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concert launches new Sarasota-Bradenton venue, The Yard.
By Eric Snider
The greater Tampa Bay area has a new concert venue, one that fills a few niches and is located in what at first might seem an unlikely place. It’s called The Yard at South Bay Center, and it’s on the grounds of the new Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa. The open-air venue has a capacity of 5,500.
On Friday-Saturday, March 21-22, The Yard hosts the Palmetto Blues Festival, its first bona fide music event. The fest features six regional acts that deliver straight blues, blues-rock, R&B and funk, and will also include a tribute act, The Petty Experience, performing spot-on renditions of songs by one of Florida’s favorite sons.
The Yard—a vast, flat expanse—is set up with a front section for reserved seating on pavers. Behind it is a larger general admission section on artificial turf where concertgoers can set up lawn chairs and blankets, and also hang out at high-top tables. The venue has a fixed stage (concert-sized, 40 x 60 feet) and will contract out sound and lighting.
The Yard’s capacity of 5,500 fills a regional niche, occupying a space between upscale performing arts halls in the 2,000-plus range, and the 16,000-20,000 or so at Amalie Arena and the Midflorida Amphitheater. That provides The Yard the opportunity to bring in acts that otherwise might not fit into the existing concert landscape.
Big-name performers will come later, though. The Resort team is using 2025 to work out the kinks and get the venue running smoothly. “Next year we’ll crank up the national acts,” says Cory Dunbar, the Resort’s special events manager. “We plan on having at least 10 to 12 concerts a year of national acts.”
Another plus for The Yard is geography. The Resort is situated on US-Highway 41 just six miles south of the Skyway Bridge. It’s a 30-minute drive from downtown St. Pete, 45 minutes from downtown Tampa. It’s the most centrally located venue in our area, when including Sarasota and Bradenton.
The new venue may help connect the markets north and south of the Skyway Bridge. For decades, the myriad venues in Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater have gobbled up the concert action, preventing Sarasota/Bradenton from building a thriving scene of its own. The Yard could help change that. “We’re smack in the middle of everything,” Dunbar says. “We take the hassle out of the travel.” (Not for nothing, the Resort has ample parking for concertgoers.)
The Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa, which opened in July, has 252 guest rooms and a host of amenities, from several pools to pickleball courts to the eighth-floor Oyster River Rooftop
restaurant. But the most unique is The Yard. Rare is the resort that boasts a large outdoor concert space. “A lot of it is just the big idea of the hotel itself,” Dunbar says, explaining the owners’ decision to include the venue. “We call the resort a ship on land, and wanted to make sure we create the ultimate experience for all of our guests.”
Dunbar regards the Palmetto Blues Festival as something of a dry run for The Yard. “This is our first major event, an actual festival, so we don’t completely know what to expect,” he explained. “We would rather do a concert that’s kind of mid, where we still have a good crowd, but see how we can handle [logistics]. We’ll get audience feedback, make some adjustments and determine how we can actually control and use The Yard.”
Dunbar grew up in Palmetto and is pleased to see a blues festival coming to his native city. Another new venue may have enlisted a promoter or subcontracted the talent acquisition, but Dunbar booked the entire lineup himself. He shot for a mix of styles, most of which fall under the rubric of the blues. (The Petty Experience would have to be considered blues-adjacent.)
Here’s a quick overview of the acts coming to the Palmetto Blues Festival:
Friday, March 21
The four-piece Memphis Rub (5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.)—which is not from Memphis (Tenn. or Fla.)— mixes the flowing R&B of Booker T. & the M.G.’s with Southern soul and struttin’ 12-bar blues.
The Petty Experience (7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.)— the name Tom Petty is all you need to know.
Saturday, March 22
Guitarist Charlie Morris (1 p.m.-2 p.m.) fronts his quartet that plays tunes ranging from boogie to slow blues.
Doug Deming (3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.) slicks his hair into a pompadour and plays a big hollow-body guitar in a wild sound that encompasses swing, early rock ’n’ roll, boogie woogie and blues.
Annika Chambers brings a commanding presence and a bold, soulful voice to the stage. She’s ideally complemented by guitar ace Paul Deslauriers, who happens to be her husband. The act (5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.) puts on a vibrant, sexy show.
Trey Wanvig (7 p.m.-9 p.m.), in his early20s, has been making a name for himself in the region and beyond with his firebrand style of blues-rock guitar work.
Tickets for the Palmetto Blues Festival range from $10 to $40 and are available at bit.ly/PalmettoBluesFest.
Doug Deming
Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa
Speak out
Photos by Dave Decker
The University of South Florida is no stranger to seeing members of its community come under scrutiny for speaking out on pro-Palestinian and Islamic issues. Last summer police used tear gas on pro-Palestinian protesters at USF’s Tampa campus, leading to multiple arrests. Last Wednesday, members of Tampa Bay’s Students for a Democratic Society rallied and protested, calling for the release of someone else miles away: Mahmoud Khali—a student at Columbia University and Syrian immigrant of Palestinian descent—who, according to the New York Times, served as a negotiator on behalf of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the main coalition of protesting student groups. On March 8, Khalil was taken into detention after federal officials accused him, without detail, of leading Hamas-aligned activity. Khalil denies the allegation, but was arrested by ICE agents at his home in New York. Read more and see all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.—Ray Roa
do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from March 20-26
Y2GAY
Relive your Y2K gay awakening with Les Vixens. The Orlando-based queer burlesque troop is bringing Tampa back to the 2000s with acts inspired by Gwen Stefani, J Lo, The Matrix, Now! That’s What I Call Music, Kim Possible, Shakira, Bratz Dolls, Charlie’s Angels, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Christina Aguilera, and Fergie. Millennial queers, take some Advil for those creaky knees and get your dollars ready. The show is a mix of standing room and firstcome-first-serve seating. If you require a seat, email contact@lesvixens.com. Be prepared for flashing lights, smoke effects, and loud music.
Y2Kutie: Thursday, March 20. 7 p.m.-11 p.m. $25 & up, VIP tables available. Southern Nights, 1401 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. lesvixens. com—Selene San Felice
Seventh heaven
It’s been seven years, and Danielle O’Connor and Jennifer Evanchyk still don’t know what they’re doing at their sports emporium/neighborhood bar, Shuffle. Something’s working, however, as the spot is home to a vibrant Tuesday open mic, buku live music, competitive leagues, and a weird kids area in the back that the youngest of bar goers seem to enjoy.
To mark another turn around the sun, O’Connor, Evanchyk and staff are having a party featuring barn-burning cover band Second Rodeo, a Haus of Gripp drag show, and an art show headlined by photographer Michael Johnson who was one of the bar’s first managers. Proceeds from the party will go to relief efforts in Ukraine, while the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services stages a supply drive benefitting refugee families.
Shuffle turns seven: Saturday, March 22. Noon-11:45 p.m. No cover. Shuffle, 2612 N Tampa St., Tampa. shuffletampa.com— Ray Roa
Eat your artichoke heart out
With the unfortunate closures of local vegan restaurants happening across Tampa Bay, the arrival of St. Petersburg's annual plant-based foodie fest is quite welcome. VegFeast's vendor list includes Indie Flea favorite Gabby Bakes (which sells out at pretty much every event it pops up at), Nah Dogs, Caribbean-Southern food truck Seasoned Green, Tampa’s beloved Vegan Halal Cart, Orlando-based comfort food spot Karelyn's Vegan and organic juice vendor Real Rootz. And for fans of the recently-closed Gulfport favorite Golden Dinosaurs, the vegan deli will be present at VegFeast 2025, presumably slinging its sorely-missed plant-based sandwiches and handhelds.
VegFeast 2025: Saturday, March 22. Noon-4 p.m. No cover, bring money for food. Good Intentions, 1900 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. @vegfeast_ on Instagram— Kyla Fields
Some like it raw
A day that starts with Raw Smoothie Co. has a high chance of being successful. The shop started holding it down in NoHo before the neighborhood got hip, bringing to Tampeños all-organic gems like the Rise and Grind green smoothie featuring brown bear espresso beans. The spot marks eight years in business by taking over the block for party soundtracked by Just Some Friends’ collective’s DJ Svntos. Expect vendors, locally-made threads, grub from the Nana’s food truck, and more.
Eight-year anniversary party: Sunday, March 23. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. No cover. Raw Smoothie Co., 408 N Howard Ave., Tampa. @rawsmoothieco on Instagram—Ray Roa
Oh, the humanities
Learn about the culture and history that made the Florida Suncoast what it is today, including the native Tocobaga and Calusa tribes, Spanish explorers, freedom seekers and business tycoons. Jack E. Davis, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his book “Gulf: The Making of an American Sea,” headlines the day’s events with a keynote presentation. The festival, which kicked off last weekend, also includes cultural demonstrations, a sneak peek of the Hurricane Ian documentary “Rising: Surviving the Surge,” panel discussions, a showcase of 25 local humanities organizations, and children’s activities.
Florida Humanities Festival—Suncoast: Saturday, March 22. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. No cover. Selby Public Library, 1331 1st St., Sarasota. floridahumanities.org/fhfestival—Selene San Felice
Good morning, starshine!
Grab your tie dye, daisy chains and picnic blankets. American Stage’s beloved Play in the Park is taking Demen’s Landing back to “The Age of Aquarius” with “Hair.” The ‘60s rock musical focuses on a group of hippies in New York City trying to spread free love and peace amidst the Vietnam War. Join castmember Tristan Baboy (pictured) and sing along to hits like “Let the Sunshine In” while picnicking under the stars in this celebration of love and community. This is the first time American Stage has put on “Hair” in 15 years. The company promises another one of its famously awesome sets, including Vitale Bros murals and some groovy easter eggs. Come early to grab a good spot. Check American Stage’s Facebook and Instagram for weather cancelations.
‘Hair’: Opens Wednesday, March 26 (runs through April 27). 7:30 p.m. $28-48. Demens Landing, Demens Landing Park, Bayshore Drive & 2nd Avenue S, St. Petersburg. americanstage.org. —Selene San Felice
‘Razed’
Sunday, March 30. 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Free with registration Hough Hall at Palladium Theater. 253 5th Ave. N, St. Petersburg gasplantfilm.com
POLITICS ISSUES OPINION
Raised up
There’s one more chance to catch a must-see film about St. Pete’s Gas Plant district.
By Ray Roa
Late last February, as the lights came up inside an auditorium on the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, Dr. David Ponton III held back tears. Attendees at the Institute on Black Life’s inaugural Festival of Films had just collectively exhaled following a screening of “Razed,” a new documentary about St. Petersburg’s Gas Plant District. Ponton was readying himself to moderate a talkback with Andrew Lee, the film’s director, and its assistant director Tara Segall. The trio sat down, which is fitting because the documentary is an emotional rollercoaster.
The 75-minute movie takes viewers all the way back to the late-1800s when there wasn’t a baseball team on the 85-acre parking lot that’s home to Tropicana Field. That’s when the Orange Belt Railroad brought with it Black laborers who built a neighborhood that eventually became rich with beautiful two-story homes, ranch houses, bungalow-style dwellings, and businesses, too. Close to two dozen former residents appear on film to talk about growing up there, playing in Booker Creek, and being raised by neighbors who created a place for kids to almost forget about how Jim Crow informed society outside.
way, our community, our family, our friends, experienced so much play and joy, even if other people looked at it and saw it as deprivation.”
That communal spirit in the face of an ugly world is why there’s an alternate spelling for the film’s title: “Raised.”
LOCAL NEWS
But there are dark parts of the documentary, which does not flinch in bringing viewers to the 1980s as the neighborhood was mischaracterized as blighted by officials and The St. Petersburg Times—when in fact the blight was mostly happening where white landlords had property. Residents, there largely because of redlining, fell victim to eminent domain, and were more-or-less kicked out so the neighborhood could be redeveloped. They were promised a chance to return, but of course, plans changed and a municipality ended up building a baseball stadium for a team that didn’t even exist yet. Some residents interviewed in the film called that promise a straight up lie.
The joy of it all is not unfamiliar to the film’s producer, Gwendolyn D. Reese, a Gas Plant resident herself. “Some people cried and I smiled,” Reese told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, adding that it was good to be reminded of the happiness.
Some residents in the film laughed as they described taking a bath in a tin tub on the back porch, playing hopscotch in the dirt, cooking crabs in the backyard and taking mangoes from neighbors’ trees. They talked about their aspirations of attending Gibbs, Pinellas County’s first high school for Black students, and how their teachers—all successful in their own right— showcased an example of the possibilities.
There is also the specter of more heartache at the Trop site where Rays ownership just reneged on a promise to build a new stadium, but Reese declined to talk about the team at this time, and remained focused on the stories in the film. While there’s been much reporting on the old wounds and broken promises at the Gas Plant, she told CL that for many of the old residents, the film was the first time anyone had actually given them a chance to take the mic and tell their side.
“Some people cried and I smiled.”
Even Reese, who organized the interviews, learned something new when Carlos Lovett, one of the youngest people in the film, talked about how moving out of the Gas Plant district— named for the columns of fuel that towered over the neighborhood—affected his family.
thrived socially and economically—is right there in “Razed.”
“We experienced racism, but we didn’t actually know that we were deprived—because we weren’t,” Reese added. “Because in our own
“I really wasn’t aware of a family that had actually experienced homelessness because of the displacement,” she said. “When I was interviewing Carlos, and I heard his story, he and I were both crying. That has been the most powerful story for me.”
The whole story—the one that balances the horrors with stories of a neighborhood that
And after two sold-out screenings in St. Pete, and the one at USF, there’s just one more chance for locals to see the film before filmmakers decide if they’ll enter the documentary into film festivals in other parts of the country. The screening, set for Sunday at Palladium Theater, is organized by Sen. Darryl Rouson, who saw the premiere and told Reese that he wanted to help more people see the work.
“I think that one of the neat things that came out of the making of this film is reconnecting folks to other people who lived in the neighborhood,” Segall recently told WMNF public affairs program The Skinny. Segall was also unaware of the full picture until she started to make this film.
And while there’s still no place in present-day
St. Petersburg quite like the Gas Plant, its spirit lives on when its former residents get back together. That energy is perhaps the biggest reason to see this film, which skips the current Rays drama in favor of capturing the essence of the neighborhood.
The storytelling was paramount, Reese, and the filmmakers agreed—especially at a time when there’s an effort to suppress truths about Black life in America. Their stories, Reese explained, will find a way to the surface.
“If you don’t want to teach it in school, OK, then we’ll do films about it, or we’ll do a play like ‘When the Righteous Triumph,” Reese said. “There are other ways for us to tell our stories and make sure that history is not hidden, is not erased, is not whitewashed—and you can hear it from the people who lived it.”
SEEDS SOWN: Russell Cato and William Graveley reminisce about growing up in the Gas Plant Neighborhood. ROUNDHOUSE CREATIVE
Rail rally
Tampa streetcar to remain free through 2025.
By Colin Wolf
The popular TECO Line Streetcar will remain free, at least for the next year. In a 6-1 vote last Thursday, the Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board approved funding on Thursday to keep the streetcar free for the fiscal year of 2025.
the problems with finding a new stadium to help the Tampa Bay Rays remain in the region get resolved.
LOCAL NEWS
“The Streetcar has been a very successful program,” said CRA Board Member Alan Clendenin, who made the motion to approve the funding. “People spend way too much money on transportation. If we can eliminate the need to have a car payment, car maintenance and a car insurance payment, they can start affording housing; they can afford to live. This is the future of Tampa.”
Thanks to an annual $700,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation, the TECO Line Streetcar has been free for riders since 2018. However, the last grant didn’t continue into 2025.
The governor said that a Major League Baseball team could succeed in the region, which has some of the fastest growing cities in the country, but that it needs the right direction and infrastructure, which would include a stadium with a roof because of the frequent rain in the state.
DeSantis’ comments came a day after Stuart Sternberg, the team’s principal owner, announced the team wouldn’t move forward with a $1.3 billion stadium development project in St. Petersburg.
“This is the future of Tampa.”
To keep the service gratis, funding was allocated by the CRA’s Community Advisory Communities (CAC’s), including $234,000 from the Ybor City CRA, $233,000 from the Channel District CRA and $233,000 from the Downtown CRA. Districtwide councilman Charlie Miranda was the only “no” vote. Last year, the TECO Line Streetcar set an annual ridership record, with 1,330,932 trips.
DeSantis on Rays: ‘I know baseball can do well in the Tampa Bay area’ Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference in Palmetto Friday that he hopes
“I don’t really get involved in this or that because there’s other people that can handle that, but just as a fan and as a Floridian, I know baseball can do well in the Tampa Bay area,” said DeSantis, who was the captain of the Yale baseball team when he attended.
The governor talked at length about the importance of having major sports teams in the state during the press conference, during which he announced an infrastructure grant for Port Manatee.
Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off of Tropicana Field in October, the repair of which increased tensions between the Rays and city government.
Still, DeSantis said an MLB team leaving Florida would be a bad look for the league.—
Jackie Llanos/Florida Phoenix
STREET SMART: Tampa’s streetcar keeps cars off the road.
WUSF presents the Longest Table.
Join us on April 3rd for an epicurean experience right down the middle of Bayshore Drive in St. Petersburg.
Details available online at wusflongesttable.org or by calling (800) 741-9090.
Labor wager
Proposal to pay workers less than minimum wage for internships, job training, advances.
By McKenna Schueler
Florida’s minimum wage is one of the highest in the U.S. South. The state minimum wage currently sits at $13 an hour for nontipped workers, and will rise to $14 later this year. That’s because of a constitutional amendment Florida voters approved in 2020 to gradually raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by Sept. 30, 2026.
that would create carve-outs from Florida’s minimum wage for interns, apprentices, “preapprentices” and other work-study program employees.
LABOR
But some state legislators in the Florida Legislature—who forced voters to approve a higher minimum wage, because they wouldn’t enact one themselves—think this base wage is too burdensome for some employers. That is, employers who want to pay workers less, but don’t want to break the law.
With a row of young people sitting quietly behind him during a committee hearing last Monday, Florida Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, defended a new proposal of his (SB 676)
The proposal itself doesn’t include specific age limits for which workers employers can pay less than the bare minimum. But Martin claimed, in explaining his bill, that the goal is to allow young, unskilled workers to trade away their right to a minimum wage in order to gain job experience and skills.
“We’re not talking about somebody who has to have a livable wage to survive,” Martin claimed. “We’re closing out opportunity for an entire generation to build skills and develop opportunities in the workforce that we all had when we were growing up.”
“If the young people who want the skills, want to work … I want to make sure that the
employers can afford to bring them on,” he added.
The bill introduced by Martin—and Florida Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, in the Florida House (HB 541)—doesn’t explicitly say employers can pay interns and apprentices less than minimum wage. But it does offer the opportunity for a worker to “opt out” of being paid minimum wage.
Under the proposal, an apprentice or intern could “[check] a box on an application form to opt out of the minimum wage requirements” or “[provide] the employer with a written acknowledgment signed by the employee that the employee is opting out of the minimum wage requirements.”
Opponents of the bill, including State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said the bill would allow employers to exploit workers of all ages, including but not limited to teenagers in the workforce. “We have a constitutional minimum wage in Florida: It’s $13 an hour. And this law, this proposal, is an attempt to circumvent it,” Smith argued. “It’s an attempt to exploit workers of all ages.”
“We’re not talking about somebody who has to have a livable wage to survive…”
“It’s an attempt to exploit workers of all ages.”
An amendment made to the bill by Martin last Monday would require workers under 18 to get a parent or guardian to sign off on the waiver. It would also require that a worker “knowingly and voluntarily” agree to being paid a “lesser amount.”
Jackson Oberlink, a lobbyist for Florida Rising—a progressive advocacy group—also pointed out that because there aren’t specific definitions for who counts as an “intern” under law, unlike apprentices, employers could leverage that ambiguity to their advantage.
“A fast food worker, a grocery store cashier or a construction apprentice could suddenly find themselves reclassified as an intern and making far less than the legal minimum wage,” said Oberlink. “There’s nothing
continued on page 27
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in this bill to stop employers from using that loophole to slash wages.”
The bill could also be unconstitutional. A Senate staff analysis of the proposal notes that, under existing case law, even “if an employee signs a waiver stating that they opt out of minimum wage requirements, the employer is still bound by the minimum wage requirements of the state Constitution.”
Martin, however, believes that if this bill did pass, and someone sued over it, the conservative majority of the Florida Supreme Court would have his back. “I’m very confident that this is something that the Florida Supreme Court would side with us on,” he declared.
Unlike state law, any changes to Florida’s state constitution must be first approved by voters. “The language of the constitutional mandate is clear that employers must pay the established, hourly minimum wage to employees,” the staff analysis reads. “There is no exception or exemption from the minimum wage specified in the state constitution, other than those incorporated from the [Fair Labor Standards Act].”
Where did it come from?
Florida’s business lobby has been fighting Florida’s minimum wage requirements for decades—first, by lobbying against a constitutional amendment in 2004 that first established Florida’s minimum wage, separate from the federal minimum wage (which currently languishes at just $7.25 an hour).
More recently, Major League Baseball successfully lobbied lawmakers in 2023 to carve out minor league players from Florida’s minimum wage requirements. The following year, business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and the catch-all Associated Industries of Florida convinced Florida’s GOP lawmakers to approve a bill (HB 433) that, effective October 2026, will prohibit cities and counties from requiring their government contractors to pay their employees anything above the state minimum.
that researches economic trends and policies, said their experts were not aware of similar bills that had recently been introduced elsewhere in the U.S.
The National Federation of Independent Business has registered to lobby on the bill, according to disclosure records. The Florida NAACP, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, Florida AFL-CIO and Florida National Organization for Women (NOW) are opposed.
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are legally allowed to pay workers under 20 years old a subminimum wage for the first 90 days of their employment. Others, including incarcerated workers, certain workers with disabilities, and tipped workers, are also legally allowed to be paid subminimum wages.
‘Our apprentices have a hard enough time as it is’
Sean Donnelly, director of two apprenticeship programs run by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 606 in Orlando, told Orlando Weekly he isn’t entirely sure Martin and Chamberlin’s proposal would affect their program—since the union negotiates wages for apprentices directly with employers and contractors.
But the idea still doesn’t sit well with him. “One hundred percent, I am worried about it affecting our own programs.”
LABOR
Apprenticeship programs can be union— where a local labor union will negotiate competitive pay for apprentices, and help them find work after—or non-union. Some of the non-union programs may, for instance, be sponsored by an employer, a contractor, or a trade group like the Associated Builders and Contractors, a group that has openly opposed minimum wage mandates and lobbied last year to allow teenagers to legally work atop roofs.
Donnelly notes that even with their current wage scale, apprentices in Florida are struggling to make ends meet. “Our apprentices have a hard enough time as it is, working in Central Florida,” he admitted. “A very difficult time.”
More ‘freedom’ for working Floridians
Taking into account basic expenses such as housing, groceries and transportation, MIT’s living wage calculator estimates that a childless single adult in Florida must bring in $23.41 per hour working full-time (annual earnings of $48,692) in order to just live comfortably. If you have one child, that rises to $38.72 an hour, or $41.50 an hour in a two-adult household with two children where just one adult is working.
Martin, who admitted he had to turn down an unpaid internship in college himself because he couldn’t afford it, claimed his minimum wage proposal will give individual workers more “freedom” and “opportunities.”
“This gives an individual the freedom to show up at an employer’s place of business and say, ‘Hey, I’m willing to sweep floors and learn the job. I’m willing to be a hand while you’re working on engines, and hold a flashlight for you.
I’m willing to learn your business in exchange for experience and skills,’ that they could then transfer into the workplace without having to pay to go to college,” said Martin.
Sen. Tom Leek, chair of the Senate Commerce & Tourism committee that heard the bill last Monday, added that internships and apprenticeship programs are just “temporary.”
“You’re not committing yourself to a life of a lower wage, but what you are doing is allowing that person to make the decision on their own, that they would like to have a marketable skill more than they’d like to have 15 bucks an hour,” he said. “And that’s a fair trade.”
The Senate Commerce & Tourism Committee voted 5-3 along party lines to advance the bill forward, with Democratic senators Tracie Davis, Smith, and Kristen Arrington voting against and Sen. Clay Yarborough absent. Republican Sen. Joe Gruters voted in favor of advancing it forward, but admitted he had “reservations.”
Both proposals have to clear three committees and be approved by a majority in the House and Senate chambers in order to pass. Then, the bill would head to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his final approval.
Martin maintained, however, that the idea for the bill didn’t come from a think tank, or from model legislation pushed by conservative “bill mills” like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Instead, he said it came out of an organic conversation with Chamberlin, the House bill sponsor.
“Because the minimum wage was so high, I saw a lot of young, younger students—teenagers—missing out opportunities that we had when we were growing up, when the minimum wage was much lower, where we could hone our skills, build a résumé and develop job skills that would be beneficial through the rest of our career,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Economic Policy Institute, a progressive independent think tank
The IBEW’s three-year electrician apprenticeship program in Orlando offers starting wages of $17.15 an hour for their inside wireman route—above minimum wage—and $21 an hour for a program at Walt Disney World.
The programs are tuition-free, and wages rise each year of the program. By the program’s end, apprentices in the inside wireman program earn $27.12 an hour, and those in the Disney World program earn $24 an hour.
Donnelly, himself a graduate of an IBEW program, said the program is perfect for people who maybe can’t afford or don’t want to go to college, but who want to build a career that offers a living wage.
All apprentices are paid the same, regardless of race or ethnicity or gender. All you need is a high school diploma or GED. The average age of their apprentices is young people in their early to mid-20s. Their oldest graduate, a couple of years ago, was 69 years old.
BACKGROUND CHECK : Martin had to turn down an unpaid internship because he couldn’t afford it.
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Squirreling away
Insurance regulators questioned about 2022 report that wasn’t made public.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Florida lawmakers peppered the state’s sitting and former insurance commissioners for three hours last Friday to demand answers about why they didn’t bring immediate attention to a 2022 report detailing money transfers from Florida insurers to out-of-state affiliates.
At the time, Florida property insurers were pleading for legislative reforms because of liabilities from major storms and excessive litigation. Nevertheless, they were paying billions of dollars to affiliated companies, the document found.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) commissioned the report, prepared by Risk and Regulatory Consulting, in 2020 and it was published in March 2022, several months before a special legislative session made it harder to sue insurance companies.
at the time that had gone through insolvency, as well as investigating other insurance companies.
“I think it’s possible that they were simply overwhelmed,” he said.
Speaking under oath, Altmaier said the office had become aware of transfers with affiliated companies in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2021 that they were able to get legislation passed that specifically authorized them to investigate the affiliate payments.
STATE NEWS
House Speaker Daniel Perez called last Friday’s meeting of the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee following a bombshell Tampa Bay Times story about that report, which found that insurers who were claiming financial ruin after Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Michael in 2018 had paid $680 million in dividends to shareholders while simultaneously funneling billions to affiliated companies.
The report showed that 53 insurers reported a total of $61 million in net income, while their affiliates, known as MGAs (managing general agents), reported $14 billion in income.
Hillsborough County Republican Susan Valdes asked David Altmaier, who was insurance commissioner at the time the report was commissioned, whether he found the disclosure alarming.
‘Red flags’
“It certainly raised some red flags, which is why it was important for us to determine whether or not this was accurate,” Altmaier said.
Lawmakers pressed Altmaier and his successor, Michael Yaworsky, about why the office never made the report public. Their response was that it was in draft form and not ready for general release.
“A draft is a very real thing to us, and it is an indication that it is not a completed product,” Yaworsky told the committee.
Under further questioning, Yaworsky mentioned discussions that concluded sometime later in 2022 between the OIR and Rise & Regulatory Consulting “to perfect the document.” He said he didn’t know the details, adding that his office was dealing with between six or seven companies
“Even before we got this draft report, the office was very mindful that this allegation was out there. We were very mindful that we needed to increase our authority to answer these types of questions, not just for you but for your constituents and our consumers and all kinds of other stakeholders,” he said.
Altmaier wasn’t able to answer why, if he thought the report was so important, he didn’t follow up when the OIR received it in 2022.
“Hindsight being 20/20, there’s probably some opportunities where I could have poked a little bit to make sure that this work was continuing. But, as the commissioner said, we were dealing with a lot,” Altmaier said.
Pinellas County GOP Rep. Adam Anderson asked to what extent can excessive affiliate fees affect policyholders’ premiums?
“There is a factor in there that is fees that you pay to your affiliates,” Altmaier replied. “If that’s being done correctly, then that’s a reasonable fee to have in the rates. One of the reasons why this work was so important to us was, if this is being abused, then it can have detrimental impact on policyowner premiums. The challenge is, we didn’t fully answer that question during my tenure,” he said.
Yaworsky, who served as chief of staff to Altmaier between 2017 and 2021, was named Insurance Commissioner in early 2023. He said it wasn’t until late last year that he was even aware of the report.
That prompted several members of the committee to ask why he didn’t share the information from the report when appearing before lawmakers since then. They wanted to know whether the affiliate payments were directly responsible for the escalating property insurance rates that have become the single most important issue to Floridians, according to multiple polls taken over the last year.
Yaworsky pushed back, disputing that the transfers explain why some carriers have become insolvent or closed their businesses in Florida.
Insurers continue to blame excessive litigation
“I think the problem at its crux with companies is pretty easy to demonstrate—that it was … due primarily to litigation, but also natural catastrophes and the cost of reinsurance,” he said. “The companies went broke because rates simply could not be raised fast enough to accommodate that, and the market did not exist to support that. There’s not a lot of evidence that MGA fees or affiliate entity fees were the proximate cause of any insolvency.”
Also at the center of the discussion was what is considered a “fair and reasonable” amount for those companies send to their associated groups. The state of Florida to this day does not have a defined standard in law about what is fair and reasonable.
The Tampa Bay Times made a public information request to see the report in 2022, yet did not receive it until late last year. Several committee members questioned what led to that delay. “There was so much going on in 2022 that this did not take the priority,” Yaworsky said. “That’s a plausible explanation for what happened here.”
Some lawmakers reacted with disgust.
“Our purpose here today is to find out if insurance companies have been allegedly ripping the citizens of Florida off. Why rates are so high? We want to find that out. And this report’s the state’s attempt at determining the
answer to that,” said Palm Beach Republican Mike Caruso.
“Yet it’s still in draft form. It’s only seven pages long. It deals with data from 2017 to 2019. Today’s 2025. And I find it, as a legislator, that’s outrageous that we’re getting something that’s so antiquated and so full of flaws.”
Caruso and other lawmakers asked whether the office plans an updated report. That remains uncertain at this time, although committee chair Brad Yeager said after the meeting that he believed lawmakers would push to make that happen.
The report cost $150,000 and was paid for by a trust fund within the OIR, and not from taxpayer money.
The future
In his State of the State address last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proclaimed that the state’s homeowners’ insurance market is finally seeing some stability, noting 130,000 new private policies over the past year and that Florida had the lowest increase in rates of all 50 states.
However, the Tampa Bay Times reported earlier this week that the vast majority of the almost 1 million policyholders with state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will pay higher rates beginning on June 1. Known as the property insurer of last resort, it remains the largest in the state in terms of the number of policies written.
STAKING CLAIMS: Post-Helene on Treasure Island. DAVE DECKER
RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Toes in the sand
Twenty truly beachside bars and restaurants across Tampa Bay.
By CL Sta
After back-to-back hurricanes, Tampa Bay’s beachside restaurants and bars are still recovering, and many have yet to reopen. So it goes without saying that our local tiki-bars, fish shacks and beach bars need your support now more than ever. Whether you’re in town for spring break, or you’re a resident looking for a weekend staycation or sunset happy hour, here are a handful of local bars and restaurants that are right on the sand and open for business.
Caddy’s Madeira Beach As one of Tampa Bay’s favorite dining chains, Caddy’s has a lot of expectations to uphold, and its waterfront locations do not disappoint. Have frozen drinks during happy hour, take a dip in the water and come back for more in one of the best beachfront restaurants on Florida’s West Coast. 14080 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach, 727-308-7888. caddys.com
Caretta on the Gulf Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a bougie evening of cocktails in the golden sunshine, Caretta on the Gulf has all of the bases covered. Part of Sandpearl Resort, Caretta offers both a place to sit fireside with a drink or dine with a window view of Clearwater Beach. 500 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 727-4412425. opalcollection.com
a day at Clearwater Beach and not walk past at least one Frenchy’s. Heck, if you spent a week you could hit a different one almost every day. Frenchy’s has six locations spread across Clearwater Beach and Dunedin Causeway, serving fan-favorite dishes like its Cajun grouper sandwich, island shrimp tacos and seafood pot pie as well as local craft beers and frozen rum runners. 7 Rockaway St., Clearwater, 727-4464844. frenchysonline.com
The Getaway An iconic Tampa Bay eatery, The Getaway has all the trappings of a classic Florida tiki bar. Park your boat, kayak or paddleboard along the waters and let your kids splash around in their small beach area, while the adults have a drink or two. 13090 Gandy Blvd. N, St. Petersburg, 727-317-5751. thegetawaytampabay.com
DINING GUIDE
Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar & Grill
Located directly on the sand, Coconut Charlie’s is the tiki bar extension of the Hilton Garden Inn St. Pete Beach. The watering hole is still experiencing some renovations from the recent hurricanes, but a portion of their beach-side patio is currently open. There’s almost always live music, and guests can expect a nice selection of thin crust pizzas, tacos, boozy slushies and more. 17120 Gulf Blvd., North Redington Beach, 727-391-4000. coconutcharliesnorthredingtonbeach.com
Crabby Bill’s St. Pete Beach Crabby Bill’s is a classic, no-frills, beachside seafood shack located right on the sand in St. Pete Beach. A great place to grab lunch or dinner and stare at some surf, Crabby Bill’s features a nice spread of crab-related entrees (as you would’ve guessed), as well as a real grouper sandwich, tacos, and burgers and more. 5100 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-8858. stpetecrabbybills.com Frenchy’s It’s going to be hard to spend
Harry’s Beach Bar With an updated menu, this bar offers live entertainment and signature cocktails like the Harry’s Hurricane and The Harry Navel, as well as a selection of craft beer and food. Its direct waterfront views promise a good time either at the beach or at the pool of its home hotel, the Sirata. 5300 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach, 727363-5125. sirata.com
Ikki Woo Woo’s Tiki Hut at the Thunderbird Grab a seat on the outdoor deck and take in the views at the Thunderbird Beach Resort’s Tiki Hut Bar. Tasty cocktails and frozen tropical concoctions of all flavors are offered for those ready to unwind and relax on the beach. 10700 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, 800-367-2473. thunderbirdflorida.com
Ka’Tiki Ka’Tiki is a classic, no frills beach bar, and it sits about 20 feet from the sand (so, we’re going to count it). There’s live music almost every night, and weekly food and drink specials like $2.50 drafts Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., and $3 cheeseburgers everyday all-day. 8803 W Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, 727-3602272. katikisunsetbeach.com
Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill & Bar
Located on one of America’s top beaches, this very laid back beach joint is popular with tourists and locals, mostly because it offers quick bites and drinks directly on the sand. Try the gator bites and wasabi scallops while sipping
FLOAT ON: Boaters can pull up at The Getaway.
on one of their specialty cocktails. If you need a place to stay, The Palm Pavilion Inn is located a few steps away just in case the drinking gets a little too out of hand. 10 Bay Esplanade, Clearwater, 727-446-2642. palmpavilion.com
Paradise Grille St. Pete and Pass-A-Grille beach already have a lot going for them, but add live music and some fish tacos to the mix and there’s no turning down a visit to this oceanic grill. Paradise couldn’t be any closer to the water with tables just steps away from the water. Make sure to wear sunscreen as it doesn’t offer indoor seating. Paradise Grill offers classic American treats and a wide selection of drinks to choose from while enjoying a family beach day. 6850
Beach Plaza, St. Pete Beach. paradisegrille.com
Rowe Bar Located inside of The Don CeSar Hotel (which will reopens this month after experiencing quite a bit of damage from the hurricanes), Rowe Bar is one of the best places to eat and drink, and have direct access to a private beach. If you’re not staying at the hotel, score a day pass for access to most of the resort’s amenities, including the heated pool, sun chairs and this watering hole. Grab a hand-crafted cocktail and a bite of the tuna tacos or goat cheese fritters to savor the Gulf. 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881. doncesar.com
CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR
COOL RUNNINGS: You’re right next to the St. Pete Pier splash pad at Spa Beach Bistro. CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR
continued from page 35
Sandbar at Opal Sands Resort Sandbar, is a beachfront tiki-themed watering hole located in the pool area of Opal Sands Resort on Clearwater Beach. Besides having direct access to one of the world’s most popular beaches, the bar also features an expansive drink menu spanning everything from craft cocktails, wine and bubbly, to beer buckets and drafts. And, of course, there’s a solid pub grub menu with savory handhelds like burgers, wings, tacos, wraps and more. Plus, there’s a happy hour everyday from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. 430 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach, 727-450-6238. opalcollection.com
Shepard’s Tiki Beach Grill Located at the Shephard’s Beach Resort, the Tiki Beach Grill offers a variety of classic beach staples like grouper sandos, burgers, cocktails and more, plus it’s just steps away from the Gulf. 619 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach, 727442-5107. shephards.com
SkyBar + Grille Located within the SkyBeach Hotel and Marina, the SkyBar + Grille offers up a killer view of the Skyway Bridge with its own private patch of sand. Featuring more than just your typical beach grub, this beachside bar serves up a diverse menu spanning everything from gator rolls and ribeye sandwiches, to calamari and fish spread. There’s also a nice happy hour Monday-Thursday from 3:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., where $3 wells and $4 brews are up for grabs. 6800 Sunshine Skyway Ln. S, St. Petersburg, 727-867-1151. skybarandgrille.com
best views of Treasure Island Beach, plus it’s directly on the sand. 10650 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island. sloppyjoesonthebeach.com
Spa Beach Bistro The world is your oyster when you visit Spa Beach Bistro’s in downtown St. Pete. Located on the St. Pete Pier and within footsteps of Spa Beach, the restaurant offers easy to grab meals and drinks to enjoy as you walk along the city’s main touristy zone. If you get tired of the sand, there’s also a splash pad and a giant playground nearby. 501 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, 727-623-9877. spabeachbistro.com
DINING GUIDE
Sunset Grill and Beach Bar Sitting on its own private beach along the eastern edge of Tampa Bay, Sunset Grill and Beach Bar offers some pretty unique views of the skyline, as well as tons of outdoor seating, a hefty drink menu and food options that are a little more high brow than your typical beach bar. Of course, as the name implies, it’s also a pretty great spot to grab a drink and catch the sun go down. 602 Bahia Del Sol Dr., Ruskin, 813607-2900. sunsetgrillfl.com
Undertow Beach Bar
Arguably the most rizzed up beach bar in Pinellas County, the Undertow is known for its bikini-clad servers, cheap drinks and direct access to the beach. This spot serves up classic pub grub for breakfast, lunch or dinner and has a killer happy hour during the week. 3850 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach.@undertowbeachbar on Instagram
Sloppy Joe’s On The Beach With extra large and shareable American-Caribbean entrées, Sloppy Joe’s offers a great setting to get together with friends. Located at The Bilmar Beach Resort, the restaurant offers one of the
Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill With its own private beach and Causeway locale, Whiskey Joe’s is one of Tampa’s most visible beach bars. You can brave Ben T. Davis, or pay a small fee to access Whiskey Joe’s beachside bar and party area. 7720 W Courtney Campbell Cswy., Tampa, 813-281-0770. thewhiskeyjoes.com
Hot dog
Four Tampa restaurants added to Florida’s Michelin Guide, and more local food news.
By Colin Wolf
Last Wednesday, Michelin announced the addition of 14 new restaurants to its 2025 Florida dining guide, and a handful of Tampa spots made the cut. The new Tampa additions include popular grouper spot Ray’s Fish Camp, new Italian sandwich shop Cousin Vinny’s, the new Mad Dogs and Englishmen locale, and Chef Ebbe Vollmer’s new high-end seafood experience Fisk. Restaurants from Orlando, Miami and Coral Cables were also added to the guide.
All four Tampa restaurants are now listed as “recommended” and are eligible to earn Bib Gourmand or Star awards at the upcoming Florida Michelin Guide Ceremony happening in Orlando on April 17.
Tampa is now home to five restaurants with Michelin Stars (Ebbe, Rocca, Koya, Lilac, Kosen), four with Bib Gourmands (Rooster & the Till, Gorkhali Kitchen, Streetlight Taco, Psomi), and dozens of others that have been recommended by inspectors. The new additions come after it was announced last month that St. Petersburg and Clearwater restaurants are now eligible to be included in the guide.
Visit cltampa.com/slideshows to see what the updated Michelin guide had to say about the new Tampa restaurants:
Mel’s Hot Dogs now has a ‘free beer and ice cream’ happy hour
Tampa Bay has a lot of happy hours, but until now none of them were specifically geared towards sophisticated afterwork crowds who enjoy an encased meat with their beer. Started last week, East Tampa culinary institution Mel’s Hot Dogs now has a new happy hour, where diners can either score a free beer or a free scoop of ice cream with the purchase of any hot dog basket.
The promotion will run Monday-Friday, from 3 p.m.-7 p.m., and is good for any of Mel’s 15 hot dogs, including their famous Mighty Mel dogs, chili dogs, bagel dogs, or the popular new dog Rodeo Dog (diced onion rings, bacon, barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese). Mel’s also recently started offering a “Party Pack” that feeds 12 (or one ambitious go-getter) featuring 12 hot dogs, a quart of beans, a quart of coleslaw, chips and 12 cookies for $95.99.
The 53-year-old hot Tampa dog joint started offering ice cream and a wider selection of bottled beers and seltzers in 2023, after founder Mel Lohn sold the establishment to longtime customer Pam Szabo and her brothers.
Mel’s, which won a Best of The Bay 2024 reader’s poll for “Best Hot Dogs,” is located at
4136 E Busch Blvd., at the southeastern corner of the Busch Gardens parking lot, and is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Popular wing chain Du ’s will open in former Ella’s location in
Seminole Heights
A chicken wing staple with a cult-like following is coming to Seminole Heights this spring. Buffalo-based chicken chain Duff’s Famous Wings says it will open a new location in the former home of Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, which closed last September. The company made the announcement on social media this month, adding that the new outpost should debut sometime in May, and that “more locations are on the way.”
Known for its Buffalo-style wings, the menu also spans everything from fish and steak sandwiches, burgers, wraps, salads, chicken tenders and more. There’s also a beer and wine list. Duff’s is no stranger to Tampa Bay. Last summer, the company hosted a pop-up event at GenX Tavern in downtown Tampa.
Lara, a new apothecary bar and culinary market, is now open in Ybor City
It’s been roughly two years since seasoned Tampa chef Suzanne “Suz” Lara announced her debut concept paying homage to her newlyacquired last name, and now LARA - Apothecary & Bazaar is finally serving out of its new home in Ybor City.
a drink-only menu. But just last month, the food menu was introduced to the public, and emphasizes global comfort food with a Tampa twist, including elevated bar snacks like charcoal Maduro skewers and tuna tostado, as well as more adventurous dishes like white curry and chochoyotes.
“We’re definitely not scared,” said Chef Suz in a recent conversation with CL. “We’ll see what Ybor will let me get away with, but hopefully I can have some fun and maybe inspire some other chefs to have some fun too.”
FOOD NEWS
Named after the founder, Louise Duffney, the first Duff’s opened in 1946 in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York, and has since grown to multiple locations in the area and Texas. According to the website, this will be the first Duff’s location in Florida.
Located at 1919 E 7th Ave., in the former Stone Soup Company location, the new space revolves around its “apothecary” bar (which is a fancy term for a craft cocktail bar with a lot of bottles) serves a variety of both N/A and alcoholic cocktails—plus a marketplace filled with specialized goods and a food program that Chef Suz calls its “supporting member.” Chef Suz told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the restaurant can seat 52 people, plus eight more at the bar and 26 people upstairs.
Lara started serving in early February with
In a way, Lara is 20 years in the making for Chef Suz, who started her culinary journey as a dishwasher at Tampa’s now-closed Viva La Frida, eventually becoming a line cook. She then helped open Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe and helmed its kitchen as the Executive Chef for about a decade before helping open Cass Street Deli in 2019. She also worked as Rooster & the Till’s sous chef in 2021 while finalizing business plans for Lara’s eventual debut.
Longtime fans of Chef Suz, will probably notice Lara’s staff is filled with a few “MVPs” and familiar faces from both Ella’s and Rooster & the Till.
“It’s already running so smooth and better than I can imagine,” added Chef Suz, “because
continued on page 40
the team is so strong and you have that camaraderie and work together for so long, and we’re all hustlers, and we’re all self managing.”
As of now the marketplace component of the concept is still in the works, but dinner and bar service is open Thursday-Saturday, from 5 p.m.midnight, and Sundays noon-6 p.m.
Ichicoro ramen alum takes over Seminole Heights’ Jug & Bottle
The place never closed but Jessie Wohlers has been welcoming the neighborhood back to Jug & Bottle. A Tampa food scene lifer who was part of the team that opened the recently-shuttered Ichicoro Ramen a decade ago, Wohlers told CL that she and “a bunch of buds” more-or-less made their ownership of Jug & Bottle official last month. The shop, opened in 2015 and located at 6203 N Florida Ave., went up for sale last year.
She’s also been spending every moment available editing the insides, making a little more room for customers to move around, finding space for more seating, and clearing some of the shelves for a more diverse selection of wine.
“We’re going to bring in some traditional producers. As well as keeping the natural wine, and we’re going to bring in a lot more non-alcoholic options,” Wohlers—who’s also behind c. 1949 beer bar near Lowry Park and helmed the beverage program at Ichicoro—said. There are also plans to put cocktails from the Ichicoro days on some of the nine draft taps, along with
new sake and wine cocktails if the neighborhood wants them. She and her partners do have a liquor license, and would have to get the business rezoned to use it, but Wohlers emphasized that there is no intention to turn Jug & Bottle into any kind of liquor store.
“It’s always going to be predominantly wine. Then I would say beer, then I would say spirits,” she said, adding that caffeine will also be part of the offerings.
“I’m not trying to work at a place that doesn’t have espresso. I’m 44. I have been doing this long enough, and that’s my one request,” Wohlers laughed. Once the revenue picks up, Jug & Bottle plans to open earlier and stay open later, too.
Wohlers added that she was happy to pick up the baton from Jug’s previous owners, including co-founder Veronica Danko. “We are so excited that Jessica and her team are taking the reins at Jug & Bottle and we are relieved that our little beer & wine shop will remain a staple in the community!,”” Danko wrote in a text to CL.
culturally accurate, plus hospitality-focused.
“We want to keep that in Tampa, and this will be the first thing that we kind of try to enhance, while keeping the bones,” she said.
And while Wohlers would not say what was moving into the kitchen that used to house vegan favorite 3 Dot, she did throw out a bone and say that it would be an “exciting and familiar” addition. “It’s definitely going to be a ramen shop. We just don’t know what the name of it is going to be,” she said.—Ray Roa
Davis Islands’ DI Co ee Bar will open new location in Tampa’s Seminole Heights
A Davis Islands staple is coming to higher ground. DI Coffee Bar is set to open its second location in Tampa’s Seminole Heights. The addition to the historic neighborhood comes without an opening date, but there is an address—6114
FOOD NEWS
While initial listings for Jug & Bottle asked for $375,000, Danko and Wohlers would not disclose the final financials of the deal.
More than anything, Wohlers and her partners are focused on preserving and enhancing Tampa’s mom and pop businesses. She loves that the city has shiny places like Channelside and Water Street, but really loves the neighborhoods and wants her concepts to be historically and
N Central Ave. in the old Cake Cuties Bakery parcel.
The coffee shop cofounded by Ramon Perez 11 years ago is known for its welcoming, buzzing, cafe and back patio which hosts live music like the famed Friday Night Jazz series.
The shop serves Miami-based Panther Coffee for all of its coffees, from cappuccinos to americanos and everything in between. Included on the menu at the Davis Islands location are all day foods, with variations of the famous Cuban, like the pesto Cuban, and
if you love cheese, the Caprese version.
The DI Coffee Bar in Seminole Heights is a welcome addition to a neighborhood where residents currently flock to Corner Club, Spaddy’s, and the soon-to-have-espresso Jug & Bottle for their caffeine fix.—Julia Saad
Jacksonville breakfast favorite Grumpy’s wants to open in Tampa
Tampa might be getting a new moody option for breakfast and lunch. Grumpy’s, with five locations in the Jacksonville area, is looking to come down from north Florida and open locations here in Tampa Bay.
After Tampa was ranked No. 5 on WalletHub’s Best Foodie Cities in America listing, Grumpy’s brass started looking for entrepreneurs willing to help them expand, a press release states.
The traditional “Americana” diner offers a full breakfast southern-style menu, including omelets, full breakfast plates with all the traditional sides and sandwiches. If you are staying for lunch, the “bad mood dude” offers a diverse hand-held menu, from gyros to Phillys. Salads and soup of the day are also on the menu. A date for the expansion or any groundbreaking for the location are to be determined.
The press release adds that a Grumpy’s takes up approximately 2,800 square-feet, and seats about 120 people. Between the $40,000 franchise fee and opening costs, it can cost between $685,000-over $1.6 million to open a location.—JS
ISLAND TIME: A Davis Island favorite is headed for higher ground. RAY ROA continued from page 39
ANSEL ADAMS
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE MFA COLLECTION FINAL DAYS TO ENJOY... ON VIEW THROUGH MARCH 23
Installation of Ansel Adams: Photographs from the MFA Collection
THE TRIUMPH OF JAPANESE DRESS ON VIEW THROUGH JUNE 8
Woman’s Furisode 1917, Silk, Collection of Peter Kuhlmann and Diane Gilmour
PETER KUHLMANN
SUNDAY, MARCH 23 | 2-3 PM
An artful conversation between erstwhile kimono dealer and importer of Asian objets d’art, Peter Kuhlmann, and the curators of Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress, Dr. Stanton Thomas and Jason Wyatt
GILDED AGE GEISHAS
19TH CENTURY AMERICA’S OBSESSION WITH JAPAN
SUNDAY, MARCH 30 | 2-3 PM
In the late 1870s Americans were obsessed with a new style called Japonisme. Join Annamarie Sandecki, former Director of the Tiffany & Co. Archives, as she discusses America’s first home decorating obsession.
INTERVIEW
Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One: An Evening with Kristen Arnett Next Tuesday, April 1. 7 p.m. $5 Tombolo Books. 2153 1st Ave S., St. Petersburg tombolobooks.com
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
Clowning
Kristen Arnett talks queer spaces, art, and the absurdity of Florida.
By Arielle Stevenson
There’s something beautifully stubborn about making art in Florida. This state is built on the contradictions of fantasy, where artists hustle in dead-end strip mall jobs just to pay the rent, and dreams are conjured in the breakrooms of off-brand theme parks.
New York Times bestselling author Kristen Arnett knows this contradiction too well. Arnett’s latest novel, “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One,” follows Cherry Hendricks, a struggling clown and aquarium store employee relentlessly pursuing art (and hot closeted Central Florida married women). Cherry drags her makeup out of a garbage can to make it to a gig, tunnelvisioned on her dream even as life, capitalism, and the absurdity of Orlando try to shake her off course. That is until, of course, she meets the one named Margot the Magnificent. Cue George Michael’s “Father Figure.” It’s a novel about ambition, queerness, and the weird, messy reality of creating something when the world keeps telling you not to bother.
“I structured this book almost like a comedy set.”
a city where people are constantly coming in, and you are being pushed out—out of housing, out of jobs, out of spaces that once felt like home. I also wanted to explore what it means to be a working artist here. Orlando is full of artists—performers, actors, dancers, drag queens, visual artists. But because it’s a tourism economy, people often dismiss that work as tacky, unserious. I wanted to write about someone who takes their art very seriously, even if the world doesn’t.
The book is out on March 18 on Riverhead Books, and Arnett will be in conversation with her wife, Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, at Tombolo Books on April 1, which is quite appropriate for a book about a clown.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay sat down with Arnett to talk about clowning as a metaphor for art, the precarity of queer spaces, and why gas station snacks might just be the great Floridian equalizer.
Your previous books, ‘Mostly Dead Things and With Teeth,’ always capture the duality of Florida, especially Orlando. It’s a place of both fantasy and brutality. Orlando always gets love in your books, but this one feels like it’s really steeped in the city’s essence. What were you thinking about when going into ‘Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One?’
I consider myself a place writer—very much a Florida writer—and that’s an honor to me. With this book, I specifically set out to write an Orlando book, like a real Orlando book. I put little Easter eggs in there for people who have lived here a long time. But more than that, I wanted to write about what it’s like to exist in
I love that, especially because so many creative communities in Orlando exist in this nomadic way. They pop up, thrive for a while, then disappear when rent gets too high. Right! Queer spaces here don’t always get to be permanent. A place becomes queer because the management is queer, or the staff is queer, and then queer people feel safe there. And then— suddenly—it’s gone. I wanted the book to reflect the instability of the community, even when you want it to last. Cherry is part of a city where the community is real but not always stable. And that’s not just an Orlando thing—it’s true in so many places in Florida.
The clowning element in this book feels like a metaphor for being a writer—performing, putting yourself out there, never knowing how people will react. Did that connection come up for you?
Oh, absolutely. Clowning is so much like writing—or any creative pursuit, really. You’re trying to connect with an audience, and sometimes they love it, sometimes they don’t get it, and sometimes they straight-up ignore you. But Cherry, my main character, cares so much about her art. She is deeply invested in her craft, even when no one else takes it seriously. I wanted to explore that dynamic—the tension between taking your own work seriously while existing in a world that constantly belittles it.
You balance humor with some really tough themes—grief, financial instability, the precarity of queer life in Florida. Why was it important to make this book funny?
Because life is funny! Even when it’s bad. Maybe, especially when it’s bad. Cherry uses humor as a way to process her emotions, but it’s not just deflection—it’s working through things. I structured this book almost like a comedy set, where each chapter has its own rhythm and beats. And honestly? I wanted to have fun. Writing this book was so much fun.
OK, serious question—what are Cherry’s go-to gas station snacks?
Oh, she’s living off gas station food. She’s hitting up the hot roller for taquitos. Because she’s spending all her money on other shit, and she’s like, oh fuck, I gotta eat, so, like, that’s what she’s eating.
And what about your go-to gas station snacks?
I used to live off Steel Reserve tall boys and white cheddar Cheez-Its. Now, I’ve moved into a sour gummy phase—Sour Straws, Trolli crawlers, whatever new sour gummy they’ve got, I’ll try it. Also, I love 7-Eleven. I basically lived at one for years, to the point where they let me do my short fiction book launch inside the store, right by the hot roller. The manager was this superbutch lesbian who kept hiring more butches, so it became a queer space. That’s Florida for
you—sometimes your safe space is a 7-Eleven.
By the way! Happy one-year anniversary! With so many people leaving Florida because of its turn towards the far-right, what was it like deciding to have a big, unapologetically queer wedding here?
Thank you! It was important to us to have the wedding here, and we wanted people to experience the real Florida. Most of our guests were traveling in, so we put together a list of our favorite spots—restaurants, bars, places we love—because we wanted them to see what we see in this place. Florida is complicated. It’s frustrating and wonderful and home. Having a wedding here, at this moment, felt like saying, “Yeah, we’re still here. Queer people live here, and we’re thriving.”
It feels like you had fun writing this book. I did! It’s the most fun I’ve ever had on a project. I let the idea simmer for a year, and then I sat down and wrote the draft in three and a half months. I was obsessed.
Well, it shows. This book is such a gift. Thank you for writing it, and thank you for this conversation!
Thank you! This was so much fun.
LAUGH IT OFF: Kristen Arnett says life is funny, maybe, especially when it’s bad. MARIA RADA
Friday, Mar 21, 2025 • 10:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Benny Benassi (Sunset Saturday) @ The Ritz Ybor
1503 E. 7th Ave – Tampa
$30 GA
hive.co/l/benny0321
Friday, Mar 21, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Immersive Night Market Experience @ 1920 Ybor 1920 East 7th Avenue Tampa
Free to public 1920yborcity.com/
Friday, Mar. 21, 2025 • Show at 9:00 PM
CRIMEWAVE: A DARKWAVE PARTY @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa
$17.67 GA crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events
Friday, Mar. 21 - Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025
Doors at 5:45 PM, Show at 7:00 PM
Luenell @ The Funny Bone 1600 E 8th Ave C-112, Tampa
Tickets start at $42 bit.ly/4kPrBS7
Saturday, Mar 22, 2025 • 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM SET IT OFF // PRE-TAMPA PRIDE EXPERIENCE @ 1920 Ybor
1920 East 7th Avenue Tampa
$30 GA, $50 VIP 1920yborcity.com/
Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Seed Swap by 813 Hood Garden @ Ybor St Community Garden 2924 Ybor Street Tampa Free with RSVP bit.ly/4iJmFwe
Saturday, Mar 22, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Connor Price • The Friends & Family Tour @ The Ritz Ybor 1503 E. 7th Ave – Tampa
See website for more details bit.ly/connorprice2025
Sunday, Mar.. 23, 2025 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Chicken Yoga w/ Yoga Loft Tampa & Ybor Misfits @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Avenue Tampa
$12 General Admission bit.ly/3Ex8WtB
Sunday, Mar. 23, 2025 • Show at 6:00 PM
Beat Mauraders Producer Showcase @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa
$5 Cover crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events
Saturday, Mar 29, 2025 • 3:00 PM - 3:00 AM
EDEN TAMPA QUEER LIFESTYLE + MUSIC FESTIVAL @ 1920 Ybor
1920 East 7th Avenue Tampa
Waitlist Availalbe 1920yborcity.com/
By Ray Roa C CL Recommends
Editor’s note: Music Week will be abridged and listings heavy for a few weeks while Creative Loafing Tampa Bay works through a staff transition. Thanks for supporting the live music calendar.
THU 20
Lachy Doley All the way from Australia, Lachy Doley is that guy on social media with a whammy bar on his Hammond. Online, he works through jammy covers of Boston, The Doors, and Hendrix. The 46-year-old will do a bunch of pumping and pounding on the keys for this one inside the most intimate space at Ruth Eckerd in support of a new live album recorded in Paris in 2023 (and released last month). (Murray Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Naruto: The Symphonic Experience
Tampa is already home to a producer (Wally Clark) who’s made a beat tape inspired by “Naruto,” and now fans of the Japanese anime series can get their fix symphonically. Fresh off a European tour, this show features a two-hour, subtitled, feature film featuring segments from the first 220 original episodes of the series—all soundtracked by a live orchestra playing the most iconic songs and themes. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
FRI 21
C Women In Music: Ari Chi w/Ella Jet/ Femme.Antics/Meeshy With less than 25% of the musicians at major music festivals being women last year, it’s no secret that non-male representation in the live music scene has always felt pretty skimpy. It lingers, sure, but you can’t pretend that it’s hard to find a guy with his guitar or rap project playing gigs around town. Still, Doechii’s Best Rap Album win at the Grammy Awards last month put Tampa Bay on the world stage, and proved that all eyes should be on our other female artists. The Tampa Heights shuffleboard bar (which is woman-owned itself) won’t rest until that’s the case, and its second annual Women In Music celebration sees St. Pete singer-songwriter Ella Jet back home for a gig, along with a diverse smorgasbord of women who music fans should be paying attention to. (Shuffle, Tampa)
SAT 22
Andy Grammer w/Zach Hood After spending the fall playing intimate, acoustic shows across the country, the 41-year-old singersongwriter—who just announced a new EP where he’ll reimagine some tracks acoustically—is finally pushing his new album Monster, which he describes as a half-hour
long vent session that he “had to make.” Grammer has said that he typically tries to avoid writing about anger, but somehow, picking up a mandolin helped him to become less avoidant of it. This gig comes only 329 days after his last appearance in the area, which took place at Busch Gardens and assisted in ushering in the Monster era. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Capstan w/Colorblind/Not Enough Space
Not to say that the Orlando-based rock outfit doesn’t carry a sense of diverse eclecticism on its studio albums, but its latest, The Mosaic , has an approach for everyone. Those who love a digital beat, alt-rock laments, piano-driven ballads, or just flat-out screamo have at least two moments of their own on this record, one of each appearing on the closing, title track alone. Hell, there’s even “An Open Letter,” an acoustic, lo-fi indie track that serves as an apology to everyone that knew the narrator when he was young. The second date of Capstan’s new run of shows, which promises to be a career-so-far retrospective with some unplayed acoustic tracks mixed in, and if you’re up for planning a road trip, a homecoming show at The Abbey in Orlando closes the tour next month. Restless heart, keep running. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Valspar Championship: Jordan Davis
There aren’t many major names in music that roll into Palm Harbor, but the annual Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort kicked off on St. Paddy’s Day, so you know that someone in semi-modern country music is gonna help close it out (because that’s the exact genre Tiger Woods wanted to hear as a runner-up in 2018). While previous years have showcased Darius Rucker and the late Toby Keith, it’s Jordan Davis’ turn this year. He’s on the heels of a fourth child and an upcoming third album that is sure to feature more of his Croce-and-Prine-meets-brocountry style, so why the hell not? (Valspar at Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor)
Punks For Palestine: Killed By Florida w/Fortitude/Mace/Spanish Needles/ Flag Burner/Common Bond/DJ Seuss/ DJ Trevor Martin Despite the “ceasefire” that went into effect one day before former president Joe Biden left office, countless Palestinians have lost practically everything. This beast of a punk megashow at the notoriously inclusive Ybor Heights room will see all proceeds go to Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, which, according to its website, “provides medical and humanitarian relief collectively and individually to children throughout the Levant, regardless of their nationality or religion.” (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
Tampa Zine Fest: Kid Loki w/The Dissentors/GrowHouse Poets/Deep Bite/Marguerite Sissie So many of the things that make Tampa an amazing place to call home come together in this Seminole Heights biergarten for the one-day-old
THU MARCH 20–THU MARCH 26
Tampa Zine Fest. ARtists like illustrator Mia Makes It are just some of the craftsfolk setting up shop along with Print St. Pete, the Restorative Justice Coalition and Splat Magazine. Ukulele-strumming Kid Loki tops the music lineup alongside slowcore outfit Deep Bite and experimental electro act Marguerite Sissie. (Southern Brewing & Winery, Tampa)
SUN 23
C Beat Mauraders Producer Showcase: K Luv w/AB Nrml/Fuchi/Rozell/Moby Vic/Deejay Kellan/Xzstnce/Rikinish/Leto Beats/Bauxmonk/more Crowbar’s newish hip-hop focused Sunday night series turns the mics over to the beatsmiths for a producer showcase featuring more than a dozen sample splicers and drum maestros who’ll be supported by a pair of emcees— Sintell Terry and ABR—plus many of the cooks and clothiers who’ve been setting up shop in the venue’s courtyard for years. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
C JoJo Fundraiser: Big Sad w/ Prescribed Fire/Choking on the Revelry/ Moonthing Regulars at the since-moved Ybor City location of nearly 30-year-old bar and music venue New World Brewery know how good it feels to see Joanne Rivera on the clock. The beloved bartender and friend is funny as hell, and one of the best friends someone can have. While Rivera’s long since left for Colorado, her friends and New World family are coming together to help raise money for her fight with stage three ovarian cancer. “She’s been experiencing a very
rare neurological side effect to the cancer, which has induced intense non-stop vertigo and nausea,” Rivera’s son, Ferriss Thomsen, wrote in a GoFundMe hinting at the long road ahead. This concert features a who’d who of the homegrown punk and rock scene plus psychedelic surf-rock outfit Moonthing raising more money for the cause. (Music hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)
WED 26
C Explosions In The Sky Hard to believe, but the post-rock world has been watching Explosions In The Sky for 25 years now. Despite the name of its last tour and album, End , the instrumental rock band is still busy, but don’t be surprised to see the quartet heavily revisiting its 2000 debut, How Strange, Innocence , which was initially released on CD-Rs. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
C Skegss w/Twen It’s hard to make a worthwhile follow-up album to the one that put you on the map. But Skeggs still managed to create something bold and experimental enough to keep it on Coachella’s radar. Jonny Lani and Ben Reed’s latest album Pacific Highway Music (their first as a duo) sees the two experimenting with synthesizers—a big step away from their normal surf-esque sound—while mentally reminiscing about the hypnosis the Australian psychedelic-garage duo felt while driving down the actual highway that shares a name with the record. Beach-pop duo Twen opens. (The Ritz, Ybor City)
continued on page 48
Ella Jet RAY ROA
THU 27
Chops Jam Session: Rod Alnord Quartet After bouncing around a bit, drummer Rod Alnord has found a new home for his jazz jam session, which along with the DI Jazz Nights and In The Pocket at Corner Club, is one of just a few opportunities for local jazz musicians to get onstage and improvise. There’s no cover as Alnord and whoever makes it to the mic start a new chapter. (Biergarten at New World Brewery, Tampa)
Also playing
Ben Rogers Band Friday, March 21. 7:30 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Benny Benassi Friday, March 21. 10 p.m. $30 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Boots ‘N Beats Friday, March 21. 8 p.m. $20. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Burn Forever w/Consume The Wolf/ Castrofate/Markuss The Karkuss and the Bloody Nuns Friday, March 21. 7 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa
Crimewave: A Darkwave Party Friday, March 21. 9 p.m. $17.67. Crowbar, Ybor City
Damon Fowler Birthday Concert Friday, March 21. 7 p.m. $15. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
The Electric Light Orchestra Experience Friday, March 21. 8 p.m. $29 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Fiends w/We’rewolves/Coma Waves/ Reverya Friday, March 21. 7:30 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Get The Led Out (Led Zeppelin tribute) Friday, March 21. 8 p.m. $38.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Harlow Gold w/Undercover Rasta/Dark Horse/The Willie Jones Cocktail Hour Friday, March 21. 7 p.m. $7. Moon Tower at Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Manic Focus w/Vincent Antone/Side Trakd Friday, March 21. 10 p.m. $25 & up. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg
A Night of Drum & Bass: Souldefunk w/R2tat2/Thee Joker/Kay-S/Hellman/ Footsouljahs Friday, March 21. 9 p.m. No cover. Deviant Libation, Tampa
Rebekah Pulley Duo Friday, March 21. 7 p.m. No cover. Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor
Speak Easy Friday, March 21. 8 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg
Antelope (Phish tribute) Saturday, March 22. 8 p.m. No cover. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg
Bands On the Bay Saturday, March 22. 3 p.m. $15-$25. Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, Safety Harbor
Connor Price Saturday, March 22. 7 p.m.
$32.50. The Ritz, Ybor City
Dan Navarro Saturday, March 22. 7 p.m.
$30 & up. Music4Life Living Arts Center, Clearwater
Displace Saturday, March 22. 6 p.m. No cover. Grand Central Brewhouse, St. Petersburg
Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay Spring 2025 Cabaret Saturday, March 22. 8 p.m.
$39.66. Jaeb Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
Jimmy Griswold Band Saturday, March 22. 7 p.m. No cover. Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor
JK & Sons Saturday, March 22. 4:30 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
John Nowicky w/Mac Ganancias Saturday, March 22. 7 p.m. No cover. Corner Club, Tampa
Concealer w/Daturas Embrace/And When The Sky Was Opened/Fingers Woven Together/And I Dreamt Of You Saturday, March 22. 7 p.m. $15. Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa
Josey Scott’s Saliva w/Hed PE/FLAW/ Adema/Core/Kalus Saturday, March 22. 6:15 p.m. $30. Brass Mug, Tampa
Sam Williams Saturday, March 22. 7:30 p.m. No cover. Biergarten at New World Brewery, Tampa
Tand Saturday, March 22. 8 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
The Taylor Party Saturday, March 22. 9 p.m. $18. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
The Tilt w/Domino Pink/Summer Is Evil/ Mossheads/Idle Moves Saturday, March 22. 7 p.m. $10. Oscura, Bradenton
TL Jentgens Saturday, March 22. 6 p.m.
$20. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg
Belphegor w/Arkona/Hate/Vale of Pnath Sunday, March 23. 6 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa
Damn Strait (George Strait tribute) Sunday, March 23. 7 p.m. $24.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo
D_Fender w/Three Tongues of Cerberus Sunday, March 23. 4 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Deviant Libation, Tampa
Dan Rodriguez Sunday, March 23. 5:30 p.m.
$25. Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor
The Irish Tenors Sunday, March 23. 7 p.m. $50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Joe Denny & the Joyriders Sunday, March 23. 2 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg
John Kyle Rohde Sunday, March 23. 7 p.m.
No cover. Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor
Josh Nelms w/TC Carr/Lenny Austin Sunday, March 23. 5 p.m. No cover but donations requested. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
The Kristopher James Extravaganza w/ Taylor Reed Sunday, March 23. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa
Le Jazz Sundays. 11:30 a.m. No cover. Boulevard Burgers & Tap House, St. Petersburg
The Oldies Spectacular: Kenny Vance & The Planotones w/Jimmy Clanton/ Jimmy Gallagher & The Passions/ Cleveland Still & The Dubs Sunday, March 23. 6 p.m. $49 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Pepper’s 13th Birthday: Grateful Walker Family Band Sunday, March 23. 3 p.m. No cover. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg
Rehab Sundays: Cormac Kavanagh Sunday, March 23. 3 p.m. No cover. Shuffle, Tampa
Shoeless Soul Sunday, March 23. 2 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Sunday Jazz in the Lounge: Boho Sideshow Sundays. 2 p.m. No cover. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg
Sunday Jazz Project: Sandi Grecco w/ James Suggs/Mark Moultrup Sundays. 3 p.m. No cover. The Studio Public House, St. Petersburg
Sunday Jazz with The Crew Sundays. 6 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg
Korpiklaani w/Ensiferum/Trollfest/NiNi Tuesday, March 25. 5:30 p.m. $30. Orpheum, Tampa
Cowboy Bebop Live Tuesday, March 25. 7:30 p.m. $34 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Riki w/Donzii Tuesday, March 25. 7 p.m. $17. Crowbar, Ybor City
The Calidore Quartet Wednesday, March 26. 7:30 p.m. $15 & up. Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
Funk N Ting: DJ Mike Blenda w/DJ Shafiq Wednesdays. 7 p.m. No cover. Biergarten at New World Brewery, Tampa
Intervals w/Vola/Arch Echo Wednesday, March 26. 6:30 p.m. $29.50. Orpheum, Tampa
USF Jazztet Wednesday, March 26. 7:30 p.m. No cover. Barness Recital Hall at USF, Tampa
CageGrass: Fil Pate Trio Thursdays. 7:30 p.m. No cover. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg
Chasing Airplanes w/Royal Hearts/ Phantom Limbs/Deadweight/ Cunningham Wake Thursday, March 27. 6:30 p.m. $15. Orpheum, Tampa
Exhorder w/Herrak Leion/Restless Spirit/Virulence/Ramtha Thursday, March 27. 6 p.m. $25. Brass Mug, Tampa
Jay & The Americans Thursday, March 27. 2 p.m and 7:30 p.m. $29.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo
John O’Leary w/Jean Bolduc/Bryan J Hughes Thursday, March 27. 7:30 p.m. No cover. The Horse and Jockey, South Pasadena
Leilani Kilgore w/Dirty Rivals/Moth Bite/Dove Bomb Thursday, March 27. 7:30 p.m. $12. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Maoli Thursday, March 27. 8 p.m. $30 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Uncle John’s Band Thursdays. 8 p.m. No cover. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
Photo of DJ Blenda (below) by Dave Decker. Submit your events to CL's events calenar via cltampa.com.
APRIL 13 POPPY The Ritz Ybor
APRIL 16 FLO The Ritz Ybor
MAY 14 THE DAMNED Jannus Live
MAY 14
ASKING ALEXANDRIA The Ritz Ybor
MAY 30
REVEREND
HORTON HEAT Jannus Live
JUNE 16
THE KIFFNESS
The Orpheum
JULY 16
OCEAN ALLEY Jannus Live
OCTOBER 31
JACK’S MANNEQUIN Jannus Live
DECEMBER 13
SILVERSTEIN Jannus Live
Fresh of a headlining set to kick off last weekend’s Reggae Rise Up, Sting already has plans to return to Tampa Bay. Last Monday morning, Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino announced that the “Sting 3.0” tour is coming to the Hard Rock Event Center this fall.
The tour finds the 73-year-old co-founder of The Police joined by longtime collaborator, guitarist Dominic Miller, and Chris Maas, the touring drummer for Mumford & Sons and Maggie Rogers. A press release says the 3.0 tour is inspired by a new song, “I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart),” and “represents a new dynamic era showcasing selections from his vast catalog through the urgent lens of a tight three-piece combo.”
The Tampa show is one of three Florida dates for the Sting 3.0 tour, which also stops in Hollywood (Nov. 7, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino) and Jacksonville (Nov. 11, Daily’s Place).
Fans who want to get a taste of Sting’s 3.0 lineup should make plans for Record Store Day (Saturday, April 12) when select independent record shops will have a 180g featuring 17 live cuts spread across four sides, including the live-recorded debut of “Can’t Stand Losing You.”
Nightly w/Will Linley/Struan Friday, April 4. 7 p.m. $25 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City
Sean Chambers and the Savoy Brown Rhythm Section (album release) Saturday, April 12. 8 p.m. $10 & up. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
Magic Juan Thursday, April 17. 9 p.m. $15 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa
Gorgon City Friday, April 18. 10 p.m. $39.95 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Dream Big 2: Rufio w/OA Marq/Big Swav Sunday, April 27. 6 p.m. $20 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City
Carnifex w/Suffocation/Devourment/ Distant/Bodybox/Monochromatic Black Tuesday, July 1. 4:30 p.m. $27.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Steel Pulse Wednesday, July 9. 7 p.m.
$34.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Club 90’s: 2000s Night Saturday, July 12. 9:30 p.m. $15 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
The Offspring w/Jimmy Eat World/ New Found Glory Saturday, July 12. 7 p.m. $35 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Big Time Rush w/Katelyn Tarver/ Stephen Kramer Glickman Sunday, July
Tickets to see the Sting 3.0 tour at the Hard Rock Event Center in Tampa on Monday, Nov. 10 will go on sale to the public on Friday, March 10 and start at $250.
See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below. Ray Roa
13. 7 p.m. $40.95 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Brad Paisley w/Walker Hayes/Alexandra Kay Sunday, Aug. 3. 6 p.m. $42.50 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater
Volbeat w/Halestorm/The Ghost Inside Monday, Aug. 4. 7 p.m. $40.50 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Jed Harrelson w/Treis and Friends Saturday, Aug. 9. 7 p.m. $20. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
TFO: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in Concert FridaySaturday, March 6-7. Times and prices TBA. Carol Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
TOTS
Quickies
By Dan Savage
Dear Readers: The 20th anniversary HUMP! Film Festival—the world’s biggest and best festival of short porn films—happened in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco this month. Our amazing new collection will be touring to more than 40 cities over the next few months. (It comes to Miami in May!) We had a big party in Seattle to celebrate HUMP!’s 20 birthday—big thanks to Naomi Price-Lazarus and Breona Mendoza from Seattle Sex Trivia for hosting the party—and I took questions from the crowd. There are a few questions about HUMP!, which I’ll answer first, some good sex questions, and a few personal ones that I normally wouldn’t answer but I’m making an exception for this very special Quickies.—Dan
Congrats on 20 years of HUMP! Did you know it would be such a big success when it started? We did not see it coming. When we made our first call for submissions 20 years ago—when we invited people in Seattle to send us their amateur porn—we weren’t sure we would get any submissions. I mean, were people in Seattle going to send us homemade porn to be screened for Seattle audiences that could include their friends, neighbors, and coworkers? The answer to that question was yes—we got tons of submissions that first year—so, we booked a theater and announced the First Annual HUMP! Film Festival. Then we wondered if anyone would show up. I mean, would people come to a theater and sit next to strangers in the dark and watch pornography the way their grandparents used to? The answer to that question was also yes—tickets for the first HUMP! Film Festival sold out within hours—and a few years later we were taking HUMP! to other cities.
We get so many great submissions for HUMP! that last year our dirty little film festival came out as biannual: HUMP! Part One tours in the spring and HUMP! Part Two tours in the fall. For the full list of cities HUMP! 2025 Part One is coming to this spring—along with the trailer, ticket info, and everything you need to know about submitting your porn for HUMP! 2026—go to humpfilmfest.com!
What was the most surprising submission to HUMP! this year, why was it surprising, and did it make it into the festival?
HUMP! audiences love surprises—as does every member of the HUMP! Jury—so the most surprising submissions almost always get accepted. My favorite surprise in HUMP! 2025 Part One: an original live-action movie musical starring a horny gooner and a sentient cum sock. “Little Sock of Whores” is surprising, sexy, laugh-out-loud funny, and gloriously pornographic. The kind of film you can only see at HUMP!
What is the single most likely thing to
get a HUMP! submission rejected? Length. We reject a lot of films that would’ve been great— and would’ve made it into the festival—if they were two- or three-minutes long but wear out their welcomes/premises at five minutes. If you’re thinking about making a film for HUMP!, remember that five minutes is the maximum running time, not the minimum!
What is the most useless thing you know how to do? I know how to find the clitoris—useless for me, useful for most other men.
What is the one way that sex has changed over the last 20 years that has surprised you? I’m surprised by how much less sex people have these days. We’re entering the second decade of a sex recession that shows no sign of abating, and I don’t think the efforts of “pro-natalist” Republicans to renormalize sexual assault, ban abortion, restrict birth control, and make abusive marriages harder to escape are going to turn things around. I’m also surprised by the growing number of hyper-online queer incels way more outraged by sex scenes in movies, age-gap relationships, and kink at pride than they are by attacks on LGBT civil rights.
One tip for keeping a relationship fun and adventurous? New relationships feel effortlessly adventurous because—at the start— you’re the adventure they’re on and they’re the adventure you’re on. To recapture that sense of adventure in a long-term relationship, you need to go on adventures together. Now, I can’t assign you an adventure—my idea of an exciting adventure might be your worst nightmare—but so long as you make a conscious effort to keep doing new things with, for, and to each other, your relationship will remain fun and adventurous.
and I was 16; he was the boyfriend of one of my girlfriends, who was also 16, and she accused me of seducing her boyfriend (who clearly had a thing for teenagers and teenager drama) and the whole thing was a mess. But what I took away from that experience—in addition to a badly bruised heart—was the realization that being asked for consent (“What would you do if I kissed you?”) was a thousand times sexier than being lunged at.
How did you become a sexpert? By accident. I started to write an advice column 30 years ago as a joke—because wouldn’t it be hilarious if a gay man gave sex advice to straight people?—and immediately started getting real questions that required me to come up with real answers. And here’s one of the dirty little secrets about advice columnists: even if we had to look something up and/or consult an expert before answering a question, we like to pretend we knew the answer all along.By looking things up and consulting actual experts over the years, I learned a few things along the way…. like where to find the clitoris. But I wouldn’t describe myself as a “sexpert,” as I hate that word almost as much as I hate the word “nipple.” (Just call it a tit, people.)
The fastest way to get over someone is by getting under someone else—that’s what people have always said, and now we know it’s true. How do middle-aged people meet more fun and sexy people—not for romantic connections? To meet fun and sexy people you gotta go where the fun and sexy people are—and since “fun” and “sexy” are subjective categories, that can mean anything from going to fetish clubs, sex parties, and HUMP! screenings to going to political protests, pickleball courts, and pretrial hearings. So, however you define “fun and sexy,” go hang out where people are doing those things. Any advice for a bi cis woman trying to date more women? I’m finding it difficult to tell if an attraction is friendly or romantic after spending so much time making sure my female friends always felt safe with me. You could stop talking yourself out of things (“this is just a friendly attraction”) and start talking yourself into things (“this attraction might be something more than friendly”) instead. But if you don’t want to risk making things awkward with a friend, you can declare your friends off limits and ask women out on apps instead.
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My partner told me she does “vabbing” before she fucks other people. Is this a real thing? And today I had to look up “vabbing”: “the application of vaginal secretions as a perfume; [the term] was popularized on TikTok in 2022 as a way of attracting men.” First: #NotAllMen. Second: even if only your partner was doing this, it would be a real thing. But seeing as “vabbing” has its own Wikipedia entry, it’s safe to say your partner is not the only woman doing this.
What brings you the purest joy? It’s a three-way tie between going snowboarding with my husband and my son, doing shrooms with my husband’s boyfriend and watching a terrible movie together (“Cats,” “Madam Web”), and playing cards with my boyfriend in our favorite restaurant while we wait for our Krustenschweinbraten to come.
What is your opinion of 69ing? It’s fine as an appetizer—it’s fine when you’re rolling around with someone, it’s fine when you’re transitioning from one position to another, it’s fine if you have a little time to kill before the next episode of “White Lotus”—but it’s a lousy main course.
What was your first kiss like? My first kiss that really mattered—my first kiss from a boy—was wonderful. I was gay and closeted, he was bisexual and closeted, and we were each pretending to be the kind of straight boy who was super secure in his heterosexuality… which is how I wound up with my head on his lap as we sat on the couch in his apartment talking about politics late one night after his girlfriend went home. Things got really quiet for a second and then he said, “What would you do if I kissed you?” Praying it wasn’t a trap, I said, “I would kiss you back.” And then he kissed me, and then I kissed him back. My first kiss—which was quickly followed by my first blowjob and my first faltering attempts at PIB—was problematic in a couple of ways. He was 23, for starters,
Do you ever feel jealous about Terry having another primary partner? If so, how do you navigate that? My husband doesn’t have “another primary partner,” since we practice—unapologetically—a hierarchical form of polyamory. So, I’m Terry’s husband, Tom’s Terry’s boyfriend. I’m the primary, Tom’s the secondary. I’m Miss America, Tom’s First Runner Up. And we navigate jealousy like any other couple: we yell and scream, we go to bed angry, we talk it out in the morning.
I can only come to dark fantasies and they’re getting darker. How can I make this sustainable without running out of material? I’m a little scared of where this might take me. If you can’t realize your fantasies for ethical reasons… never act on them. If you can’t share your fantasies without scaring people off… keep your mouth shut. If you run out of material… use your imagination. If you’re worried you might be a danger to yourself or others… seek professional help.
I was in a relationship for two years and I still miss her. How do I get over her?
If you and your somewhat reluctant partner decided to open your relationship under the condition of DADT, and they ask if you’ve been dating anyone and/or for details, do you tell? This could be a sign your partner is growing more comfortable with being in an open relationship… or it could be a trap. So, before you share details—before you tell—ask your partner why they suddenly wanna know. If the reality of an open relationship set them at ease… if their worst fears weren’t realized… you make new rules about when, how, and what you’re going to tell each other.
Do you think the definition of “tRumpMusk” should be: “(slang, colloquial, vulgar) The scent of the human male asshole when aroused or unwashed.” (It’s a variation of the 9th definition of musk from the Wiktionary entry for “musk.”) I’m a big fan of aroused human males—their assholes and their other bits—and I don’t want to have to think about Donald Trump and Elon Musk every time I look at one. So, I’m sorry, but we’re not going to be doing this.
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