Creative Loafing Tampa — August 10, 2023

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING

Beach Blonde Ale

Tropical Hefe Hazy Wheat

Raspberry Lemonade Cider Orange Creamsicle

7VENTH SUN BREWING CO.

Headbanger IPA

Graffiti Orange Wheat

81BAY BREWING CO.

Tangerine Lager

Blueberry Cobbler Sour

Reel Slo Irish Red

ABITA BREWING COMPANY

Beeracuda

Jackamo Juicy IPA

Purple Haze

ACE CIDER

Tropical Variety Pack

HIGH! Imperial Apple

ANGRY CHAIR

Full Circle

Space Grass

ARMED FORCES

Special Hops

Preamble

BARREL OF MONKS BREWING

Single In Havana

The Wizard

Neon Skyline IPA

BARRIEHAUS

Oktoberfest Marzen

Dog Days of Summer

BASTET BREWING

Apep Pils

Ube Dube Do

BEAST HARD SELTZER

Mean Green

Hard Peach White Haze

BIG STORM BREWING CO.

Bromosa Tangerine IPA

Wavemaker Amber Ale

BIG TOP BREWING

COMPANY

Hawaiian Lion

BLAKE’S HARD CIDER CO.

El Chavo

Peach Party

Triple Jam

BOLD CITY BREWERY

Duke’s Cold Nose Brown Ale

Killer Whale

BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO.

Wheat Lightening

Curbside Kolsch

Lushable Crush

BREWDOG

Elvis Juice

Hazy Jane

Punk IPA

CIGAR CITY BREWING

Cosmic Crown

Fancy Papers

Theoterical Jam

CIGAR CITY CIDER & MEAD

Homemade Apple Pie

Golden English Dry Cider

COPPERTAIL BREWING COMPANY

Free Dive

Hop Quest Rotator Catch Lager

Sun Runner

ESCAPE BREWING COMPANY

The Other West Coast IPA

Specialty Premium Lager

ESTRELLA GALICIA 1906

Estrella Galicia Especial

FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO.

You’re My Boy, Blue!

Dead Parrot

Blood Orange Mule

FOUNDERS BREWING CO.

4 Giants Tropical Treasure

All Day Vacay Variety Pack

FUNKY BUDDHA BREWERY

Hop Gun IPA

Tropical Floridian

GREEN BENCH

BREWING CO.

Postcard Pils

Sunshine City IPA

Skyway Hazy DIPA

HIDDEN SPRINGS

ALE WORKS

Riot Juice

Orange Crush

ISLAMORADA BEER COMPANY

Islamorada Ale (Cirtrus Ale) No Wake Zone

J. WAKEFIELD BREWING

El Jefe

Hops

4 Teacher IPA

Peaches Peaches Peaches

KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN

ALES + CIDERS

Elderberry Cider

Mango Cider

Strawberry-Lime Cider

KOPPARBERGS BRYGGERI

Premium Pear Cider

LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY

Island Beats Tropical IPA

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale

Hoppy Refresher

LEFT HAND BREWING COMPANY

Nitro Milk Stout

Nitro Peanut Butter Milk Stout

Breezy Does It

LEXINGTON BREWING & DISTILLING CO.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

Kentucky Vanilla Barrel

Cream Ale

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel

Imperial Milk Stout

Bourbonola

LOST COAST BREWERY

Hazy IPA

Peanut Butter

Chocolate Milk Stout

Tangerine Wheat

LOWDOWN

Mango Mojito

Cucumber Collins

MAELOC

Strawberry Spanish Hard Cider

Dry Hard Cider

MAGNANIMOUS BREWING

Juice Lord TBD

MARKER 48 BREWING

Markerade - Blue

Red Right Return Hazy River

MASTRY’S BREWING CO.

Breezy TBD TBD

MOTORWORKS BREWING

Pulp Friction

V Twin Vienna Lager

NEW BELGIUM BREWING COMPANY

Fat Tire Fruit Force

ORIGINAL SIN

Black Widow

Crimson Chaos

Pineapple Haze

PALM CITY BREWING

Dazify Hazy Pale Ale

Hazify Hazy Ipa

PARRISH BREWING CO.

Dr. Juice

Ghost In The Machine

Okra

SEA DOG BREWING

COMPANY

Blue Paw Wild Blueberry

SHIPYARD BREWING COMPANY

Blood Orange Belgian Style Ale

SIXPOINT BREWERY

The Piff

Stooper

The Crisp

SLOOP BREWING CO.

Juice Bomb

Super Soft

Citrus Mosaic Bomb

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY

2x Juice Jolt

Overpack’d

SUN KING BREWERY

Orange Vanilla Sunlight

Pachanga

SWAMP HEAD BREWERY

Key Lime Pie

Stump Knocker Pale Ale

SWEETWATER BREWING COMPANY

Tackle Box Variety Pack

American Lager

TAMPA BAY BREWING COMPANY

Reef Donkey

Gourds Gone Wild

Coral Head

TERRAPIN BEER CO.

Depth Perception

Luau Krunkles

Imperial Luau Krunkles

THE TANK BREWING CO.

Freedom Tower

La Playita

Lo-Ca Tropical Blonde

VICTORY BREWING COMPANY

Juicy Monkey

Sour Monkey

WALKING TREE BREWERY

Babycakes

Sandy Feet

Treasure Kolsch

WHITE CLAW

Vodka Soda Variety Pack

WICKED WEED BREWING

Hop Spectrum

Strawberry-Kiwi Burst

WOODCHUCK CIDERY

Bubbly Pearsecco

DELIRIUM

Delirium Tremens

Delirium Nocturnum

Delirium Red

COLLECTIVE ARTS BREWING

Daily Forecast Life in the Clouds

DUVEL MOORTGAT La Chouffe Duvel Ommegang Three Philosophers

ST. BERNARDUS

Abt 12 Wit

Duchesse De Bourgogne

WINE STREAM Capri Mimosa

ANGRY CHAIR BREWING

Strawberry Tee Time

CUTWATER SPIRITS

White Russian

Vodka Soda Variety Pack

Rum Mojito Variety Pack

GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO. Bourbon County Brand Stout

GREEN BENCH BREWING COMPANY

Saison De Banc Vert

HIDDEN SPRINGS

ALE WORKS Electric Pegasus

MOTORWORK BREWING Mango Habanero IPA

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY

Pumpking Warlock

WICKED WEED BREWING

Dr. Dank PIneapple Dream

PUBLISHER James Howard

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf

MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields

FOOD and THEATER CRITIC

Jon Palmer Claridge

FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman

IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Jennifer Ring, Arielle Stevenson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker

SUMMER INTERN Gracey Davis

Story

Apply for fall via rroa@cltampa.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

question

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel

ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

SeaWorld in February, animal rights claiming the practice of keeping wild dangerous. But even though public many don’t see a parallel between the kind and the practice of displaying animals asking for too much? Or is it time for a “entertainment” animals?

at SeaWorld in February, animal rights claiming the practice of keeping wild and dangerous. But even though public widespread, many don’t see a parallel between the kind Vick and the practice of displaying animals activists asking for too much? Or is it time for a “entertainment” animals?

Leigh Wilson

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Andrew Zelman

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS

Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest 40

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sarah Fenske

Tampa

VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein

REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Hollie Mahadeo

DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Jaime Monzon

euclidmediagroup.com

cltampa.com

cldeals.com

EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa is a publication 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

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ON THE COVER: Design by Joe Frontel

Employees will serve as resources for renters within city limits. Tampa has a new tenant services team, p. 19.

Everyone looks so good

Photos by Dave Decker

Planet earth just experienced the hottest month ever recorded, and it was even warmer inside The Ritz in Ybor City last Thursday night when Underoath kicked off a two-night hometown residency. “I’m burning alive,” Spencer Chamberlain, frontman for the Tampa band with multiple Grammy nominations, told a sold-out

crowd. Still, covered in sweat, and faced with dozens and dozens of bodies moshing and crowd surfing to the stage during the airtight,12-song, hour-long set, the 40-year-old said what was on everyone’s mind: “It’s good to be home baby.”

Read more and see all the photos via cltampa. com/slideshows.—Ray

do this

Artists of the Caribbean Orlando City Hall was once home to a “La Diaspora’’ exhibit featuring artists from across the Caribbean archipelago. The show expanded to cities big (Chicago) and small (Ocala), and now a version of it is open in St. Petersburg. “Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales” or “Custodios de la Herencia: Cuentos Ocultos” features 20 boricuas in multiple mediums—including Brenda Cruz, Domingo Garcia, Martin Garcia Rivera, and Rafael Rivera Rosa (work pictured)—helping shine light on stories of their homeland. It opened last weekend and runs through mid-October. Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales. WednesdaySunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No cover. Gallery at Creative Pinellas, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. creativepinellas.org—Ray Roa

Tampa Bay's best things to do from August 10 - 16

Collect and combine

If you’ve ever been to the wildlypopular Indie Flea markets, then you’ve probably enjoyed the work of The ‘Burg’s resident community letterpress, Print. St. Pete. The shop invites all zinemakers, printmakers and other creatives to its Gulfport studio for a night of sharing, collaborating and socializing. According to Print St. Pete, its “Collate” meet-up features talks of “process, techniques, exhibitions, productions and more.” In addition to slinging its art, postcards, calendars and other letterpress prints at vendor markets across Tampa Bay, Print St. Pete also hosts community classes, collaging events and risograph workshops at its studio.

Bridget Elmer and Kaitlin Crocket founded Print St. Pete back in 2016 as a way to share their letterpress resources and materials with other print and zine-lovers of St. Pete and beyond. Print St. Pete ‘Collate’ zine meetup. Thursday, Aug. 17. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Free, RSVP required. Print St. Pete, 4903 8th Ave. S, Gulfport. printstpete.org—Kyla Fields

Lucid dreaming

Fancy, fine dining meals always taste better with a beverage pairing, and Valrico’s Lucid Zero Proof Lounge is creating an NA-friendly environment to do that in. Two nights of five-course tasting menus with zero-proof pairings, feature dishes like oyster and escargot rockefeller, stuffed zucchini ribbons over confited tomato and sweet pepper, surf and turf risotto and sticky toffee pudding for dessert—all with their accompanying mocktails. Once you purchase your $75 ticket, you can call the lounge at (813)-278-5213 to reserve your date and time. Lucid Zero Proof Lounge debuted in Valrico late last year, and is dedicated to serving tasty and realistic mocktails in a laid-back, yet entertaining atmosphere. It features NA renditions of apple pie martinis, peach bellinis and cocoa espresso martinis, in addition to live music and a menu of gastropub-like small plates. There’s a few bars and restaurants in Tampa Bay that cater to the alcohol-free crowd, but this Valrico hotspot puts it at the forefront of its mission. Lucid: Five Course Tasting Menu & Zero Proof Pairing.

Friday, Aug. 11 & Saturday, Aug. 12 . 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Lucid Zero Proof Lounge, 3102 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. @Lucidzeroproof on Facebook—Kyla Fields

Odd future

Dysfunctional Grace is Ybor City’s official little shop of horrifically amazing taxidermy, vintage metaphysical equipment, skulls and oddities. This weekend, it spreads its wings and welcomes all of its weirdly wonderful friends to show off at the Tabernacle Of Oddities, a convention of more than 100 vendors, entertainment (alive and dead, according to Dysfunctional Grace) and tattoo artists taking over the four-story Cuban Club. And yes, there’s a full bar. Single, and two-day, admission is available along with VIP options. Tabernacle Of Oddities Convention & Performance. Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 12-13 , 12 p.m. $14 & up. Cuban Club, 2010 N Avenida Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. dysfunctionalgrace.shop—Ray Roa

Get together

Tampa’s L.P.C.X Cafe is already one of the best low-key ways to experience Colombian food and culture, but this weekend two local chefs—Hassan Lewis and Guillermo Quezada, who’ve both cooked at Rooster & the Till under Michelin-Bib chef Ferrell Alvarez—have curated a sandwich menu as a love letter to their adopted hometown of Tampa, Florida. There’s a chorizo-beef blend “Don Chimi” with fried cheese, guava, and chimichurri cabbage, plus the boys’ takes on banh mi, and two different katsu sandwiches featuring Daliana Conti’s Rising Sol milk bread (pictured). L.P.C.X will handle drinks and coffees while Janelly Vintage Cakes does sweets. Read more via cltampa.com/food. Better Together: 813 Sunday, Aug 13, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover, bring money for food. L.P.C.X. Cafe, 6204 N Armenia Ave., Tampa. @guillermoquezada and @sage_theherb on Instagram—Ray Roa

Ghost me

Local ghost tour business St. Peter’s Ghosts touts itself as The ‘Burg’s original haunted history tour, exploring “the dark side of the sunshine city” at various events throughout the month. Every first and second Friday and Saturday of the month (until mid-November), the company hosts a haunted history night walk that departs from the St. Pete Pier and visits various haunted spots (including the Vinoy, pictured). While these stories and historical accounts can get a bit spooky, the hosts will keep it more PG when there are kiddos around. Less kid-friendly renditions of these haunted tours typically include a few stops at local bars and haunts for a beer or two. Tickets to these weekend haunted history walks include admission into the St. Petersburg Museum of History’s many exhibits—redeemable at any time. St. Pete’s Ghosts also hosts private tours, the perfect outing for your out-oftown guests. Haunted History Night Walks. First and second weekend of each month. 7 p.m. $25 for adults; kids 10 and under free. St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. spmoh.com—Kyla Fields

POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

Usucks

Hillsborough and Pinellas schools pass on state-sanctioned ’non-woke’ curriculum.

Late last month, Florida’s Department of Education announced the approval of “supplemental teaching materials” from PragerU, an unaccredited, far-right institution with a history of “downplaying systemic racism and promoting anti-immigrant theories.” In the announcement, state education officials maintained that the new K-12 curriculum from “PragerU Kids,” aligns with the Florida’s “revised civics and government standards” and “can be used by school districts at their discretion.”

In a press release, PragerU celebrated the approval and said it plans to bring the new curriculum to every classroom around the country, because “thousands of American teachers and school board members” have contacted them “desperate for wholesome, quality, engaging resources to help educate their students.”

“They are sick and tired of curriculum laced with radical political agendas—from Critical Race Theory and gender fluidity to overt anti-Americanism,” said the release. “PragerU is answering this call to serve our great nation on the most important front—the education of America’s youth.”

However, a spokesperson for Hillsborough County Public Schools told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that PragerU Kids will not be in classrooms this fall. “It is not part of any of our curriculum nor does the district have any plans to purchase it,” said HCPS Chief of Communications Tanya Arja in an email.

Pinellas County Schools also won’t use PragerU in the 2023-24 academic year.

“The district has no plans of adding these resources to our curriculum,’ said PCS Public Information Officer Isabel Mascareñas to CL. “Though the DOE has approved these materials, school districts retain the option of using them or not.”

While PragerU’s content has been incorporated by some private schools and homeschool curriculums over the years, Florida is the first state to officially accept and legitimize the institution.

Founded in 2009 by conservative talk show host Dennis Prager, PragerU is not actually a university and therefore does not issue degrees. As Miami New Times pointed out, the (503) nonprofit instead focuses on short videos hosted by

names like Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk, that highlight conservative issues like “there is no gender wage gap”, and “the nuclear waste problem is a myth” and “Blacks in Power Don’t Empower Blacks.” PragerU Kids is also unapologetically “non-woke.”

“PragerU effectively counters the left-wing propaganda they are pushing on children,” said PragerU in a press release. “They don’t want children to be exposed to an education grounded in our nation’s founding principles and traditional values that inspires self-reliance, gratitude, and a love of America.”

LOCAL NEWS

The group went on to cite a study from the Georgetown University Bridge Initiative, which claimed that “a number of PragerU’s videos spread anti-Muslim rhetoric and conspiracy theories.” The study specifically took issue with videos like “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?” and “Where are the Moderate Muslims?”

Florida, with quite a few calling the Tampa Bay region home.

Filings show that from February through June, the PAC collected $48 million from 171 donors, and approximately $1.5 million of that total came from 18 donors in the Tampa Bay area.

Last Monday, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), asked the

Florida’s recognition of PragerU comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 2022 “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” which essentially bans schools from teaching about systemic racism, and most recently after the state approved standards requiring middle school students to learn how slavery taught slaves skills “that could be used for personal benefit.”

The largest single donation from the Tampa Bay area came from local billionaire developer Edward DeBartolo Jr, who contributed $250,000 to the group aiding DeSantis’ 2024 presidential run, according to Federal Election Commission filings. DeBartolo, the former San Francisco 49ers owner who famously pleaded guilty in a 1998 corruption case but was later pardoned by former president Donald Trump, is the fatherin-law to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.

On a side note, FEC reports show that Chronister has also donated to DeSantis, including a $6,600 donation to DeSantis’ presidential campaign last month.

Other notable local contributions to the Never Back Down PAC include a $100,000 donation from South Tampa plastic surgeon Tony Watt.

Local healthcare company Hillcour, which was among the local businesses to receive the most PPP loans back in 2020, also donated $100,000, and the company’s CEO, Damien Lamendola, gave another $25,000.

Metro Development Group CEO John Ryan gave two $50,000 donations to the PAC, while Morgan Auto Group Chairman Larry C. Morgan donated $50,000.

state education department to “clarify and reject any relationship between the Islamophobic Prager University and Florida schools.”

“Florida can do better by its students than serving them hate content from PragerU,” said CAIR-Florida Executive Director Imam Abdullah Jaber in a press release. “PragerU’s founder was rebuked by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council for making an Islamophobic remark and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

Tampa Bay business leaders among small circle of donors funding DeSantis super PAC

Despite begging Ron DeSantis to “stop blowing money on f*cking memes,” donors still managed to give millions to a super PAC aiding the Florida governor’s presidential campaign. Last week, the Ron DeSantis-affiliated political action committee, Never Back Down, posted its finances for the first time, showing a small circle of mega-donors hailing mostly from

The DeSantis campaign has been imploding recently, after failing to climb in the polls despite a massive staff shake up. The campaign has also struggled to recover from multiple missteps, including the launch of a weirdly homo-erotic attack ad criticizing Trump for being too LGBTQ-friendly and sharing a separate video that co-opted a Nazi symbol. DeSantis has since defended the videos. “These things get shared, or whatever—and look, I’m responsible for it. Don’t get me wrong,” said DeSantis to Fox News host Bret Baier on Monday. “But the idea that I was sitting there, like—oh, share this video? No. It’s a rapid response thing.”

“Florida can do better by its students than serving them hate content from PragerU.”

Call on me

Tampa’s new housing crisis hotline, and more local news.

ATampeño has to make about $85,000 to not be rent burdened, but average wages in the Bay area hover just around $60,000. That means a lot of people probably need assistance figuring out how to make ends meet. The City of Tampa thinks it can help.

A new resource designed to assist renters in navigating the ongoing housing crisis was announced last Tuesday by the city’s Housing and Community Development Department. The Tenant Services Team is made up of two employees who will serve as resources for renters within city limits.

Tampa’s Tenant Services Team will be oncall to assist residents in finding a home within their budget, looking for landlords willing to accept residents with prior evictions, and whatever other housing related questions they may have. The team will not be responsible for housing assistance according to the press release.

“While most callers inquire about rental assistance, and we unfortunately do not have any more city funds to distribute this fiscal year, we can help in other ways and provide other equally valuable resources,” said Kayon Henderson, Director of Housing and Community Development.

The Tenant Services Team is available through the same number as the Housing Information Line—813-307-5555-and will operate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Last summer, Tampa City Council voted unanimously to create an ordinance that could establish a tenant office after receiving a public outcry from Tampa residents.

The vote came only months after February’s “rent stabilization workshop” brought more than 100 housing rights activists to Tampa’s City Hall, asking that a state of emergency be declared in an effort to enact rent control. The council suggested a $400,000 budget for the office, with two full-time staff members. A similar model was launched in Miami-Dade county last March, where the office is able to direct residents to resources to help them with evictions and discrimination.

It also holds landlords accountable for the counties Tenant’s Bill of Rights, that defines renters rights and prevents discrimination by a landlord towards tenants using public assistance for housing.

Tampa’s own Tenant’s Bill of Rights—which was enacted last March—also prohibits discrimination by a landlord toward tenants who use public assistance for housing. Though St. Petersburg’s City Council recently repealed its Tenants Bill of Rights following Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signing of HB 1417, the fate of Tampa’s bill has yet to change.

Less than a week after the creation of its ordinance, the City of Tampa announced its new Housing Information Line, originally available from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday. In the first six months in operation, the Housing Information Line received over 2,300 calls, and has reportedly decreased in calls since. As of July 17 this year, the housing line has been absorbed into the Tenant Services Team, and received 51 calls within its first week.

New rideshare program involving a fleet of yellow Teslas coming to downtown Tampa this fall

A new fleet of yellow Teslas is hoping to alleviate traffic and pollution in downtown Tampa this fall. Last week, Tampa Downtown Partnership announced a new transportation option called Dash (stylized “DASH”), or Downtown Area Shared Hubs. A press release says this new lowcost ride share option will take passengers to over 20 locations, or hubs, in bright yellow Tesla SUVs, driven by “driving-ambassadors.” The locations will be spread across what the Partnership calls downtown Tampa’s seven neighborhoods:

The Channel District, Downtown River Arts Neighborhood Association, “Downtown core” (Kennedy, south to the water), Encore, Tampa Heights, Water Street and West River.

Dash will operate through a yet to be released mobile app that will pair up to four passengers (possibly strangers) per ride. According to the release, “DASHing” will only cost a couple dollars, and will be cheaper than other rideshare apps. Though no set price has been announced as of now.

The program centers around a fleet of Tesla Model Y vehicles, with options for passengers who need wheelchair-accessible vehicles to call an ADA-compliant van, as well.

The new rideshare program will add to the already present public transport options in Downtown Tampa like e-scooters, bike lanes, the TECO Line Streetcar, Pirate Water Taxi, and commuter garages. Tampa Downtown Partnership’s transportation options seek to create easier ways for people to get into the city, without relying on their own vehicles and parking garages. You know, since Hillsborough County can’t get its act together when it comes to efficient mass public transportation.

Director of Transportation & Planning for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

While this new rideshare program won’t launch until October, it is starting to look for its “driving-ambassadors” on Aug. 1. Drivers will serve as experts on what to do and where to go downtown, and will receive training on how to report any issues to maintenance or law enforcement. Job requirements and pay ranges will be posted with the applications tomorrow.

City of Tampa moves ahead on internship for individuals with intellectual disabilities

LOCAL NEWS

Young adults aged 18-22 with intellectual disabilities will soon be able to apply for an internship through the City of Tampa. The training pays $15 an hour, with up to 25 hours a week available.

That’s according to a presentation to City Council last month by Ocea Wynn, Tampa’s neighborhood and community affairs administrator. “The purpose of the program is to provide an equitable and inclusive workplace awareness by exposing individuals with intellectual disabilities to opportunities within the City of Tampa,” Wynn said at the meeting.

“That’s how we avoid congestion, reduce pollution, and help people enjoy everything their city has to offer,” said Karen Kress, Senior

Wynn said she was excited about the program, initially motioned for by council members Luis

continued on page 21

Viera and Guido Maniscalco in September 2022. Last April, City Council asked staff to report back with more details on how the program would be implemented. Tampa partnered with Pepin Academies and MacDonald Training Center, which both specialize in education and vocational training for those with learning disabilities.

Viera, who’s championed the internship program, said the internship is distinct because it provides work within city departments.

“It’s important to note that it’s not a program for businesses,” Viera said. “It’s a program that we’re funding for city departments including, if I may, I’d love to have an intern in Tampa City Council. But it’s something that makes us stakeholders.”

Tampa Parks & Recreation department’s therapeutic supervisor is a liaison under the proposal, and the agency coaches would monitor students’ progress as they go through their day. “We want to make sure that they feel comfortable with their working environment,” Wynn said.

The internship will align with the city’s traditional program and start posting materials on its website beginning Aug. 25. Wynn said marketing materials and a job announcement will soon be on the city website.

In 2022, Viera proposed 10-12 internships and a budget of $115,000. That proposal is moving ahead with help from the administration by this year’s end. Viera says next year’s proposed internship budget is $200,000.

“A lot of these families feel left behind and isolated by a society that doesn’t care about them,

a culture that mocks them, and an economy that leaves them behind,” Viera said. “This is a good gesture by the city of Tampa.”—Arielle

City of Tampa wants residents to stop dumping ‘hot loads’

The City of Tampa says there’s been a recent uptick in “hot loads,” which is when trash spontaneously combusts inside a garbage truck, and now officials are looking to educate residents on how to properly dispose of their hazardous waste. The culprit? Overheating lithium-ion batteries, chemicals, cleaning solutions, propane tanks or other electronics improperly disposed of in bins, says the City of Tampa.

our partnership with Hillsborough County, we have created an easy way for Tampa residents to properly dispose of batteries, electronics, and chemicals that don’t belong in their trash bins.”

Hillsborough County offers multiple hazardous waste dump sites. Tampa residents can use these sites for free after showing a valid driver’s license as proof of City residency. Also, the City of Tampa also has a handy trash and recycling app, which informs residents about what can and can’t go in the bins.

Last November, the City of Tampa informed residents that contamination levels of recycling were at an all-time high.—Colin

LOCAL NEWS

So far in 2023, Tampa officials say they’ve experienced three “hot loads,” compared to only two total in 2022.

“As temperatures rise this summer, there is a risk of hazardous materials heating up and reacting dangerously when combined with other waste in garbage trucks,” said Fire Chief Barbara Tripp at a press conference last Tuesday. “Unlike a typical household fire, lithium-ion battery fires produce toxic gas, create an explosive environment, and can be extremely difficult for firefighters to extinguish.”

Officials say when a garbage or recycling truck driver notices a fire they’re forced to immediately dump the hot load on the street.

“We are all responsible for keeping our environment, our amazing city and the people who serve it safe,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “Through

‘Don’t call us’: Tampa Bay law enforcement asks beachgoers to stop snitching on horny manatees Manatee mating season typically runs from March to November in Florida, and local law enforcement is reminding residents that there’s absolutely no reason to call the cops if you spot a seacow orgy. On Saturday, July 29, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) posted a video to social media showing what’s often referred to as a manatee “mating ball,” or a “mating herd.”

“If you see this...Don’t call us,” said PCSO. “They are more than fine. It’s manatee mating season.”

Though incredibly violent, this summertime tradition is a common sight around Tampa Bay, and usually involves a group of male manatees herding a female into shallow water in a

desperate attempt to procreate. A single “mating herd” can sometimes last up two to four weeks, reports LiveScience.

And, right now, the Gulf of Mexico is essentially a heart-shaped manatee hot tub. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), as the water temperatures rise, so does manatee libido, and Florida coastal water temps are at an all-time high.

“We get calls all the time from citizens when they see this,” wrote PCSO in the video’s caption. “We can assure you they are more than fine. Manatees often mate in herds like these and often they are near the shore... If you see this [mating herds], there’s no need to call, they are a-okay.”

This vital “mom and dad” time is crucial for Florida manatees. The FWC reports that 378 manatees have died so far in 2023, compared to 800 total in 2022. However, the worst year for manatee deaths was back in 2021, when an estimated 1,101 died, mostly due to pollution destroying large tracts of the state’s coastal seagrass beds.

According to the FWC, manatees are considered “threatened” in the state of Florida, and it is against the law to touch the animals. Manatee are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978, which states: “It is unlawful for any person, at any time, intentionally or negligently, to annoy, molest, harass, or disturb any manatee.”

If you do see an actual injured or distressed manatee, then contact the FWC’s wildlife alert hotline at 1-888-404-3922.—CW

“Right now, the Gulf of Mexico is essentially a heart-shaped manatee hot tub.”

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Free beer

Florida brewers are pushing the state for self-distribution.

Florida’s first brewery, La Tropical, opened in Ybor City in 1896. Prohibition arrived 24 years later. The end of prohibition in 1933 brought with it laws that allowed states to regulate the way liquor, including beer, was sold and distributed. And while a reborn La Tropical now brews out of Miami, craft breweries across the state still operate under similar laws. The Florida Brewers Guild wants to change that.

“Most of these laws have been in effect since the 1930s, well before the recent and growing boom in craft beer in our state,” the Guild wrote on its Freedom For Beer website. Reform, the guild says, would “update the current Three-Tier System of alcoholic beverage laws to better serve not just manufacturers, but retailers, and distributors for the benefit of Florida consumers.”

The Guild says licensing fees—which a brewer needs to make and sell their beer—should be determined on a sliding scale based on production, not the flat, “one-size-fits-all” approach that forces a small brewer to pay the same fee as a large, sometimes multinational, brewer.

At the heart of the Guild’s issues, however, is distribution.

Florida law requires breweries to work with beer distributors, which make profit by getting beer from breweries to stores, bars, and restaurants where the guild says consumers see a markup (the distributor brought it there, after all).

The center of that relationship is the state’s complicated beer franchise law which requires a brewery—but not a wine or spirit supplier—to give its distributor the exclusive right (“franchise”) to distribute the brewery’s beer in perpetuity, even when the brewery or distributor experiences a change in ownership.

The Guild cited the 2016 merger of Belgian brewer InBev and Anheuser-Busch, plus recent Brown Distributing portfolio sales in its argument for franchise law reform. In the first deal, “breweries had no rights to consider whether this was good for their businesses or not,” and with Brown, “breweries had no choice but to go with the subsequent purchaser, rather than selecting a new distributor that was the best fit for their brands.”

A brewer can get out of a “franchise” agreement through compensation to the distributor

in the form of a buyout that includes “reasonable compensation for the diminished value of the distributor’s business.” Longwood, Florida’s Brewer’s Law adds that the brewery must also “buyback the distributor’s inventory of beer and pay to the distributor 100% of its laid-in costs (that is, the price the distributor paid for the beer plus its reasonable costs freight, storage, and handling).”

While Miami’s M.I.A. Beer Company is using a “corrective action plan” clause in franchise law to try and break up with its distributor, most Florida breweries are locked into their agreements.

(a Republican from New Port Richey) got Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign a bill that limits branding fees brewers pay the state to only those sold to distributors, the Guild wants more reform in 2024.

Self-distribution is a big part of the ask. Permitted in 38 other states, the Guild wants the Florida to help small brewers by letting them “self-distribute their beer until their brand reaches a certain volume level or they determine it is in their best interest to work with a distributor.”

Since most established beer distributors focus on efficiency and predictability (which leads to profitability), they end up working with mostly familiar brands, leaving out smaller breweries.

Emerging distributors like Tampa Bay’s Altered Craft Distribution serve small shops in

tiny little brewery in their portfolio, because it just doesn’t make sense,” Charlie Meers told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about the prospect of Florida beer law reform. “Even with your mid-major distributors, sometimes it just doesn’t fit. Selling beer isn’t a one size fits all sort of thing. There needs to be different levels for everyone.”

Meers, who cofounded Tampa Heights’ Magnanimous Brewing in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, teamed up with a tiny distributor, Mr. Beverage, in his brewery’s early days. The partnership allowed Magnanimous to place its beer in friends’ bars around Tampa Bay, and eventually in Orlando, Miami and surrounding markets before Mr. Beverage amicably let Magnanimous rework its contract. Now the brewery now works with J.J. Taylor—whose portfolio includes local favorites like 7venth Sun Brewery, BarrieHaus and Cigar City—for most of its distribution.

Most customers, he admits, don’t know the ins-and-outs of Florida beer law; they really just want to know where they can get Magnanimous—or whatever their favorite Tampa Bay craft beer is—in Panama City and other parts of Florida.

“Breweries need more options on how to get that out, whether it’s direct shipping to customers, which I think for some breweries offers as much benefit as self-distribution, or other things of that nature,” Meers said. “There just needs to be more leeway to what a brewery can do on a daily basis to be able to get beer out.”

The Guild says franchise laws should be limited to breweries of certain sizes based on production capacity. “These changes would continue to protect distributors from losing large manufacturers that comprise the majority of their sales and affect the stability of their business, while allowing smaller breweries to negotiate their contracts based on their specific needs for the benefit of both parties,” the Guild writes.

And while Florida brewers caught a break this year when State Reps. Lindsay Cross (a Democrat from St. Petersburg) and Brad Yearger

six counties, but the Guild says self-distribution gives the smallest brewers a chance to build sales and gauge demand (there’s only so much room on store shelves, after all) before entering a contract with a distributor. “It also allows a small brewery to capture some additional profit to help build their brand and company, while remaining competitive in price against other brands,” the Guild adds.

“I think a lot of distributors would probably agree with that. They’re not gonna say it in writing anywhere, but they don’t want a

Meers’ schedule recently forced him to step down from the Guild’s Board of Directors, but he thinks legislators, including the governor, might be ready to seriously consider reform. More so than others from small towns with crumbling infrastructure and other needs, elected officials from the Bay area have a lot of constituents who make money off craft beer— and even more who enjoy it daily.

And yes, opening up distribution could mean more reps for small breweries showing up to bars and package stores to try and sell beer. But the little change, Meers said, could someday make a huge difference.

“It always helps out to be able to build a little bit smaller to begin with and then work your way up,” Meers added about being able to self-distribute. “It would definitely give them a leg up.”

“I think a lot of distributors would probably agree with that.”

MAT

Foot out the door

Tampa dive bar Barefoot Billy’s has a new owner, and more local food news.

Barefoot Billy’s Friendly Tavern, a beloved Tampa dive bar located at 3120 W Gandy Blvd., is under new ownership, but it’s not time to say goodbye just yet. While July 29 was the last day longtime owner Bill Geary was officially behind the bar, it will remain open as Barefoot Billy’s until new ownership is ready to begin work on the new concept, which is slated for September. After that, the bar’s namesake hopes to enjoy a life of semi-retirement and more time to spend with his family.

Geary, a spirited and genuinely nice guy, ran Barefoot Billy’s for 18 years, but the location has been a bar since 1957. When he took over it was called The Friendly Tavern and was little more than four walls. He used the opportunity to make much-needed improvements, and soon Billy’s was a popular haunt for South Tampa’s bluecollar working community.

A Rene’s Mexican Kitchen sign popped up on at 2802 N 16th St. last month, and over the weekend, the restaurant's namesake Rene Valenzuela announced an opening date: Tuesday, Aug. 15. Doors open at 9 a.m. (so breakfast tacos??) and close at 5 p.m.

As previously reported, the building on the outskirts of Ybor City was formerly occupied by local catering business Gaston's Culinary Services, which recently relocated to 301 S 22nd St. in South Tampa.

Valenzuela told CL last month that the new Rene's is a bodega-style, ultra-casual pick-up window and not a full-service restaurant.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Only outdoor seating is available, so plan on getting your food via the pickup window or from delivery companies like Uber, DoorDash, etc.

Geary told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the evolving demographic of the neighborhood, along with changing habits among younger drinkers contributed to a decline in the happy hour crowd at Billy’s, which still managed to maintain a hold on its late night crowd.

He hopes the new ownership will maintain the “divey” feel of the past but is excited about the changes to come, which may include offering food and potentially even liquor in the future.

The new owner, who declined to be identified publicly, is a well-connected local with an entrepreneurial drive and a dedication to keeping the spirit of Barefoot Billy’s alive. The theme currently being considered is a sports bar with a focus on Tampa history and one that offers a more family friendly atmosphere, the new owner told CL.

According to a social media post, the new concept will operate under the name The Friendly Tarpon Tavern.

For now, you can still get your fix of the current operation during normal business hours (4 p.m.-midnight Monday-Friday, 2 p.m.-midnight Saturday-Sunday). If you’re lucky, you may even catch Bill at the bar, if he’s not trying to figure out how to turn on the finicky TVs.

Rene’s Mexican Kitchen opens next week in Ybor City

You have a week to find bigger sweatpants, Tampa Bay, because one of Tampa's beloved food trucks opens its brick-and-mortar storefront in Ybor City next week.

The new spot will also support Valenzuela's Seminole Heights food truck by offering additional refrigeration and storage space. The menu at Rene’s Mexican Kitchen is exactly the same as that food truck offering—think tacos loaded with proteins like al pastor, barbacoa, chorizo and cheese, picadillostuffed peppers and spicy shrimp, in addition to vegetarian options like oyster mushrooms and butternut squash—with the addition of tortas, a Mexican sandwich served on a soft roll. Various burritos, house specialties and expected sides will join its taco-heavy menu, too.

Valenzuela has deep culinary roots in Tampa, and founded Taco Bus, which now has multiple locations throughout the Bay area. He sold his stake in the company in 2015, he continued to dish out his beloved Mexican food through other ventures.

Rene’s Mexican Kitchen’s Ybor City location will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

For the latest, head to its Facebook or Instagram, both at @renesmexicankitchenofficial.—Ray Roa

New Asian-fusion steakhouse Fortu will open in St. Pete this fall

The basement of St. Pete’s historic Ponce de Leon Hotel used to be home to Latin dancing nights and Barcelona inspired food before Ceviche made its move a few blocks away last year. Now, a new pan-Asian steakhouse concept is finally opening at 95 Central Ave. Fortu is the latest concept from Benson Hospital Group and local restaurateur Shan Bakrac, owner of other St. Pete concepts like Top Slice Pizzeria and Black Cattle Burger Co.

The plan has undergone some design changes since its original announcement last August. Initially presented as a restaurant with sleek red-and-black interiors and Japanese inspired undertones, Corey Rose, Culinary Operations at Benson Hospitality Group, told St. Pete Rising Fortu will now feature lighter Earth tones— beige and brown—plus dark wood accents. “I think it looks a lot better than the red and black we had originally envisioned,” Rose added.

The ceiling will be adorned with lantern style pendant lighting, with Fortu’s logo, a stylized F resembling a Torii—the traditional Japanese gate often found at the entrance of a shrine—on the back wall.

Fortu’s menu has an assortment of land and sea dishes, including miso sea bass, a raw bar,

Korean fried chicken, and roasted pork collar. There’s also a speciality wagyu menu with cuts, such as striploin, coulotte, tenderloin, and skirt steak. The bar will focus on serving high-end Japanese whiskeys, cocktails, sake and wines, such as the Japanese Highball and Milk Punch. Between its indoor and outdoor seating areas, Fortu can accommodate nearly 200 guests at one time. The basement under Fortu however will still remain El Cante, a Latin themed speakeasy. With its opening date expected sometime in September, Fortu has started hiring for various positions on its staff, including server, host, prep and line cooks, and more. Those interested in applying should email resumes to careers@ forturestaurants.com.—Gracey Davis

continued on page 35

“The tavern and was little more than four walls.”

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continued from page 31

Tampa Bay’s first Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar opens in Wesley Chapel this fall

Wesley Chapel’s newest culinary concept is getting ready to open its doors. Tampa Bay’s first Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar opens at 25026 Wesley Chapel Blvd. sometime in September, although its original opening date was in August to coincide with National Oyster Day.

The North Carolina-based restaurant is known for its menu of seafood favorites like po’boys, shrimp and grits, lobster grilled cheeses and shrimp, snow crabs, mussels and clams by the dozen or half-pound. Familystyle options include its “Low Country Boil” of steamed shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn and its “Saul T Steam Pot” loaded with oysters, clams, snow crab legs and shrimp.

location (literally meaning “fat point”). The brewery operated at its 611 Charlotte St. location for two years before announcing it would be closing on its second anniversary in 2017, due to rising finances and an expiring lease.

Just nine days before its anniversary and imminent closure, the brewery was purchased by Seaboard Craft Beer Holdings, the parent company to Big Storm Brewing Co., saving the Charlotte County microbrewery. Now, the original Fat Point is in the process of moving across the street, as its lease ended at the beginning of April, with plans to officially reopen its doors sometime in the late fall months.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

In addition to its new location, and soon to be reopened Punta Gorda location, Fat Point also sells its four-pack, 16-ounce cans in select stores.—GD

And since oysters are the star of the show, they can be ordered raw, steamed or charbroiled at Wesley Chapel’s soon-to-open Shuckin’ Shack. A full menu of specialty cocktails—including raw “oyster shooters”—joins its spread of casual, seafood-heavy fare.

In addition to Wesley Chapel’s upcoming Shuckin’ Shack, there are other locations of the North Carolina-based company opening in downtown Ocala and the greater Space Coast area.

Florida’s only Shuckin’ Shack restaurant has been open in Ocala since late 2021.

The opening of Wesley Chapel’s new 4,162 square-foot oyster bar—complete with an outdoor patio—was announced last fall.

According to a press release, Wesley Chapel’s Shuckin’ Shack will be open from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. for the first few weeks of its soft opening phase and will eventually expand its operating hours. For the latest information on Shuckin’ Shack’s grand opening this fall, head to its Facebook or Instagram, both at @shuckinshackwesleychapel.—Kyla Fields

Fat Point Brewing opens new Sarasota location Fat Point Brewing, known for its critically acclaimed ales, is expanding its brand with a new taproom in University Town Center in Sarasota, and just celebrated its grand opening last month. Its new location—at 257 N Cattlemen Rd., Unit 90—offers classic Fat Point brews like its flagship ale Big Boca, and location-exclusive small batch beers brewed on site. The 2,500-square-foot venue and beer garden will also host classic Fat Point menu items including gator bites, umami burgers, smoked fish spread and more.

Originally founded in 2014 by Bill Frazer and his brother-in-law Duncan Scarry, Fat Point Brewery was named for its Punta Gorda

Burger chain debuts new 10 patty ‘X’ burger in Tampa Bay, following Twitter name change Days after the world’s richest man hastily “rebranded” his website into an overcompensating tower of wet beef, a popular burger chain is unrolling a similar product. Last month, Elon Musk officially changed Twitter’s name and widely-recognized blue bird logo to a single letter X. Besides the rollout turning into an incredible comedy of errors, some experts have suggested that the move likely cost the company upwards of $20 billion in brand value, which is a considerable amount since advertising at platform is down 50% after Musk paid $44 billion for the website last October.

But now you too can taste this success for yourself. Last week, burger chain Wayback Burgers started serving the “X” Burger.

“Created with the vision to be the everything burger, the ‘X’ Burger features ten layers of patties, ten slices of American Cheese, lettuce and tomato,” says the company. “But don’t sweat it, this burger will not cost $44 billion.”

Wayback Burgers says the “X” Burger costs $29.99, but guests named “Elon” will get it for free through the month of August “to celebrate those who challenge the status quo, aim for the stars and have a complete disdain for birds.”

Guests named Elon must show a valid ID to receive their free “X” burger.

The company has multiple locations throughout Central Florida, including outposts in Kissimmee, Orlando, Titusville, and Daytona Beach. The locations closest to Tampa Bay are about 20 miles away in Lithia (5672 Fishhawk Crossing Blvd.) and Plant City (200 W Alexander St.). “Our goal has been to create the ‘X’ Burger,” said Patrick Conlin, President of Wayback Burgers. “It should have been done a long time ago, we’re sorry it took so long.”

Colin Wolf

“Now you too can taste this success for yourself.”

Help CL with this evolving listing. Did we miss a brewery or leave out an important detail? Email rroa@cltampa. com and kyla@cltampa.com. Include brewery name, address, phone number and website, plus a short description of the unique offerings. (Last updated Aug. 10, 2023)

3 CAR GARAGE Small-batch craft beer and rotating food trucks plus live music and happy hour specials. 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton. 941-741-8877, 3cargaragebrewing.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of downtown St. Pete’s most popular hangouts and a beautiful facility in which to drink some great brews. 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-4956002, 3dbrewing.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

5 BRANCHES BREWING Veteran-owned brewery, small batches from IPAs to stouts. Serving brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 531 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. fivebranchesbrewing.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. 813-231-5900, 7venthsun.com

81BAY BREWING CO. South Tampa’s first craft brewery boasts a wide variety of styles. You can still drink it, but the taproom is closed for renovation. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com

ANECDOTE BREWING CO. Sip inside or on the patio of Indian Rocks Beach’s first micro brewery. 321 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach. anecdotebrewing.com

ANGRY CHAIR Crazy-good Seminole Heights beer, open Tuesday-Sunday, and its newly-opened taproom has tons of parking and a food shanty. 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.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

BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. Lager-specific brewery, carrying on a more than 150 year brewing legacy. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. barriehaus.com

BASTET Named after the Egyptian cat-goddess, the brewery offers seasonal ales, ciders and even the occasional ginger beer. 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. bastetbrewing.com

BAYBORO BREWING CO. Veteran-owned kid-friendly brewery that has tons of events to go with its creative tap list. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-767-9666, bayborobrewing.com

BEACH ISLAND BREWERY Artisanal-style nano brewery in Dunedin. 2058 Bayshore Blvd. Suite 5, Dunedin. 352-541-0616

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

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

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

BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. Tarpon Springs spot specializing in music-inspired brews like the “So Fresh n’ So Clean sour” and “All the Single Belgians.” 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 7272-940-2350

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

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

CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the historic DunedinTimes building. 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com

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

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

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

COMMERCE BREWING Live entertainment events and a wide variety of brews live here. 521 Commerce Drive S, Largo. commercebrewing@gmail.com

COMMON DIALECT BEERWORKS Seminole Heights’ new family and dog friendly brewery—located right next to the Health Mutt pet store—has a familial and welcoming feel for all walks of life, plus beer from Mike Conze. 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-443-6659. commondialectbeer.com

COPP WINERY & BREWERY One stop for all wine bar and brewery needs in Crystal River. 7855 W Gulf Lake Highway, Crystal River. 352-228-8103, coppbrewery.com

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com

CORPORATE LADDER BREWING COMPANY Brewery focused on customer experience and celebrating social gatherings. 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. 941-479-4799, corporateladderbrewing.square.site

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

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

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

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

DADE CITY BREW HOUSE The heart of downtown Dade City’s destination for original beers, wines and ciders. 14323 7th St., Dade City. 352-218-3122, dadecitybrewhouse.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.

DENTED KEG ALE WORKS Local brewery nestled in downtown New Port Richey. 5500 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-232-2582, dentedkegaleworks.com

DEVIANT LIBATION Latest project from local beer god Tim Ogden housed in the soon-to-open art collective Crab Devil. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727-379-4677, deviantlibation.com

DISSENT CRAFT BREWING CO. Unique flavors and adventurous style outside downtown St. Pete. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-342-0255. @dissentcraftbrewing on Facebook

DUNEDIN BREWERY Florida’s oldest. Beer, eats and live music in what’s now become an iconic setting. 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com

DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER This beer stop brews its own, and also has 40 guest taps. 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 2166318, dunedinhob.com

ESCAPE BREWING CO. Another very worthy OdessaTrinity destination. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escapebrewingcompany.com

FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. Beer for the Sunshine State brewed in a family-friendly taproom. 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., Wesley Chapel. 813-452-6333, floridaavebrewing.com

FLORIDA BREWERY Built in 1937, the second oldest brewery in Florida offers a Lager-focused brew menu. 202 Gandy Rd., Auburndale. 863-965-1825

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. 813-641-2036, fourstacksbrewing.com

FRONT PAGE BREWING CO. This Bartow brewery offers Wednesday trivia, Thursday bingo and live music on the weekends. 190 S Florida Ave., Bartow. 863-537-7249, frontpagebrewing.com

GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE

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

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

continued on page 43

DINE IN • PICK UP • CURBSIDE

HAPPY HOUR IN THE BAR AREA

TUESDAY-SUNDAY 5-7

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.

continued from page 39

GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts. 1650 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com

GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches with an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Tampa. @ GulfportBrewery on Facebook

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

HOB BREWING CO. Rotating taps, with some 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 A self-described “mixtape of breweries” with a bit of everything from the classic to the fun and outrageous. 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-2014484, ifibrewedtheworld.com

IN THE LOOP BREWING Family-friendly with a lot of community support and plenty of events. 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com

INFUSION BREWING CO. Another great location in the good-beer-packed Trinity/New Port Richey area. 6345 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. 7272-484-4757

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

KING STATE This Tampa spot is a beer brewer, a coffee roaster and whatever else it wants to be. 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813-221-2100, 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

LATE START BREWING Beloved Tampa label formerly doing its thing inside the Pour House, but now building a new location nearby. In the meantime contract brewing out of Magnanimous and Angry Chair currently and available at most boutique on premise locations and limited box stores. 1018 E Cass St., Tampa, latestartbrewing.com

LEAVEN BREWING Riverview’s first brewery is run by folks who’ve got experience brewing big and small. 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813-677-7023, leavenbrewing.com

LIQUID GARAGE CO. Trendy one offs and traditional styles all in Jeffery Ashline’s industrial and automotive-themed taproom. 1306 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey. 727645-5885. theliquidgarage.com

MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING Brews, ciders and meads by the beach. 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-3620008, madbeachbrewing.com

MAGNANIMOUS BREWING In a warehouse a half-block north of I-75, this addition to Tampa’s beer scene provides a large variety to drink in or to go curbside pickup. 1410 Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-415-3671, magnanimousbrewing.com

MARKER 48 Hernando’s first production craft brewery with tasting room and beer garden 12147 Cortez Blvd, Weeki Wachee. 352-606-2509, marker48.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

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

MR. DUNDERBAK’S The longtime restaurant, biergarten and homebrewers’ hangout is serving up its own beers. 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813-977-4104, dunderbaks.com

OFF THE WAGON BREWERY Venice’s first micro-brewery and burger spot in one. 2107 S Tamiami Trail, Venice. 941-4972048, otwbar.com

OLDE FLORIDA BREWING Largo’s newest craft brewery is open Tuesday through Sunday. 1158 7th St. NW, Largo. 727229-8010, @oldefloridabrew on Facebook

OVERFLOW BREWING St. Pete spot courtesy of local Rapp head brewer Troy Bledsoe and company. 770 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-914-0665, facebook.com/overflowbrewingco

OZONA BREWING COMPANY Fresh, local craft beer made on site, wine, food and live entertainment in the heart of Ozona. 315 Orange St., Palm Harbor. 920-392-9390, ozonabrewing.com

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

POUR HOUSE With new release events and special feature nights, Pour House celebrates all things beer. 1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 813-402-2923, pourhousetampa.com

PYE ROAD MEADWORKS Located in Odessa, Pye Road focuses on mead but also keeps beer and wine in house for naysayers of the fermented honey drink. 8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. 813-510-3500, pyeroad.com

RAPP BREWING COMPANY The late Greg Rapp’s award-winning styles carefully crafted. 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com

SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY House-crafted brews, pizza, and sports out toward beautiful Siesta Key. 6607 Gateway Ave., Sarasota. 941-925-2337, sarasotabrewing.com

SEA DOG BREWING One Treasure Island craft brewery location and one cantina location in Clearwater. 9610 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island/ 26200 US Highway 19 N, Clearwater. 727-954-7805, seadogbrewing.com

SESH The newest concept from the owners of Mad Beach Craft Brewing Co. is also a restaurant serving craft cocktails and house-brewed craft beers, seltzers and ciders. 2221 4th St. N, St. Petersburg. 727-933-0266. seshstpete.com

SILVERKING BREWING CO. This space in Tarpon Springs complements a label that’s been around since 2012. 325 E Lemon St., Tarpon Springs. 727-422-7598, silverkingbrewing. com

SIX TEN BREWING Wide variety and a real passion for the craft-brew community. 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-8860610, 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 homebrewers. 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com

SOUTHERN LIGHTS BREWING CO. Only the finest hops, grains and natural ingredients go into these handcrafted small-batch ales and lagers. 2075 Sunnydale Blvd., Clearwater. 727-6484314, southernlightsbrewing.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 Friendly joint specializes in high-ABV ales and other styles you won’t find elsewhere. 625 U.S. Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727-270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com

SWAN BREWING Nearly four decades of combined brewing experience go into the offerings at this pet-friendly joint. 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland. 863-703-0472, swanbrewing.com

TAP THIS! BAR AND BREWING CO. Neighborhood beer and wine sports bar. 10730 US-19, Port Richey. 727-378-4358, tapthisbar.com

TBBC Formerly Tampa Bay Brewing Co., local favorite for nearly two decades with two locations including one in the heart of historic Ybor City. 1600 E. 8th Ave., Ybor City/13933 Monroe’s Business Park, Westchase. 813-247-1422, tbbc.beer

THIRSTY BUFFALO BREWING COMPANY Located at The Hub, Land O’Lakes’ new brewery features ales, IPAs, the Midnight Bull vanilla milk stour and a coffee blonde made with beans from Bexley-based Yummee Coffee Roasters. 16794 Focus Loop, Land O’ Lakes. 813-475-5591. thirstybuffalobrew. com

TEMPLE OF BEER Taproom at The Brutalist with 20 constantly rotating taps of Florida’s best brews. 1776 11th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-350-3055, templeofbeer.com

THREE BULLS TAVERN & BREWERY Small-batch hand crafted beer and food made from scratch wrapped in creative atmosphere. 4330 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico. 813-381-3853, threebullstavern.com

TIDAL BREWING COMPANY Small batches in Spring Hill. 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-701-1602, tidalbrewingfl. com

TROUBLED WATERS BREWING An easygoing taproom featuring draft and bottled craft brews, billiards and live music. 670 Main St., Safety Harbor. 727-221-9973, troubledwatersbeer.com

TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY Tarpon Springs’ latest brewery and taproom focuses on American ale styles. 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-6077, @twofrogsbrewing on Facebook

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, inside a gorgreous municpial pump house turned award-winning restaurant. 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com

UNREFINED BREWING All-natural and only in-season ingredients go into these craft brews. 312 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-4822, unrefinedbrewing.com

WELTON BREWING CO. A brewery and oyster bar all wrapped up in one Land O’Lakes location. 2624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’Lakes. 813-820-0050, thebrewcraftery.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. woodwrightbrewing.com

WOVEN WATER BREWING CO. Tampa Heights brewery with a focused menu often using fresh fruit as part of its beers. 456 W Columbus Drive, Tampa. 813-443-9463, wovenwaterbrew.com

WULFAVEN BREWING CO. Carrollwood’s new brewery, making crisp and clean beers, but also some juicy and bitter IPAs and pale ales for the hop-chasers. 10828 Perez Dr., Tampa. 813-374-8226. wulfaven.com

YUENGLING BREWING CO. One of just two U.S. Yuengling destinations, and now home to recently-opened Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen. 11111 N 30th St., Tampa. 813-972-8529, yuengling.com

ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY East Paco’s first microbrewery. 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills. 813-715-2683, zbcbeer.com

ZYDECO BREW WERKS Craft brews in Ybor thanks to an award-winning brewmaster, as well as full bars and NOLAinfluenced cuisine. A second location at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry is in the works. 1902 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. 813-252-4541, zydecobeer.com

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Leap of faith

Parachute Gallery’s new endeavor, plus more local arts news.

Opening your own gallery can be terrifying, and Jessica Todd would know. The 37-year-old artist opened Parachute Gallery in October 2022, and it’s been an adventure ever since.

“Part of the name Parachute is me jumping,” Todd told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “The other part of that is I’m providing this support for artists, to give them this extra set of help to softly land on the ground.”

When Todd opened Parachute Gallery in the fall of 2022, she aimed to support local artists and bring craft media into a gallery setting. The only question was exactly how she would do that.

In its first year, Parachute Gallery—located in the Kress Collective at 1624 E 7th Ave. Suite 240—hosted several monthly exhibitions. “Late Night Thoughts” and “Restrung: Contemporary Beadsmiths” did a great job introducing Ybor City to artists using craft media in unique or innovative ways. On the flip side of the coin, shows like “Buy Me Flowers and Call Me Pretty” highlighted the power of traditional crafts like jewelry and ceramic vases to express love and caring.

‘90s Con coming to Tampa for the first time with stars from Saved by the Bell, Boy Meets World, Disney princesses and more Young Gen X-ers and elder millennials, listen up. There’s a new convention coming to Tampa, and it celebrates our favorite decade: the 1990s. ‘90s Con will make its Florida debut on Sept. 15-17 at the Tampa Convention Center. Tickets are on sale now starting at $40 per person for a day pass.

Now for the big names that draw tens of thousands of people to these themed conventions. ‘90s Con has a seriously start-studded list of 50 celebrity guests from across the 1990s entertainment spectrum.

A&E EVENTS

There’s a Disney princess reunion with the voices of Ariel (Jodi Benson), Belle (Paige O’Hara), Jasmine (Linda Larkin), Pocahontas (Judy Kuhn) and Meg (Susan Egan). Nearly all of the main cast of “Boy Meets World” will be there, from Danielle Fishel (Topanga) and Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter) to William Daniels, who played Mr. Feeney.

Parachute Gallery’s relaunch sale

Next Thursday (11 a.m.-9 p.m.)-next FridaySaturday (2 p.m.-8 p.m.), Aug. 17-19

Parachute Gallery @ Kress Collective 1624 E 7th Ave. Suite 240, Ybor City parachute-gallery.com

Unfortunately, exhibitions like these don’t always pay the bills. “Four weeks is a very limited amount of time to sell work. It’s just financially too much of a strain,” Todd added. So as Parachute Gallery’s one-year anniversary approaches, Todd’s trying out a new business model.

“The way I’m approaching it now is to form long-term relationships with a set group of core artists who are local and working with them over time,” Todd told CL. For these artists, Parachute Gallery will be a retail space.

“It will be a lot of crafts—ceramics, jewelry, stationary, fibers, wood, a little bit of painting,” says Todd. “And then some artisanal locally made products like coffee and tea.”

Through her exhibitions, Todd has demonstrated an eye for the power of craft to elevate our daily lives. It’s a skill that should transfer nicely into selling fine crafts in a retail space.

Witchy ‘90s kids like me will jump at the chance to meet Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz from “Halloweentown” and Sabrina and the aunties from “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.” There are also stars from “Saved by the Bell,” “Full House,” “Family Matters,” “Charmed and 90210.” And musical guests from Backstreet Boys (Nick Carter and AJ McClean), N*Sync (Joey Fatone) and TLC (T-Boz and Chilli) will be there.

The bar scene is going to be fun after the festival closes.

That’s4Entertainment’s conventions typically have nightly concerts, but ‘90s Con is still finalizing its schedule of events for next month. We’re crossing our fingers TLC will grace us with “No Scrubs” even though it’s not the same without Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

Other festivities at 9’0s Con include celebrity panels and photo ops, cosplay contests and vendor rooms full of nostalgic merch.

That’s4Entertainment was created by four women who loved spending the holidays

together binge watching Christmas movies. Their first Christmas Con launched in 2019, and they hosted three more in-person events since then. The group debuted ‘90s Con in 2022. This year, there are two ‘90s Cons (Connecticut and Florida) and two Christmas Cons (Kansas and New Jersey).—Chelsea

Voting is now open for the 2023 Best of the Bay awards

Once again, it’s that time of year when we celebrate everything we love about Tampa Bay.

From now until Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m., voting is open for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Best of the Bay (BOTB). This year’s poll is even bigger and better, and we need your help. We want to know what you, the readers, think is the best this Bay has to offer—from restaurants, nightlife, recreation, retail, and everything else you think deserves a little local love.

For the unfamiliar, BOTB is Tampa Bay’s longest running annual celebration of “The Best” this area has to offer. For 33 years, CL has relied

on the public to nominate their favorites, and this year you delivered.

For 2023, readers can vote across nine categories: Arts, Beauty and Wellness, Drink, Entertainment, Food, Goods, People, Places, and Entertainment. The options on the 2023 Best of the Bay ballot represent the Top 10 nominee getters in each award (if you see more than 10 nominees, it’s because there was a tie). And, as a reminder, you can vote once per day.

Readers Choice BOTB winners will be announced at CL’s annual Best of the Bay issue release and party happening on Thursday, Sept. 27 at Tampa’s Hard Rock Event Center at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The event—which gathers BOTB finalists and winners along with vendors and entertainers from across the Bay area—is open to the public, and tickets are on sale now via botbtampabay. com starting at $35.

If you’re among the list of 2023 CL Best of the Bay nominees, voting marketing materials are available. Any questions can be answered by emailing botb@cltampa.com.

Discover the wide array of visual effects—from crisp lines to delicately hued washes to intensely saturated passages—created through water’s interaction with pigments upon various surfaces.

SAM FARMER

JUNE BUNCH

GOZADERA:

SURFER GIRL

THU 10

Pentatonix w/Lauren Alaina Pentatonix has come a long way since opening for Cee Lo Green at the Mahaffey Theater some 12 years ago, as the last year has been off the chain for the finest acapella pop group in music right now. The Texas-based quintet released yet another holiday album, Holidays Around The World last December, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in late February. Just before that, the group performed a stunning version of “Heroes and Villains” at the Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys, in front of Brian Wilson, no less. “American Idol” runnerup Lauren Alaina opens the band’s first show in town since 2018. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

FRI 11

The All-American Rejects w/New Found Glory/The Starting Line/The Get Up Kids Don’t hate us, but we didn’t know that The Get Up Kids—a Kansas City-based emo band that helped shape the genre— were still active. In 2019, some four years after the band’s last time in Tampa, and the same year that saw the departure of founding member James Dewees, the Kids dropped Problems , an album described by critics as a return to the band’s roots. Hopefully frontman Matthew Pryor leans on the Something to Write Home About and Four Minute Mile bangers that put The Get Up Kids on the map during the set opening for The All-American Rejects and New Found Glory. (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Benefit for Josh White: Drawn Out w/ Migrant Fury/Reaching Out/Right On Time/Spit Truth (debut show)/Zero Chill (debut show) Josh White—a mainstay in Tampa’s hardcore live music scene—has had some health issues of late, and on top of that, he’s been mourning the loss of Remembering Never vocalist Peter Kovalsky. A plethora of hardcore outfits—a few making their respective live debuts—get together to raise money to help White get back on his feet. (Born Free Pub & Grill, Tampa)

Jesse & Joy The Mexican brothersister duo is known for leaning heavily on causes from equality and LGBTQ+ activism, to animal rights and natural disaster relief respectively. In terms of studio work, Joy Uecke usually presents her airy vocals in front of Jesse Uecke’s instrumental riffs, including on their latest, Grammy-winning album Clichés , which is the perfect blend of acoustic and contemporary pop, sung in Spanish. Friday night marks the first time that the siblings will be in Tampa Bay, so if you skip out, you’ll be, as they say, “la de la mala suerte” (the one with bad luck). (Duke

Energy Center at Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

Pierce The Veil The San Diego-based poppunk outfit’s last local shows happened within the last year and were both opening slots: once at Jannus Live for I Prevail last September, and again earlier this year at the Hard Rock for The Used. The third time must be the charm for Vic Fuentes and company, because our friends at 97X have worked the same live music magic they pulled on The Revivalists and Grouplove earlier in the year, and sure enough, Pierce The Veil will return to the Floridian Social for the first time since 2012, when it was still the State Theater. Ah, good times. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

SAT 12

Hotel Fiction w/Trash Panda After a few postcollege-graduation gigs opening for The Brook and the Bluff and Beach Fossils, Jade Long and Jessica Thompson dropped Soft Focus, their first album as a duo called Hotel Fiction. Crushed career dreams and staying afloat in life are just two topics on the record of soft indie-rock, which should get plenty of play at the band’s first Ybor City gig. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Jeremy Gloff (album release) In his late-40s, Tampa songwriter Jeremy Gloff was feeling tired and uninspired. But he found a spark in Bartow where he and fellow songwriter Shae Krispinky visited on a whim. “I felt at peace for the first time in ages. The sun set and we went for a late night dinner at Perkins. Back in my hometown, Perkins was the only place that was open late night. Unintentionally, I felt a piece of myself I hadn’t felt in a really long time,” Gloff told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

So he kept driving back over the next few months, bringing new friends along and finding new things to love. In between the trips, he wrote the tunes for Road To Bartow (the album runs 50 minutes, just like the drive). His album release show is sold-out. (Disco Dolls Studio, Tampa)

Plies w/Juvenile/8ball & MJG/Goodie Mob/Webbie/Ball Greezy Nearly five million people have paused their lives for half-an-hour to revel in the nostalgia blast that is Juvenile’s NPR “Tiny Desk” concert. On it, the Louisiana rapper—flanked by his Cash Money Records sidekick Mannie Fresh— delivered a 10-song set, and encore, that included some of the most iconic hip-hop hits of the late-’90s. Joining the 48-year-old rapper and Fresh for the performance was a nine-piece band including strings from the Louisiana Philharmonic, D.C. R&B-soul duo The Amours, plus Grammy winners Trombone Shorty and Jon Batiste. And while the elaborate backup probably won’t be there, the Bay area gets a chance to “Back That Azz Up” with the Hot Boy this weekend for a show that coincides with the 25th anniversary of Juvenile’s landmark album 400 Degreez. We’re just hoping he brings some Juvie Juice—the hard iced tea collab Juvenile has with New Orleans’ Urban South Brewery—to share. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

Row Jomah (album release) Joe Roma is heading in a new direction. This World Remains , a five-track EP recorded at West Jefferson, North Caroline’s Bear Cabin Lodge, is a step away from the band’s non-arrangement, jam-based style heard on past releases such as 2017’s Guns & Gods & Gold . “The song’s lyrics are heavily influenced by the setting where we recorded in,” Roma told CL.

continued from page 51

The first single, “Push & Pull” is about getting through hard times with help from your friends. “Rather than succumb to the ‘push and pull’ of everyday life, they fly away to the mountains and build a new world just for them to live in happiness and harmony all their days,” he added. The no-cover album release party also features the likes of local hip-hop legend Jon Ditty, saxophonist Brian Doss, and vocalist Rochelle “Songbird Shella” Siddiq, just to name those who have been announced. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

Snoop Dogg w/Wiz Khalifa/Too Short/ Warren G/Berner/DJ Drama Getting to be in “High School” is fun, and two of the most stoned rappers out there want to prove it. West Coast rap legends Too $hort and Warren G are also on the bill along with Berner and DJ Drama. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Stephen Marley w/Skip Marley There never seems to be a shortage of Bob Marley offspring in Tampa Bay. Last month, Julian Marley—who has previously toured with a new iteration of The Wailers—brought the goods to downtown St. Pete, and now it’s his brother Stephen’s turn. Fresh off of a new “Old Soul” single, released on April 20 (naturally), Stephen brings his nephew Skip—who previously performed at the debut Innings Fest last year, as opposed to the date-coinciding Reggae Rise Up—to Jannus Live for their last tour date together this year. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

SUN 13

813 Day: A Musical Celebration Of Tampa w/Sea of Niche/Nick Ewing/Mic Deluxx/He Kindly/more A celebration of Tampa would not be complete without a best-dressed pirate and booty-shaking competition (they’re separate for this gig), but this 813 Day party also features an art show from Conrad Garner, and a who’s who of the next generation of Tampeño music makers. Newschool jazz ensemble Sea Of Niche leads the way, along with alternative-Americana songwriter Nick Ewing, rapper Mic Deluxx, plus rock outfits He Kindly and The George. Make sure you’re there for a party-starting set by Fre$h P, too. (Hooch & Hive, Tampa)

WED 16

Beyoncé The 41-year-old superstar’s seventh album, Renaissance , was released last summer and immediately hit no. 1 on the Billboard 200. The run is her first outing since co-headlining a 2018 tour with her husband, Jay-Z, and in support of an album that saw a few edits after its release (as P4K points out, ableist lyrics were replaced, along with edits to a song that featured Kelis). (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa)

Biishop The Artist w/Noan Partly/ Fever Head/Johnny Champagne Last May at Perception’s album release, Biishop The Artist nearly stole the show with a powerful vocal that’s juxtaposed to the Tampa songwriter’s youthful appearance. Just last Friday, Biishop—for fans of Lucy Pearl, Frank Ocean and Glenn Lewis—shared the talent and an ultra smooth live band with the “Live Music Showcase” on WMNF-Tampa 88.5-FM, and

on hump day he’s on a bill featuring another one of the Bay area’s brightest songwriters (Noan Partly), experimental rapper-producer Johnny Champagne and Fever Head, a new jazz band featuring members of local heavyweight Katara. (Hooch & Hive, Tampa)

The Offspring w/Simple Plan/Sum 41

Twenty-three years following its first Warped Tour, Sum 41 has declared that its current run of shows with Simple Plan and The Offspring will be its farewell tour, and the currently impending Heaven & Hell album will be the last in the band’s discography. No reason was provided as to why the split is happening, but after 27 years as a band, can you blame them? (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Ryan Adams is back on tour, and you’re probably cringing knowing he’s coming to Tampa Bay. The 48-year-old’s

return to the Bay area comes six years after his closing set at Gasparilla Music Festival and four years after his fall from grace in the wake of a damning, disturbing New York Times report detailing multiple accounts of “manipulative behavior in which Adams dangled career opportunities while simultaneously pursuing female artists for sex.” The FBI even opened an inquiry into the Whiskeytown frontman’s communications with an underage fan; the probe has been closed and “cleared” Adams has since apologized and even received a glowing write up in Variety. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

THU 17

Massa Nera w/Habak/Quiet Fear/ Horsewhip/Star of Khorala Screamo, neocrust, and hardcore bands from across North America are in town this week thanks Inkbeard Booking which has organized a

bi-coastal one-two punch (Massa Nera from New Jersey, Los Angeles’ Quiet Fear) to play alongside Habak from Tijuana, Mexico and two St. Petersburg bands, Horsewhip and Star of Khorala. Needless to say, bring ear protection. (VFW Post 30, St. Petersburg)

Toosii During a December 2020 concert in a Jacksonville skatepark, gunshots rang out near a Toosii concert, and though no one was hurt, the show ended. Not long after, the rapper went out and greeted fans in the parking lot on top of a car, and Jacksonville law enforcement maced him and co-headliner YK Osiris. “They shut it down because of capacity so I went outside to greet everyone and this is what happened,” Toosii wrote in a since-deleted statement. Mr. “Love Cycle” last popped into town while opening for Rod Wave at the Yuengling Center last winter, and luckily, capacity doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Morrissey is coming to Tampa Bay this fall, and you have every reason to have mixed feelings about it.

Not quite canceled like Ryan Adams—who’s also playing St. Pete this week—the 64-yearold charming man cuts a controversial presence that can be easy to hate (fitting, he wrote Viva Hate after all) considering how he alienated his bandmates in The Smiths, canceled lots of shows (including one this June), supported Nationalist ideals and had to defend himself in court over allegations of racism.

Still, bigmouth has a “40 Years of Morrissey” tour kicking off in Mexico this September, before landing in Florida for three nights.

CHEW w/Highway Advisory Radio/ Deaf Company Sunday, Sep. 3. 7 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive

Faze Wave w/0 Miles Per Hour/Dinner

Time Wednesday, Oct. 4. 7 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Stick To Your Guns w/Comeback Kid/ Spirit World/Orthodox Tuesday, Nov. 14. 6 p.m. $22. Orpheum, Tampa

Coco in Concert Saturday, Nov. 25. 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. $45.50 & up. Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center, Tampa

Dvsn Wednesday, Dec. 6. 7 p.m. $30.50 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Tickets to see Morrissey play Duke Energy Center for the Arts at Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, Oct. 10 are on sale now and start at $108.

The show comes ahead of Morrissey’s forthcoming album Without Music The World Dies , which a press release describes as “an explicit declaration of love for music, which has made him one of the most acclaimed voices of the last four decades.”

Fans will surely sing along to every word of classics like “How Soon Is Now?,” “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” and “Suedehead,” but rest assured, “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side” might hate you, too.

See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts below.—Ray Roa

Batman 1989 in Concert Saturday, Jan. 20. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Morsani Hall at the Straz Center, Tampa

Ocie Elliott Tuesday, Jan. 23. 8 p.m. $25 & up. Murray Theater at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Tim McGraw w/Carley Pearce Friday, March 15. 7:30 p.m. $35.75 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert Friday-Saturday, March 22-23. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday. $53.50 & up. Morsani Hall at the Straz Center, Tampa

Air Supply w/Little River Band Saturday, March 23. 7 p.m. $45 & up. The Sound, Clearwater

Imperfect unions

Without going into details, I work for a wellknown company, and my co-workers and I are secretly trying to unionize. Is there anything we should know? Anything to look out for?

Striking While The Iron’s Hot

Cards to Know: Strength, The Seeker, The Empress (reversed) Cards to Watch Out for: The Devil (reversed), The Moon, Seven of Swords

Dear Strike, when it comes to union support, I’m Norma goddamn Rae, so good on y’all for organizing. I know it’s a tough road ahead, and with so many states practicing “at-will” employment, it’s not an easy decision to rock a boat when job security is on the line. But I hope y’all can unionize and get the protections you need. Five of the six cards I drew are major arcana, so this is a mighty issue.

As far as what to know, things seem pretty good. With the Strength card, I would remind you that there is strength in numbers (“solidarity forever/for the union makes us strong”), and this is something to pursue with solidarity, not force. You’re walking with a beast. The Seeker is a card unique to my deck (Uusi’s “Pagan Otherworlds”) and represents the seeking of the divine and Truth. You know this is what y’all are supposed to be doing.

To help with your recruiting and your organizing, we have The Empress. The Emperor is traditionally known as the diplomatic one, but the Empress rules with love as well as discipline. It’s a card of hard work and compassion. When drafting your demands, it’s crucial that you do not sacrifice your more vulnerable member’s needs to make something more palatable to the boss hogs.

sure there are some checks and balances for leadership and that things are brought back to members to discuss and vote on. This isn’t to say expertise shouldn’t be relied on or that smaller groups focusing on different parts of the union shouldn’t exist—but broad strategies should be agreed upon by all, not just some. By keeping the collective in mind, y’all have the strength to fight the good fight. Godspeed with your organizing, love.

Dear Oracle, I’m a” millennial” dad, happily married and raising two kids. My wife and I have a lot of couple friends and parenting friends. Usually, we both really like the wife… but the husband ends up being a dud. My wife has connected with many of these women and found great friends, but I haven’t had the same luck. I still have some great guy friends from childhood, high school, and college, but I don’t really have any that live near me. Do the cards have any advice on making dad-dude friends?

Dad-bo(n)d

Cards: Five of Wands, The Emperor (reversed), Six of Swords

ORACLE OF YBOR

Send your questions to oracle@cltampa. com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram

Dear DB, adult friendships often have two issues: they can be hard to make, and the dear friends you do have end up living an airplane ride away. While modern technology has certainly made it easy to catch up with longdistance friends, no one can deny the fun of meeting up for a spontaneous dinner on a Wednesday just because you can.

What you need to watch out for are egos and strategy. Both could sink you. The Moon is both subconscious and shadow—the parts of ourselves that we keep hidden because they’re ugly or base or selfish. With the single-mindedness of The Devil, it’s easy to see how a few egos, drunk on power or convinced that they alone are right, can send you down a path you didn’t want to go. The Devil is often a prison of our own making—or a downfall we brought upon ourselves.

The Seven of Swords, too, is about choices: taking a path that leads to gloriously ego-filled gluttony and destruction or a narrow and dangerous path to freedom. Remember, unions are about the collective, the quiet voices as well as the loud, and it’s challenging to rule by consensus. It’s incredibly easy for a de facto leader to start calling shots without consulting, so be very conscious of how this plays out. Make

I’m sorry you’re dealing with some dud dads. With the Five of Wands, it does suggest that you do not see eye to eye with some of them. That might be because you disagree on more significant beliefs (different values, different lifestyles) or because of more minor issues (no similar interests or sense of humor.) Either way, things feel a little isolating.

Fittingly enough, the lonely Emperor is the earthly father, so it’s no surprise that he’s here. He rules with diplomacy and a wide worldview, so it might benefit you to expand your social scene by trying things that would bring you in touch with a different crowd. (Or, if you’re a political junkie, working on some sort of campaign. The Emperor can also be a stand-in for the government.) The Six of Swords also suggests trying something new and exploring new territory as an active participant. You might have to really put yourself out there and be the one who asks for numbers/texts/arranges hangouts. As someone who is not a cool dad herself, I don’t know where they hang out, but

follow your interests/values (Community action projects? Improv classes?) and see if anyone there seems like a pal.

The Emperor, however, is also a card of deep thought. I don’t think shallow relationships are your thing; you might find them more draining than fulfilling. Deep friendships do take time (otherwise can be a red flag), so hopefully, you find guys who are worth it. If

not, remember you have close friends who are a phone call away.

I’m sorry. I know parenting can be very isolating, and I honestly hope that you’re able to make friends with some dads who can understand the experience of parenting in the modern world and who can land a joke over a beer at a barbeque.

Best of luck, my darling.

Family ties

I’m a 25-year-old gay man. My parents have been divorced most of my life, and my dad came out to me as gay when I was 15. I came out to him and everyone else when I was 18. We’ve always had a good relationship, but we don’t see each other that often because we live on different coasts. We’re probably more open with each other about sex than most fathers and sons, but not in ways that I think are inappropriate. For example, on a recent visit we shared which hookup apps we were on so we could block each other. He’s also made sure I’m being safe about things like casual sex, drugs, and PrEP. As a result of these conversations, I know he’s kind of kinky and into bondage, but don’t have details on what he enjoys.

On my latest trip to see him, a friend of my dad’s came over to pick him up. My dad didn’t refer to it as a hookup beforehand but when the guy arrived, I could tell that’s what they were planning. Before they left for the other guy’s place, my dad’s friend started to flirt with me, which I didn’t take seriously. But as they were leaving the friend said it would be hot if I joined them for an incest scene. Then my dad made a joke about how it would be “father/son bondage time—I mean bonding time!” I didn’t think that was funny, but I laughed and then said I wasn’t interested, and they left. I stayed for two more days, and my dad never said anything else that made me uncomfortable, and we never discussed this guy again or the joke.

I really don’t think my dad wants to fuck me and he probably would have freaked out if I acted like he was serious and said yes. I know it was just a bad joke, but ever since I’ve been dealing with intrusive thoughts and trying to not think about it only makes me think about it more. I like light bondage and want to continue doing it, but now I can’t even think about it without thinking about my dad tying me up, something I do not want and do not want to think about. There are a couple of older guys in my life that I regularly meet up with for casual sex that I like to call “daddy.” That word has never made me think of my own dad until now. The last time I said it during sex I lost my erection and told my fuck buddy I didn’t feel well and left.

How do I get over this? Should I say something to my dad? Or would that make it worse?

I’m sure he’d apologize, but since he didn’t intentionally put these thoughts in my head then I don’t think an apology would make them go away. I don’t want to give up bondage, which I enjoy, and “daddy” is such a common term in gay circles that I’ll never get away from it even if I stopped using it myself. I’ve never been in therapy, but is that what it takes to get rid of unwanted thoughts?—Stupid Humorous Remark Involving Nasty Kink

“I definitely think SHRINK should talk to his father about what happened,” said Dr. Joe Kort, a sex and relationship therapist and the author of “Cracking the Erotic Code: Helping Gay Men Understand Their Sexual Fantasies.”

“From what SHRINK writes here, it sounds like his father has been appropriate and protected him from the inner workings of his sex life, just as he has protected his father from the inner workings of his own sex life. They’ve both done a great job.”

Until your last visit.

“I think SHRINK’s dad most likely felt just as awkward as SHRINK did when his dad’s friend said what he said,” said Dr. Kort, “and then his dad made that unfortunate joke.”

You think your dad made a stupid joke, Dr. Kort thinks your dad made an unfortunate joke, and I think your dad made an unforgivable joke. But why would your father make a joke like that?

Your father was probably trying to avoid embarrassing his friend. Your dad’s fuck buddy said something wildly inappropriate, SHRINK, and instead of prioritizing your feelings by shutting his fuck buddy down—which is absolutely what your father should have done—your dad opted to make the worst dad joke in the long, sordid history of dad jokes. To spare his friend the embarrassment of being made to feel like the creep he is, SHRINK, your dad lunged at a stupid play on words (bondage/bonding). He could have made that same joke without implicitly endorsing his fuck buddy’s suggestion of an incestuous threesome (“Sorry, but that’s not the kind of father/son bonding we’re interested in”), but the tension of the moment led your dad—and I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt here—to go with the first (and worst) version of the joke that popped into his head.

dad wasn’t being serious (and here’s hoping he wasn’t), you need to hear that from your father. There’s some unfinished business between you and your father—there are things you need to say to him, there are things he needs to say to you—and you’re going to be be plagued by these intrusive thoughts until you finish that business.

And while you don’t mention being turned on by these thoughts—indeed, they seem to have cost at least one erection—things that shock us or gross us out sometimes creep into our sexual fantasies in ways that can feel like an additional violation.

“It isn’t uncommon for something that causes us anxiety to become eroticized,” said Dr. Kort. “Sometimes an idea is so gross and disgusting that our minds create a turn-on to cope with how uncomfortable we were. And then, the harder we fight thoughts of this fantasy, the more it comes to dominate our thoughts.”

So, whether these thoughts are turning you on (and I don’t think they are) or turning you off (ding, ding, ding), SHRINK, don’t blame yourself. You didn’t invite these thoughts into your head; your dad’s idiot fuck buddy and your dad’s idiotic response crammed them in there. Whatever you do, they’ll very likely fade with time, but I promise you they’ll fade faster after you get the explanation and apology you’re owed.

SAVAGE LOVE

“SHRINK needs to have a little compassion for himself,” said Dr. Kort. “He was faced with something very cringy and these intrusive thoughts are the understandable result. He shouldn’t have to give up bondage or dirty ‘daddy’ talk during sex as a result. It might help if he thinks about all the other guys out there, with and without ‘daddy’ issues, who are still saying ‘daddy’ to their partners. Calling an older man ‘daddy’ doesn’t mean anything incestual. It’s not about anyone’s real dad.”

P.P.P.S. People who call their adult sex partners “daddy” don’t secretly wish they were fucking their actual dads any more than people who call their adult sex partners “baby” secretly wish they were fucking their actual infants.

Follow Dr. Joe Kort on Twitter @DrJoeKort and learn more about his work at www.joekort.com.

I had back surgery (my third) in 2022, and I’ve been on an anti-inflammatory drug ever since to help deal with the pain. I’m a gay man, and I’m ready to start having sex again. But when I looked into starting up on PrEP, I learned that there is a potential for a drug interaction impacting the kidneys if you combine PrEP with the anti-inflammatory drugs I’ve been prescribed. So, they will not permit me to take these two drugs together. I know that the anti-inflammatory drug really does help ease the pain, so I’ve decided to remain on that medication. My question is how to deal with the issue of PrEP on the online dating sites. Do I leave that question blank and let the other person guess or should I add an explanation? I was thinking of something like, “Can’t take PrEP due to potential negative drug interaction with medication I’m taking for back issues. Would if I could and I hope you are!” Anxious to hear your thoughts.—Pain

And in that moment your dad put you—his own son—in the awkward position of either having to confront him or laugh it off.

“SHRINK needs to let his father know how he felt when it happened and that he didn’t care for it and that it made him feel uneasy,” said Dr. Kort. “It isn’t about getting his dad to apologize or explain, it’s about SHRINK letting this go, at least metaphorically. SHRINK has been carrying this since it first happened, and he should imagine that by telling his father how this made him feel, SHRINK will be freeing himself from having to carry this around any longer.”

I disagree with Dr. Kort. I think your dad owes you an explanation and an apology. Even if you’re sure your dad didn’t approve of what his fuck buddy was doing (and here’s hoping he didn’t), and even if you’re absolutely sure your

As for therapy, SHRINK, a little could go a long way. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to help people who struggle with intrusive thoughts. After a few sessions you may find yourself enjoying light bondage and non-biological fathers again.

P.S. If there had been a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist Barbie in Barbie Land—along with President Barbie and Doctor Barbie and Weird Barbie—then Stereotypical Barbie wouldn’t have had to go to the Real World to get over her intrusive thoughts of death and the Kens wouldn’t have wound up in a dance battle and Ben Shapiro wouldn’t have ended up crying in the lobby after the movie and then having to set fire to a bunch of innocent dolls. Something to think about that isn’t your dad’s dumb joke.

P.P.S. By the logic the Barbie universe, there’s now a burn ward in Barbie Land because of what Ben Shapiro did— not as terrible to contemplate as a bondage threesome with your own dad, but still pretty terrible!

PrEP is a daily medication that HIV-negative gay and bi men can take—it’s a daily medication the Centers for Disease Control urges all sexually-active gay and bi men to take—that significantly reduces the risk of HIV infection. PrEP doesn’t protect against other sexually transmitted infections (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, etc.), and gay and bi men should consider using condoms with casual sex partners—particularly now. Rates of syphilis are way up among gay and bi men, and there’s a nationwide shortage of the drug used to treat syphilis. So, guys… it’s time to stop considering using condoms and actually start using them, at least until the drug shortage is resolved.

While PrEP isn’t a vaccine, the principles of herd immunity—which are usually discussed in relationship to vaccination campaigns—more than apply. When everyone who can get vaccinated does, people who can’t get vaccinated for legitimate reasons , e.g., life-threatening allergies, currently undergoing chemotherapy, etc., are protected from the disease. So, even though you can’t take PrEP, PITB, it’s a good idea for you to seek out partners who are on PrEP, and putting a line that explaining that you’re not on PrEP and why—and indicating that you would be on PrEP if you could be on PrEP—helps to normalize the use of PrEP and that makes everyone safer, yourself included. (Look at me, normalizing PrEP by using it six times in one sentence!)

Send your burning questions to mailbox@ savage.love. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love!

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ACROSS

1 Show respect

4 Warden’s woe

8 Singer Basil

12 “___ girl!”

16 Drum place

8

5

34 Racer Yarborough

35 Whirlpool

36 Downed a sub

37 State of health: abbr.

38 Actress Lee

39 Challenge for Houdini

42 Feels one’s muscles?

43 Anthropologist Margaret

45 Scoundrel

46 “All systems ___”

47 Tybalt’s slayer 48 Laundromat need 50 Lassie creator Knight