Thursday 5.17

Venemous Gorilla Theatre gives you a bit of Off-Broadway action with the 7 p.m. production of Snakebit. An aspiring actor, his wife (an actress turned homemaker) and their gay friend — smart alecks all — try to shift the course of their sorry lives in this comedic play. A stranger comes along amid the stress of life, love and careers, and that's when the real fun begins. Tickets cost $17, and the theater's at 4419 N. Hubert Ave., Tampa. Call 813-879-2914.

The State of Music Screw getting to work on time, it's worth staying out late to check out the State Theatre's 8 p.m. show. The musical smorgasbord features indie-rock oddballs Enon, the ever-rotating members of the Gena Rowlands Band and D.C.-based quartet Dismemberment Plan. Not your usual emo group, DP creates shifting rhythms and creative arrangements around charismatic frontman Travis Morrison's unique voice. Tickets cost $8, and the theater's at 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Call 727-898-2100.

Friday 5.18

Come Sail Away Summertime's synonymous with sailing, setting a course for the virgin sea and all that jazz. But if you find yourself boatless, or your craft is less than seaworthy, cruise to the St. Petersburg Spring Boat Sale, at the Bayfront Center Yacht Basin. Boats, electronics, marine accessories, swimwear, fishing clinics and everything else you need to watch summer float buy can be found at this noon-7 p.m. event. Admission's $5, and the center's at 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg. Call 800-940-7642.

Once More Into the Pit Yeah, we're at the State Theatre again. What ya gonna do about it, punk? We suggest moshing, if you're smart, at Epitaph's Punk O' Rama Tour. Doors open at 7 p.m. for hard-rockin' fans of this gritty, greasy tour series, which this time features Guttermouth, supported by Fenix TX, US Bombs and Punk O' Rama tour regulars, the Deviates. Punk-fuckin'-rock, man. Tickets cost $10, and the theater, again, is at 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Call 727-898-2100.

Turnin' Up the Heat You don't just jump head-first into an event like Tropical Heatwave (tomorrow night, see the Music column). You ease into the insanity with some warm-up bands, specifically the ones at The Orpheum's 9 p.m. show. Say hello to diversity with a lineup that includes Split Lip Rayfield (post-punk, progressive bluegrass) and Blectum from Blechdom (jumpsuit-made-for-two-wearin' experimental duo). WMNF's Mad Linx's Hip Hop Crew fills in the blanks. Tix cost $6, and The Orpheum's at 1902 Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. Call 813-248-9500.

Saturday 5.19

Sky Scrapers If you're tired of looking at the gigantic strip mall that is Dale Mabry, tilt your head back and take in the glorious spectacle that is the Carrollwood Area Business Association's fifth annual Balloon Festival, at Lake Park. This second day of events begins at a way-early 5 a.m., and includes breakfast, fun for the kids, live entertainment and a sky full of helium-filled beauties (see The List for Friday's activities). The park's at 17302 N. Dale Mabry (just south of Van Dyke Road) in Lutz. Call 813-884-9287.

Clapton is God Only heathens need a reason to go see Eric Clapton at his 8 p.m. Ice Palace show. Slowhand has played with nearly everyone (Yardbirds, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, B.B. King, etc.), and his 40-year career has cemented his place among the greatest guitarists of the rock era. Doyle Bramhall II and Smokestack open the show, and tickets range from $40.75 to $69.50. The palace is at 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Call Ticketmaster at 813-287-8844.

Stone(d) Cold Comedy Ah, Cheech and Chong … what would the '70s have been without them? The patented pothead duo blazed a comic trail, releasing six gold albums and seven films before parting ways. But while Cheech has taken the straight road, Tommy Chong is still smoking. The perennial hippie performs 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. shows at Side Splitters. When not touring the stand-up circuit, Chong portrays old-style doper Leo on That '70s Show. Tickets cost $20 and $25. Side Splitters is at 12938 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa. Call 813-960-1197.

Sunday 5.20

Bloom County Who doesn't love flowers? They smell good, they look good, and when you die, they can be stuffed inside your hollowed-out body. (What? Egyptians do it.) But don't let that latter thought ruin your day at Sunken Gardens' Orchid Festival. The nearly-100-year-old gardens, always a site for sore eyes, has your cattleya, vanda, oncidium and phalaenopsis on show and for sale, along with experts dispensing growing tips and advice. The sweet-smelling event begins at 10 a.m., and admission costs $5. The gardens are at 1825 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg. Call 727-893-7465.

Beneficial Folk From 3 to 8 p.m., Skipper's Smokehouse hosts a Folk Mini-Fest to benefit the Adam Morris Outward Bound Scholarship Fund. Morris, a poet and University of Florida student who died in a tragic accident last year, is remembered through the scholarship, which sends one student per year to Outward Bound, a wilderness adventure-based educational program in North Carolina. Offering their talents to the cause are Ann & Frank Thomas, Southwind, Gary & Ellen Bukstel, Sue Grooms and several others. Admission costs $6, and Skip's is at 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. Call 813-971-0666.

Monday 5.21

Humor Me When adrift in a sea of inescapable personal and political problems, humor and irony are often your only anchor. Contemporary Art from Cuba: Irony and Survival on the Utopian Island, at the USF Contemporary Art Museum, explores this very notion. Through their works, 16 Cuban artists reflect on their country's complex past, the realities of life under the U.S. embargo, and the concept of inventado, the improvisation and resourcefulness required for everyday survival. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and USF CAM's at 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. Call 813-974-2849.

Tuesday 5.22

Swing Your Partner Just when you thought it was safe to go back out on the dance floor, another Swing Dance Night pops up. This one, at least, is free. The weekly event, hosted by the Seminole Ballroom, takes place in BayWalk's outdoor, central plaza. The ballroom's Charlie Harris and Tonya Beardsley teach you some basic steps from 7 to 7:30 p.m., before Fred Curtiss starts spinning the snazzy swing tunes. BayWalk's at 153 Second Ave. N. (between First and Second streets) in St. Petersburg. Call 727-895-9277.

Wednesday 5.23

Uproarious Religion Get rid of that gum and beware the ruler, Late Nite Catechism is back at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. This one-woman show stars Mary Zentmyer as Sister, who turns the audience into a classroom of trembling students. Sister's abrupt, yet hilarious mood swings will strike fear in the hearts of anyone who's ever survived Catholic school. Show time is 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $15.50 to $29.50. TBPAC's at 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Call 813-229-STAR.

This article appears in May 17-24, 2001.