Creative Loafing Tampa — April 15, 2021 by Chava Communications

CREATIVE LOAFING • CLTAMPA.COM $FREE • APRIL 15-21, 2021 (VOL.34, NO.15)

REPAIRING OLD WOUNDS AT THE TROP SITE

2 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

each or try all three

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 3

PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf FOOD and THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge FILM & TV CRITIC John Allman KIMBERLY DEFALCO

CONTRIBUTORS Jeffrey C. Billman, Thomas Hallock, Alexandria Jones, Joe Newton, Stephanie Powers, Cory Robinson, Dan Savage, McKenna Schuler INTERNS We don’t have any this semester. Apply via rroa@cltampa.com

ory

DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Jack Spatafora

stion ................. 5 tory

PHOTOGRAPHERS SeaWorld in February, animal Dave rightsDecker, Kimberly DeFalco claiming the practice of keeping wild d dangerous. But SENIOR even though public ACCOUNT atmany SeaWorld animal rights EXECUTIVES don’t in seeFebruary, a parallel between the kind claiming the practice of keeping wildZepeda Anthony Scott k, and the practice of Carbone, displaying animals nd dangerous. evenOr though publicfor a asking for tooBut much? is it time MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND d, many don’t see a parallel between the kind t” animals? EVENTS DIRECTOR

stion ................. 5

ck and the practice of displaying animals Alexis Quinn Chamberlain s asking for too much? Or is it time for a ent” animals? MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND

My hope is that WMNF will continue to be sustainable... WMNF’s Rob Lorei won’t fight to get job back, p. 23.

EVENTS INTERN Claire White

GROUP 40 Music: TampaEUCLID Bay BluesMEDIA Fest ........................... CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Andrew Zelman

Music Week ................................................... 42 Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest ........................... Concert review: Artic Monkeys .......................... 42 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS40

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner42 Music ................................................... The ListWeek .......................................................... 46

TheWill List Astrology .......................................................... 46 Free ......................................... 64 Jaime Monzon

Movie ........................................................... reviews..................................................... 63 Puzzler 66

euclidmediagroup.com

Free Will Astrology......................................... 64 Savage Love ...................................................... 69

cltampa.com Puzzler ........................................................... 66

cldeals.com Savage Love ...................................................... 69 clspace.com

EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa is a weekly newspaper covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

NEWS+VIEWS ��13 FOOD+DRINK ��27 A&E ��41 MUSIC �� 45 SAVAGE LOVE �� 53 CROSSWORD ��55

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Weekly, LLC, 204 E. Henderson Ave. Tampa, FL 33602. The publication is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampa.com. cltv Copyright How2021, wasTampa your Weekly, Date? LLC. The produced and printed on m/cltv newspaper cltampa.com/movies How is was your Date? Indigenous land belonging to Tampa cltampa.com/movies Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.

ON THE COVER: Photo by via cityofstpete/Flickr. Design by Jack Spatafora.

Letters to the editor: comments@cltampa.com Creative Loafing is printed on a 90% recycled stock. It may be recycled further, please do your part.

Ybor Festival of the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image Moving Image A MEMBER OF: cltampa.com/arts cltampa.com/arts

/food Eat your feelings

twitter�com/cl_tampabay

mpa pa

cts, s, .

St. Pete faces a reckoning with proposed Trop site plans, p. 13.

Our main number: (813) 739-4800

_tampa. . cl_tampa

itors ors

We just have to make sure that we do not make any promises that we cannot deliver.

facebook�com/cltampabay

instagram�com/cltampabay

4 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

THEE PHOTO NINJA

non scs

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Concert review: Artic Monkeys .......................... 42 Movie reviews ..................................................... 63

/music Concert announcements /news Informed Dissent /arts More theater news photos.cltampa.com Local protests

TACO TU EsDAY 200 E MADISON ST • DOWNTOWN TAMPA • 813-221-TACO

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 5

Book your special event at:

1701 N. Franklin St. in Tampa Heights

Where historic charm and modern aesthetics blend.

clspace.com

please visit -or- call 813-739-4800 [ext. 5] for more information. 6 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

BUY LOCAL HALF OFF!

EPIC BODYWORK & MASSAGE $30 FOR $15

PIN CHASERS $65.96 FOR $32

BAY AREA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL 2021 $22.95 FOR $11.50

DARK DOOR SPIRITS $30 FOR $15

Refer Three Friends, Get Yours Free Once you make a purchase from CL Deals, you will receive a referral link to share. Simply pass on your link to friends and family and, if three people use your link and purchase the same Deal within 30 days, your deal will be completely free!

Purchasing CL Deals is easy, just visit

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 7

Strong point Photos by Dave Decker

t feels like it’s been a month since April 6 when Manatee County officials lifted evacuation orders and reopened roads near the Piney Point phosphate plant. The moves came after local officials acted to prevent total catastrophe by pumping approximately 237 million gallons of polluted water—a mix of rain, saltwater and water that’s a byproduct of fertilizer production by HRK Holdings—into Tampa Bay. The long lasting effects of this latest pumping of polluted water into Tampa Bay remains to be seen. But watching officials scramble to fix the holes in the reservoir holding 480 million gallons on top of a gypsum stack felt like a big fuck you to the environment. But it’s not like we should be surprised. As Craig Pittman points out, “Our state’s leaders have consistently put the convenience of industry ahead of the cleanliness of our waterways.” Last week, a group of activists—including some advocating for the rights of prisoners who weren’t evacuated from a jail within the Piney Point evacuation zone—made clear their opposition to phosphate mining in Tampa Bay and called for elected officials to be held accountable for allowing the environmental atrocity to happen.—Ray Roa

8 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 9

USA TODAY 10 BEST

Gluten Free Restaurants in Tampa Bay

hand crafted • inventive eclectic • health conscious vegan cauliflower crust gluten free & vegan options

12-9pm / 7 days a week • Curbside Carryout & Delivery Available 610 S. Armenia Ave • Hyde Park /SoHo • (813) 258-1999 gourmetpizza-company.com

FREE SPRINKLER CHECK UP (CITY OF ST. PETE UTILITY CUSTOMERS)

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT NOW WITH ONE OF OUR SPECIALISTS!

(REPRESENTATIVES FOLLOW SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES AND WEAR A MASK) EMAIL sensiblesprinkling@stpete.org -or- VISIT stpete.org/WaterPrograms -or- CALL 727-892-5611

Limited time offer. Restrictions may apply. Installation of suggested modifications not included in this offer. Partial funding provided by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

10 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Britt’s pick

In-person and online things to do this weekend. By Ray Roa and Stephanie Powers

f you’re staying home this weekend, check out this cool feature on your laptop, phone or tablet. In a well-deserved nod, Google’s April 12 homepage features a link to “Discover Black innovators and their contributions in electronic music,” which leads to a splash page of “Blacktronika” artists curated by genre innovator King Britt who played St. Petersburg’s Paper Crane back in 2019. When you click through the link and scroll to part two, you’ll find Britt and Google shining a light on St. Petersburg’s The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, who the piece describes as an innovator, author and multimedia artist. The section features Baker’s June 2020 improvisational “Field Studies” performance, “DW05LMRP22,” and dispatches this glowing review: Eschewing the collection of traditional titles that describe single elements of her body work, Elizabeth refers to herself as a ‘New Renaissance Artist’ that embraces a constant stream of change and rebirth in practice. This mythology approach expands into a variety of philosophies and temples both tangible as well as intangible. In a message with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Baker said King Britt actually connected with her via Instagram and has reached out several times about her work.And you tried to say Baker was silly for playing with vibrators way back when. See more via cltampa.com/magazine. Lil Duval at Improv Roland Powell, better known by his stage name Lil Duval, is one of the few comedians

who might be known primarily for their music career (the “Steve Harvey Show” constantly plays Duval’s “Smile (Living my Best Life)”). And while locals know him for the “City Boy Wit It” remix he did with Tampa rapper Tom G (and the way they opened the 2019 BET Awards with the song), Powell—who’s also an actor—is actually a really, really big deal in the comedy world. The Jacksonville native has a weekend special engagement at Tampa’s Improv where he’ll do two shows a night from Friday, April 16 until Sunday, April 18. All six shows in Ybor City are sold out, but the Improv won’t let you in if your temperature is over 100 degrees, so who knows what happens if you hang around outside. Plus, Improv sold tickets in tables, instead of individual seats, and is offering a full refund if anyone in the group isn’t feeling well, so be on the lookout. A rep at Improv told CL that if anyone asks for a refund on their tickets, then the tickets would go right back into the online ticketing system. “The best thing someone can do if they want to come to the show is keep refreshing the website,” the rep said. As of now, there’s been no talk of adding a Thursday or Monday show to the schedule. Masks are required unless you are eating or drinking one of your two-item minimum choices. Even if you can’t get tickets, take Powell’s advice and “Smile, bitch!”

ELIZABETH A. BAKER

SHADOW SONG: Elizabeth A. Baker got a nice shoutout on Google this week.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 11

Bay Area Renaissance Festival New Location!

12 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

“The church where I was baptized and married is no longer there.” POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

Old wounds

Which Trop proposal best serves the city’s most pressing needs? By Thomas Hallock

t. Petersburg griot Gwendolyn Reese grew up at 1305 Fifth Ave. S, in a cherished part of town known as Sugar Hill. In the 1970s, Interstate 175 bowled through her block, and following a nationwide pattern, leveled a Black community. Reese has given her adult life to preserving the landmarks and memories that survive in south St. Pete. “The church where I was baptized and married is no longer there,” Reese explained at a recent forum, speaking in her carefully measured alto. “I can tell my children my story, but I cannot take them and actually show them the buildings.” Stories of the adjacent Gas Plant neighborhood follow the same refrain. Black space got

replaced by white “urban renewal.” Promising light industry, the city razed the 86-acre site around what is now Tropicana Field, where Booker Creek still flows. The story has been told many times: how the city bulldozed over 285 buildings, 500 households, and at least nine churches. Virginia Arno, a FAMU graduate in her 80s, holds roots in the former neighborhood that reach back generations. “My mother and father, aunts and uncles, grandparents” all lived close by, Arno said; “we were very close knit.” Roslyn Graham, who grew up where the dome now sits, on Fourth Avenue and 14th Street, describes similar loss, “like ripping a family apart.” The outrage, then and now, is palpable.

CITY WILDS

“When you went into this area and moved all the people,” City Council member David Welch noted in 1982, “you said you were going to rehabilitate and create jobs.” Instead the city built a ballpark, for a baseball team that did not yet exist. Welch, the second African-American ever to serve on City Council, reminded his peers of a “moral obligation” to fill broken promises. No one denies a fundamental truth, the moral obligation David Welch described 40 years ago still stands. There is a check due with interest. Last week, St. Petersburg officially trotted out four proposals that would transform the asphalt wasteland surrounding the Trop. The city has even set up four showrooms to collect community input on the redevelopment. The end result will probably run to a billion dollars, with the public contribution from a tax fund created to remedy “blight and poverty in south St. Petersburg.” The city promises to “get it right.” But the mechanisms for repeating past mistakes are also in place.

The sheer weight of bureaucracy dulls our senses. Actually reading the four proposals presents a daunting task—over 800 pages of slick graphics, with nifty gimmicks (a roller skating rink!), lofty ideals and rhetorical fudge,and financial projections that would stymie a forensic accountant. The proposals can be evaluated for quality of design, fiscal viability, the promise of delivery, and history of work with the city (or red-meat cronyism). Insiders remind us that architectural renderings rarely match the built realities. Priorities switch around, as intentions play out, for better or worse. The city has held countless public forums on the site, but what lay person is going to follow Ariadne’s red thread through this procedural labyrinth? The starting RFP, or Request for Proposals, establishes a framework for contradiction. The “Twenty-One Guiding Principles of Development” outline a public-private collaboration that will “honor the site’s history and provide opportunities for economic equity and continued on page 15

SUPPLANTED: Bulldozers take out a home at the Gas Plant.

ST. PETE MUSEUM OF HISTORY

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 13

Classic Clothing for Women and Men 46 Years of Business

in Historic Ybor City We're open 7 days a week from 12 to 6pm, with after hours private shopping available upon request. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook

@lafranceybor

Sun-Sat 12-6pm

+ after hours private shopping available upon request.

LAND & SEA

Much of Earth’s aquatic depths remain unexplored, don’t let our dinner menu stay one of them.

6000 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach | RumFishGrill.com | 727.329.1428 |

14 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

inclusion.” The project should value diversity, small business, and “authenticity.” The design should also incorporate a fancy hotel and 50,000100,000 square foot convention center, two things that rarely yield “equity” or “authenticity.” Given the past wrongs, and mobilization of funds created to remedy “poverty and blight,” it bears asking: which of these proposals best serves the city’s most pressing needs? So I took it upon myself to scale the mountain of online materials. I spoke with city employees, stakeholders and cynics, as well as public officials, past and present. I propped open my eyelids through the first of the public presentations, on Zoom, fighting the temptation to slug back a second glass of wine. And with an eye as to how the city might repair past damage, I offer my own outsider’s review. The proposals Unicorp, an Orlando-based firm with deep ties to St. Pete public works, specializes in “destination driven” development. Leading a team that includes Zyscovich Architects, with a heavy dollop of Disney, Unicorp presents Petersburg Park. Little in the 200-page proposal (which pumps the conference center up to 70,000 square feet, plus the requisite hotel) addresses past controversies, suggesting instead that old wounds be healed with greenspace. “What the city wants,” principal Bernard Zyscovich explains, is “something magical in what is now nothing more than parking lots.” We have a problem here of outlook. Unicorp bills itself as a “market leader” in developing “Class-A apartment complexes.” If “getting it right” is the goal, repairing the damage leveled by a century of systematic racism and inequality, the city will need more than upscale housing, broad hopes for a park, and an urban planner’s Pixie dust. Portman-Third Lake (PTL), based out of Atlanta, embodies corporate caché. Portman Holdings has “raised and deployed over $10 billion and developed in excess of 65 million square feet” of prime real estate since its founding in 1957; Portman Residential specializes in apartments boasting “premier location, attractive design, luxe finishes” and “spectacular amenities.” Its team includes Ken Jones (former deputy chief of staff for less-than-progressive Mississippi Senator Trent Lott) and Echelon’s Darryl LeClair, who developed the Carillon office park. The group mobilizes serious capital, and while PTL’s short pitches emphasize community and connection, the proposal hints to a corporate bait-and-switch. “The greatest way to acknowledge the pre-Tropicana Field historical context,” PTL maintains, “is to rebuild and reintroduce a prosperous community that was previously displaced.” (The term “high quality” appears almost as much “affordable” as an adjective for “housing.”) Jones points out that

developers need “to talk to the community” and marine-tech campus promises high-end jobs. “get people engaged.” These were requests from the city, points 12 All good. and 13 of the ”21 Principles.” More than any of But the Trop site is not an office park. In the four proposals, however, Sugar Hill unravels an April 5 public presentation, the four white around the cross-purposes of the starting RFP. guys from PTL did not offer any pretense of The team includes Blue Sky, a trusted local diversity. This project calls for outreach. (“The developer of workforce and affordable housing, developer will implement a strong community but the problem of scale remains. Sugar Hill earoutreach program, seeking input from all com- marks 35%-40% of housing at 80% area median munity stakeholders,” the RFP states.) Given income (or AMI), following a standard three-tier the site’s history, is this the best group to con- division(30%, 60%, 80%). The AMI for a family duct difficult conversations about inequality of four in Tampa Bay, HUD reports, is $72,700. and racial healing? The language of affordable housing is tricky, but The city the upshot is that could simplify its without a specific process by elimicommitment to the number of nating those first units set aside two proposals. Perspectives are for folks who off. Cut the field make around $12/hour, it’s still in half. A group hard to see how calling itself the needs of the poor are being Sugar Hill prioritized. Com mu nity Run the numPa r t ne r s (SHCP) takes its bers this way. My name from the wife and I raised prosperous Black a child in a nei g h b orho o d 850-square-foot, buried under south St. Pete bungalow. The I-175. Of the four proposals this convention center plan most deeply (after stage four) would total one reflects upon the million square recent past, and feet. According maybe because of that, it deserves to the calculator the closest scruon my phone, our tiny. St. Pete little house could locals will recogfit into this connize the imprint vention center of Sarah-Jane 1,764 times. Vatelot’s thought- TALL ORDER: A home in St. Pete’s old Gas Plant district. Cor porate daydreams ful study, “Where Have All the Mangoes Gone?” As Vatelot and oth- trump real concerns. The city’s economic develers have noted, the area’s Black community once opment office (not southside residents) wants a enjoyed fruit trees, providing local youths with hotel and convention center, and in this light, snacks for the taking. From this symbolic detail the nods to local history seem more symbolic comes Sugar Hill’s promise of a History Walk, than substantive. Sugar Hill’s plan allows for a pocket orchard, performance spaces, workforce Black-owned microbrewery, as well as a “pebble development, and affordable housing. It engineers beach,” just a stone’s throw from where the gas a full-blown social vision. tanks leaked toxins into Booker Creek. So where Clearly this team has mapped out the spatial will the mangoes go? Most likely, on the convenheritage, though it bears noting, St. Petersburg tion center’s LEED-certified roof. The Midtown group, by contrast, does the has a bad history of falling for Big Promises. Behind Sugar Hill’s veneer of the local (as with best job keeping its eye on the prize. Avoiding the the other groups) lies a formidable operating more complicated financials and social engineerteam, one that seems to specialize in high-devel- ing, this Miami-based group (led by Alex Vadia) opments flanking stadiums and “revitalized” proposes a $60 million fee-simple purchase, paid urban cores. Phase One of the Sugar Hill Project as the project develops. Midtown emphasizes includes a capacious 650,000-square-foot conven- housing, with a promise of 1,000 units, and the tion center, which would be almost doubled in partnership carries a weighty endorsement by the fourth and final stage. A 500,000-square-foot Reverend Watson Haynes of the Pinellas County ST. PETE MUSEUM OF HISTORY

continued from page 13

Urban League. Team members have worked with a similar site in Greenville, South Carolina (built over a former textile mill) and tucked the Durham Bull’s baseball stadium into a similar tight setting. Locals will recognize names like Tim Clemmons of PLACE Architecture, as well as arts impresario Bob Devin Jones. The landscaping plan, from the shop of MacArthur Fellow Walter Hood, is gorgeous—indeed, the only one that starts from the creek’s geologic base. By holding the convention center to a modest footprint, simplifying finances, and targeting our most pressing needs, Midtown offers the best shot for TIF money (tax increment financing) to serve the purposes for which that fund was designed. The fifth option But there is one more option. We wait. Several key questions remain. When pressed with concerns about who this project serves, the mayor’s office points to six years of visioning and public engagement. On the need for a convention center, officials cite market studies and “economic development partners”—to the Chamber of Commerce, not the people. The rationale for low-paying, part-time jobs with a convention center and luxury hotel echoes the false promise of “light industry” 40 years ago. “ ...but a convention center is not something the City of St. Petersburg is necessarily focused on. It is just an idea, and one supported by some of the development teams,” Kriseman’s office told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Given the Gas Plant’s prior uses, clean-up could easily run over budget. When asked what would happen if Booker Creek’s remediation gobbles up TIF funds, what other branches of the project would suffer the cut? The Mayor’s office noted that the environmental remediation of the site was done before the Trop was even built in the late ‘80s. Kriseman’s office said there is $75 million in money for infrastructure on the site, and that would include further environmental remediation, should the city need it. “ ...some of what is used for that will depend on which developer is selected. One developer, for example, has committed $94 million for infrastructure, so should further remediation be needed, we could presumably use that, or some of that money as well,” Kriseman’s office said. And let’s not even bring up the Rays. Kriseman’s office has repeatedly taken the stance that this project will transcend many mayors over many years. “As you’ve heard Mayor Kriseman say, he is going to continue his work until the last minute of his last day in office,” a spokesperson said. Still, as Terri Lipsey Scott— Executive Director at the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum—asks, “what’s the rush?” The Tropicana Field development offers a “generational” decision. Even the more worthy proposals (Sugar Hill, Midtown) leave serious doubts. continued on page 17

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 15

HAPPY HOUR AT AMSO Monday - Friday, 4pm-7pm Saturday 3pm-6pm

tampabaytacotakeover.com

16 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

#tampabaytacotakeover

$4, $5 & $6 Liquor, Beer & Wine $8 Hand-Crafted Cocktails

Maybe the best choice, right now, is none at all. Thomas Hallock is Professor of English at the St. Petersburg campus of the University of South Florida, where he teaches early American literature and nature writing. He frequently takes his nature writing classes on walks up Booker Creek. See additional resources and quotes about the Tropicana Field redevelopment project below. Thoughts on the Trop Site Redevelopment “We have to acknowledge that damage has taken place, that the ancestral damage has been done. And then we have to move forward with that sensibility in mind. We have to acknowledge the soul, and just placeholders .... You can never replace what was there. But with knowledge of the current times, you can commemorate and energize it.”—Bob Devin Jones (Artist Director & Co-Founder, Studio@620) “This is another scam [in which] Black people are going to be thrown under the bus .... This is the second time. Under the pretense that light industry was coming, the city convinced people to sell our property. They lied to us. It was a scam from the word go. They were lies from the beginning and they are lying now. It is economic development for the white community at our expense.—Chimurenga Waller (National Director of Organization, African People’s Socialist Party) “I fear a repeat of what happened to the Gas Plant district. If we don’t know and analyze what happened, we are doomed to repeat it .... We have to be careful that we do not fall into a trap again. Community should be first. This should [provide] industry for the whole area. The money has to come back. What we can do is keep the money inside. We can rebuild a thriving Black community—we still are a thriving community. We want to relieve the economic pressure of oppression.”— Jabaar Edmond (Film maker & Activist) “It is premature to decide [on a Trop site proposal]. The dynamics can change drastically in two years. The process is overreaching and can potentially limit opportunities for the next administration. The Pier represents the most recent major project undertaken by the City, where extraordinary funds were expended for a plan that was ultimately scrapped—as a result of a new administration’s vision. Expediting this process creates yet again an opportunity for broken promises. Have you learned nothing from the last time? We’re navigating the same process with the same compass .... We have to be reminded of what has been lost and how we got here. Let’s not be tricked again.”—Terri Lipsey Scott (Executive Director, Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum) “It was a tragedy. These people had been neighbors and friends for a long time and they were dispersed. A lot of these people were elderly and they had to pick up and move. It’s just not a really good feeling.”—Virginia Arno (Retired

Educator, Native of St. Petersburg) “It was like ripping a family apart. You knew you would never see people again .... I think it should go back to family, and family based, where our kids grew up together. Let’s get back to our roots.”—Roslyn Graham (Retired Business Owner, Native of St. Petersburg) “This is a generational project, and as a Black native St. Petersburg resident, I want to make sure that we will be able to make good on promises that were not kept before. We must make sure that the whole community—and specifically the Black community—is engaged and at the table.”—Nikki Capehart (Urban Affairs Director, City of St. Petersburg) “I think people need to go into this asking the hard questions. It’s easy to get excited about

center and luxury hotel best serve the interests of restoring economic justice to the site. How will these projects close economic gaps in the city? • In interviews with community members, we have rarely heard that “St. Petersburg needs a convention center/hotel.” During the many public meetings, particularly among south St. Petersburg residents, when has the call for these projects come up? • With only nine months left in his term and a “generational” decision on the line, is it within the best interests to keep this project on such a tight timeline? Benjamin Kirby, Communications Director for the City, responded for Mayor Kriseman: • With respect to convention center space, the RFP asked for a four-star (or higher) hotel,

a stadium) .... [C]onvention centers and hotels bring lots of jobs and people to any site, but a convention center is not something the City of St. Petersburg is necessarily focused on. It is just an idea, and one supported by some of the development teams. •With regards to the timeline, I would say it hasn’t been rushed. We are in year six of the visioning process and public engagement related to the site. Going forward, this project will transcend many mayors over many years. As you’ve heard Mayor Kriseman say, he is going to continue his work until the last minute of his last day in office. Learn more Any review of St. Petersburg’s history starts with Raymond O. Arsenault’s “St.

MIDTOWN

continued from page 15

CREEK DON’T RISE: Despite four finalists for the Trop redevelopment, some community members want to know why the rush. [the proposals]. But if the math doesn’t work, it all unravels .... It’s a great opportunity to connect the north and south parts of town. It’s a great opportunity for justice. We just have to make sure that we do not make any promises that we cannot deliver.”—Karl Nurse (City Council (2008-1018, St. Petersburg) Unanswered Questions The city of St. Petersburg, to its credit, has welcomed dialog and open exchange about the Tropicana Field site. After careful review of the four proposals, CL still had some questions. We presented these concerns (below, in slightly revised form) to Mayor Rick Kriseman: • In a previous interview, Alan DeLisle would not provide a direct response as to why a convention

with an integrated conference center consisting of 50,000–100,000 sq ft. That number was based off the market analysis performed by HKS [Architects]/RCLCO [Real Estate Advisors] during the conceptual master planning process in 2016. One proposal has gone far beyond that, with a proposed 650,000 square foot convention space, and did their own market/demand study to back it up. • The idea of a hotel & conference center was discussed heavily during the master planning process by the public and our economic development partners (i.e. Chamber [of Commerce], Downtown Partnership, Innovation District, & CVB [St. Petersburg/Clearwater Convention and Visitors Bureau). It was also included in both conceptual master plans (with & without

Petersburg and the Florida Dream, 18881950” (1988). Rosalie Peck and Jon Wilson fill in many gaps with “St. Petersburg’s African American Neighborhoods (1988).” Sarah-Jane L. Vartelot offers a plan for the Gas Plant, based on the past injustices, in “Where Have All the Mangoes Gone? Reactivating the Tropicana Field Site” (2019). “Voices of Booker Creek” (2020), edited by Anna Maria Lineberger, Dyllan Furness and Kelly Kennedy, includes a timeline and the transcript from a community forum about the Gas Plant neighborhood. The Nelson Poynter Memorial Library at the St. Petersburg campus of USF provides an excellent guide, “St. Petersburg African American History Resources,” find a link to the piece via cltampa.com/magazine.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 17

June 17t h -

27t h, 2021

For a limited time, participating Tampa Bay area restaurants will be offering multiple-course prix fixe menus and more at exclusive pricing!

TAMPABAYRESTAURANTWEEK.COM #TAMPABAYRESTAURANTWEEK

18 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Final frontier

Vote for rare IBEW strike could pass on Thursday. By McKenna Schueler

ocal Frontier Communications employees represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) labor union are in the process of voting on whether to authorize a worker’s strike, in protest of what they characterize as a failure of their employer to deliver on a fair labor contract. “Frontier’s broken systems and broken processes have led to broken promises,” a message on the union’s website reads. “Through it all, we the members of IBEW Local Union 824 have stuck together, because all we have is each other.” The IBEW Local 824, which represents about 1,300 Frontier workers locally, is currently negotiating a new contract with Frontier Communications, a Connecticut-based telecommunications company. The union’s current contract is set to expire on April 16. Union members have until Thursday morning, April 15, to deliver their vote on the strike authorization. For months, Tampa Frontier workers with the union—including technicians, customer service representatives, dispatchers, and sales agents—have voiced concerns about their contract negotiations with the telecom giant, which serves an estimated 4.1 million customers in 29 states and employs roughly 17,400 workers nationwide. Keith LaPlant, the president of the IBEW Local 824, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay there are two main grievances workers have with Frontier’s contract proposal: An elimination

of retiree healthcare—which they currently receive with their existing contract—and the diminishment of workers’ 401k. “[Our technicians] dig holes, they go into attics, they [see] a lifetime of injuries,” LePlant said, while adding that he wants these benefits to be available to all of their workers—many of whom, he says, often give the best years of their lives to the company. In the event that Frontier refuses to budge, the union is considering a call for a worker’s strike, to send a message to Frontier that can’t be ignored. As of this week, the union has initiated a strike authorization process. Through this, each worker with the union receives a ballot to vote— in this case, by mail—on whether they support the union calling for a strike, should they be unable to negotiate a fair bargaining agreement with Frontier. According to LaPlant, the local IBEW has only had one strike in its history—in 1963. Since 1997, when LaPlant came to the union, he says they’ve only authorized strikes about three times. None, however, actually materialized. “Voting to strike and striking are two different things,” he says, sharing that, in the past, they’ve generally gone back to the bargaining table to continue negotiating with the company. Workers with the IBEW Local 824 said even considering a workers’ strike—considered fairly rare—has been a long time coming.

LOCAL NEWS

“We have stuck with the company since the very beginning,” LePlant told CL, describing a transition period in 2016, during which time Frontier Communications took over the Florida region from Verizon after acquiring its wireless assets. In the beginning, LePlant says the transition was “rocky,” yet maintains that workers have stood by Frontier and have worked to retain and secure new customers for the company. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, LePlant says that local Frontier workers capable of working from home—their “inside people,” he says—adapted to a remote working environment. But for their technicians, who venture outdoors, into buildings, and into the homes of Frontier customers, there was little change. They continued business as usual. “As essential workers, we are required to enter customers’ dwellings and places of business to keep people connected during this deadly pandemic,” Norwood Orrick, a field technician for Frontier and IBEW 824 member told CL in February. “The boss says we don’t have to go inside anywhere we don’t feel safe. But my union gives me the actual power to work safely without fear of repercussions.” Although no workers with the union have been laid off or downgraded during the pandemic, LePlant said Frontier’s financial issues and the pandemic have placed some strain on Frontier’s essential workers and union contract negotiations. As previously reported by CL, Frontier Communications filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy last April, with the intention of restructuring

their company. Their restructuring plan—which involved appointing a new CEO, effective last month—has earned mixed responses from the likes of the IBEW and the Communications Workers of America (CWA)—two labor unions that represent Frontier workers in states across the country, including workers in California, Connecticut, and Georgia. Under their restructuring plan, Frontier will form a new holding company, make certain technological improvements, but maintain its current workforce of electricians and customer service representatives. Through restructuring, the company aims to eliminate over $10 billion in debt obligations and $1 million in annual interest payments. According to LePlant, the bankruptcy “really slowed down” the union’s bargaining process for the new contract with Frontier, which began in 2019. “When the bankruptcy came, Frontier kind of wanted to put a halt on that,” LePlant told CL—at least until the company got its finances together. Even so, the impact of the bankruptcy was not felt equally within the company. Within months after filing for bankruptcy, Frontier managed to score a total $63 million in bonuses for their executives. The first round of bonuses, amounting to nearly $38 million in May, was deemed in line with industry standards, according to the New York judge who signed off on the bonuses. A second round of $25 million in bonuses were later approved in July, despite opposition from organized labor and the U.S. Trustee’s Office. continued on page 20

“All we’re asking for is to keep what we already have.”

STRIKE LAST: Frontier workers with the IBEW Local 824 said even considering a workers’ strike has been a long time coming.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 19

FLAFLCIO/TWITTER

SUPER SHOWING: Supporters stand with IBEW 824 during a picket outside SBLV. continued from page 19 This, coupled with workers’ concerns about their new contract, earned a strong reaction from workers. Outside of this year’s Super Bowl LV at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, the union staged an impressively well-attended picket across the street at Al Lopez Park’s Cancer Survivors Plaza to demand a fair contract and respect for Frontier employees. “Your bargaining committee, staff, and officers at the Union hall respectfully request your assistance in our effort to secure a fair contract now,” the union posted on its Facebook page, about a week prior to the annual championship game. “Our plan is for an informational picket on the day of the Super Bowl to send a clear message to Frontier and their corporate partners like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Raymond James Stadium that taking away retirement benefits from our essential workers, including medical is simply not acceptable.” In response, an estimated 500 Frontier workers and community members came out to support workers’ demands on Super Bowl Sunday, holding signs and waving at cars driving towards Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, which seated about 25,000 fans and 30,000 cutouts for the annual championship this year. “It was just a great show of solidarity,” LePlant said, when asked about what the turnout meant to workers with the union. “And it just shows you that we have each other’s back.” Last Saturday, workers with the union returned to Al Lopez Park to hold a sign-waving event outside of Wrestlemania 2021, to uplift their demand for a fair contract with Frontier.

20 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Union members with the IBEW Local 824 have until Thursday morning, April 15, to deliver their vote on the strike authorization, should Frontier fail to budge on retaining their 401k and full retirement benefits in the new contract proposal. Although different for public employees, unionized workers with Frontier have the right to strike under Florida law as long as the strike is authorized—that is, supported—by the majority of workers in the union. When contacted for comment, Senior Vice President of the Frontier South Region Melanie Williams confirmed that Frontier was actively negotiating with the local union. “We value our relationship with the Union and appreciate the work our employees do to serve our customers,” Williams told CL in an emailed statement. “As we continue in this process, we remain committed to a resolution that is both fair to our employees and also addresses the needs of our business and marketplace realities.” When asked about the local union’s concerns, Williams confirmed that Frontier is “proposing some changes” within the new contract that allows the company to “better manage escalating benefits costs.” “We look forward to continuing to move this process forward, and to strengthening the foundation for providing good jobs into the future,” Williams added. In the meantime, the local union plans to continue advocating for a contract that retains their workers’ retirement benefits and 401k. “Our stance is very simple,” LaPlant told CL. “All we’re asking for is to keep what we already have. Nothing more.”

Doggone GOOD BEER! 1st

RUNNER UP

BEST

SMALL BREWERY IN FLORIDA 2020

40+ TAPS OF CRAFT BEER LARGE BEER GARDEN

PRIVATE EVENT SPACE AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL 1962 1st Ave S. IN ST. PETERSBURG (727) 235-0970 / pawbeer.com

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 21

22 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

KIMBERLY DEFALCO

FLY, LOREI: WMNF programming could see a shakeup now that Lorei is gone.

Signing out

WMNF founder fired again, but won’t appeal this time. By Ray Roa

hen Rick Fernandes was hired last fall to replace Craig Kopp as general manager of Tampa Bay community radio station WMNF 88.5-FM, station founder and news director Rob Lorei invited Fernandes to introduce himself to listeners on the station’s “Radioactivity” news program. In a clip from that program, a listener emailed to ask if Fernandes had any plans to fire Lorei, who’d previously been unceremoniously let go by Kopp before soon protesting to the board and getting his job back. Lorei and Fernandes had an innocent chuckle about the listener’s inquiry. Today, that exchange feels less lighthearted. Last Friday, Fernandes sent a message to WMNF volunteer programmers and staff to say that after more than 40 years at the station, April 9 was Lorei’s last day. “I want to thank him for his service to the station, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. If you have a program that is impacted, please email directly to discuss,” Fernandes wrote. In a statement to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Lorei said Fernandes’ reasoning was unclear and that he asked the GM to write a letter explaining his reasoning, but Fernandes disputed Lorei’s claim. “Rob was informed Friday afternoon of the reason not only by the General Manager, but a member of the board. Rob is free to share the cause of his termination if he chooses. Again, we thank Rob for his many years of service,” Fernandes wrote to CL.

Over the weekend—much like when Lorei was let go by Kopp in 2019—listeners wondered what a station without one of its founders and its news director would look like. But unlike that period of uncertainty in 2019, it does not look like Lorei will appeal to get his job back at WMNF. On Tuesday, Lorei told CL that “While I disagree with the GM’s decision about my employment, for the sake of the station I’m not going to fight it.” Lorei—who leaves behind staffers Sean Kinané and Daniel Figuero IV in the news department—alluded to big changes Fernandes has planned for WMNF. Those changes may have been outlined in a station meeting that was set to happen virtually on Wednesday night “Let’s hope WMNF succeeds. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished for the past 43 years. For all that time the station has been financially secure, we opened the airwaves to thousands of new voices and made a positive impact in the community,” Lorei wrote to CL. “Trying to keep my job now would just further divide the factions in the station and not be helpful. The WMNF listeners, volunteers, staff and board have made WMNF a role model for the country. And my hope is that WMNF will continue to be sustainable, committed to the original mission and have much success in the future.” Lorei still hosts WEDU’s “Florida This Week” news program and has been a bedrock of Tampa Bay’s news ecosystem for the last four decades. CL asked about his next moves and will update this post as more information becomes available.

LOCAL NEWS

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 23

CRAFT COCKTAILS ( SMALL PLATES ( FRENCH VIBES

@ CA R ACA R A N E ST

ATTENTION: CITY OF ST. PETE

UTILITY CUSTOMERS!

$300 UP TO IN REBATES AVAILABLE + A FREE RAIN BARREL!

Attend a free virtual workshop:

Saturday, May 15 · 9:30-11:30am Email: RainwaterRebates@stpete.org Visit: stpete.org/waterprograms Call: 727-892-5611 Pre-registration is required.

24 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Shit Happened FRIDAY 09 Tampa Electric Co. files a proposal seeking more than $400 million in base-rate increases during the next three years, meaning customers could see a rate increase of 19%. TECO says the additional money would help meet the needs of customers and expand clean energy—we say, “Why the hell does my power keep going out then?”

MONDAY 12 CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

St. Pete Pride is back, but skipping an in-person parade in lieu of a month-long event calendar featuring ticketed and masked events like 5Ks, galas, concerts and more. Nothing snarky to say about that—let’s party (safely) come June. In an attempt to kiss the ring of a one-term president holed-up in his private resort, Florida Sen. Rick Scott decided to literally invent the inaugural “Champion for Freedom Award” which, when you think about it, isn’t much different than the “Montgomery Burns Award

for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.” Talk about participation trophies. Video shows a Tampa Bay woman dealing with a baby alligator that somehow found its way into her kitchen last weekend. The clip shows her trying to push out the small hissing gator, which she says came into her friend’s kitchen from a small nearby pond. Hell. No.

TUESDAY 13 A dual, liquor-licensed strip club hit the market in St. Pete. For $2.2 million you can spend your days coming up with weirdly perfect door busters specials, like “Sizzlin Saturdays: Steak dinner and a lap dance for just $5,” then get on the loudspeaker and remind a room full of dudes of this incredible deal in between pole dance routines from your employees, who also have fantastic stripper names like Fantasia Mist and Diamond Sands. Eat shit for breakfast with us via cltampa.com/news.

THE BEACHES ARE HIRING! Drop off your resume at the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce:

6990 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL 33706 or email it to:

info@tampabaybeaches.com to get hired now!

LEARN MORE AT: tampabaybeaches.com/jobs

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 25

OFFICIAL

HARD SELTZER OF

26 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

RESTAURANTS

RECIPES

So drip

DINING GUIDES

South Tampa bakery expands to St. Pete, plus more foodie news. By Alexandria Jones and Stephanie Powers

on’t get logged out of your Instagram account because at least one of these openings is thirsty to get on your timeline. And while we’re not surprised that Cake Drip fans have driven the South Tampa bakery concept to the kind of success that leads to the opening of a new location, there’s a nice portion of other openings and food news to be consumed below. Keep up with Alexandria and Stephanie in real time via cltampa.com/ food.

menu has old faves like egg rolls and chicken & waffles with some new additions like “boujee biscuits”, sausage queso, and several decadent desserts like death by chocolate, an Oreo brownie cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. Bottled beers, wines, and cocktails are up for grabs, too. “The only difference is I had three separate menus in West Tampa but this time brunch is available everyday,” Suttle told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. 4205 S MacDill Ave., Tampa. @maincoursetampa on Instagram Southside Fresh Market South St. Petersburg is considered a food desert, where residents don’t have enough access to nutritional, healthy foods. But Judith Turner and Ramona Brayboy of Southside Fresh Market are changing that by bringing in fresh and locallysourced foods to the Melrose-Mercy and Jordan Park neighborhoods. An online option is in the works, but until then, Southside Fresh Market is open every Sunday 11 a.m-5 p.m. 2184 9th Ave. S, St Petersburg. southsidefreshmarket.com

Open Aussie Grill The Outback Steakhouseinspired concept opened its fourth free-standing location in Brandon. The menu includes sandwiches, burgers, large plates, and chef-curated salads made to order. The restaurant is open for dine-in and online ordering, plus pickup or delivery via UberEats and DoorDash. 1426 W Brandon Blvd., Tampa. aussiegrill.com Bayou Bodega Husband and wife Robert Sickler and Yari Ramos add to the to-do list on Tampa’s Davis Island when their natural wine bar and tapas restaurant opens on April 20. Tapas include garlic shrimp with manzanilla, crawfish mac, roasted sirloin with house-made chimichurri, bread pudding with Caribbean fruit, or Bayou Bodega’s po-boy sandwich with Serrano ham, garlic shrimp, Manchego cheese, and roasted piquillo peppers layered between bread from local legend La Segunda. 241 E Davis Blvd., Tampa. bayoubodega.com Ybor City Vegan Deli The Dunedin Vegan Deli group with three other locations in Dunedin, Brandon and Sarasota has opened in Cigar City. Staff has been ironing out the kinks since an April Fool’s Day opening, but the menu includes freshly sliced “pourk” for Cuban sandwiches, pizza (whole pies and by the slice), breakfast sandwiches, deli meats by the pound, Phillies, burgers, and desserts. 1903 N 19th St., Ybor City. @yborcityvegandeli on Instagram Main Course Open at the old Roux location in South Tampa’s St. Croix Plaza, armed forces vet Ashley Suttle aka “Chef Ai” has a new location for her restaurant and lounge. The

Coming soon Cake Drip In a surprise to nobody, The Cake Drip in South Tampa’s Hyde Park Village is a hit. It’s where guests enjoy several DIY experiences like cake decorating, chocolate bars or their chocolate tasting flights. According to St. Pete Rising, the fun is making its way over to St. Pete’s EDGE District when the boutique opens a second location around early-June where boutique store Plain Jane previously resided. Owner Faronda Davis told the website that the new location will have “a brunch and lounge vibe” with a full bar. She said the location’s 9 a.m.-8 p.m. hours allow them to have more fun. 1104 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. thecakedrip.com S Evers Street Downtown Plant City is proving that the neighborhood is more than just strawberries with a trio of concepts opening soon or opening now. Read more about Three Hands meadery, Crumbles and Cream and the Tipsy Bookworm on p. 32. ICYMI Florida State Fair announced its 2021 food lineup It’s the stuff of dreams

CAKEDRIP/FACEBOOK

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

EXTRA SLICE: St. Pete could get its own serving of ‘Cake Drip’ before the fall. and gastrointestinal nightmares, so we naturally ranked all the plates. You can read about Flamin’ Hot Cheeto funnel cake and more by finding this post on cltampa.com/magazine or just wait for next week’s physical edition where we’ll run the ranking in full on newsprint. April 22-May 2, Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 US-301, Tampa. $5-$20. floridastatefair.com Publix plans to open a ‘Pours’ craft beer bar in South Tampa Publix is tearing down a location, but has something better in store—a craft beer bar. Tampa Bay Business Journal pulled documents submitted to the City of Tampa and says the bar—complete

with seating—is going to be called Pours. The bar is part of a new store planned following the demolition of the old location which was built in the ‘80s at the intersection of Gandy Boulevard and Himes Avenue. Other upgrades for the prototype Publix location include a specialty cheese section, mezzanine level lounge as well as a drive-thru pharmacy. Pours—which also features kombucha, acai bowls, and wine along with craft beer—is a feature at Publix’s GreenWise stores, but would be a deviation from the norm for other Publix locations. There is no timeline on the demolition at 3615 W. Gandy Blvd.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 27

tampabaytacotakeover.com

28 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

#tampabaytacotakeover

FEATURING TACO & DRINK SPECIALS by:

& more to be announced! tampabaytacotakeover.com

#tampabaytacotakeover

A portion of proceeds benefits:

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 29

Share a photo

of your Taco Takeover experience on Instagram to be automatically entered to win $600+ in gift cards from TACO TAKEOVER restaurants + $400 in CL Deals!

Step 1: Take a photo of your delicious Taco Takeover experience. Step 2: Post your photo on Instagram by adding your location

at the participating restaurant. 2: Tag @cltampabay & use the hashtag #TampaBayTacoTakeover

Step Step 3: Share your photo to be automatically entered to win!

Each location you visit and tag on Instagram automatically gets you an additional entry into the contest!

tampabaytacotakeover.com

30 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

#tampabaytacotakeover

We’re Letting You Decide During: All participating locations are up for the coveted title, and we want to hear from you !

Voting begins at 9a.m. on April 20th. tampabaytacotakeover.com

#tampabaytacotakeover

A portion of proceeds benefits:

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 31

Mead me there

Three Hands among a trio of anticipated Plant City concepts. By Alexandria Jones

DINE IN • PICK UP • CURBSIDE

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY HALF OFF SELECT BOTTLES • DAILY HANDMADE PASTA AND BREAD • FRESH LOCALLY-SOURCED PRODUCE AND SEAFOOD • VEGAN CHICKEN PARM AND VEGAN PIZZAS WE ARE CLOSED ON MONDAYS.

7 1 8 S O U T H H O W A R D A V E N U E , TA M P A | 8 1 3 . 5 1 2 . 3 0 3 0 | A V ATA M P A . C O M

Largo's Best Cuban Sandwich

of you, giving us such a warm welcome in our new home, in downtown Plant City today,” said a Facebook post. Owner Grit Rambusch launched the bakery back in 2016 as something “on the side.” She sold her goods at farmer’s markets and through order requests. “As the founder of Crumbles and Cream, I am thrilled to launch crumblesandcream.com today and share my passion with more people in the Celebration, Florida community and beyond!,” she wrote on the bakery’s blog. “I can’t wait to excite your taste buds!” Crumbles and Cream is next door to Three Hands at 113 S Evers St. Stop by for “handcrafted, authentic, and seasonal” goods TuesdaySaturday 7:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. The Tipsy Bookworm, a taproom and used bookstore located nearby at 115 S Evers St., just celebrated its first week of opening, and an official grand opening is scheduled for April 17. “We’re doing the thing friends! Thank you to everyone that came out to support us during our first week, it means the world to us!,” owners Dani and Matt Morrow wrote on Instagram. Its beer list features out-of-state and local brands like Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, King State, Bay Cannon Beer Co. and Oviedo Brewing Company. Other drinks include wine, coffee, cider, kombucha, and craft soda. The Tipsy Bookworm’s hours of operation are WednesdayThursday 3 p.m.-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m.-11 p.m., and Saturday 1 p.m.-11 p.m.

OPENINGS

HAPPY HOUR IN THE BAR AREA TUESDAY-SUNDAY 5-7

Come relax on the covered patio

lant City is growing to show us it’s more than just strawberries; it’s slowly becoming a small foodie city with plenty of options for locals and visitors alike to choose from. Instagrammers of Plant City (@igersplantcity) recently mentioned some new foodie spots in town: Three Hands Meadery, Crumbles and Cream, and The Tipsy Bookworm. “To say we are THRILLED for all the new businesses opening up in Downtown Plant City would be an understatement,” the group posted on Instagram. Plant City’s first meadery, Three Hands Mead Company, is located in the historic downtown business district at 111 S Evers St. “Bringing you mead, fruit wines, and ciders!,” said Three Hands’ Facebook page. In an email to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Cody Lenz, who co-owns the meadery with his wife Jamie Paff, said Three Hands is scheduled to open mid-May. It will offer still and carbonated meads then gradually expand to hard ciders and fruit wines. “We will have guest beers available for on-site consumption as well as to-go,” he said. Three Hands Meadery will be open Wednesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Friday 4 p.m.-11 p.m., Saturday noon-11 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.-8 p.m. Bakery Crumbles and Cream held a soft opening event last week, sharing small batch baked goods and pastries like its popular French apple crumble cake and spinach feta quiche. “We did it! A big thank you to each & everyone

Pool, Corn Hole, Yard Pong, Darts

THURSDAYS:

Flow Night

FRIDAYS:

Movie Under The Stars + Karaoke

THREEHANDSMEAD/FACEBOOK

KAVA KRATOM DELTA-8 THC CBD SATURDAYS:

Open Mic Night

CREAM DREAM: Honey, almonds, and vanilla cream come together for this pastry available on Evers Street.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 33

the 32" PIZ g in c u d ro t Bay! In st in Tampa ...the bigge

ge: If 2 people n e ll a h C g n ti A in New Ea ping 32" PIZZ can eat a 1 top ceive a Free Pizza, re 1 hour... they t and $100!!!! ir h -S T a

idpizza

shesa #thatswhat

911 Central Ave. | St. Petersburg, FL | 33705

buyaramen.com | 727.202.7010

34 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Recently Reviewed: Takeout in Tampa Bay

More to love in the heart of s a fe t y h a r b o r

For now, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Jon Palmer Claridge—the Bay area’s longest-running food critic—is reviewing local takeout. Until it’s 100% safe to be shoulder-to-shoulder with each other in restaurants, I don’t see CL moving back to restaurant ratings. If you think there’s an out-of-this-world takeout experience he needs to try, please shoot me an email (rroa@cltampa. com). Oh, wear a mask and wash your hands, too. —Ray Roa Anju Chef Wolney has two “signature dishes,” K.F.C. (Korean fried chicken) and the Bap Bowl (bibimbap). Combined with the tots—K-town style with beef bulgogi, grilled kimchi, melted mozzarella and provolone cheeses, thinly sliced fresh scallions, crushed peanut or with Osaka, Japanese inspired crispy taters seasoned with Japanese mayo and sweet BBQ sauce, aonori (seaweed), bonito (tuna flakes), bacon, scallions and pickled red ginger—the menu is a menagerie of outof-this-world comfort food. $3-$14. 2827 16th St., N., St. Petersburg; 727-289-8568, anju-st-pete.square.site “Q” Southern Barbecue Chef Cameron Capri cooks up a perfect storm of the best American barbecue. Thinly sliced beef brisket is moist and not overly smoky, pulled pork butt is cooked low and slow to melt in your mouth, Lexington, North Carolina (western) style and meaty St. Louis style ribs are slow smoked until tender. Sauces are all made in house and represent a quintessential overview of popular barbecue styles, and the mac-n-cheese is a full on knockout. $3-$12. 664 Main St., Dunedin 727-734-7227; qbycapri.com Doormét With two locations—one on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, another off S Dale Mabry in Tampa—both sides of the Bay can get in on the well-oiled takeout operation featuring burgers, salads and fitness bowls and a strong Italian influence with hand-tossed pizzas, pastas, and classics chicken dishes. Saltimbocca is just marvelous, but I’m a sucker for the prosciutto and melted provolone that turns plain hand-breaded chicken medallions into a culinary supermodel. doormet.com

Jack’s London Grill This St. Petersburg takeout oasis delivers food that Brits crave. Jack’s fish and chips have crispy ale batter that coats the flaky white fish to perfection. Sausage rolls wrap a hot dog-sized link in puff pastry and bake it until perfectly crispy and seductive. The shepherd’s pie evokes fond memories and pushes all the comfort food buttons while the Bombay chicken curry and lentil pie balances the spices that swathe the tender chicken and legumes in a scrumptious mild coconut curry sauce. $5-$13. 1050 62nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-289-7170; jackslondongrill.com Taqueria Margarita Elia Maldonado proudly shares Abuela’s recipes homemade with the freshest ingredients, which instantly recall the pure flavors and aromas of food stalls in the Mercado de Coyoacán (abuela comes from México, Mexico). The array is mostly a familiar list: asada, pollo, el pastor, carnitas, campechano, and chorizo. On some days, there’s decadent and juicy quesabirria served traditionally, as a twice-cooked taco, or Instagram-ready as a tortilla “pizza” with the carne spread between two browned tortillas—and, yes, with a drool worthy consommé for dipping. $2.25-$11. 4001 W Dr. Martin Luter King Jr. Blvd., Tampa. 813-466-2484; @taqueriamargaritatpa on Instagram and Facebook Bodega on Central Designed to thrive in the face of today's challenge, Cubans and pork sandwiches are favorites, and the chicken version is a flavor explosion with contrasting textures. The flattened breast meat is balanced with smooth avocado and mango against crunchy jicama and fiery pickled chilies with some mango mayo. It’s a memorable mouthful for fans of spice. $0.50-$9. 1120 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-623-0942; eatatbodega.com

VISITSTPETECLEARWATER.COM

GRILL

NOW SERVING SUSHI & FULL BAR!

And Check Out Our New Outdoor Seating & Deck!

SUSHI

BAR

Join us for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Call for reservations 727-669-6762

156 4TH AVENUE NORTH, SAFET Y HARBOR, FLORIDA 34695 Ki t c h e n An dBa rAtSa f e t yHa r b o r. c o m

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 35

36 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

en p O ow

Melts • Smoodies • beer grab-&-Go eats Ono

Hawaiian for Delicious & tasty

685 CENTRAL AVE • ST PETERSBURG • 727-851-9862

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 37

In the wake of concerns about the novel coronavirus, it’s best to call or visit the websites of these breweries to check on their offerings.

CLEARWATER BREWING CO. Community-oriented and socially and environmentally conscious. 1700 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. clearwaterbrewingcompany.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of the Warehouse Arts District’s most popular hangouts, and a beautiful facility in which to drink some great brews. 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com

3 KEYS BREWING South-of-the-Skyway restaurant and brewery specializing in small batches. 2505 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. 951-218-0396, 3keysbrewing.com 7VENTH SUN BREWING Some of the best sours, IPAs and collabs going. Two locations. 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013/6809 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-2315900, 7venthsun.com

COTEE RIVER BREWING Craft beer in the heart of historic downtown New Port Richey. 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-807-6806, coteeriverbrewing.com CRAFT LIFE BREWING Small-batch local brews and a sort of playground or LoL’s craft brewing guild. 4624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-575-8440. facebook. com/CraftLifeBrewing

81BAY BREWING CO. South Tampa’s first craft brewery boasts a wide variety of styles. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com

CROOKED THUMB BREWERY Safety Harbor’s first brewery boasts homegrown flavor and local guest taps. 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-724-5953, crookedthumbbrew.com

ANGRY CHAIR Crazy-good Tampa beer, open Tuesday-Sunday. 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com

CUENI BREWING CO. Located off the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com

ANTIBREWERY Dunedin’s secret Sundays-only nano. 1367 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Dunedin

CYCLE BREWING One of St. Pete’s favorites. 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com

ARKANE ALEWORKS A wide variety of styles and flavors from the second brewery to open in Largo. 2480 E. Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com AVID BREWING This Grand Central brewing supply shop added a taproom for its beers crafted in-house. 1745 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-388-6756, avidbrew.com BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. Lager-specific brewery, carrying on an over 150 year brewing legacy. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. barriehaus.com BAY CANNON BEER CO. West Tampa's first craft brewery, offering a variety of ever evolving beers, beer slushies and wine that pair perfectly with appetizers and entrées from the kitchen. 813-442-5615, baycannon.com BIG STORM BREWING CO. Stop by this Pasco brewery’s Storm Room for a flight, or visit their taproom on 49th Street in Clearwater, too. 2330 Success Dr., Odessa. 727-807-7998, bigstormbrewery.com BIG TOP BREWING Perhaps Sarasota’s premier purveyor of locally crafted beer, Big Top’s reputation has spread far beyond the region. 6111 Porter Way, Sarasota. 941-371-2939, bigtopbrewing.com BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. This Brandon taproom from Bootleggers Beer & Wine Home Brewing Supplies offers house-made suds and guest beers. 652 Oakfield Dr., Brandon. 813-643-9463, bootleggersbrewco.com BRASSERIE ST. SOMEWHERE Award-winning Belgian farmhouse ales from veteran Bay area brewer Bob Sylvester. 1441 Savannah Ave., Tarpon Springs. 813-5036181, saintsomewherebrewing.com BREW BUS BREWING BB brews its own suds, boasts 20 taps and offers food at its Eatery, too. 4101 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-990-7310, brewbususa.com

DARWIN BREWING CO. Unique beers crafted with South American influence. 803 17th Ave. W., Bradenton. 941-747-1970, darwinbrewingco.com DE BINE BREWING CO. This addition bolsters the Northern Pinellas craft beer scene. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964. DISSENT BREWING CO. Unique flavors and adventurous style outside downtown St. Pete. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-342-0255.

HOB BREWING CO. Rotating taps; some of the beers are brewed on-site and alongside a combination of local breweries plus local and international craft beer makers. 931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. hob.beer IF I BREWED THE WORLD This self-described “mixtape of breweries” offers a bit of everything from the classic to the fun and outrageous. 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com IN THE LOOP BREWING Family-friendly Land O’ Lakes brewery with a lot of community support and plenty of events. 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com INFUSION BREWING CO. Another great location in the good-beer-packed Trinity/New Port Richey area. 7813 Mitchell Blvd. Ste 103, Trinity. 727-312-4512. INOCULUM ALE WORKS These folks are crazy for sours, and know how to craft ‘em. 554 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. inoculumaleworks.com JDUB’S BREWING COMPANY You know ‘em, you love ‘em. A favorite statewide phenomenon. 1215 Mango Ave., Sarasota. 941-955-2739, jdubsbrewing.com KING STATE Named the No. 8 coffee shop in America by Food & Wine, King State is also home to brewer and Flying Boat Brewing Co. alum Aric Parker, who’s making some of the cleanest core beers plus a dynamic offering of rotating taps and bomber options available on-site in limited capacities. 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813-2212100, king-state.com LAGERHAUS BREWERY & GRILL A Palm Harbor bar and eatery that offers seasonal brews to complement their regulars. 3438 East Lake Business, Palm Harbor. 727-216-9682, lagerhausbrewery.com

DUNEDIN BREWERY Florida’s oldest. Beer, eats and live music. 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com

LATE START BREWING This beloved Tampa label does its thing inside the Pour House. 1208 E. Kennedy Blvd. #112, Tampa. 813402-2923, latestartbrewing.com

DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER This beer stop brews its own, and also has 40 guest taps. 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com

LEAVEN BREWING Riverview’s first brewery is run by folks who’ve got experience brewing big and small. 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813677-7023, leavenbrewing.com

ESCAPE BREWING CO. Another very worthy Odessa/Trinity destination. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escapebrewingcompany.com FIVE BRANCHES Veteran-owned brewery, small batches from IPAs to stouts. Serving up brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 531 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. fivebranchesbrewing.com

MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING Brews, ciders, and meads by the beach. 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-3620008, madbeachbrewing.com MARKER 48 Hernando’s first production craft brewery, with its own tasting room and beer garden 12147 Cortez Blvd, Weeki Wachee. 352-6062509, marker48.com

FLYING BOAT BREWING COMPANY St. Pete aviation history and tasty homegrown suds. 1776 11th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-2999, flyingboatbrewing.com

MASTRY’S BREWING CO. From CD Roma’s restaurant to sweet new digs on St. Pete Beach. 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. 727-202-8045 mastrysbrewingco.com

BREW LIFE BREWING Ultra-small batches, and a lot of ‘em. 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com

FOUR STACKS BREWING An always-changing lineup of local and regional guest suds, along with trivia, live music and more. 5469 N. US HWY 41, Apollo Beach. 813641-2036, fourstacksbrewing.com

MOTORWORKS BREWING A taproom and beer garden featuring full liquor and wine as well as 30 taps. 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton. 941-567-6218, motorworksbrewing.com

BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. A multitude of styles from former garage brewers is on tap in Valrico. 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bullfrogcreekbrewing.com

GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 10,270 square-foot brewery, taproom, beer garden, and event venue with a lager-focused tap list. 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-202-6071, grandcentralbrew.com

CAGE BREWING Custom brews in the Grand Central District from one of the ‘Burg’s newest. 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278

GREEN BENCH BREWING COMPANY A space worthy of the adventurous beers it produces. 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com

CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the historic Dunedin Times building. 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com

GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. Thirty taps and food (and a coffee roaster!) from a husband-and-wife duo. 4824 14th St. W., Bradenton. 941-896-6381, thegoodliquidbrewing.com

CALUSA BREWING Family owned and operated, opened Tuesday to Sunday. 5701 Derek Ave., Sarasota. 941-922-8150, calusabrewing.com

GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts. 1650 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-2400804, grindhausbrewlab.com

CARROLLWOOD BREWING CO. “Secret” brewing action inside the Carrollwood location of craft-bar chain The Brass Tap. 10047 N. Dale Mabry HWY, STE 23, Tampa. 813-969-2337

GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches with an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Tampa. facebook.com/GulfportBrewery

CIGAR CITY BREWING Tampa’s most famous craft brewery. There’s also a taproom at Amalie Arena. 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com

HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS This Tampa Heights brewery features a rotating tap selection. 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com

BREW HUB Some of the area’s best beers are produced here along with suds for their own label. 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com

38 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

MR. DUNDERBAK’S The longtime restaurant, biergarten and homebrewers’ hangout is serving up its own beers. 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813-9774104, dunderbaks.com NAUGHTY MONK BREWERY Naughty Monk brings a love of Belgian styles to Manatee County. 2507 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton. 941-708-2966, naughtymonkbrewery.com OVERFLOW BREWING St. Pete’s newest, courtesy of local Rapp head brewer Troy Bledsoe and company. 770 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-914-0665, facebook.com/overflowbrewingco PEPPER BREWING The Angry Pepper Taphouse’s inhouse label, available “on a limited basis.” 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertaphouse.com PESKY PELICAN BREW PUB This beachy restaurant also offers up its own beers thanks to an in-house nano system. 923 72nd. St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600, peskypelicanbrewpub.com

PINELLAS ALE WORKS PAW offers a dog-friendly environment in addition to tasty brews. 1962 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-235-0970, pawbeer.com RAPP BREWING COMPANY Greg Rapp’s awardwinning styles are carefully crafted and delicious. 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER This video game-centric Grand Central District craft beer bar started brewing its own in early 2018. 2244 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-360-0766, stpetearcadebar.com ROCK BROTHERS BREWING Brews named for national and local bands have a home in Ybor City. 1901 N. 15th St., Ybor City. 813-241-0110, rockbrothersbrewing.com SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY House-crafted brews, pizza, and sports out toward beautiful Siesta Key. 6607 Gateway Ave., Sarasota. 941-925-2337, sarasotabrewing.com SILVERKING BREWING CO. This space in Tarpon Springs complements a label that’s been around since 2012. 325 East Lemon St., Tarpon Springs. 727-4227598, silverkingbrewing.com SIX TEN BREWING A wide variety and a real passion for the craft-brew community. 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-886-0610, sixtenbrewing.com SOGGY BOTTOM BREWING More Dunedin goodness, including some truly original flavors and inventive brews. 660 Main St., Dunedin. 727-601-1698, soggybottombrewing.com SOUTHERN BREWING & WINEMAKING Multiple brews only available in its tasting room, as well as products and guidance for local homebrewers. 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com ST. PETE BREWING COMPANY Beers crafted specifically for the climate. 544 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-692-8809, stpetebrewingcompany.com STILT HOUSE BREWERY This friendly Palm Harbor joint specializes in high-ABV ales and other styles you won’t find at other breweries in the area. 625 US Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727-270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com SWAN BREWING Nearly 4 decades of combined brewing experience go into the offerings at this petfriendly joint. 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland. 863-703-0472, swanbrewing.com TBBC Formerly Tampa Bay Brewing Co., local favorite for nearly two decades. 1600 E. 8th Ave., Ybor City/13933 Monroe’s Business Park, Westchase. 813247-1422, tbbc.beer TAMPA BEER WORKS At the former site of ESB Brewing, TBW focuses on American craft styles. 333 N. Falkenburg Rd., Suite D407 Tampa. 813-685-1909, tampabeerworks.com TIDAL BREWING COMPANY Small batches in Spring Hill. 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-7011602, tidalbrewingfl.com TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY Tarpon Springs’ latest brewery and taproom focuses on American ale styles. 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-9406077, facebook.com/twofrogsbrewing KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN ALE + CIDER Tasty brews from the folks behind Keel & Curley winery. 5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City. 813-752-9100, keelandcurleywinery.com TWO LIONS WINERY & PALM HARBOR BREWERY Wine and beer brewed in-house. 1022 Georgia Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-786-8039, twolionswinery.com ULELE SPRING BREWERY Beer crafted in accordance with traditional Bavarian purity laws. 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com THE WILD ROVER BREWERY What started as an English pub in Odessa is now a higher-production facility in Westchase. 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa. 813-475-5995, thewildroverbrewery.com WOODWRIGHT BREWING COMPANY Traditional German styles in downtown Dunedin. 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-238-8717, facebook.com/ woodwrightbrewing ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY East Paco’s first microbrewery. 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills. 813-715-2683, zbcbeer.com

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 39

Discover the elegance of ancient Antioch, relive a historic excavation, and experience the rare treasures unearthed.

April 10 – August 22

Learn traditional printmaking Workshops in - Etching - Lithography - Letterpress - Silkscreen and more. Our gallery space has local and handmade gifts Drop by during normal hours Tuesday thru Friday 11-4 Saturday 11-6 • Sunday 12-4

Roman, Antioch, Mosaic fragment from The House of Ge and the Seasons (detail), c. AD 200–300, Stone Tesserae, Museum purchase Roman, Tetrarchic, Relief from a Sarcophagus with Christ as the Good Shepherd, c. AD 300, Marble, Princeton University Art Museum

40 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

THEATER

Leonard Bernstein’s New York: A live drive-in concert experience Through May 9 freeFall Theatre $35 single; 75-$99 per vehicle (4 people) 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg 727-498-5205; freefalltheatre.com

MOVIES

THEATER

ART

CULTURE

Take a bite

‘Bernstein’s New York’ visited thoughtfully in St. Pete. By Jon Palmer Claridge through the windshield. Lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green switch the usual paradigm of the horny guy coming on strong to his new gal pal. Instead, the naive man overwhelmed and excited by his first visit to NYC, repeatedly ignores the female cabbie’s brazen pleas for romance. It’s a comic gem that was quite suggestive for 1943 and a chance for Julia Rifino to shine. She also delivers a spirited version of the saucy double entendres in “I Can Cook Too” surrounded by a circle of flickering flames in the encore, lest we miss the point. Davis outfits Rifino in a luscious red dress with a cinched waist, rolled collar and flowing, flared pleats that, along with her hairdo, create a silhouette straight out of a 1950s sitcom or an ad for Lucky Strikes. Carrero, by comparison, fades away visually, in a blue checked shirt and khaki pants. Tom Hansen lights his “erector set” set with dynamic flair of color and patterns.

softens what Jerry Robbins called the “kinetic motor” of the work. Likewise, it’s hard to project the desperate humor of the siblings in “Wonderful Town” clinging to each other in “Ohio” when social distancing won’t allow for the actors to touch. The evening features two rarely heard numbers for which Bernstein also penned the lyrics. “I Hate Music” from his 1943 song cycle for kids which features unpredictable intervals and dissonance often associated with his scores. I was shocked, for it’s been decades since I heard this sung (I was dating a soprano). And the lovely “Build My House” from his forgotten 1950 “Peter Pan” (the other one without Mary Martin) which hints at the emotional finale from “Candide,” one of his finest scores, but decidedly not New York. Even divorced from their dramatic context, these songs make for a very pleasant evening. But everything about Lenny was larger than life and this brisk hour conjures up a human instead of a giant.

“Even divorced from their dramatic context, these songs make for a very pleasant evening.”

THEE PHOTO NINJA

ver the past decade, freeFall Theatre has proven itself to be Tampa Bay’s premier producer of musical theater. Artistic Director Eric Davis with Musical Director Michael Raabe has built a team of musicians and designers, et. al. who bring Swiss watch precision and synchronicity to the effort. freeFall’s pandemic solution has been to create an outdoor drive-in theater on the west side of its campus which sports huge screens for Davis to add video to the live performers and send the superbly mixed sounds through your car radio. Their latest is a two-singer revue celebrating Leonard Bernstein’s New York, principally from his two shows with the brilliant team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green: “On the Town” (1944 when they were all over-achieving 20-somethings) and 1953’s Tony-winner, “Wonderful Town.” And, of course, the legendary “West Side Story,” which was a bit too intense for 1957 audiences, and introduced a young unknown lyricist named Stephen Sondheim. The 1962 Best Picture made “West Side Story” immortal for a wide-ranging audience, and now fans wait with baited breath for the new COVIDdelayed remake from Steven Spielberg based on Tony Kushner’s revamped script that hits screens this December. Leonard Bernstein was a supernova in the constellation of American music—a charismatic teacher, flamboyant conductor, and prolific composer of iconic symphonic and Broadway music. For lovers of his Broadway scores especially, the full orchestrations are missed. Not that Raabe and his superb team of musicians (who also delightfully show up on screen) don’t do their usual bang-up job. And the estimable Rob Fisher, who for so many years resuscitated old musicals for the Encores series at NYC’s City Center, provides terrific scaled down arrangements that bravely tackle orchestral gems from “Wonderful Town” and even the thrilling mambo from “West Side Story.” Davis does his best to fill the screen with pizzazz and even flashes “MAMBO” red in all caps to distract us from the indelible memory of Jerome Robbins’ choreography. One of the highlights is “Come Up to My Place” from “Wonderful Town.” Davis is able to show his actors in an iconic NY taxi on the screen, which the audience views straight on

Davis’s video reinforces the action with a rich panoply of memorable images from a gargantuan full moon to swirling tendrils of smoke. The city is seen from every iconic angle, era, time of day, and speed of image imaginable, ending with a striking white vortex of a swirling musical staff filled with notes that have jumped the page and ultimately burst into fireworks. Emmanuel Carrero sings like an angel. But Leonard Bernstein’s songs are like capturing lightning in a bottle. Bernstein’s striking music is at its best when the beautiful sounds resonate with dramatic flair. What’s missing here are the emotional colors that dramatic context provides—the ceaseless anticipation in “Something’s Coming,” the volcanic euphoria of “Maria” and the fervent plea for the bond of unbreakable love in “One Hand, One Heart.” I want a bit more devil in the details. The sweetness that made Carrero such a delicious and memorable Yum Yum in freeFall’s landmark all-male “Mikado” a few years back,

LUCKY STRIKE: Emanuel Carrero (L) and Julia Rifino at freeFall Theatre.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 41

PLAY TOGETHER

$65.96 of bowling for $32 at CL Deals .com

2 hours of bowling for up to 4 people. Veterans 5555 W. Hillsborough Avenue Tampa, FL 33634 (813) 884-1475

Midtown 4847 N. Armenia Avenue Tampa, FL 33603 (813) 877-7418

East Pasco 6816 Gall Boulevard Zephyrhills, FL 33542 (813) 782-5511

Bowling Classes: Pin Chasers makes it easy to learn with our 4-week “Have a Ball!” program for adults. Sign-up as an individual, couple or a group.

Make a FastLane reservation at

pinchasers.net

SCHEDULE A

FREE CONSULTATION WITH OUR EXPERTS!

Because Disinfectants Stop Working Once They Dry. Our Antimicrobial Protection works 24/7 for up to 90 days. Bio-Safe Surfaces offers the most advanced Antimicrobial Surface Protection available today.

Visit bio-safesurfaces.com -or- call for more information 42 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

727-479-7940

NOT CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF: Director Neil Burger (L) and Tye Sheridan on the set of ‘Voyagers.’

Dull-tastic voyage

Despite potential, this sci-fi sex romp gets lost in space. By John Allman

he advance trailers for “Voyagers,” an It’s a shame, because the central themes ambitious new sci-fi thriller, played up the explored in “Voyagers” are solid. bacchanalian hijinks that ensue when a In the year 2063, as global warming worsens crew of teen-aged astronauts discover a way to to an extinction-level event, scientists discover a unlock all of their emotions instantly. possibly habitable planet millions of miles away. And for its first 20 minutes A manned mission to explore the or so, “Voyagers” seems like it new world will take 86 years. So a might succeed in transforming team of scientists and engineers, the electric rush of hormones, led by Colin Farrell, decide to from lust to love to jealousy and breed their own 30-member crew Voyagers anger, into a fevered and halluin a hermetically sealed environ★ cinatory visual feast. ment, meaning none of the young Now playing in theaters only But writer-director Neil men and women will have any Burger, no stranger to science-fiction, having knowledge of the life on Earth they are leavhelmed “Limitless” and “Divergent,” forgets ing behind. Once in space, the crew will pair off to focus on the wonder and discovery of his and procreate, and their children will eventuyoung vessels, and loses himself instead in a ally have children, meaning the initial crew’s tepid re-do of “Lord of the Flies,” only in space grandchildren will be the first humans to set foot on the new planet. instead of on an island.

FILM & TV

LIONSGATE/VLAD CIOPLEA

That’s a pretty damn good idea, if you ask me. Farrell’s Richard, as surrogate parent to these new space pioneers, accompanies them as the only adult. He also makes the decision to stunt their emotions, thereby muting any unpredictable feelings of lust or jealously or violence, by administering a daily inhibitor called The Blue. All goes well until 10 years into the trip when Zac (Fionn Whitehead) somehow decides to stop taking The Blue, and immediately encourages others, including Christopher (Tye Sheridan), to do the same. Almost immediately, those that follow Zac’s lead experience an endorphin rush they’ve never known, which Burger visualizes with short bursts of visceral imagery. Zac himself turns inexplicably rape-y, brute-forcing himself on any adjacent female, including Sela (Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny). He also hungers for power, undermining Christopher’s rational approach to

problem-solving, by encouraging subjugation and fealty once the young crew finds itself on their own with light years still to travel. The speed with which Burger introduces big ideas only to discard them in favor of so-so action and sex sequences is the fatal fly in the ointment that hobbles “Voyagers.” There’s no time to identify with, much less invest in, any of the characters. Sheridan makes for a surprisingly bland lead, especially after the success of “Ready Player One,” and Whitehead is completely one-note as the central villain. That leaves Depp, and she does okay given the material she’s working with, but the jury is still out as to whether she will grow into an actor capable of iconic performances like her father. Honestly, the entire last half-hour of “Voyagers” is a waste. The climatic showdown is devoid of tension. And by the time the credits roll, you’ll be left wondering why you just willingly sacrificed nearly two hours for nothing.

“There’s no time to identify with, much less invest in, any of the characters.”

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 43

44 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

“DeGeorge has posted his liquor license as collateral…” REVIEWS

PROFILES

MUSIC WEEK

Glitch slapped

New York Times highlights Ybor venue as SBA rescue grant application stalls. By Ray Roa “Those who lost 90 percent of their revenue (compared to the prior year) after the coronavirus pandemic took hold will have a 14-day priority window for receiving the money, followed by another 14-day period for those who lost 70 percent or more,” the Times added. “If any funds remain after that, they will then go to applicants who had a 25 percent sales loss in at least one quarter of 2020.” As CL pointed out in December, language in the relief bill expressly excludes businesses that operate in more than 10 states and employ more than 500 people, among other restrictions. That means venues owned by large corporations, like Live Nation or AEG, are not eligible. On his way back from his accountant’s office, DeGeorge told CL he, like others across the U.S., was unable to apply. He couldn’t even update a single file supporting his application.

The grant is part of the massive economic stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan Act, signed on March 11 by President Biden. That relief bill added $1.25 billion to the cash reserves for grants to be made available for venues. The assistance came to fruition against all reasonable odds late last year after a diehard group of about 40 independent venue owners and promoters marshalled their energies and got a $15 billion provision included in the $900 billion pandemic relief package that Congress passed and President Trump signed into law. It’s called the Save Our Stages Act, and it just might do what its name promises. These people, who became instant lobbyists and called themselves “The Fuckers,” did the heavy lifting on behalf of a larger organization, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which hastily formed just a few weeks after the coronavirus shut down live entertainment. Reporting from Eric Snider and Matthew Moyer appeared in this story.

LOCAL NEWS

JAVIER ORTIZ

irst to close. Last to open. And they still can’t get help. After a year closed and running at limited-capacity, small music venues across the country got a lifeline early this year when they learned that they were poised for a federal bailout specifically meant for the small clubs that are the lifeblood of the American touring industry. On April 8 at noon—along with other theaters and other live event businesses—those venues started to apply for a Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program meant to “provide a much-needed lifeline for live venues, museums, movie theaters.” But as the New York Times points out, there’s been a glitch in the system that’s preventing venues from applying. The SBA acknowledged the glitch eerily reminiscent of problems with the rollout of applications for the Paycheck Protection Program. The SBA said it was “working as fast as possible” to address the technical issues. On top of its story, the Times ran a photo of Ybor City venue owner Tom DeGeorge— who Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has been in constant contact with since the fight to save stages started—inside of Crowbar, which has lost an year of concerts and close to $1 million in revenue. DeGeorge—a Florida captain and Southeast leader for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which lobbied for the music venue grant—told the Times he’s posted his liquor license as collateral in the process of taking out more than $200,000 in personal loans to keep his business afloat. DeGeorge—who’s been the loudest voice for local venues that were the first to close at the onset of the pandemic—cut back on his local interviews as he prepared his application for the grant. He has been operating at a loss since reopening for limited-capacity shows driven by locals. The national touring industry that made his club one of the busiest in Tampa Bay is still on its knees. Applying for the grant is a deliberately complicated process to make sure someone’s not just setting up a piano in a bar and calling themselves a music venue. But the funds—if they arrive—should be worth it. The Times says that successful applicants will receive a grant that equals 45% of their gross earned revenue from 2019, up to $10 million.

“Last night I told people, ‘Don’t be devastated if we don’t get to hit send tomorrow.’ For the first 30 minutes, it wasn’t working and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be up tonight,” DeGeorge added. Brian Thompson, General Manager at Carrollwood comedy club Side Splitters, told CL that his venue was also unable to apply for the grant. DeGeorge said reps from NIVA told him they were working with the SBA to clear up glitches in the Q&A. Within his NIVA threads there’s confidence that when the glitches are worked out, the SBA will give ample notice to venues before making the application live again. On Monday, April 12, DeGeorge told CL that despite any unexpected changes, he does not expect applications for the SBA’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grant to be available any sooner than Thursday, April 18. “I trust the SBA when they say they’re going to give us ‘ample time’ to go through the new FAQ section of the grant application before opening the portal,” DeGeorge said.

SENYO SAYS: Senyo Fugar of Bangarang onstage at Crowbar in Ybor City, Florida on March 10, 2021.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 45

DAILY HAPPY HOUR! 11AM-6PM

$2.50 YUENGLING & BUD LIGHT DRAFTS / $3.50 WELL DRINKS / $4.50 CALL DRINKS & HOUSE WINE

WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY 6-9PM DINE OUT FOR 2 6-9PM $10 SLIDER BASKETS Choice of APPETIZER, 2 ENTREES $ 6-10pm 2.50 PBR & ROLLING ROCK TALLBOYS & A DESSERT All for $35

2 for $35 Tuesdays

5 CRAFT ON DRAFT THIRSTY THURSDAY + 1/2 OFF SELECT APPS FRIDAY 4/16

SATURDAY 4/17

Chris Rastelli

Corey Rubin

LIVE MUSIC • 7-10PM

SUNDAYS

FROM

6-9pm

BLOODY MARYS, MIMOSAS OR SANGRIA

471 MAIN STREET, DUNEDIN FL • 727-736-2BBQ (2227) • THEDUNEDINSMOKEHOUSE.COM

TAMPA BAY’S PREMIER

INDEPENDENT GUITAR STORE

FIND THE PERFECT

GUITAR/BASS/AMP/PEDAL

ALL MAJOR BRANDS ALLTHE THE MAJOR

Karaoke

7 Nights a Week! AT

HUNDREDS OF GUITARS TO CHOOSE FROM

BRANDS 10% OFF BRING IN THIS COUPON TO RECEIVE

HUNDREDS OF GUITARS ONE REGULAR PRICED ITEM. TO CHOOSE FROM NO COPIES ALLOWED, MUST PRESENT THIS AD

3944 S. DALE MABRY

REPLAYGUITAR.COM 46 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

BRITTON PLAZA, TAMPA

813-254-8880

with KJ's

BARB YOUNG & MARTY DJFX DOLAN DINE IN & TAKE OUT

DINE IN & TAKE OUT • OPEN 8AM-3AM STRICTLY FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES! 2116 E2116 BAY DR • LARGO, FL • 727-584-3126 E BAY DR • LARGO, FL • 727-584-3126

thecornerbarandgrill.com thecornerbarandgrill.com

BAR | RESTAURANT | MUSIC VENUE

THU APRIL 15 –WED APRIL 21

26TH ANNIVERSARY WEEK! W 4.14

ESTRELLA GALICIA PRESENTS

LOCALS SHOWCASE

TH 4.15

PRESENTED BY 81 BAY

THE FINEST IN FUNK w/DJ AJ Hall 6:30-9:30 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

ANCHOR STEAM & UNIBROUE SAMPLING

6-7 | FREE | BAR/BIERGARTEN Happy hour all night! Plinko games!

F 4.16

Florida Folk/singer-songwriter

7:30-9:30 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

LIAMBAUMANMUSIC/FACEBOOK

Designated Safe And Sound Venue

FRI 16

Juvenile w/YoursTru Bigga You wanna go see Juvenile, ha. Cause he’s playing in Tampa, ha. Well you gotta wear a mask, ha.

Mike Mass w/Ayam/Perf/G3thatguy/ Jimbo Shrump/DJ DFAZ/more Tampa Bay already knows that Mike Mass is one of— in the words of De La Soul—the “Greatest MCs in the World.” Lately, he’s been showing everybody else what he’s got. Take this past Sunday for instance. Mass gets a latenotice gig opening for Conway the Machine at Club Skye. Not only does Mass kill his set, but then he freestyles in Conway’s ear and by the looks of Conway’s “damn-I-just-atesomething-real-good” facial expressions, he killed that as well. Mass said it best in

the video, “If you want me to keep going, I’ll keep going.” Yes, Mike, we sure do. You’re unstoppable. Mass brings the Wave Theory crew for a Friday night show outside of Lowry Parcade, with Ayam, Perf, G3thatguy, DJ DFaz, Jimbo Shrump, and Meho Drums performing. I can’t really think of a better way to spend a Friday night than listening to local hip-hop in between beating the high score on “Centipede” at the local craft beer bar arcade. (Lowry Parcade, Tampa)

SAT 17

Dirty Dozen Brass Band New Orleans outfit Dirty Dozen Brass Band brings its Louisiana-style jazz and funk to the small room at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The Dozen has performed all over the world since its formation in 1977, including at Tampa's very own Gasparilla Music Festival in 2017, with original members trumpeter Gregory Davis, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph, and saxophonists Roger Lewis and Kevin Harris still in the band. For a real treat, check out all seven musicians (I guess seven does a dirty dozen make) squeezing into a small space for NPR’s TIny Desk Concert. Tickets are sold by the table for up to three guests which includes a charcuterie tray. You’ll be able to order more food and beverage through tableside service. Tables are spaced six-feet apart, there’s a mask requirement and temperatures are being checked at the door. (Kate Tiedemann And Ellen Cotton Cabaret Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

continued on page 49

DJ CUB AND CATMAT 9:30-12 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

LAURIS VIDAL

one-man roots rock band

1-3 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

JOHN NOWICKI alt-country/jazz/ metal/etc. & THE HOLY TERROR MIKE MASS hip-hop 8:30-11:30 | $20-$35/TABLE | MUSIC HALL NEW BELGIUM BBQUSTIC!

JEREMY GLOFF pop/rock 7:30-9:30 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

STEPH$ DJ

9:45-12 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

SU 4.18

Johnny Jetson w/Sick Hot/Zero Effect Johnny Jetson oozes rock and roll, and it’s not just his Mick Mars hair, leopard everything, patched-up denim or the look that says he’s been hanging in a Hollywood dive bar for a decade or two. Jetson’s music is catchy, glam-influenced rock meant to have a fucking good time to. Like a pop Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, or something Nick Cage’s “Valley Girl” character would be listening to—it’s the lo-fi Stooges on a bender. Jetson plays Tampa’s Brass Mug keeping his image purely seedy. What really rocks is that there is no more smoking inside of the Mug, masks are required and temperatures are taken at the door. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

Cause we in a pandemic, ha. If you haven’t guessed by my (very bad) homage, one of the greatest rappers from one of the greatest music subgenres (‘00s Southern rap) is coming to Tampa, specifically Whiskey North. So get ready to “Back that Azz up” (or “Back that Thang Up,” if you’re more of a radio edit kind of listener). Juvenile, who started off with B.G., Turk, and Lil Wayne in the Hot Boys out of New Orleans before he went solo, isn’t just playing one off shows as of late. According to Rolling Stone and Juvie’s Instagram, he spends a lot of his pandemic time making decorative housewares like lamps and tables “using metals, wood, electric and paint” which you can buy through his company Made by Juvie. The event is advertised as the “Living Legends Series” so hopefully that means they got some Ying Yang Twins, Big Tymer$ or some more of that aughts shit coming down the pipe. Tampa MC YoursTru Bigga, fresh from his February single “Buccaneers Roll,” opens. Masks really are required, ha. (Whiskey North, Tampa)

SA 4.17

The local concert scene is finding ways to try and stay on its feet. We’ve marked the gigs at venues that have joined a Tampa-based and city-recognized “Safe & Sound” initiative that pledges to strictly enforce limited capacity, mask wearing and social distancing—and tried our best to explain COVID-19 protocols at venues that not able to join Tampa’s “Safe & Sound” program.

Americana /bluegrass 8:30-11:30 | $20-$35/TABLE | MUSIC HALL

TREBLE HOOK

Liam Bauman

By Stephanie Powers

WILL QUINLAN & MELISSA GRADY THE WANDERING HOURS

JSANTI rock/singer-songwriter 3:30-5:30 | FREE | BIERGARTEN

SUNSET SUNDAYS 6-9 | FREE | BIERGARTEN The Sunset Sunday DJs return!

810 Skagway Ave | Tampa 813.304.0460 | newworldtampa.com

OPEN WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY | 11AM-12AM

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 47

48 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

continued from page 47

C Straz Jazz Project: Gumbi Ortiz and New Groove City Despite performing with

his band New Groove City as part of Straz’s Jazz Project, Gumbi Ortiz doesn’t consider himself a jazz musician. “I don’t see myself as a genre player. I’m not a jazz player, or a conga player, or a Latin player, or funk player. I just see myself as a drummer,” Ortiz told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Ortiz and his band not only entertain the masses on the Straz’s Riverwalk Stage Saturday night but Ortiz is also hosting a free Latin Percussion Workshop earlier that day at the Patel Conservatory. Though both events are free, you will need a ticket for a spot. The Straz Center has been golden in its COVID19 protocols and continues to be, because it ain’t over yet. Masks are still required, and

social distancing seating is in place. Straz is also helping the CDC contact trace and has posted a disclaimer saying that a ticket purchase or class registration authorizes Straz to release your contact and seating information to state and federal health authorities in the event of potential exposure to COVID-19. (Riverwalk Stage at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts)

WED 21

C Beer Garden Sessions: Jeff Brawer w/G’on Git/The Melan Sea While Tom

JUVIETHEGREAT/FACEBOOK

Recycled Tunes Instrument Drive Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF) has officially been rescheduled for October, and you can once again score a free weekend pass by donating a gently used musical instrument at this instrument drive happening from from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. during the Winthrop Popup Market. A yet to be announced live music act will be part of the drive on Saturday, but if you don’t feel like sticking around, there’s a curbside drop-off area north of the market entrance on Bloomingdale Avenue. (Winthrop Town Center, Riverview)

Juvenile DeGeorge is busy trying to #saveourstages (and geting national press while doing so, see p. 45) he also has a venue to run, continuing to book Safe and Sound shows weekly. On Saturday, space cowboy J.T. Brown, Clearwater’s Row Jomah, plus singer-songwriter and storyteller Liam Bauman (pictured, p. 47) are there. And on Wednesday, Beer Garden sessions return with a killer mashup of Tampa Bay talent including the gravel-voiced singer-songwriter Jeff Brawer, MC G’on Git, and cellist Melissa Grady’s three-piece band The Melan Sea. All shows are limited capacity with a mask requirement and temperatures are checked at the door. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

THU 22

Damon Fowler w/Dan Signor Red Star Rock Bar has added a big ol’ new music venue, restaurant and bar to it’s family with Red Star Live, at 9841 E Adamo Dr., part of Brandon’s Harley-Davidson Dealership. If that alone doesn’t sound like a place where Dalton from “Road House” would spend his nights kicking some ass, know there’s no noise ordinance in the new location, so things can get real loud. The venue has three stages, two bars, a giant outdoor patio and a full service restaurant serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. The menu is classic bar noshes—burgers, wings, and oyster specials on Sundays. Though only open since February, Red Star Live has already welcomed local favorites including Damon Fowler for the “Fowler and Friends’’ series every Thursday in April. Fowler, whose recent album Alafia Moon hit no. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album charts, is joined by Dan Signor on April 22. And in case you are wondering, Seminole Heights’ Red Star Rock Bar is still open though the Ybor City location has been transformed to the bar White Lie (though still run by the same group). (Red Star Live, Tampa)

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 49

FULL BAR

Sticky Rice w/

Mango!

Hurry in, only available for a limited time! Open for Take Out & Dine-In

Celebrating 21 YEARS!

(813) 258-5893 RoyalPalaceThai.com

Q: Who is having thoughts of suicide? c.

a. b.

It’s not clear, is it? People of every income level, race, gender, sexuality, and religion think about suicide. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is the community’s gateway to help, hope and healing. Last year alone, we assisted over 5,000 callers struggling with thoughts of suicide.

CALL 2•1•1 Be Heard. 50 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Where the vinyl is: a list of Bay area record stores

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) mid-2019 revenue report said streaming music accounted for 80% of total industry revenues, which rose 18% to $5.4 billion. Vinyl album revenue grew 13% to $224 million, but the RIAA also pointed out that sales of wax still only accounted for 4% of total revenues. Rough translation: Yeah, people are buying more records, but your local shop still needs you more than ever. If you’re reading this page, then you probably already know this, but you need your local shop, too. So many of the spaces listed to the right are so much more than stores. They’re community centers for ArtPool Records (2030 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) 727-433-5195, artpoolrules.com Asylum Sights and Sounds (6566 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) 727-384-1221 Bananas Records (2887 22nd Ave N., St. Petersburg) 727-327-4616 ext. 1, bananasrecords.com Bananas Records Warehouse (2226 16th Ave. N., St. Petersburg) 727 327-4616 ext. 2, bananasrecords.com Blue Moon Antiques, Books & Music (1413 Cleveland St., Clearwater) 727-443-7444 The Clearwater Record Shop (1610 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater) 727-755-1201, clearwaterrecordshow.com

music lovers. Some of them are venues for local bands. The staff at most of these shops have more musical knowledge in their left ear than you’ll ever have in your entire life; they’re willing to share it with a smile on their face, too. Patronize these brick and mortars… frequently. Make friends with your neighbor behind the counter. Your wallet might be a little lighter, but your mind will be happy in return. You don’t have to stop streaming — let’s face it, no one will — but opening an app will never live up to the feeling of opening the door at your local record store. —Ray Roa

Daddy Kool Records (2430 Terminal Dr. S., Side B, St. Petersburg) 727-822-5665, daddykool.com

Kingfish Records (Main Store) (26024-B US Highway 19 N., Clearwater) 727-351-5177, kingfishrecords.com

Sound Exchange Tampa (14246 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa) 813-978-9316, soundexchangetampabay.com

Disc Exchange (6712 Central Ave., aSt. Petersburg) 727-343-5845, thediscexchange.com

Kingfish Records (Flea Market) (180 Race Track Rd., Tampa) 727-455-9923, kingfishrecords.com

Dunedin Records & Audio (757 Main St., Dunedin) 727-423-4108, dunedinrecords.com

Microgroove (906 N. Florida Ave., Tampa) 813-667-7089, microgroovetampa.co

Sound Exchange Pinellas Park (66th Street N and 86th Avenue N., Pinellas Park) 727-545-0042, soundexchangetampabay.com

Dustin’s Vinyl Shop (180 Race Track Rd., Booth F25 W, Oldsmar) 727-678-6829, facebook.com/pg/dustinsvinylshop

Mojo Books & Records (2540 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa) 813-971-9717, mojotampa.com

Green Shift Music & Comics (5713 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa) 813-238-4177, greenshiftmusicandcomics.com Hello Darlin’ Records (Roving VW Camper) 727-479-6783, hellodarlinrecords.com

Patrick’s Book and Record Store (15215 US Hwy.19 C, Hudson) 727-868-3168, patricksbooksandre.wixsite.com/patricks Planet Retro Records (226 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg) 727-218-7434, planetretrorecords.com

St. Pete Records (6648 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) 727-490-8861, stpeterecords.com Steelworker Records (708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa) 813-666-4933, steelworkerrecords.com Unique Music & Collectables (123 Main St., Dunedin) 727-240-0757 Vintage Vinyl (38874 U.S. 19 N., Tarpon Springs) 727-940-8301, vintagevinyl.biz

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 51

52 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

Letter rip

I can see how that would be rude, but on the other hand, I kind of want to know. What do you think?— The Kid Is Not My Son (Probably)

By Dan Savage

SAVAGE LOVE

I don’t want to add to your rage, BEARD, but that night he made you go to a friend’s house? It wasn’t “alone time” he was after. Dude was hosting. Before I tell you to do about you rage, BEARD, there’s something I wanna clear up: I don’t think having the opposite of everything your ex-boyfriend had—I don’t think having conservative friends instead of progressive friends, straight sisters instead of bi or heteroflexible sisters, shitty parents instead of accepting parents—are appropriate reasons for a grown-ass man in his 30s stay closeted. When people are young and dependent on their parents, sure, having shitty parents and no support from friends or siblings is good reason to stay closeted in high school and maybe until after college. But it’s no excuse for remaining closeted into your 30s—and it’s certainly no excuse for using someone the way your ex appears to have used you, i.e. as a beard, BEARD. (Urban Dictionary: “The girlfriend or boyfriend of a closeted homosexual, used to conceal their homosexuality.”)

Cis male here. A number of years ago I saw a woman for a few months and then we parted ways. NBD. However, I later learned she was pregnant and I’ve always wondered if the child was mine. We haven’t talked for years but we’re still friends on Facebook so I see periodic updates and pics of the kid. It’s always just pics of my ex and her son and I don’t ever see pics of anyone that could be the father. However, this morning I saw a post saying that her son will be turning seven in May, which would mean he was born May 2014 and was conceived approximately August 2013. We stopped sleeping together late July 2013, so it’s probably outside the realm of possibility that this could be my kid. We didn’t have a tumultuous breakup and she’s independently wealthy and we in our mid-30s when we were together and it’s possible she went the sperm bank route shortly after we broke up. At any rate, do you think I should ask her if the child is mine?

I don’t think the child is yours, TKINMSP, but then I don’t think the child is hers either. I mean, your ex is definitely this kid’s mother and you may have a biological tie to this kid—you might be his biological father—but ultimately this kid belongs to himself, TKINMSP, and he might like or need to know who his biological father is someday. Backing up for a second: If you were fucking your ex without protection in late July of 2013 and she gave birth in early May of 2014, TKINMSP, there’s a small chance you could be this kid’s biological father. Sperm can linger in the vaginal canal for a few days before a woman ovulates; some babies arrive a week or two late. I’m not saying it’s likely, TKINMSP, I’m just saying it can’t be ruled out and only your ex knows for sure. So send her a letter. Open by reassuring her that you have no desire to re enter her life or enter the life of her child but that you’ve always wondered. Then tell her that if you are the biological father and they ever need a family medic a l

Someone actually did warn you about this guy in 2019, HUNG: the guy himself, this guy, he warned you. He warned you about himself in 2019 and again in 2020 and yet again in 2021. Lying to you about being exclusive and potentially exposed you to various STIs in early 2019 was a warning. Manipulating you into chauffeuring him and his new girlfriend back to his apartment during a snowstorm in 2020 was a warning. Suddenly asking you to hook up in 2021 was a warning and his defensive reaction when you asked if he was seeing someone else (“none of your business”) was a bonus warning. And despite all the warnings this guy gave over all three years, HUNG, you hooked up with this guy again anyway. Considering who this guy is and the way he treats people, HUNG, I can only imagine his new girlfriend has received—received and ignored—just as many warnings from him and about him as you did. So I don’t think you should waste your time getting in touch with the woman he’s seeing now, HUNG, as the odds she’ll take your warning seriously after ignoring all the warnings he’s most likely given her himself seem slim. Block his numbers, unfollow him on social, and for fuck’s sake don’t hook up with this asshole again. TON

Another thing I wanna clear up: there are lots of guys out there in their 30s, 40s and 50s and beyond who are good at sex and lots of guys in their 20s who are mediocre at best. Alright, BEARD, you have every right to be angry. You put a lot of time and effort into this relationship and if turns out your ex is gay, well, that means he was lying to you and using you and wasting your time. It’s possible he’s bisexual, however, in which case he wasn’t being fully honest with you but may not have been using you or wasting your time. But gay or bi, your ex treated you very poorly and the news that he’s dating a man now is making you reassess your relationship and his depression, to say nothing of that night he threw you out of your own apartment because he needed “alone time.” To look back on a relationship and think, “I did what I could and it didn’t work out but at least I tried,” is different than looking back and knowing, “Nothing I did could’ve made any difference and I was cruelly used.” I think there are two things you need to do now: Resolve never make excuses for someone who treats you with cruelty again. We all have our moments, of course, but someone who can’t treat their partners with some modicum of respect and compassion even when they’re struggling isn’t in good enough working order to be in a relationship in the first place. And I think you should write him a letter and really unload on him. Tell him you’re angry, tell him why. You may or may not get a response—you may or may not want one—but you’ll feel better after writing the letter. And who knows? If he responds with a heartfelt apology, BEARD, you may feel even better.

JOE NE W

I’m a female in my late-20s. I broke up with a toxic ex about a year ago and I’ve been walking around (my house!) thinking I was over it. I never missed him and rarely thought about him. A brief backstory: In the final months of us living together, we started having more discussions about children and making a lifelong commitment. He told me he wanted both yet at this exact time his moderate depression became more severe and he refused to get help. I tolerated his cruel behavior because I knew how badly he was hurting. This ranged from icing me out to berating me and demanding I leave the home that we shared—my house—citing his need for “alone” time. One time he demanded I get up and leave in the middle of the night and go to a friend’s house! It’s worth noting the sex was mediocre at best, which I chalked it up to him being a decade older. My self-esteem suffered. I finally left. Fast forward to now. I find out he’s been dating a man. I can barely cope with the anger I feel about this. I feel like a casualty of his shame. We have progressive friends! His sister has dated women! His parents are accepting! None of the reasons you list as appropriate ones for staying closeted apply to him, Dan! His inability to accept himself caused me the most severe emotional trauma of my life and I just feel enraged. I logically know this is not about me. It’s about him. So why does this retroactively bother me so much? Part of me wants to say something to him but I’m not sure that would make me feel better. I’d be very appreciative of any guidance you may have. Not sure what to think.—Bitterly Enraged And Really Distressed

I met a guy in early 2019 for what was supposed to be a one-night stand but it turned into an entireyear stand. We hung out and hooked up but he told me that he would never date me. In February of 2020 there was a snowstorm and he asked me for a ride. I said “yes” not realizing that I was picking him up from a girl’s apartment and driving both of them back to his place. He’d been staying with her for a week and told her that he’d knew me from work. We’d never worked together. That night he told me they weren’t dating and that she was just helping him study and that he didn’t want to see or hear from me ever again. He blocked me on all social media. Fast forward to last Sunday. He texts me saying he wants to hook up. The next Sunday he texts asking me for pictures. I ask if he’s seeing someone else and he tells me that isn’t any of my business. We hook up. Now I feel guilty and don’t know what to do. His apartment has mysteriously improved. It’s like a girl has been staying there and it’s most likely the girl from the snowstorm. I don’t know if I should reach out to this girl to tell her what happened. When we first started hooking up in 2019, he said we were exclusive. A couple of months later he said he lied about being exclusive and that I should go get tested. Clearly this is a pattern for him. Should I warn the woman he’s with now? I definitely would’ve appreciated it if someone had warned me about this guy in 2019.—Himbo Utterly No Good

history from you or if this child should want to meet his biological father someday—and if that biological father is you—you’re open to providing medical info and/or meeting up once her son is an adult. If you’re the biological father, TKINMSP, which you might not be. I live in Portland, Oregon, and I’m having the inner fight about whether to reach out to a person.

Contact mail@savagelove.net, follow @ FakeDanSavage on Twitter and bookmark savagelovecast.com.

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 53

54 | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | cltampa.com

SOMETHING IN A 64 H-bomb org. WEATHER VEIN 65 Store hours word 66 Out of lucre by Merl Reagle 67 What tourists go ACROSS through when 1 Berle pearl their Caribbean 4 Alone vacations are 8 Cry of triumph over? 12 Brit. bestowal 73 Concert venue 15 Home of home 74 Young-___ loans: abbr. 75 Love Story 18 Gardner in The composer Bible, 1966 76 Highest rating 19 Still not old enough 77 Wax antonym to get a special 78 Bat stat hello from 79 Poetic addition to Willard Scott? the forecast? 22 College game 85 Infamous acid sound 86 Segovia’s forte 23 Laid-back approach to office 88 Riot-scene thief 89 Bit of a laugh management? 90 Digital gift for a 25 Cold forecast forecaster? 26 Talus chain 93 Mann’s first 27 Type of humidity: 95 Electron-stripping abbr. result 28 Audience member 30 One of Nancy 96 Budget rival Reagan’s 1980s 97 All ___ up designers 99 Juilliard’s loc. 33 Private journal 100 Bad time for 36 1944 meeting site, Dracula Dumbarton ___ 103 John who played 37 From ___ Gomez Addams (completely) 105 Minus middlemen 40 Reset setting 107 Fine-tune anew 41 Cotillion stars 110 Conk out 42 Pellets 112 Sometimes lucky 44 Unconscious states plant 46 Part of an upside116 Raison d’etre for down cake? an ocean platform 52 WWII Supreme 117 Home remedy for Cmdr. smelly dogs? 53 Deliver, as 122 Destiny homework 123 Spanking? 55 They’re just 124 High-speed below Fs French train 56 Illiterate marks 125 Light, to Luis 58 Remedy for an 126 “Parked it” overly 127 Wicked Witch’s long forecast? home 61 “Closing” opening? 128 Men on base?: 62 Sharp tools abbr. 63 Casserole 129 Soak (up) candidate 1

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 20 21 24 29 31 32 34 35 37 38 39 41 42 43 45 47 48 49 50 51 54 57 8

59 Blackmore heroine 60 Popular brand of kitchen sponge (or, a tailless cat?) 62 In full bellow 65 Undies fabric 66 Nigerian hot spot, 1967-70 67 Disposable outgo 68 Arrived, in Arles 69 Threedimensional 70 Testifier Hill 71 Abdul and Zahn 72 Receipts receptacle 73 Hole-punching tool 78 Tornado aftermath 79 Rome fountain 80 ___ Minh 81 (None of the above) 82 “Good grief!” 83 Observed 84 Those people 86 Miracle-___ (plant food) 87 Body study: abbr. 91 Watermelon discard 92 Microsoftware

94 Under control 98 Prefic meaning “science” 100 Risible 101 The Vanna White Quintet 102 The Blue Danube, e.g. 103 Tie or track 104 Attempt 105 “My little cupcake” 106 Noisy shoes 108 Runs in sweats 109 USC rival 111 “Love comes ___ the eye” (Yeats) 113 Former service members 114 Therefore 115 “Tell us if you’re coming, OK?” 118 Toothed tool 119 ___ de la cité 120 K-O inserts 121 As written

PUZZLE FANS ! For info on Merl's Sunday crossword anthologies, visit www.sunday crosswords.com.

Solution to Go Figure L O B B I E D

O R L A N D O

S C A N S I N

C O H N

M A G O O

P A R R O T

C WH E R BO EM R E

X E R X E S

S H A E C K B K E R YO T N O T A H E R I N I N Z SGO E L E GOO RUN I I N SO R I NG R Y E T

I P S DGE D OA RD S T A N U S A Y A B C C OA F K A R T Y B T R E A BOOR S L OW P U P B A F B U D F OR T T I C S A R A H MEON E UR R R I NGS F A R E L AM

B I D A I D E A L C A N B EG N OW RR I V E D E A S E E A Y OC R E A K F A M CU F F SOD A T RU S H R A N H E C K N E A H E H E A R S AG S H E N L E A V E S E F S U A R E N T R P E R I L MA L E

S S A D I NGO R E E N E ND E RC I A S Y T S T I S HMO C E B U HOUR I N E L E T O F A S N E L L A B E L T A N OUND B R I E S E A R

39 45

102

103

107

108

116

117

122

123

125

126

104

105

109

110 118

119

112 120

128

A PROFESSIONAL

MASSAGE

727-822-4020 MA23220

Call or Text to discuss: 727-215-5944

121

129

114

115

Call/Text NOW: 1-800-863-8865 TonksTalentNetwork.com

HIRING:

ARTIST MANAGER LICENSED PROFESSIONAL P/T COMM ONLY MULTI GENRE www.chansonsnow.biz

SERIOUS ONLY: 727-455-7139 chansonsnow3@gmail.com

Call 727-403-3544

FOR SALE

METROSEXUAL CONNECTIONS STRAIGHT, GAY OR BI 800-538-2428 Only 20 Cents Per Minute!

Services - Creative

IN PORT RICHEY - $200K

RECESSION-PROOF BUSINESS

BE A CENTERFOLD GIVE YOURSELF OR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE A BOUDOIR PHOTO GIFT! J

Only $10 Per Call

WITH AQUAPONIC STOCKING

Lic# MA33860

DELUXE PACKAGES STARTING @ $199 (813)

HARDCORE ADULT TALK Busty Babes, Ebony Hotties or Older Ladies - Ur Choice! 866-515-3699

STATE CERTIFIED FISH HATCHERY

A Warm Lotion Therapuetic Massage. Once is not enough.

EROTIC PHONE CHAT REAL Fun Singles! 800-SEXY-GAL 800-739-9425

Business Opportunity

LIFE IS GOOD!

Work in TV Commercials, Films, Magazines, etc. All types, sizes, races & ages.

113

John LaRocca REALTOR® John@MyHomeTB.com 813.990.748

Female Therapist 7 DAYS! 9AM-5PM, $40 In-Call Sandy

BECOME A MODEL OR ACTOR!

106

111

MM#6181

Employment/Help Wanted

124 127

95 101

817.228.2990 Cash/Credit Cards Accepted

Housing Wanted

Retired professional, successfully recovering from cardiac procedure. Currently uses walker. Has transportation. Ideal location near Morton Plant Hospital or Pinellas Trail (Downtown). Seeking monthly rental. Willing to pay an attractive rent for the right place. Motivated. References provided & expected. Start date flexible. No Stairs. Private bath would be ideal.

Strong Hands with a Gentle Touch 19 Years Experience IN CALL / OUT CALL 8am till 10pm 7 days

Seeks Furnished Room in Clearwater

Built in 2010 by interior designer Paul Lewis. 3,517 sq ft, 3 BR, 4 BA, 2 CG w/ workshop/storage, Dock w/ lake access + Pergola! 50 YR SLATE ROOF, 10’ ceilings. WALNUT CABINETRY, BRAZILIAN STAR BEACH GRANITE, CABINET FACED SUB-ZERO fridge/freezer. Enjoy the LAKE LIFE on your deck, overlooking SERENE CYPRESS trees & FRENCH INSPIRED landscape. Located in the highly coveted STEINBRENNER SCHOOL DISTRICT. Offered at $1,495,000.

MASSAGE BY BUTCH @ THE RELAXATION STATION

Vaccinated 72Yr Old Male

CUSTOM ODESSA ESTATE!

64 69

ADULT/Models

From Deep Tissue to Lighter Pressure. Call for specials. 727-744-0254

cltampa.com

55 60

36 42

Real Estate For Sale

RELAXATION MASSAGE

to advertise: phone - 813-739-4800 email - acarbone@cltampa.com

Licensed Massage & Spas

classifieds

25 27

100

DOWN Ball, for one Bard’s river Rubberneck Fathered ___ many (just over the limit) Beetle Bailey’s Fuzz et al. Surprised sounds Concerning Exerciser Word with shut or trade Napoleon’s field marshal Dreaming Walter Sugar source Mrs. Hoggett in Babe Mexican artist Kahlo The ˇ mark in Czech words W.C. Fields assent Franc’s replacement Nicholas was one Shopping center Intrusive Gird up one’s ___ 12 Angry Men star Ghosts writer “___ your life depended on it” Choice of juice? Commotion Augury Turned down Deli sandwiches Some degrees: abbr. Tibetan climber Indispensable items “The Twist,” for one Polish targets “Tiger in your tank” company Smells awful Not pro Compass pt.

1 2 3 4 5

CALL

727-415-6334

RESTAURANT FOR SALE! 6 MONTHS FREE TRIAL

774-1640

PLEASE CALL

813-784-1666 FOR DETAILS

Trans Model Yazmine:

813-508-1441

cltampa.com | APRIL 15 - APRIL 21, 2021 | 55