Parties are cool—some of you even love hurricane parties—but nothing is more important than the safety of our readers, partners and the com munity. Last Monday, with our eyes on Hurricane Ian and the preparation our community has in front of it, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay and staff at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino made a decision to reschedule the 2022 Best of the Bay party set for Thursday, Sept. 29. (The winners are published, however, starting on p. 47.)
Barring a major catastrophe, the new date for the 2022 Best of the Bay Party at Hard Rock Event Center is now Thursday, Oct. 6. All tickets will be honored at the new date, but refunds for anyone who can’t make it are available now via point of purchase.
For now, let’s continue to, um, be best, and work together to get through this thing. We’re gonna skip pointing you to some bar that’s open (although if you need a drink, and can safely get there, certainly go and tip well), and instead list some resources you might need after the storm. Much love to you all, truly the best read ers in Tampa Bay.
• City of Tampa information line 1-833-8724636 or tampa.gov/hurricane
• Electricity outage 1-877-588-1010 or tam paelectric.com/poweroutages
• City of Tampa fallen tree on city streets and sidewalks (813-274-5744, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.), (813-931-2168, after hours 5 p.m.-midnight) and (813-274-3101, midnight-8 a.m.)
• City of Tampa wastewater emergency repair and sewer backup 813-247-3451
• City of Tampa water department emer gency services (24 hours) 813-274-7400
• Pinellas County Information Center 727464-4333 bit.ly/pinellaschat
• City of St. Pete services center: 727-893-7111
State of Florida price gouging hotline: 1-866-966-7226
• Don’t drive or walk on flooded roads or near fallen objects, downed electrical wires and weakened structures.
• Be mindful of spoiled and contaminated food and water. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Don’t use generators inside, including in garages, crawl spaces, sheds.
STATE WE’RE IN: Time to take care of each other, Tampa Bay.
Photos by Kim DeFalco
It’s not really the end of summer until Pride on the River takes over the Hillsborough for a Saturday afternoon. Last weekend’s annual party featured dozens of boats, a Riverside Festival at Armature Works, and of course, top notch drag performers. See all the photos via cltampa. com/slideshows.—Colin Wolf
Last Thursday, a jury awarded a $15 million settlement to Andrew Joseph III’s family, as compensation for the wrongful death of their son at the hands of Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It’s a moment that’s eight years in the making for the Joseph family, which has sought account ability from HCSO throughout the years since their loved one’s death in 2014.
the settlement to the Joseph family, but ruled against a monetary settlement against Corporal Mark Clark, who was the other defendant in the case. The jury found that HCSO was 90% neg ligent in Joseph III’s death, and said that the child was 10% responsible for his own death. If the defense chooses, it can appeal the ruling.
Andrew and Deanna Joseph emerged from the Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse on Sept. 22 to cheers from family and supporters. Screams and laughter erupted as the crowd rushed to hug the Joseph family. “Whose house?!” Andrew Joseph Jr. shouted.
“Our house!” The crowd shouted back.
“Team Pee Wee!” others in the group shouted, referencing a nickname for the late Joseph III.
“Today we got vindication!” Joseph Jr. said to the crowd.
Deanna embraced friends and family mem bers with tears flowing down her face before speaking to a wall of news cameras. She said that while the family is elated about HCSO finally being held accountable, the decision is just a step toward ending qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that protects police. HCSO tried to use qualified immunity to protect itself from the federal lawsuit multiple times—even after it rested its case yesterday—and failed.
“If any family comes to find themselves in this situation, they now have a blueprint,” Deanna said. “Qualified immunity has given the field to these predators, who destroy our families and have no reprise or responsibility.”
Joseph said that the work doesn’t stop here. She said that activists need to go to state legis lators and demand that qualified immunity end in every state. “We all feel like that’s what it’s going to take to be able to keep our community safe and bearable for the future generations to come,” she added.
While still celebrating the win, Joseph Jr. said this type of justice for law enforcement “is going to spread.” He acknowledged that activists from around the country showed up to support them during the trial. “We struggle with their families and they struggle with ours,” he said.
The jury decided that HCSO should pay
JUSTIN GARCIAJoseph III was just 14-years old when he was taken into cus tody and ejected from the Florida State Fair by Clark on Feb 7. 2014. He died that night while trying to cross Interstate 4. A friend who was with Joseph said that an HCSO deputy had advised them to cross I-4 just before Joseph died.
During the trial, lawyers for the family said that after Joseph III died, HCSO used the media to make it seem like the child was involved in troublemaking that night at the fair—and never made an attempt to clear his name in the years following his death. Lawyers for HCSO had claimed that the department wasn’t responsible for state and constitutional laws that protected Joseph before and after he was taken into Clark’s custody. But the jury found that HCSO was in fact responsible for those laws, to the tune of $15 million.
Throughout the two-week trial, Hillsborough Deputies were caught telling conflicting stories, and Judge Mary Scriven scolded the HCSO
defense, telling the lawyers, “You can’t manu facture facts.”
One of the commanding officers involved the night Joseph died said that individual depu ties should be able to interpret state laws at their own discretion. But a law enforcement expert told the court that HCSO violated the Constitution and State Law by taking the chil dren into custody with no evidence of a crime and failing to contact their parents.
Major Frank Losat, who is representing Chronister in the case, was also accused of wrongly ordering a witness for the defense team to be arrested by HCSO. The witness had to be dismissed from the trial.
“We struggle with their families and they struggle with ours.”VINDICATED: Andrew and Deanna Joseph celebrate their victory against HCSO.
As a child, I attended a fundamentalist paro chial school, one of those primarily white private schools founded in the South after the civil rights movement for reasons that, of course, had nothing to do with race; don’t be silly.
The school brought in speakers to tell us, as 13-year-olds, that dinosaurs roamed Noah’s Ark, Bigfoot is real, and God watches us mastur bate. (I should probably bring that up with my therapist.) It’s possible the years have twisted my memory, but I recall a Bible teacher telling us Salem’s witches had it coming. I definitely remember a high school history teacher — also a football coach, naturally — informing us that the Civil War was really about tariffs.
On the other hand, I — slow, short, not ter ribly coordinated, occasionally stoned — was a two-sport varsity athlete, so I suppose there’s an upside to everything.
In any event, the experience left me with a lifetime’s worth of the evangelical version of Catholic guilt and a strange fascination with fundamentalist politics.
I’ve watched with morbid curiosity as those who purported to be the only true followers of Jesus volunteered to be co-opted by a reaction ary strain of American conservatism, as the same crowd that had fits of apoplexy over a president’s affair became loyal foot soldiers for a libertine con artist.
Psychologically, the attraction isn’t hard to explain: Fundamentalists and right-wing pop ulists both score off the charts on measures of authoritarianism. Even so, it’s been interesting to see how the merger — which was underway since the mid-20th century but reached its zenith under the Trump administration — has affected both religion and politics.
Recently, Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research published their semi-annual The State of Theology survey, a poll that seeks to “take the theological temperature of the United States to help Christians better understand today’s cul ture and to equip the church with better insights for discipleship.”
Its findings were remarkable, especially coming from a fundamentalist organization.
“Despite the clear teaching of scripture,” the survey reported, nearly half of evangelical Christians said that God “learns and adapts to various situations.” Nearly two-thirds reject the notion of original sin, which the survey attributes to the “influence of humanistic phi losophies and worldviews.” A majority — 56% — of evangelicals believe God accepts people of multiple faiths, up 14 points from the 2020 survey, 43% deny the divinity of Jesus, and 26% say the Bible isn’t literally true.
There are literal heresies for Christians who do not merely attend evangelical churches but espouse core evangelical beliefs.
But while evangelicals’ theological views have grown less fundamentalist, more than 90% of evangelicals still hold to fundamentalist teachings on abortion and sex outside of mar riage. The percentages that see both as sins have risen in recent years, in fact.
At the same time, however, 28% of evan gelicals say that the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality no longer applies — not a lot, but up from 11% in 2020 — and 37% agree that “gender identity is a choice,” up from 22% two years ago.
could be that evangelicals, like religion itself, are full of contradictions.
But two things strike me as true: One, mod ern evangelicalism is as much a cultural identity as it is a set of cohesive religious beliefs, and this cultural identity is fully enmeshed in the Republican Party. Two, while evangelicalism is forgetting its catechism, America is losing its faith.
A recent Gallup poll found that only 81% of Americans said they believe in God, the lowest level in the survey’s history and down from 92% in 2011. Church attendance is collapsing. Increasing numbers of Americans say they have no religious affili ation — and millennials and Gen Zs are the least religious generations this country has ever seen.
It doesn’t take a prophet to see where this is headed.
said they wanted Congress to declare the United States a Christian nation, though 57% of Republicans also said (correctly!) that the Constitution doesn’t allow such a thing. (In other words, a not-small number of Republicans want Congress to do something they know is unconstitutional.) More than three-quarters of evan gelical Republicans want Congress to establish a national religion, so long as it’s theirs; fewer than half of other Republicans do.
Unsurprisingly, older Republicans are keen on a Christian state; they’re more likely to be evangelicals. Also unsurprising is the role of white grievance: 59% of Americans who think white people are discriminated against want are good with Christian nationalism.
Like fundamentalism, racial grievance is a branch of the authoritarianism tree.
Younger evangelicals are significantly more liberal on those two questions, but not on abor tion or premarital sex.
I’m not sure what to make of that dichot omy. Perhaps wider acceptance of and greater exposure to LGBTQ individuals has caused some evangelicals to rethink their adherence to Bronze Age understandings of human sexual ity and gender, while a generation of True Love Waits shaming is still working its magic. Or it
It’s no coincidence that the once-fringe idea of Christian nationalism — the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and the separation of church and state is a myth — is taking hold on the far right, with figures like Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis embrac ing or flirting with it.
In a recent survey, 61% of Republicans
Donald Trump intuited that evangelical leaders would — after a few promises — overlook his past sins and fall in line. They did.
They didn’t sell their souls for nothing. They got Roe overturned, after all. But in their fealty to Trump, they turned their religion into a cultural identity that served Trump’s politi cal movement.
In the process, they did neither God nor American politics any favors.
SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD BIBLE THUMPER: Trump intuited that evangelical leaders would overlook his past sins and fall in line. They did.THERE’S AT LEAST ONE CULINARY SUPERNOVA THAT MATCHES ANYTHING YOU CAN FIND IN NEW YORK, PARIS OR OTHER FOODIE CAPITALS. WILLIAM DEAN CHOCOLATES IS A FIVE STAR SENSATION. - JON PALMER, CREATIVE LOAFING
TAMPA
2009,
failures as Ian surges toward Florida. Florida’s most Republican Democrat has a great point though.
GAGE SKIDMOREFederal career prosecutors are not recommend ing any sex trafficking charges against U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, according to The Washington Post. It’s not the worst news of the day though…
The tropics give us a whiff of what will eventu ally become Hurricane Ian. Gov. Ron DeSantis is probably just happy people aren’t talk ing about his cruel immi grant flights anymore.
Never one to miss a political opportunity, Charlie Crist rips Ron DeSantis insurance
Hurricane Ian forces Creative Loafing Tampa Bay to postpone its Best of the Bay party to Oct. 6, which is fine because we know everyone thinks it’s just a popularity contest anyway.
As this issue headed to print, our loyal readers, and their friends and neighbors, braced for impact from Hurricane Ian. Nothing funny about that. See you on the other side.
More shit, hoping our community isn’t blown to shit by the time this finds you at newsstands, via cltampa.com/news.
Astronghold of local beer culture is bowing out of St. Petersburg next month. Independent Bar St. Pete will close its doors on Sunday, Oct. 2, after six years in the Edge District. The bar is supposed to be closed through Thursday, Sept. 29 due to Hurricane Ian, but could pos sibly still pull off a Burke Bros. Trio concert on Friday, Sept. 30. Indie St. Pete’s popular Sunday Jazz Project led by James Suggs—which owner Veronica Danko will probably miss more than anything—is supposed to be the last event, set for Sunday, Oct. 2.
“We are proud that we were the first to bring a World Class Beer Hall to this wonderful city and we are thankful for all of the support over the years,” Danko, who co-founded Indie St. Pete in 2005, wrote in an email to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “This is a heartbreaking decision, but I am confident that it is the right one.”
Danko used to live in St. Pete, and raised her daughter there, so selling the building—not the brand—is a tough move, especially since she’ll no longer have a place to see Indie St. Pete’s small staff and many loyal customers, including some who’ve been there since day one. “I will miss the link that I have to that community,” Danko added.She told CL that she’s sold the building to a partnership group that includes Ryan Griffin, who’s involved in popular St. Pete concepts like The Mandarin Hide and TrophyFish. She would not disclose the financials behind the deal, but said that the sale allows her to to concentrate on other endeavors.
Independent St. Pete first opened in a differ ent location in 2005 before closing in 2012. Four years later, Danko reopened as “Indie St. Pete 2.0” in its current location, 1049 Central Ave. After the closure, Independent, which once had a downtown Clearwater location, will operate solely out of its Seminole Heights spot, which celebrates its 13th anniversary this fall.Over the last two years, it’s been challenging for Danko to keep her businesses open and properly take care of her staffs. During the pandemic, and as the Tampa Bay restaurant industry navigates out of it, she became more motivated to simplify her life and take more time for family and friends.
“As much as it pains me to let go of this, I know it is the right decision. We never had any prior offers, but we became aware of some
INDEPENDENTBARSTPETE/FACEBOOKinterest lately and a deal was made very quickly,” she said.
Angry Chair Brewing just celebrated its grand opening at a new location a few weeks ago, and now the business at its former space does the same— but you still can’t park on Fern Street.
Tallahassee-based Ology Brewing, located at 6401 N Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, opened its doors for the first time last weekend.
Seminole Heights’ newest brewery is now open from noon-midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday. Ology Brewing has already made a name for itself in Tampa
Bay’s craft beer scene by hosting tap takeovers at neighboring breweries, like Magnanimous Brewing, and participating in Tampa Bay Beer Week events earlier this year.
In addition to brewing its own craft beer— like the popular “Sensory Overload” hazy IPA and “Rainbow Colored Glasses” Berliner weisse sour—Ology also dabbles in liquor distilling, coffee roasting and hard seltzer manufactur ing. While the full menu for its newly-opened Tampa location has yet to be released, its other taprooms serve a variety of craft cocktails, from Manhattans to old fashioneds, whiskey sours and martinis. When CL spoke to Ology Brewing founder and head brewer Nick Walker earlier this year, he expressed excitement about enter ing Tampa’s beer scene.“We’ve been looking at Central Florida for a while, and there’s such a vibrant and developed craft market in Tampa,” he said. “We end up there all the time, visiting friends and working with folks in the scene, so it’s definitely a good fit.”
Ology’s longtime production manager
Taylor Gant is a Tampa-native and recently moved back to his hometown to run the upcom ing Seminole Heights location. Alongside its recently-opened Tampa taproom, five year-old Ology Brewing has three other locations in the greater Tallahassee area.
For the latest updates on Seminole Heights’ newest brewery, follow its Instagram at @ ology_tampa. Ology Brewing will be open from 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, noonmidnight Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays.
New country bar ‘Welcome to the Farm’ opens out of St. Pete’s former MacDinton’s space
It’s time to give your local western store a visit, because a new country-themed bar is making its debut in downtown St. Pete next month. Located at 242 Central Ave. on one of the most popular blocks in downtown, Welcome continued on page 25
PINT TAKEN: The popular craft beer bar could host its last event this weekend.
continued from page
to the Farm (commonly stylized as “WTF”) celebrates its grand opening on Friday, Oct. 7. Welcome to the Farm’s social media pages give its future customers a sneak peek of the downtown hotspot, inspired by the family farm of co-owner and “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” singer Chase Rice. WTF is a collabora tion between Rice, Forward Hospitality and Jannus Live owner Jeff Knight. There won’t be a better place to down Bud Lights and sing along to your favorite country bangers than this upcoming bar and venue, adorned with American flags and old timey Dairy Queen signs.In addition to a hearty beer list, Welcome to the Farm will also offer signature cocktails, like its cowboy crush margari tas, “big ass” mules, Jack’s jack and coke and its signature “WTF” shot with Crown Royal Peach tea and lemonade.
The only other Welcome to the Farm is located in Cleveland, where its operator Forward Hospitality is based out of. The same hospitality group is getting another concept ready to debut in St. Petersburg, as we can expect Good Night John Boy, a 1970s-themed dance club, to open out of the former Ringside Cafe location at 16 2nd St. N sometime soon.
Not to be confused with Clearwater’s Salt Cracker Fish Camp, Citrus Park’s newest sea food joint will probably offer a similar menu of no-nonsense oys ter po’boys and fried fish. Located at 7604 Ehrlich Rd. out of the for mer Ballyhoo Grill location, the upcoming Florida Cracker Fish Company doesn’t have an opening timeline just yet. All its website states is that the new Citrus Park location is “coming soon.”
Hopefully Florida Cracker Fish Company’s seafood-themed menu will fill the void in Citrus Park that Ballyhoo Grill left when it closed in the fall of last year. Former Ballyhoo Grill president Randy Grasmann stated that the bungalow-turnedrestaurant on the corner of Gunn Highway and Ehrlich Road was built in 1913, as its retro feel will certainly fit the “old Florida” theme of the upcoming seafood joint well.
Florida Cracker Fish Company is a seafoodforward offshoot of its parent company, the North
Florida-based Florida Cracker Kitchen. There are Florida Cracker Kitchen locations in Brooksville, Dade City and Homosassa that boast a hearty southern menu of chicken and waffles, Ybor breakfast burritos and country ham platters.
Some dishes we hope make their way onto the Florida Cracker Fish Company menu include smoked mullet dip, oyster po’boys, salmon omelets, shrimp and grits and its “fish camp “special—which comes with freshly-fried catfish, two eggs, grits and a biscuit. At the lower left
location in Tampa Bay. For the latest news on Citrus Park’s upcoming seafood shack, follow its brand new Facebook page at @ Floridacrackerfishco.
If you don’t like pizza, then we wouldn’t recom mend going to Tampa’s newly-opened Colony Grill, because ‘za is the only thing on the menu. Midtown Tampa, the 22-acre mixed-use
of a bite than the regular hot oil. Pizzas’s start at $10.50 with each topping adding an extra $1.75.
Also know for its wide variety of beer, Tampa’s Colony Grill also offers Guinness, PBR, New England Brewing Co. Sea Hag IPA, Sam Adams seasonal and Blue Moon on tap, and also sells an even wider selection via bottles, like Downeast Original Cider, Stella Artois and Heineken. The pizza spot also offers online ordering and delivery.
The only other Colony Grill in Tampa Bay resides on downtown St. Pete’s Central Avenue, where it debuted in the fall of 2021. The pizza chain has multiple locations through out Connecticut, New York and Virginia. Colony Grill joins the ranks of other newly-opened restau rants in the ever-growing Midtown Tampa development, like Bare Naked Kitchen, True Food Kitchen, Walk On’s, Don’t Kale Me Crazy and the upcoming Sunda New Asian.
Tampa’s new pizza joint is now open from 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11:30 a.m.12:30 a.m. on Friday-Saturday. For the latest information on the newly-opened Colony Grill, head to its Facebook at @ colonygrilltampamidtown.
Editor’s note: at the time of lay out and production, Hurricane Ian was still not a real threat to Tampa Bay. Please contact event organiz ers to see if the events are still on.
Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry (aka MOSI) gets a one-night-only adult makeover when Uncorked: Tampa Wine Fest happens this weekend. From 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 the popular museum at 4801 E Fowler Ave. will transform into a destina tion for Tampa Bay wine-lovers.
corner of its menu, the restaurant chain explains the origins of the term “Florida Cracker”, as it pays homage to the “class of early Florida pio neers” who were mainly small farmers and cattle ranchers. “Florida Crackers are also distinguish able by the architecture of their frontier Florida homes, their musical traditions, and foodways,” its website reads.
The fish shack headed to the greater Carrollwood area will be the restaurant’s first
development project, is the home to Florida’s newest Colony Grill location, which lives at 3640 Midtown Dr.
Favorites on its menu include the self-explan atory salad pizza, and breakfast pies topped with bacon or sausage, egg and cheese. Toppings for its regular pizza pies include pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, sweet peppers, black olives, bacon, meatballs, anchovies and “stingers”—Colony Grill’s spicy jalapeño oil that’s got a little more
Guests can sample over 100 wine and champagne options at the upcoming Uncorked: Wine Festival, in addition to accessing all of MOSI’s interactive displays and plan etarium shows, including its new “Dinosaurs Around the World” exhibit. Food trucks will provide the eats (although the cost of food isn’t included in the ticket price), while local DJs set the mood. And if hard liquor isn’t your thing, this wine festival will also offer tequila selt zers, canned sangria, hard seltzers and sodas, mimosas and bellinis.
on
AT THE CRACKER DAWN: Yup, you can get brekkie at Florida Cracker Fish Company.
from
Sea Dog Cantina’s food truck will sell its prized Mexican fare, AmazingGrazing will pro vide charcuterie spreads, Slider Guys will sling burgers, and Charm City Eats’ seafood menu will be sure to pair with the event’s various wines.
Tickets run from $65-$80 and can be pur chased via eventbrite.com. Early admission runs more on the expensive side, but that means a whole other hour of exclusive pours from select wineries. Some of the popular wineries, breweries and distilleries that will be featured at next week’s festival include Napa Valley’s Scattered Peaks, Summer Water Rosé and Roth Estate Winery—in addition to Pinellas-based busi nesses 3 Daughters Brewing and Aspirations Winery. For more information, head to uncorkedwinefestivals.com, where you can also find a complete list of participating wineries.
While the church’s patrons prepare a Greek feast full of traditional sweet and savory treats, various community members will participate in dances and other cultural performances. Some dishes that guests can expect from next week end’s festival include freshly-baked baklava, stuffed grape leaves, fire-grilled gyros, chicken souvlaki, deep fried feta cheese and braised lamb shank—among many other offerings. Traditional Greek wine, beer and coffee will help you wash your Mediterranean feast down.
Performances will be provided by the allGreek band Dimitri & The Islanders and the KEFI Greek Youth Dance Troupe, in addition to local DJs spinning tunes in-between acts. Free language, history and cooking lessons round out this week end-long celebration of all-things Greek. This year’s Super Greek Festival is family-friendly, as always, and even offers a kid’s zone for the little ones.
This annual celebration of all-things Greek returns for its 2022 rendition, and it’s the one time a year you don’t have to drive all the way to Tarpon Springs to score traditional Mediterranean eats. From Friday-Sunday, Oct. 7-9, the St. Stefanos Super Greek Festival takes The Burg’ over once again. This year’s celebra tion takes place at its home base—St. Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church at 3600 76th St. N in S. Pete—as its parking lot temporarily trans forms into a 20,000 square-foot open bazaar. The multi-faceted celebration runs from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission to this year’s festival is free if you register via eventbrite.com beforehand, or $3 at the event’s gate if you wait until the day of. Children ages 12 and under, active military, law enforcement, fire department, veterans, and folks 75 and over don’t have to register to access the festival for free.
The St. Stefanos Church website states that “more than $25,000 will be donated to both local Tampa Bay non-profits and nationallyrecognized non-profits,” although there’s no further information about which organizations will receive contributions. For more information on this year’s Super Greek Festival, head to its Facebook page (@supergreekfest), where daily updates on its various vendors and programs are posted.
GRAPE IDEA: Check with organizers to make sure the Super Greek Festival is still a go.
Help CL with this evolvinglisting. Did we miss a brewery or leave out an important detail? Email rroa@cltampa.com. Include brewery name, address, phone number and website, plus a short description of the unique offerings.
3 CAR GARAGE 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton. 941-741-8877, 3cargaragebrew ing.com
3 DAUGHTERS BREWING 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com
3 KEYS BREWING 2505 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. 951-218-0396, 3keysbrewing.com
5 BRANCHES BREWING 531 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. fivebranchesbrewing.com
7VENTH SUN BREWING 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013/6809 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-231-5900, 7venthsun.com
81BAY BREWING CO. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com
ANECDOTE BREWING CO. 321 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach. anecdotebrewing.com
ANGRY CHAIR 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com
ARKANE ALEWORKS 2480 E. Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com
AVID BREWING 1745 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-388-6756, avidbrew.com
BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. barriehaus.com
BASTET 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. bastetbrewing.com
BAY CANNON BEER CO. 2106 W Main St., Tampa. 813-442-5615, baycannon.com
BAYBORO BREWING CO. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-767-9666, bayborobrewing.com
BEACH ISLAND BREWERY 2058 Bayshore Blvd. Suite 5, Dunedin. 352-541-0616
BIG STORM BREWING CO. Multiple loca tions, bigstormbrewery.com
BIG TOP BREWING 6111 Porter Way, Sarasota. 941-371-2939, bigtopbrewing.com
BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. 652 Oakfield Dr., Brandon. 813-643-9463, bootleggers brewco.com
BREW HUB 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com
BREW LIFE BREWING 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com
BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 7272-940-2350
BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bull frogcreekbrewing.com
CAGE BREWING 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278
CALEDONIA BREWING 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com
CALUSA BREWING 5701 Derek Ave., Sarasota. 941-922-8150, calusabrewing.com
CARROLLWOOD BREWING CO. 10047 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 23, Tampa. 813-969-2337
CIGAR CITY BREWING 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com
CLEARWATER BREWING CO. 1700 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. clearwaterbrewing company.com
COMMERCE BREWING 521 Commerce Drive S, Largo. commercebrewing@gmail.com
COPP WINERY & BREWERY 7855 W Gulf Lake Highway, Crystal River. 352-228-8103, cop pbrewery.com
COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com
CORPORATE LADDER BREWING COMPANY 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. 941-4794799, corporateladderbrewing.square.site
COTEE RIVER BREWING 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-807-6806, coteeriver brewing.com
CRAFT LIFE BREWING 4624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-575-8440. facebook. com/CraftLifeBrewing
CROOKED THUMB BREWERY 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-724-5953, crookedthumbbrew.com
CUENI BREWING CO. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com
CYCLE BREWING 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com
DADE CITY BREW HOUSE 14323 7th St., Dade City. 352-218-3122, dadecitybrewhouse.com
DARWIN BREWING CO. 803 17th Ave. W., Bradenton. 941-747-1970, darwinbrewingco.com
DE BINE BREWING CO. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964.
DENTED KEG ALE WORKS 5500 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-232-2582, dentedkegaleworks.com
DEVIANT LIBATION 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727-379-4677, deviantlibation.com
DISSENT CRAFT BREWING CO. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-3420255. facebook.com/ dissentcraftbrewing
DUNEDIN BREWERY 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com
DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com
EIGHT-FOOT BREWING 4417 SE 16th Place, Cape Coral. 239-984-2655, eightfootbrewing.com
ESCAPE BREWING CO. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escape brewingcompany.com
FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., Wesley Chapel. 813-452-6333, flori daavebrewing.com
FLORIDA BREWERY 202 Gandy Rd., Auburndale. 863-965-1825
FOUR STACKS BREWING 5469 N. US HWY 41, Apollo Beach. 813-641-2036, fourstacks brewing.com
FRONT PAGE BREWING CO. 190 S Florida Ave., Bartow. 863-537-7249, frontpagebrew ing.com
GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-202-6071, grandcentral brew.com
GREEN BENCH BREWING COMPANY 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com
GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. 4824 14th St. W., Bradenton. 941-896-6381, thegoodliquid brewing.com
GRINDHAUS BREW LAB 1650 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com
GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY 3007 Beach Blvd., Tampa. facebook.com/GulfportBrewery
HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com
HOB BREWING CO. 931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. hob.beer
IF I BREWED THE WORLD 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com
IN THE LOOP BREWING 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com
INFUSION BREWING CO. 6345 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. 7272-484-4757
KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN ALE + CIDER 5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City. 813-7529100, keelandcurleywinery.com
KING STATE 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813-221-2100, king-state.com
LAGERHAUS BREWERY & GRILL 3438 East Lake Business, Palm Harbor. 727-216-9682, lagerhausbrewery.com
LATE START BREWING 1018 E Cass St., Tampa, latestartbrewing.com
LEAVEN BREWING 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813-677-7023, leavenbrewing.com
LIQUID GARAGE CO. 1306 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey. 727-645-5885. theliquidgarage.com
MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-362-0008, mad beachbrewing.com
MAGNANIMOUS BREWING 1410 Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-415-3671, magnan imousbrewing.com MARKER 48 12147 Cortez Blvd, Weeki Wachee. 352-606-2509, marker48.com
MASTRY’S BREWING CO. 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. 727-202-8045, mastrys brewingco.com
BREWING 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton. 941-567-6218, motor worksbrewing.com
MR. DUNDERBAK’S
14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813-9774104, dunderbaks.com
OFF THE WAGON BREWERY 2107 S Tamiami Trail, Venice. 941-497-2048, otwbar.com
OLDE FLORIDA BREWING 1158 7th St. NW, Largo. 727-2298010, facebook.com/oldefloridabrew
OVERFLOW BREWING 70 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-914-0665, facebook.com/ overflowbrewingco
OZONA BREWING COMPANY 315 Orange St., Palm Harbor. 920-392-9390, ozonabrewing.com
PEPPER BREWING 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertap house.com
PESKY PELICAN BREW PUB 923 72nd. St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600, peskypelicanbrewpub.com
PINELLAS ALE WORKS 1962 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-235-0970, pawbeer.com
POUR HOUSE 1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 813-402-2923, pourhousetampa.com
PYE ROAD MEADWORKS 8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. 813-510-3500, pyeroad.com
RAPP BREWING COMPANY 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com
RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER 2244 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-360-0766, stpetearcadebar.com
ROCK BROTHERS BREWING 1901 N. 15th St., Ybor City. 813-241-0110, rockbrothersbrewing.com
SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY 6607 Gateway Ave., Sarasota. 941-925-2337, sarasotabrewing.com
SCOTTY’S BIERWORKS 901 East Industrial Circle, Cape Coral. 239-888-5482, scottysbierworks.net
SEA DOG BREWING 9610 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island/ 26200 US Highway 19 N, Clearwater. 727-954-7805, seadogbrewing.com
SILVERKING BREWING CO. 325 E Lemon St., Tarpon Springs. 727-422-7598, silverking brewing.com
SIX TEN BREWING 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-886-0610, sixtenbrewing.com
SOGGY BOTTOM BREWING 660 Main St., Dunedin. 727-601-1698, soggybottombrew ing.com
SOUTHERN BREWING & WINEMAKING 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com
SOUTHERN LIGHTS BREWING CO. 2075 Sunnydale Blvd., Clearwater. 727-648-4314, southernlightsbrewing.com
ST. PETE BREWING COMPANY 544 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-692-8809, stpetebrewingcompany.com
STILT HOUSE BREWERY 625 U.S. Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727-270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com
SWAN BREWING 15 W Pine St., Lakeland. 863-703-0472, swanbrewing.com
TAP THIS! BAR AND BREWING CO. 10730 US-19, Port Richey. 727-378-4358, tapthisbar.com
TBBC 1600 E 8th Ave., Ybor City/13933 Monroe’s Business Park, Westchase. 813-2471422, tbbc.beer
TEMPLE OF BEER 1776 11th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-350-3055, templeofbeer.com
THREE BULLS TAVERN & BREWERY 4330 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico. 813-381-3853, threebullstavern.com
TIDAL BREWING COMPANY 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-701-1602, tidalbrewingfl.com
TROUBLED WATERS BREWING 670 Main St., Safety Harbor. 727-221-9973, troubledwatersbeer.com
TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-6077, facebook.com/twofrogsbrewing
TWO LIONS WINERY & PALM HARBOR BREWERY 1022 Georgia Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-786-8039, twolionswinery.com
ULELE SPRING BREWERY 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com
UNREFINED BREWING 312 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-4822, unrefinedbrew ing.com
WELTON BREWING CO. 2624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’Lakes. 813-820-0050, thebrew craftery.com
THE WILD ROVER BREWERY 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa. 813-475-5995, thewildroverbrew ery.com
WOODWRIGHT BREWING COMPANY 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-238-8717, facebook.com/woodwrightbrewing WOVEN WATER BREWING CO. 456 W Columbus Drive, Tampa. 813-443-9463, woven waterbrew.com
YUENGLING BREWING CO. 11111 N 30th St., Tampa. 813-972-8529, yuengling.com
ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills. 813-715-2683, zbcbeer.com
ZYDECO BREW WERKS 902 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City. 813-252-4541, facebook.com/ zydecobrewwerks
Tampa Bay is home to more museums than we can list. But whether you’re new to the area or just looking to reconnect with the gallery scene, here are some of the big’uns. Make sure to contact each museum to get the most updated health and safety protocols.
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts 400 North Ashley Dr., Tampa. fmopa.org
Glazer Children’s Museum 110 W Gasparilla Plaza., Tampa. glazermuseum.org
Henry B. Plant Museum 401 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. plantmuseum.com
J.C. Newman Cigar Company 2701 N 16th St., Ybor City. jcnewman.com
Museum of Science & Industry 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. mosi.org
Tampa Bay History Center 801 Water St., Tampa. tampabayhistorycenter.org
Tampa Museum of Art 120 W Gasparilla Plaza., Tampa. tampamuseum.org
Ybor City Museum State Park 1818 E 9th Ave., Ybor City. floridastateparks.org
The Dalí 1 Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg. thedali.org
Dunedin Fine Art Center 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin. dfac.org
Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum 2240 9th Ave S, St. Petersburg. woodsonmuseum.org
Fairgrounds 800 28th St. S, St. Petersburg. fairgrounds.art
Florida Holocaust Museum 55 5th St S, St. Petersburg. thefhm.org
Great Explorations Children’s Museum 1925 4th St N, St. Petersburg. greatex.org
Imagine Museum 1901 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. imaginemuseum.com
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art 150 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. thejamesmuseum.org
Morean Arts Center 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. moreanartscenter.org
Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement 355 4th Street N, St. Petersburg. museumaacm.org
Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. mfastpete.org
St. Petersburg Museum of History 335 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg. spmoh.com
Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum 100 Beekman Ln., Tarpon Springs. tarponarts.org
Polk Museum of Art 800 E Palmetto St., Lakeland. polkmuseumofart.org
Ringling Museum 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota. ringling.org
Rollins Museum of Art 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park. rollins.edu/rma
It should come as no surprise that the Banksy tribute exhibit supposedly headed to Tampa this fall is unauthorized. Local art scene lovers should also be ready to see lines of people ready to participate in the commodification of street art from an artist whose work regularly rakes in millions of dollars at auction (one half-shred ded work auctioned for $25.4 million last year). We are a fast growing city eating up candlelit candlelight concert tributes to everyone from Beethoven to Beyonce, after all.
“Banksyland” has plans to be in Tampa on Friday, Nov. 18-20, with 15 daily time slots for entry. Tickets start at $22, but a venue has yet to be announced.
Twins Seven-Seven in a new exhibition open now. “Multiple: Prince Twins Seven-Seven” on view now through Jan. 15 in the Minck Gallery, located inside MFA St. Pete at 255 Beach Dr. NE in St. Petersburg.
The exhibition displays several pieces from printmaker, painter and sculptor Prince Twins Seven-Seven, whose unique style is known to represent a divide between the traditional and the contemporary in African art. His paintings, prints and drawings blur the lines between the otherworldly and the physical environment with abstract images and a unique sense of color.
The show is one in a handful of ticketedentry unauthorized exhibitions of Banksy’s work. Reviews say the show includes “video projections and compilations of the artist’s work, 3-D fabrica tions of the artist’s 2-D work, photographs of the artist’s street work printed on paper or canvas.”
The Portland stop for “Banksyland”—which obviously has not been blessed by the artist—did include “original street works and components of installations created by Banksy,” which were described as “lifeless in a gallery setting under glass.”
When the show’s curator spoke to On Arts Watch last summer, Elle Miller explained that she hoped that her One Thousand Ways production company would operate as a nonprofit element to the exhibit, but could not explain how the nonprofit would work. A few weeks later the Seattle Times said she’d decided to move away from the nonprofit model, but that “at least 10% of ‘Banksyland’ prof its will be given to arts organizations.”
At one point, the ticketing page for the show had a call to action to support Americans for the Arts’ mission with an additional $5. A spokes person for Americans for the Arts told the Times their organization does not have a relationship with “Banksyland,” which Miller admitted to.
Miller has yet to respond to an inquiry from Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete is set to showcase the work of Nigerian artist Prince
Prince Twins Seven-Seven was the only sur viving child out of his mother’s seven pairs of twins. Because of the traditional religious beliefs of the Yorùbá people of Nigeria, he believed that he possessed unique spiritual power and insight that heavily influenced his art and style. Now, his work and legacy highlights his lived expe riences and modernity within the traditional.
An upcoming Dali museum exhibit explores the idea of dreams and how they have been depicted throughout time. “The Shape of Dreams” opens Nov. 25 and runs through April 30, 2022 inside the Dalí located at 1 Dalí Blvd. in St. Petersburg. The exhibit explores 500 years of paintings from the 16th-20th century, with a selection by art ists including Paul Delvaux, Pat Steir, Philip Guston, Max Beckmann, Odilon Redon and Lodovico Carracci.
Museum guests will see how artists through time have depicted the enigmatic state of aware ness and unknown that comes with dreaming.
“The Shape of Dreams is a powerful explo ration through painting of how we understand ourselves and the world,” said Dalí Museum Director Hank Hine. “Are dreams useful? Are they prophetic? Do they tell us things about ourselves that we did not know?”
The exhibit will be accompanied by a fullcolor catalog “The Shape of Dreams: Five Centuries of Painted Dreams from the Divine, Mythology & the Mind,” which features an expanded selection of dream-inspired pieces
by renowned artists. Also on view at The Dali this fall will be “Paul Éluard: Poetry, Politics, Love,” Sept. 3-Jan. 8, exploring the works of one of the most celebrated surrealist poets.
Carmada street carnival to help kick off St. Pete Shine Mural Festival eighth anniversary St. Petersburg’s annual Shine Mural Festival is back for its eighth year starting Oct. 14, and 2022’s festivities include some very colorful cars. Carmada is coming to downtown St. Pete with an artful family-friendly event to kick off the 10-day festival.
The Carmada Street Carnival will display painted cars, a live car painting from this year’s featured artist Nneka Jones and more activi ties, officially kicking off the mural festival. The Carmada Street Carnival will take place Sunday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Childs Park, located at 4301 13th Ave. S in St. Pete.
Carmada partners with artists, nonprofits and municipalities to produce vibrant art-on-wheels displays.
Last week, a 23-year-old Tampa theater com pany asked city council to keep a developer from tearing down its playhouse, but the plea did not work. Now the property on W Kennedy Boulevard—which includes the former Tampa Sportatorium—will be demolished. "It's abso lutely devastating to have survived two years with our doors shut to the public, never miss ing a rent payment during the pandemic, to finally see the light at the end of that very long tunnel, to reopen our doors for an amazing 22nd season only to have light at the end of the tunnel be a train,” Powerstories founder, Fran Powers wrote.
FLOCK TOGETHER: A ticketed-entry unauthorized exhibition of Banksy work starts at $22.
SEPT.
By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL RecommendsEditor’s note: The live music calendar is going to depend on what kind of shape Ian leaves us in. Check these listings online for the most up to date information.
C Alice In Chains w/Breaking Benjamin/ Bush April marked 20 years since the Seattle grunge band’s original lead singer Layne Staley died, and for only a few years, the band’s future felt uncertain. Not that we don’t miss his presence onstage and on the three albums that have emerged since his death, but William DuVall—who hung out with the guys pretty often near the end of their original run—fronts Alice In Chains now, and will do so for the band’s first local headlining gig since 98Rockfest 2013. Breaking Benjamin and Bush (the latter released its 2019 performance at the ol’ Gary as a live album) open. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)
C The Grapes album release) w/Kairos Creature Club/Chlorinefields Over the summer, Grapes frontman Alexander Charos surprise announced the band’s third full-length, Wax Fates . The songs on the 12-track album date all the way back to 2016 when the country was still paddling out of the wake of the elec tion. Charos described that period as a strange time for the band, which was not gigging due to an injury to its drummer, Alexander’s brother Philip Charos, and the relocation of Grapes bassist Tom Dicks. Just he and guitarist Dr. Chase Swan were active in the band. But in the spring of 2018, Charos flew longtime Grapes pal and collaborator Jeremy Mendicino to play drums and trim down the list of potential album songs. They spent a week tracking drums on tape at Charos’ Yoko Phono studios and when Mendicino left, Dicks flew in to track bass for another week. “I know a few of us were really struggling emotionally so these sessions were a really great time for us to connect and be cre ative together again,” Charos added. Hear the new-to-you record live at this hopefully reliev ing post-Ian, no cover concert. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)
C Emo Night Tampa: Folktale San Pedro w/Brother Cephus/0 Miles Per Hour/ Sportsmode If the city gets pummeled, don’t expect Emo Night Tampa organizers to stage this show. If we do somehow come out OK, the show—featuring out-of-towners Folktale San Pedro and 0 Miles Per Hour, plus hometown hero Brother Cephus and rising star Sportsmode—to feel like a release valve. As usual, its no cover, which is good since you blew your paycheck on hurricane snacks. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Glaive w/aldn COVID-19 just might be the best thing that ever happened to 17-year-old Ash Guitierrez. The Florida-born breakout began recording music while in Zoom school during the worst of the pandemic. Two years later, Guitierrez—who was a live music virgin when he started making it big—has already collaborated with Machine Gun Kelly and scored millions of hits on streaming platforms. The slightly older alt-pop musician Aldn (stylized “aldn”) opens Glaive’s Tampa debut. (Orpheum, Tampa)
Liquid Pennies w/Emily Turnage It’s the end of an era for both St. Petersburg’s Indie Bar and one of the city’s favorite psych-rock groups. Liquid Pennies is looking at a potential tour in the somewhat near future, but Zoë Turtle has other plans that require her to stay local. “This break from gigging is to get away from the late nights, and for Zoë to focus on working on her own solo material and teaching music. But she’ll continue to do appearances with us, just more sporadically,” frontman Chas Binns told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Even now, Turtle only appears for a handful of songs before Liquid Pennies finishes a gig as a trio. Nonetheless, Saturday night in St. Pete just got even more bittersweet. (Independent Bar, St. Petersburg)
C Jose Ramirez Don’t let the name of Ramirez’ latest album Major League Blues confuse you: He is a 100% not the Cleveland Guardian, or the ex-New York Yankee pitcher. The 34-year-old blues guitarist—who collaborated with the late Jimmy Johnson on Blues —recently became the first Latin American artist in 69 years (nice) to sign with Chicago’s Delmark Records, and has been praised by musicians as high and mighty as Buddy Guy. This cabaret gig looks like Ramirez’ last gig in the U.S. for a small while, as it’s being billed as a “send-off” show before embarking on a European tour. I think Ramirez could pack out Hough Hall if he tried, though. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
Mudtown w/Prescribed Fire/Razor and The Boogiemen A hillbilly punk band, instrumental supergroup, an beloved stoner punk trio on one bill. Kudos to St. Pete Brewing Company for holding a show that could potentially give a hilljack a chance to walk away a fan of stoner-rock. (St. Pete Brewing Company, St. Petersburg)
C Panic! At The Disco w/Marina/Wesley Jake Rogers From the 2005 emo anthem “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” to its recent multi-platinum hit “High Hopes”, Panic! At the Disco has earmarked the pop rock charts for nearly two decades. Known for adapting his style, a sound change-up—present on Panic!’s latest, Viva las Vengence —is typi cal for frontman Brendon Urie who fought off sexual assault allegations in 2020. “Viva Las Vengeance is a look back at who I was 17 years ago and who I am now with the fondness I didn’t have before,” the frontman said. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)
C The War On Drugs After playing The Ritz in 2015, a Philadelphia-based indie-rock favorite is finally back. The arrival finds War On Drugs frontman and principal Adam Ganducier in the midst of a high point for the heartland-rock band after the release of its critically-acclaimed 2021 album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore, and a Grammy-winning 2017 effort, A Deeper Understanding. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Tauren Wells w/Aaron Cole/Lakewood Music Christian popstar Wells, a 10-time Grammy nominee, and alum of the Winter Jam concerts that regularly stop in the Bay, begins his first headlining arena tour in promotion of his latest album Joy In The Morning . (Yuengling Center, Tampa)—Max Steele
The Grapes' Tom Dicks & Alexander Charos (L-R) JASON RYAN/GASPARILLA
Last month, when Creative Loafing Tampa Bay closed down polls in the 2022 Best of the Bay awards, I noticed a big number: More than 500,000 votes cast. That’s a lot of people. Almost as many as the populations of Tampa and St. Petersburg com bined—and certainly a much better turnout than the races for mayor in those cities.
All told, CL readers selected about 350 different winners across 10 categories: arts, entertainment, music, food, drink, beauty, wellness, goods, services, people and places. CL contributors added more than
150 Critic’s Picks of their own. Those selections are collected neatly in this issue, but I was taken aback by the sheer humanity of it.
It takes so many people to get from the category suggestion process, to the compilation of votes, printing of the paper, launch of the winner URLs, and eventual distribution of the awards at our big party. This year’s getdown at the Hard Rock Event Center is rescheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6. That’s also because of humanity.
When Best of the Bay 2022 went to print, Tampa Bay was
preparing for a more-or-less worst case scenario: our first direct hit from a catastrophic hur ricane in more than a century. While the presses in Lakeland ran, everyone from Polk County to Pinellas was probably glued to whatever BOTB-winning meteo rologist Denis Phillips was saying. Some were probably preparing for the unknown; others, totally immobilized by fear or the pov erty they live with day-to-day.
By the time this paper hits the streets, we’ll have a clearer pic ture of how bad the damage is (some started to notice a more southern path for the storm, I hope that panned out). What I do
already know, however, is that in the days between the production of this paper and Ian’s arrival, so many of you will have already shown everyone watching Tampa Bay exactly why we call this place home. You will have shown your own humanity by helping neigh bors get back up on their feet. So many community members (in spite of their imperfections, laid out in some of the snarky picks in this issue) will have done their best to help each other get on.
So I’m happy and relieved to welcome you to Best of the Bay 2022. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m proud to call you my neighbor. —Ray Roa
Family-owned and operated since 2009, Taste of Punjab is some of the best Indian food in town. That’s right, some of the best Indian food is hidden in a plaza off Walsingham in Largoalmost-Seminole. Samosas, butter chicken, plus extensive vegetarian offerings. Chief amongst them? Taste of Punjab’s Aloo Gobi. Cauliflower and potatoes simmered in toma toes, onions, and spices. Served with basmati rice, but I recommend you invest in some of the fresh naan for dipping. There’s an entire bread menu: chutneys, curries, all the good stuff. tasteofpunjabrestaurant.com—Arielle Stevenson
When the Garrison Brothers Bourbon Dinner changed my life last November, I became immersed in a very complicated subject and wanted to taste as widely as possible to fill in the gaps in my woefully inadequate whiskey tasting experience. I compiled a list of dark spirits that were hard (or expensive to obtain) and headed to Haven to indulge and taste
some special whiskies that piqued my interest. My tasting could not have gone more smoothly. Erin was also a great fount of knowledge and kindly indulged my chit-chat while seamlessly caring for her other customers without breaking a sweat. haventampa.com
Jon Palmer ClaridgeI’ve wondered what I look like in the window, when someone walks by on the sidewalk outside Bandit as I take my first few bites of the chorizo breakfast burrito, which has a little american and cotija cheese sprinkled into a pillowy tortilla wrapped around chili lime potatoes, pico, and baby soft scrambled eggs. This is the stuff hangovers dream of, but I’d eat it seven days a week regardless of whether or not I went on a bender the night before. @banditstpete on Instagram—Ray Roa
In a sea of ultra-legit Vietnamese restaurants in Pinellas Park, one cafe truly stands out. Thuy Cafe, nestled in between Cho Lon Oriental Market and Ha Long Bay restaurant, dishes out some of the best (and most affordable) banh mi and boba tea around. Alongside its menu of made-to-order dishes like its beef lemongrass banh mi, egg rolls and wonton soup, is its cold case filled with unlabeled Vietnamese delicacies like homemade kimchi, soy milk, macarons and other desserts. Locally-grown fruit, like coconuts, mangoes and jackfruit, are typically for sale, too. thuycafe.com—Kyla Fields
Alton Brown kicking off his 2022 tour in Tampa was the best thing to happen to the celebrity
chef because it meant he would have to spend a few days rehearsing at the Straz Center before it all started. That meant he followed his intuition to downtown Tampa’s Supernatural, just a few blocks away. There, he tried not just the famous cinnamon-sugar sourdoughnut, but Tampa’s favorite bacon, egg and cheese sando.
“The best I’ve had,” Brown told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “The best ever.” He’s not lying. You’re welcome, chef. @supernaturalfoodandwine on Instagram—RR
I deemed this downtown St. Pete hole-in-thewall one of the best Tampa Bay restaurants of 2021, but obviously my love for Sid’s stacked Jamaican plates spans all time and reason.
There’s always ‘80s love songs playing on the TV (Whitney Houston or Teddy Pendergrass, usually) and a handful of dishes are typically crossed off its menu in sharpie, but there’s something incredibly endearing about the simplicity of it all. My go-to order is the oxtail, but if they’re sold out go for the jerk chicken, curry goat or beef patties instead. If there was a “Heaviest to-go container in St. Pete,” award, I’d give it to Sid’s in a heartbeat. 727-321-4000—KF
The Garrison Brothers bourbon dinner as part of ‘Whisk(E)y Tampa Foxtrot’ was a master class transforming Texas BBQ into fine dining while perfectly matching a portfolio of artisanal Texas bourbon. Florida stone crab claw on jalapeño cornbread smothered in smoked honey beurre blanc. Foie gras-duck hot links, sweet hot mustard, compressed cantaloupe, charred cactus, and surprising black tahini. Shredded goat legs with masa in delectable pumpkin-guajillo pepper broth. Magical 76-hour Wagyu beef brisket, hominy, turnip greens and fig BBQ sauce. Flakey, sweet pecan pie, roasted stone fruit with ancho-tinged caramel and ultra creamy buttermilk ice cream. Big Johnson energy, for sure. bernssteakhouse. com—JPC
So you got Covid. Or maybe you just got sick. Either way, you feel like shit. You need something to soothe, calm and restore you, even if it’s just for a little while. As it happens, chicken noodle soup has legit healing properties—it hydrates, enhances your mood, gives you energy and helps clear your head. But you don’t want to eat just any chicken soup, and perish the thought of pouring it out of Campbell’s can. This is where Kristina’s comes in. Its chicken soup, served every day of the week (even in the dead of summer), has big, moist pieces of chicken, hunks and carrot and celery and a heavenly broth—all cooked up with love. Come to think of it, feel free to eat this stuff even when you’re not ill. kristinascafestpete.com—Eric Snider
cltampa.com | SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 5, 2022 | 49 continued
from page 49
Grateful Bakes is Rachel Gelbmann’s lightly Deadhead-themed home bakery. If her cakes were a Dead song, they’d probably be “Friend of the Devil,” because each one is danger ously good. The greatest hit has to be the Cleveland Cassata Sponge cake, layered with vanilla bean Italian custard, fresh strawberries and whipped cream. She even makes her own vanilla extract. Gelbman hails from The Land herself, but has been a longtime transplant in The ‘Burg—and we’re glad she brought a little slice of C-Town along. gratefulbakes.com—AS
Sometimes it seems like 75% of the restau rant coleslaw around here gets pumped out from a giant vat at an undisclosed location in Valrico—soupy, limp, over-mayo’d, sorely
crunch-challenged, utterly bland. Such is not the case with 4 Rivers, whose made-in-house slaw has a sublime balance of tang and sweetness and—most important—ample crunch. Furthermore, barbecue, espe cially ribs, fairly begs for a good coleslaw as an accompaniment. This restaurant’s slaw elevates … the meats. 4rsmokehouse.com—ES
In November 2021, I was just a wine guy food critic with less than a handful of whiskey. But an invite to the Garrison Brothers dinner changed my life. In just a few hours, a door opened and I tumbled end over end down
the proverbial rabbit hole. I’m a taster, not a drinker. But one whiskey book led to three and a growing desire to explore. My collection grew to include Irish and Scotch. Podcasts and more books followed, which meant adding Japanese, Tennessee, bourbon outside Kentucky, plus two kinds of tasting glasses. WTF 2022 is Nov. 8-11. If you can find a ticket, be forewarned. laxer familyfoundation.org—JPC
Look, hockey’s fine. But I got your attention, right? Like most Tempeños, I have friends who are Bolts fans. Friends that I like to grab a beer
with after work sometimes, when I can. But when it’s hockey season, and your bois insist on watching the Lightning massacre its com petition multiple days a week, a good friend (me!) will tag along. The Rez in Ybor City offers a Good Friend the opportunity to find enough alcohol—for a budget-friendly chunk of change—that they’ll actually start enjoy ing the game with some semblance of sincere enthusiasm and shout along with the crowd: “Go Bolts!” @reservoirbar on Facebook McKenna Schueler
Even though the Wat Mongkolratanaram temple hasn’t fully opened back up since the pandemic (rightfully so), the toned-down, drive-thru version of its Sunday morn ing market still dishes out some of the best Thai food in Tampa Bay. Open from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sundays, this cash-only market is packed with freshly-fried egg rolls, spring rolls, fried bananas, mango sticky rice and a wide variety of Thai curry. Although this dining experience isn’t full service, you can still pull over and enjoy your to-go feast with an ice-cold Thai tea while you take in the views of its vibrantly-colored Buddist temple. 813-621-1669 —KF
Afternoon Tea is a particularly British institu tion which combines the love of ritual with a chance to pretend for just an hour or two that you’re hanging out with Maggie Smith as the dowager countess at Downton Abbey. There’s a certain thrill when a three-tiered cake stand arrives with crustless finger sandwiches on the base below flaky scones with jam. The top tier allows the kitchen to amaze with diminutive petit fours that run a gamut of flavors. Joseph’s is the real deal; I know because a gaggle of Brits here for a family wedding came back raving. josephstea.com—JPC
It’s probably downtown Tampa’s best date night jumpoff point, but don’t engage the gin matrix until you’re ready to go down the rabbit hole. Built around four distinct flavors in the spirit (savory, citrus, floral, juniper), the matrix steers someone towards specific gins and specialty cocktails (around 60 options are available). It’s an adventure, for sure, but one you should probably tackle over several visits. cwginjoint.com—RR
Who’d expect that a small eatery known for schnitzels, ‘wursts and kraut would serve such remarkable French fries? These made-in-house gems are medium-thick, with a pronounced outer crust—but they’re
life-giving juice is made with ingredients fresh from her home kitchen—and flavors like watermelon and cucumber limeade are refreshing as hell in the Florida heat. @realrootz_ on Instagram.—AS
Whether you need dried fish heads, specialty Southeast Asian fruits or just want to peruse someone’s second-hand wares, the Pinellas Farmers & Flea Market has got you covered.
Every Saturday and Sunday, a large parking lot in Clearwater is packed to its brim with hundreds of vendors, peddling everything from locally-grown produce and freshly-thwacked coconuts to old tools and fishing poles. There’s an overwhelming amount of hot food options to choose from, too—from Masarap Bowl’s pork belly to fresh-out-the-wok fried bananas and taro root. Language barriers are overcome by universal hand motions—pointing, forming numbers, and swapping cash. @pinellasfarmerfleamarket on Facebook—KF
A quartet of thin half moons of lush yellowtail (hamachi) are placed with the flat sides of the filet on parallel diagonal planes—as though the fish are swimming in a school. They’re floating in jagged circular pools of citrus buttermilk glistening with dots of translucent green dill oil. Each piece is garnished with a golden chip of crisp lotus root. Plus, there’s a touch of Szechuan pepper, some shreds of orange, flakes of sea salt and overarching wisps of fine cranberry powder. It’s stunning; a pretty, magical combo, like a jazz riff that you don’t see coming. lingrrestaurant.com—JPC
If you see a green and red gas station with giant horse statues out front, then you’ve just come up on some of the best Mexican food in St. Pete. Chile Verde offers a no-nonsense menu of tacos, burritos, taco salads, tortas, flautas, chimichangas and quesadillas, and you can even browse its small Mexican grocery section and barrels of aguas frescas while you wait for your feast. One beef tongue taco, extra onion, extra cilantro, please. 727-800-2679—KF
not crispy through and through. Rather, the insides are moist and have a genuine potato taste. Finely chopped scallions and parsley add extra flavor and aroma. They come in hefty portions, so you can make a ($4.50) meal out of ‘em. @germanknodle on Facebook—ES
For those of us who want vegetables in our beer, or a reminder of the Philippines that’ll get you a buzz, too. Bastet’s low-ABV field beer is purple thanks to a purple yam, light and fragrant like the inside of a Filipino bakery. Just don’t drink and drive the jeepney, OK? bastetbrewing.com—RR
I got the phone number for Real Rootz from a friend of a friend, and we met in a park after I filled out a Google Doc order form online. Sometimes Real Rootz’s owner does pop-ups with juice menus, sometimes it’s a full, albeit healthy, Southern meal. The mason jar of
The first forkful takes you by surprise. The slippery texture of the glass noodles is so lush as to be erotic. The stir fry flavors are perfectly balanced; a hint of spice from julienned red bell pepper, char from scallions, earthy bite from marinated shiitakes, some herbal spinach notes and the sweet crunch of carrots. The tamari-sesame sauce clings to and mellows each morsel. There’s harmony and joy even without the welcome addition of a sunny egg yolk that stares back from the center of your plate. This is Chef Noel Cruz’s triumphant japchae. eatgangchu.com—JPC
from Roger and J.P., Sean Daly and ABC News, Bay News 9, Gabby, Papa and Mama of Felices Deli(our first wholesale customer). The Community of Safety Harbor, our distributor Mr. Cannoli and all the restaurants that carry our products and all our loyal customers. We are the 2nd Best Cheesecake cause Don’t Disrespect your Mother, Capisce!
Cafe de Paris has turned out insanely good French pastries on Indian Rocks Beach for years. Fresh bread, quiche, and crepes continue to be some of the best in the Bay. Little know one of the best sweets on its menu, though; the lemon tart. Homemade lemon custard, tangy and sweet, meets buttery but sweet crust. The entire pastry case is over the top but the lemon tart...trust us. cafedeparisbakery.com—AS
Hey, they don’t call ‘em Fabio’s Famous Meatballs for nothin’. Am I right or am I right? Chef Fabio Viviani, who’s also the restaurant’s founder and co-owner, has put together a marvelous antipasto item that blends unique character with like-mama-used-to-make com fort. Served in an elegant white bowl, slathered in scrumptious red sauce, the four substantial
meat-a-balls are tender and tasty. Two pieces of rustic toast jut upward, and prove ideal for dip ping. A generous dollop of whipped ricotta adds further indulgence. tavernacostale.com—ES
Chef Jeffrey Jew takes din ers to Hamlet’s Scandinavia as though we were riding on a Chinese junk. His menu reflects his NorwegianCantonese roots. And to transform Duke Ellington’s pithy observation about music to the world of food, “If it tastes good, it is good.” He wants us to linger at Lingr, so eat tapas style for more marvel ous tastes and eschew the entrees. The dishes come out of the kitchen as they are prepared, so they are piping hot and ready to seduce your palate. lingrrestaurant.com—JPC
At 24 years old, with tattoos more or less all over her body, Julie Michelle Sainte Feliciano doesn’t look like your mom or lola. And while the recipes from a forthcoming “sari-sari” concept borrow from Filipino tradition, she’s not slinging her ancestors’ halo-halo. Instead, diners get dishes like tocino dumplings, sour tamarind aioli with their lechon, coconut-calamansi kini law, and even veganized options like a lumpia Impossible-style burger with an ube bun. Basta pinay, maybe—a welcome update to flavors from the motherland, no doubt. @the luckytigre on Instagram—RR
For 36 years now, Maryann Ferenc and Chef Marty Blitz have held the reins at Mise en Place, a tried and true staple of the Tampa Bay restaurant scene that consistently puts some of the area’s best food on the table year in and year out. More than a constant example of the roots of Bay area fine dining, Mise also served as a training ground for Tampa cooks who’re now pushing the scene into the national spotlight with concepts of their own. miseonline.com—RR
Stew’s is as close to a New York/New Jersey bagel as any in Florida. Plus, the owner waits on you. This place has been making delicious bagels in the same spot for decades, and it arguably outranks Clearwater Bagels and even St. Pete Bagels regarding quality and longterm consistency. Legend has it that Stew
started making bagels in Brooklyn when he was 16, and it tastes like it. Don’t miss the fresh rugelach (raspberry and chocolate), either. 727-531-9823—AS
They say you can’t go home again, but apparently this doesn’t apply to pad thai. Largo’s Thai Bay pad thai appears just as delicious as when I left Largo in the late-2000s. Twenty years later, the family-owned operation on East Bay Drive is still cooking up hearty plates of good Thai food. It’s not easy to do something well, repeatedly, year after year. But that’s just what Thai Bay does with its menu, consistently and with love. Also, Thai Bay continues to be one of the few places that still offers a really good macrobiotic menu (for those who enjoy that kind of thing). Overall, I’m just glad some things do stay the same. thaibaysushi.com—AS
What kind of pie does Drax the Destroyer literally destroy whenever he gets a hankering? Ask South Tampa’s Gourmet Pizza, a very respectable establishment, and one of Dave Bautista’s regular stops. Without getting into too much detail, there’s cauliflower crust involved, along with a bunch of other healthy stuff like veggies, fresh Italian sausage, vegan cheese and pepperoni, and even—brace yourself—pineapple. gourmetpizza-company. com—RR
There used to be a South Tampa seafood shack called Monstah Lobstah. It was good, but all the Boston Red Sox regalia made it almost impossible to eat there for any self-respecting Tampa sports fan. For some reason, Santoro’s, which is covered in New York-centric decor, doesn’t upset my stomach at all. It probably has a lot to do with the amazing family-friendly hospitality and no-nonsense New Jerseystyle pie that owner Travis Kaiser and his staff provide for customers who regularly pack the NoHo restaurant nearly every night of the week. The subs, wings and zeppoles with cannoli cream are must-tries, too, but even Yankees and Giants haters can’t go wrong with what might be the best slice in the 813. santorospizzeria.com—RR
I mean, you could use your left hand, too, but Oktoberfest Tampa’s stein hoist is a good
place to train your hands and forearms for whatever challenge awaits beyond the Bay area’s largest Oktoberfest celebration. okto berfesttampa.com—RR
The answers to all of life’s woes: empana das. Latin Lunch Box cooks up a fierce food game when you can find its food truck—but be aware, there’s always going to be a long line because it’s that good. We’re talking avo cado salad, yuca fries, tostones, mofongo, sweet plantains, beans, and rice with chimi churri. Made fresh for every pop-up, look for the beautiful smiling face behind the food, Wendy. She usually dances in the truck-turned kitchen while cooking up a storm. Catch Wendy and her empanadas most Fridays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., outside St. Pete’s All Children’s Hospital. 727-452-4406 —AS
Cuban sandwiches should be a weekly occurrence when living so close to Ybor City. The Golden Dinosaurs Cuban is a vegan attempt at the beloved local sammie. And it’s a good one, effectively scratching the itch for a Cubano without the over-the-top animal fat intake. Plus, on Thursdays, Golden D’s Cubans are just $6. That’s as good an excuse as any to take a drive over to Gulfport for lunch. goldendinosaurs. com—AS
The mid-south section of St. Pete, along 4th and 6th streets, has long been a commercial dead zone. But in the spring of 2021, up popped a restaurant that mixes terrific seafood-centric fare, with good service and generous helping of fun—a winning combination that suggests the place might be around for a while. Mullet’s Fish Camp, set in a 101-year-old house, offers indoor and outdoor dining and has an area in the back with a small stage where live acoustic acts perform. By the way, the “Mullet” in the name refers to the cheesy men’s haircut, not the (nasty-tasting) fish. How Campy is that? mulletsfishcamp.com—ES
The small family-owned GB2 is the spot for local authentic German food in Pinellas county. And the schnitzel isn’t limited to the traditional breaded pork cutlet. There’s a whole schnitzel menu, with variations on the
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classic. And then there’s the sides, like spaet zle or handmade noodles, red cabbage, and dumplings. The potato pancakes with sour cream or applesauce are a must too. The fam ily’s oma is literally in the back helping cook up each and every plate right now. Don’t miss the hidden German gem, tucked into the 1300 block of East Bay Drive. @germanbistro2 on Facebook—AS
While not categorically an English pub, Three Birds has plenty of the earmarks—and one of those is that it turns out an exemplary shep herd’s pie. The lovely mixture of seasoned ground lamb and beef, vegetable succotash and Guinness gravy, covered by a generous
layer of smooth mashed potatoes, makes for a hefty helping of comfort food. By its nature, the dish is heavy and filling, but the Three Birds rendition is not overly rich. And the portion size is substantial but not obscene. Eat outdoors at Three Birds if at all possible. You’ll not find a more beautifully shaded restaurant courtyard in the Tampa Bay area. threebirdstavern.com—ES
William Dean Brown, aka Bill Brown, left the dot-com world for chocolate long ago. Then he spent time studying chocolate-making with some of the best chocolatiers in the world. Opened in 2007, Brown named his chocolate shop after his father and grandfather, William Dean. Located in Belleair Bluffs, every chocolate is handmade, and it shows. CL food critic
Jon Palmer Claridge gave WD five stars in 2012. Consistency isn’t easy, and Wiliam Dean continues to be the best chocolate in town. williamdeanchocolates.com—AS
You bring the golden puff to your lips and light aromas of curry rush to fill your nostrils. As you nibble a small bite, the crisp pastry flakes away to reveal the lush interior—a juicy combo of ground chicken breast melds with creamy potato and hints of sweet, savory onion. Add a touch of the cool, diced cucumber salad dotted with tiny, translucent slivers of red onions from the small ramekin balancing the plate, and you quickly understand the magical allure of Bangkok’s street food. @eatatpattisthai on Facebook—JPC
Thanks to Wild Child, a fancy drink sansbooze is listed on its cocktail menu alongside the extensive drink menu. Found Weekend is the alcohol-free counter to Lost Weekend. Watermelon juice, agave, fresh mint, and lime meet ombre-style over crushed ice in a tall, cool-looking glass. The official af drink of summertime in Florida. wildchildstpete.com—AS
The tiramisù with coffee-dipped ladyfingers, rum and mascarpone cream and a dusting of dark cocoa is some of the best I’ve experi enced. Everything is in perfect balance both in flavor and texture. Some other versions have more assertive flavors to stand out, but this has a subtle synchronicity that just delights with every bite. The cream is not gelatinous, the ladyfingers are not the tiniest bit soggy, and the cocoa topping is just the perfect accent as the flavors meld. casasan tostefano.com—JPC
Well drinks for less than $4, Jello shots for $1, free food on certain holidays, and some of the best shows in Tampa, for a small donation— what more could you ask for? Well, there’s a big stage in the Legion Hall, where Merchandise and Modern English have played. There’s a floor stage in the lounge area, where countless punk, indie and death metal bands lived and died. And during the pandemic, the Legion built an out door stage, where Emo Night recently rocked out. Poison yourself for cheap, and stay for the sounds. alseminolepost.org—Justin Garcia
If you’ve never been to Island Crew Cuisine, you’re missing out on some of the best Caribbean food in Tampa. But the restaurant goes beyond the usual Jamaican fare. The spot offers a veggie Cuban, rasta pasta, and even a vegan deviled crab. The cooks replace the traditional crab filling with mushrooms and spices. We dare say it tastes better than the original. islandcrewrestaurant.com—JG
Best bar to chill in Ybor City if you want to have a drink, smoke a cigar, and people-watch when you’re too restless to stay in, but don’t have the energy for essentially anything else you’ll see on 7th Avenue on a Friday or Saturday night. It’s comfortable, charming, and edgy without pretense. For the non-cigar smokers, and nonmelancholy rabble rousers, the Shame also has pool tables, darts, at least two films playing on their TV screens that are enthralling in different ways, a jukebox, and great staff behind the bar— don’t forget to tip! dirtyshameybor.com—MS
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It takes a keen, trained eye to be able to adequately critique art, which is why it was notable that former Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan referred to downtown’s controversial “Back the Blue” mural as a “a first grader’s art project.” The mural, which was painted on the street directly in front of TPD’s headquarters and is so illegible that it was nationally mocked as the ‘Bock The Blub’ mural, was created by a right wing Facebook group at the height of the George Floyd civil rights protests, and was the focal point of multiple protests and arrests. “If there was any poetic justice, the protesters that were hating on the police had no idea that we thought it was ugly, too,” said Dugan to CL last April. Unfortunately, Tampa’s worst mural is still there, but Dugan has a few suggestions for the city: “In my opinion, they need to either pressure wash it, paint over it, you know, set it on fire, anything to get rid of that eyesore.”@ chiefduganret—Colin Wolf
The Times editorial board knew that Judge Jared Smith had denied a 17-year-old abor tion and that he was found to have abused his
judicial discretion in making that decision. But the board still endorsed—or “recommended” in the paper’s eyes—the right-wing evangelist judge. As CL uncovered more disturbing behavior from Smith, the Times continued to stand by its man. But the endorsement didn’t work, and in a rare upset, Smith, an incumbent judge, lost to Nancy Jacobs. You gotta give it to the Times for sticking it out until the end. @ tbtimes_opinion on Twitter—Justin Garcia
Tampa Police headquarters is chock full of controversy. Last year, the department was caught in close to two scandals a month. This year, the controversies are adding up. Through a public records request, CL caught the department using geofencing, a spying tactic that has caused uproar around the country, because average citizens can often get caught in an unconstitutional digital dragnet. TPD didn’t offer comment for the story—JG
Even a gigantic alligator in Lake Thonotosassa couldn’t stop JC Defeats. The triathlete who
raises money for good causes had his skull inside of a gator’s mouth, but fought his way out. He says he was saved by a divine force, but his wife thinks his training in the military also helped with his survival. After escaping the clutches of the gator, he even drove himself to an ambulance. joindefeatx.com—JG
The Ybor Misfits started as an apartment living room project, but has grown into a local institution. So much so that the group has teamed up with the cigar-famous J.C. Newman Family to create a micro-sanctuary in Ybor, which can house several chickens in need. The Misfits also fought the city’s attempt to eradicate the chickens a few years back, which would have destroyed an important aspect of Tampa history.
@ theybormisfits on Instagram—JG
After the fall of Roe vs. Wade and threats to reproductive rights on the state level, councilwoman Hurtak decided to take a stand and
push for the City of Tampa to defend women’s rights locally. Specifically, she wants local law enforcement to promise officers won’t pursue charges against people who pursue abortions in Tampa. The protections are still in the works, thanks to Hurtak, who made a brave stand. @ lynnhurtak—JG
Being boss of a major municipality’s communications is a hard job. Since taking the position of Tampa’s communications director, Smith has been a highlight reel of unfortunate gaffes. In the introduction to a community forum on homelessness, Smith made a joke about how kids camping out for a nearby concert weren’t actually homeless people. “I’m glad you got parking,” he said. Two months later, when asked for a comment about Neo-Nazi’s camped out with swastika flags outside the Tampa Convention Center he opted not for a forceful condemnation of extremism and instead said it was “a sad time for our country when people from the darkest fringes of society feel comfortable openly expressing their vile hate, but it’s understandable why many media outlets refuse to do their bidding by publicizing this garbage.” News flash, Adam: white nationalist sentiments have infiltrated the mainstream, and outlets that don’t report on it are more or less turning the other way. @adamsmithtimes on Twitter—Ray Roa
DAVE DECKER
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Over the last four decades, Coach Trent has cemented his place as an unsung legend and hero for at least two generations of Tampeños. Mullins, a University of Tampa Grad, has been involved with the same locally-grown indepen dent education group for 40 years, and taught physical education at two different schools. His kids not only get their bodies moving and learn motor skills by playing sports, but also reap the benefits of an amazing life that has seen coach travel the world, learn several languages, and also lead one of Tampa Bay’s foremost reg gae bands, Jahfari. If you want your kid to be fast and efficient on their feet, but also know ballet, sing songs, speak to you in their nonnative tongue, and just be a good human, then Coach Trent is your guy. @jahfarireggaeband on Facebook—RR
Traditionally, land preservation in Florida has been a long tale of lost battles to save a disappearing paradise. Not always though, sometimes, occasionally, a piece of old Florida is preserved. When that happens, it feels like a huge victory because it is. Such is the case with Tampa’s W. Kent Bailey Hiking Trail, the largest tract of conservation land in Hillsborough County. Former Sierra Club chair, Kent Bailey, led the charge to safeguard the undeveloped 12,800 acre property amid Hillsborough’s booming development. Bailey passed away in 2020 but his legacy is in those woods. Proof that sometimes you can fight city hall and win. sierraclub.org/florida/tampa-bay —Arielle Stevenson
Evans is the only player in NFL history to start a career with eight consecutive seasons notch ing at least 1,000 receiving yards. He holds Buccaneers’ franchise records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. That’s future Hall of Fame stuff, folks. Evans plays wide receiver, a position populated by a lot of prima donnas who bitch about not getting enough balls thrown their way (see: Antonio Brown). Evans, he just plays. And produces. He doesn’t seek out enough spotlight to be a super star, but the Bucs are just fine with him being the star—and model teammate—that he is. Several times the Bucs have nominated Evans as their Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, a prestigious award that recognizes excellence on and off the field. And he’s not afraid of a fight. @ mikeevans on Instagram.—Eric Snider
Fourteen acres of rural Florida scrub on the
edge of Tarpon Springs, in the middle of gated communities and waterfront, are saved. Thanks to the folks at West Klosterman Preserve, efforts have been underway to protect a vital piece of the area’s watershed. The cost to preserve paradise? The Pinellas School Board, which owns the property, wanted $3 million. This year, Gov. DeSantis vetoed funding for the purchase. The school board gave the group more time to raise funds. And earlier this month, a donor came through with $2.5 million needed for the purchase. The plan is to use the West Klosterman Preserve for education. wkpreserve.com—AS
As Governor DeSantis cracked down on the ever-elusive CRT boogeyman in public schools, James Michael Shaw Jr. had a different idea: educate the public. But the local lawyer had to do it in a creative way. He made a promo video for a “forbidden” Critical Race Theory event,
which would let people know what the words actually meant, rather than just stoking fear in the public, as DeSantis is known to do. @ jamesshawjr on Twitter —JG
All around downtown St. Pete were meters that claimed change placed into them would go to benefit the homeless. But CL found that wasn’t true. The money actually went to the St. Pete Police Department, which hoarded the funds. In the fiscal year 2022, $0 had gone to the homeless, while over $9,000 was hoarded by police. Eventually, SPPD did the right thing and said that money would go to a different department.—JG
BEST HOLY MAN WHO PUTS HIS RELIGION AND SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS INTO ACTION
It started with the signs. Signs on 38th Avenue North, one of the busiest thoroughfares in St. Pete, bearing what some people viewed as controversial messages. They advocate for LGBTQ causes (especially for young people), migrants, Black Lives Matter, gun control, rent control, against book-banning, the list goes on. The signs were started by Oliver, who took over a moribund congregation in the late 2010s and helped bring it back to life with an uncompromising message of inclusivity for all. Hmm, how controversial. He married two gay women in 2019 and got sideways church leadership. That same year, a disgruntled fucko fired a bullet into the church’s preschool classroom, which held 11 two-year-olds. No one was injured. Oliver made sure the signs kept coming. In addition, he shows up to all manner of protests and generally speaks out against injustice at every turn. He’s unafraid to piss people off, unbowed by backlash, motivated by love. allendaleumc.org—ES
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On Aug. 8, FBI agents were in the process of rummaging through Donald Trump’s padlocked basement closet at Mar-a-Lago and remov ing box after box of top secret files the former president would later say were somehow both declassified and also planted there by the feds for some reason. Of course, all of this was and still is big news, but what’s more remarkable is that St. Petersburg-based publisher Peter Schorsch knew before everyone else, and rather than blogging it himself on his site, Florida Politics, he just humbly gave it to every reporter in a tweet, saying “TBH, Im not a strong enough reporter to hunt this down, but its real.” Well, it turns out it was real, and clearly Peter is a real one, too. @peterschorschfl on Twitter—CW
The sale of Fun-Lan Drive-In and Swap Shop was heartbreaking for locals who grew up going to the iconic locale. But for a real estate inves tor, the sale meant doubling profit. In December of 2021, the property was purchased for $5.84 million by GFY Trustee Services. By February 2022, it was sold for over $11 million dollars to a company that says it will develop housing.—JG
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is great at keeping secrets, especially when it comes to shady dealings that she’s caught up in. Her administration did a great job at keeping the U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Tampa’s crime free multi-housing program a secret for six months. At the same time, she kept under wraps the fact that she approved the city’s controversial City Center at Hanna Avenue project. @janecastor on Twitter—JG
For decades, Mary Glenney hosted “From a Woman’s Point of View,” on WMNF every week. The show she hosted with Arlene Englehardt created a distinct feminist space in local media. The show featured hundreds of interviews with women like Eliza Gilkyson, Madea Benjamin, and Naomi Klein. Her interview style made for incredibly candid one-on-one conversations with her guests. Her voice and activism will be sorely missed. @fromawomanspov on Facebook—AS
Bullock was marching peacefully on July 4, 2020 when Tampa bicycle police attacked her and her fellow protestors. The cops were trying to get charges on the protestors, as CL’s reporting found, and they claimed Bullock committed
battery on a law enforcement officer, with no evidence. But the charges against Bullock wouldn’t stand. She took the case all the way to trial, where the Hillsborough State Attorney dropped the charge last minute. @jamiebullockk on Instagram—JG
Born and raised in Clearwater, Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby previously worked as a pub lic defender and legislative aide. She was also counsel for the NAACP’s local Legal Defense Fund. In 2020, she became the first openly queer Black woman in the Florida legislature, beating Rep. Wengay Newton for House District 62. Just a few weeks ago, she beat Newton again and will run against jailed insurrectionist republican candidate Jeremy Brown this fall. Since taking office, she’s tackled issues like reproductive rights, criminal justice reform, and housing jus tice head-on. micheleforflorida.com—AS
With the advent of real estate websites like Zillow, everyone these days thinks they’re an expert on local homes. In fact, there’s a good chance you probably know the purchase price and tax history of most houses on your own street. But if you really want knowledge about Tampa real estate, what’s buried underneath your grass, the history of your neighborhood, whether the guy your street is named after owned slaves, or why there’s a Columbus statue on Bayshore and not in Ybor City, then local author and Tampa Bay History Center director Rodney Kite-Powell is your guy. The man is a walking bronze historical marker in himself, and never shys from lending his expertise to dumb CL reporters exploring the nooks and crannies of Tampa. tampabayhisto rycenter.org—CW
Sorry “Selling Tampa,” you got catfished, well sorta. It’s been nearly 10 years since Deadspin broke the story of how ESPN, New York Times and seemingly every other news outlet in America didn’t do any fact checking when it came to the story of former Notre Dame foot ball star Manti Te’o’s allegedly dead girlfriend. Now, thanks to Netflix’s “Untold” docuseries, sports fans have a totally inside look at how the investigation unfolded. A huge part of the story is Tampa-based journalist and raconteur (Axios’ words, not mine) Burke who walks viewers through the tip he and Jack Dickey received, and how they published the story ahead of the NFL draft. @bubbaprog on Twitter—RR
Access to reproductive healthcare continues to get more complicated, especially in Florida post-Roe v. Wade. For now, far-right Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 15-week abortion ban
Beatrice
Beatrice Flaig
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remains in place, meaning access to care is more restricted than in years. Enter Tampa Bay Abortion Fund. A nonprofit helping birthing people get the healthcare they need. The orga nization’s work has always been important in places where reproductive rights are regularly threatened, and it’s become even more so now. tbafund.com—AS
Tampa Bay’s 100-year-old La Gaceta is famously less online than other pubs, and its “As We Heard It” column is a really good rea son to get newsprint on your fingers. Almost weekly, publisher Patrick Manteiga breaks political news in the column, which starts on the front page and jumps to p. 12. If you’re looking to get an insider’s look into the work ings of behind-the-scenes Tampeño wheeling and dealing, this is it. lagacetanewspaper.com —RR
It’s hard to be a fan favorite when you’re bat ting in the .140s, but Phillps managed to do so from the sheer positivity and efferves cence of his personality (and prowess in the
outfield). His ongoing struggles at the plate finally prompted the franchise to trade him to the Baltimore Orioles this summer. Phillips’ hustle, his enthusiasm, his smile, his role as the No. 1 dugout cheerleader, his generous way with fans, especially kids—it all made him altogether lovable. The former Seminole High standout reveled in being the local kid playing for the hometown team. No player was happier to be a Ray. Unsurprisingly, he dealt with being dealt in a classy way, thanking the team and the fans for the opportunity and support.@brett_phillips8 on Instagram—ES
Before he became a Kung Fu master, Tampa native Garret Brumfield studied electrical engineering at Tuskegee University, going on to make the rounds as a public school teacher and underground boxer. He now teaches Wing Chun Kung Fu at a studio on Fletcher Avenue, after training for 13 years and gaining 4X Black Sash Sifu certification under the IP
Man system (yes, like the movie). Brumfield, following in the tradition of martial artists immortalized in movies, recently appeared in “Paper Line,” a short about a secret fraternity of Black martial artists at a prestigious HBCU. No doubt that Brumfield is engineering a new era of inclusive and approachable martial arts training through his inspira tional teaching style, focused on the well-being of mind, body and spirit. tampawingchunkungfu.com—Yuki Jackson
Football is best experienced surrounded by loud, unruly fans with flares and drums— and when it comes to building a fanbase, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have it down. The special section for the Ralph’s Mob supporters group is packed with dedicated adults, but there are always kids walking by in awe of the group. I’m not saying you should let your two-year-old go shirtless to join in the chants and buffoonery, but no one is stopping you—and they’ll have the time of their life if you do. rowdiessoccer. com—RR
What happens when two communications pros who’re married to each other start a radio show? Waves. At least that’s what’s happening on “WaveMakers,” the Tuesday public affairs program hosted by Tom and former Tampa Bay Times reporter Janet Scherberger, which is part of a resurgent block of news programming on WMNF 88.5-FM. While Tom’s Tampa Tiger Bay forum, where he serves as president, is a separate entity, his pull there means that Scherbergers have the power to put both aspir ing and established change agents in front of Tampa Bay’s most active politicos. @tomscher berger @jmscherberger on Twitter—RR
OK, OK, so it’s not exactly 100% pure poop water, but environmental groups had a big problem with new plans for reusing Tampa wastewater, and they rallied community mem bers to chime in so loudly that Tampa City Council asked for a radical restart on plans
on page
BEST PLACE TO BE A YOUNG HOOLIGAN TAMPA BAY ROWDIES GAMES RAY ROABetween 1985 and 2001, the Orlando concert promoter Figurehead invigorated the musical landscape in Central Florida. Catch a glimpse into what made this time in the Orlando area so memorable – the bands and the clubs, the community and the chaos.
LUNCH & LEARN: THE BOY BAND CRAZE
Friday, November 4, 2022, noon Participate virtually or in-person COFFEE & CONVERSATIONS SERIES
Sunday, October 9, 2 – 3 p.m.
- Tour the exhibit with member of Orlando’s underground music scene (free admission)
ART OF THE UNDERGROUND: FIGUREHEAD PANEL DISCUSSION
Saturday, November 5, 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Dave Ewing of T he Hate Bombs, courtesy of Jim Leatherman Poster from the Figurehead Collection Programming supported by TheHistoryCenter.org Central Boulevard | Orlando, FLSt. Pete
2842 Dr. MLK Jr St N St. Petersburg, FL 33704 727-821-6825
Tampa 1021 North MacDill Ave Tampa, FL 33607 813-873-7428
for the “PURE” program. Finding better uses for wastewater is certainly important, but a pushback in the face of unanswered ques tions about safety and the cost of the project won over a strong desire to implement a still unproven process. @HCLWV and @ SierraClubTampaBay on Facebook—RR
Eight in the morning is an ungodly time to be fully dressed and in the same room with anyone, but it’s what Cafe con Tampa asks its attendees to do each and every week when it welcome speakers from across the political and civic spectrum to talk about everything including newspaper publishing, historic preservation, the tree canopy, transporta tion and more. The discussion is more than worth it, however, and an added bonus is the Oxford Exchange breakfast and the fact that you’ll be the first in your office after the ses sion wraps. cafecontampa.com—RR
Fred is devoted to triathletes and the sport of triathlon. When COVID first hit a couple of years ago, I interviewed Fred with some ques tions about the future of triathlons. He knew I was a rookie but treated me with respect and encouragement. It took me some time but when I finally joined one of the local open water swim groups, he welcomed me with a new swim cap and a smile. “Just take it one pole at a time.” An elite triathlete read notes on my interview with Fred and wrote in to share that “Of the 180-plus races I competed in, still the best race I ever had, was actually racing Fred. He passed me on the run up the beach after a hard battle on the bike, and a 3-mile run. Total class, Fred stopped, waited for me, and we crossed the line together. Legend!”—Resie Waechter
Watch St. Pete’s weekly city council meet ings, and you’ll likely see and hear activist Jalessa Blackshear speaking. Her organiza tion Tri-Partisan Canvas works locally on civil engagement, social equity, policy awareness, creative expression, and advocacy through voter registration. Her intended scope is the Community Redevelopment Area of St. Petersburg, but her work has extended far beyond. Social justice, especially on housing, has been a huge focal point for Blackshear. And it’s working. People are paying attention to local issues like never before. Know that’s thanks in part to Blackshear. She’s a critical force for those trying to hold St. Pete’s elected officials accountable. tripartisancanvas.
com—AS
It’s been about 100 years since a socialist ran successfully for office in Florida. Richie Floyd, a democratic socialist who now reps St. Pete’s District 8 city council seat, reset the clock last year. The former public school teacher garnered city residents’ support through grassroots organizing. Since getting elected to the council, Floyd has worked to get the council and city leadership to address the housing crisis. He’s tried twice to get support for a vote on rent control in two committees. Most recently, Floyd has been working on guaranteed right-to-counsel for tenants in the city. @ richiejfloyd on Twitter—AS
In June, Pinellas County sheriffs, with the help of St. Pete police, arrived at a house in St. Petersburg to perform an illegal eviction, but members of St. Pete Tenant’s Union were there to put a wrench in the cops’ plans. The officers didn’t realize that they couldn’t legally evict the tenants they were aiming for. SPTU schooled them on the law, and caught it all on video. The tenants were allowed to stay, but were still shaken up by the attempt to make them homeless by local law enforcement. @ sptenantsunion on Instagram. —JG
After years of blaming St. Pete for his attendance woes, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner and local cheapskate Stu Sternberg stepped up to the proverbial plate and tried to win over fans by threatening to split an MLB season
with Montreal. Well, that was a giant whiff. He also tried convincing taxpayers in both cities to pay for a partially-used “boutique” stadium. Whiff number two. And, finally, Stu shifted his gaze on Tampa’s historic Ybor City district for another possible stadium site, only to swing for air because of height restrictions. Strike three, you’re out! Now, it’s the bottom of the ninth, with his lease for Tropicana Field expiring in 2027, and no firm plan of action in place. Someone just fire this guy out of a t-shirt cannon already.—CW
Over the last couple of years, the St. Pete Tenant’s Union has been working nonstop to sound the housing alarm. St. Pete activist and organizer Karla Correa has been essential to organizing not just the tenants union but rallying the housing justice movement across the state. And it’s not for nothing; Orange County put the issue of rent control on its upcoming ballot, with a judge shooting down a challenge to take it off. Tampa and St. Pete voted rent control down, TWICE. The issue came back a second time in both cities partly due to Correa’s galvanizing efforts. In her comments after St. Pete moved against giving citizens a vote on rent control, Correa said, “The more you vote in favor of landlords, the more you embolden the tenants to fight back.” @floridapsl and @sptenantsunion on Facebook—AS
BLM leader Marlowe Jones was falsely accused of battery on a law enforcement officer by New Port Richey police, and beat the charges in court. If convicted of the felony charge, Jones faced up to five years in prison. Despite the Pasco State Attorney having zero evidence of the false crime other than cop testimony, Jones was taken to court earlier this year. A jury of his peers found him innocent, and he made the cops and the state attorney look ridiculous in the process. An impending civil case against the city is in the works. @electmlj on Twitter—JG
When CL busted HART for removing bus seats on its MetroRapid route last year, a surprising thing happened. The organization admitted that it did wrong. HART realized that it shouldn’t have removed the seats at the request of the Tampa Police Department, and decided to reinstall them. It is rare for local institutions to admit guilt and make proper adjustments, so kudos to HART for doing the right thing. gohart.org—JG
Tampa Bay Waterkeeper’s steadfast monitoring of local water quality remains crucial where we live. You know, with all the un-naturally occurring red tide courtesy of fertilizer-obsessed lawn culture and the incredibly toxic big sugar? But the organization’s work became vital after last year’s Piney Point disaster. Remember when 200 million gallons of polluted water were dumped into Tampa Bay? Whether natural, manufactured, or a combination, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper gives essential information on what’s happening in our water by using data to let locals know when the water is safe.
tampabaywaterkeeper.org—AS
Joe Wardwell (American, b. 1972) Out of Kindness I Suppose, 2019-21, Acrylic on canvas, 38 x 60 in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. 2021.1.35 © Joe Wardwell
Barbara Sorensen (American, b. 1945), Billows (detail), 2022, Aluminum, 28 ft x 17.5 ft x 4 ft., Collection of the Artist. Image courtesy of Laney Mae Velazquez
Eren Eyüboğlu (Turkish, 1907-1988) Design for Mosaic, 1957, Gouache and pencil on cardboard, 18 3/4 x 20 in., Grey Art Gallery, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby Weed Grey, G1975.246
Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu (Turkish, 1911–1975) Full Moon 1961, Oil and glue on canvas, 50 7/8 x 42 in., Grey Art Gallery, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby Weed Grey, G1975.293 Francis Newton Souza (Indian-American, 1924–2002) Trimurti 1971, Oil on canvasboard, 30 x 24 in., Grey Art Gallery, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby Weed Grey, G1975.216
William Merritt Chase (American, 1849-1916) Autumn Fruit, 1871, Oil on canvas, 30 x 25 in., Gift from The Martin Andersen-Gracia Andersen Foundation Inc. 2022.14
Modernisms: Iranian, Turkish, and Indian Art, 1960s—1970s from NYU’s Abby Weed Grey Collection is organized by the Grey Art Gallery, New York University, and is made possible in part by the generous support of Dalinc and Mehves Ariburnu; Violet Jabara Charitable Trust; WLS Spencer Foundation; A. Alfred Taubman Foundation; Avid Modjtabai; Charina Endowment Fund; Ariel and Alaleh Ostad; the Grey’s Director’s Circle, Inter/National Council, and Friends; and the Abby Weed Grey Trust. In-kind support is provided by ArtCare Conservation.
RMA
No matter what’s changed in St. Pete, one thing remains the same: getting a haircut at Star Booty from owner Mimi. For decades, Reilly’s salon has served as a nexus point for touring ruffians, punks, freaks, and homebase for local weirdos. From the X to Steel Panther, she’s seen and cut them all. We are grateful to her for hosting the years of outsiders, young and old. While located for its most extended stints along Central, the current iteration of Star Booty is on the south side. Get a $2 holler up the street and fresh locks by Mimi for the ultimate St. Pete experience. @starbootysalon on Instagram—Arielle Stevenson
St. Pete Beach’s Betty Shop is named for owner Liz Calver’s grandmother Betty, a beach lover and outdoor adventurer. The waterside shop is filled with beachy, comfortable Floridaliving clothes and gear. Calver dedicates a portion of all sales to marine conservation and education. She’s out with a bucket every few weeks cleaning up the beach and getting oth ers to do the same. Clean Coast Initiative, her nonprofit, was recently created to do educa tional-based beach cleanups, workshops, talks, and community projects. Betty Shop is on a mission to protect paradise. shopbettyshop. com—AS
Breathing Through Life’s Alyssa Bedard is a doula, birth educator, lactation consultant, allaround baby guru and nonstop advocate for birthing. A mother herself, Bedard’s knowledge knows no bounds as she works to help birth ing people before, during, and after pregnancy. Our community is lucky to have someone with her wealth of experience—especially when it comes to the ever important pre-labor hipopeners! @breathingthroughlifetampabay on Facebook—AS
More than 30 million Americans don’t have health insurance right now. Florida has one of the highest uninsured rates in the U.S., at almost a million people and counting. That’s because of the “coverage gap,” people who earn too much for Medicaid and too little for marketplace tax credits. Despite being able to cover those folks (saving the state money), Florida’s leadership continues to reject Medicaid expansion. For those in a lurch, there’s Dr. Levine, aka Dr. Lev. He wanted his practice to cut out the middleman between insurance companies, doctors, and medical billing. His patients pay a flat monthly fee, and then indi vidual costs are negotiated by Levine with whatever medical vendor is needed. It ends up saying a lot of money. Plus, Dr. Lev is on call and
does home visits if required. That level of care is rarely seen in most practices where insurance is in the mix. levmedhealth.com—AS
It all started in 1947 when Wilcox Brothers Tropical Acres and Groves opened on Indian Rocks Road (it was Route 1 back then). Next, it became Wilcox Brothers Nursery and Groves.
Today, Wilcox Nursery & Landscape is one of Pinellas County’s oldest business landmarks and remains standing in a place where most things don’t last. The business—a hidden gem in Largo and essential resource for all Florida plant lovers—specializes in Florida native plants and landscaping, with a selection that’s unrivaled locally. wilcoxnursery.com—AS
setting. Community care at its finest. breastfeedingcareandconsulting.com—AS
Taylor Wright is a badass who inspires anyone attending one of his classes to let their freak flag fly. You begin the class with juicy yoga poses, then work up a good sweat by dancing your ass off, and end things with a final stretch and savasana. Taylor’s playlist is always on point and anytime you feel awkward dancing in front of strangers in daylight while 100% sober, he will remind you that he’s the weirdest one in the room so don’t worry, girl, do yo thang—
The worst part about car trouble is it usually leaves ya stranded. Tow trucks aren’t cheap, and the looming mechanic won’t be either. Meet Ecanix Garage Mobile Auto Repair. It’s a mobile mechanic with years of experience under the hood. No tow truck required, chances are they can fix your car without it moving an inch. Ecanix services all of Pinellas County, old and new vehicles, even some classic car repair and maintenance. @ecanixgarage on Facebook—AS
Sarasota decided to cut the shit (literally) and move towards rebranding its public bus line, from the Sarasota County Area Transit to “Breeze.” Turns out “SCAT” was a pretty embarrassing name for a public transit system. This year, county leaders decided they could do better than accept an acronym that, as CL’s Justin Garcia put it, makes us question whether our collective minds are actually just in the toilet. scgov.net—McKenna Schueler
Tucked just beyond Seminole Boulevard, along Lake Seminole, is a new nursery named for the neighborhood it calls home. Orange Lake Nursery was started in 2020 by husband and wife duo Stacey and Frank Regan. Transplants from up north, they’ve immersed themselves fully in the tropical flora and fauna of the Sunshine State through their greenhouse. The result is an almost hidden nursery, open seven days a week. The beauty of unincorporated Pinellas, right? Houseplants galore, afford able, and readily available. The Regans are super helpful when it comes to figuring out how to keep the home and yard looking lush. orangelakenursery.com—AS
Twice a week—with longtime nurse and lactation consultant Jocelyn Pridemore as host—moms gather with their babies and talk about feeding, nursing, sleep, or lack thereof. There are snacks, plenty of places to sit for mom and baby, and the environment is all support. New moms need a place to connect, and Pridemore’s Monday Mommas group does just that. Crying baby? No problem. Need an extra set of hands so you can run to the bathroom? Done. And babes under six months get to make their first baby friends in a cozy, small group
ain’t nobody lookin’! thebodyelectricyoga.com
—Resie Waechter
Suncoast Pediatrics has operated out of its Largo office for decades. Recently, the beloved local practice was brought under the Pediatric Associates umbrella, which has locations across the state. Two of the original founding medical staff, Dr. Fran Sterling and Dr. Carlos Cano, still work daily. Newcomers Dr. Jaurel Harley and Dr. Mary Sorci keep Suncoast’s tradition of personalized pediatric care strong. pediatricassociates.com—AS
“OWS Leo,” as many know him, is as enthusiastic and encouraging as they come. It took me years before I finally got the guts to join an open water swim group, but I saw OWS Leo at pretty much every single triathlon I raced before that. Leo is as welcoming and encourag ing as they come, posting to online Facebook groups to provide swimmers with tide and weather reports, giving tips on how to ease into the sport, and offering to get in the water with newbies who may be nervous. Leo is great at bringing people together to appreciate the salt life. owsleo.com —RW
Sore shoulders suck. Injured shoulders suck worse. Injured shoulders that don’t require
surgery—they’re a blessing. If you have a sore anything, it’s wise to get physical therapy from someone who specializes in that section of the body. Adrienne focuses on the area from the shoulders to the hands. She’s relentlessly posi tive, energetic, hands-on (she asks permission before touching) and innovative with her treat ments. She listens to you, because she trusts that you listen to your body. Most of all, Adrienne helps you get better. afopa.com—Eric Snider
A full-spectrum doula herself, Melinda Morales focuses on teen pregnancy and young parent support. Her nonprofit believes that everyone deserves support, regardless of age. The group is passionate about giving pregnant teens a safe space to have their voices heard and sup ported as parents-to-be—and offers young people the care and knowledge needed for all pregnancy outcomes. When reproductive rights are in the balance, Project Teenbirth is doing essential and judgment-free community outreach. projectteenbirth.org—AS
Over the last eight years, the Birth Center of St. Pete has helped countless families with prenatal care. Midwife and birth center founder Jessica Willoughby is a birthing community staple, and the midwives that have come through the birth center, and its current staff—Aliaja, and Laura—have given so much that they’ve redefined care. The Birth Center will have its final birth and close its doors in December. Midwifery work can be daunting, thankless, underpaid, and demand ing. Willoughby is focusing on catching up on almost a decade of deserved sleep. Things won’t be quite the same without her or the birth center’s dedication to the most sacred of life’s moments. bcofstpete.com—AS
If all goes according to schedule, Sunrunner— the Tampa Bay area’s first ever Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line—will begin operating in late October, running from downtown St. Pete to St. Pete Beach and incorporating 26 stops. It’ll be free to ride for the first six months (then $2.25 one way). Like all mass transit projects in Tampa Bay, the overriding question is: Will
enough people ride it? Sunrunner is purported to be 30% faster than the current bus service, with hybrid electric buses running every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night. On paper, Sunrunner looks promising. The line’s success or failure will have a lot to say about future mass-transit initiatives in the region. psta.net—ES
Downtown Largo ain’t known for its cutting-edge and LGBTQ-friendly retail, but it should be. At least as far as Reloved Resale is concerned. Moving from Belleair Bluffs a couple of years back, Lailah Johnson transformed the space in downtown Largo into a vintage consignment paradise. Her shop has it, whatever your price range, whatever your fashion pleasure. Salvage Sounds out of Seminole Heights has vinyl for sale inside. There’s vintage decor from local vendors, punk, western, pin-up, etc. Did we mention the monthly clothing swap? Bring the tired old duds in and go shopping for
free. Whatever clothing or household items are collected are then donated to local charities. Consignment with a cause, baby. @relovedresaleconsignment9 on Facebook—AS
Girls Rock St. Pete has worked tirelessly to inspire young girls in the city to rock out onstage. Every summer, campers aged 8-17 get together to learn the art of rock and roll. Bands are formed, songs are written and then performed at Jannus Live at the end of the week. It’s lowkey one of the most extraordinary things that happens every year in our community. Folks come out to support the young, and the performances are awe-inspiring. girlsrockst pete.org—AS
Kids’ stuff—baby stuff, in particular—is expensive as hell. Chances are, the kiddo will only be using it for a few weeks until the next growth spurt. Swaddles are going for $40 a pop brand new these days, and carriers are in the hundreds. Thankfully, there’s Stellie Bellies. All four Pinellas locations are carefully organized and packed with knowledgeable staff. What started as a single store in St. Pete has grown over the last 20 years into the best place for like-new baby, kids, and maternity goods on the cheap. Plus, you can bring in your recently outgrown toys, furniture, and clothing and get credit towards future purchases. Chances are, whatever little one needs/wants next is available upcycled at Stellie’s for a quarter of the cost of new. Parents, friends of parents, and grandparents take note. Your mom friend thanks you in advance. stelliebellies.com—AS
Free public transit is pretty fantastic. And the TECO Streetcar, which runs from Whiting Street in downtown Tampa to 8th Avenue in Ybor City, is a great example. Want to party in Ybor, but don’t have the extra cash to spend on multiple rideshares in this economy? Check out the TECO Streetcar! Run by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), the trolley’s entire route features 11 stops, and it takes just about a half-hour or so to get from the first to the last. You might have to wait a few minutes for the streetcar to arrive at your stop, 15 max. Search deep inside yourself for that patience, because it’s worth it. It’s free, and runs until about 2 a.m. on the weekends. Stay safe, don’t drink and drive—take the trolley. tecolinestreetcar.org—MS
DAWOUD BEY & CARRIE MAE WEEMS: IN DIALOGUE
On view through October 23, 2022
Presenting Sponsor:
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE KARAM COLLECTION
On view through January 15, 2023
POETRY IN PAINT: THE ARTISTS OF OLD TAMPA BAY Selections from Alfred Frankel’s Artists of Old Florida, 1840-1960
On view through January 23, 2023
Contributor Sponsor:
Exhibitions supported in part by:
ALL IN FAVOR: NEW WORKS IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTION
On view through July 23, 2023
PURVIS YOUNG: REDUX
On view through June 30, 2024
Presented in part by:
PRELUDE: INTRODUCTION TO THE PERMANENT COLLECTION
On view October 20, 2022
TIME FOR CHANGE: ART AND SOCIAL UNREST IN THE JORGE PEREZ COLLECTION
On view November 10, 2022 through March 12, 2023
Exhibition Sponsor:
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114 | SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 5, 2022 | cltampa.com Photo by Paige BosciaMcGee has long been noted for his command of comedy over the years with many memorable performances on both sides of the Bay in concerts, plays and musicals. But he found new colors in his nuanced portrayal of the inimitable Hercule Poirot and embodied the mercurial American chef, James Beard in a one-man showcase—mining the text for every ounce of humor and pathos allowing Beard’s hurt and loneliness to show through in a fully alive, fleshed out performance. @ thematthewmcgee on Instagram—Jon Palmer Claridge
It may be the tilt of her head or the way her jaw juts in a gender bent role. Or maybe just an unexpected inflection that causes your ear to hear a word in a new context. In a small space, you can see behind her eyes, where the wheels of character turn. There’s complete commitment even when a role that the audience identifies with turns out to be less than admirable. No matter what Ms. Smith tackles, she imbues every character with a spark of life, yet it seems effortless. You never, ever, feel that she’s performing. nicolejeanninesmith. com—JPC
In a spirited exchange between authors of ‘The Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers,’ Tampa’s normally politically-charged Tampa Tiger Bay club tackled the most pressing matter for Tampeños, which is the truth behind the folklore surrounding the city’s signature sandwich. You had to be there to get all the flavor, but the bottom line is this: Tampa owns it, and makes the world’s best version of it, too. The book is a must-have for any self-respecting local. cubansandwichbook.com—Ray Roa
The community lost a bright light recently. For years, Dirk Armstrong worked as the assistant curator at the Dalí museum. He brought my dad, Glenn Stevenson, in for art handling and framing over the years. Armstrong spent his life working in art curation, archives, conservation, installation and transportation of special works. He also gave one hell of a lecture on preparator work...not always the most riveting topic to the general public. When he wasn’t handling the surrealist masterworks, he was funny, smart, and super knowledgeable about music and books. I was lucky to work with Dirk as an art handler on his team in the last few years as well. As a handler, I learned so much. I wish I had gotten to learn more. He passed away unexpectedly in the spring.—Arielle Stevenson
Save for its puffy cover, A24’s new book about Florida would be perfect for smacking some body upside the head. I’d only commit that kind of violence if said person refused to at least spend a weekend flipping through its nearly 600 pages of old and new photos, odd facts and quirky content ripe-for-an-alt-weekly.
Edited by Gabrielle Calise who writes about offbeat Florida for the Tampa Bay Times, the guide traverses the entire Sunshine State, from the panhandle to the Keys, and makes a nice long stop in Tampa Bay where it not only visits mermaids, but gay commie skaters, nud ists, The Castle, seedy dives and more. It’s my favorite mailbox delivery of the year, for sure. a24films.com—RR
Yes, there are probably more appropriate native birds to symbolize landing in Tampa (roosters, anyone?), but it’s a joy watch ing visitors and locals alike flock to Matthew Mazzotta’s 21-foot flamingo sculpture at Tampa International Airport central termi nal. Set beneath ceiling panels that create the illusion of the bird—big beady eyes and beak included—being underwater. It’s an inviting, fun installation and the best big bird we’ve got. matthewmazzotta.com—RR
The late Stephen Sondheim was a giant of musical theater with a career spanning seven decades since he first penned the lyrics to “West Side Story.” He wrote complex melo dies with character-driven lyrics so specific that they don’t easily stand alone outside of their original context. During COVID, indie-folk singer Eleri Ward recorded her own idio syncratic arrangements in her closet. These reworkings appeared on YouTube and her fame skyrocketed. freeFall’s prescient Michael Raabe booked her before she became a sensation opening for Josh Groban. Her haunting perfor mance was a triumph featuring arrangements now available on two albums.—JPC
When Side Splitters won Best Comedy Club last year, we mentioned that it expanded beyond the Tampa location to a venue in Wesley Chapel. Now Side Splitters has done it again, adding shows at Coastal Creative in St. Petersburg under its banner. The club is attracting top national talent, fostering a community for locals, hopefuls, and up-andcomers, plus adding stages throughout Tampa Bay. And to top it off, it’s a locally-owned
business with a decades-long presence in the community. Sounds like a winner to us. sidesplitterscomedy.com—Michael Murillo
Some people wake up each day determined to find joy. Lucky folks have a partner that shares their zeal. When Deborah and Jim Yerman blended their families 30-plus years ago, these kindred spirits were both teaching children with autism. That alone speaks volumes about their psyches—for it takes special souls to embrace that particular challenge. Now retired, Jim writes and shares generous and wise poetry each morning. Deborah’s social media records the beauty of each day’s sunrise. They buoy the spirits of all who cross their path each and every day. dailyrhyme-jim.blogspot.
com—JPC
The road to implementing a clear vision for producing a play is fraught with peril. The alchemy necessary to turn an exciting concept into a coherent evening often eludes even the most celebrated of theater artists. The directo rial vision of Stageworks’ ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ marked a triumphant return to a sense of normalcy last March. Director Clareann Despain was in unerring control of her marvel ous ensemble and evocative sound as she wove together Christie’s melodramatic characters with music into a compelling evening laced with humor and surprise. clareanndespain.com—JPC
Jobsite Theatre mounted a very funny, fastas-the-wind production—100 minutes without intermission. Director David Jenkins’ clear, inspired vision for the material galvanized a miraculous design team of Brian Smallhear (scenery), Jo Averill-Snell (lighting), Katrina Stevenson (costumes), and Jeremy Douglas (sound) into perfect synchronicity. The stag ing was simple and fluid, but always strik ing. Everyone deserves a tip of the hat for attention to detail, with Douglas, particularly, creating consistently unsettling atmospheric underscoring that’s unusual in the theater. jobsitetheater.org—JPC
Local comedy suffered a setback when ‘Pretty’ Paul Parsons passed away earlier this year. Parsons, who already seemed to be ancient when he started doing comedy decades ago,
BEST COUPLE WHO PUTS THE MOST POSITIVE ENERGY & POETRY INTO THE UNIVERSE DEBORAH AND JIM YERMAN
501 Central Ave. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 821-7391 FloridaCraftArt.org
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission is always free.
Tatalick
Brady
Bahringer
Whitney Designs
was known for his vile, twisted sense of humor on stage, and a genuine heart of gold off it. Most local comedians have stories highlighting his supportive words, assistance and selfless efforts to further their careers. But he rarely revealed that part of his personality on stage, where abso lutely nothing was off limits. We couldn’t repeat his jokes even if we wanted to share them. From getting kicked out of hospice after one too many weed-smoking binges, to invite-only writing ses sions at his home (which were little more than weed-smoking binges), Paul Parsons lived a memorable life on his own terms. But his mostshocking legacy will be the genuine kindness and support he showed newer comedians, and the love he had for stand-up comedy.—MM
Illustrator Arnold relocated to St. Pete a little over 10 years ago, and we are lucky to have her. Her client list includes Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Target, and kate spade, just to name a few. Her illustrations have a childlike joy; it’s the art that makes you feel good inside. She takes commissions for custom family and pet portraits when she’s not doing images for Tiffany’s. No one seems to capture folks, furry or otherwise, the way Arnold does. You’ll see her art across the city, St. Pete, and New York if you look for it, and it’s guaranteed to make you smile. alliarnold.com—AS
Most open mics follow a similar format: Comedians show up, fight for a spot on the list, perform uneven sets to almost nobody except themselves, then go home.
But deBine’s Wednesday night is different. The list is already set on social media hours before it starts, there’s a decent crowd of people who came to see comedy, and the sets are…well, they’re still uneven. But that’s how open mics work. It’s either people trying comedy (but not trying hard enough) or experienced comedians working on new material that may or may not be funny. But (previous BOTB winner) Matt Fernandez does a good job of attracting some of the area’s better talent, so the comedians
take it seriously and the odds of funny sets are better than at most mics. deBine won the BOTB last year, and deserves in 2022, too. debinebrewingco.com—MM
Opera is most always driven by music, for that is its glory. The stories are often implausible and the singers regularly ask audiences to suspend their disbelief as the principals may be a bit long in the tooth and/or a tad wooden in their countenance. But we glory in the wonders of a trained human voice. However, there are those rare times when a superb singer is also
a gifted comedian. Ms. Curtin’s dizzying bel canto impresses, but she also nails the madcap physical comedy that elevates this perfor mance to something special, indeed rare. kel lycurtin.com—JPC
The Savoy Operas of Gilbert and Sullivan obvi ously reflect the sensibilities of the Victorian Era. W.S. Gilbert’s trenchant social and political satire is wrapped up in a comic bow while riding on Sullivan’s almost giddy melodies. Capturing the delicious silliness of their work without going overboard is a daunting chal lenge. Director Meisner guides her cast of Major General’s daughters, dancing policemen, and orphan-respecting pirates along a knife’s edge to exhilarating effect. strazcenter.org—JPC
Natalie Symons has not yet been a Broadway playwright, but American Stage gave her a world premiere production worthy of the ‘Great White Way.’ Unfortunately, COVID closed the show down just hours before open ing night. Luckily set designer Scott Cooper created such a complete environment on a grand scale that it’s hard to imagine that an infusion of NYC cash could improve upon his design. And 18 months of dust just added special patina because the house was not sup posed to be particularly inviting. The peeling wallpaper, indeed the whole interior, was “the color of old pennies” and just decaying perfec tion. scottcooperdesigns.com—JPC
When you enter a theater and settle into your seat, you generally are met with a “preset.” Atmospheric lighting that focuses your atten tion on the scenery. The set designer has created a world to draw you into the style and period of the play or opera. This past year Frank Chavez showed extreme versatility and a keen dramatic imagination in a series of designs across Tampa Bay for both plays and operas that ranged from realism to flights of fancy. His glorious work transported audiences in magical ways. frankchavezdesigns.com—JPC
His resume is staggering: Appellate lawyer. Frontman for Tom Gribbin & The Saltwater Cowboys, one of the Bay area’s most popu lar bands of the early-‘80s. Co-founder of the Coconuts Comedy Club chain. Vice president of
Bill Edwards-owned Big3 Entertainment, which included his role as long-time executive at the Mahaffey Theater. Author of the 2021 novel ‘The Last Florida Boy.’ By any measure, Gribbin, now in his early-70s, has lived an extraordinary life—and through it all, by most every account (including this writer’s), he’s been a super nice guy. Gribbin stepped down from his Mahaffey post this summer. He’s got some new moves in the works, so we haven’t heard the last of him. That said, Tom has already had a mas sive impact on Bay area culture.—ES
Seeing Keaney is pretty easy. All you need is basic cable or a good antenna (they still make those, right?). She’s a regular host on the Home Shopping Network, so if you watch that chan nel, she’s bound to pop up eventually. But that version of Keaney—sanitized and safe—is nothing like what you’ll see on comedy club stages. And even though she’s been per forming for decades, stand-up had been on the back burner for a while. Fortunately, that’s been changing, as she’s now hitting Florida stages regularly and booking tour dates around the country (including a successful New York run earlier this year). Comedy is becoming a prior ity again, and her shows are still an adult mix of
prepared material and spontaneous audience interaction. It’s a far cry from what she’s selling on television, and stand-up audiences are defi nitely buying. helenkeaney.com—MM
One of the stars of the 85-minute intermis sion-less play was director Smith’s taut sound design. Its brief transitions and intermittent under scoring reinforced the emotional fragmentation that followed. Some of the splendid score echoed the bass-slapping, mouthpopping we know from Seinfeld, other times it showcased discordant, staccato woodwinds. It was part of the essential engine that propelled the episodic script forward providing hints of the emo tional tenor of the scene to follow—from echoing, percussive pounding to a gentle saxophone over a few piano chords. studiograndcentral. com—JPC
What can any dramatic piece say about the Nazis that’s new? So even when a young man’s gaze through a soldier’s camera provides him fleeting, ecstatic joy, it nonetheless inevitably leads to a horrific conclusion. But Ms.GoldHarris’s staging and Ms. Averill-Snell’s lights leave us with a haunting, indelible image that taps into the audience’s imagination. It reinforces the power of live theater to trump realism through a simple, abstract moment which freezes time and snatches an emotional gut punch from thin air. thinktanktya.org—JPC
Gray usually showcases a carefree demeanor on stage. Not a “everything is great, enjoy the sunshine” carefree demeanor, though. More like a “my ex took everything and I have nothing left to lose” carefree demeanor. His sarcastic dad persona is pretty authentic, since he draws from life experiences, sharing plenty of personal details that would make most people cringe if anyone found out. But Gray is happy to share them, and audiences are happy to listen. He’s becoming a regular feature act throughout Florida, and co-produces the local Hot Mess Show with previous BOTB winner Kyle Ruse. With (usually) a beer in one hand and (always) a mic in the other, Gray is making a name for himself with plenty of jokes, but without the shame that normal folks feel. @ jandergraycomedy—MM
When I first heard Chlorinefields, it was like the Cocteau Twins but sludgier, dirtier, sad der. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kersey Williams pours her heart all over this project with warm guitar licks, her soft vocals and lyr ics like a whisper and a wail. The band also features Ortrotasce’s Nic Hamersly on guitar, synth, and arrangements. Chris Angell is on gui tar and does songwriting as well, with Jeffrey Fuscardo on bass and Clayton Pendergrass on percussion. A little Portishead, a little Mazzy Star, and some top shelf musicality. It’s music guided by feeling and tailored by people who’ve been playing music, probably, all their lives. The resulting sound is hauntingly beautiful, grimey, and downright groovy. chlorinefields420.band camp.com—Arielle Stevenson
If St. Pete had a soundtrack, Broom Closet would play one of the songs. The trio initially consisted of Avery Moore (vocals, guitar),
Rachel Coderre (drums), Odessa Connor (bass), and later Jeff Williams on guitar. After seven years, the group called it quits as their lives move on, for now, in different directions. Its farewell album, 'Part I,' was released this summer on all streaming platforms. Recorded at Pulp Arts in Gainesville, the fivesong EP is heartbreaking, raw, and beautiful. Just like the band to leave us wanting just a little more. broomcloset.bandcamp.com —AS
From Dying Fetus to Obituary, George Fisher of Cannibal Corpse can be found at the corner of Orpheum’s main bar, gesturing wildly and singing along to some of the greatest metal
bands (besides his, of course) to come out of Tampa. In between headbangs, he can be seen conversing with other show attendees as if they were old friends. He never denies anyone a photo with him, and if you send him a green tea shot from across the bar, he’s going to take it. In a world full of Machine Gun Kellys, be a George Fisher. thecorpsegrinder.com Haleigh Barchard
Lovers of stiff drinks and dancing were devastated when downtown St. Pete’s Ringside Cafe unexpectedly closed its doors in January. But lucky for them (and us), the bar and venue reopened down the street not even seven months later. Small music venues are hard to come by in The Burg’ these days, but Ringside has been holding the scene down for upwards of 30 years. And its second floor balcony is one of the best places to people watch in downtown. @ringsidedowntown on Facebook—Kyla Fields
Shock G always brought people together (he’s part of the reason the world has 2Pac, people!), and a year after his passing, the Digital Underground founder did it again at Bastet Brewing where friends, family, fans and collaborators rapped and shared memories during a nighttime concert and party. Sure Money B had to Zoom in due to flight issues, but that means he’ll just have to fly in a day earlier next year for a celebration that could easily be a day-long block party remembering one of the funkiest people in hip-hop history.—Ray Roa
Ernie Locke’s no stranger to stalking the stage at least twice a year at Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, which he co-founded with Melissa Deming 13 years ago. But at this year’s anniver sary party, Locke had extra company onstage in the form of his and Deming’s other creation, Henry Locke, a 14-year-old Blake High School sousaphone player, who manned a bass guitar alongside dad who’s easily the wildest
When novelist and Sarasota resident Stephen King released his book ‘Billy Summers’ last sum mer, one local musician took notice and reacted. Billy Summer’s EP, ‘Stephen Kings’ is a direct response to the crime thriller. “[He is] a fre quenter of venues where I have played and hung out over the years, one of which is referenced in the book. Maybe it’s a coincidence,” Summer wrote in his liner notes. Critics have called King’s book his “best book in years,” but Summers has been pumping out high quality, shimmery power pop over his last handful of releases, so there. billysummer.bandcamp.com—RR
Dre and Vonne have watched their lives change (being signed to indie stalwart Jagjaguwar and going on tour in North America and Europe will do that to you), the pair have stayed decidedly committed to their hometown. They played a homecoming album release show at Floridian Social Club (the old State Theatre) and recent videos have featured beloved local spots like Tampa Theatre (“1,000 Horses), Marko’s Meat & Deli (“From the Floor”), Full Court Classics and Planet Retro Records (“X-Ray Spex”). The best one, though, is the visualizer for “Blatant Localism” which stops at Clearwater’s Dairy Kurl, but also St. Pete’s famous Lorene’s Fish House on 22nd Street. It’s always cool to see folks who get a glow up use the light to shine on their neighbors. theyhatechange.band camp.com —RR
harmonica-playing frontman in Tampa Bay. It was a heartwarming moment, but more than that felt like the beginning of the passing of the torch within one of Tampa Bay’s favorite fami lies. ellasfolkartcafe.com—RR
It’s never a surprise to see Sam E Hues go big for an album release party, but he always has a trick up his sleeve. This time it was a giant billboard just off I-275, advertising not just his new LP, ‘When Tigers Used To Smoke,’ but an immersive show at a decidedly untested venue when it comes to hip-hop: Ybor City’s Centro Asturiano. Thanks to stellar openers, funky stage setup, his own sound system and pop-up food offerings, the smokeshow was a big, Prada-shoe-wearing hit, front to back, and yet another flex from one of the area’s most interesting rap pers. samehues.com—RR
Tone Kapone does not like to call them “local” artists, but each and each Saturday night—from 10 p.m.-midnight—the show he co-hosts celebrates independent musicians who call Tampa Bay home. Like their predecessors, including Kenny K, Kapone and DJ Spaceship play a huge role in the celebra tion and proliferation of homegrown hip-hop and R&B. If you send him music, make sure it’s clean! tone-kapone.com—RR
To be honest, this very well could have been the show of the year, and it was well worth the wait. After being on the books for nearly three years, Keys finally landed at the Hard Rock Event center where she delivered a 25-song, 90-minute set driven less by her phenomenal piano and more by an unrivaled vocal and spirit that’s made her a once-in-a-lifetime live act. Just 1,412 fans were lucky enough to get tickets to the intimate gig, which felt, at times, like a straight up arena show. seminolehardrocktampa.com—RR
Until the place decides to start charging a cover, you might as well give this award to Dunedin Brewery every year. Whether it’s Devin the Dude, a jazz supergroup or even Wu-Tang’s GZA playing chess with fans, no place offers more unique shows for free-99. With the opening of the neighboring Moontower venue, things are looking even better for Pinellas music fans. dunedinbrewery. com—RR
‘Don’t fuckin’ make me cry. I’m serious’ That’s what Laura Jane Grace told the first of two, sold-out crowds that packed the Bricks court yard last winter. The Against Me! bandleader didn’t help her cause by playing “Joy,” the lead off track from the band’s 2005 album ‘Searching for a Former Clarity,’ one of the band’s most optimistic songs. Yes, tears flowed. @leadfoot promotions on Facebook—RR
At the release party for Doves, his first outing since 2011, every guest talked about how Scxtt Aye inspired them by hitting stages like the Orpheum’s. It was fitting to see the Tampa rapper get back out there to celebrate new, extremely personal work, backed by a live band and within the walls of one of Ybor City’s best listening rooms. Aye may not be the flashiest, splashiest local emcee, but he’s quietly one of the area’s best and one poised for another productive year.scxttayemusic.
Best of the Bay nerds recognize They Hate Change. The Tampa Bay hip-hop duo has received an award every year for the last three years, and this go around is no different. While
Ghanian-born rapper Chael Blinya does Tampa proud with each bar he spits on-stage and on record. Often jokingly called “Baby Ali” by those remarking on his Muhammad-like facial features, Blinya is actually no joke when it comes to constructing complex lyrics. He’s a rare breed of hip-hop emcee in the vein of God-level skills, with precise layered imag ery that weaves rings inside the imagination while being rooted in relevant topics. Blinya’s debut album, ‘The Sir Roundings’ (not to be confused with his similarly titled EP), offers 17 tracks centered on the theme of gentrification and the consequences of unchecked real estate development. “Check, check like Verizon” he calls in the banger “INTRO: Silver Spoon Rusty,” simultaneously harkening back and driving forward in the tradition of true lyrical heavyweights who understand their power. chaelblinya.xyz —Yuki Jackson
Runners-up: Sweet Soul, Raw Smoothie Co.
Runners-up: Rooster & the Till, The Black Pearl Dunedin
Runners-up: Asian Street Food, Ichicoro Ramen
BEST BAGELS
Runners-up: Clearwater Bagels, Dunedin Bagels & Deli
Runners-up: La Segunda Bakery, Gulf Coast Sourdough
BEST BAKERY (PASTRIES)
MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET
Runners-up: Constant Grind - Seminole Hard Rock, Bassano Cheesecake
BEST BANH MI
Runners-up: Saigon Deli, Bamboozle Cafe
Runners-up: Ciro’s Speakeasy, COCKtail St. Pete
BEST BAR CRAWL
Runners-up: Pet Pal Pup Crawl, Bad Santa Bar Crawl
Runners-up: Wicked Oak Barbeque, The Dunedin Smokehouse
Runners-up: The Stone Soup Company, Metro Diner
Runners-up: Noelle Petraroia - NEAT Coffee Bar, Jenna - Tukro Coffee
Runners-up: Kamran Mir - The Hub, Isabelle VogelerJack Pallino’s Napoletano Pizza and Pub
Runners-up: Frenchy’s, The Toasted Monkey
Runners-up: Frenchy’s, Salt Shack on the Bay
Runners-up: Mr. Dunderbak’s, Bru Florida Growler Bar
Runners-up: Stein & Vine, Acropolis Greek Taverna
Metro Diner, Lenny’s Restaurant
Runners-up: Eric Richardson - Cage Brewing, Dennis Decker - Pinellas Ale Works
Runners-up: Cigar City Brewing, Coppertail Brewing Co.
Runners-up: Escape Brewing Company, The Liquid Garage Co.
Runners-up: Pinellas Dunedin Brewery. Pinellas Green Bench Brewing Co.
Runners-up: Noble Crust, Datz
BEST BRUNCH FOR BOOZING THE LIVING ROOM ON MAIN Runners-up: Noble Crust, Datz
Runners-up: Datz, Engine No. 9
Runners-up: Mazzaros, Puff N Stuff Catering and Events
Runners-up: The C House, Haven Tampa
Runners-up: Chef Chris Ponte - Olivia, Chef Traci Bryant - Caracara
Runners-up: King of the Coop, Better Byrd
YUMMY HOUSE
Runners-up: Zom Hee Chinese Restaurant, China 1
BEST CLEARWATER RESTAURANT
CLEAR SKY ON CLEVELAND
Runners-up: Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill, Columbia Restaurant Sand Key
BEST COCKTAILS
SONDER SOCIAL CLUB
Runners-up: The Saint Speakeasy, Ciro’s Speakeasy
BEST COFFEE ROASTER
KAHWA COFFEE
Runners-up: Buddy Brew Coffee, Café Vino Tinto
BEST COFFEE SHOP
KAHWA COFFEE
Runners-up: Black Crow Coffee Co., King State
BEST COLLEGE HANGOUT
MACDINTON’S
Runners-up: Park & Rec, Armature Works
BEST COOKIES
Runners-up: Valhalla Bakery, Kookie Krums
BEST CRAFT BEER EVENT
BAD ASS BEER FEST
TBBC
Runners-up: Beer, Bourbon & BBQ, Octobeerfest - Dunedin Brewery
BEST CUBAN COFFEE
LA SEGUNDA
Runners-up: Columbia Restaurant, La Teresita
BEST CUBAN RESTAURANT
COLUMBIA RESTAURANT
Runners-up: La Teresita, Bodega
BEST CUBAN SANDWICH
BODEGA
Runners-up: Columbia Restaurant, La Segunda
BEST CUPCAKES
THE CAKE GIRL
Runners-up: Mazzaro’s Italian Market, Valhalla Bakery
THE BLACK PEARL DUNEDIN
Runners-up: Olivia, Bella’s Italian Cafe
Runners-up: Mazzaro’s Italian Market, Harry Waugh Dessert Room at Bern’s Steak House
Runners-up: Carmine’s Ybor, Happy’s Bayou Bites
Runners-up: Lenny’s Restaurant, Trip’s Diner
Runners-up: Big Storm Distillery, Tarpon Springs Distillery
Runners-up: Emerald Bar, Bauser’s Dunedin
Runners-up: The Dog Bar St. Pete, Pups Pub Tampa
Runners-up: Cosmic Donuts, Fray’s Donut House
BEST DUNEDIN RESTAURANT
CARACARA
Runners-up: Parlor House Bistro, The Living Room on Main
Runners-up: Clear Sky Draught Haus, Daydreamers Cafe and Grill
Runners-up: Brick Street Farms, Keel Farms
BEST FISH & CHIPS
Runners-up: Yeoman’s Cask & Lion, Jacks London Grill
JOHN’S PASS SEAFOOD FESTI VAL
Runners-up: Taste of Dunedin, Taste of Pinellas
Runners-up: Shiso Crispy, Corvo Bianco Pizza
BEST FOODIE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
Runners-up: @eatlocalflorida, @tampafoodmom
BEST FRIED CHICKEN
Runners-up: Southern Fresh, Noble Crust
BEST GOURMET MARKET
MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET
Runners-up: Rollin’ Oats, The Tides Market
BEST GREEK RESTAURANT
Runners-up: Hellas Restaurant & Bakery, Mykonos Tarpon Springs
Runners-up: The Stone Soup Cafe, Fo’Cheezy Twisted Meltz
BEST GROUPER SANDWICH FRENCHY’S
Runners-up: Dockside Dave’s, Big Ray’s Fish Camp
Runners-up: Casa Tina ‘Fresh Healthy Authentic Mexican,’ Besito Mexican
Runners-up: Haven, Gigglewaters
BEST HEALTH FOOD MARKET
Runners-up: Rollin’ Oats, Earth Origins Market
Runners-up: Detroit Coney Island, Nah Dogs Vegan Hot Dog Cart
VIP Mexican, Tampa Bay Hot Sauce Company
Runners-up: The Canopy - Birchwood, Edge Rooftop Bar - Epicurean Hotel
Runners-up: HEW Parlor & Chophouse - Fenway Hotel, Èlevage - Epicurean Hotel
Runners-up: Chill Bros. Scoop Shop, Strachan’s Ice Cream & Desserts
Runners-up: Curry Leaves Indian Cuisine, Gateway to India
Runners-up: Pia’s Trattoria, Olivia
Runners-up: Squeeze Juiceworks, Karma Juice Bar
Runners-up: Mad Hatters Kava Bar, Speakeasy Kava Bar
Runners-up: Mike’s Pies, The Pie Factory
Runners-up: Mother Kombucha, St. Pete Ferments
Runners-up: Bella’s Italian Café, Ichicoro Ramen
Runner-up: Blur Nightclub, Tie for third: Bradley’s on 7th, Enigma
Runners-up: ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, Pasadena Liquors & Fine Wines
Runners-up: Lucky Lobster Co., Ulele
Runners-up: 3 Daughters Brewing, Tampa Bay Brewing Co.
Runners-up: Dark Door Spirits, Tarpon Springs Distillery
Runners-up: Big Storm Brewery, Sea Dog Brewing
Runners-up: The Dunedin Smokehouse, Gigglewaters
Runners-up: VIP Lounge & Mexican Restaurant, Casa Tina ‘Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican’
BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT CASA TINA ‘FRESH HEALTHY AUTHENTIC MEXICAN’
Runners-up: Red Mesa Cantina, Carmelitas Mexican Restaurant
BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT BABA ON CENTRAL
Runners-up: Byblos Tampa, Zaytoon Grill
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, HILLSBOROUGH NEW WORLD BREWERY
Runners-up: The Independent Bar & Cafe, Shuffle Tampa
Runners-up: The Liquid Garage Co., Pasco Bourbon on Main
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, PINELLAS GIGGLEWATERS
Runners-up: The Bends, Rosie’s Tavern of Dunedin
BEST NEW RESTAURANT PROHIBITION KITCHEN
Runners-up: The Brinehouse, Florish Plant-Based Pizza & Bowls
Runners-up: Ciro’s Speakeasy, The Saint
Runners-up: Ozona Blue Grill, Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro
Runners-up: Si-am Thai Restaurant, 9 Bangkok Restaurant
Runners-up: Mystic Fish, Ozona Blue Grill
Runners-up: The Social, Hungry Harry’s Family BBQ
MADISON AVENUE PIZZA
Runners-up: Gourmet Pizza, The Nona Slice House
Runners-up: Zukku Sushi, Best Poke Restaurant Island Fin Poke
Runners-up: Postcard Inn, Pool Bar & Grill - Hard Rock Tampa
Runners-up: Ichicoro Ramen, Wooden Ladle
BEST ST. PETE RESTAURANT
RED MESA RESTAURANT
Runners-up: BellaBrava, Social Roost
BEST STEAKHOUSE
BERN’S STEAK HOUSE
Runners-up: Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Rococo Steak
TRO
Runners-up: Zukku Sushi, Rock ‘N Raw Sushi Joint
BEST TACOS
RED MESA CANTINA
Runners-up: Taco Bus, Casita Taqueria
BEST TAMPA HEIGHTS RESTAURANT
OAK & OLA
Runners-up: Ulele, Rocca
BEST TAMPA RESTAURANT
ON SWANN
Runners-up: Bern’s Steak House, Ulele
BEST TAPAS/SMALL PLATES
BULLA GASTROBAR
Runners-up: Caracara, Rooster & the Till
BEST TEA SHOP
THE SPICE & TEA EXCHANGE
Runners-up: TeBella Tea Company, Kaleisia Tea Lounge
BEST TEQUILA BAR
RED MESA CANTINA
Runners-up: Casa Tina ‘Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican,’ JoToro Kitchen & Tequila Bar
BEST THAI RESTAURANT
LEMON GRASS THAI KITCHEN
Runners-up: Dunedin Brewery, The Dunedin Smokehouse
Runners-up: The Stone Soup Company, Casa Santo Stefano
Runners-up: Rebecca Fiore, Carla Bristol
Runners-up: Lee Pearlman of Denmon Pearlman Law, Nicole Denmon
Runners-up: Pass-a-Grille, St. Pete Beach
Runners-up: Booze & Bubbles, Pop Goes the Waffle
Runners-up: Outdoorsy Diva, What’s Cooking With Julie
Runners-up: Dr. BBQ, Wicked Oak Barbeque
Runners-up: Whistle Stop Grill & Bar, The Nona Slice House
Runners-up: Jason’s Deli, Secret Garden
BEST SANDWICH THAT’S NOT
CHICKEN, CUBAN OR GROUPER
MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET
Runners-up: The Lucky Dill Deli, Wrights Gourmet House
Runners-up: Columbia Restaurant, Caracara
Runners-up: Salt Rock Grill, Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill
Runners-up: Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, The C House
Runners-up: Nature’s Food Patch, SOHO Juice Co.
Runners-up: Kyle Burton - On Swann, Jennifer Bingham - Cru Cellars
Runners-up: Buya Ramen, Parlor House Bistro
Runners-up: Bern’s Steak House, On Swann
Runners-up: Noble Crust, Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe
Runners-up: Bern’s Steak House, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
FERG’S SPORTS BAR
Runners-up: Hattricks Tavern, Eddie’s Bar & Grill
Runners-up: Nitally’s Thai Mex, Si-am Thai Restaurant
BEST VEGAN RESTAURANT GOLDEN DINOSAURS
Runners-up: Love Food Central, 3 Dot Dash Vegan Kitchen
BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
LA V VIETNAMESE
Runners-up: Pho Quyen Vietnamese Cuisine, Saigon Deli
BEST WAITSTAFF
GIGGLEWATERS
Runners-up: Bella’s Italian Cafe, On Swann
FRESCO’S WATER
FRONT BISTRO
Runners-up: Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Salt Shack on the Bay
BEST WESLEY CHAPEL RESTAURANT ZUKKUSAN
Runners-up: Noble Crust, King of the Coop
BEST WHISKEY BAR GIGGLEWATERS
Runners-up: Whiskey Cake, Whiskey Exchange
BEST WINE BAR
CRU CELLARS
Runners-up: Sips Wine Bar, Lolita’s Wine Market
Runners-up: Steve Weintraub, Laurie Stogniew
Runners-up: Dunedin, Tampa
Runners-up: St. Petersburg College, University University of Tampa
Runners-up: Andrew Harlan— Love the Burg, John Romano
Runners-up: METRO Inclusive Health, Largo Community Center
Runners-up: Dunedin Community Garden, Seminole Heights Community Gardens
Runners-up: Kelli Lynn Luckey, Starlight Darling Cosplay
Runners-up: Hillsborough, Pasco
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Runners-up: Jane Castor & Ana Cruz, Mike & Amanda Calta
Runners-up: Fort De Soto Dog Beach Park. Enterprise Dog Park
Runners-up: Tampa Bay Watch, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
Runners-up: Downtown Dunedin Market, Safety Harbors Market on Main
Runners-up: University of Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles
Runners-up: Dunedin Golf Club, Mangrove Bay Golf Course
Runners-up: Kaylin Ingram - Kay Coastal Designs, Lisa DeCamella
Runners-up: @katstickler, @tampafoodguide
Runners-up: La Segunda, Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant
Runners-up: Metro Inclusive Health, Equality Florida
Runners-up: The Honu Restaurant and Tiki Bar, Zazoo’d
Runners-up: Rick Kriseman, Ken Welch
Runners-up: Lina Teixeira, Hillary Van Dyke
Runners-up: Weedon Island Preserve, Boyd Hill Nature Park
Runners-up: Sandy Bean, Kaylin Ingram
Runners-up: Metro Inclusive Health, Tampa Bay Watch
BEST PERSONALITY TO FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM
@PAINKILLERCAMISYOURDADDY
Runners-up: @katstickler, @laurenashleywest
BEST PERSONALITY TO FOLLOW ON TIKTOK
@ILOVETHEBURGSTPETE
Runners-up: @katstickler, @ no.mayo.just.sauce
BEST PERSONALITY TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER
@DENISPHILLIPSWX
Runners-up: @mrmikecalta, @ drewontheradio
BEST PHILANTHROPIST JEFF VINIK
Runners-up: Julie Weintraub, Neil Gobioff
BEST PLACE FOR A WEDDING SUNKEN GARDENS
Runners-up: Don Cesar, Fenway Hotel
BEST PLACE TO ADOPT A PET HUMANE SOCIETY OF TAMPA BAY
Runners-up: Pinellas County Animal Services, Friends of Strays
BEST PLACE TO GET THE PERFECT INSTAGRAM PHOTO ST. PETE PIER Runners-up: Tampa Riverwalk, Oxford Exchange
BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER HUMANE SOCIETY OF TAMPA BAY
Runners-up: Feeding Tampa Bay, Homeless Empowerment Program (HEP)
BEST PLANT SHOP WHITEWOOD ON MAIN Runners-up: Seeds Dunedin, Wild Roots St. Pete
BEST POLITICIAN
CHARLIE CRIST Runners-up: Jane Castor, Ken Welch
BEST RADIO PERSONALITY DREW GARABO
Runners-up: Mike Calta, Bobby Bones
BEST RADIO STATION 102.5 THE BONE Runners-up: WMNF 88.5 FM, WUSF
BEST SPORTS COACH JON COOPER
Runners-up: Bruce Arians, Kevin Cash
BEST SPORTSWRITER JOHN ROMANO Runners-up: Dan Herrejon, Joe Bucs Fan
BEST STRIPPER
SHEBA QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
Runner-up: Big Luna. Tie for third: Honey Black, Marley Negron
Runners-up: Charley Belcher, Kelly Ring
Runners-up: Paws Paradise Fur Life, Raw Smoothie Co.
BEST WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS
Runners-up: Curv Exchange & Stellie Bellies, Shuffle
BEST A/C REPAIR COMPANY
Runners-up: Airheads HVAC, Dunedin Refrigeration
Runners-up: Dr. Nyguen at BellaVive Natural Health Clinic, Dr. Carrie Graves Wellness Center: The Wellness Tree
Runners-up: Vintage Roost, Court of Two Sisters
Runners-up: Brush Tips Studios, Bay Area Art Supply
Runners-up: Knorr’s Car Care Center, Pasadena Car Care
Runners-up: Bank of Tampa, Achieva Credit Union
Runners-up: Uptown Barber, Tim’s Barber Shop
Runners-up: Impulse Pole Dance & Fitness, Barre Central
Runners-up: Outspokin Bicycles, Tony’s Bike Shop
Runners-up: AquaSol Adventures, Encounters With Dolphins Clearwater Beach
Runners-up: Oxford Exchange, Portkey Books
BEST GROUP FITNESS CAMP TAMPA
Runners-up: Burn Boot Camp, Apex Performance
BEST GYM CAMP TAMPA
Runners-up: Apex performance, Body Electric Athletic Company
Runners-up: Tribeca Salon, Fame & Foils Color Bar
Runners-up: Sardis (Cece) Nunez, Chris Trevena
Runners-up: Dunedin Fine Art Center, Adorna Vida Creations
BEST HOME DECOR
ZAZOO’D
Runners-up: Vintage Marche, Aerie Lane Home
BEST HOSPITAL
TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Runners-up: St. Joseph Hospital, Morton Plant Hospital
BEST HOTEL
Runners-up: Epicurean, Fenway Hotel
Runners-up: The Dressing Room - St. Pete, The White Closet Bridal
BEST CBD SHOP
DUNEDIN HEMP CO.
Runners-up: Your CBD Store St. Pete, Java Kava Cafe
DR. ERIN WADELIN AT NURTURE
Runners-up: Dr. Ross at Back N Balance, Dr. Christopher Kotwicki
Runners-up: Backwater Provisions Co., Riccardo’s Menswear
Runners-up: Ashe Couture, Curv Exchange
BEST COMIC BOOK SHOP
Runners-up: Ybor City Comics, Nerd Out Comics
BEST CONSIGNMENT SHOP
Runners-up: Revolve, Avalon
Runners-up: Gold & Diamond Source, Resource Property Management
BEST DISPENSARY
Runners-up: Curaleaf, MUV
Runners-up: The Beauty Co., Amanda Rustmann
Runners-up: Fran Haasch, Busciglio Sheridan Schoeb PA
Runners-up: XIOMYSLAYS, Adore Bridal Hair and Makeup
Runners-up: Fancy Nails South Tampa, Spa 801 Salon & Spa
Runners-up: Dunn & Co., McKay Advertising + Activation
GRACIE MARTIAL ARTS TAMPA
Runners-up: St Pete Fight Team, Tran Tae Kwon Do
Runners-up: Dr. Anthony Watt at Watt Plastic Surgery, Dr. Karen Singer
Runners-up: Paws n Rec, Bay Paws
Runners-up: Care Paws ‘N’ Rec, Sit Means Sit Dog Training
Runners-up: Tampa Bay Drones, FlyMotion
Runners-up: McNatt’s, Tabors (Dunedin)
Runners-up: Wealth Advisors Who Care, Deidre Fernald, CFP®
Runners-up: Planet Fitness, Crunch Fitness
BEST FURNITURE STORE (NEW OR USED)
Runners-up: DoMA Home Furnishings, One Amazing Find
BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER
DAVID FISCHER OF ZAZOOD
Runners-up: Debra Ackerbloom Interiors, Rob Bowen Design Group
BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGN COMPANY
CAMPUS LANDSCAPE Runners-up: Wilcox Nursery, Southern Landscape Solutions
Runners-up: Jill Laurey LMT, Gennell Grant by The Body Mechanic
Runners-up: Faces of South Tampa, St. Pete Wellness & Med Spa
BEST GYM / BEST GROUP FITNESS / BEST SPIN STUDIO / ETC CAMP TAMPA
continued from page 139
Runners-up: Liberate Physician Centers, Canna Doctors
RILEY CULLEN AT SPA 801
Runners-up: Lan at Fancy Nails South Tampa, Daisy Le @nailsbydaisyle
Runners-up: Nannies Who Care, DoubleMint
Runners-up: Hammer Freaks, Coastal Dreams Events LLC
Runners-up: Francesca O’Neal, Dawn Molina
Runners-up: Sun Signs St. Pete, Above the Rest Painters
Runners-up: Cameron Drake, Darryl Johnson
Runners-up: Woof Gang Pup, St. Petersbark
Runners-up: SoHo Sitters, FairyTail Pet Care
Runners-up: Photo Booth Bus, Gala Photo Booth
Runners-up: Dr. Bryan Hunter, Dr. Nan Morris
Runners-up: Nature’s Food Patch, Black Radish Grocer
Runners-up: Joe’s Family Plumbing, Gulfview Plumbing
Runners-up: Dunedin Library, Safety Harbor Public Library
Runners-up: Palermo Real Estate Professionals, Smith & Associates Real Estate
Runners-up: Jennifer Dobbs, Kent Rodahaver
Runners-up: Bananas Records, Sound Exchange
Runners-up: Arry’s, Suncoast Roofing
Runners-up: Jack and Jill, The Back Room by ZaZood
Runners-up: Skatepark of Tampa, Local Longboards
Runners-up: Organic Skincare by LEIA, Alana Pupello
Runners-up: Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop, Smoke Signals
Runners-up: Whole Aveda Salonspa, Amy’s Day Spa
Runners-up: SPENGA, SoHo Cycle
Runners-up: Brick Street Farms, Smokey Jones
Runners-up: Rollin Oats Market, Daddy Kool Records
Runners-up: Rollin Oats, Nature’s Food Patch
Runners-up: Freaky Tiki Surf Shop, Black Top Surf Shop
Runners-up: Sunshine State Goods & Apparel, Big Frog Custom T-Shirts and more
Runners-up: Metamorphosis Ink, Legacy Blue Tattoo Studio
Runners-up: Thrift City USA, HEP Thrift Store
Runners-up: Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop, Smoke Signals
Runners-up: Bayshore Animal Clinic, Plummer Pet Hospital
Runners-up: Roberto Rivera - Animus Visual, Faith and Cody Photo and Film
Runners-up: Vintage Post, Artpool
BEST WAXING SALON
THE BLUSH BAR TAMPA
Runners-up: European Wax Center, Spa 801
BEST WEDDING PLANNING COMPANY
Runners-up: Elegant Evening Events, Elope Tampa Bay
Runners-up: Metro Inclusive Health, St. Petersburg Wellness and Medspa
BEST YOGA STUDIO YOGA LOFT TAMPA Runners-up: The Lotus Pond, CAMP Tampa
Runners-up: Nathan Daugherty, Matthew Morris
Runners-up: Roxanne Fay, Heather Krueger
DUNEDIN FINE ART CENTER
Runners-up: Florida CraftArt, Mize Gallery
Runners-up: Tampa Museum of Art Pride and Passion, St. Pete Fine Arts Annual Gala
Runners-up: ‘Florida Hustle’ by Paul Wilborn, ‘Brujas’ by Lorraine Monteagut
Runners-up: Ybor City Sirens, Aerialist Tay @ Floridian Social Club
Runners-up: Mike Evans Family Foundation Gala, Marjorie’s Hope Celebrity Waiter
Runners-up: Limbert Cappellan, Lyla Ruth
Runners-up: Tampa Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts
Runners-up: Gio Swaby at Museum of Fine Art, Women Photographers at TMA
ST. PETERSBURG OPERA CO. Opera Tampa. Tie for third: Sarasota Opera House, The New Century Opera
Runners-up: Riders of the American Legion Post 138 (Tampa), Casual Tuesday Ride
Runners-up: Ruth Eckerd Hall, The Palladium Theater
Runners-up: Stephanie Agudelo, Ivan Washington Photography
Runners-up: Dunedin Lanes, Seminole Lanes
Runners-up: Corner Bar and Grill, CJ’s On The Island
Runners-up: Natalie Symons, Bob Devin Jones
Runners-up: Damon Fowler, Michael Francis
BEST COMMUNITY THEATER COMPA NY (UNPAID CAST AND PRODUCTION)
Runners-up: Eight O’Clock Theatre, Carrollwood Players
Runners-up: Centerstage Dance Academy, The Dance Company Trinity
Runners-up: Gemma Lux, Matthew Morris
Runners-up: Blur Drag Brunch, Bradley’s on 7th
ADRIANA SPARKLE
Runners-up: Aquariius, Amy DeMilo
Runners-up: Beamon Battie III, Katie Adams
Runners-up: Connor Totten, Demeree Barth
Runners-up: Cocktails & Couture, Artpool
Runners-up: Dunedin International Film Festival, Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival
BEST FILMMAKER
VICTORIA JORGENSEN
Runners-up: Ashley Wooten, Joel D. Wynkoop
BEST GALLERY (NON-MUSEUM) SHOW
Runners-up: The 2022 Emerging Artist Exhibition at
BEST IMPROV TEAM
IMPROV @ USF
Runners-up: Got Jokes?, The Wet Bandits
BEST INSTRUMENTALIST
TERESA ANCAYA
Runners-up: Nate Najar, James Suggs
BEST JAZZ ENSEMBLE
GIN JOINT COLLECTIVE Runners-up: Tarpon Springs High Jazz Ensemble, Hot Tonic
BEST LITERARY JOURNAL
ECKERD COLLEGE REVIEW
Runners-up: Arts Coast Magazine, Neptune Poetry Magazine
BEST MAGICIAN
DEWAYNE HILL
Runners-up: Cory Van Valin, Chris & Ryan Zubrick
BEST MAKERS FESTIVAL
INDIE FLEA
Runners-up: Localtopia, Shopapalooza
BEST MORNING TV SHOW
GREAT DAY LIVE Runners-up: Morning Blend, Good Morning Tampa Bay
Runners-up: Tampa Bay NightLife TV, Hoppe Hour with Ryan Hoppe
Runner-up: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tie for third: Rowdies, Tampa Bay Rays
Runners-up: American Stage, Stageworks
Runners-up: Tom Stovall’s turtle on the Dunedin Water Tower, St. Petersburg Pier “Bending Arc” Janet Echelman
Runners-up: Runners-up: WMNF Live Music Showcase, Scotty and Sam Mornings on Hot 101.5
Runners-up: Smoken Words (Whiskey North), The Bends
Runners-up: Erica Sutherland, The Rebel Poet (Paula Rainey)
The Gallery at Creative Pinellas, Hammock Impressions at Dunedin City Hall Chamber Gallery
page
Runners-up: Erica Sutherlin, Karla Hartley
Runners-up: Dewayne Hill, Natasha Samreny
Runners-up: Tampa Improv, Snappers
Runners-up: Mons Venus, OZ Gentlemen’s Club
Runners-up: ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ - Eight O’ Clock Theatre, ‘Assassins’ Mad Theatre of Tampa
Runners-up: WDED Dead in the Morning, Second Screen Cult Cinema
Runners-up: Chad Mize, Rebel Poet
Runners-up: SHINE Mural Festival - St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, Dunedin Art Festival
Runners-up: Derrick Donnelly, Macy Eats Paint
Runners-up: Dunedin Food Tour, Ybor City Historic Walking Tour
Runners-up: Pusha Preme & The Wandering Assassins, Crossfire Creek
Runners-up: Have Gun Will Travel, Crossfire Creek Band
Runners-up: DJ Tom Gold, DJ Ace Vedo
Runners-up: Rolling Stones at Raymond James Stadium, Reggae Rise Up at Vinoy Park
Runners-up: VOID: In the Dungeon at The Castle, Crossfire Creek Band at Widow Fletchers
Runners-up: Aestheticized Presents >>>, Sunset Events
Runners-up: Bearded Brothers, Cadillac Cowboys
Runners-up: Pitbull Toddler, The Spazmatics
Runners-up: Blur Nightclub, The Ritz Ybor
Runners-up: Bangarang, The Headtones
Runners-up: Pusha Preme, They Hate Change
Runners-up: Electric Soul Therapy, Elysian Sex Drive
CORNER BAR & GRILL
Runners-up: CJ’s on the Island, LaLa
BEST KARAOKE DJ
Runners-up: Lisa Hutchins, Will Blackshear
BEST LARGE CONCERT VENUE (2,000-PLUS CAPACITY)
Runners-up: AMALIE Arena, MidFlorida Amphitheater
Runners-up: Oceans End, 22N
Runners-up: Sunset Music Festival, Clearwater Jazz Holiday
Runners-up: Blake High School, The Patel Conservatory
Runners-up: Berretta Music Academy, Hands In Motion School of Music
BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT (MUSIC)
CJ’S LIVE BAND KARAOKE
Runners-up: The Niagara Tap, Smoken Words
Runners-up: SHAMc Alive with Ed Derkevics, Off the Dome (Hip-Hop Freestyle Hosted by Jon Ditty)
Runners-up: Kind Villain, Summer Hoop
Runners-up: Derlie Records Inc, Executive Records
BEST RECORDING STUDIO MORRISOUND RECORDING
Runners-up: Zen Recording Studio, Clear Track Studios
BEST REGGAE/SKA BAND UNDERCOVER RASTA Runners-up: Bangarang, Victims of Circumstance
BEST RELEASE BY A LOCAL BAND ‘BLAME IT ON THE WINE’ BY CROSSFIRE CREEK BAND
Runners-up: ‘Heat of the Moment’ by Kind Villain, ‘Hurricane’ by Jordan Williams
Runners-up: Kind Villain, Bangarang
Runners-up: The Cadillac Cowboys, Free Range Strange
Runners-up: Ev V Frederick, Casey Allen
BEST SMALL CONCERT VENUE (UNDER 2,000 CAPACITY)
Runners-up: Crowbar, Floridian Social Club
Runners-up: Electric Soul Therapy, Derrick Williams
Runners-up: Ronnie Dillon, Ev V Frederick
BEST WEEKLY CLUB NIGHT
Runners-up: Old Dirty Sundays at Crowbar, Emo Night Tampa
There is more to this week’s Savage Love. To read the entire column, go to savage.love.
At a party recently I was chatting with a par ent who mentioned that he lets his (elementary school age) kids look at porn. He had a laissezfaire attitude about the whole thing, but I found it disturbing. Am I being a judge-y childless witch?
There were no middle schools where I grew up, so an “elementary school age” child could be a sixyear-old first grader or 14-year-old eighth grader. For the record: I obviously don’t think a six-yearold should view porn, and a responsible parent would not allow a young child to view pornog raphy. I also know it’s almost impossible for a parent to stop a motivated 14-year-old kid from looking at porn. So, if this man’s children are older, perhaps he said, “lets his kids,” when he meant, “can’t stop his kids.” Whatever his kids’ ages, you can’t stop him from not stopping his kid from looking at porn, but you are free to offer him some unsolicited advice. (Is there anything parents enjoy more?) You could also send him the clip of Billie Eilish on Howard Stern talking about how watching porn at a young age really messed with her head.
My husband likes to be naked all the time at home. I think he should cover up when he’s in front of the big window in our front room and can be seen from the street, but he says I am being body shame-y. What do you think?
I dated a guy who thought he should be able to walk around in front of his large picture windows at home, naked and sometimes hard (morning wood-y), and he was adamant about it. And then one day the police came and arrested him for indecent exposure. Anyway, you should put up curtains and/or plant some tall bushes in front of those picture windows.
Forty-four-year-old here who’s on the dating scene for the first time in 11 years. A few months ago, I hit it off with a hot, hot guy. Great! My prob lem/question is about distractions during sex, and I need a sanity check. Once during intercourse, Hot Guy called out an answer to an NPR news quiz that was playing in the background. Is this behavior rude? I’m operating under the assump tion that if one’s mind wanders during sex, one should at least pretend to be focused.
“Maybe this letter writer should’ve chosen a more appropriate time for intimate relations— like when ‘This American Life’ is playing,” said Peter Sagal, the host of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell
Me!, National Public Radio’s long-running news quiz program. “Still, I completely understand why the letter writer would be offended by this man’s behavior. First, by thinking our show would be appropriate as an audio background for love making—although Bill Kurtis is known, for good reason, as the Barry White of anchormen. And second, the fact that he actually answered questions out loud while in flagrante. But the let ter writer shouldn’t think he was completely ignoring her to concentrate on us: our questions aren’t that hard.” Follow @peter sagal on Twitter.
Been playing with one of my fellow guys recently—I’m a gay guy—who says he’s into men, but who absolutely refuses to let me (or anyone else) touch his butt. What is this?
The Ass Ceiling. (It’s also a boundary of his, and one you must respect—but you’re free to
ask him about it. Conversations, even follow-up conversations, about limits, boundaries, and rea sonable expectations are not inherently coercive. Wanting to better understand a “no” doesn’t mean you didn’t hear it and don’t respect it. But at the start of a follow-up conversation like that, you need to emphasize that you did, indeed, hear that “no,” and will, of course, continue to respect it.)
I’m a 40-year-old cis het man. For more than 20 years—most of my life so far—I’ve been obsessed with one woman. We were never a couple, and I haven’t had contact with her since my mid-20s. How to get past this? The easiest way would prob ably be to start a relationship with another woman. Or I could get therapy—but I don’t know if my insurance would cover it.
Some days my Instagram feed is mostly memes about how straight guys will do literally anything to avoid getting the therapy they clearly need… and your question brought every one of those memes to mind. I mean, you’ve been mis erable for almost two decades and you can’t be bothered to check whether your health insurance covers the therapy you so clearly need? Jesus, dude. Make that phone call, get some therapy,
don’t date anyone until you’ve been seeing your therapist for at least a year.
My husband and I (bio female, newly trans masc) recently became poly. We have created a “closed kitchen table poly quad” with our two best friends. The breakdown is one older mar ried couple, one younger engaged couple, and it’s getting serious. We are now talking about moving in together. Any tips on living together for poly newbies? I think we have a chance at making it work long-term, but I don’t want to add pressure.
Here’s a tip for poly newbies: don’t move in with other singles, couples, triads, battalions, etc., you just started dating. If moving in together is the right thing to do, moving in together will still be the right thing three years from now. If it’s the wrong thing to do, moving in together will be a disaster three months from now. Take it slow.
A date recently tried acting out a Daddy Dom roleplay with me. I don’t want to judge, but…
Go to savage.love to read the rest. Send mail to questions@savagelove.net, listen to the Savage Lovecast, follow @fakedansavage on Twitter.
ACROSS
1 Sun Devils’ city
It may be lost in space
Put new ID tape on
To no ___
Interpreted another way
Reposition higher
Lie on the witness stand
Scary thing
Bite sound
Made
Oscar role for Spacek
Rejecting word
If you don’t do this you might trip
The fitting of scads of semiconductors onto a single chip: abbr.
Org. with ministers
Leading with My Chin author
The Fifth Element director Besson
River into Tokyo Bay
Parks and others
Oater climax
___ throw away
Comment about homework, puberty, and dating
Place to raise cane
Le du printemps
Film-stock material
Angler’s aid
___ Haute, Ind.
64 It had Ham in it 65 Noah’s number 66 Ham’s medium 68 “Jokes and puzzles are only one part of me ...” 72 Canea’s island 73 Herb Alpert’s instrument, on mus. scores 74 A sailor might rest his 75 Amas class 76 Wartime Johnny 77 Russia, until 1917 79 Plant secretion 80 Jagged 83 TV sport segment in which the viewer plays referee 88 Oasis places 90 Founded: abbr. 91 Pizza piece 92 Pastoral place 93 R relatives 96 Teen hangout 99 First name in jazz 100 1986 bio of a magnate 102 Advice to the frustrated 108 Neuman’s in it 109 Edward VIII, for example 111 Georgia neighbor 112 Rug feature 114 Cost of a firstclass postage stamp in 1924 116 “So long” 121 Old French dance 122 Happen to 123 Bacon or Bologna 124 Guaranteed 125 Less likely 126 Wagner’s father-in-law
DOWN 1 Dance style
2 Night of anticipation 3 Italian noblewoman
4 Mild oath 5 Adam Bede author 6 Clean, to Racine 7 Dog with Peter Lorre’s voice
8 Usually upbeat work
9 Painter of the grotesque 10 January, to Jesus 11 Hitchcock’s first American film 12 Slip past 13 Journey part 14 Of grandparents 15 Talk incessantly 16 Some jackets 17 Actress Tea 20 76 Across’s commander, in part 23 ___ nitrite 24 Skater’s mishap 28 Greek letter 30 Round Table knight 31 Each 33 Filler for une plume 34 Area of London 35 ___ bad example 38 Child’s chair for traveling 42 Wall Street name 44 Perish from hunger 46 Cast ___ eye 47 Infirmaries 48 Pilot’s path, perh. 50 That LPGA player 51 Rustic refrain 52 The food phobia 54 Amount of ground 55 Hall of Famers 56 India’s ___ Pradesh 57 Yeller’s feet
61 ___ humor
1974 Robert Altman film
64 Texas player
Secures again
All excited
Granny portrayer Ryan
Verb at the vet’s
“___ my wit’s end”
71 100-yard event
Gunk
It has a blast
Payable now
Pack again, at the market
81 Singer Bobby 82 Part of QED
___ Sutra
Afflictions
86 Walt Hazzard’s alma mater
Heavy metal 89 Wore
Sweaty place
Oyster entree
One who might make a federal case out of things
98 Deceptions 100 Brick material
101 Flawed, as some sentences 103 Indian princess 104 Abbr. after an Omaha Congressman’s name
105 Edmonton player 106 Big Three conference site
107 ___ spray 110 Beige 113 “I conquered”
115 Blunder 117 Broadcast 118 Cecil ___ Mille 119 One-sixteenth of a lb.
120 George’s phony name on Seinfeld, ___ Vandelay
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