So Tangerine! Coming to St. Pete/Gulfport Border
The hope is that SoTangerine! can bridge two communities — Childs Park and Gulfport.
Theater Review: Mame
A crack cast, led by an amiable Matt McGee in drag, help make Mame a welcome redux.
Sh*t happened 7/23/15: Another bomb scare, beach bacteria, LEPROSY ARMADILLOS
Reach deep; the end of this week's road is within sight. Well, not within sight really, but you know it's there, because it comes every time, at the end of this tedious cycle, this meaningless, repetitive role, this single canyoned groove traversed over and over and … where was I? Right — we made it…
The Cuba Issue: Local original
The Cuban sandwich has many acolytes but only one birthplace: Ybor City.
The Cuba Issue: Love at first sight — a photo essay
"I’m going to Cuba,” my mother announced to me at the Straz one night. “Realllllllly,” I responded, intrigued. “You can come,” she said. My heart skipped a beat. Off we went to discover a land mostly unseen by Americans for 50-plus years. Over five days, while traveling on a U.S. State Department-approved People to People…
The Cuba Issue: Travel — how to “do” Cuba
It’s one thing to read the headlines regarding President Obama’s effort to restore diplomacy between the U.S. and Cuba, which was most recently evidenced with the reopening of a U.S. Embassy. It’s another to realize that, holy shit, you can probably visit Cuba if you want — that is, if you’re willing to give up…
The Cuba Issue: Tampa and Cuba — connected through time
By virtue of geography and sociology, Florida has often had as much of a connection to the Caribbean as to the United States. Tampa and Havana represent that connection well; people and goods have been traveling between the two port cities for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. 1528-39: The expeditions of Pánfilo de Narváez…
The Cuba Issue: Frequent flier Noel Smith
USF CAM curator Noel Smith’s ties to Cuba reach back to her birth.
Looking back on the 12th Bienal de la Habana
A USF professor’s mini-museum installation and more.
Movie Preview: Sit Stay Ride … watch
See a WMNF benefit screening of Sit Stay Ride: The Story of America’s Sidecar Dog on Tues., July 28.
Hot! Hot! Hot! Tampa Bay firefighters burn the floor at the Ritz Ybor
The 2016 Hottest Heroes Calendar guys (and one gal) dance for a good cause.
Tan Man looking good against other Dems…but what about Tall Man?
As you've no doubt read, poll results from early Wednesday show Charlie Crist leading his potential Democratic primary opponents in the Congressional District 13 race by nearly 70 points. The poll was carried out via St. Pete Polls and commissioned by Florida Politics (neé SaintPetersBlog). And, damn, does it look promising for Crist fans. One…
July 31 marks Dockside Dave’s last day in St. Pete Beach
The St. Pete Beach location from Dockside Dave’s will serve its final meals at the end of the month.
St. Pete Beach food scene welcomes four newcomers
Savory on the Beach, Dippin’ Dots, Sea Turtle Restaurant and Greenbacks dive into St. Pete Beach.
Vigil for trans woman killed in Tampa planned
Friends as well as members and allies of the local trans community are planning a vigil Friday evening to remember India Clarke, the transgender woman who was found dead in a park within the University Area Community Center in Tampa early Tuesday. Investigators say Clarke, 25, died of blunt force trauma. Authorities are offering up…
A Q&A with Babyface
The iconic R&B artist brings his “Whip Appeal” to Mahaffey Theater this Sat., July 25.
Restaurant review: No ordinary rolls at Volcano Japanese Cuisine
Lovingly crafted sushi and starters leave the kitchen of Clearwater’s Volcano Japanese Cuisine.
Meet the Brewers: Rose Post of Palm Harbor Brewery
Winemaker Rose Post adds brewing to her repertoire at Two Lions Winery & Palm Harbor Brewery.
Three years of beer: Celebrate Barley Mow’s first pour Saturday
Largo’s Barley Mow Brewing set to blend food, beer and music during its three-year anniversary.
Concert review: Sam Smith at Amalie Arena, Tampa
A look back at the neo-soul singer’s performance this past Tue., July 21.
St. Pete event to help some residents restore driver licenses Saturday
There are quite a few people out there who have a suspended drivers license, and don't know about it and/or can't pay to have it reinstated. An event slated for Saturday aims to help remedy that, at least for some. Incidences of stupidity and recklessness aside, unwittingly driving with a suspended license can be disproportionately…
It’s official: Busch Gardens is one of world’s best amusement parks
Yay for some positive Tampa media coverage. We’ll take it.
St. Pete Council candidates field questions on wages, police, wages
The five candidates in the running for the St. Pete City Council District 7 seat Councilman Wengay Newton is vacating due to term limits fielded questions from a packed room at Childs Park Recreation Center Tuesday night. Most of said questions had to do with worker issues. The district comprises a large swath of downtown…
Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Cheryl Hines wins $10K for local charity
The spunky, lovable Cheryl Hines — who gave us the best straight-woman of all time as the wife of neurotic Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has appeared in movies such as RV and Diner — played on NBC's Hollywood Game Night last night and allocated her $10,000 winnings to Tarpon Springs' Wheelchairs 4 Kids. Hines had been involved with…
Sh*t happened 7/22/15: Property values, Rays milestones, more
Your Tuesday, churned: Property values in Hillsborough County are up for the third consecutive year, and continue to rise. Sorry you couldn't take advantage of those low, low recession prices because you lost your job, but that shit's over. I hear houses are still cheap just outside of Mexico Beach… The Rays made weird baseball…
Tonight in live music: 97X Shindig with Vance Joy and Meg Myers
A free show happening on this Wed., July 22, though we can’t really tell you how to get into it at this point…
The Cuba Issue: Despite resistance, the Cuba taboo is fading in Tampa Bay.
Tampa City Councilwoman Yvonne Yolie Capin visited Cuba in 2013, along with other members of the council and the Chamber of Commerce. Upon their return, a concerned citizen filed a public records request. The filer wanted to know if the council members had “traded any papers” with Cuban government officials. Capin’s assistant fell silent when…
Way Back Wednesday: The Beta Band
A look at artists and groups that came up pre-’00s, with lots of audio included.
No grander gift: Grand Give at Souzou pays it forward
Souzou in St. Petersburg will give away $100 gift certificates to celebrate its grand opening July 30.
Jolly not looking forward to onslaught of outside money, messaging in 2016
One of the ways the primary races for outgoing U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's seat could shake out would be a general election pitting U.S. Reps David Jolly (R-Indian Shores) and U.S. Rep Patrick Murphy (D-Jupiter). While both are relatively faithful to their respective party platforms, both are pretty moderate compared to the other Senate hopefuls…
New Tunes Day: The Bohicas, Dam-Funk, Kurt Vile & more
A curated look at fresh videos and songs off just-released and forthcoming LPs, plus a peek at what’s due out on Friday
Mattison’s founder to rep Florida at Napa Valley food, wine workshop
Cakebread Cellars will highlight Sarasota’s Paul Mattison and other chefs at its annual celebration.
Sh*t happened 7/21/15: Jolly, Crist, Busch Gardens, HART
Ever wonder what it would feel like if you thought you were finally free of yesterday, and then yesterday showed up while you were trying to eat your cereal and get ready to deal with today and threw up all over everything? That's kind of what I do for a living: TripAdvisor's crazy slideshow-heavy website ranked…
Tonight in live music: Sam Smith
The neo-soul crooner brings his poignant serenades to Amalie Arena this Tue., July 21
Road Trip: Wrecking Ball brings an incredible punk lineup to Atlanta August 8 & 9
Descendents, Get Up Kids, Glassjaw, Coheed & Cambria, Desaparecidos, Thrice, Judge, Failure and many more make attendance mandatory.
Special session date set as Crist looks at running for seat that could lean Democratic
Lawmakers are due in Tallahassee August 10 to redraw the Congressional districts they gerrymandered in defiance of a constitutional amendment that aimed to put an end to gerrymandering. They will be tasked with redrawing at least eight of the state's 27 Congressional Districts, including the 13th and 14th, which include parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.…
Nature’s Food Patch in Clearwater gets long-needed expansion
Food and health knowledge are dished in comfort at Nature’s Food Patch’s new community room.
#IfIDieInPoliceCustody brings attention to police brutality against black people
Texas civil rights activist Sandra Bland used social media to speak about police brutality and how countless black people have been killed while in police custody. Now, Bland’s name is being added to that long list of dead black people . Bland, 28, was pulled over for a minor traffic infraction in Waller County, Texas…
Jolly Senate run officially official
Congressman David Jolly announced his Senate run this morning, but we already knew that was going to happen. Jolly will headline a rally this evening at Alfano’s Restaurant in Clearwater during a monthly meeting of the Republican Club of Greater Largo. He was elected to his District 13 Congressional seat in a March, 2014 special…
The Laugh Tract — Who’s Bringing the Funny
It's summertime and there's no fireworks left and no holidays on the schedule for several weeks. So what's there to do? Laugh, of course. Comedy clubs have national acts, local venues are showcasing area talent and there's inexpensive comedy if you know where to look. Which is right here. Here are your best bets for…
Sh*t happened 7/20/15: Evacuations, foreclosures, cricket
Welcome to Monday. Let us turn now one last time to the weekend, and salute it as it recedes with stately grace into the mists of memory. FRIDAY, JULY 17: The federal building in downtown Tampa was evacuated after cops received a call about a suspicious package. The package was eventually determined to contain what…
Public scrutiny sparks conversation about racial tensions in Tampa
A panel of experts addressed around 100 members of the Tampa Tiger Bay Club on Friday afternoon to open up a dialogue about understanding and improving racial tensions in Tampa Bay. The panelists spent much of the time talking about institutional racism's prevalence in Tampa and sharing personal experiences of stereotyping and discrimination. “There are…
The Weekend Shift: Color me relaxed
We live in stressful times. We have to deal with racists, an endless steam of murderous gunmen, ISIS, waiting on the next Game of Thrones book — ugh! Fortunately, a new fad is in high gear that promises to relieve our anxieties and put us in a calm state of mind, and it’s not even…
RainbowCon multimedia conference underway in Westshore
The four-day conference focuses on LGBTQ books, TV, movies and more.
Only a few days left to nominate local pols, etc. for Best of the Bay
We know there's some politician out there that you love, a writer you read religiously, a restaurant you visit frequently and a bartender whose concoctions are as original as it gets. Our 25th annual Best of the Bay survey makes it possible for all of the people and places that make life in Tampa Bay…
Third Saturday Art Walk tonight in Gulfport
Art opening reception among the highlights of the bi-monthly event tonight.
This Saturday in live music: WMNF Americana Fest, Sword & Dagger Fest 2, Kid Rock & more
Concerts happening this Sat., July 18
Noms for this year’s BOTB in food, drink almost up
Regionites have until Tuesday to cast final nominations for the 25th annual Best of the Bay.
Weekend Tune-Up: Tunes for your weekend by Tame Impala, Ratatat, CHVRCHES & more
A playlist of 15 tunes to launch you into the weekend, Spotify playlist included.
Movie Review: Mr. Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is having a senior moment, and it’s much more than elementary, dear movie-watchers.
Tampa artist enters national Blue Moon Brewing design contest
Blue Moon to give one of its Artist Series finalists a grant, and Conrad Garner of Tampa could win.
The Hip Hop ABCs: Winner of the Letter S; vote on Letter T
The alphabetical rap battles draw ever closer to an end…
CL Record Fair and Music Issue 2015 Release Party to occur this Saturday
Six indie music retailers set up pop-up shops at the CL Space.
On the menu: Booze events, a pop-up cat cafe & more
Here’s where to spend the weekend (and Monday), whether you’re into alcohol or booze-free drinks.
“Christians” who think homophobe priests have to do gay weddings now push “Pastor Protection” law
Some people hate what they don't understand. Hence the impotent rage over the Supreme Court's decision last month overturning all gay marriage bans. Unfortunately, some intelligent people who have the capacity to help these people understand more and hate less do the opposite for political and monetary gain. Hence the now-a-brewin' Pastor Protection Act, which…
Surprise! Wilco drops a new (free) album, Star Wars
Download it while it’s still there…
2015 Emmy noms — surprises, snubs and more viewing options represented
Less major network, more cable and even non-cable outlets like Netflix and Amazon have provided this year’s nominations.
Sh*t happened 7/17/15: New panhandling rules in Tampa, heroin’s back, grenade!
"What the hell was that?" Riley smiled like somebody does when they've lost everything, and it was their fault, and there was nothing left to do but laugh about it. "That was Thursday," he said. Facing a lawsuit, the Tampa City Council voted to repeal a panhandling ban that included an exemption for those selling…
Tonight in live music: Good Graeff EP Release Party, The Hip Abduction & more
Find out what’s happening this Fri., July 17, and take a peek at what’s to come this weekend.
Panhandling ban in Tampa now applies to all, including newspaper sellers
Thursday morning, the Tampa City Council voted 6-0 (Council Chair Frank Reddick, a likely dissenter, being absent) to rescind a provision allowing low-income and homeless individuals to peddle newspapers on city sidewalks and medians. Despite a controversial panhandling ban that passed in 2011, selling newspapers to passing or stopped cars was allowed to continue operating. It…
World tour: L’Eden French bistro in Tampa rebrands with new owner
New L’Eden owner Priscilla Vincent is revamping the French eatery’s offerings in downtown Tampa.
Tampa Bay’s best Ladies of the Mic hit St. Pete this Saturday
Figment the’emcee, Dea and several others perform at Fubar during Ladies of the Mic
Poll shows Grayson leading Senate primary, fundraising doesn’t
As Senate candidate and current Congressman Patrick Murphy touts how he cleaned up in his fundraising compared to the other declared Senate hopefuls he's facing in the 2016 Senate primary, a poll out today shows Democrat Alan Grayson, also a Congressman, as leading Murphy by seven points. The poll, commissioned by Florida Politics and carried out…
Several St. Pete eateries, drink spots named Good ‘Burger nominees
St. Pete’s Good ‘Burger Awards announced finalists in eight categories, including food and drink.
Unlucky 13: One of the state’s last Congressional swing districts is yet again in flux
It was an unseasonably cool late October day in 2013 when C.W. Bill Young was laid to rest. Dignitaries, among them U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, gathered earlier in the day for his funeral at a large Baptist church near Indian Shores, where the 21-term Congressman lived before dying in office. Even as loved ones…
Music Issue 2015: Parties at The Moontower
The not-so-secret weapon at Funny Bunny’s Seminole Heights home studio is teamwork.
Music Issue 2015: Have foam, will rumble at Billy Summer’s home studio
The Luxury Mane frontman drums up analog nostalgia and cosmic sounds at his house.
Music Issue 2015: Simply Red Room Recorders
While most bigger studios are shutting their doors, Red Room keeps ’em coming.
Music Issue 2015: The life Atomic
Atomic Audio in East Tampa remains a go-to destination for top local artists
The Music Issue 2015: Made in Tampa Bay
The local recording industry is thriving where you least expect it
Tonight in live music: Motion City Soundtrack, QUIT reunion, Ariana Grande & more
A look at what’s happening this Thurs., July 16
Best of the Bay 25, Stage Two: Nominate contenders in music
What do you think is Tampa Bay’s Best record store? Hip-hop act? Concert? Venue? Nominate BOTB music contenders through July 21.
Album review: Have Gun, Will Travel, Science from an Easy Chair
The fifth and latest from the Bay area Americana favorites could be their best to date (audio included)
