Creative Loafing Tampa — March 11, 2021

CREATIVE LOAFING • CLTAMPA.COM 2021 (VOL.34, NO.10)

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf FOOD and THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge FILM & TV CRITIC John Allman

We had chemistry on stage and off, and the rest is history.

COURTESY

CONTRIBUTORS Jeffrey C. Billman, Caroline DeBruhl, Alexandria Jones, Matthew Moyer, Joe Newton, Stephanie Powers, Cory Robinson, Dan Savage, Jay York, Chelsea Zukowski

ory

INTERNS We don’t have any this semester. Apply via rroa@cltampa.com

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DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER Jack Spatafora

Husbands Chris and Ryan Zubrick are opening a magic theater, p. 33.

SeaWorld in February, animal rights PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Javi Ortiz claiming the practice of keeping wild d dangerous. But SENIOR even though public ACCOUNT atmany SeaWorld animal rights EXECUTIVES don’t in seeFebruary, a parallel between the kind claiming the practice of keeping wildZepeda Anthony Scott k, and the practice of Carbone, displaying animals nd dangerous. evenOr though publicfor a asking for tooBut much? is it time MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND d, many don’t see a parallel between the kind t” animals?

EVENTS DIRECTOR

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MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS INTERN Claire White

GROUP 40 Music: TampaEUCLID Bay BluesMEDIA Fest ...........................

Movie ........................................................... reviews..................................................... 63 Puzzler 66

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Free Will Astrology......................................... 64 Savage Love ...................................................... 69

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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa is a weekly newspaper 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.

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Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Weekly, LLC, 204 E. Henderson Ave. Tampa, FL 33602. The newspaper is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampa.com.

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Edge zaddy Photos Dave Decker

E

ach year, “Over the Edge”—a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay—finds locals pitching in for a chance to rappel down a downtown Tampa high rise. On a rainy Saturday, Tampa artist Cam Paker—joined by his mom (on the ground), plus other “edgers” like Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Christy Lee (pictured with Parker)—descended 17 stories down the Hilton on the corner of Tampa and Jackson Streets with a Black Lives Matter flag draped on his back.—Ray Roa

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POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

The art of the own goal

How Senate Dems might cut off their nose to spite their face.

W

atching last week’s congressional action led me to two sobering conclusions. The U.S. has but one political party that even feigns interest in governing or seriousness of purpose. That party too often conflates seriousness with punching itself in the mouth for no particular reason.

From a policy perspective, there’s no point in imagining the GOP as more than a sideshow.

The party’s intellectual bank account has been overdrawn for decades, its platform stuck on a “tax cuts/abortion/judges” feedback loop. When the old hits no longer charted, they incorporated overtly authoritarian appeals to white anxiety: “build the wall,” “blue lives matter,” and—the latest craze—“cancel culture.”

This performative crybabyism was on display at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference, where grifters, goons, fabulists, and narcissists—and Donald Trump, but I repeat myself—whined about Big Tech censoring them on a stage shaped like a Nazi symbol. This absurdity also revealed itself in the freakout over Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ decision to discontinue some lesser titles because they contain racist imagery.

A movement with nothing to sell but grievance will always need new grievances to sell.

Inevitably, however, an endless stream of outrages will become banal to all but the most devoted partisans. That’s when desperation sets in.

In Georgia, the Republican legislature responded to Democratic victories by making it harder for Black people to vote. Among other things, its new legislation will end automatic voter registration, severely restrict absentee voting, crack down on “Souls to the Polls” events, and—no kidding—make it a crime to give someone standing in line to vote a glass of water.

Not coincidentally, Georgia had the longest voting lines in the country in 2014 and 2018.

Georgia isn’t alone. Through February, Republican lawmakers in 43 states have introduced more than 250 bills to restrict voting rights.

Most take their cues from Trump’s election fraud lie. But an attorney for the Arizona Republican Party coughed up the real objective last week while defending that state’s voting restrictions to a sympathetic U.S. Supreme Court.

“What’s the interest of the Arizona RNC in keeping, say, the out-of-precinct ballot disqualification rules on the books?” Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked.

“Because it puts us at a competitive disadvantage relative to Democrats,” the attorney responded. “Politics is a zero-sum game.”

If only someone would inform Senate Democrats.

On Wednesday, House Democrats passed HR 1, the most comprehensive voting rights package in 50 years. It prohibits state restrictions on early and absentee voting, creates an automatic registration system, guarantees sameday registration, forces dark money groups to disclose donors, and requires states to use independent, bipartisan redistricting commissions.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this is the ballgame. If Democrats don’t act while they have congressional majorities, they won’t get another chance.

To stop voter suppression, Senate Democrats will have to stop Republicans from suppressing a vote. Nuke the filibuster, or surrender.

Judging by their handling of the stimulus, surrender seems the safer bet.

We shouldn’t shortchange the American Rescue Plan’s achievements. The $1.9 trillion bill not only funds vaccines and plugs economic holes, but it does more to address poverty than any legislation in decades.

But the victory was marred by eight Democrats voting against the minimum wage hike the party promised, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s ostentatious thumbs-down. Maybe they wanted to demonstrate their independent or moderate credentials. But vulnerable senators’ electoral fates almost always ride the vicissitudes of the public’s mood. If the public is happy and their voters turn out, they win reelection. If not, they lose. Voting down popular legislation probably wasn’t the best play.

Then came the spectacle of Dem senators negotiating with one of their own over how deeply to cut unemployment benefits. Perhaps Sen. Joe Manchin believed that if he kicked the unfortunate hard enough, the legislation would win Republican support. If so, he learned nothing from

INFORMED DISSENT

U.S. SENATE

By Jeffrey C. Billman

JOE BLOWS: Manchin once thought he could convince Republicans that climate change was real. the experience. On Sunday, he pledged to block President Biden’s infrastructure bill if it wasn’t bipartisan. Manchin also said he thought he could convince Republicans that climate change was real and they should support trillions in tax increases.

(His daughter runs a pharma company, so maybe he has access to the good stuff.)

None of that bodes well for HR 1. But if you squint hard enough—if you parse words just the right way—there’s light at the end of this tunnel.

On “Meet the Press,” after Chuck Todd asked Manchin about his unbending support for the filibuster, Manchin rambled about the importance of minority input, then said: “And now if you want to make it a little bit more painful, make him stand there and talk, I’m willing to look at any way we can.”

There are a few options to make the filibuster more painful: The Senate could require 40 senators to sustain a filibuster rather than 60 to break it, or it could change the “present and voting” standard to force the minority to remain in

Washington throughout a filibuster—including weekend sessions—and require a member of the minority to be on the floor debating at all times.

Todd also asked if Manchin would be willing to “go a reconciliation route” for HR 1.

(Reconciliation is a budget process. But a majority of the Senate can declare any subject exempt from the filibuster.)

“There’s no need for us to go to reconciliation until the other process has failed,” Manchin said. “… I’m not going to change my mind on the filibuster.

I’ll change my mind if we need to go to a reconciliation, to where we have to get something done.”

Sooner than later, it will become evident even to the most thickheaded centrist that to get something done, Manchin and those like him will have to change their minds. The question is how much time they’ll waste trying to find 10 Republicans willing to work constructively on something more important than Mr. Potato Head’s penis.

Get more Informed Dissent. Subscribe today at billman.substack.com.

“If Democrats don’t act while they have congressional majorities, they won’t get another chance.”

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Monkey business

Activists drop hundreds of coconuts at a Florida Publix.

By Matthew Moyer and Colin Wolf

P

eople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals continued its awareness-raising campaign against monkey slave labor with an action last Thursday afternoon which aimed to shame Publix into dropping a certain brand of coconut milk.

Thailand’s Chaokoh brand of coconut milk, stocked by Publix stores, was the subject of an extensive undercover investigation by PETA that produced some pretty damning evidence of monkeys forced to pick coconuts while in extreme states of anguish. There are claims that the monkeys are kept chained to old tires, caged for life, and some have their teeth pulled out.

“Many monkeys displayed repetitive behavior indicative of extreme mental anguish, including one who chewed on his own limbs,” says PETA on its website. “One coconut farmer confirmed that when monkeys are terrified and try to defend themselves, handlers pull their teeth out.”

This was enough to make some other major retailers—among them Target, Costco and Walgreens—stop carrying the coconut milk brand. Publix has remained a holdout, though.

So, at noon on March 4 at the Publix on Central Boulevard in Orlando, PETA activists dressed as monkeys dumped hundreds of humanely picked coconuts at the store, as a sequel of sorts to a similar action in December at Publix’s Lakeland headquarters.

“Milk from coconuts picked by abused monkeys doesn’t belong on grocery shelves any more than monkeys belong on those chains,” said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk in a press statement. “PETA is calling on Publix to reject products of forced monkey labor.”

Last month, the company told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that it “has reviewed third-party audits of [Theppadungporn] and that Thailand’s ambassador to the U.S. assured the company that monkeys are ‘not used in the commercial harvesting of coconuts.’”

“We work with our suppliers, industry leaders, governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations because we recognize our responsibility and take concerns about animal welfare seriously,” said Maria Brous, Publix Director of Communications. “In this case related to the Chaokoh brand products we carry, we have reviewed the third-party audit and affidavits from the coconut farmers stating that no monkeys are used to pick coconuts on the farms at issue. We have also received the written assurance sent from Thailand’s ambassador to the U.S. stating that the Thai Food Processors Association has confirmed that monkeys are not used in the commercial harvesting of coconuts.”

Besides Publix, PETA says they’re also focusing on the remaining U.S. retailers that use the alleged monkey slave coconut milk, including Kroger, and Albertsons.

FLORIDA NEWS

GONE COO COO: Publix told CL that monkeys are ‘not used in the commercial harvesting of coconuts.’”

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Shit Happened WEDNESDAY 03

THURSDAY 11 MORGAN CREEK PRODUCTIONS

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says nearly 62,000 Florida residents signed up for Obamacare in the first two weeks of special enrollment. Wait, what? So you mean Obama is still making a positive impact on Floridians four years after he left the White House?

MRX/CC BY-SA 3.0

A report released by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office says Florida’s $78 million unemployment website wasn’t built or tested properly, which makes sense because the guy in charge when the site was created—Rick Scott— wasn’t built or tested properly either.

MONDAY 08 MACDINTONSSOHO/FACEBOOK

South Tampa’s MacDinton’s has its alcohol license suspended over repeated COVID-19 violations.

Luckily for the uber-popular Irish pub, the suspension doesn’t start until March 18—the day after St. Patrick’s Day.

A five-bedroom Clearwater mansion connected to John Travolta is now for sale. It’s next door to two properties owned by fellow Scientologist and “Look Who’s Talking” costar Kirstie Alley, and we don’t think that thing floating in the toilet is a leftover dreadlock from Travolta’s makeup in “Battlefield Earth.”

Registration for the Florida State Fair’s second Deep Fried Dash 5K—set for Saturday May 1— is open.

Everyone gets a corn dog at the end, which means my doctor will probably be OK with me signing up, right?

FLSTATEFAIR/FACEBOOK

THURSDAY 04

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“Up to 4,000 plants were purchased in the Bay area.”

RESTAURANTS

RECIPES

DINING GUIDES

Happy harvesting

A beloved blueberry farmer shares plants, tips for your bush.

By Jay York

O

ne of Tampa’s beloved U-Pick blueberry farms, B&B Blueberry Farm, is closing up shop and Tampanians (aka Tampeños) were clamoring to get their hands on the farm’s liquidated collection of mature blueberry plants.

You may have seen posts on Facebook, with excited “plant people” posing next to tall blueberry bushes in giant, fittingly-blue barrels.

They have good reason to be excited: each of these bushes can produce up to 10 pounds of blueberries each year. That’s a lot of blueberry cobbler, smoothies, jams, and cocktails. Oh, and did I mention blueberries are a superfood?

The owner of B&B Blueberry Farm, Bill S., tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that all in all, up to 4,000 plants were purchased and dispersed by lucky buyers around the Tampa Bay Area. The cost? Just $5 per plant. A generous price considering the growing medium, a rich mix of compost and pine bark mulch, can cost that much alone. It was a steal for anyone willing to get their hands dirty—and challenge their backs for a few days.

But what was behind this rush to buy up so many blueberry plants, so quickly?

Interest in plants has been steadily growing for years, but the popularity of organic gardening and urban farming has exploded in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading new gardeners to work on their green thumbs.

Tampa Gardening Swap, Tampa’s largest gardening group on Facebook, saw quite a few posts on the topic of blueberries recently, likely the result of this blueberry madness. Some people grabbed plants without fully understanding how to grow the bush successfully.

The problem? Blueberries are temperamental plants that require unique care and considerations to grow.

Rob Clemon’s of Bob’s Berries in Riverview, one of Tampa’s only bio-organic U-pick blueberry farms, shared insight on the best ways to ensure a healthy and abundant harvest. If you have suddenly found yourself with several blueberry plants or are looking to add blueberries to your garden this year, this is what you need to know to indulge in these blue gems year after year.

How do you prune blueberries?

Bill says that folks who came to his farm for $5 bushes walked away with varieties like meadowlark, emerald, jewel, arcadia, and chickadee. Each of these are “high bush” varieties, a relatively recent type of blueberry that commercial growers love for their more simple pruning needs.

ENVIRONMENT

out new growth which will become the fruiting wood the following season. This part is critical. Bob says, “Since fruit only forms on new growth, it’s important to get lots of new growth in before they go dormant in winter.”

How much water and sun do blueberry bushes need?

Bob recommends light watering for your newfound plants. They need around a quarter-inch of water per week. He waters for just three minutes every three days. Of course, your microclimate and requirements may differ, so pay attention to your plants to see what they need.

will develop larger leaves to compensate for the lower light conditions.

Cold weather is just as important of a consideration here. Bob recommends checking historical chill hours for your area to determine which varieties will do best.

How do you fertilize blueberry bushes?

Whether you choose to go with a synthetic or organic fertilizer, you’ll want to provide your plants with fertilizer three times a year. Once as flowers set. Once after fruiting has finished and the last time around two months after that.

Bob recommends an 8-3-5 organic granular fertilizer. Conventional growers will use a 16-4-9 formula. Nitrogen should always be high to promote good foliage growth. This ensures your plants have the nutrients they need to produce healthy, vigorous foliage and big, tasty berries.

Can I plant blueberry bushes in the ground?

If you’re thinking of putting your blueberries in the ground, wait just a second.

Blueberries prefer an acidic soil, so you’ll want to ensure your soil is properly acidified, or amend it to create a medium that blueberries will thrive in. Acidic ingredients include pine needles, pine bark, et al. This is one reason why many farmers grow blueberries in containers.

Bob recommends a cloth container that will help with root health.

YOU’RE TURNING VIOLET, VIOLET: A blueberry bush can produce up to 10 pounds of fruit annually.

Pruning should take place after harvest, typically in June. To prune, simply give the plant a “buzz cut” by removing all of the top growth. You’ll want to only remove about one-third of the plant when you do this.

Afterwards, your plant will begin putting

Blueberries do best in full sun which equates to six-plus hours, but some farmers suggest they don’t mind a little shade during some parts of the day to help avoid burning the new growth. So if you aren’t able to find a full sun spot, don’t fret. Bob says the plants

Bob says he’s happy to see all the interest in growing berries and hopes it brings more attention to local farms like his. He hosts an Annual Blueberry Festival at his farm, a family event filled with fruit, barbecue, and activities for kids. This year’s event—set for Saturday, April 17 at 11501 Winn Rd. in Riverview—is focused on maintaining social distancing standards and the event page includes information about their mask policy.

As for Bill, he’s going to enjoy retirement while still growing blueberries for his grandkids who love to come out and pick them. To those who made the trip out there, he shared this sentiment: “Thank you to all who came out to buy the plants. We enjoyed having them all out here. May they be blessed with what they purchased.”

If you were lucky enough to get some of Bill’s plants before they ran out, then congratulations on your new plants! If you didn’t, don’t worry. Our local U-Pick blueberry farms will be waiting for you come blueberry season. Happy harvesting, Tampa.

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CRAFT COCKTAILS ( SMALL PLATES ( FRENCH VIBES

June 17t h -

27t h, 2021

Creative Loafing’s annual Food Issue hit stands on June 17th and, to celebrate, we’re hosting our 15th annual TAMPA BAY RESTAURANT WEEK!

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#TAMPABAYRESTAURANTWEEK

Special sauce

Seminole Heights-based restaurant is opening in the Sprouts plaza near the intersection of Sheldon Road and Linebaugh Avenue. Read more on p. 21. kingofthecoop.com

A celebration of local restaurant workers leads this week’s foodie news roundup.

By Stephanie Powers and Alexandria Jones

Now open The Nest Nina Hospitality (stylized “NINA”) is adding another concept to its belt, with the Nest. Set to open March 12, the Nest is attached to Caracara, Nina’s Dunedin Asian tacos and tapas spot. The 30-35 seat space is super intimate and attached to Caracara through the bathroom hallway, co-owner and Executive Chef Traci Bryant told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, adding, "it will be more French focused, informed by my time living and working in western France (Marçay).” 720 Broadway, Dunedin. @caracaranest on Instagram Reopened Mr. B’s A Ybor Heights favorite reopened on March 11 after getting a visit from celebrity chef and Food Network personality Richard Irvine who revamped Mr. B’s Restaurant for an episode on his show “Restaurant Impossible.” It’s regular business hours are Sundays-Thursdays 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

It’s open for takeout, dine-in, and delivery via Grubhub, Yelp and UberEats. 3401 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. eatatmrbs.com Closed Sweet Mama’s Akwi Njoh and business partner Jahkeal Samuel—both Alonso High grads—opened their ice cream truck last weekend across from Tampa Heights’ Hidden Springs Ale Works. Focusing on soft-serve, the menu had options to pair ice cream with warm cookies, a WTF bowl (waffle, topping, fudge), classic cones and a “Shake What Ya Mama Gave Ya” create-your-own milkshake. But on Sunday, March 7 the duo wrote that the truck would be closed until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances. @sweetmamastampa on Instagram Coming soon Gaia Donut Last weekend, the vegan donut company soft opened its storefront—across from Gangchu in Seminole Heights—with first day turnout leading to desserts selling out and Gaia taking a moment to close again with hopes to

open this week. “Yesterday was a whirlwind.

We are taking in everything we learned from the soft opening so we can be better prepared to keep you all stocked,” they wrote on social media. Official business hours aren’t finalized yet but Gaia is currently taking custom orders.

6617 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. gaiadonut.com Junmai Station A new concept spearheaded by the owners of Seminole Heights’ Ebisu Sushi Shack, is opening in downtown Tampa at the new Hyatt House and Hyatt Place across from city hall. The spot will feature onigiri—aka stuffed rice balls—as its signature dish and hopes to be open by May 1. Onigiri is a staple food in Japan, and Junmai’s versions will lean on more western-style stuffings like tuna mayo or Spam, and owners expect the menu to evolve over time. 325. N Florida Ave., Tampa (although we suspect the final address upon opening could be on Kennedy Boulevard) King Of The Coop Tampa’s Nashville hot chicken joint is expanding again and spicing up the suburbs by opening its third location in Westchase. Founder Joe Dodd told CL that his

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

ASHLEY CANAY C/O FMOPA

T

hrough the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurant news, including openings and closings, never toned down one tick. The energy is a testament to restaurant workers’ seemingly unbreakable spirit, which is on display at a new photography exhibition in downtown Tampa.

Look below for details on “Chef’s Special” at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, plus your latest round of restaurant news.

ICYMI “Be Afraid of the Dark” pop-up bar The haunted speakeasy is at The Underground at Old Historic Church and promises a four-part interactive cocktail journey where guests can hear dark and hair-raising stories. The scariest part, however, is that the events, which had their first run in February, keep selling out. The latest batch of March dates is also sold-out, but organizers Rock Star Beer Festivals (also in charge of the upcoming Tampa Beer Festival) told CL that more, still unannounced, dates are in the works for May. 1909 N 15th St., Ybor City. rockstarbeer.com From diners to fine dining, FMoPA showcases Tampa Bay’s essential restaurant workers Late last year, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts (FMoPA) put out a call asking local photographers to take pictures of chefs, owners and other behind-thescenes essential workers who are the foundation of local restaurants. Photographers answered, and those shots will be shown in the “Chef’s Special” exhibit on display until April 11. If you go to FMoPA—located in downtown Tampa’s

“cube”—reservations are required to allow for limited capacity. 400 N Ashley Dr., Tampa. fmopa.org St. Pete’s Old Key West Bar and Grill is auctioning off its collectibles 1960s bird and naked lady paint by numbers art and other amazing collectibles are on the line when the Grand Central staple cleans house by auctioning off all its goods on March 20 starting at 11 a.m. If you want to check out the goods beforehand, you can go to the viewing from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, March 19.

And don’t worry—OKW isn’t closing, the restaurant is just doing a full remodel and rebranding. 2451 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. oldkeywestbarandgrill.com Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel announces new general manager and executive chef The 137-room boutique hotel has a couple “new”ish faces, including Shawn Routten as general manager and Adam Hyatt as executive chef of the boutique hotel. Routten previously worked at the Epicurean for five years before his promotion to GM of Dunedin’s Fenway Hotel. Hyatt served as Fenway Hotel’s executive chef when the hotel first opened in 2018. Routten began his career as a front desk host at Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center while working his way up through the ranks to become general manager or Fenway Hotel in 2018. 1207 S Howard, Ave., Tampa. epicureanhotel.com

THAT’S SO DRIP: Aikeem Riley, owner of Saucin’ Wings food truck.

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20 | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | cltampa.com

‘Burb bird

The Westchase fried chicken war is on.

By Ray Roa

T

ampa’s King of the Coop Nashville hot chicken joint is expanding again and spicing up the suburbs by opening its third location in Westchase. Founder Joe Dodd told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that his Seminole Heightsbased restaurant is opening in the Sprouts plaza near the intersection of Sheldon Road and Linebaugh Avenue, and could be operational before the end of the summer depending on permitting and construction.

“We’ve learned a lot from our Seminole Heights location and have already picked up lessons from opening in Wesley Chapel,” Dodd explained. “So the Westchase location will be different from the others, but we think it’ll be the best one yet.”

The new location also happens to be directly across the street from another Tampa-based chicken restaurant, PDQ, and if you think the two local titans of fried chicken have a bone to pick with each other, you’re probably right.

When PDQ recently took to Instagram to post a pic of its spicy chicken sandwich and say “#PDQisbetter,” King of the Coop clucked back by posting a pic of its own sandwich with a caption that said, “*In our Juvenile voice* Oh, so you thought PDQ was better, haaa?

Oh y’all thought you had the superior spicy chicken sandwich, haaaa? Mic drop. #PDQWho #WeSeeYouOverThere #SeeYouSoon.”

PDQ shot back in the comments and said, “And you are???,” to which King of the Coop

replied, “Tampa’s favorite fried chicken spot— but we think you already knew that.”

So it looks like the Westchase fried chicken war is on, but Dodd insists that the fowl play is all in good fun. Plus, it’s Westchase, so folks commuting on the Veterans Expressway are probably just going to grab PDQ on the way to work and pick up King of the Coop for dinner on the way home anyway.

Dodd also transitioned the King of the Coop fried chicken recipe to one that is gluten-friendly, and told CL that his motivation for a move to the recipe was two-fold. For one, it’s healthier, but the new chicken also stays crispier in to-go boxes that have become the norm in pandemicera eating.

“Flour holds moisture. At home, if you don’t seal your flour, it gets hard and it becomes stale. I can’t stand that,” Dodd explained, adding the King of the Coop’s new recipe uses just two starches in a ratio that Dodd is keeping secret. “So this new recipe doesn’t hold any of the moisture from the oil. We’ve left it covered for an hour, and it was as crispy as when it came out of the fryer.”

The chicken—which is being fried, along with the now gluten-friendly catfish, in a separate fryer from the fries and hush puppies—is definitely crispier; 30 minutes later from the comfort of my office chair, the tender was as crispy as when it came to me at the restaurant.

And to be clear, gluten is no longer used in the King of the Coop fried chicken recipe.

OPENING

KINGOFTHECOOPTAMPA/FACEBOOK

SO SPICY: King of the Coop is already using fowl language in a beef with the PDQ across the street.

| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 21

Beer toggles

Tampa Bay Beer Week looks different in 2021.

By Alexandria Jones those who won a lottery will be able to pick up their bottle allotments on March 12, but Cigar City is hosting TBBW events at its taproom through March 14. In addition to Hunahpu’s pickups, the taproom will be open for full-service dining, drinking, and to-go beer and merchandise sales. 3924 W Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363. cigarcitybrewing.com Motorworks Brewing Tap Takeover/ Meet the Brewers Motorworks Brewing and C.1949 team up for a special tap takeover.

Guests can meet award-winning head brewer, Bob Haa, and choose from an eclectic list of 11 Motorworks Brewing brews including limited releases & exclusive one-offs. Prizes are given away every half hour. Free samples and swag are available for purchase. If you get the munchies, Saucin Wings food truck will be parked outside.

DRINKS

March 11 Beat the Brewers Trivia A special trivia night in honor of TBBW featuring questions about local and American craft beer. Brewers will play as a team against customers. Game prizes include behind the scenes access of the brewery. 7:30 p.m-9 p.m. 4101 N Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-990-7310. brewbususa.com Beer Dinner with Civil Society Brewing Co. Five beer varieties on draft from Civil Society Brewing Co. are paired with the scratchmade items from bier boutique. $60. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. 465 7th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-8272691. thebierboutiquestpete.com Coppertail five-course dinner and beer pairing Dishes for the night include braised beef cheeks, maque choux & scallops, and smoked creme bruleé. Each dish is paired with a beer.

Tickets are available via coppertailbrewing.com. $45. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. 2601 E 2nd Ave., Ybor City, 813-247-1500. coppertailbrewing.com Woven Water Brewing Company Through Saturday, March 13, Tampa Heights’ new Woven Water Brewing is dropping collabs with Calusa Brewing (“Death Grass” hazy double IPA), Corporate Ladder Brewing (“Dessert Station: InTANGible” fruited sour), Tripping Animals Brewing (“Can of Worms” double IPA, “No Mames” Mexican lager) and its own first barrel aged stout release. 456 W Columbus Ave., Tampa. 813-443-9463. wovenwaterbrew.com

7 p.m.-10 p.m. 6905 N Orleans Ave., Tampa, 813990-8883. c1949.com Wake Up with Wakefield A full tap takeover by J Wakefield Brewing at Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe. The event calls for “Star Wars jammies, crowns + your best Biggie Smalls.”

Guests are asked to bring their own tasting glasses and water to the event. Event starts at 9 a.m. 2927 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727800-2810. hbsforlife.com March 13 Escape Brewing bike crawl All cyclists from beginners to experts can take a leisurely bike ride around Trinity with the folks at Escape Brewing. The group will make stops at The Wicked Pour and AR French for an hour each before returning to the brewery for an after-party with a new beer release. Bring

water and dress comfortably. Noon-4 p.m. 9945 Trinity Blvd. Unit 108, Trinity, 727-807-6092. escapebrewingcompany.com Salut De La Peche can release Join Troubled Waters Brewing for the release of its Salut De La Peche in 8 oz. cans. Salut De La Peche is a Belgian dark strong ale aged in peach brandy barrels and beer will be available on draft as well. Cans will be released at noon and available until sold out. Noon-8 p.m. 670 Main St., Safety Harbor, 727-221-7793. troubledwatersbrewing.com March 14 Coppertail Brewing Co. Sunday brunch The brunch menu includes dishes like baked seafood avocado and fluffer nutter french toast. Get tickets online. $30. Noon-3 p.m. 2601 E 2nd Ave., Tampa, 813-247-1500. coppertailbrewing.com

HIDDENSPRINGSALEWORKS/FACEBOOK

R

aise your beer glasses and rejoice because Tampa Bay Beer Week kicked off on Monday, March 8. In 2021, the celebration is focused on “more intimate samplings; bottle releases; rare beer tappings and tap takeovers; and various other well-planned, socially-distanced event concepts,” and this year’s events include breweries collaborating together and releasing some new stuff too. Here are just a few we know about. Find out about more events at tampabaybeerweek.com.

March 12 Bête Noire can release Join Troubled Waters Brewing for the release of its new product Bête Noire, a Belgian Golden strong ale aged in pinot noir barrels. Beer will be available on draft while cans will be released at 2 p.m. and available until sold out. 2 p.m-8 p.m. 670 Main St., Safety Harbor, 727-221-9973. troubledwatersbeer.com Hunahpu’s Day The annual release of Cigar City Brewing’s Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout is usually considered the big to-do of TBBW, but this year it looks a little different. Only

22 | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | cltampa.com

SPRING SIPS: You’ll need to be seated to remove a mask during TBBW 2021.

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PETE PRIDE T S PRESENTS

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24 | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | cltampa.com

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In the wake of concerns about the novel coronavirus, it’s best to call or visit the websites of these breweries to check on their offerings.

CIGAR CITY BREWING Tampa’s most famous craft brewery. There’s also a taproom at Amalie Arena. 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of the Warehouse Arts District’s most popular hangouts, and a beautiful facility in which to drink some great brews. 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com

CLEARWATER BREWING CO. Community-oriented and socially and environmentally conscious. 1700 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. clearwaterbrewingcompany.com

3 KEYS BREWING South-of-the-Skyway restaurant and brewery specializing in small batches. 2505 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. 951-218-0396, 3keysbrewing.com 7VENTH SUN BREWING Some of the best sours, IPAs and collabs going. Two locations. 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013/6809 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa.

813-231-5900, 7venthsun.com 81BAY BREWING CO. South Tampa’s first craft brewery boasts a wide variety of styles. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com ANGRY CHAIR Crazy-good Tampa beer, open Tuesday-Sunday. 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com ANTIBREWERY Dunedin’s secret Sundays-only nano.

1367 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Dunedin ARKANE ALEWORKS A wide variety of styles and flavors from the second brewery to open in Largo. 2480 E. Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com AVID BREWING This Grand Central brewing supply shop added a taproom for its beers crafted in-house. 1745 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-388-6756, avidbrew.com BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. Lager-specific brewery, carrying on an over 150 year brewing legacy. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. barriehaus.com BAY CANNON BEER CO. West Tampa's first craft brewery, offering a variety of ever evolving beers, beer slushies and wine that pair perfectly with appetizers and entrées from the kitchen. 813-442-5615, baycannon.com BIG STORM BREWING CO. Stop by this Pasco brewery’s Storm Room for a flight, or visit their taproom on 49th Street in Clearwater, too. 2330 Success Dr., Odessa. 727-807-7998, bigstormbrewery.com BIG TOP BREWING Perhaps Sarasota’s premier purveyor of locally crafted beer, Big Top’s reputation has spread far beyond the region. 6111 Porter Way, Sarasota.

941-371-2939, bigtopbrewing.com BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. This Brandon taproom from Bootleggers Beer & Wine Home Brewing Supplies offers house-made suds and guest beers. 652 Oakfield Dr., Brandon. 813-643-9463, bootleggersbrewco.com BRASSERIE ST. SOMEWHERE Award-winning Belgian farmhouse ales from veteran Bay area brewer Bob Sylvester. 1441 Savannah Ave., Tarpon Springs. 813503-6181, saintsomewherebrewing.com BREW BUS BREWING BB brews its own suds, boasts 20 taps and offers food at its Eatery, too. 4101 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-990-7310, brewbususa.com BREW HUB Some of the area’s best beers are produced here along with suds for their own label. 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com BREW LIFE BREWING Ultra-small batches, and a lot of ‘em. 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. A multitude of styles from former garage brewers is on tap in Valrico.

3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bullfrogcreekbrewing.com CAGE BREWING Custom brews in the Grand Central District from one of the ‘Burg’s newest. 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278 CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the historic Dunedin Times building. 587 Main St., Dunedin.

727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com CALUSA BREWING Family owned and operated, opened Tuesday to Sunday. 5701 Derek Ave., Sarasota.

941-922-8150, calusabrewing.com CARROLLWOOD BREWING CO. “Secret” brewing action inside the Carrollwood location of craft-bar chain The Brass Tap. 10047 N. Dale Mabry HWY, STE 23, Tampa. 813-969-2337

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com COTEE RIVER BREWING Craft beer in the heart of historic downtown New Port Richey. 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-807-6806, coteeriverbrewing.com CRAFT LIFE BREWING Small-batch local brews and a sort of playground or LoL’s craft brewing guild. 4624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-575-8440. facebook.com/CraftLifeBrewing CROOKED THUMB BREWERY Safety Harbor’s first brewery boasts homegrown flavor and local guest taps. 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-724-5953, crookedthumbbrew.com CUENI BREWING CO. Located off the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com CYCLE BREWING One of St. Pete’s favorites. 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com DARWIN BREWING CO. Unique beers crafted with South American influence. 803 17th Ave. W., Bradenton. 941-7471970, darwinbrewingco.com DE BINE BREWING CO. This addition bolsters the Northern Pinellas craft beer scene. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964.

DISSENT BREWING CO. Unique flavors and adventurous style outside downtown St. Pete. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-342-0255.

DUNEDIN BREWERY Florida’s oldest. Beer, eats and live music.

937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER This beer stop brews its own, and also has 40 guest taps. 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com ESCAPE BREWING CO. Another very worthy Odessa/Trinity destination.

9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727807-6092, escapebrewingcompany.com FIVE BRANCHES Veteran-owned brewery, small batches from IPAs to stouts. Serving up brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 531 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. fivebranchesbrewing.com

HOB BREWING CO. Rotating taps; some of the beers are brewed on-site and alongside a combination of local breweries plus local and international craft beer makers.

931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. hob.beer IF I BREWED THE WORLD This self-described “mixtape of breweries” offers a bit of everything from the classic to the fun and outrageous. 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com IN THE LOOP BREWING Family-friendly Land O’ Lakes brewery with a lot of community support and plenty of events. 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com INFUSION BREWING CO. Another great location in the good-beer-packed Trinity/New Port Richey area.

7813 Mitchell Blvd. Ste 103, Trinity. 727-312-4512.

INOCULUM ALE WORKS These folks are crazy for sours, and know how to craft ‘em. 554 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. inoculumaleworks.com JDUB’S BREWING COMPANY You know ‘em, you love ‘em. A favorite statewide phenomenon. 1215 Mango Ave., Sarasota. 941-955-2739, jdubsbrewing.com LAGERHAUS BREWERY & GRILL A Palm Harbor bar and eatery that offers seasonal brews to complement their regulars. 3438 East Lake Business, Palm Harbor. 727-216-9682, lagerhausbrewery.com LATE START BREWING This beloved Tampa label does its thing inside the Pour House.

1208 E. Kennedy Blvd. #112, Tampa. 813-402-2923, latestartbrewing.com LEAVEN BREWING Riverview’s first brewery is run by folks who’ve got experience brewing big and small. 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813-6777023, leavenbrewing.com MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING Brews, ciders, and meads by the beach. 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-362-0008, madbeachbrewing.com MARKER 48 Hernando’s first production craft brewery, with its own tasting room and beer garden 12147 Cortez Blvd, Weeki Wachee. 352-606-2509, marker48.com MASTRY’S BREWING CO. From CD Roma’s restaurant to sweet new digs on St. Pete Beach. 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. 727-2028045 mastrysbrewingco.com MOTORWORKS BREWING A taproom and beer garden featuring full liquor and wine as well as 30 taps. 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton. 941-5676218, motorworksbrewing.com

FLYING BOAT BREWING COMPANY St. Pete aviation history and tasty homegrown suds. 1776 11th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-2999, flyingboatbrewing.com

MR. DUNDERBAK’S The longtime restaurant, biergarten and homebrewers’ hangout is serving up its own beers. 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813-9774104, dunderbaks.com

FOUR STACKS BREWING An always-changing lineup of local and regional guest suds, along with trivia, live music and more. 5469 N. US HWY 41, Apollo Beach.

813-641-2036, fourstacksbrewing.com

NAUGHTY MONK BREWERY Naughty Monk brings a love of Belgian styles to Manatee County. 2507 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton. 941-708-2966, naughtymonkbrewery.com

GREEN BENCH BREWING COMPANY A space worthy of the adventurous beers it produces. 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com

OVERFLOW BREWING St. Pete’s newest, courtesy of local Rapp head brewer Troy Bledsoe and company. 770 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-914-0665, facebook. com/overflowbrewingco

GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. Thirty taps and food (and a coffee roaster!) from a husband-and-wife duo. 4824 14th St. W., Bradenton. 941-896-6381, thegoodliquidbrewing.co GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts. 1650 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-2400804, grindhausbrewlab.com GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches with an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Tampa. facebook.com/GulfportBrewery HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS This Tampa Heights brewery features a rotating tap selection. 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com

26 | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | cltampa.com

RAPP BREWING COMPANY Greg Rapp’s awardwinning styles are carefully crafted and delicious. 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER This video gamecentric Grand Central District craft beer bar started brewing its own in early 2018. 2244 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-360-0766, stpetearcadebar.com ROCK BROTHERS BREWING Brews named for national and local bands have a home in Ybor City. 1901 N. 15th St., Ybor City. 813-241-0110, rockbrothersbrewing.com SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY House-crafted brews, pizza, and sports out toward beautiful Siesta Key. 6607 Gateway Ave., Sarasota. 941-925-2337, sarasotabrewing.com SILVERKING BREWING CO. This space in Tarpon Springs complements a label that’s been around since 2012. 325 East Lemon St., Tarpon Springs. 727-4227598, silverkingbrewing.com SIX TEN BREWING A wide variety and a real passion for the craft-brew community. 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-886-0610, sixtenbrewing.com SOGGY BOTTOM BREWING More Dunedin goodness, including some truly original flavors and inventive brews. 660 Main St., Dunedin. 727-601-1698, soggybottombrewing.com SOUTHERN BREWING & WINEMAKING Multiple brews only available in its tasting room, as well as products and guidance for local homebrewers. 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com ST. PETE BREWING COMPANY Beers crafted specifically for the climate. 544 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

727-692-8809, stpetebrewingcompany.com STILT HOUSE BREWERY This friendly Palm Harbor joint specializes in high-ABV ales and other styles you won’t find at other breweries in the area. 625 US Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727-270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com SWAN BREWING Nearly 4 decades of combined brewing experience go into the offerings at this pet-friendly joint. 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland. 863-703-0472, swanbrewing.com TBBC Formerly Tampa Bay Brewing Co., local favorite for nearly two decades. 1600 E. 8th Ave., Ybor City/13933 Monroe’s Business Park, Westchase. 813-247-1422, tbbc.beer TAMPA BEER WORKS At the former site of ESB Brewing, TBW focuses on American craft styles. 333 N. Falkenburg Rd., Suite D407 Tampa. 813-685-1909, tampabeerworks.com TIDAL BREWING COMPANY Small batches in Spring Hill. 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-7011602, tidalbrewingfl.com TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY Tarpon Springs’ latest brewery and taproom focuses on American ale styles. 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-6077, facebook.com/twofrogsbrewing KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN ALE + CIDER Tasty brews from the folks behind Keel & Curley winery. 5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City. 813-752-9100, keelandcurleywinery.com TWO LIONS WINERY & PALM HARBOR BREWERY Wine and beer brewed in-house.

1022 Georgia Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-786-8039, twolionswinery.com ULELE SPRING BREWERY Beer crafted in accordance with traditional Bavarian purity laws. 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com THE WILD ROVER BREWERY What started as an English pub in Odessa is now a higher-production facility in Westchase. 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa.

813-475-5995, thewildroverbrewery.com

PEPPER BREWING The Angry Pepper Taphouse’s in-house label, available “on a limited basis.” 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertaphouse.com

WOODWRIGHT BREWING COMPANY Traditional German styles in downtown Dunedin. 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-238-8717, facebook.com/ woodwrightbrewing

PESKY PELICAN BREW PUB This beachy restaurant also offers up its own beers thanks to an in-house nano system. 923 72nd. St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600, peskypelicanbrewpub.com

ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY East Paco’s first microbrewery. 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills.

813-715-2683, zbcbeer.com

PINELLAS ALE WORKS PAW offers a dog-friendly environment in addition to tasty brews. 1962 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-235-0970, pawbeer.com

ZYDECO BREW WERKS Craft brews in Ybor thanks to an award-winning brewmaster, as well as full bars and NOLA-influenced cuisine. 1902 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City.

813-252-4541, facebook.com/Zydecobrewwerks

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| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 27

28 | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | cltampa.com

FILM & TV The Father

Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St., Tampa March 11-12, 18-19 (Thursdays and Fridays), 7:30 p.m.

March 13 & 20 (Saturdays), 4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. March 14 & 21 (Sundays), 3 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available for online only at tampatheatre.org

THEATER

ART

CULTURE

Screen time

Get ready to put the phone away and fall back in love with Tampa Theatre.

By Ray Roa

C

ontactless ticketing means a shuttered box office, but moviegoers walking through the lobby doors and into Tampa Theatre this weekend will notice that most everything else about the historic movie palace appears remarkably familiar. Spring cleaning, only made possible by a year without in-person screenings, mostly went down in nooks that only the five resident ghosts regularly access. Still, one of Tampa Bay’s most iconic buildings will seem just a bit foreign to even the most devout supporter, and that subtle change isn’t onscreen, on the walls, or in the PA. It’s in the air.

“I’m trying to think of a way to say this that’s kind of whimsical, but some of our repeat guests may have noticed that the building— being almost 100 years old—had a distinctive smell from time to time,” James DeFord told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. The theater’s Manager for Marketing & Community Relations is laughing because in the past that unique aroma usually made itself known when it was a bit humid inside.

But that special scent has now been mitigated and virtually eliminated thanks to a new HVAC system which the theater desperately needed, even before the pandemic, to help preserve the building. As part of a collaborative “Prevention Response Outreach Program” led by Tampa General Hospital, the new air conditioning was the biggest of all the essential moving elements that make up the venue’s plan to reopen safely.

“The ability to get air moving around better has made it so that the smell is a little less library, a little more normal,” DeFord chuckled, adding that the unique skeleton of the structure meant that parts for the HVAC had to be custom built.

Jokes aside, DeFord and the theater team are taking a deep breath themselves because on March 11, the 1,200-seat auditorium welcomes cinephiles back inside exactly one year to the day after closing them out due to the COVID19 pandemic. “The Father,” nominated four times at the 2021 Golden Globes, will screen for a maximum of 200 fans on opening night.

Those fans, like so many others who’ve returned to live sporting events and outdoor concerts, will sit socially distanced thanks to blocked off seats and get their temperatures checked by a touch-free forehead scanner (anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher will be sent away).

They’ll wear masks unless seated and eating or drinking concessions ordered via mobile phone app, and they’re expected to gather in groups of no larger than six.

The movie screens 11 more times on seven separate days until March 21. Tampa Theatre president and CEO John Bell called the initial screenings a “test balloon.” If the test goes well, then those fans—and anyone else comfortable enough to go the movies as the world gets vaccinated and slinks out from underneath this once-in-a-century pandemic—will keep returning, increasingly, at what’s easily one of the most iconic theaters in the world.

“We have plans for the next two or three films that we would show, we try to do these Oscarnominated shorts every year... but nothing is solid yet,” DeFord said. “If this first weekend goes well, and people are excited, then we’ll find a way to keep supporting that excitement. We want to be open as much as they want to come.”

And make no mistake, with seats going from $8.50-$13.50, it’s safe to say that limited-capacity screenings won’t exactly pay the rent—it’ll take continued community support through donations and membership to do that.

These screenings, however, do represent the theater’s good faith effort to reconnect with supporters and see how the community responds. Most importantly, they are a chance for folks who’ve missed the in-real-life movie watching experience to feel human again.

For DeFord that means actually being immersed in a film without being distracted by the hum of the chores in your washer and dryer, a burning desire to check that phone notification, or the sound of your dog telling you it needs to take a piss. Even you probably shouldn’t relieve yourself while watching the kind of movies Tampa Theatre is showing.

“There’s just an energy when you get enough people in the same room.”

“These aren’t blockbusters where you can come in three minutes late and not miss anything or go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie,” DeFord said. He misses seeing a film in a building built for audiences that gazed at silent movies soundtracked by an orchestra and organ. Even the Tampa Theatre Wurlitzer will be helmed by acclaimed organist and longtime friend of the theater, Dr. Steven Ball on March 11. “There’s just an energy when you get enough people in the same room. The whole room is built to focus you in on the screen and the stage and focus the sound right onto your ears—to amplify the experience of being around all of these other people having the same experience as you.”

DeFord, said interest in the reopening has been high, with lots of encouragement from fans of theater, knows there are others who just can’t see themselves being in the seats just yet.

And that’s fine.

“There will be some people who aren’t comfortable yet, and, honestly, don’t feel obligated, don’t feel guilty, and don’t come if you feel like it’s beyond your personal risk threshold,” DeFord said. “If this is too much for you right now, we get it, and we’ll be here when you’re ready.”

Even with increased vaccinations, the future going forward looks different. We might be wearing masks for at least another year. But health officials have said that official Super Bowl events were not the massive superspreaders many feared they might be (contact tracing, or the lack of it, plus unofficial events, be damned).

It’s hard to think of anyone who doesn’t see the experiment happening at Tampa Theatre this weekend as a good indicator of things to come.

Let’s just hope the sniff test goes well.

JEFF FAY/TAMPA THEATRE

MOVIES

SNIFF TEST: A downtown icon launches a ‘test balloon’ when it reopens to actual people this weekend.

| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 29

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Fluttery feeling

When it’s finished, the conservatory will of butterflies and moths, especially those native have classroom space for field trips and sum- to Florida. mer camps, a laboratory area for traveling “We have a lot of species that aren’t really researchers, an insectarium, a koi pond, rotat- found anywhere else—endemic taxa,” Daniels ing butterfly life cycle windows, an exhibit on said. “And they’re increasingly under threat.” native oak species and a 2,000-square-foot “butDaniels points out the plight of the monterfly rainforest” housing up to 400 butterflies. arch and the Miami blue butterfly. While the Camacho describes the space as an immersive, monarch is still wide ranging, he says the monarch is a migrating species, Florida has living science museum. populations have decreased 80%-90%in the its own population of monarchs that stay put “They’ll learn as they’re going through last 30 years. The Miami blue, which had a the conservatory… throughout the year. wider range in the 1960s and ‘70s, is Besides being a hot spot to buy pesticide-free learning about these now one of the rarest native plants, Camacho’s nursery also educates creatures and how butterflies in North customers on the importance of what they’re buy- they can help,” she Butterfly Conservatory of Tampa Bay ing. Each cluster of pots has colorful cards that said. “Planting the America. at Little Red Wagon Native Plant Nursery According to explain the care and keeping of the plant as well seeds of conserva4113 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. butterflytampa.com as which butterfly or pollinator is attracted to it. tion—that’s what the Daniels’ research at the Florida Museum, The Bahama cassia shrub includes a pic- conservatory does. ture of an orange barred sulphur butterfly and We’re trying to do that and promote the native the only wild Miami blue populations left are in the Key West and Great White Heron National the water hyssop pots note that it’s a larval plant species at the same time.”

Part of the reason why butterfly gardening Wildlife Refuges. host plant to the white peacock butterfly. The “Like California, Florida has some of the golden ragwort pots—and about a dozen other is so easy, Camacho said, is that it doesn’t take plant varieties at the nursery—have a card that acres to create one. You could have two plants same pressures: growing population, habitats says the plant is a great nectar source for bees, and have a butterfly garden for monarchs, she under threat, human encroachment, urban said: milkweed for the eggs and caterpillars encroachment, and other pressures like pesbutterflies and hummingbirds. ticides, mosquito control, climate change and invasive species,” Daniels said. “But people can make a difference; they should not think that they’re removed from this.”

Daniels said small changes anyone can make include adding more blooming and native plants and mowing the lawn less, which reduces water usage and supports more insect species that are crucial to the native environment.

And, having places like Camacho’s native plant nursery and butterfly conservatory gets people excited about these crucial creatures.

“You walk through a butterfly exhibit…you get excited about the experience. It’s as much emotional and excitement-driven as it is a place to get real resources,” Daniels said. “We want to get more people excited and understand that they can help—that’s the big message.”

According to the Florida Museum, there are about 46 different species of butterflies in Hillsborough County, including Florida’s state butterfly, the zebra heliconian. One of the key goals of Camacho’s conservatory is to get locals MONARCH MAVEN: Anita Camacho at the future home of Butterfly Conservatory of Tampa Bay. excited about butterfly conservation in their own area by immersing them in a recreation “It improves our health…having natural and a nectar-producing plant for the adult mon- of natural Florida. things around us,” Camacho said. “You don’t archs to feed on.

“It will be a tranquil experience of walking The same goes for other native butterfly through free flying butterflies and people can have to have a green thumb for butterfly gardening. It’s probably the easiest gardening anyone and pollinator species—even just having pot- see different landscapes and what they attract,” ted native plants on a patio or front porch can Camacho said. “It just starts to grow; people can ever do.” become much more aware of what they’re doing.

Soon, the nursery will also be home to the make a big difference.

“You plant it and they come; it’s about that It grows into other avenues of our lives…so we Butterfly Conservatory of Tampa Bay, which is currently under construction and slated to simple,” Camacho said. “Every garden matters. can put back what we’ve taken away.”

The Butterfly Conservatory of Tampa Bay open at the end of spring. To get to it, visitors Every plant matters.”

Dr. Jaret Daniels seconds that sentiment. is slated to open in late spring at the Little Red will venture through the nursery’s gift shop and pop-up education space that temporarily He’s an entomologist and curator at the Florida Wagon Native Nursery, 4113 Henderson Blvd., houses mesh enclosures of some native butter- Museum of Natural History’s McGuire Center Tampa. Learn more about the native plants flies in their caterpillar stage and several tanks for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. Essentially, he available at the nursery and the butterflies they specializes in insect conservation and research host at littleredwagonnativenursery.com. of native reptiles.

Conservatory dedicated to Florida butterflies and native plants is headed to South Tampa.

By Chelsea Zukowski

T

ENVIRONMENT

CHELSEA ZUKOWSKI

ucked away on a busy thoroughfare in South Tampa is a quiet slice of natural Florida that’s soon to be teeming with hundreds of native butterflies.

It will be the Tampa Bay area’s first butterfly conservatory, and its goal is to “put a little bit of Florida back in Florida.”

Founder Anita Camacho told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay her passion for pollinators and spreading environmental awareness locally began about 25 years ago when her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Research into the disease led Camacho to learn about the long term effects of exposure to pesticides and chemicals.

Since then, Camacho has dedicated much of her personal and professional life to spreading the word about the benefits of chemical-free gardening, native plant gardening and native pollinator conservation.

Butterflies—which will be celebrated on March 14 as part of National Learn About Butterflies Day—are an indicator species, Camacho said, and “their decline is telling us there’s a big problem…and we got to listen.”

Camacho grew up in Land O’Lakes and graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in accounting. She’s a certified public account by trade but has been an avid gardener and butterfly lover since she was a child. Over her years in the Tampa Bay area, she joined local gardening and butterfly groups, growing her passion in “every spare minute I had.”

She’s now the founder of the Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation and president of the Tampa Bay chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. The headquarters for her conservation efforts is the Little Red Wagon Native Plant Nursery on Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa. Camacho officially opened the place in August 2020 after a successful native plant drive-up sales to “do something positive” during the pandemic.

“You don’t have to go to a park to see nature… it should be all around us,” she said. “These are the things that evolved here, and wildlife needs those plants.”

Camacho said 99% of the nursery consists of plants native to Florida. The other 1% is a small group of non-native, noninvasive herbs that are beneficial to some species of butterflies.

There are rows of cabbage palm and coral honeysuckle and clusters of maypop passionflower and stoke’s aster. The pots of milkweed sell out fast because of its importance in an ongoing global conversation about protecting the endangered monarch butterfly. Though the

| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 31

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March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Wand-erful news

St. Petersburg’s getting a permanent magic theater.

“African Americans are about 20% more likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer and also have less favorable outcomes as it relates to mortality.”

By Stephanie Powers

M

agicians and husbands Chris and Ryan Zubrick are permanently anchoring their family-friendly act in St. Petersburg, with the scheduled summer opening of Zubrick Magic Theatre at 1211 1st Ave. N Suite 101.

The Zubricks, who met in Michigan in 2005, both had been practicing and performing magic at an early age. They soon created a two-man show, and as they told the Gays with Kids website, “we had chemistry on stage and off, and the rest is history.”

The Zubricks performed their show for 12 years in Saipan—the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands, a 16-hour flight from Manila—and Guam where they won “Best Family Magic Show” by the International Magicians Society (some people say the award is the equivalent to an Oscar in the magic world).

The 70-minute show features grand-scale illusions, sleight of hand tricks and audience participation. By the looks of it, all the accoutrements that one would expect from a magic theater are present: fog, lamé fabric, white birds, sequins and a scantily clad assistant.

I think the Zubrick family is going to turn around my loathing of magic that I’ve had for the last decade. I knew a magician once, in fact dated one, and it didn’t go, or end, well.

I know first hand magicians hate when you ruin their illusions.

I’ll tell the Zubricks what I told my ex, you can’t get mad at someone for ruining your sleight-of-hand card trick when you are doing it at 2 a.m. at The Hub. Don’t go bringing your magic into bars people, stick to the theater like the Zubricks.

And I’ll tell you Creative Loafing Tampa Bay readers, what I’ve told anyone who will listen since the magician dumped me: don’t date a magician unless you are also a magician. The only thing they’ll make disappear is your sex drive. Boom.

And never, ever date a magician that is also an aspiring clown. Because after they dump you, and move to New York, you might have to overnight clown shoes for a commercial they’ve booked.

And nothing makes a breakup worse than holding a pair of your exes clown shoes while drinking a bottle of Pinot Grigio. This is, sadly, a true story.

Tickets for the show are $40, or $117 for two VIP front row seats. There will be movie theater-style snacks available plus beer and wine for purchase. More information is at zubrickmagic.com.

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Hiring Hearns

TBHC names Curator of Black History.

By Ray Roa

I

t’s no secret that the staff at Tampa Bay like Encore Housing development and Perry History Center (TBHC) should be your first Harvey Park honored Black history. stop when trying to learn the background Hearns will pause his doctorate work at the on any local landmark or event, but that staff University of South Florida, where he holds just added another local history superstar to one of his two master’s degrees, but USF’s loss its ranks. is the entire community’s gain.

On Feb. 26, TBHC named longtime Tampeño, “In a way, Fred has always been a part journalist, author and community advocate Fred of this organization,” said C.J. Roberts, the Hearns as its Curator of Black History. Hearns History Center’s President and CEO. “He has led more than 300 tours of historic Tampa served as a Trustee, he’s led walking tours, neighborhoods, and will be and has served as an advisor and supporter for more tasked with joining existing TBHC staff—including than a decade,” he said.

Saunders Foundation Curator of Public History “Hiring him as Curator of Black History forDr. Brad Massey and Touchton Map Library malizes his ongoing involvement with the Director Rodney Kite-Powell—as they not only History Center.” assist with research on lost Black cemeteries, Recently, TBHC also became one of six but also revamp part of the history center’s per- other Tampa Bay museums offering free manent exhibit galleries. admission for SNAP food assistance recipiHearns and Kite-Powell also recently dis- ents. Last summer Tampa’s Museum of Art cussed the history behind downtown Tampa’s also started offering free admission to anyone Jackson House, but Hearns is no stranger to on food assistance. Other local museums that TBHC. are part of the proIn 2004, thengram include St. mayor Pam Iorio Pete’s Morean Arts appointed Hearns Center and Great to represent the Explorations City of Tampa C h i l d r e n’s on the History Museum, the Center’s Board Glazer Children’s of Trustees. He Museum in downalso played a part town Tampa and in making sure the James Museum Black history was of Western and represented in the Wildlife Art. The construction of the Museum of Science Riverwalk. and Industry (MOSI) in north “I was thrilled Tampa is also a that I got to have some input into member. how the history Museums for of Black people All is a national, in Tampa should branded access program that be reflected and honored,” encourages indiHearns—who viduals of all FREDDY, READY: Fred Hearns has led more arrived from the backgrounds to than 300 tours of historic Tampa neighborhoods.

Bronx before visit museums growing up in East Tampa—wrote in a press regularly and build lifelong museum habits. release. Hearns’s community work includes According to the program’s website, the cost of leading a charge to restore his alma mater, museum admission can be a barrier for many Middleton High School, and build both the low-income families.

78th Street Community Library and a new Through Museums for All, free or reduced Robert W. Saunders Public Library. admission is available to eligible members of He eventually retired as director of the the public at more than 500 museums across Department of Community Affairs under the country. Thanks to Museums for All has Iorio in 2007 after a 32-year run, but not benefitted more than 2.5 million visitors since before weighing in to make sure that projects its inception in 2014.

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36 | MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | cltampa.com

LOOK NO FURTHER: Frances McDormand should be a safe bet to win her third Oscar.

When in roam

Prepare for the trip of a lifetime with the lyrical, melancholy ‘Nomadland.’

By John Allman

W

atching “Nomadland,” the stunning ode Fern works when she needs to, laboring at to self-reliance and purposeful isolation, Amazon warehouses and tourist-y welcome cenyou can’t help but be amazed by the film’s ters to make enough cash in the short-term to lyrical beauty even as you experience waves of provide enough relief to bridge the divide. She undeniable sadness mixed caravans with a few familwith the sense that you’re iar faces along the way, and briefly sets up with a tribal witnessing your future in the Nomadland most prescient way possible. community of aging boomers ★★★★ It’s also fitting that writerwho have lived off the grid Now in theaters and streaming on Hulu director Chloé Zhao and star for years.

Frances McDormand should be safe bets to win Credit to Zhao for using real people, and not their first and third Academy Awards, respectively, professional actors, to play these roles because, based on this monumental achievement. as a viewer, you feel the truth of their experiMcDormand is everywoman Fern, the ence that much more simply by studying their embodiment of the American experience in the sun-kissed, wind-swept faces as they share their uncertain, unstable aughts that served in hind- own personal stories. sight as a dire warning bell for the shitshow of “Nomadland” is not a traditional Hollywood the past few years. narrative. There’s no inherent drama, no manuAfter losing her husband to illness and her factured crisis, no end destination, no noticeable longtime job to the Great Recession, Fern is character arcs. “Nomadland” is exactly what it forced to shift her focus and priorities as she is, which is a testament to survival and ingetakes to the open road as a nomadic wanderer, nuity, which is perfectly fitting for the radically living out of her repurposed van. different world we now inhabit.

FILM & TV

SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

The way life used to be wasn’t easy, but the experience of living since the financial free fall 14 years ago is considerably more difficult. We as a society are learning first-hand what our foremothers and forefathers from the 1930s encountered, that sense of uncertainty when gripped with fear, the struggle to summon perseverance, to call forth resolve when hope seems lost. It’s a part of our history we shouldn’t be surprised to see repeating, even in our advanced technological age.

Humans, as a whole, are more connected today than ever before, yet also more disconnected too. Far too many people only know about the outside world, and how to survive in it, by watching YouTube videos.

“Nomadland” serves as a poignant reminder that no matter our age, we can still adapt if we truly make the effort.

McDormand is revelatory, and not just because she seems like the only choice to play a character like Fern. She conveys more emotion with her eyes, her pursed lips and her body language while sitting alone in a cramped cargo compartment than most actors can summon on their best day, surrounded by all the trappings of a multi-million-dollar production.

Zhao also is revelatory, especially when you consider that “Nomadland” is just her third feature-length film since 2015. It also makes sense watching how she balances the human elements while still allowing the natural world to dominate nearly every frame of “Nomadland” why Marvel Studios decided to take a huge risk on a relatively unknown talent to helm their next big tentpole franchise, “Eternals,” which likely won’t debut until 2022 due to COVID-19.

This isn’t a light-hearted happy movie, the kind of film you watch again and again, but it’s an incredibly important roadmap for what life might become, and how we can carve out a place in it, that couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

John W. Allman has spent more than 25 years as a professional journalist and writer, but he’s loved movies his entire life. Good movies, awful movies, movies that are so gloriously bad you can’t help but champion them. Since 2009, he has cultivated a review column and now a website dedicated to the genre films that often get overlooked and interviews with cult cinema favorites like George A. Romero, Bruce Campbell and Dee Wallace. Contact him on Facebook @ BloodViolenceBabes or on Twitter @BVB_reviews.

“The film is perfectly fitting for the radically different world we now inhabit.”

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THU MARCH 11 – WED MARCH 17 Expect a mask requirement, temperature checks and social-distancing. Whether you go or not, you can still donate to the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), the nonprofit DeGeorge has been working with to help Save Our Stages. Find links to more information on the shows via cltampa.com/ magazine. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

C-Rena

MARLO MILLER C/O GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Will Evans Will Evans, former frontman of roots-rock band Barefoot Truth, is playing solo these days, and on Friday he kicks off a two-night stand at the Safety Harbor Arts and Music Center (SHAMc). A longtime surfer, Evans works that Jack Johnson upscale-beach bar vibe but with way more depth, live-looping and instrumentation. I’m not encouraging an ayahuasca trip, but the man plays the goddamn didgeridoo, so you make the call. Though a lot of you are getting vaccinated, SHAMc still has a mask requirement. If you can’t make it and still want to donate to the nonprofit, you can pitch in via a vetted and legit PayPal account that you can link to by finding this show preview on cltampa.com/magazine. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor)

SAT 13

By Stephanie Powers C Designated Safe And Sound Venue On Tuesday, state data reported 4,426 new coronavirus cases and 132 deaths—locally, Tampa Bay added 734 cases and 56 deaths. And while the Tampa Bay Times reports that 182,365 people have been vaccinated in Hillsborough (175,649 in Pinellas), 32,481 have died from the virus statewide. That’s several thousand reasons to adhere to any music venue’s COVID-19 protocol (except for maybe the Dallas Bull’s), but the live local music scene is picking itself up. We’ve marked the gigs at venues that have joined a Tampa-based and city-recognized “Safe & Sound” initiative that pledges to strictly enforce limited capacity, mask wearing and social distancing—and tried our best to explain COVID-19 protocols at venues that not able to join Tampa’s “Safe & Sound” program.

FRI 12

Hot Tonic Floridian Social Club, aka the former State Theatre, is remodeled and hosting almost daily live shows. This weekend the venue’s booked the acoustic swing cover band Hot Tonic on Friday and St. Petersburg rock band Black Bird Morning on Saturday. Sunday jazz with Bryan Hughes brings revolving guest musicians every week. Along with the fancy new venue, the Floridian has a fancy new cocktail program to boot so even though most of the shows are free, buy a cocktail, or several,

to support. We need to have nice things.

(Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg) C Oxford Noland w/Hollowhouse Indie rock band Oxford Noland, made up of cousins Shua Harrell and Aaron “Bucky” Buckingham, is the best thing to come out of Plant City since Parkesdale Farms strawberry milkshakes and the 1990 Cincinnati Reds. The duo has also recorded all of its live shows as of late in preparation for its new album One Take Live. The duo’s “Make a Live Album Tour’’ continues at this gig which will not only be multi-track recorded but filmed. So look cute and keep your mask on— you don’t want the kind of oopsy Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis had recently. Hollowhouse opens the Safe and Sound show. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa) C Who Run the World: Nat Lee w/ Fantastical Tigers/Emily Turnage Healthy Phoenix is camping out at Crowbar this weekend. On Friday, the promoter hosts “Who Run the World” with Nat Lee, Fantastical Tigers and Emily Turnage. And in case you don’t know who “Run the World,” it’s girls—hence the all-female lineup. Might want to bring a tissue, too, because Fantasicial Tigers boasts that its sound is “Music to relax to...or cry to... or both.” The bill for “Rock at Night,” specifically Saturday night, is a little more monstrous with songwriter Kid Loki, Nevertheless, Old Bones and “heavy psych stoner rock” favorite Beerwolf. You could probably use those Friday night tissues for earplugs because, you know, reduce, reuse and recycle. Crowbar’s Tom DeGeorge is still running a tight ship, too, so only 100 tickets for each show will be sold.

C-Rena Tampa Bay’s R&B queen takes to the lounge at Blue Flame restaurant backed by the Soul Magicians as part of the venue’s Soulful Saturday series. It’s an adults-only show, advertised as “a grown and sexy event,” so get a babysitter and relax while VJ Sean Tee plays smooth videos in between sets. Heads up, the restaurant is separate from the lounge, so get there early if you want to eat some oxtail, fried chicken, collard greens and mac and cheese.

Don’t get too full though, there’s nothing sexy about indigestion. (The Blue Flame, Tampa) The ELO Experience If you were at that dream 2019 Amalie Arena show Jeff Lynne and Electric Light Orchestra put on, then you already know, and while the ELO Experience does not include lead genius Lynne, it’s probably the closest you’re going to get right now.

And for me, any ELO is good ELO. Though technically a tribute band, the Experience is made up of 12 professional musicians recreating the tunes of one of the greatest bands of all time. Don’t worry, strings are included because you can’t play “Livin’ Thing’’ without strings, and you can’t have an ELO tribute show without “Livin’ Thing.” It also seems like the lead singer wears a wig to get that proper Lyne look. The COVID-19 protocols at Capitol Theatre and its mama bear venue Ruth Eckerd Hall are ever evolving (ticket holders will be emailed the current policies before the show).

An updated list of coronavirus guidelines is available via rutheckerdhall.com. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) Paul Oakenfold w/Kyle Kinch For more grown folk-type EDM show, Sunset Saturdays brings Paul Oakenfold to The Ritz, a venue which escaped a coronavirus

ordinance-related alcohol license suspension during City Council hearings this week. One of the headliners at the first Coachella in 1999, Oakenfold has been around the block but it seems he’s not near retirement yet. (He also remixed The Cure’s “Close to Me” for its 1990 album Mixed Up, so he’s at God level over here.) Just an FYI, The Ritz’s website says that by buying a ticket and attending the event you are agreeing to its waiver and they have no responsibility if you contract COVID-19.

Expect a temperature check upon entry plus a mask requirement—they’ll provide one for you if you don’t have one, though it might not be as cute. (The Ritz, Ybor City) C Prescribed Fire w/Mindwash Tampa’s instrumental metal (instrumetal?) band Prescribed Fire has three Tampa rock gods on its hands with Kevin Coss of Down by Law on bass, the Tim Version’s Shawn Watkins on drums, and guitarist Christa McHugh who played with The Ood as well as the way-tooshort-lived all-female Hall and Oates cover band Maneater. Prescribed Fire’s self-titled 2020 album is available for a listen online if you want to get a preview—the song “Witchie Poo” is straight up modern-day Sabbath. Saturday’s Safe and Sound Shuffle show will be the trio’s first show since 2019. Local band Mindwash shares the bill. (Shuffle, Tampa) Sundown Sounds Pool Party: Anthony Atalla w/Boris/Cocodrills/Gene Farris/ Lavelle Dupree/Yokai/Dose/more Saturday is stacked with EDM, if you don’t like sleeping. The Disco Lemonade folks—who had to pivot on the feel of this party after some “last minute boat cancelations”—are throwing a Sundown Sounds Pool Party with a ton of DJs starting at 11 a.m. at WTR. “All of the headliners will be playing at this event. We also are working on a 2nd stage for this venue,” the promoter wrote. An afterparty at Ybor City’s Tangra Nightclub starts at 9 p.m. (Tangra is one of a handful of bars that got a slap on the wrist for not following city coronavirus ordinances; the nightclub’s liquor license is suspended for three days later in the month.)

Drink some water people, it’s a marathon not a sprint. (WTR, Tampa and Tangra, Ybor City) Josh Turner Country singer Josh Turner plays a Saturday show at the Dallas Bull. If you’re a Turner fan, or a supporter of the controversial-for-the-COVID-era venue you probably already have your ticket. But for the rest of you, we’ll just post part of what the venue’s website says and you can make your mind up (see the rest at cltampa.com/ magazine): “The County Mandates all persons entering indoor facilities must wear a mask.

If you have a Medical Condition that prevents you from wearing a mask, you are exempt from this order. Due to HIPAA and the 4th Amendment, we cannot legally ask you what your medical condition is. Therefore, if we see you without a mask, we will assume you have a medical condition and we will welcome you inside to support our business.” Giddy up!

(Dallas Bull, Tampa)

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Where the vinyl is: a list of Bay area record stores

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) mid-2019 revenue report said streaming music accounted for 80% of total industry revenues, which rose 18% to $5.4 billion.

Vinyl album revenue grew 13% to $224 million, but the RIAA also pointed out that sales of wax still only accounted for 4% of total revenues. Rough translation: Yeah, people are buying more records, but your local shop still needs you more than ever. If you’re reading this page, then you probably already know this, but you need your local shop, too. So many of the spaces listed to the right are so much more than stores. They’re community centers for ArtPool Records (2030 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) 727-433-5195, artpoolrules.com Asylum Sights and Sounds (6566 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) 727-384-1221 Bananas Records (2887 22nd Ave N., St. Petersburg) 727-327-4616 ext. 1, bananasrecords.com Bananas Records Warehouse (2226 16th Ave. N., St. Petersburg) 727 327-4616 ext. 2, bananasrecords.com Blue Moon Antiques, Books & Music (1413 Cleveland St., Clearwater) 727-443-7444 The Clearwater Record Shop (1610 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater) 727-755-1201, clearwaterrecordshow.com

music lovers. Some of them are venues for local bands. The staff at most of these shops have more musical knowledge in their left ear than you’ll ever have in your entire life; they’re willing to share it with a smile on their face, too. Patronize these brick and mortars… frequently.

Make friends with your neighbor behind the counter. Your wallet might be a little lighter, but your mind will be happy in return. You don’t have to stop streaming — let’s face it, no one will — but opening an app will never live up to the feeling of opening the door at your local record store. —Ray Roa

Daddy Kool Records (2430 Terminal Dr. S., Side B, St. Petersburg) 727-822-5665, daddykool.com

Kingfish Records (Main Store) (26024-B US Highway 19 N., Clearwater) 727-351-5177, kingfishrecords.com

Sound Exchange Tampa (14246 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa) 813-978-9316, soundexchangetampabay.com

Disc Exchange (6712 Central Ave., aSt. Petersburg) 727-343-5845, thediscexchange.com

Kingfish Records (Flea Market) (180 Race Track Rd., Tampa) 727-455-9923, kingfishrecords.com

Dunedin Records & Audio (757 Main St., Dunedin) 727-423-4108, dunedinrecords.com

Microgroove (906 N. Florida Ave., Tampa) 813-667-7089, microgroovetampa.co

Sound Exchange Pinellas Park (66th Street N and 86th Avenue N., Pinellas Park) 727-545-0042, soundexchangetampabay.com

Dustin’s Vinyl Shop (180 Race Track Rd., Booth F25 W, Oldsmar) 727-678-6829, facebook.com/pg/dustinsvinylshop

Mojo Books & Records (2540 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa) 813-971-9717, mojotampa.com

Green Shift Music & Comics (5713 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa) 813-238-4177, greenshiftmusicandcomics.com Hello Darlin’ Records (Roving VW Camper) 727-479-6783, hellodarlinrecords.com

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Patrick’s Book and Record Store (15215 US Hwy.19 C, Hudson) 727-868-3168, patricksbooksandre.wixsite.com/patricks Planet Retro Records (226 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg) 727-218-7434, planetretrorecords.com

St. Pete Records (6648 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) 727-490-8861, stpeterecords.com Steelworker Records (708 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa) 813-666-4933, steelworkerrecords.com Unique Music & Collectables (123 Main St., Dunedin) 727-240-0757 Vintage Vinyl (38874 U.S. 19 N., Tarpon Springs) 727-940-8301, vintagevinyl.biz

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Hang in there

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I’ve been thinking about my relationships a lot lately. A couple of weeks ago, I broke up with someone who I had been dating for six months, and it was one of the longest relationships I’ve been in. While I’m getting over that guy (looking back, he was kind of a narcissist), I did like being in a relationship that felt like it was building to something more serious.

I’ve had shorter relationships, but those didn’t last because either I’ll be ready to work on issues, but the dude doesn’t, so he breaks up with me, or I’d get fed up and think, “I’ll just be single, I’m good at that!” then be single for a while before starting the process over again.

All of my friends have had long-term relationships. A few of them had been dating since college, been married and have kids or were with current and past partners for four or five years. I don’t really want to be whiny and ask, “but why not me?” but why not me?—Seriously ready for serious

Specifically, I think there are going to be a TON of parties, and I think you should go to them. There’s something about your letter that makes me feel like you really light up when surrounded by people who are having a good time. That might bring out the best in you. So shine your star around while having a good time.

Also, when it comes to suitors, perhaps avoid both narcissists and cynics. First, because they’re boring; second, because I think you can meet someone who’s sincere and wants the same things you do.

The last card we have in the spread is the Ten of Cups, the love story’s completion. This is a getting-what-you-actually-want-from-a-relationship card, whether that’s marriage and kids like your friends or a serious, fulfilling relationship with someone who’s ready to work on things.

And, to paraphrase what I said last week, don’t tolerate an asshole. You did not survive a plague to settle for some schmuck.

Cards: Ten of Wands, Hanged Man reversed, Six of Wands, Ten of Cups Dear Serious, I hope you’re honest with yourself about how much this is bothering you.

There is a bit of self-deprecation, and a touch of cynicism to your letter that I hope comes from writing into an advice column and not how you actually view your situation.

The first card that came out of the deck was the Ten of Wands, which is shouldering a heavy load. The worry is something that is getting you down in a big way, and that might feel silly or childish to admit, but it’s not. There’s nothing weak or wrong with wanting companionship.

Funny enough, I had a similar question last week and pulled the same first card: The Hanged Man reversed. Like said then, this is a pattern and an issue that’s been bothering you for years. But that card can also be cynical.

The Hanged Man is a card of surrender, which means it can be a chill “whatever happens, happens” attitude, or it can be a negative spiral of “nothing will change, it’ll never happen” that discourages you.

But, like I said last week, The Hanged Man is only tied by one foot. These bonds can break! And in the post-pandemic world, things are looking up.

The next card we have is the Six of Wands, which is the celebration after war. We are in our own little war now, but I do believe things will change on the other side. I think many people have spent this past year really thinking about what they value and want out of life, and I think once it’s safe to do so, people will be celebrating the hell out of existence.

Dear Oracle, my fiancé and I are currently in the process of trying to buy a house. It is, without a doubt, the most stressful, anxiety-inducing, and frustrating experience I have ever had. Do the cards have any insight on this? Is this going to get better? Will this just suck the whole time?

Will we ever find a goddamn affordable house in Tampa Bay?—FHA or FUCKED?

ORACLE OF YBOR

The Six of Swords is here to pop that fantasy bubble and bring in that clear head.

Six of Swords represents a rite of passage, which buying a house certainly is.

But swords are the suit of the mind.

You have some mental baggage that will come with the decision—I'm talking about things like mortgage payments and finding an insurance broker for that home—so it’ll be essential to keep things as grounded as possible.

Of course, you should still like your house.

It’s depressing to live somewhere you hate but also realize what you actually need out of your home (location, number of rooms, etc.) versus what you fantasize about.

I’m sorry this is so stressful. I don’t know anything about the real estate market, really, but the Internet says the bubble might pop soon? Whatever happens, I hope you and your fiancé can find a home together.

Best of luck!

Cards: Two of Cups, Nine of Cups, Six of Swords Dear FHA, Here’s some advice that I am personally awful at taking: try not to let your emotions cloud your decision. This is a big, expensive decision, and you’re going to have to protect your heart and try not to fall in love until the keys are in your hand.

We have both the Two of Cups, the first spark of love/infatuation, and the Nine of Cups, the element of fantasy, at play here. If looking at Zillow is not an exercise in infatuation and fantasy, I don’t know what is. “Saturday Night Live” even did a parody about it.

You see a house, and your heart skips a beat.

Maybe it’s a bungalow in Seminole Heights; maybe it’s a condo right on Central. You click through photos, and oh, the potential. That room can become a study, that a nursery. You book a tour, and you are in fantasyland. Maybe you’ll drop $200 on a gallon of Hague Blue for the kitchen cabinets. Is that crazy? Who cares!

That HGTV train is leaving the station, baby, and you’re on it!

That is until the inspection report comes in and you find out part of the roof is missing.

Or you get outbid by thousands. Or the bank rejects you.

| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 43

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N

Your friend must be one scary asshole—I mean, that would explain why her former romantic partners won’t tell her she’s an asshole and why her friends won’t tell her that her assholery has consequences. Like getting dumped.

And while her exes should’ve broken up with her before cheating on her, NBFCS, it sounds like both opted to slam their hands down on the self-destruct button instead. And who can blame them? Maybe they thought cheating would help them masc back up after enduring your friend’s emasculating abuse—and that would be pretty fucked up if they thought that—or maybe they wanted to punish your asshole friend by engineering breakups every bit as painful for her as these relationships had been for them.

But why they cheated isn’t the question.

You’re wondering what, if anything, you should

How do I know if a guy is a player or if he has feelings for me? This guy goes to my university and we had our eyes on each other for more than a year. I made a move and sent him a friend request on Facebook and we started spending a lot of time with each other. The problem is, I am constantly finding him with other girls. He got to know my female friends and started talking them up, too, and he says the same things to them that he says to me. This made me really upset and I told him I wanted some space and asked him to stop contacting me but I couldn’t tell him the real reason. Instead I told him he was suffocating me with his attention (partly true) but he kept reaching out to tell me how much he misses me. He even told me he has feelings for me but he isn’t sure what they are and so can’t put a label on them and says I’m special to him and he gets insanely jealous whenever he sees me with other guys. Feel free to ask about more details about

TO

SAVAGE LOVE

No more details. Please. While I’m sure every last detail is fascinating, PLAY, what you need to do here is obvious—it’s so obvious you’ve already tried to do it.

Zooming out for a second: “He’s a player,” is just another way of saying, “He’s a liar.” A player is a guy who tells someone what he thinks she wants to hear (“you’re so special to me”) to get into her pants. If a little play is all a person wants—if some sexual attention and whole bunch of compliments you know to be bullshit are what you want—then it doesn’t matter if the guy is a player.

His lies can go in one ear and out the other at the same time his dick goes in and out of you. But if you want something serious with this guy and you know you’re being played, that’s going to be painful. And if you want something serious with someone and you’re hanging around with or fucking a player, that’s a waste of your time.

W

say to your friend about this pattern, i.e. that she’s an asshole who emotionally abuses her romantic partners and it makes you and the rest of her friends uncomfortable.

If you want your friend to know she’s an asshole and needs help, NBFCS, you’re going to have to say something. Assholes rarely have epiphanies. If you can’t bring yourself to say what you need to say to her asshole face, put it in a letter, ask your mutual friends to cosign, and email it to her. You might never hear from her again, NBFCS, but would that really be so terrible? Do you wanna be friends with someone who expects you to sit there silently while she verbally abuses her romantic partners and then expects you to sit and listen while she complains about her exes for hours?

We both know the answer to that question, NBFCS, and it’s fuck no. You’ve already started to cut this woman out of your life—you’re in the process of breaking up with your friend—because her good qualities, whatever they might be, don’t compensate for her assholery.

You’ve got nothing to lose by leveling with this woman except for her company, which you do not enjoy. You can’t condemn her exes for not having the courage to share their true feelings with her if you don’t have the courage to do the same.

NE

I’m having a problem advising a friend. She’s been through a divorce and now the breaking off of an engagement. To put it simply, both relationships ended because she was cheated on and she has a zero-tolerance policy around infidelity. To complicate matters, in each relationship we—her friends—have witnessed her being very cutting to the point of being downright insulting to her former partners. She has a tendency to tease her partners about their deepest insecurities in public and to express her extreme disdain for their family members openly. I had a chance to speak to each of her former partners after the breakup and they expressed to me that they felt emasculated by her and that their selfesteem was shot and they had essentially “had enough.” However, neither have given her this feedback directly.

My friends and I have hinted to her about this pattern in the hopes of helping her see what her role might be in these breakups. But she takes extreme offense to any criticism and insists she’s the victim. I’m sympathetic to her plight but her unwillingness to accept any responsibility makes it difficult to offer her any useful advice. I’ve been there for her, calling her daily, and stopping by when I could in a COVID-safe way. But every conversation turns into a three-hour-long rehashing of these relationships with all blame assigned to her exes. I’ve let a few weeks go by without reaching out because I don’t want to have another one of these conversations. I’m curious what you would do here. Our entire friend group is now debating whether we should share our actual opinions with her at the risk of her being angry with us.

The other option is to leave it alone and hope she comes to her own conclusions. I wish her exes had the courage to tell her their true feelings.—No Brainpower For Clever Signoff

E

By Dan Savage

JO

Cutting Remarks

our story if you’re interested.—Parsing Love And Yearning

S o, PLAY, do that thing again, that thing you already did, but stick to it this time. Tell this guy to stop contacting you, unfollow him on FB, and block his number and encourage your friends to do the same.

Heterosexual, 30-something, female here. For all of my sexual life, until recently, I really enjoyed

having my nipples played with by my partners— during sex, as part of foreplay, fingers, clamps, lips, tongue, just about anything touching of my nipples was a turn-on and an orgasm-enhancer.

But something changed after witnessing my boyfriend’s sister breastfeeding her child. Something about seeing nipples being used for, well, what they’re meant to be used for, has really squicked me out. Now, when my boyfriend touches my nipples in the slightest way, I find it irritating, a little gross, and a huge turn-off. I think maybe this was the first time I’d seen breastfeeding in person? Or maybe it has something to do with the fact that it was my boyfriend’s sister? I don’t know!

I don’t know why, but for whatever reason, seeing nipples in a different light has left me repulsed by the idea of using mine in a sexual way. If I’m close to orgasm, I can stand a little bit of nipple attention but nowhere near the amount I used to like. I want to enjoy nipple play again, Dan! Any advice for getting my nipples back? It’s been months!—Breasts Out Of Business Suddenly P.S. I don’t mean any offense whatsoever to those who breastfeed. It’s not the breastfeeding that I find squicky. It’s the idea of using my own breasts in a sexual way that has me suddenly feeling all conflicted and weirded out.

I don’t wanna ruin dick for you, BOOBS, but you do know men don’t just ejaculate out of those things, right? Dicks serve more than one purpose.

Dicks and nipples both have specific non-sexual purposes (peeing and breastfeeding) as well as specific sexual functions (ejaculating and, um, erogenous zoning). There are a lot of sensitive nerve endings and erectile tissues in and around our nipples, both the male and female varieties, and our nipples—like our assholes and our throats—don’t just have a sexual use, they have a sexual purpose.

Considering that we have more sex than we do children, BOOBS, you could argue that their sexual use is their highest and best use. Which means you aren’t misusing your nipples when you derive pleasure from having them licked, sucked, clamped, etc., BOOBS, you are enjoying your nipples just as nature—natural selection and spontaneous mutation—intended them to be enjoyed.

And if thinking about breastfeeding squicks you out, don’t think about it—just like you don’t think about piss when you suck your boyfriend’s dick and I don’t think about shit when I eat my boyfriend’s ass.

Contact mail@savagelove.net, follow @ FakeDanSavage on Twitter, and bookmark savagelovecast.com.

| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 45

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by Merl Reagle 71 ACROSS 72 1 Liberal pursuits 75 5 Horror author’s 76 inits.

8 Part of a 1960s 77 bonfire 11 They make grating 81 sounds 18 New position for ANN PRIESTLEY 84 21 Level 22 New position for 85 CASPER 86 MENOTTI 87 23 Gunpowder inventors 88 24 Toasted ___ cereal 25 Bishop, for one 90 26 “___ little rusty” 28 Title giver 29 A chord, for short 92 31 A, in Amiens 93 32 New position for NEVIL GATES 34 “___ wouldn’t say 97 99 that” 103 36 Editor 39 New position for 104 GORDON 105 WEAVER 109 44 1860s soldier 45 It means “both” 110 49 To have, to Henri 112 50 Sticks stooges 51 New position for DOUG BRADY 115 53 New position for 116 ROSE PURVIS 55 Dole’s st.

117 56 Feel the same 57 Start of a G&S title 118 58 Photo ___ 59 “What ___ say?” 119 61 Sides 63 New position for 120 WALTER RAY COOPER 67 Baking company 1 that “nobody 2 doesn’t like” 1

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Understanding response Abner’s adjective P.D. alert Prayer start Addams Family cousin New position for GEORGE BOLT New position for LENA BLAIR Like some columns Match site Missile site Made bigger: abbr.

New position for HARMON GELSON They’re out of here Portland-toSeattle dir.

New position for BRUCE DAVIS Reverence Painter Paul Sympathetic one Japanese food Daisylike flowers Gardner of Seven Days in May Carbon-based New position for LARAINE MARTIN Start of a soap New position for ARTIE BECKMAN Old Spanish dough Dash lengths Word on deodorants What father knows DOWN Mr. T’s TV group Luis’s lariat

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33 Use as a reference 35 Munich mister 36 Vacation spot, ___ San Lucas 37 Gray, as a day 38 Home: abbr.

39 Laundry 40 Egg 41 Faux pas comment 42 Influenza 43 Rene of Ransom 45 Boring tool 46 Painter Chagall 47 Author Harte 48 Bad time for Julius 51 Appearance insurance 52 Look amazed 54 “Eater” ending 55 Patella, for one 60 Satisfied a craving 61 Veronica Lake film, I Married ___

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63 Connie’s ill-fated husband in The Godfather 64 Ye ___ Pie Shoppe 65 Funny Rudner 66 Dr. Alzheimer 67 Sad sounds 68 Jai ___ 69 Winning streak 72 Terse review of a great little film 73 Bill’s Federico 74 Flakes material 76 Smitten 78 Some bodies: abbr.

79 Make 80 Euripides, for one 82 Actress Donna 83 Destroyed 84 Female deer 88 E or G, e.g.: abbr.

89 Bandit feature?

90 Frustrated cry 91 Thread again, as a shoe 93 Reporter’s quest 94 Chili con ___ 95 Impulses 96 Memphis street

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Licensed Massage & Spas

to advertise: phone - 813-739-4800 email - acarbone@cltampa.com

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CPA firm SBF, LLC seeks Auditor for St Pete office to review & analyze accounts, accord w/ GAAP, and prep financials for clt operations. Must have Bachelors and 12 mos exp to include auditing employee benefit plans & affordable housing accts.

Resume and salary to JEspaillat@sbfcpa.com

classifieds

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To go, to Gounod Droll Strike settings?

1976 Wimbledon winner Word before phone or ring Claim to rights, kid-style “How ___ doing?”

Round of applause Bygone Swedish auto “___ man answers ...”

War zone, once WW II ally of Monty’s

Solution to Car Part-y T A L OWA R A N E R A D I

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LICENSED PROFESSIONAL P/T COMM ONLY MULTI GENRE www.chansonsnow.biz

SERIOUS ONLY: 727-455-7139 chansonsnow3@gmail.com

MASSAGE BY BUTCH @ THE RELAXATION STATION Strong Hands with a Gentle Touch 19 Years Experience IN CALL / OUT CALL 8am till 10pm 7 days

John LaRocca REALTOR® John@MyHomeTB.com 813.990.748

817.228.2990 Cash/Credit Cards Accepted

RESTAURANT

A PROFESSIONAL

813-784-1666

MM#6181

ADULT/Models

EROTIC PHONE CHAT REAL Fun Singles!

800-SEXY-GAL 800-739-9425 HARDCORE ADULT TALK Busty Babes, Ebony Hotties or Older Ladies - Ur Choice!

866-515-3699 Only $10 Per Call

METROSEXUAL CONNECTIONS STRAIGHT, GAY OR BI 800-538-2428 Only 20 Cents Per Minute!

FOR SALE! 6 MONTHS FREE TRIAL

PLEASE CALL

MASSAGE

Female Therapist 7 DAYS! 9AM-5PM, $40 In-Call Sandy

FOR DETAILS

Services - Creative

727-822-4020 MA23220

BE A CENTERFOLD

LIFE IS GOOD!

J

A Warm Lotion Therapuetic Massage.

Once is not enough.

Call 727-403-3544 Lic# MA33860

J

GIVE YOURSELF OR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE A BOUDOIR PHOTO GIFT!

DELUXE PACKAGES STARTING @ $199

813-774-1640

Trans Model Yazmine:

813-508-1441

| MARCH 11 - MARCH 17, 2021 | 47