My Morning Jacket releases new digital EP today
Southern alt rockers and 2008's Top 10 favorites My Morning Jacket, releases a brand new live EP today exclusively through iTunes. From the band's website: Ryan Pickett presents, in association with pickettmax films: Candles and Panties ‘08 – the iTunes EP – LIVE in Las Vegas! A Ryan Pickett production. The purpose of this EP…
Stoner rock supergroup Shrinebuilder exists! Starts recording!
If Ivan's sludge primer piqued your curiosity – or you've been a stoner rock aficianado for longer than your pot-addled brain can remember – this news should please you. Shrinebuilder is the doom supergroup that will rule them all. Just look at the lineup!
Suicide Girls: Beauty Redefined is a big book of naked ladies
When we received Suicide Girls: Beauty Redefined in the mail this morning, I had to fight Leilani for ownership. She saw the "Beauty Redefined" tag and thought it would be an exploration of feminist art. Uhm, no. The Suicide Girls site has been doing their very own style of highly profitable beauty defining since 2001…
Vicky Cristina Barcelona returns to Tampa Theatre
Just got word from Nicole Southworth that the Tampa Theatre is going to be showing Woody Allen's now Golden Globe-award winning film Vicky Cristina Barcelona for a limited engagement starting Jan. 16. The showtimes are as follows: Fri., Jan. 16: 9:45 p.m. Sat., Jan. 17: 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Sun., Jan 18 through Wed., Jan…
On Tony Dungy: Appraising and reminiscing
Unless you just got released from a Supermax prison, you know that Tony Dungy retired from coaching yesterday. It’s on 1A of both local dailies, with extensive coverage on the sports pages. It’s the lead story on TV sports nationally. Dungy’s retirement is especially big news in Tampa Bay, where he’s a revered — make…
Tampa wins trifecta — Most Caffeinated City, Least Addicted, Most Pain Killers!
Last year, when the we came in second to stinking Chicago in the HealthSaver Caffeine Survey, we knew we had work to do. Upsizing lattes just isn't enough anymore, especially when competing with perennial favorites like Seattle and Los Angeles. But all that hard work, shaking hands and stained teeth has finally paid off. Tampa…
PBS tackles the history of funny
The promo is probably right: This is not a job for Jim Lehrer (props to him, though, for making fun of himself). But PBS' Make 'Em Laugh promises to showcase several generations of American comedians for whom funny was an art, and if the snippets on the website are any indication — interviews with George…
Five days in Miami for a West Indian Christmas
Late afternoon on Xmas Eve saw my friend and I renewing our membership in the +100 mph Alligator Alley club in a pair of German autobahn cruisers; we saw SW Miami in 3.5 hours! My brain's hunger center had me in race mode. We were impatiently making a pilgrimage for a Trinidadian Xmas: a five…
Grapefruit Avocado Salad, plus more great grapefruit recipes
Have you noticed an abundance of grapefruit in the produce section lately? Yep, it's grapefruit season! So you buy a few because they're on sale, but now what do you do with them? Most would simply think to just peel or halve them and eat it straight out of the rind. Boring. Why not incorporate…
Idol hopes
Someday, Kara DioGuardi will have her own celebrity lookalike, just like her Idol pals (imitated at left by a trio from Tapley Entertainment). And this year's Idol will be all sweetness and light and not mean at all. Right.
The Short List: Bush plans Thursday night speech
I caught this 60 Minutes piece on the rise and fall of the price of oil and thought it a good one. Remember, every time they say "supply and demand," you're getting screwed. Watch CBS Videos Online Any guesses on what W. will say in his prime time farewell Thursday night? Put them in comments.…
Satellite 2009: Surprises in the dark during Lights On Tampa
The mirror balls sparkled, the mood ring changed colors, a parking garage came alive, and an animated depiction of Tampa under water shared wall space with Celine Dion ads as circus crowds milled outside the St. Pete Forum. All in all, the Jan. 10 kickoff for Lights On Tampa was quite a night — not…
“Kurt Warner is worried you’re going to hell”
That's a recent headline from Outsports.com, the always-entertaining site for gay sports fans, and from the video posted on the site's Jock Talk Blog it sure does seem as if Kurt is awfully concerned about the possibility of friends and family (and you too, probably) heading for eternal damnation. Even more interesting are the comments…
Songs about women murdering men
The idea for this post was born of my accidental experiment with decaffeinated coffee a week or so ago. (You can read more about that here.) One of the completely random and wholly undeveloped thoughts that "seeped in and out of my foggy, throbbing brain" during the course of that experiment was the following: There…
A happier Geri X returns, releases new CD
She appeared on the Bay area scene about four years ago, an exotically pretty, shy girl with an acoustic guitar and a mysterious name: Geri X. She had a nebulous backstory: A Bulgarian immigrant, it was said, with some kind of trauma in her childhood. Even her age was up for debate; rumors spread that…
The TENORI-ON: You can own one for only $999
Last week, while writing about the BBC's number one pick for its 'Sound of 2009' artists to watch in the New Year series, I discovered a new digital musical instrument, the TENORI-ON, one among many of th in the high-tech gadgetry that creates music in a 21st Century, because if we aren't evolving and creating…
Why Being a Band Jerk is Not a Good Thing
Attitude is an important component to keep in check as your band starts to have some pull. Acting like a whiny diva is a surefire way to get yourself banned from venues, overlooked by promoters and despised by local media. If you are an unsigned or independent act, you have no place thinking that you…
Half-smoke-gate! Obama gets more free food, and a new enemy in Bill Cosby
Ben's Chili Bowl is a D.C. icon — known for the "half-smoke," the trademark street food of our nation's capital — that for years had one important rule: Only Bill Cosby eats for free at Ben's. But the times, they are a changin'. Recently, Ben's updated their "Who Eats Free" sign to include the Obama…
Creative Loafing’s new Food Section is live, local, and damn tasty
For years, CL's loyal readers have made our food coverage one of the most popular sections of both the paper and the website. Now, it's time for us to give back. Today, CL unveiled a new food site that goes far beyond the restaurant reviews, wine columns, food and drink events, and occasional news we've…
Wine as an elite class
Alder Yarrow, headmaster of the excellent and humorous Vinography wine blog, recently posted a piece on the travesty of wine and social class in America (read it) and it struck home. His basic premise is that wine is associated with the wealthy in America because of our original inability to grow grapes easily. By the…
NPR’s Morning Edition: Economy forces some to change their wine habits
NPR Morning Edition January 12 Ina Jaffe, 3 minutes, 57 seconds
Grayson’s Tacos
This is the taco recipe I’ve been fooling around with for a couple years now. I’ve been really poor so its been streamlined for maximum cheapness. The food is simple, easy to make and damn tasty.
“My name isn’t Jeeves” and seven other waiter peeves
1. My Name isn;t Jeeves and as far as I know you didn't pay my way over from the old country. You are my guest and I am your host, not a minion to do your bidding. I am a courteous, friendly professional who attempts to provide all my clients with a pleasant dining experience…
Constellation to sell off more than 40 liquor brands
Constellation Brands, one of the largest alcohol companies in the world, is selling off 40 of its "value" liquor brands, including affectionately remembered Mr. Boston, Skol, and Barton. The $334 million deal is with New Orleans-based Sazerac Company, Inc. and should close by the end of February. According to Constellation Brands CEO Rob Sands, the…
Four teams left: What’s the best Super Bowl matchup?
How does an Arizona Cardinals/Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl sound? I'm tempted to say that NBC, which will broadcast Super Bowl XXXXIII from Tampa , is shuddering at the thought of those two non-marquee teams clashing on Feb. 1, but really, isn't the Super Bowl so ginormous that it transcends the matchup? People tune into the…
The Short List: Obama caves on stimulus plan
Obama talks the sinking economy in the latest "Message From The President-Elect" posted to YouTube. Obama's not even officially the Prez yet, and already he's caving. Lots more news after the jump:
T.S.O.L. turn 30, give away new album.
Orange County punk veterans T.S.O.L. spent the week prior to Christmas in the studio crafting a free full-length to mark their 30th anniversary. With sponsorship from Hurley, Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Free Downloads hit the web late last week. Hurley.com documented the production process via streaming video of the band at work in the studio. The…
I Love St. Pete Art Show — surprise, good music!
I dropped into the I Love St. Pete Art Show this Saturday night, took a quick look-see at some pretty great St. Pete-inspired art – didn’t stay inside and almost snagged a pair of retro sunglasses I spotted from across the room but actually talked myself out of buying by the time I could see…
Ron Asheton, nostalgia, age, generation, Stooges and death
How did my mom go from owning such a wide range of Rock n Roll records from the Beatles to Black Sabbath to devoting her ears solely to Celine Dion? Living in the land of oldsters and hipsters (some people are both), this question ultimately pervades every aspect of existence in Tampa Bay. Issues of marketed generation norms,…
Anticlimatic ‘Sound’ off.
BBC News has finally revealed its number one "Sound of 2009" artist to watch in the new year. (If you don't know what this new music series is by now, click here, here, here and here.) Thus far, we've seen 1984 throwback duo La Roux at number five, tongue-in-cheek electro party band Empire of the…
ArtsSpeak Episode #3: Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Chris Holcom and Kari Goetz of Jobsite’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile join Creative Loafing editor David Warner for a chat about Picasso, Einstein, Steve Martin and Jobsite’s ten-year milestone. Plus, Kari reveals her past life as a Gator Getter. Download.
Free advice from a famous playwright
A rare opportunity for Tampa Bay area playwrights to work with a nationally acclaimed dramatist will occur this Saturday at The Studio at 620 in St. Petersburg. Playwright Mark Medoff, celebrated for When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder and Children of a Lesser God, will be in town for the premiere of Tommy J and Sally (at…
Weekend in music
Friday, Jan. 09 Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, one of two self-monikered jazz-funk ensembles led by West Coast flutist/saxophonist/vocalist Karl Denson, brings the dance party to State Theatre. The fun kicks off with Ft. Lauderdale jammers The Heavy Pets. The multi-day Cigar City Tattoo Convention has filled the many floors of Ybor City's Cuban Club in…
The Score: Obama’s inauguration, by the numbers
It's only eleven days away. Have you donated to the official inauguration committee? Or booked your tickets? Obama transition team budget: $12 million Obama's inauguration committee budget: $50 million Funds raised by committee as of Jan. 8: $27 million Maximum contribution allowed by Obama's inauguration team: $50,000 Maximum contribution allowed by Bush's inauguration team: $250,000…
Soho wine bar Cork opens
Although I'd love to report that SoHo's new wine bar, Cork, was packed at a tasting this week, it wasn't. But not due to a lack of desirous customers — the City of Tampa won't allow the new hotspot to have more than 50 people inside at one time. In an effort to curb the…
Geri X’s novel way of accumulating fans
St. Pete-based singer/songwriter Geri X will release her first album on a label next week. It's called Anthems of a Mended Heart (24 Hour Service Station), and it's definitely worth your while. She'll be on the cover of next week's CL. She really opened up about her life and her past, which has long been…
Roy’s winter menu deal
Just in time for your recessionary palate, Roy's has a prix fixe menu worth $35. Available January 12 – March 31 at Roy's Restaurant across from International Plaza. MENU: First Course (Choice of one): Pulehu Style "Kalbi" Sirloin, Kimchee & Edamame Fried Rice Seafood Chowder, Shell & Fin Fish Crispy Chicken Katsu Salad, Creamy Asian…
Do It This Weekend: Food & Drink Edition
Check out our full Food and Drink Events Listing for more upcoming events. Friday, Jan. 9: Uncorked Fine Wines This weekly Friday tasting features new wines from Spain. $10. 6:30-8:30 p.m., 2706 4th St. N., St. Petersburg (727-892-9463 or uncorkedwines.com) Friday, Jan. 9: Bern's Fine Wines & Spirits Continuing the January Crush Hour series, Bern's…
Induce a sugar coma with this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Another of my P.M.S creations (even though I made this cake for my hubbys b-day..Guys can have P.M.S,right?) This cake was soooooooooo incredibly rich, even I couldn't eat a whole piece.(Now that's rare!) I have this thing that I cant eat anything sweet without a HUGE glass of milk…and even with the milk, I couldn't…
The Short List: New Sarah Palin video
Anyone who thought that Sarah Palin was going to vanish into the Alaskan wilderness now stands corrected. This time, Palin has popped up in a conversation with right-wing filmmaker John Ziegler about how the media was so mean to her because she's not a Kennedy. Good stuff. After a tough, bruising game, the Gators win…
Leaking Reznor
Last night, Trent Reznor posted the following on the "your gift! The internet is full of surprises these days. I was contacted by a mysterious, shadowy group of subversives who SOMEHOW managed to film a substantial amount (over 400 GB!) of raw, unedited HD footage from three separate complete shows of our Lights in the…
Scott Weiland’s guitarist bites the hand that feeds
Doug Grean is ready for his moment in the sun – and after putting up with the unpredictable antics of a songwriting partner like Scott Weiland, I can't really blame him. The Los Angeles producer/musician and the erratic Stone Temple Pilots frontman began collaborating back in 1998, and sixteen of their co-written songs appear on…
The ‘Sound’ countdown reaches number two.
Thus far, the BBC "Sound of 2009" countdown has revealed three artists that are supposed to be the best new up-and-coming talent in 2009. I can't really drum up much interest in today's number two, London alt rock trio White Lies, simply because their music is so goddamn dark and dreary, too gothic in its…
What 275 will look like after the construction (finally) ends
Not sure when the nightmare will be over, but see how it will all end up: View the full 3D flash video of the new 275 from Howard Franklin to the Hillsborough River.
Why is Impact Florida offering to buy David Duke a round trip bus ticket to DC?
This story originally appeared on The Daily Loaf, but I thought some of you music lovers might enjoy hearing a bunch of gay rights activists dressed up like mock Ku Klux Klansmen humming Kumbaya. Enjoy! Impact Florida is at it again. The GLBT rights group made headlines last month when they staged an anti-Amendment 2 demonstration outside of Florida…
Food. Porn. Two great tastes that taste great together.
Now that I've successfully tricked most of you into reading this post, I'll fill you in on what "food porn" really is. And, no, sadly, it has nothing to do with naked people and food. That's another fetish altogether. Food porn is the foodie craze that's been sweeping the internet, especially in the blogosphere. Simply,…
Free Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit every Wednesday in January
Well one thing is for sure, Chick-Fil-A isn't being shy about promoting their Chicken Biscuit for Breakfast. On New Year's Day they gave away coupons for a free chicken biscuit with a purchase to every guest in the restaurant, all day. If you got a coupon they are good through the end of March. If…
Clean Scores Site for Restaurant Hygiene
Here's a handy gadget for those interested in restaurant hygiene. Clean Scores provides a record of health inspection scores for local restaurants. Taqueria Mi Mexico, for example, got a perfect score on their last inspection (but fared a little worse back in April). It's not perfect, there are several restaurants I searched for that it…
Times’ Food Sections Round Up
In the St. Pete Times food section this week: Is cooking your new resolution? Janet Keeler touts the filling carb goodness of gnocchi, simple Chicken Tortilla Soup made from rotisserie chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork Stir Fry. John and Colette Bancroft review the Argentinean 2007 Silvertop Torrontes.
The Short List: Dick Cheney thinks he’s “loveable”
Some of the craziest video I've seen in a while. These guys can really fly. Sorry, but the flying-guys video is apparently gone. In it's place, here's this … other random, flying-related video. Illinois House committee could decide soon on whether or not to impeach Blago. Click below for much more news!
Traffic Court Dining
" Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals… except the weasel" -Homer Simpson I received a parking ticket at the beginning of December for parking the wrong way on the street in front of my house. I think I was 30 feet away from my car when…
Artists salute Obama with DC exhibit
Tes One. Change We Made. 45”x60”, 2008. Artworks by four Tampa Bay artists—Tes One, Bask and Phillip Clark and Chad Mize of Bluelucy—are headed to Washington, DC, where they will be featured in Manifest Hope, an exhibit celebrating the election of Barack Obama. Shepard Fairey's now-iconic, red-and-blue portrait of the president elect will serve as…
Update: More Phish tour dates confirmed, Clifford Ball on DVD
UPDATE: Yesdterday, two Phish tour dates were finally confirmed: June 18 in Burgettstown, Penn., and June 6 in Mansfield, Mass. According to Billboard, Phish has revealed some more dates. The band's summer tour is set to kick off June 4-5 at Jones Beach in Wantagh, N.Y. Other stops include Camden, N.J. (June 7), Asheville, N.C.…
A House Divided: Sooner Holley live blogs the BCS Championship Game
Sooner Holley: Here we are. As I am beginning this first blog of what will be many this evening, I am filled with an anticipation that is both exhilarating and terrifying. I have been watching the ESPN Game Day boys, and while I'm appalled at the way they seem to have written Oklahoma off already,…
Florence continues the ‘Sound.’
I know, I know — a post a day about this doggone series could get very tiring. But seeing as past artists who made the BBC's "Sound of 2009" music-to-watch-for-in-the-New-Year series had pretty good years in '08 — MGMT, Santogold, The Ting Tings, Glasvegas, Black Kids — I feel I should prolly be following it…
Why is Impact Florida offering to buy David Duke a round trip bus ticket to DC?
Impact Florida is at it again. The GLBT rights group made headlines last month when they staged an anti-Amendment 2 demonstration outside of Florida Governor Charlie Crist's wedding. Apparently, they're gluttons for controversy because their latest action is even more outrageous. In a video posted this morning, Impact Florida calls upon fair-minded Americans of every stripe to…
Minty Fresh Beats presents Jaydiohead, a new mash-up.
Wanna download a free mash-up of songs by Radiohead and Jay-Z? New York-based DJ Minty Fresh Beats offers his take, which is good enough to get him his five minutes of fame from MTV News. It's actually pretty decent as far as mash-ups go, though it's definitely no Girl Talk. Check it out below. If…
Jury duty as gigantic waste of time
I love jury duty. I really do. Civic duty, the American way, whodunnits, sitting in judgment — what's not to like? But I didn't love jury duty today. Because today, at the Pinellas County Criminal Justice Center, I had to witness the gigantic waste of time, money, labor, energy and brains that is expended on…
The joy of Tally Hall
I woke from a night of Irish whiskey drinking to a throat that was pained to swallow. My dear friend, Toby, sent me along my way with two packets of Emergen-C to drink with in my day. He also asked me "Do you want a banana?" I knew it was going to be a good…
Refreshing sake cocktail for a fresh start on the new year
Sake is one of those underrated alcoholic beverages, in my opinion, that most people only drink when going out for sushi. Hot or cold, filtered or unfiltered, are pretty much your only options when it is offered on a drink menu. Until now. Mixologists are featuring this rice-based alcohol in many hip new cocktails. There…
Do It Today: Food and Drink Edition
World of Wines This Wine Down Wednesday tasting features Chilean wines and specialty beers. Free. 6-8 p.m., 3431 S. West Shore Blvd., Tampa (813-835-9463) Cork and Olive Palm Harbor Christine Chapot of jardin de Bacchus B&B in Tavel, France teaches tou how to cook the Provencal way. $35. 6:30-9 p.m., Cork & Olive, 4978 Ridgemoor…
The Short List: Norm Coleman sues over Senate seat
Democrat funnyman Al Franken has beaten Norm Coleman to become Minnesota's new Senator. Understandably, Norm is pretty upset about this. So now, we go to court. Barack Obama gets a hot new whip. India makes public new details of the Mumbai attacks. More news after the jump …
Lights on Tampa 2009 art show: A downtown street party
It's a balmy Monday morning after Christmas, and Chris Doyle has his eyes fixed on the front of the Tampa Convention Center. There, in the portico that leads to the entrance of the shell-pink building, a line of glittering mirror balls hangs from the roof overhead. The low morning sun, barely kissing them at first,…
Best of the food blog
We've lined up a big list of new contributors and familiar faces for CL's food blog, from our own beer maven Bethany Sherwin to Bern's Wine Director Kevin Pelley, as well as home-cooking chefs Leslie Green and Rishi Ramkissoon, among many others. Here are some recent highlights: Caramelized onions with less work. Roasted cauliflower with…
Refreshing sake cocktail for a fresh start on the new year
Sake is one of those underrated alcoholic beverages, in my opinion, that most people only drink when going out for sushi. Hot or cold, filtered or unfiltered, are pretty much your only options when it is offered on a drink menu. Until now. Mixologists are featuring this rice-based alcohol in many hip new cocktails. There…
[5]art moves to a larger gallery; Three04 takes its place at WTCA
What Tampa Bay can claim in the way of museum growth (e.g., at the Tampa Museum of Art, Salvador Dalí Museum and The Arts Center — each currently building a new facility — or the recently expanded Museum of Fine Arts), it generally lacks in buildup at the gallery level. That's why it's especially exciting…
New Soho wine bar opens
Although I'd love to report that SoHo's new wine bar, Cork, was packed at a tasting this week, it wasn't. But not due to a lack of desirous customers — the City of Tampa won't allow the new hotspot to have more than 50 people inside at one time. In an effort to curb the…
Special Events: An Evening with Martin and Langston
As part of its 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration, USF welcomes Felix Justice and Danny Glover for "An Evening with Martin and Langston." Justice portrays one of history’s most eloquent leaders via readings of Dr. King’s speeches, and Glover recites from the works of the poignant poet and novelist who helped…
Musician Geri X comes home
The formerly mysterious Geri X returns, much happier, to Tampa Bay
Holiday: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events
A flurry of MLK Day events are held in Tampa and St. Petersburg throughout the next few days. On Monday, Hillsborough County’s 20th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is held in support of a MLK Memorial Scholarship Fund for graduating high school seniors. The parade begins at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and…
The Bungalow: Casual dining in SoHo
There's something about South Tampa restaurants, especially those clustered in and around SoHo, that makes you think more of style than substance. Partly, it's the pretty people that populate this area, filling barstools and pouring drinks. When it comes to the Bungalow, a new casual bar and restaurant a block from Howard on Kennedy, it's…
Jazz 101: 10 recommendations
Ten classic CDs for the uninitiated.
Art: It’s a Dog’s Life: Photographs by William Wegman from the Polaroid Collection and Sanctuary: Anna Tomczak Photography
You know those portraits of Weimaraners in various awkward poses, wearing dresses or overcoats or seaweed or backwards boots, watching the camera with long-suffering stares, trusting and obedient throughout what must be a rather long and tedious process for a breed of dog that enjoys running and jumping and chasing things? You can credit artist/photographer…
What’s the best way to launder money?
Being the fount of all knowledge, could you tell me the best way to launder money? The information may come in useful one day. — — Ben Vicken, somewhere in Asia I'm confident you're not contemplating anything illegal, Ben. However, it's helpful for us law-abiding folk to understand the workings of the criminal mind. So…
Music: Two Man Gentlemen Band
Americana/neo-vaudevillian duo Two Man Gentlemen Band – featuring Long Islanders Fuller Condon on upright bass and Andy Bean on banjo, both on vocals and kazoo – play old-timey music that sounds like it came straight out of a bouncing barroom in rural Dixieland. Dressed in smart throwback wear, the gentlemen sing clever, tongue-in-cheek ditties about…
Theater/Classical Music: The Merry Widow
So you say you don’t like opera? It’s sung in a foreign language by 3XL performers and seems inaccessible or unrelated to modernity? Have we got an operetta for you. Franz Lehar’s melodic The Merry Widow is a story about excess and great wealth, full of bright tunes sung by sensuous women and hunky men…
Classical Music: Joshua Bell
A one-time child prodigy who managed to cultivate a successful career as an adult, Grammy Award-winning violinist, Joshua Bell is as much of a star as classical music can export – good looking, single and a spirited performer. (He’s also happens to be the guy who played in a D.C. subway station during rush hour…
Will the economy improve in 2009?
USA Today cheerfully thinks it will. Three days before Christmas, it wrote, "It may come as a surprise, given all the bad news of late, but the U.S. economy is expected to emerge from the recession sometime around mid-2009." That's the rosy scenario. More and more, however, dire predictions are surfacing. John Cassidy wrote in…
Let the Right One In
OPENING THIS WEEK [RECOMMENDED] LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (R) Like George A. Romero’s horror classic Martin (1977), this Swedish shocker mixes vampire mythology with adolescent melancholy, and just as the earlier film was rooted in reality by its rundown Pittsburgh locations, this one draws heavily on its working-class setting, a drab suburb of Stockholm.…
Florida’s GOP: No new taxes, cut the budget
As you read this, the Florida Legislature is meeting in Tallahassee, ostensibly to plug a $3 billion gap in the state's ailing budget because of losses in sales tax and other collections in this recession. The real purpose is to continue the Republican-led dismantling of state and local governments in a quest to fulfill the…
Literature: Writers in Paradise Evening Reading Series
Word lovers who can’t afford the Writers in Paradise Conference fees can still enjoy the free Evening Reading Series that's held in conjunction. Author instructors read aloud in an intimate setting, and linger for a signing and reception afterwards. Stewart O'Nan (Songs for the Missing) kicks off the event Saturday; Les Standiford (The Man Who…
Art: Drawing in Space: The Peninsula Project and Florida Collects
Just in time for the Super Bowl, downtown Tampa has temporarily acquired a monumental scale public sculpture to brighten its waterfront (or serve as yet another eyesore, depending on your perspective). If you haven’t glimpsed Chattanooga-based artist John Henry’s giant, red steel sculpture — dubbed “Big Max” and reminiscent of three chopsticks precariously balanced atop…
Dance: Ballet Hispanico
Ballet Hispanico melds traditional Latino dance and rhythms – rumba, mambo, conga, cha cha and the like – with classical ballet and modern techniques, the result passionate, graceful, precise and theatric in a classy sort of way. Founded by award-winning dancer/choreographer Tina Ramirez (whose dance school counts Jennifer Lopez among its notable alumni), the troupe…
Music: Los Campesinos!
Cardiff, Wales-based indie pop septet Los Campesinos! is the sort of band that arouses much adoration, its members adopting the same enthusiastic surname – Campesinos! – and sharing vocal duties in addition to the occasional all-in-unison shouts and choruses. They produce quality guitar-driven pop hooks that fall against rich arrangements of boisterous sound marked by…
A dark, deadly secret
Cut all ties with dangerous sociopath
Art: Peter Max
Celebrated psychedelic/inspirational/pop art painter Peter Max hits town for a two-day appearance and showing of recent works available for perusal and purchase. Among the featured works is a new portrait of Barack Obama swathed in Max’s usual brilliant hues. A portion of proceeds from sales benefit Beth Ann Morean Arts Center's educational programs. The works…
Darryl Rouson’s anti-drug crusade at the State House
Florida's 2009 legislative session doesn't begin until March, but Rep. Darryl Rouson is not wasting time in renewing his battle against drug paraphernalia. The newly re-elected Democrat — who represents parts of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and Manatee counties — filed a bill (HB 201) last week that would charge a 25 percent tax on any…
Swishing and swirling opens up wine
You've seen 'em in the bars, swirlin', sniffin' and swishin', haughtily practicing this sacred wine snob ritual and coaxing a wine to its pinnacle of deliciousness. Is it over-emphasized and overdone? Probably. But does the act improve the flavor of the wine? Absolutely. Consider a sweater stored in a trunk over summer. When finally pulled…
Theater: American Stage presents King Hedley II
The next installment in American Stage’s "August Wilson Cycle" – a series of plays by Wilson that chronicle the lives of African-American families living in Pittsburgh’s Hill District – is King Hedley II. The tragic drama is set in the 1980s and focuses on King Hedley, a recently released ex-con who desperately wants to put…
Chris Holcom stars in Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Jobsite’s secret weapon enjoys playing against type.
NPR’s StoryCorps Mobilebooth pulls into Ybor City
As NPR fans know, each Friday the radio network broadcasts a special two-minute segment. For that brief interlude, news in the conventional sense is set aside, and listeners are treated to a bite-sized oral history — snippets of a conversation between two "average" folks. What you'll learn if you catch a StoryCorps segment on the…
Review: The Dark Knight (Blu Ray)
While The Dark Knight is still haunting our dreams, Warner has announced some good and bad news about the Batman films of years gone by. Batman: The Motion Picture Anthology is coming to Blu-ray in March, but only as a box set.The five disc set will contain Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman and…
A House Divided: Would a Gator win really be a good thing?
UPDATE!! Join Sooner Holly and Gator Matt as they live blog the Championship Game here! Gator Matty: After weeks of droning on about statistics, schedules, and Superman (had to get a Tebow reference into the first sentence of the blog), game week is finally here. The wife and I have argued over everything game-related to…
Sundance goes green?
A girl plays by the rapidly eroding shoreline, in Everything's Cool Sundance has had a green streak for a long time. It goes deeper than the new line of organic cotton festival wear, and the reliable influx of hybrid vehicles into town for the week. Films like An Inconvenient Truth, Blue Vinyl, Everything's Cool, The…
$100 case of wine at Whole Foods
During my hunt to find the best $100 case of wine at Bay area retailers, I noticed Publix doesn't particularly cater to the poor and thirsty. At the Neptune and S. Dale Mabry location in Tampa, nary a $7.99 bottle is found — shocking since they have behemoth bargaining power with wholesalers. Perhaps the better deals…
$100 Case of Wine: Vintage Wine Cellars
879-2931. Visit Michael, Jimmy and David to find these deals: 3 bottles Borsao 2007 Campo de Borja, $7.99 2 bottles Borsao 2007 Rose, $7.99 1 bottle Paso a Paso Verdejo La Mancha, $9.99 1 bottle Gnarly Head Zinfandel, $9.99 1 bottle Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, $8.99 1 bottle Callaway 2005 Cabernet Temecula, $9.99 2 bottles Luis Felipe…
Cork and Olive Retail Chain Changes Ownership
Two years ago, right after Cork & Olive set up shop in Tampa, I went to check out the place. My reaction was a combination of admiration and nausea: great service (they'll open anything in the store for you to taste!) but the wines – mostly unknown private labels from other countries – sucked. (Read…
The $100 Case of Wine
In a new, semi-regular feature, I'll be shopping for a $100 case of wine at Tampa Bay area retailers. First up, I browsed with Steve, Tim and Paul at Wine Warehouse at 3310 W Bay To Bay Blvd. in South Tampa, 813-839-5601: 1. Bodegas Ateca 2007 Garnacha del Fuego Catalayud, $6.99 – Taylor's review 2.…
