Tampa Bay Street Team

After the first round of fruity cocktails the gay jokes flew like rainbow flags. As one of the few non-gay CL staffers marching in the St. Pete Pride Parade, I was the ass of most of their jokes. Byron McMullen told me the bandana trailing from my back pocket (which I had intended for midday sweat collection) was actually a type of gay flag. Turns out that along with rainbows, black leather and Lance Bass, bandanas have been co-opted by the gay community. He directed my confusion to a group of men festooned in piercings, straps of leather and combat boots. I spoke to a man with deeply tanned muscles bulging out of tiny black leather shorts and a sash that read, “Mr. Gay Day Leather 2008.” I figured he was a reliable source. Turns out a bandana hanging out of your back pocket indicates whether you are submissive or dominant, depending on which cheek you wear it on. The colors are also significant: Checkered means safe sex only, yellow is water-sports, black and white mean you are up for anything, and red (the color I was sporting) means you’re into fisting. This wouldn’t have been so troubling had I not already been hit on by a gentleman who insisted on helping me set up the CL tent. And I thought he was just being nice.   

Dykes on Bikes kicked off the parade followed by a fleet of boat floats borrowed from the Gasparilla armory and sufficiently gayified by the likes of the Tampa Bay Bears and men in construction caps. The range of floats was about as diverse as the crowd. Spurs Bar pulled a mobile line dancing stage. Actors from Bath House the Musical wore towels atop a Hummer. My favorite was The ROTC (Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps) in sailor caps and sleeveless shirts who whirled rainbow flags in a routine that climaxed with a burst of rainbow confetti. Creative Loafing rode second to last on a fire engine rigged with long range squirt guns and a roaring siren to drown out the protestors who brought up the rear.

“I’m slightly offended,” CL’s Senior Editor, Eric Snider, confided in me near the end of the parade. (more…)

A stretch limo pulled up to Push Ultra Lounge Thursday with a load full of suits.

“What’s going on tonight?” one of the passengers asked the doorman.

“A reggae show.”

The limo drove away.

Push has quickly become known as the go-to St. Pete venue for cougars on the prowl; professionals who can’t stomach PBRs at “Nastry’s;” dudes wearing suit jackets in the heat of summer; and girls who want to have a wild girls-night-out at some place nice, then end up standing in huddles, straightening ever falling tube tops, and looking for a place to sit and rest their feet that are strapped into heels that are too high.

But like any good club, Push has tried to keep things fresh, especially on Thursday nights with live bands. 

The posh atmosphere was the same as any other night: Bathroom attendants waited with hand towels, and bouncers stood tall in all black as dance lights painted the walls of the club. But, the crowd was anything but usual. It was the kind you’d find at an outdoor music fest or selling hemp jewelry outside Jannus Landing — alright, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it was a shock to see bare feet stomping on the Push dance floor. The club itself even switched a few things up to accommodate the reggae clientele. The bar served $2 Coronas and the booths (which are the only places to sit), were not reserved for patrons who bought entire bottles of liquor for what it would cost to start a small religious war.

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It’s that time of the month again, so put your drinking cap on and tell your loved ones you’ve got plans. Creative Loafing’s Beer Club is hosting its last meeting of the year this Saturday, December 8^th from 5pm to 7pm at  World of Beer 9524 W. Linebaugh Ave.Westchase.

A beer guru will be on hand pouring out tasty, and more importantly, free samples of
Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout,Warm Welcomed Nut Browned Ale,Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout,and Bad Elf Winter Ale.

If you’re already a beer club member, bring a friend. If you don’t have any friends, come make some. If you’re not a beer club member, kick yourself. No membership fees or ritualistic paddling is involved, unless you’re into that sort of thing. Sign up online, or just show up and tell Alfie you want to know when and where you can get free samples of different brews each month. If you’re not much for talking, challenge him to a game of quarters to win T-shirts, fancy-pants bottle openers, or even a chance to be crowned the next Beer Club Emperor.