Commence with the Protests
It is commencement season, and at colleges all over the nation, big-names speakers are getting jeered at, heckled and protested. In Beantown, some of the peace-loving professors and students at Boston College on Monday stood and turned their backs on Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice as she spoke of the importance of education, the New…
A (Somehow) Perfect Pairing
Generally, I have an open mind, especially when it comes to music. However, about six months ago, when a friend with somewhat questionable musical taste insisted that I rip her copy of The Arcade Fire’s Funeral, I was more than a little hesitant. We’re talking about a girl who used to rock out to Shania…
A Big Hunk of Love?
This past Monday marked the start of the fourth annual Elvis Festival in Tampa, a weekend event dedicated to the King that’s jam-packed with concerts, impersonators and memorabilia.To be honest, I’ve never understood all the excitement surrounding Elvis Presley. I admit, I am from the wrong generation – I’ll be graduating from high school in…
Replacing Carrie
As the race for a new Pinellas Democratic Executive Committee chief begins, party Vice Chairman Arlin Briley writes to say he'll run: "Yes, I will be seeking election to replace Chair Wadlinger. There has been much intrigue stirred by her announcement to resign, but I wish to assure everybody that in the last year and…
Love and Beer and a Whole Lot of Music
An oral history of Tropical Heatwave’s first quarter-century.
Hello, Mellow!
A fabled pizza chain arrives — and surprise, it’s as good as ever (well, almost).
Operation Illusion
Residents talk about life under a landlord whose properties are news — bad news.
True Grit
An homage to Ridge Vineyards.
A Jam Supreme
Medeski Martin & Wood's career rise could be a course of study on how to transcend the commercial straightjacket that is jazz. MMW started out in New York's downtown outré jazz scene, which is a cool, creative place to be, but one that can quickly box you in. So they branched out, renting a place…
The Blotter
BLOTTER MAD LIBS: Many police reports have words blacked out to protect the identity of a juvenile or to remove private information like a Social Security number. On some reports, the redactions are puzzling. Take the case of a disturbed man whose parents were trying to get him to go to the hospital. He refused…
Oh, Me! Oh, May!
Special Events
Where’s the Love?
A night with the Sarasota Reds, least-attended team in the minors.
25 MORE YEARS!
Highlights from the 50th Annual Tropical Heatwave.
Three of a Kind
HCC-Ybor Art Gallery's latest exhibition, Jopek—Midulla—Piazza, showcases the talents of three contemporary mixed-media artists who are all Bay area residents. Tyler Jopek is an art student whose work focuses on the deconstruction and reconstruction of concepts, identity, and a union of confrontational and conciliatory philosophies. He uses simple lines to produce portraits of seemingly self-conscious…
Miscellaneous DEBRIS
Music-news dispatches from home and abroad.
The Hot List
Your minute-by-minute guide to Heatwave 25.
Vivinetto’s Violation
The case of the columnist who mocked Ronda Storms.
SoundMenu
THURSDAY, MAY 18 GARRISON KEILLOR Prairie Home Companion host and celebrated American author Keillor comes to the Performing Arts Center. He's warm, he's witty, and in case you didn't know it, he's got a great baritone that sang many a tune on the beloved radio show. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa) BJ THOMAS Old-school…
Out of the Ordinary
Say Hi To Your Mom isn’t your typical Heatwave offering.
Lost in Translation
A well-intentioned film takes a wrong turn to become overly nostalgic and prosaic.
Orchestra in Pink
MUSIC
Backspins
Black Rock JAMES BLOOD ULMERColumbia Believe it or not, back in the early '80s Columbia Records put considerable resources into its jazz department, and even signed the occasional avant-gardist like singer-guitarist James Blood Ulmer. An Ornette Coleman alum, Ulmer didn't merely skronk out; the aptly titled Black Rock contains several (for lack of a better…
Fantastic Trip
Go ’round the world, or at least to Sarasota, for a joyful tribute to the power of theater.
Spins
Sexteen HOME Brah/Jagjaguwar Fingeescrossed LEELS Cloth Monkey Both of these culty indie-psyche-pop outfits have substantial ties to the Tampa Bay music scene. Home was founded here, playing and home-recording releases for years before decamping for New York City, and Leels members Chris Sturgeon and Jenny Juristo did time in several local outfits long before their…
Estate Secrets
Theater
Tropical Heatwave
6 p.m. Sat., May 20, Cuban Club (and other nearby venues), Ybor City. $30 advance, $35 door. www.tropicalheatwave.org See page 28 for schedule
Skins Game
When certain bands play the State, trouble follows.
Winelist
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 winestuff@weeklyplanet.com. *PARTY WITH A PURPOSE Fine Wine and Spirits Warehouse hosts a grand wine tasting with over 60 wines from excellent producers like Ridge, Pezzi King and Joseph Drouhin. Food is…
Short List
CELLPHONE SPYING Good thing we broke up with our long-distance mistresses in Afghanistan. McCAIN AND FALWELL The exact number of additional asses McCain has to kiss to win the nomination: 247,895. REDNER'S 8-POINT PLAN Four strippers. (Do the math.) PROSECUTOR REVEALS CHENEY NOTES Written on copy of Joseph Wilson's NYT op-ed piece: "Karl — let's…
Marco Solo
The next Speaker of the Florida House wants to hear from you.
Upcoming Releases
The following releases will be in stores Tues., May 23: Angels & Airwaves, We Don't Need to Whisper (Geffen) Anjani, Blue Alert (Sony) Astronautalis, Mighty Ocean and Nine Dark Theaters (Fighting) Attitude, We All Go Down Together (1917) The Blakhiv, Any Way She Wants It (Lucid) Blue Sky Black Death, Heap of Broken Images (Mush)…
Labors Of Love
Local lights at the Museum of Art, and a change in store for Covivant.
Wild World
Bruce Willis has his most convincing action hero role in some time, supplying the voice for a wily raccoon on a mission. The raccoon, a loner whose name is RJ, hooks up with a community of woodland creatures, leads them to the promised land of suburbia, introduces them to the glories of junk food, and…
Choose Blue
Art Festival
Outtakes
NEW RELEASES THE DA VINCI CODE (R) Here's a no-brainer recipe for box office gold: Take one of the most popular actors in the world, add one of our most consistently crowd-pleasing directors, sprinkle liberally with controversy, bake and serve. Tom Hanks and Ron Howard team up for the hugely hyped big screen adaptation of…
Going Postal
TRUE COLORS And so now you have finally revealed who and what you truly are (The End of Sami, "Final Persecution," by John Sugg, May 10-16). Amazing that you are so sensitive to the alleged Israeli misdeeds, virtually all of which are based on extremist propaganda, all of which you swallow whole, and then take…
