Crashing the parties
Five leading activists who plan to protest in Tampa this summer.
Green Community Calendar weekend events
Marine center potluck, energy efficiency class, tortoise tour, workshops and farmers markets!
Live and Local Review/Show Preview: Ricky Wilcox & The Moonsnakes, Last Day on Planet Earth
There’s no denying Ricky Wilcox is a master pop-music craftsman. Those familiar with his depthy resume – from band’s Delores Telescope up through his previous Moonsnakes release, Monkeyshine – have come to expect certain aural and aesthetic hallmarks. And they’re all here on Last Day on Planet Earth: the immaculate arrangements; the encyclopedic knowledge; the…
Hillary Clinton to speak at Tampa Convention Center next week
The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported first thing Monday morning that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be at the Tampa Convention Center on May 23 to give the keynote address for a scheduled International Special Operations Forces gala dinner. Both Special Operations and Central Command are located at MacDill Air Force Base in South…
Al Lopez Baseball Museum to come to Ybor City
In the late ’80s, former baseball star and Tampa native Steve Garvey's personal life became so scandalous that bumper stickers started appearing all over Southern California saying, "Honk If You're Carrying Steve Garvey's Love Child." That little tidbit probably won't be included in the Garvey wing of the new Al Lopez Baseball Museum in Ybor…
Nina Hayden on her race for Congress: “I think it’s important to have the local support.”
St. Pete attorney Nina Hayden is aware of what some folks in Tampa Bay area politics say about her latest run for office. After winning a seat on the Pinellas County School board in 2008 that came back up for re-election in 2010, Hayden opted instead to run as the Democrat in the state Senate…
The Gaily News: Gulfport approves domestic partnership registry
Last night the Gulfport City Council voted unanimously to pass legislation creating a domestic partnership registry. This makes Gulfport the first city in Pinellas County to create such a registry, which would grant unmarried same-sex and heterosexual couples certain benefits, including hospital visitation rights and the ability to make medical decisions for one another, such…
Comissioner Roche, Sheriff clash over Safe Harbor in Pinellas County
Pinellas County commissioner Norm Roche grilled Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri about the Safe Harbor shelter at a budget information session Tuesday evening. Roche questioned the purpose and funding of the shelter, saying that it was not the job of the sheriff to remedy a social problem, and that it was morphing from its original purpose…
Mitch Perry Report 5.16.12 – Romney returns
Plus: Friendship Trail Bridge, Karl Rove and more …
Karl Rove connected group to spend $25 million for new ad in Florida & 9 other battleground states
Crossroads GPS, an affiliate of the conservative, Karl Rove-connected American Crossroads group, announced on Wednesday a new $25 million issue advocacy initiative over the next four weeks in ten states, including Florida. That organization's "first phase" of the ad "Broken Promises", begins airing on Thursday with a $1.5 million buy in the Sunshine State. The…
This week in food and drink
American Craft Beer Week, Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week, Taste of Asia and more!
Review: Monophonics funk up New World Brewery last Wednesday, unleash new album In Your Brain today
Last Wednesday night, I was feeling kinda low, soul-sick and rung-out, definitely in need of a sonic pick-me-up to rocket launch me through the rest of the week and get me motivated for a long work-filled weekend ahead. [Text by Leilani, photos by Phil.] And San Francisco's Monophonics turned up the heat from the very…
Pinellas County staff recommends against Friendship Trail Bridge proposal
During a budget workshop review of capital projects Tuesday afternoon, two Pinellas County staff members recommended against the new Friendship Trail Bridge proposal unveiled last week. Members of the coalition trying to save the bridge expressed disappointment that staffers had not spoken with them before drawing these conclusions, and pointed out that at least one…
In St. Pete, local Democrats warn against Romney Economics
One former GST Steel employee called Mitt Romney a vampire. Another called him a job destroyer. But in St. Petersburg, small business owners are just worried that a four-year Republican presidency could bring them to bankruptcy.
In Tampa, Jamie Dimon survives threat to his JPMorgan-Chase post
Marilyn Lyday lets the press know what she thinks of Jamie Dimon Less than a week after he disclosed a $2 billion trading loss at JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon on Tuesday survived an effort to strip him of his title as chairman of the board, while approximately two dozen activists protested across the street from…
Bill’s Sports Binge: Sport, sacrifice and Tebow goes to the prom
What ever happened to knowingly taking a risk?
The costs of Obama’s decision on gay marriage
As we reported last week, it was hard to make an immediate judgment on the political ramifications of Barack Obama's decision last Wednesday to come out in support of same-sex marriage. There hasn't been any significant polling done since his interview with ABC's Robin Roberts — until now. A New York Times/CBS News Poll out…
Burger 21: gluten-free burgers, fries and shakes
Burger 21 has launched a gluten-free menu in honor of Celiac Awareness Month. Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder affecting at least 1 in 133 people in the U.S. Those suffering from celiac disease often struggle to find appropriate foods at mealtime, especially at restaurants. Their genes scream in protest…
Mitch Perry Report 5.15.12 – Turning the heat up on Jamie Dimon
This morning JPMorgan Chase holds their annual shareholder meeting in….beautiful Tampa.Activists are trying to get as many folks together as possible for their 90-minute scheduled protest, coming just days after CEO Jamie Dimon admitted the bank suffered a $2 billion loss. Check this site later in the day for our report on that protest. When…
New Music Tuesday! (May 15): Tenacious D, Adam Lambert, Best Coast, Hot Water Music & more
This week’s new releases, with audio & video.
Ride of Silence for slain cyclists to take place Wednesday night in Tampa
Seven people have been killed while riding bikes in Hillsborough County through the first four months of this year; adding fatalities from 2010 and 2011, the total number of cyclists killed comes to 24. It's not news to those in the Tampa Bay area, as one advocacy group last year ranked the region the country's…
Media gets update on rules for Republican National Convention
Air-conditioned tubes, why no Wi-Fi, and more from Monday’s briefing.
USA’s Common Law is funny, formulaic
Common Law follows the cable net’s typical formula, but succeeds anyway.
Bill Nelson takes on Florida TV stations
The U.S. Senator says the Chamber ad about him is false.
Metropolitan Ministries holds groundbreaking for “MiraclePlace” facility
The organization’s bold expansion will mean more resources for the homeless.
#MusicMonday, Vol. 69: Beach House, Eight and a Half, Greg Laswell + more
What the CL Music Team is jamming Monday to rocket launch the work week.
Small Plates, Big Pours scores points at Fleming’s
If you’re in the mood for a big pour from an award-winning bottle of wine, and a small plate of Grade A top-choice meat (or seafood), Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar’s new Small Plates, Big Pours menu is sure to satisfy both cravings. The Fleming’s 100 Selection is an award-winning collection of 100 wines,…
Mitch Perry Report 5.14.12 – Our 1st gay president?
Happy Monday everyone. The run of cool live music happening in Tampa continues tonight with Wilco coming to the Straz Theatre downtown. Saturday night you had Chris Cornell performing solo at the Tampa Theatre, and last night yours truly was among the lucky group of folks to see and hear Washed Out at the Crowbar…
A fissure within the GOP about how hard to challenge Obama on gay marriage announcement?
Newsweek celebrates the President's announcement on same-sex marriage" title="The new Newsweek celebrates the President's announcement on same-sex marriage" width="500" height="678" /> The new Newsweek celebrates the President's announcement on same-sex marriage After President Obama announced last week that he now personally supports same sex marriage, a couple of key political questions surfaced. Will this help…
Jamie Dimon eats crow on Meet The Press
But is the JPMorgan CEO a financial boogeyman?
Army summers
The upsides of being drafted into the U.S. Army.
Unscrewing the pooch
Can I fix a relationship destroyed by my gender insecurity?
Neighborhood Dining Guide: Beach Bars
The Bay area features some of the best beachside bars and restaurants under the sun.
St. Pete officials discuss solar power’s future in Florida
Officials acknowledged that creating large solar energy projects is a major challenge.
Photo review: Mayer Hawthorne at State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Shots from last week’s show in the ‘Burg.
Cathy Clayton’s got staying power
The Tampa gallery owner has survived — and thrived — through three recessions.
This weekend’s Harvey Milk Festival raises awareness for LGBT rights
After kicking off last night with a screening of music documentary Hit So Hard: The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel, Sarasota's third annual Harvey Milk Festival continues its celebration with free events through tomorrow evening. Tonight's art event, "The Silent T" opening, will be held at the Ivory Lounge. It will feature…
Bill’s SportsBinge Summer Preview: NASCAR, The Storm and LL Cool Ray
The Tampa Bay Storm in action. Prom, Senior-itis, caps 'n' gowns, awkward breakups ("So HCC is, like 20 minutes away and stuff? I think we owe it to ourselves to be free"), awkward yearbook entries ("I didn't really know you, but we did have a few laughs in…Statistics, was it? Okay, bye") and for the…
120 Days of Summer
Hot concerts, steamy events and more …
Wilco’s grounding force: A chat with longtime bassist John Stirratt
The band hits the Straz Center this Mon., May 14.
Pinellas County could embrace its own domestic partnership registry
Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch suggested a countywide domestic partnership registry in light of three cities mulling over their own ordinances. Just a day after President Obama made his historic declaration standing up for gay marriage rights in an interview with ABC, the St. Petersburg City Council got back to work on its proposed domestic…
Mitch Perry Report 5.11 – Florida Senate race about to get interesting?
Happy Friday to you and what promises to be a slightly less humid weekend. Anybody out there into the NBA playoffs? The first round of games haven't been stellar, but it's now starting to get exciting. And now we've got a couple of game 7's taking place this weekend. The cool thing about the NBA…
CIA rejected Bill Nelson’s request to be waterboarded?
In 2009 it was learned that the U.S. had waterboarded two al-Qaeda terror suspects a total of 266 times. Documents revealed at the time that waterboarding was used 183 times on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who admitted planning the 9/11 attacks, and 83 times on alleged al-Qaeda senior commander Abu Zubaydah. After taking office, Barack Obama…
Fear is never a reason to stay in a relationship
I spent the majority of this weekend trying not to scream at my nearest and dearest cousin to break up with her boyfriend instead of waiting for things to improve. Complaining about men is a favorite pastime for women. Most of the time we are not so much seeking advice as we are just venting.…
Here in a Flash
Please welcome San Diego’s Green Flash Brewing to the Bay area.
Très délicieux
Treat your mère to a Strawberry Napoleon this Mother’s Day.
Outside the Box: Free Comic Book Day
Check out this latest installment of my awesome, nerdly adventures.
Activists voice opposition to GOP budget plan in Pinellas
Congressman C.W. Bill Young Activists and concerned citizens showed up at Congressman Bill Young’s local district office in Seminole Thursday morning to express their opposition to the Republican House’s divisive The Path to Prosperity budget proposal. The House passed that budget plan later in the day, 218 to 199, with 16 Republicans opposing and no…
Mother, may I …
Show Mom how much you care with these Mother’s Day events.
The Vibrator Play: Enough to make you come?
In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play is a stimulating experience, but no sexual revolution.
Sarasota’s Harvey Milk Festival kicks off with documentary this evening (video)
The third annual Harvey Milk Festival will kick off this evening with a screening of music documentary Hit So Hard: The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel.
LeMieux says Connie Mack campaign mailer was paid for by taxpayers
George LeMieux Florida GOP Senate candidate George LeMieux has accused his campaign rival Connie Mack of intentionally sending out campaign literature to Republican "super voters" illicitly, since it was paid for by U.S. taxpayers under the pretense of a mailer that was only supposed to be sent out to constituents. Members of Congress are given…
Former County Attorney Renee Lee tries to quash ethics violations in court
Former County Attorney Renee Lee appeared before an Administrative Law Judge on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 in an attempt to quash the fact that the Florida Ethics Commission found that she violated state ethics law when she participated in giving herself a salary increase without the knowledge and/or approval of the Hillsborough County Commission.
President Obama’s same-sex marriage move: Risky or not?
On a Sunday night in San Francisco's tony Pacific Heights neighborhood in 1996 while working for KPFA Radio, I observed hundreds of liberal activists, confined to a "protest zone" of sorts, rallying in anger at President Clinton, who was a couple of hundred yards away at a fundraiser being hosted for him by California Senator…
Tampa City Council gives preliminary approval to changing 7th Avenue signs
The Tampa City Council, acting today as the Community Redevelopment Agency, voted 5-1 to approve changing 10 different signs along Seventh Avenue in Ybor City from "La Setima" to "La Septima," which a number of community leaders in Ybor have argued for years is the proper spelling. Leading the charge to have the Council change…
Shadows not very bright
Burton, Depp cast a familiar pall in adaptation of cult TV series Dark Shadows.
Once-a-week water restrictions imposed in Hillsborough, Pinellas & Pasco
In Tampa this morning around 5 a.m., there was a brief burst of rain. But not surprisingly for this time of year, there hasn't been much of the wet stuff at all, creating drought-like conditions in the Bay area. That prompted the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s executive director on Thursday to declare an emergency…
Mitch Perry Report 5.10.12- The Evolution of Barack Obama
Yesterday morning at this time nobody (outside of the White House) had any idea that President Obama was going to make history by declaring in a television interview that he now supports same-sex marriage, an issue that a lot of people (cynically) thought he would get around to only after he was re-elected this fall.…
120 Days of Summer July
Hot concerts, steamy events and more …
Tropical Heatwave 2012: Stage by stage schedule
Plan your perfect day for this year’s WMNF music festival.
120 Days of Summer September
Hot concerts, steamy events and more …
Bringing the heat: 10 bands guaranteed to set fire to Tropical Heatwave 2012.
Local community-funded radio station WMNF brings a mass of local, national and regional talent to Ybor City every year for its multi-venue genre-crossing music fest, Tropical Heatwave. On the Daily Loaf, we’ve spent the past 10 weeks counting down to this weekend’s 31st annual event — which encompasses 14 stages and more than 60 performers…
120 Days of Summer August
Hot concerts, steamy events and more …
120 Days of Summer May
Hot concerts, steamy events and more …
Live and Local Spotlight: St. Pete Beat Presents Kickstartin’ Art
Last year’s music issue drew attention to important behind-the-scenes players in the Bay area scene and among them was Ryan Zarra. The video producer is the driving force behind St. Pete Beat, a music video series that features fresh local talent performing in lesser-known locales. Zarra takes it a step further with five St. Pete…
120 Days of Summer June
Hot concerts, steamy events and more …
Fly Bar and Restaurant soars over Tampa
The downtown staple defines, endures and improves.
Obama’s support of gay marriage: Why it surprised me, and why it matters
Joe Bardi owes President Obama $5. In "Shit Happened," Creative Loafing's week-in-review column appearing in tomorrow's print edition, he says this: "SUNDAY 6: Vice President Joe Biden expresses his 'comfort' with gay marriage, putting President Obama in the uncomfortable position of actually having to take a stand on an issue that’s a slam dunk with…
Obama makes history by endorsing gay marriage (video)
President Obama finally came out in support of same-sex marriage.
New media vs. old media (or Schorsch vs. everyone) at Suncoast Tiger Bay Club
Eric Deggans On Wednesday afternoon, some of the most distinguished reporters and media people in Tampa Bay discussed the good and bad about today's media landscape nationally and in the Bay area at a Suncoast Tiger Bay forum in St. Petersburg. They included the King of All Media locally, Tampa Bay Times media critic Eric…
North Carolina voters say ‘yes’ to gay marriage ban
Yesterday, North Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage as solely between a man and a woman, effectively banning gay marriage in the state. Of course, the state's law already prohibits same-sex nuptials. But 61% of voters still felt the need to say yes to Amendment 1, which takes the anti-gay bigotry a…
This week in live music: Heartless Bastards, Washed Out, Steve Aoki, Lady Antebellum + more
THURSDAY, MAY 10Straighten It Out Hip Hop-A-Thon w/The Villianz/Rook da Rukus/Mike Mass/Aych/Imagiin 360/Annex/J Roc/many more A concert showcase to support WMNF's Saturday Night Shutdown, which dispenses the latest rap and hip hop jams on Saturdays at midnight. The bill is packed with performances by a who’s who of local talent, from the deliberate tag-team lyrical…
Get to know your local fanboys and fangirls
Fan boy/girl confessions from local musicians and other peeps around town.
Robot and Frank brings Frank Langella to Sarasota Film Fest (with photos, “chopped and screwed” video coverage by Daniel Veintimilla)
The opening night debut showcased the acclaimed film starring Langella.
