Springsteen rising for Obama in Philadelphia
Bruce Springsteen delivered a moving endorsement speech at an Obama in Philly last month. The Boss described the United States as a "sacred house of dreams" that has been torn down by the current administration. But it can be rebuilt, he said by Obama. "I want my house back, I want my America back, I…
Obama victory mix
I like John McCain. I do. But I like Barack Obama a whole lot more and think, more than any other politician to campaign in my lifetime, he could truly help the working class, especially during these trying times. So, here's the fingers-crossed, mix CD I made to help get me through the rest of…
8 Years under the Bush Presidency
If you're still undecided and plan to vote this evening after work, take a quick look at the last eight years under President George W. Bush compiled by CL. Would-be Nader supporters should take a peek too. Read it here.
I’m exuberant…
Not sure if it's the extra caffeine running through my veins, but I'm effusive. It… could… happen. Things could actually change with Obama in office (here's hoping!). I'm a registered independent, painstakingly choosing candidates based on merit and stance rather than party and this is the first election ever that I've been excited about the…
Election Morning Ruminations
Lines. Lines. Lines. Lines at the coffeeshop. Lines at the polling place. Lines at restaurants. Lines of people waving signs. Lines of traffic. The entire day will be spent in lines. And, funny thing, I don't mind at all.
Vinyl Fever rocks the vote
South Tampa's fabulously independent record store Vinyl Fever is offering a 15 percent discount to customers who come in wearing an "I voted" sticker. So after spending three hours waiting around to do your patriotic duty treat your ass to the new AC/DC, Ani DiFranco, Hank III or Lucinda Williams … Or something even cooler.…
Reel Projections — Tuesday, November 4
Here on planet Earth, today's big election pits Obama v. McCain. But the stakes are much higher in a galaxy far, far away: Calrissian v. Palpatine Farrelly Brothers to direct Three Stooges film New pics from Transporter 3 and Frank Miller's The Spirit. Screen Rant has parts 2 and 3 of an interview with Watchmen…
Election Night Drinking Games
No matter who wins the election today, you'll need a little hooch to either jump start the celebration or provide a little solace. Considering the long hours of repetitive forecasting and Below, you'll find links to a few complex contests of electoral imbibing, but I'd recommend those mostly for McCain supporters who'd rather devalue the…
The Short List: Get out and vote!
Tonight's the night! After two frickin' years of Barack and McCain, Hillary and Huckabee, "bitter" and "you betcha!," it's finally election day. Get out there an vote! Your country needs you. In the meantime, here's NBC's great Chuck Todd on what to look for after the polls close. Your polling location: For Hillsborough residents, for…
Electing to read books
William McKeen is chairman of the University of Florida’s Department of Journalism and author of several books, including the Hunter S. Thompson biography Outlaw Journalist. Election Day and our thoughts turn naturally to books. Here’s a strange-but-true fact: When he was president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt read a book a day. He wouldn’t…
Pre-Election Day Links
It's all comes down to tomorrow, ya'll. Election Day 2008. Twenty-two months in the making. From Iowa to Florida, our hearts and minds have been twisted and turned by the media blitz. So, what's a few more links, right Quick and painless guide to voting. No. 1: Find your poll place. Now, make sure your…
A back-of-the-tour-bus interview with JJ Grey
Shortly after he led his band Mofro through a spirited set at Saturday's Sarasota Blues Fest, JJ Grey sat down with me for a pre-meet-with-fans video interview. The gregarious, and very Southern, Jacksonville-area native talked about his relationship to audiences, how gigs take shape on stage, and a bit about his favorite singer.
Deerhoof delivers at Crowbar
Editor's note: Review and pic by B.Treotch. A crowd of more than 100 filled a comfy Crowbar to see experimental indie rockers Deerhoof (pictured) play a lively set late last Sunday night (Nov. 2) in support of their new album Offend Maggie. The veteran, genre-defying San Francisco quartet invoke thoughts of the Pixies gargling with…
Lucero frontman Ben Nichols announces solo debut
Ben Nichols, raspy-voiced leader of cow punks Lucero, has announced that he'll release his debut solo disc early 2009. From CMJ.com: Lucero frontman, Ben Nichols, has announced the release of his debut solo album, The Last Pale Light In The West, due out in January courtesy of Liberty And Lament/The Rebel Group. The mini-LP will…
The Cranky Copy Editor — Monday, November 3
Even though it's Heart Attack Monday, I'm having a hard time finding something — anything — to be cranky about. This weekend I ate my son's Halloween candy (especially the Nestle Crunch and Butterfinger bars). I got eight much-needed hours of sleep last night, and then woke up with some rather attractive watch the Monday…
Free Shit: Election Day freebies
What's better than FREEdom and democracy? Free food for just doing your civic duty, that's what. Tomorrow, several corporate stores are offering free food and drink if you show them your "I Voted" sticker. In fact, so many companies are offering free shit tomorrow that you could theoretically spend the whole day eating without paying…
Bobby Rush and Mofro’s contrasting sets at Bluesfest
"She's from Texas — they grow 'em big down there." So said bluesman Bobby Rush from the stage during his closing set at Saturday's Sarasota Blues Festival, where all political correctness was cast to the wind. He was talking about one of his three ample-figured dancers, who made intermittent appearances on stage, and took booty…
AC/DC finally saluted by Rolling Stone
Back when Rolling Stone was the Pitchfork of its day, the mag enjoyed dissing awesomely hellbent hard rock bands like, say, Led Zeppelin. AC/DC is another act that RS and other critics have largely ignored or wrongheadedly slammed over the years. "The [hard-rock] genre has hit a new all-time low," RS wrote of AC/DC's spectacularly…
Early Voting Report: St. Petersburg
Jen, Alchemy and I early voted on Sunday. We stood in line for a good 3 1/2 hours. Got in line around 9:30. Doors opened at Noon. The line soon wrapped completely around the block. Actual voting took around 15 minutes.
The Short List: McCain hilarious on SNL
You've got to hand it to John McCain: The Senator's appearance on this weekend's Saturday Night Live was by far the funniest appearance by any candidate this election season. (Note to Hulu: Post "Giraffes" now!) Real Clear Politics has it Obama up 4 in Florida; Obama up 6 nationally. It all comes down to this…
Do It Today
Rock the Vote stages Disturbing the Peace Fest 11, a pre-election day party featuring sets by 20 bands on three different stages at St. Petersburg's Jannus Landing, its adjacent Tamiami Bar, and Push Ultra Lounge. Confirmed artists include Retard-O-Bot, Klik, Trace of Day, Tailgunner Joe & The Earls Of Slander, The Turncoat, and Military Junior.…
Buffett rocks for Obama in Tampa
An eclectic, highly energized crowd swarmed the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa today to catch Jimmy Buffett's free "Last Chance for Change Rally." The margarita maven's message? Vote for Obama. Florida most famous singer/songwriter delivered the message with minimal preaching, opting instead to perform his sing along hits and occasionally pepper 'em with Obama references. For…
Bucs pull out wild OT win against the Chiefs
Welcome to the post-Rays, almost-all-Bucs version of the sports roundup. The Bucs 30-27 overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs — the first time they had played in K.C. since 1986 — was one of the most nerve-racking, entertaining Bucs games I've seen in a good long while. A gyroscope-inside-a-cement-mixer-on-a-rollercoaster type game. Much weirdness: The…
The Short List: Sunday, Nov. 2
The McCain campaign really hopes nobody saw Dick Cheney's endorsement Saturday: Natilie Portman and Rashida Jones try to get you to vote by laying in a bed and playing with their … pussycats …
Blumner calls out McCain on “socialism” rhetoric
In today's St. Pete Times, columnist Robyn Blumner tears John McCain a new one for his last-gasp effort to brand Barack Obama as our next "Redistributionist-in-Chief." Here's one key passage: Redistributing wealth is what all nations do to one degree or another. In fact, there is no other way to describe the recent $700-billion rescue…
Bucs getting scalped by Chiefs
It's halftime, and the Bucs are getting their asses handed to them by the 1-6 Chiefs, 24-13. In today's St. Pete Times, Stephen F. Holder confidently picked the Bucs to win 20-10. Oops. The Chiefs' offense has been very successful, running all over the Bucs' fifth-ranked defense. And to add insult to injury, they burned…
Ugly Men know how to party
Tampa's 13 Ugly Men threw a killer Halloween bash last night at the newly renovated Sheraton Riverwalk in downtown Tampa. An estimated crowd of 2,000 included Amy Winehouses, Hugh Hefners, Slashes, Sarah Palins, awesomely naughty nurses and scores of smokin' hot she-devils. If you were a dude on the prowl, it was the place to…
Short List — Saturday, November 1
Keystone Krazies: Central Pennsylvania says Boo! to Obama. Thanks for nothing: A few endorsements Obama and McCain could probably do without. Step away from the mic: Trailing in the polls, McCain abandons the town hall format. What's in a name? Quantum of Solace, the awkwardly titled new James Bond flick, sets a box office record…
Tampa’s hottest Halloween party
Tampa's 13 Ugly Men threw a killer Halloween bash last night at the newly renovated Sheraton Riverwalk in downtown Tampa. An estimated crowd of 2,000 included Amy Winehouses, Hugh Hefners, Slashes, Sarah Palins, awesomely naughty nurses and scores of smokin' hot she-devils. If you were a dude on the prowl, it was the place to…
Horton Heat, Mitchell trib and more in Music Week
So much to do so little time: Rev. Horton Heat at Jannus tonight! Red Elvises, Zappaween 13, Deerhoof, Joni Mitchell Tribute show and more in Music Week. Bobby Rush headlines Sarsota Blues Fest. Happy Halloween!
Drag the River, Two Cow Garage, Nessie & Brahm Bones
Thursday was a busy night for the Tampa music scene with pre-Gainesville Fest shows taking place at New World Brewery, Crowbar, Transitions Art Gallery at SPOT and The Springs Theater… it was tough to choose just one show but Drag The River, Two Cow Garage, Nessie and Brahm Bones at New World Brewery won out.…
Halloween songs that don’t suck
The horror holiday was significantly more stimulating when my teenage friends and I would spend the night vandalizing the streets of Northdale. I still enjoy Halloween, though. And will be attending 13 Ugly Men's kick ass costume party tonight. Here are the songs I'll be rocking while driving around this afternoon, trying to accessorize my…
World Series wager gone very wrong: Warner is Rocky Balboa
The Trop wouldn't talk, so we did the next best thing. Really, the next worst thing. Philly fans and aficionados of public humiliation the world over, please enjoy CL's version of the Rocky training montage, starring yours truly as I do penance for losing that damn World Series bet to Brian Howard. Wait'll next year,…
Artistik Envy: Round Two
Wolfmother poster and album art by Keith Burnson Last week, the second round of Artistik Envy – the online reality show about ten International Academy of Art and Design students competing to be named the best – focused on a 70s revival challenge. Two of the previous contestants Corey Garlow and Jerrodoemie Winters, were eliminated…
Do It This Weekend
The Red Elvises (pictured) bring their goodtime rockabilly ruckus to Skipper's Smokehouse for a Halloween night show. The Vodkanauts provide support. 8 p.m., $20. Several local musicians pay tribute to tongue-in-cheek rock 'n' rollers Ween during a Halloween-night show, Ween-O-Ween. The bill features sets by instrumental nu-jazz foursome Poetry n' Lotion, experimental duo Insect Joy…
The Cranky Copy Editor — Halloween 2008
Hey kids, it’s Halloween. So guess what I’m dressed up as? Go ahead, take a wild freakin' guess. Why, I’m a Cranky Copy Editor, which means I'm wearing my standard-issue jeans, button-down shirt and bad attitude. Why not something more imaginative, you ask? Well, because we here at the Loaf were apprised of today’s Halloween…
Jobsite’s History of the Devil is scary good
Last night I caught Jobsite's production of horror-meister Clive Barker's History of the Devil at TBPAC. While I can't say I caught every nuance or meaning of this dark, often chilling play, which tracks Satan's actions throughout the course of history as he is put on trial for the right to re-enter Heaven, I can…
Tampa Back in the Day: Installment 2
We continue our series of posts showcasing a trove of old 8×10 black-and-whites. At first, I thought this was a classic cigar/tobacco pic, but on closer inspection, it's either a flower operation or a large-scale marijuana grow house.
My First Election: Early voting worries
The constant talk of early voting has me thinking. And seeking advice. My genius of a professor decided to schedule a very important test on election day. Great. We all pleaded with her to push it back, after all, we’re so far ahead of the syllabus, she made another one up a few weeks ago.…
The Short List: Obama a ratings hit
Ron Howard wants Barack Obama to win so badly that he was willing to complete sacrifice his dignity and make the following video. Way to go, Opie. Happy Halloween everyone! New poll puts Obama up 7 in Florida. Obama's infomercial scores in the ratings. Meanwhile, Barack pays a visit to Sarasota. The head of Hillsborough's…
Mastodon names new album
Atlanta-based Mastodon, the only metal band that really matters these days, has dubbed their upcoming record … Crack the Skye. Works for me. Can't wait to hear it. Details via the press release: Burbank, CA- Atlanta-based heavy rock masters MASTODON have confirmed details behind their upcoming Reprise Records album scheduled for release in early 2009.…
Get twisted at Whiskey Joe’s
I had so many drinks last night at Whiskey Joe's that I managed to forget my favorite new fruity concoction. Yes, I enjoyed a fruity concoction. Whiskey's Joe's is on the water, which makes drinking a fruity drink, acceptable. The unique libation is called a "Twisted Martini." Its Whiskey Joe barkeep Eric Roberts' signature creation.…
Artsqueeze Weekend Roundup, Oct. 31-Nov. 1
The artists of Doppleganger? As always, please let me know if I've forgotten your event. Otherwise— Happy Halloween! Friday 7-9 p.m. – Doppelganger: a USF PhotoClub Exhibition at USF Centre Gallery. Come dressed as a Doppelganger, get photographed in the PhotoShak (who knows what else will happen while you’re in there) and eat candy. 8…
I will Trop till I drop
I don't want to, but I will. Thanks to my failed World Series bet with Philly City Paper Editor Brian Howard, I am ready and willing to run all the way up to the tarp seats belting out "Gonna Fly Now." Brian tells me he'd be happy to accept as his reward a special delivery…
Hiding that hangover from your boss
My Bar Tab column this week is an instructional piece about obscuring the fact that you've just entered the workplace hung the fuck over, perhaps with plans to continue your buzz. Yep, bender time. I'm kinda on one right now. Whiskey Joe's had an awesome, highly attended private party bash yesterday from 5 p.m. to…
Free Shit: Get a ride (and tow) safely home after Halloween
What’s better than a free cab ride when you’re sloshed at one of those crazy holiday parties? A free tow! If you’re a little hesitant about taking a cab ride home because don’t want to leave your car somewhere sketchy, AAA and Budweiser has partnered up for a free tow service that will take you…
Lorna Bracewell urges fairness for all Floridians
Internationally known, St. Pete-based singer/songwriter Lorna Bracewell is not one to cram politics down the throats of her fans. But she feels especially passionate about Amendment 2 and we couldn't agree with her more on the issue. Here's the email Bracewell's manager sent this morning: A personal note from Lorna: Dear Florida fans, supporters, friends…
What the World Series celebration might have been…
What with Phillies phans setting fires, breaking windows and toppling cars on Broad Street, we got to wondering: What would the celebration have been like in St. Pete if the Rays had stayed alive and won the World Series at Tropicana Field? Here's a few things we might've seen. Feel free to add your own…
Tips on hiding that hangover
My Bar Tab column this week is an instructional piece about obscuring the fact that you've just entered the workplace hung the fuck over, perhaps with plans to continue your buzz. Yep, bender time. I'm kinda on one right now. Whiskey Joe's had an awesome, highly attended private party bash yesterday from 5 p.m. to…
Check out some cool vintage photos of Tampa
We recently came across a trove of 8×10 black-and-white photos capturing Tampa as far back as the 1920s. A lot of folks at the CL office were mesmerized, so we thought we'd share them on the Daily Loaf. Most of the photos came without any information about the year they were taken, or what part…
Philly newspaper says celebration causes minor vandalism
Photo: Jim MacMillan Philadelphia threw quite the party after the Phillies won the World Series last night, bagging the city's first major sports championship since 1983. Philly.com played down the mayhem, vandalism and larceny. Their headline read "City celebrates the World Series; the cleanup begins." My favorite line: "No homicides were reported overnight." So, yeah,…
Rays go down, writer stays up
I can't feel all that bad this morning. The Rays lost the World Series last night, 4 games to 1, and they didn't look good doing it. (If you win one game out of five, I guess it's hard to look good.) I figured I'd endure some hard disappointment, and then after awhile move on…
Do It Today
Deadite Empire stages another living dead event: ZOMBIE, A Dead Man's Party. Locals are invited to dress up and take part in costume showcases, with bar tab prizes for the "Best Couple," "Most Original," and "Best Overall" costumes. Zombie costumes earn a free drink at the bar. 5-7 happy hour, 8 p.m.-10 p.m. party, The…
Reel Projections — Thursday, October 30
Schenectady, Synecdoche: Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) discusses his directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York. Silent Bob speaks: Kevin Smith talks Zack and Miri, his next film, and his new role as a tastemaker. Super, man: Mark Millar outlines his epic vision for a Last-minute movie-character Halloween costume idea: Kirk Lazarus as Sgt. Osiris. Sam's…
The Short List: Barack’s “Obama infomercial” airs
Barack Obama aired his half-hour "Obama Infomercial" as the candidate called it on last night's Daily Show. (Time called it a "mini-convention six days before the election.") The production leaned heavily on tug-at-the-heartstrings profiles of "real Americans" and some very specific policy proposals. In case you missed it: Florida gets much love as the candidates…
Special Media Alert: Obama removes snowmobiling from prime time special
Just pulled up the TiVo listing for tonight's Barack Obama Political Message. The content keywords it listed were: Special, Snowboarding, Politics. Three minutes later, it had changed. Apparently, snowboarding was cut from Obama's agenda. I guess they realized Todd Palin had that market cornered.
Come Tuesday: Buffett songs for Obama
CL political editor Wayne Garcia broke the news yesterday that Jimmy Buffett will be performing gratis at a Barack Obama rally scheduled to take place Sun., Nov. 2 at Ford Amphitheatre (follow the link for free ticket info and all that good stuff). I plan to attend. Should be a good time. I'm no Parrothead…
The Cranky Copy Editor — Wednesday, October 29
It's a very special Hump Day edition of crankiness: CL music scribe/office wife/bon vivant Wade Tatangelo just gave me a Cranky Copy Editor mixtape. I'm rather touched by his offering and will keep it mind if I ever go postal. "Angry Young Man" — Billy Joel "Excitable Boy" — Warren Zevon "Welcome to My Nightmare"…
Hank Williams Jr. is a phony populist, idiot
I've always had a soft spot for Bocephus, especially his early material. For instance, his 1976 album Hank Williams Jr. & Friends is a genuine classic. But now he's turned into a ric,h bloated, redneck — hanging with Kid Rock and stuffing his face with a steady diet of filet mignons and retard sandwiches. Listening…
The Future of Journalism
The NPR program On Point spent an hour this morning trying to decide: "Can Bloggers Save Journalism?" Most of it was fairly on point (heh) but it quickly became apparent that a more apt name for the show would have been "No One Knows Shit About The Future Of Journalism." Andrew Sullivan — editor at…
World Series Game 5 set to resume tonight
After some hesitation this morning, Major League Baseball has announced that the remainder of the Rays/Phillies Game 5 will start at 8:37 tonight. The score is tied 2-2, with the Phillies coming up in the bottom of the 6th. Weather.com forecasts that it will be mostly cloudy and 39 degrees (with a feels-like of 31),…
SIDS: Phil Holt of EA Tiburon
Shown: Madden 09 screenshot It’s lunchtime on the third and last day of the Sarasota International Design Summit, and some conferees are playing video games (literally). We’ve just listened to Phil Holt, general manager of EA Tiburon, offer insights into some of his company’s recent successes and where gaming as an industry is headed in…
Tampa is No. 1 in Florida for hate crimes
We're No. 1! We're No. 1! But it's not time to celebrate. The FBI's annual hate crimes report is out and, although hate crimes have dropped across the country, Tampa has earned the dubious honor of having the highest amount of cases in Florida for 2007. The second year in a row. According the FBI,…
On Dating a Stripper
“My girl is dancing at Penthouse tonight,” Chuck confided in me, though I suspect I wasn’t the first to hear his confession. He was trying to convince me to accompany him to the club after CL’s Wine Club event at ds. Chuck even had three attractive girls with him, one or more of which supposedly…
Short List: World Series resumes tonight (maybe)
Palm Beach, Fl. Fifth-grade and aspiring reporter Damon Weaver interviews Joe Biden, asking the veep candidate what it is that a VP actually does. He likes Biden's answer enough to declare them officially "homeboys." Florida early voting sites to stay open longer each day to better disenfranchise the citizenry. Q Poll: Obama ahead by 2…
Art: Handmade Holiday Bazaar
Looking for one-of-a-kind keepsakes for your loved ones this holiday season? If so, we suggest dropping by the Handmade Holiday Bazaar, a collaborative juried show and sale of baby goods, clothing and jewelry, home décor accessories and plenty else by around 35 local artisans. The Human Condition’s Dean Johansen and Scott Anderson perform, various artists’…
Barack Obama “yes,” Amendment 2 “no”
It's the most important story of the year. No, I'm not talking about the Rays in the World Series. I'm talking about Election '08. To help you make your decisions, we've put together a roundup of opinions from Tampa Bay residents about the presidential campaign; a sample ballot listing our picks in this year's races…
Red Elvises, New Kids on the Block and Deerhoof perform
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 DRAG THE RIVER w/ TWO COW GARAGE/NESSIE/BRAHM BONES Tear-in-your-beer alt-country outfit Drag the River hails from the hardcore drinking town of Fort Collins, Colo. So when the band sings a steel-guitar-kissed weeper about "Booze and Pills," chances are, they're drawing from first-hand experiences. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) HOW DARE YOU CD…
This week’s wine and culinary events list
WEDNESDAY: BELLEAIR GRILL AND WINE BAR Southern Tuscan wine dinner. $69. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Oct. 29, Belleair Grill and Wine Bar, 1575 Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater (727-449-2988 or bellairgrill.com). WEDNESDAY: ABC FINE WINE AND SPIRITS HUDSON Halloween wine tasting and cigar smoker. Guests receive a souvenir wine glass and a coupon for $5 off any purchase.…
Bad apple: Grāpples® are for anyone who hates grapes, apples and produce in general
I always stop to gander at the oddity section of the produce aisle in the local supermarket. Although I am vehemently opposed to “science food” and natural items that have been muddled past the breaking point by bored farmers and marketing geniuses, I’m also keenly aware of how boring my grocery cart is. Broccoli, cauliflower,…
Spoken Word: Billy Collins
In “Introduction to Poetry,” former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins waxes on his attempts to nurture budding wordsmiths: “But all they want to do/ is tie the poem to a chair with rope/ and torture a confession out of it.” Eckerd College continues its 50th anniversary celebration with an appearance by Collins, who’s known for…
What’s a boutique bottle of wine worth to you?
Environmentally conscious. Craft made. Boutique. All wonky words and phrases uttered by suited-up public relations clones with one goal in mind — to sell wine. In our disconnected and ungrounded country, we yearn for anything that sings authenticity or relieves us from the guilt of supporting the corporate machine. Capitalism, the bedrock of America, has…
Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville Pussy and Reckless Kelly perform at Jannus Landing
What better way to spend the horror holiday than with psychobilly dark star Jim "Reverend Horton" Heat? The unholy vicar from Texas has been blasting audiences with manic riffs and terrifically sick humor since the 1980s, making him a neo-greaser hero of the highest order. Hot 'Lanta's Nashville Pussy delivers punk-informed Southern rock — replete…
Is there a foreign policy bright side to our current economic despair?
It's increasingly likely that the United States economy is falling into its deepest recession in a quarter-century. Unemployment is rising. Retirement funds are dwindling. And one of the only sectors of the housing industry that's doing well is locksmithing. When banks repossess homes after foreclosure, they have to put new locks on the doors. Even…
Lucinda Williams’ Little Honey, AC/DC’s Black Ice and Lindsey Buckingham’s Gift of Screws reviewed
Little HoneyLUCINDA WILLIAMS(Lost Highway) Alt-country queen Lucinda Williams lost her way for a while there. More specifically, she misplaced her mojo, her sass, her joy. After climaxing with her1998 commercial breakthrough, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Williams detoured down a path of sorrow until dead-ending into the rote despair of last year's West. The…
How to hide your hangover at work
We've all been there. Foggy-headed, bleary-eyed, fat-tongued, dry-mouthed, queasy and worried nut-less about getting an 8:45 a.m. DUI while driving to the office. You didn't mean to get incredibly loaded on a weeknight — drink your body weight and not tap out until the barkeep shoved you through the door. It just happened. Unexpected intoxication…
Did Blacks also own slaves in the U.S.?
Some time ago, I heard an African-American author talk on NPR about a fact that had inspired him to write his book: During the 1800s, some slave owners in the U.S. were black. Simply put, blacks owned blacks. Afterward, a historian said she'd never heard of any such phenomenon and dismissed the idea as ridiculous.…
The new Tampa Museum knows that Site Matters
Whose sculpture will adorn the new Tampa Museum?
Special Events: Historic Roser Park Art Festival
The fifth annual Historic Roser Park Art Festival features more than 70 painters, sculptors, photographers and craftspeople from here and beyond. This year’s additions are a “Children’s Art Station” of activities for kids, food and drink vendors, and live music by Urban Gypsies, Maxi and Company Duo, Incredible Crisis and Acho Brother. Nov. 8-9, 10…
Musician Bobby Rush heads a soulful Sarasota Blues Fest lineup
Eighteen years is a long time to keep any arts event alive, but when it's run by one-woman gang Barb Strauss, maybe that's not so surprising. She founded the Sarasota Blues Fest, and it's safe to say that she's the singular driving force behind this one-day slab of blues, booze, greasy food and good times…
Say He-ey: Cafe Hey serves up damn fine food in Tampa Heights
Tampa Heights could have been the next big thing. But, like so much development and gentrification of Bay area neighborhoods, the economy has put the kibosh on that. For the moment. Thankfully, Cafe Hey squeaked in before the downturn as a lonely outpost of progressive ideas and progressive food just on the edge of downtown.…
Film: Happy-Go-Lucky
Vera Drake director Mike Leigh shifts gears from dreary to lighthearted for his return to the big screen. His latest film, Happy-Go-Lucky, is a comedy starring Sally Hawkins as a London primary school teacher whose seemingly boundless good cheer and love for life baffles (and in some cases exasperates) everyone she knows. ’Course, her patience…
A review of Marvin Gaye’s album Romantically Yours
Romantically Yours MARVIN GAYE (Sony ) Posthumously released in '85, Romantically Yours was mostly recorded in the 1960s, when Marvin still had yearnings to be a ballad crooner in the Sinatra mold. You could argue that the disc is best reserved for Gaye aficionados and completists, because there is tentativeness in his orchestra-bathed interpretations of…
A timeline of the George W. Bush presidency
It was the night of November 7, 2000, and I was giddily watching the presidential election results with what seemed to be the entire counter-culture element of my little university town. We were piled into one of those laundromat/ everything places, our eyes affixed to a huge 8-by-8 projection screen broadcasting the news. Punk rockers,…
Comedy: Doug Stanhope
Of all the comics practicing their craft across the country today, none uses his venom quite as cleverly as Doug Stanhope. The cranky, Austin-based Stanhope doesn’t know the meaning of “tread lightly” and uses his deep-seated cynicism to go to that place, the one that makes you do a double-take and either laugh, cringe or…
Tada! The new North Tampa gallery hosts a Caribbean Consciousness Charity Art Show
Sports bars, big-box stores, movie theaters, strip malls, chain restaurants and gyms abound in North Tampa — but art galleries are rarer in the area than a Florida freeze. Shawn Scalise and Meaghan Farrell are taking a step toward changing that with Tada! Traditional and Digital Arts Gallery. Located in the same plaza as the…
Smoking, sex ed and coming out
When I met my girlfriend, she had recently quit smoking. She knew from the very beginning that smoking is a deal breaker for me, but despite the encouragement from me and all her friends, she keeps having "lapses." I haven't dumped her over this because we live far apart at the moment. However, I feel…
Theater/Dance: USF’s The Glass Menagerie and Fall Dance ’08
Widely considered Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical drama, The Glass Menagerie takes place at the end of the Depression and focuses on the ways that adversity disrupts family dynamics. The action is drawn from the memories of narrator/protagonist Tom Wingfield, who looks back on his troubled relationship with his overbearing mother — a woman devoted to…
Mike Daly gets heavy with The Wisdom of the Metal Gods
Time Flies When You're in a Coma: The Wisdom of the Metal Gods MIKE DALY (Plume) In Time Flies When You're in a Coma, author Mike Daly harvests heavy-metal-mocking laughs from actual lyrics — which, as anyone who has ever listened to Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, et al already knows, are some of the hilariously…
Tampa Bay’s Greymarket glams it up with album Some Orbits Will Never Decay
Some Orbits Will Never Decay GreyMarket (MySpace.com/greymarket) Tampa laptop rockers GreyMarket have spent the past two years mashing computer geekery, synthy glam goodness and drum/guitar gruffness to create one of the more fascinating dance-floor sounds in the area. The duo's new full-length, Some Orbits Will Never Decay (S.O.W.N.D) features propulsive, high-gloss rock numbers like "Hey…
Art: Great Expectations
For the past 22 years, Dunedin Fine Art Center has hosted an annual holiday invitational with the idea being that folks who come to check out the featured works can actually afford to take one (or several) home — and can do so that very same day instead of having to wait for the show’s…
Designing, acting and directing keep Karla Hartley stagebound
Karla Hartley is probably the most versatile theater artist in the Tampa Bay area. At 38, she's an actor, director, set, lighting and video designer. She's de facto artistic director of the Shimberg Playhouse of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center — responsible for booking the national performance artists who present their work there —…
Special Events: 2008 Tampa Bay International Auto Show
When oil and gas prices spiked to record levels, “going green” took on more cachet as a catchphrase, and that attention to eco-friendliness clearly informs this year’s Tampa Bay International Auto Show, which showcases fuel-efficient vehicles in addition to its hundreds of new cars, SUVs, trucks and more. But my guess is most people will…
Billy’s Stone Crab restaurant gets crackin’ on Tierra Verde
The middle of October is the beginning of Florida's glorious annual ascendance to the height of America's food consciousness. Our growing season is just starting, marked by the re-opening of markets across the state where local farmers can bring the produce of the nation's only true winter harvest. And, as if to celebrate this prodigious…
Kevin Smith goes hardcore with Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Watching Kevin Smith's excellent Zack and Miri Make a Porno, I kept wondering how the movie got an R rating. Thre plot, about down-on-their-luck roommates who decide to shoot some amateur porn to pay the bills, is risqué by Hollywood standards. The characters speak in waves of profanity, engaging in frequent and detailed discussions of…
Art: Patrick Lindhardt and Flatstone Studios, Fragments
Printmaking artist Patrick Lindhardt last graced the walls of C. Emerson Fine Arts nearly a year ago, when he and his photographer son were featured in a joint display of their respective talents. This time around, Lindhardt takes the gallery’s spotlight in Fragments, a solo exhibit of new monotypes inspired by his memories of home and…
Review of Katrina documentary Trouble the Water
The popularity of digital video cameras was supposed to give voice to disenfranchised filmmakers. Artists from impoverished or ignored groups could use cheaper technology to make an end-run around the system. It hasn't turned out that way. I've seen far more fake eyewitness movies, a la Cloverfield, than ones offering the true perspective of real…
Green: Sustain It(!) — Design Discourse on Strategies + Tactics in Sustainability in Architecture and Urbanism
USF’s lecture series featuring thought-leaders at the intersection of sustainability, architecture and urban design continues this week with one of the rising stars of contemporary architecture, San Diego-based Teddy Cruz, on Thursday. The Rome Prize-winning architect is perhaps best known for his modular multi-family housing designs inspired by the shantytown construction of U.S.-Mexico border towns.…
Ani DiFranco embraces fun on new CD
She has settled into a life of motherhood and domestic bliss but that doesn't stop Ani DiFranco from opening her new album with a killer line. "New year's Eve we dropped mushrooms and danced round the house," she sings, creating a clever metaphor for the surreal horror of life under the Bush administration. A resident…
SIDS: Blogs and Social Networks
A lot of what I’m doing – and what I assume other people are doing – during the Sarasota International Design Summit is listening for great ideas and thinking about to adopt and adapt them in my own practice. Two of the summit’s late morning panelists today were great sources for inspiration in regards to…
The Cranky Copy Editor — Monday, October 27
They say good things come in threes. Apparently, so do bad things. To wit: Rocco DiSpirito, the self-absorbed tool who used his elderly mom like a pack mule to make meatballs on the NBC/Bravo reality series The Restaurant, crawls out from under his rock to star in Rocco Gets Real on A&E. "There's nothing I…
AC/DC back in Black Ice
AC/DC, at its best, makes you feel like championing fun: be it via booze, blow, high-speed driving or three-way fucking. On Black Ice, the Aussie outfit reclaims its status as king of good times. The band is back swinging — heavy and hard — in a way that percolates the pelvic region and vaporizes inhibitions.…
Lucinda Williams’ Little Honey a sweet treat
Alt-country queen Lucinda Williams lost her way for a while there. More specifically, she misplaced her mojo, her sass, her joy. After climaxing with the1998 commercial breakthrough Car Wheels on A Gravel Road, Williams detoured down a path of sorrow until dead-ending into the rote despair of last year's West. The Louisiana-native finds her feisty…
The Hold Steady review
Stay Positive THE HOLD STEADY Vagrant It’s hard not to root for The Hold Steady. Especially if you’re from Tampa and regularly frequent Ybor City. The intelligent booze-rockers may call Brooklyn home but our famed entertainment district surfaces in so many of singer/songwriter Crag Finn’s tunes — most notably the band’s signature jam “Killer Parties”…
Radiohead review
Radiohead singer Thom Yorke (left) leading his British alternative rock band through a spellbinding performance Tue., May 6, at the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa. Photos by Phil Bardi. Radiohead mesmerized a crowd of 17,000 with an edgy sonic and visual presentation unlike anything being offered on the current live music circuit. Long narrow light bulbs…
Concert reviews: The Hold Steady, George Strait, Ronny Elliott
I caught two shows Saturday and another Sunday. Here's a rough draft of the concert reviews I'll have running in the Creative Loafing that hits newsstands Wednesday (or Thursday, if you in Pinellas). Photos of The Hold Steady's Craig Finn by Gabe Loewenberg. The Hold Steady w/This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb/Young Livers Sat., Jan.…
