Palate pleasers: Whiskey, wine seminars still open at Bern’s Winefest
Most of the Bern’s Winefest soirées are sold out, but a few have wine and whiskey left to discover.
An Excruciatingly Ordinary Toy Theater Show comes to St. Pete
Zach Dorn and his puppet pals hit The Studio@620 stage for one night only.
“Lost Boy of Sudan” John Bul Dau to Lecture at USF tonight
File this one under humans who help you put your first-world problems in perspective. When his Sudanese village was attacked in 1987, John Bul Dau began a journey of hardship along with thousands of other boys, who became known as the Lost Boys of Sudan. As the latest speaker in the student-run University Lecture Series…
Dance! Dance! Dance!
It’s a virtual stampede on local stages this week.
Sh*t happened 2/19/15: Standardized education, ferry future and Vanilla Ice is a looter
We all make choices in life. We may try to chalk them up to fate, or to powers beyond our control, or to blind chance. It's easy to equivocate. But really, you don't have to listen to us make fun of what happened yesterday. Best to move on, yes? Amid ongoing debate regarding the best…
Bern’s Steak House, chef Greg Baker named James Beard semifinalists
Tampa chef Greg Baker and the Bern’s wine program land the region a shot at food-world Oscars.
Gasparilla Arts Month: Gasparilla grub
A comprehensive list of eats for Gasparilla Arts Month — festivals and beyond.
Gasparilla Arts Month: Gasparilla Interactive Festival
Fri., March 6, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Cruise Terminal 3, 815 Channelside Dr., Port Tampa Bay. $150 through Feb. 28, then $175 (Founder and Exhibitor packages also available, including attendance at a VIP Opening Reception Thurs., March 5). gasparillainteractive.org. For the first time this year, the music, movies and visual arts of Gasparilla’s cavalcade of culture…
Gasparilla Music Festival: An overview
One of downtown Tampa’s biggest live-music to-dos just keeps getting better.
Gasparilla Arts Month: Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
Art in the open air.
Big lights, bright city — Lights on Tampa 2015
The public art event has turned up the voltage with interactive displays and exhibitions.
Q&A with incoming American Stage Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte
The new theater leader says she likes “plays that have some teeth, that will excite current audiences and will potentially bring in some new audiences.”
Pinellas congressman’s bill would ease legal immigrants’ woes
The debate over how to treat millions of undocumented immigrants is as headline-grabbing as it is polarizing. Standing in its shadow is U.S. policy on the people who came here legally, who followed a meticulous bureaucratic process and have spent tens of thousands of dollars to be here only to routinely face getting kicked out…
SCENE BREAKER: Mingus among us, testosterone in tight spaces and Sara goes solo
Here’s what’s behind the curtain this week in Tampa Bay theater… MINER PROBLEMS: A hit on the fringe festival circuit, Butcher Holler Here We Come from Brooklyn’s Aztec Economy arts collective comes to the Silver Meteor Gallery this Thursday through Saturday. Crammed into a crawlspace following a coal mine collapse, the play taps immersive staging…
Recipe pursuit: Renamed Pinellas Park Cheddar’s seeks local dish for menu
Submit at-home recipes to Pinellas Park’s renamed Cheddar’s for the chance to get menu famous.
Alternative cinema alert! Second Screen Cinema, St. Pete for Peace films shown tonight
Fifty Shades of what? Free, $5 films offer excellent alternatives to the cineplex tonight.
Sh*t happened 2/18/15: Tim Burton, Dunedin’s Flat Tuesday & more
"It's a simple choice, Sylvie," said The Devil, and took another drag from a cigarette nestled in an eight-inch holder carved from the tibia of a bureaucrat. "Two doors. One leads you to tomorrow. The other leads you back to yesterday, as seen through the eyes of an idiot who thinks he's funny." Sylvie took…
Restaurant review: Sate Southeast Asian Grill offers alternative fusion
Tampa’s Sate serves ample, wallet-friendly dishes, but needs work to separate it from the rest.
Tonight in live music: Against Me!, Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, Diana Ross
A breakdown of shows happening this Wed., Feb. 18… Against Me! with Creepoid, The Worriers Against Me! is the true embodiment of punk rock, producing a bevy of politically-charged anthems over its 18- year career and maintaining a DIY ethos despite a two-album stint on major label Sire Records. The band continues touring behind 2012’s…
The Laugh Tract — Who’s Bringing the Funny
If you like television, you'll love your stand-up comedy offerings this week. From older programs to current shows, many of the comedians in town are well-known to fans of the small screen. But they tell jokes, too, so you'll get to enjoy familiar names in a new setting. Here's this week's stand-up schedule: Theaters and…
Bourbon for dinner: Three Fat Tuesday-style recipes
Using CL’s recipe archive, here’s a dinnertime spread inspired by NOLA’s Mardi Gras merriment.
Local leaders want to know why your commute sucks
If you live in Hillsborough, you have a shot over the next three months or so to weigh in on how county leaders can do better on transit via the Go Hillsborough initiative. We're not just talking about the buses, either. We're talking about roads, bike paths, pedestrian walkways and even (gasp!) light rail, if…
Community chefs teach fresh bill of Tarpon Springs cooking lessons
Three upcoming Saturday cooking classes in Tarpon Springs are set to embrace Greece-y food.
Piper Kerman, of Orange is the New Black fame, to speak in St. Pete
Fans of the Netflix show will probably be stoked to hear that Piper Kerman, who wrote the book Orange is the New Black, which inspired the popular series, is coming to St. Pete March 5th to give a talk at Eckerd College. Kerman, who went to prison on drug trafficking charges related to events from…
New Music Tuesday! (February 17): The Juliana Hatfield Three, Imagine Dragons, Steve Earle & more
The most noteworthy albums out today, audio & video included.
Sh*t happened 2/17/15: Apryl Foster, transportation workshops and more
Happy Fat Tuesday! A bit of seriousness before we get to the usual, if you please, because many of our readers are nightlifers who might be able to help find the woman who's been missing since Thursday: Authorities are still searching for Apryl Foster, the 33-year-old Brandon woman who disappeared after last being seen outside…
Tonight in live music: The Royal Southern Brotherhood
A New Orleans rock band hits the Skipperdome on Fat Tuesday
Five Courses: A lively lounge bar, whiskey & more
Five spots in St. Petersburg and Tampa top the region’s latest food and drink news.
Huzzah! Tourism smashes records in 2014 with 4-percent boost
Numbers released early Monday by Visit Florida show the number of visitors to the state shot up to 97.3 million in 2014, a 3.9 percent increase over 2013. Governor Rick Scott touted the good news at Tampa International Airport earlier. "In 2010, the year before I got elected, there were 82 million tourists in our…
Knightly fun for Valentines Day — a look back at the 2015 Sant’ Yago Knight Parade in Ybor City
Thousands of people braved cooler weather and Ybor City crowds to spend their Valentine's evening with the Krewe of Sant' Yago at the annual Knight Parade in Ybor Saturday night. Official attendance numbers were not available, but it was clear that the hoards preferred to get their bead on instead of participating in a traditional Valentine's…
Sh*t happened 2/16/15: Trader Joe’s, guns on campus, bye-bye Bro Bowl
FRIDAY, FEB. 13: Trader Joe's opened in St. Pete. All conflicts in Syria and Ukraine spontaneously ceased, and a barren albino rhino slowly dying in captivity suddenly gave birth to a dozen pandas. Naw, just kidding, some people bought wine and cookie butter and stuff. Supreme Court Justice and living superhero Ruth Bader Ginsburg credited…
Tonight in live music: Alice Cooper, Justin Townes Earle
Concerts this Mon., Feb. 16
Still mad about stand-up — Paul Reiser chats with CL before St. Pete Palladium show Saturday
Comedy’s expert on Couplehood returns to his first love.
This weekend in live music: Dads, Jason Mraz, Anvil, SOJA & more
Concerts this Sat.-Sun., Feb. 14-15
Trader Joe’s debuts to Northeast St. Petersburg
At long last, the St. Petersburg Trader Joe’s opened its doors Friday.
Meet the Brewers: Matthew Powers of Mad Beach Craft Brewing
A Madeira Beach winemaker turns his attention to unique Florida craft brews.
Surprise! Fifty Shades of Grey doesn’t suck
The book is junk, but the movie’s not half bad — and Dakota Johnson is a find.
“Moran!” — Margaret Cho to headline Ybor’s Improv Feb. 27-28
The comedian, writer and activist is touring to promote her new sex talk show on TLC.
The Laugh Tract — Who’s Bringing the Funny
Ralphie May and Tammy Pescatelli lead the pack.
Sh*t happened 2/13/15: Tourism, Trader Joe’s & more
The first of two consecutive Friday the 13ths is here! Watch for falling safes and stay away from ladders and black cats, because if you live through the day, some of you are getting laid tomorrow. Part of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater's winter tourism marketing strategy includes a "stealth" viral campaign aimed at millennials featuring real…
Movie Review: The Rewrite can use a few revisions
The indie starring Hugh Grant is a charmer with a first-rate cast but will bore the majority of viewers.
An Earful: Father John Misty’s new LP, Kanye West and Taylor Swift to collab, USF calls for local bands & more
Newsy bits and goings-on in the music world.
Tonight in live music: SWIMM, Yonder Mountain String Band, Harry Connick, Jr. & more
Concerts this Fri, Feb. 13
Food crack: Frenchy’s hooks Alton Brown with Garlic Crab Fries
Alton Brown noshed at six local spots while visiting, but Frenchy’s made his top seven in Florida.
Seminole Heights New Warehouse Lofts Usher in Change
Thursday morning, Tampa’s finest gathered to break ground on The Warehouse Lofts, a new development on Florida Avenue in Seminole Heights. The event attracted a small horde of men in suits and women in heels, including City Council members, bankers, realtors, and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. The sky was clear and the air cool and…
Lust List 2015: Hanh Nguyen
Stetson Law student; fashion blogger; 25, in a relationship.
Lust List 2015: Terrance Walz
Bartender at One Night Stand, 28, in a relationship.
Lust List Awards Party 2015: We Came, We Saw, We Lusted
Creative Loafing filled the Castle in Ybor last night with the bodacious and the buff, as hundreds gathered to meet and greet the lovely locals on this year's Lust List. CL readers nominated over 120 people — friends, lovers, spouses, secret crushes — for this year's List. During the awards ceremony, I had the pleasure…
Lust List 2015: Isyss
Med student; model; small business owner; military veteran; 27, single.
Burlesque, vaudeville combines for intimate and titillating evening
Looking for something different to do this Valentine’s Day weekend? Forget dinner and a movie. Exquisite Entertainers and Gypsy Allure Production present an intimate and entertaining evening of burlesque and vaudeville at NOVA535 in St. Petersburg Friday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. There’s something for everyone at Le Cirque de L’Amour, said Mayven Missbehavin, founder of…
Lust List 2015: Andrew Toney
DJ, 22, in a relationship.
Lust List 2015: Josh “Saint” White
Emcee (one-half of DEA & Saint); chef; 24, in a relationship.
Lust List 2015: Rhonda Shear
TV personality; sex symbol; entrepreneur; 60, married.
Lust List 2015: Rosey Williams
St. Pete indie fashion retailer, 26, in a relationship.
Lust List 2015: Frank Ierna
Piano tuner and musician; 33, in a relationship.
Lust List 2015: Monica Delgado
Solo songstress; keyboardist/singer in Gwan Massive; graphic designer; 32, single
Lust List 2015: Eric Turner
History teacher; History Bike Tampa founder; drummer with Awkward Age and Red Room Cinema; 33, married
Lust List 2015: Meredyth Censullo
Social media consultant, 38, married.
The third annual WhigFest Music & Arts Festival hits downtown St. Petersburg this weekend
The President’s Day weekend event brings 25 bands to four stages in and around Jannus Live.
A tribute to R.T. Williams, award-winning set designer
Robert "R.T." Williams died peacefully at his home in Salem, N.Y. on Jan. 22, 2015. The professional theatrical scenery designer for most of his life created many unforgettable sets for Stageworks Theatre. He was born in 1931 in Scranton, Pa. He most recently designed Stageworks Theatre's 8,000-square-foot space in the Channel District and over 30…
How does Florida love guns? Let us count the ways.
Maybe because it’s sort of shaped like a gun, Florida loves to loosen its firearms restrictions. You can carry one in many public places as long as you’re not waving it around, and come this time next year, those places could include college campuses and junior highs. Here’s a look at how gun laws have…
Remembering Bob Simon, 1941-2015
The 27-time Emmy winner and survivor of imprisonment and torture died in a car accident in New York last night.
Tonight in live music: Hank & Cupcakes, Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra + more
Concers this Thurs., Feb. 12
CL Lust List 2015: Who, me?
"I think the entire city of Tampa has gotten together to mess with me." That was the reaction of History Bike Tampa founder Eric Turner when he heard he'd been nominated to Creative Loafing's 2015 Lust List. Like most of the lovely folks nominated by CL readers for our annual roundup of the buff and…
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter Z, Vote on Letter A
A weekly series that gives readers the chance to vote on the best emcees or groups repping each letter of the alphabet…
Red Bull Thre3style hits The Ritz Ybor, gives Tampa turntablist DJ Casper a shot at global fame
Tampa regional qualifier happens this Thursday at 9 p.m.
