AS DESANTIS ERASES STREET MURALS, HERE’S HOW TAMPA BAY IS FIGHTING BACK
PUBLISHER James Howard
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa
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CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Marleigh Brown, Gabe Echazabal, Kyla Fields, Jennifer Ring, Maroon Stranger
PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Jennifer Ring
FALL INTERNS Alisha Duroiser, Sophia Lowrie, Emily McLaughlin
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Tampa Bay's best things to do from September 11 - 17
Pup cups
Four-and-a-half years after announcing plans to move in, Danielle VergnaudMcKinnon and her husband Matthew McKinnon are celebrating a year in business. And that’s basically seven years if you’re a sky puppy, right? The couple’s Ybor City brewery throws a day-long love fest this weekend to say thanks to a community that’s had its back since day one. Festivities include American and English barleywine releases from Matthew who’s been on several awardwinning teams, actual puppies to pet (and bring home) and food by Lara chef Suzanne Crouch. The space, which includes a small gallery, will also stage its first-ever collaborative art show with a dozen locals. “It’s shaping up to be our biggest event yet, and it’s rooted in everything we believe in—community, creativity, connection (and great beer, obviously),” Vergnaud-McKinnon told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
Sky Puppy Brewing first anniversary party: Saturday, Sept. 13. Noon-11 p.m. No cover. Sky Puppy Brewing, 1313 E 8th Ave., Ybor City. skypuppybrewing.com—Ray Roa
Reel out
In a lot of ways, the world’s attitude towards queer folks has sadly entered the wayback machine, but that’s not stopping the Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF). Founded in 1990, the nonprofit spends the entire year showcasing “compelling films and videos by, for, or about the LGBTQ+ community that Entertains, Empowers, and Enlightens...” After crossing the bridge last year, organizers are back in Tampa for a “Summer Fest” that includes five films about closeted single dads (“To The Moon,” pictured) and cops (“Plainclothes”), divorced lesbians (“Lakeview”), nontoxic masculinity (“Masc”), and addiction (“Sugar Beach”). Each movie is preceded by a short, and there are even two separate blocks of shorts scheduled, too.
Just off Bayshore Boulevard, the teal-green awning of Florida’s own romance-only bookstore, Steamy Lit, beckons readers inside for a colorful array of sub-genres, from contemporary to historical to dark fantasy and beyond. Whether toe-dipper or triedand-true romance reader, friendly booksellers stand by to help you find your next notso-guilty pleasure. Opened March of this year, the store hosts regular events from a Bad Bunnies book club featuring Latine authors to pop-ups collaborating with other local businesses; everything from live DJs and dance lessons to charm bracelet bars. This weekend’s prime event is Local Author Day, featuring book signings with a talented lineup of Florida-based writers including Ila Sikorksi (pictured), B.L. Lewis and Aaliyah Deana. More information and a two-week listing of the best literary events coming to the Bay area is at cltampa.com/arts.
Local author day: Saturday, Sept. 13. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. No cover. Steamy Lit, 2832 S MacDill Ave. Unit C, Tampa. steamylit.com—Maroon Stranger
Grab a chairy
While happy to feature guaranteed crowd pleasers like the newest “Superman” film, Sun-Ray Cinema also distinguishes itself by offering cool, one-of-a-kind events like the upcoming doublefeature event that consists of two films originally released in 1985: “Teen Wolf” and “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.” Thanks to the luxury of cable and streaming services, many have undoubtedly seen both films multiple times since they were originally screened 40 years ago, but Sun-Ray is offering a twist by inviting actor Mark Holton, who appeared in each of those films. Audiences will remember Holton’s character in the Pee-Wee Herman film as Francis Buxton, the bratty, spoiled nemesis of Herman’s who masterminds the sinister plot to steal Pee-Wee’s super cool red bike. He’ll be onsite to partake in a Q&A session following each movie.
‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure’ with that jerk Francis & ‘Teen Wolf’: Saturday, Sept. 13. 3 p.m. & 8 p.m. $15-$30. Sun-Ray Cinema, 12332 University Mall Ct., Tampa. sunraycinema.com—Gabe Echazabal
Slide through
National Singles Day is rapidly approaching, but don’t worry about getting anyone’s number at this singles event. Pitch-a-friend Tampa Bay is a dating show built around three to five-minute slideshows where someone presents their single friend, highlighting what makes them a great catch and what they are looking for in a partner. At the end of the slideshow is the preferred contact information, complete with a picture. Founded in 2022, Pitch-A-Friend happens frequently on both sides of the Bay, and organizers say the key to a good pitch is honesty, charm and getting personal. Anyone is welcome to Pitch-A-Friend, regardless of their preferences when it comes to dating. And it’s not all pitches either. The evening includes “Single Mingle” time when audience members can connect with each other. Anyone who’s single will be marked by a sticker provided by the Pitch-A-Friend crew.
Pitch-A-Friend: Friday, Sept. 12. 7 p.m. No cover ($5 for anyone pitching). Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, 1320 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. pitch-a-friend.com/ tampabay—Emily McLaughlin
Pacesetter
Hillsborough College recently took the word “community” out of its name, and Theo Wujcik might’ve had something to say about that. The prolific, late master printer, artist, and dancer died at 78 years old back in 2014, but not before mentoring hundreds, if not thousands of students at the University of South Florida where he put Graphicstudio on the map. “Tempo,” a new show featuring Wujcik work on loan from local collections, opens this week with five-person panel discussion that includes his widow and estate manager Susan Johhnson along with local art icons representing Tempus Projects (Tracy Midulla), Tampa Museum of Art (Joanna Robotham), USF (Wallace Wilson) and HCC (Amanda Poss).
‘Theo Wujcik: Tempo’ opening reception and panel discussion: Next Thursday, Sept. 18. 5 p.m. No cover. Gallery221 at Hillsborough College (Second and third floor Learning Resources Center, DLRC), 4001 W Tampa Bay Blvd., Tampa. @HCCFLartgalleries on Facebook—Ray Roa
GET YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THEY’RE GONE!
“...now there’s going to be way more rainbows than they were hoping for.”
Mural combat
As DeSantis erases street art, Tampa Bay fights back
By Selene San Felice
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration succeeded in erasing around a dozen rainbows from Florida’s roads over the last month as part of a ban on street murals. But the state’s actions have forecast more rainbows than ever in Tampa Bay.
“We’re going to paint back thousands,” St. Pete art agent Michelle Sasha told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Hopefully they’ll regret their decision, because now there’s going to be way more rainbows than they were hoping for.”
While the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) wastes resources arresting repainters and re-graying roads, businesses and homes across Tampa Bay are using their private property to support LGBTQ+ and Black communities. St. Pete gay bar Cocktail has a new rainbow facade thanks to the controversy, and Dunedin church Faith UCC plans to paint its driveway painted with a massive rainbow mural saying “welcome.”
a rainbow mural—Trump’s transportation secretary has specifically targeted rainbow crosswalks—but that didn’t stop her from completing the project.
“I don’t want to exclude anybody who is leading with love and wants to promote love,” Sasha told CL. “If this woman is brave enough to put a rainbow on the driveway of this very conservative street next to her Trump flag, then regardless of who she voted for, she leads with humanity. And to me, that is the underlying purpose of all this, to make sure people feel loved and safe.”
LOCAL NEWS
Activists in St. Pete also chalked the crosswalk and sidewalks at Central Avenue’s recently-painted-over “Progressive Pride” mural.
When Sasha saw news of protesters repeatedly chalking the rainbow back on the crosswalk outside Pulse in Orlando, including one who was arrested, she wanted to bring art that same resistance and resilience to Tampa Bay.
As part of her “Love Thy Neighbor” project, Sasha rallied local painters to provide free Pride and Black Lives Matter murals to local property owners. Jazzy Erickson, Zac “Lysol” Schaffer and Ceara Rae are working their way through around 200 requests for mailbox and driveway art. Full disclosure: This reporter’s home is on that list.
Residents can put in requests and donate resources at artfluentcreatives.com/love-thyneighbor-project. And while there are designs to choose from, Sasha emphasized that the project isn’t just reusing the same stencil to make a point. Each piece is customized with its owner. “It just feels like such an attack on the art that, you know, it feels really good to be able to really customize these…and make each person feel like they’re really involved and have something really beautiful to show for it,” Sasha said. She was recently surprised to see Trump signs in the yard of a woman who requested
She’d also like to recreate St. Pete’s “Black History Matters” mural. Pastors Andy Oliver and Benedict Atherton-Zeman were arrested last month while peacefully protesting on the mural outside the Woodson African American Museum before it was removed. Days later, the message was repainted on an outline left by state workers. FDOT covered it back up, painting the whole street black last week.
“If you want to take it off the street, fine,” Sasha recalled thinking. “I’ll put it on a wall.”
Until then, Woodson supporters plan to literally become the message. During a “free museum day” celebration on Sept. 20, guests are encouraged to wear yellow, green, or red tops and dark bottoms to “ReIMagine” the mural for an aerial photo.
“Resistance is real,” Woodson Director Terri Lipsey Scott told CL after the mural was anonymously repainted. “Folks are really taking to heart the matter of silencing the voices of those who have been disenfranchised.”
Shade wars
Several cities are still fighting FDOT’s mandate, and it’s unclear who will pay for mural coverups. FDOT District Secretary Justin Hall previously stated that “all costs associated with the removal will be assessed against the City of St. Petersburg.” Tampa and St. Pete officials both told CL they haven’t heard from FDOT about charges.
Many of the street murals were previously approved by local governments and FDOT before being painted. The FDOT-approved, awardwinning recently-painted over crosswalk outside Tampa’s Rampello K-8 school, promoted literacy.
All 47 of Tampa’s street murals, including its infamous and illegally painted ‘Bock the Blub’
pro-police art, were removed by city and state workers over Labor Day weekend.
St. Pete officials did not respond when asked this week for updates on its vow to “build back better” and replace its murals with more powerful dedications.
Key West’s rainbow crosswalks don’t have much time left. The city that initially led the fight against FDOT’s mandate got a final notice on Monday that its rainbow crosswalks will be removed. The city isn’t pursuing further legal action.
And not every city has given up.
The City of Delray Beach escalated its legal battle with FDOT this week for its rainbow intersection, filing a motion to remove the FDOTappointed officer overseeing its court case.
In defense of its rainbow terrazzo pavers, the city of Miami Beach filed a challenge last week at the state Division of Administrative Hearings, arguing that the Department of Transportation issued the directive in its June 30 memorandum without going through a legally required rulemaking process.
An administrative law judge could block enforcement of the memo unless the state properly adopts it as a rule, which would involve a process including opening the issue for public comment.
PAINTS OF CONTENTION: The ‘Black History Matters’ mural reappeared for a day after FDOT covered it up.
DAVE DECKER
Two’s company
Scott and Young headed for runoff in Tampa City Council race.
By Ray Roa and Selene San Felice
And then there were two. Tampa’s special election for the District 5 seat on city council wrapped Tuesday, with Thomas Scott and Naya Young headed for a runoff next month.
District 5 currently includes just over 45,000 voters. Just 5,411 voters cast ballots in total, with 2,137 doing so by mail and 923 voting early. Total turnout this time for what was basically a primary was 12%. The Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections reports vote totals between 1-29 votes as a dash ( - ).
The race was triggered after the untimely death of first-term Tampa City Councilwoman Gwen Henderson.
Henderson beat incumbent
Orlando Gudes by 81 votes in the 2023 municipal election when 5,163 voters cast ballots in the district.
campaign, and took home 9.7% of the vote. He raised $18,230, spending about half.
Darrell Ashley Dudney finished with just 45 votes, less than 1%. Last week, the businessman and past Creative Loafing Tampa Bay photographer took the unusual step of telling his supporters to vote for Young instead of him.
Longtime East Tampa advocate Fran Tate (10.13%), and “Selling Tampa” Realtor Juawana Colbert (8.18%) had decent showings.
Tate, founder of Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association and East Tampa CRA Community Advisory Committee member, raised exactly $18,225 and spent almost all of it—$17,713.32.
ELECTIONS
The special election field included 12 qualified candidates and one write-in.
Henderson’s daughter, Ariel Amirah Danley, entered the race promising to carry on her mom’s legacy, and earned 9.7% of the vote.
Scott, a former city council and county commission member, finished in first place with 27% of the vote. He was also the most funded candidate. He raised $51,695.25 and reported $30,455.72 in expenditures, according to the latest reporting from the SOE.
Young, former executive director of the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, earned her spot with 13.29% of the vote. She spent a little over half of her $20,262.67 in campaign donations.
Tom DeGeorge, owner of Ybor City music venue Crowbar and leader at the National Independent Venue Association, staged a strong
City council races are nonpartisan, but the runoff features two Democrats. While registration in District 5 leans heavily towards Democrats, Tampa Rep. Dianne Hart previously worried that the large field would give one of the four Republicans in the race a chance at making it to the final two.
It was a virtual certainty that no candidate would receive more than 50% of the vote, which means that Tampa should now prepare for a runoff that kicks off on Oct. 23 with early voting.
Only registered voters who live in Tampa’s District 5 can vote in the election.
The district stretches as far south as DeSoto Park in Palmetto Beach and north to the First Church of God within earshot of the roller coasters at Busch Gardens. It spans from the West Tampa Branch Library to the Grant Park neighborhood in East Tampa. Large swaths of the Heights neighborhoods, Ybor City, Wellswood, downtown, Water Street, and Davis Islands are all inside of it.
FOREVER YOUNG: Naya Young’s entrance into the runoff pits a virtual newcomer against a past elected.
Under pressure Activists push for Bay area police to drop ICE agreements.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Acrowd of around 75 people gathered in St. Petersburg on Saturday to strategize ways to persuade the police chiefs of Tampa and St. Petersburg to void partnership agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that they entered into earlier this year.
Legislation signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis requires that sheriffs or chief correctional officers operating a county detention facility must enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE. That means that every county sheriff in the state needed to sign such an agreement this year, which they all have.
There is no requirement for municipalities to do the same, yet hundreds of police departments throughout the state have done so anyway. In the cases of Tampa and St. Petersburg, two of the largest cities in the state, those agreements were reached quietly earlier this year, without fanfare.
Now activists in the area say that they intend to persuade Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw and St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway to cancel such agreements.
“In order to foster public trust and a positive relationship with the community, we ask you to cancel this heartless, inefficient 287(g)
agreement before further harm is done,” read the form letters that attendees at the Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg were asked to send on Saturday to Bercaw and Holloway, as well as Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch. The letters were accessed through a QR code listed on pamphlets distributed by organizers at the event.
Threats to be removed from office
Addressing the crowd, activist Karla Correa showed a picture of Florida Attorney James Uthmeier, who has threatened to remove city council members who have shown inclination not to sign such agreements.
“He’s saying, no, you have to do it or else I’m going to remove you from office,” said Correa, with the Tampa Bay area chapter of the Party of Socialism and Liberation.
“He is the attorney general for the state of Florida. He has a lot of power. And he’s going along with Ron DeSantis’ agenda, and we see whenever anyone tries to fight against it, again, they threaten to remove them from office. That’s what happened in Orlando. That’s what happened in Key West. That’s what happened in Fort Myers.”
The Key West City Commission voided its police department’s 287(g) after learning that their police chief had signed such an agreement without commissioners’ knowledge. After they did that, Uthmeier publicly declared that the action had made Key West a “sanctuary city,” which is banned in Florida law. Shortly thereafter, the commission reconvened and approved a new 287(g) agreement on a 4-2 vote.
A similar situation happened with the Pinellas County School District earlier this year, with the school superintendent and the school board apparently unaware that their chief of police had signed an agreement. Once that news was made public, the district backed away from the agreement.
calling on the St. Petersburg and Tampa city councils to pass resolutions condemning the 287(g) agreements. And they want the Tampa Human Rights Board to “begin an immediate and thorough investigation of Tampa PD’s 287(g) partnership.”
SPPD responds
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway provided a written statement to the Phoenix later on Saturday.
IMMIGRATION
“Did anyone know that Pinellas County schools signed a 287(g) agreement for a second?” Correa asked members of the crowd. “Because ICE shouldn’t be in schools. But you know what happened right after? There was a huge public outcry, right? Parents came out. Teachers came out. Community members who don’t even have kids came out to fight against this and to oppose it. And you know what they did? And you won’t hear DeSantis talk about this. They voided that agreement,” she said to cheers in the audience.
In addition to asking the mayors and police chiefs of the two cities to use their authority to cancel the agreements, the activists are
“To clarify, our department is not part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” he said. “We assist ICE only when, during the course of a lawful encounter, an individual is identified as a suspect or subject in a criminal investigation. If it is determined that the individual has an active warrant, we are legally obligated to execute that warrant, whether it’s ICE-related or not, fairly and consistently. We are not seeking, nor do we receive, funding to support ICE operations.”
Attorneys representing the state have informed a judge in a lawsuit filed by the city of South Miami regarding the confusion about the law that, in fact, municipalities in Florida are not required to sign such an agreement.
The Tampa Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
SOMETHING BLUE: Tampa police officers at a ‘No Kings’ protest last June.
RESTAURANTS
RECIPES DINING GUIDES
That’s cool
Cheeky’s
finally gets A/C, and more local food news.
By Kyla Fields
When local seafood spot Cheeky’s made its debut in St. Pete’s Grand Central District earlier this summer, many locals were shocked that the Central Avenue eatery did not have an air-conditioned dining room. While the open-air restaurant boasted a beachy ambiance with several high-powered fans to keep it as cool as possible in the sweltering summer heat, Cheeky’s recently acquired air conditioning to the delight of regular and future customers alike.
The restaurant at 2823 Central Ave. recently took to social media to announce its latest addition: “We heard you, and we did something about it.”
“The cool air experience is even colder than the ice cold martinis and raw oysters served on ice—we’re even getting guest complaints about it being too cold!” Cheeky’s owner Nate Siegel tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We did it really for our team members to make it a better work environment, and of course for an improved guest experience.”
The raw bar and seafood restaurant is now open from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Fridays, noon-9:30 p.m. on Saturdays, noon-8 p.m. on Sundays.
Connecticut chain PopUp Bagels opens first Tampa store
PopUp Bagels, a Connecticut chain with a cult following, opened its first Florida store in Tampa last weekend. The shop opened Friday, Sept. 5 at the old McNatt’s Cleaners at 4528 W Kennedy Blvd.
FOOD NEWS
The brand’s mantra, “not famous but known,” reflects the underground buzz that propelled it from a humble backyard project in Connecticut to a Northeastern staple that won “Best Bagel” at Brooklyn BagelFest two years in a row.
And when the weather cools down this fall, he’ll turn off the restaurant’s newly-added A/C and return to its breezy, open-air dining room.
The raw bar and seafood shack offers a range of familiar Florida favorites like smoked fish dip, hush puppies and blackened grouper cheeks in addition to New England-inspired fare like lobster rolls.
Alongside raw offerings of oysters, shrimp cocktail and seafood towers and cooked dishes like fish tacos, grouper cheeks, fried seafood baskets and po’boys, Cheeky’s also offers a stacked beverage program of frozen cocktails, martinis, craft cocktails, oyster shooters, beer and wine.
The shop serves its bagels whole, not cut, alongside 6-oz. tubs of cream cheese made for dipping. Bagel flavors at other shops include plain, salt, poppy seed, and everything, with occasional seasonal offerings. Plain and scallion schmears are always available alongside schmears of the week.
“We heard you, and we did something about it.”
The chain features 14 stores across Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Over the summer, PopUp Bagels shared plans to open 300 franchise locations across the U.S. According to a press release, other states eyed in the expansion include Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, California and more. Local franchise owner Kal Gullapalli added that he hopes to open a PopUp Bagels in Orlando this year, too.
Sophia Lowrie
the new location is at 6001 Central Ave., just a 10-minute drive away. Previous tenants at 6001 Central Ave. include Two Graces, which closed in 2022, and Reading Room before that.
Siegel is also the co-owner of Tampa restaurant Willa’s, known for its classic New American fare and accompanying cafe, Willa’s Provisions. Cheeky’s is his first solo endeavour.
Follow the neighborhood seafood joint on Instagram at @cheekys_net for the latest updates on its menu, events and more. Cheeky’s recently launched a trivia night on Thursdays, live music on Wednesday nights, weekend brunch and a happy hour that happens every day of service from 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
Two years after it was announced, Red Mesa’s ‘Mercado West’ is finally ready to open in St. Pete
After three years of planning, Red Mesa’s new restaurant is finally ready to open. The St. Pete Mexican restaurant chain’s “Mercado West” location debuts this fall, according to a press release. The spot was first announced in 2022. The first Red Mesa Mercado is located in the Edge District at 1100 1st Ave N—and
The release adds that the new Mercado location will have a similar menu—Cali-Mex tacos, bowls and “not-your-basic burritos”—while offering a new fast-casual sit-down option complete with wait staff.
“Mercado West has been a dream for a longlong time, and it’s incredibly rewarding to finally see it come to life,” Pete Veytia III, COO of Red Mesa Group, wrote in the release, expressing pride at how his team navigated the process of building the service model, menu and design of the new spot.
Red Mesa Restaurant Group has a long history in St. Petersburg that dates back to 1995. Other concepts in the chain include the group’s cantina (128 3rd St. S) and sit-down restaurant (4912 4th St. N) both famous for Latin American cuisine like ceviches, tacos and small plates. St. Pete’s new Red Mesa Mercado West is set to open in October 2025, according to the release. A rep for the chain told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that St. Pete’s Red Mesa Mercado West will not be open for breakfast. Hours starting last weekend are Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.11 p.m. Stay up to date by following Red Mesa Mercado through Instagram and Facebook. Emily McLaughlin.
ELECTRIC BEACH: Don’t worry, Cheeky’s will likely cut the A/C again when temps drop.
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
But why?
Tampa Bay mourns the loss of beloved historian, librarian and archivist Andy Huse.
By Ray Roa
As a four-year-old kid in Chicago, Andy Huse would pretend to be a reporter, walking around the house with a notebook in hand. “He would sit there and tell us the news at dinner about who he interviewed and all the stuff,” his mother, Carol Lakins Elwood, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
Huse moved to Florida at the age of five, and by his mid-30s established himself as Florida’s preeminent foodways historian.
He was known for being generous with his knowledge. As a bestselling author and archivist, he helped readers and researchers at an even bigger table understand the “why” behind a history that defines our daily bread.
On Aug. 20, Huse, a University of South Florida librarian left friends family also wondering why after he died by suicide at his home in Seminole Heights East. He is survived by his stepdad, Howard Elwood, and his brother Tim Huse. In a note for family, Huse said he had depression. Elwood told CL he never indicated that he was suffering to her or anyone close to him.
“He wakes me up, usually around four in the morning, but it’s been good thoughts, good things,” Cruz told CL.
Houck, now vice president of marketing for Columbia Restaurant and its affiliated concepts, continually sees Huse’s name pop up in email searches. He had his first dream about Huse on Aug. 28 and called it an intense experience.
“The beautiful terribleness of it is that it has brought out an absolute torrent of love that people had for him,” Houck added.
All that love will manifest itself at Friday’s special edition of The Commodore’s “Salud and Happy Days,” a storytelling-improv series where Huse was the special guest in January 2024. Friends are invited to tell stories about Huse; some actors may improv certain scenes afterwards, but all of the money donated will be given to a charity of the family’s choosing.
IN MEMORIAM
Salud and Happy Days: A Remembrance of Andy Huse Friday, Sept. 12. 7:30 p.m. No cover The Commodore. 811 E 7th Ave., Tampa commodorecomedy.com
Jeff Houck and Dr. Bárbara Cruz co-authored the infamous 2022 book “The Cuban Sandwich” with Huse. They grew close, like bandmates almost, as they traveled the Southeast supporting a work that bravely dispelled an age-old myth about Tampa’s favorite food. Cruz schooled Houck on the pronunciation of Miami’s Versailles restaurant and taught the crew pertinent Spanish curse words. The book was finished as the world holed away during COVID, which made the process more intense.
Huse, Cruz said, had the right balance of passion and analytical expertise, and that the book couldn’t have happened without him. The New York Times even immortalized Huse in a 2023 illustrated history of the Cuban. In its obituary of him, the Times called Huse “the perfect referee” for Tampa and Miami’s sandwich crisis.
A week after losing their friend, Cruz and Houck—a Cuban-born professor at USF and former Tampa Tribune editor, respectively— said Huse was still omnipresent in their lives.
On Sunday, the family hosts a public memorial at Columbia’s El Siboney Room.
Gary Mormino, professor emeritus at USF, told CL that Huse started his ascent when he decided on getting his master’s in library science.
But several of Mormino’s colleagues shot down Huse’s desire to pursue foodways in a historical context. “Myself and Ray Arsenault were really the only two historians to guide Andy at that time,” Mormino said, heaping praise on a remarkable career that included the “From Saloons to Steak Houses” history of Tampa.
Around the time he completed a centennial hardcover book about the Columbia, Huse became the go-to guy in special collections and could navigate the stony, cold USF archive like no one else, Mormino added.
“Countless writers, scholars, and journalists, relied on Andy to find a document. They would call writing about hurricanes, asking, ‘What have you got?’” Mormino said. “Andy seemed to have his radar very well prepared to find anything there.”
Huse was a star for USF libraries, so friends were puzzled to learn that he was being more or less fired by his employer of 27 years.
Termination records obtained by CL include a letter delivered to Huse by certified mail a week before his death. It said that his last day as a librarian at USF would be Aug. 13, 2026.
“...this notice of non-reappointment does not constitute a dismissal for cause or disciplinary action, but rather the exercise of the University’s prerogative to discontinue your appointment with proper notice given,” the letter signed by Todd Chavez, Dean at USF Libraries, says. A follow-up from HR says Huse was assigned to work off campus for the duration of his employment and that he could not work in employee-only areas of the library. He was to contact security about getting any of his belongings.
“You are reminded that you are not authorized to speak on behalf of the University or the Library in matters of public interest,” the letter added.
A resignation email from Huse to Chavez and Tomaro Taylor, the Director of USF Libraries
Special Collections, was transmitted at 5:37 a.m. EDT on Aug. 20.
Three redacted letters of reprimand from the last six years accuse Huse of using “hostile” tone in calls and voicemails, displaying conduct “unbefitting” of a faculty member.
Elwood told CL that Huse was the only one of her sons who preferred calling her over texting; they talked several times a week while he was taking a daily walk.
“Things are changing at the library,” Elwood said about the non-renewal of Huse’s contract. “Andy perhaps didn’t fit in with the direction that the library was going.”
Outside the library, Huse was a sought after guest for talks and popular at the many civic functions he attended.
Her certainly belonged with family. Huse and his brothers shunned their friends during the pandemic, Elwood told CL, choosing instead continued on page 28
WHERE THERE’S A WILL: Andy Huse blazed his own trail documenting Florida foodways.
continued from page 27
“What we needed was an author that could really help us tell that story,” Witecki told CL. “He was on board from day one.”
to live in a “bubble” with her and her husband. For months it was the four of them, and not one of them got COVID. They alternated cooking every Sunday when her sons would come over for “linner.” Huse’s stepdad loved his meatloaf loaded with pureed vegetables. It’s a tradition that didn’t stop when the pandemic faded away.
“After dinner, Andy would either read something that he found interesting to us, show us something he saw on YouTube, or share some of his own writings with us. We kept track of all the menus and only repeated any by request,” Elwood added.
Huse and Witecki’s team interviewed everyone they could think of. The records and artifacts from family members of famed architect John Eberson were preserved.
Huse not only authored the book, but shepherded it almost all the way through the publishing process. All he didn’t do was index the work.
IN MEMORIAM
After sharing the first draft last November, Huse dove back in, finding more stories about and remained excited.
Asked how the four-year-old would-be-journalist became Andy, Elwood told CL that all her kids were creative, which she encouraged.
“They all were ferocious readers, and read about all kinds of diverse things constantly,” she said. Every night, she read them a story, but when she was done, she would leave it with them and let them read it alone.
“That’s how they’d fall asleep. Every one of them to this day, have books sitting down the side of their bed, because they read every night before they’re going to bed,” she said.
Witecki—now vice president, director of marketing and community relations for Tampa Theatre—said she knew that Tampa’s famed foodloving historian was familiar with the theater. The coolest part of the book process, however, was watching him fall in love with the place.
“Watching him go from the casual passerby, the casual patron, to someone who was fullyengaged and fully-immersed. Watching him come to his first silent movie and the reaction he had to it, watching him then turn that passion outward,” Witecki said, was a gift.
“Hopefully there’ll be another Andy Huse 100 years from now.”
In that way, it’s fitting that Huse’s last work is a completed, definitive, history on the Tampa Theatre, which will be published next year as part of centennial celebrations for the venue.
Mormino, Elwood, and other close friends got to proofread the work, and so did Jill Witecki who clerked at the Tampa Tribune in the late’90s and early 2000s before moving to public relations.
A coffee table book was the initial idea, but there was a bigger and better story about Tampa Theatre’s place in the city over the last century. The book could not be a navel-gazing pat on the back.
She’s grateful that 100 years from now, when Tampa Theater is celebrating its 200-year anniversary, and trying to understand what Tampa was like, Huse will be there.
“Hopefully there’ll be another Andy Huse 100 years from now, that’s writing about the second century of Tampa Theatre,” Witecki added.
There won’t be another Andy Huse, Witecki said, but there will be curious people always asking, “Why?”
Huse, she explained, continually asked that question, and it’s on the rest of us to encourage curious people to keep doing the same.
“We won’t have another Andy,” she repeated. “But we’ll have the next generation of Andys who want to keep telling that story.”
THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Andy Huse’s final book will be a history of the Tampa Theatre.
Reaching out
Despite
5-2 vote to defund, there might still be time to save Creative Pinellas.
By Jennifer Ring
On Sept. 4, Pinellas County Commissioners refused to yield a measly $156,000 of the county’s budget to an agency that has nurtured arts and culture in the county for over a decade. The vote hurts Creative Pinellas’ ability to offer grants and it sets the table for the closure of the nonprofit’s gallery, which has made space and showcased homegrown artists since 2018. But the fight might not be over.
As previously reported, Creative Pinellas uses about $1.05 million to support and promote the arts in the county. Pinellas’ tourism bed tax—collected when visitors book hotel rooms— provides $861,000.
Raucous applause could be heard from an overflow room packed with artists and other creative professionals. With so many residents showing up to support Creative Pinellas, victory, or at least a continued conversation, seemed certain. Elected officials surely wouldn’t ignore both the facts and the desires of hundreds of their constituents. It felt like the entirety of Pinellas County’s creative community was split between the two rooms—colorful tattooed troops ready to respectfully fight for art in this country’s rapidly-escalating culture war.
COLUMN
Pinellas Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Thursday’s 5-2 vote to cut the $156,000 from the general fund was made at the suggestion of Commissioner Brian Scott. It came after two hours of compelling arguments and personal stories from Pinellas artists, teachers, art patrons, gallery owners, arts administrators, business owners and entrepreneurs, museum workers, filmmakers, marketing professionals, writers and poets.
Next Thursday, Sept. 18. 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Palm Room at Pinellas County Communications building. 333 Chestnut St., Clearwater. pinellas.gov
And Creative Pinellas—which has 11 employees who could lose their jobs—may need them to show up again since commissioners will discuss the overall county budget before a final vote on Sept. 18.
Creative Pinellas CEO Margaret Murray told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that, for now, $156,000 from the general fund is what her organization stands to lose. But Commissioner Scott has also suggested doing something else with the $861,000 Creative Pinellas gets from the bed tax, perhaps setting aside $500,000 that other nonprofits can bid for.
If it cannot find a way to bring in more funds, Creative Pinellas will be forced to layoff staff and shut down the gallery it opened in Largo seven years ago.
Before last Thursday’s vote, Murray was given 10 minutes to speak against the county’s proposal to defund the nonprofit—and fight for the life of the arts and artists in Pinellas.
With that time, she discussed plans to seek more private funding to support the organization and lessen its reliance on county funds. She also reiterated all that Creative Pinellas has done to put art in front of county visitors, explained what the organization brings to the table in terms of arts and culture expertise, and once again expressed her desire to work with the county and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater (VSPC) to make Pinellas County the best arts and culture destination it can be.
“Being blindsided like this gave us little opportunity to respond effectively, and in fact, and this is important, if we are not funded in this budget, our county lease requires that we vacate our offices and galleries by the end of the fiscal year in three weeks,” Murray concluded. “As a solid partner to the county for many years, I believe that we deserve the chance to work together to thoughtfully answer any questions you might have and work toward a solution for all. Right now, I am asking for at least one more year of funding and further conversations to allow us to implement the changes we have underway.”
What followed was an arts education for anyone who cared to listen.
David Ramsey—an art collector who’s served on multiple boards, and former City Manager of Treasure Island—spoke about the importance of funding smaller arts venues, makers and performers in a community, as Creative Pinellas does.
Beth Daniels, President of the Clearwater Arts Alliance, discussed the time it takes for a creative community to recover after a funding withdrawal.
Several Pinellas County artists spoke about the outsized impact that a small grant, like those Creative Pinellas gives, can have on an artist early in their career.
Kendra Patterson—a 2024-25 Pinellas County School Teacher of the Year—knows the power of arts. She said cutting funding would deprive her students of the opportunity to show their work at an elementary student art show hosted by Creative Pinellas.
Festival, spoke about the challenges she had working with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater (to whom Commissioner Brian Scott wants to give Creative Pinellas’ share of the county’s bed tax).
“I just think it’s a little quick, a little kneejerk reaction to DOGE telling us how to live our lives down here.”
“At that show, I witness my students’ excitement as they see their artwork beautifully framed and displayed alongside local artists. This event provides an award ceremony that draws hundreds of supporters, showcasing the community’s appreciation of our young artists,” Patterson added. “Families express their joy, not only in seeing their children’s creations, but also in the inspiring environment that creative Pinellas fosters. Defunding this organization would silence the recognition that my students deserve.”
Jenee Priebe, former director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s SHINE Mural
“While I respect that it’s their job to market and promote Pinellas County as a tourist destination, in my experience, it was an uphill battle trying to educate them on matters of art,” said Priebe. “We struggled for years to get Visit St Pete-Clearwater to pay mural artists for the use of their work in their ad campaigns. The artists own the copyrights to their mural work, even though it’s in a public space, it’s no different than purchasing a song to use in a commercial. There are royalties that must legally be paid to the owner of that work. An organization that is responsible for generating a billion dollars by promoting the vibrant cultural offerings of this area was refusing to pay $500 to an artist to use their work. That is not the organization I want in charge of supporting or funding an artist.”
Some of Pinellas County’s most significant artists and thinkers made their arguments before the Pinellas County Commissioners, casting pearls before swine.
Commissioner Chris Latvala was first to oink, saying that VSPC “knows how to put on a mural festival that I’ve never been to,” in reference to SHINE, which is actually put on by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (VSPC only helps fund and market the festival).
continued on page 34
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE: Five commissioners could not be persuaded to work with Creative Pinellas.
UPCOMING RELATED EVENTS
AFTER HOURS (21+): NINA YANKOWITZ | IN THE OUT/OUT THE IN
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 | 7-10 PM
Step into a fully activated MFA for a night where art meets sound in unexpected ways. At this 21+ community celebration, we’re blending live DJ sets, contemporary art, and hands-on experiences into one immersive evening. Explore the museum like never before—with live DJ sets by Brian Schanck, Justin Depth & jubilee, transforming our permanent collection into a sonic playground. In the conservatory, dance to DJ-curated beats, grab a signature drink, and dive into vibrant conversations. This special night features the dynamic In the Out / Out the In exhibition, including work by renowned multimedia artist Nina Yankowitz, whose groundbreaking contributions help reimagine how sound and visual art interact within the museum space.
IN CONVERSATION | NINA YANKOWITZ AND KATHERINE PILL
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 | 1-2 PM
Last chance to experience Nina Yankowitz | In the Out / Out the In! Join the artist in conversation with MFA Senior Curator Katherine Pill as they explore Yankowitz’s six-decade career, groundbreaking work, and the making of this landmark retrospective. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear behind-the-scenes stories and insights into a visionary practice.
Latvala was quick to mention that the county has funded the Dali Museum and the Chihuly Collection to the tune of millions of dollars. But $156,000 for Creative Pinellas to support artists who live and vote in Pinellas County is too much.
“I do appreciate all of the folks that are here, that is very impressive, but I will remind my colleagues that there are many more folks that have reached out to us and have demanded that we reduce their property taxes,” Latvala continued.
Commissioner Rene Flowers said that she might have a different affinity for art than others, citing her son Josh, a product of Gibbs High School art institute who still paints oil on canvas to this day.
“I saw what [art] did for him, someone who didn’t necessarily express themselves in a way that others do,” Flowers added. “But he could express himself through art.”
Flowers—a former St. Pete City Councilwoman and Pinellas School Board Member—told the room that more than 244 individuals sent emails sharing their ideas and concerns. More than 50 locals came to the dais to make well-researched in-person public pleas to save the funding.
Not one public comment was made in support of the cuts to Creative Pinellas.
Commissioner Dave Eggers wondered out loud if VSPC has the experience to make art happen in Pinellas County like Creative Pinellas does. He made the point that it would be easy to find $156,000 in the budget for Creative Pinellas.
“If we’re talking about how to relieve the pressure on the budget, I would say that if we tell Barry [Burton, the county administrator] to find $156,000 on the budget, and I know you don’t like when we do that, he can find it in a heartbeat. It can be found in the budget.”
“I just think it’s a little quick, a little knee-jerk reaction to DOGE telling us how to live our lives down here,” added Eggers. “And we’re all in that. We’re all about getting more scrutiny. But it’s our community. It’s what we do with it.”
But it seems only Commissioners Eggers and Rene Flowers care. No one in that ugly white box of a room with no art—as local filmmaker Victoria Jorgensen pointed out—is looking for $156,000 for Creative Pinellas. The commission voted to defund them, 5-2.
During public comment, Julie Wilson, former director of marketing at MFA St. Pete and current nonprofit consultant, cited Lowack’s conversation with Scott.
“Where’s their experience, where’s the proposal?,” Wilson asked. “Yes, they said ‘yes.’ But are they the best organization to do that?”
COLUMN
Discussions indicate that, as of right now, in contrast to Creative Pinellas’ thoroughly researched plan—they researched arts tourism initiatives across the country for inspiration—Visit St. Pete-Clearwater has presented no arts tourism plan for Pinellas County.
Last Thursday, when Commissioner Scott brought forth the proposal to defund Creative Pinellas, he said that he had a discussion with VSPC President/CEO Brian Lowack about funds that go to the arts nonprofit. Scott claimed that he asked Lowack if his team could facilitate a “competitive grant program specifically for arts tourism,” and that Lowack said his team could “get it done.”
Wilson said she works with organizations like Doctors Without Borders and Save The Children and is used to hearing people say that nonprofits can be run by someone else— she wondered if VSPC has the skill set to do what Creative Pinellas has done for the last 14 years.
“[VSPC] does something else that’s really great,” Wilson added. “Creative Pinellas has experts that do what they do as well.”
She hoped that commissioners would’ve taken Murray’s suggestion to establish new key performance indicators and find a new path forward instead of defunding Creative Pinellas. “It’s not a best practice to pull an investment without monitoring and measuring,” Wilson said.
The day after the vote to defund Creative Pinellas, Lowack told CL that VSPC knows what art means to Pinellas county.
“We’re committed to working with the local arts community to bring beauty and creativity to our community that will continue to enhance Pinellas County’s reputation as a vibrant arts destination sought out by visitors and arts enthusiasts from around the world,” Lowack added in a statement. “We are fortunate to have an arts community so passionate about sharing their work with the world—and we’re excited about having more of a role in helping support their efforts with funding directly from the millions of annual visitors to our incredible destination.”
Asked how he felt about the county’s vote to remove Creative Pinellas’ share of the county budget, Lowack declined to comment.
community that arts are not a luxury, but part of the county’s identity, economy and quality of life. The nonprofit added that while it was disappointed with the commission’s vote, it will spend the next days assessing short and longterm impacts the cut will have on galleries and programs, contacting affected grantees and looking at a path forward.
“No single vote (or 5 votes) can erase the creativity, resilience, and care this community shows every day.
But two years ago, when the county announced plans for a “Cultural Plan Initiative,” Lowack wrote, “We look forward to working with Creative Pinellas and the Cultural Planning Group to develop a new, countywide cultural plan to continue to advance our local arts.”
Creative Pinellas, for its part, thanked supporters for showing up and reminded the
“No single vote (or 5 votes) can erase the creativity, resilience, and care this community shows every day. Your support has strengthened our resolve to remain part of an arts ecosystem that is collaborative, accessible, and worthy of Pinellas County,” the board and staff wrote.
And in reality, there’s still time for Pinellas County Commissioners to do the right thing. All it takes is for a single commissioner to propose a motion to amend the budget to preserve Creative Pinellas’ funding and then the County Commissioners will have to vote on the same issue all over again. If they don’t change their minds on this, Creative Pinellas will have to vacate their gallery in Pinewood Cultural Park before Oct. 1.
JENNIFER RING
DESERVED BETTER: Arts advocates had hopes the county would want to work it out with Creative Pinellas.
Friday, September 12, 2025 • 10:00 PM - 3:00 AM
It’s A 2000’s Party @ Zodiac 1507 E 7th Ave
Tickets from $20.12 bit.ly/2000sYbor
Saturday, September 13, 2025 • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
The Official Tampa Day Party @ Crowbar
1812 N 17th St
Tickets $13.45 bit.ly/DayPartyCrowbar
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Doors at 6:00 PM, Show at 7:00 PM
Journey Tribute Night @ 1920 Ybor 1920 E 7th Ave
Tickets start at $10.00 bit.ly/Journey1920Ybor
Saturday, September 13, 2025 • 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Hive Community Yoga @ Ybor Hive 1802 East 3rd Ave
Donation Only bit.ly/HiveYogaYbor
Tuesday, September 16, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
A Taste of Spain Wine Dinner @ Chateau Cellars 2009 N. 22nd St
Tickets $110.96
bit.ly/TasteofSpainYbor
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wedding Pro Networking Night @ Ybor City Museum 1818 East 9th Avenue
Tickets - $13.45
bit.ly/WeddingProNight
Thursday, September 18, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
UNCORKED & UNPLUGGED: TBGP Jazz & Wine Kick-off @ Pour Decision Ybor 1818 East 9th Avenue
Tickets - $13.45
bit.ly/UncorkedUnplugged
Saturday, September 20, 2025 • 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tampa Paint and Pour – Perfect Vintage @ Ybor City Society Wine Bar 1600 East 7th Ave
Tickets - $35.24
bit.ly/PaintPourYbor
Sunday, September 21, 2025 • 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Chicken Yoga with Yoga Loft Tampa and Ybor Misfits @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Avenue
$15.74 General Admission bit.ly/PaintPourYbor
Friday, September 26, 2025 • 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
DITCH DAY TAMPA Ep. 1 (Eagles vs Bucs) @ SaddleBags Ybor 2234 E 7th Ave
Tickets from $12.51
bit.ly/DitchDayTampa
Restaurants: Where to Live:
Casa Ybor • casaybor.com
Casa Ybor offers unique retail spaces, office spaces, and apartment homes for rent or lease in both newly constructed and lovingly restored historic buildings throughout the vibrant National Historic Landmark District of Ybor City near Downtown Tampa, Florida.
La Union • bit.ly/LaUnionYbor
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.
Miles at Ybor • milesatybor.com
Step into the pulse of Tampa’s most vibrant neighborhood at Miles at Ybor, where modern luxury apartments in Tampa blend seamlessly with the rich cultural tapestry of historic Ybor City. These aren’t just furnished apartments in Ybor City – they’re your gateway to an elevated urban lifestyle that celebrates both heritage and innovation.
Projects
FRI 12
2025 Annual Arts Festival: St. Pete Opera w/New Tampa Players/Vincent Pham/more A new season kicks off at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center with a no-cover three-day festival that kicks off Friday. Backstage tours are just part of the package along with a screening of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” plus dance from the likes of Tampa City Ballet, which performs with St. Pete Opera on Sunday. Jazz, Hillsborough College musicians and a solo piano set from Vincent Pham and the Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival are also on the schedule. Find a link to more via cltampa. com/music and newtampaartscenter.org. (New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
Benefit For Nickole: Jeremy Gloff w/ Deb Ruby/David Kibby/Jeff Brawer/Navin Avenue Tampa’s music scene has always been good at taking up for each other, and it’s at it again to help a friend who spend some time in the hospital. Tampa’s most prolific pop songwriter Jeremy Gloff tops a bill that includes a set from gothic Americana band Navin Ave, plus songwriter sets from a trio of homegrown heroes. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
C Loud AF 2025: Sam P w/Rvkless/ DaBaddest Lyrik/Hyfa/Es’synce Star/ Cudjo/Zace/Chaunci P/Demolition Mann/ more Aych might not be hosting Da Cypher anymore, but the Tampa rapper and promoter still has his ear to the ground in a huge way. The fruits of his curiosity manifest themselves each year in the form of Loud On 7th, a multi-venue, week-long festival that kicked off last Monday. The party really gets going this weekend with a showcase in Seminole Heights (Rvkless, Dabaddest Lyrik, Hyfa and more are on the bill) and Versuzstyle show happening Friday at the WR Event Center. Lovers can check out the songwriter showcase at Crowbar on Saturday, and more information is at loudonseventh.com. (Multiple venues, Tampa & Ybor City)
Arcane Arcade album release w/Lot Lizards/Rath & the Wise Guys/Weird Times Bring “Flowers” and get to see Tampabased melodic-punk band Arcane Arcade play songs from its new album, Summer Funerals , released last month, The band isn’t afraid to venture off into twangier territory, but support acts on the bill stay in the hard-rock vein. (The Potion Portal, St. Petersburg)
SAT 13
Benson Boone Last spring at Coachella, the 22-year-old 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 dropped in June, and the first single “Mystical Magical” doesn’t really match up to said inspirations, but Queen’s Brian May clearly approves of Boone, so what is there to worry about? (Benchmark International Arena, Tampa)—Josh Bradley
C My Chemical Romance w/ Evanescence This brief run of shows celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Black Parade will see Gerard and Mikey Way, Frank Iero, and Ray Toro perform the 2006 album cover-to-cover, along with the other bangers that made up the playlists of your emo friend’s high school years. This run of shows also has different opening acts for each city, with the Tampa show getting alt-metal outfit Evanescence to warm things up.—JB
C No Walls, No Cages Punks vs. ICE Benefit Show: Slap Of Reality w/Las Nadas/Dead Mirrors/Phantom Power
The U.S. Supreme Court just lifted limits on immigration raids in Los Angeles, clearing the way for officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make stops based on someone’s race. The war on immigrants has come to Florida and the Bay area, too, with local cops all locked into 287(g) agreements, and two new state immigration detention centers online now. To fight back, Bradenton punk band Las Nadas brings its power-pop garage-rock to a St. Pete arcade alongside local favorites hyper-political Clearwater thrashcore band Phantom Power.
Monies raised go to immigrant justice organizations. (The Potion Portal, St. Petersburg)
Superheaven w/Cloud Nothings/End It/ Soul Blind Once upon a time, Superheaven (yes, the band formerly known as Daylight, for those still keeping score) made you believe grunge wasn’t entirely stuck in a Seattle time capsule. Now it’s back to drag you through the dirt with riffs as heavy as your old Discman. The Pennsylvania outfit isn’t rolling solo either— Cloud Nothings cranks out a kind of frantic noise-punk catharsis, while End It comes barreling in with hardcore. Soul Blind rounds things out with sludgy shoegaze thick enough to coat The Ritz’s floor. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s starting early, so grab your earplugs and maybe a RedBull. (The Ritz, Ybor City)
MON 15
C Leon Bridges w/Charley Crockett/ Reyna Tropical This show from Texas’ finest crooner and cowboy has been simmering since last March and a lot’s happened since its announcement. Crockett, a descendant of Davy, has put out two solid albums and recently defended attacks on Beyonce by telling country fans that have a problem with her new album that the Destiny’s Child principal is not their source of discontent. “The machine points to a black woman who’s making a statement about marginalized people being removed from the conversation altogether, and somehow we all act like the entire pop
industry didn’t just ambush roots music. These ‘“‘country boys’ been *singing* over trap beats for years,” he wrote in a statement. “So what’s different now?” Come see him be unfiltered alongside Bridges (they both play full sets), and make sure to get to the BayCare Sound early. The show is the 100th concert for the venue, which opened two years ago, and its operator, Ruth Eckerd Hall, is celebrating by giving a commemorative trucker hat to the first 100 attendees who visit the marketing table. (The BayCare Sound, Clearwater)
WED 17
C 97X Next Big Thing Legends: Cage The Elephant w/The Moonrocks/Girl Tones Remember when Cage The Elephant was that wild pack of southern rock misfits you blasted in your car with the windows down, convinced they were the future of radio? Well, the band is back back, and it stills knows how to light a fuse. This run of shows has Cage ripping through its 2013 self-titled album front-to-back, plus the raucous, sing-’til-you’re-hoarse bangers that made frontman Matt Shultz & co. kings of the late-aughts festival circuit. Each city gets a different pair of openers; Clearwater lucks out with surf-psych crew The Moonrocks and jangly indie charmer Girl Tones. (The BayCare Sound, Clearwater).
See extended Music Week listings via cltampa.com/music.
By Ray Roa and Sophia Lowrie
C CL Recommends
CASSILYN ANDERSON
Cage The Elephant
Tampa felt betrayed after Doechii recently announced a U.S. tour with no hometown date—but the Swamp Princess made everything all good last Monday morning.
The 27-year-old Blake High School alum and winner of the 2025 Grammy award for Best Rap Album will now play Tampa this fall as part of an eight-city tour. The Yuengling Center concert is the only Florida show on Doechii’s “Live From the Swamp Tour.”
Last February, when she became the first female rapper since Lauryn Hill to win the Best Rap Album Grammy, Doechii took to the stand to tell the world that “Tampa has so much talent.” Months before that she played a sold-out, sweaty show at Crowbar in Ybor City and even visited her old stomping grounds at Blake High School.
Tickets to see Doechii play Tampa’s Yuengling Center on Saturday, Oct. 25 go on sale to the general public on Monday, Sept. 15. A fan presale starts this Friday, Sept. 12. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Ray Roa
Vibes of the Bay 2025: 9henom w/ Adriana Sparkle/April Showers/ Chaunces/Cozy in the Black/Dwn Ta Earth/E-Turn/Ella Jet/Jordan Patrick/ Justin Depth/more Saturday, Sept. 27. 4 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Crowbar, Ybor City
Dev (opening for 6arelyhuman) Tuesday, Sept. 30. 7 p.m. $29.67 & up. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg
Rascal Flatts w/Lauren Alaina/Chris Lane Friday, Feb. 13. 7 p.m. $40.55 & up. Benchmark International Arena, Tampa
Samara Joy Saturday, Feb. 14. 7:30 p.m.
$49.40 & up. Ferguson Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
HAPPY HOUR AT AMSO
Monday - Friday, 4pm-7pm Saturday 3pm-6pm
$4, $5 & $6 Liquor, Beer & Wine
$8 Hand-Cra ed Cocktails
Good knight
By Caroline DeBruhl
Dear Oracle, I was once with a man I thought I was going to marry. I ended things because I was young and couldn’t see how to work things out and he married someone else. I know that he is the love of my life. I don’t have any way to contact him, but he had a milestone birthday coming up, and I just want to know if he’s happy and if he’ll have a good year. Thank you.—True love lost
Cards for his feelings right now: The Lovers (reversed), Page of Swords (reversed), The High Priestess
Cards for his next year: Knight of Pentacles (reversed), Knight of Swords, The Seeker (reversed), Ace of Swords
Dear TLL, while I have answered plenty of questions on behalf of other people throughout the years, I don’t know if I’ve ever answered one on the complex question of happiness.
While “are you happy?” seems to be a simple “yes or no” question, the answers are usually complex and mercurial. What is happiness to someone about to turn 30 compared to someone turning 90? Are they happy when they’re content? Satisfied? Joyful? Are they even looking for happiness right now or are they in the middle of something that doesn’t leave room for that?
Because “happiness,” like life, can be everchanging, I don’t believe that I can answer that question with Tarot. Instead, I asked how your
old love is feeling right now as he gets ready for his milestone birthday—and I think he’s feeling deeply introspective.
The High Priestess is the mistress of both the unconscious and our higher calling. She can appear when we are in “the zone” creatively, when we feel like the universe is giving us a sign, when we have been keeping our true desires to ourselves. I think your old love might be examining his life right now and seeing if it’s fitting with his higher calling or his true desires.
With The Lovers, I do think he’s reflecting on his marriage and/or things he deeply values. This reflection might be “how lucky I am to be married to my spouse?” or it might be a shifting through complex emotions. I don’t know. Regardless, this reflective period is not an excuse for you to try to find a way to contact him. Just like I can’t tell you if he’s happy, I can’t tell you what he’s thinking or if he would welcome any contact. He’s a twice-removed stranger whom I can’t ask follow-up questions to.
Because of this, it’s also difficult to see the context for the Page of Swords. This might be a representation of who he was in his youth and his reflection on that. It might be his own child and his reflection on his role as a father. You did tell me in a subsequent message that you are unsure if he has any children, so it’s a difficult thing to parse.
(My gut feeling, however, is that he does have a little whip smart babe, and the Lovers and Page of Swords represent his family, and his reflection is on his role within that system.)
Because of the lack of context, it is also difficult to say what exactly his upcoming year will look like, because the cards can be read one way or the opposite. But I do think that it’s going to be an eventual, existential year for him.
The energy that he is bringing into the next three months is represented by the Knight of Pentacles, who is calm in the face of chaos, steady-handed and responsible. This could mean that he is going to be steering the ship through some choppy waters. This could mean that he’s going to take on some more responsibilities or challenges.
Seeker, a card unique to my deck (Uusi’s “Pagan Otherworlds”) represents searching for deeper knowledge. He’s really getting into the thick of it. This might be him searching for and discovering a new faith, shifting his perspective on his true self, or experiencing a flat-out existential breakdown. Again, things can go a few different ways.
ORACLE OF YBOR
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Or, it could mean that he hits a midlife crisis and chucks all responsibility out the window.
Which…might explain the energy of the Knight of Swords, which will dominate his following 3 months. The Knight of Swords is a wild creature, a Romantic’s romantic, a soul possessed with want and longing but one that is focused. If the passion of the Knight of Wands is a forest fire, the Knight of Swords is a laser. Whatever his goals or responsibilities he took on (or chucked) in the first three months, now he’s ready and focused on making those desires happen.
For the third quarter of his year, he is going to be doing a lot of soul searching. The
But, whatever happens over the next year—if he digs in or drops out—I think he will arrive at his next birthday as someone who truly knows himself. The Ace of Swords is the raw material that makes us individuals. It is where our unique thoughts come from, our sense of self, how we take charge of our own lives. I think whatever shift of identity your old love is going through, things will solidify by the end of the year. I don’t know what that would look like. I don’t know if it means he finds his true calling as a poet or he gets a convertible or if he decides to become a priest. I don’t know if he’ll be happy this year.
But I do know that when you are living a life that feels true to yourself, when you are able to drop the masks, that you can feel a bit of peace. I hope your old love finds peace this year, and I hope that you do, too.
Thank you for trusting me with your question.
See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.
Long and short
By Dan Savage
I’m an early-40s lesbian in the Vegas area and I’m sorry to report that not all lesbians have gotten the memo that oral comes standard. I have faced this issue since I began dating. I’ve met many women who require creativity and persistence to come—and you know what? It’s my pleasure. I’m not just willing, I’m enthusiastic about doing whatever they need to get off. But when it comes time to reciprocate, there are too many women who don’t rise to the challenge. I was with my last ex for seven years. She was hot but not generous in bed. She was emotionally distant. I just didn’t feel wanted. It was a frustrating seven years, but much of that happened over the pandemic when it was hard to separate. And then when we did, she said it was because she’d realized she wasn’t attracted to women after all, and in fact had fallen for a man. Well, that explained a few things. I was devastated and didn’t date again for three years. But recently, I stepped back into the dating game and met a wonderful woman. We share a love of horror movies, she’s easy to talk to, we have the same sense of humor, and she does things that make me feel cherished. It’s honestly refreshing. We were dating around a month when things got physical. But I’m sad—no, angry—to report that it’s the same problem all over again. This woman needs persistent effort, and it’s my pleasure to provide it, but when it comes time for her to return the favor, she isn’t up to the task. After a few minutes, she is done. We’ve had several discussions about preferences and what our bodies need for an orgasm to happen. She knows that manual stimulation takes forever to get me off, but oral sex has always been a reliable and efficient way to get me off. Except it’s just not happening. And I don’t just mean oral. I mean she was not enthusiastic about making me come once after I’d gotten her off multiple times. She begins cuddling me and seems not to give it a thought. Despite everything else that’s so wonderful about this woman, after the same thing happened again tonight, I suddenly feel ready to kick her to the curb. Would she do it if I asked? Probably! But this is not something I should have to ask for. It defeats the purpose of minimum standards. When we say oral comes standard, that means it comes standard. We shouldn’t have to ask for it. We can say how we want it or whether we don’t want it, but otherwise it should be offered as a matter of course. If they can’t do so, then they should at least be enthusiastic about playing as strong a role as possible in making the other person come through other means. Because it’s not just oral that should come standard. Orgasms should come standard. Am I overreacting, Dan? If a partner brings everything else but doesn’t bring the orgasms, are
they disqualified? I am too old to waste time on partners who do not come to the bedroom enthusiastic about making me come. I’d rather stay home and take care of myself. I’m honestly crying a little bit. I’m just so disappointed.—Serious About Partner Having Orgasms
disinterested in sex with partners after being with them for a short amount of time (around six months). He discovered that a particular kink is extremely important to him, and that moving forward, it will be an essential part of sex for him. He has never incorporated this kink into past sexual relationships, and only now discovered it. He likened it to his discovering his sexuality, in that it is a critical part of his sexual identity.
SAVAGE LOVE
You’re not overreacting. Orgasms have always come standard in lesbian relationships—the orgasm gap supposedly doesn’t exist in lesbian relationships (but you somehow keep pulling the short straw)—while oral, like power windows, has come standard in all relationships since the 1980s. A model that arrives without oral is defective and should be returned to the lot immediately. But here’s the thing: you say your new girlfriend would “probably” get you off if you asked, which means… you haven’t asked. Now, your new girlfriend should be offering to get you off— she should be returning every favor, climbing every mountain, fording every stream, etc.— without prompting. But if you wanna give this otherwise promising relationship a chance, you might wanna advocate for your own pleasure. It’s crazy that I know oral is the quickest and most reliable way to make you come and your girlfriend doesn’t, SAPHO, considering that I’m never going to eat your pussy and eating your pussy is literally her job.
From the sound of things, SAPHO, your girlfriend has what sounds like a pretty mannish/masc-coded refractory period—she crashes out after she comes—so along with telling her that oral is the fastest and most reliable way to get you off, tell her that you’re gonna go first: from here on out, she’s going to get you off before you get her off. Now, if you do all that and she still can’t be bothered to make you come… back to the lot she goes. You wasted seven years on a partner who didn’t think your pleasure was important, SAPHO, and you should tell your current girlfriend you’re not making that mistake again.
My husband and I have been married for three years, and we have a two-year-old child. For the first six months of our relationship, we had a healthy, regular sex life. After that, my husband was not interested in sex, and for about two years, we had it very infrequently. My husband recently revealed to me that during that time, he thought a lot about why he would often become
His newly discovered kink is being cuckolded—right now just as a fantasy, but he would eventually like it to be a reality. I have tried for about six months to explore this with him, and unfortunately, it does not turn me on at all. In fact, it very much turns me off. I have agreed to incorporate this into half of our sex sessions. He has told me that he needs it to be a part of every sexual encounter we have and is frustrated that it does not turn me on. He said if we do not move forward, he would like to consider having an open relationship—which I do not want—or he could withhold sex from me for a year so that I want sex so much that I am more interested in being with other men. Sometimes he gets angry that I don’t feel the same way about his kink. I want my husband to be happy, and I know that there are many women who are interested in this kink and dating apps he could use to
interest in sexual partners after six months. We used to call people like that “assholes,” AW, but we know better now: your husband is fraysexual (“a person whose sexual attraction fades as emotional intimacy deepens”), just one point of light along the asexuality spectrum, and we know frays are valid because they have their very own pride flag and everything. Your husband also knew he was a cuckold before he married you. I’m not buying this bullshit about him discovering his kink after an ayahuasca trip or whatever, AW, and you shouldn’t buy it either. He made a conscious decision to wait until after you were married and had a child in order to trap you. Information you needed to make an informed decision about marrying him was withheld from you—your husband painted you into a corner with his dick and his DNA—and you have every right to be angry about that.
While there aren’t tons of women into his kink, AW, there are dating sites for cuckolds and women who want one; there are also some wonderful cuckolding podcasts where cuckold couples share their origin stories and discuss best practices around disclosure and negotiation. Which means your husband had the option of pursuing women who want a cuckold partner—that is, women who want a one-sided open relationship (with their side being the open one)—and access to what amount to cuckolding coaches. He decided to dupe you into marrying him instead. And then—after presenting his kink as a “discovery” failed to have the desired effect—your husband pivoted to threats to withhold sex and angry outbursts in an effort to bully you into fucking other men for his entertainment. From where I’m sitting, that proves he lied to you about this; if he had only just realized he had this kink and the realization was threatening his marriage, AW, your husband would be apologetic, not apoplectic.
If he needs his wife to fuck other men in order to be happy and fucking other men isn’t something his wife is interested in doing and he can’t let it go—and not be an asshole about letting it go—then you’re sexually incompatible, AW, and he’s completely intolerable. DMTFA.
P.S. This response is dedicated to everyone who has ever accused me of siding with the kinkster or fetishist in every marital dispute.
meet people who share this kink. If this is critical to my husband, I feel like we are at a standstill and maybe just sexually incompatible. Is this the end of our relationship?—Anonymous Wife Fuck him. Your husband damn well knew— he knew before he married you—that he loses
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Nestlé candies, ___-Caps
Take ___ from one’s book
Faulkner title start
With “-3,” a
Le Moko
73 Church keys
74 Sudden crowd silence
75 Scent of a Woman dance 81 Sweets, to Sophia 83 Ulu user: abbr.
85 Remove dishes from again 87 Billy Bob’s Monster’s Ball co-star
