Unprecedented freeFall
The premiere of freeFAll Theatre Company's The Wild Party at The Studio@620 is unprecedented in that 13 of the show's 15 actors are members of the Actor's Equity union. Usually – though not always – Equity actors are those with more experience and, arguably, more talent. But most smaller theaters can't afford the minimum salaries that Equity demands…
Anybody else think dumping shit in the aquifer is a bad idea?
Judging by the comments at the end of this article in the Trib, everybody thinks it is a bad idea. The article states the waste water that is evidently already dumped into rivers and bays would have to be treated to drinking-water standards before it could be put into the aquifer, which begs the question:…
SoundFX: LIVE featuring Jeremy Gloff, Giddy-Up, Helicopter! & Venus in Furs
Finale of Jeremy Gloff's Rockopera for the release of "1987" SoundFX: Live occurred Saturday evening at Crowbar featuring Jeremy Gloff, Giddy-Up, Helicopter! and Venus in Furs with inimitable sounds of the Crate Brothers and DJ Brian Oblivion. Jeremy Gloff celebrated the release of "1987" in what can only be accurately described as pop operatic format…
The new new thing: Blitzen Trapper
Who: Blitzen Trapper Seven-word description: Frisky folk rock for the indie set. Should appeal to fans of: Benji Hughes, Beck, Bob Dylan Who's the guy who sings and plays harmonica like Dylan? Guitarist/singer Eric Earley. He wrote all the songs for Furr, Blitzen Trapper's debut full-length for Sub Pop. Breakout CD: Furr. Release date/label: Sept.…
Reel Projections — September 23
An offer you can't refuse: Restored Godfather movies released today on DVD. A whale of a remake: Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov to helm new Moby Dick. Speaking of remakes: Kurosawa’s Rashomon is getting an unnecessary do-over. Let's be brief, Mr. Bond: Quantum of Solace will have shortest running time of any James Bond film. Just…
Metallica, Jeff Beck, Stooges up for RR HOF
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees has been announced. I know, to many people out there, the RR HOF has all the relevance of a dinosaur exhibit. To others, it's still fun to debate who deserves entrance. Here's the list of nine. Five make it. (By the way, as I type this, I'm…
Dexter Filkins’ riveting memoir of the Iraq War
Until Dexter Filkins’ riveting The Forever War, I hadn’t been predisposed to reading much about the War in Iraq, and I’m not sure why. Maybe because it’s still going on, and the whole thing’s so raw and in the news that I didn’t feel the need to wallow any further. I am very glad, however,…
My First Election
Turning eighteen can mean: college, moving out, and the ability to buy cigarettes and lottery tickets. When I turned 18, I was most excited about registering for the upcoming presidential election. It took me a while after my birthday to find the time, but I finally registered to vote two weeks ago at a voter-registration drive on…
The Short List — Tues., Sept. 23
With McCain still championing deregulation, is it any surprise that Obama has regained the lead the presidential race? No one likes the proposed $700 billion tax-payer fleecing Wall Street bailout, but it keeps getting closer to passing anyway. Everyone should take a deep breath and relax because Newsweek says isn't the end of the world.…
Five Things to Do Today
1. Tonight marks the debut of Helios Jazz Orchestra, St. Pete College’s new 18-member resident jazz ensemble. Singer Joanna Rose (pictured) provides the vocals for a big band concert of swing, Latin and bebop tunes like “Too Close for Comfort,” “Sidewinder,” “Groove Merchant,” “Alright, Okay, You Win,” and plenty of others. 7:30 p.m., SPC Music…
Randy Newman offers solid defense
On his best-known material outside the film world, Randy Newman managed to largely cloak biting satire in hummable melodies and sing along choruses resulting in first-class bait and switches, the finest being “I Love L.A.” The song is a fixture at Los Angeles sports arenas despite including such lines as “Look at that bum over…
Metallica returns to form with Death Magnetic
People who suffer from acute anxiety are often stalked in dreamland by a faceless marauder. The victim awakens breathing hard, clutching sheets wet with their own cold perspiration. Metallica brilliantly chronicles these perils in “All Nightmare Long,” the 8-minute linchpin of the metal gods’ spectacular comeback album Death Magentic. It's similar in theme to “Enter…
Ad hoc thoughts on the weekend in sports.
The Rays had no choice but to deny it — that the reason they lost yesterday’s game was because of a collective hangover; and I don’t mean emotional hangover, but the kind of hangover you get from drinking way too much on a Saturday night. Of course they lost the season’s last home game because…
Frank Zappa widow speaks out
Anyone seriously interested in the music of the late Frank Zappa is aware of his widow, Gail Zappa. With unprecedented tenacity, she guards the rights to her husband's official recordings. Gail also lords over his meticulously recorded and videotaped live shows, plus the sheet music that would allow internationally respected Zappa tribute bands like Tampa…
Ad hoc thoughts on the weekend in sports
The Rays had no choice but to deny it — that the reason they lost yesterday’s game was because of a collective hangover; and I don’t mean emotional hangover, but the kind of hangover you get from drinking way too much on a Saturday night. Of course they lost the season’s last home game because…
Five Things to Do Today
1. Tonight and tomorrow night, Tampa Theatre presents Encounters at the End of the World, filmmaker Werner Herzog’s documentary about the Antarctic community of McMurdo Station, headquarters of the National Science Foundation and home to a mere 1,100 people during the austral summer (October-February). Using only a single cameraman and his own expert eye for…
In Hillsborough, moral courage now = $pecial Intere$t
In my opinion, the race for worst Hillsborough County Commissioner was virtually a five-way tie between Jim Norman, Ken Hagan, Al Higginbotham, KevinWhite, and Brian Blair; but this latest stunt by Norman has him crossing the line in front by a hair (actually a double chin). The announcement last week that Norman proposed changing the…
The Short List — Mon., Sept. 22
Ladies and gentlemen, beware! There is an army of pedophiles out there and it's 9000 penises strong (and growing). Negotiation begins on the mother of all taxpayer rip-offs bailouts. The Other White Meat graces the Bay area with her presence. Presidential Candidate Car-Count Scoreboard: 13-1. You want to guess who has the 13? Pakistan's new…
Another Way to Die
The Jack White-penned theme to the latest James Bond flick, Quantum of the Solace, has been released for download at iTunes, but not in North America, where it will be available October 23. "Another Way to Die" is, however, receiving airplay over the radio. After giving the highly anticipated Jack White/Alicia Keys duet (the first…
Week 3 NFL Picks
Let's try this again. We didn't get any comments last week, either due to the fact that the picks went up so late; or perhaps because the post itself neglected to mention the rampant alcohol and/or drug consumption that inspired it. At any rate, we've learned from our mistake vowed to stubbornly plow ahead. Bardi…
The Short List — Weekend Edition
– Twenty-six years ago this weekend, Scott Fahlman invented the emoticon. – A new study confirms, on a biological level, conservatives are more easily frightened than liberals. Duh. – This guy lives next door to Mike Hunt. – Just about every group, idea or product has a Christian-ized version. Video games are no exception. Check…
Black Kids, Soulfound, Dark Romantics and more
It's Friday and I'm still recovering from our Best of the Bay soiree. Yeah, the hangovers hurt more than they used to — and the recovery time is twice what it was in my early 20s. Anyway, time to prep for the weekend.What show will you be attending? Soulfound? Black Kids? The Dark Romantics? Brad…
Bar Tab moves to Bad Habits
My Bar Tab column has moved from CL's Food & Drink section to Bad Habits (Hollis Gillespie, Savage Love). It seems more appropriate, eh? Here's a snippet from my latest column, "For Pete's Sake: Bartending as a lesson in late-night entertainment:" "Pete proceeded to waltz over to the other side of the bar and do…
Tampa Museum of Art has a new leader
The Tampa Museum of Art announced today the selection of Todd D. Smith as its new executive director. "’Todd brings a wealth of experience to the position,’" says TMA board chair Raymond E. Ifert in a press release. Smith, who succeeds interim director Ken Rollins, begins at TMA on October 6. He was executive director…
Live from Cincinnatti?
So, I've been slacking on the blogging in the last few weeks; but with good reason. I caught the creeping death illness that plagued our office (as well as most of the Bay area). The home computer took a big crap and was down for a good 10 days before it got fixed. We've been…
Most overrated comic in the U.S. returns to Tampa
Yes, Dane Cook is funny, if you like frat dude comedy that's littered with jokes and anecdotes requiring only a few brain cells to understand. I guess that explains how he went from playing regular club gigs to performing at 16,000-plus venues across the U.S. But even as I scoff at his base level humor, I can't be too pissy as I'm a firm advocate…
Five Things to Do This Weekend
1. Jacksonville indie darlings Black Kids (pictured below) bring their cheeky dance pop music to Crowbar this Sunday night. NYC’s The Virgins and the Magic Wands of Nashville provide support. Sun., Sept. 21, 9 p.m., Crowbar, $15, all ages. 2. Tonight’s Art After Dark with Starbucks is “Sound Effects,” the first in a series of…
Bar Tab moves to Bad Habits
My Bar Tab column has moved from CL's Food & Drink section to Bad Habits (Hollis Gillespie, Savage Love). It seems more appropriate, eh? Here's a snippet from my latest column, "For Pete's Sake: Bartending as a lesson in late-night entertainment:" "Pete proceeded to waltz over to the other side of the bar and do…
The Short List — Friday, Sept. 19
-If you like to read magazines (who doesn't?) but don't like subscribing to them (who does?) you might want to check out Maghound. It's like Netflix for magazines. For a monthly price you pick whatever you want, read, and send back. Just don't take them into the bathroom. – The new New Kids on the…
A return to the turntable
Yesterday I became the proud owner of a Pro-Ject Debut III turntable. It’s the first turntable I’ve had and used since, oh, probably the early ’90s. Why a turntable? First there’s the matter of all that vinyl I still own, about a dozen Peaches crates full. I had gotten literally dozens per week as a…
Best modern protest songs
I run down my favorite songs inspired by the wretched Bush administration in the music feature running Wed., Sept. 24. It feels like the right thing to do considering everyone from Norah Jones to Young Jeezy has taken a whack at Dubya. No matter how much you agree with the message, though, a bad tune…
St. Petersburg moves forward on curbside recycling
"I read the mayor's article and I think he said, 'Yes.' So I'll stop selling." — St. Petersburg City Councilman Karl Nurse at today's council meeting, referring to an op-ed in the St. Petersburg Times written by Mayor Rick Baker that, at least in part, gives the go-ahead to City Council to implement some type…
Mayor Pam boards the bus.
It's going to be a madhouse at the Ybor City Saturday Morning Market this weekend. Not only is Top Chef: The Tour making a stop at the weekly fresh market, but Mayor Pam Iorio is scheduled to board the 18-wheeler and join chefs Richard Blaise and Carlos Fernandez for their 10:30 a.m. demo. Reserved seating…
Five Things to Do Today
1. Forensic specialist and suspense novelist Lisa Black (pictured at right) appears for a signing of her debut novel, Takeover. 7 p.m., Inkwood Books, free admission. 2. Hillsborough Education Foundation presents its Eighth Annual Amscot Financial Comedy Night, with stand-up sets by Patrick Garrity and headliner Brian Bradley. Proceeds benefit the foundation’s at-risk student programs. 8…
Pinellas County union to hold library cutbacks protest this afternoon
Ah, it's Fall again. Dead leaves are falling. The heat is no where close to subsiding. Snowbirds are jamming roads again. And city governments are deciding which amenities to slash and whose jobs to cut. Right now, the most-buzzed about fights are happening in the beach communities. Treasure Island is withdrawing its funding from the…
Coming attendance at Trop a major litmus test.
OK, last night it looked as if locals finally got tired of Red Sox fans having a party at the Trop — especially during Monday night’s series opener — and came out in force. The sellout crowd was a strongly pro-Rays — as it should be (as if that needs to be said). I’ll be…
The Short List — Thurs., Sept. 20
From the Onion: Parody Movie Script One Crotch-Hitting Joke Short Of Being Greenlit. MySpace has melded social networking and teen-focused political education with MyDebates.org, a site focused on the issues and the candidates' stances on them. Jesus — Sarah Palin's MySpace page is as unnerving as the woman herself. You may not be a video…
Best of the Bay bash recap, naked senator pic and all
It's a quiet day in the office. Half the crew is at home, Sal is passed out at his desk and the rest of us are seriously fuzzy-headed. The hangovers, though, were well worth it. Around 800 people showed up at Tampa Theatre last night for Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay Awards Show: The…
A Treatise of We Feed the Hungry Inc.
HELPFUL HANDS: Don McClendon (center) and volunteers from We Feed the Hungry Inc. In this week's news feature, "Stay Hungry," I report on St. Petersburg city officials seeking to criminalize feeding the homeless in public. At the forefront of that issue is Don McClendon, who is known to the homeless as the "Chicken Man." He…
St. Petersburg’s Central Kitchen
"There's hungry people in Africa and starving children in China." If you were as lucky as me growing up, you had a parent that would admonish you for not cleaning your dinner plate. It's one of those guilt trips that seems to have passed from generation to generation of parents. For me, it was my…
BEST FASHION DESIGNER
Ivanka Ska
Must-see TV
No, the air hasn’t turned refreshingly crisp, and when the leaves finally change color, it will be to an unsightly crispy brown before falling dead to earth (at least here in Florida). But make no mistake, fall season is upon us. Your television says so. To recognize this annual inauguration of doomed pilots and faddish…
The Short List — Wed., Sept. 19
We're still nursing a hangover from last night's exciting Loafies award show and after party in downtown Tampa. If you missed it, you can see pics and video, or just dig into the Best of the Bay issue, by clicking here. Oh, and if you're one of the love-filled folks who reportedly "christened" the balcony…
What you should know before eating up food and restaurant reviews
When the Wine Spectator released its annual awards for restaurant wine lists in July, there was a note of controversy. Author and prankster Robin Goldstein fooled the venerable magazine by creating a fake restaurant and submitting a dummy wine list along with the $250 entry fee. His Osteria L'Intrepido di Milano won an Award of…
The Dark Romantics sex-up New World Brewery
Coed Lakeland quintet The Dark Romantics' second full-length for Louisiana-based Lujo Records, Heartbreaker, teems with the kind of dramatic, light-and-shadow sexiness that makes people either love or loathe soft-core. The band's Cinemax-tic dance-rock is driven by the sultry vocals of frontman Eric Collins. He croons come-ons over muscular guitars juxtaposed with keyboards that show he's…
Dance: Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew Live
Friday, September 19
Lakview Terrace and other new movies
OPENING THIS WEEK LAKEVIEW TERRACE (R) Lake View Terrace, you may recall, is the Los Angeles suburb where in 1991 four LAPD officers beat Rodney King for more than a minute while a bystander caught the incident on video. In this incendiary social thriller by Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men), it's also the…
Theater: By the Waters of Babylon and The Vagina Monologues
Sunday, September 21
Star Trek and Jesus jokes: Remembering a friend who made us laugh – and think.
In 1971, we took 18 students to the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland for a year and lived at Quai Suchard 12, on the banks of Lake Neuchâtel, between the Jura Mountains and the Alps. On the other side of the Alps, in Austria, our best friends, Bob and Gertrud Detweiler, lived near the Salzburg…
Tina Fey was Nailin’ Sarah Palin
Plus: Microsoft Ads and Bucs win
Taking the focus off Sarah Palin: Congress votes on offshore oil drilling and Hillsborough County landscaped medians stay safe
Less than two months away from the election of our next president, with all that's on the line with our national security and failing economy, and this is what we spent two news cycles obsessing over: Did Barack Obama call Sarah Palin a pig? At the risk of resurrecting a non-story, it's worth citing the…
Sauvignon Blanc takes a starring role as New World wineries do things with the grape
Sauvignon blanc has lost its sex appeal. Like an aging actress, the newness has worn off, exposing her raw talent and potential. I adore wines at this stage; it's when winemakers begin to experiment and let the grapes perform vinous magic. Of course, the grape has been around for eons in the "Old World," growing…
Dump this possessive loser immediately
Jealous much? Savage Love I'm a 19-year-old girl, attractive, outgoing and ambitious. My boyfriend is 21 and shares the same qualities. We've been dating for several months. At times he gets really moody and won't tell me why, but I've noticed a pattern: 1. Me hanging out with my guy friends (guy friends that I've…
The Independents’ Film Fest: Filmmakers from Tampa and around the world
Like most young filmmakers, University of Tampa alum Tim Compton has learned that following his dreams entails a dose or two of harsh reality. He knows what it's like to fork over hundreds of dollars to feed cast and crew (all the while thanking his lucky stars that they volunteered to help him make his…
Fundraiser: Surreal Fashion Show
Tuesday, September 23
Wine & Culinary Events, 9/17 – 9/23
THURSDAY: TAMPA LIGHTHOUSE OF THE BLINDThis tasting of wines from Fine Wines & Spirits Warehouse features over 40 selections, including big boys like Shafer, Cosentino and Ferrari-Carano, all to benefit the Tampa Lighthouse of the Blind. $25. 6-8 p.m., Sep. 18, home of Mike Kwasin, 3613 Beach Dr., Tampa (813-837-8941) THURSDAY: VINO 100 ST.…
Sarah Palin rapes women’s rights
More Republican hypocrisy Savage Love The 17-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin, the GOP's vice-presidential nominee, is pregnant. The news was released by the McCain campaign during a busy news week — a major hurricane, the Republican National Convention, Dick Cheney getting us into a war with Russia — so it may not have received the…
Theater: Rumors
Friday, September 19
Art: Architectural Details and Other Decorative Crafts
Tuesday, September 23
Culinary: Top Chef The Tour
Saturday, September 20
St. Pete City Council seeks to ban the Chicken Man and other charitable groups feeding the homeless
Day after day, the homeless wait for Don McClendon. When the temperature approaches 100 degrees, they wait, sweating through worn-out T-shirts. When the cold snaps blow through, they wait, shivering in tattered jackets. Even during a heavy downpour, like the one today, they wait. Without umbrellas. And McClendon does not disappoint. Every Monday through Thursday,…
Blackbird makes for tense theater at Jobsite
I've been reading D. H. Lawrence recently — Women in Love, from which the fine Ken Russell movie was made — and though I'm stunned by the intensity of the prose, I'm also exasperated by a certain repetitiveness in the subject matter. Again and again, Lawrence asks us to observe a particular kind of oscillation…
Fundraiser: Vino Las Vegas
Saturday, September 20
Brad Paisley, Black Kids, The Shackletons
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 RAHIM w/MOGUL STREET RESERVE/THE TAPE DELAY NYC quartet Rahim's guitar-with-keyboard-effects indie rock is definitely of the cerebral bent, with the songs often hinting at sonic and lyrical ideas more than actually realizing them. This can be compelling, because it pulls the listener in on an almost participatory level. On the other hand,…
Koningshoeven’s La Trappe Dubbel Trappist Ale has all the fun without the weight
For a beer to qualify as genuine Trappist ale, its brewing must be supervised by monks from the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. These monks adhere to a daily schedule of prayer and labor, using the products of this labor to support monastic life. And, of course, for drinking. Today, there are 171…
Why was Thailand’s prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra ousted?
There's a debate going at the moment about the qualifications for office of our presidential candidates. Like many political discussions in the good ol' U.S. of A, it's taken an angry, irrational tone. This week, I offer solace. I want Republicans and Democrats alike to take comfort in knowing that, despite its flaws, our system…
Art: The Spirits of the Earth and Just Suppose
Wednesday, September 24
Tampa’s Soulfound gears up for CD release at Gasoline Alley
Upper-middle-class families populate the sprawling Westchase neighborhood in northeast Hillsborough County. The majority of the residents are married and nearly half have children. The average household in the master-planned golf course community pulls down almost $100,000 a year. It's not the kind of area you typically find young, local musicians cranking out original tunes. On…
Florida Craftsmen Gallery exhibit highlights local crafters
A profusion of crafters from across the state reflect on the creative components that characterize a Florida lifestyle in Florida Craftsmen Gallery's Architectural Details and Other Decorative Crafts. Curated by Florida State University artist/Master Craftsman Program Director Bob Bischoff, the new exhibition spotlights all manner of works, from a surfer mosaic produced as part of…
R.I.P. David Foster Wallace
"So sad and shocking. Wallace was a rare talent and I'm sorry we won't get to enjoy all the works he would have published had he lived. Go in peace, David. Thank you."—"greendrake," in response to the Huffington Post's Sept. 13 report, "David Foster Wallace Found Dead" "We weep not for those who leave, but…
Music: Rahim
Thursday, September 18
Eden Tampa goes clothing-optional as residents wait for condo management to tell the naked truth
First off, Jon Rosenstadt and Sam Christian want you to know they aren't prudes. The tattooed and pierced Hillsborough Community College students get naked just like the rest of us — showers, sex, what have you. Hell, the 20-somethings have even skinny-dipped once or twice in their lives. And another thing: They like their apartment…
Pete’s Place a laid-back, blue-collar bar haven in South Tampa
There are certain rules that must be obeyed when drinking in a classic blue-collar bar like Pete's Place in the Beach Park neighborhood of South Tampa. Break one, and you'll be humiliated. Sal learned this lesson the hard way last Thursday when he and I visited the place for the first time. My friend did…
Why do emergency vehicles have different siren sounds?
Over the years I've noticed a variety of siren sounds for emergency vehicles. Is it true siren sounds have to be changed periodically, particularly in urban areas, to prevent drivers from getting used to a particular sound and not paying attention? —Dylan, Chicago Varietywise I don't know that siren sounds are in the same league…
A Giant on my side: Trying to weasel into the working class
Giant Michael always swore he'd never open another restaurant, but then he always swore this while I was bugging him for a bartending gig at either of the two he already owned. "Bitch, I have all the bartenders I need," he'd say as I harangued him, "and no I won't open another restaurant just so…
