Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley make for March Madness
March will be a big month for more than just college hoops fans, with two of the year's most anticipated releases dropping on the 25th. That's the day shoppers will be treated to the Raconteurs' (pictured) sophomore album Consolers of the Lonely. Yeah, Jack White & co. pulled a fast one, literally. They reportedly didn't…
Norman Van Aiken — Florida’s Only Celebrity Chef — Kicked Out Of The Keys
Over the last couple of years Norman Van Aiken — Florida's only celebrity chef and creator of real Florribean cuisine — closed his eponymous restaurants in both Coral Gables and Los Angeles. When he shuttered his place down near Miami in June of last year, he said that he'd be spending time in the Keys…
Reality Check: Last Restaurant Standing
NBC is casting a new reality show, masterminded by Granada America, the fine people behind Nanny 911, Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. You missed the casting calls in LA, NY and Atlanta, but there's still time to make the tour stops in Houston, DC and Chicago. There's no news on what the show is about,…
Lessons From The Burger Road #2: Salt
I recently received an email about my frequent and unrelenting criticism of chefs who fail to use salt to their advantage. The commenter, a Sarasota doctor, said: "[Brian] may be right about the food being unexciting, but his comment about salt is ridiculous. Salt is unhealthy, particularly in a part of the world with lots…
Filling the Well
Filling the well involves the woman lying on her back, as she brings her legs as close to her chest as possible. The man is then instructed to enter her deeply and slowly, allowing her to then rest her feet onto the man’s shoulders.As the man supports his own weight, he advised not to thrust…
Sunday music links
NYC sci-fi rockers Apes & Androids (pictured) perform at Creative Loafing's Sensory Overload bash March 29. Rolling Stone recently profiled the band, describing their sound as: "A dance floor-ready cocktail of Queen's bombast (complete with Freddie Mercury's falsetto), 1980s Prince, Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie and Beck's Midnight Vultures." She & Him, Duffy and Robyn, who I…
Pete Wentz fan strikes back
Was I too rough on Fall Out Boy Pete Wentz? Here's what one fan had to say in response to my current music feature: "Pete Wentz, headline boy:" RE: Pete Wentz, headline boy Posted by BirahR on 03.13.08 @ 05:53 PM I don't see one single valid criticism of Pete's involvement with charities, politics, or…
Pete Wentz sucks … and more in the new CL
Here's what I have running in the new Creative Loafing: BAR TAB: Getting 'Durty' before St. Patrick's Day. Headline boy Pete Wentz has no place in politics. Kathleen Edwards delivers brilliant folk-rock album. The Prodigals bring "jig punk" to Skipperdome for pre-St. Paddy's Day bash. Country star Dierks Bentley: slick but still keeping it real.…
Solution to education crisis? ‘Pull up your pants!’
Education is on a lot of minds this week. First and foremost, the looming state budget cuts. Newspapers across the state report the state legislature may have to cut up to $3 billion from the budget. Who will bear the brunt of it? Students. Several school districts across the state are planning hire freezes or…
Revenge Review: Richman v. Bourdain
During the Anthony Bourdain and enviable food writer Michael Ruhlman debuted the first annual Golden Clog Awards. Some of the awards — like "best achievement in offal" or "chef's chef award" — were designed to recognize the duo's favorite guys in the industry. But nobody cared because the other awards were juicy, inside-baseball slams of…
Lessons From The Burger Road #1: Burgers Surprisingly Not Like Sex
No, I'm not referring to sexy man on Big Mac action. Last year, when I slogged through pizzas for our first iteration of this annual tournament, people kept repeating that old quote: "Sex is like pizza — even when it's bad, it's still worth having." And, after eating through 96 pizza joints in just a…
Florida Red and Blue unveils campaign name
It's SayNo2. It's referring to Amendment 2, the November referendum that would place a prohibition against same-sex marriages and possibly even civil union benefits for heterosexual partners into the Florida Constitution. From announcement to supporters: We hope SayNo2 will be easy to remember and reinforce how dangerous Amendment 2 is to all Floridians. With SayNo2,…
Top 10: Irish music acts
Photo of Sinéad O'Connor by Kevin Abosch. With the national holiday of Ireland only a few days away, it's time to rundown the top Irish music acts. Will stadium rockers U2 outrank soul man Van Morrison? How about hard rockers Thin Lizzy and underrated blues-rock guitarist Rory Gallagher? And we can't forget about those punks…
SPLC: Anti-Immigrant Hate Groups on the Rise
Hey, Lou Dobbs, listen up: The Southern Poverty and Law Center released a report this week revealing a 48 percent jump in the number of hate groups operating in the U.S. since 2000. The SPLC report implicates the nonstop barrage of anti-immigrant rants from radio and TV over the last few years. And that's translating…
TMBG bring bouncy pop to St. Pete
Concert review by Creative Loafing Copy Editor Anthony Salveggi Last night at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg marked the third time in seven years I’ve seen eclectic pop-meisters They Might Be Giants. And much like my first two experiences, it was thrilling to witness one of my favorite bands bring bushels of energy, wit and…
Live Nation expands its empire
Following the passing of Jon Stoll, Clear Channel Communications spin-off Live Nation has acquired the late Florida concert promoter's Fantasma Productions (full disclosure: both companies advertise with Creative Loafing.) Headquarted in Los Angeles, Live Nation books shows locally at Ford Amphitheatre while Fantasma, based in West Palm Beach, brought shows to Bay area venues like…
Free at last
After spending almost a year in jail, Joe Francis finally had his day in court. The Girls Gone Wild founder pled no contest to charges of child abuse and prostitution in Panama City. It was there that a civil lawsuit was initiated by seven women who claimed they were underage when Francis' company videotaped them during spring break in '03. It's…
’American Idols’ butcher Beatles: Is nothing sacred?
The Beatles' songs have been used to peddle everything from sneakers to big box stores over the years but nothing offends me more — at least for the moment — than their music being co-opted by American Idol. I've always loathed the show for flying in the face of everything spontaneous and edgy about rock…
Mary Ann cops to driving charge; beats drug rap
Dawn Wells, the actress made famous on Gilligan's Island in the 1960s and who until January owned a home in Redington Shores, this week pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge in Idaho. From the AP account: She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading…
As goes Vermont
Don’t overlook this fiercely independent state.
Comedy: Gilbert Gottfried
Friday, March 14
Funny Money lives up to its name
Don’t miss one of the best comedies in years.
Art: Blessings and splendors
Thursday, March 13
Perfect sense
Fear of flying.
Curb her enthusiasm
"I don't care if it's 3 a.m. or 10 p.m. or any other time. I don't want her talking to Putin, I don't want her talking to Kim Jong Il, I don't want her talking to my nephew. She needs a long rest. She needs to put on a sarong and some sun block and…
Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day
Monday, March 17
Whoa, Nelly
Getting “Durty” before St. Patrick’s Day.
Art: The Second Coming
Saturday, March 15
buckley’s time has come
Bud Buckley’s debut is sincere folk rock
Robyn flies high
See Swedish pop star’s evocative video for “Be Mine!”
The Tournament of Burgers Office Pool
Time to test your patty prognostication skills! Fill out this bracket and submit your entry by 9 a.m. Wed., March 19. You'll be up against hundreds of other would-be burger experts, so choose wisely and enter often. Scoring will be weighted, so if you don't do well in the first round you may still be…
The oak in you
What happens when the forest and the vine collide.
Will Pinellas accept an Uhuru charter school?
Teaching the Afrocentric ABC’s
Dance: Noche Flamenca
Tuesday, March 18
Have another cigar
Blake Emory attempts an Ybor arts renaissance. Again.
Just dessert
Farewell from the Steamy Kitchen.
Wine List
Got an upcoming or ongoing wine event? Send information to: The Wine List, 810 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606, fax 813-739-4801 or e-mail brian.ries@creativeloafing.com. BEST BET: SIP FOR LIFE The Gonzmart Family Foundation is throwing a shindig including over 150 wines from Spain, South America and California. The Columbia will be throwing together some…
A One Night Stand in downtown Tampa
Artists raise awareness for a city neighborhood
Pete Wentz, headline boy
Please, Pete, enough with the politics.
‘Drunk On A Plane’ country star Dierks Bentley plays Tampa this weekend
He plays the old Gary amp in support of his new album, ‘Gravel & Gold.’
Budget crunch
Florida’s multibillion-dollar shortfall casts a large shadow.
Nate Najar, Jesse Cook
Plus Steve Forbert
Badfish, Modern Skirts
Plus Connie West
The CL Tournament of Burgers
Who will win the battle of the beef?
Salt Creek Artworks, playground for artists
Exploring the installations of Kim Radatz
Naomi Watts gets caught in Funny Games
A brilliant indictment of what moviegoers want.
Literature/Discussion: Brian Aldiss
Tuesday, March 18
Special Events: Mega-Craft-Zilla
Sunday, March 16
Where to find the contenders
Burger Madness
The Prodigals
Irish rockers The Prodigals have a rep for delivering killer shows at the Skipperdome, making them an ideal choice for this pre-St. Paddy's Day bash. The NYC quartet's distinctive take on traditional Celtic music — the band calls their style "jig punk" — features a heavy dose of funk with bassist Ed Kollar unleashing his…
Coppola’s Youth Without Youth
The director overreaches in his first movie in a decade.
Hat Trick Heroes
The Hat Trick Heroes are three young men from Tampa waging war on emo with the kind of grungy, visceral rock sorely missing from the airwaves these days. The power trio taps into post-teen angst while staying clear of self-pity, injecting their work with a healthy dose of classic-rock swagger. Their melodies are sharp assaults…
Blessings and splendors
Religious-themed exhibits in downtown St. Pete
Film: Electroma
Friday, March 14
Malcolm McDowell, Dr. Seuss and more
New and current releases
What has the Iraq war cost?
Don’t Panic! … Your war questions answered
CDs by Kathleen Edwards, Lenny Kravitz and Mike Doughty
Asking for Flowers, It is Time for a Love Revolution and Golden Delicious
What’s new at O’Bistro?
A reliable favorite with a creative chef.
Art/Event: Dalí Fest
Saturday, March 15
Florida re-vote, McCain’s medical history
Plus, Tucker Carlson gets the boot
Dance: The Tamburitzans
Wednesday, March 19
Merle Haggard serves a classic
With Serving 190 Proof
