Video game review: inFamous – lightning strikes twice (and 3029 times after that)
That's two weeks in a row where I've spent a significant portion of my free time exploring a city that has recently suffered a massive explosion. Last week it was Bionic Commando, and I was just the guy to traverse the urban wasteland because I had a bionic arm. This week, it's inFamous, and I'm…
Ozzy sues for Black Sabbath trademark. So what’s more important — The Frontman or The Riff?
Few names resonate more with heavy metal fans than Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. Interestingly enough, Ozzy's time in the band represents only a small portion of Sabbath's legacy. Black Sabbath now has forty years and 18 albums under its belt. Ozzy was around for eight albums, and two of them are so awful they damage…
Food of love: Chicken Pot Pie recipe
Chicken pot pies are not exclusive to cold weather or winter mealtimes. They are homey pockets of comfort fit for any weeknight dinner, and even elegant entertaining. When I’m having dinner guests, I look to a main course that serves more than one purpose so that I not in the kitchen all night while my…
Do It Today: Rays, frisbee and emo power-pop
Okay, fairweather Rays fans, your glory days are over. I'm calling you out, because I refuse to suffer alone as I watch my boys go down like a ton a' bricks. Yeah, the Rays have been utterly disappointing on the heels of their AL championship. Yeah, they've got an injury list as big as B.J.…
Love triangles suck, so why am I getting in another one?
I spent the better part of 5 years in a love triangle, and now I’m creating another one. After all the pain the last one caused, you’d think I’d be smarter, but people in love aren’t smart. I’m not actually in love this time, just intrigued by one and pursued by another. If I let…
Help Wanted … with making the Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll
We're getting cranked up for Best of the Bay — yes, already — and this year more than ever we want your input early in the process. We just had a brainstorm meeting to choose award categories for the Readers' Poll, which we're expanding this year. We're in the process of fine-tuning our choices, and…
Solillaquists of Sound answer the fight song call.
I'm not a basketball fan but seriously, what's a championship run without a fight song? I guess Orlando's Solillaquists of Sound felt the same way and put one together over the weekend for the upcoming finals with the Lakers. Check it out: Solillaquists of Sound – Orlando Magic Stand Up! Solilla are also in the…
New releases in vinyl, CD, and DVD out June 2
VINYL: 311 – Uplifter Free 7" w/ purchase at Vinyl Fever (while supplies last)! Amadou & Mariam – Welcome To Mali (2LP w/bonus CD) Pressed on 140-gram vinyl. Beck – One Foot in the Grave 2xLP Expanded 15th anniversary edition of the 1994 album includes 16 bonus tracks (13 of them previously unreleased). Ryan Bingham…
Help Wanted … with making the Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll
We’re getting cranked up for Best of the Bay — yes, already — and this year more than ever we want your input early in the process. We just had a brainstorm meeting to choose award categories for the Readers’ Poll, which we’re expanding this year. We’re in the process of fine-tuning our choices, and…
Win free tickets to an MMA event in Sarasota June 13
The Sarasata-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company Art of Fighting (AOF) is giving away two tickets to its next event, Rumble at Robarts 3, on June 13. All you need to do is visit the Free Shit section of Creative Loafing and fill out the web form. The fight card is set to feature…
Video recipe: Trinidadian Wanton Wontons
Wontons are one of my favourite foods and believe it or not they were passed along via the chinese diaspora into the West Indies in the early 19th century and became so integrated that fried wontons are claimed as home cuisine for quite a few islands. I quickly found out that wontons in the US…
E3 Report: Microsoft announces motion-controled gaming (Natal), makes users the controller
Monday may mark the beginning of the end for pushing buttons or even holding something in your hands to play a video game. At their annual Xbox 360 E3 (or, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry) Media Briefing in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced Project Natal, a seemingly…
Some songs for hurricane season: hum while you hunker down
Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor & Wanda. Those are this year’s list of hurricane names. There are six lists that rotate and they do not change unless there is a hurricane that is so devastating that the name is retired,…
Time intensive cooking: North Carolina-Style Barbecue Pulled Pork recipe
(For more porcine pleasure, check out CL Sarasota's Summer of Pig coverage.) Six years ago, when I started making North Carolina-style barbecue pulled pork, I would do so on a Weber grill in my backyard. It is a day-long, hot, sooty, high-maintenance endeavor that had my eyes stinging from smoke and perspiration — not a…
New Tampa water regulations and how a rain barrel can help save money and water
Remember when we were suffering from drought? Back when we longed for rain drops to quench our gardens, or heck, wash our cars? Tampa City Council has eased the ban on lawn sprinkling, which ends Monday June 1st. City dwellers will fall in line with Hillsborough County residents abiding by SWFWMD's emergency restrictions; allowing lawn…
Interpreting dreams about lost or broken teeth
Dream Momma, For like the past weeks I constantly dream about my teeth. chipping them or even worse chewing on them until they all crush and i spit out the pieces. The latter one was my first dream and actually a recurring dream from years ago.. i usually never remember dreams. plus, my teeth are…
Do It Today: Manchester Orchestra, find a job and more
Wear your chucks and, for God's sake, don't wash your hair — and you'll fit right in with the crowd rocking out to Manchester Orchestra. The Atlanta five-piece brings an interesting twist to post-punk; their sound is leaner and less processed, the music more kinetic, the vocals having a wider range. Hell, they're even generous…
CD Review: Black Moth Super Rainbow, Eating Us
Pittsburgh experimental rock ensemble Black Moth Super Rainbow produces some of the headiest psychedelic electro-fizz you’ll hear around right now, day-glow vibrant and spaced-out like an acid trip to the moon. The band tones down the face-melting mania and turns wistfully surreal for its fourth full-length, Eating Us (Graveface), setting blotter paper lyricism against a…
Songs for hurricane season
This is an annual post that I do on ninebullets.net that I thought I'd crosspost over here this year. Ana, Bill, Claudette, Danny, Erika, Fred, Grace, Henri, Ida, Joaquin, Kate, Larry, Mindy, Nicholas, Odette, Peter, Rose, Sam, Teresa, Victor & Wanda. Those are this year’s list of hurricane names. There are six lists that rotate…
E3 2009: Microsoft brings Twitter, Facebook & more to 360
There were several enormous bombshells dropped today at Microsoft's E3 press conference. Among the various expected and unexpected game titles was the news that Microsoft will be integrating Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm into their LIVE services, as well as looking to improve their current Netflix and streaming video offerings. When you consider that Microsoft is…
Pitchfork TV: The Dodos
The Dodos perform solid, straighforward, no-frills-attached acoustic-driven pop music, and their 2008 album, Visiter, was among one of my favorites last year. Here's the band performing "Red and Purple" and "Eyelids" from Visiter, and what seems to be a new song, "Fables," on Pitchfork TV. (See the video after the jump.)
George Sherman – Contributor
George Sherman's body was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1947. His sense of adventure was born in Lewiston, Idaho. His mind was born in Spokane, Washington, at Gonzaga University, where he earned his BA with a major in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy and Theology. His professional life was born at the University of…
I am witness to poor sportsmanship: Lebron James’ handshake snub
I was prepared today to start writing about how I was witness to Lebron James's heroics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite the fact that every time he stepped into the paint in the first 5 games the referees automatically blew the whistle, his performance in this series proved beyond any shadow of any doubt…
Greenpeace comes to Tampa with bad news about Florida’s emissions
You might be interested to know that Greenpeace has come to town and has just opened an office in Temple Terrace. They held their first press conference last Wednesday, the 27th, at the Florida Aquarium. Greenpeace, known for their environmental campaigning and non-violent action, dropped a bomb on Florida. Matthew De Vlieger, the Florida Field…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
Tuesday, June 2: Publix Apron’s Cooking School How to be Fruity. Learn to incorporate fruit into your everyday diet — enjoy what you eat while getting the healthy nourishment that you need. $40. 6:30 p.m., 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa (813-926-4465) Wednesday, June 3: The NoHo Bistro Wine Wednesdays. Every week this summer, enjoy a relaxing…
Pitchfork TV: The Dodos
The Dodos perform solid, straighforward, no-frills-attached acoustic-driven pop music, and their 2008 album, Visiter, was among one of my favorites last year. Here's the band performing "Red and Purple" and "Eyelids" from Visiter, and what seems to be a new song, "Fables," on Pitchfork TV. (Click here to see the video.)
New St. Petersburg restaurant — Diner 437 — menu and details
Diner 437 is the new venture by Greg Pugh of Ringside Cafe, with Domenica Macchia in front of the stove. Look for it to open tomorrow, June 2, in the former location of Grillside Central, which was recently dropped as part of the Craig "Chappy" Chapman restaurant fiefdom. Diner 437 will be serving three squares…
Book review: Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk
In a novelist’s resume that includes Fight Club and Choke — both made into movies — Chuck Palahniuk has regularly delivered some shocking (he calls it trangressional) fiction. Most of his work has dealt with twisted people engaged in some sort of repugnant, or at least socially unacceptable, behavior. With his new book, Pygmy, the…
Domenica Macchia talks about finding a new chef gig at Diner 437 and the folly of Shackleton’s Folly
When MJ's Martini and Tapas opened last year, I didn't expect much. It was billed more as a jazz club than a restaurant, and the location — tucked behind a defunct Bennigan's on St. Pete's North 4th — was terrible. One visit changed my mind about the place, thanks entirely to chef Domenica Macchia. Then,…
CL Interview: David Johansen, frontman for the New York Dolls (with video)
Rock history is rife with bands whose legendary status is all out of proportion with the amount of tangible success they had in their heyday. There is no better example of this trope than the New York Dolls. They are revered as proto-punks, early players on the lower Manhattan scene that produced The Ramones, Television,…
The Studio@620’s Sideways night: Eloquent Virginia Madsen, good wine, technical difficulties and flying corks
The chatter of well-dressed film lovers and wine connoisseurs filled the Vinoy's grand ballroom as guests sampled fine cheeses and appetizers, drank from a hearty wine list of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays (but no Merlots), and settled at tables for the featured film, Sideways, starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh.…
Mark Leib on Gorilla Theatre’s “innovative” Young Dramatists
The Tampa Bay area needs more playwrights. In the region of West Central Florida there are only 41 members of the Dramatists Guild — the national playwrights' professional association — and of those 41, fewer than ten were sufficiently interested to come to Guild meetings in St. Pete last March, April and May. Where are…
Rubicon – Contributor
Rubicon graduated high school in in 1997 and has accomplished very little since. If he sees a cockroach or, God forbid, has one on his person, he loses all motor functions and succumbs to a bizarre terror dance. He recently became fond of hermit crabs after seeing one walking around with a bottle instead of…
RAWbar sushi restaurant in downtown Tampa: open for business
RAWbar, a new, chi-chi sushi bar and Japanese fusion in downtown Tampa's Skypoint opened over the weekend. According to Kate Swanson, who handled promotions for the opening, the menu is "not like a typical sushi restaurant. Our food is considered traditional fine dining. We have put a modern twist on it making it more fun and chic.…
CL Interview: David Johansen of the New York Dolls (with video)
Rock history is rife with bands whose legendary status is all out of proportion with the amount of tangible success they had in their heyday. New York Dolls @ State Theatre, Tues., July 9. $25. There is no better example of this trope than the New York Dolls. They are revered as proto-punks, early players…
The Kama Sutra: the coitus of the gods
Getting into the position: The position is described as both the man and woman lying flat on a surface with their appendages, hands and torso directly overtop of one another’s. Clasping each other's hands like two starfish making love, the lovers press their chests together and stretch out their thighs and arms while mimicking and…
Stretching your diet and exercise comfort zone: moving through a plateau
Life is for learning and growing. As we go through the many lessons that are presented to us daily we grow or expand multi-dimensionally. Sometimes we take the easiest road while other paths take us up above and over the most challenging mountain peaks imaginable. Considering what growing and expanding brings us in the long…
Late Night Music, June 1-6: Elvis Costello, Diane Birch, Paul Simon and more!
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs if you’ve got an early bedtime. The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS Wednesday, June 3: Steve Earle Thursday, June 4: Elvis Costello The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (Yay!!!), NBC Monday, June 1: Pearl Jam Tuesday, June 2: Green…
Do It Today: Body Worlds, visualKultur.cat
Time is running out to see these two great events — catch 'em both before they hit the road. Plastination sounds like a breakthrough boob-enhancement surgery or some sort of science fiction torture tactic, but it’s actually the secret behind the world’s most famous traveling exhibit, Body Worlds. (Plastination is a scientific process that halts…
Phish Saves America: Fenway, Bonnaroo sit-in possibilities, and more
Tonight, May 31, 2009, Phish returns to the road and kicks off the first leg of their summer tour at Fenway Park, home field of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest of all current MLB stadiums. Phish, the band that inspired this ongoing column (and changed the lives of me and everyone who reads…
A local band’s drummer woes
I am dating a guitarist. Original, I know. The point is, though, that I have a unique inside vision to the woes that local bands endure. Joel, my boyfriend, is in the band Dreadful Memories (who freakin' rock by the way – check them out). They work so hard, I mean really. Whenever Joel and…
Phish Saves America: Fenway, Bonnaroo sit ins, new song, and more
Tonight, May 31, 2009, Phish returns to the road and kicks off the first leg of their summer tour at Fenway Park, home field of the Boston Red Sox and the oldest of all current MLB stadiums. Phish, the band that inspired this ongoing column (and changed the lives of me and everyone who reads…
Creative Loafing’s Brian Ries, Wayne Garcia wins first places in Sunshine State Awards for journalism
Crossposted from Political Whore blog Because Creative Loafing Political Editor Wayne Garcia would be far too modest to tell you himself, I'm reporting that "The Political Whore" won first place in the category of Blog-Affiliated last night in the Sunshine State Awards, the Florida-wide prizes given out by the Society of Professional Journalists/ South Florida.…
Manscaping: A follow-up to the shaven kitty
Last week I decided to rant about women and their hair down there. While I got many great responses from both men AND women about it, a ringing in my head got me thinking that it wasn't fair to pick on just the ladies. Men, we're fair game too….and to be quite honest, I feel…
Morrison’s Cafeteria as theatre: Memories of perfect shrimp and tartar sauce
"Ask Daddy." That's how my mother always responded when I asked, "Can I get fried shrimp?" while in line at Morrison's Cafeteria in downtown Sarasota in the late '50's. For this elementary school kid, a trip to Morrison's represented the apex of great dining experiences. I knew Morrison's wasn't "fine" dining. I had eaten at…
Summerbirds in the Cellar have called it quits
While there has been no "official" confirmation from the band, I thought the dead website & canceled dates were pretty telling so I asked a couple of local promoters. I've heard it from enough people now that I feel pretty comfortable saying it's true, the Summerbirds in the Cellar have broken up. No big blowout…
5 (Radio) Songs In A Row
I've come to terms recently that I like to be rushed when I write. I usually wait till the very last moment to start doing all my writing. Drafts? Pfft. Who needs those? I shoot from the hip. When my iPod plays the five songs that are to be used for an issue I immediately…
CL food and drink site: A week in review
Restaurant News Noshpit, episode 16: Brian talks about his review of Ravioli Company and Taylor gushes about a blindfolded wine dinner she attended Cooking & Recipes Shrimp Slider recipe: Great for cookouts Vietnamese Noodle (Bun) Salad First corn of the season: Roasted corn and bacon salad Making cake frosting: Buttercream basics Drinks
5 (Radio) songs in a row
I’ve come to terms recently that I like to be rushed when I write. I usually wait till the very last moment to start doing all my writing. Drafts? Pfft. Who needs those? I shoot from the hip. When my iPod plays the five songs that are to be used for an issue I immediately…
The Green Community week in review
What's the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week: Why does Florida Fish and Wildlife refuse to protect eagles and tortoises?: contributor and green activist Chris Hrabovsky asks why Florida wildlife is allowed to be sacrificed in order for big businesses to take over…
Smoothie recipe with a healthy spinach spin
It's 7:00 a.m. I poke around the kitchen in a daze, adding ingredients to my Vita Mix (high speed blender) for an energizing shake. I add a frozen banana, a scoop of almond butter, a cup of almond or hemp milk and… four cups of organic spinach. Yes, you heard right. I add fresh spinach…
McLibel and Wal-Suit trials: people who fought against these companies and made a difference
was eerily familiar to our own Wal-Mart experience. After viewing this important and inspiring film recently, I must recommend that all activists see this film immediately. It started with one woman-Helen Steel. She was the first to take a stand, and then she was soon followed by Dave Morris who fought by her side to the bittersweet end. The…
A Taste of Pinellas this weekend
A Taste of Pinellas technically started yesterday (sorry), but you still have the rest of the weekend to enjoy the music and activities. They even have a Kids Zone so it’s a family-friendly event. Best of all, most of the fun is absolutely free.
MOSI discounts on Saturday
The Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., is a fun way to spend a few hours. They have a number of interactive exhibits and the IMAX theater is an impressive place to watch a movie. The problem is that it’s not cheap to go: A trip to the museum and a standard…
Essential Album: Tito Puente’s Dance Mania
Tito Puente Dance Mania (RCA/Legacy) Mainstream America's embracement of Latin music really took hold in the latter half of the 1950s with the "mambo craze." Despite its faddish overtones and eventual disintegration into novelty ("Mambo Italiano"), this particular craze inspired some terrific music, none better than Tito Puente's Dance Mania, which in 2000 was named…
Blind wine dinner at Columbia Restaurant: an eye-opening experience
In my job, I do a lot of cool foodie shit. But I must admit wine dinners — unless the winemaker is an exceptional speaker, the restaurant amazing or the wines mind-blowing — have lost their coolness factor. Yea, yea, sucks to be me… I know. But like any job with delicious perqs, even the most amazing…
Essential album: Tito Puente’s Dance Mania
Tito Puente Dance Mania (RCA/Legacy) Mainstream America’s embracement of Latin music really took hold in the latter half of the 1950s with the “mambo craze.” Despite its faddish overtones and eventual disintegration into novelty (”Mambo Italiano”), this particular craze inspired some terrific music, none better than Tito Puente’s Dance Mania, which in 2000 was named…
Nosh Pit Episode 16: Blind tasting and Ravioli Company
Taylor raves over her experience at a blind — seriously, with blindfolds — wine dinner, while Brian loves the fresh pasta at Ravioli Company. And more! Listen up! Download
Virginia Madsen, Alexander Payne and the Studio@620 Sideways connection
So how does it happen that the director, star and co-writer of the 2004 hit film Sideways are all converging on St. Petersburg this weekend? They just needed a little sun? They heard about the wine list at the Vinoy and had to try it? Not exactly. Alexander Payne, Virginia Madsen and Jim Taylor are…
Mark E. Leib – Theater Critic
Mark has been theater critic for Creative Loafing in Tampa Bay and Sarasota since 1998. His criticism has won four awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, including the first-place statewide Sunshine State Award for Critical Writing. Leib is also a playwright whose plays and adaptations have been produced at the Players Theatre in Greenwich…
Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan recovering from bladder tumor
Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan is recovering from a cancer scare! First hospitalized for gastrointestinal issues on May 12, Gahan couldn't shake what his people thought was just a nasty stomach flu (I think swine flu was ruled out early on). It's a good thing Detective John Kimble wasn't around, because it was definitely a toomah!…
Beer review: Ceylon Brewery’s Lion Stout
Learning the origin of a particular style of beer often divulges an account of the human past. Sri Lanka doesn't have a lengthy indigenous beer making tradition; the inhabitants dabbled more in distilling coconut booze. But colonization by Portugal, Netherlands, and the British Empire, and eventual classification as an overseas British territory brought a unique…
Green office tip of the week: Reduce paper in your office
When I help my clients organize their offices during a green office organizing session, the first place we always start is with reducing paper. The most common request I receive is to help people "unbury" themselves from the mounds of paper they have accumulated in piles on their desktops and in their workspaces. There's mail,…
Sharon Joy Kleitsch – Editor
Sharon Joy Kleitsch is a meta-networker, weaving local with global by sharing what’s emerging and what’s working. She inspires communities, organizations and individuals to partner “outside the box” in conversations that matter and actions that make a difference. A former Citigroup executive with a masters in spirituality, she applies the new sciences to large living…
Book launch party May 30: Jeff Strand mixes horror and comedy in Pressure
Jeff Strand, who has a cult following among horror aficionados, will be having a launch party for his first mass market paperback with a major publisher, Pressure, on Sat., May 30 from 7-9 p.m., at the Barnes & Noble in Carrollwood. Already optioned for film, Pressure breaks the molds and pushes the boundaries. Here’s a…
Lose your lawn and get Florida native plants instead; Free native plants tour Sat. (5/30)
Woken up this morning at 7:30am, again by my neighbor's "yard guys", with gas powered leaf blowers, mowers and edgers (a.k.a.: power tools for the yard). I cant help but wonder why they have to come out, seemingly once a week, to groom his bright green lawn. How is this sustainable? Not only are they soaking their grass…
Do It This Weekend: yART sale, Dali, capoeira and more
We've got art, music and shopping events coming out of our ears this weekend. Luckily, we like you, so we're going to share the wealth. Here's the cream of the cream of the crop in stuff to do: An end-of-the-season yART Sale features crafty creations by stained glass master and Etsy regular the Crafty Hag,…
Artsqueeze Weekend Roundup, May 29-31
Wallpaper design by Jenipher Chandley, featured in Off and On the Wall at Florida Craftsmen. Image courtesy Florida Craftsmen. Friday 5-7 p.m. – Opening reception for Re-Art, an exhibition of artworks made from repurposed objects by Dee Hood, Sheryl Haler, Kevin Dean, Gwen Fryer, Polly Holt, Rose Marie Prins and Peter Rampson, at ArtCenter Manatee.…
Patterson Hood / Drive-By Truckers news bites
Patterson Hood sent out an email recently that contained a lot of interesting information I thought I'd pass along: Patterson's second solo album, Murdering Oscar (and other love songs) is available for pre-order. One of the available pre-order packages includes an autographed 180 gram vinyl album, a digital download and a signed (by Wes Freed)…
New artist alert: Kate Earl (with video)
Kate Earl… you may or may not have heard of her but she is putting out an EP on the 9th of June on Universal Republic/Casablanca Music. She is a very thoughtful and hardworking artist located in LA, by the way of Alaska. Some draw comparisons to Lily Allen but she likes to lean towards…
The Rock Report: Bob Log III at The Garage in St. Petersburg
Bob Log came. Bob Log saw. Bob Log asked us to shit down his leg. To say that Bob Log kicked ass is an illustration of words not doing a show justice. To say you missed a fantastic show is less a declaration and more of me pointing and laughing at you, the lazy masses…
New Les Claypool video, “Red State Girl”
Bass playing maverick this upcoming Monday, June 1 — is currently celebrating the release of his second and most recent solo release, Of Fungi and Foe. This high quality slice of avant rock bizarrity is inspired by two soundtrack projects Claypool worked on last year, one for the Wii video game, Mushroom Men, about an…
Our man in Cannes loves Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds
I'm the guy on the left Even now, I'm not quite sure how I managed to get into a screening of Quentin Tarantino's new war epic. The theater was overbooked for the two available screenings and people were pushing the security guards in an attempt to get in. Needless to say, I didn't have a…
Summer Vacation Video: CL blogger Sally Bosco’s Internet vampire wants to suck your energy
Creative Loafing's Summer Guide talked to all kinds of people about their summer vacation plans, but blogger Sally Bosco was the only one whose plans included vampires. At least, the only one who admitted it. Video after the break.
VP Biden boosts green jobs and training in Denver
Vice President Joe Biden released plans for a national program on Tuesday at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to focus on training workers for the "green job market". These green jobs will focus on making public housing more energy efficient by adding solar panels and manufacturing wind turbines. How do they plan on…
Tampa Bay Rays’ woes continued last night in Cleveland; condition growing dire
Wow. Not good. The Tampa Bay Rays lost their fourth in a row last night, a rain-delayed 12-7 battering in Cleveland. I wrote yesterday that it was a Big Game, that in light of recent setbacks and injuries, the Rays needed to right the ship. Fast. They didn't get it done. The Rays apparently looked…
CL’s Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbusters Round 1: Jaws vs. Beverly Hills Cop 2
Note: This is the first edition of our Tournament of Summer Blockbuster Movies. In case you missed it, here's the skinny on the tourney and a full list of competing films. And for news and reviews of this summer's blockbusters, be sure and check CL's Movies & TV site. And the tournament is underway! In…
What is the shelf life of an MMA champion?
In the wake of the recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 98 last Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev., the general public as well as many mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have been discussing the value and expectations held toward MMA champions. In other words, did the defending Light Heavyweight Champion, Rashad Evans, let them down because…
Shrimp sliders recipe: Perfect for your next cookout
Cookout season is upon us, and what's one of the first things that pops into my head when I think about cookouts? Burgers! They're one of the best forms of finger food and a staple of summer cookout foods. Contrary to what many people may think, burgers don't always have to include just beef, or…
On nudity and the decision to pose nude (video and photos)
Dear Readers: If the idea of any woman over a size 12 and sex makes you queasy, you might want to skip this article. If you like, or don’t mind, the idea of women over a size 12 and sex (or you’re a masochist who likes to read about things that are unattractive to you),…
CL Interview: Galactic’s Stanton Moore (plays Crowbar tonight)
He was the bespectacled white kid from the suburbs trying to sit in with musical legends in New Orleans. But instead of getting the cold shoulder, drummer Stanton Moore was welcomed on the bandstand by any number of prominent players. And the crowd dug him, too. Stanton Moore Trio, tonight, 8 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City.…
Kick up your coffee with healthy — and tasty — additions
One of life's great pleasures (especially here in Tampa) and health benefits — coffee has it all. Caffeine, aroma, deep flavors and, to coffee connoisseurs around the globe, coffee is a known as a tonic that prevents diabetes, Parkinson's disease and cancer. No wonder we hold a fascination with brewing this tasty bean! Here's a…
360 Vodka: drink in the name of Mother Earth
I love vodka unapologetically. I'll mix it into sodas as readily as college co-eds do so with rum. I would pretend it was water in my glass during a rough night bartending. If it's a good enough vodka, I will happily swig it straight from the bottle and cut out that pesky middleman of a glass. If…
Do It Today: An American In Paris and Geri X
The Florida Orchestra, led by Alastair Willis, performs music from George Gershwin's An American In Paris, along with selections by Loewe, Bernstein and more. The music that inspired one of Gene Kelly's most famous performances includes standards like "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful," "I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise" and "Our Love Is Here to…
Jannus Landing owner Jack Bodziak arrested, charged with not paying $208,000 in sales taxes
The owner of one of St. Petersburg’s favorite concert venues, Jannus Landing, is in the Pinellas County Jail after state agents busted him on charges he didn’t pay sales taxes he collected at the concert site, which has hosted shows for the likes of Katy Perry and Conor Oberst in the past year. The venue…
Tortoise: new tour, album, video
Another band not coming to a town near you, Chicago experimental post rock-n-jazz quartet Tortoise has announced a tour that makes stops in Greece, Japan, France and Belgium, hits nine US cities over the course of three months, and never once ventures further south than Austin. The band is set to release their latest album…
1950: A very good year for rock birthdays
Now that latest wave of rock legends from the '60s has passed that used-to-be retirement age of 65, a new crop of important artists is closing in on 60. Over the last few months, it surprised me to discover just how many prominent rockers were 59. Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder, to…
Phil Compton – Contributor
Phil Compton is the Regional Representative of the Sierra Club's Florida headquarters in St. Petersburg. He informs the public and decision makers in Tampa Bay about how Red Tide and other types of harmful algae blooms can be prevented. Phil is also Chair of the Friends of the River, a grassroots citizens' group in Tampa…
Jannus Landing owner Jack Bodziak arrested, charged with not paying $208,000 in sales taxes
The owner of one of St. Petersburg's favorite concert venues, Jannus Landing, is in the Pinellas County Jail after state agents busted him on charges he didn't pay sales taxes he collected at the concert site, which has hosted shows for the likes of Katy Perry and Conor Oberst in the past year. The venue…
Movie review: Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell
Note: For news and reviews of the summer's biggest movies, check out our movie site. Ever get that e-mail that asks you to spot the difference in two seemingly identical pictures? You sit there staring intently when the pic suddenly changes to a scary old witch, the speakers pound out a loud shock chord and…
Big Game Tonight: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Indians
Huh? — you're saying. Big game? In Cleveland? The 48th game of a 162-game season. Yes. Here's why: The Rays managed to go a game over. 500 last week and things were looking damn near rosy. Here's what happened since. They lost to the Florida Marlins in 11 innings; then came The Collapse, an 11-10…
Antonio’s top 10 mood wreckers and boner-killers (input needed)
We've all had it happen. Nothing sucks worse than killing the mood in the heat of passion. Today's top 10 has a twist though! I'm still lacking a #1. So, here's my top 9 mood killers, and please comment with suggestions for the last one!
Help support the Tampa Theatre by shopping at Barnes and Noble this week
Support one of the coolest theatres not only in Tampa, but across the whole United States this week by purchasing just about anything at Barnes and Noble from May 26th-May 31st 2009. At least 10 percent of your purchase will be donated to the historic Tampa Theatre. Download this voucher for more information and/or mention Bookfair…
How to clean up and avoid red wine stains
Stains are the mundane bane of many red wine drinkers. Inevitably, juice dribbles down the shirt, drips on the carpet, or spills on the clean — mostly likely new — white tablecloth. It's inevitable and a buzz kill. One of my cream-colored couches, which I bought long before wine controlled my life, is now dotted…
Vietnamese Noodle (Bun) Salad recipe
Memorial Day may have signaled the beginning of grilling season for our northern friends, but down here it's almost the opposite. As we head into the humid months of summer, big slabs of barbecued meat seem a tad heavy in the scorching Florida weather. But that doesn't mean we need to shun the grill. For…
Pixar’s new movie Up sweeps audiences off their feet.
There's never a dull moment in a Pixar Animation Studios feature. Sometimes there's scarcely even a chance to take a breath. In becoming one of the most beloved and reliable brands in contemporary pop culture, Pixar's CGI classics, beginning with Toy Story 14 years ago, set a snappy, almost relentless pace of first-rate sight gags,…
How to clean up and avoid wine stains
Stains are the mundane bane of many red wine drinkers. Inevitably, juice dribbles down the shirt, drips on the carpet, or spills on the clean — mostly likely new — white tablecloth. It's inevitable and a buzz kill. One of my cream-colored couches, which I bought long before wine controlled my life, is now dotted…
Ravioli Company helps you make dinner
Let's not call this a restaurant review, if only because Ravioli Company is not much of a restaurant. Sure, the place dishes out hot food to dozens of folks every day, has plenty of regulars recognized by name the instant they walk through the door, and fulfills the basic functions of providing food to the…
Getting a Tampa city planning do-over
As I read Grant Rimbey's piece on discovering legendary planner John Nolen's 1924 survey of Tampa, I flashed to what Nolen told city leaders back in the day: "Co-operation will be needed between the city and county governments, the school districts, the realtors, the owners of the land, business interests, and citizens. Enlightening publicity will…
Galactic’s Stanton Moore and the art of New Orleans drumming
He was the bespectacled white kid from the suburbs trying to sit in with musical legends in New Orleans. But instead of getting the cold shoulder, drummer Stanton Moore was welcomed on the bandstand by any number of prominent players. And the crowd dug him, too. "To tell you the truth, when I was coming…
Florida favorite Randy Wayne White talks about his new Doc Ford mystery
It's probably a good thing that the marina went belly up a couple decades back. If it hadn't, Randy Wayne White might still be running charter boats for Cleveland businessmen hoping to hook a Hemingway marlin while they're playing hooky from some damn conference of mid-management desktop jockeys. You get the impression that that would…
Barroom drunks answer Dan Savage’s mail
Dear Readers: I regard this column as a sacred tryst. Your faith in my counsel and willingness to take me into your confidence moves and humbles me on a daily basis, and the seriousness with which I approach my chosen profession would normally prevent me from turning your letters over to a bunch of unruly…
Could we move Mars or Venus into Earth’s orbit and live there?
With the dearth of good real estate on Earth, I've been considering alternatives. One obvious candidate is Mars. However, in its current orbit, it's too nippy and the air is too thin to satisfy anyone except Sherpas. How much energy would it take to move Mars into Earth's orbit? Would it work better if we…
Review: Black Moth Super Rainbow, Eating Us
Pittsburgh experimental rock ensemble Black Moth Super Rainbow produces some of the headiest psychedelic electro-fizz you’ll hear around right now, day-glow vibrant and spaced-out like an acid trip to the moon. The band tones down the face-melting mania and turns wistfully surreal for its fourth full-length, Eating Us (Graveface), setting blotter paper lyricism against a…
Essential Album: Tito Puente’s Dance Mania
Mainstream America’s embracement of Latin music really took hold in the latter half of the 1950s with the “mambo craze.” Despite its faddish overtones and eventual disintegration into novelty (”Mambo Italiano”), this particular craze inspired some terrific music, none better than Tito Puente’s Dance Mania, which in 2000 was named one of the 25 “most…
New Andy Warhol exhibit at St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Art reflects our fascination with American icons
At the outset of writing anything about Andy Warhol, it seems like a sure bet that nothing new can be said. Nothing, anyway, that hasn't already been better articulated by scholars, biographers and filmmakers, by Warhol himself in his published diaries, or even by Lou Reed and John Cale in their album Songs for Drella…
Slightly used sex swing for sale (how-to photos included)
I have a sex swing I think I want to sell. Yes it’s used, but does that really matter? It’s been washed. I’ve asked all my friends if they were interested in getting one. Apparently, I’m the only one who likes to have sex while flying through the air. Or they just don’t want to…
Paramore’s Hayley Williams confirms song titles of upcoming album
vocalist Hayley Williams has told Rock Sound that naming the songs on the band's upcoming third album might be an easy process: ''We only have a few song titles confirmed at the moment,'' she admitted recently. ''I was looking through my journal the other day and wondering if we are going to keep a lot…
1950: A very good year for rock birthdays
Now that the first wave of rock legends has passed that used-to-be retirement age of 65, a new crop of important artists is closing in on 60. Over the last few months, it surprised me to discover just how many prominent rockers were 59. Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder, to name a…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
Wednesday, May 27: Cork and Olive Carrollwood This wine-tasting class reveals the science behind all the sniffing, swirling and swooshing so common among connoisseurs. $15. 6:30-8:30, 10019 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa (813-868-3733) Wednesday, May 27: Columbia Restaurant, Ybor City Blindfolded Winemaker Dinner featuring Torres wines from Spain. Enjoy multiple courses while using only your…
This week @ the movies: Angels & Demons
[Ed. note: Each week I'll be breaking down the big summer blockbuster movie releases. If you're curious about what's coming out in future weeks, be sure to check out the Summer Movie Preview.] FRIDAY, MAY 15TH Box Office Gold: Angels & Demons Worth Seeing? Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard returns to Da Vinci Code…
Geraldo Pizzicato – Contributor
Geraldo Pizzicato, former resident of Tampa Bay, now blogs from his posh new life in CyberLand. A harsh cocktail of disillusionment and frustration forced him to seek refuge from the passé world by penetrating deep into the underground realm of Second Life. Now he's far too busy exploring the wonders of sexual fetishism, most of…
Bridget Bean — Contributor
Originally from Yorkshire, England, Bridget has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1995 and has served as managing director at the Gorilla Theatre since 2005. Bridget has been fortunate to work with the many wonderful professional theatres in the area including American Stage, Stageworks, Jobsite Theater, Fresh! Live! Theatre, and the Alley Cat Players.…
