Daily Loaf

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. In the aftermath of last year’s presidential election, some cultural critics wondered if political humor might suffer in the Age of Obama. Regular viewers of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher know that hasn’t been an issue with this cable talk show host/comic (who visits Tampa next week) — but fans of Sarah Palin, George W. Bush, and other GOP icons should not think they’ll get off any easier.

Although Bill Maher once described himself as a Libertarian, in the Bush years he became an icon to many in the progressive movement. His 2003 appearance in Tampa, where he skewered Bush shortly after he had declared “mission accomplished” in Iraq, led some supporters of the former President to the exits. Read the rest of this entry »

Doug Stanhope is a balls-to-the-wall tact-free modern-day outlaw comic who says exactly what’s on his mind to great (if highly uncomfortable and nearly always offensive) comic effect. He recently admitted to being a “techno-retard” on his blog and to becoming “every hackneyed old comic who talks about these kids and their gadgets today. Take your apps and iPhones and leave me sitting here with my thumb stuck in my oldy-fashioned vibrating latex anus.” Expect some related techno-bashing at his Crowbar show. Sat., Nov. 21, 8 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $20 (ages 21 and up), dougstanhope.com. –Leilani Polk

Tony Soprano and Groucho Marx would be in heaven: The 11th annual Cigar Heritage Festival includes an attempt to break the Guinness Book’s World’s Longest Cigar record by master cigar makers Wallace and Margarita Reyes, who try for a 180’ cigar. The nationally syndicated Cigar Dave Show is on site to report the festivities, a game zone offers big screen TVs, leather couches and casino tables (it doesn’t matter how many cigars there are, you still gotta catch the game), a beer and wine garden, a kid’s corner, access to the Saturday Market, myriad ethnic food vendors, and, of course, an enormous selection of the world’s finest cigars and accessories — all in the heart of Ybor. Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Centennial Park, Tampa, $5, free for children 12 and younger. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s hard enough to wrangle a hip group of artists/musicians/designers/models together at the same place and time, but it’s even harder to convince anyone to come see the spectacle. The visionaries at Square One do just that with scenester-crowded, can’t-miss-‘em shindigs — like Saturday’s eco-themed Magnum Opus — that draw party people in droves. More than 75 visual artists display their work (among them CL faves like Bluelucy, Kat Wilson, KLAAREN and Robert Wegmann), Jeremy Gloff hosts his album release party, and dance and fashion shows by Bella Danza, Enigma Dance Kru, Kinetic Dance Group and Wear To The Tear Fashion mean that there’s always something shiny and new to look at onstage. The cherry on top is that this nightlong shindig is completely gratis. Sat., Nov. 14, 7-10 p.m. , The Ritz Ybor, 1503 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, free, squareoneflorida.com. – Franki Weddington

What goes together better than wine and blues? The holy union (which drew more than 30,000 folks downtown last year) gets its due this weekend at Dunedin Wines the Blues, when the Suncoast Blues Society heats things up at Dunedin’s Second Friday Art and Wine Walk and a blues jam takes the stage to accompany the arts and crafts, food and wine vendors. The real party gets started on Saturday, with an all-day jazz and blues jam-session that welcomes Grammy-nom John Lee Hooker, Jr., The Steve Arvey Horn Band, Kathy Jo and The Bluzification Band to the stage. Visit dunedinwinestheblues.info for more info. Nov. 13-14, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Fri., 5-11 p.m. Sat., Downtown Dunedin, free. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Next week, Ybor City sets the stage for two worthy comedy shows, and neither takes place at the Improv.

Four furry Southeastern funnymakers bring their “Beards of Comedy” tour to New World Brewery to entertain the beer-loving masses with their alternative brand of humor. Each comic – Dave Stone, Andy Sanford, TJ Young and Joe Zimmerman (pictured) – presents a set of his own stand-up and participates in collaborative performances of music, sketch, and improvised comedy with the rest of his comrades. Topics and styles range by comedian; Stone touches on subjects ranging from Facebooking his Pop Tart eating habits to getting warned by his dad about the perverts on “Myspaces” (“Dad, I’m a 30-year-old bearded fat man poking around on Myspace, I think I’m the predator not the prey”), Read the rest of this entry »

At this week’s Musical Festival feat. Samuel Adler, the renowned composer (who has written compositions for the Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, American Brass Quintet and more) visits Tampa to perform, observe and teach. Three Adler events are open to the public this week: the UT music faculty performs Adler’s chamber music at 7:30 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 12 in Plant Hall’s Fletcher Lounge; Adler leads an orchestration seminar at 4 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 13 in the Ferman Music Center; and the UT Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Glee Club, and Collegiate Chorale perform Adler’s music at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 13 in Fletcher Hall. University of Tampa, Tampa, visit ut.edu for more info, free.

At tonight’s Children’s Home Fundraiser, Chris Markowski, (aka America’s Watchdog on Wall Street) and the Mortgage Banker’s Association of Tampa Bay host this fundraiser for the Children’s Home that includes live and silent auctions, butlered hors d’oeuvres, hand-rolled cigars, an open bar, a carving station and delicious desserts, valeted parking and live entertainment. Visit mbatampabay.org for tickets and info. Thurs., Nov. 12, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Westin Tampa Bay Hotel, Tampa, $50. Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks the beginning of a three-day interactive multi-media art event, 11:11 – Let There Be Light, Art, Sound, a celebration of the creativity that molds our communities and keeps us from falling prey to the everyday tedium of mainstream mediocrity. The star of the event is Alex Grey, who, along with his artist wife Allyson, leads today’s psychedelic/spiritual/visionary/postmodern art movement. Alex’s most well-known works are his glowing “x-ray” paintings of human bodies, which offer detailed, anatomical-style examinations of his subjects’ physical and metaphysical anatomy. On Thursday, Alex stages a reading from his book, Art Psalms. Afterwards, he’s joined Allyson for the first two hours of a six-hour painting demo, which is paired with video projection painting by Johnathan Singer, and live multi-sensory music by Scott and Anne Kennedy. During the Friday night “Alex Grey Gala Event,” Soulful Arts Dance Academy presents a program of moves, Alex and Allyson take four hours to finish their painting demo, and attendees take part in a “Paint Your Plate Dinner” while being treated to a series of Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. It’s hard enough to wrangle a hip group of artists/musicians/designers/models together at the same place and time, but it’s even harder to convince anyone to come see the spectacle. The visionaries at Square One do just that with scenester-crowded, can’t-miss-‘em shindigs — like this Saturday’s eco-themed Magnum Opus — that draw party people in droves.

More than 75 visual artists display their work (among them CL faves like Blue Lucy, Kat Wilson, KLAAREN and Robert Wegmann), Jeremy Gloff hosts his album release party, and dance and fashion shows by Bella Danza, Enigma Dance Kru, Kinetic Dance Group and Wear To The Tear Fashion mean that there’s always something shiny and new to look at onstage. The cherry on top is that this nightlong art extravaganza is completely gratis. Sat., Nov. 14, 7-10 p.m. , The Ritz Ybor, 1503 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, free, squareoneflorida.com. – Franki Weddington

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Next week, a three-day interactive multi-media art event, 11:11 – Let There Be Light, Art, Sound, is a celebration of the creativity that molds our communities and keeps us from falling prey to the everyday tedium of mainstream mediocrity.

The star of the event is Alex Grey (pictured), who, along with his artist wife Allyson, leads today’s psychedelic/spiritual/visionary/postmodern art movement. Alex’s most well-known works are his glowing “x-ray” paintings of human bodies, which offer detailed, anatomical-style examinations of his subjects’ physical and metaphysical anatomy. On Thursday, Alex stages a reading from his book, Art Psalms. Afterwards, he’s joined Allyson for the first two hours of a six-hour painting demo, which is paired with video projection painting by Johnathan Singer, and live multi-sensory music by Scott and Anne Kennedy. During the Friday night “Alex Grey Gala Event,” Read the rest of this entry »

The City of Tampa’s fiendish plot to have you get up at an insanely early hour of the morning and groggily lace up your sneakers continues this Saturday with Keeping Tampa Fit. The biannual event is devoted to increasing awareness of personal health and the city’s numerous parks, while also offering the chance to keep up stride-for-stride with Mayor Pam Iorio (pictured, center), who plans on strolling four miles. As if that weren’t incentive enough, the first 200 registrants will receive a free T-shirt commemorating the event, which participants can then proudly wear to showcase their dedication to receiving free T-shirts. Sure you’d rather sleep in on what is likely your day off, but just think how good that coffee and artery-hardening cheesy omelet are going to taste when you reward yourself for forsaking a few extra hours of peaceful slumber. No pain, no gain, right? Sat., Nov. 7, Rowlett Park, 2501 River Hills Drive. Registration starts at 6:30 am, the walk begins at 7:30 am. Call the City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department at 813-274-8615 for more info. – Anthony Salveggi Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Next weekend, you can shuffleboard boogie it down at the St. Pete Shuffle or get crazy with a few rounds of Bingo at your community theater in Tampa. The average age of Florida citizens might be rising higher than the heat index, but the youth of Tampa Bay are reclaiming these traditionally geriatric activities for their own. Next weekend, theater-goers young and old alike can enjoy a game of Bingo while they see the story of Babe and Sis unfold onstage in The Queen of Bingo.

The two sisters are polar opposites: Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. John’s stage persona (pictured), “The Night Tripper,” is as big and colorful as the Big Easy — he embodies the culture and heritage of his hometown of New Orleans, and his latest project is a tribute to Duke Ellington and Johnny Mercer. Dr. John and the Lower 911 take the stage with “The Sauce Boss” Bill Wharton. Visit mypalladium.org for more info. Thurs., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., Palladium Theater, $45.

This week’s installment in the Dalí and Beyond Film Series of shocking and surreal cinema is  5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, a live-action Dr. Seuss adaptation about Bart, who hates his piano lessons with Dr. Terwilliker and is dragged to a dream world where his piano professor is ruler and the students become his subjects. Visit salvadordalimuseum.org for more info. Thurs., Nov. 5, 6 p.m., Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, $5 after 5 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Those of you seeking your Jack Hanna fix, here it is. Next weekend, the renowned animal expert and frequent guest on Late Night With David Letterman will appear not once, not twice, but four times at Busch Gardens to regale you with stories of his adventures in the wild and drop some knowledge about the world’s exotic beasts.

Take a Serengeti Night Safari, where Hanna will share his tales on the African continent, or bring your pj’s and the kids for a fun-filled Family Sleepover Featuring Jack Hanna at an on-site dorm.  In the morning, fill up on tasty eats at Breakfast With Jack Hanna, which comes with priority seating at the first showing of Meet Jack Hanna, a conservation-themed show in the Moroccan Palace. Serengeti Night Safari Featuring Jack Hanna, 6:30-9 p.m., Nov 13, and 7:30-10 p.m., Nov. 14, $60 per person; Family Sleepover Featuring Jack Hanna, 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., Nov. 13 and 14, $78 per person; Breakfast With Jack Hanna, 8:30 a.m., Nov. 14 and 15, Crown Colony restaurant, $16.95 adults, $10.95 children; Meet Jack Hanna, 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m, Nov. 14 and 15, Moroccan Palace. Go to buschgardens.com to purchase tickets and find out about discounts for Passport members or call 1-888-800-5447 (call 1-877-BGT-CAMP for the Family Sleepover). – Anthony Salveggi

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. We don’t need special incentives for a scenic stroll through the hills of St. Pete’s Historic Roser Park, but this weekend there’s even more reason to check out the bungalows, brick-lined streets and moss-draped, overgrown oaks that shade the roads: the Historic Roser Park Art Festival brings together more than 70 artists from all over the country who shut down the streets with their displays of paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, photography and craftwork. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. No, a tattoo-faced, ear-chompin’ Mike Tyson isn’t going to guest star at this Saturday’s shindig: the Boxer Bash is a fundraiser for the Florida Boxer Rescue, which has saved more than 3,000 homeless or abused pups since its inception in 2000.

Bid on a Bucs Game Day package, Big Cat Rescue tickets and baked goodies (for people and pooches!) in the auction, let your furry friend compete in the agility contest or the Boxer and Friends pet parade, create a keepsake at the pawprint painting station, visit the boxer kissing booth for a big, sweet, slobbery smooch, and, best of all, feel good about lending a helping paw to a pup in need. (Pictured: Secret, a boxer up for adoption at the Florida Boxer Rescue) Sat., Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Ave., Tampa, 813-740-0045, flbr.org/BoxerBash2009.html. – Franki Weddington 

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. There’s nothing cozier than a handmade quilt on a cold winter night, but these blankets with humble beginnings have been elevated to the upper echelons of art at the Florida International Museum, which debuts two new quilt collections on Friday.

Rooted in Tradition: Art Quilts includes dozens of diverse works from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, which incorporate visual rather than practical elements like found objects, canvas, paper and paint. Sew – It’s Art! is a collection of quilts from Pinellas County’s quilt guilds that explores local history via the traditions, subjects, techniques and materials that combine to create our own colorful local quilt. (Pictured: French Braid Mountain Tops by Betsy Schobert) On display Nov. 6-Jan. 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun., Florida International Museum, 244 2nd Ave N., St. Petersburg, $8, $6 seniors and military, $5 students, 727-821-1448, spcollege.edu/FIMuseum. – Franki Weddington

After the break: From Havana to Hell’s Kitchen: A Latin Cabaret Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. For one night only, the Roaring Twenties are back, so grab your flapper dresses and fedoras and head out for a night at the theater.  Next weekend’s event features the 1920’s silent film Souls for Sale, about an ordinary girl’s rise to Hollywood stardom. There are also vaudeville acts, a 1920’s costume contest (for those of you who didn’t get enough of dressing up at Halloween) and raffle prizes.

Come out for an night of fun and contribute to the community by making a $5 donation or bringing three nonperishable foods or dried goods to benefit RCS Food Bank. Thurs., Nov. 12, 6-9 p.m., St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus Teaching Auditorium, 2465 Drew St. Clearwater; contact honors.college@spcollege.edu for more info. Sign Language interpreters provided.

The Peace Couture celebrity fashion show — with catwalk sashays by Pat Burrell of the Rays, Miss Florida Rachael Todd, Wendy Ryan of ABC Action News, Ryan Nece (pictured left), Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett and more — also includes red carpet interviews by ABC Action News, in-house spa treatments courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue and haute cuisine from Ruth’s Chris, 717 South, Square One, Bamboozle Cafe, Datz Deli, Raw Bar Sushi and more. Proceeds benefit The Spring of Tampa Bay, which works to end domestic violence. Visit thespring.org for more info. Mon., Nov. 2, 6-9 p.m., Saks Fifth Avenue, Westshore Plaza, Tampa, $50-$75.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. As tempting as it is to place labels like ‘minimalist’ or ‘landscape’ on Vicky Colombet’s work, such qualifiers don’t do justice to the profound mysteries the French artist creates with a stroke of the pen or brush, which you can see for yourself at the exhibit opening next Friday.

Perpetually exploring the limits of what will read as landscape, Colombet’s unique style of abstraction transcends its link to the natural world, offering ethereal geographies of rumination and respiration instead. Next Friday, Tampa Heights printmaking atelier Bleu Acier debuts an exhibition of recent drawings and small paintings by Colombet, who is currently working with Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. The City of Tampa’s fiendish plot to have you get up at an insanely early hour of the morning and groggily lace up your sneakers continues next Saturday with Keeping Tampa Fit.

The biannual event is devoted to increasing awareness of personal health and the city’s numerous parks, while also offering the chance to keep up stride-for-stride with Mayor Pam Iorio, who plans on strolling four miles. As if that weren’t incentive enough, the first 200 registrants get a free Read the rest of this entry »

Yo-Yo Ma, perhaps the most famous man to bring bow to strings, visits to perform Bach’s Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites tonight. One of history’s hardest-working musicians — he has 75 albums under his belt, 15 of which are Grammy winners — and a dedicated advocate of music education, he calls his latest collection, Songs of Joy & Peace, a “universal holiday house party of music uniting different forms of joy.” Visit rutheckerdhall.com for more info. Weds., Oct. 28, 8 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N. McMullen Booth Rd., Clearwater, $53-$98.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the midst of its successful run of Woman in Black, Gorilla Theatre presents a one-night-only staged reading of Stay, a new play by Sheila Cowley, starring Eugenie Bondurant, Christopher Rutherford, Nicole Jeannine Smith, Fred Lasday, and Bridget Bean. Remember in Misery, when Kathy Bates holds her favorite writer hostage, and goes at his ankles with a sledgehammer when he tries to escape? (Sorry in advance to the three of you who haven’t seen it.) Stay takes a closer look at that form of dark, all-consuming obsession that sometimes passes for love. Tues., Oct. 27, Gorilla Theatre, 4199 N. Hubert Ave., Tampa, 813-879-2914 for reservations; no online reservations accepted, gorillatheatre.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh from the success of the Best of the Bay-winning Summer Sunset Cinema Series, The Studio@620 and Push Ultra Lounge once again team up to present a collection of classic films each Monday. Tonight’s selection in the Wilder to Williams Film Series — which includes the best of Billy Wilder and Tennessee Williams — is Williams’ This Property Is Condemned, starring Natalie Wood and Robert Redford (pictured). Visit studio620.org for more info. Mon., Oct. 26, 8 p.m., Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg, free.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Who could deny themselves the opportunity to see a daschund dressed up as a weenie and help combat pet overpopulation? Next Saturday, Animal Coalition of Tampa is hosting Stride for Strays, its ninth annual walkathon to raise money for their non-profit spay/neuter clinic, hoping to end pet overpopulation in Tampa Bay.

Before the mile-long walk to the park, participants collect donations. Then, furry friends compete in a pet Halloween costume contest. For the humans in attendance, there are prizes for money raised, face painting and shoulder massages. If you want to add to the family, there are on-site adoption services from the Hillsborough County Animal Services’ Mobile Adoption Clinic. Fox 13’s Cynthia Smoot is the master of ceremonies. Sat. Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-noon, Al Lopez Park, 4602 N. Himes Ave, Tampa, strideforstrays.com – Rebecca Wainright

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Break out your best duds and take your little piggies to Clearwater Beach next Friday for the Abilities Guild’s Pig Roast Gone Sassy.

The guild needs you to help bring home the bacon for the Abilities Foundation, a nonprofit that raises funds for programs that serve various needs of persons with disabilities. This isn’t your typical swine and cheese party: You’ll squeal with delight as you pig out on a menu that includes Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. This Saturday, voracious readers are in heaven. Seriously, the St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading is a nice reminder that in 2009, people still read theses little things called books.

Held on the USF St. Petersburg campus, this lovely celebration of the written word features book signings, panel discussions, entertainment, family activities, refreshments, and various booksellers and exhibitors. There are also book signings by Andy Borowitz, Who Moved My Soap?; Senator Bob Graham, America: The Owner’s Manual; Amber Tamblyn, Bang Ditto; Cousin Brucie Morrow, Rock & Roll…And The Beat Goes On; and many more. Plus, attendees can meet Read the rest of this entry »

Loyal fans of the influential writer – who is remembered as being the father of the beat generation – are bound to be moved by The End of the Road: An Evening with Jack Kerouac on the 40th Anniversary of his Death, an After Hours Series production at American Stage. The one-man play by Steve A. Rowell and David A. McElroy begins in July 1969, several months before Kerouac died. The audience will get a look into Kerouac’s mind as he neared the end of his life and reflected on the work he created, his life and other events that unfolded during his time. Even the most hardcore Kerouac fans might be surprised at Read the rest of this entry »

American Stage’s After Hours Series returns with Paul Rudnick’s new comedy, The New Century, which has gotten some pretty good press — the New York Post warns that there are “so many gut-busting one-liners that those with heart conditions are advised to steer clear.” Here’s the set-up: Helene brags on her three gay sons at her Long Island chapter of POLGBTQCCCO: Parents of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, The Transgendered, The Questioning, The Curious, The Creatively Concerned and Others. Mr. Charles, on the other hand, is finding his flamboyant ways a bit of a drag. The new gay order of NYC exiles him, and Charles now spends his time with a hunka-hunka burnin’ love named Shane, with whom he produces a cable TV show called Too Gay? On the other side of the world (or so it seems) Midwestern Barbara, a competitive cake decorator and craftswoman, has lost a son to AIDS. When the three drastically different characters collide, expect a lot of laughs tossed with a hefty dose of poignancy. Oct. 20-Nov. 1, 7 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun., American Stage, 163 3rd Street N., St. Petersburg, $20, $10 student rush tickets 30 minutes prior to curtain, 27-823-7529, americanstage.org. – Franki Weddington Read the rest of this entry »

Like a modern form of alchemy, scientists struggle to create and purify an element necessary for human life: water. Diana Leavengood and Paula Allen have found the secret formula, and collected it in Recipe for Water, an exhibit of photography, ceramics, drawings and paintings with a common bond of “intuitive interpretations of the unseen energies around water.” (Pictured: “Recipe for Water” by Diana Leavengood) On display through Oct. 23, West Tampa Center for the Arts, 1906 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, $3.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. The name “Celtic Thunder” sounds pretty cool for a soccer team.  But when the bombastic appellation describes five attractive guys from Ireland and Scotland who sing an odd mix of pop hits and traditional Irish songs at the Mahaffey Theater on Friday, it’s hard not to think someone dipped into the same well of kitsch that inspired over-the-top names like “Lord of the Dance.”

Be that as it may, when Celtic Thunder takes to the stage at the Mahaffey this Friday, they’ll bring with them impressive credentials.  Two of their CDs reached number one on the Billboard World Music Charts, and Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. American Stage’s After Hours Series returns next Tuesday with Paul Rudnick’s new comedy, The New Century, which has gotten some pretty good press — the New York Post warns that there are “so many gut-busting one-liners that those with heart conditions are advised to steer clear.”

Here’s the set-up: Helene brags on her three gay sons at her Long Island chapter of POLGBTQCCCO: Parents of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, The Transgendered, The Questioning, The Curious, The Creatively Concerned and Others. Mr. Charles, on the other hand, is finding his flamboyant ways a bit of a drag. The new gay order of NYC exiles him, and Charles now spends his time with a hunka-hunka burnin’ love named Shane, with whom he produces Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. On Saturday, Best of the Bay winning Café Hey is celebrating its two-year anniversary with Monster’s Ball, a not-so-spooky night of music, art, and partying.

Super Secret Best Friends, Florida Night Heat, SOG and DJ’s SowsDef and Pocket Chomper stop by to drop some live music in your ears, and lotsa local artists — like Chad Mize and Phillip Clark of BlueLucy, Anthony Zollo (another BOTB alum), Josh Pearson and more – showcase an array of awesome art. Don’t let the artists and musicians have all the fun, though — there’s body plastering for anyone who wants in on the action, and fire spinning for those who prefer spectator sports. Sat., Oct. 17, 8 p.m.-midnight, Cafe Hey, 1540 N. Franklin St., Tampa, free, cafehey.com. – Franki Weddington

(Want to follow all of CL’s Food, Drink and Restaurant news? Bookmark the food section of the blog, add the CL Food RSS feed to your reader of choice, follow @BrianRies on Twitter, or check out the Food Section page multiple times daily.)

Wednesday, October 14: Bern’s Fine Wines and Spirits
Potluck Wednesday. Beat the mid-week dinner blahs by stopping in for SideBern’s gourmet take-away — and enjoy a complimentary mini-wine tasting while you wait. This week’s one-stop wonder is cassolette with pork belly, lamb, white beans and an herb crust . $19.95. 5-8 p.m., 1002 S. Howard Ave., Tampa (813-250-9463)

Wednesday, October 14: Cafe Dufrain
New Twist Vodka Tasting. Most of us need a little pick-me-up by mid-week, and this free tasting, featuring Hangar One vodkas,  is just what the doctor ordered. Free. 6-7:30 p.m., 707 Harbour Post Dr., Tampa (813-275-9701)

Wednesday, October 14: Rigatoni Tuscan Oven
Wild Tuscan Wednesdays. Indulge in decadent seafood at dirt-cheap prices on high-end items like all-you-can-eat Alaskan snow crab and oysters, along with beer and pasta specials. $7-$22. 5-10 p.m., 3437 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa (813-879-7000)

Thursday, October 15: Restaurant BT
Organic, Shaken and Stirred. Pick up your autographed copy of Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis, and Other Totally Green Cocktails, along with two tickets for drinks detailed in the book. $30, 5:30-7:30 p.m., 1633 W. Snow Ave., Tampa (813-258-1916)

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

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Few things are as gratifying as enjoying yourself while helping a good cause. Well, you can do just that this Friday when you head to Town ’n’ Country for the TNC Block Party Parranda, which celebrates Hispanic Heritage 2009 and National Latino AIDS Awareness.

The event benefits the Florida Institute for Community Studies, a nonprofit that works to address area concerns via programs on substance abuse, tutoring, the arts and much more. Enjoy free samples of food from countries including Cuba, Puerto Rico and Mexico, watch the Sabor Dance Troupe perform, and shake your moneymaker to hot Latin tunes courtesy of Maxima 92.5. Admission is free, but bring money for food, drinks and the Community Art Show, which features works by area youth and other community members. Free services, including HIV testing, are also available. Fri., Oct. 16, 5-8 p.m., FICS Multicultural Family Center, 6704 Hanley Road, Tampa, ficsinc.org. – Anthony Salveggi

Don’t panic: The dinos in the Walking with Dinosaurs arena show aren’t going to reenact a scene from Jurassic Park and start eating audience members, but the animatronics in the arena show that begins on Wednesday are so life-like that it almost seems like a possibility. The award-winning epic is based on the BBC series of the same name, and includes life-sized replicas of 10 dino species that collaborate with actors for an entertaining show that explores native dino habitats throughout the history — from the splitting of the continents to the Triassic and Jurassic periods, finally ending with the extinction of these creatures that have fascinated humans for centuries. Oct. 14-18, 7 p.m. Weds. -Fri., 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Sat., 1 and 5 p.m. Sun., St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa, $17-$62, 813-223-1000, dinosaurlive.com. – Franki Weddington

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. If you scare easily or shudder at the thought of ghosts and dark, scary rooms, perhaps you should sit this one out. This weekend, Gorilla Theatre presents the classic ghost tale, Woman in Black.

Closely based on English author Susan Mills’ novel, the stage performance – adapted by Stephen Mallatratt – is said to chill, thrill and terrify audiences. It follows Mrs. Drablow, who lives and dies alone in a desolate house in a dreary part of England. Depressing, right? After Drablow dies, a young lad from London is sent to attend her funeral and sort out her papers. As you may have guessed, the unlucky chap gets caught up in the dark, tragic secrets that remain in the now empty, dismal house … or is it empty? Read the rest of this entry »