Where to commemorate Black History Month
Local events spotlight citizens who’ve had a profound influence locally, nationally and around the world.
Six confrontational classics to read for Black History Month
Works by black geniuses who don’t hew to the cleaned-up optimism that threatens to prevail in February.
Lust List 2014: Victoria Rozzi
Owner and bartender, The Bends, 31, engaged.
Lust List 2014: They’re so lust-worthy
See the pics from Creative Loafing’s Lust List Awards Party
Mitch Perry Report 2.13.14: Conflicting polls keep Sink-Jolly a toss-up
The (sort of) big news this morning in the CD13 race is the Tampa Bay Times poll that shows Democrat Alex Sink with a relatively comfortable lead over Republican David Jolly 42-35 percent. The Times reports that their pollster, Braun Research of New Jersey, has weighed the numbers to reflect age, gender, race and political…
Skinny Puppy hits The Ritz Ybor with their “Live Shape for Arms Tour”
Skinny Puppy rewarded those who were brave enough to face the aftermath of the Gasparilla (Sant'Yago) Knight Parade with an incredibly entertaining show full of colorful visuals and creative costume changes. (Photos after the jump) It's been over 20 years and a band breakup since they played at Jannus Landing on the Too Dark Park…
Lust List 2014: Auto!Automatic!!
Alex Fedele, age 30 (until February 22), drums, single; Adam Khan, 33, bass, in a relationship; Brian Larsen, 32, guitar, single.
Lust List 2014: Dynasty
Hip-hop artist, emcee, single.
Lust List 2014: Jacob Stout & Mariel Bass
Jacob: Director, St. Pete Hot Glass Workshop at Duncan McClellan Glass, 35, single. Mariel: Studio Manager, St. Pete Hot Glass, 30, single.
Lust List 2014: Jon Shea
Upright and electric bass with Infinite Groove Orchestra and Dubsmith, church assistant music director, 32, single.
Lust List 2014: Monika Sylvestre
Owner and baker, Monstirs Cake Shop, 26, single.
Lust List 2014: Cara Dozier
Culinary arts student, server at the Independent Bar & Cafe, 23, in a relationship.
Lust List 2014 Readers’ Pick: Madai Nuñez
Esthetician, massage therapist, 29, engaged.
Lust List 2014: Tony LaColla
Senior planner, Hillsborough County Planning Commission, president, Historic Ybor Neighborhood Civic Association, 38. In a relationship.
Movie review: Oscar shorts hit Tampa Theatre
"Possessions" Tampa Theatre’s annual screening of the Oscar-nominated short films comes as a welcome relief after weeks of mindless dreck (and one “block” buster) at the multiplex. This year’s batch of films (five animated, five live action) are all worth seeing, though I found the real gems to be on the live action side. Which…
Lust List 2014: Tracy Kennard
Social media consultant; owner, Tracy Kennard: Your Virtual Footprint, 45, single.
Lust List 2014 Readers’ Pick: Ken Spivey
Frontman/founder of the Time Lord rock group The Ken Spivey Band, 32, single.
Oscar shorts hit Tampa Theatre
A little goes a long way toward an Academy Award for this year’s nominees.
Lust List 2014: Steve Blanchard
Editor-in-chief, Watermark, 36, in a relationship.
Lust List 2014: Megan Oley
Bartender at The Mandarin Hide, stylist at Hair On Central, 30.
Lust List 2014: Jason Smith, aka Jinx
Hip-hop emcee & producer, 31, in a relationship
The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
Gabriel Iglesias might be sold out, but there’s plenty going on to provide comic relief.
Do This: DJ nights at Crowbar and Ella’s
Shake yer booty with free cover and sweet drink deals.
David Jolly’s finance co-chair has tough prescriptions for America
St. Petersburg businessman James MacDougald is co-chairman of David Jolly's finance team and the founder of Free Enterprise Nation, a pro-business, anti-regulation advocacy group that Jolly has lobbied for in Washington D.C. But the CD13 GOP candidate has emphasized that he's not on the same page with MacDougald regarding some of his stances, such as…
Jolly camp wants Alex Sink to back away accusing David Jolly of supporting privatizing Social Security
The David Jolly camp is calling on Alex Sink to condemn a new ad produced by the House Majority PAC on her behalf. The ad, called "Privatized," accuses the CD13 GOP candidate of lobbying for “a special interest that wanted to privatize social security.” The narrator in the ad then goes on to quote a…
Tampa Bay’s lustworthy dining guide
Romance goes beyond a nice steak and a good bottle of wine, right?
Sister, please! The Divine Sister is a hit!
We've had a great run of theater productions in Tampa Bay, and Stageworks is adding some levity and it's another quality show. Read Mark E. Leib's review here to find out more.
Tampa’s Élevage is signed, sealed, delivered
Chef Chad Johnson’s Élevage menu is arrestingly delicious.
St. Petersburg’s Bodega expanding into adjacent Creative Clay space
Bodega expanding juice bar and indoor seating.
New NRCC ad hits Alex Sink again on Obamacare
The National Republican Congressional Committee has a new ad attacking Alex Sink that you may be seeing a lot of if you watch a lot of news related television programming in the Tampa Bay area. Once again, it's on her support of the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare. Here's the script: Narrator: Alex Sink’s loyalty is to…
Rubio & Jolly split on immigration reflection of rift within the GOP
Rubio & Jolly work it at a campaign event in Seminole on Monday afternoon About half of Monday afternoon's press conference in Seminole between CD13 Congressional candidate David Jolly and Senator Marco Rubio was spent discussing illegal immigration, and the fissure between the two Republicans on the volatile issue. The divide among these otherwise very…
Whigfest brings Surfer Blood, Pinback & others to downtown St. Petersburg this weekend
The annual President’s Day party expands to two days.
Mitch Perry Report 2.12.14- Rick Scott not interested in Eric Holder’s ideas on restoring ex-felons rights
When Charlie Crist became governor in 2007, he allowed ex-felons convicted of certain crimes to regain their rights without a hearing (though it still needed to be cleared through the Parole Commission), a big change from previous state law. But although it cleared the way for many Floridians to get back their civil and voting…
Spice Routes: The Basics
Luz Adriana Villa via Wikimedia Commons Luz Adriana Villa via Wikimedia Commons If you're looking to enhance your cooking by adding more flavor and pizazz, look no further than the spice aisle of your local grocery store. It's veritable treasure trove that can turn that boring old chicken dish into a spicy Moroccan delicacy or…
Shirley Temple Black remembered
As a child, Temple sang and danced her way across American hearts.
New arts possibilities with Power2Give
Power2Give’s policy is to let users retain all money raised, minus the fee, regardless of whether a campaign’s goal is met.
Rubio refuses to acknowledge whether he’s ever smoked weed
Marco Rubio made a rare appearance in the Tampa Bay area on Monday. But it was an appearance earlier in the day at an education forum at Miami-Dade College where he made news. Though he definitely received coverage for his speech on trying to close what he called an "opportunity gap" between Americans with and…
New Music Tuesday! (February 11): Cibo Matto, The Glitch Mob, new Girls soundtrack & more
This weeks new releases; lots of audio & video included.
Listen: Rick Ross feat. Young Jeezy, “War Ready”
A long and ominous banger off the Miami rapper’s forthcoming LP, Mastermind.
Head Start wins big, gains momentum
(L toR) Shawna Crawford, Louis Finney, Jr, Rep. Kathy Castor, Sylvia Hubbard There was a lot to smile about at the Connie Momarro Head Start Center, at 3600 Fairfield Ave S, in St. Petersburg, Monday morning. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg) met with students, families, teachers and administrators to celebrate Head Start's (HS) big…
Tampa International Airport will finally be offering direct flights to Seattle
Joe Lopano (at right) went grunge rock with his flannel shirt tied around his waist Although Tampa International Airlines CEO Joe Lopano was hired in 2010 with a mandate to bring more direct international flights to Tampa, he's always emphasized that his team was also focused on doing the same for key domestic routes. Today…
Mitch Perry Report 2.11.14: New poll shows support everywhere in U.S. to end Cuban embargo
A new poll from the Atlantic Council published today shows 56 percent of Americans and 63 percent of Floridians support changing U.S. policy toward Cuba. The sentiment is even stronger among Miami-Dade county residents (64 percent), the citadel of anti-Castro sentiments. Although support is strongest among Democrats, a majority of Republicans (52 percent) also believe…
Remembering the Fab Four, a celebration of The Beatles
The Beatles conquered America, touching down in New York on Feb. 7, 1964, and John, Paul, George and Ringo made their live U.S. television debut two nights later on the Ed Sullivan Show. 74 million people, about 40 percent of the nation, tuned in that evening. Exactly 50 years later, on the same night and same…
David Jolly slams Tampa Bay Times for saying he’s not a “Bill Young Republican”
David Jolly & Marco Rubio work the crowd at the Lake Seminole Square ALF on Monday There's no question that David Jolly is campaigning on a very conservative platform in his race to defeat Democrat Alex Sink in the CD13 special election taking place next month in Pinellas County. But he draws the line at…
Mixed results in Legislature’s new study on red-light cameras
A new report produced by a state agency on red-light cameras contains data that both critics and supporters of the legislation can champion. Among the statistics that camera foes are focusing on is the fact that car crashes are actually up 12 percent in the 74 cities and five counties that use the system, which…
Super Bowl for the carnival industry: The IISA Trade Show in Gibsonton
Kimberly DeFalco Throngs of curious carnival folks trekked thousands of miles last week to browse the bedazzled confines of Gibsonton’s International Independent Showman’s Association (IISA) trade show, which hosted over 300 industry-related national and international vendors. In a seven-day span highighted by award shows, balls, a golf tournament and industry seminars, attendees came to see…
Transit group wants Ronnie Duncan to step down from TBARTA
Kevin Tighe Ronnie Duncan at Friday's Yes on Greenlight kickoff A conservative activist group is calling for TBARTA Chairman Ronnie Duncan to step down from his position with the transportation agency because of his high-profile position with Yes for Greenlight, the new political action group formed to campaign for the transit tax in Pinellas County…
State Representative Janet Cruz holds ACA enrollment fair in West Tampa
With the March 31 deadline to sign up for the Affordable Care Act without risking a tax penalty fast approaching, State Representative Janet Cruz organized a enrollment fair Saturday at the West Tampa Library. The event was intended to draw those who may be uncomfortable with or unable to use the healthcare.gov website. The event…
Mitch Perry Report 2.10.14: The GOP & immigration
House Speaker John Boehner last week said immigration reform was dead because Republicans could no longer trust President Obama to enforce any law they passed. Their big issue is enforcement. In fact, you stil hear some Republicans say they can pass some legislation right now — on border security. But the facts are that nobody…
Sant’ Yago Knight Parade photos: Beads, crowds and high anxiety
The parade in Ybor was raucous but fun. The trouble started afterwards.
Sochi Winter Games Opener: Putin on a big show
From grandeur to absurdity, Sochi’s opening ceremony is one for the books.
About those big red snails in Ybor …
The art installation at HCC-Ybor is made up of recycled plastic sculptures by European artists William Sweetlove and the Cracking Art Group.
Best of the Day: Complexions dance concert and more
Get out to the fair and commemorate Black History Month.
Times & Tribune disagree about who best represents Pinellas County’s values in their CD13 endorsements
With voting by mail already underway in Pinellas County's special congressional election, the Tampa Bay Times and the Tampa Tribune came out with their endorsements on Sunday morning, a full 30 days before the actual day of the election. Playing to expectations, the Times is endorsing recommending Democrat Alex Sink, and the Tribune is going…
Best of the Day: Shipwrecked! at New Stage Theatre in Largo
A chilly grey day might not seem like the right time to see a play called Shipwrecked! — but in fact it's the perfect occasion. New Stage Theatre's production of Donald Margulies' play is such a rollicking testament to the power of a good yarn that it may make you feel like you're sitting around…
Bloomingdale Big Box theatre of the absurd gets panned
Hillsborough's Big Box scam continues. Remember in 2013 when local residents in east Hillsborough suddenly learned that that they were going to get a super Big Box/apartment complex/strip mall along the already overstuffed Bloomingdale Ave roadway? The latest chapter in this saga involves the county's travelling theatre troupe, a/k/a public works, doing a one act…
St. Pete City Council moves confirm a shift in direction at City Hall
PCUL Watson Haynes, Pinellas County Urban League President The Agenda 2020 plan was the big winner at the St. Petersburg City Council meeting on Thursday. The Council voted to fund a portion of the plan, a pilot program, for "employment anchored, direct services" in collaboration with the Pinellas County Urban League (PCUL) and Agenda 2020…
The Well-Played List, 02-07-2014: Beck, Behemoth, Har Mar Superstar, Robert Pollard & more
It’s the end of the week, which means it's time to get your jam on. The ongoing listening series otherwise known as The Well-Played List features the most listened-to, jammed-out songs, albums and artists of the week as submitted by the CL Music Team along with a rotating crew of tastemakers — local music promoters,…
Do This: UniverSoul Circus
The show celebrates 20 years with music, theater, comedy and circus acts for all ages.
Neil Brickfield wants back in on the Pinellas County Commission
A 2012 survey on poverty listed parts of Lealman as among five communities that represent almost half of the the poor people in Pinellas County. This is the community where Neil Brickfield works every day in his role as executive director of the Pinellas Sheriff's Police Athletic League. "We've got high unemployment, high poverty rates,…
The “Yes for Greenlight” campaign begins
Vital step toward the future or unnecessary tax increase?
Review: Queens of the Stone Age bring roaring mayhem to Mahaffey Theater
A grimy look back at the Tue., Feb. 4 show, with pics & setlist
Back Forty opens in Seminole Heights
The new shop at Built splits the difference between new and repurposed furniture and art.
Stamkos not cleared to play, St. Louis replaces him
The Tampa Bay Lightning had a case of the good news and bad news on Thursday. A day after finding out his recovery from a broken tibia had been stalled, Lightning forward Steven Stamkos addressed the media at the Tampa Bay Times Forum after learning he was not medically cleared to play this weekend for…
Cracked-out wonder Mayor Tom Ford announces Bob Marley Day in Toronto
Ford names February 6 “Bob Marley Day” to commemorate the reggae forefather’s 69th birthday.
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter D
It is nearly impossible to get a bunch of passionate hip hop fans to agree on anything. But I tried anyhow, starting with a series of polls on Facebook that aimed to figure out which emcee or group was the best in the game as driven by the letters of the alphabet. No specific rubric…
Mitch Perry Report 2.7.14: Remembering Chad Oulson
A bond hearing for 71-year-old Curtis Reeves resumes today in Dade City. He's the retired Tampa police captain who lost his sense of reality last month when he shot and killed 43-year-old Chad Oulson in a Wesley Chapel movie theater, angry that Oulson was texting during the previews before a screening of the Afghanistan-based war…
Movie Review: Clooney’s Monuments Men invade the multiplex
The Monuments Men should have been a slam dunk. A passion project for writer/director/star George Clooney, the film features a stellar cast, excellent production values and tells a compelling story about World War II that eschews the usual bullets and bloodshed jingoism in an effort to make larger points about how the destruction of a…
The Monuments Men invade the multiplex
George Clooney leads a talented cast into battle, but can they win the war?
Boutique trucks deliver fashion on the fly
La Boutique Fashion Truck and Bleue Boutique travel in style.
The LEGO Movie is blocks of fun
A kids’ classic is built, brick by brick.
Editor’s Note: Welcome back, Scott Harrell. So long, Joe Bardi.
A word on a staff change at CL, plus the reasons behind our “Star Power” cover.
Poet’s Notebook: The things you hope your children never do
Even if you enjoyed doing all those unhealthy activities yourself.
Rick Scott still noncommittal on in-state tuition for Dreamers
Rick Scott mingled with the public at the first day of the Florida State Fair in Tampa Speaking with reporters at the Florida State Fair in Tampa on Thursday, Governor Rick Scott repeated that he would "consider" a proposal spearheaded by House Speaker Will Weatherford to provide in-state tuition for undocumented students at state colleges…
New Alex Sink ad depicts David Jolly as being out of the mainstream of Pinellas County voters
As was noted by many observers of Monday night's first debate of the CD13 special election campaign, David Jolly may have been the smoothest candidate on the stage at St.Pete College's Seminole campus, but his stances on a number of issues are strongly conservative. Whether they are too conservative for the district won't be known…
Spin cities: This year’s Holiday Auction Vinyl Shopping Spree winner gets his records
Phil Bardi Christopher Littell screens potential buys on his smartphone On a mild, cloudy Saturday in January, CL Holiday Auction Christopher Littell and I convened at Mojo Books and Music in North Tampa to begin our day-long musical expedition. As the winning bidder for the Vinyl Shopping Spree, a perennially popular item in our annual…
Listen: Lauris Vidal, “Hey Oh”
Vidal offers up a Valentine’s Day alternative with a free show next Friday at The Hub.
Do This: Lazlo Horváth at HCC-Ybor Gallery, Florida State Fair, WhigFest Traveling Art Show and more
Plus Rock the Park and the Be Mine Heart Gallery benefit gala.
Photo Gallery: Dade City’s Pearl in the Grove
A complete gallery from Dade City’s Pearl in the Grove.
Pearl in the Grove is worth the trip
Make the drive to Dade City for Pearl in the Grove’s farm-to-table fare.
Transforming Tampa Bay: A welcoming new addition to St. Pete’s Grand Central District
Metro Wellness Centers project reaches out to LGBT community.
Mitch Perry Report 2.6.14: Not really ready for Sochi
As I clicked on the New York Times sports section this morning, my eyes gravitated immediately toward a story about CBS being awarded a contract to broadcast NFL football on Thursday nights next season. Yes, four days after the 2013-2014 season ended, and I'm more interested in what network is broadcasting games seven months from…
Former ambassador Chris Hill talks about Iraq, Syria & Afghanistan at USF
Former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill paid a visit to the Patel Center of Global Sustainability at USF for a discussion on America's foreign policy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria as part of the center's series on conversations about global security. Along with his assignment as ambassador to Iraq under Barack Obama, Hill has…
Tampa Bay’s mead maker
Palm Harbor’s Bob Lasseter hopes to open the area’s first meadery.
Divine Sister: Get thee to this nunnery
Matthew McGee leads a heaven-sent cast in Stageworks’ latest comedy.
Dildonics
Cleaning your dildo, silicone sex toys, what to do when your sexually liberated partner wants to get married out of Catholic guilt, how to deal with being the other guy…
The things you hope your children never do
Even if you enjoyed all those unhealthy activities yourself.
St. Pete center to welcome LGBT tourists, locals and youth
The facility should be a good fit for the Grand Central District.
The exotic mind destinations of Daniel Mrgan
Meet Mrgan’s imaginary friend, Dr. Admiral Rupert Xavier, at St. Pete’s Bluelucy.
The Normal Heart gets Mark E. Leib’s third 5-star review in a row
Either he’s in a good mood, or Tampa Bay theater is hot.
Mark Danish calls on Pam Bondi to back away from supporting ban on same-sex marriage
Mark Danish Under previous attorneys general in Florida like Bob Butterworth and Charlie Crist, fighting for consumer rights was a hallmark of their administrations. Under Pam Bondi, some say that it's all about protecting the interests of the most conservative elements in the state. Fresh after losing a battle in the state Supreme Court to…
Showgirl, Gia Nova, plays with fire while dancing with death and desire (NSFW)
The burlesque performer on how a midget stripper changed her life, breathing fire, metal bras and sweater panties, bloodbaths, people zoos, and killing the girl next door.
Album review: Broken Bells, After the Disco
A more-streamlined, but less-memorable sophomore album from the James Mercer-Danger Mouse project.
St. Pete mourns the loss of community organizer Paula Witthaus
Lorraine Margeson Candle Light Vigil for Witthaus & Rapp, Jan 29 In the driving rain just after sunset on Friday, Jan. 31, more than 100 friends and acquaintances of Paula Witthaus and James Rapp gathered on the lawn of her modest home at 2840 17th Ave. N, in St. Petersburg to comfort each other and…
Sparks fly at workshop on Agenda 2020 in St. Pete
Ellen Kirkland Thursday's St. Pete City Council Workshop Sparks flew at Thursday's St. Petersburg City Council allocation workshop when an unincorporated civic group asked the city to trust them with $68,000 of city money which up until now had been loosely earmarked to hire an economic development officer/grant writer. Amid questions about who the fiscal…
Adventures in Virginity: The case of the aspiring vagina archaeologists
Searching for buried treasure in the mysterious caverns of the female anatomy.
Mulhern’s decision not to run: Bad news for Dems
Photo by Chip Weiner [Note: This is an updated version of a story that originally ran in Political Animal Jan. 30] Tampa City Council member Mary Mulhern surprised the local political establishment last week by dropping out of the race for the Hillsborough County Commission District 7 seat because of health concerns. Mulhern has been…
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter C
Common says “I Used To H.E.R.” but do you love him more than any other Hip Hop artist that begins with the letter C?
The Hip Hop ABC’s: Letter A
A weekly series spotlighting the best emcees or groups for each letter of the alphabet…
