Interview: Ahead of Clearwater appearance, The Police’s Stewart Copeland talks jazz and making music with animal sounds
Stewart Copeland can talk your ear off about his admiration for Lingala, Jimi Hendrix, and even Justin Bieber. But don’t even think about accusing him of being a jazz guy. Before jazz fusion was really a thing, the Police drummer’s father—who was a jazzman himself—raised him on mostly big band artists along the lines of…
Gov’t Mule and Ziggy Marley bring ‘Dreaming the Same Dream’ tour—and Yola—to Clearwater this fall
Gov’t Mule has spent three decades proving that genre is more of a suggestion than a rule. That’s probably why a co-headlining tour with reggae royalty Ziggy Marley doesn’t feel nearly as strange as it sounds. This fall, Warren Haynes & co. will join forces with the nine-time Grammy-winning Marley for the newly announced “Dreaming…
Ken Welch, and his opponents in St. Pete mayoral race, weigh in on Florida’s anti-DEI law
This month, St. Petersburg Pride kicks off its annual festivities. This year will already look different thanks to an exodus of corporate sponsors, but there’s also a big question mark over Pride in general after the passage of a Florida bill that means less funding and less visible public officials in 2027. On April 22,…
Photographer Jesi Cason showcases ‘Alt Tampa’ at exhibition closing on June 14
Contrary to the stereotype, goths look great in all colors of the rainbow. Just look at a new solo exhibition from photographer Jesi Cason. The Saint Petersburg Month of Photography’s 2025 Photolaureate opened “Alt Tampa” (stylized “ALT Tampa”) in late-April and will talk about the vibrant show this Sunday, May 31 at the Florida Museum…
Tampa photographer, musician, Dave Decker is guest at next installment of ‘Salud and Happy Days’ improv show
Dave Decker has stories. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s senior photographer has lived many lives, as a bike shop owner, cross-country-traveling punk-rock frontman, and most recently as an award-winning photojournalist on the frontlines of news from Florida, to the midwest and eastern seaboard. This June, he’ll share some of those tales for the latest installment of…
Young The Giant cancels Tuesday Tampa show, and will play St. Pete instead
On a new album released this month, Young The Giant asks, “Are You With Me?” The California rock band will get and answer, of sorts, this week. This morning, Young The Giant quietly canceled its Tampa show set for Tuesday, June 2 at Yuengling Center, with the venue stating the show would now take place…
Citing grand oak, Tampa officials delay development of controversial Live Nation venue in Ybor City
A grand oak sitting on the property of 1419 E 4th Ave. and 1402 N 15th St. has stalled the development of a proposed Live Nation venue in Ybor City. Last Tuesday at a meeting of the Barrio Latino Commission (BLC), Tampa citizens and the development team leading the construction of the venue discussed a…
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening May 29-June 4
Tampa Bay’s live music weekend is here, and it’s doing a lot of dancing thanks to DJ sets from Miami’s Rum & Coke trio, a drum and bass farewell to Crowbar, and The Bends’ “Diáspora” party. This listing of Tampa Bay’s best live music and concerts happening May 28-June 4 is compiled weekly by Creative…
Buffalo Nichols, a rising star of American blues, plays St. Pete show on Friday
After making a splash in 2021 with a folky acoustic blues record on Fat Possum, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols went psychedelic for the 2023 follow-up. The Fatalist continues to bring the time-tested American art form to the modern day thanks to 808s, synthesizer, chopped-up samples, and stoner-rock, too. Named a “new guitar great” by Garden &…
A no-cover, globetrotting ‘Diáspora’ DJ night comes to St. Pete on Friday
Salsa Con Ron’s Rum & Coke show isn’t the only globetrotting DJ night happening this weekend. For the latest installment of the no-cover Diáspora series, Peruvian DJ Mila Killa (of Samba! night fame) is joined by Mississippi-native and Sector.FM DJ Gay-Zilla, plus Post Physique, who promises to mix bouyon sounds with Miami bass, juke, and…
Rollins College-trained Hammond player ‘Shuga T’ plays no-cover Dunedin concert on Friday
At home behind the Hammond, Tommy “Shuga T” Shugart cut his teeth in Winter Park where he studied jazz guitar and played cello in the Rollins College orchestra. After sharing the stage with the likes of Joe Marcinek, Mike Mitchell (AKA Blaque Dynamite), and Roosevelt Collier—and releasing his solo debut in 2022—Shugart is back with…
Downtown Tampa’s retro-themed Gen X Tavern is closing this summer
Nostalgia-seekers will need to find a new place to drink adult Capri Suns and loaded Sunny D. Gen X Tavern, the ‘80s and ‘90s-loving bar and restaurant is calling it quits after seven years at 103 E Jackson St. The concept, opened in the spring of 2019 will stay open through July 4 according to…
Tampa Bay area drum and bass legends play one last Crowbar concert this weekend
There are just over 60 days until the end of Crowbar, and everyone’s getting their last hurrahs in. The crew from A Night of Drum & Bass is in this weekend to celebrate underground electronic music with special guests—Jay Marley, Kean, and PopeJohn—along with ANODNB staples like Thee Joker. “Blending nostalgia, underground culture, and the…
The Black Crowes bring ‘A Pound of Feathers’ to Tampa on Sunday
Drivin N Cryin’s Kevn Kinney probably won’t be onstage with The Black Crowes in Tampa, but fans of the Robinson brothers won’t care. Reunited after a cruel split, Chris and Rich arrive riding high on the Grammy-nominated 2024 album Happiness Bastards and with a fiery new album, A Pound of Feathers, to share with fans…
‘Wound down and shut down’: Florida congressman says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ coming to an end
The “Alligator Alcatraz” migrant lockup is slowly closing shop, flying detainees to other facilities, and emptying office cubicles, according to a Florida Democratic member of Congress who toured the center this week. “What I saw is a facility that is being wound down and shut down,” U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, representing the Orlando area, posted…
Florida Gov. DeSantis unveils plan to eliminate property taxes for 92% of homestead homes
Many Florida homeowners would see their property tax bills eliminated or severely cut under a plan released Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis is calling for the Legislature to convene Monday to consider his proposal, which if they approve it would appear on the November ballot. At least 60 percent of voters would need to…
Famed Miami DJs Rum & Coke make Tampa debut this weekend—and the party will be over by 9 PM
With roots at Gramps alongside DJ Action Pat, and after years of residency at Dante’s Hi-Fi plus sets at Montreux Jazz Festival, DJ Kumi, Harold Fandino, and Jesus Rodriguez bring their celebration of Caribbean and Afro-Latin sounds for a Tampa debut. With a focus on the 1960s–1980s, the trio known as the Rum & Coke…
Before return to Tampa, Bright Light Social Hour’s Curtis Roush talks evolution, side projects and more
For over 15 years, The Bright Light Social Hour has existed in a near constant state of movement. Six studio albums drift between indie rock, dance music, and cosmic ambience without ever sounding disconnected from the band’s roots in Austin, Texas. Songs stretch and reshape themselves, new projects emerge from different corners of the band,…
‘These are sanctuaries of dissent’: Before Tampa visit, Amy Goodman talks independent media, hope, and more
Ask a polluter, politician, or even an admiring journalist trying to keep pace—it’s tough to outwork Amy Goodman. P. Wells Griffith III knows the hustle all too well. In the opening scene of a new movie about the legendary journalist, Donald Trump’s climate advisor is seen trying to evade the “Democracy Now!” co-founder as she…
Florida Republicans reject gas tax cut, but lineup breaks on guns, outdoor goods
There won’t be a suspension of the gas tax this year in Florida, after a provision pushed by Democrats failed to make it into the tax cut bill negotiated by legislative leaders and approved late Sunday. But there will be savings for campers, gun owners and professional tennis fans if the measure (HB 7031E) is approved…
Creative Loafing releases new ‘Breaking Brews’ beer to fund public records requests, launches local bar tour
While some publications are using AI bots to adapt to today’s challenging media landscape, Tampa Bay’s free, independent and locally-owned alternative weekly Creative Loafing is trying something different. Starting June 17, the CL editorial team is launching “Tips For Tips,” a new monthly local bar tour where editors and reporters guest bartend at neighborhood pubs…
Tampa’s Two Shepherds Taproom is getting out of the dog bar business
Two Shepherds Taproom no longer has that dog in ‘em. Tampa’s first indoor-outdoor dog bar took to social media this afternoon to announce that the concept will soon cease to be a dog bar, and instead “pivot the taproom into a permanent event space.” “Our goal in the beginning was to create a space where…
‘One of the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life’: Guy Fieri heaps praise on Tampa’s Supernatural
In his most recent episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” celebrity chef Guy Fieri had nothing but good catchphrases regarding downtown Tampa’s Supernatural Food & Wine. As previously reported, the “Mayor of Flavortown” was in Tampa back in early April filming the popular show—and the episode finally aired last Friday, May 22. Supernatural,…
Tampa mayoral candidate says the new Rays stadium should be a publicly-traded company
Should a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium be a publicly-traded company? Could we all be its “shareholders”? One Tampa mayoral candidate thinks so. Taryn Sabia—an urban designer, educator, and community advocate—has proposed creating a Tampa Bay Regional Stadium Entity as an alternative to a traditional stadium subsidy model. Her proposal is conceptual, not a finalized…
Florida saw a dip in tourism last quarter
Florida attracted slightly fewer tourists in the first quarter than during the same period last year, data from the state’s tourism marketing agency released Tuesday show. Visit Florida reported an estimated 39.89 million people journeyed to the state between January 1 and March 31, down 1 percent from the first quarter of 2025. Florida’s figures…
‘The Notebook’ musical, with songs by Ingrid Michaelson, opens this week in Tampa
Anyone feeling like the state of the world has left them unable to express any emotion, take note(book). Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel—the one that inspired the iconic 2004 movie starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling—hit the stage as a musical in 2022 and has a run at the Straz Center in Tampa through May 31.…
Florida lawmakers finally reach budget deal, here’s what’s in it
House and Senate leaders reached a final deal on the state budget late Sunday night, the last step in an extended process that required a special session to complete for the second year in a row. The spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 will be nearly $115 billion, less than the…
The guy who says he’s no longer a Nazi is performing in Tampa
Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West and a guy who identified as a Nazi until a few months ago, announced a new show coming to Raymond James Stadium this summer. Not a lot of details were announced Friday evening, but according to the venue’s website the “Heil Hitler” rapper will perform June 26…
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening May 22-28
Tampa Bay’s live music weekend is here once again, not slowing down much for Memorial Day—and it’s kicked off by tonight’s Santigold show at Jannus Live. Santi White is in the “Yo Gabba GabbaLand” era of her career (the 49-year-old has collabed with creators of the Emmy-nominated kids show), but her catalog—a pre-algorithm blend of…
Florida’s jobless rate has grown for 8 months straight
For an eighth consecutive month Florida’s jobless rate has increased, with job declines in the finance, manufacturing and construction sectors over the past year. A report released by the Department of Commerce on Friday showed the state’s rate rose to 4.8 percent, up 0.2 percent from March. The number of Floridians employed fell by 5,000…
Before move to Portland, Orlando rock favorite Teen Suicide plays one more show at Crowbar
After breaking out of the lonercore Baltimore scene, Teen Suicide has constantly evolved and moved to Orlando—but Sam Ray and Kitty Ray don’t play many home state shows. Their latest outing, Nude descending staircase headless, is the duo’s most-polished offering to date, but still marked by snarling guitar and intimate subject matter from a discography…
‘The Guest House,’ a Winter Haven home designed by famed Florida architect Gene Leedy, is now for sale
A Central Florida home designed by Gene Leedy, a pioneer in the Florida modern movement and a founding father of the Sarasota School of Architecture, is now on the market. Located at 1540 N Lake Mirror Dr. NW, in Winter Haven, the home was completed in 1967 for the late Thelma Lynne Guest, a local…
Dave Matthews Band returns to Tampa on Tuesday
Dave Matthews Band is like a clock, pretty much, hitting the same spots across the country annually. This summer tour is a bit different. It includes three new venues (in Minnesota, Missouri, and Michigan), plus this recurring pilgrimage to the old Gary amphitheatre in Tampa. While the roof at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre is still…
Canada’s other famous rock-trio, Triumph, plays Tampa reunion concert on Sunday
Rush is hands down the most famous Canadian rock-trio, but Triumph can apparently play arenas, too. The band peaked in the late-’70s and early-’80s thanks to hard-rock tunes like “Lay It on the Line,” “Magic Power,” and “Fight the Good Fight,” and guitarist and vocalist Rik Emmett, drummer and vocalist Gil Moore, and bassist Mike…
Another pop-up EDM concert is coming to the St. Pete Pier this weekend
It’s a shame that St. Pete’s pier closes at 11 p.m. because it’s one of the Sunshine City’s best places to just chill. This weekend, the L8 Night Flights team returns to the middle of the span (underneath the tilted lawn) where it hosts an eight-hour house music concert that actually kicks off at 2…
This weekend’s Tampa Bay Barbecue Festival is a big St. Pete concert, too
Organizers for this meaty gathering could’ve popped the word “music” in front of “festival.” Heavy hitters of the Bay area ‘cue scene will be in the pit (shout out Kenny Alexander from Big Red BBQ), but the lineup of bands is no small feat. The appropriately-named Blackberry Smoke is set to close it out, but…
After opening for Underoath, Tampa rock band Social Wreckage will release new EP this weekend
It’s been less than a year since Social Wreckage played a packed Crowbar in support of Underoath, and the Tampa rock band is already back in the same room to release a new EP, Moving On. On it, Maren McTague leads the four-piece through a radio-ready lead single, “Eyes Everywhere,” with the rest of the…
New World Tampa hosts vibrator races to support domestic violence victims next week
This one, sponsored by Tampa’s historic Todd Couple’s Superstore, benefits The Spring domestic violence shelter. And it’s hosted by the Tampa City Athletic Association, which makes these lubed up racers certified athletes. The night includes plenty of prizes for spectators and racers alike, so no need to be a buzzkill.
Florida agrees to pay $485K to FWC biologist fired over Charlie Kirk post
The state owes nearly half a million dollars to a biologist fired after reposting on social media a statement critical of the late Charlie Kirk. Florida Fish and Wildlife Executive Director Roger Young agreed Thursday to settle a lawsuit filed in September by former FWC biologist Brittney Brown for $485,000. A federal trial was scheduled…
Republicans are once again mad about University of Florida’s president pick because of DEI
Conservatives opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion programs are taking aim at the latest candidate to be the University of Florida’s next president. Shortly after former University of Alabama President Stuart Bell was named on Monday as the lone finalist for the same job at Florida’s flagship university, social media buzzed with opposition over his…
Everything we saw at Tampa’s ‘Battle in the Bay’ Special Operations Forces demo
Downtown Tampa was “under attack” on Wednesday afternoon, or at least it looked like it. The annual U.S. Special Operations Command’s “Battle in the Bay” demonstration took place in front of the Tampa Convention Center, and this year revolved around a mock scenario involving the “kidnapping” of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. As part of the…
NOAA predicts ‘below-normal’ 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
Hurricane experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hope people don’t become complacent as the agency is the latest to forecast a “below-normal” storm season. Highlighting new drone technologies and changes in the forecast cone at an event in Lakeland, the federal agency’s outlook anticipates up to 14 named storms for the six-month season…
