Creative Loafing Tampa — April 21, 2022

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

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

FOOD and THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge FILM & TV CRITIC John Allman IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Kyla Fields, Dr. Amanda Hagood, Jeff Niesel, Gabrielle Reeder, Dan Savage, Arielle Stevenson

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker

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EDITORIAL INTERNS Brandalynn Nuñez

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

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

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

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

EVENTS DIRECTOR

“I’d like to discuss a universal service that anyone regardless of income could use.”

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

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

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

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

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

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

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

Free Will Astrology .........................................46 64 DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Movie ........................................................... reviews..................................................... 63 Puzzler 66 Jaime Monzon

St. Pete officials discuss expanding tenants right to counsel, p. 19.

Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest ........................... 40

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

m/cltv

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

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

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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum.

They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

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/music Nuthing ta F’ wit

/news Dugan says mural should go /arts Things to do

cltampa.com/slideshows Anti-Disney quacks

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Eternally present Five surefire things to do this weekend.

By Ray Roa

T

here is a place in between your mind and your telephone screen. Lucia Riffel wants to take you there with cinematic and surreal 3D animation and projections looping infinitely throughout Seminole Heights’ Tempus Projects where the Tallahassee artist is opening a new show running through May 22. Prepare to redefine your understanding of space via these works which occupy not just your mind, but the physical world and digital space, too. “The Eternal Present” opening reception. Friday, April 22. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Donations accepted.

Tempus Projects, 4220 N Florida Ave., Tampa. tempus-projects.com

is in store for Hyde Park.

Tuesday, June 14th, 2022 The Orlo in Historic Hyde Park TICKETS ON SALE NOW! This is an exclusive cocktail-style sampling event with a limited number of tickets available and sells out every year.

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Take a lick Three our favorite things come together this weekend when Emo Night Tampa DJs heads to a vegan cafe just north of Gandy where they’ll spin tunes, plus pull shots of a signature roast made by the mighty fine folks at Tampa Bay’s very own Eastlick Coffee all while WeVegan cooks dish out a signature Emo Night Tampa-inspired brekkie sandwich. Eastlick Coffee Co. x Emo Night Tampa Bar Takeover. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. WeVegan Cafe, 4326 S Manhattan Ave., Tampa. wevegancafe. com

To the walls Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights and Westshore play host to Tampa’s first foray into the Wo r l d w i d e W a l l s ! mural festival starting Friday-May 10. National mu ra lists Uke got it (Ricky Watts from San Tampa Bay F ra ncisco, is low key Ill Des from one of the Denver) and best places to local favorbe a ukulele ites (Jujmo enthusiast, and Ali and downtown Norman) Clearwater is are among doing its part the lineup RIFFEL-ING FEATHERS: Lucia Riffel’s installation and this weekfor a festianimation work is a soothing kind of mindfuck. end during a val that’s day-long fesalready laid roots in other cities like Long tival where bands will strum, for free, on the Beach, California, Cleveland and even Hong street starting at breakfast (11:30 a.m. with Kong. A Friday kickoff party happens at the Two Happy Ukers) all the way until a special Bloom on Franklin block party and will feature show at Peace Memorial church where fatherlive performances from Tampa rapper Pusha daughter super duo Steve and Amanda Boisen Preme, plus a gallery exhibit at Mergeculture will play ahead harmony-making, Provo, Utah Gallery. Now through May 10, Tampa. @ acoustic outfit The Birdwatchers. tpawalls on Instagram—Gabrielle Reader And if you see only one uke-er this weekend, make sure it’s one-man band Ukulele Russ Don’t die who’s in from Alaska and rocking for five hours Well at least not until you’ve checked off a bunch on the 400 block. of the bucket list items in the third edition of Free ukulele lesions and the promise of a Kristen Hare’s “100 Things To Do In Tampa ukulele stroll are on deck, too.

Bay Before You Die,” which basically reads like Ukulele Fest in the District. Saturday, a roadmap for falling in love with the Bay area. April 23. 11:30 a.m.- 8 p.m. Free. Downtown Famed former Tampa Bay Times columnist Clearwater. ukulelefestinthedistrict.com COURTESY

Something delicious

Ernest Hooper will be in the Tombolo Books courtyard to moderate a conversation with Hare, who currently spends her days writing obits for the paper (she knows a thing or two about how to live). Friday, April 22. 7 p.m. Free with RSVP. Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg. tombolobooks.com

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“These are deadly conditions we are living in.”

POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

Desperate measures

Residents facing eviction after contacting local media.

By Justin Garcia

M

anagement at East Tampa’s Silver Oaks Apartments is now threatening tenants with eviction after they complained to the media about black mold, collapsing ceilings, regular flooding due to plumbing problems, rodent issues and more. On April 15, Brittani James, Community Manager at Silver Oaks, sent out a letter announcing a last minute inspection of all the units on the property between Tuesday to Thursday of this week from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The memo says fingerprints should not be on walls and doors, that there may not be any dirty dishes in the sink, and that all of the surfaces in the units—which often house several children—should be completely free of dust and grease.

“Please take note that your housekeeping efforts must be at an acceptable safe and sanitary condition or termination of tenancy will be issued,” the letter from James read. The letter did not clarify how management would decide what is acceptable and safe, and no one from Silver Oaks would speak to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay when contacted to discuss the letter.

The surprise came just a few days after tenants raised the alarm to the local media about the unsafe conditions they are living in. As soon as TV crews arrived, private security for the apartment complex began running them off. Now, the security team has escalated to harassing tenants and telling them they’re loitering. Guards are posted at the gates constantly, and have turned away relief volunteers bringing cleaning supplies to the tenants to help them fight the mold issues.

Tenants there told CL there has been security at the complex before, but never like this.

Silver Oaks is an affordable housing complex, and a last minute notice for inspection such as the one sent by property management goes against the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s own rules for inspecting public housing. “During the COVID-19 pandemic HUD is temporarily giving properties 28 days notice (typically 14 days) before an inspector completes an inspection,” HUD’s site reads.

CL reached out to James, who said she couldn’t answer any questions, and pointed us to a corporate representative who has not responded to several requests for comment. Hoping to shed

light on the legality of the letter, CL also asked the leasing office if it would provided a copy of the lease at the complex, which led the person on the other end of the line to hang up.

Cambridge Property Management runs Silver Oaks Apartments, which was constructed

by Southport Development Services. Both companies have been exposed by politicians and the media for ill-maintained properties across Florida, several of which had similar ailments as Silver Oaks.

HOUSING

refer to as a “nightmare.” Black mold, flooding, rodents and unstable infrastructure have left tenants desperate, and feeling like their lives are in danger.

Adrian Shepard said she was lying in bed when her ceiling caved in, and the debris broke her foot and toes. She was in a cast for four months. Pieces of the ceiling are still hanging down in the unused room. That was nearly five months ago, and the damage still hasn’t been completely repaired. “I got a lawyer and they’ve been sending them emails but they haven’t responded. But the problems at this place don’t stop there,” she told CL. Her apartment has flooded from leaking ceilings, overflowing toilets and sinks so often that the floor tiles have cracked from the moisture.

Holes in her bathroom ceiling are covered by

SILVER LINING: Venita Walden and grandaughters stands outside of her apartment.

Senator Marco Rubio’s office has kept an eye on the company ever since it found that the company participated in “mismanagement” of its properties. Since 2019, he’s twice filed a bill to reform the federal inspection process for privately-owned affordable housing complexes such as Silver Oaks, but the legislation has failed to become law. In September of 2021, DeSantis called for Florida to cut off funding to the company, and as this story went to print Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nikki Fried announced an April 19 visit to Silver Oaks (read an update on cltampa.com/news).

At Silver Oaks, conditions so unhealthy that residents just want a way out of what they

black garbage bags and tape.

Then, there’s the black mold. It has infested Shepard’s and several other tenant’s apartments, causing respiratory issues. The property managers painted over the mold and said it’s fine, resident Shantia Little told CL. She and her three kids can smell the mold despite the paint and the air fresheners they’ve put around their house, and it’s causing them harm. “One of my kids had asthma and one constantly has allergies, really bad. My youngest, who is eight, is sick like, every week. It’s a nightmare," Little said.

Little’s toilet and sinks have also flooded, and like many other residents she was stuck without running water for several days.

There’s also barely any rodent or pest control from the management company, she said.

The problems at the complex, located at 4200 Kenneth Ct, have been going on for about five years, but since the pandemic kicked in, the problems increased, according to Little.

Meanwhile, the property management company, Cambridge Management Inc. received more than $5.3 million in PPP loans during the pandemic, according to ProPublica. The company’s website says it specializes in “quality affordable housing.” But Cambridge has a history of serious complaints from around Florida, leading to action from Rubio and DeSantis in 2021. It was in that year that residents at the Hilltop Village Apartments, an affordable housing community in Jacksonville, cited mold, trash piling up at the dumpster, and rodent infestation issues at the site.

Venita Walden, 62, said that in recent months, her living conditions have been getting worse, with calls for service unanswered as mold infects her entire house where she regularly watches her granddaughters who are three and four years old. She can’t keep the mold off her curtains, her clothes, and although the maintenance men have also painted over her black mold, it appeared again, just a few weeks later.

“This just might kill me,” said Walden.

“And it’s hurting the girls. I’ve tried to move to another place, but I’m using rental assistance and haven’t been able to get approved.”

Walden and Little are neighbors, and they worry about not only their loved ones and themselves but they see new people moving into what they consider a health hazard. “They just keep covering this stuff up, and moving new people in,” Little said.

The Tampa Tenants Union (TTU) has been in touch with some residents there, who are now talking with some tenants about next steps to address the problems at the complex. TTU has teamed up with tenants to push back on unfair landlord practices around Tampa for the past year, including recently at Holly Court Apartments in North Tampa.

“This is the worst we’ve seen yet,” said Bratton Young of TTU. “These conditions are a violation of human rights.”

As tenants and allies search for answers to these dangerous conditions, Walden just hopes that she and others can survive, and that her granddaughters come out of it safely. “One has asthma, and has trouble breathing real bad,” Walden said. “I feel so bad for her and everyone else here, these are deadly conditions we are living in.”

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Boss moves

Before she was TPD chief, Mary O’Connor oversaw two racially-biased programs, files show.

By Justin Garcia

T

ampa Police Department Chief Mary O’Connor was sworn into office last month, but years before her appointment she oversaw two controversial programs that disproportionately harmed Black renters and bicyclists in Tampa, records show. Documents obtained by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay show emails between O’Connor and other TPD officers discussing plans to ramp-up bicycle stops in East Tampa, a predominantly Black area, months after an investigation found that TPD targeted Black bicyclists for field interrogations and citations.

The program came to be known as “Biking While Black.”

O’Connor was also involved in a series of email exchanges that discussed her attending a luncheon to speak on the merits of Tampa’s “Crime Free MultiHousing” program, which disproportionately targeted Black renters for eviction and came to be known as “Renting While Black.”

New documents obtained from a public records request also show that the program used more racially-charged language and imagery than originally known.

CL’s public records request into O’Connor’s involvement with the programs was submitted on Feb. 22—14 days after Castor appointed her as police chief and set off widespread controversy over O’Connor’s past arrest for battery on a law enforcement officer and Castor’s lack of transparency in the selection process. Twenty three days later, on March 17, city council approved O’Connor in a 4-2 vote.

The records inquiry continued to go unanswered.

At the request of this publication, the Florida Center For Government Accountability—a nonprofit government watchdog organization—sent TPD an email on April 6 regarding the information requested, and six days later CL’s request was fulfilled.

The emails span from 2012-2015, when O’Connor was climbing the ranks from major to deputy chief. She became assistant chief of operations in 2015, where she worked directly under then-Police Chief Jane Castor and Chief Eric Ward. O’Connor retired from TPD in 2016, and was selected as police chief by Mayor Castor in February.

An October 2015 email from O’Connor’s time as assistant chief is labeled “restricted,” shows that an officer working under her advised TPD

officers to ramp-up bicycle citations in District 3. The district covers East Tampa, Ybor and the Port of Tampa area and is known for being a primarily Black district.

The emails were sent to O’Connor five months after the U.S. Department of Justice began an investigation into TPD’s bicycle stop practices and six months after a Tampa Bay Times investigation revealed that TPD was disproportionately targeting Black bicyclists.

“We have been doing a great job this year fighting crime, but we should always be looking for ways to improve,” then-Captain Charles Courtoy, who worked under O’Connor, wrote in the email to District 3 high ranking officers.

“One area that seems to offer the most opportunity involves bicycle stops.”

The officer then sent an email to O’Connor saying, “Here is what I sent reference bikes.”

In its investigation, DOJ concluded that the program “burdened Black bicyclists by disproportionately stopping them,” but “did not produce a community benefit in terms of bicycle safety, bicycle theft, or crime generally.”

An email from then-Lieutenant Craig Sawicki in 2012—another officer who worked under O’Connor in District 3—encouraged officers to, “concentrate on bicycle stops, bicycle citations, field interrogations, juvenile and adult checks, etc.” Grids Sawicki wanted to concentrate on included 75, 86 and 87—all in East Tampa’s predominantly Black neighborhoods.

“Please have zero tolerance in these areas,” the email with O’Connor CC’d read. These emails came during the height of the “Biking While Black” citation and arrest frenzy.

No emails sent to O’Connor reference a “zero tolerance policy” for bicyclists in any of the other wealthier, whiter districts in Tampa.

A Tampa Bay Times profile about O’Connor’s initial retirement from TPD in 2016 said, “She held the reins while the department grappled with controversies such as racial disparities in its bicycle citations and a surge in violent crime last year.”

While O’Connor was silent in many of the emails found in the public records request, she forwarded some to other members of TPD, indicating she was aware of what the officers under her command were advising, under her leadership.

O’Connor also played a role in Tampa’s “Renting While Black” program, which came

LOCAL NEWS

“She doesn’t want to confront the suffering she caused in an honest way.”

10-4 GOOD BUDDY: Former police chief and current mayor Jane Castor (L) with Tampa’s new police chief, Mary O’Connor. under scrutiny last fall after a Tampa Bay Times investigation found that TPD teamed up with landlords to evict tenants if they were involved in crimes as petty as panhandling and shoplifting.

An email from 2015 shows that O’Connor was scheduled as a guest speaker at a luncheon for the Tampa Housing Authority (THA) to discuss the merits of the crime free multihousing program in low-income public housing communities.

“We ask that the main topics be based around your Crime Free Multi Housing program, community policing and the relationship between TPD, THA and resident council in working together to deter and prevent crimes in our public housing communities,” read the email request from Bill Jackson at the Tampa Housing Authority.

O’Connor told Jackson she would attend, and was sent documents by Jackson to prepare for the event. On the phone, Jackson confirmed to CL that O’Connor spoke at the event, but said he “couldn’t remember” any of the details of what she said.

Current Assistant Chief of Operations Lee Bercaw is also included in several of the emails, and is listed as a point of contact for the program in a memo sent out by Castor.

Under the crime free multi-housing program, 80% of the people evicted were Black, many of whom relied on low-income housing. At times, they were evicted for crimes such as panhandling and petty theft. Meanwhile, O’Connor overcame her felony arrest to rise through the ranks and oversee these programs.

And new presentation slides obtained by CL show that the crime free program featured even continued on page 13

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INSPECTOR GADGET: A slide from the Crime-Free Housing presentation to landlords. continued from page 11 more racially-charged imagery and language than previously reported.

One slide from the presentation shown by TPD to landlords likens young people to gangsters if they wear, “only one or two colors of clothing exclusively, to include sports apparel, designer clothing symbols, and bandanas.”

The workbook for the program degradingly calls potential criminals the, “two-legged urban breed of predator” and tells landlords to, “plan your words very carefully...discrimination suits are filed when managers say too much!”

Connie Burton, resident of East Tampa and 40-year advocate for civil and economic equality, said that the Black community is owed “much more than an apology” from O’Connor and TPD. “We Black people continue to be the cash cow for officers who are seeking promotions, like Mary O’Connor,” Burton told CL. “She skirted around these racial issues during her confirmation process, which shows that she doesn’t want to confront the suffering she caused in an honest way.”

Burton said that East Tampa hasn’t seen enough action from the city to economically develop the area, in order to help repair the community TPD has, “damaged over the years.” She said that crime free multi-housing was just an extension of the former “one strike and you’re out” rule, which also targeted poor Black renters for eviction.

“Until she apologizes in a meaningful way, her words are meaningless to me,” Burton said.

CL reached out to TPD to see if Chief O’Connor would like to comment on her involvement in the racially-biased programs, and, given the effect it had on the Black community in Tampa, if she thinks the community is owed an apology from TPD. There was no response at the time of publication of this story.

After initially standing behind the bike stop program, Castor—police chief during “Biking While Black”—changed her tune during her run for the mayor’s office, admitting that the citations were wrong. However, she has not yet officially apologized.

Castor stood staunchly behind the crime free multi-housing program despite cries from the ACLU, NAACP and civil rights and lawyer groups from around the country. Eventually, though, the crime-free housing program was changed to a less intrusive model under the leadership of Interim Police Chief Ruben “Butch” Delgado, who Castor passed over when selecting a police chief early this year.

Recently obtained notes from a 2019 TPD meeting show that TPD leaders were preparing for backlash about the crime free multi-housing program from the ACLU and NAACP. In the meeting, TPD officers discussed changing “questionable portions” of the program’s lease addendum, to avoid pushback.

LOCAL NEWS

“The program used more raciallycharged language and imagery than originally known.”

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Truth of the matter

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor claims responsibility for controversial Hanna Avenue project.

By Justin Garcia

L

ast week, Mayor Jane Castor said that she approved Tampa’s “City Center at Hanna Avenue” after more than five months of councilmen and local leaders asking who was responsible for the controversial project. Her admission comes after multiple city council meetings since November where construction experts and city council members repeatedly asked who was responsible for green lighting the project, which jumped from $10 million to $108 million without a public bid, among other glaring problems—including initial lack of participation from unions and the Black community.

Not only did Castor avoid answering the community’s important question until last week, her city attorneys pushed back on the idea of appearing before council to discuss the project back in March. Eventually, though, staff did discuss the project. At a city council meeting on March 31, Castor’s Chief of Staff John Bennett said, “The administration brought this together collectively and made the best decision we could at the time.”

But on April 14, buried in the second half of a Tampa Bay Times story about Castor claiming that she doesn’t have “any issues” with city council despite recent conflicts that suggests otherwise, the mayor admitted that it was ultimately her call to approve the city center project.

“I did make that decision. I was presented with all the facts, all of the information, and I made the decision that was in the best interest of our community,” Castor told the Times, adding thst her reasoning for approving the project and giving it directly to DPR Construction without a public bid involved expiring leases in buildings that host city workers, which led to an urgent situation. She said that a delay to publicly rebid the project would have increased costs, especially in light of recent inflation.

But she didn’t answer the question of why she hadn’t come forward and say she made the decision when so many people from the construction community and council were asking who approved the project.

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to the city’s Communications Director Adam Smith for clarification, but has not yet received a response. (Smith did, however, text CL’s editor-in-chief after this story went live to ask if Councilman Bill Carlson or his company Tucker Hall were investors or advertisers with CL; they are not, according to CL’s publisher.)

Castor recently held a press conference with Smith to discuss more transparency and accountability measures in light of the recent forced resignation of former councilman John Dingfelder due to a public records lawsuit, and councilman Orlando Gudes being accused of

16 | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | cltampa.com

creating a hostile workplace, through caustic, sexual language. But when asked by reporters about the administration’s own transparency, Castor was argumentative, which led to stern words from some of Tampa’s key political and media players.

“I have watched or covered City Hall since 1988 and have never seen this level of animosity from a mayor toward council members,” Wayne Garcia, an award-winning reporter and Master Instructor at University of South Florida told CL. In November of 2021, Tampa City Council approved the city center project after being

Tampa, a historically Black area. Union leaders also jumped in, saying that the project did not meet the requirements of the city’s union apprenticeship ordinance.

The chorus of voices grew until several city councilmen also became concerned with the project and challenged the administration on it. The most vocal critics of the project were councilmen Orlando Gudes, Bill Carlson and former Councilman John Dingfelder—all of whom have claimed the administration has targeted them by leaking stories to the media over the past several months.

LOCAL NEWS

WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS: The community and city council started asking Hanna Avenue questions of Castor five months ago. persuaded by the Castor administration that the cost was worth it. The project is currently under construction and will house hundreds of city employees on 11-acres.

A month after council’s approval, construction experts started raising the alarm about the project at city council, saying that the bidding process may have violated state law and that there was a lack of representation of Black contractors. Meanwhile, the project is being built on the edge of Seminole Heights and East

At the March 31 city council meeting, after council struggled to get city staff to speak to the public about the project, Councilman Carlson was finally able to question city staff about it. “The big question right now is, who made the decision?” Carlson asked.

He posed this question to Deputy City Attorney Morris Massey, who said, “If there’s a specific person, I don’t know the name of that specific person, but that there was a recommendation of the administration that we do that.”

“I made the decision that was in the best interest of our community.”

Massey added that the city’s contract administration also believed it was legally permissible, but Carlson kept asking questions about the administration’s reasoning behind not having a public bidding process. He said that better prices might have been achieved through a competitive bid, asking again who specifically made the decision.

“You’re asking a lawyer about business decisions,” Massey replied before looking to Bennett, who jumped up to the city council podium in his place, saying, “There were multiple facets that brought this decision together.”

At no point during the meeting was Castor’s name mentioned as the decision maker.

By the end of the meeting, the councilmen, including Carlson, who had originally asked for options on how to rescind the project, allowed the project to move forward. According to staff, improvements include participation of the Black community and union apprentices in the project. But Carlson said that he was disappointed that the legal department would not allow council to change or rebid the contract.

The Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board wasn’t satisfied with the city’s conclusion, citing the project’s flawed bidding process and that the city missed out on a chance for a better deal. “The city should start over. This was a preventable mistake, and correcting it would send the right message to city staff, the business community and Tampa residents. It might also save precious tax money,” the editorial read. “The word transparency is thrown around pretty casually at City Hall. Here’s a chance to put that buzzword into action, and to remove the East Tampa annex as a political bur.”

Last week, Carlson weighed in on the mayor’s admission, saying, “I’m glad Mayor Castor was finally transparent with the public after months of questions about who made this fiscally reckless decision. Constituents want the city to fix potholes, build sidewalks and repair infrastructure rather than wasting money on legacy projects.”

This isn’t the first time that Castor has been linked to questionable decisions regarding development projects in the City of Tampa.

Last year, a developer contested Tampa’s decision to award a multi-million dollar construction contract to Miami-based company Related Group, which donated $10,000 to Mayor Jane Castor’s election PAC and employed her nephew. A review officer eventually decided in the city and the mayor’s favor in the dispute, and that project is also currently underway.

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Legally speaking

St. Pete remains open to expanding renters’ guaranteed right to counsel.

By Arielle Stevenson legal services and those facing eviction. That liaison could come from the city’s neighborhood affairs department.

“We are looking at shifting resources and creating a dedicated position to track eviction filings in the public records and notify those people of services,” City administrator Rob Gerdes said. “And just to be clear, we are talking about reallocating current resources, not creating a new position.”

Committee chair and council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders noted that she thought the committee would hear more about the city providing legal representation, not just

HOUSING

Last Thursday’s discussion was just that, a discussion and a preliminary one. The committee meets again next month, but a further review on the issue might not come until June.

But many in the city, faced with a three-day notice to evict, have neither time nor money to wait. And if St. Pete did fund such a program, as WMNF reported last week, the Sunshine City would be the first municipality in Florida to do so.

Pollock noted that similar proposals are under review in Miami and Lake Worth but haven’t advanced yet. Such a move by city leadership in St. Pete could impact hundreds, if not thousands, of tenants across the state.

“I don’t care how last minute it is,” Pollock said. “A lawyer in the proceedings will always make a difference more than a tenant alone.”

“A lawyer in the proceedings will always make a difference more than a tenant alone.”

DAVE DECKER

S

t. Pete’s Youth and Family Services Committee met last Thursday for its first discussion on how the city can create a tenant’s right to counsel.

The takeaway?

A guaranteed right to counsel is entirely possible with enough funding and implementation guidance from the city’s administration.

Furthermore, those council members on the committee and even the administration seem open to the idea. How long will it take to implement such a program, however, remains to be seen. The conversation resulted from city council member Richie Floyd’s request last month that legal and administration bring back information on how the city can increase legal representation services for tenants, focusing on those facing eviction hearings. Floyd says he also wants to see preventative measures for legal representation in place as well.

“You don’t want somebody to get assistance whenever they’re struggling to stay in their home,” Floyd said. “You want them to have the legal assistance before that.”

The city currently funds legal aid services, which mostly require 80% AMI income or less, leaving many who don’t qualify without options come eviction time. Gulfcoast Legal Services (GLS) is one of the agencies receiving funding ($98,000) from the city to provide legal services to residents at 80% AMI or below. William Peña Wells, housing attorney with GLS, said there’d been an increase in people seeking their services since COVID-19.

“These are people who didn’t think they’d be in a situation where they’d be behind on their bills and are now facing a life on the street,” Wells said. “So the short answer is, yes. We’re seeing an increase in demand for housing assistance.”

Those who don’t qualify for services from Gulfcoast or others have to fund their legal representation when faced with an eviction, costing $500-$10,000 depending on the circumstances.

“I’d like to discuss, in my honest opinion, a universal service that anyone regardless of income could use,” Floyd said.

One option discussed by legal and administration is to include information on existing legal services with the eviction notice.

Assistant city attorney Bradley Tennant said that doing so requires more research, but “it’s not a no.”

The city administration told the committee that it is considering a dedicated liaison position to serve as a “conduit” between existing

how the city could inform tenants of existing programs.

“A landlord, when they know they’re not going to be the powerhouse in the courtroom,” Figgs-Sanders said, “When they know that who they’re trying to evict also has legal representation, I’m pretty sure a lot of those cases would go away.”

John Pollock, coordinator at the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel calls legal representation “preventative legal medicine.”

“I think it’s important to recognize that the benefits of a right to counsel accrue to the tenants and their families but also to the community and to the city at large,” Pollock told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “The cost of evictions is significant.”

DON’T JUDGE ME: St. Pete councilman Richie Floyd wants renters to have legal help before facing eviction.

cltampa.com | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | 19

20 | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | cltampa.com

CreativeLoafing.pdf 2 4/12/2022 11:43:07 AM

Shit Happened CAMPINGWORLDSTADIUM/FACEBOOK

Tampa’s Cambridge Christian School appeals a federal judge’s ruling that backed a decision by the Florida High School Athletic Association to prevent a prayer over a stadium loudspeaker before a 2015 state championship football game. Honestly though, no "Hail Mary" was going to save Cambridge from the 61-16 beatdown it took in the title game against Jacksonville’s University Christian.

FRIDAY 15 After a high-profile announcement about rejecting math textbooks submitted for adoption by the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education providing few details about how the books violated state academic standards. Makes sense as the governor hasn’t been able to put 2 + 2 together since he was sworn-in.

SUNDAY 18 According to a video posted to social media by the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department, a large gator was spotted crossing lawns Easter

SARASOTASHERIFF/FACEBOOK

THURSDAY 14

morning in the Harrington Lakes neighborhood of Venice, Florida. For some reason, the Easter Bunny was nowhere to be found.

MONDAY 18 A Tampa judge rejects a federal transportation mask mandate, meaning you no longer have to wear masks on planes, trains and buses. I can’t wait to breathe my hot breath all over my next 6 a.m. Frontier flight.

TUESDAY 19 WFLA reports that Pinellas Park police said that a woman made over $18,000 worth of purchases on her company’s credit card, including a wedding. Honestly, seems legit considering the cost of everything these days.

C

M

Y

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Shit, using your credit card to buy Bucs jerseys, CY via cltampa.com/music.

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Irish goodbye

A St. Pete nighspot’s final pour, plus more foodie news.

M

acDinton’s St. Pete is no more, but that’s not all that happened in the Tampa Bay food scene over the last couple weeks. If you’re a “Bar Rescue” fan, maybe it’s time to do some “recon” at the former Cerealholic in Ybor City, which recently rebranded after being featured on the popular bar-flipping show. Between new restaurants, closing vegan delis and the return of the Tampa Bay Seafood and Music festival, this week’s foodie roundup takes us to all corners of Tampa Bay. Openings 3 Daughters Brewing The multi-use building at the hub of Clearwater Beach welcomed a new penthouse tenant this week, as 3D celebrated the grand opening of its new waterfront taproom. Although its National Beer Day party has already passed, guests can expect dozens of craft beers on tap, 3 Daughters’ beach bites menu and tasty waterfront views from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every single day. 381 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach.

3dbrewing.com Cafe Clementine Le Clementine Bakeshop’s high-class bakes have found a home near the halls of a St. Pete museum, and the gorgeous pastries will leave patrons wondering if the food is also part of the exhibit. An Instagram post says the counter is located within the MFA’s conservatory, so admission to the museum is not required to enjoy the goods. This new bakery and patisserie debuts on Saturday, April 30, and will be open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday after its grand opening. 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. leclementinebakeshop.com— Brandalynn Nuñez Cepeda Earth Fare After being closed for over two years, Oldsmar’s wellness-forward grocery store Earth Fare recently re-opened in its former location on Tampa Road. And if you’re not familiar with the organic supermarket’s mission, its website states that Earth Fare is the “only grocery market to develop a food philosophy which bans all artificial ingredients, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and added hormones and antibiotics.” 3136 Tampa Rd., Tampa. earthfare.com

Nine Spices According to its Facebook page, Nine Spices’ new Clearwater location celebrated its grand opening this month. Guests have the opportunity to utilize the hotpot-style soup burners, Korean BBQ grills in the center of the table, or both at the same time (although that requires a good deal of multitasking.) There are a wide variety of raw meats, vegetables, seafoods, dumplings and noodles you can cook either in your hot pot broth or on the shared tabletop grill.

And, yes, there’s a conveyor belt that delivers the ingredients right to you. 2543 Countryside Blvd., Clearwater. ninespiceshotpotfl.com Noble Rice This highly-anticipated modern Japanese eatery started dishing out ramen, sushi and sake after this week’s grand opening at Tampa’s Sparkman Wharf. Customers make reservations on the Noble Rice website, which requires a $15 deposit per person, whether you want to sit at the sushi bar or grab a table in the 100seat dining room. Fresh seafood is the star of the Noble Rice menu with options ranging from fresh sashimi platters, caviar and small plates to unique sushi rolls, like it’s “Negi Torro” with fatty tuna, scallions, Kewpie mayo, fermented chili paste and black garlic shoyu. 615 Channelside Dr., Tampa. noblericeco.com

MACDINTONSSTPETE/FACEBOOK

By Kyla Fields

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Closings Brandon’s Vegan Deli After repeatedly posting hiring ads over the last few weeks, Brandon’s Vegan Deli—owned and operated by the same folks who run its other locations in Ybor City, Sarasota and Dunedin—has unexpectedly closed and put the building up for sale. The deli’s manager also confirmed on social media that its Brandon location closed because the business couldn’t find enough staff. In addition to popular sandwiches, pizzas, salads and wraps on its menu, the remaining locations in Sarasota, Dunedin and Ybor City sell select grocery items like vegan cheese, candy, frozen meals and homemade deli-style “meats” by the half-pound.

MacDinton’s St. Pete When the Facebook page for St. Petersburg’s MacDinton’s posted about its final party a few weeks ago, most of its loyal patrons thought (or at least hoped) that it

MACDUNZO’S: St. Pete’s gonna need a new place to party on First Friday. was an April Fool’s Joke. Without stating why, the popular Irish pub at 242 1st Ave. N officially closed on Saturday, April 2 after one last celebration. Last year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reported on MacDinton’s former neighbor, Ringside Bar and Cafe, unexpectedly closing after its lease was not renewed. At the time, longtime Ringside manager Mitch Gray told CL that the same folks who were turning his former bar and venue into a '70s disco-themed nightclub, also had plans to transform MacDinton’s into a Western bar.

Events Tampa Bay Seafood & Music Festival Singleday tickets get you inside of the event and access to live music from bands like Stormbringer and The Outlaws, but unfortunately won’t cover the cost of any of the fest’s good eats. In addition to seafood stands that will be dishing out everything from fresh crab legs to peel-and-eat shrimp and lobster rolls, there will be a variety of local vendors peddling their art, crafts, wares and other homemade goods. All ticketing information can be found at eventliveus.com—but guests can also purchase their tickets at the festival’s

entrance. Friday-Sunday, April 22-24, $10-$15.

Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N Ashley Dr., Tampa. paragonfestivals.com ICYMI “Bar Rescue” changes Ybor City’s Cerealholic to ‘The Loft Elevated Bar + Food’ Jon Taffer, the “Bar Rescue” host who loves to fix bars by screaming “shut it down” and adding “not one, but two two-touch POS systems, “ apparently did just that to one Ybor City restaurant, which is set to become the latest Florida establishment featured on the show.

The Loft Elevated Bar + Food re-opened early this month after first opening as the nostalgic, milk slurpin’ Cerealholic Cafe and Bar in December 2020. Gone now are Cerealholic’s cereal bar, signature burgers with Apple Jackinfused meat, replaced instead with a Loft weekend brunch menu that aims to “elevate” your breakfast with items like pancake platter, steak and eggs, biscuits and gravy—all served Saturday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The upcoming air date for this episode is still unknown. 1909 N 15th St., Ybor City. @ theloftyborcity on Facebook—RR

cltampa.com | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | 23

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‘Rona. It’s still a thing, and you should call or contact these local breweries to learn their COVID-19 protocol.

Email rroa@cltampa.com and stephanie@cltampa.com for any edits and suggestions.

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of downtown St. Pete’s 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 3 KEYS BREWING South-of-the-Skyway restaurant and brewery specializing in small batches. 2505 Manatee Ave. E, Bradenton. 951-218-0396, 3keysbrewing.com 5 BRANCHES BREWING Veteran-owned brewery, small batches from IPAs to stouts. Serving brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 531 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. fivebranchesbrewing.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 Seminole Heights beer, open Tuesday-Sunday. Just don’t park on Fern Street (there’s a lot behind the auto body shop). 6401 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com ARKANE ALEWORKS A wide variety of styles and flavors from the second brewery to open in Largo. 2480 E Bay Dr., No. 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 BASTET Named after the Egyptian cat-goddess, the brewery offers seasonal ales, ciders and even the occasional hard ginger beer. 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. bastetbrewing.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 BAYBORO BREWING CO. Veteran-owned kid-friendly brewery that has tons of events to go with its creative tap list. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. (727) 767-9666, bayborobrewing.com BIG STORM BREWING CO. Stop by this Pasco brewery’s Storm Room for a flight, or visit its 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 who’s moved tastings inside his brewery.

115 S Ring Ave., Tarpon Springs. 813-503-6181, saintsomewherebrewing.com BREW BUS BREWING BB’s Seminole Heights taproom is moving a few blocks up Florida Ave., but until then sip on the Bus’ offerings at the Wesley Chapel facility. 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., Wesley Chapel. 813-452-6333, brewbususa.com BREW HUB Some of the area’s best beers are produced here along with suds for its 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 BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. Tarpon Springs spot specializing in music-inspired brews like the “So Fresh n’ So Clean sour” and “All the Single Belgians.” 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-2350 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 best. 2001 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278 CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the

26 | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | cltampa.com

historic Dunedin Times building. 587 Main St., Dunedin.

727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com CALUSA BREWING Family owned and operated, open Tuesday-Sunday. 5701 Derek Ave., Sarasota. 941-9228150, calusabrewing.com CARROLLWOOD BREWING CO. “Secret” brewing action inside the Carrollwood location of craft-bar chain The Brass Tap. 10047 N Dale Mabry Hwy Suite 23, Tampa. 813-969-2337. brasstapbeerbar.com 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 CLEARWATER BREWING CO. Community-oriented and socially and environmentally conscious. 1700 N Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. clearwaterbrewingcompany.com COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms. 2601 E 2nd Ave., Ybor City. 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 for LoL’s craft brewing guild. 4624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-575-8440. @ craftlifebrewing on Facebook CROOKED THUMB BREWERY Safety Harbor’s first brewery boasts homegrown flavor, local guest taps and a killer Tuesday songwriters session. 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. 727266-4102, 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. 941-747-1970, darwinbrewingco.com DE BINE BREWING CO. This addition bolsters the Northern Pinellas craft beer scene. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor, 727-233-7964.

DEVIANT LIBATION Latest project from local beer god Tim Ogden housed in the upcoming immersive art collective Crab Devil. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727379-4677, devitantlibation.com 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. 727-736-0606, 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 OdessaTrinity destination. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity.

727-807-6092, escapebrewingcompany.com FLYING BOAT BREWING COMPANY St. Pete aviation history and tasty homegrown suds. It’s where Tampa fave King State brews its wares. 1776 11th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-800-2999, flyingboatbrewing.com FOUR STACKS BREWING An always-changing lineup of local and regional guest suds, along with trivia, live music and more. 5469 N. U.S. Hwy-41, Apollo Beach.

813-641-2036, fourstacksbrewing.com GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 10,270 square-foot brewery, taproom, beer garden, and event venue with a lager-focused tap list. 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.

727-202-6071, grandcentralbrew.com GREEN BENCH BREWING CO. A space worthy of the adventurous beers it produces. 1133 Baum Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. 30 taps and food (and a coffee roaster!) from a husband-and-wife duo. 4824 14th St. W, Bradenton. 941-896-6381, thegoodliquidbrewing.com GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts. 1650 N Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches with an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Gulfport. 727954-4109, gulfport-brewing.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. Suite 103, Trinity.

727-312-4512.

JDUB’S BREWING CO. You know ‘em, you love ‘em.

A favorite statewide phenomenon. 1215 Mango Ave., Sarasota. 941-955-2739, jdubsbrewing.com KING STATE Named the No. 8 coffee shop in America

by Food & Wine, King State is also home to brewer and Flying Boat Brewing Co. alum Aric Parker, who’s making some of the cleanest core beers plus a dynamic offering of rotating taps and bomber options available on-site in limited capacities. 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813221-2100, king-state.com LAGERHAUS BREWERY & GRILL A Palm Harbor bar and eatery that offers seasonal brews to complement its 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. 813-677-7023, leavenbrewing.com MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING Brews, ciders, and meads by the beach. 12945 Village Blvd., Madeira Beach. 727-362-0008, madbeachbrewing.com MAGNANIMOUS BREWING In a warehouse a half-block north of I-275, this addition to Tampa’s beer scene provides a large variety to drink in or to go–curbside pickup available. The brewery also serves Ginger Beard coffee when the tasting room is open including a peanut butter oat draft latte. 1410 Florida Ave., Tampa.

813-415-3671, magnanimousbrewing.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. 727-202-8045, mastrysbrewingco.com MOTORWORKS BREWING A taproom and beer garden featuring full liquor and wine as well as 30 taps.

1014 9th St. W, Bradenton. 941-567-6218, motorworksbrewing.com MR. DUNDERBAK’S The longtime restaurant, biergarten and homebrewers’ hangout is serving its own beers.

14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813-977-4104, dunderbaks.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 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. @overflowbrewingco on Facebook PEPPER BREWING The Angry Pepper Taphouse’s in-house label, available “on a limited basis.” 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertaphouse.com PESKY PELICAN BREW PUB This beachy restaurant also offers its own beers thanks to an in-house nano

system. 923 72nd. St. N, St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600, peskypelicanbrewpub.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 PYE ROAD MEADWORKS Located in Odessa, Pye Road focuses on mead but also keeps beer and wine in house for naysayers of the fermented honey drink.

8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. 813-510-3500, pyeroad.com RAPP BREWING CO. The late 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 game-centric 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 CO. 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 E Lemon St., Tarpon Springs. 727-422-7598, 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 CO. 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 U.S. 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. Two locations. 2972 Lakeland Highlands Rd./115 W. Pine St., Lakeland. 863-703-0472, swanbrewing.com TBBC Formerly Tampa Bay Brewing Co., local favorite for nearly two decades, with two locations. 1600 E 8th Ave., Ybor City/13933 Monroe’s Business Park, Westchase. 813-247-1422, tbbc.beer TIDAL BREWING COMPANY Small batches in Spring Hill. 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-7011602, tidalbrewingfl.com TWO FROGS BREWING CO. Tarpon Springs’ latest brewery and taproom focuses on American ale styles.

151 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-6077, @twofrogsbrewing on Facebook 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 WOODWRIGHT BREWING CO. Traditional German styles in downtown Dunedin. 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin.

727-238-8717, @woodwrightbrewing on Facebook WOVEN WATER BREWING CO. Tampa Heights brewer with a focused menu often using fresh fruit as part of its beers. 456 W Columbus Dr., Tampa. 813-443-9463, wovenwaterbrew.com ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING CO. East Paco’s first microbrewery. 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills.

813-715-2683, zbcbeer.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. 813252-4541, @zydecobrewwerks on Facebook

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“I was not prepared for the more austere version before me...”

MOVIES

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CULTURE

Getting old

Finding St. Pete’s ‘Fountain of Youth,’ rehashes realities of Florida’s urban springs.

By Dr. Amanda Hagood St. Pete’s own “discovery” occurred in 1901, when local philanthropist Edwin H. Tomlinson tapped a well of sulfurous groundwater at the base of a fishing pier he had built off 4th Avenue S. Visitors soon began flocking to this “fountain of youth” to taste the waters, reasoning, I suppose, that anything that smelled so medicinal must in fact be good for you. A few years later, one of these visitors (Dr. Jesse Conrad) returned to buy the pier and expand the site with facilities

Of course, there’s not much proof to suggest that Ponce de León actually visited either of these sites, or the many others that now carry his name. (My personal favorite: De Leon Springs in Volusia County, an only-in-Florida blend of a former sugar plantation turned elephant water-skiing pond turned make-your-own pancakes restaurant—somehow also a state park.) In fact, prevailing wisdom has it that Ponce de León wasn’t even

CITY WILDS

AMANDA HAGOOD

O

n one of those very un-Florida winter days, the sky is swathed in soupy clouds, a steady, spitting rain chills the back of my neck, and I am slinking down 1st Street like a half-drowned cat. After 20 minutes of driving around downtown St. Petersburg, thwarted left and right (literally) by my poor understanding of its many one-way streets, I have ditched the car, cursed when I discovered I’d left my umbrella at home, and decided to hoof it anyway. I’m on a mission.

I’m searching for the Fountain of Youth.

This is, of course, a quest as old as La Florida itself. Except maybe not.

For more than a century, the legend of Florida’s magical youth-giving spring has woven its way through the state’s aquatic attractions, tourist literature, and a whole suitcase full of Florida place names—including the odd little corner of St. Petersburg I’m seeking. The story reputedly begins with conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who gave Florida its name (from the Spanish “Pascua Florida” Easter celebration) after sighting its Atlantic coast in April of 1513.

His expedition went on to survey the “island,” which they quickly discovered was not an island, coasting from the vicinity of present-day St. Augustine to somewhere near Charlotte Harbor.

My journey is much shorter. After two or three drizzly blocks, I find myself in a brick-paved octagon surrounded by a low wall of beige cement, with a white, water-stained pedestal rising out of the center. The space is guarded by two growling lion masks that once splashed water into basins below. The “fountain” itself is a water-stained spigot, turned slightly askew, not unlike the one I remember from the water fountain outside my high school gym. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have known this place for The Fountain of Youth if it weren’t for the old-timey script scrawled across the marker facing the street—which I only noticed as I was leaving.

Old postcards of this place frame it very differently: there is lush tropical greenery and grinning tourists (also sometimes gagging tourists, because the magical water was apparently pretty skunky). A statue of Ponce de León once stood on the pedestal, but had to be removed after multiple defacings. While I was not prepared for the more austere version before me, I was aware that the fountain had scaled down over the years.

WATER RUNS DRY: St. Pete’s ‘Fountain of Youth’ is a water-stained spigot. for bathing and drinking and an eye-catching sign. About the same time, another get-youngquick attraction had opened across the state in St. Augustine. Indeed, that Fountain of Youth, built on the grounds of an old Spanish mission, is still booming today, with tourists coming from far and wide to drink water from its spring out of little plastic cups—or, if they’re feeling classy, out of a blue wine bottle complete with cork.

seeking the Fountain of Youth so much as, like other conquistadores, gold, land, and people to enslave. Later writers who claimed he was seeking the Fountain were more likely throwing shade, suggesting that Ponce was either foolhardy (looking for something that obviously didn’t exist) or impotent (one of the things the Fountain was said to restore was your…um, personal vitality).

In the end, the water that Ponce de León—along with his navigator Antón de Alaminos—should probably be known for is not the Fountain, but the Gulf Stream, the powerful current that hugs Florida’s coast and pushes northward along the Atlantic seaboard.

This flow would prove instrumental in the process of European colonization, powering, among other things, the infamous Triangle Trade in sugar, rum, and enslaved people.

But the myth of the Fountain of Youth stuck, and perhaps it’s no surprise. As Rick Kilby points out in his richly illustrated tour of Florida’s Fountain-related sites (“Finding the Fountain of Youth,” 2013), this story has taken on iconic power in promoting Florida to would-be visitors, even as Ponce de León—and celebrating colonial invasion in general—has fallen out of favor.

“For five centuries, the idea of Florida has been linked to the life-giving properties of its water, both real and mythic,” Kilby writes. This is perhaps especially true in St. Pete, where early boosters like Dr. W. C. Van Bibber were already promoting the city’s warm climate, salt breezes, and abundant sunshine as creating a “Health City” perfect for ailing snowbirds.

Even after a major hurricane destroyed the Fountain of Youth pier in 1921, the city piped the well’s water to a nearby spot further inland, where until 1975, locals and tourists (“the newly wed and the nearly dead”) would gather to drink or take it home in bottles. Tests conducted in 1971 suggested that there might be some truth to locals’ claims that the water was special: it apparently contained high levels of lithium, a well-known mood stabilizer. As WTVT’s Lloyd Sowers quipped: “It may not have made them younger, but maybe more relaxed about getting old.”

I wish I could say the same for myself.

Standing in this tiny, forgotten spot, squeezed on both sides by the vast, currently empty parking lots of Al Lang Field and the Mahaffey Theater, it’s hard not to feel disappointed. Why? Because I failed to find a magical elixir to turn back the ravages of my nearly 40 years (or even just the last two)? Or maybe it was discovering a place that once bubbled with life now so deserted? Or maybe it’s a more profound concern, one that goes as deep as the aquifer itself. continued on page 31

cltampa.com | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | 29

30 | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | cltampa.com

AMANDA HAGOOD

THERE SHE GOES: Look for the old-timey script to find St. Pete’s ‘Fountain of Youth.’ continued from page 29 Because, as the Fountain of Youth’s popularity illustrates, the story of water in Florida has, for so long, been a legend of ever-renewing abundance. Our springs, our seas, and even the vast Floridan aquifer that waters so many of our cities and farms—all have been imagined as an endless wellspring that allows us to defy the ironclad rules of depletion and exhaustion. We are beginning to see the consequences of living in this fairytale: the Florida Springs Institute determined in 2018 that there has been a 32% reduction in average spring flows between 1950 and 2010, even as withdrawals for residential and agricultural use continue to climb. As National Geographic’s Jon Heggie puts it: “In Florida, the health of the aquifer is visible in its springs. With insufficient water to create high pressure, the flows stop, algae forms, and the springs’ clear waters become stagnant and brackish, and may even ultimately run dry.”

I’ve seen this antimiracle for myself: after a formative Florida experience at the extraordinary first-magnitude Wakulla Springs in the late 1990s, I returned to share this special place with my partner in 2015. Nostalgic for the magical glass-bottomed boat tour I had taken as a kid, I was disappointed to learn the boats weren’t running. Thanks to run-off and reduced flow, the water just isn’t clear enough most of the time. I climbed the old dive tower to peer into the 200-foot wide entrance to the massive cave at the bottom of the basin, a ghostly

place that still burned bright in my memory, littered with mammoth bones and peopled by hundreds of schooling fish. What I saw instead: a lone snorkeler trying to spot a manatee who was less than 15 feet away. His family was shouting instructions down into the pool: “On your left! Ten’o’clock!” they cried. No good; the water was too dim.

And while Tampa Bay’s urban springs are smaller than their giant cousins, their struggles are, in a way, even more spectacular. Paved over, piped away, polluted, or fouled by rising salt water, they are often the first casualties of development, indicators of our vexed relationship with the water we depend upon. Many of them could be restored, their flows regaining some of their lost power to feed the bay, provide habitat, and wow us with their extraordinary beauty. But this—along with saving the big springs up north—would require us to move beyond desiring eternal youth and expecting eternal plenty.

As I stand alone, shivering in the cold drizzle, a vision comes to me: maybe we should transform this lonely place into a Fountain of Elders, a vantage point where we could keep a vigil over our life-giving bay. A shrine whose waters would magically inspire outpourings of thanks to the land that has provided us so much, and floods of respect for this beautiful, fragile, utterly unique place we now call Florida.

Yeah, that’s it: Fountain of Elders! I think, pulling up my hood for the return pilgrimage to my car. That will look great on a postcard.

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ALL GROWN UP: Adam Lee Miller (L) and Nicola Kuperus first came together way back in 1998.

REVIEWS

PROFILES

MUSIC WEEK

Teeth out

Motor City electro favorite Adult. brings two new albums to Tampa.

By Jeff Niesel

INTERVIEW

Monday, April 25. 7 p.m. $15-$18 game up” and then some on the last three albums, Crowbar, 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City on its latest LP, Becoming and with each album, we aespresents.com Undone, a rich collection get to know him more and of techno-ish tunes that feature some of the most more, and he went deeper on this album.” sophisticated electronic beats and impassioned With its metallic sounding percussion and vocals the band has ever delivered. Singer Nicola droning vocals, jittery album opener “Undoing/ Kuperus sounds alternately “indignant” and Undone” sets the tone for the decidedly dark “possessed,” at it’s aptly put in a press release, release. as she sings tunes about how what she calls “the “I don’t want to say it’s something we do a compromises of culture.” lot, but we do enjoy smashing a strange middle Becoming Undone follows 2020’s Perception part into a song,” says Miller when asked about is/as/of Deception, an album that came out in the track. “We don’t know music theory. We April of 2020, just after the March lockdown of didn’t go to school for music. It takes us a min2020. The pandemic derailed the band’s tour ute to know an A-sharp on the keyboard. We’re in support of that album. always trying to break for“Our tour got canmula. We don’t want every celed, and everything fell song to be verse-chorus. We apart,” says Miller. “I still smashed something unexkept trying to get our set pected in the middle, but ready for rehearsals. It felt it’s not a futilist record. To futile, and our agents were ‘become undone,’ you can constantly trying to figure become again. A friend of out how to push the tour.” ours told us we have no fear Priorities shifted after Kuperus’ father, who of destroying something we once were because lived in North Ridgeville, started battling can- we will just create something new and rise out cer, and the duo became his hospice givers. of it like a Phoenix. We don’t talk about love or “We spent a lot of time caring for Nicole’s being strong in our songs. We talk about our dad,” says Miller. “It was very difficult but mean- weaknesses more.” ingful. That didn’t exactly put us in the mood to Though the band mixes things up from start writing. I don’t know what happened after album to album, one constant is Kuperus’ voice. that, but we said, ‘It’s going to be so long until Her guttural vocals often recall goth acts such we tour.’ So we started on new music. We were as Bauhaus’s Peter Murphy.

“We don’t talk about love or being strong in our songs.

We talk about our weaknesses more.”

GRANDSTANDHQ

T

he electronic indie act Adult. first came hopeful about the [2020 presidential] election together in Detroit way back in 1998. At and wanted some wind under our sails. Still, that time, the city resembled what Adam it was hard to continue with the weight of the Lee Miller calls “the wild west.” pandemic and all that shit. We got into writing “It was total freedom,” he says in a recent in the New Year, and then, the insurrection [in transatlantic phone call from a Berlin tour stop, Washington D.C.] was happening. As a result, 5,000 miles from where his band lands in Tampa it’s a darker album. Is an artist supposed to be on Monday. “The parties and raves and events a hammer or a mirror? In other words, do you were off the hook. It’s a city with such a rich fight or mirror what’s happening in the world. historical music history from Motown to Iggy We mirrored all those hardships.”

[Pop] to MC5 to early Detroit techno. We have a Thanks in part to the album’s meticulous lot of idols here that we don’t want to let down. mastering, the recording quality is superb.

We feel a great responsibility to calling our“We worked really hard at that,” says Miller selves a Detroit band. When you play a show when asked about the recording process. “It’s in Detroit, they’ve seen bass-y, but it snaps. We it all. It’s made us keep record at our home studio. our game up.”

We have worked with the Adult. w/Kontravoid/Spike Hellis The band “keeps its same mastering engineer

“I think because we tour so much, she’s become an incredibly strong vocalist,” says Miller. “We did a 2017 collaboration with [vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist] Shannon Funchess.

She said she loves singing with Nicole because she’s like a rock in the stream. She is the same every time and consistent. Her talking voice sounds like a dog’s squeaky broken toy, but the second the show starts, she’s right there. I don’t know how she does it.”

At the time of this interview, the band had just completed 12 shows in 13 days. The gigs were spread out across seven countries. After

Berlin, Adult. was set to head to Poland, a country dangerously close to the war that’s raging in Ukraine.

“The whole tour has been pretty surreal so far,” says Miller. “We play Poland tomorrow. I know the promoter, and he’s excited for sure.

He said that people need this right now. That makes us feel good. We’ve been touring for 25 years, and we were on the first flight out of Detroit after 9/11. We were scared as hell, but when we played that show overseas, we were all so together that I was crying. I’ll always keep fighting for the underground.”

cltampa.com | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | 33

SATURDAY APRIL 23

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By Josh Bradley C

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THU 21

Arch Enemy w/Behemoth/Napalm Death/Unto Others Two of Europe’s bestknown death metal acts join forces for a limited run of U.S. dates including this one.

Behemoth is no stranger to the area and last appeared at Slipknot’s Knotfest Roadshow in 2019. But Sweden-based Arch Enemy, which releases its new album Deceivers this summer, hasn’t been in Tampa Bay for 16 years when it played the Gigantour with Lamb Of God and Megadeth. Napalm Death and Unto Others open the show. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) C Colin Hay Men At Work may not have a whole library of hits, but frontman and creative force Colin Hay manages to keep his creative juices flowing almost 40 years later, and the entertainment industry is here for it. He appeared on an episode of “Scrubs” in 2002, played in Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band—which he’ll do again in Clearwater this summer—and has even been summoned to embark on a late summer tour with everyone’s favorite SiriusXM rambler Rick Springfield, and John Waite. Not to mention that the title track to Now And The Evermore even has Hay’s Beatle boss playing drums in the background. He’s perpetually on the road, so before his time with his fellow stars, he’s playing some solo dates like this one in downtown Clearwater. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) C The Cult Following a few hiatuses, original members Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy still believe in The Cult. The hard-rock group is currently recording new music that will hopefully emerge in time for its impending 40th anniversary. And this summer, The Cult returns home to the U.K. to perform co-headlining shows with Alice Cooper himself. Sure, it’s only a handful of dates, but how can you say no to the king of shock rock? Before the big flight, the band warms up with U.S. dates, including this one, the band’s first since a gig at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre alongside Bush and a post-Weiland Stone Temple Pilots. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) Eric Bellinger & Sammie Bellinger is to hip-hop what Jimmy Webb is to old country. You know the hell out of the songs he’s written, but you don’t necessarily know his name. He has released albums of his own, including New Light from last year, but he’s better known for who he’s written for. The 38-year-old has penned hits for Justin Bieber, Sean Kingston, and Chris Brown (with whom he won a Grammy in 2012). In what appears to be his Florida debut, Bellinger arrives at Orpheum alongside “I Like It” hitmaker Sammie. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

C Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway California-bred Molly Tuttle has been in the bluegrass headlines lately. Along with her new band Golden Highway, she’ll perform at Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond this fall, on the same night as Pearl Jam and Greta Van Fleet. The 29-year-old also just released Crooked Tree earlier this month, which has special guest spots from Margo Price and Billy Strings, who both happen to be GMF alumni. We’re keeping our fingers tightly crossed that Tuttle and Golden Highway will have a GMF spot of their own next year, but in the meantime, a performance at Tampa’s finest listening room goes down this week. Don’t miss a chance to catch someone who will undoubtedly become the next queen of bluegrass within the next five-or-so years. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing Co., Ybor City)

FRI 22

PRESS HANDOUT

THU APRIL 21–WED APRIL 27

C Diana Krall With 15 million albums sold, endless critical acclaim, and Elvis Costello as her husband of 19 years, Krall probably never has to sing another note in her life.

But during the pre-vaxx days of COVID19, the 57-year-old jazz singer released This Dream of You, which she assembled in the latter half of last decade. Though we’re patiently waiting for her to collaborate with her husband (they’ve written together before, but have never recorded in the studio), Krall arrives at Ruth Eckerd Hall for the first time since 2001. She’s been to Clearwater since, but those shows happened downtown, as opposed to the recently-renovated Hall. Proof of vaccination, or a neggy PCR test is required at the door, too. Cry me a river. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) C Steve Hackett Genesis’ former lead guitarist has no bitterness when it comes to his old bandmates. The 72-year-old wasn’t invited to partake in what appears to be the British prog-rock band’s farewell tour, but that doesn’t bother him at all. He stayed productive during the pandemic, having released two studio albums with different genres attached, and an autobiography he’s been working on for 15 years. Not a back has been turned on Hackett in Tampa Bay, as his show at the Cap is sold out to the gills. As it should be. Read an interview with Hackett via cltampa.com/music. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) C Sweet Lizzy Project Arriving with what NPR describes as a sound “imbued with overtones of classic American indie pop-rock suffused with an intoxicating Latino flair,” this Cuban-born outfit has three albums under its belt. In addition to last year’s SQS, Vol. 1, Sweet Lizzy Project teamed up with The Mavericks’ frontman—and Florida boy— Raul Malo, on its “Dreaming of a Revolution” project. When the band stops at The Attic,

Molly Tuttle be ready to hear both original material well as Great American Songbook classics in that Latino-indie-pop-rock fashion that appeared on the new album. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing Co., Ybor City) 98ROCKFEST feat. Godsmack/ Three Days Grace/Black Veil Brides/ Motionless In White/Ice Nine Kills/ Wage War For its 2022 outing, long-running hard-rock FM favorite 98 Rock brings Godsmack, Three Days Grace, and Black Veil Brides to headline the hockey arena. Don’t forget how lucky we are to have so many music festivals–and megashows–in Tampa Bay, people. Some places in the U.S. are lucky if there’s even a music scene in order.

(Amalie Arena, Tampa)

SAT 23

Crystal Bowersox It’s pretty normal for “American Idol” contestants to show up

in Tampa Bay, but usually at a festival of sorts, or a venue no larger than Jannus Live. Crystal Bowersox, an “Idol” runner-up in 2010, has kept a somewhat quiet profile in recent years, but she did drop a new record, HitchHiker, on New Year’s Day. For what appears to be her Tampa Bay debut, the 36-year-old will go it alone for an evening with where she’ll also raise money for Beyond Type 1, a nonprofit she’s long supported, being a type 1 diabetic herself. (The Attic at Rock Brothers, Tampa) Kenny Chesney w/Dan + Shay/Old Dominion/Carly Pearce After two cancellations, the artist who takes up three slots in your uncle’s six-disc changer is bringing the hootenanny to Tampa four a tour kickoff.

Right before COVID-19 hit in 2020, country superstar Kenny Chesney announced that he’d be rolling into Raymond James Stadium with Florida Georgia Line, as well as Michael Franti & Spearhead. In the two years that have passed, Florida Georgia Line and Franti

continued on page 38

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continued from page 35 have both been replaced by Dan + Shay and Carly Pearce, but the 54-year-old country star remains, with new music to promote.

Here and Now dropped in May 2020, and he’ll be, well, here and now, come Saturday for his first Tampa show since 2018. (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa)

Houndmouth

C Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, both 62, have been at it for six decades, having founded OMD together in 1978. The duo, often considered pioneers of techno and electronica, just recorded shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall ahead of a new live release due this year. The decision to record the sets was made before the shows even happened, but luckily, both of OMD’s performances were executed flawlessly—and we expect nothing less at Jannus this weekend for OMD’s first local appearance since 2019.

(Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

PRESS HANDOUT

C Record Store Day Fourteen years after its founding, Record Store Day (RSD) has gone fully mainstream (this year’s ambassador is Taylor Swift), and while folks like Jack White have sounded the alarm on a potential catastrophe for indie artists and labels looking to compete with majors as far as getting records pressed, there’s still never, ever, been a better time to be a year-long supporter of your local record store. This weekend, shops across the Bay area open early (8 a.m. at some places, with Daddy Kool hosting breakfast food trucks at 7 a.m.) for the international holiday, ready to sling RSD exclusives, sales and giveaways. Even better is the live music element happening at Daddy Kool (crooner Mike Tony plays the 2 p.m. slot) and Bananas (music starting at 11 a.m. with darkwave act Luuls). Be sure to spend lots of money at the register, tip your bartenders and return to the shop often, Record Store Day or not. Visit this post at cltampa. com/music to get venue specific information.

(Various Venues, Tampa Bay)—Ray Roa

SUN 24

C Elton John The bitch is back...again.

His supposed final Tampa show took place on Nov. 4, 2019, but he soon announced another farewell concert set for May 26, 2020, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A press release says, those who purchased tickets for the May show will receive additional information on the upcoming show, and all original tickets will be honored. While you prepare your outlandish glasses and pink boas ready, go listen to the Rocketman’s new album, The Lockdown Sessions, featuring collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Dua Lipa, and the late Glen Campbell. (Amalie Arena, Tampa) Fate DeStroyed w/Living Dead Girl In terms of booking national heavy metal/ hard rock acts, it’s been a pretty damn good year for Tampa’s Brass Mug. In February, Nita Strauss tore it down, and in very late March, Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain warmed up for Maiden’s impending fall tour. This weekend, Fate DeStroyed is on deck. The Los Angelino outfit blends trap with death metal, including on its latest single, “Mutation.” The five-piece, fronted

by Franccesca De Struct, is now on its

38 | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | cltampa.com

“Exorcism Tour,” with fellow metal group Living Dead Girl. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

TUE 26

C Houndmouth Indiana-based indieAmericana trio Houndmouth is preparing to open for Greta Van Fleet on a few of its tour dates this fall. That doesn’t include the Led Zeppelin-soundalike’s stop at Amalie Arena in October, but Tampa Bay is still getting Houndmouth’s company in a different fashion. Alum of both Gasparilla Music Festival and Clearwater Jazz Holiday, the band released Good For You, its fourth album, last year. And now that artists are finding fullscale tours safe again, Good For You is about to get the promotion it deserves—in a room that’s been mostly ignored by national touring artists until now (Floridian’s brand new talent buyer Shawn Kyle hopes to bring more out-of-town headliners to the space soon).

(Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg)

WED 27

Beth Hart w/John Oates/Guthrie Trapp Singer-songwriter Beth Hart has been in a Led Zeppelin state of mind in recent months, having released A Tribute To Led Zeppelin in February. Though her current “Thankful” tour opens with “When The Levee Breaks,” the 50-year-old performer has composed a setlist that serves as a full career retrospective. Hart hasn’t been to Tampa Bay—more specifically, St. Petersburg—since Bill Clinton was president, at the old Jannus Landing, so next week’s performance at the Mahaffey is bound to be unforgettable. And it’s not just because of Hart’s grand return. Joining her will be, you ready for this? Nashville guitarist Guthrie Trapp, and John Oates. Yes, from Hall and Oates, dummy! (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) C Tone Loc w/Tag Team With only two albums under his belt—the last one dropping over 30 years ago—it’s remarkable that rapper Tone Loc is able to put on a full show with that amount of material. One of the 56-year-old hip-hop pioneer’s last gigs before COVID-19 happened actually went down at Gasparilla Music Festival, when he kicked the weekend off. Joining the “Wild Thing” emcee is fellow ‘90s nostalgia rap group Tag Team. Just pray that the duo doesn’t do its dessert-based rewrite of “Whoomp! (There It Is)” seen in those fucking Geico commercials.

(Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo) C The Who After two long years off the road, Pete Townshend (who hates touring), Roger Daltrey, and The Who circa 2022, has announced its “Hits Back” tour, which kicks off in Hollywood, Florida. Two tour stops later, the band that made “Behind Blue Eyes” brings its contribution to the British Invasion to Tampa for a tour that continues the tradition of being backed by a full symphony orchestra. If this show lives up to the brilliance of Pete and Rog’s 2019 “Moving On” tour stop at Amalie, it won’t be a night to forget. But this time, let’s hope that “Won’t Get Fooled Again” isn’t an acoustic rendition, and we get to hear Daltrey’s piercing scream live one more time. Even if it’s pre-recorded.

(Amalie Arena, Tampa)

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TYLER DOWNEY C/O GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL

One mic won’t be enough for this heavyweight hip-hop show coming to Tampa this fall. On Tuesday, Wu-Tang Clan announced that its surviving members will join Queens rapper Nas for a co-headlining “NY State of Mind” tour coming in September.

Tickets to see Nas with Wu-Tang Clan play MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. go on sale Tuesday, April 26 at 10 a.m.

of a career resurgence and just released his 13th studio album, Kings Disease II, a follow up to 2020’s King’s Disease, which earned the 48-year-old his first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. Wu-Tang for its part is 18 years removed from the death of founding member Ol’ Dirty Bastard and recently saw its classic debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) archived in Washington D.C.’s Library of Congress.

Nas, who headlined Tampa’s Gasparilla Music Festival last October, is in the midst

See Josh Bradley’s latest new concert roundup below.—Ray Roa

Austin Miller w/Taylor Raynor/Joshua Reilly Friday, April 22. 8 p.m. Free. Green Bench Brewing, St. Petersburg

Lenee Friday, June 3. 8 p.m. $29.50-$44.50.

Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo

4.21

Grum Saturday, June 4. 10 p.m. Free guest list, $10 guaranteed entry. The Ritz, Ybor City

4.22

Whamonight feat. Charles Irwin/Witch Hiatus/Hovercar/Termite Friday, April 22.

7 p.m. $10-$20. Orpheum, Ybor City John Oates and Guthrie Tapp (opening for Beth Hart) Wednesday, Apr. 27.

7:30 p.m. $32.50-$60. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg XOXO Carnival w/Deadmau5/Lil Jon/ DJ Snake/Shaggy/Deux Twins/Wax Motif/DJ Ekin/DJ Casper/Doozie/more Wednesday-Sunday, May 4-8. 4 p.m.; 11 a.m. $5-$85. Armature Works, Tampa

Tiny Moving Parts w/This Wild Life/In Her Own Words Friday, June 24. 7 p.m. $22. Orpheum, Ybor City

Ace Enders w/Rare Candy/Matt Rosa Thursday, May 12. 8 p.m. $18. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

ekkstacy (opening for Purity Ring) Sunday, July 10. 7 p.m. $23-50-$100.50.

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Shiba San Saturday, May 14. 10 p.m. Prices TBA. The Ritz, Ybor City

Ternion Sound Friday, July 15. 10 p.m. Free guest list, $10 guaranteed entry. The Ritz, Ybor City

Palehound (opening for Sylvan Esso) Sunday, May 15. 8 p.m. $32.50-$40. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Erica Banks/Young Cash/Mason Dane (opening for T-Pain) Tuesday, May 24. 7 p.m. $37.50-$312.50. The Ritz, Ybor City Patty Smyth & Scandal w/Christie

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Lovelorn

By Caroline DeBruhl Dear Oracle, I recently returned to Tampa with the hopes of reuniting with my ex-partner.

I left them after I found out they had an affair.

(We are separated but not divorced.) However, after a year in another state and reflecting on our lives together, I realize how much I love and miss them. We constantly talked and texted and even told each other that we loved each other. I told them part of the reason I was returning was to get back together. Their reaction is they send me mixed messages. For example, they will say if we are going to get back together, we have to start over like we were dating. We have done several date-like things together. Then they’ll say, “but if I want to date someone else, I will.” I am very confused. I find myself at their home almost every weekend, grilling, cleaning the cars and house, taking care of the lawn, and hanging out with them. Will we get back together?—Lovelorn

and honest conversations about what you both really want moving forward.

You mention that your partner asked that you two start over again with dating. This part isn’t unusual—plenty of couples try this to get back to the basics—but then you describe what you do for your ex every weekend: you clean their house and cars, you grill, you take care of the lawn. This is very kind, but in my own experience, I’ve never had someone I just started dating clean my house for me unprompted. That’s something a live-in partner does. It seems like you’re willing to fill in the role of

ORACLE OF YBOR

Cards for the relationship now: Three of Wands reversed, Death, Eight of Swords Cards for the asker: Temperance reversed, Strength reversed, Page of Pentacles reversed.

Dear Lovelorn, a philosophy professor of mine once said that love exists in a moment when we see a person and picture a future with them.

That future could be 15 minutes down the road and involve fewer clothes, or it could be 50 years ahead and involve grandbabies. But that exciting moment of potential is a place where love can grow.

The Three of Wands is a card like that. It’s a card about looking back at what you’ve done with pride but still feeling excited about what’s around the corner. In this spread, the Three of Wands is reversed. While there is a fondness for what came before, that potential feels stuck.

When your marriage ended, you lost not only the relationship as it was in the present but also that future. That is a very devastating loss, and I’m so sorry you went through that.

It doesn’t surprise me that the Death card came after the Three of Wands. I’ve written multiple times about Death in this column and its contradictory meaning of both ending and beginning. Sometimes death is necessary so that rebirth can happen. To begin a relationship again with your ex can certainly be a rebirth— but only if you acknowledge the death of your marriage first.

I don’t know if you and your ex have talked about your relationship ending. Not the “why” or “how” of it, but the fact that it has ended. What has that meant for you? What has that meant for them? Be honest.

When you write that your ex is sending mixed signals, I wonder if you have had open

married partner again, but your ex is not wanting or willing to join you in that role.

Your ex did have an affair and has signaled to you that they are not looking for monogamy at this time. If they want to date someone else, they can. While the logic extends that you could also date someone else, it doesn’t seem like you want to. If you were to move forward with your ex, they might suggest an open marriage. Would you be all right with this solution? Some people are naturally drawn to polygamous relationships; some are not. One is not more of the “right way” to be in a relationship than the other, but it is crucial for both (or all) parties to agree. “Poly under duress” rarely works out.

There can be times when we’re in love with someone, and they cannot be with us fully. They might be married or uninterested in dating exclusively or have some other reason, and out of love for them, we convince ourselves that having a piece of them is better than nothing.

In a way, Lovelorn, I think that is the offer your ex is giving you. And I think you’re miserable with that. The Eight of Swords is a card for feeling depressed and trapped, seemingly without a way out. The image on my card is two swords on a rock and six swords below it.

It looks like a fence, but it’s an illusion: you can

scoot out if you try. You aren’t trapped, Lovelorn, despite it feeling like such.

I think you and your ex need to speak openly about what you want, what you envision as a future, what you need out of a partnership, and what you are unwilling to let go of. Remember that a compromise is something both parties are willing to work with, not something that leaves one person happy and the other gutted. If your ex is open to it, couple’s counseling might be helpful.

Right now, Lovelorn, your three cards of action are all reversed. It might be hard to face them, but

to have the strength to walk away. The Page of Pentacles is someone who works hard to sow seeds for the future. They believe that change is going to come.

Whatever that future is—with your ex, with someone else, or on your own—I hope that you’re able to see those seeds bloom and that whatever happens in this life, you feel enchanted by the possibility of what comes next. Thank you for trusting me with your question.

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

they are necessary.

First, with Temperance, you’ll need to be realistic with your hopes and truly listen to what your partner says they can give you. Whatever happens, you will need strength. If you move forward, you will need to be strong in rebuilding that trust. If your partner cannot give you what you need, you need

cltampa.com | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | 43

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By Dan Savage

I’m a married gay man. I’m nervous about sending this question and my husband is afraid you might answer it. I’m a fairly vanilla guy, while my husband is into bondage. We’ve been able to make it work because he’s into a kind of bondage he calls “storage.” On “storage nights,” I put him in bondage and play video games while he “suffers.” So far, so good. But I worry about accidentally killing him.

Most often I put him in his sleep sack—picture a leather sleeping bag you can’t get out of—which is strapped to a bondage board on the floor by our couch. I play video games for a few hours with my feet up on him. Every half hour, I tighten the straps. Toward the end of the night, the straps are so tight he can’t move or even take a deep breath. If he doesn’t complain or ask to get out, he’s rewarded with a hand-job when I’m done. We do this about twice a week. (We also have a leather straitjacket, but we use it a lot less often.)

I’m worried that he’s going to have an embolism or something because of the straps. Some go over him and around the board, pressing him down to the board, others go around his body and cinch in. The straps aren’t tight at first.

But for the last hour they’re fairly tight, and for the last 20 or 30 minutes they’re almost unbearably tight. I never leave him alone. If it matters, he’s in his 40s, in great shape, normal blood pressure, etc. He didn’t want me to write, because he doesn’t want to find out it’s dangerous and have to stop. For the same reason, he doesn’t want to ask his doctor. We’ve been doing this for 10 years and I haven’t killed him yet. Is there a chance I might? Can you ask a doc for me?—Seeking Advice Concerning Kinky Dangers P.S. It feels crazy to say this, but “storage nights” are special couple time for us and an important part of our intimacy. I don’t want to give them up any more than he does.

link between unexpected deaths and compromising the airway and breathing.”

So, don’t strap your husband face-down on your bondage board, don’t put anything around his neck or otherwise restrict his air intake, and if you haven’t already agreed on a safeword and/ or safegrunt and/or safegesture, settle on one and/or all now.

“Another potential risk from tight restraints would be muscle breakdown potentially causing kidney damage and electrolyte issues (‘rhabdomyolysis’),” said the docs, “so platitudes like ‘stay hydrated,’ i.e., drink plenty of water before and after, is reasonable advice. And physical restraint plus ‘chemical restraint,’ i.e., sedation or intoxication, is a much more dangerous combination, so it’s probably safer to avoid anything like alcohol [when you play].”

It doesn’t sound like you’re doing rope bondage, SACKD, since sleepsacks and straitjackets designed for BDSM play are usually secured with leather straps, not ropes. But Dr. Trueger and Dr. Marino urge rope bondage fans to use quick-release knots. “If things go south, it’s easy for anyone to get flustered or start to panic, which does not make untying tight knots any easier,” added the docs. Safe and sane bondage tops know to keep a sturdy pair of safety scissors nearby for the same reasons.

As for your concerns about leather straps causing a potentially life-threatening pulmonary embolism…

“There is going to be some level of risk with immobility and restraint with things like blood clots,” said the docs, and blood clots can cause an embolism, and embolisms can kill. “But it’s doubtful that using straps instead of ropes would make a difference as far as clot/embolism risk, or that a short period of extra tightening—30 minutes—would be riskier for clots or an embolism or anything other than bruising or other soft tissue injury from direct pressure.”

Long airline flights famously present a risk for embolism—all that time spent sitting on your ass—but flights of less than three hours “don’t raise the risk substantially,” said the docs, “and using straps has the added benefit of being a bit more straightforward to release in a pinch.”

Be aware of the risks, mitigate them as best you can, and you don’t have to give up your storage nights.

“The way our brains work, we get lulled into feeling safe when we do risky things a lot,” said Dr. Trueger and Dr. Marino. “So, it’s important to not get comfortable and then get lax because nothing has gone wrong before. Figure out good safety rules and stick to them. And pay special attention during times of escalation.”

SAVAGE LOVE

“Hours-long bondage and restraint raises a few concerns,” said Dr. Seth Trueger and Dr. Ryan Marino, both doctors who specialize in emergency medical care. (They read your question and shared their thoughts in an email they composed together.)

“First, however long you’re tying someone up, having some sort of safeword or action-equivalent alarm system of some kind seems prudent.”

If your husband is gagged when you store him, SACKD, a one-two-three pattern of grunts can be used in place of a safeword.

“For a mix of reasons, restraining people prone—on their belly—can be particularly dangerous,” said the docs. “We know this from both patient safety research and examples from law enforcement. That doesn’t mean tying people up on their backs is always safe but tying someone down on their belly is worse. There’s also a known

I’m a 59-year-old, cis, het, kinky Dominant woman. I’ve been in the D/s lifestyle for about 10 years. Last year a younger man found me on Fetlife.

We messaged and had coffee. I was impressed with his maturity and self-awareness. We’ve had a wonderful time meeting about every two weeks to play and explore. We discovered that he really loves pegging. I’ve pegged him several times, and he’s told me he’s slightly addicted to the incredible orgasm he receives when being pegged. One of our D/s rules is that he ALWAYS has to ask permission to come.

No matter what we’re doing, he must ask. And he always has. However, the last time I pegged him with my vibrating dildo, I realized he was coming without permission. I said, “Bad boy, you didn’t ask permission!” He was stunned and responded, “What?

Am I?”, and then shot an even bigger load. He swears he didn’t know he was coming until I said something. He says he didn’t feel like was coming until a good five seconds later. Could this be due to prostate stimulation? I’ve never been particularly successful with prostate milking with other subs, so I don’t know.

I have no concern that he disregarded our rules. He’s never been a brat in our dynamic. I’ve had other subs lose it without asking and apologize profusely while they’re coming. (Which, I have to admit, I kind of love.) Any insight here?—My Inexperienced Sub Toy’s Recent Ejaculation Somewhat Suss JOE NEWTON

Love & leashes

So, when you’ve pulled the straps so tight your husband can barely move—during that last half hour—you should put the gamepad down, SACKD, turn off the TV, and focus all your attention on your poor, miserable, suffering-just-the-way-helikes-to-suffer bondage freak of a husband.

Follow @msaware and @ryanmarino.

Congrats, MISTRESS, you may have finally done it—you may have milked a man’s prostate— but here’s how you can tell for sure: did that first wave of cum drool out of his dick? Prolonged stimulation of the prostate gland can sometimes cause the prostate to release seminal fluid. But without the contractions that accompany an orgasm, “milked” seminal fluids don’t shoot, they ooze out. If your sub was already leaking pre-ejaculate, the release of fluids from his milked prostate wouldn’t feel like an orgasm, but like a big release of pre-ejaculate.

It wasn’t until the orgasmic contractions kicked in and he started shooting that he could feel himself

climaxing. Since the prostate gland produces only 30% of seminal fluid released in a typical orgasm, he still had plenty left to shoot when those orgasmic contractions kicked in. But even if your sub didn’t come without your permission, MISTRESS, he’s still a bad boy and should be punished regardless.

I’m seeing a woman after nearly a decade of being mostly single. She’s funny, intelligent, creative, ambitious, and challenges me constantly. The sex is phenomenal—I’m 50, but she makes me feel 20 years old. She’s also into a fair amount of kink, whereas my sex life up until now has been fairly vanilla. Aside from a couple of drunken threesomes in my bartending days, I’ve had a plain (but satisfying!) sex life. This new situation is exciting, but also daunting. We have talked about a number of things—role play, bondage, choking, among others—and I really want to be a good a partner, but have no idea how to start. Two other complications: I’m not by my nature an aggressive or dominant person and I abhor violence directed at women. I recognize in my logical brain the difference between violence and consenting kink, but my lizard brain echoes with the voice of my grandmother and father.

Any books, podcasts, etc., where an old dog can learn some new tricks?—Basic Dude Seeks Mentors A few quick recommendations: Check out the “Ask a Sub” podcast, hosted by frequent Savage Lovecast guest Lina Dune, who is the woman behind @askasub on Insta. Lina conducts online courses for people who are just beginning to explore BDSM. “Love and Leashes” is a charming romcom about a woman with no previous interest in BDSM who is inspired to explore BDSM after meeting a cute kinky boy at work.

This South Korean film—with two mainstream pop stars playing the leads—shows two people negotiating a new relationship while at the same time negotiating kink thoughtfully, carefully, and intentionally. I would also recommend reading whatever erotica your new girlfriend enjoys and/ or watching porn that works for her. Then talk about it together, plan a scene, and take it slow.

(Also, choking is dangerous. So, no choking or only symbolic choking, e.g., an open hand placed on or near the neck, no squeezing, no pressure applied.)

Send letters to questions@savagelove.net, listen to the Savage Lovecast and follow @FakeDanSavage on Twitter. Get more at savage.love.

cltampa.com | APRIL 21 - 26, 2022 | 45

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