Daily Loaf

The air is getting crisp, the leaves as starting to fall, and everywhere you go, the smell of autumn is in the air…oh, no? Wait, we live in Florida, so our sad excuse for a pre-winter season won’t be here for a few months, but that’s not stopping the [5]art folks from debuting a fantastic new fall collection of exhibits, including Fresno G25, which features original works – paintings ranging from abstract to graphic, organic sculpture, wall art and more — by a dozen resident artists of Gallery 25 in California. Next up is a, um, revealing exhibit by Keith Thomas called Haven’t I Seen You Online? It includes large-scale paintings and drawings that explore his “life as a gay boy in the sprawling suburbs of Tampa,” and was inspired by the wide world of internet sex and dating sites. The final exhibit is a one-night-only affair in honor of the opening reception, and includes works by April Childers, whose small-scale sculptures have graced previous [5]art exhibits; photo art by Rion Sabean, and more. DJ Oblivion puts dancers in a trance at the reception, catered by Cigar City Brewing – providing a welcome break from the humdrum of house wines with a selection of microbrews, including Jai Alai IPA and Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale. Pictured: a work from Keith Thomas’ Haven’t I Seen You Online? exhibit) Opening reception, Fri., Aug. 28, 7-10 p.m., Fresno G25 and Haven’t I Seen You Online? on display through Sept. 18, West Tampa Center for the Arts, 1906 N. Armenia Ave., #211, Tampa, free, 813-245-1034, five-art.com. – Franki Weddington Read the rest of this entry »

Don't worry, the fellas clean up pretty good…

I didn’t tell my husband where we were going.  I really should have after suggesting he wear his pink polo shirt. It’s a stereotype, I know, but I couldn’t resist. I’m not saying he voted for McCain, but I’m pretty sure he voted for Reagan. Twice.  I called earlier in the day and asked “Hey, babe, wanna go see a play tonight?”  Rhetorical question; the answer is and must always be “Sure.”

3 Guys in Drag Selling Their Stuff: The name alone is enough to get me in the door. The bar in the Crown Theater with half-price drinks ensures that we will stay through intermission.  Never been to Club Nautico, never knew there was a theater in the back room, never knew there was a back room. Gypsy Productions can be counted on to bring fun, campy, sometimes poignant shows to Tampa Bay audiences and they rarely make me feel like I wasted an evening.  3 Guys… was no exception.  It may not change your life but it may make you change your red muumuu.

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The descriptively titled 3 Guys in Drag Selling Their Stuff follows Diva, Lillian and Tink at their garage sale to raise money for a Faberge egg in which to inter the ashes of Diva’s dead hubby. Then, miscommunications abound, leading to dire consequences for the trio of misfits—including causing a friend to be run over by a truck and a police shoot out. 3 Guys promises to be even better than season six of 24—in drag. It’s hospitality night, so if you work in the, ahem, service industry, admission’s just 10 bucks. Through July 19, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun.; no show Sat., June 27; additional show 7:30 p.m. Mon., June 29, Club Nautico, 4900 66th St., St. Petersburg, $20, nauticostpete.com.

Why not let artists show, rather than verbally explain, the sources of their inspiration? That’s the premise behind Sixty Minutes, an innovative summer exhibition at USF Contemporary Art Museum that features specially-commissioned “video essays” by four contemporary artists — and the exhibit is in its final days. Asked to create hour-long mash-ups of their favorite video-based stimuli, artists Olaf Breuning, Kate Gilmore, Luis Gispert and William Villalongo each offer visitors a You Tube-esque glimpse inside their respective creative processes. The unconventional showcase also includes examples of video art by and videotaped interviews with each artist. In the adjacent gallery, visitors are invited to explore Museum At Work, a behind-the-scenes look at the process of documenting artworks from the CAM collection. Throughout the summer, interns and volunteers will work to augment the museum’s online art database by photographing several hundred works on paper; visitors may observe, participate and check out the collection online via a kiosk. Sixty Minutes and Museum At Work, through July 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat., USF CAM, CAM 101, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, free admission, 813-974-2849, ira.usf.edu. (Megan Voeller)

Fri.-Sun., May 22-24: Fetish Weekend. Itching to break in a whip or have your nipples electrocuted? Toss your best fetish gear in the Honda and head over to Fort Lauderdale for the 14th annual Fetish Weekend. The largest fetish event in North America, this 3-day fiasco attracts 2,000 fetishists to its main ball and its themed socials: the beat & greet, alter ego, extreme players bash, and the pool party. Instead of a wine tasting or appetizer sampling, guests can mingle while “sampling” fetish gear and practices, from bondage to genital torture. Fetish workshops will cover all aspects of kink: pressure fetishes and objectification, body piercings, fire play, rhythmic impact play, and the art of cell-popping-semi-permanent branding with a searing point. Performances by Jackal & Hyde, Samar, Rebecca’s Rubber Room, Rubberdoll, and Ruby Luster. Dress code is strictly enforced so bring a few changes of your best rubber, vinyl, leather, corsets, sexy uniforms, fetish glam, gothic, kinky drag, and ultra formal wear. See Fetishfactory.com for more details.

Sat.-Mon. May 23-25. Caliente’s Memorial Day Weekend Bash. Poolside BBQ, nude gyro-sphere, caricatures, Jell-o wrestling, tiki bar karaoke, and a party later at Fiesta Night Club. 12-4pm. Caliente Resort 21240 Gran Via Blvd. Land O Lakes, FL 34637. Read the rest of this entry »

Fri-Sun. May 8-10. Exxxotica Miami. The largest adult event and expo on the east coast, featuring adult entertainers Jesse Jane, Stoya, Angelina Armani, Riley Steele, Jenna Haze, Ron Jeremy, Sasha Grey, Teagan Presley, Savanna Samson, Bree Olson, Kaydeb Kross, Sunny Leone, Eva Angelina, Alexis Texas, Joanna Angel, and Gina Lynn.

Fri. May 8. Clothing Optional Foam Party. Live Bands, DJ, Foam, a potluck dinner, a pool, hot tub, camping, and nudity. What more could you want? A music video will also be shot on location so bring some friends to fill out the crowd. 7pm. $10. The Riverboat Nudist Club. www.NaturallyNude.com.

Sat. May 9. Foot Party at the Quest. The Fabulous Mistress Diana and friends will be hosting a foot, show, and boot fetish play party. Bring all your fabulous fetish shoes, high heel spikes, your skit kicker boots and your cute little twinkle toes and join us for a stomping good time cleaning, licking, sucking, and worshiping Tampa Bays most fabulous feet. 10pm. $30. The Quest. 12517 66th St. N. Largo, FL 33773. Read the rest of this entry »