CD review: Eisley, The Valley
Eisley is a family band that gets it right. The DuPrees – three sisters, a brother, and a cousin – rise above the occasional Partridge Family stereotypes to create radio-friendly pop infused with just-odd-enough metaphors and symphonic twinkleness that they can’t seem to please the big wigs controlling the airwaves. And that’s what I love…
Two if by sea: Ballast Point Brewing’s nautical offerings – Sculpin IPA and Victory at Sea Imperial Porter
Ballast Point Brewery is based out of San Diego, California, and is the child of Jack White (no relation to the White Stripes frontman) and Youseff Cherney. As so many craft breweries have started, Jack and Youseff were homebrewers first. In fact, Jack had opened a home brew shop in 1992, and Youseff was a…
Jon Huntsman to run for GOP nomination for President? It’d be interesting if he did.
After weeks of rumors, U.S. Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, the former Republican Governor of Utah, will be stepping down from his position in April – though it's uncertain if he'll then follow up on those rumors and run against his current boss for President. Newsweek was the first media organization to report that the…
Tampa District 6 City Council candidate Kelly Benjamin says he’s tired of talking about panhandling
As readers to this blog well know, we've fretted over the high level attention that panhandling in Tampa has received in the mayoral and city council races in advance of the March 1 election. But we have to report it – especially after the Hillsborough County Commission discusses it (like they did today), and probably…
The White Stripes call it quits and I make a Top 5 playlist (with video!)
After several years of inactivity (at least as far as this band goes. Jack White has been very active), The White Stripes have officially called it quits. Here's the statement from whitestripes.com. The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011, their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform…
The Ale and the Witch Tap House grand opening in Downtown St. Pete – Thursday, February 3rd
As the craft beer renaissance continues nationally, so does the growth in Tampa Bay. Following the successes of craft beer bars like Willard's Tap House and The Pour House, there is a new destination for craft beer lovers in Downtown St. Pete. Nestled in the patio area of the Tower Plaza in downtown St. Petersburg, The Ale…
Hillsborough Commissioners talk substantively on actually doing something for the homeless
Today Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a proposal for the county's legal staff to bring back an ordinance to them next month that would call for incorporating state roads into their current ban on panhandling on county roads, though the ultimate goal of a recent task force to insure a uniform law throughout the county won't…
EarthTalk: Are recent winter storms a sign of global warming?
The following is from the environmental themed advice column EarthTalk®, by the Editors of the non-profit publication E/The Environmental Magazine, that we’ll be regularly featuring here on CL’s Green Community. Dear EarthTalk: The U.S. got socked with several major storms this past winter. Local weather reports never mentioned this as odd. But is it a…
This weekend in downtown St. Petersburg: Pelican Pop Fest 2 with Automatic Loveletter, Sleepy Vikings, Mogul Street Reserve, The Equines, Davy & the Gods, and many more!
The second edition of the downtown St. Pete Pelican Pop Fest has expanded to two days (Friday and Saturday), now encompasses two neighboring venues (Fubar and The Local 662), and promises to be a weekend jam-packed with eclectic, high-quality local(ish) talent. Among the highlights are Mogul St Reserve, another Best of the Bay-winning band that’s…
Stop by Gaspar’s Grotto today to help raise funds for St. Pete’s fallen officers
The Kage Kult of 98 Rock fame is putting on a Charity Fundraiser for the Families of Thomas Baitinger and Jeff Yaslowitz. The broadcast kicks off at noon today at Gaspar's Grotto in Ybor City and lasts until 7 p.m. Sgt. Baitinger and Officer Yaslowitz died tragically and honorably in the line of duty Jan.…
The Gaily News: SNL offends transgender community, Parkinson’s drug and gay sex addiction claim, Illinois OKs same-sex civil unions
GLAAD is slamming "Saturday Night Live" for its recent "Estro-Maxx" skit, which features men dressed as women lauding the Once Daily Estro-Maxx pill for offering advanced estrogen replacement therapy to transgendered women. The organization called the sketch "dangerous and blatantly anti-transgender" and is requesting an apology from the comedy show.
On the Radar: Clearwater’s Fashion and Arts Week
The Clearwater Designer Co-Op, a group of volunteers dedicated to stimulating the economy of the city’s downtown, are putting on Fashion and Arts Week Thurs., Feb. 3, through Sun., Feb. 6. The group aims to spawn the cultural rebirth of an under-appreciated — but lately up-and-coming — downtown district. On Thursday, the Fashion and Arts…
Spoiler Corner: Glee, Modern Family, Vampire Diaries and more!
Curious about your favorite shows? Is someone dying? If your favorite couple getting engaged? Hook-ups? Break-ups? Well, here you will find the answers to your burning questions! Enjoy television lovers! Glee Gleeks it is finally here, the Super Bowl episode is now just 6 days away! I have already told you the song list but…
Ask Dream Momma: No place to go, no place to hide
“Dream Momma, In my dream I'm in my car tearing up a country road, the wheels of my car are hanging off the edge of this very steep cliff. I see the road racing before me leading me higher and higher up the side of this goofy looking mountain shaped like The Cat in the…
Lightning unveil new look for 2011-12 season
On Monday, January 31, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced a makeover, including a new logo, new color scheme, and new uniforms for the 2011-12 season. Gone is the varied lightning bolt, shadowed in blue and outlined in black. Gone is the traditional circle behind the lightning bolt. Gone are the silver accents, and gone are…
1st big poll on Rick Scott as governor says he’s only got a 35% approval rating; Mayor Iorio calls for internal review of water bill situation; criminologists question Bill Foster’s decision to raze Lacy home last week: Mitch Perry Report 2.2.11
Local mayors under fire? Who knows if St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster will get any blowback from the article out today in the St. Pete Times that seriously questions his decision to raze the crime scene that was the home of Hydra Lacy Jr. last week? That came after the shootout there ended with Lacy…
Tampa Bay food and drink events
Wednesday, February 2: Mazzaro's Italian Market This seminar-style tasting will feature award-winning cheese maker Willi Schmid of Switzerland who makes cheeses of various styles from all milk types including cow, goat, sheep and even water buffalo. RSVP. $25; 12-1 p.m. 2909 22nd Ave N, St Pete. 727-321-2400, mazzarosmarket.com Thursday, February 3: Whole Foods Market Blind…
Agave plant has “high biofuel potential”
Scientists at the University of Illinois have been studying the use of the agave plant as biofuel — yes, the same plant that tequila is made from — and have found that two particular species of agave produce greater biofuel feedstocks than other sources like corn, wheat, soybean, and sorghum. According to bioenergy analyst, Sarah…
Crime experts on Mayor Foster razing Lacy house — “unheard of,” a former SWAT commander tells St. Pete Times
Major props to St. Pete Times reporters Michael Van Sickler and Jamal Thalji for (finally) reporting on the reaction of some crime experts around the country over St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster's decision last Monday to raze the house of Christine and Hydra Lacy Jr., after the shooting outbreak by Lacy that killed two St.…
New Quinnipiac poll shows majority of Florida voters fine with Rick Scott blowing off the press
Quinnipiac University this morning released the first major poll of Rick Scott's first month in office. The major numbers to report: 35% of Florida voters approve of Scott, 22% disapprove, but the vast majority – 43%- aren't ready to field an opinion of any sort just yet. However, in reaction to some of his policies,…
City Council candidate forum in South Tampa a gentle affair
As everyone in Tampa politics knows, South Tampa votes in far greater numbers than any other region of the city, which is why last night's City Council forum for the candidates running in Districts 1,2,3 4 and 6 was an important event. By not including the mayoral candidates or city council candidates in districts 5…
Chris Pureka, introspective indie singer-songwriter, performs at The Hideaway Cafe on Friday
Steeped in the rich tradition of New England folk and Americana, but with a contemporary bent, Chris Pureka will be performing in the Tampa Bay area for the first time on Friday night. You can catch her at The Hideaway Café in St. Pete. She’ll follow this up with an Orlando gig the next night,…
Do It Today: Billy Elliot: The Musical and Odd Couple open at Straz (with video) and kites fly for kids with cancer
Straz's next Tony Award-winning Broadway production is a step above most mainstream offerings, and it premieres tonight at Tampa's performing arts center. The heartwarming coming-of-age tale Billy Elliot: The Musical — based on Stephen Daldry's endearing 2000 movie — follows a school-age boy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring into a ballet class…
Lightning win 6th straight, beat Flyers 4-0
The Philadelphia Flyers came into play as the best team in the Eastern Conference Tuesday night; the Tampa Bay Lightning didn't seem to be impressed, as they beat the Flyers for the third-straight time this year, this time 4-0, earning goaltender Dwayne Roloson his fourth shutout in 11 games. The "W" also was the Lightning's…
Take the challenge: Go plastic-free in February!
Rodale.com is challenging people to refrain from using plastic use this month. Why? Well, as we've discussed before here on CL Green, plastics leach BPA into our food and some types of plastic can be toxic. The second reason is because plastic is made of petroleum or natural gas, which are two nonrenewable resources. Third,…
Stanley Gloster: Gone but not forgotten candidate in Tampa City Council District 5 race
We've been holding off reporting on Tampa City Council candidate in District 5 Stanley Gloster's dropping out the race late on Monday, but we were hoping to get some comments from him before writing this post. As originally reported by the Tampa Tribune Monday night, Gloster's check qualifying for the race to the Supervisor of…
Mugabe Tenn of Tribal Style talks roots, rock, reggae in advance of “Bob & Tosh” tribute at New World Brewery this Saturday (with audio)
It wouldn’t be sacrilegious to suggest that Bob Marley is just as famous as The Beatles. Both burst onto the global music scenes in the early 1960s and while Marley and the Fab Four were showcasing completely different styles of music, their lasting impact on the lives of listeners is truly immeasurable. As the Tampa…
Iorio names internal task force to come up with service level improvements within Water Dept. – Scott wants outside group looking at it
As we reported on Monday, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has now named an internal task force to look at "service level improvements" within the city of Tampa's Water Department, after hundreds of complaints have been registered about extraordinarily expensive water bills, and the customer service (or lack thereof) that residents who have complained about the…
Spring Arts Preview 2011: You gotta see these movies
Associate Editor-slash-movie expert Joe Bardi provides us a fun sneak peek of the indies and blockbusters coming out in the next few months. He highlights I Am: From Ace Ventura to the meaning of life about Hollywood director Tom Shadyac. The man behind Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty and The Nutty Professor (among others), Shadyac (right)…
Democrats to hold DNC in Charlotte at what Michelle Obama calls “The People’s Convention” -um, what’s that make Tampa’s RNC gig?
The Democratic Party announced this morning that Charlotte would be the home of their four-day nominating convention in 2012, and the news came via First Lady Michelle Obama in an e-mail, where she said Barack and her want a "people's convention." More than anything else, we want this to be a grassroots convention for the…
New music releases out this Tuesday, February 1: Todd Snider, Boy George, The Go! Team, Ricky Martin, Bob Marley & the Wailers, North Mississippi Allstars, and more (with audio & video)
The last series of new music releases for January. Click here to check out new music releases that dropped last week (January 25) and here for new releases in the past several months… , Leveling The Plane Of Existence (Relapse) Boy George, Ordinary Alien (Ultra Music) The Bridge, National Bohemian (Woodberry Records/Thirty Tigers) The Southern…
Shortcut to game day success: Turn a rotisserie chicken into tasty Super Bowl fare
This coming Sunday is not just any old Sunday. It's Super Bowl Sunday! If you're anything like me, by kick-off time you'll have a houseful of hungry football fans who need food. And it had better be good food too. Food-deprived, beer-soaked, Super Bowl revelers can be a dangerous thing! Sure, you could open a…
Must-click links: Oscar heists, commuter trains, economic worries, Broadcast News on Blu-ray, the great snow of 1717 and more …
Guy Lodge of InContention.com gives his dream Oscar Ballot. Slaon's Matt Zoller Seitz reveals the all-time "greatest" Oscar heists. Its an appropriately timed article as The King's Speech looks to sweep the all the major categories this year, depriving David Fincher of his much-deserved award. The classic James L. Brooks romantic comedy Broadcast News comes out on…
USF offers affordable and extensive weight management program
Here at CL, we get a lot of pitches for people promoting wellness and fitness classes. Once in a while one pops up in our inbox that is truly a great opportunity for an affordable fee — something special, a great public service. Such is the case with University of South Florida's Weight Management Program.…
AltDotPop: Ozzy loves Bieber, Sofia Vergara loves Kmart, The Globes love Ricky (still) and Charlie Sheen loves cocaine, porn stars and bad jokes
What do Tron, Ozzy Osbourne, the Super Bowl and Justin Bieber have in common? Nothing, you say? WRONG! #SignsOfTheApocalypse Britney Spears is officially NOT performing on the Grammys. But seriously y'all I totally heard that she is performing at the Grammys … are you going to watch now?? After all that drama about the Golden…
Busch Gardens offers chance to meet a cheetah in new exhibit
This spring, Busch Gardens will open Cheetah Run, a new addition to the Endangered Species Safari, to inform visitors and to raise awareness about the dangers cheetahs face in the wild. Cheetah Run will include five cheetahs that are currently living on park grounds but will not make their public debut until the habitat opens.…
CL Feature: Local funk-jazz fusion quartet Infinite Groove Orchestra, which stages a CD release party at Ella’s on Friday (with audio)
“I think we can all say in our own perfect musical setting, we would all write really challenging music for each other, and then play it because we love to play it, and that would be awesome for us,” keyboardist John Richardson told me last week when I met with the members of local space…
Predictable judicial ruling on health care; Iorio says buck stops with her on water bill crisis: Mitch Perry Report 2.1.11
Welcome to February, and to an area that will see no snow over the next 24 hours. It was a busy news day yesterday, with the big national news being the decision that had already been foretold by that federal judge in Pensacola, Roger Vinson, who went beyond calling the individual mandate portion of the…
Enter (or sample) the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market chili cook-off – Sunday, February 13th
If you think you think your bowl o' red is the best in town, enter it in the Seminole Heights Sunday Market's 1st Annual Chili Cook-off, taking place Sunday, February 13th. The market is currently taking entries for the cook-off and needs a minimum of 10 entries in order to take place. If you make…
Enter Creative Loafing’s Photo Contest: Show Us Your Neighborhood
Enter today: Beginning February 1, Creative Loafing invites you to "Show Us Your Neighborhood" in the CL Photo Contest. Deadline for entry at cltampa.com/photocontest is March 1, 2011 at 5 p.m. Entry fee is $5 per photo; limit of three photos per photographer. Prizes include cash, classes, publication in the CL Photo Issue March 24,…
Rick Scott on Fox & Friends talking about health care -“Don’t be telling us how to spend our money”
Florida Governor Rick Scott, who we're informed in today's St. Pete Times will unveil his first budget next week in front of a group of Tea Party folk in the town of Eustis instead of in Tallahassee, appeared on a segment of Fox & Friends this morning on the Fox News Channel. Actually host Steve…
10/100/1000 Challenge: Great green ideas for Tampa Bay
Almost three weeks into the 10/100/1000 Challenge and we've garnered a varied list of eco-conscious proposals in the Environment category. These are just some of the numerous hopefuls with ideas to make Tampa Bay a better place to live who need your votes to help see their ideas come to fruition. You can read and…
The Gaily News: Rubio skips CPAC, Bush’s daughter supports gay marriage, RI mulls same-sex nuptials, Jonathan Knight comes out
Florida Senator Marco Rubio is the latest Republican luminary to decline an invitation to the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference at which he was a keynote speaker last year. Other Republicans and organizations have withdrawn from the conference due to GOProud, a gay conservative group, being named a sponsor of the event. Rubio, however, denies…
Do It Today: Freebies at Glazer Children’s Museum and Patel Conservatory
It's First O' February Freebie Day at two major Tampa cultural institutions — spark your imagination and take advantage of two very worthwhile opportunities.
I’m a tiger, too: In defense of Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Turns out I’m a little bit Chinese. Amy Chua is making news lately thanks to her controversial new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Chua is accused of promoting the idea that Chinese moms and their techniques are superior to Western parenting styles. But the truth is, like pesky Christians who believe Harry Potter…
Progressives bash Florida judge’s ruling that federal health care law is unconstitutional
As predicted, Pensacola-based U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson declared Monday that the federal health care law passed last year is unconstitutional, writing "Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void." Unlike the Virginia judge who ruled that just the individual mandate was unconstitutional, Vinson declared the entire…
Australian film Mad Bastards is a hit at Sundance and already available on IFC direct! (with interview video)
I saw more than 30 films at the Sundance Film Festival, and my favorite feature was Mad Bastards, a small independent gem from Australia. Director Brendan Fletcher had created several videos with the Pigram Brothers, well-known Australian folk musicians. They wanted to collaborate in the development of a feature film exploring a side of Australia largely unknown…
Four-part permaculture course at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve begins this Saturday, February 5th
's Certified Permaculture Designer, Robert Segundo, will be leading a four-part, hands-on series of permaculture classes beginning this Saturday, February 5th, at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in South St. Petersburg. Each two-hour course will be held every Saturday in the month of February. "Permaculturist Robert Segundo will teach sustainable practices and their implementation in the…
“Jalapenos Gone to Heaven”: A super appetizer for your Super Bowl Sunday festivities
Across America there are probably more finger foods and appetizers consumed on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day each year. So I thought I’d share my favorite Super Bowl party dish that’s easy to make and even easier to devour. While I can’t take credit for the recipe, I can take credit for…
Local officials meet for grand opening of Tampa’s streetcar extension
Streetcars were once the driving force for U.S. cities in the 1940s and ’50s, and they continue to make a comeback. The city of Tampa, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) came together in 2002 to bring back the once revered and historic streetcar to Tampa. Today in…
Must-click links: Like Crazy, The last IFC podcast, Charlie Sheen, SNL, big winners at Sundance, Another Earth and more …
John Lichman on being the young, white (fake) Armond White. Like Crazy and How to Die in Oregon win the top prizes at Sundance. Clips from a few big Sundance films:
#MusicMonday, Vol. 26: Wanda Jackson, Kings of Leon, Ghostface Killah, and more!
Ever wonder what the Creative Loafing music team listens to on Mondays to get us through the day? Here’s this week’s selections. – Wanda Jackson, The Party Ain't Over (2011) Brand new release from the Queen of Rockabilly herself, the always feisty and raucous Wanda Jackson. With the help of White Stripe Jack White, Wanda's…
Theater Review: Revolve Theatre Company’s Here’s to You, Harold Pinter mysterious and beguiling
The Revolve Theatre Company, which premiered in Tampa a few months ago with Caryl Churchill’s tantalizing Far Away, has now moved to St. Petersburg with an evening of Harold Pinter one-acts called Here’s to You, Harold Pinter! The good news is, each of the three plays currently on stage at The Studio@620 — Ashes to…
REHAB sustainability presentation at The Roosevelt 2.0 (video)
Watch the video below of the REHAB event at The Roosevelt 2.0 that took place last Wednesday, January 27th. The presentation covered the group's projects, including the Earthship Florida and The Roosevelt building itself, and ways to make Tampa Bay more sustainable. Read more about the event here. "Each of the five projects discussed will…
2nd Annual Wingfest at Vinoy Park: Chicken wings, beer and tribute bands – Saturday, February 5th
is back! This Saturday, February 5th, marks the return of the outdoor food and music festival, taking place at Vinoy Park, dedicated to two of life's greatest pleasures: chicken wings and rock n' roll. Take your pick from over fifteen different "wing experts" from all over Southwest Florida who will be serving them up hot…
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio on water bill situation outrage- “I’m ultimately responsible”
Over the last few weeks, hundreds of Tampa residents mainly in the Dana Shores, New Tampa and Lake Magdalene areas have expressed outrage over their astronomical water bills, and have been even more unhappy in some cases about the responses they've received from city of Tampa officials. Last Friday more than 100 such citizens expressed…
Photo review: Little Dragon at Crowbar, Ybor City
Some shots from last Thursday's show featuring Swedish electro outfit Little Dragon with BillyGoat at Crowbar in Ybor City. Little Dragon frontwoman Yukimi Nagano pictured above; check out the complete photo gallery after the jump.
CL Spring Arts Theater preview: You gotta see these performances …
freeFall opens The Frogs — and a new theater complex "What better way to open a theater than 'Gods of the theater, smile on us?'" asks freeFall Theatre Company Artistic Director Eric Davis (left, with Producing Director Kevin Lane).
As Egypt burns, supporters of the movement protest in Tampa; Boehner & McConnell says President must join them in calling for entitlement reform, and today’s the deadline to register to vote in Tampa election: Mitch Perry Report 1.31.11
Good Monday morning everyone. As the quickly unfolding events occur in Egypt, about 100 people, many Egyptian-Americans who reside in the Tampa Bay area, took to the streets to show their support for those rebelling in the Middle East – and CL was the only print reporter covering it. By far the best coverage of…
Docs and oddities: Highlights from this year’s Sundance festival explore both the real and the surreal
What struck me at this year's Sundance Film Festival is that the features I reacted to most strongly were either documentaries that exposed me to the world in a new way, or oddball explorations of utter unreality. Sundance is most often mentioned in connection with the American independent features that found their audience here. What…
Pénedes and Priorat: A Spanish wine journey at the foothills of the Pyrenees (Part II)
Every new relationship has its tingle, a freshness that emits a passion that keeps you wanting for more: the sensation of your first taste of wine, that magical aroma that comes from barrels that are biding their time in the cellar, the touch of a fertile vine. When you find something good, when you are…
EarthTalk: Reducing global population pressures
The following is from the environmental themed advice column EarthTalk®, by the Editors of the non-profit publication E/The Environmental Magazine, that we’ll be regularly featuring here on CL’s Green Community. Dear EarthTalk: Global population numbers continue to rise, as does the poverty, suffering and environmental degradation that goes with it. Has the U.S., under Obama,…
Walking the dog: Consider what’s in it for you and your pet
Why do you walk your dog? That’s not really a silly question. Most dogs love walks. And, from the human’s point of view, there are many reasons to take a dog for walks. Some walks are simply toilet breaks for the dog. Short and necessary, there is no time for sniffing around. Some walks are…
Deadline to register for Tampa municipal elections is today, January 31 & City Council candidate fundraising numbers
The headline above says it all. If you live in the city of Tampa and want to vote in the mayoral and city council elections on March 1, you have until the end of the day to register to vote in that contest. Those who wish to register can download registration forms at www.votehillsborough.org or…
GOP vs. Obama: Who will take the lead in talking about entitlement reform? (video)
The two most powerful Republicans in Congress, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared on Sunday morning talk to discuss a number of issues, but perhaps the most interesting was their respective responses regarding entitlement reform. Although some pundits liked President Obama's State of the Union Address, many other centrist based…
The Gaily News: Transgendered Thai flight attendants, French gay marriage ban, Hawaiian gay civil unions, lesbian teens’ coup in Minn.
Because Thailand is such a transgendered hot spot, a new Thai airline has actively recruited transgendered flight attendants.
Cynical And Southern: 950 albums that made a difference in my life
I never believed in God, but I’ve always believed in music. From the moment I heard “Heart Of Glass” by Blondie when I was three years old I was hooked. Since that fateful day, I’ve been a pop culture aficionado growing older with the likes of Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Sonic Youth, and dozens of others.…
Do It Today: Spatial Agnosia at Centre Gallery
Space is never really the final frontier — at least if we're talking in a figurative sense. There's always new ways to imagine the confines around us and within us. The Centre Gallery at USF addresses these ephemeral thoughts with literal aplomb in its new exhibit Spatial Agnosia, a collaborative exhibition by David Gabbard, Matt…
Amanpour ahead of her Sunday morning brethren in reporting from Egypt
When a political drama unfolds internationally like it has in the past week, a majority of Americans still tune into CNN as their go-to U.S. cable news source for breaking news. Christiane Amanpour made her reputation in the 1990s covering such conflicts as are happening now in Egypt, but she was always a curious choice…
Eat Less Chikin: The LGBT Chik-fil-A boycott
This past Thursday, some people from Chik-fil-A dropped by CL to pimp their new line of Spicy Chicken Biscuits. I ate one (okay, one and a half) and had some fruit salad. Now I feel sick to my stomach. Not that there was anything wrong with the sandwiches or the salad. No — the reason…
Tampa Invaded! Photos from the Wet Zone of Gasparilla 2011
The 2011 Gasparilla Parade of Pirates, part of the Seminole Hard Rock Pirate Fest, rolled down the streets of Tampa Saturday. The annual event, predicted to attract tens of thousands, was filled with floats, marching bands and dignitaries. Jim Belushi was this year's Grand Marshal. For days before the parade, authorities warned of stronger enforcement and zero…
Anti-Mubarak rally attracts approximately 100 people in Tampa
The events occurring on the ground this weekend in Egypt have riveted Americans who pay attention to such events, and on Tampa Saturday afternoon approximately 100 people, many Egyptian-Americans, took to the streets corners of Dale Mabry and Kennedy to applaud the protests and call for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down — "yesterday"…
Publix Super Markets, Inc. leaps into the future with Curbside
We are bombarded with choices everywhere we go, and supermarkets are definitely no exception. Looking for the word ‘non-fat’ is no longer the single criteria for health-conscious grocery shopping. Today it’s all about USDA organic, food without GMOs and milk that's free from rBST. It seems impossible for us to keep up with so much…
Spring Arts Preview 2011: You Gotta See This!
Spring is almost here. Well, it feels like it, anyway. If you can't get your hot little hands on this week's print issue (Jan. 27-Feb. 2) of Creative Loafing Tampa, here are the links to all the sneak-peeks and must-sees in film, visual arts, theater and music. Snazzy cover art by CL Art Director Todd…
Can you be too healthy for multi-vitamins?
This piece was written by USF student Jenna Miller. Initially this question seems absurd, but the answer may surprise you. With the current concern trending towards wellness, the consumer desire for multi-vitamins and nutritional supplements has gone up exponentially. However, people may be getting more than they bargained for. Consuming an excess of certain vitamins…
Mosaic execs cool with spending big money on Adam Putnam’s daughter’s cake – but 10K? That’s bad business
This story was originally covered by our local press, but only with an AP byline. Check it out: LAKELAND — A fertilizer company paid a record $10,000 for a cake at the Polk County Youth Fair Auction baked by the 9-year-old daughter of state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. The Ledger of Lakeland reported today that…
Bill’s Sports Binge Friday freeway: Transplant trash, towel in the testes and Tweet twits
Shh! Listen. You hear that? It's the welcome deafening silence of Jets and Bears fans that have quite literally defined noise pollution in our local sports bars for the past month and littered our streets displaying their ignorant and stubbornly weak front-running attitude. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a fatter version of Chris…
The Gaily News: Kelly Osbourne and the other woman, Facts of Life star comes out, New Yorkers support gay marriage
It's come out that when Kelly Osbourne and her fiance Luke Worrall split up last summer it was because he cheated on her — with a transgendered woman. The woman in question is model Elle Schneider, who was born a man.
Must-click links: Turmoil in Egypt is Al Jazeera’s big moment, remembering Challenger, NY Times on Sundance, Gervais and Carell together and much more …
Al Jazeera's important role in the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia: "In many ways, it is Al Jazeera's moment — not only because of the role it has played, but also because the channel has helped to shape a narrative of popular rage against oppressive American-backed Arab governments." Here is Al Jazeera's remarkable live stream of…
BabyCakes bakery in Downtown Disney: Vegan and gluten-free indulgence
Since removing the McDonald’s restaurant from Downtown Disney Marketplace in Lake Buena Vista, FL, Disney has brought in some healthier "fast food" fare in the form of Pollo Campero, Fresh Apeel and NYC’s BabyCakes vegan bakery (as seen on The Food Network) in its place. This project was headed by the Spiaggia restaurant group —…
Is Al Gore right? Does climate change exist? The SciCafe weighs in (video)
I recently attended a discussion about climate change hosted by the Pier Aquarium. This month's panel at SciCafe, a monthly event held at the St. Petersburg Pier Aquarium, was entitled: "Does Climate Change Exist?" Below is the video of the entire panel and discussion. I listened to the esteemed panel in discussing this subject, considered…
Retired Air Force General Lloyd “Fig” Newton endorses Michael Ciftci in Tampa City Council District 3 race
Lloyd W. "Fig"Newton, a retired Air Force four star general who was the first African-American pilot in the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, endorsed Michael Ciftci today in the Tampa City Council District 3 race. In a statement released by the Ciftci campaign today, Newton said, “Michael has consistently shown that he is a leader with…
Surviving Valentine’s Day for the single
Valentine’s Day is a day dedicated to exchanging love letters, flowers, candies, kisses, but not if your single. If you don't have someone to celebrate this greeting card holiday with, it's not clear what you're supposed to do on V-Day except pretend not to notice all the other people who seem to be happily in…
Concert review: Tokyo Police Club and Two Door Cinema Club fog up a sold-out Crowbar in Ybor City (with photos & setlists)
There were two ways a person might have witnessed Wednesday night’s show at Crowbar: standing within the venue, or looking in from the patio through its fogged up windows. The line to get in was wrapped around the block by 9 p.m., and the concerned expressions on the faces at the tail end of it…
Gasparilla’s inglorious past; Obama to talk gun control at some point in his presidency, and Richard Corcoran, your new House Speaker of Florida – in 6 years:Mitch Perry Report 1.28.11
Good morning everybody. While the city government of St. Pete will basically shut down today as the community honors its two fallen officers from Monday's incident, folks in Tampa are gearing up for the annual street party known as the Gasparilla Festival. San Francisco has its annual huge blowout for Gay Freedom, New York City…
The not so glorious history of the Gasparilla parade
Today both the Tampa Tribune and St. Pete Times have stories in their news pages (the Times already went coverage-crazy in its weekend entertainment section Thursday) on the annual bacchanal that is the Gasparilla parade. The Trib's story written by Donna Koehn delves into the fact that this will be Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio's final…
Dining Guide: Veg-friendly eateries in Tampa Bay
CL regularly presents focused listings of the best dining options in Tampa Bay’s neighborhoods. This week we’re giving you a guide to the spots in Tampa Bay that are great options for vegetarian and vegan dining. BEIRUT CAFE 5281 Park Street N., St. Pete; 727-541-4488. Authentic Lebanese dishes laced with exotic spices in the form…
EarthTalk: Environmental problems and human health
The following is from the environmental themed advice column EarthTalk®, by the Editors of the non-profit publication E/The Environmental Magazine, that we’ll be regularly featuring here on CL’s Green Community. Dear EarthTalk: Aren’t environmental issues primarily about health? Detractors like to trivialize environmentalists as “tree huggers,” but the bottom line is that pollution makes us…
Why this headline — “It’s looking like House Speaker Corcoran in 17-18” — tells you all you need to know why Florida politics are absurd
Got a tweet Tuesday night about a headline on the St. Pete Times Buzz Blog that read: "It's looking like House Speaker Corcoran in 17-18." You've gotta be friggin' kidding me. This isn't new, but the absurdity doesn't go away just because it's happened before. Pasco County Representative Richard Corcoran, a former chief of staff…
Movie review: Mikael Hafstrom’s The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins and Colin O’Donoghue (with trailer video)
The Rite comes off as an Exorcist knockoff in the trailer, complete with creepy images, scary makeup and star Anthony Hopkins flashing his best demonic look — which, incidentally, is quite good. But is it enough to make this movie worthwhile? God, no. The Rite is about a young priest named Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue)…
Do It This Weekend: Floridiana Fest, opening of Herb Snitzer exhibition at TMA, Gasparilla (duh) and much more
The century-plus tradition of the Gasparilla Invasion and Pirate Fest takes over Tampa again, this year with sponsor Seminole Hard Rock emblazoned in the logo. The Jose Gasparilla, a fully-rigged pirate ship – and we’re told the world’s only one – will sail to the end of Hillsborough Bay, shoot off its cannons and meet…
Shiver Our Timbers! Ye guide to Gasparilla 2011
Whether you enjoy it or avoid it, the time has come for Tampa’s annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Here’s what you need to know before you go.
Fake it real good: Make quick and easy frozen yogurt (no ice cream maker needed)
If you're one of those people who have, thus far, stuck to your New Year's resolutions of healthy eating (or are trying to get back on the bandwagon), here's a quick, easy and scrumptious dessert recipe that won't leave you with extra calories to burn off or the guilt of cheating on your diet. It's…
Community gathers for discussion on improving Tampa’s sustainability at The Roosevelt 2.0
The Roosevelt 2.0 held a special event Wednesday, January 26, to discuss one of the most pressing questions for both environmentalists and economists alike: What can we do to make Tampa more sustainable? The main goal of the event was to educate and encourage the public to help move the city’s culture in a more…
Obama apparently ready to talk about gun control — away from the spotlight of a SOTU address
Progressives have had serious issues with Barack Obama since shortly after his grace period ended and he was inaugurated as the 44th president of the U.S. almost exactly two years ago. Amongst people I hear from, their issues are hottest about who Obama has selected to be his economic advisors, like Larry Sumners and Tim…
Sundance interview with Gregg Araki, director of Kaboom (with interview video)
I had a chance to sit down with Gregg Araki — one of the most distinctive voices of the so-called "New Queer Cinema," and the director of critically acclaimed indie classics such as The Living End, Totally F***ed Up, Nowhere and Mysterious Skin. While it looked like he might be heading mainstream with his stoner…
Movie Review: Simon West’s The Mechanic, starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland (with trailer video)
A remake of a Charles Bronson film, The Mechanic stars Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland in a movie that has action, some gore and plenty of a stern-faced Jason Statham. Statham stars as Bishop, a high-end assassin scrambling to fill his work schedule. When one job gets too personal, Bishop's conscience bothers him…
Must-click links: Sundance, Terri, taxes, King’s Speech inaccuracies, Fox News, Franco visits Stewart and much more …
Sundance 2011: Director Azazel Jacobs (The GoodTimes Kid, Mamma's Man) looks to have a crossover hit on his hands with the coming-of-age film Terri: The Economix blog: Winners and losers of the U.S. Corporate tax code. Guy Lodge of In-contention.com examines the "historical hiccups" of Oscar darling The Kings Speech. The New York Review of Books…
DIY green: Turn old Venetian blinds into a hanging chandelier
So you've got an old and/or broken set of Venetian blinds on your hands. Just throw them in the trash, right? Wrong. Don't sacrifice them to a landfill! Turn them into something fun and functional instead, like this "Blindshade" hanging lamp. Created by artist Christine Lupo, this chandelier lamp is made from recycled, damaged Venetian…
Top 11 upcoming concerts of 2011, from Katy Perry to Franz Nicolay to Broken Social Scene
A quick breakdown of must-see concerts taking place in the Tampa Bay area over the next six months in order of importance and local anticipation. To see a complete list of concerts on the horizon, visit our Upcoming Concerts page. 11. Katy Perry The recently-wed Grammy-nominated superstar pop singer gets the tweens and teens in…
Hillsborough homeless count on; Mike Fasano asks Rick Scott what is he doing? and a look at the Hillsborough judge at the center of a riveting case:Mitch Perry Report 1.27.11
The Tampa Tribune is just the latest editorial board to rip into Governor Rick Scott for his withdrawing Charlie Crist's request that the Justice Department review Amendments 5 &6, the initiatives approved overwhelmingly by Florida voters last November that are meant to make the re-districting of Congressional and Legislative districts fairer. Scott was also chastised…
Florida House Democrats propose legislation affecting LGBT rights
It's the middle of winter, but Florida Legislators every day are introducing new legislation that they hope will get bi-partisan support when the regular session begins in six weeks. On Wednesday, two House Democrats introduced bills that would address fairness for the LGBT community. Orlando area Representative Scott Randolph introduced The Competitive Workforce Act (H.B.361)…
Clearwater copy: La Petite Brasserie is a faithful, if not exciting, rendition of the original
La Petite Brasserie 2245 Nursery Road, Clearwater, 727-330-7546, stpetebrasserie.com/lapetitebrasserie 3 stars Call it a social media triumph. Six months ago, Andrew “Wilko” Wilkins put out a plea for help in what is coming to be a fairly common form — a Facebook post that told fans of his St. Pete Brasserie that the restaurant was…
Movie review: Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Biutiful, starring Javier Bardem (with trailer video)
Some friends and I were recently listing the saddest movies we’d ever seen, and I didn’t really have one. My disposition falls on the happy-go-lucky side, and I tend to avoid anything that will send me into spirals of depression. I say that having just watched Biutiful, a Spanish-language import from director Alejandro González Iñárritu…
Spring Arts Preview 2011: You gotta see this!
The visionary folks over at Square One always give good visual, but we were particularly struck by the spooky-fabulous soul in the photograph by Jason Moriarty (right), which they're using to promote their next arts-and-fashion bash, The Man in the Moon (April 2, Ritz Ybor). Like Creative Loafing's Sensory Overload (which takes place this year…
Gasparilla Guide 2011: Gasparilla 2010 was wet but still wild
Whether you enjoy it or avoid it, the time has come for Tampa's annual Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Here's what you need to know before you go. HISTORY: Named after an 18th-century Bay-area pirate, Jose Gaspar, who reputedly buried an unknown amount of treasure somewhere along the Florida coast. Adopted as the swashbuckling patron of Tampa's…
Creative Loafing hosts Tampa mayoral debate
Feb. 10, 2011, 6-8 p.m. Address: CL Space, 1911 N. 13th St. (above Spaghetti Warehouse in Ybor Square), Tampa Schedule: Meet-and-greet, 6 p.m.; debate, 6:30-8 p.m. All six candidates have agreed to participate. Moderator: CL News & Politics Editor Mitch Perry Admission: Free, but seating is limited. RSVP: london.fajkus@cln.com
Spring 2011 Music Preview: Iron Maiden, Broken Social Scene, Katy Perry and more
Iron Maiden's return Before Iron Maiden left the stage following their April 2009 performance in South Florida, frontman Bruce Dickinson promised that the band would visit Florida again in 2011. Their stop in Tampa has been one of the most talked-about local concert events ever since it was confirmed in November, not only because it…
Seasonally disaffected: Biutiful and Blue Valentine
Some friends and I were recently listing the saddest movies we'd ever seen, and I didn't really have one. My disposition falls on the happy-go-lucky side, and I tend to avoid anything that will send me into spirals of depression. I say that having just watched Biutiful, a Spanish-language import from director Alejandro González Iñárritu…
An age old question
I'm from the other side of the country, but I'm sitting in my lover's San Francisco apartment wondering what I'm doing. I flew out here to spend five glorious days with her. We connect sexually (she's a Dom stone-butch top, I'm a queer femme sub), we connect intellectually, and we make each other laugh. I'm…
Spring 2011 Visual Art Preview: NCECA, British watercolors, Degas at TMA
It's a cerama-palooza! The NCECA ceramic arts shows take over Tampa Bay Normally what goes on at the Tampa Convention Center is of little interest to art aficionados around the Bay area, but in late March, when NCECA (pronounced in-seek-a), the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, comes to town with its yearly…
Clearwater copy
Call it a social media triumph. Six months ago, Andrew "Wilko" Wilkins put out a plea for help in what is coming to be a fairly common form — a Facebook post that told fans of his St. Pete Brasserie that the restaurant was teetering on the precipice. After a profitable winter and spring, the…
Derek meet World
A CL Holiday Auction winner gets his wished-for interview with Jimmy Eat World.
Roomful of blues
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a wonderful play about a few hours in the life of the fabled blues singer and her accompanists, and if the uneven production at American Stage doesn't often do it justice, still it offers a few moments of inspired and inspiring theater. Most of all, it brings us the talented…
Spring 2011 Movie Preview: I Am, Hall Pass, The Adjustment Bureau, Sundance
I Am: From Ace Ventura to the meaning of life Even by the outsized standards of Hollywood, Tom Shadyac (pronounced shade-e-ack) is an amazingly successful director. The man behind Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty and The Nutty Professor (among others), Shadyac (right) raked in millions of dollars by producing silly but critic-proof comedies that made the…
Spring 2011 Theater Preview: The Frogs, Yellowman, The Othello Project
freeFall opens The Frogs — and a new theater complex "What better way to open a theater than 'Gods of the theater, smile on us?'" asks freeFall Theatre Company Artistic Director Eric Davis (left, with Producing Director Kevin Lane). That will indeed be the first line spoken in the first show at freeFall's new home:…
Taken for a ride
In mid-December, as the first true cold spell of winter descended upon Tampa Bay, a group of Hillsborough County's leading state lawmakers descended upon the University of South Florida's Tampa campus. They were there to discuss legislation affecting the county that they intended to introduce in the Legislative session beginning this March. Although only a…
Early returns
We're just two weeks into the 10/100/1000 Challenge, a collaborative project of Creative Loafing and Creative Tampa Bay. On Jan. 13, we launched a 100-day search for great ideas to make Tampa Bay a better place to live, which will culminate in the announcement of the Top 10 ideas and the $1,000 winner in April.…
Urban affairs
Though you've never met them, you probably already know, in some sense, the guys pictured in Helen Levitt's 1940 photograph New York City — two friends seated on a pair of chairs on a city sidewalk. The world ticks by as they kibitz about world affairs or subway fares; a horse-drawn carriage stenciled with the…
Do It Today: John Waters at USF, a Harold Pinter ode and that Bed Intruder guy, Antoine Dodson
Famed underground director John Waters visits USF to perform a free one-man show at 7 p.m. The vaudevillian-style chat session includes stories about Waters' most memorable movies and singular reflections on society and pop culture. 7 p.m. USF Theatre 1, USF's Main Campus in Tampa. Free, followed by book signing at USF Contemporary Art Museum.…
UPDATE: Tampa Council members & candidates to help with homeless count
UPDATE:( As you will you see down below, we wrote a post Wednesday based on a press release from the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County that listed the various city council members and city council candidates who were scheduled to assist the other hundreds of volunteers to count the number of homeless today. Overnight we…
Midnight screening of brutal film The Woman evokes outrage at Sundance
Aly Campbell (communications major at Eckerd College) submitted the following from Park City: Last night Cassia and I attended the midnight premiere of a horror film entitled The Woman. We both agreed after seeing the film that it was quite successful in being utterly horrifying. It was fairly hard to watch at some points due to…
Green Community Calendar weekend events: Organic gardening 101, alternative energy discussion, Suncoast Surfrider beach party and more
Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar. Dunedin Green Market- Fridays: 8 am-1 pm, Saturdays: 9 am-2 pm (through April). Featuring fresh, local produced goods such as baked good, ready-to-eat-foods, organic plants and herbs, coffee, honey, seafood, clothing, and so much more. The Dunedin Green…
Tonight’s Top Chef All-Stars preview: Restaurant Wars outdoors!
It's my favorite time of the season: Restaurant Wars! And I'm thrilled that the producers are bringing it back for the All-Stars to suffer through again. For the Quickfire, Bourdain actually shows his face again on the show and challenges the chefs to a fish fillet-off at Le Bernardin, which just so happens to be…
Art and narrative and — other worlds — by Trenton Doyle Hancock
Students, professors and art lovers of all ages came out to the University of South Florida last Friday to view two new art shows on campus. The Contemporary Art Museum held an opening reception for the latest chapter in Trenton Doyle Hancock’s famous art narrative entitled We Done All We Could and None of It’s…
