Creative Loafing Tampa — May 8, 2025

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DAVE DECKER

Editorial MANAGING EDITOR Selene San Felice FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, McKenna Schueler, Sofía García Vargas, David Warner PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore SPRING INTERN Grace Stoler (apply for fall by emailing clips and a resume to rroa@cltampa.com) Creative Services CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson Advertising SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Anthony Carbone Events and Marketing MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Leigh Wilson MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Kristin Bowman Circulation

It’s a barricade.

CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta Chava Communications Group

chavagroup.com cltampabay.com cldeals.com EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Events & Media, LLC, 633 N Franklin St., Suite 735. Tampa, Florida, 33602.

DeSantis signs controversial ballot initiative bill, p. 27.

NEWS+VIEWS ........................... 17 FOOD+DRINK ............................33 A&E .......................................... 37 TITOUAN MASSÉ

FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Michael Wagner CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Cassandra Yardeni Wagner CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Graham Jarrett VP OF OPERATIONS Hollie Mahadeo DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES Kelsey Molina SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Meradith Garcia ART DIRECTOR David Loyola DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jaime Monzon

MUSIC ......................................43 MUSIC WEEK ............................45 ORACLE OF YBOR ..................... 51 SAVAGE LOVE ...........................53 CROSSWORD ............................55

Australia exports some of the world’s most sought-after psych-rock bands.

The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampabay.com. Copyright 2023, Tampa Events and Media, LLC.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets among top live music picks, p.45.

The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.

ON THE COVER: Photos by James Reiman. Design by David Loyola.

Our main number: (813) 739-4800 Letters to the editor: comments@cltampa.com Anonymous news tips: cltampabay_tips@protonmail.com

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RIC SAVID

/music More Music Week /arts St. Pete Month of Photography /news Exhale photos.cltampa.com Bartow’s Swearingen house

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Distress signal Photos by Dave Decker

L

abor union advocates have been rallying on May Day for more than 130 years, but this year’s demonstration took on more meaning.

Activists gathered last Saturday in Ybor City’s Centennial Park for an International Worker’s Day protest organized, in part, by the West Central Florida Labor Council. Union supporters were joined by those protesting the Trump administration’s policies on labor, immigration and more.

Kim Smith, a union coordinator representing electrical workers for IBEW Local 824 in Tampa, told the crowd a fight for unions is a fight for dignity. “If you can unionize, unionize because it’s the only power we have. The collective bargaining rights have been fought for hundreds of years by people like us,” Smith added.

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“Federal government employment is in a crisis of political calamity, hostility and threat of privatization,” Mia Rawls, a federal union member who spoke out against Trump’s treatment of federal workers, told the crowd. “Corrupt corporate fascists are hijacking our jobs and entire federal agencies.”

The protest—which departed the park and took over parts of 7th Avenue en route to José Martí Park—was part of several recent antiTrump May Day events. League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area held a May Day rally on two I-275 overpasses during rush hour last week. Students at University of South Florida used May Day to protest the university working with ICE. Read more and see all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.—Selene San Felice

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 9

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do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from May 08-15

Art of gold

As one of only three professional university-based print ateliers, the University of South Florida’s Graphicstudio has become a popular stopover in many influential artists’ creative journeys. If your walls need a new vibe, USF’s printmaking workshop has you covered at its yearly open house and benefit sale, with an opportunity to bring home reliefs, etches, photogravure, screenprinting, lithography, and bronze cast sculptures at discounts of 10%-40% off the list price. All told, more than a dozen artists—including Sebastiaan Bremer, whose 2023 relief/screenprint " Sous Bois" is pictured—are part of the lineup. Rare prints and sculptures

by Theo Wujick, Arakawa, James Rosenquist and Sandra Cinto are also among the available work, alongside materials from E.V. Day, Mark Dion and Rico Gatson.

Graphicstudio’s 26th Annual Open House + Benefit Sale: Saturday, May 10. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No cover. USF Contemporary Art Museum, 3702 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa. usfcam.usf.edu.—Selene

San Felice

C/O GRAPHICSTUDIO

TAMPABAYROWDIES/TWITTER

Tampa Bay Rowdies v. Charleston Battery: Saturday, May 10. 7:30 p.m. $24 & up. Al Lang Stadium, 230 1st St. SE, St. Petersburg. rowdiessoccer.com

—Ray Roa 12 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Salud days

CHIP WEINER/UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA

Kick in the grass

Fresh off Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup tilt against Major League Soccer’s Orlando City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies close out a short homestand with a match against Charleston, which sits at third on the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference table. The good guys in green aren’t having their best season (Tampa Bay sits at second to last in the conference), but things are looking up after the dismissal of shortlived gaffer Robbie Neilson. And if you love the Rowdies’ home base of Al Lang Stadium, you might as well get some time in since the City of St. Petersburg recently floated concepts of the downtown waterfront that swapped the venue for an outdoor amphitheater.

Dalia Colón says laughter is the key to reducing anxiety and stress, between bites while she’s stress-snacking.

The host of WUSF’s local food podcast “The Zest” is the guest storyteller at May’s Salud and Happy Days, where she’ll share stories from her adventures writing “The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook.” As they do at each monthly show, Commodore comedians will improvise scenes based on stories from notable Tampeños. We have a feeling you should eat before you go to this one.

Salud and Happy Days: Friday, May 9. 7:30 p.m. $17.96. The Commodore, 811 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. commodorecomedy.com—Selene

San Felice

See more (and submit your event) @ cltampa.com Play on

Wordplay 2025: Next Thursday, May 15. 6:30 p.m. $95 & up. Banquet Masters.

13355 49th St. N, Clearwater. vohaphasia.org—David Warner

STAGE PHOTOGRAPHY OF TAMPA

THEE PHOTO NINJA

For (closing)

There’s no issue in Florida that’s closer to, um, home than real estate—and none is more ripe for satire. Playwright Hannah Benitez’s latest, “For Closure!,” premiered in St. Petersburg last month and closes this weekend. The work centers on a pair of Realtors, Raven (Renata Eastlick) and Amanda (Sara DelBeato), who are trying to keep their agency afloat in the town of Gulfpalm. With the help of a flamboyant psychic (Matthew McGee), they set about to save an historic (and possibly haunted) building and fight the influence of a shady politico. There are caftans, there are wigs, and spray-tan, too.

This weekend sees the return of a fundraiser for Voices of Hope for Aphasia (VOH), a St. Pete-based nonprofit that helps people with language disorders due to stroke, brain tumor or traumatic brain injury. Reminiscent of the St. Pete Free Clinic’s Battle of the Minds, a trivia contest, the centerpiece of VOH’s fundraiser is also a competition, but one that involves language—a crossword puzzle. The puzzles are facilitated in part by Marie Haley, widow of late puzzlemaster Merl Reagle (who is remembered in a column on p. 54). There’ll be dinner, word games, and opportunities to give, with the main attraction continuing to be the crossword competition. Tables will compete to be the first to finish the puzzle, this year created by New York Times crossword constructor Kevin Christian especially for this event.

HAMPTON DUNN COLLECTION OF FLORIDA POSTCARDS/USF DIGITAL COMMONS

‘For Closure!’: Closes Sunday, May 11. $25 & up. freeFall Theatre Co., 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. freefalltheatre.com—David Warner

2D time machine

There’s no social media or fancy app that can replace the good ol’ postcard. Aside from souvenirs, they also show how landscapes and art styles change over time. Sarasota-based editor and author Liz Coursen knows this. She’s used the medium to trace segregation in Florida and even has rare postcards showcasing vintage tourism in Plant City. At Tampa's scenic Mann-Wagnon Park, Coursen will use museum-quality postcards to show Florida’s history from ox carts to air conditioning.

Having Fun, Wish You Were Here! An Illustrated History of the Postcard in Florida: Sunday, May 11. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.. No cover, refreshments provided.

Mann-Wagnon Park, 1101 E River Cove St., Tampa. sulphurspringsmuseum.org—Selene San Felice

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 13

14 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

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May 17th 5-9:00pm Check in at Centro Ybor!

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A mother cluckin bar crawl dedicated to the chickens of Ybor City!

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LABOR POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

Steep up

Clearwater Starbucks workers speak up for coworker allegedly fired over union activity

By McKenna Schueler

S

“suspicious.” She had worked at Starbucks for three years, securing the job after graduating high school. She was appreciative of the higher entry-level pay, compared to other available jobs, and the flexibility it lent her as she studied to become a registered nurse. Her termination wasn’t anticipated. “All of my coworkers were so shocked and surprised,” she shared.

In a phone call on May 1, Schvartz admitted she had been disciplined by their manager for tardiness before, as recently as just a couple of months ago.

“But during that last meeting, she just reassured me that it didn’t mean I was getting fired anytime soon, and not to be worried,” Schvartz

union spokesperson, Starbucks Workers United alleges that roughly 300 workers have been fired for protected organizing activity since grassroots organizing campaigns kicked off in 2021. In a number of cases, allegations have been validated by federal labor prosecutors.

A National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge last year ordered Starbucks to reinstate a barista fired in Cleveland, whom Starbucks had claimed was not adequately performing duties. After reviewing evidence, the judge determined that the worker was singled out by management as a “troublemaker” amid his store’s union organizing efforts, and was unlawfully fired for his union activity.

COURTESY

tarbucks workers organized a “march on the boss” at a Starbucks cafe in downtown Clearwater on Thursday, May 1 in an act of protest over the firing of one of their coworkers who had been a leader in workers’ unionization effort.

Although the worker, Raven Schvartz, was allegedly fired for tardiness, the 20-year-old barista and her coworkers suspect she was unlawfully fired in part due to her leading role in helping to form a union at their store last year.

Under federal labor law, it’s generally illegal for an employer to fire, discipline, or otherwise retaliate against a worker for union activity— although an estimated 41% of employers are charged with breaking labor law during union campaigns anyway, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

“It is ridiculous that while we are understaffed and overworked, our management would even consider letting one of our best partners go,” said Starbucks barista Ethan Best, speaking in a circle of roughly five other coworkers during a protest action April 24. “Raven was one of our most active union members, and we believe this is a factor in why they were punished for tardiness and others were not.”

Workers at the downtown Clearwater cafe, located at 433 Cleveland St., first voted nearly unanimously to unionize with Starbucks Workers United last August. This came after nearly a full year of having conversations with coworkers, which at times involved addressing stigma and negative stereotypes about unions.

With their vote, the store joined 11 other corporate-owned Starbucks cafes in Florida that have similarly unionized in recent years, including in Tampa, as part of a national, grassroots movement of progressive-minded baristas.

“Our customers’ wait times have exploded while our staffing has shrunk; our income has diminished as our hours have been cut; and our health has declined as our workload has increased,” workers at the Clearwater store reportedly wrote in a letter to Starbucks CEO Brian Niccols when they first announced their union drive last August.

Schvartz, the Clearwater Starbucks worker recently fired, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that her termination was unexpected and

LINE OF DEFENSE: Clearwater baristas marched on their boss last week. recalled. She was informed by management— again, months ago—that the next step, if she was tardy again, would be to come up with a behavioral or improvement plan.

“And then out of nowhere, she just terminated me,” the young barista shared.

Other coworkers, Schvartz added, have similarly been late to work, and yet this is the first time they are aware of where a barista has been fired over it. “Some of them hadn’t even been disciplined or talked to about it,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Starbucks has been accused of firing a worker over their union activity, or support for unionization. According to a

It took two years for the ruling to come, ordering reinstatement plus back pay and benefits for Walker. “I’ve definitely had moments in the past couple years where I’ve just been like, ‘If I’d never done this, I’d be in a better place financially,’” Walker told Signal Cleveland. “But it was definitely worth it to help achieve this: Unions are spreading across Ohio and across the country.”

Starbucks has received more than 1,000 complaints of alleged violations of labor law since the organizing drive began, first up in Buffalo, New York, before spreading like wildfire elsewhere. Although both the union and Starbucks

are currently in negotiations for a first union contract, to cover more than 540 unionized stores and counting, the parties have failed to reach an agreement on key economic proposals.

A group of workers, serving as delegates for the union, recently rejected a tentative agreement that included guaranteed raises of at least 2%—a far cry from what the union was shooting for. It also failed to offer any sort of guarantee for an immediate pay hike or improvements to health benefits sought by workers, according to Bloomberg News.

Schvartz, the Clearwater worker, said she was drawn to the idea of forming a union by coworker Ethan Best, one of the workers who spoke on her behalf at their march on the boss last week along with community allies.

“Before he came to me, I didn’t really know anything about being unionized,” she admitted. “I learned a lot, and then I became kind of an advocate in our store, along with Ethan for the union. And I became one of the people that our coworkers came to if they had questions or needed help.”

Starbucks told CL in a statement that Starbucks “respects the rights of our partners to freely associate and bargain collectively.” No Starbucks partner, they added, “has been or will be disciplined or separated for supporting, organizing, or otherwise engaging in lawful union activity.”

Even so, Schvartz said she is currently appealing her termination through the company and with the help of her union, Starbucks Workers United. They’re currently working on gathering evidence to prove that many of her coworkers have also been late to work without being disciplined. Then, they’ll take that to the union’s legal counsel to help put together a case.

“It was known to the manager and district manager that I was involved with the union,” Schvartz explained. “She knew I was very involved with the union, and she was the one that would send new baristas to me to answer their questions about the union. And when we went on strike, she saw me out there. So that’s why I think that was a big factor in getting terminated, was because I was so involved with the union and advocating for the union within our store.”

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Seeking refuge

Tampa City Councilman reacts to Trump’s immigration policy.

By Luis Viera Few saw this Haitian attack as a sign of things to come for so many other immigrants.

They were wrong, with devastating results for good people.

In speaking to these Tampa communities, I see heartbreak and betrayal. There is something tragic about looking at a person who realizes how devalued their remarkable human journey is to a country they thought accepted them.

About 500,000 one-time legal immigrants under TPS—Latinos fleeing Communism and Haitians—are being expelled and eventually designated illegal. Our once bipartisan refugee program is pretty much gone. Refugee charities are defunded.

Most disturbing, Trump ordered Afghan

And the beautiful—and what is right with America— is all around us. Think of Khizir and Ghazala Khan and their late son Captain Humayun Khan. Think of Corporal Ira Hayes, John Lewis, Heather Heyer, Fannie Lou Hamer, Rev. Joseph Lowery and Corporal Tibor Rubin. Think of Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney.

Think of Baptist Jimmy Carter building housing for the poor after leaving the White House peacefully. Think of the great-great-great granddaughter of souls who survived the Middle Passage crying when Barack Obama became President in 2008. Think of my constituent Roy Caldwood—a 102 year old WWII Buffalo Soldier from the 92nd Infantry who received the Bronze Star for valor in Italy and speaks with hurt today of the racism and injustice he sees.

I quote a timely song from the Menzingers: “America, I love you but you’re freaking me out.”

And I add: You are breaking my patriotic heart.

We set back in stone what has been fractured

COLUMN

COUNCILMANVIERA/TWITTER

I

have always thought of America as an aspirational idea—one we move closer to with each generation. Since January, 2025, this idea has been challenged. We have regressed, with brutal impacts on many issues, including one with connections to my heart and Tampa’s heart—immigration.

My parents, Maria and Juan Viera, were Cuban refugees who climbed an American-made ladder to opportunity. Count me as a son of refugees who believes that generational success does not divest one of their duty to preserve that ladder for today’s generation.

When I see a refugee from Syria, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Nicaragua or Venezuela, I see my family. And Trump immigration policy is a cruel attack on the Juan and Maria Vieras of today—and on our best aspirational American values.

Many dismiss humanitarian concerns on Trump immigration policy by stating “this is about illegal immigration.” This is not a defense of illegal immigration. Few want an open border.

Few want someone here illegally who commits a violent crime to stay in our country. This is not what is on the table here.

I speak of immigrants who are here legally— at least before cruel 2025 decrees. Many are refugees—admitted under a legal system of strict vetting. And all have journeys that go to the heart of what it is supposed to mean to be a Tampeno and American.

This all began with the shameful treatment in the last Presidential election of legal Haitian immigrants. Trump-Vance racist appeals on Haitian immigrants made the 1988 Willie Horton ads look tame. We were told that Ohio communities were invaded by pet eating “Haitian illegals.” Elon Musk—a man whose appeal to racism is matched by his dysfunctional desire for attention—alleged Haitians were illegally voting and helped mainstream the Great Replacement Theory. Commercials showed only Trump standing between hordes of minority immigrants and the suburbs.

Haitian immigrants—here legally through Temporary Protected Status (TPS)—were dehumanized. The outrage after this racist attack should have been louder.

When I was talking about this issue with my mother, she told me something in Spanish that translates well in English: Nobody opens their mouth until someone steps on your toes.

Now more toes are being tragically stepped on.

And Tampa has had its share of immigrant stories of heartbreak. Locally, there is fear in our large Cuban, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Afghan and Haitian communities.

we are, what we’ll do and what we won’t.”

What we once assumed was set in stone is now being fractured. We can not be silent or help make mainstream extremism that 75% of us would have been petrified of 15 years ago.

We have had tougher challenges in the past, and have fought forward. Imagine being a 19 year old enslaved woman listening to the reading of General Order No. 3 at Reedy Chapel AME Church in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.

Imagine being a Freeman voting in 1870. Imagine being an African-American fleeing the South as one of 6,000,000 in the Great Migration on your first night in Harlem.Imagine being Harry T. Moore kissing Harriette Moore good night in 1951 or Medgar Evers coming home to his family in 1963. Imagine being Cesar Chavez or Dolores Huerta organizing migrant workers in 1965 Delano, California.It has been said that what is right with American can heal what is wrong with America. Resistance to this

“When I see a refugee…I see my family.”

STAND UP: Councilman Viera (bottom right) at Tampa’s Radiant Hands. refugees who entered after the 2021 Taliban Afghanistan takeover to leave—a death sentence for families that helped our troops during Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2021, I authored a Tampa City Council resolution welcoming Afghans to Tampa—now they are being expelled.

God knows we have to fight back against this cruel repudiation of our best values.

In the song “Long Walk Home,” Bruce Springsteen sang: “Your flag flying over the courthouse means certain things are set in stone: Who

inhumanity must incorporate what is right with America. We have to appeal to the decency of a people I know are decent—the American people.

America has always had an internal struggle between our beautiful and reactionary parts.

The beautiful makes wrongs right. The beautiful builds bridges. And the beautiful repairs historic breaches of pain. Positive movements against existential threats to civic foundations succeed by fighting like hell to appeal to the beautiful in our country.

by remembering what is right and beautiful with America. This is true for the immigrant journeys that create our American heart—as well as so many important civic foundations. We have a crisis of inhumanity in the homeland. Believe in and fight for our country’s journey and promise—it is still here and needs zealous, patriotic and thoughtful fighters.

Luis Viera is the Tampa City Councilman for District 7. He recently announced a run for state house.

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 21

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www.WickedCantina.com Locations, Gift Cards, Live Music Schedule & More 26 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Try harder

DeSantis signs bill changing rules for citizen ballot initiatives.

By Dara Kam/News Service of Florida discover violations of signature-gathering laws and report them “as soon as practicable” to the secretary of state’s office.

Another controversial part of the plan would impose new restrictions on signature gathering.

Only Florida residents who are U.S. citizens and who have not been convicted of felonies or have had their right to vote restored would be allowed to register with the state to collect signatures.

The measure also would cap how many completed petitions unregistered signature-gatherers could possess and make violations of the restriction a felony. Unregistered people would be allowed to possess petitions for themselves, 25 other people and certain family members.

Petitions collected by ineligible people or unregistered individuals who violate the 25-petition cap would not be counted toward the number of signatures required for ballot placement.

“What we are debating today is not just a bill. It’s a barricade. A deliberate wall erected between the people of Florida and the power of their own voices,” Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Ocoee, argued before the House vote Thursday.

“This is an assault on the very spirit of Florida’s democracy.”

ELECTIONS

volunteers from the process, who have better validation rates and really get at the heart of the civic engagement value the initiative process has,” Ashwell said this week. Voting-rights groups are expected to challenge parts of the bill in court.

But Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, issued a statement Friday that described the bill as “a much-needed step in the right direction.” “For decades, the Florida Chamber has led the effort to safeguard our state’s foundational document because Floridians and local businesses across our state deserve a Constitution that provides certainty and stability, not one that is up for sale every two years,” Wilson said.

The plan includes a provision, sponsored by Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, that would prohibit the use of state funds to advocate for or against proposed constitutional amendments, a restriction that targets DeSantis’ use of state agencies to combat the abortion and marijuana initiatives last year.

Bradley said the bill isn’t aimed at restricting voters’ participation in the democratic process. The bill “does not address imaginary, hypothetical fraud, but known fraud,” Bradley said and “strikes a balance” to ensure integrity in the initiative process. “An important and necessary piece of this bill is that when citizens navigate that process and they do it right and they comply with all the requirements that they are not then going to face the unlimited coffers of state government to fight against them. That is not right,” Bradley said.

DAVE DECKER

W

ith Democrats calling the changes an “assault on the very spirit of Florida’s democracy,” the Republican-controlled Legislature on May 2 finalized a plan that will impose additional hurdles on the ballot-initiative process and heighten penalties for wrongdoing. Gov. Ron DeSantis immediately signed the bill into law.

DeSantis pushed lawmakers to crack down on the process after highly contentious and expensive battles over proposals last year that sought to place abortion rights in the state Constitution and allow recreational marijuana for adults.

The governor helped lead campaigns to defeat the proposed constitutional amendments, which fell short of receiving the necessary 60% approval to pass.

Supporters of the bill (HB 1205) relied heavily on a voluminous report by the state Office of Elections Crimes and Security that found dozens of instances of wrongdoing by petition-signature gatherers.

“We’re doing this because we want to reduce the bad actions, we want to reduce the fraud, we want to reduce the opportunities for people to pervert the system,” Senate sponsor Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican and former Senate president, said.

The bill is the latest move in years of efforts

by Republican lawmakers, backed by business groups such as the Florida Chamber of Commerce, to make it more difficult to place citizen initiatives on the ballot. They argue, in part, that policy decisions should be made by the Legislature instead of through ballot initiatives.

The Senate voted 28-9 to pass the measure, which was approved Thursday by the House in an 81-30 vote. The votes came after sponsors made tweaks this week to earlier versions of the bill, with the Senate giving final approval just hours before the legislative session was scheduled to end.

One controversial part of the bill would require the Office of Elections Crimes and Security to investigate if 25% of submitted petitions for a ballot initiative during any reporting period are deemed invalid. Supporters of proposed constitutional amendments often submit more signatures than are needed to get on the ballot, with the expectation that some will be rejected.

Critics argued that the validity threshold would have triggered investigations for all of the ballot proposals that have passed in recent years.

The bill also would impose hefty fines for sponsors of ballot initiatives for wrongdoing by petition gatherers, such as signing other people’s names or leaving information blank on petitions.

Each violation would carry a $5,000 fine, but sponsors could avoid financial penalties if they

The bill also would require supervisors of elections to notify voters who signed validated petitions and inform them of their right to revoke their signatures, a provision that critics said is meant to encourage voters to withdraw their signatures and would drive up costs.

Critics of the legislation argued that the plan would erect unnecessary hurdles to what many said was one of the nation’s most onerous petition processes. Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, said the Republican-led Legislature has established “a pattern” of changing election-related laws “if the majority doesn’t like what they see in a prior election.”

“We raise the bar,” Polsky said.

She pointed to last year’s election and the battles over Amendment 3, which would have allowed recreational marijuana, and the abortion-rights measure, which appeared on the ballot as Amendment 4. Both received support from more than 50% of voters but did not meet the 60% threshold.

“Those pesky amendments 3 and 4 just came too damn close to passing. So what are we going to do? We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen again. We’re going to make it so hard and so expensive that only corporate interests are going to be able to ever get a citizens initiative on the ballot,” Polsky said.

Brad Ashwell, Florida state director for the advocacy group All Voting is Local Action, called the bill “a death blow” to the initiative process.

“It’s a direct assault on the citizen-led amendment process. It completely removes

NUMBERS GAME: Amendment 4 earned 57% support—and still failed to pass.

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 27

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Well Aldi damned

German grocer opens new location in South Tampa, and more local openings.

G

rab your quarters. Hyde Park’s old WinnDixie reopened as an Aldi last Thursday, and at least one other conversion is coming soon in Tampa Bay. The store at 2100 W Swann Ave. in South Tampa will be about half the original grocer’s size, leaving an opening in the building for another retailer, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reports.

The first 100 customers after the store opens at 9 a.m. will receive a gift bag filled with a sampling of ALDI Fan Favorites products and a Golden Ticket gift card, per the store’s announcement. All weekend, Hyde Park shoppers can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 ALDI gift card.

A St. Petersburg conversion could open this fall. Construction began earlier this month to convert the Winn-Dixie at 3327 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N. Jeff Francis, manager of the Park & Eleazer construction, told Creative Loafing Bay that problems with the site will likely delay the 18-week timeline that started around April 16. Aldi usually opens stores about a month after construction finishes, he said.

After Aldi announced its purchase of Florida’s second-largest grocery chain in 2023, a Winn-Dixie at 805 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. in Ybor Heights was supposed to be the first Tampa conversion to open. But that store is still a Winn-Dixie.

Aldi regional vice president Matt Thon told Creative Loafing that the St. Pete conversion will be open by the end of the year. The company had no information to share on the possible conversion of 805 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tampa.

The company—which requires shoppers to loan them a quarter to use the shopping carts— announced in February that about 100 converted locations across Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi would reopen as Aldis by the end of 2025. The chain plans to convert 220 Southeastern stores through 2027.

There are currently 20 Aldi stores in the Tampa Bay area.—Selene San Felice

opened Adult Therapy in Historic Uptown offers more than just a pour.

The curated wine shop, which quietly opened its doors on March 27, makes a proper introduction with its grand opening event on Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. The evening promises live music, food, and, of course, wine.

Located inside Glass of Life, a stainedglass studio at 499 7th Ave. N., Adult Therapy is the latest venture from sommelier Jessica Arkwright, former owner of Must Wine Loft. The wine and charcuterie concept, co-owned with Raymond Cotteret and Alex Paunic, announced its closure on November 1.

Arkwright has since partnered with Jodi Chemes, owner of Glass Life, to reimagine the idea in a new setting.

Chemes, a certified public accountant by trade and Arkwright’s best friend, often joked that stained glass “saved her life” when she first discovered the craft nearly a decade ago while navigating a period of severe anxiety. “It became her therapy,” Arkwright explained to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, noting that Chemes continues to see licensed therapists while also pursuing art as an emotional outlet.

One evening, Arkwright said Chemes floated an idea that would ultimately lead to Adult Therapy: opening a boutique wine retail shop inside the stained-glass studio, combining their shared love of creativity and wine.

“We would usually open a bottle while working on our glass pieces after a long workday to relax,” Arkwright said. “The question became, ‘Could we?’ and getting our license was the next step.”

The name Adult Therapy reflects their approach: an open embrace of the therapeutic value of creative hobbies and wine enjoyed in moderation.

“We’re very transparent and open about promoting the positive benefits of therapy,” Arkwright said. “And we both love wine, which is an ‘adult beverage’, so Adult Therapy felt perfect.”

Adult Therapy invites patrons to pair their pour with a project at creative workshops that include painting, clay work, cheeseboards and wine pairings, floral artistry, and succulent gardening.

SCOTT HABERMANN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

By Sofía García Vargas

OPENINGS

Adult Therapy brings wine and craft workshops to St. Pete’s Historic Uptown St. Petersburg has no shortage of charming corners to sip a glass of wine, but the newly

SECURED THE BAG: South Tampa’s Aldi is finally open.

Arkwright, drawing on her experience as a certified sommelier, aims to simplify what can often be an intimidating process for casual wine drinkers. The shop’s website breaks down the buying experience into a few approachable questions: “What are you looking for—bubbles, skin-contact, white or red? What is your price range? Do you like surprises or are you looking for something specific?”

Most bottles land in the $15–$35 range, but the selection includes small-production wines from well-known cru regions and lesser-known varietals around the globe. There are also nonalcoholic and caffeinated options.

While the wine program is the centerpiece, Adult Therapy plans to slowly expand into food, starting with cheese and charcuterie “picnic ensembles” crafted by Cotteret.

Adult Therapy is open Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. The full slate of May events,

including tastings and workshops, is available at adulttherapy.org.

Pickle & Pint, Largo’s new indoor pickleball courts, cafe and bar, opens any day Pickleball is still booming in Tampa Bay, but players are tired of dilling with Florida weather. Pickle & Pint want to be part of the craze and the solution.

Located at 13200 S Belcher Rd. in Largo, Pickle & Pint brings 12 indoor courts, a full bar, and an atmosphere that blends recreation with a social club sensibility. The new venue offers everything from casual drop-in play to league competitions and private court rentals, alongside food, drinks, and alternative games like ping-pong and cornhole.

For many local players, the appeal is straightforward: air-conditioning and rain-free courts mean play goes on uninterrupted yearround, regardless of the forecast. continued on page 35

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 33

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34 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

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MAKE IT CLAP: St. Pete’s new favorite fish joint just opened. continued from page 33 Still, the choice of location is a bold one— just half a mile from the established Dink House, another indoor pickleball facility with a similar concept.

Zachary Weir with Pickle & Pint said their larger court count, 12 compared to Dink House’s four, combined with a full-service bar, food offerings, and a more family-oriented environment, sets them apart.

“We want to create a space that’s welcoming, fun, and enjoyable for everyone,” Weir told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We’re familyowned, and we’re focused on making this a place where people of all ages can feel comfortable.”

With that familyfirst approach, Weir says Pickle & Pint hopes to launch youth leagues and tournaments in collaboration with local schools.

After games, players can cool down at the on-site bar, which serves craft beers from Florida breweries, wine, and coffee from Belleair Coffee Company. The kitchen serves pizzas and small bites, and there’s a daily happy hour that knocks $2 off draft beer.

The menu will feature fresh seafood from local and Gulf waters, including oysters from Florida and the East Coast, Maine lobster rolls, New Orleans-style po-boys, smoked fish dip, chowder, burgers, salads, and daily specials.

Cheeky’s oyster program will serve raw, grilled, and fried oysters sourced from farms like Indian River Oyster Company in New Smyrna Beach, Lost Coast Oysters in Tampa Bay, and outof-state suppliers such as Blue Point in Long Island and Katama Bay in Massachusetts. Executive Chef Philip Cleary, who previously worked in kitchens in Omaha and more recently at Willa’s and On Swann in Tampa, will lead the kitchen drawing inspiration from his background in fine dining.

The bar program, developed by consultant Jacob Ceciro, will offer classic cocktails, natural wines, local beers, Guinness on tap, and spiritfree options. Frozen drinks such as banana daiquiris and espresso martinis made with coffee from Tampa’s Look Alive roastery will also be on the menu, alongside cocktails on draft including mojitos, palomas, and strawberry negronis.

The design of Cheeky’s draws inspiration from New England oyster bars and Southern fish shacks, offering a mix of indoor banquettes, a 20-seat horseshoe-shaped bar, and an outdoor patio along Central Avenue.

The restaurant will initially open for dinner service only, with plans to add weekday lunch, weekend brunch, happy hour, and live music over time. For now, Cheeky’s will welcome walk-ins and offer reservations through Resy.

REBUILT MEALS $50 FOR $25

OPENINGS

Cheeky’s Fish & Raw Bar opens in St. Pete Cheeky’s Fish & Raw Bar, the latest addition to St. Petersburg’s Central Avenue dining scene, officially opened last Wednesday.

The restaurant is the latest project from Tampa native Nate Siegel, co-founder of Tampa’s Willa’s and Willa’s Provisions.

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36 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

MOVIES

THEATER

ART

CULTURE

That’s enough

Kali Rabaut on what flowers teach us about life, death and compatibility.

I

t’s hard not to stop at the house sitting there on one of the many corners in Tampa Heights.

Its Flemish blue color complements the sky, but most stunning is the landscape.

Juxtaposed to surrounding mowed lawns, Kali Rabaut’s roughly 3,000-square-foot lot is a patch of wild Florida dropped into one of the city’s fastest-growing neighborhoods. There are trees and shrubs: coral, honeysuckle, sweet almond, necklace pod, even baby longan, sugar apple, mango, mulberry, and loquat. Dill, cilantro, and kale grow nearby.

And then there are the rows and rows of flowers; not the kind grown in pursuit of the aged-out, unsustainable, ideal of English roses or hydrangeas, but cut varieties mixed in with natives of the Sunshine State—all sprouting from compost cultivated by Rabaut and her family.

The stems have names: zinnia, blanket flower, marigold, snapdragon, dinner plate dahlia, straw flower, amaranth, celosia, bee balm, sunflower, camellia, larkspur, and cosmos.

The front lawn is even starting to grow a coat of sunshine mimosa, with boisterous lavender spheres for flowers begging not to be stepped on.

All of them buzz with bees and bloom in colors— violet, yellow, gold, lace white, vermillion, scarlet, ice pink, and more— all popping against the home and begging for passersby to slow down.

And if you stop and listen, the plants also have something to say about us.

“The garden is a good indicator for how I’m feeling,” Rabaut, 38, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Her designs—which can include 10-50 ingredients—end up in the hands of Blue House Floral’s subscribers and for folks on the other end of one-off deliveries. They also co-star at weddings alongside plants she sometimes has to buy from local farmers to supplement the demands of the party. Earlier this year, Rabaut used her flowers for art shows at St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts and Hotel Haya in Ybor City. Gardening, and the artistic process of floristry, is healing, but can sometimes feel like work.

“Sometimes I’m taking inventory, and I’m seeing them as products, instead of as living beings,” Rabaut said. “When I notice that, I know that I am not in the right place for me.”

On better days, the flowers teach Rabaut about the world at large. Diversity is among those lessons, and essential to her business since the garden is at the mercy of the seasons. “We don’t know if it’s gonna be dry or if it’s gonna be super wet, or if we’re gonna have a freeze, and so there’s a lot of variety, which will inform my designs,” she said.

The garden is also home to plants that pair well together like tomato and marigold.

Companion plants often give each other nutrients they don’t get on their own, and mitigate the need for the organic bacterial pesticides Rabaut uses on occasion during the warm months.

Volunteers—that is flowers that grow on their own—pop up and thrive in random places on the property. For the most part, she lets them do their thing.

“The plants rely on each other,” Rabaut added. “We need everybody to show up.”

The garden also makes suggestions about life and death— specifically, when those things start. Is the flower on life support after Rabaut cuts it and puts it in a vase? Does its life start when it arrives at someone’s home? There was once a cherry laurel in one corner of the lot, but her family removed it to grow other things.

It just kept sprouting things for a year.

“At what point did that tree die,” she asked.

“That’s an interesting thing that the garden tries to teach us.”

It was death, too, that pushed Rabaut to start Blue House Florals.

Besides her other pursuits (acting, singing), Rabaut’s Suncoast Compost used to help companies and families deal with food waste.

One evening, as her family was shoveling compost at A Simpler Place in Riverview, Rabaut caught a view of the farm’s cut flower patch. She asked questions, planted zinnias (“the gateway drug to cut flowers”), connected with florists like Orlando’s FarmGal Flowers, and thought

INTERVIEW

“We need everybody to show up.”

DAVE DECKER

By Ray Roa

I BEG YOUR GARDEN? Kali Rabaut says her garden can tell her how she’s feeling. that it might be nice to retire and become a farmer-florist.

Then came covid, and in the same year, Rabaut lost her brother Micah to cancer. “I just kind of realized that you don’t always get a chance to retire,” she said. So her family sold the composting business. She is better for it.

Like others, Rabaut has anxiety about death, but the garden has made her less afraid. “You just see how life feeds into death and death feeds into life,” she recently told WMNF public affairs program The Skinny.

The best part, she told CL, is the regular connection with people that happens when Rabaut goes out into the community, or welcomes clients to the blue house, to teach and learn about gardening. Even large weddings that disconnect her from the garden have a way of cultivating togetherness. “People want to be a part of something beautiful,” she said.

Lately, all of that has Rabaut thinking about abundance. Pointing to a flower in the garden, she noted that the single bud can have more than a hundred seeds. And that’s more than enough to start growing more.

Enoughness, to Rabaut, is an idea, but not one you can point to or wrap your hands around.

It’s more of an orientation than a destination.

“You don’t arrive there. You walk through it and sit with it, even as it slips through your hands,” she explained.

As Rabaut grows her business, she strives to stay rooted to her garden and grow without compromising her health, relationships, and joy.

That concept, enoughness, extends to everyone who receives a bouquet of flowers, too.

“Even if I made a bouquet with all the flowers in the whole garden, it wouldn’t be enough to express how much you are loved,” Rabaut said. “But it’s a start.”

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 37

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PAINTING IN THE PARK

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Celebrate the MFA’s 60th Anniversary at this year’s Painting in the Park! Painting in the Park is our annual FREE community celebration of all things art – and this year promises to be our biggest bash yet, featuring 20 colorful, creative, messy, and marvelous activities inspired by the artworks inside our museum. Activities are designed for toddlers, teens, and in-betweens, and adults are welcome to join in on the fun, too!

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Friday, May 9, 2025 • 8:30 PM - 11:00 PM

Dottie’s Dungeon: A Kinky Burlesque Show @ Sky Puppy Brewing 1313 East 8th Avenue Tampa $25 Open Seating, $45 VIP bit.ly/DottiesDungeon

Saturday, May 10, 2025 • 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Pop-Up for Heroes @ 1920 Ybor 1920 East 7th Avenue, Tampa Free to the Public bit.ly/PopUpforHeroes

Saturday, May 10, 2025 Doors at 7:00 PM, Show at 8:00 PM

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets w/ Grocery Bag @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa $25 - General Admission crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events

Tuesday, May 13, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Women Impact Network Ybor Chapter @ Geo’s Lounge 1730 East 7th Avenue Tampa Free to the public bit.ly/WomenImpactYbor

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Ultimate Burgundy Wine Dinner @ Chateau Cellars Ybor 2009 N. 22nd St. Tampa $225 tickets bit.ly/BurgundyChateauCellars

40 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Thursday, May 15, 2025 • 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

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Try Out These Restaurants: Retro House Coffee Bar & Asian Bistro 934 E Henderson Ave Tampa

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A long history of promoting what we like to call “alternative culture” in the Tampa Bay Area.

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Handcrafted premium cigars & a small museum draw smoking aficionados to this longtime factory.

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Community, connection, and culture come together at La Unión Apartments, where Tampa’s rich history and vibrant future unite.

Inspired by the historic social hall once on this site, our Ybor City apartments honor that legacy by fostering bonds among residents, the neighborhood, and the area’s deep-rooted heritage.

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cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 41

42 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

“Often in my life, when I think ‘is it this or is it that?’ The answer is both, and that’s a real Gemini thing. I embrace it.”

REVIEWS

PROFILES

MUSIC WEEK

Reid all about it

Noah Reid talks songwriting, acting, and blending the two.

By Josh Bradley

W

hen Noah Reid took Tina Turner’s “The As a young man in theater school, Reid used Best” from a pop anthem to an acoustic love music to get into character. “I had my piano song on “Schitt’s Creek” in 2018, he became with me in my apartment and I would sit at half of one of the best TV couples of all time. the piano, just play around and make up songs Five years after he played Patrick Brewer, from a character’s perspective as a way to get boyfriend-slash-business partner of David (Dan a little bit deeper into how they might think, Levy)—and their tearjerker wedding—Reid has what kind of sound they might be producing shifted his focus towards and what kind of things a singer-songwriter they would listen to,” he stint. Before he makes said during a phone call his Clearwater debut on from his home in Toronto.

Noah Reid Thursday, Reid talked to “That became a way Thursday, May 8. 8 p.m. $35 & up Creative Loafing Tampa to kind of explore charBilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater rutheckerdhall.com Bay about how he came acter, and I think as I got to be a performer. even further into it, I was While the 37-year-old spent most of his life like, ‘oh, what if I’m the character? What if I’m onscreen, music has been a passion since he exploring my own landscape?’” learned to play piano as a kid and his mom He explores that landscape on his latest would transcribe any melodies he came up with studio album Adjustments in a more personal on staff paper. At the same time, he became a way than ever. One of the deepest tracks on the regular on stages and on screens (most notably record, “Left Behind” could be interpreted as as the voice of Franklin the Turtle). the pain of being an afterthought to peers who

INTERVIEW

are about to move away or make a big change in their lives, while you stay where you are.

“I think the best songs feel both specific and universal at the same time and when I play that song live, it means something different to me than it meant when I wrote it,” he explained. Reid sees the song as more of a way to accept and make peace with the fact that while saying goodbye to the good old days can suck, everyone has their own path, and it’s also more than OK to go at your own pace.

“The gift of a song is that people get to absorb it into their own lives and interpret it, kind of lay it over top of their own experiences.”

On the record’s sixth track, “Another Fucking Condo,” he faces another hard truth, being how Toronto has no shortage of perpetual construction sites. It’s not the feeling of empty space being filled that gets him down, and he’s “not anti-development by any means.” It’s the fact that pieces of the city he was born and raised in are being knocked down to make room for more modern, probably cheaply-made condos that people will pay an arm and a leg to live in.

“Every time that I see one of these big old beauties coming down, these amazing old brick structures that they won’t make the same way again because it’s not cost effective, it just feels like we lose another piece of the architectural

history and the culture of this city,” Reid said, adding that he understands Toronto’s expansion isn’t unique.

While he’s on a break from acting, he hasn’t abandoned the art.

“I think of the two things as these parallel tracks of my life that I jump off of one and onto the other one. I don’t know if I can think of them as one or the other, now they’re so enmeshed.

Most of my songs have to do with experiences in the acting world, and most of my acting experience now has to do with music in some way,” he said. “Often in my life, when I think ‘is it this or is it that?’ The answer is both, and that’s a real Gemini thing. I embrace it.”

Though there are currently no plans to acknowledge “Schitt’s Creek’s” 10th anniversary(which Reid swears he would leak if he had any intel), he remains as close to the cast and crew as ever, and he hopes that fans of the show gained a sense of being true to themselves, along with a little bit of faith in life.

“It’s not just OK to be who you are. It’s incredibly impactful, and it’s the best thing you could be, and no matter what your background is, or what you’re carrying with you, you’re valued, and there’s hope, there’s joy, there’s laughter, and some things do work out.”

POST-SCHITT: Noah Reid (L) starred in ‘Schitt’s Creek’ and is now touring as a singer-songwriter.

CBC

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 43

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THU 08

C Celebrate Synia!: Bryan J. Hughes & The Crew w/La Lucha/John Lamb/ Belinda Womack/more In March, the local jazz scene was taken aback by the sudden passing of Sarasota-based singer Synia Carroll, who died at 67 years old following a brief fight with stage four breast cancer. She just released her sophomore album Water Is My Song last year, which made JazzWeek’s top 100 albums chart at one point, and also saw Carroll step into songwriting territory with “Child of the Times.” Her family raised over $22,000 on GoFundMe to help pay her medical bills, and this celebration of life benefit will feature a who’s-who of Tampa Bay jazz musicians coming together to celebrate the life of an artist from whom there was supposed to be so much more. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) C Sessanta 2.0: Primus w/Puscifer/A Perfect Circle It could be years before Tampa Bay sees another Tool concert, but Maynard James Keenan still wanted to go all-out to celebrate his 60th birthday. The mastermind is 61 now, and in his second year of bringing his two side projects Puscifer and A Perfect Circle together—along with Les Claypool and Primus—for a three-hour, three-act set that will see everyone on the bill sporadically join forces throughout the night.

You might see Claypool join A Perfect Circle at some point in the night, or perhaps Keenan will jump in with Primus for a song. All we know for sure is that all three groups will perform at the exact same time at one point in the show. Oh, and unless you want to feel the wrath of MJK, don’t you dare whip your camera out until the end. (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

takes influence from ‘90s rock and modern indie-pop—has opened for Sister Hazel, and released a full-length album with help from early Pearl Jam drummer David Abbruzzese.

(Oscura, Bradenton)

C The Old School Reunion: Scantman w/ DJ Coz There was a time in the Bay area when a commercial FM station dedicated to hip-hop (or “rhythmic Top 40” as they called it back then) might’ve flopped. Wild 98.7-FM (WLLD) changed that in 1998 with a made up story about two guys who took over an easy listening station and started broadcasting songs like Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” and Sylk E. Fyne’s “Romeo & Juliet” from a nonexistent boat out in the Gulf (K. P. & Envyi’s “Swing My Way,” and “Burn” by Militia soon became staples, too). On the ground, and the ones and twos, for Wild in those early days was Scantman who brings another WLLD staple, DJ Coz, for this night of nostalgia inside downtown Tampa’s ‘90s bar. (Gen X Tavern, Tampa)

C St. Pete Indie Night: Rohna w/ Cathedral Bells/Miróux/Maily Rock/We’re Sweet Girls One venue’s loss is another’s local music score. At least that’s the case with this latest installation of the recurring Indie Night series that occasionally pops up on both sides of the Bay. This one at St. Petersburg’s best listening room used to happen at the Floridian Social and this time features some Tampa-based outfits fresh off the release of new music (Maily Rock, Rohna, Miróux), joined

by Orlando pals (dream-pop outfit Cathedral Bells) and Bay area DJ collective We’re Sweet Girls. (Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg)

The Lint Rollers Richard Gonzmart, the fourth generation caretaker of Tampa’s famed Columbia restaurant, has a band, and he’s bringing it to another one of his restaurants this weekend. The Lint Rollers, featuring the 72-year-old restaurateur on guitar, plays ‘60s and ‘70s rock, but can’t stay up that late. So the band is setting up outside Ulele in Tampa Heights for a free show that could go even later than the 8 p.m. end time if the guys manage to stay awake. (Ulele, Tampa)

SAT 10

C Billy Idol w/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts The 69-year-old new wave legend’s first album in over a decade Dream Into It was just released on George Harrison’s Dark Horse Records (on it, he collaborates with Avril Lavigne, for a song about simpletons and needing Jesus). Joan Jett—who co-headlines this ‘80s snarlfest at the old Gary amphitheater—also appears on the album, and if you remember her performance of “Bad Karma” with Miley Cyrus before the Tampa Super Bowl in 2021, you know that anything Jett joins in on turns to gold. While Idol’s first show in the area since an electrifying 2023 set at Ruth Eckerd Hall will still include all the hits, if Joan comes out for a duet, don’t expect it to take you back to your childhood. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

C Shy Blossom (EP release) w/Discord Theory/Earthgirl/Palace Rats/Emily Owen As crazy as it may seem, the era of COVID-19 lockdowns was formative as hell for young people. For Adriana McDonald— who moved to Florida with her family two years before the pandemic—it gave her the time to learn how to play guitar, write songs, and once restrictions loosened up, get out and play gigs. Five years down the line, her project Shy Blossom—which heavily

FRI 09

C/O THE BLOOM EFFECT

C Five Eight The miracle of Five Eight goes beyond the ebullient smile and live show Mike Mantione brings to the stage; it’s a wonder that the Athens, Georgia powerpop favorite is even still around since drug addiction, mental health and stints in and out of psych wards nearly derailed it. A new documentary by Marc Pilvinsky (“Weirdo: The Story of Five Eight”) captures the journey, and screens as a part of this show and post-film Q&A. The movie, according to our sibling publication Orlando Weekly, “is an encyclopedic documentary that charts the trajectory of the band from impish loud fast rules thrashers to the august artists they are now.” Expect Five Eight—whose members remain best friends despite all the turmoil— to lean heavily on a forthcoming new album, Help A Sinner, already in the can and looking for a label home. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Five Eight

Hugel w/Wakyin Fresh off a David Guetta collab and sets at Miami Music Week, Florent Hugel brings a bit of untz to South Tampa Heights’ favorite food hall. The French producer and DJ takes over Armature Works’ Gather venue, and while the 37-year-old has played 15-hour B2B sets, expect to get home at a respectable time for this more domesticated affair. (The Gathering at Armature Works, Tampa) C Mat Kearney w/Augustana There’s absolutely no shame in sentimentality playing a large role in your life, and it’s at the forefront of the 46-year-old singer-songwriter’s mind on his aptly-titled latest album Still Drowning in Nostalgia. Kearney blends the minimalism of indie-alt and the production of contemporary pop, all while looking back on how his two-decade career is going, with a little help from alt-indie outfit The Brook & The Bluff playing backup on a few tracks.

Ahead of his show in downtown Clearwater, Kearney told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about Bruce Springsteen being the best gig he ever saw. Read more at cltampa. com/music. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

C Meatwound record release w/ Thunderclap/See’er/Minnoch This Little Pig Food Truck, which claims Ybor Heights brewery Deviant Libation as its permanent home, makes one hell of a cheeseburger. Not this weekend though. Chef John Thompson is boiling out the fryers and cleaning all the surfaces to make the kitchen truly vegan for a weekend anchored by “Macho Beer. Macho Nachos,” and of course Macho, the new fulllength from Meatwound. A decade after its debut 12-inch Addio, the Tampa hardcore band continues its constant evolution for this fourth LP, a slow march of productivity that was borne of multiple demos, rewritten material, and stuff assembled in the last minutes before entering Candor Recording Studios just a mile away from Deviant. (The studio also is where Atlanta noise-rock band Whores recorded War., named one of Rolling Stones best metal albums of last year.) While the median age of Meatwound members dropped dramatically with the addition of new drummer Dmeatree Stoianovich, the results (FFO: Hum, Quicksand, Drive Like Jehu) are refined in a manner that can only be achieved by players that’ve seen it all.

Permanent Makeup w/Dogsmiles/ Future Forms/Razor and the Boogie Men Dogsmiles brings pop sensibilities to its quirky brand of anarcopunk (“Dumpster Love” is really a recycling anthem). The Jacksonville band is joined by another northern Florida punk band, Future Forms, at this arcade gig that’s not too far from Banana’s Records. Two wild homegrown bands, Permanent Makeup and Razor and the Boogiemen, play support. (The Potion Portal, St. Petersburg) C Psychedelic Porn Crumpets w/ Grocery Bag Australia exports some of the world’s most sought-after psych-rock bands (Tame Impala, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard), and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets is one of them. Expect the quintet to lean hard on its seventh studio LP, Carpe Diem, Moonman, due a week after this show. A new single, “Weird World Awoke” swirls violently like much of the Crumpets’ past work and drops in harmonies, too. Texas quartet Grocery Bag opens. (Crowbar, Ybor City) C Tropical Heatwave: Chuck Prophet and his Cumbia Shoes Band w/Sue Foley/GA-20/Cheo/Skating Polly/Damon Fowler/Zach Person/Rocket 88/more Following the release of last year’s One Guitar Woman—an acoustic tribute to pioneering female guitarists—Canadian-born singer-songwriter-guitarist Sue Foley was nominated for the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. She lost to Taj Mahal (who already had four Grammys beforehand), but if there’s anything we’ve learned about WMNF’s Tropical Heatwave— which we’ll never take for granted again—it’s that a name like Foley, who has been on the scene for over 30 years, may never play another local room as small as the

continued on page 47

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 45

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Sue Foley

STONEY PLAIN RECORDS

Cuban Club after this weekend. Ahead of her Heatwave set, she told CL about the best gig she ever saw. Read more at cltampa.com/ music. (Cuban Club, Ybor City)

SUN 11

Rehab Sundays: Deb Ruby w/Melissa Grady St. Pete-based singer-songwriter Deb Ruby just lost her grandmother last month, so be sure to offer her a hug during this Mother’s Day installment of Rehab. Local cello player-slash-educator Melissa Grady is also on the bill this weekend, and if you bring your mom (or mother figure), they get to play Shuffleboard for no charge, along with a free mimosa, on perhaps the biggest brunch-andmimosas day of the year. (Shuffle, Tampa)

TUE 13

Bodie w/Gracie Binion While he was runner-up on the 22nd season of “The Voice,” Bodie Kuljian is doing alright for himself. The 31-year-old “Whisper and the Wind” singer works in the alt-pop and hip-hop realm these days, and is finding success on Billboard’s Christian charts where his degree (a B.A. in worship arts from California’s Vanguard University) is getting some good use.

(Crowbar, Ybor City)

WED 14

The Damned w/The Bellrays One of Britain’s most beloved punk-rock exports arrives with heavy hearts this week, following the death (and ocean burial) of its founding guitarist Brian James, who wrote and released “New Rose” more than a month before the Sex Pistols gave the world “Anarchy in the U.K.” While James left the group after its second album, Music For

Pleasure, he’s still fondly remembered by remaining members including founding member Captain Sensible (aka Raymond Burns), who said this about James: “A lovely bloke that I feel so lucky to have met all those years ago and for some reason chose me to help in his quest for the music revolution that became known as punk.” (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

THU 15

Joywave w/Little Image Joywave is taking to larger spaces to push its latest album Permanent Pleasure, where there’s a rollercoaster of styles and emotions in play.

(Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) C Simon Lasky’s 50th Birthday Concert Some birthdays hit harder than others, and it’s been a good year for Bay area jazz pianist and composer Simon Lasky. He hit the big 5-0 last year and was awarded a 2025 Palladium Creative Fellowship. Before he unveils a new set of music, Lasky, a U.Kexpat, brings together some of his favorite players—including saxophonist, and former head of jazz at the University of South Florida, Jack Wilkins—for a show that was postponed thanks to Hurricane Milton.

(Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) C Tommy Stinson and Friends w/Karla Rose There aren’t many chances to almost literally breathe in rock and roll history; Stinson always gives the Bay area an opportunity. The Replacements and Guns N’ Roses bassist played St. Pete Shuffleboard Club last year and this time brings Karla Rose to play fiddle and sing at a brewery a half-mile away.

The duo plays a Lakeland coffeeshop the day after. (St. Pete Brewing Co., St. Petersburg) See an extended version of this listing via cltampa.com/music.

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 47

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boltsBREWFEST.COM 48 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

DAVID ROEMER

Slow it down, and don’t tell Pitchfork readers, because pop star in-the-making Benson Boone has announced a massive North American tour, which includes a Tampa stop in the fall.

A few weeks ago at Coachella, the 22-yearold—who was just the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live”—announced his new album Young American Heart, which he says takes after Bruce Springsteen, Americana, and “retro vibes” as a whole. It doesn’t drop until June 20, and the first single “Mystical Magical” doesn’t really match up to said inspirations, but Queen’s Brian May clearly Church Sessions: DJ Sandman w/DJ Kraze Sunday, May 18. 9 p.m. $5. Crowbar, Ybor City May Chemical Romance: Deserted Will w/The Arcade Friday, May 23. 8 p.m. $10.

Crowbar, Ybor City DIY Fest III: Pohgoh w/Katara/Discord Theory/Pilot Jonezz/more Saturday and Sunday, May 24 & 25. 3 p.m. $20 & up.

Crowbar, Ybor City Beat Marauders 2: Johnny Champagne w/Vinnie the Beat Dealer/more Friday, May 30. 8 p.m. $5. Crowbar, Ybor City Heaven’s Gate w/Mass Panic/Rubes Friday, May 30. 10 p.m. $15 at door. Good Intentions, St. Petersburg

approves of Boone, so what is there to worry about?

Boone’s “American Heart” tour begins in Saint Paul, Minnesota on August 22, and if his Saturday night date in Tampa won’t work for you, Boone will also be in Miami the night after Tampa, and then Orlando on Sept. 16.

Tickets to see Benson Boone play Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Saturday, Sept. 13 go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. and will start at $34.75.

See my weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Josh Bradley Yot Club Sunday, August 10. 7 p.m. $20 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City D4vd w/Bryant Barnes Tuesday, Aug. 12. 7 p.m. $37.99 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg The World of Hans Zimmer Saturday, Sept. 6. 7:30 p.m. $54 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa Kublai Khan TX Wednesday, Oct. 8. 6 p.m.

Sold out. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Elevation Worship w/Steven Furtick Tuesday, Oct. 28. 7 p.m. $25 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa Hayes Carll Tuesday, Nov. 4. 7 p.m. $25.

Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

Sunday Mass[ive]: Dj Qeys w/Thee Joker/R2TAT2/Mr. Marley/more Sunday, June 1. 5 p.m. $5. Crowbar, Ybor City

Bryan Adams w/Pat Benatar + Neil Giraldo Monday, Nov. 10. 7:30 p.m. $45 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

Adrian Younge (w/ a 10 Piece Orchestra) Friday, June 27. 7 p.m. $25.

Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg

Russell Dickerson Friday, Nov. 14. 8 p.m. $29.50 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater

Jin Saturday-Sunday, July 26-27. 8 p.m. $64 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

America Saturday, Nov. 15. 7 p.m. $63.50 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Chris Brown w/Summer Walker/Bryson Tiller Saturday, Aug. 2. 7 p.m. $112 & up (resale only). Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

‘Twilight’ in Concert Wednesday, Nov. 26. 7 p.m. $35 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

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A: It’s not clear, is it? People of every income level, race, gender, sexuality, and religion think about suicide. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is the community’s gateway to help, hope and healing. Last year alone, we assisted over 5,000 callers struggling with thoughts of suicide.

CALL 2•1•1 Be Heard.

Grace period

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I’ve known “Peter” for 15 years, about five years before he met his wife “Jane.” At first, it seemed like they were a good match but as the years have gone on, things seem to have become detreated. It isn’t an abusive situation, but the things that Peter has told me make it sound like they are both miserable in their marriage and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of trust or love. I ended up moving away during COVID, so I only know what Peter says, but he’s clearly depressed. What are my obligations here as a friend?—Concerned confidant Cards in Four Pairs: Knight of Cups, The Emperor (reversed); King of Cups, the Hierophant (reversed); Temperance, Knight of Cups; Five of Pentacles, Six of Wands.

Dear CC, when you’ve been friends with someone for a long time, you get to know their tells when they’re lying to you. Typically, these aren’t malicious lies, but rather ones that they use to save face, like saying they like the inedible lamb dish you served or that they’re “just talking” to their dirtbag ex or that they’re fine-“no, really!”—when they clearly aren’t. Knowing someone intimately like this can make you feel almost psychic. But our intuition might not be the most precise, and while you can tell something is wrong, what you think it is might be completely off base.

in a secular way, it was originally called “The Pope” and a card about faith and spirituality.

What is going on with Jane might be a lack of spiritual fulfillment—either as a crisis of faith Which brings us to Peter and Jane. Now, I or needing something that feeds her soul and know less about their marriage than you do— feels meaningful to her. and you aren’t an expert either. So, take this I try to keep the woo in the column to the bare minimum, but I do believe that we have a information with a grain of salt.

But, from where I’m sitting, Peter seems to mind, body, and soul, and when one fails, the love his wife. As the Knight of Cups, he’s gal- other two tend to follow. We need meaning in loping in and actually might have the intensity our lives. We need to feel connected to something of a love-struck teenager. Love does not seem larger than ourselves. We need to feed our souls to be the issue here. Rather, with the Emperor or hearts or spirit or whatever you want to call reversed, it might feel like a lack of control it. That is a huge issue and one that does not or a crushing weight of responsibility. The have an easy fix.

What you hear in Peter’s Emperor is a card of diplomacy voice might not be depression rather than brute force, so IF the issue is the relationship but defeat. It’s hard to watch someone we love struggle, itself, it might be that Peter especially if we are helpless feels he’s trying to do his best Send your questions to alleviate their pain. But that to be level-headed and talk to oracle@cltampa.com or doesn’t mean all is hopeless. things through, and it’s not DM @theyboracle on Instagram When it comes to what they going anywhere. (Or it’s about something ) As a diplomat, The Emperor is also would need, we have Temperance, the earthy a man of his word, suggesting that Peter would card of balance, fulfillment, and patience. They take vows seriously and do what he can to work both need to feel fulfilled. They both need to feel like they are getting as much as they are givthrough issues.

As for Jane, I also think she’s pretty in love. ing—from each other and from the universe.

The King of Cups is either her thinking Peter This is not a quick fix. It requires a lot of time is her soulmate or her being the strong loving and patience but, as they both seem to be in love partner that Peter needs. Again, I don’t think and in it to win it, they have time.

They also probably need money. love is the problem. For Jane, though, the issue The King of Pentacles is a card of generosmight be a more existential or spiritual one.

While I tend to write about The Hierophant ity, hard work, and providing. And while they

ORACLE OF YBOR

do certainly need to extend grace to each other, they do need to do their own emotional hard work and provide space for the other, they probably also need literal generosity. Money troubles complicate everything and can add stress to the soundest of marriages. Given that groceries now cost roughly the same as rent, Peter and Jane might be feeling this external pressure, too. (At the very least, the economy is not helping matters.)

So, given this possible insight, what should you, as a friend, do? The answer is—respectfully—to mind your own goddamn business.

The Five of Pentacles means that you are on the outside of this situation, and you aren’t coming in. With the Six of Wands, it would seem like you should also, perhaps, be happy for your friend.

This does not mean that you should ignore Peter’s misery, or pretend that nothing is amiss, but if your friend is not asking you, SPECIFICALLY, for advice after providing you with lots of details, then your role is that of a caring friend. Someone who can listen and acknowledge that things are hard.

Hopefully, this storm will pass, and Peter and Jane will both find fulfillment, and each will begin to bloom again. In the meantime, be there for your buddy, however that looks.

And don’t mention to him that he and his wife seem miserable and their marriage loveless.

That’s a thought best kept to yourself.

See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.

SERKANSENYUZ/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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52 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Defaulting

By Dan Savage

My wife and I are socially monogamous but have a DADT arrangement that applies if we’re not in our home city. While my wife would prefer that I divulge details to her, I don’t want to hear her details, so we defaulted to DADT based on my preferences. Because we aren’t out to friends about being open and I can’t share this with my wife, I don’t have anyone I can talk to about this, so I am writing to you.

I just had an outstanding weekend getaway with a new friend. Nothing in particular was over the top about our itinerary—saunas and cold plunges followed by fancy meals—but time flew by while also seeming to stand still. The sex was WOW and our conversations about serious subjects were spiced with tongue-in-cheek teasing about this fantasy world we were playing in.

She is poly and can share details with her partners, but she enjoys the “secrecy” aspect of my arrangement. We’ve been messaging each other about just how hot our getaway was and have already scheduled our next trip together in a few months. Messaging someone else from “home base” may constitute a rules violation.

Here is my question: How do I sustain the erotic tension with this new friend with so much time between now and our next date? We are planning to introduce Shibari into our play next time, with me tying her, so I was thinking sending some self-tie photos or photos of the ties I plan on doing would sustain the erotic tension. But taking photos at “home base” would obviously count as another possible rules violation.

Context for the two “rule violations” I’ve cited: there is an implied agreement between my wife and I to suspend engagement with play partners while at “home base.” This is probably more my rule than my wife’s rule.—Bending Rules In Erotic Frenzy Let’s get the question you asked out of the way first: Will sending your new friend photos of Shibari knots sustain the erotic tension in the long run-up to your next meeting? Maybe. Maybe not. What works for one person—what cranks one person up—doesn’t necessarily work for another person. Hearing about your sexual adventures turns your wife on, apparently, while hearing about hers turns you off. That’s why you defaulted to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” So yeah, sending knotty photos is obviously gonna work for you—that’s why you wanna do it—but only your new friend knows whether they’re gonna work for her.

So, ask her. Dirty pics? Dirty texts? Dirty stories? Or would she prefer to reconnect, via text, shortly before your next planned meeting? She could be busy with other partners and, as much as she’s looking forward to connecting with you again, texting with you on a daily or even weekly

basis might be too distracting. Or it could be a welcome distraction—again, you’re gonna want to communicate with her about this, BRIEF, not me.

(But even if she wants to swap sexts for the next three months, BRIEF, show a little restraint; you wanna build erotic tension, not burn through it.)

And speaking of communication… the DADT agreement you have with your wife is way too vague. You mentioned one basic rule in addition to no asking and no telling: no engaging with other partners from home base. But that rule seems to have been implied or inferred somehow, not agreed upon. So, are you allowed to text a play partner when you’re back in your home city?

Are sext messages worse than casual check-ins?

Is complete radio silence required between visits, or just physical no-contact?

And here’s the biggie: Are these “rules” actually rules, or are they just your preferences that your wife is honoring (or mirroring) without question… because that’s what you needed? And if these unwritten/unverbalized rules were defaulted into for your comfort, BRIEF, and they’re not working for you anymore, why haven’t you talked to your wife about changing them? If it’s because you have a hard time talking about this—if opening your marriage was fraught—that’s understandable. If it’s because you want to be free to sext up a storm with your side pieces but don’t want your wife doing the same, that’s not an “arrangement,” BRIEF, that’s a shitty and manipulative double standard.

Non-monogamous relationships require more communication, not less—well, at least the ethically non-monogamous relationships do. While it’s great that you found someone you click with and you’re excited to see again, you owe it to your wife to have a real conversation about the terms of your DADT agreement. You need settings, not default settings; you need agreements, not assumptions. And if you’re allowed to do something—if you’ve already given yourself permission to do something—your wife should be allowed to do that same thing.

SAVAGE LOVE

I’m a cis woman in my mid-30s in an open relationship with my long-term partner, who is a trans man. Because I don’t frequently have sex with people other than him, I haven’t been on any kind of contraception since pretty early on in our relationship. It was SUCH a relief to be done with IUDs and birth control pills! Within our open relationship, our rule has been to always use condoms when having sex with people with penises. This goes for both of us, even though my partner can’t get pregnant—it has just been our rule for safety.

As I have gotten back out there, there are more dicks entering my life and I’m noticing that cis

men, while respectful of my request for condom use, clearly prefer not to use them. I’m beginning to question this as a hard rule. What if a potential partner has no other sex partners and has been tested for STIs? What if they do have other sex partners but have been tested? What if they’ve had a vasectomy?

What if they haven’t? What if we are careful with the pull-out method AND maybe take extra precautions using the Fertility Awareness Method?

I’d like to hear your take on condoms for PIV sex, which might also help me to talk about it with my primary partner. Help a girl out who wants to raw dog it sometime soon?—Wants A Penis You and your partner agreed to one very explicit rule—good on you both for making the rules clear—and now you want to renegotiate that rule. It’s going to be a complicated conversation, WAP, and you may not get the answer you want right away (or at all), but renegotiating the rules shouldn’t be against the rules.

Here are my thoughts on condoms and PIV sex: Seeing as abortion has been banned or heavily restricted in more than half the states, and seeing as Republicans are right now working to roll back access to both medication abortion and birth control, anyone with a working fleshand-blood dick who wants to raw dog a casual sex partner—straight guys, bi guys, pan guys, non-binary theys, homoflexible gays, whatever—should get a vasectomy before those are banned. Now more than ever, men and other dickhaving AMABs need to ejaculate responsibly, in the immortal (and viral) words of Gabrielle Stanley Blair, aka “Design Mom.” In fairness to the men and o t h e r penishaving people you’ve been with, WAP, it doesn’t sound like you’re being pressured into ditching condoms by selfish or inconsiderate dicks. You’re the one who wants a raw dogging—for your own reasons, for your own pleasure—and you’re reassessing the risks for your own sake. So, it’s time to reopen negotiations with your partner about the condom-on-every-dick rule you agreed to when you first opened your relationship. You don’t want to ditch condoms entirely—that would be nuts—but you would like to be able to make exceptions for trusted, regular partners who’ve been tested recently and maybe aren’t sleeping with anyone else right now.

Now, a negative STI test result doesn’t confer immunity. Someone could pick up an STI after testing, WAP, and if they slept with you before they started showing symptoms, you could wind up infected too. That might be an unacceptable risk in your partner’s eyes… but it might not be.

If your partner is having sex with cis men, he’s probably encountered guys who don’t want to use condoms—or refuse to use condoms—because they’re on PrEP and DoxyPEP. For all you know, WAP, your partner may want to renegotiate the condom rule just as badly as you do.

P.S. Gay guys? They’re coming for our PrEP too.

I’m a lesbian in my early-20s who just started experimenting with anal with my girlfriend. It’s been great fun! However, I have discovered that my ass gets wet, producing sizeable quantities of slightly yellow slippery discharge—enough that a bit sometimes squirts out when I fart! Everything I have read says that the rectum should be fairly dry.

What could be the root of my self-lubing asshole?!?— We’re Exploring This Anal Stuff Seriously Oh, I love a good, ol’ fashioned sex question: If you’re using as much lube as you should as an anal newbie— and you should be using a lot and then addingmore—some of that lube is g on n a get so far up inside you, WETASS, that you’re not gonna be able to crap it all out when you’re done. Which means some residual/leftover lube is gonna work its way down and out over the next twelve hours or so. So, if you’ve only noticed your ass producing slightly yellow slippery discharge (technical term: santorum) on the days you’ve done butt stuff, that’s probably just lube leaking out of you.

But if you’re noticing discharge even on days when your girlfriend hasn’t been plowing your ass, that could be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection, WETASS, and you’re gonna need to talk to a doctor about that, not an advice columnist.

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

cltampabay.com | MAY 08-14, 2025 | 53

RAY ROA

A DECADE GONE: But still going on.

Words for good The spirit of Merl Reagle lives on.

By David Warner

C

lose to 10 years ago, on Aug. 22, 2015, I fundraiser for Voices of Hope for Aphasia (VOH), had the sad task of delivering the news to a St. Pete-based nonprofit that helps people with CL readers that our very own crossword language disorders due to stroke, brain tumor or genius, Merl Reagle, had died unexpectedly traumatic brain injury. Reminiscent of the St. at the age of 65.

Pete Free Clinic’s Battle of the Minds, a trivia I call him our own because, even though his contest, the centerpiece of VOH’s fundraiser is crosswords were syndicated to solvers every- also a competition, but one that involves lanwhere, Merl lived in Tampa. I vividly recall how guage—a crossword puzzle. With the help of much fun it was to meet him for the first time in Merl’s widow, Marie Haley, we enlist a profesperson—I think it was at a backyard party not sional crossword constructor each year to craft long after I began work at CL (which was then in a puzzle for the event. VOH also gives an award its Weekly Planet phase). Like any writer, I enjoy in Merl’s honor, inspired by one of the last things words, and Merl clearly loved, loved, loved them. he said to Marie: “Use words for good.”

He was famous for his instinctive ability So far, Word Play has raised $250,000 for VOH to anagram—instantly rearranging the let- programs. The third annual Word Play takes ters in signs, in titles, in people’s names to place May 15 at Banquet Masters in Clearwater create different (and often from 6:30-9:30 p.m. There’ll hilarious) alternatives. be dinner, word games, and Deb Amlen, the New York opportunities to give, with Times’s games columnist, the main attraction conWord Play 2025 wrote a heartfelt tribute to tinuing to be the crossword Thursday, May 15. 6:30 p.m. $95 & up Reagle upon his death, in competition. Tables will comBanquet Masters. 13355 49th St. N, which she recalled this claspete to be the first to finish Clearwater. vohaphasia.org sic anagram moment: the puzzle, this year cre“One of my fondest—and most embarrass- ated by New York Times crossword constructor ing—encounters with him was at the American Kevin Christian especially for this event. The Merl Crossword Puzzle Tournament, right after my Reagle Words for Good Award will be presented to book, “It’s Not P.M.S., It’s You” came out, when the Pinellas Community Foundation. The Poynter he stopped an entire hotel lobby’s worth of Institute’s Roy Peter Clark, a renowned wordsmith people dead in their tracks by pointing at me in his own right, will give a video tribute to Merl, from across that lobby and bellowing “Smutty a man he remembers as “one of the most creative Positions!” It was an anagram of the book’s title, and thoughtful men on the planet.” and it was his way of saying hello after not seeFor tickets to Word Play 25, go to wording me for a whole year.” playtampabay.com. To order books from Merl’s Merl summed up his own delight with words Sunday Crosswords series, go to sundayin an interview with the student newspaper of his crosswords.com, where you can also read his alma mater, the University of Arizona: “Language,” entertaining essay, “How I Drive You Crazy: he said, “is a playground that never ends.”

Confessions of a Crossword Constructor.” The The spirit of Merl informs a project that I’ve best of his puzzles continue to run in syndication been involved with since 2023: Word Play, a in numerous publications, including this one.

COLUMN

54 | MAY 08-14, 2025 | cltampabay.com

creative loafing puzzler 64 ___ there 103 Allan who CROSSWORDVILLE 73 Home invaders 8 The Corleones’ directed Shirley (perseveres) 74 Noted patria

by Merl Reagle Temple in Heidi, 65 Newspaper Republican, in 9 ___ Bergere ACROSS 1937 section Crosswordville 10 “F ___ Frank” 1 Aesop’s point 104 Bad joke’s sound 79 Swallows 66 Asian holiday 11 Smooth 6 Rustic parents 81 Highway sign 67 Verne traveler 105 General, e.g.

12 ___-faire (tact) 9 Music notes 106 Lo-cal 83 Opp. of “on sale 13 Skater Yamaguchi 68 Undies fabric 12 Slope habitues 107 Killed, in Judges for” 73 Starting 14 Reform targets 19 Statesman Balbo’s 108 Golden State 84 Start of a scale 15 Banjo man Fleck 75 Fool’s gold, apt first name combiner song really 16 Faerie Queene 20 Fatty 109 G.I. entertainer 85 Television oldie, 76 Out of work virgin 22 Francis et al.

“The ___ Kid” 77 Induce, in a way 110 Go bad 17 Memory meas.

23 Old copy 86 Section of L.A.? 18 Which way the 78 Dirndl edge 24 Singer Bartoli 87 Used-car type wind blows, perh. 80 Earth First prefix 25 Hamlet 90 Bridge coup 21 Feels sympathy 81 Jim Croce tune, 26 Intuitive remark, “I ___” for in Crosswordville 91 Line once heard on Jeopardy!, in 27 Glottis intro 82 Tough wood 29 Touch lightly, Crosswordville 86 Zhivago’s love as water 28 Jabbers 97 Number of 87 Landing site 30 Ballet move 32 Tuscany, once doctors?

88 Getty or 31 Cafe addition 33 Ostracized one 98 Fame star Winwood 32 Dawn goddess 34 EEG shapes 89 Apply, as 35 Carnival barker’s 99 Against 35 Lunch break, 100 “... of Orient ___” Groucho’s movie words, in often 101 Nursery rhyme mustache Crosswordville 36 Actress Skye “ingredients,” in 90 Record holders 41 Site of MEN or 37 1669 erupter Crosswordville 92 Of the eye WOMEN 38 8 letters?

108 Like ulcers, 93 Seldom 42 Spanish aunts 39 Hoover’s crew nowadays 94 Mix flix 43 Carrier letters PUZZLE FANS !

40 “2001” villain, 111 Plenty (of) 95 Break time?

44 Cuban patriot For info on Merl's perhaps 45 Bug for payment 112 To no ___ Sunday crossword 41 Auth. of Waging 96 Fleet 101 Reality 46 Where Quantrill 113 Like a loner anthologies, visit Peace, 1965 114 Olympian Retton www.sunday 102 Streep won one raided: abbr.

46 Worn spot on crosswords.com. in 1981 48 Viewers’ needs 115 Chef Al? Levis 116 State-sponsored 49 “Of all ___!”

47 Unyielding Solution to Crossword Crossword gamble 51 Diet shots, in 48 Major hits 117 Navy ofcr.

Crosswordville DO I T E B B HOP S 49 The Kingston, e.g. R U N S A C RA OL SA ES W AGE E A N A T 56 Writer Lebowitz 118 Result L O V E L E T T E R S WO R D SWE R E 50 “This little 57 Actress Charlotte 119 Crooked I S AO R E B A T A T A A N I S E piggy ___” B A L Z A C I S H I T I N ROD 58 Grants org.

B U S Y I N T E R S E C T I ON 52 Over again DOWN 59 ___ the Family A NC L E T ON R I O T C A R 1 Chevalier’s theme 53 Bat features NO L I E OU T A C A S T AGA R 61 Top 54 Special treatment N E U T R A L C O R N E R O R I N O C O song 62 Ph.D. treatise: A L E S L E A N E D MOHR E T E of a sort L A S T N E B B A A OA F S 2 Psych finish abbr.

D S J O E E A S T J E T S O N O D 55 Director Kazan 63 Historic document, 3 Vishnu A U S T E R E T H E A B C N E T WO R K 56 Brief affair W I S E CRU E T A A R A LWA Y incarnation in Crosswordville A F L E T CH T R E E N N Y E 60 Innocent one 4 “... nor ___ be” 68 Easing of tension T HR E E SQU A R E S A D A Y A R E L I E U T ON T A L ON S 5 Tropical sponge 62 A-line dress 69 S.A. nation N E P A L R I ME F U E L A C A T introducer 6 Walk nervously 70 Very unfamiliar E X CH A NGE D F ORC E D E N T R Y 63 Christie mystery T E A S H EM I B L A C K A DD E R 71 Tic-tac-toe victory 7 University in A S T O L I S I I D L E MOS T setting 72 Stimpy’s pal Garden City, N.Y. 1

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