Daily Loaf

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 a rare pleasure to indulge in the tradition of High Tea (and by that we do mean afternoon tea, not drug-infused drinks), and today pinkie-lifting tea lovers  can enjoy the tea traditions of four cultures with samplings of drink and cuisine from around the world: cucumber and mint sandwiches, goat cheese and watercress on raisin bread and scones with clotted cream and jam from England; smoked salmon sandwiches, roasted pepper and cream cheese sandwiches and tea cookies from Russia; curried chicken salad in pita, fennel and apple sandwiches and coconut puffs from India; and hummus on flatbread, pistachio baklava and date nut bread from Palestine. Bring your favorite tea cup and a story to share at this elegant oasis from the usual buzz of mid-week activity. Call Anne White at 813-253-7478 to make reservations. Tues., Nov. 17, 2:30 p.m., HCC Dale Mabry, Tampa, $15. 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 »

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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What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

City of Seminole recycling and sustainability discussion - A local activist held a discussion on recycling and sustainability at the Seminole Community Library on Monday, November 9.

1890s Ybor City: Green and sustainable (plus vintage postcards) – Grant Rimbey explores the green and sustainable nature of pre-urban renewal Ybor City.

BPA in plastics linked to aggressive behavior in children – Did you know that exposure to the BPA in the “bad” plastics has been linked to aggressiveness in children, as well as other diseases in humans?

Energy systems 2.0 – We are currently in an energy crisis, yet continuing to rely on old, out-of-date systems of provision that are no longer viable, economically or ecologically.
Read the rest of this entry »

Guavaween was by all reports kind of a bust this year — the dip in attendance due in part to the ban on motorized floats and the according lack of krewes, but also to a higher ticket price and unfortunate timing (lots of competition from Saturday night Halloween parties).

One thing’s for sure: Walling off the district on a Saturday night and turning it into Night of the Living Dead, Ybor Edition, didn’t sit well with merchants. After the jump, see one merchant’s mordantly funny video record of the not-so-lively doings on Seventh Avenue and environs. Read the rest of this entry »

This post is about one of my favorite places in Tampa Bay: Ybor City.

The Ybor City I admire is the community pre “urban renewal”: that pathetic time in the 1960s when vast stretches of this remarkable multi-lingual and multi-ethnic historic district were demolished in the name of the mid-century streamlined suburban dream.  I’ve written about Tampa’s planning history in previous Creative Loafing posts: The Tampa That Might Have Been, The roots of sprawl, and Fixing sprawl and redesigning suburbia.

The idea behind urban renewal (a national program) was that it demolish the existing crumbling old historic fabric of cities, and the newly vacant lots would become modern new development that would spur the economy. In Ybor this Faustian new construction never materialized, as I remember the old 1980s “Rough Riders restaurant” in Ybor being surrounded by vacant lots.

The real premise for urban renewal was most likely racial and socioeconomic, with the goal of moving the poor and disenfranchised out of the cities and into the sparkling new modern housing projects further out. Mind you, this re-location scheme is still being pursued by Tampa and the county to this day as these old housing projects are now meeting the wrecking ball and the unfortunate inhabitants are relocated even further out to places like the USF area (aka “Suitcase City”), Lutz, Carrollwood and Brandon (might I add places that largely lack mass transit). Dear readers, please note that South Tampa is not on the list.
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Here are this weekend’s cream of the crop in Halloween events, but if you can’t find something frightening enough for you here, chances are you’ll find it in our comprehensive listings.

If you have the kids in tow, Guavaween is an oversized, daytime block party where kids can safely trick-or-treat, compete in costume contests, win pumpkins, hear spooky stories and more. But let’s be honest: Guavaween’s big draw is the night parade, when the Queen of Halloween takes over Ybor for a night of debauchery. This year’s evilly impressive line-up includes performances by Sevendust, Nonpoint and Soulidium; a house party at the Honey Pot; a show by local boys Thomas Wynn & the Believers, Basic Rock Outfit and The Trunk Band at Gaspar’s Grotto; and the usual (actually, really  unusual) mix of horse-drawn zombie parades,  jugglers, contortionists, vampire models, appearances by the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins and WWE wrestlers, and more erotic, quixotic stuff than we feel comfortable writing here — you really have to see it for yourself. There’s also the traditional Mama Guava Stumble parade and the final, vital aspect of Guavaween entertainment — you. Prepare to be mocked and jeered if you come in street clothes — this festival is all about being someone — or something — else for an evening, and there’s two grand up for grabs for the best overall costume. There are also prizes for best couple, best cross-dresser, best kink, and best body — so if you’re wearing something revealing (this especially goes for all the Bruno impersonators out there) fit a couple extra crunches into your workout routine. Sat. Oct. 31, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. day parade, 5 p.m. night parade., $17 after 2 p.m., visit guavaween.com for complete schedule of events and participating venues. – Franki Weddington

After the break: Vampire parties, Monster’s Ball, kid-friendly Halloween at the Tampa Theatre and American Victory Ship, Witchstock and more. Read the rest of this entry »

The bump-and-groove crew was in high spirits as we enjoyed a brief reprieve from our regular lives and shed the stresses of the week to take a ride on the Junior Boys’ indie train to electro jam land. [All photos by elawgrrl.]

The stage was bathed in saturated lights and scattered with Halloween trimmings; flickering jack-o-lanterns, a crow perched on the keys, a huge skull and crossbones hanging over the drums, rainbow spears of light shining up and out of the drumkit and into the audience, and occasional blasts of fog for extra effect. Read the rest of this entry »

11:11, Let There Be Light, Art, Sound This sneak peek of the exhibit (which officially opens Nov. 11) includes live music, artworks from local artists, a drum atrium and a costume contest on Halloween night. Visit studio620.org for more info. Oct. 27-31, noon-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat., reception 7 p.m. Sat., The Studio@620, St. Petersburg, free.

Ghost Ship Spooktacular Under the bay, there be monsters…and a few of them have surfaced for this scary fun tour of the decades-old “haunted” ship. Visit the galley, mess hall, hospital, and radio room, where ghouls, freaks and zombies lurk around every corner. Search for ghosts with the Florida Paranormal Research Group and the White Noise Paranormal Network, and visit the Demon Den Deck for a brew if your nerves get a bit jangled. The kid’s tour is a mite less macabre; bob for apples, play monster musical chairs, run in an eyeball relay race and compete in the costume contest. Visit americanvictory.org for more info. Oct. 29-31, Ghost Ship 7:30-11:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; Kid’s Spooktacular 2-4 p.m. Sat., American Victory Ship and Museum, Tampa, Ghost ship, $20; Kid’s Spooktacular, $10 adults, $5 kids 4-12.

Hit the break for more on Guavaween, graveyard walks, haunted houses, weird art and more, and check back as we add to the list of spooky spectacles. Read the rest of this entry »

The Gasparilla International Film Festival is still months away, but it’s never too early for festival organizers to begin raising some scratch for Tampa’s biggest annual movie shindig. Tonight, GIFF and Brokenmold Entertainment are throwing one such event, a concert by Orlando singer-songwriter Matt Butcher and recent Best of the Bay multi-award winners Poetry n’ Lotion.

This being a fundraiser for a film fest, the music will of course be preceded by a film screening; in this case, the 2008 black comedy Visioneers, starring The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis. Visioneers flew very under the radar upon its initial release, but has started to garner more attention now that The Hangover has made Galifianakis a mainstream attraction.

Set in a near future not unlike the present except that people keep spontaneously combusting, Visioneers ably skewers corporate culture and is something of a piece with Mike Judge’s cult classic Office Space. Read the rest of this entry »

Just when you thought there was nothing to do on a Tuesday night, two hot acts — psyche rock pioneers and an electro indie buzz band — stop right here in Tampa Bay.

Merging elements of ’60s psychedelic rock and pop with traditional Brazilian rhythms, Os Mutantes (“the Mutants”) carried the Tropicália movement torch after leaders Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso were jailed on a false charges, then exiled to London in 1968. The band’s distinctive, riotous sound was marked by unorthodox song structures, lyricism tending towards cultural irony and political activism, and experiments that incorporated distortion, feedback, Musique concrete recording techniques (looping, mixing, filtering), field recordings, and various other avant-garde sonics that have influenced anyone from Nirvana to Flaming Lips to Beck and David Byrne. Os Mutantes released seven albums and went through several lineup changes from 1968 to 1976 before calling it quits in 1978. But after playing a string of dates with Os Mutantes in 2006, founding frontman Sergio Dias Baptista found himself revitalized and ready to write. His new incarnation of the band signed with ANTI- and released the first new Os Mutantes studio record in 35 years, Haih or Amortecedor, in September. Their Tampa appearance, which is supported by Brooklyn world music quintet, DeLeon, is a rare treat and this show has definite sell out potential. Get your tickets ASAP. Tues., Oct. 13, 8 p.m., Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa, $25. Read the rest of this entry »

Tes One (nee Leon Bedore) returns to Tampa for Repeat Offender, his first solo show in five years. The artist’s prints are familiar to local gallery-goers (and to CL readers — he did our Obama-inauguration cover in January), and his new collection contrasts “nature with technology, grime with grace.” The results are immediately striking and visually interesting, but require closer inspection to fully digest. More often than not, what’s underneath the surface is even more important than the clearly visible — like the snarling grizzly bear screenprinted over a sign advertising “space available.” Ironic, of course, because we’re cutting down the trees in the grizzly’s space to make our signs. Best of the Bay-winning DJ Mega and Nak 1 scratch at the opening reception. Sat., Oct. 3, 7-11 p.m.; on display through Nov. 30, Redletter1 Gallery, 1510 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City, free, 813-241-2435, tesone.net. –Franki Weddington

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when buxom lasses and dudes in lederhosen lift steins to praise the amber liquid that will sustain us through the cold, cold winter — Oktoberfest! But how will you be able to take advantage of the two simultaneous brew celebrations this weekend? No worries, you won’t have to.  Do you like the crisp and simple taste of American and international macro-brews, sampled in refined comfort while sharks and rays look on in jealous hunger? Head to the CL-sponsored Brews by the Bay: Oktoberfest 2009 at The Florida Aquarium. Along with the full repertoire of Anheuser-Busch, you’ll be able to sample beers from Magic Hat, Boddington’s, Stella Artois and many others, all while noshing food from restaurants like Datz Deli. Smoke, and more. If local craft brew floats your sudsy boat, then Dunedin Brewery’s ninth annual OktoBEERfest is more your cup of tea. 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, Tes One (aka Leon Bedore) returns to Tampa for Repeat Offender, his first solo show in five years.

The artist, whose prints are a mainstay in galleries around the Bay area (and designer of CL’s own Obama-inspired cover), creates a collection that contrasts “nature with technology, grime with grace” — the results of which are immediately striking and visually interesting, but require closer inspection to fully digest. More often than not, what’s underneath the surface is even more important than the clearly visible — like the Read the rest of this entry »

A quick breakdown of this holiday weekend’s most worthy concerts. For a more comprehensive schedule, check out our Upcoming Events page.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
JJ Grey & Mofro w/Shooter Jennings/Earl Greyhound [pictured] A good ol’ boy from the backwaters of Jacksonville, JJ Grey is the creative force and frontman of Mofro, their music swamp-stomping, finger-licking, funked-out rock ‘n’ roll with a solid R&B groove marked by Grey’s husky soulful drawl. LA alt-country rocker Shooter Jennings (the sole spawn of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter) just released his first compilation, Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings and the .357’s, which includes select tracks from his first three studio albums, a few live recordings and a cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s 1976 single, “Living Proof.” And NY’s Earl Greyhound features afro-thrashing bassist/singer Kamara Thomas, who brings charismatic energy to the power trio’s fiery, heavy-handed blues rock. 8 p.m., The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City, $20.

Tom Goss w/Mara Levi Goss is an out-of-the-closet singer-songwriter who abandoned seminary school and impending priesthood to pursue social justice issues and his love of music. His vocals are high and pleasantly emotive, his acoustic pop touching and uplifting. He’s currently touring in support of his 2009 release, Back to Love.  4:30-6:00pm, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg,  free (students only). Read the rest of this entry »

Sat. Sept. 26. VIP Dungeon Party. The first ever VIP Dungeon Party is an exclusive event for 250 fetish enthusiasts. X-rated performances by StrykerVawn. In addition to the fetish equipment already set up in the Castle’s dungeon room, there will be a Roman cross, suspension spreader, padded kneeler, and a coffin cage. $15. DJ Rob Givens. The Castle 2004 N. 16th St. Ybor 33605.

Sat. Sept. 26th. Ride ‘Em Cowgirl Swingers’ Party. Come dressed in your hottest cowboy or cowgirl outfits and scoot your boots on the dance floor! Ladies, feel free to take a ride down the happy trail in the “Sybian Saddle!” There will be a hottest Badonkadonk (Smokin’ Hot Ass) contest and Sensual Swingers will be providing prizes. 9pm-?. Visit Tabooswingers.com Read the rest of this entry »

Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference and its corresponding Ultra Music Fest first drew electronica artists to Florida. But once they discovered audiences ripe and ready to get down rave-style, any time of the year and not just in South Florida, music makers spanning the electro spectrum began appearing in Tampa more and more often. We are fortunate enough to see a virtual who’s who of hot talents in the upcoming months. DC’s Thievery Corporation — made up of DJ duo Rob Garza, Eric Hilton and their vibrantly diverse ensemble of performers — produces a lounge-lush fusion of electronica, reggae, acid jazz, psychedelia and the world flavors of India and Brazil. Sat., Oct. 10, The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City, $42). Tiësto (pictured) is a famed Dutch DJ and progressive trance producer (Sun., Oct. 18, The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City, $40). (Video after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you’re looking to go mainstream, indie, or pop-punk (yeah, we even threw something in for you guys), CL Music Editor Leilani Polk has got a show for you tonight, starting with…

O.A.R. (Of a Revolution) is a reggae-roots jam rock five-piece that is currently touring in support of their sixth studio album, All Sides, which came out last July and has been criticized for its overtly Top 40 feel. But seems to me that O.A.R. has always been headed in a vanilla-fied direction. Weds., Aug. 26, 8 p.m., Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. Macinnes Place, Tampa, $36, tbpac.org. — Leilani Polk

Read the rest of this entry »

All right, I must confess that I caught my real “first Florida” show before my St. Pete Times Forum/ Green Day experience. Stick Martin performed at Skipper’s Smokehouse in July, and it was a great introduction to the Tampa music scene, but the lineup at New World Brewery in Ybor City this past Saturday, August 15, was indeed the actual initiation. (King of Spain pictured at right.)

As a veteran Northwest concertgoer who recently re-located from Oregon to Florida, a place my sister described as “not being able to get any further away,” I had my suspicions that perhaps the music, the performers, the bands, the whole scene could also be “further away” from anything I was used to. Unaware as to whether or not those differences would be good or bad, I walked into New World with the “Ybor Square” sign looming in the backdrop and I felt completely comfortable, a surprise and delight.

First of all, it was my grand introduction to Ybor City. I’d heard many people say I needed to go there but the closest I’d made it was IKEA, which doesn’t exactly count. NWB was tucked in and pretty quiet when I arrived. I walked past a few people running around the stage area and a DJ setting up. A quick scan of the place left no indication of who was performing and who was just grabbing a drink or ordering pizza that smelled really good. It was still early. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re 2,000-plus votes and counting in this year’s Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll — deadline Aug. 31 — and there are no hotter races underway than the ones for Best Neighborhood/Hillsborough and Best Neighborhood/Pinellas.

After the jump: Find out if your ‘hood is among the front-runners. Read the rest of this entry »

Friday nights on 7th Avenue in Ybor City are crazy. It is almost impossible to decide what to do and where to go. Lucky for me, I passed The Market (great pizza and a bar with live music) and heard the whimsical sounds of Asilo. This five-piece band out of Lakeland has been together for three years. I was drawn, at first, by the music’s similarities to The Doors, but with a modernized twist. Singer Ben even had the husky vocal style of Jim Morrison. Keyboardist Wally has some serious skills (I loved his bare feet), reinventing the styles of Ray Manzarek. I was entranced. Then, out of nowhere, bassist Sean pulled out a trumpet and started playing a melody straight out of the jazz generation. Incredible. It was funky blues rock, unquestionably unique and positively pleasing to the ears. After the show, I was fortunate enough to talk to the brains behind the music.

Read the rest of this entry »

[About Daily Best of the Bay: Creative Loafing is posting writers' and editors' picks for Best of the Bay 2009 each day until the BOTB issue is released on Sept. 16. Vote now for your own BOTB choices in our Readers' Poll!]

Tallahassee has the Bikini Bicyclist. Treasure Island has the heroin-thin version of Hulk Hogan who struts the beach in a gold g-string. New York City has the guitar-strumming Naked Cowboy.

And Tampa has The Senator. Read the rest of this entry »

“Tampa misses so much cool shit,” my friend Brian Repetto of Insect Joy turns to me and whispers through a cigarette smoke exhale. New World Brewery, Thursday, August 6. One of those nights in Y-bore that turn out really fun because you conned a few friends to hang out and support local music.

“Oh well, I’m glad I made it out, man. This is a really great lineup tonight.” No joke. Insect Joy interestingly spliced record dj-ing and spinning with their usual weird electronic sounds whirling into the atmosphere. Flexxehawk blasted through their spidery, angular, intricate yet minimalist songs with true enthusiasm and purity reserved for bands willing to play their damnist whether the crowd consists of five people or 500.

Huge musical buildups and crescendos with very few but very meaningful words flesh out the Flexxehawk sound into something original, in the vein of Polvo’s kind of math rock mixed with textured vocal harmonies. Historically members and contributors of several local and national acts including Ima, Dumbwaiters, Meringue, etc. All this not even mentioning the touring headliner, ST37.

Out of this world, psychedelic, noisy, punk and weird, references to J.G. Ballard and Twin Peaks, all in one four-piece from Austin …

Read the rest of this entry »

In the not-so-subtly-titled exhibit Slow Death of a Flamingo, a group of central Florida artists present works reacting to the “present and future state of economic, environmental and social” issues, both local and worldwide. Artists include Maria Emilia, Edgar Sanchez-Cumbas, Sean Erwin, Ivan Reyes-Garcia, Cosme Herrera, Lazlo Horvath, Conor King, Michael Parker and Carlos Manual Soto. (Pictured: Final Battle by Michael Parker, from the Slow Death of a Flamingo exhibit) Through Aug. 21, Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., HCC Ybor Campus, 2112 N. 15th St., Ybor City.

Richard Lewis, the ultimate kvetching comic, has been delivering his free-form style of self-loathing and therapy couch examinations of his miserable existence since the 1970s. The 62-year-old’s neuroses are legendary, and he brings his wretchedness and innumerable dysfunctions to the stage and dares you not to laugh at them. Lewis plays his own neurotic self pretty hysterically on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, his close but complicated friendship with similarly neurotic protagonist Larry David causing many humorously awkward misunderstandings, like in a 2002 episode when David’s makes a social faux pas that hurts Lewis’ goal to finally be recognized by Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations as originator of the phrase, “the ___ from hell.” (Lewis claims it as his own wordage to this very day.) Expect a stand-up set of stream-of-consciousness self-observations that touch upon Lewis’ substance abuse and recovery, his paranoia, his inability to maintain normal relationships, and a laundry list of other issues. Mon., Aug. 3, 8 p.m., Floyd’s at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, $30, 813-235-6937, seminolehardrocktampa.com. – Leilani Polk

The week leading up to Skin Two, eyes lit up whenever I mentioned I had extra tickets to Secret Room’s fetish party and medical fashion show at The Castle. Friends were excited to finally have a chance to show off their fancy lingerie or to just ogle fetishists in fishnets. Of course when Saturday rolled around, I stood alone in line to The Castle, fighting my impulse to flee.

Normally I pride myself on going out in public wearing one of my wigs and an outfit that highlights my aerodynamic crotch. But, I wasn’t used to wearing a bedazzled codpiece in front of a crowd that thought this sort of thing was normal. Read the rest of this entry »

The Think + Drink Cinema Series focuses on cultural, social and scientific topics, and the American Music Series prior to each movie explores the history and icons of the music that have shaped America, featuring a live performance by a new local musician each week. The July 23 film is The Power of Song, archival footage of the pioneering folk singer and political activist Pete Seeger, featuring interviews with Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and more. James Gromko performs live before the film. Music begins at 6 p.m. and films begin at 7 p.m. every Thursday through Aug. 27 unless otherwise noted. Visit southfloridamuseum.org for more info. (Pictured: Pete Seeger, courtesy Robert Krones/PBS) Bishop Planetarium, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton, $8, $6 students, $5 museum members.

These days, Ybor City residents expect their criminal gangs to be made up of drunken teenagers, but in the early days of the 20th century the Cigar Cit was faced with a more organized type of crime. Local documentary filmmakers and Tampa Film Review founders Pete and Paul Guzzo produced Ghosts of Ybor, a film that attempts to shed light on some of the should-be-famous names from Tampa’s glorious criminal past. The doc is presented as part of a special event at the Education Channel, which includes a Q&A with the Guzzos, and a meet-and-greet with Cigar City Mafia author Scott Deitche and everyone’s favorite Tampa historian, Gary Mormino. Thurs., July 23, 6:30 p.m. reception with food, 7:15 screening with Q&A and dessert and coffee to follow, The Education Channel, 703 N. Willow Ave., Tampa, $10, educationchannel.org. –Joe Bardi

The antithesis of the modern fairy tale, Oddlie is the story of a nearly-mute girl who lives on a garbage heap and rarely speaks but loves to sing. Aleshea Harris, who starred in local productions of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuff and Gem of the Ocean, brings Oddlie to life through song, spoken word and theater. This one woman-play about magic and the power of poetry continues the Studio@620’s trend of pushing the boundaries of popular entertainment in Tampa Bay, offering a fresh perspective among a plethora of traditional offerings.  July 23-25, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., The Studio@620, 620 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg, $20, $15 students and seniors, 727-895-6620, studio620.org.—Franki Weddington

Last week I encountered my first call girl, “Broadway Mary,” when I stopped to ask for directions. Mary claimed she was in Ybor City on “business” that had fallen through; she asked for a ride home. She was reasonably attractive, and I was completely lost, so I complied.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the last week to see two interesting mixed-medium exhibits at Hillborough Community College and St. Pete College, where featured students, faculty and professional artists prove that not all of Tampa Bay’s best artwork is housed in galleries and museums.

Stretching the Imagination is a collection of contemporary paintings by HCC Adjunct Professor of Art Jeanne Cameron and her students. Cameron’s past projects have consisted primarily of oil paintings, but recent works also incorporate digital elements, providing a pleasant mix of old and new mediums. On display through July 17. (Pictured: Consideration (left) and Gift Triptych by Jeanne Cameron. Images formatted to fit the screen.) Gallery Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon-Fri., HCC-Ybor Art Gallery, 2112 N. 15th St., Ybor City.

The Florida Artist Group: 58th Annual Exhibition is a juried show of paint, ink, pencil, photography, mixed media and sculpture by 80 Florida-based artists who are members of the Florida Artist Group. To complement the exhibit, LRMA displays five works created by internationally-known artist Sam Gilliam, who is the juror for this year’s show. Through July 19. Gallery Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Weds., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.; Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Pete College, 600 Klosterman Rd., Palm Harbor, spcollege.edu.

Francophiles enjoy a seven-course meal paired with professionally selected wines at the Bastille Day Wine Dinner in honor of the storming of the prison. The menu includes French favorites like escargot, a Beurre Blanc salmon and shrimp skewer, ratatouille, a variety of artisanal cheeses and more. A live auction follows dinner. Proceeds benefit the Abilities foundation, which helps locals with disabilities find employment and housing. Please call Dave Gauler at 727-784-8584 to reserve a spot. 6:30 p.m. Tue., July 14, Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, 105 N. Bayshore Dr., Safety Harbor, $75.

When I reviewed The Nest a couple months back, it seemed like the restaurant had enough going for it to make a run during this shitty economy, especially considering the potential of Gaybor’s resurgence. There was interesting tapas, a good wine list, a nice setting and an experienced restaurateur in Sidney Sakho, a guy who’s managed and owned several restaurant in Washington, DC and elsewhere. Then I talked to Sakho, who was less optimistic than I expected. Read the rest of this entry »

Try out to meet Tyra Bank and “noted fashion photographer” (and Hottie McHotPants) Nigel Barker at the America’s Next Top Model Auditions. Oh yeah, and to win a modeling contract, lots of moolah and other fabulous prizes. ANTM hopefuls must be ages 18-27, 5′7″ or taller and a US citizen. Please bring a driver’s license and passport, social security card or birth certificate along with three photos. Find the full application and eligiblity requirements at cw44.com. Wed., July 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., The RITZ Ybor, 1503 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City, ritzybor.com.

The Alzheimer’s Awareness Breakfast is a free event designed to bring the latest info and research to friends, family and those suffering from the disease. See The Momentum in Science from the HBO series Alzheimer’s Project, participate in a round table discussion with physicians, caregivers, and countless others involved in the health and well-being of Alzheimer’s patients, and enjoy complimentary breakfast while supporting those who are important to you. Please call 310-374-8434 to RSVP. 8-10 a.m. Weds., July 8, Hyatt Place Tampa, 11408 N. 30th Ave., Tampa, alzjointhefight.com.

If you’ve already planted your butterfly garden and befriended a host of colorful creatures, the Butterflies 102: Beyond the Basics class is the next step to making sure they stick around. Learn about recognizing and preventing disease, repairing damaged wings and raise-and-release procedures for your flutterby friends. Visit pinellascountyextension.org to register. 2 and 6:15 p.m. Weds., July 8, Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave., Palm Harbor, free, 727-784-3332.

Cypress Swamp Cafe: What in the World is LEED? is a discussion about Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and the process of becoming LEED-certified. 7-8 p.m. Weds., June 8, Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Rd., Tarpon Springs, free, pinellascounty.org.

When I ventured to Ybor City last week for The Hold Steady show at the Ritz, I had no idea I’d come face to face with my very first professional sex worker.  Or in street terms, you might refer to her as a call girl.  An unplanned event like this could only take place on a damp, sticky night in Ybor.

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July 2-5. GaYBOR Days 2009.

-Thur. July 2. Weekend Kick-off Social Party. 2 hours of GameWorks fun card. Drag Show. Drinks & Tapas included! Families and adults welcome. $15. Gameworks.
-Fri. July 3. VIP Party at The Nest. 6-9pm. 1430 E. th Ave. Ybor City.
-Fri. July 3. DJ Manny Lehman and Pistol Pete Underwear Fashion Show. 10pm-3am. Steam Fridays 1507 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City.
-Sat. July 4. GaYBOR Poolside Beach Party. 4pm-8pm. $15. Tampa Howard Johnson Riverfront Plaza.
-Sat. July 4. Derrick Barry as Britney Spears. 9pm-3am. G Bar. 1401 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City.
-Sun. July 5. GaYBOR Brunch. 11am-2pm. Streetcar Charlie’s. 1811 N. 15th St. Ybor City.
-Sun. July 5. The GaYBOR Bar Crawl. $20. 5pm- Read the rest of this entry »

Arts on 9th is a new facility in Ybor City, featuring a theater, art gallery, photography studio and shop. It’s a welcome addition to the Bay area scene, which ought to have 20 such spaces. But the first play offered there — Bathhouse: The Musical by Tim Evanicki and Esther Daack — is far from impressive.

Treating gay life as if it had no reality outside the sexual, it’s essentially an evening of soft porn, of real and metaphorical crotch-grabbing with songs titled “Penises are like Snowflakes” and “Clicking for Dick.” The irony is that the four onstage performers — Toph McRae, Jason Crase, Alexander Ferguson and Christopher McCabe — are expert singer/dancers, and a few of the show’s songs feature attractive melodies and thrilling harmonies.

But again and again, the lyrics aren’t much better than what you’d find on a bathroom Read the rest of this entry »

Fri. June 5. Party with Playboy Playmate Candice Cassidy. Hang out with June’s Playboy Playmate, Candice Cassidy while listen to the DJ styles of Playboy’s 50th Anniversary Playmate, Colleen Shannon. Free. 21+. 8p.m.-10p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Pool.

Fri. June 5. St. Pete’s First Friday. The first Friday of every month St. Pete throws a block party in the heart of the downtown bar district. Wondering how this qualifies as a Sex and Love event? After the music dies around 10p.m., thousands of drunk, single people flood the bars around Central Ave. for a night of debauchery. The 1st Friday of every month. 5p.m. – 2a.m. Free. Downtown St. Pete. Central Ave., between 2nd St. and 3rd St.

Sat. June 6. Caliente’s Summer Sizzle Caribbean Beach Party. 9pm. Caliente Resort 21240 Gran Via Blvd. Land O Lakes, FL 34637.

Mon. June 8. Miss St. Pete Pride 2009 Pageant. Registration at 6pm. $250 cash prize. 10pm Club Nautico 4900 66th St. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33709. Read the rest of this entry »

(for full Heatwave coverage, click here)

Do you ever feel like Big Brother is watching you?  If you’ve been to 7th Avenue in Ybor City, you’re probably right. The street is lined with CCTV surveillance cameras. That’s why a group of concerned USF art students, in conjunction with the Tampa chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, is performing in the Camerahead Project at WMNF’s Tropical Heatwave this Saturday, May 16.

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