Tampa Calling

Odd couple OneRepublic (pictured left) and Fabolous (bottom, right) have teamed for the Crocs Next Step Campus Tour, reports Billboard.com, and play USF’s Sun Dome on April 19. The pop rock quintet OneRepublic’s single “Apologize” recently became the second song in history to sell 3 million digital song downloads and bling rapper Fabolous’ album From Nothin’ to Somethin debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 last year.

Does this mean the two rising pop stars can fill the Bulls’ hoops arena? A venue usually reserved for more established acts? I don’t know. Tampa’s a fickle town, especially for hip-hop and R&B. When Beyonce played the St. Pete Times Forum last year the 20,000-seat venue was maybe half full.

Bookmark to:

Leap Day, aka bissextile day, has always puzzled me. I don’t have the head for numbers or a strong enough understanding of astronomy to really comprehend it. “February 29″ looks weird on the calendar. Every four years, it sneaks up on me. I gaze down at the date displayed on my phone and feel like something is off. The phenomenon bewilders me — and probably also confuses a whole lot of second graders. Here’s a song list to commemorate this calendar screw-up.

1. “Leap Year Blues,” Big Bill Broonzy

2. “A Strange Day,” The Cure

3. “Jump,” Van Halen

4. “Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards,” Billy Bragg

5. “29,” Ryan Adams

6. “Here Today,” The Beach Boys

7. “Leap of Faith,” Bruce Sprinsteen

8. “The Calendar Hung Itself,” Bright Eyes

9. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” The Rolling Stones

10. “Another Day,” Paul McCartney

WHAT DID I MISS?

Bookmark to:

Here’s what I have running in the new Creative Loafing:

• Très Bien faces reality: The Clearwater band talks about their brush with national fame.

• CD reviews of Mars Volta, Raveonettes, more.

• Senior Editor Eric Snider on alto saxophonist Rudresh Manhanthappa and k.d. lang, I riff on Dan Penn.

• Miranda Lambert, People Noise, Tom Jones and more in Music Week.

• BAR TAB: Tapping out at the Tapper.

Bookmark to:

In January, Skatepark of Tampa brought The Hold Steady to town for a killer 15th Anniversary bash. This event, featuring acclaimed indie rockers (with a twang bent) Band of Horses, pictured, should be another date not to miss. OK, so I didn’t love their album Cease to Begin, but it seems everyone else does. Maybe after seeing Band of Horses perform their latest material live, I’ll have a change of heart.

Just in from Skatepark of Tampa’s Matt Welch:

So yeah, Band of Horses and Kimya Dawson (from the Juno soundtrack) are playing Skatepark of Tampa’s Pro Party on March 22nd at The Cuban Club [in Ybor City]. 8pm doors. $10 ticket. All ages welcome. DJ Scott Imrich from WMNF 88.5 is DJing/MCing the evening.

Also, for those of us who are bit more art-inclined, the Heritage Art Show Reception, with art by skateboarding legends (literally) Lance Mountain, Mark Gonzales, and Neil Blender, will be on Friday, March 21st at 8pm at The Cuban Club. It’s free to attend and all ages are welcome. The art will be open for viewing at the Pro Party the next evening as well.

Bookmark to:

Does the guitar god still got it? Judging by recent YouTube clips, especially from the tour Clapton did with Derek Trucks at his side, I think so. Let’s just hope he skips “Wonderful Tonight,” that annoying cover of “I Shot the Sheriff” and, well, pretty much everything from the 1980s — except “Pretending.” Always like that one the best when it comes to E.C.’s pop stuff. Pedal steel guitar whiz Robert Randolph, one of the most exciting live acts around, opens.

Here’s the skinny:

WHO: ERIC CLAPTON WITH: ROBERT RANDOLPH AND THE FAMILY BAND

WHAT: By the time Eric Clapton began his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album in mid-1970, he was long established as one of the world’s major rock stars due to his group affiliations…

WHEN: SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008, 7:30PM

WHERE: FORD AMPHITHEATRE
AT THE FLORIDA STATE FAIRGROUNDS TAMPA, FL

ON SALE: SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2008, 10AM
AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE BOX OFFICE, www.livenation.com, AND ALL TICKETMASTER OUTLETS INCLUDING FYE AND SPEC’S MUSIC. OR CHARGE BY PHONE:
TAMPA: (813) 287-8844
ST PETE: (727) 898-2100
CENTRAL FL: (407) 839-3900

PRICES: $125.00, $85.00, $70.00 & $49.50 - RESERVED SEATS
$29.50 – FESTIVAL LAWN
All dates, acts and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable taxes, and service and handling charges.

WEBSITE ADDRESS: www.livenation.com.

Bookmark to:

Watch me sweat like an octopus on a land mine field while being interviewed outside at Centro Ybor for Tampa Bay Media Talk last Thursday. Admire the serious demeanor I maintain while talking about whizzing at Gasparilla, Eddie Van Halen’s snooze-inducing guitar solos and singer Paul Thorn’s prizefighting past. Seriously, CNN should be contacting my agent any day now.

Bookmark to:

Me (pictured right) aiding CL copy editor Anthony Salveggi during his turn at the dreaded wheelbarrow crawl. Photo by Jamie Ostrand.

Creative Loafing co-sponsored (with Tampa Bay Club Sport) its 3rd Annual Field Day Saturday. There were 36 teams in all, raising (by early estimates) more than $3,200 for the Special Olympics.

Team McLovin (pictured left). Photo by Melanie Kools.

There were two CL squads: I played on the team dubbed McLovin. We did OK. No one on our team took it too seriously. The old athlete in me, though, refused to half-ass the few events I signed on for despite my horrid chest cold and, well, hangover.

Me (pictured right) crawling through the mud during the wheelbarrow race. Photo by Melanie Kools.

Problem is, I haven’t exactly kept myself in the best shape in recent years. It’s been more than a decade since I was wrestling for Tampa’s Gaither High School in the 135 weight class and could easily do something like the human wheelbarrow, which we used to do over and over in practice to build up our cardio and upper-body strength.

Here I am competing (pictured left) in the day’s final — more stressful, but far less physically demanding — water balloon toss event. Photo by Melanie Kools.

Yesterday, with 300 people watching and ample amounts of beer, cold medicine and Red Bull coursing through my veins, I crawled across the 30-yard lane on my arms as fast as I could, out-pacing most of the competition, many of whom were strapping college students. After the event, though, it took me 20 minutes, two beers and a cig to finally get my heart-rate back down to normal. Today, I’m hurting in places I didn’t even know I had.

Threatening to bite the nose off an innocent bystander. Photo by Melanie Kools.

Top 10: Songs about hurting

1. “I Want You to Hurt Like I Do,” Randy Newman

2. “The Shape I’m In,” The Band

3. “The Price You Pay,” Bruce Springsteen

4. “Everybody Hurts,” R.E.M.

5. “Seven Year Ache,” Rosanne Cash

6. “Hurt,” Nine Inch Nails

7. “House of Pain,” Faster Pussycat

8. “Hurts So Good,” John Mellencamp

9. “The High Cost of Low Living,” The Allman Brothers Band

10. “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” Warren Zevon

WHAT DID I MISS?

Bookmark to:

Don’t know exactly what prompted me to devote a song list to footwear. I own far less shoes than most adult men and only purchase a new pair when an old pair verges on falling apart. Anyway, here ya go:

Top 10: Songs about footwear

1. “Blue Suede Shoes,” Carl Perkins/Elvis Presley

2. “My Adidas,” Run-DMC

3. “These Boots Were Made For Walking,” Nancy Sinatra

4. “Boots of Spanish Leather,” Bob Dylan

5. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes,” Elvis Costello

6. “Fuck Me Pumps,” Amy Winehouse

7. “(I Don’t Want To) Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes,” The Band

8. “Sailin’ Shoes,” Little Feat

9. “High Heel Sneakers,” Tommy Tucker

10. “Bad Sneakers,” Steely Dan

WHAT DID I MISS?

Bookmark to:

I just returned from the Tampa Bay 10 television studio in St. Petersburg. Live TV appearances usually make me nervous but I’ve done the station’s Studio 10 show several times now and I think it went all right this morning. Host Holley Sinn (pictured) makes it easy, probably because she’s clearly a fan of Creative Loafing and does her homework.

My segment aired around 10:30 a.m. today and should be posted here on Tampa Bay 10’s website later this afternoon. Sinn asked me about the profile I have running on boxer turned musician Paul Thorn, my Van Halen concert review and my Bar Tab column, which she described as Sex and the City for guys.

“Were you OK with the Sex and the City comparison?” Sinn asked me after we went off the air.

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine,” I told her, and I meant it.

When I got back to CL headquarters, though, that was the first thing my coworkers teased me about. What can I say? I liked the Sex and the City column/book, the TV series and am looking forward to the feature film.

Incidentally, I’ll be appearing around 6 p.m. today at Tampa Digital Studios in Ybor City to be interviewed for the webcast Tampa Bay Media Talk. This should be fun: the event takes place outside Tampa Bay Brewing Company. So, yeah, I might have a slight buzz while on camera. Not that I’m saying that was the case here:

Regardless, I can’t wait to see what my pals at REAX have to say about my performance.

Bookmark to:

My new Bar Tab column “Snooping in SoHo” is basically about me eavesdropping. People frown on the practice, but most of us do it. I have no qualms about listening to what the loud mouth is saying at the table or bar stool next to me. From my latest column:

If I’m at a bar and overhear a gal blabbering to her girlfriend about the act she performed last night in bed, I’m gonna make damn sure I do my best to absorb every detail. It’s my right. Likewise, if my buddies and I are swapping tales in public, I welcome any and all to lean in and listen — especially if I’m out with Buck and he has a nice buzz kicking. It’ll be worth your while. Although I’m talking shit about Puffy Lips and Square Jaw’s dialogue, I’m sure Buck and I often engage in chats that are also inanely humorous.

Top 10: Songs about snooping, eavesdropping, etc.

1. “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” Marvin Gaye

2. “The Window Up Above,” George Jones

3. “Every Breath You Take,” Police

4. “The Dangling Conversation,” Simon and Garfunkel

5. “She Said She Said,” The Beatles

6. “Watching the Detectives,” Elvis Costello

7. “Private Conversation,” Lyle Lovette

8. “You Talk Too Much, “George Thorogood

9. “Listen to What the Man Said,” Wings

10. “The Spy,” The Doors

WHAT DID I MISS?

Bookmark to: