Thai one on: Red Curry-Coconut Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce
These spicy skewers add fun, exotic zest to any meal.
Do This: A Life Onstage
Attend a benefit for a local theater stalwart and tireless humanitarian — or donate to Garry Breul’s YouCaring fundraising campaign.
Do This: The Weekend’s Top 10
In a browse-y mood? Brocante Vintage Market hosts its monthly market of nifty old things this Friday night. Some of the area's best musicians descend on the Dali Museum Friday night for An Evening of Inspired Improvisation, a concert that promises to be as insane as it is inspiring. You like-a the spicy food? A hot-hot-hot time is…
The locals’ laboratory
Cigar City Cider and Mead will involve the community in its creative process.
Do This: Brocante Vintage Market
Vintage connoisseurs can follow their bliss at Brocante Market in downtown St. Pete this weekend. Run by multiple vendors who call themselves “Brocanteurs,” the store’s monthly bazaar captures all of the excitement of an authentic vintage street market. Visitors will be able to browse through handpicked, upcycled, re-inspired or reimagined furniture, home decor, typewriters and…
A stoned review of Snow White XXX
What happens when you mix weed, a parody porn, jessica drake’s ass, and a ravenous craving for popsicles.
Kathy Castor to host town hall to solicit information about VA issues on Friday
Pasco/Pinellas GOP Congressman Gus Bilirakis hosted a town hall meeting in Port Richey on Thursday, inviting Pinellas County veterans to have a "candid conversation" about their issues with their local VA offices. Pinellas Congressman David Jolly announced last week that he will hold a similar event on June 17. And a staffer for CD15 Congressman…
Mitch Perry Report 6.5.-6.6.14: The Zen of Zim
The passing of baseball lifer Don Zimmer last night at the age of 83 is being mourned not only in Tampa Bay, but in Boston, New York City and Chicago, where he also managed or coached in his long and enduring career in baseball. "Popeye" was involved in the game for more than 60 years.…
Rick Scott joins other GOP governors calling on the President to fix the VA
Although the issue with the Veterans Affairs Department is truly a federal one, that hasn't stopped Rick Scott from doing all he can to show that he cares about the problem. Last week he announced that Florida will sue the VA after they denied inspectors from the state's Agency for Health Care Administration access to VA…
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri really doesn’t like medical pot amendment
Although there may have been some undecided voters inside the St. Pete Yacht club on Wednesday who attended a Tiger Bay debate between a supporter and critic of Florida's upcoming medical marijuana ballot measure, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri was not one of them. "This is all about trying to get something on the ballot…
Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie gets his day in court
Adrian Wyllie pleaded "not guilty" this morning in a Pinellas County courthouse regarding his citation last month for driving without a license outside the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. The Florida Libertarian gubernatorial candidate has previously stated that he's been striving for the past three years to be arrested on that charge, since it now…
Concert review: Morrissey makes his debut at Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
The Smiths former is still ringleader of the tormentors after all these years.
Album review: The Black Keys, Turn Blue
Audio included.
Restaurant review: Positano’s Ristorante Italiano
Positano’s offers traditional Italian in Palm Harbor.
Taqueria mania, Roux’s New Orleans fixin’s & more
Munching through the latest in restaurant news.
Great American sandwich
Where to find soul-satisfying muffuletta in Tampa Bay.
Hang on to your handlebar: The Mustache Kings are in town
This comedy duo wears its heart on its sleeve, and its facial hair above its lips.
Mitch Perry Report 6.4.14: Hillary separates from Obama on Bergdahl transfer
It's not a surprise that Republicans like Marco Rubio are jumping on President Obama and his national security advisors for making the deal that brought back American POW Bowe Bergdahl for five Taliban detainees who'd been stuck in Guantanamo Bay for years. Rubio penned a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel yesterday with 11 specific questions that he…
The Laugh Tract — who’s bringing the funny
There's a lot of variety on comedy club stages this weekend. Men, women, musicians and magicians are all in town to make you laugh. Here's the rundown on upcoming comedy offerings: Comedy Clubs Tony Rock at Tampa Improv. Yes, Rock is related to Chris, but he's an accomplished stand-up in his own right. With nearly…
Straight outta Pasco: McSweeney’s author John Brandon
He grew up in New Port Richey. Now he writes for Dave Eggers’ famed publishing house.
Local designer Dolly Donshey gets her New York minute
New York Fashion week’s Nolcha Fashion Show will feature Tampa native Dolly Donshey.
Florida Latino leaders urge Congress to take up Voting Rights Amendment Act
The continual fight to protect discrimination against voters in Florida persists as leaders from the diverse Latino communities say that the Florida congressional delegation should move the Voting Rights Act (VRA) forward. The VRA provides solutions to help deter some of the inequity faced by voters and also ensures that any proposed election changes are…
Tampa Bay’s weekly literary happenings
LGBT book club launches at Mirror Lake, local writers share their angsty teen writing at Teenage Wasteland II and Inkwood hosts two authors.
Rubio to Hagel: I’m troubled by Taliban prisoner exchange
Informal polling on the prisoner swap over the weekend that brought American P.O.W. Bowe Bergdahl back to the west in exchange for five senior Afghan Taliban leaders shows growing opposition to the controversial move. Now Marco Rubio wants more answers from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. In a letter penned to Hagel today, the Florida Senator says he is…
Drink local
Tampa Bay Brewing’s Bad Ass Beerfest will showcase more than 20 of the area’s breweries.
New Music Tuesday! (June 3): 50 Cent, Parquet Courts, Camper Van Beethoven, Peter Murphy & more
A big batch of new releases to kick off June; lots of audio & video included in this week’s breakdown
Pinellas Commissioners approve tax swap for transit if Greenlight Pinellas passes
To the surprise of no one, the Pinellas County Commission today approved on a 6-1 vote an agreement that will eliminate the portion of property taxes that Pinellas County residents currently pay into PSTA if the Greenlight Pinellas measure passes this fall. Currently, PSTA receives $32 million in funding from property taxes. Part of the…
Turanchik confident manatee safety will be addressed in high-speed ferry plan
Advocates for the high-speed ferry project in Hillsborough County met with officials with the Fish & Wildlife Department last week about that agency's concerns regarding manatees. The "pre-application" meeting also involved officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other government agencies that will ultimately have to provide permits to allow the public-private partnership…
Watch Nirvana’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and performance
Plus performances with guest frontwomen Joan Jett, Annie Clark, Kim Gordon, and Lorde.
The Weekend That Was: Anna Brennen, Roxanne Faye, Lance Bass
Stageworks fetes its founder, an actress embodies a role, and Bass comes to CASS.
Mitch Perry Report 6.3.14: South St. Pete a loser in Gov. Scott’s budget
People complain often that government shouldn't pick "winners and losers," but in fact the government does that all the time. That was certainly apparent with the relatively few programs that Rick Scott didn't choose to support in signing the biggest state budget in Florida history yesterday (at $77 billion). The governor vetoed 110 projects totaling…
Sangria & Stories keeps the memory of the Rough Riders alive
Celebrate the legacy of the volunteer militia with a refreshing bevvie.
PSTA cleared in FDOT examination of Greenlight Pinellas
(Update : Brandes responds below). An imminent report from the Florida Department of Transportation's Inspector General has determined that the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) broke no laws when conducting its voter education and outreach regarding their proposal that will go before Pinellas County voters this November. “We reviewed expenditures for the Greenlight Pinellas campaign…
Weekend Recap: Hurricanes & Hippies
5.31.14–6.1.14
Turanchik high-speed ferry plan gets $4.8 million from the feds
Ed Turanchik wasn't able to appear before the HART board as scheduled on Monday to discuss the latest on the proposal to create a high-speed ferry system that would ultimately transport citizens from Tampa to St. Petersburg (HART CEO Katharine Eagan said there were issues with the Fish & Wildlife Dept. that forced him to…
HART Board chair on proposed governance changes – Uh, not so fast
This morning the HART board convened for the first time since the Transportation Leadership Group — consisting of the seven Hillsborough County Commissioners and the mayors of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace — voted last week to essentially take over control of the transit agency. But according to HART Board chairman Mike Suarez, that proposal…
Bill’s Sports Binge: Seinfeld edition…an article about nothing
One of the best shows on television never let a slow week keep it from slapping together a few laughs. Absolute groundbreaking mastery. And the best part? There was never a need for the dreaded "Very Special Episode" that hijacked a serious topical societal ill and shoe-horned it into the lives of Jerry, George, Elaine…
New Scott ad blasts Crist for raising college tuition
College tuition rates have gone up exponentially in recent years (if not decades), though not nearly that large in Florida state colleges and universities. Because of that, officials with the university system were able to lobby state lawmakers to begin raising tuition levels up to 15 percent annually back in 2008. That occurred when Charlie…
Florida NAACP releases new energy report on reducing pollution and creating jobs
The NAACP Florida State Conference hosted a conference call on Friday to discuss its new report, “Just Energy Policies: Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs." Jacqueline Patterson, the NAACP national environmental and climate justice program director, David Honig, NAACP Florida State Conference legal redress chair, and other representatives of the civil rights organization gave a presentation…
Mitch Perry Report 6.2.14 – Making elections more competitive
California has been the trendsetter for so much of our culture over the decades — and our politics as well. Some of its influences have been positive, some negative, depending on your political persuasion. But as Golden State voters prepare to vote tomorrow in their state primary election, it might be worth considering what they've…
So long, Alice — RIP Ann B. Davis (w/video)
The actress who played a beloved housekeeper died Sunday at 88. Ann B. Davis, who portrayed Alice on the wholesome late-1960s/early '70s TV sitcom The Brady Bunch, will remain in our hearts as a salty, cheeky domestic heroine in a classic blue frock with with white apron. According to story posted by CNN, the actress died…
All-star Jesus Christ Superstar fails to resurrect
Fingers have been pointed at the show’s promoter, and middle fingers have been shot all around.
AVP St. Petersburg Open finishes the three-day event in style
If you didn't venture down to Spa Beach in downtown St. Petersburg over the past three days for the AVP St. Petersburg Open, well, you missed a postcard setting. With all due respect to Vinoy Park, I am hereby nominating Spa Beach Park as the place to stage outdoor events in the Tampa Bay region.…
RNC Chair says Hillary Clinton should be “disqualified” because of Benghazi
If you think cable news coverage of Hillary Clinton couldn't possibly get any greater some two-and-a-half years before a presidential election that she may not even run in, well, you ain't seen nothing yet. Clinton's memoir Hard Choices drops next week, and on Friday Politico posted a story on her chapter regarding Benghazi. In the…
Falcon’s Fury debut still up in the air
Busch Gardens’ newest attraction will open even “later this summer.”
St. Pete locals work on community art project for a good cause
St. Petersburg is changing the fate of young artists, one dollop at a time. For the last two weeks of May, the community came together to support The Morean Center’s Summer Art Program for children by creating the ultimate collaborative art piece. The project, headed by local artist Dawn Marie and the Crislip Arcade on…
Former colorful Rep. Jim Traficant to speak in Oldsmar this week
In the fall of 2009 former Ohio Democratic Congressman James Traficant was released from a Minnesota prison after serving seven years after being convicted on bribery, tax evasion and racketeering charges. But in a brief conversation with CL on Friday he said he didn't want to talk about that, instead keeping the spotlight on his…
Do This: The Weekend Top 10
Tampa Theatre’s Summer Movie Classics returns with one of Kubrick’s best plus theater, music, parties and a last chance at seeing those sea lions.
Local artists’ new studio hosts local web series premiere
Celebrate a new episode of the The Grey Room Saga: I Am Sin at the Tampa’s new 4D Studios.
Big issues
Savage Love advice-giver Dan Savage handles bi-intrigue, orgasms and more.
CL on the Road Review: Hangout Music Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama
White sandy beaches. Clear blue gulf waters. Hundreds of palm trees. Temperatures in the low 80s with a light breeze. Not a cloud in the sky. In a word: paradise. [Words by Stephanie, photos by Tracy.] This was the scene that awaited the 40,000 concertgoers traveling from over 50 different countries this past weekend to…
The Hip Hop ABCs: Letter P
The alphabetical rap battles continue with a big ol’ ‘P’
Mitch Perry Report 5-30-14: Congress begins to focus on mental health legislation, but will it make a difference?
Kathy Castor announced her support yesterday for the Strengthening Mental Health in Our Communities Act, a bill introduced earlier this month in the House by Representative Ron Barber from Arizona. That bill calls for a White House Office of Mental Health Policy and the development of what he calls a “national strategy for mental health.”…
Professional beach volleyball takes over downtown St. Petersburg this weekend
For the second year in a row, Spa Beach Park in downtown St. Petersburg will transport itself into an elite beach volleyball venue when some of the world's best players compete in the AVP St. Petersburg Open Tournament, the opening event for the Association of Volleyball Professionals. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and…
Do This: Critical Mass Tampa Bay
Florida is still one of the most dangerous states to ride your bike in. Luckily, we've got Critical Mass marked up in our calendars. A couple of days ago I found out about the League of American Bicyclists’ newest research stats. Solely basing their information on media reports, since many states, including Florida, have no…
Strokes for Stroke exhibits lifesaving art
See the spirit win at the CL Space on Fri., May 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $5 donation at the door.
A Million Ways To Die at the Multiplex
Seth MacFarlane follows up Ted with a tepid Western comedy.
Nelson still mum on Crist candidacy
When it comes to discussing who might be the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2014, Bill Nelson has acted a bit curiously over the past year. He has been coy about Charlie Crist, sometimes flirting with the possibility that he'd insert himself into the race, as unlikely as that might seem for the 71-year-old, 13-year U.S.…
Video: Merchandise re-invent themselves in video for “Little Killer” from 4AD debut, After The End
“…we’re going to remake ourselves as a pop band, but it’ll still be a twisted reality.”
Live and Local Spotlight: Grecian Urns Reunion Show
A one-time favorite comes together for a special show at Green Bench Brewing this Saturday.
This week in Tampa Bay area live music: Drive-By Truckers, Zac Brown Band, Floor & more
Concerts, May 29-June 4
Party up: This fall the Libertarians of Florida might just make a difference
Flanked by signs reading “Clowns to the left” and “Jokers to the right,” the vice chair of the Libertarian Party of Florida was revving up the troops. “We gotta make sure we get the message out there,” urged Alex Snitker, 37, a burly, bearded firebrand in a three-piece suit who in 2010 was LPF’s first-ever…
Movie Review: Maleficent casts an uneven spell
This most recent fairy tale update starring Angelina Jolie yields mixed results.
Live and Local Spotlight: Paranoia Dance Party! Reunion & Madison Turner Farewell
Turner bids a fond farewell with her old band, and some friends, too.
