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Creative Loafing Tampa — August 12, 2021

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf STAFF WRITER Justin Garcia

BOAT DRINKS

FOOD and THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge FILM & TV CRITIC John Allman CONTRIBUTORS Jefferey C. Billman, Josh Bradley, Caroline DeBruhl, Daniel Guess, Katlynn Mullins, Stephanie Powers, Jennifer Ring, Dan Savage

ory

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker

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EDITORIAL INTERN Katie Delk

for fall via rroa@cltampa.com SeaWorldApply in February, animal rights claiming the practice of keeping Jack wild Spatafora CREATIVE DIRECTOR d dangerous. But even though public atmany SeaWorld in animal ILLUSTRATORS Tylerrights Balkcom, Joe don’t seeFebruary, a parallel between the kind claiming the practice of keeping wildRobinson Dan Perkins, Cory k, and theNewton, practice of displaying animals nd dangerous. evenOr though publicfor a asking forSENIOR tooBut much? is it time ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES d, many don’t see a parallel between the kind t” animals?Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

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

Beyond the tiny cocktail umbrellas lies quite a bit of malice and misinformation.

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

MARKETING, AND Music: Tampa Bay BluesPROMOTIONS Fest ........................... 40

A tune up ahead of International Tiki Day, p. 23.

EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger

Music Week ................................................... 42

Music: Tampa Bay Fest ........................... Concert review: ArticBlues Monkeys .......................... 42 EUCLID MEDIA GROUP 40

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Andrew Zelman Music ................................................... 42 The ListWeek .......................................................... 46 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS Chris Keating, Michael Wagner TheWill List Astrology .......................................................... 46 Free ......................................... 64 VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein Movie reviews..................................................... 63 DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Puzzler ........................................................... 66 Monzon Free Will AstrologyJaime ......................................... 64 Savage Love ...................................................... 69

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

Puzzler ........................................................... euclidmediagroup.com 66

cldeals.com clspace.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 of the publisher.

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Weekly, LLC, 204 E. Henderson Ave., Tampa, FL, 33602. The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa cltv Bay andHow was your Date? Copyright online at cltampa.com. m/cltv 2020, Tampa cltampa.com/movies LLC. The newspaper HowWeekly, was your Date? is produced and printed on Indigenous cltampa.com/movies land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.

A&E ��������������������������������ONLINE MUSIC WEEK ������������������������� 31 ORACLE OF YBOR ������������������ 35 SAVAGE LOVE ������������������������ 37 CROSSWORD ������������������������� 39

ON THE COVER: Photo by George Goldberg (@georgebgoldberg). Design by Jack Spatafora.

Creative Loafing is printed on a 90% recycled stock. It may be recycled further, please do your part.

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Blue Stehle

Don’t miss the latest works from Emily Stehle and Gabriel Ramos. By Jennifer Ring

O

JENNIFER RING

She literally wove the things of life into her f all the art by local artists I’ve seen this summer, there are three pieces that stand artwork in 2020. out more than anything. These are Gabriel While Ramos was re-imagining his initial Ramos’ “Mi isla” at the MFA and Emily Stehle’s idea to span a 24-foot-long wall at the MFA, “Blue Monster” and COVID Comfort Baskets at Stehle started planning what she calls “The The Gallery at Creative Pinellas. Blue Monster,” a 4 x 12-foot flat woven piece. I initially planned to cover these outstand- The large size was a challenge for both artists, ing works of art in two features—one feature who didn’t exactly have the space in their homes devoted to Ramos’ work at Skyway and another for such large projects. feature covering Creative Pinellas’ 2021 As I looked at the “Blue Monster” up close, Emerging Artists Exhibition. But both of these Stehle described how all the different patches summer art shows provide an unparalleled of color got there, like a green and blue section opportunity for Tampa Bay artists to get their made from Pier pamphlets. Each patch referwork noticed year ences a place she’s after year. been, somewhere This year, I she’s worked, noticed another or something connection. she’s enjoyed Ramos was simply through Stehle’s emerging her choice of artist mentor. Not materials. only did these two “My baskets artists make the are storytelling most of these great for me, although opportunities, on people don’t realsome level, they ize it because I don’t tell them,” did it together. Stehle told CL. And that’s Each of her 41 how I chose to interview them— COVID Comfort together, on a Baskets is woven from things she quiet Saturday consumed durafternoon at ing the pandemic the Gallery at Creative Pinellas. that brought her Despite comcomfort, like ing to Cornell junk food and as a photo/video music. Several artist, Ramos’ are woven from thesis exhibition pages of sheet was all wire. The LARGE CHARGE: Emily Stehle’s 48 square-foot music. Others wire sculptures are woven from ‘Blue Monster’ (background) is on view in Largo allowed Ramos beer and cereal through the weekend. boxes. to experiment with light, shadow and line in new ways, outTogether, Ramos and Stehle have woven side of photography, and it excited him. their life stories into these amazing works of Like much of Ramos’ earlier work, “Mi isla” art, and this is your last weekend to see Stehle’s begins with his childhood in Puerto Rico. You work at The Gallery at Creative Pinellas (12211 can see it in the tropical flora and fauna through- Walsingham Rd., Largo), which will have it up out “Mi isla,” along with a series of artful nods through Aug. 15. Ramos’ “Mi isla” is on display to Puerto Rican iron work. The longer you stare at the MFA (255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg) at it, the more you discover. through Aug. 22. The same could be said for Stehle’s “Blue Read our full interview and get more informaMonster” and 41 COVID Comfort Baskets. tion on the shows via cltampa.com/magazine.

6 | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | cltampa.com


Voice for radio Photos by Dave Decker

W

MNF’s messy breakup with its co-founder spilled off the internet and into the real world last Friday when just over a dozen volunteers, programmers and supporters picketed outside the community radio station to protest its firing of its news director Rob Lorei over his use of what the board described as an ethnic slur. Demonstrator criticisms didn’t stop there. In a statement, organizers criticized recent programming changes which, in part, moved a Latino show from daytime to nighttime and the only Indigenous radio program to “an impossibly late time causing the host not to be able to present it.” The statement adds that because of “present leadership and faulty decisions,” WMNF is “undergoing a great loss in listenership, the largest drop in the Station’s history, community financial donations are substantially down and getting worse.” Emails show that a recent four-day July mini fund drive fell just over $57,000 short of its $148,000 goal. WMNF board president Will Greaves went to the protest, and told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that feedback from the community is important to WMNF's mission.

"For the most part, the protestors were happy to meet us and have conversations with the goal of mutual understanding. These concerns are not falling on deaf ears, and the energy and enthusiasm on display that day is what WMNF is all about," Greaves said. A holistic picture of the impact of programming changes, Lorei’s firing and the pandemic should be available when the nonprofit files its annual fiscal year reports. In the meantime, longtime listener John Palm says he’s pulled his financial support for the station. “They were a voice of reason,” Palm told CL, adding that he was attracted to the station after 9/11 when it didn’t call for a reactionary response to the attack. “I’ve been listening to the station ever since.” But Lorei’s firing and what Palm called a lack of community input on program changes have soured him on 88.5-FM. “I don’t want to hurt the station. But I decided there needed to be an immediate impact, to show that I disagree with what they are doing,” Palm said. “I very much look forward to going back to donating again, when they go back to doing the right thing. When they give justice to Rob and they give the community input on the kind of music they want to hear.”—Ray Roa

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“Out of desperation, she threatened to withhold rent.” POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

Unified front

Tampa Tenants Union forms at USF area apartments. By Justin Garcia continued to speak up about the maintenance issues and contacted Maxx Properties’ corporate office. She was informed just a few days later that she would not have an option to renew her lease, and would have to move out by the end of July. That’s when Cole—who lived at the apartments for two years and provided documentation to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay showing she dealt with maintenance issues the entire time—says she stopped paying rent, which management was attempting to increase while not having fixed any issues. She also contacted Hillsborough County Code Enforcement, which found six violations in the apartment.

ideal situation, but she’s glad to be in a place with properly functioning utilities. But at Ascott Place, many tenants are still dealing with conditions Cole experienced. They have begun to take action. Tampa Tenants Union forms In April, Cole and other tenants started talking to each other about the issues they faced. The common complaint between all of them was the plumbing. Garrett Camfferman, who has lived in the complex since February 2021, has experienced constant plumbing issues. In April, his kitchen sink began filling up with sewage and overflowing while he was getting ready for work. He and his roommate had to fill up and carry pots of the dirty water out of the apartment. It made him late for work and his boss was angry with him. continued on page 10

LOCAL NEWS

GARRETT CAMFFERMAN

L

ast year, Kacee Cole developed an anxious habit of listening closely to her faulty airconditioning system in her rental unit at Ascott Place Apartments, which sits about a mile northwest of the University of South Florida. If the air-conditioning was leaking, her bedroom carpet would be flooded—again. Cole didn’t want to relive the feeling of getting out of bed to have her bare feet soaked by mushy carpet, so she listened closely for dripping sounds before going to sleep. Sometimes it was the air-conditioning, other times the toilet would back up and overflow due to the faulty plumbing. She also dreaded what happened after leaks. Maintenance people would come in to vacuum up as much water as they could. Then, a carpet company would arrive and leave industrial heaters in the apartment to dry the carpet for two days, Cole says. Because of the heaters, she had to crank up her AC to keep the house cool, and her utility bill would shoot up. “This is putting a big strain on me physically and mentally, since I keep worrying about continued leaking, continued flooding, mold and mildew. [It has] become a never ending cycle of ‘What is going to happen next,’ and it’s starting to wear on me in a very big way,” she wrote in an email to Maxx Properties staff, the owners of Ascott Apartments, in August of 2020. Out of desperation, she threatened to withhold rent. The community manager for Maxx Properties emailed Cole back, expressing empathy for her situation, saying they would work to make improvements. But prorated rent for the structural problems Cole constantly dealt with was not in the equation for the property managers. “Please do not withhold rent as that is not a solution and you will accumulate Late Fees,” the Community Manager for Maxx Properties wrote. “I promise I will stay on top of this for you! Thank you!!” Maxx Properties is a privately-held real estate company that manages 37 local communities, including 8,980 owned multi-family units in six states across the country and 2,344 cooperative units in New York. At Ascott, they manage a total of 231 apartments. The problems for Cole under the company persisted. In May of this year, she says she

These included: holes in flooring, significant cracking in the living room and bedroom ceilings (which also leaked during storms), water damage and “organic growth” (a term the county uses to refer to mold), and numerous electrical violations. The inspectors followed up two weeks later, and the improvements hadn’t been made, so a code violation case against Ascott has been referred to the county. But a date for a county hearing has not yet been set. Ascott, along with two other complexes that Maxx Properties owns in Tampa, have collectively received dozens of code violation calls in the past five years. Cole found a new place to live, but it wasn’t easy after her issues with Ascott and withholding her rent. After trying what she says was around 30 rental properties, she eventually found a trailer park to live in. It’s not her

COTTAGE LIVING: Over 100 renters demand changes at a problematic Tampa apartment complex.

cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 9


“It was an incredibly frustrating and stressful day,” Camfferman told CL. There are other common structural issues, as well. Leaks, mold, flooded sinks, lack of water pressure are all habitual complaints among tenants, according to the union. And, as new leases are signed this year, management is increasing tenant’s rents as they resign. A current tenant, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of being evicted, told CL that in the midst of all of these problems, getting their rent raised felt like a “slap in the face.” Another said, “when you pay for something, you expect it to work.” In response to the ongoing issues, The Tampa Tenants Union (TTU) formed, following the lead of St. Pete Tenants Union, a group fighting for tenant’s rights across the bay, and organizers with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). Members have been canvassing around the complex since April to hear renters’ concerns, hold meetings, and based on their feedback, form demands for Ascott Place Apartments and Maxx Properties. TTU told CL it has received threats from the leasing office to call the police on them for canvassing their neighbors’ houses. It also shared emails that were sent out by management, informing residents that the tenant’s union meetings are not associated with the apartment complex. Despite this, the union still regularly held tenants meetings and crafted a list of demands for Ascott Apartments, including renovation of the piping, prompt response to maintenance requests, addressing utility issues, and holding monthly meetings with representatives of the tenants’ association to see that any issues that tenants have been carried through. Over 130 individual tenants at the complex signed in support of the demands. Five weeks ago, Tampa Tenants Union posted the demands to the leasing offices front door but hadn’t heard back. So members kept canvassing, talking to their neighbors and decided to reach out to the media. Maxx properties responds to renters CL reached out to see how the company was addressing the issues detailed by the tenants union. Last Thursday, Maxx sent a statement acknowledging the ongoing plumbing issues at the property. “We are actively working to address all plumbing issues as they come up, including purchasing professional-grade repair equipment and training maintenance to manage many issues that would previously have required a plumber, in an effort to shorten our response time,” Maxx Properties wrote. Maxx wrote that they have evaluated replacing pipes, which could result in significant and lengthy disruptions, including turning off water and sewer for the duration of the

project. They claimed this could necessitate having to vacate the property and relocate current residents. A 30-year maintenance man involved with the Tampa Tenants Union preferred to be anonymous but pointed out that hydro jetting could be an option for the property, which would not displace residents. But he also acknowledged that the option could be costly. In response to maintenance service response time, Maxx Properties Vice President of Marketing Gina Bechtold-Yoo said the company is in the process of hiring more maintenance techs. They wrote that In 2020, they only completed emergency repairs to protect tenants from COVID-19 exposure. “We are currently back to standard operations and at the time of this writing there are no outstanding work orders,” Maxx Properties wrote. Maxx said another company handles washing machine complaints but encouraged tenants to continue to contact them about the problems. Maxx did not respond to the union’s request for monthly meetings, instead saying, “Every resident at the community is welcome to speak individually with the office regarding outstanding issues or concerns that they have with their apartment.” In the last paragraph of its response, Maxx Properties said that while the residents have an absolute right to form a union at the property, all parties must respect residents who have asked not to be contacted. “We have received several complaints about repeated door-knocking and scared residents who feel threatened if they don’t join the tenants’ union,” the letter reads. “Repeat harassment of these residents may result in an appropriate Notice to Cure and up to a Notice of Possession as provided in the Statutes.” “Notice to Cure” means that the property owners would ask tenant union members to cease their behavior by a set date. Calli Burnett, Staff Attorney for Bay Area Legal Services (BALS) says that Notice of Possession could mean eviction but that as far as legal terms go, it seems like a phrase the leasing company made up or is confused about. CL asked Bechtold-Yoo if Maxx Properties has a record of how many tenants have called in saying they felt scared or threatened by the tenants union. Issues were going on for years before the tenant’s union formed and started canvassing, which led to the company’s response to the issues. Based on this, CL asked Maxx Properties if they were saying in their letter that any of the residents who knock on neighbors’ doors to talk about issues they’re dealing with are now risking eviction by Maxx Properties? Along with these questions, CL asked why the company would increase rents this year while a crucial piece of infrastructure was dysfunctional.

10 | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | cltampa.com

GARRETT CAMFFERMAN

continued from page 9

FLOODING, SEWAGE AND MOLD: Camfferman’s roommate tries to empty their flooded sink with a pot in April 2021. Maxx Properties did not respond to any of the questions. Burnett at BALS says that under Florida Statute 83.64 section B, landlords cannot retaliate against tenants for forming a tenants union, or encouraging other tenants to become involved. “Examples of conduct for which the landlord may not retaliate include, but are not limited to, situations where: (...) (b)The tenant has organized,

encouraged, or participated in a tenant organization,” Burnett sent in an email to CL. TTU is currently working on a formal response to the letter from Maxx Properties. In the meantime, tenants like Camfferman are left to feel accosted and frustrated. “It’s hardly a veiled threat from Maxx Properties,” Camfferman says. “It seems like what they’re saying is: if you continue to organize you will be punished.”


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The root

Activists fight red tide one house garden at a time—and you can, too. By Katie Delk

I

n Thomas Paterek’s backyard, bees and butterflies flit between blue porterweed, crinum lilies and beach creepers. Unlike the typical lawn, his garden fosters Florida natives, and the best part is, it doesn’t need to be watered or pumped with synthetic fertilizers. Since 2019, the surfer, activist and chair of the local Surfrider Foundation, has been working to harvest these gardens across St. Petersburg. They’re what he calls ocean-friendly gardens. And right now, he says, they’re a solution to Florida’s ongoing red tide problem. “We can say a majority of [the red tide] is from corporate polluters, but people can take responsibility for themselves and have an effect on our waterways by using ocean-friendly gardens,” Paterek said. “A good way to start is by doing an analysis of your current living space; to understand that, are these plants that are here native or nonnative, and then the ability to convert those green spaces into Florida native plants so that we don’t have to use fertilizer, we can retain more water, we can have healthier waterways.”

They also don’t require fertilizers, so less toxic chemicals flood the oceans. “A muhly grass or a dune sunflower are going to have very deep roots that can help stabilize soils, and they can also work in soils that are maybe a little more nutrient-poor than say the typical garden plants, and so you don’t have to fertilize,” Rutkis said. “The native plants are adapted to our location, our soil types, everything.” When people replace turf grass with Florida native plants, they create self-sufficient ecosystems. “Some of these plants are a larval host so you have butterflies and moth species that actually [live] on these,” Rutkis said. “So you’re creating, you know, multi-dimensional habitat gardens in a very small space.” As he drives his pickup truck stocked with native plants, Rutkis said pollinators trail the plants and congregate around them. Because native plants attract pollinators, they can sustain themselves.

Ocean-friendly garden program in the community Back in 2019, the Surfrider Foundation converted 39 Crescent Heights neighborhood sidewalk plots of turf grass into ocean-friendly gardens, with a $18,000 grant from the city of St. Pete. Last year, the foundation also planned to install an ocean-friendly garden at a new park near 5th Avenue N and MLK Jr. Street. With the onset of COVID-19, the project is paused. For now, the foundation is waiting. “When the park is going to be near its completion phase, and at that point, we’ll come in and do that exercise,” Paterek said. Currently, though, Paterek said he is focusing on community outreach to homeowners, rather than businesses. “We just feel like we can make a bigger impact when, you know, you get 100 homes to convert their yard versus one business.” So how does the program work? According to Arnold Rutkis, Stone Shovel Designs founder and landscape designer, native plants are literally entrenched in our soil, oftentimes with much longer root systems than grass; for example, while turf grass may be six inches deep, the native muhly grass is about six feet deep in the earth. With deep roots in Florida, native plants absorb more water, which helps prevent water runoff, the number one source of ocean pollution in urban areas and an aggravator of the red tide.

Red tide plans As St. Pete residents work to reduce fertilizer runoff on an individual scale, Paterek said he wants to see its producers do the same. “At what point do we actually put an action plan together to close Piney Point so this doesn’t happen again, and then have you look at the 27 other gypsum stacks in the state of Florida and say, ‘Hey what’s going on here, what are we going to do to mitigate this because this is a statewide issue,’” he said. After all, Paterek points to phosphate, which manufactures fertilizer, as the cause for the worsening of the algal blooms. “When you put gasoline on fire, it gets out of control,” he said, “so harmful algal blooms are like fire, and humans, producing phosphate and other things that feed these algal blooms is like our gasoline.” St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman agreed. “You know, red tide has been going on for a long time

but fertilizer, that contributes to red tide,” he said in a Café Con Tampa meeting on Aug. 30. “Certainly what happened at Piney Point. I’m not a scientist, but I believe that it supercharged red tide, and if those things had been addressed, the significance of the red tide that we’ve experienced might not have been anything like what it was.” Paterek is also organizing local rallies. On July 17, around 400 locals concerned about the red tide marched along the St. Pete Pier, demanding action. Because when they rally, Paterek said, they speak for the voiceless: the communities impacted and the millions of tons of dead sea life. “That’s how change happens when a collective voice gets together and tells the people that we hired as politicians, who they need to listen to,” he said. “There is strength in numbers, and the louder our voices get, our politicians who we put into power have to listen to us. And when they don’t listen to us, then you know what happens? We fire them, and we get rid of them, and we get someone who’s more supportive of what the right thing is for our Florida waterways.”

“The louder our voices get, our politicians who we put into power have to listen to us.”

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION

ENVIRONMENT

For Paterek, his ocean-friendly garden doubled in size within just a season. “It helps a lot with natural pollinators, which helps to flourish the ecosystem and help plants grow,” he said.

DON’T STOP BELEAFING: Rutkis (green shirt) and Paterek (center), with St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman.

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City of Tampa moves towards 100% renewable energy by 2035. By Justin Garcia

L

ast Thursday, Tampa City Council voted 6-1 to approve Councilman Joseph Citro’s “Ready for 100” green energy resolution. The resolution calls on municipal operations in Tampa to use completely renewable energy by 2035, along with zero-carbon emission public transportation, and future monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions- along with other green energy goals. It also calls on City of Tampa leadership to urge the State of Florida and the Federal Government to enact and enforce bold state and federal level policies to end the extraction and use of fossil fuels, eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and build out the transportation and energy infrastructure necessary for a one hundred percent clean, renewable energy transition. The resolution takes effect immediately. With this, Tampa joins neighboring St. Petersburg (which committed to Ready for 100 in 2019) and 180 cities across the country in making the move toward green energy. After the vote, Citro thanked all of those involved in the creation of the resolution, including the Tampa Bay Climate Alliance and his fellow city officials. “I wish it could have been unanimous,” Citro said during the city council meeting. “The true authority on this will be the administration as the executive power, however, we can take steps along the way, approving different things for the budget, making our requests known.” Only councilmember Charlie Miranda voted against the resolution. He explained his vote with a screed about personal responsibility, saying that

those speaking in favor of the resolution should not ask what their government can do for them, but what they can do for their government. “Show me what you have done yourself to solve this problem,” Miranda said to those who presented the resolution. “I’ll tell you that they have not done much.” More than 20 environmental activists spoke in favor of the resolution during the public comment segment of the meeting, pointing out years of hard work to move the City of Tampa toward renewable energy. Environmental magazine Grist points out that the resolution is non-binding, and “more of a North Star for the city than a mandatory policy.” But Brooke Errett, Florida Senior Organizer with Food and Water Watch says the crucial aspect is in the language and intent of the resolution. Errett leads the working group within the Tampa Bay Climate Alliance that helped draft the original resolution. “Most importantly is that it sets an agenda and a firm goal and has an official call to action,” Errett told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Ahead of the vote, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor posted to Facebook in support of Tampa’s resolution, saying that clean energy is key to lowering electric bills, reducing pollution and avoiding the harsh impacts of the climate crisis. “Plus, local communities can reduce costs for families and businesses when they implement energy efficiency measures and tap renewable sources,” Castor wrote. “That’s why I wholeheartedly support the City of Tampa moving to 100% renewable as soon as possible. Thank you Councilman Joseph Citro, for helping lead efforts in Tampa for climate action.”

ENVIRONMENT

JUSTIN GARCIA

ALL GOOD SIGNS: Councilman Joseph Citro outside city council meeting last Thursday.

cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 15


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Grave findings

Radar finds what most knew already existed under the Trop. By Ray Roa

A

company contracted by the City of St. Petersburg has found three possible graves at the Tropicana Field site. In one hell of a Friday afternoon press release sent last week, the city said that Cardno used ground-penetrating radar and identified graves “in Tropicana Field Parking Lots 1&2, at the southern boundary adjacent to 5th Avenue South as well as the freeway, I-275.” “The three possible graves were part of the Oaklawn Cemetery, which was founded as a cemetery serving white citizens,” the release said. “The other areas of interest extend to adjacent cemeteries to the south including what was the Evergreen Cemetery, established as an African American cemetery, and the Moffett Cemetery, which served as the final resting place for citizens of all races.” The findings were presented to Mayor Rick Kriseman last week, and Kriseman’s spokesperson shared the report with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay (find a link to the report via cltampa.com/ magazine). The release said “Cardno will provide a proposal and cost for next steps, including creating a work plan to further investigate their findings. The City will engage in consultation with the community, including descendants, stakeholders, and community groups.” “While the number of potential graves discovered is small, it is not insignificant. Every person has value and no one should be forgotten,” Kriseman said. “This process is of the utmost importance and we will continue to do right by these souls and all who loved them as we move forward.” The news comes as no surprise to historians and anyone willing to take a breath in between fawning over proposals to redevelop the Trop site—with or without the Tampa Bay Rays.

In April, Julie Armstrong, a professor and researcher on the project dedicated to honoring and identifying anyone buried at the Trop, laid out the history of the Trop burial sites with Bay News 9. She alluded to the segregated Oaklawn cemetery and the Moffett gravesite, which dates back to 1888 and was built initially for civil war vets and then used to bury many of St. Pete’s Black residents. Armstrong told the station that the conventional thinking and history is that the bodies were exhumed, but in the mid-’70s when I-275 was being built, human remains were found at the Moffett site. And the history behind the neighborhood that the Trop is built on—recently known as the Gas Plant—is complicated at best, deplorable at worst. As previously reported by CL City Wilds columnist Thomas Hallock, folks like St. Petersburg griot Gwendolyn Reese grew up at 1305 Fifth Ave. S, in a cherished part of town known as Sugar Hill. In the 1970s, I-175 bowled through her block, and following a nationwide pattern, leveled a Black community. “The church where I was baptized and married is no longer there,” Reese explained at a recent forum, speaking in her carefully measured alto. “I can tell my children my story, but I cannot take them and actually show them the buildings.” Stories of the adjacent Gas Plant neighborhood follow the same refrain. Black space got replaced by white “urban renewal.” Promising light industry, the city razed the 86-acre site around what is now Tropicana Field, where Booker Creek still flows. The story has been told many times: how the city bulldozed over 285 buildings, 500 households, and at least nine churches. This is a developing story, check back with cltampa.com for the latest.

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Ron DeSantis has not reconsidered When circumstances change, good leaders adapt. By Jeffrey C. Billman from doing anything, either: He forbid local governments from issuing their own COVID regulations. He (probably unconstitutionally) banned private companies from requiring customers to be vaccinated. He threatened to cut off funding for school districts that required masks. When several did so anyway, he made those who felt “COVID bullied” an eligible for private school vouchers. This is DeSantis’s schtick: He is a champion of freedom. Freedom is worth the risk. Also, the COVID outbreak isn’t his fault.

situation has changed. But instead of adapting, DeSantis looked for scapegoats: media “hysteria”; Joe Biden, for not securing the Southern border, because immigrants crossing the Rio Grande are somehow to blame for the outbreak in Duval County. And Florida children will soon return to classrooms with the delta variant running rampant, no local restrictions, no universal mask mandates, no

vein. Open disdain for public health officials has taken root among conservative populists—c.f., Paul, Rand; Cruz, Ted—alongside unbending rigidity in the face of new evidence. Circumstances are always in flux. Not just with COVID—which, as viruses do, will continue to mutate. But with the activities of foreign actors, friendly and otherwise. With the science behind the climate crisis.

INFORMED DISSENT

GOVRONDESANTIS/TWITTER

O

n paper, George McClellan was as good a commander as the U.S. had available in 1861. But he was reluctant to attack despite his numerical and tactical advantages. So in November 1862, President Lincoln removed Little Mac as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Thus began the procession of Lincoln’s failed generals—Ambrose Burnside, the sideburn’s namesake; Joe Hooker, whose proclivities might have popularized the slang term for sex workers; George Meade—before the president landed on the unlikely Ulysses S. Grant, who put down the Confederates within a year. Lincoln was willing to be wrong. That’s what good leaders do. They learn from mistakes. They adapt to new information or changing circumstances. They don’t dig their heels in. Now, as then, politics doesn’t readily reward such flexibility. Lincoln paid a price for firing one high-profile general after another while the war effort stagnated. Until weeks before the 1864 election, he was certain he would lose—to George McClellan, his challenger. Changing course is perceived as indecision, and indecision as weakness. When political ambitions are built upon impervious hubris, even the hint of weakness can be fatal. And so it is that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, having spent a year sowing the wind, is in denial about the whirlwind his state is reaping. By aggressively disregarding scientific expertise to curry favor with Donald Trump’s base, DeSantis has paved a path to the White House that allows no room for deviation, no matter how many bodies lie between hither and yon. The numbers don’t lie. Florida by far leads the nation in new COVID cases and deaths. Its ICUs are packed. Its hospitals are facing critical staffing shortages. And less than half its population—and less than a third of those under 45—are vaccinated. DeSantis, however, has declared the pandemic over, whether the pandemic agrees or not. His reelection campaign sells “Don’t Fauci My Florida” koozies. He argues that mask mandates and capacity limits are a form of leftist control. In his words, “We can either have a free society or we can have a biomedical security state.” (Biomedical security state is new.) He hasn’t merely refused to react to his state’s renewed COVID crisis. He restricted anyone else

RON FOR THE BORDER: DeSantis is getting shellacked for his COVID response, so he went to Texas. This spring, his strategy appeared to be paying off. DeSantis blustered while Florida’s urban areas imposed mask mandates and other COVID restrictions, keeping the state’s caseloads in line with the rest of the country. In May, with vaccinations bringing the pandemic under control, DeSantis signed an executive order blocking local governments from enacting COVID rules and took a victory lap. Then came the delta variant. On Saturday, Florida posted a record of nearly 24,000 new cases. ICUs all over the state were filling up. The

“DeSantis has paved a path to the White House that allows no room for deviation, no matter how many bodies lie between hither and yon.”

vaccine available to anyone under 12, and evidence hinting that delta may put kids at greater risk of illness. Faced with similar (though less severe) circumstances, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he regretted signing a bill overriding local mask mandates. DeSantis has no such regrets, or if he does, he won’t voice them. Unlike Hutchinson, he’s got his eye on the 2024 presidential nomination, already looking past his reelection next year. (History suggests he’s not wrong: The hapless Florida Democrats will spend a bazillion dollars against him and lose.) DeSantis matters not just because Florida is the country’s COVID epicenter, but also because he’s the odds-on favorite to be the Republican standard-bearer in three years. And if it’s not him, chances are it will be someone in a similar

With any number of problems that deserve more than demagoguery. Amid perpetual evolution, good leadership requires a willingness to learn and adapt, even if course corrections are subtle and mistakes aren’t broadcast. (Political realities are what they are.) But those who insist on plowing ahead, hoping bravado will suffice until fortune returns or tragedy subsides, well … On Friday, Florida reported a record 134,506 new COVID cases over the previous seven days. It has nearly 14,000 people—adults and children—hospitalized with COVID. About 90 of its residents are dying every day, a fifth of the country’s COVID deaths. Ron DeSantis has not reconsidered. Subscribe to Informed Dissent at billman. substack.com.

cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 19


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Shit Happened

DONKEYHOTEY

While speaking at Tampa General Hospital, DeSantis said he doesn’t support hospitals requiring their staff members to get vaccinated. This is the kind of guy who pees on your mom’s toilet seat and doesn’t wipe it off.

FRIDAY 06 The NFL says Ed Sheeran will play a free concert in Julian B. Lane Park to help the Bucs kick off the regular season on Sept. 9. Most people are surprised to know the guy from “Game of Thrones” plays guitar.

SEAN HESLEP

THURSDAY 05

Old Seminole Heights’ 43-foot, 55,000-pound steeple now lives at a parking lot across from Ella’s while the rest of the 72-year-old neighborhood icon gets demolished. Praise the lard.

SUNDAY 08 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis loses battle with cruise line over “vaccine passports,” proving that he loves to lose in the courts as much as his orange overlord.

ANTIOCH RECLAIMED ANCIENT MOSAICS AT THE MFA

Public school students facing mask mandates could be given vouchers to transfer schools under an emergency rule, and students could receive protection from “harassment” based on their decision whether to wear masks. This is really about the snowflake parents though.

ON VIEW THROUGH AUGUST 22 Too much shit to fit in print these days, so bookmark cltampa.com/news to party with us in real time.

SKYWAY 20/21

A CONTEMPORARY COLLABORATION

ON VIEW THROUGH AUGUST 22

Image credits, top to bottom: Roman, Antioch, Mosaic pavement from The House of the Drinking Contest (detail), c. AD 200–300, Stone Tesserae Becky Flanders, Rock Springs People From Below 75 (detail), 2018, Archival inkjet print on Museo Silver Rag, Image courtesy of the artist

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“Before revolutions and civil wars, there was rum.” RESTAURANTS

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International Tiki Day is on Aug. 14 across Tampa Bay. By Daniel Guess “There’s so much that goes into what it takes to make a tiki bar: the aesthetics and service style, the music, and the whole culture around it, but it has definitely gotten lost in the American pop culture by taking advantage of it and making it this style of a kitschy party vibe,” says Whitney Hobbs, co-owner of the tropical-themed bar Boat Drinks in Historic St. Augustine. “When you’re doing it right and educating people about it on your menus, being very vocal about your stance, it can have a cool place in our industry.” Many tiki establishments are starting to feel the backlash from people who feel underrepresented, while tiki’s prominent figures claim to merely be trying to save a drinking style and culture from extinction. But at what cost? Is there a way to bring a tropical style of drinking to people who appreciate it, without reducing the indigenous cultures of Oceania to a few cheeky mugs or an arbitrary painting on the wall? Ravaging cultures is practically built into rum’s DNA. When the Carribean was first colonized, rum—and its raw materials sugar and

and the creation of it are genuine, and everyone is there because of the love of the culture and how these drinks came to the U.S. it feels different, because the story of how it all came here is pretty fucking cool.” I’ll be the first to admit that the story is fucking cool, and the drinks are fucking delicious. Some believe this melting pot paradox is exactly what should be celebrated—an exotic yet familiar American invention all thrown in the blender behind the bar. So should talk of appropriation and political correctness make its way into every ounce of rum we drink, or is this another example of cancel culture erasing yet another thing we love? I’m probably the least qualified person to answer these questions. I don’t think tiki is canceled, just in need of a major tune-up. Displaying historical curiosity and showing sympathy to marginalized histories and communities would be a good starting point. Do your homework while supporting networks of representation (pasifikaproject.com is a great place to start), and the next time your local tiki bartender slides a frosted Nui Nui or hand shaken Mai Tai across the bar, quickly consider if that is a Samoan, Maori, or Vietnamese word? Chances are no one behind the bar even thought to ask.

DRINKS

VISIT ST. AUGUSTINE

G

earing up to celebrate International Tiki Day—the second Saturday in August— might look something a little like this: A bar outfitted with palm fronds, wooden tikis, and Polynesian knick knacks, sunburnt necks adorned with plumeria and orchids, tropical drinks carved out of Easter Island heads overflowing with overproof rum, citrus, mint, and elaborate garnishes. In some cases you might even get a dolphin carefully molded out of a banana. But beyond the Hawaiian getaway and tiny cocktail umbrellas lies quite a bit of malice and misinformation, along with a conversation raging between the old guard trying to preserve the “culture” of tiki and the new school claiming it was never theirs to begin with. Before revolutions and civil wars, there was rum. And while it’s easy to think that we have been, and always will be a whiskey drinking town, it is important to understand that this wasn’t always the case. Well before whiskey came into its own, rum was king in the colonies. And while rum fell out of favor for more than a century, its resurgence in the 1930s brought a tropical escapism and a fervor for all things island mystery, mostly in part to notable bar owners Donn Beach (of Don the Beachcomber fame) and Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic’s). Once U.S. servicemen stationed in the Pacific throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s began returning home, they helped fuel a postwar tiki craze that would last the next few decades. And while tiki bars eventually lost out to disco drinks, the just-callit-a-martini era, the neo-speakeasy era, and the craft beer boom, it has made a resounding comeback in the last decade. Tiki bars seem to be popping up everywhere these days, taking advantage of the tropical climate Florida boasts all year long. Many of them offer a uniquely kitschy approach to their island-tinted drink and design, but rarely do they provide any form of context on what their design and menus are based on; instead they mash up a melting pot version of Pacific and Asian foodways in a shadowy world of cultural appropriation and lack of representation. While this seems like a bold accusation for an establishment serving up frozen mai tais and BBQ spare ribs, many seem to believe these traditions could be better thought out, and much more inclusive.

molasses—played a major role in a deadly triangular trade that is thought to have captured and sold over 12 million Africans. Not until Great Britain imparted heavy taxes on sugar paired with a growing resistance did the triangle finally fall apart. Just as recently as 2016, the powerhouse Nicaraguan rum company Flor de Caña was the target of a nationwide boycott by bartenders across the country. Exploited workers given little water, rest, or shade were dealt with the difficult and sometimes deadly task of harvesting vast amounts of sugar cane for little pay. To consider the plight of all those affected on the pathway of these foodways from the birthplace to your favorite bar seems like a small ask. “Living in Florida I hate it more,” Hobbs, from Boat Drinks, adds. “There are so many places that Disney-fy it, they just do it because it’s cool and have no understanding of it and are just there for the aesthetic. Martin Cate (Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco) does a great job and very much educates the patrons through his menus, while the bartenders are well informed enough to discuss the themes with guests. It’s very similar to Jeff [“Beachbum”] Berry and Latitude 29 in New Orleans. That’s how he started, by teaching himself and getting educated. When it’s in a landscape where the staff

BOAT FLOATS: St. Augustine’s Boat Drinks is one of the few Florida tiki bars that does it right.

cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 23


24 | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | cltampa.com


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cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 25


Garden party

Eden’s $4.5 million makeover leads the latest round of Tampa Bay restaurant news. By Stephanie Powers at Katlynn Mullins

E

Open Happy’s Ice Cream Next to Sunrise Lanes, Happy’s soft opened last weekend and specializes in small batch creations made with locallysourced ingredients, plus boozy creations. The shop’s cinnamon french toast flavor comes with a vanilla bean base infused with cinnamon sugar, RumChata and Fireball. You can also expect a strawberry flavor made with local strawberries, mint chocolate chip, praline butter pecan and the ever-essential chocolate and vanilla bean. The shop even hinted at a cookies and milk flavor on its Instagram. If you can’t decide on just one flavor, grab a flight and try six. The shop also offers pints to take home with you. 6393 Dr. MLK St. N, St. Petersburg. gethappysnow.com Reopened Spinners Rooftop Grille After almost a year away, a St. Pete Beach staple has finally reopened along with the all-new Bellwether Beach Resort. Previously the Grand Plaza Hotel, the resort has taken on a new life, and

it’s brought with it a new retro-modern design, and an updated Spinners restaurant and Level 11 Bar and Lounge. Spinners made a name for itself since its opening thanks to its revolving dining room, which makes a full rotation every hour, meaning no table is left without a view. Now, diners can enjoy the renovated dining room—which still spins!—along with a fullyredesigned menu meant to place a focus on local food. You can enjoy craft cocktails while you dine, or you can take a trip downstairs to Level 11 (Spinners is on level 12) to experience all the bar and lounge has to offer, though half of that floor is also reserved for Spinners dining. 5250 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach. bellwetherbeachresort.com Coming soon Chill Bros. Scoop Shop, Shortwave Coffee Sparkman Wharf and Water Street announced a trio of new tenants last week, including

7th+Grove, Corners Pizza and more—make commitments to open new concepts or locations in Vinik-ville. Park Blvd. Vegan Deli The local chain has been teasing this opening since February and it just announced a 90-day countdown to opening in Pinellas Park, home to Tampa Bay’s fifth Vegan Deli location, with others in Dunedin, Ybor and Brandon. The chain also announced two more locations set for east Orlando and Winter Garden. While an official menu isn’t set, the concept teased vegan sausage biscuits and gravy on its Instagram, along with a philly cheesesteak. The concept also creates packaged eats like fig snausages and location exclusives like Ybor’s mac & cheese pizza. 5900 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park. @parkblvdvegandeli on Instagram

SINS FORGIVEN: Eden has made the old Franklin Manor an afterthought. Shortwave—a new to the area specialty coffee bar and roaster out of Missouri—opening on the ground floor of Sparkman Wharf, and Chill Bros. opening its third local location at Water Street. The ice cream shop has storefronts in Ybor City and South Tampa, and the new location will be at the base of the 23-story residential and retail tower Cora, at 1011 Cumberland Ave. Orange Theory, the fitness boutique with a cult-like following, was also among the new announcements, which come after a busy round of news that saw several establishments—including C House,

26 | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | cltampa.com

TBA, Taverna Costale is currently looking for an executive chef. Last summer Viviani canceled the opening of his La Pergola Italian restaurant when a co-owner of Nocturnal Group—which was partnering with the chef on the concept—was caught making racist comments amid last summer’s Black Lives Matter protest. Instead of Nocturnal, Viviani has partnered with Brian Henry and Anthony Sandstrom for the opening of Costale. The trio was also behind Vivani concept Chuck Lager’s American Tavern in Wesley Chapel. 200 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. @tavernacostale on Instagram Yard Milkshake Bar Yes, their milkshakes bring everyone (boys included) to the yard. Well, to Carrollwood at least. The Yard—featured on “Shark Tank” back in 2019—is set to open its third Florida location this fall, and if you know anything about the monstrous milkshakes The Yard creates, then you’ll understand what there is to be excited about. From a milk and cookiesthemed creation featuring a chocolate iced jar with Cookie Crisp lining the rim, topped with whipped cream, an ice cream cookie sandwich and mini chocolate chips to a collaboration with Care Bears (dubbed “Cheer Bear”) made with strawberry ice cream and drizzled with rainbow marshmallow cream, the creations are endless. The rim of Cheer Bear’s jar came lined with vanilla icing and rainbow sprinkles and was topped with rainbow whipped cream, a slice of cheesecake, a sour rainbow straw and Teddy Grahams. 13168 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Unit 30, Tampa. theyardmilkshakebar.com

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

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xtravagant new downtown Tampa nightclub Eden celebrated its grand opening last Friday with a performance featuring “Whole Lotta Money” rapper BIA. The fancy new spot is in the old Franklin Manor location, at 912 N Franklin St., and any stink of the controversy that Manor left was wiped away with a $4.5 million renovation. Eden owners Asad Yusupov and Kevin Stowe, of the Phoenix Hospitality Group, also opened the Asian-fusion Haiku restaurant just a block away in January. The two-story, paradise-themed club has three sections: Hades (animal skulls, spooky photographs with black leather VIP booths and gold cages), The Ark (12,000 hand-carved wood pieces with a DJ booth and VIP tables), and, of course, the garden of Eden (massive amounts of flowers and vines, a mural by artist Matt Kress and a giant tree garnished with red apples). “We built Eden to represent choice,” Yusupov said in a release. “We built the entire concept around choice, whether you want to be in the serene, majestic outside with the flowers, or inside, with even more opportunities to explore.” Throughout, scantily clad Eves of Eden are working hard pouring drinks and dancing on poles. And though the Eves are barely clothed, guests have to follow a strict dress code: no athletic gear, flip flops, jerseys or sunglasses. Leave your yoga pants on the couch. A food truck run by Haiku is available until late night to soak up specialty cocktails named after the seven sins ("Gluttony" is Ketel One, hibiscus and simple syrups, and lime).

Taverna Costale Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani has tapped St. Petersburg to be the home of this forthcoming Italian restaurant at ground level of an office tower. The 5,900-squarefoot space should open this winter. Viviani told St. Pete Rising development blog that diners can expect both inexpensive and high-end eats from the concept, perfect to “take a date out for a nice steak dinner and an expensive bottle of wine or meet a group of friends for pizza and a beer.” Made-from-scratch pasta and (of course) seafood entrees are also on the menu, and while the exact menu and opening date are

ICYMI Yeoman’s Cask & Lion downtown Tampa location set to add a virtual-reality golf, plus bar and cafe seating A downtown favorite is growing by about 5,000-square-feet. 23 Restaurant Services—the same group behind Ford’s Garage and Tiki Docks—recently bought out two storefronts connected to the British pub, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, and is using the extra space to add a bar and extra cafe seating to the already 4,800-squarefoot space. The expansion means the end to neighboring Brightside Artisan Comfort Cafe and City Market Eats (also owned by the parent company), but the beginning of virtual reality golf in the pub space. According to TBBJ, there are also plans to add three VR Topgolf booths. Not bad for Yeoman’s which originated in a tiny space on Davis Island. 202 N Morgan St., Tampa. yeomanscaskandlion.com


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Joy, with teeth

DIY scene duo They Hate Change makes the leap to indie giant Jagjaguwar. By Ray Roa instead of looking for an artist that might deliver a quick payday. The label’s only expectation of the duo is to keep making music with no timetables or complicated contracts to worry about. What stood out about the band’s music to Eric Deines—the A&R rep who signed They Hate Change—were the touchstones of Bangs & Works Chicago footwork compilations on the Planet Mu label. Deines considers Vol. 1 of that B&W comp a seminal collection from the last two decades, and he heard it immediately in They Hate Change. He also picked up on the unbridled happiness which They Hate Change has cultivated over the last few years playing DIY house and garage shows across Tampa Bay. “I’ve called it ‘joy with teeth’ a few times. It’s a rare thing—and highly contagious,” Deines added. That exuberance was on full display during Jagjaguwar’s initial Zoom calls with They Hate Change, when the topic of obscure and essential chillwave pioneer Small Black came up. Deines was talking about Jamila Woods—a singer and poet who brought rappers Noname and Saba to her Jagjaguwar releases—but then he mentioned how the label also released Small Black’s 2010 debut, New Chain. Vonne and Andre were both just 16 years old when that record came out, but they later discovered Small Black and even own signed copies of the album. “We howled,” Deines said. “We’re just fans and junkies for that music in general,” Andre added. It’s also a near certainty that They Hate Change will pick up fans during the run with Shame which travels from Seattle, down the West Coast and across the southern border before looping back up through the Midwest and Eastern Seaboard ahead of wrapping in New Orleans. Vonne and Andre won’t say exactly what else is up their sleeve for Jagjaguwar in 2022, only divulging that they’ve arrived at the sound They Hate Change has been barrelling towards for the last five years. Deines rightfully points out that the duo

LOCAL MUSIC

“Our music is at once for the heads, and for everybody.”

GEORGE GOLDBERG

O

n Wednesday, They Hate Change released a video for a new single, “Faux Leather.” The four-and-a-half-minute clip—filmed at downtown Tampa’s Wtrcooler Studio—is the follow up to the rap duo’s Godmode Music release 666 Central Ave., which brought international attention to the band after previous independent outings on imprints like Deathbomb Arc. “Faux Leather” lovingly lambasts luxury brands and industry plants, and it’s also a tip of the cap to some of They Hate Change’s hundreds of influences, particularly the most ambient and out-of-the-box ideas of composers Brian Eno and Pete Namlook. It’s the kind of song the band’s members—Andre and Vonne—have been searching for since they did a six-hour house party DJ set for friends in 2016, and it’s the tune that will formally introduce They Hate Change to its biggest audience ever when “Faux Leather” becomes release No. 411 for Jagjaguwar, the revered indie label that’s been home to Bon Iver, Dinosaur Jr.,Okkervil River, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Black Mountain, Sharon Van Etten plus dozens of others. In the song’s coda, Vonne and Dre also skewer DSPs and poke at rappers who don’t read their contracts and end up as broke as their fans—an important sentiment to consider in the context of a signing that arrived on the same day They Hate Change was announced as direct support on a five-week U.S. tour headlined by U.K. post-punk band Shame. “Rappers are as broke as their fans, because they’re signing deals with these labels that are not willing to spend time… even at 100 million streams, which makes you one of the biggest artists out, you’re still getting half of nothing because you signed [a bad deal],” Vonne told Creative Loafing Tampa over drinks at University of Tampa haunt The Retreat. Vonne, together with their bandmate and decade-long best friend Andre, have courted offers from other labels, including majors, but Jagjaguwar made more sense than anything else. “We care about the catalog,” Andre added, alluding to how Jagjaguwar grows its artists

FAUX SURE: Vonne (L) and Andre will undoubtedly make Tampa Bay proud on their U.S. tour with Shame. has “been in the game for a bit longer than meets the eye,” but until “Faux Leather,” Andre and Vonne had been in their bedroom studio— surrounded by their Rhodes, Akai samplers (S2800, CD3000xl), Korgs (MS-20, R3), Ableton rig, Moog and floppy disks—dissecting Roland 707 and 909 beats and weaving the sounds of footwork, grime and ambient music into nine releases under the They Hate Change banner. Indie influences, together with other homestate flavors (Jam Pony Express, Buck Sosa, Gitt Fai) and their deep love for crank, jungle, downbeat

even the Balearic textures of Ibiza’s lounge scene were also part of a search for a sound that led them to 666 Central Ave.—all of it a bridge to the next chapter for the duo. And you don’t have to be a record store nerd to connect. “Our music is at once for the heads, and for everybody,” Vonne said, reiterating that, “Everyone can get it, and the heads can really get it.” And if you’re from Tampa Bay, you ought to get behind it before the rest of the world catches up.

cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 29


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Florida officials reported 134,506 coronavirus cases from July 30-Aug. 5. That’s more than 19,000 infections per day, which the Tampa Bay Times says is the state’s highest infection rate since the start of the pandemic. You know that means pretty much nothing to a state government vehemently allergic to anything that starts with “M” and ends in “ate,” so vaxxed or not, please do yourself—and your community—a favor by masking up if you go out and staying the fuck home if you feel even slightly under the weather.

FRI 13

C 813 Day: Seeyousoon w/The Drain Outs/DJ DFAZ Watercooler talk website Identity TB has owned its #727to813 festivities, and on Friday the fantastic two-week celebration of the Bay area comes to a close with wholesome activities (Tampa Love Mini Market, a social media fundraiser benefiting Feeding Tampa Bay), and a very lit performance from Seeyousoon whose members played their first show ever in July at Hooch and Hive where a crowd packed in to bounce along with the hip-hop group featuring just under a dozen members. I’m glad this show is outside because there’s probably no way a smaller room could safely contain all of the energy Seeyousoon—plus Tampa rock and roll trio The Drain Outs and DJ Faz—will put out starting at 7 p.m. (Sparkman Wharf, Tampa)— Ray Roa Brendan Kelly w/Secret World Lawrence Arms bassist and vocalist Brendan Kelly—aka the punk behind the popular and poetic @ nihilist_arbys account that drops tweets like “Flags and slogans are for spineless dipshits. Eat Arby’s”—plays boozed-up singer-songwriter punk-rock and peppers bastardly humor in between songs. The Chicagoan is joined on the bill by a new Tampa band, Secret World, which promises “houty, melodic punk rock” from its members who are also in revered Tampa punk outfits Too Many Daves, Awkward Age, and Rutterkin. The Leadfoot Promotions show was scheduled for the VFW Post 39, but moved to Ybor City after controversy surrounding charging unvaccinated people $999 for a Teenage Bottlerocket show led the promoter to stop booking at the Southeast’s oldest VFW hall. (The Bricks, Ybor City) C Kid Royal Twenty-five years ago, at the age of 16, blues guitarist Chris “Kid” Royal moved to Austin, Texas where he was deemed a prodigy and studied under legendary and late club-owner Clifford Antone. Though Canadian-born, Royal now calls St. Petersburg home, so when he’s not playing big events like the Montreal Jazz Festival, he graces the

hometown folks with a set. Bassist Vinnie Seplesky and drummer Joey Interrante join Royal for a gig in Palladium’s big room where masks are still requested, vaxxed or not. If you can’t make it, Royal and the Holy Smokes (Third Richardson and Harry Ong) play a free show every Wednesday at Hideaway Cafe just two miles away. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) C Technasia w/Phoenix Jagger/Herb/ Vinsolo Technasia has been around since the ‘90s, when EDM was known as techno and Jncos were on sale at the mall, not Ebay. A former two-man outfit, Charles Siegling has been performing solo since 2008 hitting festivals and clubs all over the world including Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. The Parisian’s high energy sets occasionally feature acoustic instruments to go with the three decks he mixes from. Orlando DJ Phoenix Jagger, plus two Tampa staples, Herb and Vinsolo, open the SoHo show. No word on mask requirements, but wear one anyway. (The Kennedy, Tampa) Young Muji album release w/Young Rich Rico/Partyboi Paris/Ksantanna We don’t know much about Young Muji—except that he sometimes raps in Japanese—but his new album True Harmony tells us we want to know more. Produced by Teenslug, the 8-song, 15-minute release showcases promising talent, mellow beats, tight rhymes, and lots of Tampa representation. Learn more at the DIY album release party, with a bunch of other new-to-you

artists like Young Rich Rico, Partyboi Paris and Ksantanna. Sometimes you need to drive a strip mall out of city limits to discover new talent and that’s OK—just wear a mask when you’re there. (The Venue, Riverview)

SAT 14

C George Pennington album release He’s only 25 years old, but George Pennington has been playing in Tampa Bay bands for 14 years—and for the last three he’s been working on his own album, GPIII, recorded locally and in Los Angeles. The rocking psychedelic-blues extravaganza’s release celebration happens in two sections “using a ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ format,” Pennington told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. First, it’s acoustic and piano-based songs and then the USF Music School graduate will “take it to a whole new level” playing all new stuff. (Crowbar, Ybor City) C JT Brown w/Adam Randall/Leon Majcen/Liam Bauman Four usually-solo singer-songwriters come together for an “in the round” show, and while you can regularly catch any of the gentlemen individually on a local bill, this all-star unplugged live performance may be your only chance to see them in this unique set up. Each singer brings new songs and personal styles with an end result sure to look like space-cowboy-indiefolk-Americana. Masks are required when not seated, for everyone. (Hideaway Cafe, St. Petersburg)

Mike McCoy You might remember Mike McCoy from the Kansas City pop-punk trio Cher U.K. or you might know him from his newer stuff (sometimes humorous, sometimes emotional, sometimes both, altcountry songs), but it all can be counted as performance art. The Austin-based singer and guitarist plays a free 9 p.m. gig at this Seminole Heights foodie scene staple, so make a reservation for dinner and stay for a show. Keep up with the event page for any COVID-19 restrictions at the Safe and Sound venue, since we still have to worry about that. Thanks, DeSantis. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa)

SUN 15

C Duane Eubanks Quintet Duane Eubanks Quintet’s Southeast tour stops in St. Petersburg on Sunday, where Eubanks will play trumpet and flugelhorn (like a trumpet but different) while leading his band in “straight-ahead post-bop style jazz reminiscent of Miles Davis and Lee Morgan with a modern progressive emphasis and vibe.” If the musician’s name sounds familiar it’s because his brother, Kevin, was the leader of Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” band for 15 years. As part of St. Petersburg College, Palladium follows the school’s COVID-19 protocols which “strongly recommend” everyone to wear a mask especially those that are still not vaccinated. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

COURTESY

By Stephanie Powers

Duane Eubanks

cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 31


No Comps: New concerts coming to Tampa Bay

Nas’ new album, King’s Disease 2, could end up being the best hip-hop record of the summer, and Tampa fans will have a chance to hear it live and in person this fall when the Queens MC headlines Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF) in October. GMF announced its phase one lineup on Thursday, and the 47-year-old tops the bill along with North Carolina indie-pop duo Sylvan Esso, Southern jam rock legend Florida duo Sofi Tukker, hyper-pop favorite Matt & Kim and indie-rock band Parquet Courts. Other national acts on the bill include Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass, St. Pete’s own world music export Hip Abduction, altcountry favorite Old 97’s and “Bust A Move” hitmaker Young MC. As previously promised, GMF’s 10th anniversary lineup is also a showcase of Florida’s best homegrown talent, including Bay area locals like Noan Partly, Pusha Preme, Visit Neptune, Ella Jet & Future Soul and Glove, which just played Lollapalooza. The festival has expanded to three days in 2021, and kicks off on Friday, Oct. 1 before wrapping on Oct. 3. GMF 2022 is still on for March 11-12. Tickets to GMF 2021 are on sale now and start at $40 for a two-day GA pass. Visit cltampa.com/magazine to learn more about how GMF is tracking the coronavirus surge, and look below to get the

full phase one lineup announcement. Check back next week for Josh’s regular new concert roundup.—Ray Roa Gasparilla Music Festival 2021 lineup (phase one announcement) Nas Sylvan Esso Gov’t Mule Sofi Tukker Matt & Kim Parquet Courts Preservation Hall Jazz Band Keller Williams Grateful Grass The Hip Abduction Old 97’s 99 Neighbors Young MC BabyJake Glove Vella The Wildmans Bears and Lions BadCameo Perception w/ Wave Theory Row Jomah Pusha Preme Oxford Noland Ivy Alex Visit Neptune Ella Jet & Future Soul The Drain Outs Leon Majcen Noan Partly

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Accept yourself

I’m still not loving my body. The pandemic did lead to a bit of weight gain, but I’m trying to be gentle with myself about it. So my question is this: how do I learn to accept my body?—Body Woes

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I have a new business venture and am thinking of partnering up with a friend. I would love some clarity regarding whether this will lead to success on both our parts. I haven’t had the best luck bringing other people into my business, and I want to make sure this won’t ruin our friendship.—Curious Leo If you go in it together: Tower reversed, Two of Cups reversed, The High Priestess If you go it alone: The Hanged Man reversed, The Magician, The Hierophant reversed Dear Curious, first, I don’t think I’ve ever pulled FIVE major arcana for a single question before in this column—and I shuffled it well! That means that this opportunity, whatever it is, is a strong force in your life, and it’s probably taking up a lot of mental/emotional bandwidth. New businesses are exciting! They’re also terrifying. (Two sides of the same coin, right?) Your question is a three part-er: Will you be successful with your friend? Will this ruin your friendship? Will you be successful on your own? For the friendship/business adventure, the first card I pulled was The Tower reversed. I’ve written before that The Tower isn’t necessarily a bad card: it can be just a big shakeup, but it’s also a card of chaos. The next card is the Two of Cups, a sign of friendship, and paired with The Tower, I would say that this business deal would put this particular friendship through the wringer. That’s not to say that it would end it, but it’s not going to be a stable relationship. And I think, deep down, you know that. The High Priestess is our intuition, and having past experiences where people and business didn’t mix, I don’t think this is THE venture for THIS friendship. So if you haven’t already broached the topic with them, maybe don’t. If you have, you two should sit down and really talk about things in depth. If you do have doubts, bring them up. Don’t just let things fester because that can cause cracks in the foundation, too. However, you should absolutely pursue this new business venture. The middle card here is The Magician, which is someone who can harness their own power and the power of fate. You need to be comfortable with your power. You might have different ideas when it comes to this new business; The Hanged Man can be

an outsider that’s misunderstood, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Thinking outside the box is how innovation works. Knowing yourself and believing in your ideas can help fuel your fire and bust through some gatekeeper blocks. It is important to remember that just because you are striking out “on your own” doesn’t mean you must be alone. The Hierophant gathers knowledge, learns from other teachers, and hears different opinions—even from people they fundamentally disagree with. Whatever the business is, gather a bunch of intel as you go forth and keep educating yourself as time goes on. But best of luck with your new business venture! I hope it works out and that your friendship gets to grow without the added stress of business. Dear Oracle, I’ve never had a great body image. It was better in my 20s, but as I’ve gotten o l d er,

Cards: Seven of Pentacles reversed, Six of Cups reversed, Page of Pentacles. Dear Woes, thank you so much for bravely writing in. I know how difficult it is to talk about body image issues—partly because some dipshit is always chiming in with diet or workout advice. I promise I will do neither. You are right to be gentle with yourself about how your body has changed during the pandemic. It is a stressful time, and you’ve taken care of your body enough to survive this plague. That is a triumph. For the underlining body image issues, it will take some work, especially if these have been years in the making. The Seven of Pentacles is a reflective card. It’s doing the deep work

within, which could mean working with a counselor or perhaps reading books and journaling through practices. (My therapist friend recommends "Eating in The Light of The Moon” by Anita Johnston.) It might be worth exploring when these issues started for you. Six of Cups is often a time to reflect on childhood. Did you grow up in a house with a mother who dieted/worried about her body image (who, in turn, probably grew up in a similar household)? Did you get negative comments about your weight growing up? Positive comments about how skinny you were? It could be worth exploring where the idea that your body isn’t good enough came from. You have to name a demon to cast it out. It’s hard work, but something that I know you can handle. The Page of Pentacles is an eager student, ready to put in the work. You don’t have to hate your body. You don’t even have to particularly love it—but you can accept it. And I know this doesn’t solve the issue—not by a long shot—but start to donate/recycle/sell the clothes that don’t make you feel beautiful and slowly replace them with comfortable outfits that make you light up. Find yourself a good tailor, too. A dress that makes you feel good is a temporary reprieve, but why not take the mood boost along with the deeper work? You gotta wear something. Thank you for your bravery with writing in. I truly hope for the best for you. Send your questions to the Ybor Oracle to oracle@cltampa.com or pass them directly via Instagram (@theyboracle).

ORACLE OF YBOR

i t ’ s slipped back to the kind of scrutinizing I did as a teen. I’ve had some issues with disordered eating in the past, and while I feel better about my relationship with food,

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Reunion blues By Dan Savage

I’m hoping it was just the usual heartache you had to work through after this relationship ended—by which I mean to say, COUSINS, I’m hoping your ex-boyfriend (and current second cousin) wasn’t emotionally or physically abusive and you weren’t working through trauma. And I’m hoping you didn’t get too much grief about dating your second cousin from other family members. (First cousins can legally marry all over the world!) Assuming your ex was only guilty of breaking your heart (a risk we take when dating anyone), you should approach this family reunion like any mature adult who finds herself at a wedding or a funeral or a holiday party with an ex. You slap a smile on your face and say hello to your ex, you tell his new girlfriend it’s nice to meet her, and then you avoid both of them for the rest of the day. If you’re worried about getting trapped in a conversation with either or both of them, COUSINS, and don’t have it in you to say, “I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, I gotta go take a monster shit,” then deputize someone to run interference for you. Your designated interferer should stay by your side as much as possible, COUSINS, and if you get separated and they see you trapped in an extended conversation with your ex or his new girlfriend, COUSINS, it’s their job to swoop in and rescue you. And if family members gave you grief about dating your second cousin—if you were subjected to more than some gentle awkwardness-acknowledging, tension-releasing ribbing about the situation—and that grief was the source of whatever you had to work through since breaking up with the guy who was essentially your high school boyfriend (a guy you were always gonna breakup with at some point), COUSINS, then this reunion is an opportunity to tell those people to go fuck themselves.

You can tell a mom not to worry but a mom is still gonna worry, MOM, so you go right ahead and worry. But if your son knows he can talk with you about anything and he’s chosen not to talk with you about this, MOM, and if your son isn’t upset about it or otherwise miserable, leave him alone. If he has friends—and you say that he does—then he has peers he can confide in about his love life, assuming he wants one, and open up to about his sexual inexperience, if he regards it as a problem, MOM, which he may not. I’ve been reading you for many years. You have great language skills. But your use of “gonna” and “wanna” for “going to” and “want to” just comes across as adolescent and condescending. You’re too old to be using that sort of lingo, Dan. Please respect yourself and your readers.—Griping Over Nauseatingly Nonsensical Affectations You’re gonna hafta pry those “gonnas” and “wannas” outta my cold, dead hands, GONNA, if you wanna get ‘em outta my column. Three months ago, I came out as polyamorous in an email I sent to my immediate and my entire extended family, because I’m done asking one of my partners to pretend he’s “our roommate” when my parents or siblings come to visit, and it hurts me so much to exclude him from family events and holidays. (And it hurts him, too.) My whole family is getting together over Labor Day Weekend and all three of us are planning to go. Is there any way to avoid awkwardness?—Bringing All My Boyfriends Inside

SAVAGE LOVE

Should I worry about my son who is 24 years old, straight, cute, has friends and is also a virgin?—Mulling Over Moments

JOE NEWTON

I fell in love with my second cousin about 4 years ago at a family reunion. (I hadn’t laid eyes on him since I was a kid!) I was 15 when we met, he was 2 years older, and we were in a long-distance relationship for 3 years. We ended things a year ago, and I’m going to be seeing him for the first time since our breakup at another family reunion this fall. He’s bringing his new girlfriend. Do I have a responsibility to make her feel comfortable? Do I avoid him and risk family drama? I’ve done so much to work through this, Dan, and I’d love to see this as a healthy exercise in staying true to myself.—Cancel On Upcoming Shindig? I’m Not Sure!

Nope. P.S. They’ll get used to you being poly, you’ll get used to them knowing you’re poly, and it’ll get less awkward over time. But there’s no way to avoid that first blast of pure awkwardness. Instead of trying to avoid it, BAMBI, try to have a sense of humor about it. I was raised in a conservative batshit household and equally batshit church. The youth leader, who was my best friend’s stepdad and who I viewed as a father figure, was a sexual predator. When I was 17, he started asking me for sex and also told me he’d thought of me “that way” since I was 12. I found out later he got a woman with a mental disability pregnant, and my childhood best friend has hinted to me that he assaulted her as well. Much to my rage, this guy’s wife, this church, and even my own parents never went after this guy legally or otherwise. Outrageously, he’s still a member in good

standing of this same church. A few days ago, a different childhood friend died. He was my best friend’s cousin, and we all grew up together. Obviously, this asshole will be at the funeral. I’m determined to be there to support my friend but how do I interact with this predator without causing a scene? I don’t want to make this sad reunion about me, but I refuse to entertain this guy in any way. Any thoughts on telling him to go fuck himself?—Feels Uncomfortable Near Extremely Religious Asshole Lowlifes Your childhood best friend dropped hints about being assaulted by this man—her stepfather—but she never actually came out and told you that. But you know for a fact that he preyed on a mentally disabled woman and that he sexually harassed you when you were a minor. And like so many sexual predators on altars, this asshole got away with it. There haven’t been any consequences, no accountability, and he’s still in a position—a position of spiritual authority—where he can (and probably does) abuse and exploit other vulnerable women and girls. Ugh. I’m pro telling this asshole to go fuck himself at the funeral—loudly—but there’s something

you could do before the funeral. While you can’t control what your parents or this church have done or failed to do, FUNERAL, and while your childhood best friend’s story isn’t yours to tell— and you don’t know or don’t officially know the full story—you can tell your own story. You can report this asshole to the pious lowlifes who run this fucking church and file a police report at the same time. Oh, and make sure to let those church leaders know you filed a police report. While there’s no guarantee they’ll act against this creep after getting a report of sexual abuse (see Catholic Church, sex abuse scandals), they’ll at least know they’re leaving themselves open to potential financial consequences if they fail to act (see Catholic Church, sex abuse scandal settlements). I’ve been to a few funerals in my time, FUNERAL, and it’s not the people at the funeral we tend to remember—it’s the people who were there for us before the funeral and after. Head home, be there for your old friend, and feel free to skip the funeral if that asshole is gonna be there. Contact mail@savagelove.net, follow @ FakeDanSavage on Twitter, and bookmark savagelovecast.com.

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60 THE ROAD 61 TO THE SUPER BOWL 64 by Merl Reagle 65 ACROSS 1 Atty.’s assn. 67 4 Riyal spender 68 9 Bread trace 69 14 Commencing 72 18 Road sign, or 74 bad advice to the 75 offense? 21 Correo ___ (air 77 mail, amigos) 78 22 Emulate eagles 79 23 Road sign, or “be really, really 81 careful as you push the ball 85 downfield”? 25 Words of 86 supposition 26 Flock’s response 87 27 Frustrated faces 88 28 High-priced spreads? 92 30 Big-business types 33 The bus stops 96 here: abbr. 97 34 Dry, in Mexico 98 35 Former lander at Dulles 99 36 One with a crib 101 sheet? 37 Hearty party 102 39 Greed’s lead, 104 ___ Pitts 106 42 Part of a 109 swearing-in 111 44 City S of Moscow 113 46 Road sign, or 116 good advice to a 117 quarterback? 118 51 “My good woman” 53 Actress Louise 123 54 “It’s time ____ 124 the cord” 125 55 Lamented 57 Road sign, or get ready for the 126 snap? 127 1

2

3

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59 Full of 94 Misanthrope Kin of “swell!” 95 Part of Mao’s enthusiasm Compass heading name 60 River scoop 100 Half of an heir’s DOWN 61 Alfalfa’s “Our lament Lengthen (with Gang” love 102 The NFL, e.g. “to”) 62 Bay windows 103 Dolt Neighbor of Tahiti 63 Road sign, or Like Bugs and “here comes the 105 Indoor style of Daffy football QB’s recitation”? Court worker, 107 Launder 66 Oscar winner for short 108 “Congratulations Paquin Ceded the throne: 69 Recover from 67 ___ order” abbr. 110 The Godfather Across Glob ending composer Nino 70 ___ France Lift, as one’s hat 71 Murphy Brown’s 112 Manger mother Topping pros 113 Start of a painter Mildred Pierce Khayyam line 73 Bulrush author James M. 114 Myra or Rudolf discovery Works the engine 115 Young one 76 Little bump Cult follower? 119 Pale 78 Where you can Ruckus 120 Zadora or hear pins drop He’s prepared Lindstrom 80 “We’re only ___ 121 Hill builder A continent for the money” Road sign, or 122 Type of firm in 82 Ron and family injury result? The Firm 83 Show ennui Green spots Fall crop spoiler 84 Act servilely 86 Type of cake Up and ___ 89 Atomic Slip, top, apparatuses or granny PUZZLE FANS ! Mbabane resident 90 Breakthroughs in For info on Merl's Arctic fishing? Perfectly Sunday crossword Toddler’s time-out 91 Time-saving anthologies, visit Coaches’ www.sunday abbr. chalkboards crosswords.com. 93 Model’s stance Good kind of story He stole a pig Solution to Hot, Hot, Hot! ___ were S T E P P I A I AM S A D I E Envelope abbr. T OA S T I NGA ND T URN I NG I MU S T B E S E A R I NG T H I NGS Whiskey serving R EO H A Y EOS Amateur, variantly PA DE RA PE T A RA CE T P O D S D A RN S Fernando or T A K E A S H E N I C E R S D A N R O A S T I N G K OWS K I Lorenzo A DRUM U P N E R A S E E P I C Slangy nose COOK I NGMON S T E R F L A N K N AME T AG U AW UD A L L “Crazoid” E S P T H E F R Y I NGGAME B E A Atmosphere S E A T O T OE H OWE L L S T OGOD B L A Z I NG L Y P L UMP Bee’s attractor A N AG S NOOP T A I A F ROS New BO I L I NG F ORDO L L A R S Russian river A L L O F R Y E A T R A I N AMA DO MA I L E A T E L S A (anagram of L E V S L A I NN A L S S T UMP ANDES) B L I S T E R I NGK I L L SGE RMS B A K I NG F OR A T T E N T I ON Early German A N I T A S T Y SON OS S A rocket

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cltampa.com

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

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HIRING:

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Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field + 60 months of experience as a Senior Manager with a laboratory or clinical information systems vendor leading a global software development, implementation and/or support management team in the usage, programming, file building & troubleshooting of a laboratory or clinical information system.

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

817.228.2990 Cash/Credit Cards Accepted MM#6181

RELAXATION MASSAGE

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

BECOME A MODEL OR ACTOR!

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

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

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Are you a "Creative Loafing" personality? Love talking with people and helping businesses succeed? Contact us today and submit your resume with a cover letter to: Jobs@cltampa.com - Use subject line "Outside Sales Representative"

MASSAGE BY BUTCH @ THE RELAXATION STATION

Please submit resumes by mail to SCC Soft Computer ATTN: Human Resources 5400 Tech Data Drive, Clearwater, FL 33760.

A PROFESSIONAL

NOW HIRING OUTSIDE SALES!

ADULT/Models

Develops and implements standard, documented protocols & procedures relating to the post-live support issues adversely affecting client satisfaction. Responsible for planning, directing & coordinating the activities of the Support Production/Programming teams to ensure alignment with the Post-Live Support teams. Participate in the strategic decisions about technology, definition & implementation of SCC’s products to assess impact on the post-live support teams. Lead a team of Programmers to perform code changes for hot fixes for software anomalies that are determined.

ARTIST MANAGER

chansonsnow3@gmail.com

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LATAM Market Analyst needed for 1A1 Innovations, Madeira Beach, FL: Anlyz & cond. Res. on IT sol. in the LATAM market; Compile data & prep. repts. to be used in dev. Promo. campaigns; Bld. portfolio thru market trend res. Prosp. are prog. & tracked; Col. & anlyz data on SA tech market & staying upto date w/tech landscape, compt., ind. news; Req. BS Communication. FT mail resume to 12901 Gulf Ln, # 503, Madeira Beach, FL 33708.

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

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cltampa.com | AUGUST 12 - AUGUST 18, 2021 | 39


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