts of the country have environmentalists in doubt. SSA Marine sparked outrage last month when it announced plans to build a large cruise ship port in the 328-acre Knott-Cowen tract—with promises of “conservation” for the 710-acre…
Why Florida is hiding its data center boom
Lawmakers are weighing the costs of corporate secrecy and the centers’ intensive demands for energy and water.
In the Panhandle, Jay Collins boosts raises for correction officers amid misconduct investigation
The governor and the Florida Department of Corrections are requesting $374 million to raise base pay for corrections officers, probation officers, inspectors, and non-uniformed staff from $22 an hour to $28 an hour.
DeSantis’ ‘AI Bill of Rights’ stalls in House
Only the Senate has moved DeSantis’ desired “Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights” and his call to lessen the impact of massive data centers on utility ratepayers.
‘You can’t erase truth’: Black History Month events around Tampa Bay
The celebration marks its 100th anniversary this year.
Photos: Sex Mex brings Texas flavor to Bradenton
It got nice and spicy in Bradenton last Friday when Nathan Gray brought his Texas rock band Sex Mex to Oscura. The bill featured a triumvirate of Tampa Bay punk, too, thanks to Pet Lizard, Wolf-Face, and Spanish Bombs.
There’s a lot to love about Jupiter, Florida Aquarium’s goliath grouper
I have a crush on a fish. Jupiter, a goliath grouper, lingers near the front of his tank in the Florida Aquarium. He is a big guy, not fully grown (Goliath grouper can reach 800 pounds), but bigger than most of the kids who smudge the glass in admiration. Gender is a question mark; the…
Interview: Before two Tampa shows, Vermin Supreme talks origins, fighting fascism, and more
I first met Vermin Supreme after we were both released from an overnight stay at the Los Angeles County Jail, following the infamous Rage Against the Machine police riot at the 2000 Democratic National Convention (see Weekly Planet, August 2000). By then, he was already a veteran of the American political protest scene. Even in…
Interview: Ahead of St. Pete show, Joey Valence & Brae talk Crocs, writing, and getting older
Before diving into more serious questions about their career and music, hip-hop duo Joey Valence & Brae (which often goes by its initials, “JVB”) took on a hard-hitting question about whether they had heard about Crocs’ new collaboration with Lego. Brae jumped to respond, showcasing his elite fashion knowledge, telling Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, “Dude,…
Potentially dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’ found across Tampa Bay region
Although drinking water for much of the region appears to meet EPA standards, water, sediments, and fish in Tampa Bay often don’t.
Chuwi, the secret sauce on ‘Weltita’ by Bad Bunny, will play a Tampa concert this summer
Pop music fans not living under Kid Rock-sized fedora know full well that Puerto Rican music is having a moment. Ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos picked up the Album of the Year Grammy award last Sunday—and this summer a band that helped him along the way…
Photos: Bad, Bad Things and Emo Night Tampa rip Rock the Park
Bill. was forced off the bill due to illness.
Ask a Dyke: How do I meet other lesbians IRL?
You don’t have to resort to giving yourself a fucked up haircut and browsing the flower section at the St. Pete Trader Joe’s.
Butterfly Ball supports pollinators in Tampa next week
At the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser, the category is “Bug-Inspired Brilliance.” Guests at the Tampa International Airport gala can come as their favorite invertebrate for the Best Dressed Bug Contest.
Kenwood residents open their historic homes for BungalowFest this weekend
The houses open for touring are all around 100 years old, mostly consisting of Craftsman Bungalows. Just as important as the architecture is the celebration of residents’ creative decorations and design.
Big birds will soar at St. Pete’s Raptor Fest this weekend
Boyd Hill’s 12th annual event supports the care of its resident raptors and community learning programs.
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening Feb. 5-12
That groundhog saw his shadow this week, but thankfully that has nothing to do with how much live music Tampa Bay gets every week. This listing of Tampa Bay’s best live music and concerts happening Feb. 5-12 is kicked off tonight when Bill. (stylized “bill.”) unleashed its debut LP at Rock the Park Tampa. Music…
Righteous ’90s hip-hop legend Digable Planets brings ‘Blowout Comb’ reunion to St. Pete
Digable Planets’ mainstream success stopped on the Grammys stage. Collecting two awards in the 1994 ceremony, the emcee trio from Philly—Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Craig “Doodlebug” Irving, and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira—used their speeches to call out hypocrisy in the music industry. “We’d like everybody to think about the people right outside this door that’s…
Theremin-wielding Ohio punk band Dana plays no-cover St. Pete show on Wednesday
Permanent Makeup has long been St. Petersburg’s premier purveyor of angular, face-crunching art-punk, and it warms the crowd up ahead of Dana, an Ohio band cut from the same cloth. The tight grooves on a 2025 outing, Clean Living, are what happens when a band spends four years on the road together. From the bounce…
ReadOut LGBTQ+ book fest brings queer authors, booksellers to Gulfport this weekend
Gulfport’s LGBTQ+ book festival is back to introduce Tampa Bay to local queer authors and inspire writers.
5 Sapphic Valentine’s events spreading love around Tampa Bay
Whether you’re looking to U-Haul or want a safe, inclusive Galentine’s space, you’ve got options.
