Sensational cool-weather salad: Citrus, Pancetta & Baby Kale with Honey-Pancetta Vinaigrette
Don’t take salad off the (dinner) table during the coming cooler months.
Artist Susan Janvrin on leaving the Far East
It's exciting to see local artists explore new lands, sharing with us their discoveries. Tampa-based vinyl/CD mosaic artist Susan Janvrin and husband/graphic artist, Matt Normand, relocated to Los Angeles and soon after left for Asia to spend six months in Gwanjiu, South Korea. Normand pursued a temporary position there, and Janvrin came along. "We were just…
This weekend in live music: Rise Against, Bonobo, Old 97’s & more
Concerts, Oct. 4-5.
Tales of Three Amigos: Skink, John Wayne and Marlon Brando
Remember the late, great Richard Pryor? Onstage, he’d make those brilliant observations with a heaping helping of 10- and 12-letter words. Then he’d show up on network television (you remember that, don’t you?) and do the same routines, but manage to stop just before uttering those words you couldn’t say on TV back then. I…
Forever Moving Dance Company proves that dance is ageless
The company’s 2014-2015 season keeps Hillsborough County’s older adults active and creative
Pinellas Libertarians want to make sure you know that Ed Jany isn’t running for anything
A funny thing happened on the way to printing the ballots for this November's election — Democrat Ed Jany was not taken off the ballot in the CD13 race. Last week Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark issued a press release regarding the failure to omit Jany from the ballot, and said a notice about…
Tonight in live music: LeRoi DuVal tribute, Peter Frampton & more
Concerts this Fri., Oct. 3.
St. Pete LWV forum with legislative candidates concentrates on healthcare
A League of Women Voters/Florida Nurses Association candidates forum was a bit of a disappointment Wednesday night at the Sunshine Center in St. Pete. Not only did it not get started until nearly 20 minutes after its scheduled 7 p.m. start, but no Republicans invited to the forum opted to appear. That eliminated any provocative…
St. Pete’s black community gathers to discuss recent police actions
Whether they were black or white, regular folk, the well-heeled, proud working men in shirt sleeves or young women wearing hijabs; last night, at the Carter G. Woodson Museum : concerned citizens of all stripes came together for Don’t Shoot, Part II: A community conversation. The museum’s magnolias and gentle lighting contrasted sharply with the hushed…
Mitch Perry Report 10.2.14: The data shows deportations are up
Because of the lack of any competitive national races this political season in the Tampa Bay area (with the possible exception of the CD15 race between Dennis Ross and Alan Cohn), but it's not getting any attention in the local media), immigration isn't being discussed too much this fall. However, in Miami it's being fiercely…
Stronger together — TIGLFF’s 25th anniversary
A young filmgoer talks to the executive director of Tampa’s LGBT filmfest about its milestone year.
Flick picks: Reviews of films at the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
BFFs Like many romantic comedies, this witty flick tests the theory that being friends first is the best path to a lasting relationship. And like many romantic leads, longtime BFFs Kat and Sam are the last to realize they might be perfect for each other – mostly because until now, the women have identified as…
Do This Tonight — Doomsayers: Local Authors Predict the End of the World
There’s something reassuring about an impending apocalypse if you’re an anxiety-ridden soul. So, if things have been a little too unsettlingly upbeat, you can get your dystopic, end-of-days fix at the Studio@620, where a handful of supercool local writers will offer their revelations for Doomsayers: Local Authors Predict the End of the World. Readers in…
With minimum drama, Hillsborough County adds protections for LGBT people in Human Rights Ordinance
As has been widely reported in recent years, the evolution and devolution of the gay rights movement in Hillsborough County's government has been somewhat shocking for what is now the 13th biggest media market in the U.S. Hillsborough County's Human Rights Ordinance was first passed in 1988. Protections against discrimination towards gays, lesbians and transgendered…
Filthy and respectable — a Q&A with John Waters
The famed director and Pope of Trash rides a wave of recent success into a celebratory show for TIGLFF’s 25th.
SCENE BREAKER: Love in the library, Ophelia’s goat and vampire lesbians like the accordion
Here’s what’s behind the curtain this week in Tampa Bay theatre… FREE LOVE: Improbable Athenaeum (pronounce it “ath-en-eee-uhm”) will present a free, script-in-hand staging of Dorothy L. Sayers’ 1940 comedy Love All this Saturday at 2 p.m. at the new Seminole Heights Branch Library in Tampa. Better known for her Lord Peter Wimsey mystery novels,…
Dunedin Brewery presents its 14th annual Oktobeerfest with Kool Keith, Ghost Owl & others
Dunedin Brewery throws a beer party every time the seasons change (or in this year’s case, when it celebrates hallmarks like its 18th anniversary), and the fall is no exception. The only difference is that Oktobeerfest is one of its biggest, replete with two stages featuring live music spread over four days by big-name nationals…
The best things I ate at Epcot’s food and wine fest
A first-timer’s view of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
Restaurant review: Ulele’s native tongue
History meets contemporary culinary delights at Ulele along Tampa’s Riverwalk.
Album review: Erasure, The Violet Flame
Longtime British synth-pop duo Erasure seem to be going through a slight identity crisis throughout 16th album The Violet Flame. It boasts plenty of those elements that have made the two-man operation such a successful machine for the better part of three decades; lead singer Andy Bell's emotive, impassioned vocal delivery is as strong as…
HIllsborough County forms group to meet with Rays on stadium — if talks ever happen
Following the lead of County Commissioner Ken Hagan, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners today voted to have a small working group be the lead agency to work with Tampa Bay Rays officials, if and when the St. Petersburg-based baseball franchise can work out a deal with St. Pete to speak to officials in…
Call to artists — The Mahaffey announces contest to design 50th Anniversary poster
If you grew up in the Tampa Bay area, you no doubt have wonderful memories of going to shows at the Bayfront Center, now the site of the Mahaffey Theater. I myself went to circuses, ice skating shows there as a kid. In the 1980s and '90s, I saw Brian Boitano and Katarina Witt (who…
Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy comes to Tampa to fundraise for Alan Cohn
Five weeks before the election in Congressional District 15, friends of Hillsborough/Polk Democratic candidate Alan Cohn held a fundraiser for him on Davis Islands Tuesday night, where the main attraction was former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy, who praised Cohn for wanting to join an institution that isn't very popular these days. "It is full…
Mitch Perry Report 10.1.14: The LWV and a state personal income tax
With apologies to the folks at PolitiFact, my curiosity got the best of me this morning while perusing the letters to the editor section of today's Tampa Bay Times. That's where longtime Hillsborough County educator and League of Women Voters member Liana Fernandez Fox takes exception to a recent ad used by the Republican Party of Florida against…
Beer vs. wine: Battle for the best beverage pairing
Diners will determine which liquid is better at Cigar City Brewpub’s Beer vs. Wine Dinner.
Castor calls for DOJ to review Florida’s ban on civil rights restoration for ex-cons
A signature issue that bothers most Democrats (and very few, if any Republicans) in Florida is the ban on automatic restoration of the civil and voting rights of ex-felons who have paid their debt to society, an issue that became a big story during the 2000 presidential recount. Today, Tampa Bay area Congresswoman Kathy Castor…
Stream new releases from St. Pete bands Jensen Serf Company, Zulu Wave
Then grab cassettes and vinyl from two of the ‘Burg’s finest
Villa Bellini restaurant opens in Clearwater
Chef Ciro Mancini is behind Clearwater’s Villa Bellini Restaurant & Lounge that launched Tuesday.
Pinellas Republican state lawmakers say the gloves are off regarding Duke Energy and the PSC
Paraphrasing the Howard Beale character from 1976's Network, Clearwater area state Senator Jack Latvala said today that he's "mad as heck and I'm not going to take it anymore" when it comes to the excesses of Duke Energy and the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC). But a leading energy advocate in Florida still says the…
Activists group say ALEC’s power is fading
Last week Google CEO Eric Schmidt said said his company made a mistake in funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), now that he realizes that they oppose U.S. action on climate change. “The people who oppose it are really hurting our children and grandchildren and making the world a much worse place,” Schmidt said on NPR’s…
D.C. Transit official makes the case for Greenlight
As part of maintaining the focus on passing Greenlight Pinellas, the Yes on Greenlight campaign on Monday had American Public Transportation Association Vice President for Policy Art Guzetti making the media rounds. Guzetti knows a lot about transit systems around the country, and is an unabashed supporter of the Greenlight proposal, which would raise the sales…
New Music Tuesday! (September 30): Prince, The Vaselines, Melissa Etheridge, Yelle & more
Releases out this week; audio & video included.
Clearwater classics, others to serve grub at annual Taste fest
Festgoers will sample bites from more than 20 restos during A Taste of Clearwater.
Mitch Perry Report 9.30.14: Buckhorn gets a challenger
Five months before he runs for what is expected to be a relatively stress-free re-election bid, Bob Buckhorn has a challenger in acupuncturist and activist Becky Rubright. Based on her initial comments to the dailies, the Seminole Heights resident is getting into the race in part because it's healthful in a democracy to hold our…
Tonight in live music: Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Torche
Two very different shows happening this Tue., Sept. 30. Info on both below. Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers with Daryl Hance “It’s a little too late to die young,” Nicki Bluhm belts out in “Little Too Late,” her dulcet vocals tunefully drawling or soulfully howling over 11 tracks in the self-titled debut from the San…
California D.A.’s say Uber & Lyft represent a “continuing threat” to the public
Kyle Cockream, the executive director of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission, appeared a bit perturbed last week after the Tampa Bay Partnership neglected to contact him while inviting representatives from ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft to a transportation summit in St. Petersburg. The PTC says drivers for those companies are not in compliance with…
Mailers urge voters to return absentee ballots that haven’t been sent out yet
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer has a message for those of you who've received a mailer saying that you're absentee ballot should have already been mailed to you. No, it shouldn't have. The specific mailers were sent by Let's Get to Work, a political action group trying to get Rick Scott re-elected, say…
D.C. based pro-choice group target Rick Scott as being “obsessed with outlawing abortion”
NARAL Pro-Choice America announced today that it is targeting Rick Scott and two other GOP Governors this election season with mail, online ads and phone calls questioning what they call their anti-choice agenda, as well as making "it a priority above the economic interests voters elected them to address." Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Kansas' Sam…
Tampa Bay’s weekly literary happenings
Award-winning author Leslea Newman will be at USF and Brandon Barnes & Noble Wednesday, Oct. 1 reading her new book October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard. Head to Wine Madonna on Monday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m., and Get Lit! Keep St. Pete Lit presents an evening of literature, word games and drinking. Part game…
Album review: SBTRKT, Wonder Where We Land
The British electronic musician manages to avoid the sophomore slump with his second full-length
Tasty fall coffees sans pumpkin spice
Go beyond the pumpkin-spiced lattes when searching for a cuppa joe this season.
Mitch Perry Report 9.29.14: Tampa Bay Rays’ (& MLB’s) really long and not so good regular season finally ends
Congratulations this morning to the Tampa Bay Bucs and their fans, who finally have something to feel good about this season after the Mike Glennon-led Bucs stunned the Steelers in Pittsburgh yesterday in the final seconds, 27-24. There probably aren't too many people talking about the Tampa Bay Rays this morning, as they concluded their…
Florida Orchestra director designate Michael Francis to helm Mozart fest in Cali
The Florida Orchestra’s new Music Director Designate Michael Francis gets around. He has just been appointed as new Music Director of the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, according to an announcement by the orchestra over the weekend. Francis will succeed the founding Music Director David Atherton, who's retiring soon. A surprise announcement was made to…
Tampa Pride makes a comeback
Even if you missed last week’s kick-off event at the Honey Pot, you can still support the historic return of Tampa Pride. The Sept. 26 fundraiser and launch party — cheekily called “Out of the Storm,” a nod to Ronda Storms, who led the Hillsborough County Commission’s 2005 ban on gay pride recognition in the…
Video: Saint talks about winning the Bar Exam
Tampa Bay will be well represented at this month’s Bar Exam in Atlanta. Saint, who hails from Palm Harbor, sat down with Infinite Skillz to talk a little about his career thus far, winning the A2BAY sponsored first ever Tampa Bay Bar Exam, and what he plans to do in ATL. Infinite Skillz is a…
Savage love: Making a move
I’m a 28-year-old pan-curious married guy from the Midwest about to move to San Francisco. I’ve been with my wife for 10 years (married four), and we’ve started to explore being monogamish. I am also reexploring my bi attractions. I’ve been thinking a lot about the opportunities for reinvention that our cross-country move might provide.…
High on style: A youthquake at Tampa Bay Fashion Week
If politics and local fashion have anything in common, it’s the Hilton Downtown Tampa. That’s where President Obama slept last week before his visit to MacDill, and it’s where Tampa Bay Fashion Week took center stage the following night. If Tuesday was marked by a heightened level of security at the hotel, Wednesday night’s runway…
Some Democrats AND Republicans say Obama should bring back Congress for vote on ISIS attack
On Friday, British Prime Minister David Cameron secured parliamentary support for the U.K. to join the U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIS, though the Brits are only conducting such airstrikes in Iraq, not Syria. That prompted Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) to say today that it's time for President Obama to do likewise here in America – that…
15 Now lays down their goals in St. Petersburg
Last week 15 Now, a grassroots organization originally rooted in Seattle, launched their statewide movement in Orlando. Saturday in St. Petersburg, 15 Now Tampa Bay held their own press conference in front of City Hall. They propose to recruit, mobilize and take action throughout Florida. They want the St. Pete City Council and the Florida…
This weekend in live music: Taj Weekes & Andowa, Bruce Springsteen 65th Birthday Tribute & more
Shows this Sat.-Sun., Sept 27-28
Do This: The Weekend Top 10
The Skeleton Twins, the much publicized dramedy starring two of showbiz’s funniest darlings, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, opens nationwide this weekend. The SNL vets portray estranged, fraternal twins who cheat death on the same day and find their way back to each other’s good graces. Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell and Joanna Gleason co-star. While…
Old Northeast Tavern hosts Oktoberfest-esque beer fest
The Beer Fest neighborhood party at St. Pete’s Old Northeast Tavern will bring German-inflected fun.
Judithanne McLauchlan explains why she filed for bankruptcy in the late 1990’s
Earlier this week, the Republican Party of Florida went for the jugular in a new television ad that mentioned that Senate District 22 Democratic candidate Judithanne McLauchlan had a) filed for personal bankruptcy, and b) "was part of a group" that supports an income tax in Florida. McLauchlan immediately responded to the latter charge, calling…
Local deportation attempt brings protest to ICE’s Tampa headquarters
Representatives from a number of activist groups like Raíces en Tampa, Young American Dreamers, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Students for a Democratic Society and United We Dream Tampa Bay had planned for a Thursday evening rally outside of ICE's Tampa office to be the climax of their campaign in defense of David Sanchez, a Mexico-born Tampa…
Mitch Perry Report: Times reporter Joe Childs’s work will live on
The announcement last week by Tampa Bay Times CEO and Chairman Paul Tash that because of a "crisis situation" employees who opted to leave the paper by October 1 would receive their full severance package has led to a number of notable staffers announcing this week that they'll accept a buy-out, none more prominent than features writer…
Music Shit Happened: Bruce Springsteen for babies, Black Keys on Fallon, new music from Melvins-Butthole Surfers supergroup & more
The Internet was good this week; here’s a breakdown of highlights, audio & video included.
Tonight in live music: Luke Temple, Old School Sessions with KRS-One, Pharcyde & Black Sheep + more
Concert his Fri., Sept. 26, 2014
Value of a free national museum day? Priceless.
Once a year the nation’s biggest museum sponsors a holiday that allows other institutions across the nation a chance to do what they do daily — let people in for free (or for reduced admission). This Saturday, Sept. 27, the Smithsonian Museum Day Live! blesses us with many locally participating museums, and many have scheduled additional…
Tampa Bay Lightning announce pre-game concert series, tap Have Gun Will Travel to play October 9
The Lightning set to give lots of local artist love during the 2014-15 campaign
Theater profile: Actor Nathan Jokela
A look at local actor on the fast track.
Adrian Wyllie hires Luke Lirot to help get him into gubernatorial debates
First Amendment attorney Luke Lirot is perhaps best known for being Joe Redner's defense counsel when he fought local government's attempts to crack down on his nude dancing establishments. Now Lirot has been hired by Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie to help get him included in the televised gubernatorial debates that begin next month. Though…
Hyperbolic Chamber Music launches at The Venture Compound this Saturday
The new postmodern classical music series starts with ‘Works for Cello’ with Grace Juliano
Life As We Blow It: All binge, no purge
Do alternatives to cable TV offer more than gluttony?
Conspiracy theories: Why we love ’em
In the upcoming film Kill The Messenger, journalist Gary Webb (played by Jeremy Renner) is asked if he believes in conspiracy theories. “I don’t believe in conspiracy theories,” Webb replies. “Conspiracies, yes. If I believe it, there’s nothing theory about it.” Kill The Messenger is the true story of the late Gary Webb, a reporter…
Album review: Zulu Wave, Jagorilla
From the first raging notes that launch “Jagorilla,” Zulu Wave confirms they aren’t fucking around with the rocking out. The set opener and title track off the local quartet’s brand new full-length is carried on urgently driving passages of dissonant ripping guitar and pounding bass interspersed with drops of keyboard melody, the sexy-pained intones of…
