Do This: Ginger Beer Open Mic
Get your word on at USF St. Petersburg’s Harbor Hall.
Cirque du Soleil soars onto the Amalie Arena stage
The legendary circus troupe looks to wow audiences with its new show, Varekai.
Public art must-see — Clymer Park Sculpture Garden
Learn about Gulport’s cool outdoor works as signs get installed this weekend.
Drink More Wine: Wine-volution
Breaking down the bottle variation phenomenon.
Documentary screening, discussion to highlight young people with HIV
While it's not nearly the source of alarm or stigma it was 20 or 30 years ago (nor is it the death sentence), HIV/AIDS is still around, and as a generation of kids who inherited the condition from their birth mothers comes of age rather than contracting it through sexual acts or sharing needles, public…
The world’s largest Slip ‘n’ Slide — psych!
An invitation on Facebook turns out to be a hoax. Don’t order tickets through the event page’s link.
The Pride is back
For the first time in well over a decade, Pride will be celebrated with a large parade and festival on the streets of Ybor City. The first Pride event on this scale in Tampa in years will celebrate LGBT equality this weekend, as well as the businesses and nonprofit organizations that support it. A lot…
The surprising Norman Rockwell at Tampa Museum of Art
Though disdained by critics as sentimental, he created indelible images of equality and courage.
Smooth transition: Tequila on the sixth day of spring
Three easy-to-make tequila cocktails to help guide you into spring’s warmer months.
Sh*t happened 3/26/15: Do not venture further, seriously
Welcome to America, where we like to keep our kids sheltered and stupid, so that later we can blame their stupidity on them rather than us, and make sure they're too busy avoiding the shiv to overcome their own stupidity while repaying society for the stupidity of the actions we never thought to teach them…
Tonight in Live Music: Cobalt Cranes, Fortunate Youth, He is Legend & more
A breakdown of concerts happening March 26
Transforming Tampa Bay: Mangled by McMansions
As the real estate markets heat up again, the scale of new construction confounds Tampa Bay residents, particularly in posh areas. The 1 percent are buying and building and bulging out of their land-use corsets, with mechanical muffintops annoying the neighbors. What does this rush of development, with its collateral damage of demolitions, mean to…
Dark & Sinful: Cuckoo for cuckolding
We don’t pay enough attention to the cuckolds. In the tabloids, it’s all, Justin Cheats on Jessica! or Ashton Left Mila and the Baby for Vegas! On Lifetime Television for Women, you’ll get a whole Saturday of movies with the word “Secret” in the title: Her Husband’s Secret, His Secret Lie, Secrets of the Lying…
SongFest — harboring a new tradition
Just in its second year, Safety Harbor’s SongFest is quickly establishing itself as a major Florida music event.
GIFF interview: Lanre Olabisi of Somewhere in the Middle
The writer-director explores causality and relationships in his latest film.
Out of the trash, into the tank — Re:Purposed and Holoscenes at Ringling
Two exhibitions at Ringling yield intriguing ecological perspectives.
Rays “news” may happen this week
Remember that time when St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman and the Tampa Bay Rays execs forged a deal that would have allowed the team to look at potential stadium sites? And how it didn't go over so well with a majority of City Council members once they realized the team was making out like a…
Matthew McGee’s Top 10 pros & cons of working at the Flamingo Resort
The bouffant half of the popular cabaret duo Scott & Patti weighs in after headlining the Flamingo Resort’s karaoke night — now every Tuesday at 8 p.m.
GoFundMe campaign started on behalf of Pinellas producer-musician Steve Connelly
Friends and fans have banded together to support Connelly in the wake of both health issues and a roof collapse at his studio.
Wolfing it Down: Carnal bliss at Mr. I Got ‘Em
Good Wolf’s go-to barbecue spot, St. Pete’s Mr. I Got ‘Em, gets a visit from the whole pack.
Yes, you can still have a backyard gun range in Florida
Remember a month or two back, when we told you about that nice young man who set up a gun range in his dad's yard in St. Pete? And by gun range we mean a huge pile of sand with wood pallets stuck to it? Well, it turns out that range and others like it…
Restaurant review: Transported through Sea Salt
Fabrizio Aielli’s cuisine has wowed D.C. and Naples, and now, with Sea Salt, he’s seducing St. Pete.
Way Back Wednesday: The Verve, Souls Of Mischief
A weekly video spotlight on artists who came up pre-’00s
The Laugh Tract — Who’s Bringing the Funny
Jay Leno and John Witherspoon of Friday fame head the list of headliners on stage this weekend.
Sh*t happened 3/25/15: District 6, GIFF, Van Halen
Sometimes Tuesdays are like the anonymous guy in line behind you as you check out at Target who says something good-natured and gives you a little chuckle — you'll forget about it by Wednesday, until something down the road reminds you, and you smile again. Some Tuesdays, on the other hand, are like a wicked…
Tired of all the nastiness in Tampa’s Dist 6 race? Good.
No matter which point on the political spectrum you occupy, if you live in Tampa's District 6 you can now collectively celebrate something really special: the fact that it will be a while before you get any more of those nasty campaign mailers that have been recently constituting half of your trash. Although, if you…
Tonight in Live Music: Bleachers and Mutilation Rites
A rundown of concerts happening Wednesday March 25
Mulder and Scully are back! The X-Files‘ return to TV
Some thoughts on the big news and recommended reads for fans.
Pier watch: Pier process appears to be entering a world of pain
If you've been lamenting how it's been quite a while since the city has undergone a bitter and divisive referendum process that all started with a petition drive, well, you're in luck. Pissed off because they don't like it that the Pier Selection Committee doesn't seem to favor the most popular pier design proposal, Destination…
Tampa’s Cuban Sandwich Festival attracts returning judges, thousands of attendees
The sandwich battle and World’s Longest Cuban were featured at the annual Cuban Sandwich Fest.
Burgers, loquats stars of upcoming Bay area food fests
New Port Richey’s loquat festival and Safety Habor’s beer and burger battle are set for April 4.
Local crafters, crafty fun in Hyde Park at West Elm and The Paper Sea Horse
Shopping and creative cool in Tampa’s Soho district.
On the menu: Tampa tours Brooklyn through cocktails
Fodder & Shine patrons to get a taste of Brooklyn during a Manhattan-sampling journey Tuesday.
Album review: Modest Mouse, Strangers to Ourselves
The Washington band returns with a respectable but somewhat lackluster release.
Countdown to GASP!: Yup, you can plan to be surprised
There’s no knowing exactly what will happen, but here’s more info about the lineup.
Movie Review: Insurgent
Silly action movie sets itself apart with some stellar moments and casting.
We love Lucy — a classic sitcom hits Ruth Eckerd Stage tonight and tomorrow
The audience will be transported to 1952 and treated as the Desilu Playhouse studio audience.
As campaigning in the Dist. 6 runoff goes down to the wire, we take a look beyond the squabbling
Acrimony and character defamation are often the norm in political races, even the ones that in previous years focused on mundane, hyper-local issues. Issues are overshadowed frequently by mudslinging. Voters lose. The runoff in Tampa City Council District 6 between transportation engineer Jackie Toledo and jeweler Guido Maniscalso is no exception. Never before in the…
New Music Tuesday! (March 24): Action Bronson, Jeff the Brotherhood feat. Ian Anderson & more new noise
An audio & video guide to this week’s newest releases
Sh*t happened 3/24/15: Bucs, curbside recycling, The Breakfast Club
Apparently, yesterday was a day of knowledge. The citizens of our great metropolitan area learned things. They learned things such as "Recycling is good" and "Shooting each other is bad." Sometimes what the citizens of our great metropolitan area don't know is really, really embarrassing. As curbside recycling in St. Pete approaches, the city scheduled…
Better than Mom’s: Central Melt grilled cheesery set for St. Pete 600 Block
The 600 Block in St. Pete will get another food joint through the grilled cheese-driven Central Melt.
Tonight & tomorrow in live music: Sha Na Na Grease Tribute, Rival Consoles, and The King Khan & BBQ Show
Concerts happening Monday March 23 and Tuesday March 24
Album Review: Action Bronson — Mr. Wonderful
The Queens MC drops his carefree, debut album.
Countdown to GASP! The fun starts at 6 p.m. Friday at the Tampa Museum of Art
Theater, music, improv, pole dancers, Norman Rockwell, TV dinners — what more do you need?
Hurray for Pom Pom’s, now open in St. Pete
With nosh and bevvies as colorful as its decor, Pom Pom’s debuts to St. Pete Grand Central District.
My Morning Jacket Preview Four New Songs from The Waterfall
“Spring (Among the Living)”, “Compound Fracture”, “Believe (Nobody Knows)”, and “Get the Point”
Ted Cruz announces official bid to scare more children; Democrats to anoint Florida Senate hopeful
Texas Senator and Joe McCarthy reincarnate Ted Cruz announced on Twitter shortly after midnight he's officially running for the GOP U.S. Presidential nomination. He spoke about his bid at Liberty University (yes, the one founded by Jerry Falwell) later today. We hope nobody brings small children. Cruz is a freshman senator who was elected to…
Sh*t happened 3/23/15: Poynter, Ybor City gunplay
"Tell me about your weekend." The gun never wavered. "It was okay, I guess," said Jasper, looking down what seemed to be a tunnel to the eventuality to everyone's end. "I adopted my ex-girlfriend's dog." "That's nice," said the killer, checking his watch. "It's cool that you can focus on the shit that really matters…
Do This: Weekend Top 10
Outdoor concerts, classic punk rock, the Gnome Biergarten, tiki fun and mind-blowing arts.
TODAY: Coalition of Immokalee Workers Parade & Concert for Fair Food
A parade and free concert put the focus on Bay area food workers.
Enter the loquat, Florida’s springtime gem
To have never known a loquat is as much a deprivation as to have never known love.
This weekend in Live Music: Spring Beer Fling 2015, Chuck Brodsky, Hub City Stompers, and more
A breakdown of shows happening the weekend of March 21-22
Pier panel narrows design list, postpones ranking after long, long, long, long meeting
Well, the Pier Selection Committee had its big meeting today. Did we say big? We meant excruciatingly long and tedious. It started at 8:30 a.m. with a list of seven proposals for revamping the inverted pyramid structure and replacing the Pier approach, a list that was narrowed from eight in January. Nearly 12 hours later,…
Weekend Tune-Up: Tunes for your weekend by Alabama Shakes, Zero 7, Lord Huron & more
A playlist of 15 tunes to launch you into the weekend, Spotify playlist included.
Waiting for the Pier: why the process for selecting a new Pier feels like an existential play
VLADIMIR: Nothing you can do about it. ESTRAGON: No use struggling. VLADIMIR: One is what one is. ESTRAGON: No use wriggling. VLADIMIR: The essential doesn't change. ESTRAGON: Nothing to be done. We're quoting Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot because we're sitting in the media room at St. Pete City Hall feeling like we're in the middle of an existential play that…
“Like” photo to get in free to a singles mingle and comedy tonight
Carrollwood Players are hooking up free tickets to their play about hooking up.
Convivial chow: St. Pete’s Patanegra serves tapas in old Vue Sushi space
The newest downtown St. Pete spot to share plates over drinks, Patanegra, opened Thursday.
Sh*t happened 3/20/15: March Madness, another Chappelle show
We gave you a break from having to examine the social minutiae of existence yesterday, but we're back, and it hasn't really gotten any … anything, really: March Madness officially begins. If you're not sure, March Madness is the time of year when non-athletic white men who absolutely must have yet another sport to hang…
Tonight in Live Music: Col. Bruce Hampton & the Madrid Express, Maggie Koerner, Mike Zito & more
Concerts happening Friday March 20.
The Keys-set Bloodline drops on Netflix
Expect a series that captures Florida’s sunny-dark duality.
Sole debate ahead of Dist. 6 runoff will be a tad one-sided
The excessively heated battle for a Tampa City Council seat continues to rage, but don't expect any sparks to fly at a debate set for tonight. That's because it won't really be a debate, given that only one of the two candidates will actually be there. A two-way debate was scheduled for tonight at 7…
Fast food workers protest working conditions in Tampa
Nearly 100 activists with the Fight for 15 movement took to the streets Wednesday afternoon. They gathered outside a Busch Boulevard McDonald's to express their opposition to the conditions employees face on the job. The action comes in the wake of a report released on Monday by Hart Research Associates on behalf of the National…
Hometown Hollywood: Gasparilla International Film Festival’s Florida-centric offerings
GIFF is in full swing, with a heavy lineup of Florida-centric talent.
Gasparilla International Film Festival: The schedule
GIFF 2015 SCHEDULE OF EVENTSAll events at Channelside Bay Plaza unless otherwise noted. TUESDAY, MARCH 24 5:30 p.m. — VIP Opening Reception, Tampa Theatre 7:30 p.m. — Opening Night Movie: The Surface, Tampa Theatre 10 p.m. — Opening Night After-Party, Anise Global Gastrobar WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 3:30 p.m. —Ribbon Cutting Ceremony feat. Mayor Bob Buckhorn…
Poet’s Notebook: Oil on the fire
In Florida a mottled birdwatcher screeches brakes to see an ivory-billed woodpecker banging away on a dying bay Not many left Peter not many left Forests shrink flocks disappear birdwatchers worry where we’re heading but all over the hills the birdlike generals are spreading He may not quite have the maniacal stare of Fatty Arbuckle,…
Fiction Contest 2015: Celebrating the winners at CL Space
We gripped, we grinned, we celebrated great writing.
CL Fiction Contest Top 10: “Death for a Kiss” by Greg LeSar
I don’t stand for anything, really. I guess I stand for money because that’s what makes me an American, right? What I do know is that everybody gets what’s coming to them and all I’m trying to do is dodge it. I’m the one who dug this hole and she’s the one tossing the dirt…
CL Fiction Contest Top 10: “Clarence” by Carol Hinds
“I’m finally getting what I need,” Tiffany says. She strokes the stem of her wine glass and elegantly extends her pinkie finger as if she were sipping tea with the Royal Family, instead of drinking with me at our regular bar. Then, Tiffany tilts her head back, opens her lips to the rim of her…
Ask the Locals Final Edition 2015: Love, The Locals
It’s a great, informative end of the year for CL’s highly personal guide to Tampa Bay.
CL Fiction 2015: Every picture told a story
Local writers took a look at local art — and made some art of their own.
