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The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.
Major League Pickleball dinks into St. Pete, p.43.
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MEE T TH E CHEFS - ST. PETE
The Birchwood Hotel Thursday June 18 • 6PM - 9PM 340 Beach Dr NE • Downtown St. Petersburg The best of Tampa Bay’s culinary scene in one room. Now in St. Pete & Tampa!
Clayton Parrett HEW Parlor & Chophouse
Lee Aquino Driftwood Cafe
David Asher Taverna Costale
Nick Ocando Allelo
Tim Lentsch Juno & The Peacock
Ryan VanDusen LUMA at SkyBeach Resort
Cameron Capri Q Southern BBQ
Steven Cady Birch & Vine Jessica Leung Central Park
Lee Aquino Teak
Brian Lampe Pete’s Gulf Bistro
Chefs
Marco & Makil Paul’s Landing
Tony Bruno The Brinehouse
Johnathan Rodriguez FOMO Chefs
Michael Butler The Helm
Presented by:
Taylor Dillon Con Amor
Felicia Lacalle Quiote Tequileria
Max McKee Bar Terroir
Mike Morales Sunda
David Reyes Uno Mas
Olivia Gielser The Pearl at Water Street
Yanick Destine Bulla Gastrobar
Anthony Santos Private Chef
Cody Tiner District South Kitchen + Craft
Gerry Sizemore The Gin Joint
Nelly Buleje Timpano Hyde Park
Arturo Lo Rusty Pelican
Billy Brannen O-Ku
Billy Brannen Maru
Cristian “Cris” Ruiz Sal Y Mar
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay keeps reaching into the mailbag, and treading carefully into the comments section. The exercise leaves us increasingly grateful for readers who come to us in print—and especially online—to read the news and thoughtfully respond. This week, our selections include a real deal letter to the editor, and some kind comments (except one that was rightfully mean to us). Keep it coming, folks (scan the QR code if you’re the emailing type), and we’ll keep posting it. Selene San Felice
Manufactured Consensus: How Dunedin Muted Its Citizens and Bought Its Own PR (via email, read the full letter at cltampa.com/news)
On May 5th, the City of Dunedin abruptly disabled comment functionality across all of its official social media platforms, citing that public comment sections had become a source of "misinformation." By shutting down the easiest avenue for public feedback, the city transformed its social media presence into a taxpayer-funded billboard. To replace direct dialogue, the city spends public funds on the Zencity platform to algorithmically scrape and summarize social media feedback from unofficial spaces.
completely obscures it from the rest of the community to avoid immediate detection. Today, the post displays a telling footprint of this real-time curation. Facebook’s metadata counter explicitly registers a "ghost count" of 7 comments, yet to the outside world, the public text thread has been manually scrubbed entirely blank.
The legal threshold here is clear. While a uniform forum closure is a debated administrative choice, the moment a government entity leaves a thread open and systematically hides public input to engineer a sanitized political narrative, it crosses into unconstitutional viewpoint discriminationunder the First Amendment.
Scan this to QR code to send us some mail:
The irony is staggering: the city shuts off comments on its own pages, but pays a service to scrape private spaces to figure out what residents are thinking. According to internal metrics, roughly 65% of the feedback guiding the City Commission originates from a single Facebook group:
*Dunedin is Awesome*. If the city's data is sourced from a localized hype-machine, it is no longer reading the room. It is reading a curated echo chamber.
This obsession with a manufactured consensus escalated into active digital censorship on the morning of June 8th. Following a mayoral post regarding municipal tax revenues, page administrators uncharacteristically left public comments enabled. But the moment local residents began typing critical policy feedback, a panic button was pressed. Within twenty minutes, city staff manually hid the thread.
In a textbook digital suppression tactic, these comments were quietly "hidden"—a moderation mechanism that leaves the text viewable to the individual who posted it, but
Furthermore, under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, comments submitted to a government page are instant public records; obscuring them from public view violates the transparency mandates at the heart of our state's open government laws. —Jeremy Reynolds
After 18 years at St. Pete’s Emerald Bar, it’s last call for Mikey Brinkmann [Read more on p. 37] (via Facebook)
Cheers to you Mikey your pours have been consistent throughout the years and I will always hold the memories dear. Happy retirement!—Cat Burglar
That’s like 3 decades in emerald years. I’ll never forget someone’s grandmother throwing up schnapps at the table. She calmly ralphed off the side and ordered another one.—Jamie Anderson
I can smell the bar from my phone—Eric Gonzalez
Congratulations Mikey. I know you and Doug will have lots of great adventures exploring the world.—Lisa Crockett
Gotta be one of my fave St Pete bars I’ve been assaulted at—Brennan Dielle Rodriguez
Tampa music industry panel will discuss DIY approach to making your own space 2026 events landscape (via Facebook)
that headline on the image gave me a fuckin stroke. “making your own space 2026 events landscape?” huh?—Cody Stoothoff
drinkshop
for a visit, enjoy a Day Pass, or take the elevator
Experience a diverse range of flavors, exciting entertainment, and the perfect getaway in your backyard.
cocina y tequileria
Taking flight
Photos by Dave Decker
Kayla Arnett completed her Reverse 3 Somersaults in her final dive last Saturday, and ended up taking the first place on the podium when Red Bull Cliff Diving made its Florida debut in St. Petersburg. The competition—part of a global series that landed at the St. Pete Pier last weekend—saw Arnett joined on the podium by fellow yankee, Floridian Lisa Faulkner, who took third place. American Dave Lichtenstein took first place.
Organizers said roughly 50,000 people came to the St. Petersburg waterfront in boats, kayaks, paddleboards and on the shoreline to see 24 athletes jump from two platorms—69 and 89 feet high—into the North Yacht Basin. The contest was the only U.S. stop of the 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving Series, which kicked off in Bali last month and is headed to Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and Oman before year’s end.
See more of Dave Decker’s photos from Friday’s qualifying dives—mixed in with photos of the rest of the diving from the Red Bull Content Pool—at cltampa.com/arts.—Ray Roa
While some publications are using AI bots to adapt to today’s challenging media landscape, Tampa Bay’s free, independent and locally-owned alternative weekly is trying something different. Join us for “Tips For Tips” a new bar tour where Creative Loafing staff and owners will guest bartend and pour a new tangerine lager from Channelside Brewing Co. All proceeds fund locally-based public records requests, which often cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars per month.
17
Tampa Bay's best things to do from June 11-17. See more on pp. 41, 47 & 54
End-to-end stuff
The currently-undefeated Tampa Bay Rowdies are celebrating Pride month with collectible rainbow swag for its LGBTQ+ fans. The match marks the team’s eighth consecutive year celebrating Pride month. Fans at downtown St. Petersburg’s waterfront Al Lang Stadium will witness the Rowdies face off against Hartford Athletic from Connecticut. Only three months into the season, the Bay area team sits atop the USL Championship and is currently undefeated with eight wins, no losses and only three draws. Ticket packages will include a rainbow Rowdies accordion fan. There will also be giveaways for the first 1,500 fans, which include Rowdies friendship bracelets. Tampa Bay’s women’s USL Super League celebrated last April with their watercolor-inspired Pride warm-up jersey. The event starts two hours prior to kickoff inside a fan zone located outside Gate 2. Fans can expect face painters, games, a DJ and $3 Michelob Ultras. Tampa Bay Rowdies Pride Night: Saturday, June 13. 7:30 p.m. $24-$88. Al Lang Stadium, 230 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg. rowdiessoccer.com—Leif Helland
It’s showtime
Based on the 1988 Tim Burton film “Beetlejuice,” the musical of the same name comes back to Tampa this month. The performance—opening at Straz Center next week—brings a different take to the original film. Lydia Deetz, originally played by Winona Ryder, takes the lead in the production as she mourns the death of her mother. The character of Beetlejuice also takes a lead role in the production, as opposed to the film only giving 20 minutes of screen time for the character. From the Straz Center, “Since Beetlejuice is one of those can’t-take-your-eyes-offhim characters, why not give him more room to repulse in the stage production?” “Beetlejuice:” Select dates and times through Sunday, June 14. $37 & up. Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N WC Macinnes Pl., Tampa. strazcenter.org—Leif Helland
Be yourself and people will like you
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” fans can meet the author, check their voter registration and hopefully not get the cheese touch in St. Petersburg on June 18. As a fundraiser for Democratic Congressional candidate Brandt Robinson, “Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney will hang out with fans (old enough to vote) at the Coliseum after the two have a live conversation about creativity, education, and civic engagement. Kinney endorsed Robinson for the Florida House District 13 seat occupied and recently redistricted in favor of incumbent Republican Anna Paulina Luna. First published in 2007, “Wimpy Kid”—centered around the life of its middle-school narrator Greg Heffley, who feels like the whole world is against him—has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide. Robinson—a former history teacher—is known, in part, for saying he would use ICE funds to hire teachers and refusing to accept PAC money. An Evening with Jeff Kinney and Brandt Robinson: Thursday, June 18. 5:30 p.m. $20. The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. brandtforcongress.com—Liam Oliver
DOUGLAS DEFELICE/TAMPA BAY ROWDIES
MATTHEW MURPHY
Rise and rind
Craving another fruit themed event now that strawberry festival season has come to an end? The sixth annual Brooksville Watermelon Festival takes over the Hernando County Fairgrounds next weekend, featuring fresh watermelon from Batten Family Farms alongside over 200 vendors. The festival is celebrating all things watermelon, with watermelon-themed snacks, as well as art, jewelry, and other handmade goods, plus line dancing and contests. There will also be a kid zone and petting zoos. Brooksville Watermelon Festival: Saturday, June 13. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. No cover. Hernando County Fairgrounds, 6436 Broad St., Brooksville—Liam Oliver
Oh, Freedom
Roc the Block’s week of mostly no-cover Juneteenth events starts Monday with a summit connecting youth to health, creative and digital resources at the Tampa River Center. Then there’s a health and wellness conference, community symposium, “Culturale Couture Ball” and family fun day at TopGolf all leading up to the big Juneteenth festival outside Raymond James Stadium next Saturday. For more Juneteenth events, head to cltampa.com/arts. Roc the Block 6th Annual Juneteenth Festival: Monday, June 15-Saturday, June 20. Time and locations vary. roctheblockinc.com—Selene San Felice
Spare change
The CL editorial team just launched “Tips For Tips,” a new monthly local bar tour where editors and reporters guest bartend at neighborhood pubs to hear from readers about stories, coverage and what matters most to Tampa Bay residents. Since current events are best discussed over a cold one, Creative Loafing has also launched Breaking Brews, a new journalism-focused tangerine lager made by Channelside Brewing that promises “Great Taste, More Filing!” All proceeds from Breaking Brews and all tips to CL bartenders at Tips For Tips events will go directly to funding locallybased public records requests, which often cost a publication hundreds and even thousands of dollars per month. Tips for tips: Wednesday, June 17. 5-8 p.m. No cover. Corner Club, 1502 E Sligh Ave., Tampa. cltampa.com—Colin Wolf
Power up
Activist and father, Andrew Joseph Jr., has died.
By Ray Roa
Twelve years after his son was killed in Tampa, Andrew Joseph Jr. apparently couldn’t go on.
“I would just say that his cause of death was a heavy heart,” Deanna Joseph told Creative Loafing Tampa about her husband, who died last month after coming home dizzy and passing out.
He’d been helping the family of Jaylen Lewis—a 25-year-old killed in 2022 by Mississippi cops—get justice. It was work the New Orleans native leaned into after the death of his and Deanna’s own son, Andrew “Pee Wee” Joseph III, who was just 14 years old when he was taken into custody and ejected from the Florida State Fair by Hillsborough County Sheriffs on Feb. 7, 2014. A friend who was with their son said that a deputy had advised them to cross Interstate-4.
dig deep, deep, deep into your pocket. This is psychological warfare.”
While burn victims and cancer patients can go to specialized care, there isn’t a playbook for the kind of grief his family was experiencing, he noted.
IN MEMORIAM
“When your child is killed by the negligence of the police, if your loved one is killed from pure racism, there’s no therapy for that. There’s no place that you can go, and if you’re not even standing in my shoes, you can’t give me direction,” Andrew Joseph Jr. said. “This is not something that you can teach out of a book.”
Always Remember Andrew Joseph Jr: A Community Memorial Service
Saturday, June. 13. 5 p.m. No cover
The Portico, 1001 N Florida Ave., Tampa @AndrewJosephFoundation.org on Facebook
Pee Wee died that night while trying to cross the highway. Andrew Joseph Jr. died on May 16, 2026 and is buried next to Pee Wee in New Orleans, the city they were forced to flee after Hurricane Katrina. He was 54 years old.
“His heart broke,” Deanna told CL, adding that her own world is shattered after the unexpected loss of her husband who was running through the pain of losing Pee Wee alongside her. “All of this has always weighed heavily on the heart, on the mind, on the physical being itself—I look at these things and see just how much is stolen when a child is stolen.”
The Josephs worked through that grief by helping others through the Andrew Joseph Foundation. In the wake of Pee Wee’s passing, the state fair changed numerous policies, including adding more lighting in the parking lots, more cameras, a supervised waiting area, mandatory parental contacts and required adult accompaniment after 6 p.m.
“His cause of death was a heavy heart.”
The foundation has traveled across the country helping other families in Mississippi, including relatives of Jaheim McMillan, a 15-year-old shot and killed by police in 2022, and Rasheem Carter, a 25-year-old brutally murdered two months later and 100 miles away. The Josephs also went to Texas to support loved ones of Jalen Randle, a 29-yearold killed by cops who shot him in the back of the neck.
In a 2023 interview with WMNF News following a $15 million jury verdict seen as a blow to qualified immunity, Andrew Joseph Jr. alluded to the toll the process was taking on him and Deanna.
“This is set up to kill you,” he told the radio station. “This is the hardest thing in the world—to have to go to the graveyard to visit your child. This is set up to break up your home, to break up your family. This comes with a hospital visit. This is going to
Families in Ohio and Georgia have also felt the force of the Josephs, and this weekend at a memorial in downtown Tampa, Deanna will lean on a community that’s had its back since Pee Wee’s passing more than a decade ago.
She expects folks coming to The Portico on Saturday to share stories of a man who was larger than life, funny, and had an uncanny ability to make people believe they could imagine more than they imagined. “Andrew, my husband, we challenged people to be stronger, to be more courageous, and to think bigger and be committed to your thoughts and what you believe to be right,” Deanna said.
“Andrew was a devoted husband, father, mentor, coach, educator, and community leader. He believed deeply that those closest to the pain should be closest to the power,” she added.
Andrew, she noted, also taught those around him to fight in the face of those who said an ordinary person could not bring unordinary change.
“He said, ‘Hell no, I’m not [ordinary]. You’re going to be accountable to this, and you’re going to see my face and my family’s face every chance I get,’” she said.
And the work will go on, Deanna added, giving credit to an army standing behind her. It’s an army that will keep organizing for justice, coming together for healing, and fighting against
legislation that is not just. She asks bystanders to ask themselves how they will show up in the fight, too.
“How will you take this particular moment in time and commit to the bigger dream, the bigger work that’s ahead of us?,” she asked. Her husband, she said, always had an answer.
“When Andrew would come into a room and say, ‘Power up,’ he really meant: power from the Almighty is where the strength of the people lie. Where we break it down and make sure everybody has something, everybody leaves with something,” she said. “You can never go into a room with Andrew Joseph Jr. and come out the same.”
DYNAMIC DUO: Deanna Joseph (L) and Andrew Joseph Jr. in 2022.
Put up your dukes
St. Pete City Council OKs study of potential city-run utility.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Responding to the frustrations expressed by local residents, the St. Petersburg City Council has taken a major step towards potentially jettisoning its longtime relationship with Duke Energy Florida and creating its own city-run electric utility.
The council voted 4-3 on June 4 to spend up to $590,000 to hire Texas-based NewGen Strategies and Solutions to analyze whether it would be in the city’s best interests to leave Duke Energy and form its own municipal utility.
The decision to hire the consulting firm comes as the 30-year franchise agreement with Duke Energy is set to expire on Aug. 1.
A spokesperson for Duke Energy provided a statement to the Phoenix immediately after the vote.
“Duke Energy believes renewing the franchise agreement offers immediate benefits to our customers and communities we serve,” said Ana Gibbs, with Duke Energy Florida Corporate Communications. “We remain committed to providing safe, reliable power and look forward to working with the city of St. Petersburg to renew our franchise agreement.”
NewGen is the firm the City of Clearwater used for a similar analysis last year.
That study concluded Clearwater residents could save millions of dollars on their utility bills if the city formed its own utility. Mayor
Bruce Rector recently told Fox-13 in Tampa the city has not made a decision on its agreement with Duke.
There are 33 municipal electric power utilities in Florida, including in Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tallahassee.
Winter Park, just north of Orlando, was the last city to develop its own utility. That was in 2005.
The debate over public versus private power is nothing new.
Higher energy prices in Florida have rejuvenated that debate this election cycle.
know that. That is why they have continued to raise our rates.”
Susan Glickman, a climate change advocate with the CLEO Institute, said the feasibility study would give the council “the rigorous analysis” it needs to understand what it would look like for St. Petersburg to control its own power.
“The proposition is essentially a simple one because investor-owned utilities have a fiduciary relationship to their shareholders to return a profit,” she said. “If St. Pete were to municipalize, the profit motive goes away. And this could allow the city to pursue lower-cost ways to meet the community’s energy needs.”
LOCAL NEWS
A federal report released in April by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that utility companies disconnected Floridians’ electricity more than 2 million times because of unpaid bills in 2024, the second most in the country.
Duke Energy serves around 2 million customers in Florida. It is the second largest investor-owned utility in the state behind Florida Power & Light.
Majority says ‘dump Duke’ Dozens of members of the public urged the council to approve funding for the study.
“Duke Energy is a monopoly, and under the course of its 30-year contract, has made our electricity more expensive,” said Jorge Vazquez. “There is no competition, and they
Daniel Collette, an educator, noted that Duke Energy’s settlement with the Florida Public Service Commission in 2024 included a request for a return on investment of between 9.3% to 11.3%. He and others said the company’s bottom line is its shareholders, not the ratepayers.
Now’s not the time
Not all who testified supported funding the study. Several opponents said the city should not spend the money given the pending proposal to reduce the property taxes municipalities can collect.
“Today in the city of St. Petersburg on June 4, 2026, $600,000 is a lot of money,” said Jason Mathis, CEO of the Downtown St. Petersburg Partnership. “And it’s worth asking, how will this be materially different than the Clearwater study that was just completed? Can’t we extrapolate from that? Do we need to pay full price for our own St. Pete version? During a time when every penny
counts and we may face reduced city services or raising taxes, that’s a legitimate question.”
Chris Steinocher, president and CEO of the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce, noted a recent Florida TaxWatch report recommending against Clearwater operating its own electric utility.
Several Duke Energy Florida employees attended the meeting and spoke against the city paying for a study. Crystal Pruitt said she was “super proud” to represent the utility. Duke has been a great corporate sponsor for the city, she asserted, adding that the utility donated more than $2.8 million in St. Petersburg organizations, charities, educational programs, workplace development initiatives, and nonprofits. Duke Energy has posted a page on its website touting those contributions.
Which way will she vote?
Following hours of public testimony, the council turned to debate and then a vote.
And the deciding vote was cast by Council Chair Lisset Hanewicz, who last year voted against a move to ask the mayor to seek proposals for a feasibility study. This time was different — for the council to make an informed decision, it needs more information, she said.
“I voted no the first time, but I don’t have the information,” she said. “I’m for going with the feasibility study.”
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
A REALTOR ® HELPS YOU GET THERE.
Whether you're finding your first home or parting with one full of memories, a REALTOR® does more than guide you through the process—they walk beside you with local insight, trusted experience, and unwavering support. This isn’t just a transaction. It’s your next chapter. And they’re here to help you start it with confidence.
Harvard’s yard
Bahama Shores home designed by Busch Gardens architect William B. Harvard hits the market.
By Colin Wolf
ATampa Bay home designed by the late William B. Harvard Sr., an architect behind some of the area’s most recognizable buildings, is now for sale in St. Petersburg’s Bahama Shores.
Located at 6311 Bahama Shores Dr. S, the house is one of the original homes built in the neighborhood, and one of only two in Bahama Shores built by Harvard, who also designed the nearby, and long-demolished Bahama Shores Hotel and Yacht Club.
at Busch Gardens, Derby Lane, the Federal Building in St. Petersburg, the Tides Hotel at Redington Beach, Pasadena Community Church, the St. Pete Beach Municipal Building, the Inverted Pier in St. Pete, and the awardwinning Municipal Pavilion and Bandstand in Williams Park, among others.
HOMES
Completed in 1943, the 1,523-square-foot home comes with two bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as exposed wood-beam ceilings, Zappelli African hardwood full-wall pocket sliders, a saltwater pool, an outdoor kitchen and more, says the listing.
As a founding partner of Harvard Jolly Clees Toppe Architects (now Harvard Jolly Inc.), Harvard left behind an impressive list of projects across Tampa Bay before he died of cancer in 1995, including the Hospitality House
He also left behind quite a few private residences throughout the Bay area, and it’s estimated there’s only about 20 left. If you want to own this one, the asking price is $640,000 and the listing agent is Clare Kirchman of Corcoran Dwellings Realty.
Every house has a story, and our mission is to tell Tampa Bay’s story through the lens of our community’s historic and colorful homes. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s real estate features are not ads, and are strictly operated through our editorial department. But we love public input. Do you know of a unique Florida home that we should highlight? Let us know, and email cwolf@ cltampa.com.
Smells funny
White weirdo running for Florida governor refers to recent ‘teen takeovers’ as ‘Black Teen Riots.’
By Colin Wolf
James Fishback, a weird little white guy and Florida gubernatorial candidate who once called for a Black man to be lynched, held a press conference in Clearwater Beach on June 4 for the sole purpose of re-labeling “teen takeovers” as “Black Teen Riots.”
Fishback, a half-Colombian, white nationalist-endorsed Republican, made the racist declaration a day earlier on social media, writing, “It’s time to call ‘teen takeovers’ what they are. Black Teen Riots.”
Because that’s what it means. We’re not waiting for politicians to bail us out,” shouted Fishback to a crowd of about 25 supporters.
But it wasn’t just Fishback fans at this morning’s event. The press conference was consistently interrupted by Elvis Piggott, a former Tampa City Council candidate, who was recently accused of pulling out a gun during a dispute at a candidate forum.
COLUMN
Standing before a Ferris wheel at Pier 60, Fishback doubled down on his previous statement, stating he will show up at the next “teen takeover” with an assault rifle if Florida politicians don’t act.
“We are showing up with AR-15s. We are going to come to a public place, and we are going to defend not ourselves, but we are going to defend the community, defend our neighbors.
“We have white students shooting up our schools,” yelled Piggott. “Why don’t you talk about that?”
After a lengthy back and forth, Fishback blurted out to Piggott, “I will drop out of the governor’s race immediately, if you can tell me one thing that I have done that is racist.”
Fishback’s visit comes after a “teen takeover” occurred on Clearwater Beach on Sunday, May 31, where police say hundreds of teens gathered near the 100 block
of Coronado Drive. According to law enforcement, the mostly peaceful “take over” resulted in multiple arrests after a fight broke out and a 17-year-old was shot.
“It went from zero to a lot very fast,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri at a Tuesday press conference. “They weren’t throwing rocks, they weren’t throwing bottles, they weren’t doing things other than being there. Sometimes stuff just happens.”
Gualtieri, and every other public official across the state, have not commented on or discussed the overall racial makeup of the various “teen takeover” events.
So far, there’s zero evidence “teen takeovers” are only made up of “Black teens.”
Similarly, there’s zero evidence Fishback’s meet-and-greets across the state at various Taco Bells and IHOPs are only made up of white incels.
But this isn’t an unusual tactic for the outspoken 31-year-old, who was recently accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old—an accusation he has since denied.
Despite his ongoing struggles to raise money and having his Tesla repossessed, Fishback’s campaign has largely relied on a combination of rage-bait social media posts.
The Broward County native, who is polling far behind frontrunner Byron Donalds, recently made headlines after sharing an AI-generated image of the late George Floyd carrying a gun, with the caption, “Impressive door knockers for By’rone! Great work fellas.”
Fishback has also referred to Donalds, who is Black, as a “slave” and once posted a video of himself at a gun range challenging the frontrunner to “Pull up” and “Let’s see if you’re really Black.”
So far, Fishback’s campaign has been endorsed by convicted human trafficker Andrew Tate, as well as anti-semite and “virgin by choice” groyper Nick Fuentes.
Last week’s attention grab wasn’t Fishback’s first time in the Tampa Bay region. The investment firm CEO held a gathering at University of South Florida last April, where Jewish students say they were harassed and blocked from attending.
That same month, Fishback—who just qualified for the governor's race—attended Sunday mass and greeted supporters at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa, and visited St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
GADFLY GATHERING: Fishback’s small presser attracted a controversial former Tampa City Council candidate.
DAVE DECKER
For 36 years, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has amplified the voices others overlook. Now we’re launching the Tampa Bay Journalism Project to strengthen independent, local reporting on issues that matter—housing, transportation, arts, food, and accountability. Your tax-deductible support helps fund nonpaywalled journalism for our community. Help the Creative Loafing newsroom grow.
Now an entire month of prix
PINELLAS COUNTY:
Allelo
Birch and Vine (at The Birchwood Hotel)
Driftwood Cafe
Dunedin Smokehouse
Flipside Pizza Clearwater Beach
Grace Restaurant
Hi-Fi Rooftop (at The Fenway Hotel)
Jimmy's Tacos - St. Pete
Juno & The Peacock
Latitude 28
(at JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa)
LUMA (at SkyBeach Resort)
Luna Lux Restaurant and Lounge
Madison Avenue Pizza
Melting Pot
Ocean Hai
(at Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach)
Sponsored by:
Ocean Seven
Paul's Landing (at The Vinoy)
Pete's Gulf Bistro
(at Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach)
Pipos Cuban Cafe
Q Southern BBQ
Sauvignon Wine Locker & American Trattoria
Sparrow Rooftop (at Moxy St. Pete)
Taverna Costale
Teak
The Brinehouse
The Helm
The Library
Tides Seafood Market
Watercolour Grillhouse
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY:
3 Corners Pizza
Acropolis
American Social Bar & Kitchen
Ava
Babushka's - Hyde Park
Barcelona Wine Bar
Bar Terroir
Besito Tampa
Boda
Bulla Gastrobar
Con Amor
CW's Gin Joint
Del Friscos Grille
District South Kitchen & Craft
Flames Indian Cuisine
Foodys Restaurant and Bar
Heights Drive Thru
Jimmy's Tacos - Tampa
Kona Grill
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
O-Ku
On Swann- Hyde Park
Quiote
Riveters
Sal Rosa (at Le Meridien Tampa)
Sal Y Mar Rooftop Bar & Events
Venue
Soul de Cuba Cafe
Sunda New Asian
The Dan (at Hotel Flor)
The Pearl
Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen
Timpano Hyde Park
Uno Mas
With everything from MICHELIN-starred restaurants to lively waterfront food halls, Tampa Bay turns every meal into a culinary journey. Visit to see how Tampa Bay’s dining scene is just as vibrant and unique as its culture.
MEET THE CHEFS
The Birchwood, St. Pete
June 18 | 6-9pm
Tampa Bay’s most celebrated chefs—all in one room. Sample signature dishes, sip craft cocktails, and go behind the scenes with the creative minds putting Tampa Bay on the national stage. A portion of proceeds benefits Feeding Tampa Bay. This event sells out every year–get your tickets today!
Bring your shades, our chefs really shine.
RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Out of office
After 18 years, the last call has arrived for Emerald Bar’s Mikey Brinkmann.
By Jourdan Ducat
After the railroad brought newcomers to St Petersburg in the late-1800s, advertisers were quick to promote the city as a destination for rejuvenation that rarely saw a rainy day. The Sunshine City enjoyed an economic boom and at one point struck the perfect balance of a tight knit community and big city ideas about inclusivity and preservation.
As St. Pete continued to grow in population, many local businesses struggled to maintain their identity and popularity in a landscape where consumer tastes were constantly evolving. For the Emerald Bar, located at 550 Central Ave., the secret to resiliency seems to be in sticking true to its roots as a classic dive bar where everyone is welcome.
Michael “Mikey” Brinkmann, who’s retiring from the bar after 18 years on June 17, says that it’s even more inclusive and diverse than any of the gay bars he worked at earlier in his career. On any given shift, a patron might be amongst punk rockers, museum curators, contractors and retirees who hold the high score on the bowling arcade game.
When a barback spot opened up, Brinkmann began moonlighting on Friday nights at The Emerald while keeping his shifts at Suncoast. His employers soon got wind of his second job and put the kibosh on it, but he continued his tradition of Monday nights with his new family.
The Suncoast Resort closed for good in 2007, and Mikey was eventually invited to barback three nights a week at the Emerald. Within a year, he was given his first official bartending shift on Wednesdays, and soon acquired enough bartending shifts that he could give up barbacking altogether.
Brinkmann, a natural storyteller with an uncanny recall for dates and details, is full of enough stories about the Emerald’s past to fill an entire book. What sticks out the most from his tales are themes of tradition, friendship and love that are no doubt a huge part of how the bar has transcended the years.
DRINKS
Brinkmann got his start in bartending in 1995 at a neighborhood bar called DT’s that was located in the yet-to-be named Grand Central District (the space at 2612 Central Ave. is now a yoga studio) . DT’s owner, Wayne “Dallas” Palmer, was a fierce supporter of the community and notably wrote the first check to St Pete Pride before it was even incorporated.
He continued to bartend and cultivated a “lowercase leather” persona at the Golden Arrow and Suncoast Eagle. He even had a brief stint as a truck driver, but the reality of being on the road didn’t compare to the stage that bartending gave him as a natural introvert.
Brinkmann frequented a regular downtown bar circuit in the mid-90s, including Mastry’s and The Emerald. He remembers his first drink at the latter was in 1996, back when the bar was closed on Sundays out of respect for the founding Marano’s Italian-Catholic heritage and last call on weekdays was 8 p.m. Since Mikey had become friends with the staff, he was one of the lucky few who got to stay late Monday nights after the rest of the crowd got the boot.
The Emerald has been owned by the Marano family since 1950 and was originally located at 841-843 Central Ave. The family held tight to preserving the bar’s identity when they relocated in the early-60s, and today it’s easy to see the lasting effects tradition holds in the fabric of the place. If you want proof, look no further than the story behind why PBR has never been sold in the bar.
In 1969, a PBR rep approached George Sr. but he declined, as he was happy enough with the Olde Style he had on draft. When the rep kept pushing him and said the bar wouldn’t stay in business without PBR, George Sr. banned the beer from the bar indefinitely. When he retired in 1982 and passed the bar on to his son George, he did so under the condition that there would be no PBR sold, ever.
The Emerald has, however, certainly evolved over time, thanks in large part to the eclectic cast of bar staff through the years who have infused new life into the wood panelled walls. Brinkmann fondly remembers when bands like Nervous Turkey and Car Bomb Driver played their hearts out to appreciative crowds who only occasionally broke house rules and danced on the bar. Even though he joked his parents were rolling over in their graves, George was happy to
be making money, and bands continued to play at the bar until the Covid shutdown.
Art found its way back in when the Vitale Brothers had a successful art show and started collaborating with the Gerow twins to feature local artists’ work on a rotating basis.
Brinkmann curated his own art show one year, using band flyers and setlists he acquired from local music venues over a ten year span to completely cover the length of the display wall.
He gets emotional when he thinks about leaving this special place and considers it a great honor to have come up in the era of St Pete that he did. While he has a deep appreciation
for the natural beauty of old Florida, the overdeveloped reality of his chosen hometown has finally broken the spell.
He is hitting the road at the end of June with his partner Doug and dog Violet in Doug’s beloved Honda element. They plan to tow a camper through the Panhandle and follow the Mississippi River, alternating between Airbnbs and campsites along the way. They’ll return in November so that they can vote and will eventually settle in a more rural part of the state.
Brinkmann plans to return at some point as a guest bartender, and his family at the Em’ will be there to welcome him back to the office
CROWN JEWEL: Michael ‘Mikey’ Brinkmann at Emerald, one of the last dive bars in downtown St. Pete.
Ay, caramba
Tampa gets a new Mexican spot, St. Pete loses an all-timer.
By Colin Wolf and Leif Helland
Downtown St. Petersburg’s longtime TexMex spot Red Mesa Cantina announced its immediate closure last week, just one day after its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that, effective immediately, Red Mesa Cantina will be closing after 16 unforgettable years in downtown St. Petersburg,” posted the restaurant on social media, “along with the Red Mesa Event Spaces located above the restaurant, which became home to so many celebrations, milestones, and memories over the years.”
The restaurant’s Google page now says “permanently closed” and the redmesacantina.com only shows the closure announcement.
The concept, located at 128 3rd St. S, is owned by Veytia Ventures LLC, which just the day before filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Middle District of Florida. The filing did not mention any reason for the closure. But the filing did list assets of $100,001 to $500,000, and liabilities of $1,000,001 to $10 million.
The company did not include the bankruptcy filing in last week’s social media announcement.
Companies typically file Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize debts and restructure while staying in business, but Veytia Ventures did not go into detail regarding the decision.
Owned by Peter Veytia Jr., Veytia Ventures LLC only operates Red Mesa Cantina and Red Mesa Events.
Veytia Jr.’s other concept’s, Red Mesa Restaurant, Red Mesa Mercado and Red Mesa Mercado West, are under separate legal entities and are not impacted by the bankruptcy, said a spokesperson for the company to Creative Loafing in an email.
In an internal email obtained by Creative Loafing, Red Mesa Cantina warned employees of the closure and invited them to reapply at Veytia Jr.’s other concepts.
“We have made the difficult decision to permanently close Red Mesa Cantina and the event space above it, effective immediately,” read the email, which was sent at sent at 11:16 p.m., on June 1. “We understand the significant impact this news has on every member of our team and do not take this decision lightly. First and foremost, thank you for the hard work, dedication, and passion you have brought to the restaurant. We are extremely grateful for everything this team has contributed over the years. Our focus now is supporting employees through this transition. At this time, there are opportunities available at other Red Mesa Group locations for interested team members.”
The last few years have been up and down for Veytia Jr. Last fall, two years after the concept was announced, Red Mesa’s ‘Mercado West’ opened in St. Pete.
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor investigated and recovered over $190,000 in back wages for 89 employees, after both the Red Mesa Restaurant and Red Mesa Cantina locations were found liable for multiple Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations.
Another Mexican restaurant coming to downtown Tampa
“Coastal Mexican” restaurants apparently want to be near the Tampa Riverwalk.
Both Thieken and Meza spoke with Creative Loafing about updates for La Victoria, including their confirmed executive chef, Terrell Manning.
“What we’re excited about is the tasting menu that we’re going to develop that will rotate, and that is something that is going to be a really great opportunity for Chef Terrell to really get creative,” Thieken said.
Manning is a private chef, author of the book “The Love Languages of Food,” and a recipient of an honorary doctoral degree from Mainseed Christian University for his research on physical and emotional health and for promoting research into men’s health.
a competitive edge over other emerging Mexican restaurants in the Tampa Bay area.
“Both of Erick’s parents immigrated from Mexico, and so everything is really an ode to that family, an ode to their roots,” Thieken said. “It’s just the authenticity that we’re bringing to the cuisine, and then our service hospitality, and most importantly, our company culture is something we’re very excited about.”
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
La Victoria’s logo depicts the outline of a cathedral where both Meza’s parents were married, as well as where he had his first communion.
Manning said he’s still working on the core menu and tasting menu.
The tasting menu is an additional menu with a limited number of reservations, avail-
Meza grew up in Ohio, working in the family restaurants in high school and college. The Meza family wanted him to focus on becoming their first college graduate —which he accomplished— but he always kept the family business in mind.
“After graduating from college, I worked in a couple of sales jobs, mostly in the tech side of
La Victoria plans to open in September at 105 W Tyler St., just a block away from Matilde, which hopes to open next year.
The 3,800-square-foot La Victoria will be on the ground level of the Ave (stylized all-caps) Tampa Riverwalk apartment complex, just a block away from the Straz Center.
La Victoria replaces the former Melting Pot Social, which closed in March 2025 after two years in business.
Gus Thieken, former general manager of The Pearl, alongside real estate investor Erick Felipe Meza co-own La Victoria.
able exclusively on weekends. It’s planned to be available for reservations three months after the September opening.
Thieken previously told the TBJJ that La Victoria’s regular menu will include classic Mexican dishes like ceviche, chilaquiles and shrimp tostadas and have a full-service bar.
The Meza family, which also owns El Caporal Mexican Restaurant chain in Ohio, invested seven figures to open the Tampa restaurant, per the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Thieken believes that Meza’s family’s long tenure in the restaurant industry gives the pair
things,” Meza said. “But I always had the mentality that it was more so to learn and take what I learned to apply to the family business, and everything just kind of clicked.”
Thieken also credited Bianka Ross, a real estate broker who found the pair the space; interior designer and owner of UnBound design, Isabella Saa, who is designing the interior layout of La Victoria and Gerardi Construction, who are in charge of construction.
“It’s just the team that we have during this build-out process has been amazing,” Thieken added.
RIP: Food at the now shuttered Red Mesa Cantina.
Party on wheels
Heights Drive-Thru hits a year, and more food & drink events.
By Selene San Felice
It’s been a year since a Seminole Heightssized miracle occurred, when two real estate hotshots bought a historic building and didn’t tear it down for more ugly, unaffordable apartments. Realtors Frank Albert and Chris Brown got a 10-year lease on old Florida Drive-In, carrying on the legacy of the convenience store run by its previous tenant for four decades. The twist: surprisingly good soft serve and coffee along with all the junk food, alcohol, and an expanded section of random crap one might need at a convenience store pit stop. Plus, freaky collectables and goods from other local businesses, all of which earned it a Best of the Bay critics’ pick in 2025. This weekend’s anniversary bash is, of course, a drive-thru party and includes free mini soft serves for all, free samples, and chances to win more prizes.
Heights Drive-Thru 1 Year Anniversary Bash Saturday, June 13. Noon-4 p.m. Heights Drive-Thru, Tampa
Christy’s Thirsty Where’s Waldo Beer Ride Saturday, June 13. 2 p.m.-6 p.m. $30-$35. St. Pete Biking, St. Petersburg
Pints and Paws Dog Grooming Saturday, June 13. Noon-6 p.m. No cover. Ology Brewing, Tampa
Funky Brunch Sundays. 11 a.m. No cover to RSVP. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg. bayborobrewing.com
FOOD EVENTS
Get info below on that and more Food & Drink events happening June 11-17 and beyond. Find more and submit your own at community. cltampa.com
Drink and Draw Second Thursdays. 5:30 p.m. No cover. Deviant Libation, Tampa Thirsty Thursdays at the Polish American Society Thursdays. 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover. Polish American Society of St. Petersburg
St. Pete Beach Seafood Festival Select times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. No cover. Corey Avenue on St. Pete Beach, St. Petersburg
Moët & Hennessy: Spirited Dinner at Jekyll Hyde Park Tuesday, June 16. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $150. Jekyll Hyde Park, Tampa
Sushi Making Class Tuesday, June 16. 7 p.m. $93.75. RO at Armature Works, Tampa
Techno & Tequila Every third Tuesday. 7 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg. bayborobrewing.com
Where in the Vino: Chile & Argentina
Wine Dinner Wednesday, June 17. 6 p.m. $150. Steelback at Armature Works, Tampa
Unwined Wednesday Wednesdays through June 25. 5 p.m. No cover to RSVP. Steelbach at Armature Works, Tampa
Elevate Thursday Thursday, June 18. 10 p.m. No cover, M.Bird, Tampa
Meet The Chefs St. Pete Thursday, June 18. 7 p.m. $92.96 & up. The Birchwood, St. Pete. meetthechefstampabay.com
NEW HEIGHTS: Heights Drive-Thru celebrates its anniversary this weekend.
Big dill
Here’s what’s at stake when Major League Pickleball lands in St. Petersburg.
By Seán Kinane
Ben Johns. Anna Bright. Hayden Patriquin. Some of the greatest players on the planet are in St. Petersburg for Major League Pickleball regular season matches now through Sunday (June 17 through 21).
SPORTS
Why St. Pete? The Burg actually has an MLP team. And for the first time, the hometown Florida Smash is hosting 11 of the 20 MLP franchises.
“I think that they’re gonna blow it out of the water,” Smash player and co-owner Travis Rettenmaier said about his adopted hometown and
about the host facility, St. Pete Athletic. “The stadium capacity that they’re gonna have—it should look like a real sophisticated sporting event where people are walking in and feeling like they’re walking into something that matters and something that’s cool.”
St. Pete Athletic is a new club in the Warehouse Arts District. One of SPA’s owners, Reuben Pressman, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay it’s “incredibly exciting” to host Major League Pickleball.
“The energy is absolutely incredible at these events. I mean you’re talking huge stands, VIPs, courtside access” to dozens of the top pros in the world.
“It’s a full takeover of the entire club. The championship courts will be in the new building that was built with that capacity in mind and has 33-foot ceilings,” Pressman says. “All these arched windows, you’ll have really cool viewing spaces and box suites and watching them practice and behind the scenes. Then all the event energy.”
And Pressman sees having MLP at his club will benefit the entire community.
MLP differs from the PPA Tour in a couple of ways. Instead of competing for individual rankings, players in the MLP are part of a team of six players. “It has a very different energy when you’re playing for a city that you appreciate or teammates that you admire and you don’t want to let them down,” says the Smash’s Rettenmaier.
Major League Pickleball: St. Petersburg Wednesday-Sunday, June 17-21. $52 & up. St. Pete Athletic. 680 28th St. S, St. Petersburg. majorleaguepickleball.co continued
“You’re talking anywhere up to 15,000 attendees” for the several-day event, Pressman added.
“I think one of the top reasons people right now are traveling is for pickleball,” Pressman says. He expects thousands of fans to come from outside the region. “You want to be in St. Pete, it’s a good vacation spot, come hang out, come see everything. … Being able to do those things and see Major League Pickleball here is kind of a win, win, win.”
In each MLP match, the teams play four doubles games: women’s, men’s and two mixed doubles. If the teams each win a pair, there’s one game of singles, where every four points the players swap out. It’s called a Dreambreaker, “which is kind of like maybe the coolest thing in sports,” Rettenmaier says.
“From a perspective of men playing against women, because everybody can play against everybody. You play 4 points in, and your teammate comes up. Everyone uses their own strategy and mixes it around, and that was a winner take all,” he added.
SUPER STAR: Anna Bright is among the big names headed to Tampa Bay for Major League Pickleball.
C/O PPA
A new rule this season is that players can sub in during a match. That’s likely to lead to singles specialists sitting out doubles, but playing in the Dreambreaker.
“I’m 42,” Rettenmaier says. “I think me in singles is not ideal.” So he expects 19-yearold Cason Campbell will handle Smash Dreambreakers instead.
St. Pete is one of nine events around the country this summer that make up the MLP regular season. There’s a mid-season tournament in Michigan in July and three weeks of Playoffs in August to crown MLP champs. Most MLP players also compete as individuals on the PPA Tour. There are no PPA events this summer because of MLP.
What to know about MLP: St. Pete happening Wednesday-Sunday, June 17-21.
These are the participating teams:
Group A: Brooklyn Pickleball Team, Chicago Slice, Florida Smash, Los Angeles Mad Drops, Miami Pickleball Club.
Group B: Columbus Sliders, Orlando Squeeze, Palm Beach Royals, St. Louis Shock, Texas Ranchers, Utah Black Diamonds Players to watch:
One favorite to win the MLP this year is the St. Louis Shock, which has three of the best doubles players in the world—Hayden Patriquin, Anna Bright and Gabe Tardio. The side also has two singles standouts who could shine during Dreambreakers: Kate Fahey, who won gold at the PPA Finals in May and Bradenton teenager John Lucian Goins, who
won silver. She might not see game action this season, but on their bench is thirteen-year-old future star Elsie Hendershot.
The GOAT, Ben Johns, plays for the L.A. Mad Drops. He’s ranked first in the world in both mixed and men’s doubles.
The Columbus Sliders are the reigning MLP champs and have three returning starters, Andrei Daescu, Parris Todd and CJ Klinger.
The Brooklyn Pickleball Team has Tampa phenom, Rachel Rohrabacher and the top men’s singles player, Chris Haworth. As well as Christian Alshon, who is ranked third in men’s doubles and fourth in mixed.
Watch out for young Tama Shimabukuro on the Utah Black Diamonds. The exciting 15-year-old from Hawai’i took home a silver medal at a recent PPA Slam in Atlanta.
What’s new (and “we’ll miss you”)
A new team, the Palm Beach Royals, features Bradenton residents Tina Pisnik—who is Top 10 in both doubles disciplines—and Tammy Emmrich.
Host team Florida Smash is made up of Travis Rettenmaier (St. Pete), Christopher Crouch (St. Pete), Zoey Weil, Martina Frantova, Cason Campbell, and Paula Rives (Largo).
Noticeably absent will be the most dominant pickleball player in the world, Anna Leigh Waters. She rarely loses and is ranked No. 1 in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Her New Jersey Fives have the week off for MLP St. Pete. But they will be part of MLP Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to close out the regular season July 30-Aug. 2.
SWAT TEAM: Anna Bright (L) and Rachel Rohrabacher.
C/O
COOK & CR COOK & CR EAT EAT E EATE E
Unlock a world of flavor and creativity with our Food Arts Classes!
Flower Lady
A guide to Tampa Fringe Festival.
By Selene San Felice
Asingle flower bud can produce more than a hundred seeds. More than enough to start growing more.
Kali Rabult taught CL that fact last year in her lush Seminole Heights garden, where she produces Florida native flowers for her business Blue House Florals. The bounty and fertility of her garden often make Rabult think of enoughness.
“You don’t arrive there. You walk through it and sit with it, even as it slips through your hands,” she previously told CL.
She explores the concept in her Tampa Fringe show, “Flower Lady,” transporting audiences (at least emotionally) to blue house and lush garden. Between the “weeds of her mind,” as she calls them, Rabult will challenge concepts of productivity, identity and occupation.
Gertrude Stein Has Arrived Multiple times from Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, June 21. $15. The Fringe Theatre inside Kress
Contemporary World Peace through Humor: A German 101 Multiple times on Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday, June 11, 13-14. $15. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary Grief is a Messy Bitch Multiple times on Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13; Saturday, June 20. $15. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress
Contemporary
LOCAL ARTS
The Turing Test Multiple times on Thursday, Saturday & Sunday, June 11, 13-14. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary Occupational Hazard Multiple times and dates from Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, June 21. $12. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary Trivia Only I Know Too Multiple times and dates from Thursday, June 11 through Saturday, June 20. $9. Fringe Theatre inside Kress Contemporary
and Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary A Night at the Movies Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14 and SaturdaySunday, June 20-21. $12. Fringe Theatre inside Kress Contemporary Beyond Tears Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. $15. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress
Contemporary
The Princess Strikes Back: One Woman’s Search for the Space Cowboy of her Dreams Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. $15. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary
The Patriot Games Multiple times FridaySunday, June 12-14 and Friday-Saturday, June 19-20. $11. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary Wait, How Much is the Whiskey? Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14 and FridaySaturday, June 19-20. $10. Fringe Theatre inside Kress Contemporary T.O.Y. Part 1 Multiple times Friday-Saturday, June 12-13; Wednesday, June 17. $15. The Commodore
Strange Girls 2 Multiple times FridaySunday, June 12-14 and Friday-Saturday, June 19-20. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary
Kids Fringe Workshop Saturday, June 13. 1 p.m. No cover. Fringe Central inside Kress Contemporary, Ybor City
Find info below on that and dozens of Fringe shows happening throughout the month in Ybor City and head to community.cltampa.com for more things to do
Private Parts: The Secrets We Keep Multiple times on Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday, June 11, 13-14. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary, Ybor City Flower Lady Multiple times on Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday, June 11, 13-14. $15. The Commodore, Ybor City
The Saint of Scandal: The True(ish) Story of La Maupin Multiple times Friday-Monday, June 12-15; Sunday, June 21. $15. Fringe Theatre inside Kress Contemporary Tales from the Outer House 2 Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14 and SaturdaySunday, June 20-21. $15. The Commodore The Sack: A Play on Superheroes Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. $15. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary Forgive Me Grandma, For I Have Sinned Multiple times Friday-Sunday, June 12-14
Tyler’s Time Out: Episode 2 Multiple times Saturday-Monday, June 13-15 and Friday & Sunday, June 19 & 21. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary A Funeral for Someone You Didn’t Know Multiple times Saturday & Sunday, June 13 & 14 and Friday-Sunday, June 19-21. $10. The Commodore T.O.Y. Part 2 Sunday & Saturday, June 14 & 20. 4 p.m. Sunday; 12 p.m. Saturday. $15. The Commodore Fringe Preview #2 Friday, June 17. 7 p.m. No cover. West Annex inside Fringe Contemporary
The Trouble with My Hair: Coloring, Cutting, and Coming into Who I Am Multiple times Wednesday, June 17 and Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. $10. Fringe Theatre inside Kress Contemporary Tricks and Tics: A Magician’s Journey of Laughter, Struggle, and Triumph Multiple times Wednesday, June 17 and FridaySaturday, June 19-20. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary T.M.I. Multiple times Thursday, June 18 and Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. $15. The Commodore Inside Albert’s Head Multiple times Thursday, June 18 and Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. $15. The Commodore Jon Bennett: This Will Only Ever Happen Once Multiple times Thursday-Sunday, June 18-21. $15. Fringe Theatre inside Kress Contemporary Fringin & Flagons presents: The Last Stand Tavern Multiple times Thursday, June 18 and Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. $15. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary Clayton the Dork Multiple times FridaySunday, June 19-21. $10. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary The Grindr Show Multiple times FridaySunday, June 19-21. $15. The Commodore Perra Puta Loca Bruja: A Latina’s Reclamation Journey Multiple times FridaySunday, June 19-21. $10. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary Bits & Pieces presents The Selfish Giant’s Garden Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. 12 p.m. $5. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary Late Night Cabaret Saturday, June 20. 10:30 p.m. $10. West Annex inside Kress Contemporary Glenn and Grimbo Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21. 3:15 p.m. Saturday; 4:30 p.m. Sunday. $10. 3rd Floor Venue inside Kress Contemporary
FLOWER POWER: Kali Rabult at Blue House Florals.
DAVE DECKER
Actual fantasy
Read an excerpt from a new novel about Tampa mobster Charlie Wall.
By Ray Roa
Tampa’s history is so rich, and there are so many different versions of all the stories, that sometimes reality and fantasy start to blur. Paul Wilborn—author, artist, journalist, Executive Director at St. Pete’s Palladium Theater and founding member of Ybor City’s Artists and Writers Ball—leans into the ambiguity in his second novel, “The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall,” released in April via St. Petersburg Press.
Born and raised in Temple Terrace, Wilborn, a King High School grad and alum of University of the University of South Florida, didn’t discover Ybor City until after he was hired at the sinceshuttered Tampa Tribune. The district is where Wilborn, 74, lived his misspent youth—and it’s the backdrop of “The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall” where the mobster falls into depression. Trip, who works for Wall, works to rebuild his boss’ self-esteem by convincing wall that some people still want him in the grave.
his would-be assassin: “You should know by now you can’t whack Charlie Wall!”
But, at least for a moment, they could scare him. When Charlie turned back, Trip noticed a growing stain around the zipper of his seersucker trousers. Charlie dismissed the stain with a wave of his hand.
“I told you I had to pee. Dalmation! Now I gotta clean this suit.” Charlie pulled a pocket watch from his jacket, scanned it, then looked up at Trip, as if it were any other night. “How’d it get so late?”
Trip knew exactly how it got so late. Waving a limp twenty at Betty, the longtime bartender at The Turf, Charlie had insisted on a fourth Old Fashioned.
BOOKS
“What neither of them know is that an aging hit man has decided to finish the job he botched 30 years earlier,” Wilborn says about the work. “I call the book a ‘factual fantasy.”’ The real Charlie Wall died in 1955, but in my book, he lives. The book tells the true story of Tampa, which was one of the most corrupt and vice-ridden cities in America for three-fourths of the 20th century.”
Read an excerpt from the first chapter of “The Everlasting Life of Charlie Wall ” below. Learn more at wilbornwrites.com.
An arrow—its tip shiny silver, its sleek red shaft trimmed at the base with a tuft of lime-colored feathers—swooshed by Charlie’s head, slamming with a “thock” into the frame above the front door. In the snapshot silence afterward, Trip Armstrong thought he could hear the arrow quivering, like someone had plucked a taut string in the guts of a grand piano.
“You sure, Charlie?” Betty’s face was a mask of bones and wrinkles, her sparse curls yellowed by six decades of cigarette smoke.
“I think your level is good.”
“The real Charlie Wall died in 1955, but in my book, he lives.”
On most subjects, Charlie had a philosophy he lived by, except when he didn’t feel like it. His philosophy of drinking was like that. He believed a wise man should know how to hold his liquor. About once a night, usually in The Turf, his favorite among the dark, old-school joints around downtown Tampa, the drunken philosopher would rise slowly from the barstool and straighten his shoulders, his lanky, Abe Lincoln frame draped in his standard uniform—a seersucker suit that seemed to grow larger every day—Or, maybe after 85 tumultuous years on the planet, Charlie was shrinking. His pale blue dress shirt hung loose around a wattled neck, his paisley bowtie dangled, his straw boater rested upside down on the bar.
“People drink the wrong way,” Charlie would say to his barroom companions—often total strangers—his high lonesome voice a mix of southern aristocrat and cracker cowpoke.
“Holy undershirts!” Charlie gasped, as Trip turned the key and pushed the old man through the open door, slamming it behind them.
“Whoa Betty!” Charlie shouted. “What in Hades was that?”
Trip suppressed a grin. It tickled him when his boss made up his own curse words. They stood for a long beat in the dark, listening to the ticking of the grandfather clock before Trip flipped the light switch.
Charlie’s mouth twisted up into a tight smile. “They keep trying. They keep failing.”
Stepping to the closed door, he shouted to
“A wise man only drinks to here.” He would draw a flat hand across the middle of his chest, where his shirt was rorschached with soup and gravy stains. He’d wiggle his fingers.
“A little higher. A little lower. It’s okay. When a man gets in trouble is when he drinks to here.”
Charlie’s index finger slid like a knife blade across his neck. “It’s neck drinkers that give liquor a bad name.”
Betty had heard it plenty of times. Usually after Charlie had let the booze rise to neck level. But she knew you didn’t argue with Charlie Wall. People had died after disagreeing with Charlie. Sure, it was a long time ago, but they had died.
In cars. On front porches. In trash-strewn alleys behind Ybor City dive bars. All rising to meet their maker courtesy of a double-barreled blast from a sawed-off wielded by one of Charlie’s guys.
Betty set down a fresh Old Fashioned. Easing off the stool, Charlie took the drink down the bar where a couple of 30ish women were giggling at a private joke.
“I’m Charlie Wall,” he announced. “Ever hear of me?”
The women wore the business-blue pant
suits and pastel blouses that said they worked just down the street at the courthouse. Likely court reporters, Trip thought. Their hair styles were identical, all scrambled-up curls, though one was dyed blond, the other chocolate brown.
“You a lawyer?” The brunette asked.
“I’m a crook.” Charlie eased onto the stool next to them. “Used to be anyway. Long time ago. Call your Momma. I bet she’s heard of me.”
PAUL’S WALL: Paul Wilborn didn’t start frequenting Ybor City until he got a job at the Trib.
Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist
ON VIEW NOW THROUGH JULY 12, 2026
Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist is organized by the Katonah Museum of Art
This exhibition is curated by Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe, Director and Chief Curator, Katonah Museum of Art
Nominations extended in CL’s Best of the Bay awards.
By Colin Wolf
The nomination period for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 2026 Best of The Bay Awards is winding down, which means there’s only a few more days to show some love to your favorite local bars, food trucks, musicians, artists, and everything and anything you think makes Tampa Bay exceptional.
To make sure we covered it all, Creative Loafing has extended the nomination window for this year’s readers’ poll, which is now running through this Sunday, June 14, at 11:59 p.m. Nominations can be made once a day at vote. cltampa.com, and the top 15 nominees will move onto the voting round, running July 16-Aug.20. Winners will be revealed at Creative Loafing’s big Best of the Bay 2026 party, where nominees, winners, local celebrities and more get to mingle, shuffle, eat and drink, and get a first look at Creative Loafing’s annual Best of the Bay-themed issue.
While we certainly encourage readers to let us know about the “best” things in the region, we also encourage readers to use their votes to spotlight the local businesses that truly make Tampa Bay special. So maybe hold off on nominating Chick-fil-A for “Best chicken sandwich.”
If you’re one of those readers that gets unnecessarily angry when your favorite bagel shop or taco stand didn’t make the cut, well, this is the time to make sure they’re not nominated, because after all, “Best of The Bay” is at its core a popularity contest, and you can’t win if you‘re not even on the ballot.
COLUMN
Also, let’s be real, please refrain from the “pay for play” accusations—this is an alt-weekly. If we were getting paid to rig this thing we’d have a much nicer office.
And, it is certainly something to celebrate. Every year, CL asks the public for help with this gigantic issue, and once the polls close, we comb through millions of readers’ poll votes to bring you the best people, places or things that help Tampa Bay thrive, all chosen by you, the public.
If you haven’t seen the issue, either online or on stands, it’s an absolute beast, covering over 551 readers picks, across nine groups including Arts, Beauty & wellness, Drink, Entertainment, Food, Goods, People, Places, Services and more. Last year, also included over 150 separate critics picks to highlight hidden gems that readers may have missed.
Creative Loafing, Tampa Bay’s completely independent and employeeowned 40-year-old alt-weekly, has been doing this issue for decades, and while there’s certainly other “Best” issues and contests floating around out there from certain media outlets, we can say with pride that CL’s Best of The Bay is the longest-running and most respected “Best of” in the Bay area.
So, please, there’s just one weekend left, let us know what makes Tampa Bay special to you— your favorite barista, Italian restaurant, car mechanic, public park, it’s time to show ‘em all some shine.
To see previous winners, and for more information on Creative Loafing’s annual Best of The Bay issue and party, visit botbtampabay.com
WHIRLWIND: Best of the Bay nominations got extended for you whiners.
Perfect union
Pulitzer-nominated play coming to The Beach Theatre.
By Leif Helland
Ayear after triumphantly reopening, The Beach Theatre is hosting its first-ever live production. Hannah Hockman, director of the historic St. Pete Beach venue, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that “What The Constitution Means To Me” opens later this month, with plans to run past the Fourth of July.
The Pulitzer-nominated work includes quotes from late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who also attended a performance in 2019. The Pulitzer board described the work by Heidi Schreck as, “A charming and incisive analysis of gender and racial biases inherent to the U.S.
college tuition through winning debate competitions on the constitution.
Katie Combs, an actor and director based in the Bay area will play Schreck at Beach Theatre, with support from Joe Condon playing the Legionnaire and Ever Whittinghill as a teen debater.
The performance comes just a year after the theater reopened its doors in 2025. Originally opened in 1941, the cinema house closed in 2012 after financial struggles and the owner’s death.
THEATER
Constitution that examines how this living document could evolve to fit modern America.”
“This production marks an exciting new step for The Beach Theatre as we expand into live performance alongside our film programming,” Hockman told CL in an email. “Offering a timely reflection on the Constitution and how it continues to shape our lives today.”
The play—timed with America’s 250th birthday—opens on June 26 and runs select nights and days through July 6. The approximately 90-minute play centers around Schreck’s partially autobiographical account of earning
“In this hilarious, hopeful, and deeply human play, she resurrects her teenage self to examine the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives,” Hockman added.
Since its reopening in 2025, The approximately 162-seat Beach Theatre has had continuous showings of classic and new upcoming films, and even comedy.
Tickets to “What The Constitution Means To Me” at The Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach on select nights and days from June 26-July 6 are still available and start at $20.
The theater will offer discounted tickets for community organizations, including social activist groups, and nonprofits.
WELCOME BACK: Originally opened in 1941, Beach Theatre closed in 2012 and reopened in 2025.
RYAN KERN
Besides the events listed in our Do This section on pp. 16-17, the food happenings on p. 41 and Fringe lineup on p.47, there’s lots to do in town this week. Have a look at what’s going down June 11-17 and beyond. All events are at community.cltampa.com unless noted otherwise. Head there for more and list your own.
ARTS
St. Pete Opera: La Bohéme Select times and dates from Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 14. $20 & up. Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg Ceramics Continued Study Select Sundays through Aug. 23. 10 a.m. $45. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Double Play Friday, June 12. 5 p.m. No cover. 1983, Tampa "Free to Be Me” Annual Spring Members’ Show Saturday, June 13. 5 p.m. No cover. GCAA ArtWorks, St. Petersburg
A Juneteenth Jubilee Saturday, June 13. 5:30 p.m. No cover. Tampa's Black History Museum, Tampa
Inconvenience Sale Thursday-Sunday, June 18-21. 12 p.m. $15 & up. FloridaRama, St. Petersburg. floridarama.art Surface and Fire – Raku Firing Begins Wednesday, June 3. 10 a.m. $200. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Realm Thursdays-Mondays through June 28. No cover. FloridaRama Gallery, St. Petersburg Zubrick Magic Fridays and weekends. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $50 & up. Zubrick Magic Theatre, St. Petersburg Fresh Squeezed 10: Emerging Artists in Florida Runs through Thursday, June 25. 10 a.m. No cover. Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg. Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound Through Aug. 23. $5 & up. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Dalí In America Daily through Sunday, Oct. 18. 10 a.m. $32 & up. Dali Museum, St. Petersburg
COMEDY
Tanyalee Davis Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $23.80. Side Splitters, Wesley Chapel
Derek Richards Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $22.50. Snappers, Palm Harbor
Dirty John’s Dirty Disco ThursdaySaturdays. 8 p.m. The Studio@620, St. Petersburg Friday Comedy Open Mic Fridays 8 p.m.
$6.57 & up. Gimmick Comedy Club, Ybor City
Connor Wood Friday, June 12. 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. $32. Funny Bone, Ybor City
Anna Lepeley Friday, June 12.7:30 p.m.
$20. Greenlight Lounge and Kitchen, St. Petersburg
Chris Gorges Friday-Saturday, June 12-13.
8 p.m. Friday; 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. $20. Coconuts, St. Pete Beach
Wes Johnson Friday-Saturday, June 12-13. 8:30 p.m. $23.58. Sunshine City Comedy Club, St. Pete Beach
Mitch Fatel Friday-Saturday, June 12-13. 8 p.m. $30. Laugh Out Lounge, Winter Haven
Quinn Dahle Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Friday; 5:30 p.m. and 8
p.m. Saturday; 6 p.m. Sunday. $34.95 and up. Side Splitters, Tampa
Trae Crowder Saturday, June 13. 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. $32. Funny Bone, Ybor City
Natasha Chandel Wednesday, June 17. 7
p.m. $27. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa New Material Night Wednesdays through Oct. 28. 8 p.m. $8. Gimmick Comedy Club, Ybor City
MARKETS
Matchday Mercado on 7th Thursday, June 11. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Hotel Haya, Ybor City
Dunedin Friday & Saturday Markets 9
a.m. No cover. Pioneer Park, Dunedin
Pitch A Pup Saturday, June 13. 10 a.m. $5. Hotel Haya, Ybor City
Family Day & Tampa Local Market
Sunday, June 14. 12 p.m. No cover. Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen, Tampa Carrollwood Market Every second
Saturday. No cover. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa Quarter Auction for Joshua House
Sunday, June 14. 1 p.m. No cover. Beacon Square Civic Association, Holiday Seminole Heights Sunday Market
Sunday, June 14. 10 a.m. No cover. American Legion Post 111, Seminole Heights
Drag Bingo Every first and third
Wednesday. 9 p.m. No cover. American Legion Seminole Post 111, Tampa
St. Pete Pride: Stonewall Reception Thursday, June 11. 6 p.m. $80.03. Urban Stillhouse, St. Petersburg Anna Lepeley Friday, June 12. 7:30 p.m. $20. Greenlight Lounge, St. Petersburg Shuffle with Pride Friday, June 12. 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. $10 to play for non-members. St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, St. Petersburg Community Kickstarter Pride Weekend Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. Times vary. Call or text (352) 204-3234 for scheduling. Ichetucknee Yoga Club & Outdoor Meditation Center, Branford Dyke Nite: Big Fat Dyke Weekend Friday-Sunday, June 12-14. Sawmill Campground, Dade City. @dykenitestpete on Instagram for prices and more info Pride on the Runway presented by Black & Glen Friday, June 12. 7 p.m. No cover. Blur Nightclub, Dunedin
Polk Pride: Kick-Off Party Saturday, June 13. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $15. Union Hall, Lakeland Play Proud Children’s Day Saturday, June 13. 10 a.m. No cover. Allendale UMC, St. Petersburg Destination: Studio 54 Pool Party (Winter Pride) Saturday, June 13. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 & up. The Wet Spot at Cocktail, St. Petersburg
Pride Bingo Monday, June 15. 4 p.m. & 7 p.m. $12.51. Blur Nightclub, Dunedin
Polk Pride: Pride For Youth Wednesday, June 17. 6:30 p.m. No cover. United Women’s Club, Lakeland
SPORTS
USA Soccer Watch Party Series: USA vs. Paraguay Friday, June 12. 7 p.m. $10. Al
Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg 19th Annual Fire Charity Fishing Tournament and Festival SaturdaySunday, June 13-14. No cover. Bradenton Riverwalk, Bradenton
Tampa Tarpons vs. Fort Myers
Mighty Mussels Tuesday-Sunday, June 16-21. Times vary. $5.55-$13.35. George Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
THEATER
Rent Various times Fridays and weekends through Saturday, June 27. $27 & up. Carrollwood Players Theatre, Tampa Who is Eartha Mae? Various times Wednesdays-Sundays through Sunday, June 21. $5 & up. Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota The Hot Wing King Various times Wednesdays-Sundays through June 28. $63. American Stage Theatre Company, St. Petersburg I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change Various times and days through June 28. $30-$50. Stageworks Theatre, 1120 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. End of the Rainbow Multiple dates and times Thursday, June 11-Sunday, June 21. $20. Catherine A. Hickman Theater, Gulfport Passing Strange Select times and dates from Thursday, June 11 through Sunday, June 21. $35 & up. The Studio @ 620, St. Petersburg Theatre of Tampa: Come From Away Select times and dates from ThursdaySunday, June 11-28. $38.40. Shimberg Playhouse at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
6/11: WORLD CUP (WATCH PARTIES)
STANLEY CUP (GAME 5)
ASHLEY GALBRAITH & CO. (PARTY DECK)
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
FERG'S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
6/12: USA SOCCER (PAVILION)
BIG BROTHER BAND
6/13: BREWS, BUDS AND BANDS (PAVILION)
DANNY BUB COMBO (PARTY DECK)
WORLD CUP (WATCH PARTIES)
SPURS VS. KNICKS (GAME 5)
6/14: COLD TUB COFFEE CLUB (PAVILION)
UFC FREEDOM 250 (PAVILION)
WORLD CUP (WATCH PARTIES)
STANLEY CUP (GAME 6)
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
6/15: DAVE ARAZMO (SOLO)
FERG'S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
6/16: 6 STRINGS AND A FIDDLE (PARTY DECK)
SPURS VS. KNICKS (GAME 6)
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
6/17: OPEN JAM NIGHT (PARTY DECK)
W/ BAREFOOT BOB & THE HOPE
6/18: THE HIGHWAY 41 BAND (PARTY DECK)
FERG'S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
LOVE ISLAND (WATCH PARTY)
6/19: RAYS VS. NATIONALS (WATCH PARTY)
DISASTERPIECE BAND (PAVILION)
WAV HAVEN SHOW (UPPER DECK)
USA SOCCER (PAVILION)
6/20: RAYS VS. NATIONALS (WATCH PARTY) LIFE OF THE PARTY BAND (PAVILION)
By Ray Roa
THU 11
C Five Eight w/Pohgoh A year after screening its new documentary at Crowbar, Five Eight comes back to Ybor City to pay its respects to the famed venue set to close after July. This time the Athens indie-rock giant supports a new album, Help A Sinner, released last month. Featuring contributions from Drive-By Truckers’ Jay Gonzalez (who played keys on the 12-track record), DBT producer David Barbe (who produced the album), and Matt Beck (Lisa Loeb, Matchbox 20), the LP is the band’s first in nearly 10 years and continues Five Eight’s tradition of producing some of the country’s most headbopping, emotionally-charged power-pop. Tampa’s greatest contribution to secondwave emo, Pohgoh, gets its last Crowbar show in at this one, too. 7 p.m. $17-$20. Crowbar, Ybor City
C Steve Earle Steve Earle is not mincing words when it comes to his view of the country right now, and an arguably more famous Steve is helping the 71-year-old American songwriting icon make noise. Last month Earle and longtime New Yorker Steve Buscemi released a music video for “City of Immigrants.” Directed by the Emmy-winning actor, the clip features Brazilian ensemble Forró in the Dark helping update a song first released on 2007’s Washington Square Serenade . Expect Earle, who just won “Best Regional Roots Music Album” at the Grammy awards for A Tribute to the Kin of Zydeco , to play that tune and so many more at this one. 7 p.m. $44.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
C Sunny Sweeney A Rhinestone Requiem is coming to the Skipperdome, thanks to Sunny Sweeney. The 49-year-old songwriter, emergent Sirius XM DJ, and Trisha Yearwood collaborator is on the road supporting her 2025 outing, razzling and dazzling fans of honky-tonking country music with soul. 8 p.m. $23.97. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
FRI 12
C Displace album release w/Sauce Pocket/Zenzi Fresh off a short tour of the South, Bay area jam scene favorite Displace is back home and ready to funk up Crowbar one last time. The famed venue closes in less than two months after two decades in the district, and Displace has its first new LP in 10 years to share. If the record is anything like “All In,” the eight-minute collaboration Displace did with Lettuce's Eric Benny, then expect to have one hell of a hangover this weekend. 8 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City
Evanescence w/Spiritbox/Nova Twins
Evanescence spent 2025 watching its new songs appear on the silver screen and in a Netflix series respectively. “Fight Like A Girl” (“From the World of John Wick: Ballerina”) and “Afterlife” (“Devil May Cry”) were both performed at its electrifying opening set for My Chemical Romance’s tour closer at Raymond James Stadium in 2025. The femme energy will be fierce on this tour, too, thanks to Grammy Awardnominated Canadian metal outfit Spiritbox and rock sisters-from-another-mister Nova Twins, who dropped an uber-human, empowering third album Parasites and Butterflies last year. 7 p.m. $49 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa—Josh Bradley
C Tim Kasher w/Old Canes/Shae Krispinky Sometimes people write an entire album in just one long weekend. Tim Kasher does at least. The 51-year-old Omaha songwriter, best known for leading indie-rock band Cursive, spent four days last Memorial Day weekend creating Sponges Of Experience , and shares the tunes in person after opening sets by The Appleseed Cast’s Christopher Crisci (performing with his band Old Canes) and Tampa’s own Shae Krispinsky. “It was a challenge to myself: when I was a wee teenager, I heard Elvis Costello mention on some talk show (I’ve long forgotten which) that he could write an album over a weekend. It was an offhand remark, a throwaway line as he was promoting something or other,” he wrote about the songwriting idea born nearly four decades ago. “As I had already become a prolific writer myself, I was curious if I could pull off something of the sort.” 7 p.m. $27.51. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
SAT 13
C Andy’s Jam: Celebrating the Life of Andy Karpay In many ways, Andy Karpay’s life was a song. A member of bluegrass band Florida Mountain Boys, the 73-year-old mandolin player and mechanical engineer died last November, but not before touching lives across the Americana scene. Musicians who crossed paths with Karpay will jam in the courtyard outside this Ybor Heights brewery and distillery then move inside for an open mic. Deviant Libation founder Tim Ogden, son of Karpay, has even revived what he’s calling the “NDK Wheat” to celebrate dad, who loved the American wheat Ogden made as a homebrewer. “He used to request batches, and would bring clean bottles to sanitize and fill,” Ogden wrote on social media. “I can’t wait to share it with you.” 4 p.m. No cover. Deviant Libation, Tampa
C The Applebutter Express Gulfport’s Gabber Newspaper says “the paper is done” if a July fundraising goal is not met, and with just about three weeks left, it still needs about $36,000 in recurring donations to hit its mark. The town’s local hippie hangout is
THU JUNE 11–THU JUNE 18
doing its part and hosts bluegrass favorite The Applebutter Express for a concert fundraiser. 8 p.m. The Blueberry Patch, Gulfport
Kali Uchis w/Mariah the Scientist/Laila!
The 31-year-old singer-songwriter born Karly Marina Loaiza is riding high off the release of her latest album Sincerely, initially described as a collection of songs related to major life changes related to loss, reconciliation, and new motherhood. An audio clip of her mother Betsy Loaiza Boteler, who died of lung cancer in 2025, opens the album’s penultimate, heartstring-tugging track “Sunshine & Rain.” And if you can relate to “Heaven Is A Home” (one of the most beautiful slowdance songs of last year), it’ll do you some good to not question how far you’ve come in life. Even Anthony Fantano gave it a 7, which isn’t too shabby. This gig at the old Gary amphitheater, supported by up-andcoming Atlanta rapper Mariah The Scientist and Brooklyn-bred R&B singer-songwriter Laila (stylized with an exclamation mark at the end) will be Uchis’ first stop in town since a 2022 opening slot for Tyler, The Creator’s “Call Me If You Get Lost” tour at the far more compact Yuengling Center. 7 p.m. $47.50 & up. Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa—JB
C Öona Dahl w/Brian Busto/Zakat The Serious Soul team keeps the underground dance music scene alive in the Bay area, and this year has something of a residency at The Nest. Ahead of fall shows, Öona Dahl, a producer and DJ who spent a lot of time cutting her teeth in the Florida scene alongside Rabbit In the Moon’s DJ Monk and the aforementioned Three of Hallucination Recordings. A force all her own, Dahl headlines with a set of vocal-forward electronica and indie-dance. 9 p.m. $24.80 & up. The Nest at St. Pete Brewing Co., St. Petersburg
C Marinda’s Birthday Celebration: Tiger 54 w/Big Sad/Dohsmiles/Abortion Twins Raging against the machine doesn’t have to be stressful, especially if you’re listening to Dogsmiles. The Jacksonville anarchopunk outfit—which was just in town last March—plays joyous, raucous and sometimes infectious art-rock and plays visitor on this show celebrating a birthday in the camp of Tiger 54, the St. Pete punk band fresh off the release of a new single, “Coward.” 7 p.m. $10. Why Not Bar, Ybor City
SUN 14
Jay-Z Takeover: Joey Franchize Jay-Z is one of a handful of rappers on New York Times’ list of the Greatest Living American Songwriters, and this set from Wild 94.1-FM’s Joey Franchize could be the ultimate tribute. It’s been three decades since Reasonable Doubt dropped, and we hope to hear not just cuts from Hov, but some from the rappers who helped him along the way (read: Rhymefest, Jay Electronica, Consequence). 9 p.m. $10. Alter Ego, Tampa
Old Mervs w/Rohna/Ra Ra Viper Old Mervs is playing a young man’s games and doing it well. The Australian indie-rock duo of David House and Henry CarringtonJones go back to childhood and their sound harkens back to a golden age of American Apparel-cloaked indie-rock. Indie Night creator Rohna plays support alongside another Australian rock outfit Ra Ra Viper. 6:30 p.m. $31.99. Crowbar, Ybor City
TUE 16
C Central Park Jazz Jam: N. Hoff Nicole Hoffer could probably sing her way out of a hostage situation, and this week she plays a show in a part of Tampa that’s seen performances from some of the greatest American vocalists of all time. Her sound is familiar to local jazz fans who’ve seen her at DI Coffee Bar, or alongside Mai Sweet Basil and the Rod Alnord Quartet, and she tops this free show that’ll be over by dinner time. 6 p.m. No cover. Tampa’s Black History Museum, Tampa
WED 17
C All Black Showcase: Aych w/Big $ett/Chxrm/Dre Sosa/Kaseflow/Lyricah Love/Milli Moon/more For 18 years, Aych’s Crowbar open mic was the clubhouse and proving grounds for anyone who wanted to make a lane in the Tampa hip-hop scene. While “Da Cypher” called it quits in 2024, the rapper and promoter born Hansel Wilson returns to the venue for one last open mic that includes guests like Arkansas rapper, North Carolina songwriter and producer Chxrm, plus homegrown emcees like Kaseflow, Tampa’s queen of trill Milli Moon, and singer Lyricah Love whose track with Krazy (“No Time”) is a lowkey 813 classic. 8 p.m. $10 at door. Crowbar, Ybor City
THU 18
C Katara w/Fast Preacher/Antro Banks Most any visit from Daniel Hanson includes an appearance from Katara, and that’s what is happening this week when the Florida-Illinois songwriter brings his Fast Preacher project back to town. For fans of modern soul and pop, Wilson and Katara are in good company thanks to Anthony Santaniello who plays synth-driven vintage pop under the Antro Banks moniker. The evening should be unforgettable, too, as Hanson recently told Orlando Weekly that his band is currently made up of players totally obsessed with Stevie Wonder. 8 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City
See an extended version of this listing via cltampa.com/music.
C CL Recommends
Anyone with a thing for hot emo dads is getting an early Christmas gift this winter. Last week, American Football, forefather of the genre’s second wave, added more dates to its world tour, including four in Florida.
The Chicago quartet—featuring Mike Kinsella, his cousin Nate Kinsella, Steve Holmes and Steve Lamos—is on the road supporting its fourth self-titled EP. The record is the third part of a comeback for the band, which released its landmark debut in 1999 and then pretty much disappeared for the next decade-and-a-half.
LP4 is American Football’s first new album in seven years and finds Mike Kinsella treading heavily into the deeply personal lyricism that’s long been a hallmark of his solo project, Owen. The 10-track headphones record is also another leap away from the iconic sound of their debut towards more sweeping indie-rock.
The band’s comeback brought American Football to Ybor City in 2018 when it made its Tampa debut at Orpheum, then DJ’d with Emo Night Tampa at The Bricks. A press release says that $1 for every ticket sold on the “No Feelings” world tour
Pentagram w/Swamp Tooth/Florist/ Ramtha Sunday, June 21. 6 p.m. Sold out. Brass Mug, Tampa
Jessi Uribe Wednesday, June 24. 8 p.m.
$76.30 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
Florida Rock Symphony: The Music of Led Zeppelin Saturday, June 27. 8 p.m.
$56.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Mary Droppinz Saturday, July 11. 10 p.m.
$25.96. The Ritz, Ybor City
Florida Rock Symphony: The Music of Journey Friday, July 17. 8 p.m. $56.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
The Cunningham Wake w/Road’s End/ Tonnesen/Dying Tide Friday, July 24. 6 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa
Florida Rock Symphony: The Music of David Bowie Friday, Aug. 7. 8 p.m. $56.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Walker & Royce Saturday, Aug. 8. 10 p.m.
$21.28 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Squeeze w/Adam Ant/Haircut 100 Wednesday, Aug. 19. 6 p.m. $46.50 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater
Mad Dubz w/VKTM Friday, Aug. 21. 10 p.m. $20.77 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
The Mavericks feat. James Otto and Emily West Saturday, Sept. 12. 8 p.m. $58.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater MorFlow Fest: Mersiv w/Caspa/ Wreckno/Super Future/Seth David/Zen Selekta/FloZone/RJ WLKR Saturday,
kicking off June 19 in Italy “will go towards organizations protecting immigrant rights and supporting deportees, migrants and refugees.”
Openers for American Football’s newly-announced Florida shows—also happening in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Jacksonville—have not yet been announced. Tickets to see American Football play The Ritz in Ybor City on Saturday, Dec. 12 go on sale to the public on Friday, June 5.
See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Ray Roa
Will hooking up and having fun while single lessen my hunger for an LTR? I’m horny!
I met my husband doing something fun and sleazy (drunken one-night stand in Seattle) and I met my boyfriend of 12 years doing something fun and sleazy with my husband (sex dungeon in Berlin). So, if you go into your hookups with the right mindset—your fun hookup partner might make a great life partner—you could wind up finding the LTR you want while you’re having the fun you need.
What’s the most creative way you’ve ever heard of someone ending a relationship honestly?
I’ve seen some extremely dramatic breakup videos—people confronting cheating partners with evidence of an affair, sometimes at the altar in front of family and friends—but those breakups strike me as performative, vindictive, and (perhaps) deeply satisfying, but not “creative.” And I’m not even sure what a “creative” breakup would look like or why someone would want to get creative with a breakup. Breakups should be simple and direct, not elaborate staged. The flashmob proposal fad was bad enough—do we want to live in a world with flashmob breakups?
Thinking about staging an old-school flashmob wedding proposal. Good idea or not? And if not, why not? Is there a reason people don’t seem to do them anymore?
“Do it,” said a good friend who staged a flashmob wedding proposal that went viral a decade and a half ago. “The worst that could happen is your partner says no and you’re humiliated in front of a bunch of people. The second worst is they say yes and then leave you for someone else after you’re married—you’ll still be humiliated, but in front of fewer people.” (Full disclosure: My friend’s partner said yes, married him, and then left him for someone else. Still, he has no regrets—not about his marriage or about the flashmob proposal he organized.)
What do gay men think of shirt-cocking? Women of all orientations seem to be united in our disgust of the practice, but are there any gay men who think it’s hot? I’m all for shirtless and naked men, but shirt-cocking is just...well, gross, in my estimation.
I have something of an in-house expert when it comes to shirt-cocking, aka “Donald Ducking,” which is when a man wears a t-shirt and nothing else.
“I love it,” said Terry Miller, my husband and a huge fan of shirt-cocking. “Maybe it was an old locker room moment that imprinted on me. But there’s something about a hot guy in a cropped tee and a Speedo or naked from the
waist down. Fucking hottest thing ever.”
My husband, of course, speaks for all gay men everywhere.
Navigating the kink scene online as a professional (educator)… is it possible? Is it silly to share pics?
Thomas Rosengren was an award-winning sixth grade teacher in Minnesota—he was one of eleven finalists for the state’s teacher of the year award — when a rightwing “news” website found some PG-13 pics of him in leather and posted them. Rosengren was promptly fired. This didn’t happen in 1996—it happened in 2026. So, while it’s definitely possible to navigate the kink scene as a professional educator, you’ll need to be very careful about where you post your pics and who you share them with.
I’ve never heard you talk about my kink: hotpast. Some people get turned on by listening to their partners talk about the sex life they had before they met. Like most men, I started out jealous if my girlfriend mentioned anything about her past. But as our relationship progressed— my girlfriend is now my wife—it became a turn on for me. I know I’m not alone. It’s hotwifing light!
a mutual or—even worse—from social media.
Great sex with my ex who says he could never be in love with me again? Yes or no?
I would be happy to have great sex with your ex—if he’s hot. (What’s his Insta?)
P.S. My editor gently suggested that you might be asking whether you should have great sex with your ex again and not whether I would like to have great sex with your ex. If that’s the case, my advice would be… as my advice so often is… it depends. Fucking an ex who doesn’t love you when you still love them keeps an already existing wound open and could leave you with another, even deeper wound when your ex inevitably moves on. For your own sake, having mediocre sex with someone else is probably a better idea than having great sex with your ex—assuming you were asking about yourself and not offering your ex to me.
case, you should reach out to her personally—as a friend—and not post something to Facebook.
I’m a poly woman with a burdensome secret. Someone I was dating for several years let me know that he regularly had unprotected sex with other partners and did not tell his wife. At the time he told me this (a couple years ago), I was in a pretty bad place mentally and I wasn’t in a place to tell her. Now, it’s been a year, and I’m strong enough I think I could bear the messy fallout. But I’m unsure. They’ve got kids, it’s possible he’s no longer doing this, it’s possible she’s gotten on board with him having unprotected sex with others. It’s also possible that if I share this information, I get pushed out of the small town ENM community in which he and I co-exist. What do you think?
SAVAGE LOVE
Since sharing stories about previous sexual experiences is sometimes a gateway to cuckolding, I shared your letter with Hopeful Cuck, one of the hosts of the Cuck My Life podcast. If this is a kink, Hopeful and his crew would know about it. If it didn’t already have a name, Hopeful and his crew could make it happen.
“I dropped this question into the hive mind,” said Hopeful. “‘Complimentary Compersion,’ and ‘retrocompersion’ got tossed out as other possible names for this kink, but we all agreed that ‘hotpast’ is the best name for it. For some men, this might be a stand-in for ‘actual’ cuckolding. So many men can’t imagine their wives sleeping with someone new but get turned on by the idea that she used to sleep with new guys. It’s also a much safer option for women. Is it a gateway? Probably not for all, but it can be a first step for some! We love the idea!”
The Cuck My Life podcast—the podcast by cucks for cucks (and other adjacent people)—is available on all podcasting platforms.
Dating a friend’s ex: out of bounds or fair play?
Fair play. Setting up a friend with your ex? God-level play.
P.S. Friends don’t blindside friends. If you’re dating your friend’s ex, do the right thing and tell them yourself. Don’t let them find out from
I am a 70-year-old, cisgender, closeted bisexual man. I’ve been happily married to a woman for forty monogamous years. My wife is very accepting of gays but has no empathy for bisexual people, which is the reason I haven’t told her. She occasionally takes trips with family without me. During those trips I spend a lot of time with a friend of mine in a similar situation. My feelings for my friend are deep. My friend and I have agreed to no sex and to not doing anything that would be considered cheating. What is your opinion on what is possible for us—feelings or more—but wouldn’t be considered cheating?
Does my opinion really matter? The issue is the wife and her opinions—which have kept you in the closet for the last 40 years. If you don’t want to cheat, you’ll have to wait until you’re a widower to do anything remotely sexual with your similarly situated friend.
There’s this one guy whom I’m convinced is going into a lavender marriage! I want to say something at the top of my lungs on Facebook. Maybe he’s bi, and maybe there’s some femmephobia going on in me, but goddam, this guy’s gayer than a thong on gay cruise ship. I’m angry for multiple reasons. Why are women so fucking stupid?!?
Let’s not confuse one version of a lavender marriage—a loving companionate marriage between an openly gay man and a woman who knows he’s gay and doesn’t care (maybe she wants kids, maybe she’s asexual, maybe she wants a husband who would never cheat on her with another woman)—for the actions of the kind of selfish and/or deluded closet case who uses a woman as a human closet. If it’s a lavender marriage, you can and should STFU. If this woman is a friend and you suspect she’s about to marry a selfish and/or deluded closet
“If this had been a one-night stand two years ago that the writer harbored guilt about, I would have cited the principle of does this help or hurt and might have landed on keeping silent because it would only hurt the wife—but this is not that,” said Natalie Davis, author of Saying Yes: My Adventures in Polyamory and the editor of Polyamory Today. “And I have to say the husband was selfish to put his then-partner in a co-conspirator role against the wife. WTF? That is not the poly way! As for what to do now, assuming good intentions by the writer—the safety of the wife and his other partners against STIs, the risk the husband could father a child, and the overriding ENM goal of honesty and open communication—I would suggest that they meet with the husband and the wife together. Engage in nonviolent communication. Calmly state the facts—what the husband told the writer, her discomfort at the time with the information and her inability to take action for whatever reason then. What happens next is for the husband and wife to navigate.”
Follow Natalie Davis on Instagram @ NatalieDavisAdventures.
I’m a 38-year-old woman. My husband claims he’s bisexual. He hasn’t been interested in sex with me for several years, he sends dick pics and videos to other men on Snapchat, he sought out a gay doctor (“they’re better doctors”), and he is addicted to poppers and male porn. I’m pretty sure he’s just gay, otherwise wouldn’t he be more interested in me or at least cheating on me with other women? I feel like I have no choice but to leave him, and like I was just his beard. Please tell me what to do.
DTMFA.
P.S. Also, reading Kelly Foster Lindquist’s Beard: Memoir of a Marriage will make you feel less alone.
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