2008 St. Pete Preservation Award Winners
Last night, St. Petersburg Preservation Inc. held an awards ceremony for property owners who have shown a dedication to the city's historical structures. As promised, here is the list of the winners (after the jump):
Obama Tickets Gone
Just in case you Obamaniacs thought you could grab some tickets for the presidential (nominee) hopeful's appearance at the Times Forum tomorrow, I thought I should let you know: they're gone.
Waits on Waits
Photo by Michael O'Brien. The enigmatic Tom Waits, who rarely grants interviews, has conducted a conversation with himself. It arrived this afternoon in my inbox via his publicist. The lone Florida date of Waits' "Glitter and Doom Tour" is July 1, Times Union Center, Jacksonville. For more info click here. TOM WAITS’ TRUE CONFESSIONS (A…
Rays last night: A nice surprise
I bounced between the Spurs/Hornets game 7 and the Rays/A’s game last night. After the dreaded Spurs won, I switched off the TV and went to bed. Didn’t even check the Rays score. They’d been down 3-0, Shields looked shaky and I just really wasn’t up for any more bad news. It was just a…
What would Siskel have said about Indy 4?
Alas, film critic Gene Siskel (of the Chicago Tribune) is no longer with us to parry with Roger Ebert (of the Chicago Sun Times) over the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But for those of you who used to eagerly await each new episode of Siskel & Ebert, here's…
Dying of thirst
Tampa Bay's 10 has a piece about water conservation in restaurants. Apparently, Swiftmud (Southwest Florida Water Management District, ironic name unintentional) has started a new program — WaterPRO — aimed at reducing water waste in the food service industry. Hopefully, that doesn't mean they'll be serving more evil bottled water.
The Hold Steady release new single, album date
Click here for The Hold Steady's new single, "Sequestered in Memphis." The band's upcoming album, Stay Positive, drops July 15 … unless it gets bumped up. Photo of The Hold Steady's Craig Finn by Gabe Loewenberg, from the band's Jan. 19 date at Czar in Ybor City, which I reviewed. Here's the press release I…
Five Things to Do Today
1. New CD releases today – pick up your copy of The Dresden Dolls’ No Virginia … (Roadrunner Records), Bonnie Prince Billy’s Lie Down in the Light (Drag City) and/or Sonny Landreth’s From the Reach (Landfall). 2. See Japan’s live action version of Death Note – a popular manga series – at Citrus Park Stadium…
Mr. Bush, how about an alcoholic stimulus package?
The hell with the rising price of gasoline; here's the real news: beer prices are steadily climbing. With the cost of everything else rising as well, some of us have been able to just grin and bear it, taking solace in our beer. But (sigh) with beer prices going up too, we may be in…
You Waste Not, Others Might Want Not
This weekend, the NYT posted a story about the vast amount of food that American's waste every year, as much as 27% off all food available for consumption. That happens at every step of the distribution pipeline, from factories to your refrigerator, resulting in almost 100 billion pounds of edible food hitting the trash can.…
Five Things to Do Today
“Art 001,” by Blake High School graduate Carlos Pons. 1. Last week to check out an HCC-Ybor Art Gallery exhibit featuring the creative talents of more than a dozen graduating visual arts students from Blake High School. 2. Juniper performs their fusion of traditional Celtic, alternative folk, and Americana music at Brandon Regional Library. 3.…
2008 Preservation Awards in St. Pete
To the uninformed, Florida history might seem like an oxymoron. But it almost goes without saying that the state, and the Tampa Bay region, has a rich history. In many cases, the only things remaining from that era are the buildings. And during Tampa Bay's waves of condo development, those historical structures have fallen fast.…
Amanda Shaw brings the heat
"Tampa, can you get your mojo workin'?" a confidently smiling Amanda Shaw asked before launching into a fiery, fiddle-laced cover of the Muddy Waters classic "Got My Mojo Workin,"' which sent the all-ages audience into dance mode. The singer/songwriter/violinist/actor made a memorable Tampa Bay debut Saturday at WMNF's 28th Annual Tropical Heatwave. The community radio…
Con Trey to close May 30
So I'm in town for all of two days and have a couple Tampa Bay Must-Dos to knock off my list. First up? Lunch at Café Con Trey, Kennedy Boulevard's venerable breakfast/sandwich shop. Just down the street from CL's Tampa office, Con Trey dishes up above-average food for below-average prices. But the real draw, the…
$20 Menu Challenge
I'm currently lining up chefs to participate in our Tampa Food Issue for June — the $20 Menu Challenge. All they have to do is create a meal for two with at least three courses and keep the ingredient list to under $20. (We did this last year in Sarasota, without the course requirements. Jose…
Five Things to Do This Weekend
1. Drive By Truckers (pictured) perform their Athens brand of rockin’ twang at Jannus Landing tonight. 2. Tampa Theatre’s traveling outdoor Sunset Cinema Series continues with a screening of The Wizard of Oz at Cotanchobee Park. 3. Celebrate International Museum Day by visiting any of the Bay area’s participating museums: Tampa Museum of Art, The Salvador…
Tampa w(h)ines as council rejects wet zoning
Tampa officials have discovered something that landlords (at least in this city) have known for years: For a high-end restaurant space to succeed, it has to serve beer and wine. For years, the Iorio administration has increased the costs of these R(restaurant) wet zonings — restricting locations, adding fees, documentation requirements and cost to landlords.…
California affirms right to gay marriage
Gay marriages can commence in Cali in 30 days after that state's highest court strikes down two laws limiting marriage to being the union of one man and one woman. NYT coverage here.
Rays unveil financing plan
Just back from St. Petersburg City Council gathering where the first-place Tampa Bay Rays moved their proposal for a $450 million waterfront ballpark another step forward. This time it was a financing plan on how they and taxpayers will come up with that cash. The news: The Rays aren't looking at using tax-increment funds…
Over the long haul: Rays or Yanks?
I was listening to Steve Deumig on 620 The Sports Animal the other day when a Yankees fan called in. Steve started needling the guy, and it got onto the topic of which team is better, the Yankees or the Rays. Steve’s take: The Rays (of course). He even threw in a choice “the Yankees…
Marié Digby: talent or gimmick?
UPDATED 5/18: Digby is not the DIY phenom she's portrayed as in the press release posted below, according to the Wall Street Journal. The venerable daily newspaper revealed in a story published in September (yeah, I slept on this one, thanks for the link, Mr. Benidt), that Digby's not been honest with her multitudes of…
Five Things to Do Today
1. The second edition of the Tampa Bay Wine and Food Festival kicks off tonight at Mahaffey Theater with performances by jazzy singer/songwriter Simone (at right) – daughter of Nina Simone – and Brazilian music star Sergio Mendes. 2. See what local architects, interior designers and students can do using food as design materials in the 10th…
Tropical Heatwave and more in new CL
WMNF's 27th annual Tropical Heatwave bash takes place Saturday and I'm totally stoked. Six stages in and around the Cuban Club in Ybor City featuring an eclectic lineup of under-the-radar national greats and local standouts. What has me giddiest, though, is the debut of the "Louisiana Stage" (El Pasaje Plaza), where attendees will find this…
Another look at New Orleans
My Creative Loafing coworker Leilani, her husband Phil and friend Alex, the three people I drove with to New Orleans two weeks ago for Jazz Fest, had a much different experience on Frenchmen Street than I did. You can read about my Saturday night revelry in the Bar Tab column "Up, up and away: Balloons,…
Five Things to Do Today
1. Bryan Adams (left) isn’t coming here but if you dig his raspy croon, you can see him in Orlando tonight at B.B. King’s Blues Club, where he plays in support of his latest album, 11. 2. The Tampa Bay Sierra Club talks transportation at its monthly meeting. 3. Members of the community, local politicos…
Down on the Corner
Another SoHo bar leaves nothing but memories.
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. CL's Best Bet TAMPA BAY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL This weekend's offering is a doozy, a three-day extravaganza. On Thursday you can golf with chefs and winemakers and then join…
In defense of beer
A wine geek raises her glass to the suds.
Why Speed Racer crashed and burned
Splash visuals and a flat visual style in the Wachowskis’ latest.
Speed Racer, Jenna Bush
Plus, gas prices reach new high.
Blu-ray heaven
Hail the hi-def king.
Tropical Heatwave, Greymarket
Plus Ace Frehley
St. Pete to elderly: Get out!
Residents of Graham-Rogall complex have to find new homes in the next year
What is the Country Reports On Terrorism?
A polite, but somewhat irate reader of this column wrote a letter to me a few weeks ago asking me to say something nice about the United States. I won't reprint the whole letter (columnists usually reserve that trick for when they're about to go on vacation and need some quick filler), but the gist…
Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival
Tastings, music and chefs will stimulate the senses.
Jeb Bush is back
Actually, he never left: an ex-governor with an agenda and the network to support it.
Alicia Keys, Yo Majesty
Plus Skafest 2008
.com-ments
Readers wrote us this week to defend coyotes, praise Radiohead, diss Radiohead, discuss bisexuality and thank Wayne Garcia for making it safe to stay away from the water. A tbt* concert that wasn't quite as billed led to a back-and-forth on Wade Tatangelo's music blog. Get the grisly details at tampacalling.com — and if they're…
Sierra Nevada Extra Special Bitter
Sierra Nevada Extra Special Bitter (ESB) Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Chico, CA 5.9% ABV As usual, Sierra Nevada is spot on with this early spring seasonal that adds a bit of hop assertiveness to the classic English ESB. The aroma of fresh, floral hops hits the nose right away from this amber-gold beer. Spicy, citrusy…
Super Mercado
"I am tired of hearing about Syesha! Unga Bunga!"—Bradenton Herald.com poster "rdub," in response to news of Sarasota native Syesha Mercado's whirlwind 5/9 visit to her home state after making American Idol's final three "I'm tired of reading people complaining about everything. I, for one, like to see a local girl do good. Go Syesha!…
The guest instructor
Whatever, I don’t judge.
Does it get any better than this?
Spring in the air and beer on the mind
Sequel to Chronicles of Narnia arrives
Plus other new and recent releases
Read your art out
Miss the exhibit? Read the book.
The Heatwave is On
And we’ve got the complete lineup of this year’s acts.
Drive-By Truckers roll in to Jannus
The most important Southern rock band to emerge in decades, the Drive-By Truckers suffered a pretty serious blow when singer/songwriter and guitarist Jason Isbell split to pursue a solo career last year. Original Truckers Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, though, picked up the slack, penning a fine batch of material for Brighter Than Creation's Dark,…
A taste of The Table
A Sarasota favorite opens in St. Pete.
Talking drummer
How a master percussionist from Mali found his way to Tampa and Tropical Heatwave.
Burn, baby, Burn
Hat Trick heats up with the scorching Burn This.
Soul Rebels want to funk up Heatwave
New Orleans hip-hop ensemble prepare to heat up Ybor.
The mystery rocks of Tarpon Springs
Has he found the Holy Grail or just some holey boulders?
