Daily Loaf

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. When I became a certified barbecue judge a few years back, I realized that there’s more to the art of smoked meat than most people realize. Luckily, you won’t have to worry about that when you head out to the 7th annual Plant City Pig Jam this weekend.

Instead, you can just cruise the field, sampling championship char from more than 70 barbecue teams, ranging from local yokels to semi-professional ‘cue cooks. Read the rest of this entry »

Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves made their Tampa debut at Crowbar this past Friday, November 6, with support from Mike Hale and How Dare You.

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Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

The first thing we noticed on Austin’s infamous Sixth Street was the preponderance of clubs. Not the live music that Austin is known for, but booming bass beckoning babes in short skirts (and the dudes chasing them). Roads blocked off … police bored and leering … drunk college kids swaying from one sidewalk to another … a street musician, here or there, drowned out by the latest pop hits.

To find some music that wasn’t prerecorded, the Routes Music crew had to drive across town to locally-owned and operated Violins Etc., a full service string shop.

Inside, we were greeted by hundreds of violins – some brand new and ready for sale, others in various states of disrepair – as well as the employees who fixed them.
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Get squashed at Publix Apron's cooking class.

Wednesday, November 4: Snookers Grill
Champagne and Sushi. It seems like the words I’m reading are too good to be true, but unless my senses are deceiving me, it appears that Snookers is offering unlimited — yes, like, all you could ever imbibe — champagne and chef-selected sushi. Those just happen to be two of my favorite delicacies, and though I admit to never having tried them together, it sounds like a damn fine idea. $15. 7-9 p.m., 606 N. Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs. (727-937-6665)

Wednesday, November 4: Toasted Pheasant
Autumn Wine Dinner. Fall has finally come to Florida, and although that may not mean a changing of the leaves, it does mean that it’s cooling down at last — and we can swap our cooling whites for a sumptuous selection of warming reds at this wine tasting and dinner, with a menu that includes: autumn sausage and sage corn chowder paired with Shug Pinot Noir Sonoma; grilled asparagus and swiss strudel with a duet of tomato and asparagus coulis paired with Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc; a quail and beef short rib  duo of roasted quail filled with chestnut and sage with rich beef roast, paired with Mettler Zinfandel; and caramel apple ginger snap with cinnamon ice cream paired with Santa Alicia Late Harvest Muscatel. $45. 6:30-8:30 p.m., 14445 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa (813-265-6700)

Wednesday, November 4: World of Wines
Holiday Wine Tasting. Warm up with toasty wines to heat the cockles of your heart, including: Kenwood Yulupa Cuvee, Piper Sonoma Brut, Caposaldo Prosecco, Cristalino Brut and New Age White Wine, accompanied by hand-selected, catered hors d’oeuvres. $10. 6-8 p.m., 3431 S. West Shore Blvd., Tampa (813-835-9463)

Thursday, November 5: Publix Apron’s Cooking School
Get Squashed. Learn to make the most of this seasonal staple with a menu that includes: butternut squash with curried shrimp; baked acorn squash filled with chorizo sausage; hubbard squash cheese soufflé; zucchini and yellow squash chutney; and a classic pumpkin pie. $35. 6:30 p.m., 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa (813-926-4465)

Many more events after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

A veritable dance party erupted at Crowbar this past Tuesday evening during and between splendid sets by Vivian Girls (NYC), and Tampa’s Sleepy Vikings and Hippodrome.

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An evening of something new (Chris Tolan), something borrowed (Mr. Vidal and Mr. Zipf) and something blue (stage lighting – though in truth it was mainly pink) was enjoyed by all at Crowbar on Friday, October 2, the bill featuring Chris Tolan & Friends (pictured below), Lauris Vidal, Andy Zipf (who replaced Old North East) and Philip Pietri & the Manatees. (I was running late so I missed out on their set!)

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Rocktober started off with a bit of twang with tunes by Greenland is Melting, Rebekah Pulley and Jon Gaunt at New World Brewery this past Thursday, October 1.

Greenland is Melting with Jon Gaunt

Greenland is Melting

Greenland is Melting plays simply splendid soulful roots rock, music meant for listening to while you’re kicking back on the front porch or sitting around the kitchen table. Greenland is Melting channels old timey bluegrass with lines like “My grass is blue,” but with a chorus of “I know, I know, if there’s blood on the banjo tonight, then I really must have done something right,” you know they also bring a bit of ruckus. Read the rest of this entry »

The Morean Arts Center and The Studio@620 continue to bring current art and issues to the community — this time, with a month’s worth of advance screenings of Art21-Art in the Twenty-First Century, the national TV series with a focus on contemporary art. After the show, the host of WMNF’s “Art in Your Ear,” JoEllen Schilke, moderates a panel discussion on the episode’s themes. Visit art21.org or studio620.org for more info. (Pictured: Art:21 production still of artst Oliver Herring at work) Thursdays through Oct. 23, 7:30-9:30 p.m., The Studio@620,  620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, free.

If local craft brew floats your sudsy boat, then the ninth annual OktoBEERfest is your cup of tea. Or, well, beer. The line-up of events include the brewery’s Liter Release and Appreciation night, and a huge party that spills out onto the streets from Dunedin’s tasting room. “Notoriously German food” and live music by Bump accompany the constantly flowing beers. Visit dunedinbrewery.com for more info. Thurs.-Sun., Oct.1-4, Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. Read the rest of this entry »

HCC’s Visual and Performing Arts Series presents Danny Hoch’s (pictured) critically acclaimed one-man show, Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop — with a twist. Accompanying lone actor Curtis Belz’s eight monologue characterizations – which include Flip, a good ol’ boy from the Midwest who has come to identify with urban hip-hoppers; Bronx, a sidewalk vendor who gets pinched for selling without a license; and Sam, a prison guard with an anger management problem (evidenced by his beating a prisoner nearly to death) –are musician Matt Wetherington and choreographer/dancer DeMario Henry. Wetherington’s original score includes mixing on stage and live guitar; Henry shows off fresh hip-hop moves and dance, and his hip-hop troupe, the VYB Dance Company, kicks off the show. Sept. 17-19, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., Hillsborough Community College – Ybor Campus, Performing Arts Building, Corner of Palm Avenue and 14th St., Ybor City,  $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors, free for HCC students, faculty and staff, 813-253-7695. – Lily Reisman Read the rest of this entry »

The Loafies — our annual celebration in honor of the Best of the Bay issue — are your chance to meet the winners and mingle with the tastemakers of Tampa Bay at our homecoming/house party/awards show (no word on whether Kanye’s gonna ruin my award presentation). Come out for food, fashion, drink, dancing and more, with live music by Best of the Bay winners Nervous Turkey (pictured) and Shunda K, 500 Wolves and more. Rumor has it that The Senator will be making a guest appearance, though how he could possibly top last year’s show is anybody’s guess.

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. This weekend, HCC’s Visual and Performing Arts Series presents a limited run of playwright Danny Hoch’s (pictured) acclaimed one-man show, Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop — with a twist.

Accompanying lone actor Curtis Belz’s eight monologue characterizations – which include Flip, a good ol’ boy from the Midwest who has come to identify with urban hip-hoppers; Bronx, a sidewalk vendor who gets pinched for selling without a license; and Sam, a prison guard with an anger management problem (evidenced by his beating a prisoner nearly to death) — are musician Matt Wetherington and choreographer/dancer DeMario Henry. Wetherington’s original score includes mixing on stage and live guitar; Henry shows off fresh hip-hop moves and dance, and his hip-hop troupe, the VYB Dance Company, kicks off the show. Sept. 17-19, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., Hillsborough Community College – Ybor Campus, Performing Arts Building, Corner of Palm Avenue and 14th St., Ybor City,  $10 general admission, $5 students and seniors, free for HCC students, faculty and staff, 813-253-7695. – Lily Reisman

Art lovers, comic fans and those in-between: time to throw on your tights, tie on your cape and iron your underwear! St. Pete’s co-op gallery and boutique ARTpool is having a Heroes and Heroines art party for its monthly show opening. The all-ages opening is expected to garner 100-300 attendees (including you) and showcases comic-inspired 2D, 3D and video art from local talent — commissioned and otherwise. $10 gets you in the door with hors d’oeuvres, a complimentary drink and face-time with super-heroine owner Marina Williams and other local superguys and gals to celebrate the graphic novel as an art form. If you’re worried about your secret identity, visitors are encouraged to dress as their favorite comic character, though Clark Kent and other civilians are welcome. (Pictured: “Harley and Ivy”  by Nick Yakimovich) Sat., Sept. 12, 6 p.m.-12 a.m., ArtPool, 919 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, $10; includes hors d’oeuvres and drink, artpoolrules.com. –Ryan Jent Read the rest of this entry »

ThxMgmt’s Summer Jam 5 was a resounding success with a plethora of diverse bands, acts and DJs — The Honorary Title, Cory Branan, Damion Suomi, Carter Hulsey, The Beauvilles, Shunda K (formerly of Yo Majesty!), Da Goldminerz, How Dare You, S.L.I.M.M. H.U.S.T.L.E, Blind Man’s Colour, Larcen, GreyMarket, The Tape Delay, The Sheaks, Deficit, Alexander & The Grapes, StereoType & The Treble Makers, DJ Sandman, DJ Mega, DJ Deacon, DJ Colonic, and DJ Chris Golden — at two Ybor City venues, New World Brewery and Crowbar this past Saturday, August 29.

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Parachute Musical and The Winter Sounds descended on New World Brewery in Ybor City this past Friday, August 28, for a New Granada Presents show.

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If the typical trappings of visual art — white-box exhibitions, snooty gallery assistants and mind-boggling price tags — strike you as absurdly pretentious, take heart in mail art. The fiercely anti-commercial genre most often takes the form of postcards, illustrated envelopes and custom paper creations (though the odd three-dimensional object makes for a welcome surprise), traded among practitioners for the modest cost of a postage stamp. The Studio@620 presents Chromatophore, the multidisciplinary space’s second annual mail art exhibition, curated by St. Petersburg artist Jennifer Zoellner. Many of the more-than-300 mail art works on display engage the concept of the chromatophore (a pigment-bearing cell that enables creatures to change color in response to their surroundings) as a theme. Roll up your sleeves for hands-on mail art activities and soak in the sounds of singer-songwriter Rebecca Zapen at the exhibit’s multi-sensory opening reception. (Pictured: Me and Mona Go for a Boat Ride, by Katherine Michael) Chromatophore: a Mail Art Exhibit, Aug. 27-Sept. 5 with an opening reception Thurs., Aug. 27, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-895-6620, studio620.org. – Megan Voeller Read the rest of this entry »

Candy Bars are darlings of the Tampa indie music scene and things have been, well, a bit sour since they’ve been on hiatus. Sweetness returned this past Saturday, August 8, at New World Brewery with a New Granada Presents show featuring Candy Bars, Venice is Sinking and The Pauses.

Candy Bars
Frequently, scene darlings don’t deliver when push comes to shove. Happily, Candy Bars trashes that stereotype. Both recorded and live, Candy Bars play a beautiful sort of dream pop with a note of something a bit dark resonating in their introspective lyrics and instrumentation. Their record, On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation (New Granada Records) earned positive reviews from lots of national music publications including Pitchfork.com. Read the rest of this entry »

This past Friday, August 7, a great crowd of enthusiastic music lovers bravely fought the torrential Tampa downpours for a full evening of fabulous music by Fake Problems, Ninja Gun, Glasgow, and John Gold at Transitions Art Gallery, with a few freezer pops thrown in for good measure.

Fake Problems

Fake Problems is FUN. This might be the one thing the many positive reviewers of their new record, It’s Great to Be Alive (Side One Dummy Records), agree upon. Otherwise, there seems to be much debate about how to classify the Naples-based band. Are they more punk, or more twang? Who cares as long as they’re splendid? Read the rest of this entry »

The Suburban Home Records Tour featuring Austin Lucas, Two Cow Garage, Mike Hale, and Damion Suomi took The Social by storm this past Thursday, August 6. It was definitely worth the drive from Tampa to see this outstanding Americana line-up.

(More photos and info after the jump.)

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Want to pay $35 million to help T. Rowe Price destroy our wetlands in the middle of a drought? Sounds like a deal that’s too good to be true right? Well I guess if you are T. Rowe Price it’s a good deal. It is yet another pre-emptive bailout for another corporation poised to do something ludicrous and destructive with our money. They are offered our tax money to pull off the ultimate shell game.

Get this, they are being offered millions of State and County dollars to create new jobs in Florida, but wait, follow the ball, they are already in Florida. They are in Hillsborough County to be exact, and they are planning to move to Pasco County. So, just in case you lost sight of it, they are moving from one place in the state to another and taking money for creating new jobs in the same state in which they are moving. Now if they moved from another State to here, maybe it would make sense, but instead they have actually threatened to move to another State from here, if they don’t get the money. It kind of sounds like extortion: “Give us millions or we’ll leave the State”. And what about the loss of jobs in Hillsborough County, when they leave? And while we are speaking of lost jobs, what about the 288 job cuts T. Rowe has announced. Read the rest of this entry »