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DAVID WARNER
Taylor Dillon Con Amor
Felicia Lacalle Quiote Tequileria
Max McKee Bar Terroir
Mike Morales Sunda David Reyes Uno Mas
Olivia Gielser The Pearl at Water Street
Yanick Destine Bulla Gastrobar
Anthony Santos Private Chef
Cody Tiner District South Kitchen + Craft
Gerry Sizemore The Gin Joint
Nelly Buleje Timpano Hyde Park
Billy Brannen O-Ku
Billy Brannen Maru
Cristian “Cris” Ruiz Sal Y Mar
Saravanan Appadurai Palmette Brasserie & Bar
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay keeps reaching into the mailbag, and treading carefully into the comments section. The exercise leaves us increasingly grateful for readers who come to us in print—and especially online—to read the news and thoughtfully respond. Keep it coming, folks (scan the QR code if you’re the emailing type), and we’ll keep posting it.—Ray Roa
Florida lawmakers finally reach budget deal, here’s what’s in it (via Facebook)
Tax payer money should not go to charter or private schools. Public schools are the backbone of America’s education system and always has been. Stop giving away public money to private education companies that have no accountability—Ryan David
Ridiculous! Vouchers are welfare for the wealthy—Bill Korson
If you are unhappy with the budget, every member of the FL House and half of the Senate are up for re-election. They want your vote. Tell them what you want. Remind them that you vote.—Donna Heald
‘The Guest House,’ a Winter Haven home designed by famed Florida architect Gene Leedy, is now for sale (via Facebook)
The old saying around Winter Haven is, “it’s not a Leedy unless the roof is leaking”—Nathan Marshall
So everything increases $5-$10 —Amber Elaine
Bring back the Old Meeting House ice cream and old school milkshakes.—Matthew Schulis
Leave the recipe for the veggie burger stapled to the telephone pole outside please— Catherine Feegel
St. Pete beer staple Green Bench opens new location in downtown Tampa (via Facebook, read more on p. 33)
First the Rays, now Green Bench. Soon the Rowdies and Dali Museum. There will be nothing left worth crossing the bridge for...813 > 727—Scott Burgess
Colin, I’m so glad to see you still writing about real estate Sarah Johnson DiMonaco
The guy who says he’s no longer a Nazi is performing in Tampa (via Facebook, read more on p. 49)
I’ll be there…. Uh uh you can’t tell me nothing—Ally Makaveli Haynes
Free advertising for him—Rio Mackenzie
It’s gonna be sold out regardless of backlash—Noluck Chuck
Is Elon opening?—Chris Domingo
Florida’s jobless rate has grown for 8 months straight (via Facebook)
But good thing our taxes were used to make sure those rainbow crosswalks are gone! Christopher S. Tully
Daily Eats closing in South Tampa next month to rebrand as Meeting House (via Facebook, read more on p. 33)
when God closes one door(TBBC) he opens yet another(GBB) Timothy Johnson
Winning and Losing Matter (via email)
As a college Hall of Fame athlete and U.S. National Team coach, I was taught from an early age that competition carries responsibilities beyond simply winning. One of the most important lessons was that when you lose, you shake your opponent’s hand, accept the result with dignity, and work harder to “get them next time.”
That is one reason I could never again support Donald Trump after the events surrounding January 6th. Disputing election procedures through lawful courts is one thing. But continuing to encourage the belief that the election was illegitimate after repeated court losses, and then watching the Capitol being attacked during the certification process, crossed a line for me.
Now, discussions about compensating some individuals with taxpayer dollars who were convicted in connection with the Capitol riot only deepen that concern. As a Republican, I have always believed our party stood for law and order, personal responsibility, and respect for police officers and constitutional institutions. Rewarding people involved in that event feels inconsistent with those values.
Reasonable Republicans can disagree on taxes, immigration, spending, or foreign policy. But sports taught many of us that character is revealed most clearly in defeat. Leaders, like athletes, are ultimately judged not only by how they win, but by how they lose.—Thomas E. Feaster, Tampa
War fest
Photos by Dave Decker
Downtown Tampa was “under attack” last Wednesday afternoon, or at least it looked like it.
The annual U.S. Special Operations Command’s “Battle in the Bay” demonstration took place in front of the Tampa Convention Center, and this year revolved around a mock scenario involving the “kidnapping” of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
As part of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week Conference, the live simulation involved 10 different partner nations using everything from helicopters, boats, drones, ATVs, and scuba divers, all working together to complete the rescue mission.
If you’re wondering, Jane was indeed rescued, and yes, there are probably countless bullet casings on the floor of the Hillsborough River.
SOF Week includes a marketplace where defense contractors and arms dealers show off their latest weaponry, and this week occurs as the U.S. is engaged in a war with Iran that has cost taxpayers at least $29 billion. See all the photos via cltampa.com/news.
—Colin Wolf
BEST FITNESS STUDIO / BEST PILATES STUDIO
BEST WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS
BEST PERSONAL TRAINER / BEST GROUP FITNESS
Help keep local journalism alive this giving season.
For 36 years, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has amplified the voices others overlook. Now we’re launching the Tampa Bay Journalism Project to strengthen independent, local reporting on issues that matter—housing, transportation, arts, food, and accountability. Your tax-deductible support helps fund non-paywalled journalism for our community. Help support Creative Loafing Tampa during this giving season. Donating is easy , visit bit.ly/anfCLTampa
Come see Colin & Ray as they guest bartend at The Corner Bar & help raise money for the Tampa Bay Journalism Project
June 10th • 5:00PM - 8:00PM The Corner Bar • 402 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL
do this
Allah Allah
Afghan-Australian author Bobuq Sayed’s “wry, provocative” debut novel follows two gay Afghan men who must leave their respective countries and end up meeting in Istanbul. They’re embraced by “dissidents, sex workers, activists, poets, and heretics,” but still face the pressure of an increasingly authoritarian society like when police raid a Pride march. It’s a story of love, immigration and politics not unfamiliar in Florida. Sayed will be joined in discussion by famous Florida literary power couple Kristen Arnett and Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya.
No God But Us—An Evening with Bobuq Sayed: Sunday, May 31. 6:30-7:30 p.m. No cover (RSVP requested). Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. tombolobooks.com—Selene San Felice
Miss…Vaaanjie
Sunshine is just about the only thing that’s free and accessible these days, so it’s fitting that this year’s St. Pete Pride theme is “Here comes the Sun.” It’s a message of hope in a dark time for LGBTQ+ people of Florida, and a lowkey reminder to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen for the notoriously hot festivities.This weekend’s kickoff events include a pickleball tournament, beach party and brunch headlined by Vanessa Vanjie Mateo AKA Miss Vanjie. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fans know that before she stole the show on seasons 10, 11 and All Stars 9, she lived in Tampa, working the MAC counter at International Mall by day and performing at Southern Nights and Hamburger Mary’s. See more gay shit happening this week on pp. 39 & 41, including a sapphic Sober Beach Day and Dunedin Pride’s biggest events. St. Pete Pride Kickoff Weekend: Friday-Sunday, May 29-31. See details on pp. 39 & 41—Selene San Felice
Batteries not included
A good ol’ fashioned vibrator race is something just about everyone can get behind…and yeah just a little higher to the left. This one, sponsored by Tampa’s historic Todd Couple’s Superstore, benefits The Spring domestic violence shelter. And it’s hosted by the Tampa City Athletic Association, which makes these racers certified athletes. Two caveats: You can’t add wheels or lube. The night includes plenty of prizes for spectators and racers alike, so no need to be a buzzkill. Think you’ve got the fastest speeding bullet in town? Send your stage name and walk-up song to stevemiller813@gmail. com to sign up. And if you just like to watch, show up at New World Tampa. Vibrator races: Saturday, May 30. Doors 6 p.m., races 7 p.m. $10 to watch, $20 to race. New World Music Hall, 810 E Skagway Ave., Tampa. newworldtampa.com—Selene San Felice
OLGA_BEREZHNA/SHUTTERSTOCK
Whip it
If you’re looking for a gayer way to get CTE, or at least some badass bruises to show off at Dyke Nite, Tampa Roller Derby has you covered. The open gender league hosts a free expo on a smaller track, great for first time viewers who can also meet skaters and learn about what it takes to jam. The night includes a performance from Central Florida post-hardcore band Dagger, and Magnanimous will of course be slinging beer. And if that’s how you want to roll, the league’s last beginner class of the year is June 7 in Town ‘N’ Country. (The CTE thing was a joke, please don’t hurt me.) . Tampa Roller Derby Free Expo: Saturday, May 30. 8 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Magnanimous Brewing, 1420 N Florida Ave., Tampa. tamparollerderby.net
—Selene San Felice
Who can relate
The LGBTQ+ mental health crisis is worsening among young people in the U.S., according to a 2025 Trevor Project study. It’s not hard to understand why in a state where rainbow crosswalks are banned, DEI is being erased from anything Republicans can get their hands on and conversation therapy is still legal—not to mention the White House equating trans allyship with terrorism. But there are still ways to protect and care for LGBTQ+ people. This 90-minute suicide prevention class is for queer folks and allies alike to help build supportive, inclusive and affirming environments at home, school and work. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention experts will teach participants how to recognize suicide risk factors, warning signs and safeguards as well as how to start a conversation with someone they’re concerned about.
Pride Pathways: Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Communities and Allies—Monday, June 1. Noon-1:30 p.m. No cover. Allendale UMC, 3803 Haines Rd. N, St. Petersburg. pridetampa.attendease.com
—Selene San Felice
You are enough
Anyone feeling like the state of the world has left them unable to express any emotion, take note(book). Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel—the one that inspired the iconic 2004 movie starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling—hit the stage as a musical in 2022 and has a run in the Bay area through May 31. Featuring music from “The Way I Am” songwriter Indgrid Michaelson, who worked on production of the play for seven years, the musical follows the movie in its tale of Noah and Allie, star-crossed lovers, as they navigate throes of dementia. But it’s not a oneto-one adaptation of the book, with writers opting to place the couple in the backdrop of Vietnam War (Sparks’ novel is WWII piece), and skipping some details, like the Ferris wheel scene where Noah tries to woo Allie. “We didn’t want him to come across as resorting to some sort of toxic manipulation to get her attention under the guise of being charming,” Michaelson told Rolling Stone, which noted that the musical is actually even more devastating than the movie. Bring tissues. ‘The Notebook’: Through May 31. $62.20 & up. Carol Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. strazcenter. or—Ray Roa
ROGER MASTROIANNI
Now an entire month of prix fixe
PINELLAS COUNTY:
Allelo
Birch and Vine (at The Birchwood Hotel)
Central Park Food Hall St. Pete
Driftwood Cafe
Dunedin Smokehouse
Flipside Pizza Clearwater Beach
HEW Parlor & Chophouse
(at The Fenway Hotel)
Jimmy's Tacos - St. Pete
Juno & The Peacock
Latitude 28
(at JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa)
LUMA (at SkyBeach Resort)
Luna Lux Restaurant and Lounge
Madison Avenue Pizza
Melting Pot
Ocean Hai
(at Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach)
Ocean Seven
Paul's Landing (at The Vinoy)
Pete's Gulf Bistro
(at Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach)
Pipos Cuban Cafe
Q Southern BBQ
Sauvignon Wine Locker & American Trattoria
Sparrow Rooftop (at Moxy St. Pete)
Taverna Costale Teak
The Brinehouse
The Helm
The Library
Tides Seafood Market
Watercolour Grillhouse
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY:
3 Corners Pizza
Acropolis
American Social Bar & Kitchen Ava
Babushka's - Hyde Park
Barcelona Wine Bar
Bar Terroir
Besito Tampa Boda
Bulla Gastrobar
Con Amor
CW's Gin Joint
Del Friscos Grille
District South Kitchen & Craft
Flames Indian Cuisine
Foodys Restaurant and Bar
Heights Drive Thru
Jimmy's Tacos - Tampa
Kona Grill
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
O-Ku
On Swann- Hyde Park
Quiote
Riveters
Sal Rosa (at Le Meridien Tampa)
Sal Y Mar Rooftop Bar & Events Venue
Soul de Cuba Cafe
Sunda New Asian
The Dan (at Hotel Flor)
The Palmette Brasserie and Bar
(at The Westin Tampa Bay)
The Pearl
Timpano Hyde Park
Uno Mas
INTERVIEW
‘Steal This Story, Please!’ w/Amy Goodman/Tia Lessin/Denis Moynihan Next Friday, June 5, 6:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sun-Ray Cinema, 12332 University Mall Ct., Tampa. $10-$15. stealthisstory.org
POLITICS ISSUES OPINION
Chasing Amy Goodman
‘Democracy Now!’ co-founder and filmmakers bring acclaimed documentary to Tampa Bay.
By Ray Roa
Ask a polluter, politician, or even an admiring journalist trying to keep pace—it’s tough to outwork Amy Goodman.
P. Wells Griffith III knows the hustle all too well. In the opening scene of a new movie about the legendary journalist, Donald Trump’s climate advisor is seen trying to evade the “Democracy Now!” co-founder as she chases him around the 2018 United Nations Climate Summit in Poland, asking him about his boss’ claim that climate change is a Chinese hoax and the president’s plan to pull the U.S out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
“I’m running late for a meeting,” Griffiths says.
“You weren’t running late when you were just standing there,” Goodman replies as she presses him on coal and other issues.
“If you would like to set up an interview we can do that, but you’re actually harassing me,” he says after going up the wrong stairs more than once.
“A reporter asking you questions, sir,” she says, “is not harassment.”
The sequence is just one of many in “Steal This Story, Please!” that viscerally illustrates the tenacity that Goodman, 68, and her co-workers have brought to “Democracy Now!” since its founding at New York City’s WBAI 30 years ago.
Breathless in many ways, the film directed and self-released by Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal also includes footage from the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre where Goodman and Allan Nairn documented U.S.backed Indonesian soldiers with M16s killing at least 250 peaceful, pro-independence mourners. For their coverage, Goodman was left beaten, with Nairn earning a skull fracture from soldiers slamming the butts of their guns into his head as he protected his reporting partner. The story, however, opened the door for East Timor’s independence after The House of Representatives cut off military assistance to Indonesia.
Goodman and journalist Jeremy Scahill exposing Chevron’s role in the killing of two Nigerian activists is among the storylines, along with her coverage of Native American protestors at the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. “Democracy Now!’s” work on 9/11, from their studio blocks away from Ground Zero, also
makes the film, along with hints of the cough Goodman developed in the aftermath.
Asked to say why, or whether, the danger and self-harm is worth it, Goodman talked about impact.
“When I covered the massacre and survived the massacre in East Timor, the bravery of the young people—believing that they would someday see an end to the repression, an independent nation—just was awe-inspiring,” she told CL. She remained just as focused on the workand who funds it when reached by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay on the same day that Special Operations Forces week organizers were showing off their guns in a loud demo outside the Tampa Convention Center.
It’s critical, she said, that war and peace be covered by outlets not paid for by weapons
manufacturers. Climate change journalism, she added, can’t be brought to readers by oil, gas and coal companies, the same way coverage about inequality shouldn’t be funded by banks. “Democracy Now!,” she noted, is paid for by its readers, listeners and viewers. “Independent media is essential to the functioning of a democratic society,” she added.
The notion is at the heart of Lessin and Deal’s film, and will be a theme of a visit from Goodman, who takes part in post-screen Q&As at Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema next Friday along with Lessin and Denis Moynihan, a “Democracy Now!” correspondent who founded Winter Park, Colorado community radio station KFFR 88.3-FM.
“Steal This Story, Please!” is a narrative film that shows the arc of Goodman’s career along with the arc of media as so much of it has succumbed to consolidation and technology.
“It was ambitious, and I hope we pulled it off,” Lessin told CL about the film. “I think we pulled it off.”
And then some.
Despite her ferocity in the field, the roughly 100-minute film also captures another side of Goodman.
That’s a side deeply attached to her Shih TzuBichon mix, Zazu Goodpup—who will also come to Tampa in June—and the side that smiles at school kids passing by on the sidewalk. In one scene, Goodman is in Long Beach, New York to visit her soon-to-be 106-year-old grandmother, a refugee from Russia and Poland who came to the U.S. by boat and landed on Ellis Island. Hard of hearing, grandma puts radio headphones on to try and make sense of what Goodman is saying, and just tells her granddaughter to comb her hair.
“Do you know who George Bush is?” Goodman asks.
“Who’s the boyfriend?” grandma counters. Laughing, Goodman’s face during the exchange is a pristine example of what it feels like to be loved and love someone back.
Lessin first worked with Goodman as a “Democracy Now!” volunteer during the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia (don’t tell her union), and told CL that capturing that part of the famed journalist’s personality was a delight.
continued on page 19
LIKE A ROCK: Amy Goodman covering protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016.
C/O REED BRODY
“There’s a lightness of being, which was surprising, given how much heaviness she covers every single day,” Lessin said. “And I think she’s sort of fueled by a sense of optimism and hope, and I think those kinds of scenes really show that.”
Other parts of “Steal This Story, Please!” do show the emotional toll of doing the hour-long “Democracy Now!” newscast every weekday. In one shot, Goodman is listening to a report about children with burns on their bodies that will prove to be fatal. After the broadcast, she appears to be in a state of PTSD, or posttraumatic show disorder. In her chat with CL, Goodman again found a silver lining.
“You’re right that I cover very difficult things—we all do as journalists—but it’s very inspiring to cover people who are doing something about the horror,” she said. “They’re just so inspiring, and that’s what gives me hope.”
So many moments of the film will make journalists, and anyone who believes in supporting them, run through a wall.
“It shows their talents and prowess,” Goodman said about the work from Lessin and Deal. “But it also shows a hunger for independent media and voices.”
At a time when Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos can make a “good business decision” by spending $75 million on a Melania Trump movie—all while laying off 300 from the newsroom—the need for those voices is bigger than ever. Goodman noted how the Post’s slogan “Democracy Dies In Darkness” was developed under the Amazon creator, telling CL, “It’s very dark at the Washington Post.”
That hunger and thirst for more independent media might only be satiated by reporters ready to move past the challenges that journalism faces and make hard choices—including ditching their corporate-backed jobs while evading the dreaded jump to PR and marketing.
INTERVIEW
“Everyone has to find their own way,” she said about journalists looking for a path forward.
In one interview, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, a senior producer, co-host, and correspondent for “Democracy Now!” for eight years, says that while they reported from Israel and Palestine, Goodman, who is Jewish, covered the conflict as she would any other issue.
“She taught me how to cover a story properly,” Kouddous says. “Speak to people on the ground. Speak to people at the target end of the bomb. Speak to people who are being deliberately silenced—and, yeah, put those voices on the air.”
The message is resonating around the country.
Lessin said that since hitting the festival circuit late last year, “Steal This Story, Please!” has earned nine audience awards and about seven other juried awards. Goodman added that on its opening weekend at Greenwich Village’s IFC Center, the film earned the largest audience for a documentary in the last 10 years of the independent art house theater. It enjoyed a similarly record-breaking debut at Chicago’s Music Box theater, and at Milwaukee’s Oriental Theatre, the film outsold “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
For Floridians wondering how the state will move forward after eight years of Ron DeSantis, and with a new electoral map gerrymandered to hell, Goodman says she’s excited to be in town—and offered this bit of encouragement: “I think of Isabel Allende, the great Chilean writer, who said, for every thug there is in a community, there are 1000 compañeros and compañeros who are there to help.”
Many of those helpers will pack the theater next Friday, and proceeds from the film will support WMNF-Tampa, the nearly 50-year-old independent, listener-supported radio station that carries “Democracy Now!” locally. Goodman called WMNF a jewel of independent radio in the U.S., and said art houses like Sun-Ray (and Green Light, where the movie will screen for a week in St. Pete) are important parts of the independent media network.
“These are sanctuaries of dissent, and I really do think dissent is what will save us,” she said. “I see Creative Loafing in the same way. It’s so important that we shore up independent media.”
AW SHIH TZU: (L-R) Carl Deal, Amy Goodman with Zazu, and Tia Lessin.
BROOKE
Our house
Rays stadium should be publicly-traded, mayoral candidate says.
By Alex English
Should a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium be a publicly-traded company? Could we all be its “shareholders”? One Tampa mayoral candidate thinks so. Taryn Sabia—an urban designer, educator, and community advocate— has proposed creating a Tampa Bay Regional Stadium Entity as an alternative to a traditional stadium subsidy model. Her proposal is conceptual, not a finalized financing package, but it attempts to answer a question that has dogged stadium deals for decades: if the public is expected to participate financially, should the public also share in the upside?
The question comes as the Tampa Bay Rays announced that city and county officials have arrived at a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the $2.3 billion decision to build a new baseball stadium in Tampa’s Drew Park area on the land currently occupied by Hillsborough College. The deal also hinges on $150 million from the State of Florida to rebuild the campus on a smaller footprint.
The MOU—which Rays CEO Ken Babby “respectfully but resolutely” encouraged officials to approve—would place the new stadium within an existing sports district, near Raymond James Stadium and Legends Field, with access to Tampa International Airport and the Howard Frankland Bridge. But questions remain about who should pay for each piece of the plan, which public funding sources should be used, and who benefits if the surrounding district grows in value.
borne by the taxpayers of a single municipality. The Tampa Bay Rays and a new stadium for them to play in should reflect regional risk and burden, and regional share in the spoils of their success,” she said.
Her plan would reduce reliance on public funds, reserving tax dollars for surrounding infrastructure only, like sidewalks, lighting, and stormwater upgrades, not the stadium itself. Sabia mentioned that the tax revenue upside powering the optimistic projections for the broader Drew Park area may be years or decades away, contrasted against Water Street, which had financing mechanisms built in upfront.
Sabia said the stadium debate too often gets framed as a binary choice. Her proposal, she said, is an attempt to ask a different question: if residents want the Rays to stay in the area, but don’t want CIT dollars used for a stadium (citing a poll commissioned by a member of the Tampa Sports Authority), what other ownership and financing models are available?
LOCAL NEWS
Under Sabia’s concept, the entity would blend public and private funding for construction, operations and maintenance. But unlike the Rays’ current proposal, it would split stadium ownership between the Rays, with 51%, and various public investors, with 49%. That public share would include 25% reserved for individual residents of the region’s eight counties.
and questioned whether Major League Baseball would be willing to open its finances to the public.
Hillsborough County Commissioners approved the non-binding MOU in a 5-2 vote on May 20 with Commissioners Donna Cameron Cepeda and Joshua Wostal voting no. On May 21, Tampa City Councilmembers approved the MOU in a 4-3 vote, with Councilmembers Lynn Hurtak, a mayoral candidate herself, Charlie Miranda, and Guido Maniscalco voting now. While District 4 Councilman Bill Carlson— another mayoral candidate—voted yes in chambers, he told the Tampa Monitor he “would vote no on the final deal.”
In a social media post after the vote, Hurtak defended her rejection of the MOU, alluding to the argument that voters did not foresee taxes going towards stadiums when they approved the halfcent community investment tax in 2024. “Now the Rays are asking for 80 million of your tax dollars to go toward a stadium instead of police cars, fire trucks, road resurfacing, and park improvements. I promise that, as your mayor, I will continue to use your tax dollars wisely,” she added.
Sabia’s proposal goes into more depth. “The burden of funding a regional asset shouldn’t be
Sabia argues that a publicly traded stadium corporation would require greater transparency from Major League Baseball and Rays leadership, broader public participation in decisions, and shared dividends from stadium revenues.
She points to examples outside the traditional subsidy model, including the community-owned Green Bay Packers, publicly traded Madison Square Garden Sports, and publicly-traded Atlanta Braves Holdings, which includes the Braves and The Battery Atlanta mixed-use district. The Green Bay Packers are an anomaly, having been grandfathered in—an arrangement the NFL wouldn’t allow today.
Alan Clendenin, chair of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party and a supporter of the current framework, said the existing proposal already addresses some of the ownership concerns raised by Sabia. He told Creative Loafing the Rays ownership group is committed to paying 55% of the stadium cost, including overruns and maintenance, while Hillsborough County would own the stadium asset.
Others have taken issue with the use of public funds to build a new stadium for the Rays—including Tampa City Councilmember Hurtak. She called Sabia’s plan “a very academic proposal,”
Hurtak also emphasized that, under the current framework as she understands it, the City would not pay directly for the stadium itself, but for surrounding infrastructure, most of which would come from CRA dollars that are limited to horizontal infrastructure.
Across Dale Mabry Highway from the proposed Rays site sits the Tampa Bay Bucs’ Raymond James Stadium, built in 1998 and paid for by the CIT. That sales tax referendum initially failed, but passed in 1996 after a second attempt with the addition of a new Bucs stadium as part of its scope. Today, that facility is owned by the Tampa Sports Authority and shares non-game revenue with both the city and county. The CIT was renewed in November 2024 and did not include any language about using funds for a new stadium.
That distinction gets to the center of the debate: should public funds be used to support new sports facilities? And if so, which parts should they pay for, and how should any profits or long-term gains be shared?
Tampa mayoral candidate and local food critic Anthony Gilbert, known by his social media handle @callanthony_, said Sabia’s concept is interesting because it changes the public’s
role in the deal. “I think [Sabia’s] concept is interesting because it shifts the conversation from taxpayers simply funding projects to residents potentially having a level of ownership and long-term benefit from developments that shape our region,” Gilbert told Creative Loafing. But Gilbert said any shared ownership model would need clear pathways for working-class and lower-income residents to participate, not just large investors or corporations. “One of the biggest questions I would have is how this model would truly include working class and lower income residents,” Gilbert said. He said that could mean affordable shares, community investment programs, local hiring guarantees, neighborhood reinvestment funds or revenuesharing models.
“I’m most definitely opposed to using CIT money to fund it,” Gilbert said, arguing that sales taxes place a heavier burden on lowerincome residents when public dollars are diverted from core needs.
For Sabia, the stadium debate is a symptom of a deeper problem: a region that keeps recycling the same arguments about development, transit, and housing without ever changing the underlying question. Her proposal, she says, is less about baseball than about what it looks like to finally ask something different.
SHARE THE WEALTH: Taryn Sabia’s idea would split stadium ownership between the Rays, public investors, and the public.
Talk of the town
Gulfport’s
independent weekly
says ‘the paper is done’ if July fundraising goal is not met.
By Ray Roa
Florida’s oldest independent weekly newspaper could cease to exist before the summer is over. Last Monday, publishers of The Gabber Newspaper told readers that, “If we don’t hit our fundraising goal by July 1, the paper is done.”
The publication, founded in 1968 as the “Gulfport Gabber,” has served South Pinellas for nearly six decades, putting out a physical newspaper and running a website—all for free to readers. Over the last week alone, the paper has covered a South Pasadena commissioner meeting and a Gulfport town hall about rezoning related to Stetson Law School.
Today, the Gabber faces a $90,000 budget shortfall and finds itself strapped with $70,000 in lawyers fees after being sued by a Gulfport resident who lost his primary bid to represent Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
“The court found in our favor and granted our anti-SLAPP but we have yet to see a dime from him and indicates he’s appealing,” Salustri said, “so we had to pay the lawyer so his firm would keep defending us.”
LOCAL NEWS
That commitment to non-paywalled news is why the Gabber is also part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project, a nascent, CL-driven project that hopes to unlock more journalism and information for all residents, not just those who can afford it.
Publisher Cathy Salustri, a former Creative Loafing Tampa Bay staffer who purchased the Gabber in 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus fallout, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that she and her husband have consistently put between $70,000-$90,000 annually, all without taking any profit or paycheck.
That’s why The Gabber Newspaper needs $160,000 to keep doors open.
In a message to readers, Salustri said that the Gabber isn’t interested in charging much more for advertising and that the paper can reach its goal if 8% of its readers commit to $22 a month.
“We simply can’t keep doing it.”
“I believe that small cities – the citizens and businesses – especially need hyperlocal journalism. I want there to always be a Gabber,” Salustri said, adding that a subscription donation model may be needed to keep publishing the paper.
“We simply can’t keep doing it,” Salustri added. …“we aren’t wealthy and can’t keep supporting it on our own.”
“We won’t paywall the news - news should be free so everyone has the same information, regardless of income,” she added, “But if those who can donate do so in small, recurring amounts, it would assure the paper’s future in the community.”
Scam alert
Florida among nation’s worst for crypto ATM fraud.
By Leif Helland
Those crypto ATMs found at your local gas station can help you turn dollars into Bitcoin, but they’re also the source of millions of dollars in fraud, especially in Florida.
According to a recently released annual report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) division, the state of Florida was second in the nation in 2025 for complaints regarding criminals ordering victims to send funds through crypto ATMs, with 1,213 reported incidents, equalling $32.7 million in losses.
Among the other top states, Texas ranked number one for most crypto kiosk dollars lost, with a total of $56,802,197 in adjusted losses, while California ranked third with $24,017,535 in adjusted losses.
“In typical IC3 complaints involving cryptocurrency kiosks, criminals give detailed instructions to individuals, including how to withdraw cash from their bank, how to locate a kiosk, and how to deposit and send funds using the kiosk,” says the FBI.
these scams is far larger than what we see in official reports.”
If you or someone you know, believes they may be a victim of cyber fraud, the FBI’s annual report includes ways for individuals to protect themselves from scammers:
Do not send payment to someone you have only spoken to online, even if you believe you have established a relationship with the individual.
Do not follow instructions from someone you have never met to scan a QR code and send payment via a cryptocurrency kiosk.
Do not respond to a caller who claims to be a representative of a company and who requests personal information or demands cryptocurrency. Contact the entity directly for verification.
STATE NEWS
Do not respond to a caller from an unknown telephone number who identifies as a person you know and requests cryptocurrency.
These scams typically take place through email or phone messages, where criminals may pose as law enforcement, social security employees and even family members. Criminals will often use QR codes instructing individuals to go to local kiosks and deposit funds.
Nationally, there have been over 13,000 complaints over the last year involving crypto ATMs, with losses reaching $388 million dollars. This is a 23% increase in complaints and 58% increase in losses from 2024. Most of these complaints come from individuals over the age of 50, with losses reaching over $302 million, says the report.
Crypt kiosk fraud isn’t the only way scammers have made money. Overall, cyber fraud in Florida last year amounted to $1,596,138,595 in losses, with 71,843 complaints. That’s an average of $22,217.03 per complaint.
The most susceptible to fall victim to these scams are elderly citizens, says the report. More than half the national complaints came from individuals over the age of 50, and many of these victims may be too ashamed to report these frauds.
“Reported fraud losses tied to crypto ATMs have surged—jumping by nearly $100 million from 2024 to 2025—and these numbers don’t even capture the full picture,” said Karen Murillo, AARP Florida Associate State Director of Advocacy in a recent report. “Many victims of fraud, especially older adult victims, never report the fraud because they feel ashamed or pressured to keep silent. The true scale of
Practice caution when an entity states they can only accept cryptocurrency and identifies as the government, law enforcement, a legal office, or a utility company. No legitimate law enforcement or government official will call to demand payment via a cryptocurrency kiosk.
If you are using a cryptocurrency kiosk and the kiosk operator calls you to explain that your transactions are consistent with fraud and advises you to stop sending money, you should stop or cancel the transaction.
If you send funds via a cryptocurrency kiosk, be sure to keep any receipts or cryptocurrency transaction documentation.
Eyes in the sky
State officials watching fireworks, hurricanes, this summer.
By News Service of Florida
Floridians could be advised to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary without fireworks if heavy, ground-soaking rains don’t soon arrive. Members of the state Cabinet warned last Tuesday they won’t hold back on taking legal action against those responsible for blazes that get out of control and affect residential areas as the peak of an already highly active year for wildfires has yet to arrive.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office will hold people accountable if they start “some big bonfire with these drought conditions, and the wind blows, and all of a sudden the neighborhood is on fire, you will be held accountable.”
during a press conference at the Withlacoochee Forestry Training Center in Brooksville. “If you violate these orders, if danger takes place, if people are harmed, we will be there to prosecute.”
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson added that without significant rain to end drought conditions found in 90% of the state, alternatives to fireworks could be in order for the Fourth of July.
STATE NEWS
“You’re talking about … potentially hundreds of thousands of people going out and doing fireworks. You could put the entire state on fire in one evening,” Simpson said.
“We’ve had some rain, nowhere near what is needed to fill reservoirs and make sure the ground is saturated to quell the fires,” Ingoglia said. “Before you start burnings, before the bonfire, check with local authorities to make sure you’re not putting anyone at risk.”
Since the start of the year, 2,101 wildfires have been reported on state and federal lands in Florida, consuming 136,584 acres, according to the state Forest Service.
Burn bans, with prohibitions on burning yard debris, were in place in 15 counties last Tuesday: Lake, Lee, Levy, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Union and Wakulla.
Last year, the state recorded 2,913 fires that burned 228,183 acres.
“It’s going to take at least a foot of rain to get us out of severe drought conditions in most counties,” Simpson said.
debris-free space around the property, and have plans mapped out for what to take, such as pets and medicines, if told to quickly evacuate.
“We will get through this, but we need residents to pay attention,” Simpson said.
NOAA predicts ‘below-normal’ 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
Hurricane experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hope people don’t become complacent as the agency is the latest to forecast a “below-normal” storm season.
Highlighting new drone technologies and changes in the forecast cone at an event in Lakeland, the federal agency’s outlook anticipates up to 14 named storms for the six-month season that begins June 1.
“Have fun. Have a good time. Enjoy some beers over the holidays this summer. But if you’re in one of these burn ban counties … please take this seriously,” Uthmeier said
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who is also the state’s fire marshal, expressed a need for people to use “common sense” as summer holidays arrive, kids are out of school and there is an increase in parties.
“We’ve been through many wildfire seasons, probably none like this one in several decades, many decades,” Simpson added. “This is as bad as it gets.”
Simpson said property owners should regularly clear their roofs and gutters, maintain
Between three and six of the named storms are expected to reach hurricane strength, with winds at or above 74 mph. The forecast also includes three-to-five of the hurricanes reaching Category 3 or greater status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, where maximum winds are at least 111 mph.
continued on page 29
HAVING A BLAST: Fireworks over Tampa on Jan. 1, 2020.
NOAA’s National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said people shouldn’t ease preparations because of the forecast. He noted that there were only four hurricanes in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida with 175 mph sustained winds and four in 1965 when Hurricane Betsy left more than 80 dead on a path that included southern Florida and Louisiana.
“We’re ready. We need to get the American public ready as well. And don’t let words like below average – don’t let all those words change the way you prepare,” Graham said during a press event at the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland. “Even if you have a few storms, they could be big ones.”
Matthew Rosencrans, NOAA’s lead hurricane season forecaster, said the impacts of El Niño are mostly on the Atlantic waters.
“Most of the effects of El Niño are deep in the tropics,” Rosencrans said. “They won’t have those long run-ups, those long storm tracks, you can get those storms in the Gulf that have the short awareness times.”
The forecast follows similar outlooks from Colorado State University researchers, who have called for a “somewhat below-normal” Atlantic hurricane season, and the meteorological company AccuWeather.
STATE NEWS
The forecast is based in part on “El Niño” conditions occurring late in the six-month hurricane season that begins June 1. This weather phenomenon is said to increase vertical wind shear that disrupts systems from building and makes it harder for the development of the eastern waves coming off of Africa to strengthen into storms.
Graham said people also need to look beyond the forecast size of a storm and listen for threats of flooding rainfall, rip currents, storm surge, and other inland dangers.
For the 2026 season, Graham noted the National Hurricane Center cone graphic will include tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for inland areas and account for forward motions and directional or lateral uncertainty rather than straight track error.
“This is a much better way to independently visualize uncertainty in both direction and timing,” Graham said.
The school’s forecast models have predicted 13 named storms, instead of 14 to 15 in an average year, six hurricanes instead of seven, and two reaching major storm strength instead of three.
The researchers also based their model on waters being slightly cooler than normal in the eastern and central tropical Atlantic and for currently weak La Niña conditions to likely transition to El Niño in a few months.
The meteorological company AccuWeather has predicted 11 to 16 named storms for 2026, with four to seven reaching hurricane strength.
Last year, the Atlantic produced 13 named storms and five hurricanes, four of which reached Category 3.
The meteorological company AccuWeather has predicted 11 to 16 named storms for 2026, with four to seven reaching hurricane strength.
Last year, the Atlantic produced 13 named storms and five hurricanes, four of which reached Category 3.—Jim Turner/News Service of Florida
DAMN SHE THICK: Hurricane Florence (2018) seen from the International Space Station.
cocina y tequileria
RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
O-kurrr
O-ku sushi opens in South Tampa and more Tampa Bay food news.
By Selene San Felice
Yet another fancy sushi joint has landed in Tampa.
O-ku, the second Tampa concept from Charleston-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group, opens in Tampa tomorrow.
It’s on the ground floor of the Bayshore Gardens building at 2909 W Bay to Bay Blvd., which also houses Jeannie Pierola’s Counter Culture and O-ku’s sibling restaurant, Maru. The Japanese-Peruvian concept opened on the rooftop last May.
O-ku has ten other locations throughout the South and up the East Coast, including Winter Park and Jacksonville Beach. Maru, however, is only located in Tampa.
O-ku’s culinary program is led by Executive Chef Billy Brannen, who touts experience as a Gohan Society Scholar in Japan and relies on fresh seafood sourced from top markets in Tokyo and nearby waterways, per a press release.
Its sushi menu includes nigiri, sashimi, otoro (a premium fatty tuna) and uni (sea urchin).
restaurant centered around lunch, dinner and weekend brunch,” per Daily Eats’ post. “A place where guests can ‘meet, eat… and repeat.’”
Daily Eats is part of Ciccio Restaurant Group, which also owns the nearby Green Lemon, Fresh Kitchen, Jay Luigi and other spots throughout Tampa Bay.
Ciccio restaurateur Jason Brunetti told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that weekday breakfast business has been too slow in recent years, attributing the decline partially to the rise of GLP-1s.
“The one meal people are skipping right now is breakfast,” Burnetti told CL. “In this climate and everybody’s dietary needs, it’s hard to make money.”
FOOD NEWS
O-ku Tampa
Meeting House will serve brunch on weekends but focus more on lunch and dinner. The name is an ode to the prior South Tampa staple, Old Meeting House, which ended its 60 year run in the building in 2003.
Open daily 5 p.m.-10 p.m Sunday-Thursday and 5 p.m.-11 p.m Friday-Saturday. Reservations available via OpenTable. o-kusushi.com @okutampa on Instagram and Facebook.
O-ku also dishes out a variety of dumplings, skewers, and entrees like miso glazed snapper, pork belly bao and A-5 wagyu sandos as well as a robata section, where items are prepared using a traditional Japanese-style charcoal grill.
The drink menu includes specialty cocktails like a plum martini and “Under the Sun” (Volcan Reposado, mezcal, hibiscus, acid adjusted Japanese pear, and soda), along with imported sake, wines, local beer and alcoholfree options.
The Tampa location has over 100 indoor seats and over 20 outdoor seats.
Daily Eats to rebrand as Meeting House
After two decades serving hearty brunch as Daily Eats, the SoHo staple will close next month to make way for a new concept, owners announced Thursday on social media.
The restaurant at 901 S Howard Ave. will be closed starting June 15 to reopen a few weeks later as Meeting House, “a neighborhood
The Daily Eats staff is staying, along with some of its classic menu items like
The Captain Cluck sandwich, its breakfast burrito and burger bowl, Burnetti said.
“SoHo is kind of evolving,” Brunetti said, referencing fellow restaurateur Michael Disser opening retro bar Good Luck Chuck’s in the old SoHo Saloon and Howard & Platt in the former T.C. Choy’s.
Meeting House will reflect that fancier SoHo, shifting from quick service to full service and swapping DE’s iconic orange for comfortable but classy earth tones.
“It’s not going to be high end or anything; It’ll still be a casual setting, but with a nicer backdrop,” Burnetti said.—SSF
Green Bench opens Tampa location
After 13 years of serving craft brews in St. Pete, Green Bench Brewing Co. has crossed the Bay into Tampa.
One of its trademark green benches popped up outside its new location at 200 N. Tampa St. a few weeks ago, and now it’s open for business in the former Pint and Brew spot next to Hotel Bar.
This is the second location for Green Bench since its expansion into the Webb City Cellar nearly 10 years ago.
Expansions are rare for the craft brewing world these days, since the industry has been scaling down due to lack of local demand. Tampa Bay Brewing Company is closing its doors in Ybor and Angry Chair Brewing is selling for $3 million.—Leif Helland
1950s-inspired supper club opens in Tampa
The Sapphire Lounge & Supper Club soft opened in the Westshore area last week.
Located next door to Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, at 4410 W Boy Scout Blvd., The Sapphire debuted May 15 in a new 17,000-square-foot space within the TriPointe Plaza, formerly occupied by a plastic surgeon’s office.
According to a press release, Sapphire aims to create a ’50s-inspired supper club experience that “blends live music, elevated dining, and intimate VIP exclusivity into one sophisticated destination.”
The dining club is helmed by general manager Stephen Hickey, formerly of Eddie V’s
Prime Seafood; executive chef Taro Larrea— described by the press release as “renowned for an innovative fusion of Venezuelan and Spanish flavors”—leads the kitchen.
Sapphire’s menu spans small plate options like various oyster offerings, beef tenderloin carpaccio, salmon and hamachi crudo and a caviar service titled “The One.” Other heartier menu highlights include a robust steak section, grilled lamb chops, a wagyu beef hot dog, grilled Spanish octopus, tuna tomahawk steak, and a separate “plant forward” menu with options like grilled cauliflower steak and a vegan cheeseburger.
Sapphire is open Wednesday-Sunday from 6 p.m.-midnight, and Thursday-Saturday from 6 p.m.-2 a.m.—Colin Wolf
Speakeasy opens in St. Petersburg Distillery St. Petersburg Distillery now has a reason to stay after hours. The spot at 800 31st St. S recently debuted 31 South, a hidden secondfloor Prohibition-style lounge that’s now open continued on page 35
SOUTH TAMPA SUSHI: O-ku Tampa’s selections.
continued from page 33 Thursday through Saturday evenings from 6 p.m.-11 p.m.
“During the day, St. Petersburg Distillery is a place where guests can experience the spirit of St. Pete in our Spirits Garden, Welcome Salon, and tour Florida’s top craft distillery,” said Evan Brownstein, CEO of St. Petersburg Distillery, in a statement.
Now, at night, guests can discover a whole new experience, a place true to St. Petersburg’s elegant bootlegger spirit in a convivial club-like social setting.”
Cocktails are the focus, and will be made from the distillery’s own handcrafted spirits. A few of the drinks up for grabs include a Maple Old Fashioned with Old St. Pete Sunshine Whiskey, and a specialty Espresso Martini, Matcha Latte Martini with Banyan Reserve Vodka, and more, says the press release.
park and zoo was owned by Anheuser-Busch. But the park ended the promotion in 2009. In 2019, during its 60th anniversary, BG brought free beer back. Recently, the popular promotion seems to return for a short run during the summer months.
The free beer announcement was part of the park’s unveiling of new Summer Nights attractions, including a Boom Box Dance Party in Stanleyville, a Beach Bash in Gwazi Plaza, and a new drone show, which happens every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on the Festival Field.—CW
Cousin Vinny’s coming to St. Pete
FOOD NEWS
On the dining side, the 45-seat venue tapped Chef Johnathan Rodriguez, who was previously at Sal Y Mar in Midtown and was on the Food Network show “Supermarket Stakeout.”—CW
Free beer returns to Busch Gardens
They’ll cut you off after a while, but the best attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa always seems to find its way back on tap.
Free beer returned to the local theme park for a limited time starting last Friday.
Guests who are 21 years or older can score one 7 oz. draft beer per day from the Overlook Taproom on the second floor of the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant. However, if you’re a Busch Gardens Pass Member, you can double fist those frosty little brews and grab two complimentary beers!
The free beer starts pouring daily at 11 a.m. and runs all day until 90 minutes before the park closes.
Free beer has been a Busch Gardens staple for over 50 years, all the way back to when the theme
A Tampa-based sandwich shop known for its New York-inspired menu is making its St. Petersburg debut. Cousin Vinny’s is expected to move into its second location at 2063 Central Ave. by November, replacing another northeastinspired sandwich spot, Little Philly.
The shop began as a ghost kitchen in 2023. Co-owners Vincent “Vinny” Andriotti and Russell Leone operated out of a commissary kitchen on Nebraska Avenue, where the only pickup slots were limited to Saturdays and Sundays.
“Our customers were planning their weeks around picking up a sandwich on Saturday or Sunday—it was absolutely wild,” Andriotti previously told Creative Loafing.
In response, Andriotti and Leone opened their first location on W Cass Street in 2025 alongside business partners Jake Schmidt and AJ DeSimone.
Soon after, Michelin jumped on the bandwagon, adding the shop to its Florida guide of recommended restaurants.
Michelin inspectors praised the housebreaded cutlet sandwiches and crispy house-made schiacciata, which are often completed with various Italian fillings like pesto, mozzarella, tomato, or red pepper.—Alisha Durosier
ALE WORKS
GOING SOUTH: 31 South opened inside St. Petersburg Distillery in May.
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
Stranger than fiction
Dennis Mitch Maley frolics in the world of Florida politics in ‘Fish Kill.’
By David Warner
If you know Sarasota and Manatee counties, then you’ll likely recognize some of the spots mentioned in Dennis Mitch Maley’s new novel, “Fish Kill”–the people, too, with names changed to protect the, um, innocent. Whatever your perspective, Maley’s story-telling flair and larger-than-life characters will power you right through to the end and keep you guessing about whodunnit (yes, there’s a murder).
Maley is kind of a larger-than-life character himself. A tall, tanned, shave-headed guy, he has ice blue eyes, a huge white smile, and charisma for days. When he arrives for our interview at a South St. Pete Starbucks in a white Mustang convertible (top down, of course), he looks like he could step into the lead of one of those TV crime shows based on Carl Hiaasen’s novels. His book fits nicely into the pantheon of only-in-Florida yarns told by Hiaasen and other journalists-turned-novelists, such as Tim Dorsey and Paul Wilborn. Maley, 50, is the editor of the online newspaper The Bradenton Times. While he’s written three other novels, “Fish Kill” is his first foray into the world he reports on every day.
tracked down via internet search. I wondered whether he’d gotten any pushback from people asking, “Is that supposed to be me?”
Not yet, he answered. “The book just came out.”
With any luck, he’ll avoid the fate of one of his characters, Micky Pesch. The rabble-rousing owner of the DeSoto Gazette, his pro-environment stances get him in big trouble with the political powers that be. Micky, a long-haired hippie-esque millionaire, is a composite, says Maley, with the demeanor of a reporter he once worked with and the financial wherewithal of his current boss, Bradenton Times publisher Joe McClash.
BOOKS
A 22-year Manatee County Commissioner and a moderate Republican, McClash founded The Bradenton Times as a newsletter three years before he was voted out in a close race against a pro-development candidate. He invited Maley to be the editor in 2010 after reading his work in Creative Loafing’s erstwhile Sarasota edition, where he wrote primarily about the arts, and his guest editorials about state policies.
Dennis Mitch Maley at The Underground Book Fair
Saturday, May 30. 12-4 p.m. $5. Jack Kerouac House, 5169 10th Ave. N., St. Petersburg @ wordierthanthouon Instagram and Facebook
“Everybody was always asking, ‘When are you going to write your Florida politics book?’” he says. “And I was always like, I swim in a sewer all day long. I’m not gonna fill my swimming pool at home with sewer water. But [the politics] finally got so absurd where I was like, OK, this is to the point now where it could just be humor. And I love injecting humor in my columns and stuff, and I was like, all right, I would like to write a funny book that people could laugh at and it’s lighter.”
Which “Fish Kill” definitely is. And raunchy, too. There’s a politico whose handlers control him via remote-controlled buttplug. A buxom commissioner who gets caught on camera getting humped by a sheriff’s deputy. A sanctimonious reverend who suffers a scatalogical tsunami.
All of that is completely fictional, Maley insists, as are the main locales (Mullet County instead of Manatee, LeGrotto instead of Palmetto). That said, many of the characters have counterparts in real life who can be easily
The protagonist of “Fish Kill,” Shelton Hamner, is—surprise!—a journalist, who at the outset has been fired by his employer, The Weekly Planet. (Yes, that was the onetime name of Creative Loafing.) Shelton’s fireable offense? “Riding” the 16th century bronze statue “Zeus Abducting Europa” outside the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota during a food and wine fest.
This did happen to Maley while he was covering the Forks and Corks Festival for CL, though he didn’t get fired for it. There’s a photo in the book to prove it, taken by a man who inspired my favorite character in the novel, photojournalist “Dr.” Ringo Khan. Talk about larger than life: That’s Ringo for sure, a huge Falstaffian creature variously compared to a rhinoceros and an elephant, whose photographic exploits help Shelton take down the bad guys. (The inspiration for Ringo, says Maley, was “the late, great Brian David Braun.”)
Shelton gets re-enlisted into the news business by Lars Olson, editor of Pesch’s DeSoto Gazette, who wants him to investigate a mysterious death. There’s another parallel here: Lars
is a former Navy man, and Maley was Army. But the author’s entry into a military career was anything but routine.
“I was the heavyweight champion of the Army for years," he said.
A native of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, he grew up near Muhammad Ali’s training camp in Deer Lake. “We’d go watch the champ train when I was a little kid. And so I got into boxing and got recruited out of college [Shippensburg University] to go into the army’s World Class Athlete Program,” a training regimen for the Olympics.
A shoulder injury short-circuited his boxing career. That led, ironically, to his first byline—in Boxing World Magazine, for which he began writing during college. But even though people kept encouraging him after his injury to stay in sportswriting or broadcasting, he resisted, adding, “I said to people, I don’t really like sports.”
Though “Fish Kill” is fictional, the plot deals with many issues Maley has written about for the Times, like wetland protection, the outsized influence of developers, and the power of PACS in the election of county commissioners. It was, in fact, an election that inspired the book—the 2024 flip of Manatee County Commission by all grassroots candidates.
Does he ever worry about blurring the line between reporting and fiction?
“No,” he responds. “I think the story rhymes.” It’s “clearly inspired” by things he’s seen or written about, but it’s emphatically not a work of
journalism (though speeches at hearings and campaign events early in the book do read like transcripts written by a reporter who’s all too familiar with such blather).
What will ring especially true for anyone who’s lived here for a while is Maley’s feel for quintessential Florida moments—like when one character cuts open his hush puppies “to let them cool,” or when another asks, “Are you gonna invite me inside or do I have to stand here like I’m selling solar panels door-to-door?” Or when Shelton confronts his neighbors about their back-yard fireworks and gets the elegant reply, “What do you want us to do, light fuckin’ sparklers like a bunch of fuckin’ pansies?”
So will this be Maley’s last novel to dip into the world of Mullet County?
“No, I think I found a home here. I became so invested in these characters that I think my books will be a continuation of this series. I’ve already started fleshing out the next one, which will be set north of the river in Palmetto (LeGrotto in the book).”
Florida: Fertile territory for novelists and journalists alike.
“That’s what I say when I talk to people at home in Pennsylvania. I’m like, it’s wilder than they depict in movies… White people aren’t supposed to be here, first of all. We don’t have the blood for it. And I think when you combine suspect genetics and an affinity for inebriates with the stubborn heat and humidity, it’s a recipe for disaster.”
And the perfect recipe for a good read.
WHAT A CHARACTER: Maley riding a Ringling statue while on assignment. Definitely not a fireable offense at this former Weekly Planet.
the code to regsiter or go to www.dfac.org/summer
The events listed in our Do This section on pp. 14-15 aren’t the only things to do in town this week. Have a look at what’s going down May 28-June 4 and beyond. All events are at community.cltampa.com unless noted otherwise. Head there for more and list your own.
ARTS
Remix: Avant Garde Thursday, May 28. 6 p.m. $55. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa HC Art Galleries’ 3rd Annual Juried Members Show Thursday, May 28. 6 p.m. No cover. Gallery114@HC Ybor, Ybor City Tampa Metropolitan Improv Every last Friday. 7 p.m. $5; no cover for members. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa Heard Em Say 19th anniversary show & fundraiser Friday, May 29. 6:30 p.m. $10 & up. Wellswood Civic Center, Tampa
Rock the Cosmos: Taylor Swift and Michael Jackson Friday, May 29. 6:15 p.m. $13; $10 for members. Mosi, Tampa Blooming in Black Saturday, May 30. 6 p.m. $20. The Studio @ 620, St. Petersburg. thestudioat620.com
Ceramics Continued Study Sunday, May 31; Select Sundays through Aug. 23. 10 a.m. $45. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa
Fundamental Figure Drawing Sunday, May 31. 1 p.m. $285. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa
Travis Holp Sunday, May 31. 7 p.m. $31.85 & up. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg Pura Latina Noche Every last Sunday through July 26. 7 p.m. No cover. The Ball at Cocktail, St. Petersburg GrowHouse’s 1st Mondays Open Mic and Poetry Workshop Every first Monday. 7 p.m. No cover. The Backroom, Tampa Remix at TMA Every first Monday. 6 p.m. $40. Golding Art Studio at the BGJCC, Tampa
A Night of Storytelling feat. Walt Belcher Every first Wednesday. 7 p.m. $2 donation suggested at door. Safety Harbor Art & Music Center, Safety Harbor Open Mic Night feat. Bryan Smith Every first Wednesday. 6 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg Surface and Fire – Raku Firing Begins Wednesday, June 3. 10 a.m. $200. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Realm Thursdays-Mondays through June 28. No cover. FloridaRama Gallery, St. Petersburg Zubrick Magic Fridays and weekends. 7 p.m. Friday & Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $50 & up. Zubrick Magic Theatre, St. Petersburg
Fresh Squeezed 10: Emerging Artists in Florida Runs through Thursday, June 25. 10 a.m. No cover. Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg. Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound Through Aug. 23. $5 & up. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Dalí In America Daily through Sunday, Oct. 18. 10 a.m. $32 & up. Dali Museum, St. Petersburg
COMEDY
Zach Rushing Multiple times between Thursday-Saturday, May 14-16. $41 & up. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa If You Know What I Mean (Improv comedy & musical show) Friday, May 15. 7 p.m.
$13.39 & up. Aspirations Winery, Clearwater Improv.: Where There’s a Will, There’s a John w/Big Bang Improv/more Friday, May 15. 8 p.m. $15. Commodore, Ybor City Radel Ortiz Various times Friday-Saturday, May 15-16. $32. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa
Christian Johnson Sunday, May 17. 6 p.m. $27. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa Clean Comedy Showcase Sunday, May 17. 4 p.m. $5 & up. Commodore, Ybor City
Elliott Smith (comedy magician) Sunday, May 17. 2 p.m. $18. Richey Suncoast Theatre, New Port Richey
Jessica Michelle Singleton w/Dana Teller Sunday, May 17. 6:30 p.m. $28.80. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa
BOOKISH
Book Sale for the Seffner-Mango Branch Thursday-Saturday, May 28-30. 10 a.m. No cover. Seffner-Mango Branch Library, Seffner The Underground Book Fair with Wordier Than Thou Saturday, May 30. 12 p.m.-4 p.m. $5 suggested donation with entry. The Kerouac House, St. Petersburg ‘The Princess Bride’ Page-to-Picture Book + Cinema Club with Book + Bottle Sunday, May 31. 3 p.m.-7 p.m. $35. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg
COMEDY
Gerald Kelly Thursday, May 28. 7 p.m. $27. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa
James McCann Thursday, May 28. 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. $30 & up. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa
Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist is organized by the Katonah Museum of Art
exhibition is curated by Michelle Yun Mapplethorpe, Director and Chief Curator, Katonah Museum of Art
Out and about: Events happening in Tampa Bay (cont'd)
Dirty John’s Dirty Disco ThursdaySaturdays. 8 p.m. The Studio@620, St. Petersburg Comedy Night Fridays. 8 p.m. $19.10. R2 Pub, New Port Richey
Dirty Late Night Comedy Fridays. 10 p.m.
$13.45 & up. Gimmick Comedy Club, Ybor City
Friday Comedy Open Mic Fridays. 8 p.m.
$6.57 & up. Gimmick Comedy Club, Ybor City
Tampa Metropolitan Improv Friday, May 29. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. $5. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa
Preacher Lawson Multiple times FridaySunday, May 29-31. $31.80. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa
Mandy Keen: Maggie Saturday, May 30. 8 p.m. $18.12. Commodore, Ybor City
Rene Vaca Sunday, May 31. 6:30 p.m. & 9 p.m. $32. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa Disco Cat Comedy Showcase Tuesdays. 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Donation suggested.
Greenlight Lounge and Kitchen, St. Petersburg New Material Night Wednesdays through Oct. 28. 8 p.m. $8. Gimmick Comedy Club, Ybor City
FILM
Free Film: Encanto Saturday, May 30. 10
a.m. No cover. New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa
Out of Print Documentary Screening Saturday, May 30. 7p.m.-10 p.m. $15. The Beach Theatre, St. Pete Beach
Double screening and panel discussion: Wealth Untold and Diversifying Conservation Tuesday, June 2. 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover. Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, St. Petersburg
FOOD & DRINK
Thirsty Thursdays at the Polish American Society Thursdays. 5:30-9 p.m. No cover. Polish American Society of St. Petersburg Old Florida Soiree Saturday, May 30. 7 p.m. $40 & up. St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, St. Petersburg Funky Brunch Sundays. 11 a.m. No cover to RSVP. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg. bayborobrewing.com
Gulfport Fresh Market Tuesdays. 9 a.m. No cover. Beach Blvd., Gulfport Unwined Wednesday Wednesdays through June 25. 5 p.m. No cover to RSVP. Steelbach at Armature Works, Tampa Mayor’s Food Truck Fiesta Every first Wednesday. 11 a.m. No cover. Lykes Gaslight Square Park, Tampa. tampasdowntown.com
LEARN
Cafe con Tampa Fridays. 8 a.m. $12. The Portico, 1001 N. Florida Ave., Tampa Hurricane Preparedness Day Saturday, May 30. 10 a.m. No cover. Greenwood Recreational Center, Clearwater Adobe and More: Digitize Your Artwork with Clancy Riehm Saturday, May 30. 2 p.m. $45. Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg Make a Hanging Lamp with Kimberly Vorperian Saturday, May 30. 2 p.m. $45 plus $35 materials fee. Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg
SPMOP’s Alt Tampa: Jesi Cason Gallery
Talk Sunday, May 31. 11 a.m. $12. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Ybor City Coffee with a Curator Every first Wednesday. 10:30 a.m. No cover. The Dali Museum, St. Petersburg
MARKETS
Dunedin Friday Market Fridays. 9 a.m. No cover. Pioneer Park, Dunedin Gemorama Friday-Sunday, May 29-31. 10 a.m. $5. Teco Expo Hall at Strawberry Festival Grounds, Plant City
Dunedin Saturday Market Saturdays. 9 a.m. No cover. Pioneer Park, Dunedin
Secondhand Market Every last Saturday through May 30. 9 a.m. No cover. 1664 12th Street South, St. Petersburg Card Syndicate Trade Show SaturdaySunday, May 30-31. 10 a.m. $10 & up. Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel, Tampa. syndicatetradeshow.com
Sneaker Kulture 2026 Saturday, May 30. 11 a.m. $20 & up. Armature Works, Tampa St. Pete Night Market Every first Wednesday. 6 p.m. No cover. Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg
PRIDE
St. Pete Pride: Street Fair Friday, May 29. 5-10 p.m. No cover. Grand Central District, St. Petersburg St. Pete Pride: Pickleball Tournament & Beach Party Saturday, May 30. 7 a.m.-
1 p.m. $42.84 individual tournament entry, $80.03 team entry; No cover for beach party. Skybeach Resort, St. Petersburg
St. Pete Pride: Sundays are a Drag Brunch Sunday, May 31. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
$53.46 & up. Skybeach Resort, St. Petersburg Queer AF & Dyke Nite St Pete: Sober Beach Day Sunday, May 31. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. No cover. Fort DeSoto North Beach
Dunedin Pride: Family Pride Day in the Park Sunday, May 31. Noon-6 p.m. No cover. Pioneer Park, Dunedin Dunedin Pride: Ladies Pride Luau Wednesay, June 3. 5 p.m.-10 p.m. $35. The Honu Restaurant & Tiki Bar, Dunedin Drag Bingo Every first and third Wednesday. 9 p.m. No cover. American Legion Seminole Post 111, Tampa Big Gay Pride Market Thursday, June 4. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Cocktail, St. Petersburg Dyke Nite: Thicker than G.R.I.T.S Thursday, June 4. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City
SPORTS
Los Angeles Angels vs. Tampa Bay Rays Friday, May 29. 7:10 p.m. $10 & up. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg 2nd Annual Bobby Tripoli 3v3 Basketball Classic Saturday, May 30. 10 a.m. $15. The Mac Gymnasium, Brandon Los Angeles Angels vs. Tampa Bay Rays Saturday, May 30. 4:10 p.m. $32 & up. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg Lou Gehrig Day 2026 Tuesday, June 2. 6:30 p.m. $30.20 & up. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg
Tampa Tarpons vs Palm Beach Cardinals Tuesday, June 2. 6:30 p.m. $2.25. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
Tampa Tarpons vs Palm Beach
Cardinals Wednesday, June 3. 5 p.m. $5.55. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
Tampa Tarpons vs Palm Beach Cardinals Thursday, June 4. 6:30 p.m. $11.10. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
THEATER
Jobsite Theater: Danny and the Deep Blue Sea Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31. 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. Sunday). $59.40 & up. Shimberg Playhouse at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
The Notebook Multiple times TuesdaySunday, May 26-31. $62.20 & up. Morsani Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Morsani Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
Who is Eartha Mae? Multiple times Wednesdays-Sundays from Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, June 21. $5 & up. Urbanite Theatre, Sarasota
The Hot Wing King Multiple times on Wednesdays-Sundays from June 3-28. $63. American Stage Theatre Company, St. Petersburg
TRAVEL & LEISURE
Be Out Day Tampa (FAMU) Saturday, May 30. 12 p.m. No cover. Perry Harvey Sr. Park, Tampa. beoutdaytampa.com
Care About Me Community Wellness Festival Saturday, May 30. 10 a.m. No cover. England Brothers Park, Pinellas Park
Interested in advertising around this listing? Contact jhoward@cltampa.com and acarbone@cltampa.com for details.
5/28: TEACHER APPRECIATION PARTY
COUNTRY LINE DANCING (FREE)
CHAS COLLINS BAND (PAVILION)
5/29: RAYS VS. ANGELS (WATCH PARTY)
DJ ARI (PRE-GAME PARTY)
SWIPE RIGHT BAND (POST GAME SHOW)
5/30: RAYS VS. ANGELS (WATCH PARTY)
COLE SWINDELL (POST-CONCERT EVENT)
WITH SECOND RODEO BAND (FREE)
5/31: RAYS VS. ANGELS (WATCH PARTY)
DJ ARI (PRE-GAME PARTY)
FULL THROTTLE BAND
6/1: RAYS VS. TIGERS (WATCH PARTY)
FERG’S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
6/2: RAYS VS. TIGERS (WATCH PARTY - PARTY DECK)
LOVE ISLAND WATCH PARTY (PAVILION)
6/3 : OPEN JAM NIGHT (PARTY DECK)
BAREFOOT BOB & THE HOPE
LOVE ISLAND WATCH PARTY (PAVILION)
6/4 : CROSSFIRE CREEK (PARTY DECK)
LOVE ISLAND WATCH PARTY (PAVILION)
FERG’S TRIVIA (INSIDE)
6/5 : QUIET RIOT
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: VIXEN AND SAINTS OF SATURN (PAVILION)
FLO-RAW BAND (PARTY DECK)
Man in black
In fiery testimony, Tampa venue owner Tom DeGeorge calls Live Nation ‘the hogs at the top.’
By Ray Roa and Selene San Felice
Mr. DeGeorge went to Washington last Monday, and there were fireworks. On May 18 in Washington D.C., Tom DeGeorge was on Capitol Hill as part of his continued fight for the country’s independent music venues.
During the hearing at the House Committee on the Judiciary, DeGeorge—co-founder and owner of Crowbar in Ybor City—was asked to testify in front of lawmakers deciding how to proceed after a jury decided that Live Nation and Ticketmaster operate a monopoly and a separate Department of Justice antitrust settlement that critics have dragged as having no teeth.
Crowbar will close this summer after two decades in Tampa’s historic and entertainment district. DeGeorge, the Southeast Regional President of the National Independent Venue Association, has been critical of Live Nation and Ticketmaster and continues to be vocal after the jury verdict and DOJ settlement.
In his testimony, DeGeorge urged lawmakers to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster and force them to separate their promotions, sponsorship and ticketing operations.
Citing data showing that 64% of indie stages in the U.S. are unsustainable, he said that without serious action, venues will close to the detriment of bands and fans.
“We cannot let that happen. To have a healthy ecosystem, everything has to stop. Start from the bottom up, not from the top down,” DeGeorge added. “And right now, the only people that are eating are the hogs at the top, and it’s got to stop.”
The “shadow hearing”—meaning it was not sanctioned by Republicans, who control both the Senate and House of Representatives—included not just DeGeorge, but The Hold Steady’s Franz Nicolay, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, former DOJ lawyer Roger Alford, and Chicago indie promoter Jerry Mickelson. Alford, blasted the $280 million DOJ settlement, which fell short of the antitrust department’s goal.
“One would hope that institutional and personal integrity would have protected against such prosecutorial abuse, but unfortunately that has not happened,” he added.
After the DOJ settlement, Bonta—together with more than 30 other states attorneys, including Florida’s—continued the antitrust fight against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, winning the verdict last month.
“For those of us who have spent years trying to bring culture to our communities, it was all very hard to stomach.”
“Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster and monopolized the ticket industry, forcing venues into restrictive contracts and raising ticket prices—all while mocking Florida consumers,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a news release.
Uthmeier was referring, in part, to messages between Live Nation employees, making fun of Tampa fans being exorbitantly charged for parking and other ancillary charges like VIP access and lawn chair rentals.
MUSIC NEWS
In one exchange, Ben Baker, then working in Tampa as a regional ticketing director for Live Nation, laughed about charging $50 for grass parking, adding “i charge $60 for closer grass” and telling Weinhold that he charges $100 for oversize parking that is still almost a mile from the venue entrance.
“Robbing them blind baby,” Baker wrote in another message. “that’s how we do”
At Monday’s hearing, DeGeorge detailed a 2025 meeting he had with then Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division Gail Slater.
“I told her the Live Nation trial was a matter of life and death for independent venues. She made me feel heard. She seemed to really care about this fight,” DeGeorge said.
Slater led some of the DOJ’s most prominent antitrust cases, but resigned less than a month before the Live Nation-Ticketmaster trial began.
“It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today,” she wrote on social media. “It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role.” continued on page 44
WALK THE LINE: Tom DeGeorge at the House Committee on the Judiciary in Washington, D.C. on May 18, 2026.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY / YOUTUBE
“Three days into the trial, the DOJ settled with Live Nation for an amount that’s only one weekend of sales for that company,” DeGeorge said in his comments to lawmakers. “For those of us who have spent years trying to bring culture to our communities, it was all very hard to stomach.”
The DOJ settlement is expected to play out through the TICKET Act, legislation introduced by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz which would require sellers to show the full cost of tickets—including fees—before purchasing. The bill passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support and is awaiting a Senate vote.
DeGeorge’s testimony comes a month after Live Nation announced plans to build a new 4,300-capacity music venue in Ybor City as part of the ongoing Gasworx development—just a short trolley ride from Crowbar and a proposed downtown Tampa, 3,500-capacity venue from Tampa developer Strategic Property Partners (SPP).
A change.org petition called “Protect Ybor City. Reject the Proposed Live Nation Venue” has garnered more than 6,000 signatures since
“It always has felt unfair.”
it was posted by Angel D’Angelo on May 8. The petition, in part, takes issue with the Gasworx developers’ planned variance and removal of a mature grand oak at 1419 E 4th Ave. and 1402 N 15th St., where the venue is planned.
“It also threatens what remains of Ybor’s independent music culture, a culture that has already been pushed to the edge,” D’Angelo wrote.
D’Angelo asked petition supporters to attend the Barrio Latino Comission public hearing on Tuesday, May 26 and submit written comments (the meeting had not wrapped when Creative Loafing Tampa Bay sent this to press).
Last month, Kettler (stylized all-caps), the developer that will help build Live Nation’s proposed Ybor City venue declined to comment when CL asked for a response to the antitrust jury ruling and backlash following the plans to open the venue just blocks away from Crowbar.
“This is a lawsuit that doesn’t involve KETTLER, so it would not be appropriate for us to weigh in,” a rep for the company added.
Brittany Flores, Live Nation Florida Market President, told CL,” “Tampa’s live music scene
is thriving, and we’re excited to support its continued growth.”
“Currently, there is no venue of this size in the market, and this project will help fill a longstanding gap for artists and fans. We believe the venue will help attract touring artists and strengthen Tampa’s position as a destination for live music,” she added. “Together with KETTLER, we’ll continue listening to community feedback throughout the process to help ensure the project reflects the character and history that make Ybor City so special.”
Reps for SPP’s downtown venue have not yet responded to questions from CL; we’ll update this post if they do.
“an industry wide resale cap” and stronger enforcement of the secondary market. The company also claims that “70% of tickets sold are under $100,” and that artists, not ticket brokers, get more value when they choose market-based pricing tools.
MUSIC
In a multi-bullet response to CL, another rep for Live Nation pushed back on claims that it runs a monopoly, saying plaintiff’s “ticketing monopoly relies on a gerrymandered market representing roughly 14% of U.S. primary tickets, excluding major categories like sports and stadiums.”
The email claims that Live Nation has advocated for consumer protections, including
But even some of the biggest artists in the world can’t wrap their heads around concert prices. Two-time Grammy-winner Jason Mraz recently told CL that he has “a little bit of leverage” when it comes to pricing tickets, adding that he tries to start admission as low as possible.
“And then there’s dynamic ticketing, which I don’t understand,” Mraz said adding that the resale market, where tickets cost twice or three times as much, is also confusing.
“It always has felt unfair. I don’t know how to combat it,” Mraz told CL. “If you try to sell tickets outside of the system. There isn’t really enough platform outside of the system to compete with the real system. So I’m still at a loss.”
DAILY HAPPY HOUR!
FRIDAY
LIVE COMEDY SHOWS THIS
THURSDAY, MAY 28 TH 7:00 PM: WEEKLY IMPROV DROP-IN CLASS
Looking to try something new? Our drop-in is the perfect place to give improv a try, even (and especially!) if you've never done it before. Take the plunge this Thursday!
9:00 PM: LAST THURSDAYS OPEN MIC
Gina M. hosts this monthly open mic, perfect for stand-up comedians, improvisers, and alternative comedians alike. Come try out your material at this free mic!
FRIDAY, MAY 29 TH
7:30 PM: YES & FOREVER: A SKETCH-PROV WEDDING
Wedding season is here! Celebrate by attending the debut of this wedding-themed sketch show starring Liz Marcucci & Lauren Ross.
9:00 PM: TAMPA UNHINGED
Tampa UnHINGEd is raw, real, and ridiculous—an improvised comedy show tackling dating disasters, Tampa life, and the weirdness of just being human.
SATURDAY, MAY 30 TH
8:00 PM: MANDY KEEN: MAGGIE
Packed with physical comedy and audience interaction, Maggie follows a tenacious misfit undergoing a strange metamorphosis as she searches for love, self-worth, and a place in the world while navigating the confusing rituals of humanity.
9:30 PM: THE DARK SHOW
Gina M. *also* hosts this monthly showcase where Tampa Bay's top standup comedians perform the material they can't do anywhere else.
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By Ray Roa C CL Recommends
FRI 29
C Buffalo Nichols w/Geri-X After making a splash in 2021 with a folky acoustic blues records on Fat Possum, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols went psychedelic for the 2023 follow-up. The Fatalis t continues to bring the time-tested American art form to the modern day thanks to 808s, synthesizer, chopped up samples, and stonter-rock, too. Named a “new guitar great” (Garden & Gun) and one of the Recording Academy’s “5 Younger Musicians Keeping The Blues Alive,” the 35-year-old takes down bootstrap capitalism (“The Fatalist Blues”), pays homage to Blind Willie Johnson (“You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond”) and takes a dip in optimism, too (“Love is All”). 7 p.m. $18. St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, St. Petersburg
The Button Smashers To celebrate their 10th anniversary, The Button Smashers play a most appropriate venue where the band’s high-energy, video game-inspired ska can be fully-appreciated. The cover includes unlimited gameplay, and Riverview’s Leaven Brewing has concocted an anniversary beer to celebrate. 8 p.m. $8. Lowry Parcade, Tampa
Diáspora: Post Physique w/Mila Killa/DJ Gay-Z Salsa Con Ron’s Rum & Coke show isn’t the only globetrotting DJ night happening this weekend. For the latest installment of the no-cover Diáspora series, Peruvian DJ Mila Killa (of Samba! night fame) is joined by Mississippi-native and Sector.FM DJ Gay-Zilla, plus Post Physique who promises to mix bouyon sounds with Miami bass, juke and Baltimore club bangers. 10 p.m. No cover. The Bends, St. Petersburg
C Tommy ‘Shuga T’ Shugart (album release) At home behind the Hammond, Tommy “Shuga T” Shugart cut his teeth in Winter Park where he studied jazz guitar and played cello in the orchestra. After sharing the stage with the likes of Joe Marcinek, Mike Mitchell (AKA Blaque Dynamite), and Roosevelt Collier—and releasing his solo debut in 2022—Shugart is back with another new album of smooth organ tunes. 8 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
SUN 31
C ANODNB: Massive 3 w/Michael Kean/Popejohn/Mr. Marley/Thee Joker/ R2tat2/Kay-S/more There are just over 60 days until the end of Crowbar, and everyone’s getting their last hurrahs in. The crew from A Night of Drum & Bass is in this weekend to celebrate underground electronic music with special guests—Jay Marley, Kean, and PopeJohn—along with ANODNB
staples like Thee Joker. “Blending nostalgia, underground culture, and the energy that helped define Crowbar for years, the event serves as both celebration and farewell for one of Tampa’s most important independent music spaces,” organizers wrote. 6 p.m. $5. Crowbar, Ybor City
The Black Crowes w/Whiskey Myers/ Southall Drivin N Cryin’s Kevn Kinney probably won’t be onstage with The Black Crowes this time (the 65-year-old appeared at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia last weekend), but fans of the Robinson brothers won’t care. Reunited after a cruel split, Chris and Rich arrive riding high on the Grammynominated 2024 album Happiness Bastards and with a fiery new album, A Pound of Feathers , to share with fans of the revered Southern rock band. 6:30 p.m. $25 & up. Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
C Salsa Con Ron presents: Rum & Coke w/DJ Kumi/Harold Fandino/Jesus Rodriguez With roots at Gramps alongside DJ Action Pat, and after years of residency at Dante’s Hi-Fi, plus sets at Montreux Jazz Festival, DJ Kumi, Harold Fandino, and Jesus Rodriguez bring their celebration of Caribbean and Afro-Latin sounds for a Tampa debut. With a focus on the 1960s-1980s, the trio known as Rum & Coke DJs tap into their roots (they’re from the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Nicaragua) while spinning funk, zouk, salsa, merengue, Afrobeat, soukous, cumbia and more. Organizers Salsa con Ron—driven by the Sorta Pretty Good duo of Sean O’Brien and Effren Denson—have set a grown folks schedule for this party which wraps by 10 p.m. and comes complete with both chicken and yellow rice along with rum and Coke, and potential domino games on the Kress atrium. “I’m one of those people, like, I get an idea in my head and it’s so hard for me to let go of it,” longtime Tampa promoter O’Brien told Creative Loafing about his latest endeavour. “I like taking the risk of doing something special.” 4 p.m. $15. Kress Contemporary, Ybor City
TUE 02
C Young The Giant w/Cold War Kids/ Almost Monday Whether you sat out or got soaked at Young The Giant’s Gasparilla Music Festival rain set two years ago, here’s your chance for redemption. Young The Giant has a trio of Florida shows coinciding the release of the California alt-rock outfit’s sixth album Victory Garden , released this month. While the album’s hopeful first single “Different Kind of Love” and its rainy music video have made waves since dropping last February, it’s easier to lyrically connect with the single “Bitter Fruit,” which sees frontman Sameer Gadhia and friends long for the days when they could really live hard and enjoy life again. Joining the band in Tampa will be Long Beach indie-rock band Cold War Kids, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album Robbers & Cowards,
THU MAY 28–THU JUNE 04
and up-and-coming indie-pop trio Almost Monday. 6:30 p.m. $54.70 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa—Josh Bradley
THU 04
C Dyke Night St. Pete: Thicker Than G.R.I.T.S w/Empowerr/DJ Donnie Luv/ Fessi K B2B Vonne Parks A bit like Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street,” the dykes aren’t fucking leaving. Ybor City hotspot Crowbar will be closed before the fall, but organizers at Dyke Night St. Pete keep booking shows at the legendary, 20-year-old Tampa venue. The latest includes the tagline “Thicker Than G.R.I.T.S.,” as in “Gays Raised In the South.” The poster for next month’s
event is giving Waffle House meets Pussycat Lounge and promises to turn the room into a straight up throwdown soundtracked by southern rap, complete with “the hottest queer+ lesbian dancers in Tampa Bay on the main stage” (bring singles, folks). Dykeowned Carupano Kitchen will make hot, fresh arepas on the back patio while Empowerr, DJ Donnie Luv, and a B2B set featuring Fessi K and They Hate Change’s Vonne Parks handle tunes. The gig is Dyke Night St. Pete’s second to last visit to Crowbar, which will close before August, after two decades in the historic district. Like other Dyke Nights before it, the show will most likely sell-out before doors open. 9 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City
See an extending version of this listing via cltampa.com/music.
Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West and a guy who identified as a Nazi until a few months ago, announced a new show coming to Raymond James Stadium this summer.
After losing millions in major contracts with companies like Adidas and Gap, the artist who once posted “IM NEVER APOLOGIZING FOR MY JEWISH COMMENTS,” posted a lengthy apology in the Wall Street Journal last January, just months before the release of his new album Bully, which has been met with mixed reviews.
Despite the lukewarm reception of “Bully,” Ye is making up for it by touring with a big ass globe, which he stands on while fans take selfies in front of it.
Not a lot of details were announced last Friday evening, but according to the venue’s website the “Heil Hitler” rapper will perform June 26 at 8 p.m. Presale tickets went live last Tuesday and started at $182. As of press time only the lower bowl seats in the 100 level of the stadium were available.
Road to Nowhere (Talking Heads tribute by Row Jomah) Friday, June 5. 8 p.m. $17.67. Crowbar, Ybor City
2000s Night Friday, June 12. 9:30 p.m.
$20.77 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Ký Uc 2 Sunday, June 21. 9 p.m. $112.30 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
Makua Friday, June 26. 7 p.m. $27.51. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Bop To The Top Saturday, June 27. 9 p.m.
$25.96 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Ahmed Saad Sunday, June 28. 7 p.m. $119 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Hot Dog Party XX: Young & Sick w/ Cannibal Kids/Wolf-Face/BadCameo/ Jeremy Gloff/Geri X/DJ Wally Rios Friday-Saturday, July 3-4. 7 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. Saturday. $15 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City
YDG Friday, July 3. 10 p.m. $25.96 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Pablo Cruise w/Orleans/David Pack Saturday, July 25. 7 p.m. $49.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater.
Selwyn Birchwood Friday, July 24. 7 p.m.
$25. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Anime Rave Thursday, July 30. 8 p.m.
$23.88 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
L’Eclair w/Charlie Chimi Friday, July 31. 7 p.m. $20.70. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
Fans interested in this sort of stuff may be able to score free tickets if they sign up for his mailing list. “A few lucky pre-registrants will be selected to receive free tickets,” according to tour.yeezy.com. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Colin Wolf
Cloe Wilder Friday, Aug. 21. 8:30 p.m. $20. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Buckcherry w/Black Stone Cherry/Tyler
Bryant Wednesday, Aug. 26. 7 p.m. $47.26. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
G-Eazy w/Logic/Juicy J Thursday, Oct. 8. 7 p.m. $35 & up. Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
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Hope after rock bottom
By Caroline DeBruhl
Dear Oracle, I grew up in an abusive household. Some of that abuse was very direct, and some of it was indirect. I began seeing a therapist in my early 20s, and over the past 20 years, I felt like I processed it and unlearned a lot of what was instilled in me. I even had compassion for one of my parents, recognizing them as a co-victim. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said that I was as “over it” as one could be. But a month ago, I turned the age my abuser was when everything started, and I am filled with an incredible rage, not just at my abuser (who knew better) but also at all the adults in my life who let it happen. That compassion I felt is gone. I’m so angry at all of them, and I don’t know what to do about it. My abuser is dead, so I can’t yell at them. I don’t know if I want to confront all the other adults because I don’t know what good it would do. They’re in their late 70s/early 80s, and it was so long ago, and until recently, I was fine. What should I do with this rage?—The Only Adult Around Here
Dear Adult,
You should have been protected from your abuser. I am so sorry that you weren’t and that all these adults and caregivers failed you in this basic task. You deserved so much more, and I’m so sorry you went through this.
Laurie Kahn, a trauma therapist, once wrote that “one of the cruelest truths about childhood trauma is the way it revisits its victims when they are adults.” Trauma runs deep, and while we can process it, new layers can appear later on, bubbling to the surface long after the fact. What you’re going through is not uncommon.
ORACLE OF YBOR
Send your questions to oracle@cltampa.com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram
Cards: Seven of Swords (reversed), Ten of Swords (reversed), Four of Swords, Queen of Pentacles, Knight of Wands (reversed), The Sun (reversed)
With the Seven of Swords and Ten of Swords paired and both reversed, I think you’re reaching the bottom of that trauma. The Seven of Swords is often a card of self-destruction and betrayal, but in the case of childhood trauma, it might have been your coping mechanism to get through it. You may have had to deny the hurt from the bystanders for a long time because they were your only stability as a child. But now, as an adult, you can see what they were lacking, and that does open up for a deeper level of grief. It is seeing the final betrayal. That’s an incredibly difficult thing.
With the Ten of Swords, this might be the final “rock bottom” of this tragedy. It is all the
fear and hatred and pain up front, all the hurt and grievances laid out before you. You have the facts—and with everything finally out in the light, you can take it from there. You can begin to process this. Again.
With the Four of Swords and Queen of Pentacles, I do think this would be a good time to revisit this trauma with a therapist. The Four of Swords here is offering a quiet place to rest the mind and let it process. While Swords are the sign of air, the Four of Swords is often drawn as a sarcophagus—it’s going about going to ground. You need quiet and space to process this, and I think a skilled therapist will be a great help to you in this difficult time.
While your therapist might be the Queen of Pentacles, I wonder if you need to be this queen for yourself. The Queen on Pentacles is a grounded, earthly mother who knows what she values and gives herself generously. You can be that grounding, caring mother for yourself. You can hold on to what you value as you go through this healing process. You can be kind and generous with the grace you give yourself. This might be a difficult process, but you can protect yourself in many ways.
But you will be able to process this. You will be able to transmute this anger into something useful. It just might be messy.
The final pair is the Knight of Wands and Sun, both reversed. The Knight of Wands is a fiery one, riding a bucking bronco and filled with passion and energy. He is an agent of change and a passionate one at that. That fire
and energy might come through with you confronting those adults in your life. It might come through with you making some radical decisions or you channeling all of that energy into a completely new direction. (This Knight does have quite the wanderlust.) Whatever it is, you will be able to take that rage and channel it into something new.
I can’t help but look at the images on The Sun. It is a baby, riding a white horse (the same horse as the Knight of Wands) and holding a banner of triumph. If there were any card that represented a thriving child, it would be this one. Many therapists talk about “reparenting” yourself if your caregivers did not give you the support you needed, and I think that’s especially true here.
But with The Sun, I think that not only will you succeed, but you’ll be happy. You’ll go beyond feeling “fine.” You’ll thrive. There is an optimism, both bright and deep with The Sun, and it’s a light that endures.
You ask about what to do with this anger. The truth is, I don’t know. I don’t know what you feel about “closure” or what that would look like in this circumstance, or whether confronting those adults would be beneficial or harmful to you.
But I do think that with time (and a good therapist), you’ll be able to climb up from under all of those swords and find your place in the sun.
Thank you for trusting me with your question.
See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com
Border Crossings
By Dan Savage
How do you feel about the rise of “passport bros?” A friend of mine rearranged his life after his divorce and now spends about half the year overseas dating. He insists it’s not exploitation or colonialism—just a life hack — since his income goes three times as far abroad. He’s basically able to live like a one-percenter when he’s overseas. You’ve often advised callers to move to cities or countries to start fresh, and he argues that status matters everywhere, so why not live where your money and status stretch further? He says he’s honest with women, in that he tells them he’s not looking for anything serious, but I still think he’s lying to himself about the power imbalance—especially in Southeast Asian countries he visits. He’s anti-MAGA, which complicates the stereotype he claims most passport bros fit. He argues that Los Angeles has a huge imbalance between women and men, and that women naturally gravitate toward status, such as education, career, or finances—so why not flip the status equation overseas? Dan, is he an asshole lying to himself, or has he found the ultimate life hack?—Dude Unrigs Dating
them, DUD, but paying them less than an honest john would pay an honest sex worker.
P.S. The Economist did a deep (and very disturbing) dive into the culture, intentions, and attitudes of passport bros.
from work? Does he know he has this woman to thank for all the pussy he’s getting? If not, maybe you should tell him? If he’s as wonderful as you say he is, and if he’s always been supportive of your bisexuality—and interested in acting on his own—you might be able to have it all: a wonderful husband, a stable home life, and a girlfriend.
SAVAGE LOVE
Your friend isn’t flying off to Southeast Asia because he wants to eat in nicer restaurants, DUD, he’s going there because his “status” rises along with the relative poverty of local women. The worse off they are, the better off he is. So, while your friend can vote Democratic and be honest with the women he’s fucking about his intentions, he knows—and you don’t have to pretend not to know—that he’s exploiting the women he “dates.” While some women may only want him for his body (and I’d need to see some shirtless photos before signing off on that), poor and/or much poorer women fuck him because he lives locally like a member of the 1%... and so do, however briefly, the women who fuck him when he’s abroad. He can argue the exploitation is mutual —he’s after their bodies, they’re after his money — and insist, again, that he’s being honest about his intentions, but many of the women who fuck him no doubt hope they’ll be the exception, i.e. the woman who convinces him to commit, and that he’ll lift them out of their (relative) poverty permanently. And there’s a good chance your friend behaves in ways that lead each woman he “dates” to think she just might be the exception. So, yeah. I’m putting my money on “asshole lying to himself” and not “dude who found the ultimate life hack,” DUD. P.S. I’m pro sex work, DUD, which means I’m not opposed to sex that is strictly transactional. But I’m anti bullshit, and your friend is bullshitting himself (and you) when he claims that he’s “dating” these women. He’s employing
I am in a happy marriage. My husband is an attractive, creative, good person that I love to talk to. We are best friends and he’s a great father to our two kids. We’ve been together for fifteen years and married for thirteen. We are both openly bi, but I’ve never been in a relationship with a woman. About eight years ago my libido sank and I just assumed it was because of PCOS and getting older. I had no crushes or desires. The only time we really have conflict is when we talk about me not being affectionate or not wanting to have sex. We were having sex maybe once a month. Recently, I started working with a woman. The first time she talked to me, Dan, my body exploded. Exploded. Like my libido was pounding in my pants stronger than it did when I was twenty. I’ve gotten to know her more hoping it would fade away and we would just end up friending up. It didn’t fade away, it got stronger. The more we hang out, the happier I am, and the hornier I am. My revived libido has translated into me and my husband having tons of sex. It’s also made me realize maybe I’m more gay than I am straight and I’m wondering if I should leave my beautiful marriage and stable family life for the total risk of a new life. I would love to be with the work woman, but she is more of a catalyst for a revelation that I should be with women. But maybe I’m being dramatic. What should I do?—A Whole New World
At the risk of letting the mask slip and exposing myself as a conservative plant… I don’t think running away and joining the lesbian circus would be fair to your kids. Your marriage sounds like a happy one, your husband sounds like a gem, and it sounds like you and your husband are fucking again. While I don’t mean to privilege heterosexual relationships over lesbian ones—or, God forbid, instrumentalize sapphic desire in the service of straight marriage—I think your improved/improving sex life with your husband and, more importantly, the children you had together argue against ending your beautiful marriage.
While you describe you and your husband as openly bisexual, AWNW, you don’t describe your marriage as open. If it’s not and you’re in a risk-taking mood, maybe a conversation with your husband about opening up your marriage—as opposed to ending it—will satisfy your need to take a risk. He knows you’re bisexual. Does he know you have a crush on a woman
My husband and I just started swinging after twenty years together. We found another couple recently that’s compatible with us. They are also new-ish to the lifestyle, but they’ve had more experiences than us. We have hooked up twice so far, everything went awesome. Except I have noticed both times that neither of the men—not my husband, not the other woman’s husband—finished (ejaculated) even though we went on for several hours both times. I had three orgasms last time! And the wife is a squirter, so that was fun to watch. I brought up the subject via text when we were making plans for another playdate. Basically, I asked if there was an unspoken agreement I wasn’t aware of where the men agreed not to come. With my husband, I know he had a harder time because of the condom, but I make him come at home all the time. So, now I’m on a mission to make the other guy come. I think it’s gratifying to see a man come. He gives a lot (oral), I think it should be reciprocal, but he says he enjoys giving me organisms more than getting them. Also, to make it worse, the other woman says she doesn’t actually have orgasms during playdates either even though she squirts?!? Should I just leave this alone? Or make it a personal mission to make everyone else come?
Completing Orgasmic Mission Eventually!
You’re new to swinging (are people still calling it that?)—welcome to the lifestyle! (are people still calling it that?)—and it sounds like you’re carrying a perfectly reasonable partnered sex assumption into group sex. Namely, that everyone needs or wants to orgasm every single time and that a good partner makes sure their partner gets off.
First: lots of men—men who are new to swinging, men who are more experienced swingers—don’t necessarily need or want to come during group playdates. Some men can’t because condoms make it harder, some newbies
can’t come due to performance anxiety issues (that will resolve themselves in time), and some men find it harder to come when they’re being watched. For others, trying not to finish too fast backfires and they “miss their window” and wind up not being able to come at all. Remember: while many women can have more than one orgasm during a session—you had three last time—very few men can have more than one orgasm during a single playdate. Since your husband and this other guy are likely to crash out after they come, it makes sense they’d choose to pace themselves, even at the risk of not coming at all.
Second: it’s always good to be invested in your partner’s pleasure—there wouldn’t be an orgasm gap if all straight men everywhere were as invested in their partners’ pleasure as you are—but “making” everyone else at your playdate come come because you regard their orgasms as proof they’re having fun and/or proof that you’re a good fuck isn’t the vibe you want to carry into a group sex situation. If you need proof this couple had a great time and that you’re a good fuck, COME, the fact that this couple showed up for a second playdate and wants to schedule a third should suffice. (As a general rule, swingers don’t keep swinging with people they had a bad time with to be polite.)
TLDR: leave this alone. Or look at it this way: mission accomplished. You let everyone know—you let your husband know, you let this other couple know— that you’re ready, willing, and able to get them off, COME, which makes you an excellent play partner. If someone wants your help getting off, they’ll let you know. If they don’t, you can relax and enjoy your orgasms without guilt.
P.S. Pressure—the sense that your partner is going to be disappointed if you don’t come— has never made it easier for someone to get off.
Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love
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