Creative Loafing Tampa — March 14, 2024

SPRING INTERN Suz Townsend

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Colin Wolf

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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay 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.

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It’s been nine years since Tyler Riggs premiered his 12-minute short at GIFF. Gasparilla International Film Festival opens next Thursday, p. 47.

ON

It’s been an art yard for years period.

John Moll is back in the news, p. 27.

twitter.com/cl_tampabay instagram.com/cltampabay facebook.com/cltampabay

BLUE BOY

JUSTIN

GARCIA

RAY ROA

Bloody good

Photos by Nick Cardello

Last Sunday at the Tampa River Center, Creative Loafing’s annual Brunched 2024 brought together a handful of local bars and restaurants including Small Giant, The Brinehouse, Daily Eats, Raw Smoothie Co., Oystercatchers, Haiku, Baby Brisket, Elevage and more, for a day of bottomless booze, egg-centric bites and live music. Tampa Riverwalk Hotel even took home the prize for best bloody mary, making the hotel back-to-back Brunched champs. As always, a portion of proceeds from 2024’s Brunched will benefit The Laundry Project, one of local nonprofit Current Initiatives’ many charitable programs.—Colin Wolf

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from March 14 - 20

Middle aged life

The greater Bay area has been hosting its annual Renaissance Festival for the past four decades, but it has only been at its recent home in Dade City for the past couple years. The fairgrounds right next to the Withlacoochee River provide a lush, green background for March’s installment of the Bay Area Renaissance Festival, which takes place every Saturday and Sunday until the end of March. Live your best Middle Aged life at this “meticulously recreated 16th-century village” and enjoy the festival’s wide range of old timey activities like jousting, birds of prey demonstrations, dancing, mermaid performances, pony rides, axe throwing, jugglers and more. While the festival doesn’t allow outside food or drinks, there’s a plethora of eats to indulge in—from expected turkey legs and street corn to classic festival fare like fried pickles and chili cheese dogs—in addition to 80+ vendors slinging handcrafted souvenirs and baked goods. Each weekend of the Bay Area Renaissance Festival also boasts different themes, with this weekend featuring a St. Patrick’s Day theme with Irish jig dancing, beard competitions and a leprechaun costume contest.

Bay Area Renaissance Festival: SaturdaySunday, March 16-17, March 23-24 & March 30-31. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $20.95 & up. 12838 Auton Rd., Dade City. bayarearenfest.com —Kyla Fields

Good Fortune

Women have always been on the forefront of historical preservation, and for women’s history month, one of Tampa’s baddest ladies is leading an excursion paying tribute to one of the city’s most important figures. Journalist, writer and community hero Gloria Jean Royster (pictured) will lead a 90-minute stroll through downtown Tampa and talk about Madame Fortune Taylor, a woman whose story is only known through oral history (there’s not a known photo of Taylor, an ex-slave, baker, community leader, and businesswoman who owned 30 acres along the Hillsborough River in what is now downtown).

Madame Fortune Taylor Walking Tour: Saturday, March 16. 10 a.m. $20. Starting point will be emailed with your eTicket. tampabayhistorycenter.org —Ray Roa

Treasure hunt

Dunedin Fine Arts Center (DFAC), per usual, has a busy spring calendar, which crescendos for this version of a garage sale that starts to come together when folks drop off art and art supplies on select dates in January and February before its all collected, organized and cataloged for an online auction, “Best of Trashies” preparty and that main event—a giant garage sale that happens this Saturday. Known as “Tampa Bay’s Most Beloved Art Garage Sale,” attendees can snag a variety of art, frames, supplies, books and more at 2024’s rendition of Trashy Treasures. As always, proceeds raised from Trashy Treasures will benefit DFAC’s programming and operations, helping the organization fulfill its mission of “enriching lives through educational experiences in the visual arts.”

Trashy Treasures Garage Sale: Saturday, March 16. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. No cover, RSVP via Eventbrite required. Dunedin Fine Arts Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin. dfac.org —Ray Roa

Feeling

Perhaps most—if most—kid-friendly Patrick’s tions heart weekend, activities tainment dyfest a multitude ties including of local trucks Irish fare, ings, kids performances traditional like Chad Patrick two-day end, throughout Day Paddyfest Williams

KIMBERLY DEFALCO

WRITE1O/TWITTER

DUNEDIN FINE ART CENTER

Feeling green

Perhaps one of the most—if not the most—kid-friendly St. Patrick’s Day celebrations returns to the heart of St. Pete this weekend, with tons of activities and entertainment in tow. Paddyfest St. Pete hosts a multitude of festivities including dozens of local vendors, food trucks slinging both Irish and American fare, whiskey tastings, a dedicated kids zone, live music and dancing, a wide variety of brews on tap and athletic performances from FSA Highland, a Florida-based organization that specializes in traditional Scottish sports like shot put, caber toss and sheaf toss. Local musicians like Chad MacDonald, Suncoast United Pipe Band, Drunken Shrubbery and Sean Patrick Walsh will also take over the Williams Park bandshell over the course of this two-day festival. And if you’re not fulfilling any parental responsibilities this weekend, then Williams Park makes a great launching pad for further holiday drinking throughout downtown St. Pete and beyond. Turn to p. 31 for even more St. Patrick’s Day parties happening on both sides of the bridge.

Paddyfest St. Pete: Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17. Noon-9 p.m. No cover. Williams Park, 350 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. paddyfeststpete.com —Kyla Fields

Play ball

There are a select few yearround experiences that are quintessential for any self-respecting resident or visitor in Tampa Bay (they’re listed on p. 39). Just a few are reserved for springtime only, and one of those is baseball. Half of major league teams play their spring ball in Florida, and five—Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and the New York Yankees—do it right here in Tampa Bay. Each ballpark is special, and local matchups run through Monday, March 25 when the Rays take on the Phillies in Clearwater. Highlights on this week’s agenda include the Red Sox at Blue Jays in Dunedin (March 22), Mets at Tigers in Lakeland (March 21) and Pirates at Yankees in Tampa (March 15). floridagrapefruitleague.com

—Ray Roa

Bone to pick

Fossils aren’t hard to come by in Florida (just head over to Caspersen Beach in Sarasota and see what we mean). This event won’t require your own sifter though. FossilFest organizers have put the Sunshine State’s prehistoric past at the center of their show were ticket holders can not only view fossils found here (beyond the typical sharks teeth, dugong, and other fossil fragments), but take part in educational opportunities, too. Vendors and trading stations will be available, along with various other literal gems, minerals, shells and old antique bottles. Kids under 12 get in free.

FossilFest 2024 : SaturdaySunday, March 16-17. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $8 for adults. Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 N U.S.-Hwy 301, Tampa. tampabayfossilclub.com —Ray Roa

TAMPA BAY FOSSIL CLUB

RYAN KERN

TIGERS/FACEBOOK

Feeling green

Tampa’s big St. Patrick’s Day party returns.

By Suzanne Townsend

Bob Buckhorn’s clover idea is back, Tampa. Last month, the Tampa Downtown Partnership announced details about the return of the River O’ Green St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which is set for next month at Curtis Hixon Park.

A press release says that the park will be home to seven hours of activities, plus two stages featuring live music, traditional Irish dance, a pet costume contest and more. The Rough Riders’ St. Patrick’s Parade also kicks off at 5 p.m., and marks the first time the parade happens downtown instead of Ybor City, a move that upset some business owners in the historic district who told WFLA that the parade brings in a lot of revenue.

The parade route will start at Joe Chillura Square, head west on Madison Street, turn right on N Ashley Drive, and right again on E Polk St. where it ends at Florida Ave.

There’s even a Lucky Charms eating contest, although former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn— who dreamed up the River O’ Green a dozen years ago—told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay he would probably only do the contest if the cereal was swimming in Guinness.

“I even still fit into my old green pants,” Buckhorn joked, before adding that he was proud of the event, which celebrates Irish culture, plus puts downtown and the river at the center of activity.

Other activities include “hurling” demonstrations, which the release says involves a “a rowdy Irish mix of hockey, baseball, and football.”

There’s no cover to take part in the River O’ Green 2024 celebration and parade happening in and around Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Sunday, March 16 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

been approved by the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission.

But local anglers and environmentalists worry that wildlife in the river may need the luck of the Irish if Tampa follows through with annual plans to dye the river green for St. Patrick’s day.

Last year, Dustin Pack, a fishing guide and board member of Tampa Bay Waterkeeper, started a petition asking the City of Tampa to stop dyeing the Hillsborough River.

Pack’s petition, which has more than 5,100 signatures, cites a public records request which revealed that the city uses a chemical powder called “Bright Dyes® FLT Yellow/Green Tablet” to dye the water.

LOCAL NEWS

River O’ Green

Saturday, March 16. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

No cover. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. 600 N Ashley Dr., Tampa tampasdowntown.com

Also part of the celebration is the city’s tradition of dyeing part of the river green, starting at 11 a.m.

A press release says, “The dye is nontoxic, safe for the environment, biodegradable, and certified to meet National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 60 for use in and around drinking water,” and that it’s

Pack wrote that the Bright Dyes safety sheet lists environmental precautions including instructions to “Prevent from entering into soil, ditches, sewers, waterways and or ground water.” The sheet also advises users to avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing.

His petition also includes updates from after last year’s celebration showing green water that spans between the N Boulevard Bridge in Tampa Heights to the mouth of the river. Pack also said he tested a theory “that the dye ‘dissipates in

a few hours’” by taking aerial photos 48 hours after the festival, which show the river around the Garrison Channel near Harbour Island to still have a green patina.

“This product is not classified as environmentally hazardous,” the safety sheet adds.

“However, this does not exclude the possibility that large or frequent spills can have a harmful or damaging effect on the environment.”

Last year a spokesperson for the City of Tampa told Max Chesnes that Grow Financial spent $16,000 to purchase the dye, of which 300 gallons were used to dye the river.

A rep for the Tampa Downtown Partnership told CL that the celebration will once again utilize the Kingscote Chemicals dye and that $16,000 was once again raised from a collection of private sponsors to make the purchase.

“We plan to continue to work under the supervision of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission and City of Tampa to temporarily color the river each year,” Caroline Keesler, Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications for the Partnership added.

“The dye is safe for the environment, non-toxic, biodegradable, meets all EPA standards, and is certified to comply with National Sanitation Foundation Standard 60. This is the same dye often used in eye surgeries, food, and water systems to trace the flow of drinking water.”

Just got paid

Groups with ties to DeSantis got fast money from Florida Disaster Fund, but others were forced to wait.

By Tom Scherberger/The Florida Trident

As Hurricane Ian began its destructive tear through Southwest Florida to the Atlantic coast, Casey DeSantis issued a call for donations to the Florida Disaster Fund.

“I am pleased to announce that Volunteer Florida has activated the Florida Disaster Fund (FDF) so that people can donate directly to those affected by Hurricane Ian,” the wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a September 28 press release.

Contributions soon poured in. Volunteer Florida, the state’s official private emergency fund, would raise a total of $63 million – nearly eight times the money raised after Hurricane Irma swept through the Florida peninsula in 2017.

Some of the biggest corporations in the state donated big bucks, including $5 million from Charles Schwab and $1 million each from Publix, Amazon, Florida Blue and HCA.

But where has that money gone? An investigation by the Florida Trident found that a once-rigorous competitive grant system, requiring proof of how donations are spent, was scrapped. Instead, the fund in those early months handed out millions of dollars in “expedited” grants to organizations with no explicit training or experience in emergency disaster relief – but with political ties to DeSantis.

One example is the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), which received $3 million, the third largest single Florida Disaster Fund grant. The money went to the association’s Education Foundation, which has a stated purpose of supporting “sound educational experiences in preparation for dynamic and rewarding hospitality careers.”

After Hurricane Ian, the FRLA created its own makeshift disaster relief fund to help the hospitality industry recover through grants that required just one-third of the money went directly to employees. It’s unclear whether the Florida Disaster Fund grant was connected to this effort.

Politically, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association has openly expressed support for DeSantis and its PAC donates almost exclusively to Republican-oriented political groups. In 2022, the lodging and tourism businesses contributed $10 million to DeSantis, making it the second-most supportive industry for the governor, according to OpenSecrets, a non-profit group that tracks campaign money.

The Educational Foundation of The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Florida Trident.

The FRLA payout is one of several opaque disbursals in a process that critics say has been

irregular from the start. The state agency that manages the fund, Volunteer Florida, has traditionally used a competitive grant-making process to allot the money, with much of it going to local disaster relief organizations called longterm recovery groups (LTRGs). Traditionally, applicants were required to detail their projects and recipients provided documentation about how the state-directed money was spent.

Volunteer Florida’s website includes a list of groups that received money and how much they received, but how the money was spent is explained only through some brief narrative accounts with little to no detail.

“There is no financial accountability and I’m not sure it’s not by design,” said the LTRG official. No detail is provided for how recipients spent the money, said the official, “other

But Volunteer Florida skipped the traditional grant-making process for Ian, according to a LTRG leader who spoke anonymously for fear of retribution.

LTGRs were in fact left in the dark for months with little guidance on how to apply for grants, this official said.

Several months after Ian hit, local groups were sent an online survey in order to receive funding, and eventually 17 LTRGs across the state were awarded a spare $100,000 apiece. Soon after the Trident began questioning Volunteer Florida about the alleged neglect of LTRGs last August, an additional $2.3 million in belated payments was made to the long-term groups.

than what they said they did.” In contrast, grant-making organizations like the Red Cross require detailed reports, including receipts documenting every cent.

“There is no financial accountability and I’m not sure it’s not by design.”

Volunteer Florida external affairs director Brittany Dover conceded that the previous bidding process, which was intended to make sure the donations went to the most worthy recipients, was abandoned for Hurricane Ian. Volunteer Florida chose instead to award “expedited” grants, she said, “in order to get much needed resources on the ground as quickly as possible.”

Volunteer Florida said it made 84% of its awards within the first six months after

Ian, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.

“Repeated requests … for more details on how grants were awarded went unanswered by Volunteer Florida,” the newspaper reported.

Such an opaque process undermines the organization’s credibility, one watchdog says.

“You want government agencies to have transparent processes to disburse money,” said Ben Wilcox, research director for Integrity Florida, a Tallahassee nonpartisan research institute and government watchdog. “The problem is when it’s not transparent and people can raise questions about things like favoritism in the process. It makes people lose trust in the process. Transparency has not been a real strong suit of the DeSantis administration.”

‘With a little help from our friends’

Initially receiving nearly as much as all long-term recovery groups combined were police organizations, all of which have endorsed Gov. DeSantis. The Florida Sheriffs Association along with charitable arms of both the Florida Police Benevolent Association and the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police each received $500,000, totaling $1.5 million.

The Florida Police Benevolent Association endorsed DeSantis for president, and previously endorsed his gubernatorial reelection. The state Fraternal Order of Police also endorsed DeSantis’ reelection, a reflection of the long term close relationship between the two. Neither the Florida Police Benevolent Association nor the Florida State Lodge FOP responded to requests for comment.

The Florida Sheriffs Association stands out for its particularly cozy relations with DeSantis, even though, as a 501(c)(3), it cannot participate in political activity or endorsements, a fact stated plainly on its own website.

Earlier this year, DeSantis delivered friendly remarks at a Florida Sheriffs Association conference in which he offered effusive praise and specifically boasted about how Florida Disaster Fund money was given to the association. According to a 2022 issue of the sheriffs association’s magazine, the funds were distributed to sheriff’s office employees.

“Our most recent challenge occurred on the southwest coast with the deadly and highly destructive Hurricane Ian,” Steve Casey, executive director of the Florida Sheriffs Association, wrote in the magazine. “And once again, the sheriffs delivered – with a little help from our friends.”

“You had all these folks – Coast Guard, state law enforcement, local law enforcement – out there helping,” DeSantis said during the conference. “But what we also understood was, ‘Yeah,

continued on page 21

DAVE DECKER

MASTER OF DISASTER: The DeSantis’ were quick to issue calls for donations to the Florida Disaster Fund.

continued from page 19

that’s your job, but you were not necessarily immune from the effects from the hurricane.’

Logan Lewkow, director of communications for the Florida Sheriffs Association, said the Florida Disaster Fund donation helped “bridge the financial gap of impacted sheriffs’ office personnel who had major or complete devastation to their homes.” Lewkow said his organization was able to cut checks to employees within two weeks of the storm’s landfall.

FLORIDA NEWS

The single largest disbursement, $23.4 million, went to the Florida Division of Emergency Management to fund the Sheltering in Home for Recovery Continuation (SHRC) program. In December the emergency management division reported its 500th home repaired after Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane relief dollars go for “spiritual transformation”

Another important part of DeSantis’ political base are evangelical Christians – and they got their share of hurricane recovery funding too.

Detailed information about the Impact Foundation isn’t easy to come by and emails to the organization did not receive a response. According to an internal Volunteer Florida email, the money given to the Impact Foundation was used to support small business rebuilding. It’s not clear whether the organization has a history of post-disaster recovery work, and the email did not provide details about how the money was spent.

TheTrident sent Volunteer Florida multiple requests for detailed information about the post-Ian grant process, grantees and timing of grants. The organization responded with a link to a list of grantees and little additional information.

“You could probably peel back the onion for years and not get the full picture.”

The second highest FDF grant, $4 million, was paid to a faith-based non-profit organization, the Impact Foundation, founded by Jeff Johns, a former National Christian Foundation executive. The Impact Foundation engages in “faith driven impact investing” to create “economic, social and spiritual transformation,” according to the foundation’s website.

Hurricane Ian was a Category 5 storm that struck southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, with 150 mph winds and 18 feet of storm surge, one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in Florida history. A year later, the Fort Myers NewsPress reported, “hundreds, if not thousands, still find themselves displaced from the storm or living in hurricane-damaged houses.”

It’s understandable the state wanted to get money out the door as quickly as possible, said the LTRG official, but with tens of millions of dollars donated, it’s vital to show exactly how the money was spent and whether it funded the neediest.

“You could probably peel back the onion for years,” the official said, “and not get the full picture.”

DADDY’S HOME: The DeSantis and Bidens tour Fort Myers, Florida on Oct. 5, 2022.

ADAM SCHULTZ

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CELEBRATING KINDNESS RESPECT & INCLUSION

MARCH 2 - MARCH 31, 2024

Experience 50 billboard-sized works of art and thought-provoking quotations by artists and writers from around the world.

FRE E ADMISSION

Nature of enforcement

The City of Tampa has 10 people in code enforcement supervising 33.

By Patrick Manteiga/La Gaceta

The City of Tampa pays its employees some of the highest wages in the area. It is not competitive pay, it’s unnecessarily high.

Tampa’s wages allow it to steal employees away from other governments and it puts pressure on these governments to raise their pay. The bottom line is taxpayers are paying more and more. Tampa is paying these high wages while the mayor is crying that the City is broke and that the City needs to raise its property rates, increased fees for water, sewage, stormwater and garbage.

We took a look at Code Enforcement. We started there because Code Enforcement, while not a job that spreads joy, doesn’t require a degree, professional license or physical abilities. For many governments, a high school or vocational school diploma and a year of experience or training is required. Tampa has 43 employees in Code Enforcement with 24 of them making over $80,000. Ten of those make over $90,000 and seven of those make over $100,000. The lowest paid person, a Certified Code Enforcement Officer, receives $59,550.40.

Their highest paid person in the same category makes $84,676.80. In the same category, nine make over $70,000 and another nine make between $60,000 and $70,000. Not bad for driving around Monday through Friday looking for grass that is too long or paint that is peeling and writing a citation.

Hillsborough County’s pay range for Code Enforcement officers is $40,726.40 to $72,862.40. The range for Code Enforcement supervisor is $50,668.80 to $93,662.40. Compare the top pay for supervisor in the County to Tampa’s three Senior Code Enforcement Officers making $91,499.20 each and Tampa’s five Code Enforcement neighborhood team leaders making $111,529.60 each, and the senior supervisor is making $121,992.

Temple Terrace pays its top Code Enforcement person $119,870.40. It has three Code Enforcement officers who range from $52,520 to $53,248. Plant City pays its top Code Enforcement person $71,614.40. It has

four Code Enforcement inspectors being paid from $53,768 to $57,636.80. It has one Code Enforcement specialist making $37,918.40.

Tampa’s top Code guy is Keith O’Connor, director of Neighborhood Enhancement. His other title is golf court chauffeur for Tampa’s last police chief. He makes a whopping $147,284.80.

Tampa’s code officers carry the word “certified” in their title. So how tough is it to become certified? The four-day course costs $550 to $750 and the test, which you can take immediately after the course costs $100 to $150. Tampa has got to get its spending under control and that starts by reducing its starting pay for some of these jobs and reducing its supervisory staff. We have 10 people in Code Enforcement supervising 33. That’s ridiculous.

The City of Tampa Code Enforcement Department seems to be at war with two of its taxpayers. John and Patricia Moll, who live on Lynn Street in South Seminole Heights, have a lot of art in their yard, with some of it in the right of way. This is nothing new. It’s been an art yard for years period.

In 2017, City Code Enforcement went after the Molls but backed off after the City lawyers said the pieces were art, and allowable expressions.

The City isn’t backing off now. It is fining the Molls for their art pieces on the right of way. That’s the area between the street and the electric pole. It is the area that residents are responsible for mowing and keeping clean. The Molls have lawyered up and are fighting to keep their art, so Code Enforcement has doubled down. They parked their bucket truck in front of the Moll’s house on Monday and went up in the bucket to find more violations and photograph items in the Moll’s yard that could not be seen from the street or sidewalk.

We told you how much Code Enforcement officers make.

On Monday, it looks like a three-to-fourman crew went out to the Moll’s for an aerial documentation project. The City truck has neighborhood enhancement on the doors, so maybe it’s used all the time to peak in citizens’ backyards. We have heard from other citizens about the zealousness of Code Enforcement. Code Enforcement has a reputation of playing favorites with some and retaliating against others. We are no fan of $147,284.80 Keith O’Connor. Using a bucket truck to find code violations is just another example of a poorly run department. This column originally appeared at La Gaceta, Tampa’s tri-lingual, more than centuryold newspaper.

MICHAEL M. SINCLAIR

RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES

Green scene

Over a dozen St. Patrick’s Day parties happening in Tampa Bay this week.

By Kyla Fields

St. Patrick’s Day is always the best excuse to get a little buckwild in between the forced romance of Valentine’s Day and the moral obligations of Easter and Mother’s Day. Dozens of bars, restaurants and other venues throughout Tampa Bay are throwing a wide range of parties, street festivals, brunches and even kid-friendly festivities to celebrate the beloved drinking holiday—and here are the best 20-ish celebrations we could find. Head to cltampa.com/food-drink for an expanded list of St. Patrick’s Day events happening on both sides of the bridge.

The ‘Biggest’ St. Paddy’s Day Party Palm Harbor’s go-to deli hosts a full week of food specials and live entertainment to commemorate its favorite holiday—from drinking tunes from The Irish Ramblers to bagpipe performances and traditional Irish step dance. Indulge in classic Lucky Dill dishes like its reuben egg rolls, hot pastrami sandwiches and corned beef and cabbage, plus whiskey tastings and giveaways on select days.

Tuesday-Sunday, March 12-17. No cover. Various times. Lucky Dill Deli, 33180 U.S. Hwy-19 N, Palm Harbor. @LuckyDillDeli on Facebook

21st Annual MacPatrick Fest South Tampa hotspot MacDinton’s Irish Pub has been hosting its multi-day St. Patrick’s Day celebration for the past 21 years, and that just may be the median age of partygoers at 2024’s installment this weekend. Each day features its own drink specials, themes and giveaways, but Sunday’s “Green Kegs” breakfast, open bar and live entertainment is certainly the fest’s finale. Thursday-Sunday, March 14-17. 11 a.m.-3 a.m. $15 & up. MacDinton’s Irish Pub, 405 S Howard Ave., Tampa. macdintons.com

St. Paddy’s Punk & Roll Cage Brewing hosts its own mini-fest featuring over 15 local musicians that will take turns sharing its outdoor stage this weekend, plus booze-friendly eats courtesy of Kraken Joe’s Pizza. FridaySunday, March 15-17. Various times. No cover (RSVP encouraged.) Cage Brewing, 2001 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. cagebrewing.com

Sips & Shenanigans Brunch Get some grub before Tampa’s River O’Green festival at Melting Pot Social’s special holiday brunch, complete with bottomless green mimosas, corned beef and cabbage and other classic brunch fare. Saturday, March 16. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $40. Melting Pot Social, 105 West Tyler St., Tampa. meltingpotsocial.com

Corey Avenue Street Party This year’s rendition of this annual block party coincides with one of its longtime sponsors, Swigwam Beach Bar, but this all-day St. Patrick’s Day gig will definitely continue throughout Corey Avenue’s 300 Block. Soggy Bottom Boys, Beach Rats and Full Throttle provide entertainment.

Saturday, March 16. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. No cover. 300 Block of Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach. @ SwigwamBeachBar on Facebook.

Get Lucky Block Party Whiskey shots out of an ice luge and an open bar from 5 p.m.7p.m. are the main draws of Bar Hwrd’s holiday

St. Patrick’s Day Bash by the Beach

This beach-adjacent hotel hosts a night filled with whiskey tastings, perfectly poured pints of Guinness, live music and Irish-themed cocktails. Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17. Noon-8 p.m. No cover, Eventbrite RSVP recommended. Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, 100 Coronado Dr.,Clearwater. wyndhamgrandclearwater.com

2nd Annual Paddyfest Expect a multitude of festivities including dozens of vendors, food trucks slinging both Irish and American fare, whiskey, a dedicated kids zone, live music and dancing, a wide variety of brews on tap and athletic performances from FSA Highland, a Florida-based organization that specializes in traditional Scottish sports like shot put, caber toss and sheaf toss. Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17. Noon-9 p.m. No cover. Williams Park, 330 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. paddyfeststpete.com

banger, which can either be a launching pad or end cap for a night of partying in South Tampa.

Saturday, March 16. 5 p.m.-3 a.m. $10-$20. Bar Hwrd, 302 South Howard Ave., Tampa .barhwrdtampa.com

River O’Green The City of Tampa’s familyfriendly river-dyeing party returns to Curtis Hixon Park this weekend with kid activities, live entertainment, food trucks and green beer (for the parents). Read more on p. 17. Saturday, March 16. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. No cover. Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N Ashley Dr., Tampa. tampasdowntown.com

Mary Margaret’s St. Patrick’s Weekend

This bar not too far off Central Avenue in St, Petersburg offers Irish vibes 365 days of the year—and then some—but those vibe will, without a doubt, be kicked up a notch during Mary Margaret's weekend-long party, which includes live music, bagpipers, specials like corned beef and cabbage and tons of Guinness to wash it all down. Do not puke in the parking lot, OK?

Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17. 9 a.m.-3 a.m. No cover. 29 3rd St. N, St. Petersburg. marymargarets.com

St. Patrick’s Weekend Both days of Slizzy Mcgees’ annual party features live music from Flo-Raw and Stealing Crowns, local food trucks, specials on traditional Irish fare and of course, tons of booze. Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17. 11 a.m.-3 a.m. No cover. Slizzy Mcgee’s, 1159 62nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. @Slizzymcgees on Facebook

St Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl This bar crawl throughout The ‘Burg kicks off at Welcome to the Farm and continues at various neighboring bars in downtown St. Pete. Ticket holders get drinks at each stop, access to food specials and specialty, holiday-themed cocktails. Sunday, March 17. $9.99 & up. Welcome To The Farm, 242 1st Ave. N St Petersburg. pubcrawls.com

St. Patrick’s Day open mic night A nice, sober or low-key option for St. Patrick’s Day if barhopping and late nights isn’t your jam. RSVPs are recommended for this free-to-attend open mic night with craft beer, wine and kava available for purchase. Sunday, March 17. 3 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. The Village Courtyard, Beach Boulevard South Gulfport. @villagecourtyard on Facebook

Flanagan’s St. Patrick’s Day Street Festival Billed as one of the “largest St. Patrick’s Day festivals in Florida,” Flanagan’s annual party features a full lineup of music and entertainment from noon-8 p.m. and lots of flowing green beer. Sunday, March 17. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. No cover. Flanagan’s Irish Pub, 465 Main St., Dunedin. @flanagansirishpub on Facebook

8th Annual Block Party If you aren’t ready to stop drinking after Paddyfest at Williams Park, then head to The Galley’s annual festivity complete with live music, plenty of Guinness, whiskey and Irish food specials. Sunday, March 17. 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m. No cover. The Galley, 27 4th Street N , St. Petersburg. @ TheGalleyDTSP on Facebook

Sober St. Patrick’s Day No hangover, no problem. This Clearwater kava house hosts a laid-back holiday party filled with N/A drink specials and screenings of St. Patrick’s Day-themed movies. Sunday, March 18. 8 p.m.-midnight. No cover. Kava House Brand, 11141 U.S.-Hwy 19 N no. 408 Clearwater. kavahousebrand.com

St. Patrick’s Day at Caddy’s on the Beach Caddy’s locations on Indian Rocks Beach (20025 Gulf Blvd.), Madeira Beach (14080 Gulf Blvd.), Treasure Island (9000 W Gulf Blvd.) and Johns Pass (190 Boardwalk PI.) all host their own holiday parties with cheap drinks, raffles, giveaways, live entertainment and free green tea shots for anyone rocking the color of the evening. Sunday, March 17. 11 a.m.-1 a.m. No cover. Various locations. caddys.com

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IRISH GOODBYE: Bar hop throughout downtown St. Pete after festivities at Williams Park’s.

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You know the rules

Barstool boss was in Tampa Bay doing ‘One Bite Pizza Reviews’, plus more local food news.

By Ray Roa and Kyla Fields

El Presidente was in Tampa Bay, and he spent a lot of time shoving pie down his hole. Last week, Bay area pizza shops shared video and photos of Dave Portnoy, the controversial founder of the Barstool Sports, popping in to grab food, and posting his taste tests, as part of his ongoing “One Bite Pizza Reviews.”

In the reviews, Portnoy—who founded his blog, which is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars, in 2003—takes one bite (actually several bites) of a plain cheese pizza and rates it on a sale of 0-10, decimal points and all. In 2019, he gave downtown Tampa’s Eddie & Sam’s a 7.1 in a review that’s been viewed more than 216,000 times.

Stops on Portnoy’s 2024 agenda included a handful of Sarasota pizza spots that’ve already received scores: Venezia Italian Restaurant (6.7), Il Panificio (7.4) and Rico’s (7.2).“Il Panificio,” that’s my favorite in the area,” he added. Portnoy also visited more than a dozen Tampa Bay pizza spots including: Brooklyn Pizza Company, Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza, Delosa’s Pizza, DiGiorgio’s Pizzeria, Santoro’s, Forbici, Joey Brooklyn’s, The Nona Slice House, Lee’s Grocery and Madison Avenue Pizza, plus a handful more.

Jen Hatchcock, owner of Lee’s Grocery in Tampa Heights, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that her business, easily one of the Bay area’s quintessential local spots, was honored to be among Portnoy’s tour stops. She said she will find out the score today.Travis Kaiser, founder and owner of Santoro’s, told CL that having Portnoy pop in is something that’s probably on the minds of any independent pizza shop owner. “Then he’s in your parking lot. That’s a pretty cool thing. You know?,” Kaiser, who opened the popular shop in 2021, added. Santoro’s, located at 1329 W Cass St. in Tampa, captured their review on the shop’s own social media page, but bleeped out the score.“I want to let him do it,” Kaiser added, declining to share what score Portnoy gave his Best of the Bay-winning business. “It’s all over the internet right now, but I don’t want it to come out of my mouth. I think he gave us a fair score. But I think the review itself was really good.”

friends and family started to blow up his phone while they tracked Portnoy’s movements across Pinellas County.“Once he got to Clearwater, things kind of got real and I was like, ‘Oh, man, he’s at Cristino’s, and that’s like 20 minutes from here,” Ferraro said, adding that he told his staff to be on the lookout for a large cheese to-go order. “And sure enough, 30 minutes after he was at Cristino’s, we got a large cheese pizza ticket from a call-in order. We looked at the history and we’re like, “Well, this guy never ordered from us before, it fits the profile, it’s an out of state number,” he said. “So we treated it as if it was him, and sure enough he walked through the door like 15 minutes later.”

FOOD NEWS

With 1.24 million subscribers on YouTube alone, a visit from “One Bite Pizza Reviews,” is a boost for any small local business. Portnoy knows that, and even raised more than $41 million for similar businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Pizza wasn’t the only thing Portnoy—loathed and loved in part for his moronic personality, anti-union rhetoric, and sexual assault allegations (which he’s denied)—blathered on about either.In a video posted to Twitter (now known as X) the 46-year-old also ripped on his room at the Tampa Edition, ranting about his room, which he said he paid $5,000 a night for.

The proud University of Michigan alum said that he should receive fellatio at that rate, adding that he expects to also have an infinity pool overlooking the water and a masseuse. “This is an average suite,” who’s interviewed Donald Trump and also criticized the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, complained.

‘Florida’s tiniest taqueria’ Taco Baby closes in Dunedin

Downtown Dunedin officially needs a new spot for street tacos and casual, to-go Mexican fare. Taco Baby at 235 Main St., a charming 51 square-foot taqueria, has recently closed its doors—or singular pick-up window, actually.

state its last day in business, the tiny taqueria has been listed as “permanently closed” on Google for the past several weeks.

can order nachos and fajitas that are hopefully reminiscent of the now-closed Taco Baby.

Sean Ferraro, the man who delivers pizzas by boat for Dunedin’s Madison Avenue Pizza, said he doesn’t know his shop’s score, but thinks it’s in the high-sevens. Ferraro, who was baking bread for Madison Avenue’s sandwiches the morning after Portnoy’s visit, told CL that the whole experience was nerve wracking, especially as

“After much consideration, we’ve made the decision to close Taco Baby permanently. While we’re sad to say goodbye, we cherish the memories we’ve created together and the joy that Taco Baby has brought to our community,” the restaurant wrote on social media last month.

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being a part of our Taco Baby family.”

While the social media announcement didn’t explain the reasons for Taco Baby’s closure or

Chef Traci Bryant and Shane Bittaker of Nina Hospitality Group opened Taco Baby out of a former ATM stand in the spring of 2019. Its understandably small menu consisted of street tacos with proteins like chicken tinga, al pastor, jackfruit, and pork carnitas, chips and queso, loaded nachos and a variety of bottled sodas. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has reached out to Chef Bryant for a comment about Taco Baby’s closure, but is still waiting to hear back from her.

Bryant is also the executive chef of the hospitality group’s other Dunedin concepts—laid back pizza spot Jack Pallino’s and Caracara, an Asian-inspired tapas restaurant where you

ICYMI

The Dan, located on the ground floor of downtown Tampa’s Hotel Flor (fka Floridan Palace Hotel) just launched its new dinner menu by executive chef Dernier Buleje, who’s partial to the new citrus hummus starter. “It hits all flavors, spice from the harissa glazed carrots, Greek yogurt crema, broccolini pistou is vibrant and full of umami and citrus,” Buleje wrote in a release, adding that his two favorite dishes are the Loup de Mar (sea bass with tomatoes, olives, pickled onion, arugula, parsnip velvet, herbed salsa verde) and the shrimp and grits. The Dan—located at 905 N Florida Ave. in Tampa—is open daily. dineatthedan.com

MAD DASH: Madison Avenue’s Sean Ferraro (L) said it was nervewracking waiting for El Presidente to arrive.

C/O SEAN FERRARO

#beerisyourfriend

Explore renowned French Impressionist paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, alongside the early Salvador Dalí works they inspired.

SPRING BREAK

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Get out

The 20 quintessential greatest things to do in Tampa Bay.

By CL Staff

There’s never a shortage of fun things to do in Tampa Bay, and while we can’t list them all, we can most certainly highlight the stuff that’s pretty much always a guaranteed good time— especially if you’re visiting. Have you held a baby gator, taken the ferry to Egmont Key, or slurped on the Thai temple soup? No, well you have your work cut out for you.So, whether you’re here for spring break, a new transplant, or a lifelong resident looking for something to add to the bucket-list, Tampa Bay has something for everyone. Of course, you just have to sweat it out in traffic first.

Armature Works You didn’t think we’d leave Armature Works, the massive food hall and center of life in South Tampa Heights, off this list, did you? It might be hot as a mother out there some days, but there are spots to stay cool with fans and misters at Tampa’s well-known upscale food hall. While known for its food and cocktail selection, it also offers some of the best outdoor dining and seating in the city with a large grass lawn and views of the Hillsborough River, just steps from the Riverwalk. 1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa, 813-250-3725. armatureworks.com

Busch Gardens Tampa Busch Gardens

Tampa Bay is basically a giant zoo with roller coasters. Founded as a literal garden to drink beer, the park has since blossomed into the mega theme park it is today. Recently, the park added the hybrid coaster Iron Gwazi, and Serengeti Flyer, which is billed as the “world’s largest swing ride.” 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, 813884-4386. buschgardens.com

Catch ashow at the Tampa Theatre One of Tampa’s premier historic landmarks, the Tampa Theatre isn’t just a beautiful building that escaped a wrecking ball in the ‘70s, it’s also a fantastic spot to get out of the heat and catch a flick or a live show. Check the schedule to see everything from first-run films, classic movies, stand-up comedy, live podcasts, and everything in between. 711 N Franklin St., Tampa, 813-274-8286. tampatheatre.org

Explore the Edge District The Edge District, literally on the edge of downtown St.Pete, features bars and restaurants that host family-friendly activities like live music and outdoor movies. Favorites in the extremely walkable, and pedal pub-friendly, district include Green Bench Brewing Co., Bodega sandwich shop, Buya Ramen and Ferg’s sports bar. edgedistrict.org

Explore the TECO Streetcar stops After you grab a cafe con leche or a cigar in historic Ybor City, hop on the TECO Streetcar and bomb down to either Water Street, or downtown Tampa. Best of all it’s free, and it pops you out in front of some of the area’s best dining and entertainment venues. tecolinestreetcar.org

Get a scenic workout kayaking through a mangrove tunnel at Shell Key Located near St. Pete, Get Up and Go’s clear kayak tours offer views of local wildlife and while floating around in a crystal-clear boat. Kayakers should be on the lookout for manatees, pink Roseate spoonbills and dolphins. The company also offers a glow tour, a nighttime kayak tour featuring color-changing LED’s lighting up the water

beneath your clear kayak. If you have your own ‘yak, you can also just drop in for free along Pinellas Bayway S. 1 Collany Rd., Tierra Verde, 727-265-2268. getupandgokayaking.com

Get the day pass to a local resort There are plenty of great beach resorts in Tampa Bay, and sometimes you just want to get a taste of all of em. Luckily, quite a few Tampa Bay hotels offer unique pools, views and beach access, for a daily price without staying overnight. From The Sarasota Modern to The Saint Hotel in St. Pete, guests can choose a pool day or a beach day for any wallet. tinyurl.com/tampabaypoolpass2022

Grab a Cuban at La Segunda Central Bakery Located in a town founded on Spanish and Latin culture lies one of Ybor City’s coveted landmark buildings representing the CubanAmerican community. Pretty much all of Tampa is connected to La Segunda’s bread in one way or another. Customer-favorites include café con leche, Cuban toast and, of course, the Cuban sandwich. Don’t be surprised to see a line coming

out of the door, but do know that La Segunda now has multiple locations. 2512 N 15th St., Ybor City, 813-248-1531. lasegundabakery.com

Head to the Sunday market at Wat Mongkolratanaram Temple This Sunday experience is a weekly ritual for quite a few Tampeños. For over 30 years Wat Mongkolratanaram Temple has been offering this service, with menu items like various soup options, pad thai, empanadas and crab rangoon, all while grabbing some views of the Tampa Bypass Channel. 5306 Palm River Rd., Tampa, 813-621-1669. wattampainenglish.com

Head to one of Tampa Bay’s nearby fresh water springs Florida is pretty much always hot, so it makes it a little more enjoyable by taking a dip in one of Tampa Bay’s many natural springs. From Weeki Wachee to Lithia, there are plenty of swimming holes within a short driving distance. Visit tinyurl.com/tampabaysprings to see a full list of nearby springs.

continued on page 41

ILAN AVERBUCH

HOLE YEAH: St. Pete’s Edge District is a walkable, must-visit, stretch for tourists.

KEY EXPERIENCE: You’ll feel all alone once you hop off the Egmont Key Ferry.

continued from page 39

Hold a gator at Croc Encounters Alligators are a major part of living in Florida, and one local spot gives you up and close and personal with our reptilian overlords.Croc Encounters allows guests to get some serious face time with alligators, crocodiles, alligator snappers, and more. The 15-acre facility offers guided tours and plenty of opportunities to hold reptiles and maybe even feed a few gators. 8703 Bowles Rd., Tampa, 813217-4400. crocencounters.com

Pick berries and drink wine at Keel Farms Explore Keel Farms U-Pick farms and wineries. Take a tour of the farm and visit the animals, while learning about their day-to-day operations, and get a taste of it for yourself in their wine tastings. 5202 Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City, 813-752-9100. keelfarms.com

Riverwalk bar crawl One of Tampa’s biggest tourist traps is without a doubt the downtown Riverwalk. But did you know the Riverwalk is a certified “wet zone,” and anyone over the age of 21 can grab a Riverwalk speciality to-go cup from any of the bars ands restaurants along this massive waterfront path? It’s true. Pro tip: Start at Armature Works and try your best to end your boozy journey at Sparkman Wharf. thetampariverwalk.com

See a show at Crowbar The Tampa Bay music scene is bigger than any one venue, but if there’s a place where the blood, sweat, and years of tears that go into live music come to life, it’s Crowbar. Tom DeGeorge’s Ybor City rock club has been the bread and butter of the scene for two decades and will see its lease end in 2026. The less-than-300-cap venue has seen many of its tried-and-true concert venues cousins relocate or close altogether. Hip-hop, funk, soul and DJ night Ol’ Dirty Sundays has become a community staple, and the room has hosted legendary sets from the likes of Blackstar (which popped up after its set at Straz Center), plus secret performances from giants like hard-rock band Underoath and even Kenny Chesney. 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City, 813-2418600. crowbarybor.com

weekend crowds. 701 Channelside Dr., Tampa, 813-273-4000. flaquarium.org

Spend a day at the St. Pete Pier St. Pete Pier offers more than just views. With a variety of restaurants, museum and art exhibits, the Spa Beach, and a massive playground and splash pad for kids, there is something for everyone. 600 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, 727-822-7437. stpetepier.org

SPRING BREAK

Spend a day at the Florida Aquarium Dive into Florida’s Aquarium. Featuring over seven different habitats and hundreds of exhibits, as well as a splash pad for the kiddos, the Florida Aquarium offers a break from the sun in an immersive experience sure to entertain the whole family. Just get there early and avoid the

Take a self-guided tour at the Dali Museum Visit a collection of works by renowned surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, from the iconic melting clocks to visual illusions like the large-scale masterwork “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea.” There are permanent exhibitions, plus temporary ones, and the Dalí cafe (beer and wine) which has impressively good food for a museum. When you’re done tripping out at the Dali 360 immersive experience, walk across the street to The Hangar restaurant for a bloody mary and views of planes taking off from Albert Whitted Airport. 1 Dali Blvd, St. Petersburg, 727-823-3767. thedali.org

Take the ferry to Egmont Key State Park Egmont Key State Park invites visitors to explore its large nature preserve and Fort

Dade, a large fort dating back to the SpanishAmerican War that covers expansive areas of the island. With unique opportunities for shelling, swimming and snorkeling, there’s an adventure for everyone. The ferry takes only an hour from dock to dock, offering over three hours to explore the park. 170 Johns Pass Boardwalk, Madeira Beach, 727–393-1947. hubbardsmarina.com

Tampa Bay Fun Boat Whether you’re just visiting, a life-long resident, or just want to learn about local history and all the cool houses on Davis Islands, Tampa Bay Fun Boat’s sightseeing and sunset one-hour tours are arguably one of the best boating options in downtown Tampa. Bottled water is provided, but you are allowed to bring your own cooler with drinks and alcohol if you’re over 21. Departs from Tampa Convention Center Boat Docks. 333 S Franklin St., Tampa. 727-204-9787. tampabayfunboat.com

Visit a truly beachside restaurant or bar Where else than Tampa Bay can you enjoy a cold beer and cheeseburger while sticking your toes in the sand? Not every restaurant can combine good eats and beachside views. So, visit tinyurl. com/tampabaybeachrestaurants for a comprehensive list of local restaurants and bars that are truly on the sand.

JIM SCHWABEL/ADOBE

Pass, go

Tampa Bay hotels and resorts offering beach and poolside day passes for locals.

By Suzanne Townsend

Like any Tampa Bay resident will tell you, one of the best ways to head to the beach is through a local resort, whether you’re actually staying there or not. All you need is a day pass, and plenty of Tampa Bay’s best spots offer em up to locals. So, what follows are some of the best Tampa Bay resort pools and beaches that are completely open to the public, no room key required. Information on most of these is available at resortpass.com.

Aloft Tampa Midtown

Aloft’s rooftop pool offers gorgeous views of the city (and I-275). Guests must be 21 or older and poolside food and drinks are available for purchase at Sal y Mar Rooftop Pool Bar, as well as access to the hotel’s fitness center and Wi-Fi. Aloft offers valet parking for $35. 3650 Midtown Dr., Tampa, 813-353-0555. $30

Jimmy B’s bar offers food and drink available for purchase and live music every day. For your general Beachcomber Day Pass at $65 you can access all of the above, as well as both the family and adults-only pools. 6200 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-367-1902. $50-$250

SPRING BREAK

Bellwether Beach Resort The Bellwether day pass offers both pool and beach access, lawn and beach activities and complimentary bottled water. No beach chair? No problem. The resort offers a 20% discount on beach chair rentals. The Beach Daycation Package for $499 includes day passes for four people, a private guest room from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., a reserved beach cabana and complimentary six-pack. Bongo’s Beach Bar will throw in a free appetizer, chef’s choice. 5250 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-360-1811. $35-$499

to six people can enjoy a shaded poolside cabana from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. with complimentary fruit and bottled water plus dedicated service. Both packages come with parking and Wi-Fi. 15015 Madeira Wy., Madeira Beach, 727-483-5997. $25-$149

Camp Margaritaville Auburndale Waste away again at Camp Margaritaville. The resort offers a $15 Twilight Pass, which is for evening dips and comes with pool access starting at 5 p.m. There are poolside games like cornhole and mini golf, and Tiki Bar specials until 7 p.m. The full-day pass is an additional $20 but gives all-day access to the pools and amenities including the fitness center. 361 Denton Ave., Auburndale, 863-455-7335. $15-$35

Dolphin Beach Resort For those 21 or older, your Dolphin Beach Resort Day Pass comes with a reserved lounge chair by the pool and access to the beach for $99. Flipper’s Beach Bar offers discounted drinks and snacks, and passholders also get discounts on watersports and lounge chairs. A beach cabana with two lounge chairs is available for $60. 4900 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727-360-7011. $60-$99

I CAN SEE THE DON: Day passes at the iconic “Pink Palace” start at $35 for kids and $89 for adults.

The Beachcomber St. Pete Beach Beach bums look no further—for $50 The Beachcomber offers beach access with two reserved shaded chairs with complimentary Wi-Fi and parking.

Cambria Hotel St. Petersburg-Madeira Beach Marina Starting at $25 you can relax by Cambria’s rooftop pool and hot tub with a cocktail in hand from the rooftop poolside bar. At $149 up

The Don CeSar Day passes at the iconic “Pink Palace” start at $35 for kids and $89 for adults, and include access to the beach, the hotel’s two heated pools, indoor jacuzzi, poolside food and drink service and free Wi-Fi. Self parking or valet are discounted, as well. 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881. $89

DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront Take in Tampa’s gorgeous waterfront poolside with the DoubleTree’s $15 day pass. Guests receive 10% off food and drink as well as access to water sport rentals. Wi-Fi and parking are both complementary. 3050 N Rocky Point Dr. W, Tampa, 813-888-8800. $15

Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center In the heart of downtown Tampa you can enjoy views of the city while relaxing in the hotel’s outdoor heated pool. Taste Restaurant provides guests with food and beverages and day pass holders receive 10% off their orders. Wi-Fi is complementary and valet parking costs $30 for the day. 513 S Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-769-8300. $12

Epicurean Hotel Before your night out in SoHo, unwind on a lounger or take a dip for $20 at the Epicurean Hotel. Day passes come with amenities like access to the outdoor heated pool, one reserved lounge chair per ticket, available food and drinks at the newly opened Lobby Bar and complimentary Wi-Fi and self-parking. Craving a sweet treat? The popular Tampa ice cream chain Chill Bros. is just a minute-walk from the pool. 1207 S Howard Ave., Tampa, 855-829-2536. $20

Fenway Hotel Need an alternative to the Clearwater Beach chaos? Dunedin’s historic Fenway Hotel has got you covered. Pool passes,

continued on page 45

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which include complimentary parking, lounge chair reservations, Wi-Fi and access to the hotel’s heated pool, restaurant and rooftop bar, start at $10 for children and $20 for adults—for complimentary lunch and a drink, children and adults can upgrade to the $40 lunch and pool pass. The hotel also offers a bottomless brunch and pool pass, which includes mimosas and a fruit plate for two hours, or a day drinking pass for $45, which allows five complimentary drinks per ticket. 453 Edgewater Dr., Dunedin, 844-569-9879. $20-$45

Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas It’s all about cabana rentals at this legendary party pool. Starting at $125, up to eight people 21 and over can enjoy a lavish poolside cabana experience with pool access, shaded seating, food and drink service from the nearby WTR Grill, and complimentary parking and Wi-Fi at the Godfrey Hotel. For $250, guests can upgrade to a waterfront cabana with a TV and two reserved poolside lounge chairs. 7700 W Courtney Campbell Cswy., Tampa, 813-281-8900. $125-$250

Hilton Tampa Downtown For $12, get access to Hilton Tampa Downtown’s rooftop pool, fitness center and whirlpool hot tub with amenities like discounted poolside food and drink service and free Wi-Fi. Entry is free for infants. Park at the hotel using valet for $25 or use hourly self-parking at the nearby Fort Brooke parking garage. 211 N Tampa St., Tampa, 813-204-3000. $12

Hotel Alba Tampa residents looking for a stylish resort experience can save a trip across the Howard Frankland and go to Hotel Alba. Starting at $10 for children and $20 for adults, a day pass gives you a day on a lounger or in the hotel’s heated pool. For an upgraded experience, tiki cabanas for up to five people ($100) and meeting rooms for seven ($750) are also available. All

experiences include poolside food and drink service, and complimentary Wi-Fi and parking. 5303 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-289-1950. $20-$750

Hotel Haya Hotel Haya’s day pass offers pool and fitness center access as well as poolside service and showers. For the same price as the day passes, more party-oriented folks can join Hotel Haya’s Swim Club–a series of pool parties throughout the spring and summer every Saturday and Sunday featuring curated tropical house DJ sets 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (complete with complimentary welcome drink). For $100 you can have all the amenities of the day pass plus a shaded daybed. 1412 E 7th Ave., Ybor City, 813-568-1200. $20-$100

Hotel Tampa Riverwalk Along Tampa’s Hillsborough River lies Hotel Tampa Riverwalk, where day passes are just $20. Get a quick workout at the fitness center before you hit the pool and bar. The hotel restaurant River’s Edge offers food and drink in addition to the poolside bar. Valet parking is discounted for day pass holders. 200 N Ashley Dr., Tampa, 813-223-2222. $20

available for purchase. Lounge in a reserved daybed for two by the pool with the Daybed Pass at $250. Both passes offer complimentary Wi-Fi and discounted valet parking. 691 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727-677-6000. $75-$250

Le Méridien Tampa, The Courthouse For just $10 downtown Tampa’s Le Méridien offers their pool and fitness center for the day. Day guests must be 21 or older. Food and drinks available for purchase from Bizou Restaurant & Bar. There’s also discounted valet if you can’t find street parking. 601 N Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-221-9555. $10

SPRING BREAK

Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa Whether you’re team pool or team beach, Hyatt Regency on Clearwater beach has all of the bases covered without needing to book a room. Day passes start at $20 and include access to gulf views plus amenities like a heated pool, Wi-Fi, drink service and discounts. Cabanas and poolside suites cost more, but come with more perks like a TV with streaming capabilities and a private server. 301 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727-373-1234. $20-$350

JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa

The JW Marriott on Clearwater Beach’s Day Pass offers pool, hot tub and beach access, plus poolside service with food and drinks is

Postcard Inn On The Beach Spend some time at the pool and the beach with a retro-chic twist at the Postcard Inn. Day passes start at $31 and include pool access, food and cocktail service and access to the fitness center. The kid-friendly hotel hosts the largest heated pool in St. Pete Beach and a wide variety of games like beach volleyball, ping pong and life-sized board games. If you prefer to lounge on the sand you can reserve a beach chair and umbrella with food service for $50. Daybeds for two with two complimentary beverages go for $150 and bottle-service cabanas are available for $300, up to 10 people. 6300 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-367-2711. $31-$300

Saddlebrook Resort For $25 you can access the storied resort’s 500,000 gallon “superpool” with games like volleyball and basketball, as well as the adults-only pool for a more laid back vibe. Lounge chairs, complimentary Wi-Fi and access to the Poolside Cafe come with the day pass and you can upgrade to a reserved cabana in the shade for $100 more. 5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel, 813-973-1111. $25-$125.

Sheraton Sand Key Resort The Sheraton Sand Key Resort day pass comes with beach

access in addition to its pool and hot tub. Get your fixins at the Poolside Cafe and/or Turtle Bar. Plus, for an additional $20, the resort will throw in lunch from the cafe plus one beverage. The Couple’s Beach Pass ($100) and Family Beach Pass ($180) have all the same amenities plus two and four reserved beach chairs respectively. Daily parking is $25. 1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727-595-1611. $35-$180

Tampa Edition The Tampa Edition (stylized “EDITION”) day pass starts at $75. Lounge by the rooftop pool and enjoy complimentary sunscreen, water and Wi-Fi. Food and beverages can be bought at the pool bar or at the Edition’s Azure restaurant. If you care to lounge in style, cabanas for up to four people cost $250 and offer dedicated service and a complimentary fruit plate and bottled water. Valet parking is $35 but there are also street parking spaces available. 500 Channelside Dr., Tampa, 813-221-4600. $75-$250

Tampa Marriott Water Street Spend your “daycation” wisely at Tampa Street’s Marriott rooftop pool, complete with food and drinks, cornhole, paddle board and kayak rentals (for the nearby Hillsborough River). Plus, there’s free Wi-Fi and discounted valet. Day passes for adults start at $20 and $10 for kids, but other options include luxury daybeds ($75), daytime luxury cabanas ($150) and $1,000 to keep the cabana into the night with $300 food and drink credits as well as a reservation at the hotel’s waterfront restaurant, Anchor & Brine. 505 Water St., Tampa, 813- 221-4900. $20-$1,000

Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach You can bounce between the beach and the pool with the Wyndham Grand day pass, which offers access to both, plus lounge chairs and poolside service from Dock’s Pool Bar & Grill. 100 Coronado Dr., Clearwater, 727-281-9500. $50

SPECIAL ADDITION: The Tampa Edition has been a boon for Water Street.

Dos amigos

Quavo and John Travolta are coming to Gasparilla International Film Festival.

By Ray Roa

Fans of hip-hop and cinema might want to pop some champagne rose because one of the Migos is coming to town—and not for a concert. On Monday, Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) announced its full 2024 lineup and red carpet guests, including Grammynominated rapper Quavo who’ll be in town for the word premiere of “Cash Out,” his new film with John Travolta.

Quavo, along with Travolta along with other “Cash Out” actors Lukas Haas, Natali Yura, and Noel Gugliemi, are set to appear at Tampa Theatre on Thursday, March 21 for the opening night of GIFF and the movie’s debut. A press release calls “Cash Out” a “fun, smart and witty cat-and-mouse heist film in the spirit of the classic Steve McQueen-Faye Dunaway thriller ‘The Thomas Crown Affair.’”

FILM & TV

Gasparilla International Film Festival

Thrills & chills shorts block Eight flicks make up this block of shorts, including one perfect for that guy in your office. Jake Myers’ “Kombucha” is about someone that slurps’ on office ‘buch, which causes some odd, gross side effects. Other films in the block include Rasch und mit Feuer (directed by Mia Watanabe Miller), “The Legend” (Chris Beemer), “Panacea (Michael Naizu & John Wilcox), “Back To You” (Tyler Smith), “Vile (Casey Glazer), “Duality”, and “The Midnight Sleepover Club” (Jack Parr). Friday, March 22. 7:15 p.m.

Thursday-Sunday, March 21-24. $15 & up Multiple venues. gasparillafilmfestival.com

Closing night on Sunday, March 24 will feature the Florida premiere of director Andrew Currie’s “The Invisibles” at Tampa Theatre. Both Currie and actor Tim Blake Nelson will attend.

Close to two dozen feature-length films, along with almost 100 shorts, are slated to screen not just at Tampa Theatre on opening night, but also at the University of Tampa’s Charlene A. Gordon Theater and AMC Westshore. GIFF, now in its 17th year, also includes a handful of panels and four parties. “We are very excited to announce this year’s film selection. We believe this is the best lineup yet and will appeal to all film lovers in the Tampa Bay Area and those who are visiting from out of town,” Monica Varner, GIFF’s Executive Director, wrote in a press release.

Tickets to GIFF happening Thursday-Sunday, March 21-24 are on sale now and start at $15.

Filmmakers submitted in nine categories: narrative short films and features, Tampa Bay short films, made-in-Florida features, documentary shorts and features, high school and college films (see a rundown of the shorts blocks, happening at AMC Westshore, below).

Sci-fi shorts block Felipe Franco has given us a good reason to hang out with friends who insist on taking Ivermectin. In ’s “21 Days,” computer engineer and cyber activist Olav lives in a world where the government knows your exact date of death. Andrew Kiaroscuro’s “Star Wars” fan film “Star Wars: Echoes of Bazar” is also on the agenda with “Debris” (Alexandra Melissa Paglieri). Synthetic (John Waldron), Likeness (John Wells), and “Rebirth,” which is about taking over surrogate bodies (director William Brooke will do a post-film Q&A). Friday, March 22. 5:15 p.m.

Narrative shorts block It’s been nine years since homegrown filmmaker Tyler Riggs premiered his 12-minute short, “Nobody’s Darling,” at GIFF. This year—after watching his cast and crew take home Narrative Feature Film awards at 2021’s Tribeca Film Festival for “God’s Waiting Room” (“Best Actor,” “Best Cinematography)—he brings back Matthew Leone (who won that “Best Actor” accolade at Tribeca, for another introspective script about the male psyche (“Blue Boy,” centered around an insecure bodybuilder known as Joey Muscles). Other films in the narrative shorts block include

“Next Wednesday” (directed by Curtis Graham), “Barely Breathing” (Derek Evans), “The Jump” (Daniel Woods), and “The Jukebox” (Jon Housholder & Jeff Schafer). Friday, March 22. 9:15 p.m.

International shorts block A full day of film kicks off early on Saturday, and starts with Alireza Saadi’s “The Light,” about a woman in Iran forced to think about getting an abortion when she’s outed as a lesbian. Another Iranian film, Mohammad Dehbashi’s “Sweet Nightmare,” follows a writer on deadline who is led to some bitter truths via her own photos. Other movies in the International shorts block come from China (“Rehearsal”) and the United Kingdom (“Under The Blue”). Saturday, March 23. 12:15 p.m.

Dramatic shorts block Shorts in this block include stories about struggling musicians (“Pulling Strings”), eating disorders (“The Noise”), agoraphobia (”Paper Planes”), family ties(“Distancia”), and cheap labor (“Blue Hour”). Director Brook Markham will also be on-site to discuss “Sis,” her film which centers around a woman who finds out she’s pregnant while the U.S. Supreme Court is overturning Roe v. Wade. Saturday, March 23. 12:15 p.m.

Focus on Florida shorts block Real-life Florida lawmakers recently tried to pass laws banning the flying of Pride flags, and one film on this block (“Flag Day,” directed by Susana Darwin) explores free speech in a similar context. Other highlights on this packed block with eight Sunshine State-centric films include “Save The Flea,” which follows families whose stories and

threatened by developers, “Conspiratours” (about investigative journalists), and James Berry’s coming-of-age story about art and skating (“Cletus”).

Saturday, March 23. 3:15 p.m.

Documentary shorts block Shorts about immigration top this five-film block, which includes Kristal Sotomayor’s “Expanding Sanctuary” plus “A Cow In The Sky” where directors Darren Press & C. Fraser Press tackle the true story of Mulugeta Seraw, an aspiring Ethiopian pilot who was killed by skinheads in the late-’80s. Other films in the block include “Filming Under Fire: John Ford’s OSS Field Photo Branch” (directed by Dan Gagliasso), “Space Coast” (Justin Barber), and “Zane (Jillian Carney Howell). Saturday, March 23. 5 p.m.

University of Tampa shorts block For some reason, this block of films by University of Tampa students is not screening at the school’s Charlene A. Gordon Theater. We’re looking forward to seeing director Joseph Thomas’ vision for what happens when AI drives a Dick Nixonthemed Chuck E. Cheese and Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza-inspired kid’s pizza place (“Four Years At Kissinger’s”), but the block includes 10 other student films, too. Sunday, March 24. Noon.

College shorts block Eight shorts make up this chunk of programming, including tornado-centric “Cover,” from director Alexa May who’ll also do a post-film Q&A. Films about disabled vets (“A Rare Breed: Service In The Smokies”), stand-up comedy (“You Can’t Say That”) and lifelong love (“Daisy”) round things out. Sunday, March 24. 2 p.m.

HOUSE PARTY: Tampa’s historic movie palace hosts GIFF’s opening night next Thursday.

LARS/ADOBE

Out and about

The best events to get into before, during and after the Tampa Pride parade.

By Jennifer Ring

Brunch, dance, run and mingle at this year’s Tampa Pride. When Carrie West and Mark

Bias-West revived Tampa Pride, as we now know it, 10 years ago, they started with a festival, a diversity parade, and a focus on community health and wellness.

Since then, the events have expanded to include a Pride Music and Art Festival, Pride at Night, an Interfaith Pride Service, and, new this year, a Rainbow Run. Here are all the official and unofficial Pride events we could find happening through the rest of the month in Tampa.

You Are Loved, An Interfaith Pride Service: Tuesday, March 19 Downtown Tampa community center and cafe The Portico hosts an Interfaith Pride Service at 7 p.m. Get there early (and look for Michelle Sawyer’s big “All For Love” mural featuring two gators and a rooster) if you’d like to nourish your stomach before feeding your soul at this Tampa Pride event. The Café opens at 5:30 p.m. The Portico, 1001 N Florida Ave., Tampa. theportico.org/event Balance Tampa Bay, FAMLeague, and Gaybor District’s Pride Kickoff Party:

Thursday, March 21 Kick off Pride in downtown Tampa with Brianna Summers, DJ Mike Sklarz and special guest Tampa Pride Grand Marshal 2024 Gabrielle Fearce Santi at this benefit party for Balance Tampa Bay (an LGBTQIA+ volunteer organization founded in 2011 with the mission to promote fellowship, fun and philanthropy throughout the LGBTQIA+ community and Tampa Bay as a whole), Ybor City’s Gaybor District, and FAM League sports entertainment.

7 p.m.-9 p.m. $35. Haiku Tampa, 808 N. Franklin St. Tampa. balancetampabay.org

Disco In the Dungeon: Saturday, March 23 The Castle is one of the many spots in the Tampa Pride travel guide, and it welcomes Pride partygoers for a night disco party where DJ IX spins on the dungeon. 10:30 p.m. 2004 N 16th St., Tampa. castleybor.com

Grove Soho’s Tampa Pride Brunch:

Saturday, March 23 The day of the Tampa Pride Parade is going to be a long one, so start it right with brunch at Grove Soho, featuring free brunch bites, $15 bottomless mimosas, $4 seltzers, $3 BJ shots, and a drag show hosted by Adriana Sparkle at noon. Afterward, catch a free shuttle from Grove to Ybor City for the parade. 11 a.m. Grove Soho, 406 S. Howard Ave., Tampa. @grovesoho on Instagram

Tampa Pride Street Festival: Saturday, March 23 Tampa Pride’s street festival stretches from the Cuban Club to Hillsborough Community College, with vendors in the HCC parking lot

and along 9th Avenue between 13th and 15th Streets. One part health and wellness fair, one part variety show, and one part artisan fair, the street festival brings a little bit of everything to Ybor City. Tampa Pride Band kicks off the festivities at the Cuban Club Courtyard at 10:45 a.m. The entertainment continues with a new performance every hour leading up to the diversity parade at 4 p.m. Entertainment Directors Johnny Valentino and Deb Ducko have planned an afternoon full of drag, live music, ballroom, and magic that continues into the evening at the Cuban Club. In between performances, wander Ninth Avenue, where you’ll find food, crafts, and health and wellness resources. 10:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m. The Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenida Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. tampapride.org/festival

Diversity Parade: Saturday, March 23

Carve out a spot along Seventh Avenue before 4 p.m. for the annual Tampa Pride Diversity Parade. Organizers expect about 150 groups to participate in the parade, which typically lasts a little over two hours and runs west to east, starting at Nuccio Parkway all the way

to N 20th Street. Multiple bars along the route typically offer some sort of watch party. 4 p.m. Along Seventh Avenue in Gaybor, Ybor City. tampapride.org/parade-2

Pride at Night: Saturday, March 23

After the parade, make your way back to the Cuban Club for Pride at Night, starting with Tampa Bay Legends of Drag, hosted by Esme Russell and starring Melanie Minyon, Felicity Lane, Joey Brooks, Kori Stevens and Jocelyn Summers at 7 p.m. Pop-rock cover band, The Actual Bank Robbers performs, Coco Montrese from RuPaul’s Drag Race Live Las Vegas, and American Idol finalist David Hernandez in this four hour long concert and show at the Cuban Club. 7 p.m.-11 p.m. The Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenida Republica de Cuba, Ybor City

happening at a Seventh Avenue venue jus across the street from Hotel Haya and behind to Southern Nights. This circuit event celebrates love and acceptance with Missionary of Happiness Anne Louise, RuPaul Drag Race Star Nina Flowers, and an opening set by DJ Kurtis Jose. 10 p.m.-5 a.m. $45-108. Venue on 6th, 1701c N. Republica de Cuba, Tampa. thehouseoffuego.com

TAMPA PRIDE

Orange Party Pride Sunday Tea Dance: Sunday, March 24 Orange Party—which has a mission to embrace diversity, promote inclusion, and empower our community through music, dance, and philanthropy—comes to Tampa’s renowned Showbar for a postpride celebration. 4 p.m.-10 p.m. $50-60. Showbar, 1613 E 7th Ave., Tampa. orangepartyflorida.com

You Are Loved, An Interfaith Pride Service

GirlPride Tampa: Saturday, March 23 Head to Crowbar for some Girl Pride. This Women’s Pride concert features performances by The Cheaters, DJ Ace Vedo, Deb Hunseder, Tampa Bay Diva Jessica Taylor, The Naughty Girls of Burlesque, The Dirty Dolls, and Anarkitty which formed at Girls Rock Camp St. Pete. 1 p.m.-9 p.m. $30. Crowbar, 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City. @GirlPrideTampa on Facebook House of Fuego’s Pride Vibes Party ‘til 5 a.m. at House of Fuego’s Pride after-party

Tuesday, March 19. 5:30 p.m.

The Portico, 1001 N Florida Ave., Tampa. theportico.org

Balance Tampa Bay, FAMLeague, and Gaybor District’s Pride Brunch: Sunday, March 24 The Brunch game surrounding Tampa Pride is strong. Brianna Summers hosts this all-you-can-drink Pride brunch benefiting Balance Tampa Bay, FAMLeague, and Gaybor District. The party features Jewels Sparkles Miss Renaissance Rising Star, Keirra Ka’oir Summers Miss Heart of FL Newcomer, and DJ Greg Anderson. Noon-3 p.m. $50. Haiku Tampa, 808 N Franklin St., Tampa. balancetampabay.org/tickets

GIVE

RAY ROA

HARD, BUT FAIR: Joe Bonamassa doesn’t know if he’ll still be at it when he turns 65 years old.

Hey, Joe

Joe Bonamassa discusses new album and Mark Knopfler collaboration ahead of Clearwater show.

By Josh Bradley

Joe Bonamassa doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be in the music industry, but he’s enjoying the hell out of his current era. The 46-year-old blues guitarist released Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 last fall, a follow-up to his third studio album Blues Deluxe that explores how he has improved as a musician since his mid-20s. “The first one is literally just a three-piece band, hot off the road, bash it out in the fucking room, shout in key, the end,” Bonamassa told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay during a recent phone call.

Home,” which releases this Friday. The track— which has been compared to “We Are The World” in terms of its lineup—features contributions from David Gilmour, Ronnie Wood, Eric Clapton, and, in his final studio recording before his death last year, Jeff Beck. It was a bit of a confusing venture for Bonamassa, though. Producers told him to play along with a recorded part and just “do his thing.”

INTERVIEW

Joe Bonamassa

Saturday, March 16. 7 p.m. $73.75 & up

The BayCare Sound. 255 Drew St., Clearwater. rutheckerdhall.com

He says that while there are melodies on Vol. 2 that he couldn’t have pulled off writing earlier in his career, it was the way his singing voice has improved that stands out most significantly to him. “I couldn’t sing ’24 Hour Blues’ 20 years ago,” he added.

Earlier this decade, he was also asked to play a guitar part for Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits’ upcoming, guitar hero-loaded single, “Going

“And then I realized that everybody’s going to interpret this thing differently, and then, the producers are going to wave through all these takes to get everybody on,” he told CL. His gig at The Bayfront Sound comes after years of playing electric mini-residencies in town, and even a socially-distanced power trio performance just as COVID-19 vaccines were first distributed.

“I’ve been working with those guys over at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Bobby [Rossi], and everyone, forever,” Bonamassa recalled. “As long as

there’s no like, freak snowstorm in March, I think we’re gonna be good.”

Tickets to see Joe Bonamassa play The Baycare Sound in Clearwater on Saturday, March 16 are still available and start at $73.75. Read parts of Q&A below, and see the full chat at cltampa.com/music.with Joe Bonamassa below.

Thanks for letting me pin you down for a chat today, Joe. Are you in California? Anton Fig is still in the band, right?

No, I’m in Nashville right now. We have rehearsals starting this week, so I’m just here getting the band ready. No, Lemar Carter plays drums. Carter, Calvin Turner on bass, Reese Wynans on keyboards, Josh Smith on guitar, Jade MacRae on vocals, and Danni DeAndrea on vocals. It’s a mighty seven-piece.

Definitely, and I’m glad to hear that Jade is still in the band. She’s an amazing vocalist. She is an amazing vocalist and amazing musician honestly, because she plays keys, she writes killer songs. Same thing with Danni!

Danni DeAndrea. I’m lucky to have solo artists in my band, you know what I mean? They’re not just background singers, they’re fuckin’ solo artists like me. They’re just nice enough to come and help me out.

Totally. And it’s crazy, but I remember a guy named Steve Mackey used to play bass for you. Last year, he gave me a hell of a scare because Pulp’s bassist, who was also named Steve Mackey, died. And it was really early in the morning when I heard that news, so the first thing I did was check your social media to see if you had written a tribute or anything. A few hours later, I learned that they were two different guys.

There were two Mackeys, that’s right. And they both played bass. Odd world. I knew he didn’t die because we were on a session when it happened. I was like, “Steve was just here.”

This venue you’ll be playing in Clearwater is called The Sound, and it opened less than a

continued on page 53

MARCH 17

BEIRGARTEN

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

MONDAY MARCH 18

TUESDAY MARCH 19 CLOSED

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

WEDNESDAY MARCH 20

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

THURSDAY MARCH 21

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

continued from page 51

year ago. Do you remember the last time you played a venue’s opening season?

Not offhand, but I’m sure I have. But the weirdest one was when I was the first show back at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, which was celebrating their 90th season, which turned out to be the 91st season because there was the lost year where they didn’t have shows. So I was the first to reopen the Greek after whatever that thing was in 2020. So, no, I’ve never been part of an opening season, but I will say this: I’ve been working with those guys over at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Bobby [Rossi], and everyone, forever. We’ve done tons of shows at Ruth Eckerd, and this is their sister venue. I think they also have something called the Capitol Theatre as well.

vision. And if I know anything about making records, it’s that when you have a very specific vision of what you want, it is much easier to do it yourself than try to explain to someone what you’re not hearing. It’s nothing against Kevin because Kevin and I work great together. But I could hear it and I could envision the cover, so I was like “Josh, just come and let’s do this,” you know what I mean?

INTERVIEW

And we did. The weird thing about it was I would always brag that Blues Deluxe only took seven days, right? Well, this one, Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, took six. It was done in six days. I mean, there was an extra horn day, but that was light. But we could have released it on the seventh day, and that was a really cool experience.

Could you hear your own version of that song, or anything really, in your head before you record it?

Oh absolutely, but I also know how to do British blues pretty well. I speak that language. And one of the greatest shuffle blues drummers you’ll ever find on this earth is a guy named Mick Fleetwood. His shuffle is second to none, and that was pretty much how it works. You know? And I mean, just break out the Les Paul and the Marshall, and that’s the sound.

When you’re in the studio, or even in rehearsals, how do you select which guitar you’re going to use for your song? Like, do you just go through as many as possible until you find a tone you like?

released his self-titled trilogy during years that ended in zero.

Well, then that’ll make me 65. I don’t know. AARP version, maybe. But I don’t think so. I don’t think I’ll be doing this when I’m 65. But you know, you never know. Some people get a second wind.

Can you tell us anything about this new Mark Knopfler single with like 60 guitarists that everyone’s been talking about?

And they’re like, “Hey, let’s try one outside.” I’m like, “come on, it’s Florida.” As long as there’s no freak snowstorm in March, I think we’re gonna be good. You never know, though. I mean, Nashville got eight inches of snow, and my house in California? Last week, we got a year’s worth of rain in 36 hours. When you get 12 inches of rain in Laurel Canyon, you’re like, “Uh, this is not good.”

You’re promoting Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, an album that you describe as a way of seeing how far you’ve come as a musician in the last 20 years. What are some things that you managed to accomplish on that album that you can’t see yourself having done really well 20 years ago?

Singing. You know? Singing, straight up. I couldn’t sing “24 Hour Blues” 20 years ago. Couldn’t do that, and…just, straight up. I mean, I recorded Vol. 2 when I was 45, I’ll be 47, so it’s been a year-and-a-half. And, I recorded Blues Deluxe, the first one, when I was 25. The first one is literally just a three-piece band, hot off the road, bash it out in the fucking room, shout in key, the end. I couldn’t ever have pulled off some of the melodies and kinds of things I did on the second one, and that’s what I was trying to prove to myself. You know what I mean? Like, “Am I a better singer? Am I a better guitar player?” And I think the answer is yes.

What drove you to select Josh Smith to produce and even write something on this album?

Josh and I produced a lot of records together. We did two of Joanne Shaw Taylor’s, we did Reese Wynan’s solo album, we did Mark Broussard’s solo album, Eric Gales’ solo album, Joanna Connor…there are probably a dozen records that we’ve done together. We’ve done Mike Zito, we did the Blood Brothers, but anyway. I had a very specific vision of what I wanted to do, blues-wise.

I’ve been working with Kevin Shirley for almost 20 years, and I had this very, very specific

It’s just one of those things where I’m just thrilled that it worked out. And originally, we

No. It’s like when you’re fixing your house. It’s like, “I need a flathead screwdriver, I need a Phillips screwdriver and a hammer. I need

were gonna put it together as a compilation and make like, a Blues Deluxe 20th anniversary remastered package. But the record was so strong that we decided to put it out on its own, and I think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.

There are some really deep cuts on this album too. I mean, “Lazy Poker Blues” isn’t really a track that comes to mind when you think of Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac.

a drill.” It’s like, what approach do you want to take? An approach for a Strat, or a fullon Les Paul? Do you want a cleaner Fender tone with the amps, or do you wanna make it thick and brown? You know, maybe use a thimble or something like that. That’s just kinda like, “What character do you want to be in this play?”

Do you think we’ll hear a Blues Deluxe Vol. 3 in 19 years? Kinda like how Paul McCartney

Yeah, I did it a while ago. It was in New York, and I did it at The Power Station maybe in 2021, or early ’22. We were on tour, so I remember Josh was there when I did it. I was given this instrumental and nothing else, and I was told, “Hey, I want you to do this thing with Mark Knopfler.” And I said “Great. What do you want me to do?” And the producers said, “Aw man, just do your thing!” And I’m like “Let’s narrow that down to some specifics.”

And so, I’m told to just play through the whole track, and they’re going to cut it up. I didn’t realize it was going to be every single guitar player currently holding a union card. I think it’s really cool, but I didn’t have an idea of what they were going for. And then I realized that everybody’s going to interpret this thing differently, and then, the producers are going to wave through all this takes to get everybody on. My hats off to whoever edited that thing, because that takes a lot of work. At least a lot of wading through and storyboarding things. So, yeah, that was it. But, it’s out…the worldwide release is March 15.

When you were a kid opening for B.B. King and jamming with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, you were pretty much living the dream. But what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you as a kid that you learned a harder way later in life?

There are no guarantees that any kind of success will happen by a certain time, OK? The worst thing you can do is say, when you’re like 18—or in my case, 12—“Well if I’m not a success by 30. I’m just gonna quit and do something else.” Well, my biggest moment that launched my entire modern career for the last 15, 16 years was May 4, 2009, which was four days before my 32nd birthday. Now, we’d had some success when I was in my early-30s, but not to the point where we are now, still struggling to pay the bills.

If you put those time limits on things, you’re never gonna get to where you want to be, especially if you bail too soon, because you’re just gonna spend the rest of your life going “What if?” There’s a lot of soul-searching internally when it feels like nothing’s transpiring, or nothing’s going to transpire, and you either get really, really down on yourself and never recover from that, or you go “fuck it, I’m gonna make something that kills me,” and that’s kinda what I did.

SHOUT ABOUT IT: Joe Bonamassa says he’s a better singer now than he was 20 years ago.

JOSH BRADLEY

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa

C CL Recommends

THU 14

C Campground24 Tampa Bay is fertile ground for “new music,” and that’s thanks in no small part to old-school collectives like Terroir and the efforts of Eunmi Ko, co-founder of Campground. The festival (stylized “CAMPGround”) kicks off four days of concerts on Thursday, with plans to stage performances—including some from Project Fusion Saxophone Quartet, a collaborations with youth literary arts group Heard’Em Say, and an encore of the Slick interactive sound installation—across three different Tampa venues. More information is available at contemporaryartmusicproject.org.

C Reggae Rise Up Dirty Heads—which played 97x Next Big Thing last December with Rome Ramirez—Lupe Fiasco, Rebelution, Soja, Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Damian Jr. Gong & Stephen Marley, and Burning Spear headline the annual, four-day festival featuring nearly four dozen bands which bring good vibes to St. Pete starting next Thursday. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)

C Umbilicus w/Post Sex High/Highway Advisory Radio When it comes to hardrock supergroups, there’s something in the water in Tampa Bay. The area is home to Heaven’s Gate whose members hail from outfits like Iron Reagan, Municipal Waste, Cannibal Corpse, Warthog, Reversal of Man and Horsewhip— and this weekend fans get to headbang with Umbilicus. The band, which channels vintage blues and psych-rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s features members who also play in Deicide (Taylor Nordberg) and Cannibal Corpse (Paul Mazurkiewicz), along with Anarchus and Fore (Vernon Blake, Brian Stephenson). Its debut LP, Path of 1000 Suns , released in 2022, features all the fun of old-school rock and roll (think: Scorpions, Black Sabbath and Bad Company) complete with opulent solos, harmonies, chunky riffs and rhythms you can chug a cheap beer to. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

FRI 15

Colin Hay After starting his year off in South America fronting the 2024 edition of Men At Work, Hay—who spent much of last fall on the road with Ringo Starr and his all-Starr Band, including one show at The Sound just a block away from The Cap—finally gets to play some solo gigs across the States. Expect the 70-year-old Aussie Scotsman to play tracks from albums as far back as 1981’s Business As Usual , and 2022’s Now And The Evermore , and maybe even a few “Scrubs” tales in between. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

THU MARCH 14-THU MARCH 21

Jared Petteys & The Headliners w/Little Sheeba and the Shamans/Skinny McGee There’s no question that rock has evolved, but let’s be real: While rockabilly dominated its scene in the beginning, it has devolved into a subgenre with nothing more than a cult following. Yeah, there are Brian Setzers and Chris Isaaks, but no one shows off how rockabilly would sound (had it gone through a dramatic evolution) better than Jared Petteys and the Headliners. On their latest EP Shake A Little , the Charleston-based trio combine Mike Campbell-esque guitar tones with rhythms energetic enough to fit in with modern rock tunes, while still maintaining song structure similar to the songs that came before. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

C L8 Night Flights: Anja Schneider w/ Brian Busto/Jason Kitchen A holy sanctuary of house music welcomes back German “SchneiderHouse” slinger, Sous Music boss and radio broadcaster Anja Schneider, who brings her nearly three decades-long, soulful love affair with house and techno to South Tampa. (Hyde Park Cafe, Tampa)

The Marshall Tucker Band w/The Georgia Thunderbolts Last year, the progressive country outfit—on the heels of the 50th anniversary of its debut smash hit “Can’t You See”—lost its namesake, a blind piano tuner from South Carolina who was never actually a member of the band. But original frontman Doug Gray & co. carry on anyway, with its jazz-meets-country anthems. The band headlines opening day of the 102nd annual Chasco Fiesta, ahead of a nine-day schedule that also includes a set from country duo Maddie and Tae, as well as tributes to rock, R&B, Native American music, and, you guessed it, The Black Honkeys. (Chasco Fiesta at Sims Park, New Port Richey)

C Tim McGraw w/Carley Pearce A press release promises a huge production and McGraw’s biggest hits when the 56-year-old hits the road in support of his forthcoming 17th studio album, Standing Room Only (rest assured, seats will be available at the show). McGraw last played Amalie in 2017 alongside his wife, Faith Hill. The album’s title track was written by Craig Wiseman who also worked with McGraw on “Live Like You Were Dying.”

“For me, this song is so positive and life-affirming,” McGraw said about the tune. “It isn’t about the funeral or the procession, it’s about how we live in the here and now.” (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

C Women In Music Showcase: Taylor Reed w/Ari Chi/Danielle Mohr/Noan Partly Kicking off Shuffle’s weekend-long, six-year anniversary party, Seek the Light Media—a woman-owned media company run by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor Yvonne Gougelet—is hosting its first-ever Women In Music Showcase, A press release notes that along with March being National Women’s Month, the acoustic-based event was partially inspired by the need to raise awareness around a constant lack of diversity

on gig lineups. There’s no cover to get in, but donations to keep Tampa’s beloved womanowned shuffleboard hotspot up and running will be greatly appreciated. (Shuffle, Tampa)

SAT 16

C Rick Steves w/The Florida Orchestra There’s a moment in everyone’s European travels when they’re sitting on a tour or guide boat and look up from their Rick Steves book to find at least two other people reading the same one. When it comes to traveling the continent, Steves, 68, is pretty much god, and this weekend he spreads the good word as part of an unusual performance alongside The Florida Orchestra (TFO). A spokesperson for TFO told CL that the PBS star is onstage telling stories, with the orchestra’s musical director Michael Francis leading the ensemble as it plays in front of a big screen. “Unlike anything we’ve ever done. And he doesn’t do many of these concerts,” Kelly Smith, TFO’s Chief Communications Officer added. Music has played a part in the 11 seasons of “Rick Steves’ Europe.” Steves—a big Beatles fan—also used to teach piano, so maybe he’ll play a tune or two at one of his two Saturday shows. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

C Alien House A month following an epic side-stage set at Gasparilla Music Festival, one of the Bay area’s most prominent electronic duos brings tracks from its latest album You and more to the hottest cafe in Bradenton. Worth the drive if you're in the Bay area proper, and certainly a must-do if you call Sarasota county home. (Oscura, Bradenton)

C Joe Bonamassa The 46-year-old blues guitarist released Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 last fall, a follow-up to his third studio album Blues Deluxe that sees Bonamassa explore how he has improved as a musician since his mid20s. Read our Q&A with Bonamassa on page 51. (The BayCare Sound, Clearwater)

Rick Steves

continued from page 55

C Kool Down Series: Blonde Gentlemen w/Beach Terror/Mak Daddy Kool Records brought the punk-rock spirit of St. Pete’s 600 Block of yore to the Warehouse District, and the shop’s ongoing, no-cover, outdoor summer “Kool Down Series” returns with a trio of Bay area indie-rock favorites including Daniel Caballero and Sergio Rubio’s Blonde Gentlemen, plus genre-bending Beach Terror and Mak, band of fresh faces that’s long in the tooth when it comes to stirring up crowds with its infectious, Strokes-loving brand of rock and roll. (Daddy Kool Records, St. Petersburg)

One Hallelujah: Tasha Cobbs Leonard w/ Israel Houghton/Erica Campbell/Jekalyn Carr/Jonathan McReynolds Too bad this show’s not on Sunday because the University of Florida’s arena turns into church this weekend under the leadership of Grammy-winning, ridiculously soulful gospel powerhouse Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Fellow keeper of golden gramophones, Israel Houghton, brings his new breed stylings to the bill along with contemporary gospel songwriter Erica Campbell and Chicago native Jonathan McReynolds who plays the most rockand-pop-forward brand of Jesus jams on this lineup. (Yuengling Center, Tampa)

C Shuffle Turns 6: Lauris Vidal w/Tribal Style/DJ Blenda Lauris Vidal, his one-man band, a special “Tom Waits giving a hug to Paul Simon” vocal style, along with Tribal Style—the reggae roots outfit that came up in the Southern California scene before becoming a staple in the Bay area—headlines the Tampa Street joint’s sixth birthday weekend, loaded with no-cover live music and shuffleboard. (Shuffle, Tampa)

C Save Born Free: Dead Mirrors w/ The Path of Increased Indifference/ Low Season/Prescribed Fire/Same Day Delivery Orchestra/Tension Electric/ This Is Goodbye/Boycott/more It’s been about 150 days since the abrupt closure of beloved biker bar and emergent, essential, music venue Born Free. Owner Afzaal Deen is still looking for a new location, and a GoFundMe is about 36% of the way towards its goal (although the effort is stalled out as of two months ago). In the meantime, a slew of local bands featuring some of the best rock songwriters in the area are coming together in Ybor City to raise additional funds for Deen. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Valspar Championship: Cole Swindell

Next month, Cole Swindell heads to Augusta, Georgia to headline a nonprofit golf charity concert as part of Masters Week. Naturally, the 40-year-old pop-country star wants a few practice swings. After round three play wraps, Mr. “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” brings his multi-platinum catalog to the Valspar Championship happening at Innisbrook Resort. The concert will be a big ol' party and is included with tickets to the tournament, which has hosted Brad Paisley, Darius Ricker, Jake Owen and more over the last few years. (Osprey Driving Range at Copperhead Golf Course at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor)

SUN 17

C 50 Cent We really thought that we saw the last of 50 Cent at the ol’ Gary last summer with Busta Rhymes. But even if you’re bitter

about spending a pretty penny on a ticket to see the 48-year-old Queens native’s “Final Lap” tour last August (which is being dubbed as his last go-around before shifting his focus to film and television), how can you say no to one of the Hard Rock’s pool parties? Let alone one that’ll kick off one of the biggest drinking days of the year. (Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

TUE 19

Listless w/Prisoner/Star of Kholara/ Minnoch Richmond’s hardcore rock scene checks into Ybor Heights this week, thanks to Listless, a sludgy sextet that incorporates melodic and screamo into songs like “No Remorse” and “Thank God For Allies Like You!!.” Fellow River City outfit Prisoner is no stranger to Florida and this time brings with it a brand new album crusty d-beat death metal, Putrid | Obsolete (released March 15). A newish local metal outfit, Minnoch, opens the show along with scene vet Star of Khorala. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)

WED 20

Crash Test Dummies Following a yearslong drought, Crash Test Dummies finally released a new single last spring. “Sacred Alphabet,” a piano-based track talking about how empty the world must have been in the very beginning, received little to no airplay upon release, and while the track isn’t necessarily radio material, perhaps the louder you cheer at the song when it’s played, the more

that the Canadian alt-folk outfit may consider making a new album. Mmm mmm mmm mmm. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

C I Dont Know How But They Found Me w/Benches Similarly to how Panic! At The Disco ended with Brendon Urie at the helm, Dallon Weekes is now on his own in I Dont Know How But They Found Me. Following the departure of drummer Ryan Seaman last year, the Panic! veteran has a new backing band to help promote his project’s 80’s pop-inspired new album Gloom Division . If given the time to do so, Weekes could get through Idkhow’s entire catalog, but SoCal indie-rock quartet Benches is opening up shop. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

C Jim Lauderdale Fresh off an album with the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Lauderdale lands in an emergent venue with some of the best sound in the Bay area. Expect the 66-yearold songwriter who laid the groundwork for the bluegrass-Americana crossover to play a few selections from The Long And Lonesome Letting Go (on which he co-wrote all 12 songs), but also dip into discography that stretches all the way back to the mid-’80s. (Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg)

C Smoking Popes w/Rodeo Boys/ Pohgoh A dozen years after a wild set at the old New World Brewery, Chicago punk scene mainstay Smoking Popes returns packing not just nostalgia, but also new songs (“Madison”) and good friends to boot. Rodeo Boys puts a little twang on its strain of ‘90s grunge, and Pohgoh reigns supreme in the annals of Tampa’s second wave emo bands. (Orpheum, Tampa)

THU 21

Kelsy Karter & The Heroines Exactly 11 months following a killer opening set for Billy Idol’s gig at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall, New Zealand-based singer-songwriter Kelsy Karter brings her punk-rock songbook and encouraging IDGAF attitude to Tampa. Maybe fans will get to hear about her next (temporary) face tattoo while stuffing their faces with those divine Hooch and Hive cheese curds. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

C My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult w/ Adult./Kanga For a large contingent of 40-and50 somethings, the band My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult harkens back to the days of killing time at Blue Chair in Ybor City, then catching the Chicago rock band play alongside oldschool acts like Death Ride 69 at The Masquerade—all before shutting it down at The Castle. That contingent will likely get sitters for this show, and while the neighborhood looks a little different (Orpheum is in North Tampa these days), the theatrics from Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy will still, well, thrill. (Orpheum, Tampa)

Pat Metheny The jazz fusion guitar legend (one of the top Grammy Award winners of all time) is promoting his latest album Dream Box , which is more of a compilation of forgotten recordings than anything. The 69-year-old describes the record as a collection of “moments in time” that include random guitar licks, melodies, and even a handful of covers. You’ll probably hear a few tracks from the new release when he returns to downtown Clearwater for the first time in two years, but please, for shit’s sake, don’t heckle him. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

Smoking Popes

NICOLE KIBERT/ELAWGRRL.COM

UPCOMING SHOWS

APRIL 3 SEMATARY Jannus Live

APRIL 5 LIVE DEAD & BROTHERS Jannus Live

APRIL 17 BENNY THE BUTCHER

The Ritz Ybor

APRIL 19 JESSE MCCARTNEY

The Ritz Ybor

MAY 3 WAXAHATCHEE Jannus Live

JUNE 15 OCEAN ALLEY

The Ritz Ybor

JULY 1 PVRIS Jannus Live

AUGUST 3 TAKING BACK SUNDAY Jannus Live

WHAT MAKES LOCAL CULTURE

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We weave your unique local flavor into every social media campaign. We don’t just navigate the social media landscape; we own it! Your success is our success, and we believe in the power of community. Ready to embark on a social media journey that celebrates your local culture and propels your brand to the forefront? Let’s create, connect, and conquer together.

Black Joe Lewis could probably sing a mean Elvis (and labels have asked him to, according to Austin Monthly), but he’s much better doing originals delivered in a growl that sounds a little like if James Brown and Howlin’ Wolf made a baby.

It’s been 11 years since his band, The Honeybears, played Gasparilla Music Festival ahead of the release for the band’s 2013 Vagrant Records release, Electric Slave. His band was supposed to be the next big thing out of Austin, Texas, but it’s also been a decade since the group—which played “Letterman” in 2011—more or less watched its popularity tank as it dealt with management woes.

Lewis,’ moniker is a nod to a Richard Pryor skit and something of a reclamation of Blackness from the songwriter Stephen Foster whose racist lyrics are widely regarded as an embarrassment of American music. His 2018 album, The Difference Between Me & You, is also making a comeback, which heads back to Tampa Bay this summer.

Lewis—who grew up on a mix of Soundgarden, Nirvana and Iggy Pop, but also Eightball and MJG—spent a lot of the pandemic pouring concrete and doing construction to support his then newborn, but is back on the road as part of a rebirth for his band.

Forever Grey w/ Violent Vickie Saturday, March 9. 7 p.m. $18. Orpheum, Tampa

EMS Spring Bluegrass Fest: Leftover Salmon w/Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen/more Thursday-Saturday, March 21-23. 12 p.m. $61.85 & up. Florida Sand Music Ranch, Brooksville

Alexis Cole & Helios Jazz Orchestra

Tuesday, April 2. 7:30 p.m. $25. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Mauricio Rodriguez & the MJR Latin Project Wednesday, April 3. 7:30 p.m. $25. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Brazilian Percussion Workshop with Rafael Pereira Thursday, April 4. 12:30 p.m. No cover. St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg

Markus Gottschlich Trio Thursday, April 4. 7:30 p.m. $25. Music Center at St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg

O Som Do Jazz w/Rafael Pereira & Jose Valentino Ruiz Friday, April 5. 7:30 p.m.

$15. ArtsXchange Stage at Warehouse Arts District, St. Petersburg

Hot Club SRQ Saturday, April 6. 7:30 p.m.

$25. Museum of American Arts and Crafts Movement, St. Petersburg

Fastball Thursday, April 11. 7 p.m. $25. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Tickets to see Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears play New World Brewery on Sunday, May 19 are available now for $22. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concert announcements below.—Ray Roa

Taylor Acorn w/World’s First Cinema Thursday, April 11. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Sun Room w/TBA Wednesday, April 17. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Cloe Wilder Friday, April 19. 8 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Money Man Thursday, May 2. 7 p.m. $45. The Ritz, Ybor City

Levitation Room w/TBA Friday, May 3. 8 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Bynx Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. $15 & up. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Saigon Kick Friday, May 24. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

21 Savage w/J.I.D/Nardo Wick/21 Lil Harold Friday, June 14. 7 p.m. $36 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

Clearwater Smooth Jazz Jam: Jeffrey Osborne w/Brian Culbertson/Sheila E./Rick Braun/Richard Elliot/Gerald Albright/Peter White Friday-Saturday, June 14-15. 7 p.m. $63.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Archspire w/Aborted/Carcosa/Alluvial Sunday, June 16. 6 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

CONNOR BEITEL

The long game

By Dan Savage

Would it be inappropriate to introduce my girlfriend to the kink/swinger scene if I plan to break up with her? I’ve been unhappy for a decade, but I’ve been able to fake the funk until pretty recently. I’ve been failing at that lately and the lack of sex is making her unhappy, as she has a huge sexual appetite. I’m considering joining a kink/swinger club to satisfy her needs while I’m unable. I’m honestly turned on by the idea of watching her with someone else and I’ve told her this, but she worries that the reality of seeing me with someone else will be too much for me and it’ll damage our relationship. Which means, if I do get her to join the kink/swinger club and break up six months later, she’ll assume I broke up with her because seeing her with someone else broke me somehow. I don’t want her to think she made a mistake by going to a sex club with me. The real reason we are still together is that our child—legally her child (and now legally an adult)—is in a special program only offered through the school system in our ritzy suburb. This program is preparing him to live independently. I’m also working to pay off the credit card debt she built up over the years, so she can actually afford to live on her own once we split. The plan is to have her debt paid off by the time he graduates and then asking her to move out. In the meantime, I’d like her to be sexually satisfied. And while I’m no longer attracted to her, she is a sweet person and I want the best for her. —Long Over And Done

absolutely the right thing to do—and good on you—but I’m not convinced the kink/swinger club proposal is coming from the same altruistic place. Still, if you think convincing her to attend a kink/swinger club with you might actually revive your sex life—if you can convince her that seeing her with someone else would make you wanna fuck her again (and it might)—it’s still a somewhat/semi-noble goal and I will allow it. And, hey, if kink/swinger clubs do wind up reviving your sex life… and if your sex life is your only point of conflict (it’s the only problem you mention in your letter)… maybe you don’t need to break up after all?

SAVAGE LOVE

Well, you could point to the publication of your letter in my column prior to your visit to the kink/ swinger club with your girlfriend—provided you can convince your girlfriend to visit that kink/ swinger club—as proof that going to the kink/ swinger club didn’t doom your relationship. That will likely be cold comfort to your girlfriend, FOOF, but the existence of this letter demonstrates that the breakup was thoroughly premeditated.

OK, saying something was premeditated sounds bad, I realize, but it’s a positive in the context of being dumped by a long-term partner. It always sucks to get dumped, of course, and the realization your ex was planning to dump you for months or years can add to the humiliation and pain. But no one wants to get dumped at the worst possible time, e.g., right before a big family event or when they’re finishing their dissertation or when their credit is in the toilet and their kid’s future hangs in the balance. So, an ex who held off until the blow would be a little less devastating did us a favor, even if it’s hard to admit or even recognize.

So, LOAD, making sure your girlfriend’s debt is paid off and that her son (your son) gets the best possible start before you end things is

I’m at the point in my life where I’m both a caregiver for my parents and my partner. All three have various physical and mental disabilities, and none of them is going to get any better. It’s exhausting. I don’t have an open relationship with my partner, although I’d like to practice ethical non-monogamy. The problem is, he would probably not give permission out of fear I would leave him for someone else, and then where would he be? I know you’ve gotten lots of letters lately from married people in the same boat, but we are not married. Never did that. Never wanted that. So, there are no vows here to break, no promise of lifetime commitment to walk back. But I can’t leave him, because he needs me—as his caretaker, as his patient advocate, and as his companion. But I want the opportunity to get needs of mine met that he can’t meet anymore. It feels so unfair that I have to sacrifice everything right now. I want permission, I guess, to do what I need to do to stay with him and stay sane, without feeling like an awful person. I should be less of a coward and talk to him about this, I guess, but I’m afraid of hurting him. He doesn’t deserve more pain than he’s in already. Thank you for listening.

—American Caregiver Has Intense Needs

Ask the average person to describe a “cheater,” and they’ll describe selfish assholes who fuck other people behind the backs of their loving, faithful, and willing partners they left at home. And, yes, some cheaters are pieces of shit who betray their partners without remorse and don’t care about the pain they inflict. But that’s not true in every case. In fact, some people who cheat—or some people who write to sex-advice columnists seeking permission to cheat—care deeply about their partners and want to spare them pain. Which is definitely the case here.

Do what you need to do to stay married and stay sane, ACHIN, be discreet and vigilant, and don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re an awful person. You’re a good person in awful circumstances who’s doing her best to take care of the people she loves, herself included.

And everybody else: If you’re lucky enough to have a partner and you’re still relatively young and in good health, now is the time have a talk about your expectations if and/or when—and it’s most likely when—your relationship looks a lot less like it does now and a lot more like ACHIN’s relationship.

My husband and I have been married for 13 years. We’ve always been kinky, but we’ve been monogamous this entire time. For the past few years, we’ve fantasized about having a MFM threesome. We met a new friend last year and we both felt comfortable asking him to be our third. He agreed but he takes relationships—especially sexual ones—very slow. He said he would like to have some discussions regarding expectations, boundaries, and desires. This level of care makes us feel even more attracted to him. Our issue is that we are growing more deeply attracted to him with each conversation. We talk at least every other day, and we all see each other at least twice a week. We feel like we could fall in love with this person. Are these feelings we should convey to him prior to the threesome? Should we keep this to ourselves and see how the sex goes? What is happening, Dan?!?

—This Hottie Is Really Delightful

What’s happening here? You and your husband have a crush on your first potential third, THIRD, which is wonderful. But for now, you need to keep this—the intensity of your feelings—to yourselves. You can tell this guy you’re into him, you can tell him you’re ready to fuck when he is, but you can’t—or shouldn’t—tell him hard you’re falling for him. At this early stage, THIRD, you can’t know whether those feelings are genuine. Also, not blurting out “I love you” on impulse is one way adults let other adults know they have good judgment and are capable of selfregulation. For now, THIRD, enjoy that feeling, ride that wave and/ or the dick, and wait to see if those feelings deepen after you start fucking.

I was dating my nursing supervisor for eight months when I found out he entered into a monogamous relationship midway without telling me. (No wonder I couldn’t get him to commit!) I was immensely hurt and ended it immediately. I wanted to tell his girlfriend, who had plastered him all over her prolific social media (this is how I found out). I had screenshots of text messages with him that aligned with their trips, family outings, etc. There were even times when he went

on vacation with her and immediately came to my apartment afterwards. There are plenty of unknowns here: she could have known about me (ENM), she might not care, etc. However, it appears to be a very traditional hetero relationship. Personally, I would want to know, and I would want someone to tell me. Ultimately, I decided I was motivated by a desire for vengeance rather than a duty to warn and said nothing. What do you think? Did I do the right thing?

Seemingly Nursing A Grudge

If you were her—if your partner had been cheating on you—you would wanna be told. But you’re not her, SNAG, you’re you. So, it’s not just wanting to be told you need to take into consideration. You also need to consider what it would mean—for you—to do the telling. Do you wanna get pulled into their drama? Do you wanna risk a shoot-the-messenger reaction? (A figurative shootthe-messenger reaction, one would hope, but in America one never knows.) If your affair partner was capable of lying—and lying successfully—to his girlfriend about you, is he capable of lying to your supervisors and his about you? And if you need to produce proof of the affair to protect yourself from professional retaliation, can you produce that proof? Are you willing to produce that proof?

If I were in your shoes, SNAG, I would stay out of it. If he’s a liar and cheat, she’ll figure that out. It was shitty of him to keep seeing you after he made that monogamous commitment to her— and it was shitty of him to hurt you the way he did— but maybe he’s doing his best to honor that commitment now. Whatever the case may be, I think staying out of their relationship, out of his pants, and out of the vengeance business is the best course of action.

P.S. Most straight relationships are presumed traditional—presumed monogamous— unless the couple is open about practicing ENM, and most straight ENM couples are not open about it. So, just because this couple doesn’t openly identify as ENM isn’t proof they’re monogamous. You also can’t rule out the possibility that she knows and/or doesn’t care—which would make her tolyamorous.

Got problems? Yes, you do. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

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THE RAIN PEOPLE by Merl Reagle

ACROSS

1 Houston player

6 Sail support

10 Mighty mollusk?

16 Guiness, for one

17 Pal of Dan, Dick, and Goldie

18 Come into, in a way

20 Portrayer of a N.Y.C. district attorney (5)

22 Film star of the 1920s (3)

24 N.Y.C. theater award

25 Chinese, e.g.

27 Chromosome carriers

28 Greek letter

29 “The Father of Radio” (6)

33 Roof feature

35 Mr. Roberts

36 High-level vehicles?

37 Speed

38 Teapot Dome figure (4)

40 Marsh bird (anagram of OARS)

41 Was pleased

43 Linden et al.

44 “All by my lonesome”

47 Jidda resident

50 Lime drinks

51 Bender

52 Singer whose name is based on Fats Domino’s name (5)

55 Italian port

59 Pointers

60 Palindromic magazine

61 Black stuff

62 “A ___ upon him” (Shak.)

63 Actress Shearer

64 1950s TV star (5)

67 ___ acid

69 Fryer’s need

70 Ref. with 3.5 million quotations

71 No sweat

72 Like a rock, e.g.

73 Debt-ridden

76 TV’s first Lois Lane (4)

79 Barbary ___

80 Squirrel’s refuge

81 Director Preminger

82 His mate

83 Cause for alarm?

85 Eat like ___

87 Bartoli piece

89 TV lawman (5)

91 Croquet need

94 Former fast flyer

97 What a cut gets you

98 Affectations

99 TV’s “Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,” played by Stefanie Powers (5)

101 Cortes’s quest

102 Hazel’s boss, on TV

103 Some Sri Lankans

105 Playwright’s daughter who wed Charlie

106 Ex-Texas Congressman who appeared on Dancing with the Stars (5)

109 Top Soviet, once (4)

113 Ring site

114 Applications

115 Laundry worker

116 River features

117 Harry’s wife

118 Computer units

DOWN

1 Legions

2 Darned

3 Howard Hughes once owned it

4 Part of IRA: abbr.

5 Discovery in vein?

6 Hoi polloi

7 Grammy nominees

8 Summer ermine

9 Loc. of 94 Down’s trial

10 Audio recorder

11 Devoid of devotion

12 It leaves a beard sheared

13 Vaccines

14 RE/MAX rival

15 Not strict

16 Tower city

19 Tallies

20 Lonely fish?

21 ___ avis

23 Prison protection

26 eBay member

30 Self-conceit

31 Excursions

32 Joan ___

34 Presidential namesakes

35 Old enough

38 Advisor

39 Laotian neighbor

40 Off the sauce

42 Looks (at) amorously

44 Pricey prawns

45 Buckeye

46 Old Chevy sedan

48 Winning

49 Pseudonym of the Brontës

51 Prof. Tolkien

53 It may be strapless

54 Key, to Ravel

55 It can help you look bonny on the Clyde

56 Pixie

57 Hard worker

58 Overage

61 “Have a bite”

64 “Boy!”

65 Six-time Soviet chess champ

66 Af-fjord-able city?

67 Hazard start

68 D-Day beach

70 Chihuahua cheer

72 Made it home safe?

74 In ___ way

75 It’s always refining its product

76 Swann’s creator

77 Buffalo bunch

78 Stable area

80 Bolt hurler

83 Denmark’s ___ Islands

84 Angered answer

85 Thieves’ undoer

86 Realms

88 Call ___ day

89 Casino opening?

90 Dealership

92 HBO sports series

93 She’s Phoebe on Friends

94 Evolution defendant

95 Sonoran sir

96 Going places: abbr.

99 Entertain

100 Nary a soul

102 Cartoonist Lazarus

104 Pakistan’s president in the 1960s, ___ Khan

107 Dr. of rap

108 “Of course!”

110 Pen point

111 With 112 Down, timber trouble

112 See 111 Down

Forinfo on Merl's Sunday crossword anthologies,