Creative Loafing Tampa — January 27, 2022

JANUARY 27-FEBRUARY 02, 2022 (VOL.35, NO.04) $FREE • CREATIVE LOAFING – CLTAMPA.COM

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf STAFF WRITER Justin Garcia

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

FOOD and THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge FILM & TV CRITIC John Allman IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Kyla Fields, Kevin Gallagher, Alexandria Jones, Jennifer Ring, Melanie Rizzo, Dan Savage

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Tre ‘Junior’ Butler

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EDITORIAL INTERN Brandalynn Nuñez

García Vargas SeaWorld in Cepeda, February,Sofia animal rights Apply for summer via rroa@cltampa.com claiming the practice of keeping wild CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora d dangerous.

But even though public atmany SeaWorld animal rights don’t in seeFebruary, a parallel kind ILLUSTRATORS Joebetween Newton,the Dan Perkins, claiming the practice of keeping wild k, and the practice ofCory displaying animals Robinson nd dangerous.

But even though public asking for too much? Or is it time for a SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES d, many don’t see a parallel between the kind t” animals?Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

stion ................. 5

ck and the practice of displaying animals s asking for too much? OrPROMOTIONS is it time for a AND MARKETING, ent” animals?

EVENTS DIRECTOR

Sternberg says his goal is to keep the team in the region, despite shitting on the very same region for the past decade and a half.

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

Let the Rays stadium shakedown begin, p. 20.

Free Will Astrology......................................... 64

Savage Love ...................................................... 69

cltv

euclidmediagroup.com cltampa.com Savage Love ...................................................... 69 cldeals.com clspace.com Puzzler ........................................................... 66

EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa 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.

NEWS+VIEWS �������������������������11 FOOD+DRINK ������������������������� 33 A&E ��������������������������������������� 37 MUSIC WEEK ������������������������� 53 ORACLE OF YBOR ������������������ 59

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Weekly, LLC, 204 E. Henderson Ave., Tampa, FL, 33602.

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The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampa.com. Copyright 2021, Tampa Weekly, LLC.

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MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger Music Week ................................................... 42 EUCLID MEDIA GROUP Music: Tampa Fest ...........................

Concert review:Bay ArticBlues Monkeys ..........................40 42 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Andrew Zelman Music ...................................................

The ListWeek ..........................................................

46 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS42 Concert review: Artic Monkeys ..........................

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner42 Movie reviews .....................................................

63 VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein The List ..........................................................

Free Will Astrology .........................................46 64 DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Movie ........................................................... reviews..................................................... 63 Puzzler 66 Jaime Monzon Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest ........................... 40

Say hello to the Jolly Rager.

Even Checkers and Winn-Dixie are having Gaspy parties, p. 33.

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Movie night

There’s a ‘Free Leonard Peltier’ event and film screening on Monday.

By Justin Garcia

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Yes, there’s a big, giant parade happening in of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Tampa this weekend, but if you’re more inter- Committee. “Former US Attorney for the ested in folks whose actual civil rights have been Northern District of Iowa James Reynolds, who pillaged, then you might want to go to St. Pete. supervised the prosecutors of Peltier has urged On Jan. 31, local activist groups will host Biden to grant Clemency to him, admitting his an event calling for political prisoner Leonard office ‘shaved corners’ and they ‘could not prove Peltier to be freed after more than 44 years of Leonard Peltier committed a crime on the Pine wrongful incarceration.

Ridge Reservation’.”

The event will be focused on education “Save WMNF”, Florida Indigenous Alliance regarding Peltier’s imprisonment—he’s cur- (FIA) and the Border Patrol Victims Network rently being held just about an hour north of will co-host the event. They’ll be showing the Tampa, at Coleman Penitentiary—along with documentary, “Incident at Oglala” which dissects current Indigenous affairs and ongoing issues what happened the day the shootout occurred at WMNF Community Radio. It’s set to take in vivid detail. place on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at The Chattaway, “The film Incident at Ogala was funded by located at 358 22nd Ave. S. in St. Petersburg. Robert Redford and created by Michael Apted Peltier is an American Indian in 1992, when it was hopeSave WMNF: Movement (AIM) activist who was ful President Clinton might Free Leonard Peltier at the Pine-Ridge Reservation grant clemency,” Murphy said.

Monday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m. in South Dakota when the FBI “Hundreds of armed on duty FBI The Chattaway, 358 22nd invaded the land and started Agents protested at the White Ave. S, St. Petersburg. a conflict with members of the House and Peltier remained incarsavewmnf@aol.com Oglala Lakota Nation in 1975, cerated. While the documentary including women and children. The Indigenous is thirty years old, the facts remain the same.” people resisted, and a firefight ensued. The conSave WMNF will also talk about issues flict resulted in the death of several Natives and that they see occurring at Tampa’s WMNF two FBI agents.

Community Radio, including Two Worlds There was never any proof that Peltier killed Indigenous Radio being “forced off the air,” the agents, but in a trial that’s known around they wrote on the event flyer. Rob Lorei, founder the world for its unjust proceedings, the FBI’s of WMNF who was abruptly fired last year, will coercion of witnesses, and multiple instances speak at the event. of tampering with evidence, Peltier was conAna Maria Vasquez from the Border Patrol victed in 1977. He’s been in prison ever since. Victims Network will discuss the injustices that At 76 years old, his health is deteriorating while the U.S. commits at the border, and what the the U.S. ignores calls from around the world group is doing to resist the needless violence demanding his release. and death there.

“This clemency campaign may be the last “In unity there is strength!” Save WMNF best opportunity for Leonard Peltier to be wrote on a flyer for the event, “All people’s released,” said Sheridan Murphy, President together!”

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LET LEO FREE: ‘Free Leonard Peltier’ sign in Detroit, Michigan.

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Fighting back Photos by Dave Decker

T

enants at Holly Court Apartments in North Tampa protested an ongoing mass eviction and made demands for serious infrastructure issues to be fixed at the complex on Jan. 20.

On Dec. 31, many tenants were served 30-day eviction notices which said they have to be out by the end of January. Some have already fled the property out of fear of an eviction on their record, but some tenants have chosen to stay and fight.

Around 30 people gathered to protest the evictions. Some were residents at Holly Court, including children, and others were with the Tampa Tenants Union, which is standing up

with the residents to demand that the owners of the complex make immediate changes. Several local new outlets were on scene as well.

“I ain’t going nowhere, what about you?” asked Ernest Nelson to his fellow residents; he’s been one of the most vocal of the tenants about the evictions. His question received a round of cheers and people confirming that they aren’t going anywhere. At Holly Court, rent is currently $650 for a one-bedroom apartment. With rent spiking 24% overall across the Bay area last year, there’s nowhere else in Tampa that they can afford. Read more and see the rest of the photos via cltampa.com/news.—Justin Garcia

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POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

Spring chickens

Cigar family and microsancutary team up to help Ybor’s most famous residents.

B

efore Dylan Breese dedicated a large part of his life to creating a sanctuary for Ybor’s most vulnerable chickens, he fostered baby elephants in Nairobi, Kenya. He visited the elephants through virtual meetings until 2016, when he made the journey to Africa to see them in person. The time he spent with the elephants changed his relationship with the animal world forever.

When he returned to Tampa, he looked around his own neighborhood and saw chickens in need. That year, he started the Ybor Chickens Society to look out for what he calls his “baby elephants” of Ybor, which came to Tampa with Cuban migrants over 100 years ago.

Employees at a coffee shop near Centennial Park, where many feral chickens gather, heard about Breese’s efforts. In May of 2016, they found a chicken with a leg that was twisted the wrong way. The chicken, who was left behind by her family because she couldn’t keep up, needed extra help, so Breese took her to his condo. He named her Coffee Bean, because she was found at the coffee shop, and she was as small as a bean.

Coffee Bean lived with him for six weeks, wearing chicken diapers around the house, living in a rabbit hutch and squawking out of jealousy when Breese sat next to someone else on the couch— until a vet told Breese her leg couldn’t be fixed. But the bond established was so deep that he knew he had to continue to care for Coffee Bean.

“She became a family member,” Breese told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. The relationship with Coffee Bean set his life on a new course.

Since 2016, Breese has taken rescue calls in Ybor and even a couple in Seminole Heights, climbed trees in the rain to help stuck chickens, learned the art of rescuing baby chicks who fall in storm drains, and has spent countless hours nursing vulnerable Ybor chickens back to health.

He went vegan. He moved out of his condo to a house with a backyard in Ybor, where he founded the Ybor Misfits Microsanctuary, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to rescuing chickens, in 2020.

But he and his partners at the sanctuary needed more space to do their life saving work.

Last month, it happened. The sanctuary found a new home near the historic J.C. Newman Cigar Company in Ybor, who offered to lease them 6,000 square feet of empty lots for a “great price”, Breese said. The Newman family also set a matching donation of $4,000 to help the sanctuary get all the supplies they need, build fences and large cages, or “runs”, and tiny houses, or “hutches”, where the injured chickens find safety from their natural predators: hawks, raccoons and possums.

Drew Newman, fourth generation owner and general counsel for J.C. Newman, said that the family—whose factory is 111-years-old—is working hard to restore parts of Ybor City that have been lost over the years, and that the chickens are integral to the “cultural fabric” of the city. “When we heard the sanctuary was taking care of sick and injured birds, we wanted to do everything we could to support them,” Newman told CL. On top of the help it’s already offered, the company is starting a line of Ybor Misfitsthemed memorabilia, including coffee mugs, shirts and posters. Newman says the line should be available for purchase sometime this month, and all proceeds will go to the sanctuary.

Ivan Rivera, a real estate agent and co-president of the V.M. Ybor Neighborhood Association helped link Breese with the Newman family after meeting Breese through his efforts to preserve a part of Ybor’s history.

“The birds are not only a mascot for the city of Tampa, they’re part of what makes Ybor City special,” Rivera said. “With the work Dylan and I do in the neighborhood, and the work the Newman family does, it was really a no brainer for us to team up on this. We hope this new location will be there for a long time.”

Florida Senator Janet Cruz has also offered early support for the sanctuary via a letter to Tampa city council, writing that the sanctuary is, “dedicated to providing care and rehabilitation” of Ybor City’s feral and abandoned chickens.

LOCAL NEWS

“They’re part of what makes Ybor City special.”

JUSTIN GARCIA

By Justin Garcia

MISFITS: Dylan Breese (L) and Anahy Gutierrez with a few chicken rescues in front of the JC Newman Cigar Company.

Breese has talked to five city councilmen who have all shown their support for the sanctuary’s expansion, including Councilchair Orlando Gudes, who represents District 5, where the sanctuary resides. Gudes echoed the sentiment that chickens are a part of the culture of Ybor, and told CL that he has had no complaints from constituents about the chickens lately. Gudes was on council in 2018, when a few people complained to the city about noise and mess from the chickens, but the majority of Ybor citizens were in support of the birds, and city council upheld the Chicken Sanctuary Law that helps protect them.

Breese and his girlfriend Anahy Gutierrez spent a large part of their Christmas and New Year holiday vacation putting in the hard work of getting the new spot going. Gutierrez grew up in awe of the chickens in Ybor, and wondered if

anyone was taking care of them. Years later, she met Breese when they were co-workers in 2019.

Their mutual love for the chickens brought them closer together, and then, romance sparked. Now, they’re living together in a house neighboring the sanctuary that they purchased separately, and doing hard work on top of their regular day jobs to expand the sanctuary.

Gutierrez’ uncle helped them build a fence at the new space and four new chicken runs have been installed, along with a couple of storage sheds. It’s just the beginning of a project that Breese, Gutierrez and their nonprofit partner Nayeli Robledo, aim to have completely finished by the end of this year. They currently dedicate about 30 hours a week to the sanctuary between the three of them. continued on page 13

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JUSTIN GARCIA

MUÑECA PEQUEÑA: Anahy Gutierrez holds Dolly, who is missing her right eye. continued from page 11 But because they run a microsanctuary, Ybor Misfits won’t aim to assist more than the “handfuls” of chickens they help right now, Breese said.

They want to continue to be there for the most vulnerable chickens in Ybor, while making the new location a place of learning and exchange.

The team hopes it will be a cultural and interactive space, where people can show up to learn about the chickens, volunteer, and adopt them. Their hope is that more education will help avoid future abuse of their feathered friends.

Ignorance about the animals leads to rampant cruelty. People buy them as pets, don’t realize the effort that goes into taking care of them, then abandon them on the street. They raise them to fight ,and of course, for meat.

People illegally drop off chickens who, unlike feral chickens, have no idea how to survive in the wild. Despite the risk of $1,000 fine potential jail time, people still abandon the chickens, and set them up for a gruesome death.

From news reports in recent years, it’s been estimated that there are anywhere from 29 to more than 100 chickens in Ybor, but Breese says that it’s not entirely accurate to try to estimate, because the population changes so rapidly due to deaths and births. And even though the sanctuary has a majority success stories—including saving 15 birds at once from a respiratory illness in 2020—survival of the abandoned birds after they are rescued is not a guarantee.

Chickens, whose average lifespan is 10-12 years, can die early for many reasons, from disease to predators. And just like humans, they are especially prone to death when they are hurt and exploited. Violet, a “meat bird”, who was unhealthy from being raised for food and

then abandoned, died of a heart attack after the sanctuary pulled her in from the streets.

“I’m still heartbroken over her,” Gutierrez said, tears welling up in her eyes. “There are some that you just get extra attached to.”

Coffee Bean, Breese’s first rescue, passed away after she caught avian pox in July of 2020.

In her honor, her image was made into the logo for the sanctuary.

Yet for every death, there are more stories of a second chance at life.

Dolly was found ravaged by a predator in an Ybor city parking garage. Her face was so swollen that when they rescued her, they couldn’t tell she was missing her right eye. Feathers were ripped off on both sides of her body and she was covered in blood.

“We honestly didn’t know what was going to happen, if we could save her,” Breese said.

Four months later and Dolly is healthy and productive, helping to raise baby chicks. In December, she won the sanctuary’s “Golden Cobbie” (an award for chickens who stand out from the crowd) for “greatest comeback.”

The community has noticed their inspiring work, and some have decided to get involved.

The sanctuary now has 42 monthly donors who support Ybor Misfits through a Patreon, as well as one-time donors. The supporters get perks, like first access to info about the sanctuary and visits. But more than money, the sanctuary has fostered awareness of the importance of the chickens throughout the area, an effort Breese and Gutierrez hope to help flourish from their new location.

Breese tells a story of being on a rescue recently. He approached a chicken near a parking lot in Ybor and began inspecting it. Workers at a nearby restaurant shouted at him, unaware of who he is. “Hey, don’t mess with the chickens,” one of the workers said. “They’re protected!”

LOCAL NEWS

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Spot check

TPD changes crime data reports, tracking group says it’s a public safety risk.

By Justin Garcia

C

identities and information about crime victims are protected. Police departments have also used the law to shield the identity of officers involved in incidents like fatal shootings, classifying cops as victims in certain cases. TPD said that due to Marsy’s law, it’s had to change reporting of crimes from the block level, to the grid level.

A city “grid” encompasses several city blocks, making it less transparent as to where a crime occurred.

“We were working with the program developer to fix a technical issue discovered on the site last week, to enhance the protections for Marsy’s Law victims,” TPD wrote to CL in an email statement. “The interactive Crime Map has since been restored.”

TPD then confirmed that the data is now presented at the grid level, as opposed to the

SWITCHEROO: Locations for TPD reported crimes switched from specific blocks to a less trackable grid format. block level. The public calls for service website reflects this change, as of last Friday.

The legal issue here is that, as Suszan points out, within Marsy’s Law, there’s no provision that says that general public crime information should be affected by the law. Marsy’s Law for Florida, the group that pushed to bring the bill into law, even said so in a press release in 2019.

“There are no provisions in Marsy’s Law for Florida that prevent the release of details of a case, including general information on where crimes have taken place,” Marsy’s Law for Florida wrote.

And while protecting the location of victims for their safety is certainly important, block level reporting does not give a victim’s exact location. And there are reasons why reporting at the block level is important for the safety of the community, as Tampa lawyer Mark Caramanica explained to CL.

16 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

seeing an “alarming lack of uniformity throughout Florida” in how law enforcement agencies are reporting crimes.

“Some agencies release street names but redact house numbers. Some agencies redact entire addresses, even if crimes occurred in public areas where the address would not disclose the victim’s home. Some agencies are now charging fees for staff to review records as simple as crime blotter sheets when the public requests access, reviewing for Marsy’s Law exemptions,” she wrote.

Davidson-Hiers said that the unintended effect is that communities get left with no way of knowing where crimes are being committed, or who may be affected. She said that the lack of uniformity in implementing the law has, “A negative impact on the public’s ability to make informed decisions about housing, workplace and education and also affects the ability of communities to find solutions to the issues that lead to crime in the first place. And, equally concerning, it erodes public trust in law enforcement.”0 According to Drane, agencies changing from block to grid reporting almost never happens because crime is going down. In his eyes, concealing the data only benefits criminals and upper management in law enforcement departments that went to manipulate data to their advantage.

Drane said that he ended up having a conversation with two TPD officers earlier this week about the changes: Cpl. Derek Lang and Richard Blasioli, who was a captain as of 2018.

He said his first call with Blasioli was “terrible” and that the officer said he knew nothing about their mapping system. When Drane mentioned victim concerns, he said that Blasioli proceeded to accuse him of “profiteering off of their crime data.” Later in the day he got a call from Lang. This call was the opposite of the morning call, he said. Lang said they originally had to make changes because of a technical error, echoing TPD’s statement.

“Despite these technical complications, TPD had enough time and programming prowess to change the block addresses to grid locations,” Drane said.

Drane and Suszan say that their next steps are to call on the city to do something about this problem. They’ve spoken with a city council member (but didn’t want to disclose who just yet) and are planning on amplifying their message to the city to be transparent, as just about all other major cities in the U.S. are.

Drane says that changing to grid mapping is an “absurd solution” that “insults the intelligence of the public.” He referenced what he calls the “trust quotient.”

“When you remove data, you lower that trust quotient, you lower safety for the public,” Drane said. “If you increase transparency, you increase the trust quotient with the community.”

LOCAL NEWS

DAVE DECKER

olin Drane’s national crime-tracking company SpotCrime has mapped Tampa police calls for service and crimes since August of 2008. His website monitors the information, which comes through a public feed, and places the incidents on an interactive map to let people know what type of incident happened, and where.

But last weekend, the specific location information his company, along with the general public, received from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) suddenly changed. Locations for reported crimes switched from specific blocks to a less trackable grid format, which can encompass several square miles around where the incident occurred.

Previously, SpotCrime’s map would show the block the crimes happened on, for the benefit of public safety. Now, TPD’s changes make it difficult for SpotCrime’s Tampa map to function properly.

“I immediately asked myself, why would they [TPD] restrict access to information that could help protect its citizens?” Drane told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Hiding this data makes no sense. Our aim is never to sensationalize this data or harm any person or department, it’s just to inform.”

Drane, President of SpotCrime, said that the information can be very important for public safety, like when tracking child predator activity in an area. He gave the example of other cities it tracks, where suspects had allegedly been caught preying on children. “We want that information out, so that if there is some perpetrator going after young kids, we want the community to have knowledge and to protect children in that area,” Drane told CL. Drane says that the company has 30,000 subscribers in Tampa that rely on the crime information for safety. The company sends out around 300 million emails a year to people in the U.S. about specific crime details and trends, using the data from thousands of police departments. But he and Vice President of SpotCrime Brittany Suszan can only do their job properly when police departments are reporting their crimes in a transparent way.

Across major U.S. cities, TPD is one of the only police departments purposefully becoming less transparent, Suszan says. “Asking for this kind of data is not a novel idea,” Suszan told CL. “Newspapers have used this data for crime blotters for a long time.”

Neighboring St. Petersburg and Orlando still report their crimes by block, and SpotCrime’s map functions correctly in those cities.

Nevertheless, TPD has suddenly chosen not to share the crimes by block, and one of its main arguments for not doing so is Marsy’s Law, which was passed in Florida in 2018. Under the law, the

Caramanica specializes in media law, copyright and civil litigation. He also held concerns about the new mapping process.

“It’s very problematic because it removes vital crime information from the public, from people who rely on this data to keep themselves and their family safe, or even decide where they want to live when they move here,” said Caramanica.

Caramanica called TPD’s move on the mapping an “overreach”, and said that that even on private mapping software like LexisNexis, the locations of crimes are currently offset. When he opens the LexisNexis map and views a pinpoint marking a call for service or a crime, the system makes it clear that the crime did not actually occur in that area, as part of TPD’s changes.

“The public only suffers because of this,” Caramanica said.

TPD is not the only Florida law enforcement agency that’s erroneously used Marsy’s Law to conceal previously public data. In a guest column for the University of Florida’s

Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, Suszan pointed out that three sheriffs departments—Polk, Lake and Pasco—have used the law as a defense for hiding data.

In the same column she pointed out that a 2017 decision by the North Dakota Attorney General decided that a victim must opt-in to prevent any disclosure of information related to their case. The A.G.’s ruling also limited the type of location information that can be withheld at the victim’s request primarily to pinpoint address numbers and building names, and even went as far as declaring that names aren’t secret. Now In North Dakota, Marsy’s Law no longer hides the facts of a crime.

CD Davidson-Hiers, Programs Coordinator for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, a non-partisan 501c3 that seeks transparency in government, said the group is

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Please send your proposal, including a sample of previous work in a pdf or jpeg file format to: ntikkanen@pinellas-park.com For questions or additional information, contact Nicole Tikkanen, the CRA Technician, at (727) 369-5615 or ntikkanen@pinellas-park.com.

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Get low

Bay area housing inventory plummets by 47%.

By Justin Garcia and Colin Wolf Available housing in the Tampa Bay has plummeted by 46.6%, setting a new low for the area, a new analysis says. The analysis was part of real estate company Zillow’s latest monthly report for December. The company, which was founded in 2004, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the housing inventory is “the lowest ever observed by Zillow” in the Tampa area.

Data sent to CL by Zillow shows that the company recorded only 10,938 unique home listings for sale in the Tampa area in December 2021, as opposed to 19,660 in January 2018. Tampa Bay’s decline in housing inventory stands out above the national decline in housing supply, which saw an average drop of 40.5% during the past two years, reaching a new record.

“Available housing inventory in the U.S. has reached a record low – now down 40.5% in the past two years – as anxious buyers kicked off the home shopping season early, according to Zillow’s latest monthly report for December,” Zillow wrote in a press release. “Although the scales of the market tipped further in sellers’ favor, a hesitancy to join the market as a buyer or uncertainty surrounding rising coronavirus cases could be discouraging homeowners from listing.”

Zillow said that historically short supply met with high demand, causing monthly home price appreciation to accelerate for the first time since

July and raising the typical U.S. home value to $320,662, a record 19.6% above last year.

The news came days before a new study from researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University, which says Tampa homes are currently overvalued by 40% above historic pricing.

The study, which looked at America’s 100 largest metros and used publicly available housing data, ranked the Tampa area the 14th most inflated in the country, with nearby Lakeland ranking 12th.

In total, Florida had seven metros fall within the top 33 most inflated. Ohio was also leading the country, with four cities in the top third of the ranking.

“If you’re buying a home in these metros across Florida, Ohio and other areas, it’s imperative that you know you’re buying close to the peak of the market,” said Johnson, an economist for FAU Executive Education within the College of Business, in a statement.

“The danger is that prices will soon level off or even decline, and you’ll be stuck in that home for a significant amount of time before you can sell it at a profit that makes financial sense.”

According to the study Boise, Idaho, is the most overvalued market, where buyers pay about 77% more, followed by Austin, Texas, with 60%.

HOUSING

“The lowest ever observed by Zillow in the Tampa area.”

CRACKERCLIPS/ADOBE

SCARCITY: Zillow recorded only 10,938 unique home listings for sale in the Tampa area.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 19

Late Night Batter up is Back!

The Rays split city plan is dead, let the stadium shakedown begin.

By Colin Wolf

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After three years of holding Tampa ransom And, rather than just paying for his own with an unfeasible and near-universally hated stadium, he will likely now go all-in on getting plan to split seasons with Canada, Rays prin- that sweet sweet tax break, and it’s also safe to cipal owner Stu Sternberg has finally received say that the Times Editorial Board and these his proverbial dinger to the jock strap. Last same Tampa rich guys will help him do it. week, Major League Baseball officials rejected And why not? So far Mayor Castor has stated Sternberg’s split city plan, a final deathblow to that she wants the team to stay. “All along our his awful idea of bilking millions of tax dollars goal has been to keep the Rays in Tampa Bay. from Tampa and Montreal to build two publicly- We had been working on both sister city and subsidized, half-used stadiums. full season proposals, and now we can focus “Today’s news is flat-out deflating,” said all of our energy on a full season, said Castor Sternberg, whose lease at Tropicana Field in in a statement. “I am optimistic the Rays will St. Petersburg expires in 2027. “Major League call Tampa Bay home for many years to come.”

Baseball’s executive council has St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch decided to end our Tampa Bayechoed this sentiment, and added Montreal sister-city plan.” that he hopes the Rays work with Sternberg’s comically shitty St. Pete and consider his “planned plan has been widely panned by evolution of the Tropicana Field everyone from fans, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, master development proposals.”

St. Pete’s last mayor Rick Kriseman, legendary It’s important to note, that no exact dollar sportscaster Dick Vitale, the team’s minority amount was publicly announced for Tampa’s owners, and even Canadians. However, the plan proposed “boutique” stadium, but a poll sent did garner support from sources like the Tampa out by Mayor Jane Castor’s reelection camBay Times editorial board (whose former investor paign asked residents if they were cool with owns the property near the new proposed sta- spending $350 million for the idea, with dium) and a handful Sternberg reportof local rich guys, who edly paying another also directly benefit $350 million. But from a new stadium. this is pretty much For now, irrelevant at this Sternberg says his point since a new goal is to keep the full-season stadium team in the region, would require a roof, despite shitting on and would likely cost the very same region upwards of a $1 bilfor the past decade lion, and that’s a lot and a half. “Our goal of cash to muster up is – and always has in a short window. been– for the Rays to According to the thrive here in Tampa Tampa Bay Times, Bay, today in future Sternberg would have generations,” said a to finalize plans for LET IT FLOW: The Rays are gonna ask a new stadium by statement from the team. This, of course, taxpayers to help pay for a new stadium. next year in order to be ready for the 2028 is actually the complete opposite of what Sternberg has said to the season opener, which seems highly unlikely at public. As pointed out by the Shadow of Stadium the moment.

Twitter account, Sternberg has previously said “It’s no secret that as of now we don’t know he’d “vaporize” the team if he didn’t get a sta- where we’re playing on opening day of 2028. We dium, that there’s “five other markets” he could don’t have a plan. There wasn’t a Plan B,” said sell the team to, and that he’ll sell the team to team president Brian Auld to the publication. someone who will move them out of Tampa Bay. “We certainly need to hurry up with this, and I This is all to say it was never about land our believe we’ve got a lot of great partners in this attendance for Sternberg. It’s about tax breaks. community that want to see us be successful.

Sternberg, who has a reported net worth of $800 We look forward to engaging in conversations million, is now seemingly stuck in Tampa Bay, with them in the very near future.” but that doesn’t mean he won’t threaten to leave In other words, let the public shakedown to get what he wants. commence!

LOCAL NEWS

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Real prick

Lawsuit says prison contractor exposed inmates to HIV via reused needles.

By Justin Garcia

A

class-action lawsuit is accusing a correctional contractor of exposing inmates to HIV by reusing insulin needles at the Pasco County Jail. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida by the law firm Peiffer Wolf on behalf of five current diabetic inmates, as well as former inmates at the detention center.

In a press release, the law firm alleged that the issue was discovered in early January 2022, when Peiffer Wolf attorneys learned that a nurse hired by private contractor Wellpath LLC administered an insulin injection to a diabetic patient who was HIV-positive and then placed that used needle into a multi-dose insulin vial to retrieve more insulin.

The nurse then gave injections to other inmates using insulin from the HIVcontaminated vial, the press release claims. After being confronted about this unsafe injection practice, the nurse acknowledged that she used this method while administering insulin to inmates for the entirety of her employment at the jail, which is believed to be since January 2021.

Most diabetic inmates at the jail received insulin injections twice per day. Peiffer Wolf Sources estimate that the Land O’Lakes detention center has at least 40 diabetic inmates in its custody at any given time, with inmates regularly entering and leaving the jail.

Wellpath has administered HIV tests and given prophylactic medications to some of the inmates but has neither informed them of their potential exposure nor obtained informed consent for the testing and medication. In addition to the known risk of HIV, the nurse’s injection practice likely exposed diabetic inmates to other blood borne diseases, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C, the law firm said.

“Individuals should never be exposed to

deadly diseases by their medical providers’ reckless and unhygienic practices,” Ashlie Case Sletvold, lead counsel for the plaintiffs said, “By subjecting incarcerated people to the risk of HIV and other blood borne illnesses, Wellpath violated its duties under the Constitution. This class action is an important step toward holding Wellpath accountable.”

The individuals responsible for contaminating insulin to inmates may be subject to criminal penalties under Florida law for culpable negligence, but local prosecutors and the Florida Attorney General have yet to investigate or file charges, Peiffer Wolf said.

“There is no evidence that Wellpath has taken any steps to notify the individuals exposed or potentially exposed to contaminated insulin,” the press release said. “While some of these people remain in the Land O’Lakes detention center, others have been transferred to different detention facilities throughout the state and country. Still others have been released into the community.”

“The Attorney General of the state of Florida and the Pasco County prosecutor’s office should investigate this matter immediately,” Kevin P. Conway, partner at the law firm said. “It’s shocking that the Land O’Lakes Detention Center could allow inmates’ lives to be put at risk, but it’s even worse that none of the victims were informed so that they could seek testing or take steps to protect their families.”

Conway continued that while Wellpath may be directly responsible for putting these inmates at risk, “it’s the system of private for-profit correctional contracting that allowed this type of recklessness to take place.”

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to the detention center for a response, but has yet to hear back. This post will be updated if a response comes in.

LOCAL NEWS

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NOT THE BANK: Sarasota County has suspended nearly 2,000 licenses due to back owed legal fees.

ANDRIY BLOKHIN/ADOBE

Driving the news

Groups sue Sarasota for suspending drivers licenses over legal fees.

By Justin Garcia

T

he Southern Legal Counsel and the ACLU of Florida opened a lawsuit this month against Sarasota County for suspending nearly 2,000 drivers licenses due to back owed legal fees. On Jan. 6, the groups petitioned Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal on behalf of U.S. Army veteran Stacy Ostolaza, whose license was improperly suspended by Sarasota County Clerk of Court after he failed to pay $293 for court costs, fees, and fines associated with a civil citation for violating a local ordinance.

But Ostolaza’s license suspension is just one of 1,883 that the county improperly suspended, the legal groups said in a press release.

The suspensions resulted from drivers’ failure to pay costs and fines related to non-criminal municipal or county ordinance violations between July 2006 and March 2021. The county did this despite the fact that Florida law only

permits license suspensions for unpaid fees related to criminal offenses.

The practice of suspending driver’s licenses in Florida was originally a response to reckless driving, speeding, and other driving-related offenses to promote highway safety, but it has increasingly been used as a coercive means to collect fees and fines, the groups say. Between 2015-2017, more than 3.5 million suspension notices were issued in Florida for unpaid court debt.

Chelsea Dunn, a lawyer with the Southern Legal Counsel, said that the county should be aware that the county’s reasoning for suspending licenses is not legal.

“The Florida Supreme Court has held that ordinance violations are not crimes as defined by state statute, and the Clerk has been informed in

26 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

writing by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that such suspensions are unauthorized by law,” Dunn said in the statement.

The ACLU said that the county’s driver’s license suspensions have disproportionately affected people who are living in poverty and include those who have had violations as common as open container infractions or camping rule violations.

Statewide, the organization says Black Floridians have had their licenses suspended at a rate that is 1.5 times higher than the rest of the state’s population.

ACLU Staff Attorney Jacqueline Azis gave a specific example of a vulnerable client who is suffering after his license was suspended.

“The impact of this practice falls mostly on those who are unable to pay, such as our client, who is a veteran but currently unemployed while serving as the primary caregiver for his father, who is battling cancer,” Azis wrote in the statement. Azis said people who can’t pay their fines right away get stuck with added penalties like

FLORIDA NEWS

interest, collection fees and set-up costs for any payment plans.

The ACLU highlighted a victory in a Marion County courtroom for a homeless man who was assessed $824 in court costs, and got his license suspended over three cases under an Ocala ordinance for “open lodging”, or, sleeping outside. After that, a meeting led to some progress on the issue.

Southern Legal Counsel and the ACLU of Florida met with the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, which provided statewide data showing license suspensions for nonpayment in local ordinance violation cases and sent letters to clerks of court in 29 counties, including Sarasota, notifying of their intention to reinstate driver’s licenses for more than 10,000 drivers.

The ACLU said that despite precedent for ending the practice of suspending licenses for such minor violations, Sarasota continued on.

“The Sarasota County Clerk of Court refused to lift the suspensions in all but 21 cases and continued her practice of suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid fees and costs associated with local ordinance violation cases,” the ACLU said.

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There is no normal

There won’t be so long as one political party thrives on chaos.

By Jeffrey C. Billman of political defiance—and most Republican-led states have removed masking requirements and other precautions. (The Supreme Court’s rightwing majority also blocked the administration’s efforts to get more people vaccinated.) ICUs are filled with unvaccinated patients, straining the entire health care system.

And with omicron spreading, schools are in precarious positions. Educators are understandably concerned about being stuck in rooms all day with corporeal germ factories. Outbreaks lead to widespread student absences or not enough teachers to cover classes.

INFORMED DISSENT

corporations, social media companies, China, and Democrats.

More than tax rates or any of the complex policy questions that affect people’s lives, culture war issues stick. They are guttural, not intellectual. They speak to how we define ourselves.

For the South, Jim Crow was a culture war.

For fundamentalists, abortion is a culture war.

For the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, everything is a culture war.

Populist movements run on emotion. Biden, a relic of a gentler time, thought he could compromise with that. He told the country that with Trump gone, that emotion would give way to calmer normalcy. That was never going to happen. Even if Republican elites wanted to play ball, the rabble wouldn’t allow it. But they don’t.

The messier the country feels in November, the better off they’ll be in January.

So this will be a bad year for Democrats. The only question is how bad. If the pandemic stabilizes,

GAGE SKIDMORE

T

his will be a bad year for Democrats. It was always going to be a bad year for Democrats.

Midterms often are for the president’s party.

Midterms always are when the president’s approval ratings are in the toilet, his base is demoralized, and the party is suffering from a series of self-inflicted wounds that prevent it from developing anything approaching a coherent message.

It’s not just Sen. Joe Manchin killing Build Back Better just to watch it die, or Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema rolling over so Mitch McConnell can filibuster voting-rights legislation. It’s also Nancy Pelosi own-goaling the lowest-hanging fruit imaginable: bipartisan legislation to require members of Congress to put their stock holdings in a blind trust so they can’t trade on insider information, as many—many—of them have done.

People hate politics because they think politicians are corrupt and incompetent. Most don’t read the fine print. They don’t care that the child tax credit disappeared because of one West Virginia millionaire. They don’t know that Democrats failed to protect voting rights because that millionaire and an Arizona narcissist decided that fealty to a Jim Crow-era procedural anachronism was more important than making sure the votes of Black and Brown people count.

For the most part, they also fail to grasp how radicalized the Republican Party is or how big a threat it poses to American democracy; Democrats’ attempts to make Jan. 6 salient haven’t stuck, and there’s no reason to think this issue will resonate beyond elites anytime soon.

(To clarify: If you read The New York Times, The Washington Post, your local newspapers, at least one political newsletter, can name all members of the U.S. Supreme Court, can name the Senate minority whip, or know who V.O. Key was, you are an elite.)

At the mass level, what matters is that stuff costs more, the stock market is tanking, COVID is out of control, schools might close again, and Congress (read: Democrats) can’t get its shit together.

In short, Biden promised to return the country to normal. He hasn’t delivered.

Again, there are details and context and caveats aplenty. The stock market has taken a dive this month because of fears about inflation, which is mostly happening because of COVID’s effect on international supply chains, labor, and product demand. The omicron variant is ripping through the country because nearly a third of Americans remain unvaccinated—often in a stubborn act

to the Taliban is certainly near the top, along with his errant confidence that he could get Manchin and Sinema on board with sweeping social reforms. But his biggest mistake—the one I suspect will haunt him this November, and throughout the remainder of this term—is thinking there was an ante-Trump, ante-pandemic normal to return to.

There is no normal. There won’t be so long as one political party thrives on chaos.

In a press conference last week, Biden admitted he’d blown that one: “One thing I haven’t been able to do so far is get my Republican friends to get in the game of making things better in this country. … I did not anticipate that there’d be such a stalwart effort to make sure that the most important thing was that President Biden didn’t get anything done. Think about this: What are Republicans for? What are they for? Name me one thing they’re for.”

WOKE POLICE: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s focus is a culture-war grab bag.

But the reasons things are bad matter less than the feeling that things are bad. And the empirically good things—more jobs created in the last year than in the three previous Republican administrations combined—don’t break through the noise.

Biden made a lot of mistakes in his first year.

Underestimating how quickly Kabul would fall

It’s a good question for a party that didn’t bother to articulate a platform in the last election, and doesn’t pretend to have one now. McConnell told a reporter he’d let the country know his agenda after Republicans retook the Senate. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s focus is a culture-war grab bag: repaying grievances against “woke”

inflation cools, the stock market improves, Manchin gets religion on some form of Build Back Better, and Democrats can both take credit for what’s working and counter Republican culture-war messaging on, they might staunch the bleeding.

I wouldn’t hold my breath. As destructive as the Republican’ slash-and-burn strategy is to democracy, it’s damn good politics.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 29

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Shit Happened

VISITTAMPABAY/TWITTER

UK artist Lucy Sparrow’s ‘Tampa Fresh Foods’ felt grocery store opens in Water Street. It’s undeniably one of the coolest art installations Tampa has ever seen, but holy shit does pondering buying a faux lobster feel a little dystopian considering the skimpily-stocked grocery shelves across the U.S.

TORI RICHMAN/BUCCANEERS

SUNDAY 23

THURSDAY 20

The Bucs almost came back to beat the L.A. Rams in the divisional playoff. Cops are breathing a sigh of relief now that there’s not going to be an NFL game, hockey match and Gasparilla on the same weekend, but local sports writers just shit their pants at the auspice of saying “bye” to Brady and the Tampa Bay Rays in one summer.

MONDAY 24 Dust off your beaver hats and “Let’s Go Brandon” flags because Kid Rock announced a Tampa concert. Expect all of Pasco County to be dead empty on June 11.

FRIDAY 21 MYFWC/FACEBOOK

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission posts a Ring doorbell video, which shows a Daytona Beach resident facing off with the bear. Naturally, Florida man walked away with just a few scratches after defending his dogs from the full grown black bear.

TUESDAY 25 A fully-functional organic dairy farm is now for sale in Tampa Bay. The 10-acre property features all the milking supplies you’d ever need, including a pole barn, pastures, a three-cow milking station, a processing parlor, refrigeration equipment, chicken hatcheries and more. I, too, am sick of big yogurt and willing to milk a cow if it means you’ll give me a place to live.

More shit daily and in real-time via cltampa. com/news.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 31

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By Alexandria Jones

T

he big invasion is this weekend and there’s a plethora of parties to meet up with your fellow pirate pals. From the usual suspects (hello, MacDinton’s) to less-expected ones, (Winn-Dixie, Checkers) here’s every Gaspy party we know about.

7th and Grove The Gasparilla Day Party edition of The Champagne Room involves hella beads and bottle specials. Pirate attire is permitted and encouraged. Early Bird GA tickets $10, $250 for sections, $7 & up for drink specials.

Saturday, Jan. 29 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. 1930 E 7th Ave., Ybor City, 813-649-8422. 7thandgrove.com American Social Sweeping views of the pirate invasion, boozy beverages, brunch bites, and DJs at AmSo’s 4th Annual Gasparilla Invasion Brunch Party. $200-$250. Saturday, Jan. 29 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 601 S Harbour Island Blvd. no. 107, Tampa, 813-605-3333. americansocialbar.com Bar Hwrd The biggest, baddest Gasparilla block party with full-service bars, food stations, a mechanical bull and more. $10-$100. Saturday, Jan. 29-30 12 p.m.-3 a.m. 302 S Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-906-7885. @barhwrdtampa on Instagram eventbrite.com Checkers The Fry Love Express brings their famous seasoned fries to Gasparilla.

Contactless ordering, social distancing, and free hand sanitizer will be available for customers. Saturday, Jan. 29, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 122 E Polk Ave., Tampa. checkers.com The Cork Room Parrrrrty like pirates at this Gaspy party with mimosa and domestic bottle specials. No cork fee all day long. Saturday, Jan. 29 11 a.m.-midnight. 237 E Davis Blvd., Tampa, 813-944-2025. @thecorkroomtampa on Facebook Coyote Ugly Drink and shot specials all day followed by Saturday Night Large with DJs Tex Flex and D3Z. Saturday, Jan. 29 midnight-3 a.m. 1722 E 7th Ave., Tampa, 813-228-8459. coyoteuglysaloon.com Downtown crawlers Fill up on brunch and booze before the invasion during these South Tampa and Downtown Tampa bar crawls.

Check-in at either The Patio (South Tampa) or Park & Rec (Downtown). Saturday, Jan. 29 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $30-120. Various locations. downtowncrawlers.com Ducky’s The duck’s Jolly “Rager” Block Party is the biggest rager off the parade route and has

live entertainment, contests, lots of food, and more. $15. Festivities start Friday, 5 p.m.-1 p.m. and continue Saturday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. 1719 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-254-6160. eventbrite.com Federal Bar Lakeland Saturday brunch is in full swing as they celebrate their new ChampBONGS brought to you by Campo Viejo Cava Brut; bottles are $30. Reservations are welcome. Jan. 29 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. 124 S Tennessee Ave., Lakeland, 863-816-3968. facebook.com GMF Invasion Day Party: Andy Frasco & the UN w/DJ Deacon/Applebutter Express Frasco is a jam-scene, funk favorite and easily one of the rowdiest party boys in live music. He headlines Gasparilla Music Festival’s invasion day party on Bayshore boulevard just a few hundred feet from the epicenter of Gasparilla.

The City is Tampa isn’t letting GMF sell alcohol this year, so it’s BYOB with the music festival—using proceeds to help its nonprofit that refurbishes instruments for school kids—providing ice and mixers. Hope you got your ticket because sales are closed. Saturday, Jan. 29, noon. 335 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. @gasparillamusicfestival on Facebook

Hooch and Hive Wind down after the city’s biggest party with a night of shopping local and mimosas under the moonlight. Jan. 31 6 p.m.-10 p.m. $10 for a flight of 3 mimosas. 1001 W Cass St., Tampa, 813-251-1234. hoochandhive.com MacDinton’s Irish Pub Free breakfast and first Bud Light Seltzer on them. Live music from DJs and Logan Grant & The Show Ponies. Call 941-782-7125 for VIP cabana rentals. Head over to MacDinton’s in St. Pete for the Gasparilla afterparty. Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 29-30 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Various locations. @macdintonssoho on Facebook Park & Rec Start your Gasparilla plans off with drink specials and a pirate costume contest. Saturday, Jan. 29 at 9 a.m. 290 S Meridian Ave., Tampa, 813-563-4777. youthhasnoage.com Pepin Distributing Company #TeamPepin and Bud Light Seltzer transform Tony Jannus Park to Bud Light Seltzer Lightning Cove. Enjoy free samples, live entertainment, and more.

RSVP for a complimentary pass. Saturday, Jan. 29 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 200 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. budlightseltzercove.com Remedy An all-inclusive private party after the parade with live music and food from Malio’s.

Ticket sales are $150 in advance; call to reserve.

Saturday, Jan. 29 5 p.m.-9 p.m. 400 N Ashley Dr., Tampa, 813-223-7746. remedytampa.com The Retreat Get the Gasparilla party started at this University of Tampa stronghold with live a DJ, beer tubs, drink specials, and

lots of rum. Saturday, Jan. 29-30 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

123 S Hyde Park Ave., Tampa, 813-254-2014. @ retreattampa on Facebook Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk The hotel’s River’s Edge Bar opens Friday, Jan. 19 at 8 a.m. with a buffet 11 a.m.-10 p.m. A live DJ spins all the hits from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Rooms are available if festivities become too much to handle or you need to get laid in a private place (don’t have sex in public, people!). 200 N Ashley Dr., Tampa, 813-223-2222. marriott.com Tampa Water Street Marriott The waterfront hotel’s Lobby Bar features a special cocktail called “Pirates Booty” for $13 and a bloody mary bar. Anchor & Brine restaurant will open at 9 a.m.

505 Water St., Tampa, 813-221-4900. marriott.com Westin Tampa Waterside A front-seat view of the invasion features an open bar, food, cigar rollers, and more. Best costume wins a prize. All proceeds go to the Father of Mine charity, which may or may not be inspired by that Everclear song. $35 & up. Saturday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 725 S Harbour Island Blvd., Tampa, 813-229-5000. eventbrite.com Winn Dixie Party like a pirate and feast like a captain at their parking lot bash with live music, raffle giveaways, and free samples.

Come back 8 a.m-noon Jan. 29 for all your pirate essentials. Saturday, Jan. 28 noon-8 p.m. 2100 W Swann Ave., Tampa, 813-254-6800. @winndixie on Facebook

VITAMIN SEA: Here are some Gaspy parties for you landlubbers.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 33

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MOVIES

THEATER

ART

CULTURE

BELONG HERE: Lilian Garcia-Roig’s Hyphenated Nature, installation view.

IMAGE COURTESY OF HCC ART GALLERIES

In bloom

36 arts and entertainment events to check out this spring.

By CL staff and contributors

F

or Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Arts & Entertainment encompasses a lot of things (including sports, but the Bucs are out of the way now). Our pages always feature news and reviews about the local arts scene, but twice a year we like to focus on A&E events happening in the spring and fall. You’re gonna want to grab a pen to circle some of these and also head to cltampa.com/ arts to read an expanded version of this listing.

Happening now Contemporary Craft at its Finest Running through Feb. 26, a 70-years-running juried exhibition of original art showcasing the best of handcrafted work—including intricate jewelry and glass sculpture—from 37 artists who are also Florida CraftArt members. 501 Central Ave, St. Petersburg. floridacraftart.org Hyphenated Nature: Lilian Garcia-Roig You like Cuban sandwiches, but what about Cuban soil? Now that we have your attention, make plans to visit HCC Ybor’s Gallery 114 where Cuban-born Florida-based artist Lilian Garcia-Roig is using landscape painting (including pigments made from soil) as a vehicle for examining notions like sense of place, belonging, and identity in both perceptually-based plein-air

paintings and conceptually-based studio works.

On display until Feb. 24. See more about HCC’s stacked spring calendar at cltampa.com/arts. @hccfl_artgalleries on Instagram Masterworks from the Collection In celebration of the museum’s 20th anniversary and running through April 30, the exhibition showcases some of the LRMA’s best works, including 60 fine art prints, paintings and sculptures from renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Dale Chihuly and more. Donations accepted. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs. leeparattner.org Our Walls: Real and Imagined / Spiral Full Circle “Walls” runs through Jan. 30 and invites attendees to channel their inner artist.

Participants create signs documenting a reflection of their own personal perspective on the impact walls, physical or intangible, have on our everyday lives. The MFA also hosts a night of musical performances with “Spiral Full Circle,” on Jan. 27. The event honors a collection of Black artists formed in the mid-1960s and the height of the Civil Rights Movement. MFA St. Pete Marly Room, Jan. 27 , 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Free with admission. Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. mfastpete.org

Tampa Fresh Foods Renowned U.K. artist Lucy Sparrow has introduced her latest overwhelmingly plush project with “Tampa Fresh Foods,” an entirely felt-based grocery store.

The installation showcases more than 50,000 quirky felt artworks representing foods both typical of grocery stores and native to Tampa, all for individual sale. The installation—unintentionally dark in a way, considering barren grocery shelves across the U.S.—represents a years-long project in the making, debuted in the Water Street neighborhood and is free to attend through Feb. 20. Asher Residences at Water Street, Tampa. sewyoursoul.co.uk Young @ Art The Tampa Museum of Art has a handful of great exhibitions happening right now, but downtown’s landmark museum has also made room for work from Hillsborough County students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Check it out through Feb. 20. $5 & up (kids under 6 free) Cornelia Corbett Center, 120 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa. tampamuseum.org

SPRING ARTS

This week Heightened Senses Ali Norman’s Seminole Heights studio and arts space has become a critical hub of Tampa’s creative community, and on the last Thursday of every month it plays host to a gathering of visual artists, songwriters, printmakers and more. This month is the 1-yearanniversary of Heightened Senses and features

rapper/spoken word artist Chael Blinya, drag and cymbal artistry from Desdemona Pogona, ceramic from Mark Johnson and a night market. Jan. 27, 7 p.m. $10-$13. Labyrinth Studios, Tampa. labyrinthtampa.com Myriad Loops Acclaimed South Florida artist Francesco Lo Castro unveils a new immersive art and technology experience at St. Pete’s brand new Fairgrounds art compound where he’s moved in just inside the main entrance to install 360-degree projection-mapped animations all soundtracked by him, too. Jan. 27, $22 & up. Kids under 4 free.

Fairgrounds, St. Petersburg. fairgrounds.art Bloom Art Walk Franklin Street’s Bloom block party is up for an Urban Excellence Award from the Tampa Downtown Partnership, and rightfully so. Taking place at six venues on Tampa Heights’ “Yellow Brick Row,” 2022’s first installment features closing receptions for “Beyond Words” and Eve Jackson’s “Epoch II,” but also live music, screenprinting, and a night market.

New this month, because, well, Gasparilla, is “The Pirate’s Cove” where four EDM DJs will team up with viola, flute and guitar players for a show at Oceanic. Jan. 28, Donations accepted. 7 p.m.

Franklin Street in between Kay St. and Henderson Avenue. @mergeculture on Facebook Equality Florida mural unveiling Just like last year, Florida’s legislative session once again features lawmakers trying to make public life less safe for the LGBTQ community. Equality Florida will continue to fight bad legislation and continued on page 38

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 37

continued from page 37 will take one morning to celebrate with the community when it unveils a new Chad Mize mural at 10:30 a.m. in Tampa Heights. The work came to fruition as Florida’s LGBTQ community suffered unprecedented attacks, like the Transgender Youth Sports ban, the removal of funding for LGBTQ programs from the state budget and the censorship of LGBTQ anti-bullying resources.

Jan. 28, Free to attend, party at 7 p.m. Shuffle, Tampa. linktr.ee/equalityfl Artphl Evening A benefit for the Palm Harbor Library featuring wine and hors d’oeuvres, live music from Voices of Jazz, plus a silent auction with artwork from nearly a dozen locals. Jan. 28, $15-$20. 7 p.m. Palm Harbor Library, Palm Harbor palmharborlibrary.org I Love to Eat The guy who founded the James Beard Foundation also lends his name to the most sought after culinary award in the U.S. Now theater fans can dive into Beard’s belly and mind in a new, intimate way thanks to freeFall's “I Love To Eat”—a play that imagines a late night in Beard’s Greenwich Village home. Originally set for last season, but postponed by COVID, the play is directed by Lee Ann Matthews and stars Matthew McGee, who will portray Beard and animate his intriguing life. Jan. 29-Feb. 27. $45-$55. freeFall Theatre, St. Petersburg. freefalltheatre.com Picasso and the Allure of the South Move over Vinny, starting Jan. 29 it’s Pablo’s turn to show work at the Dalí where over 70 of Picasso’s paintings, drawings and collages—many never seen in the U.S. before—will live until May 22.

In addition to the art—presented in partnership with the Musée national Picasso-Paris—a selection of photographs offer a glimpse into the life of the cubist/surrealist/expressionist Spanish painter and sculptor. The Dalí is the only venue where these pieces will be shown outside of their

home in Paris. $12-$29. The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg. thedali.org Romeo & Juliet (ASL performance) Tampa’s Jobsite Theatre is taking on Shakespeare’s most famous offering. This weekend, the company—showcasing “Romeo & Juliet” through Feb. 3 as part of a three-week, COVID-shortened run—makes the play accessible to an even wider audience by staging an American Sign Language-interpreted presentation at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Jan. 30, $29.50 & up. jobsitetheater.org February School Girls; Or, The African American Mean Girls Play Set in 1968 at an all-girls school in Ghana, this teen-friendly production is not just funny and heartwarming but also unafraid to explore racism and colorism. Feb. 2-27, $20.

American Stage, St. Petersburg. americanstage.org The Language of Light Suzanne Williamson is behind the collection of photographs, which highlight Tampa Bay’s shores just before and at sunrise. Williamson vertically stacks and combines her photographs to produce bright, color-washed scenes representing Tampa’s coast. The museum hosts an afternoon gathering with Williamson Sunday, Feb. 13 and a Fourth Friday Talk by Williamson on Friday, March 25. Feb. 3-April 3. $8-$10. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa. fmopa.org Real Women Have Curves Powerstories Theatre was doing live, in-theatre productions before the pandemic (a 2019 live production of Melanie Marnich’s “These Shining Lives” was particularly memorable). After two years of virtual productions, the local theater company returns to live theater with Josefina Lopez’s “Real Women Have Curves,” an exploration of gender politics and the Latina immigrant experience. Feb. 3-20.

Powerstories Theatre, Tampa. powerstories.com

AMERICANSTAGE/FLICKR

MEAN IT: Jennifer Leigh Warren as Eloise Ampohsah for American Stage’s ‘School Girls.’

38 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

St. Pete Opera: Semele At Palladium Theater, Handel’s English opera features Holly Flack in the title role for a production that famously tackles all the best parts of the human condition (love, off the charts libido, jealousy, rage, regret) all while a score that features “Where e’er you walk,” “Iris, hence away!” and “Myself I shall adore” unfolds. Feb. 4-8. $15 & up. stpeteopera.org The Diary of Anne Frank It’s the 75th anniversary of the publication of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and to mark the occasion, Tampa’s Stageworks Theatre has tapped Berkeley Prep junior Mercy Roberts to make her company debut in the title role. With antisemitism frustratingly on the rise again, there’s never been a better time to reconnect with one of the most important works to emerge from one of the worst times in human history. Feb. 4-20. $35-$50. Stageworks Theatre, Tampa. stageworkstheatre.org King Lear Having been mainly virtual in 2020, Tampa Repertory Theatre announced that its 2021-2022 season consists of six shows all live, in-person and sprinkled between different venues around Tampa. It wraps next month with William Shakespeare’s tragedy about a King slowly going insane after he is forced to step down from the throne. Feb. 4-20. $20 & up.

USF Theatre 2, 3837 USF Holly Dr., Tampa. tamparep.org Classic Movie Series: Black Love The Classic Movie Series is a staple of Tampa Theatre programming, and in 2022, in collaboration with the City of Tampa’s Community Engagement & Partnerships Department, each film will be presented in partnership with community leaders and organizations with deep roots in Tampa’s Black community. It kicks off with “Love & Basketball” on Feb. 5 and continues throughout the month with “Love Jones” (Feb. 6), Diana Ross’ “Mahogany” and the highlight, director Trey Edward Shults’ “Waves,” a South Florida film featuring a breakout performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr. $7 & up. tampatheatre.org The Indie Flea Tampa Bay’s long-running, über-popular Indie Flea has been pretty cozy at Hotel Haya in Ybor City, and next month its St. Petersburg event finds a new open-air home outside the just-opened Black Radish vegan grocer and its neighbor Planet Retro records. Expect four hours featuring the best in vintage, plants, and independent design. Bandit Coffee Co.—celebrating its 6th anniversary—will keep you hydrated. Feb. 5, 12 p.m. Free to attend. 246 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg. theindieflea.com Mayday: Captain Lerro and the Skyway Bridge It’s a busy spring for St. Petersburg’s newest theater company, and while there’s a comedy benefit at Off-Central on Feb. 5, the season truly kicks off with Michael Horn’s one-man performance of Bill DeYoung’s harrowing, based on a true story, play about a 1980 tragedy that sent six cars, a pickup and Greyhound bus into Tampa Bay, killing 35. Freighter pilot John Lerro was

consumed by guilt in the years after the accident—all the way up to his death in 2002, and the play finds Horn working through much of the painful dialogue taken verbatim from Lerro’s court testimony, media interviews and personal correspondence. Feb. 10-27. studiograndcentral.com Cuban Pathways A trip to downtown Tampa’s history center is baseline for anyone who seriously calls the Bay area home, and next month it opens an exhibition that tackles the complicated history of Cubans who’ve crossed back and forth between the Caribbean nation and Florida over the last half century. A twohour Zoom course from USF’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute happens on Feb. 9 & 16. Feb. 11. tampabayhistorycenter.org Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Bark in the Park After going virtual last year, Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s Bark in the Park is back in-person for its 35th year. The fundraiser helps the nonprofit find money for “shelter, food, spay/neuter services, and medical care for thousands of animals” that are given up to the organization every year. Feb. 12.Paul 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park,for on Tampa.humanesocietytampa.orgevent The Grapest Showmanfor Cl singalong Tampa Theatre’s4. $15 March 25 wine pairing fundS raiser is sold-out, but tickets forbook, this singalong of the 2017 film “The Greatestand l Showman” are still available. Feb 18. 7 p.m. $55Safet & up. Tampa Theatre, Tampa. tampatheatre.orgChar ReadOut Festival This year’s celebration of4-20. all-things literature and lesbian will be a hybridLargo between livestream panels and workshops and T pre-recorded content from featured authors andloved speakers. Although this Zoom event is free tothe co attend, it requires registration. Despite atten-garag dance being free, donations for this annualtion fe nonprofit event are always welcome. Keynotegiven speaker for 222—one of the main events of thesales festival—is Michèle Alexandre, Dean of theSund College of Law at DeLand’s Stetson University.Arts C She is the author of two books, 2019’s “The New G Frontiers of Civil Rights Litigation” and 2014’sit com “Sexploitation: Sexual Profiling and the Illusionis the of Gender.” Feb. 18-20. readout.lgbtqgulfport.orgafter Art and Seafood on the WaterfrontTamp Mixed media, paintings, 3-D artwork, photogra-Arc” phy, wood, metal, fiber and jewelry on display forPrint two days for this juried art show with a seafoodimag festival playing chaser. Local blues songwriterdreds gone global Selwyn Birchwood headlines Sundaylocal festivities. Free to attend, with VIP optionsnot ju available. Feb. 19-20. Doors open at 11 a.m.awar Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, Safety HarborLane safetyharborchamber.com P Pedr March on th Muse awardsThe St. Petersburg Arts Alliancehis w does a lot of good work, but the nonprofit shinesof Ta a light on others when it honors six local artistsMarc at its annual awards (stylized “MUSE”) whereon Fa

SPRING ARTS

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acci, and of the court l corl.com town nyone next s the ossed ation twoelong . Feb.

Bark year, n the . The ey for COME AND RIDE IT: Romare Bearden, “The Train”, 1975, edical Photogravure and aquatint, Published by Printmaking Workshop, Ed. of 125 given b. 12.Paul Wilborn and Eugenie Bondurant play host May Park,for one of the Tampa Bay art scene’s must-attend Karst Grounds: Quatro Sunistra Running a.orgevents, happening this year at Morean Center through June 26 (and taking submissions until manfor Clay in the Warehouse Arts District. March April 3), this fourth iteration of Tempus Projects’ atre’s4. $150 & up. stpeteartsalliance.org open call show “explores the sinister side of the undSweet Charity Inspired by Neil Simon’s Sunshine State,” which is basically every side ts forbook, Federico Fellini’s screenplay, with music of the damn place these days if you’ve been atestand lyrics by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, remotely paying attention to the legislative sesm. $55Safety Harbor’s Eight O’Clock Theatre brings sion, global warming and the line at your local re.orgCharity Hope Valentine to life onstage. March grocery store. May 13. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., ion of4-20. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Tampa. tempus-projects.com Bill Burr Over the past few months Burr ybridLargo. eightoclocktheatre.com s and Trashy Treasures DFAC collected “previously has gone on a few epic rants regarding the s andloved, art, art supplies, and art related books” for Sunshine State. Most recently, he referred to ee tothe comeback of “Trashy Treasures,” an art show, Gov. Ron DeSantis as a “fucking piece of shit,” tten-garage sale and companion PODS art installa- for questioning doctors and instead doing “what nualtion featuring all the donations, but rehabbed and his fanbase wants him to do.” Also, while speakynotegiven new life. A preview party is on March 4, with ing on his podcast, the comedian called Tampa of thesales set to go down Saturday (6 p.m.-8 p.m.) and the “city time forgot,” and sincerely hoped the f theSunday (10 a.m.-2 p.m.). March 4-6. Dunedin Fine Lightning would win back-to-back Stanley rsity.Arts Center, Dunedin. dfac.org Cups because “we absolutely need it.” May 20, New Gasparilla Festival of the Arts When MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa.

014’sit comes to Tampa Bay arts events, this one 8 p.m. $49 & up. billburr.com usionis the biggest deal. Back in downtown Tampa rt.orgafter going virtual in 2021, GFA has tapped July rontTampa Bay native Janet Echelman (“Bending Explore the Vaults: Black Portraits Romare ogra-Arc” at the St. Pete Pier) to jury the 2022 show. Bearden’s collage goes back to early-’60s when ay forPrintmaker Betsy Best is GFA’s 2022 festival the Black artist, author and songwriter boldly afoodimage artist, and the show itself features hun- established his improvisational flair with art writerdreds of artists from around the world—plus that reflected the free jazz and blues that undaylocal and emerging artist showcases—looking was fast-rising at the same time. Work from tionsnot just for eyes, but a slice of the nearly $100,000 Bearden—who contributed political cartoons a.m.award pool. Free to attend. March 5-6. Julian B. to the weekly Baltimore Afro-American in the arborLane Riverfront Park, Tampa. gasparillaarts.com mid-’30s—is part of this portraiture exhibition People vs. Brush: The Art Work of at the MFA which also features deconstrucPedroh Palm Harbor artist Pedro Hernandez is tivist Derrick Adams in an exploration of on the GFA lineup, but this is a chance to revisit Black identity and experiences. See more of iancehis work in a more intimate setting within one MFA St. Pete's stacked spring and summer hinesof Tampa Bay’s fast-rising arts neighborhoods. calendar at cltampa.com/arts July 31-Feb. 27. rtistsMarch 19. Cove, Pinellas Park. @donnellycove (Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete, St. Petersburg) whereon Facebook mfastpete.org

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 39

Living history

Fred Hearns readies an ambitious Black history month celebration.

By Alexandria Jones

W

hen Fred Hearns was announced as curator of Black History at the Tampa Bay History Center last year, he further cemented his stature as an authority on innovative ways of telling Tampa’s little-known Black history.

“I was thrilled that I got to have some input into how the history of Black people in Tampa should be reflected and honored,” Hearns wrote in the press release.

“Along with several other trustees, I got to sign my name on a beam as the new facility was topped out. So I’m literally a part of this story.”

Hearns told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay people are always reaching out to him several times a week to do a tour or speak at different events, including family reunions, and share his vast knowledge of the local Black history. Hearns says the beautiful thing about history is it doesn’t change. Because his specialty is local Black history, any facts, dates, locations, and occurrences don’t change so it’s easy for him to find information.

“We add to it each day but we can’t go back and change history,” he said.

Planning for this year’s Black History Month festivities began almost a year ago when a committee made of a small group of Tampa Bay History Center staff, together with community members, were put in charge of curating events that celebrate the Black history of Tampa Bay. “All of these things are brand new. None of these have been done in Tampa,” said Hearns.

This year’s Black History Month festivities starts Feb. 4 with an inaugural reception titled “Embracing Our Cultural Kaleidoscope” featuring attorney, speaker, and author Ben Crump and civil rights activist and organizer Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. A deserving recipient from the Tampa Bay-area will receive the first newlycreated “Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. Award for the Preservation of Black History and Heritage” the night of the reception. A Hillsborough County middle school will also receive a cash award for their Thurgood Marshall History Club to ensure the club gets ample opportunity to continue learning more Black history.

Tampa Bay History Center’s Black History Month calendar is pretty diverse with various walks plus in-person and virtual events. A new “Central Avenue West” walking tour commences Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. with Hearns as tour guide. He’ll take a small group of people on a walk in the area west of Central Avenue with stops at Oaklawn Cemetery, the “centerpiece of the walking tour” according to Hearns, St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Kid Mason Community Center.

“We thought it was important to have it because there’s still a lot of history we don’t get

to in Perry Harvey, Sr. Park,” said Hearns, referencing the downtown park dedicated in 2016 when he was the City of Tampa’s Department of Community Affairs director. “Just going a couple of blocks west, you could easily spend another two to three hours in that area.”

In recent years, Tampa has made progress in preserving its own Black history. In the wake of reporting from Paul Guzzo, Tampa Bay lawmakers in Tallahassee filed bills correcting the “historic wrongs” done to local, forgotten Black cemeteries. Senator Janet Cruz says the two bills, Senate Bill 1588 and House Bill 1215, offer solutions on how

The reason parts of Tampa’s Black history get erased, Hearns said, is because the elders were more interested in moving forward and less interested in reliving their personal trauma. Most of their lives were rooted in pain, so they chose to suppress those memories and attempt to forget them. The issue with that is a lot of oral histories went away when the elders died; there wasn’t a lot of interest in trying to preserve the history either. Hearns tells a story about his mother living at the since demolished North Boulevard Homes when they first opened and not knowing she grew up there until he was older when his uncle told him. She didn’t ever tell him anything about her experience in that area.

“Some elders suppressed as much as they could but you have some families who shared and passed on their legacies,” said Hearns. “We didn’t have a lot of people who went into the profession of preserving history either.”

CITYOFTAMPA/TWITTER

HISTORY

coordinate the state’s efforts around the historic cemeteries,” Cruz told WFLA. Hearns tells CL that Tampa isn’t where it needs to be when it comes to telling the Black history of its residents but what needs to be done is occurring currently, which is planning.

“We’re not where we need to be but at least I see plans being made to turn older venues like the Jackson House into a museum in a few years,” he said, alluding to the dilapidated boarding house that’s hosted Black icons like Ray Charles, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and James Brown.

Hearns also said that Hillsborough County is putting funding into a new African-American museum. The Tampa Housing Authority wants to turn the St. James Episcopal Church into a small Black history museum.

“Those three projects will help us be where we need to be because Tampa has never had a legitimate Black history museum,” Hearns said.

WALK ON: Fred Hearns’ Feb. 3 ‘Central Avenue West’ tour is just part of his busy schedule next month. to “identify, protect, and maintain abandoned cemeteries in Florida, particularly African American ones.”

“Our bills want to memorialize the abandoned African American cemeteries, as well as educate people on the history of these important resting places and Senate Bill 1588 and House Bill 1215 will create a historic cemeteries program and an associated advisory council within the Division of Historical Resources at the Florida Department of State, which will

40 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

Hearns added that the Tampa Bay History Center is involved in the behind the scenes activities of the Jackson House, which includes planning the work that starts this year with saving portions of the house and infusing those parts with a new rendering of the house. The history center will also run the daily operations of the Jackson House once the project is complete.

“Hopefully by this year’s hurricane season, the work would’ve started and we’ll see this unfold before our eyes,” he said.

There will be other events throughout the year devoted to Tampa’s Black history, so don’t fret if you’re not able to make any next month.

Hearns tells CL the next major event he’s working on after next month is a Florida Emancipation Day Celebration at Tampa Bay History Center’s Chinsegut Hill property, located 5 miles north of Brooksville in Hernando County.

At the time of this story, tickets for the Feb. 4 reception are sold-out. The remainder of events are free or free with museum admission.

Guillaume Courtois, called “Il Borgognone”, Agar and Ismael, c. 1670, oil on canvas, Courtesy of Collection Fagiolo, Palazzo Chigi, Ariccia.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 41

Saw red

Iconic Tampa tattoo shop finds a new home.

By Kevin Gallagher

T

attoo culture has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Historically those colorful scars represented a badge of honor to display misadventures abroad or loyalty to a cause more personal and permanent than a legal document.

But now we see tattoo-adorned arms and legs on every Instagram influencer, Netflix star, and YouTube rapper on the internet.

Even professionals are capitalizing on the sudden acceptability of ink work as the new Gen-X cure for a midlife crisis has shifted from golf lessons to a set of sleeves.

It is debatable that this oversaturation of tattoo work has diluted the spiritual connection to the art. When tattoos have become so commonplace, how could they possibly still hold the same merit to the living canvas they are attached to?

But, artists like Philip Holt, owner, and operator at the iconic Tampa tattoo shop, Red Letter One, remain dedicated to keeping the integrity of this medium at the forefront.

I recently finished my tattoo sleeve from Holt, and my experience was nothing short of extraordinary. From the moment you walk in the door, it’s apparent that this place is different.

Previously located in a posh South Tampa community on Platt Street just east of S Boulevard, the shop was as clean and approachable as the many high-end boutiques in Hyde Park’s shopping district less than a mile away.

After a brief wait in the lobby adorned with tattoo sample posters and various paintings, Holt walked out from his private space for our first consultation. It was a masterclass on client relations.

Any salesperson will tell you that providing the best possible service or goods to a potential client requires knowledge of two critical concepts; what the customer wants vs. what the customer needs.

Because of this gap, there can be a great deal of discovery during the initial engagements.

“Sometimes people walk in off the street with zero understanding of the tattooing process, and I get to tell them that the beautiful idea they thought up might not work out that well.” Holt told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Normally, we can find common ground, but sometimes we don’t. I’ve pissed off quite a few people, but I won’t accept a project if I know it will turn out like garbage.”

During my consultation, we already had a general idea of the composition. I learned a long time ago to let an artist be an artist with endeavors like these, so I gave Holt a free run to do what he wanted. I only had two requests. I wanted traditional Japanese art and a samurai theme.

Traditional Japanese was his specialty, so the news excited Holt, but he was concerned about my lack of connection. “This is your tattoo, man.” he cautioned while explaining that I should care more about the process of creating it.

He gave me a few historical samurai figures to read up on and explained to me some of the histories of the culture. We talked about the samurai tattooing images of great fallen warriors on their bodies or painting them on their shields for protection during battle, and, after a few email exchanges, we landed on an idea: Shoki, The Demon Queller.

It was a part of the process that I didn’t expect but ultimately shaped it. Holt made me a part of the project and connected me spiritually to that culture. My tattoo became not just a dope accessory but a permanent reminder I am stronger than my demons.

Building that skill set took time, and Holt has more than paid his dues along the way to feel confident enough to steer those discussions.

He started tattooing in 1995 and has worked

But, after COVID, the grind of running a large operation became difficult, so Holt decided to part ways with his partner and open Red Letter One as a solo venture in Hyde Park. “I’m excited only to have to worry about tattooing now. It’s a welcome break,” he said about the new studio located at 2511 W Swann Ave. He seemed eager to get back to working too.

“Covid took away tattooing from me for too long.

We closed the Cedar location pretty soon after reopening, and everything was on hold while

I located a new building. I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone looking to finish their work and excited to start some new projects, too,” Holt explained.

When asked about his favorite new clients, he acknowledged that he prefers doing large pieces but understands that’s not how it always works.

“Very seldom does a client walk in the door as a blank canvas to ask for a bodysuit. It happens, but they must be a special person. Most people come in covered in mistakes. They start smaller projects and continue starting new projects as they complete the last one,” Holt said. I’ll tattoo anyone if I feel like it’s a fit, but I love to create a complete work of art with larger pieces.”

Holt is a master of his craft that guided me through a journey that was every bit as challenging as it was gratifying. His understanding of what it takes to sit through the torture of 30-plus hours in a tattoo chair, usually spread out over years, made the experience of getting my sleeve done the spiritual quest of its design. Holt and I are connected forever because of it, and though I was unaware initially, he knew all along. Because, after close to 30 years in the business, he seamlessly does it daily.

“I’ve pissed off quite a few people, but I won’t accept a project if I know it will turn out like garbage.”

COURTESY

LOCAL ART

worldwide in several well-known studios until he finally set up shop in Ybor City in 2005.

“I was traveling all over the world to tattoo back then, Switzerland, Osaka, London, Italy, all over the states, too. But, I had a house and a family in Tampa, so I needed a private studio here, too.” Holt recounted when asked about coming back home to Florida.

That small, second-floor storefront was the beginning of Red Letter One’s 16 years of service at two prime locations in Tampa and the beginning of Philip Holt, the business owner.

He now had a team of artists working under his roof and business partners.

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POKING THE BEAR: Phillip Holt (L) and the author.

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Eye traps

Artist fights repression one portrait at a time.

By Jennifer Ring

T

ampa artist Ashley Cassens listens to a lot Cassens’ “Eye Traps” counter cult fashion of podcasts on her drive to and from work, by depicting women whose bold style sets them but they didn’t inspire her art until recently. apart from the crowd. Cassens didn’t want all of In June 2021, popular true-crime podcast her women to look the same. She wanted them introduced Cassens to the Institute in Basic to reflect the real world that we live in. It was Life Principles (IBLP), a fundamentalist cult enough to push Cassens out of her comfort zone whose “educational” pamphlets inspired her of painting only family and friends. latest series of paintings. “Some Place Under Still struggling with pandemic isolation, Neith” did a six-part series on the Hinsdale, Cassens reached out to (and conversed with) Illinois-based cult that summer, where hosts models and photographers around the world talked about everything from child abuse using Pexels, a free stock photography site to male supremacy and sex-shaming. Like based in Germany. On Pexels, Cassens found Scientologists, IBLP members are recognized the connection and inspiration she’d been by their creepy clone-like uniforms. searching for.

Bryan Smith writes in Chicago Magazine, “Once I opened that door, the possibilities “The sight of teenage girls walking arm in arm were endless,” Cassens told CL. “I’ve been able in a nearby park, identically dressed in chaste to connect with people from Brazil and Vietnam.” ankle-length skirts, red scarves knotted around Showing her work at Elevation Coffee their necks, and modest Mary Janes, and of teen Roasters in Tampa, and doing this interview boys seemingly stamped out with CL, is also about makon a Wonder Bread assembly ing connections and starting line—always in dark suits, conversations. white shirts, and ties—drew There are several discussions we can have over the occasional stare.”

Ashley Cassens: ‘Eye Traps’ Cassens’ latest collection, As one might guess, these kids didn’t all wake up which is still on display at Through Jan. 29 Elevation Coffee Roasters, one day and decide to dress in Elevation Coffee Roasters.

4952 Northdale Blvd., Tampa the same boring outfit. Their We can chat about religion, ashleycassens.com parents taught them to dress cults, women’s rights, trauma this way in accordance with IBLP principles. As and fashion—all things I write about here. But we in most patriarchal groups, the rules for women’s can also talk about making time for art. dress are the most stringent.

Outside of the IBLP, most Americans have Girls growing up in the IBLP receive a “wis- the freedom to express themselves. The chaldom booklet” that teaches them to smile, to do lenge is finding the time. Most of us have jobs their hair a certain way, to keep their stomach and outside responsibilities, and Cassens is no toned, sit up straight, and avoid “eye traps.” The exception. The full-time elementary school art IBLP defines eye traps as anything a woman teacher and young mother would love to have 20 wears that could possibly attract a man’s eyes hours a week to paint, but that’s not her realaway from her smiling face. This includes “jan- ity. “I had to shift my studio practice when my gling jewelry” and “garish colors.” According to daughter was born,” Cassens told CL. “I can’t the IBLP, God loves a smiling, well-groomed paint 16 18-by-24s when I have a newborn.” woman in plain dress. And don’t forget the Cassens had to find a way to create in the Creator’s color plan, ladies. (Obviously I’m kid- three hours a week that her toddler was napding about the Creator’s color plan, but you can ping. So she painted at home, she painted small, find this exact phrase in leaked IBLP docu- and she painted during the summer when her ments.) “What’s a garish color?” Cassens asked work schedule was lighter. herself. “I use a lot of cadmium red when I’m When she was ready to share her paintings painting, and that’s a very bold color.” As much with the world, Cassens found an empty wall as the IBLP hates eye traps, Cassens loves them. at her neighborhood coffee shop and emailed “I wanted to change the term from something CL. Like Cassens, I’ve been struggling to connegative to something positive,” says Cassens. nect with people and stay creative during this Cassens’ latest series of paintings, a collec- pandemic. Perhaps that’s why Cassens’ story tion of 16 portraits she calls “Eye Traps,” are resonates with me. But whether I have three or meant to encourage female expression, bold- 20 hours a week to create, I’m grateful I have ness and individuality. Although Cassens’ tiny, the freedom to create at all. Even in the U.S., eight-by-eight-inch oil paintings don’t look like there are groups who seek to take our freedoms any sort of affront to repressive cults, this type away. That’s something we should never forget of art challenges these groups in a small way. or stop talking about.

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COURTESY

LOCAL ART

THE EYES HAVE IT: Cassens’ work celebrates what certain cults call ‘garish.’

F E B RUA RY 3 - 2 0 , 2 0 2 2 Thursday – Saturday 8 pm • Sunday 2 pm

Learn traditional printmaking Workshops in - Etching - Lithography - Letterpress - Silkscreen and more.

Our gallery space has local and handmade gifts Drop by during normal hours Tuesday thru Friday 11-4 Saturday 11-6 • Sunday 12-4

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 45

Photo by Paige Raburn

SPRING 2022 EXHIBITIONS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE KARAM COLLECTION On view now

AN IRRESISTIBLE URGE TO CREATE: THE MONROE

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On view through May 22, 2022

HERSTORY: STORIES OF ANCIENT HEROINES AND EVERYDAY WOMEN

On view through June 19, 2022 Sponsored in part by:

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46 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

NEW! Register NOW for the Museums for All expansion program: ArtVenture Krewe. Get free art supplies, art making prompts, and more for kids 3-10.

ArtVenture is made possible by:

Going public

The art around you can have a positive impact on health.

By Melanie Rizzo With over 500 murals, numerous sculptures, installations, art museums and galleries, St. Petersburg has positioned itself as an epicenter of art in Tampa Bay. Investments in public art are part of a “place making” initiative for many cities that seek to revitalize spaces while simultaneously reinvigorating the community itself—but does the investment in public art actually translate into positive outcomes for the residents themselves?

Local art therapists would argue, yes.

“We have a lot of external problems in our world that can make people feel helpless or hopeless, and art, if presented in a certain way, can help someone experience a sense of agency and autonomy,” says Debra “Vivi” Steinfeld, an art therapist and licensed mental health counselor at Integrative Counsel in St. Petersburg. “It’s a benefit to the community. It supports art and creativity. It supports the sharing of ideas. It exposes people to concepts and experiences they may not have had access to before. It promotes tolerance and conversation.”

Access to arts and culture is a growing area of focus for urban areas. Research suggests that democratizing access to arts and culture by removing barriers such as entry to a museum,

LOCAL ART

Her years of involvement within the community and her connection to the artists themselves is what sets her tours apart, “I get to know the artists before doing the tours and once I hear their side of the story, I’m able to share the true meaning behind their pieces,” she says.

By maintaining the integrity of the artist’s intended message, Monica hopes that her tour guests will feel more connected to the art and therefore, to the streets of the city themselves.

It has long been established that health is impacted by our emotions, the ability to decrease stress, elicit awe and develop a shared identity with our community evokes a sense of meaning in our lives and contributes to our overall health. A study by UC Berkeley found that positive emotions are markers of good health.

Psychologist Dacher Keltner, a co-author of the study, states, “Things we do to experience these [positive] emotions—a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art—has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy.”

Here in St. Petersburg and in cities all over the world, public art reinforces social connections, provides equal access to culture and boosts local economies, overall fostering improved quality of life for residents.

Public art, whether driven by the community or municipal measures, goes far beyond improving the aesthetic quality of a city, it goes straight to the heart of its community.

“Public art is an equalizer.”

SMILE: Zulu Painter’s Campbell Park mural.

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

A

rt has been central to human civilization since the beginnings of recorded history.

Throughout our history, humans have used imagery, stories, dancing and music as part of our healing rituals. The examination of art as it relates to wellness is an ongoing area of research within the arena of public health. The most apparent and accessible form of art is public art, which has the capacity to transform a landscape from a once dilapidated and blighted place to a vibrant and beautiful community, a shift which is also reflected in the community’s wellness itself.

Here in Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg is an example of a city that has used the power of public art to foster community. A quick drive down Central Avenue is all it takes to see that the common thread between the city’s public spaces and the vitality of its residents culminates in the art; a kaleidoscope of colors that weaves together this dynamic community. Through grass-roots organizations and city-wide initiatives, St. Pete has empowered artists and utilized art as a tool for healing, growth and rejuvenation.

The Shine Mural Festival (stylized “SHINE”) and the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance is responsible for facilitating the creation of over 500 murals since its inception in 2015. Shine has hosted internationally acclaimed artists, such as Frankfurt-based Case Maclaim, who contributed a piece at this year’s festival on 2700-block of Central Avenue next to Casita Taqueria. “A lot of the artists that come for Shine are either national or international artists [who] have painted in a lot of other places. We consistently hear over and over again how much St. Pete shows up for Shine.

The people here love Shine. You feel it, there’s this energy in the city. People care about what’s going on. They want to talk to the artists. They want to understand the art and participate as much as they can,” says Jenee Priebe, Director at Shine.

Nearly 80% of Americans live in close proximity to a metropolitan area. The physical features of an environment influence the way residents live, work and navigate the cityscape. A given landscape has the capacity to impact how residents behave, their mobility and their overall sense of well-being. Blighted neighborhoods are shown to promote alienation, social disorder, crime and littering, which in turn, negatively impacts health and well-being. However, public art, when developed and installed in community spaces, can impact the community’s health in a myriad of positive ways. Public art engages community members and can increase their sense of identity and belonging, reducing isolation and negative mental and emotional outcomes.

and developing initiatives to proactively engage excluded groups by including them in decision making actually promotes a sense of belonging and social cohesion. A sense of inclusion in turn, promotes pride in the community, both of which positively impact well-being.

“Public art is an equalizer. It is accessible to everyone regardless of their status or their ability to access privately-held collections such as those in museums. This in itself can be very healing,” Vivi, continues.

Arts and culture provide value to resident’s everyday lives. It is through this everyday cultural participation that social bonds are formed and communities are developed. Public art fulfills the intangible human need for meaning and relevance, by experiencing art in our own community, a person’s daily experience can be profound rather than mundane.

The public’s investment in art has contributed to a burgeoning economy for St. Petersburg residents and a host of new opportunities. The opportunity for economic growth derived from public art is yet another factor that enriches the lives of St. Pete’s residents. Monica DeChaine, a St. Petersburg local and self-proclaimed “Street Art Curator,” is the founder of Mural Cycle, a bike tour that immerses and guides people’s interactions with St. Petersburg’s many murals.

DeChaine was inspired to start her business to share her local knowledge and love for art.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 47

Vacuum void

Trying to quiet depression and rage.

I

am actually quite violent. Ever since I was little, I’ve been drawn to fighting. I remember peeking into the living room and secretly watching HBO boxing matches after I had been put to bed. There was something so satisfying about the sound of each punch as it landed, even more so when blood would go flying, along with the sweat. I wouldn’t say that I really acted out this primal impulse and taste until I was in 5th grade.

My first physical altercation was with a white boy named Donny. We were on the playground during recess, making the rounds enjoying what I see now as a plethora of playground features– a long row of swing sets, webbed metal domes extending into the sky, a kid’s size fortress made of wood. My group of friends and I liked getting up on the balance beam in the sandbox and playing “mercy”, which some also call “chicken”. It essentially involves two of you standing on a narrow and elevated platform to see who will be the first to get knocked off. We would begin by hoisting ourselves onto the balance beam from opposite ends then approaching each other slowly until eventually meeting in the middle. Once we were in close enough range, we would grasp each other’s hands with interlocked fingers and twist hands until someone surrendered or fell off. I was playing mercy with Donny until things got heated and once we were both back on the ground, I snatched his chain from his neck, breaking it. In response, he punched me in my gut. Commotion, friends scrambling, a brawl ensued.

I continued exhibiting anger physically through my teen years, although at some point this propensity towards violence also turned internal. Depression involved redirecting this externally expressive rage into a quiet suppression. A vacuum void of emotion was created, I think, as a survival mechanism. Because to face the source of all my rage would be too much. Too much for me at the time, anyway. So I began to turn to my journal, writing down my thoughts which naturally formed into poems.

During this time, I also studied a lot. I wasn’t interested in high school since most of it didn’t seem relevant or new, but I was into learning about life, death and the mechanisms that govern the two. I found satisfying answers in a book titled The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin as well as numerous other writings by Daisaku Ikeda. Particularly in a concept they expound called ichinen sanzen or 3,000 realms in a single moment of life, which explains how we have the potential of exhibiting a multitude of life-states at any given moment. Beyond just

describing moods, this concept reveals how we can bring forth the highest aspect or enlightened version of whatever we are experiencing.

This spoke to me from a scientific standpoint as well in terms of how energy can be converted into various forms and expressions.

Based on this teaching, even a demon Goddess like Kishimojin and her thousands of demon children, can transform what’s seen as their demonic qualities into a function for the greater good. They are fierce fighters and protectors of universal truth, as well as guardians of all children, according to parables.

This is the beauty I see in the defiant behavior of many ‘hood children–their strong sense of self and audacity. Don’t get me wrong, obviously there are times when being physically or verbally violent is clearly wrong and harmful, but there is also a necessary spark that can arise from this tendency. When I saw the kids on the day I wrote the accompanying poem back in 2017, I thought “they’re like superheroes”, which was probably an unusual reaction from an adult who was being challenged by a mob of kids. When they get mouthy, when they don’t back down, I think “good!”, even if the point that they’re fighting for at the time is wrong. I often think about the generations that came before them and I imagine that these current ‘hood children are not only the descendents but are also actually the ancestors reincarnated. The ‘hood kids are the seeds that have bloomed from the toil, blood and tears of those who were forced to obey and be quiet. And now these blooms are primed to unapologetically tear down the very systems that oppressed their ancestors. They are built for it. This is how a tendency towards destruction can come in handy.

I can certainly relate. While I no longer partake in nor advocate it, I am still at my core, violent. It is this acute awareness of my own propensity for violence that enables me to effectively work for peace in society. My own base characteristic allows me to understand the hearts of those who seem to be fixed on destroying life.

This primal urge, when misdirected from a place of ignorance, can cause tremendous harm. So, in order for us to transform a culture of violence, it begins with ourselves. It requires a sound philosophical and spiritual basis as well as a more humanistic approach and aim. And who better equipped to lead the way in building a new civilization than those who were denied the rights and credit in the previous attempt. It is not the meek who shall inherit the Earth--we are audacious.

COURTESY

By Yuki Jackson

POET’S NOTEBOOK

48 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

DEMON CHILD: Though she no longer partakes, Yuki Jackson understands a kid’s violent urge.

Mother of Demon Children (Kishimojin) I’m parked beside the gutter on 13th and Seward.

A boy wears a shirt with Ninja Turtles.

A street sign reads watch out for children.

One kid throws a flat and charges at us.

I open my window and tell the boys I know to be careful.

One boy who’s older than his uncle nods like he understands.

We sure will.

They don’t move for cars.

We have to move around them.

These kids are not afraid of a three-thousand pound vehicle.

They believe they can bend steel.

I glance at myself in the rearview mirror and nod like I understand.

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March 4 - April 19 Art of the Garden

Sponsored by Mark Anderson and Keith Bucklew

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SAQA Quilt show: The Artist’s Question ... Answered in Fiber Sponsor: Jeannine Hascall

May 20 - May 31

Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Metals, Sculpture, and Wood.

Enjoy free admission to our nonprofit gallery and seven curated exhibitions annually, along with lectures and workshops. Visit 20 Artists’ working studios in ArtLofts upstairs.

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June 10 - July 30

BEYOND WORDS: Celebrating Books as Art Cindy Bartosek, Curator

Walking and Bike Mural Tours Hear the inside stories about the artists and murals on a 90-minute walking tour on Saturdays at 10 a.m.

Bike Tours (2 .5 hours) on first Saturdays.

Tickets at FloridaCraftArt.org or call (727) 821-7391

501 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 821-7391 FloridaCraftArt.org Gallery Hours Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

Admission is always free.

Florida CraftArt is a statewide nonprofit serving artists and the community since 1951. Our mission is to grow the statewide creative economy by engaging the community and advancing Florida’s fine craft artists and their work.

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 49

Dream street Photos by Tre ‘Junior’ Butler

Tre Butler was born-and-raised on the southside of St. Petersburg. And on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 9th Street was the only place to be. Last Monday, Butler—who shoots under the "Junior" moniker—was there again, but this time with a wealth of photography experience under his belt.

“I grew up in awe of the culture of the city,” Butler—who’s pointed his camera at artists like Nas, Freddie Gibbs and Isaiah Rashad—told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Makes sense, because he was a recording artist first. “I’ve always been huge on storytelling through music and wanted to find a way to expand on that; then I found the camera,” he added. “Doing photography has allowed me to capture moments and stories that music couldn’t.”

Butler said these stills from Monday’s festivities are some of his favorite to date. Having it

all go down on 9th Street was icing on the cake.

The street was a place where the neighborhood could put on its best outfits, see family, grab some BBQ and listen to southern music. Butler wanted to capture the cars and gold teeth, what he called “a major part of southern culture.”

“I wanted to capture the essence of that. The ‘Southside’ of St. Pete is often viewed in a negative light, I wanted to shed one that’s positive on it; showing the culture in its truest form,” Butler added.

“Every photo I took I feel has its own story. It feels like the camera brought me deeper into the world of the street that I used to walk as a kid.

I see joy on the faces of the people captured. I see people of all ages coming together for a day.

I see beauty and I see love. This is what ‘Dream Street’ is about.”

Follow @mindofjr on Instagram and Facebook.—Ray Roa

PHOTOGRAPHY

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THU JANUARY 27–THU FEBRUARY 03

C

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FRI 28

C Current Joys w/Dark Tea Before heading to Coachella this spring, Nick Rattigan–who uses the Current Joys moniker—is embarking on a world tour of smaller venues. He released two new albums in 2021, and has only played a handful of shows to promote the LP, Voyager and its concert film, “The Phantom of the Highland Park Ebell.” His tour just kicked off last week in San Diego, and this stop in Ybor City is sold out. Joining him on tour is Gary Canino’s latest musical project, Dark Tea, also touring behind new music from 2021. (Crowbar, Ybor City) Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers The youngest child of accordion king Rockin’ Dopsie has fronted his current band, the Zydeco Hellraisers, since 1999 when he was 19 years old. With two Grammy nominations, eight studio albums, and a “Dolly Parton Show” guest spot, Dwayne has written, composed, and sung just about every track he has recorded, on his own. The band has been hard at work with a tribute album for Dwayne’s late father, which has not emerged quite yet; but hey, the year’s still young. In the meantime, the new king of Zydeco brings his four-piece backing band to Skipper’s Smokehouse on Friday. There are still tickets available. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) C Obituary w/Municipal Waste/ Gatecreeper/Enforced Four years after opening for Slayer on its European farewell tour, Obituary—Tampa Bay’s personal claim to heavy metal fame—is finally returning to the road for a massive tour with genre heavyweights Municipal Waste, Gatecreeper, and Enforced. Kicking off this run of shows will be this homecoming gig for the 38-year-old headlining band. There have been rumblings about a new Obituary album emerging in the coming months, so it would be no surprise if the band will be

kind enough to give its hometown a few sneak peeks at what’s to come. (Orpheum, Ybor City) C Open Culture w/Blonde Gentlemen/A Rainy Night In While in Tampa and Miami respectively, House Of I’s Daniel Caballero and his longtime buddy Sergio Rubio put a new band, Blonde Gentlemen together remotely in 2015. In their seven years at work so far, only three songs have dropped on streaming services, the first one being in 2020. According to Caballero, there is an album in the wings. In the meantime, Blonde Gentlemen will make its live debut at one of St. Pete’s best dives. Joining in is dream-pop quartet A Rainy Night In, and A.J. Peterson’s current project, Open Culture. (The Bends, St. Petersburg) Witch Hiatus w/Chlorine Fields/Pilot Jonezz With venue inventory low, house shows are becoming more and more prominent. This one at Whamo house is led by jangle-pop rock outfit Witch Hiatus, supported by more shimmery indie-rock from Chlorine Fields and funkadelic soul-punk outfit Pilot Jonezz. DM @chlorinefields on Instagram for the address, and bring donations for the bands. (Whamo House)—Ray Roa

JEFF KATZ

By Josh Bradley

SAT 29

C Alan Parsons Project w/Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy This show has been in the books since 2020. It started as a Jon Anderson-free Yes concert, with legendary producer Parsons opening. Then, when COVID-19 first hit, Yes canceled its tour; Parsons decided to keep the faith and carry on by himself. Kansas violinist Robby Steinhardt and his band Stormbringer was then set to open the Clearwater show. Needless to say, that one got axed as well. Many postponements later, Steinhardt has died, and Parsons’ latest choice for an opener is Asia drummer Carl Palmer. The sole survivor of Emerson, Lake and Palmer still has a 10-minute drum solo in him, so prepare for your jaw to fall to the floor. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) It Will Flood w/Low Season/Helena Kletch/Todd Tedder A supergroup of St. Petersburg music scene veterans only came together recently, and released its debut EP Ghostlike & Rambling last winter. The guys hyped it up so much, they even got it pressed on vinyl. It Will Flood’s first show of 2022 is a co-headlining affair with punkrock quartet Low Season, performing a fully acoustic set. The show is free, but be sure to bring cash and change for tips. Hideaway is months away from closing, so please take this experience of sitting in the beloved St. Pete venue as a special privilege. (Hideaway Cafe, St. Petersburg)

Robert Cray

SUN 30

C Robert Cray Band Guitar virtuoso Cray recently cut ties with Eric Clapton, mainly due to Slowhand’s stance on vaccines and recent controversial song lyrics. Not that this show requires vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests for admission, but Cray remains a semi-annual favorite in Tampa Bay. His latest record, That’s What I Heard, features tributes to bluesmen Bobby “Blue” Bland and Curtis Mayfield, amongst others.

But in terms of his return to Clearwater, he’s likely going to skip over the covers, and stick to his own work. Cray is 68 years old, so just for the sake of everyone’s health and safety— especially Cray’s—bring a mask. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

TUE 01

Fit for an Autopsy w/Enterprise Earth/ Ingested/Signs Of The Swarm/Great American Ghost New Jersey-born deathcore band Fit For An Autopsy dropped its sixth studio album this month (Oh What The Future Holds) and the band has embarked on a 33-date tour to promote it. Joining in the fun is fellow deathcore hero Enterprise Earth,

Ingested, Signs Of The Swarm, and Great American Ghost. It’s been three years since Will Putney and friends have been to Tampa Bay, last stopping at The Ritz Ybor while on tour with Hatebreed and Obituary. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

THU 03

C Billy Prine & The Prine Time Band: Songs of John Prine It’s depressing to think that there’s no Ruth Eckerd Hall concert from John Prine to look forward to this year— nor will there ever be again. Luckily, the late songwriter’s little brother, Billy understands how much he meant to the country and folk fanbase, which is why he’s hitting the road with a tribute show to honor John, a part-time Gulfport resident who died from COVID-19 complications in April 2020. Billy’s shows are going to be very similar to what the “When I Get To Heaven” songwriter used to do in his own performances—there are anecdotes, stories about where the songs on the setlist came from, and moments that will make you cry ugly tears. Also, for John’s sake, please bring a mask. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 53

54 | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | cltampa.com

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Gasparilla Music Festival 2022 just got even better. Last week, the three-day festival set for Feb. 25-27 in downtown Tampa added 19 new artists including alt-rock favorite Grouplove, Seattle rock favorite Band of Horses and GMF alum Margo Price, who first played the festival in 2015 under a different band name (Margo & the Pricetags). Price went on to sign to Third Man Records which released her 2016 breakout Midwest Farmer’s Daughter. Since then, she’s become an icon of the new outlaw country movement and left the storied label for Loma Vista, a division of Concord which is releasing her still-unamed new album.

Grammy-winning electro duo Bob Moses joins the lineup with a DJ set, along with

Grammy-nominated Mardi Gras Indian funk band Cha Wa, exciting young Cuban pop star Cimafunk, New York indie-soul band Melt and more. Also added to the lineup are a host of locals including recent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay cover boy Vinny Virgo, indie-pop Bay area expat Parrotfish, Florida rap collective seeyousoon, Tampa rock band Ghost Front, electro act Ortroasce, Lakeland’s dark lord of indie-rock Mrenc, songwriter Camille Trust, DJ Ku and more. See the full second wave lineup announcement for Gasparilla Music Festival 2022 via cltampa.com/ music. See more of Josh Bradley’s newly announced, canceled and postponed concert roundup below.—Ray Roa

Omnom Saturday, Jan. 29. 10 p.m. Free guest list. The Ritz, Ybor City

LEYA w/Special Guests TBA Saturday, March 26. 8 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

The Casualties w/Rotten Stitches/ Stolen Wheelchair Saturday, Feb. 26. 7 p.m. $20-$40. Orpheum, Ybor City

Fit For A King w/Silent Planet/Hollow Front/Avoid Sunday, April 3. 6 p.m. $22$45. Orpheum, Ybor City

P.M. Tiger w/Witch Hiatus/Hovercar/ Silverpeak Saturday, Feb. 26. 8 p.m. $12.

Crowbar, Ybor City

Dragonforce w/Battle Beast/Seven Spires Tuesday, April 12. 7 p.m. $30-$60

Steel Panther Thursday, March 10. 8 p.m. $30. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Arch Enemy w/Behemoth/Napalm Death/Unto Others Thursday, April 21.

5:30 p.m. $35. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Moksi Saturday, March 12. 10 p.m. Free guest list. The Ritz, Ybor City

Cancellations/reschedules

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Foreigner Monday, March 14. 8 p.m. $53.25-$128.25. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater It Was 50 Years Ago Today feat. Todd Rundgren/Christopher Cross/Denny Laine/Jay DeMarcus/Badfinger/Jason Scheff Wednesday, March 16. 8 p.m. $43.75-$103.75. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater Greensky Bluegrass w/John Craigie Thursday, March 17. 7 p.m. $25. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Keith Harkin Saturday, March 26. 8 p.m. $35-$75. The Attic at Rock Brothers, Tampa

Randy Rainbow at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Jan. 28 Rescheduled to Aug. 26 Van Morrison at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Feb. 14 & 15 Rescheduled to April 20 & 21 Steve Vai at Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Feb. 15 Rescheduled to Oct. 18 The Warning at Orpheum, Feb. 16 Rescheduled to May 16 Gino Vannelli at Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Feb. 25 Postponed Alan Doyle w/Chris Trapper at Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, March 10 Rescheduled to March 9, 2023

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Be honest with yourself

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I have been in a relationship for the past four years. We have a child together. I am unhappy because I do everything, not only for my son but for my significant other also. He struggles with mental health, so I have been trying to be the rock for everyone to lean on, but it takes a toll on me. When do I draw the line between being supportive and leaving because nothing is ever going to change and focus on me and my son?—Tired Of Trying

figure out how to co-parent and manage your son’s needs.

I think the first step is to be truly honest with yourself. How did this breakdown happen, how can you leave safely, how can you focus on yourself and your son? If you’re able to safely, you should also talk about all of this with your significant other.

If it is over, it’s over, but that doesn’t mean you get to avoid a painful talk. Again, there’s a child in the mix. Things have to be settled.

Cards: Two of Wands, King of Pentacles reversed, Queen of Swords reversed, Two of Cups reversed, Eight of Cups Dear Tired, you can end a relationship any time you want, for any reason. That doesn’t always feel true because there are times when it seems callous or cruel to end things, especially if the other person is suffering. Others might judge you, you might even judge yourself, but that doesn’t mean you can’t leave. That door is always open.

I say this because I think you’ve already drawn that line. You say, “Nothing is ever going to change,” a statement that is utterly devoid of hope.

The Two of Wands is a hopeful card of balance and labor, but it’s next to the King of Pentacles reversed.

You had hoped your partner would be a provider, someone who gives as much as they take (something that we all hope for), but those hopes seem dashed.

We have the Queen of Swords reversed, who is both a hard worker, someone gunning for control, and someone who has a critical eye.

It can feel impossible to win in adult relationships if one partner is both caretaker and critic. It frames things in a paternalistic way: you become someone’s mother or, worse, nagging wife. You’re reduced to a sitcom shrill. And that can breed resentment and spoil what’s left of a relationship because it’s no longer a relationship of two partners.

With the Two of Cups reversed, it seems like you have abandoned hope that things will change. But, as you said before, “nothing is ever going to change.”

The Eight of Cups is fleeing the life you knew to walk an unknown path, and I think this might be your relationship. This relationship can change, but it can’t simply end because of your son. While you might not be partners, you’ll still be mom and dad, and you’ll have to

Dear Oracle, I applied and was hired at the “grab” restaurant in the business, like worldrenowned etc. Still think it’s a fluke they hired me. It’s been a not-so-easy six months there, with a lot of petty people. With a place like that, you don’t expect it. I feel like it’s made me physically ill. So far I’ve had the flu, back issues, and felt rotten when I have to work in a certain department. But, when it’s good, it’s euphoric—the best place I’ve ever been, and finally someplace worthy of me. It’s a classic inner struggle of is the good

reversed, Go—Seven of Cups reversed, Wheel of Fortune, Three of Cups Dear Good Enough, you’re certainly a hard worker—the Knight of Swords is riding like mad towards big things like TRUTH and BEAUTY and isn’t scared of labor, though is a bit more of a romantic than is probably good for them.

That romanticism probably helped you feel like this world-renowned job would be thee job, though that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’m sorry that people are petty, and I’m very sorry that your health has been suffering. Being in pain can dampen even the most stellar of situations. But, when it comes down to it, I think you need to be honest with yourself about what you truly want out of a job.

It’s not a bad lot if you stay. The Full Moon is a monster truck of energy, and paired with the Knight of Wands, this could have the potential to be a very creative place for you. I’m unsure if you’re working front of house or back,

but if you’re on the line, this big energy can be a double edge sword. Chefs do work in an environment of stress and fire, and the Knight of Wands can lose their temper quickly, so don’t burn yourself out or burn down the building.

And then, of course, there’s the money. While you might not be seeing a ton of it now, this can grow to be a lucrative career and gives you a sense of pride when you talk about it. But the promise of creativity and more money might not be enough for you.

If you leave, you’re throwing yourself to the mercy of Fate with the Wheel of Fortune.

But, seven of Cups shows that you also have tempting offers that can be good for you or can derail you, so keep a level head when choosing.

But, I suspect you are looking for a place that offers camaraderie and friendship with that Three of Cups.

I’m afraid this is a grass-is-always greener situation. On the one hand, you have stability that can offer creativity and filthy lucre. But, on the other, you have the big risk that can end with a loving and genuine partnership, which can be invaluable for a career.

Again, I think you need to be very honest with yourself about what you want out of your job and what you need at this stage in your career.

Remember: Everything in life is temporary. Even passive-aggressive conversations with petty co-workers.

Send your questions to oracle@cltampa.com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram.

ORACLE OF YBOR

worth st ayin g or does the bad outweigh it. Am I on the right path by staying?—Good Enough?

Cards: You—Knight of Swords reversed. Stay— Full Moon, Knight of Wands reversed, Seven of Pentacles

cltampa.com | JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | 59

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Rooting around

By Dan Savage

I’m a heterosexual cisgender male who loves prostate stimulation. I discovered it later in life, but it’s been a staple for the last 15 years. I’m worried I’m pushing the envelope too much and need your advice.Over the last six months or so, I will have an orgasm that’s so intense I have pain just to the right of the base of my penis & balls immediately afterwards. If I push a finger in toward the center of my body, it’s tender.

It goes away after a few minutes, but sometimes my right ball remains sensitive. I’ve even taken an ibuprofen to lessen the pain and I’ve had a prostate exam when it’s happening and I do selfexams of my testicles regularly, and I’ve noticed no changes. Usually my next orgasm is normal, and there’s no pain or sensitivity afterwards. As I said, though, it happens after intense sessions with a lot of prostate stimulation. While I’ve been practicing butt stuff for a long time, I feel as if I’ve only perfected it in the last year or so. I should also state that my sessions last up to two hours, and I’m erect during most of that time. I obviously don’t want to hurt myself, and I don’t think I am, but it’s a concern. It’s very hard to stop something that feels so incredibly good. I’m a little uncomfortable talking with my urologist because he treats me like a long-lost uncle. At our first visit, I told him very directly that my father had prostate cancer and I really wanted him to take his time with the exam and to really make sure all is well with my prostate. I added that the last exam I got from my primary care physician didn’t last long enough to feel very accurate and encouraged my urologist to take as much time as he wanted up there. He did not. Hoping you can help me out.—Pain Around Balls Concerning

But just as a prostate exam that ends quickly isn’t evidence a doctor is worried a patient might be perving, an exam that ends quickly also isn’t evidence a doctor isn’t being thorough.

“Some patients have a very ‘high-riding prostate,’ for example, and that’s difficult to feel except for the apex, or the tip, of the prostate,” said Dr. Winter. “And I have long fingers! In those cases, I will probably do a quick in-and-out because taking longer would just involve me massaging the anus with no specific information being gathered.”

There’s nothing wrong with massaging an anus for the sake of massaging an anus, of course, but no one needs to go to med school and/or to the doctor for that. But while I had her on the phone, I asked Dr. Winter again if some people do go to the doctor for that.

“In extremely rare instances patients are manipulative or fetishize their exams, but this is extremely uncommon,” said Dr. Winter. “And while I can’t rule out the possibility that the urologist who saw PABC was ‘weirded out’ by his comments, it seems more likely that PABC is projecting that on to his doctor. There is so much shame around ‘butt stuff’ and so I can easily see how this happens.” (It’s also possible that I’m the one doing the projecting here, as I was the one who raised the issue.)

That said, while intentional perving is rare, some people do get aroused during exams.

“Unintended genital responses— whether erection, or prostatic secretion during a rectal exam—are normal and occur on occasion,” said Dr. Winter. “It is the role of any self-respecting sex-positive clinician to acknowledge that these things are normal and move on. But it’s super uncommon and when it happens, the patient is usually stressed out and very apologetic about it.”

As for your problem—sensitivity around the base of your penis after one of your extended butt-play JO sessions—Dr. Winter thinks you might need a different sort of exam altogether.

“I’ve never had a patient specifically say they wanted me to ‘take my time’ with a prostate exam,” said Dr. Ashley Winter, a board-certified urologist in Portland, Oregon. “But on numerous occasions, I’ve had a patient say, ‘Wow, that was way more detailed of a prostate exam than my primary care doctor did.’ And generally, that comment is meant as a ‘thank you,’ as in, ‘thank you for being detail-oriented.’”

To be perfectly honest, PABC, I shared your letter with Dr. Winter because I suspected the request you made—take your time up there, doc—might’ve been the reason your doctor rushed through that prostate exam. Dr. Winter assures me that was unlikely.

“I understand when someone wants their doctor to do a thorough exam,” said Dr. Winter.

“A detailed exam shows the clinician is actually intent on collecting information about their body apart from lab tests and imaging studies. The patient feels ‘seen.’ Or touched. You get my point.”

There’s a long-running controversy among the Adult Baby/Diaper Lover (ABDL) community about the long-term impacts of continuously wearing and using diapers. Some argue that adult babies may or may not become a bedwetter and/or incontinent from continual diaper use.

The ABDLs who claim to have been successfully “un-potty trained” are loudly decried as liars by other members of their community. Naturally, there aren’t a lot of medical studies on this (there aren’t any), and I’m not going to ask my family doctor. Can you figure this out?—In Nappies Cancels Out Nocturia Nope.

JOE NEWTON

SAVAGE LOVE

“It sounds like what he’s having is a pelvic floor muscle spasm,” said Dr. Winter. “People tense and contract muscles in their pelvis— muscles at the base of penis—during periods of prolonged stimulation. He’s not doing anything wrong, and he doesn’t have to stop. But he might want to take a warm bath after. And if it’s too uncomfortable or gets worse, he should ask to be referred for a pelvic floor exam and possible pelvic-floor physical therapy.”

Follow @AshleyGWinter on Twitter.

I’m a 74-year-old straight male. I don’t have a problem for you.

Instead, I am writing to share an idea with you with potential benefit to society. But, unlike you, I don’t have the means to spread the news.

Based on the success of your “It Gets Better” Project, you seem like the perfect person to publicize it. My idea and my proposal to you is this: International Come-Out-of-the-Closet Day. It would include coming out about your sexual

orientation but not be limited to sexual orientation. It would include all long-suppressed “secrets,” including affairs, crushes, no longer being in love with your spouse, or anything else a person might have kept hidden. I even have a suggestion for when to celebrate International Come-Out-of-the-Closet Day: March 4. The slogan would be “March Forth on March Fourth!”

What do you think?—Movement About Really Changing Hearts We already have a National Coming Out Day (NCOD), MARCH, when closeted queer people everywhere are encouraged—if they can do so safely—to come out to their families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. NCOD is not a new thing; it’s taken place on Oct. 11 every year since 1988. And while I appreciate the spirit of your proposal—let’s all get those long-suppressed secrets off our chests—I’m not sure you’ve thoroughly thought this one through.

If one day a year we blurt out our secrets— affairs and crushes and secret second families included—the result would probably look less like National Coming Out Day and more like The Purge. And since most people regard breaking up on an annual holiday as a needless and avoidable cruelty, people who confess to affairs or no longer being in love on International Come-Outof-the-Closet Day will not be seen as courageous truth-tellers, MARCH, but as inconsiderate assholes. It’s fine to dump someone, people fall out of love, people have affairs. But no one thinks it’s OK to dump someone—or to share a secret that forces someone to dump you—on T h a n k sg iv i n g or Christmas or Valentine’s Day. Because then the person whose heart you stomped on winds up being reminded every year when that holiday inevitably rolls around. So, for the same reason it wouldn’t be OK to blurt out terrible secrets on the holidays we already have, it wouldn’t be okay to blurt them out on a day dedicated to blurting out terrible secrets.

Contact mail@savagelove.net, follow @ FakeDanSavage on Twitter and get columns, podcasts, books, merch and more via savage. love!

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62 Bird or hand soap 63 Span’s partner 64 Part of the yard 1

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3

18

65 ___ and ahs 68 Writer Zora ___ Hurston 70 Maker of the first portable electric saw 72 ___ of attrition 75 Cop alerts 77 I came 79 Kin of “me too” 83 Disparage 85 Money for pay toilets 88 Bk. store section 89 Attention-getting words, once 91 Has a harsh sound 92 Univ.

93 Riverside exercise 96 Otalgia 99 Revelation reaction 100 A Tex. city, to Southwest Airlines 101 ___ water (up the creek) 102 Violin maker 105 A Christmas Carol word 107 Stuntman’s words 113 Congressional mail 116 Called 117 Guy at first 118 Special edition of Animation Monthly?

121 ___ Aviv 122 Exxon, before 123 Border line?

124 Olympic weapon 125 Palmer, for short 126 One of the four saisons 127 Parks on the bus 128 Ballet step 129 Word with shoulder or soap 130 Double numero 4

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DOWN Flu virus variety Pack animal A VP’s first name ___ straws Rug on the stoop The time of your life?

Kipling’s ___ Stories Removal of restrictions: abbr. “___ that remark!”

Encounter Make whole Pole length: abbr.

Jason’s ship “He’s just like ___” Semitransparent curtain Game of Clue piece Sacked out Minn. maulers Part of a Cugat dance French edict city Site of the Tupac Amaru siege Enjoyed home cooking Bergen boob Latin abbr.

“Let me take ___ at it” Spoken fanfare Hitting stat Letters on fighters Tycoons Take ___ (drop sharply) One-movement musical wk.

Spiritual leaders Latvia’s capital Eat like a rat Make, as a profit “Kookie” Byrnes Native New Zealander X ___ (tic-tac-toe choice)

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McNally opus Part of the foot Severe and sharp Glengarry Glen Ross penner Poisonous gift for Snow White “___ This House” Foil introducer, 1910 Partners, trios, etc.

Circle segment Yardbirds hit, “Still ___” Spitting cobra’s toxin type Perfect places “I see,” to Chan Waterproof cover Lead paint watchdog: abbr.

Flooder of Grand Forks, N.D., in 1997, the ___ River

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105 106

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Solution to If I Wrote the Dictionary (3)

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58 Hit the road 60 Assign as one’s share 63 Author Maurice 66 “Hell ___ fury ...”

67 Messy impact sound 69 Absorb data 71 Egy. neighbor 72 Pop group or rhyme scheme 73 The Grateful Dead’s Bob 74 Moises of baseball 76 Actress Mary ___ Hurt 78 Brain gauges 80 Ancestor’s opposite: abbr.

81 Musicians in a pit: abbr.

82 “How ___, doc?”

84 Well-pitched game 85 Train hopper 86 Overturn 87 City 60 km E of Tokyo 90 Snide laugh 94 Samuel Beckett play 95 Alps country 97 Lott and Milsap

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