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Straight gas
Photos by Dave Decker
Across the country, some organizers have started building community networks to provide mutual aid for those most affected by politicians’ ineptitude and spinelessness. At the same time, activists are on the streets making their voices heard.
Last Sunday outside a Chevron station on E Fowler Avenue near the University of South Florida, protesters joined a nationwide action by the Palestinian-led BDS Movement, which staged a three-day boycott of the company. The movement—which calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions—says Chevron not only contributes to global warming, but supplies energy and money to the Israeli government’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip.
The calls for divestment have not fallen on deaf ears, and some cities (like Portland, Maine and Hayward, California) have actually decided to cut ties with companies with ties to Israel. The Bay area, for its part, does not look to be headed that direction. Last summer, according to Axios, nearly all Hillsborough County Commissioners (except for Pat Kemp) voted to allow up to $25 million in Israeli companies. See more photos via cltampa.com/slideshows .—Ray
Roa
EAT. DRINK. CREATE JOBS.
AMALIE ARENA
FEBRUARY 11, 2025 6-9 PM
WHO WILL BE CROWNED BEST OF THE BAY?
Meet the Tampa and St. Pete top chefs who will face off in a culinary showdown
SPECIAL GUEST
GEOFFREY & MADELINE ZAKARIANZ
Geoffrey Zakarian is an Iron Chef, Chopped Judge, and Food Network Host.
TICKETS SELLING FAST
This is a Metropolitan Ministries fundraising event. Proceeds from this event benefit job training programs for adults transitioning out of homelessness and striving for a fresh start. Your ticket price includes food and drinks.
Lee Aquino Birchwood & Teak Team Captain Tyson Grant Parkshore Grill
Felicia Lacalle Teak
Clayton Parret The Fenway
Raquel Ferrera Juno & The Peacock Pastry Chef
Nick Ocando Allelo Felix Sestayo PTC Cafe
Johnathan Rodriguez FOMO Chefs
Waylon Nelson Delaware North/ Tampa Bay Lightning Team Captain
Arturo Lo Boulon Brasserie
Marvilou Mapa Delaware North/ Tampa Bay Lightning
Dimuth Munasingha Meat Market
Charlotte Walter Delaware North/ Tampa Bay Lightning Pastry Chef
Rudolph Scarlett Jr. Market
Matthew Brennan JW Marriott Tampa and Tampa Marriott Waterstreet
Jordan Johnson Bavaro’s Pizza
do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from February 06 - 12
Revenge of the Blerds
The Black Love classic movie series is back in downtown Tampa, and this year’s theme is Rise of The “Blerds,” a shortened word for Black nerds, and will screen four different movies every Sunday of February. The series kicked off last Sunday with a screening of the Oscar-winning 2018 film “Black Panther.” It continues this weekend with “Fast Colors,” a sci-fi feature that follows a young girl through the discovery of her powers. Having to run away from her known life, Ruth finds her family. For those who have thoughts on old stereotypes and pop culture in hero movies, Blerds are invited to meet other members of their community in a discussion at 2 p.m., one hour prior to the screening on Sunday, in the theaters lobby. Visit cltampa.com/arts for information on the rest of the series.
Black Love Classics Series: Sundays in February. 3 p.m. $7-$10. Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St. Tampa. tampatheatre.org—Julia Saad
Who’s house?
Driving around byways, it’s impossible to not see the countless contributions from Tampa’s Black Tampeños. In her 2021 book, Jada Wright-Greene celebrates Florida’s historic African-American homes, and she’ll likely talk about Garfield Rogers during this talk happening less than three miles from the golf course and former park that bears his name. Rogers—resident of Tampa’s Central Life Insurance Company—and his wife operated a funeral home that served all of Tampa. Their Rogers hotel and dining room was a place of rest and relaxation. Black Floridians’ influence on state politics, business, education, and more will be discussed during this 90-minute event.
Exploring Florida’s Historic African American Homes: Sunday, Feb. 9. 2 p.m. No cover. Sulphur Springs Museum and Heritage Center, 1101 E River Cover St., St. Petersburg. sulphurspringsmuseum.org—Ray Roa
Full STEAM ahead
Although it is on a college campus, this all-ages festival is way more hands-on than your traditional lectures. The festival—where guests can explore their science inquiries through exhibits and experiments—brings science gatherings, increasing the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) discussions to anyone and everyone, kiddos or adults, according to the Fest’s site. A MarineQuest Open House will happen right next to St. Pete Science Fest happening on campus at 140 14th Ave. S. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute also hosts its own event, in partnership with St. Pete Science Fest. There, curious minds can explore marine wildlife.
St Pete Science Festival and MarineQuest: Saturday, Feb. 8. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. No cover. USF St. Petersburg Campus, 140 7th Ave S, St. Petersburg. stpetescifest.org—Julia Saad
JACOB YAKOB/CODEBLACK FILMS
CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR
Lip smackdown
Back for an eighth year, and bigger than ever in 2025, Metropolitan Ministries’ Food Fight welcomes “Iron Chef” and “Chopped” judge Geoffrey Zakarian to the arena for a chef battle that benefits the nonprofit’s job training programs. Team captains from St. Pete (Lee Aquino; Birchwood and Teak) and Tampa (Waylon Nelson; Delaware North, Tampa Bay Lightning) leads teams made up of more than 40 local restaurants as attendees get their drink on and sample dishes as they work their way from silent and live auctions, pastry demos and more.
You already know about all the wild food you can eat there, but the Florida State Fair is so much more than its gastronomic wonders. From the Wall of Death motorcycle show, to the midway, shows, livestock and more, the fair kicks off Thursday and parks in Tampa for 12 days of fun. It opens on 11 a.m. Monday-Thursday, and 10 a.m. Friday-Sunday (and President’s Day). It’ll cost you to get in ($7-$16) and for rides (armbands start at $35). Anyone not older than 18 years old must be accompanied by a paying parent or guardian.
Florida State Fair: Feb. 6-17. $7 & up (plus rides and food). Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S.-Hwy 301 N, Tampa. floridastatefair.com—Ray Roa
Springs into action
Lovers of wild Florida have a chance to spring into action during a weekend of law, policy and advocacy. Florida Springs Council’s get together has been a two-day weekend convention, but organizers condensed it into one day. The summit includes presentations from influential leaders, as well as legal discussions revolving around the springs conservation movement. There’ll be a preview of the upcoming legislative session, breakout sessions, and a podcast taping. The summit is open to everyone, even conservation newbs. This summit comes at an important time, with the fate of Florida’s natural wonders in jeopardy thanks to foiled efforts to build golf courses on state parks, and the Springs Council’s multiple lawsuits against the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Florida Springs Summit: Saturday, Feb. 8. Sold-out. Stetson Law School, 1401 61st St. S, Gulfport. floridaspringscouncil.org—Riley Benson
Coming home
After
50
years in jail, Leonard Peltier is set for release from Florida prison on Feb. 18.
By Ray Roa
Nearly two years after activists stood outside Tampa’s federal courthouse and called on him to grant clemency for Leonard Peltier, President Joe Biden—just moments from being sworn out last month—did just that.
With just minutes left in his time in office, Biden granted clemency to Peltier, the 80-year-old Indigenous activist who has been incarcerated for nearly half-a-century after a controversial conviction that is internationally recognized as one of the most corrupt court proceedings in American history.
Peltier, wrongfully imprisoned at Coleman Correctional Institution approximately 70 miles north of Tampa, was convicted for killing three FBI agents.
In a press release, Biden said he was commuting the life sentence on Peltier “so that he serves the remainder of his sentence in home confinement,” adding that the action was not a pardon. “He is now 80 years old, suffers from severe health ailments, and has spent the majority of his life (nearly half a century) in prison,” the president wrote.
Peltier was arrested in Alberta, Canada by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on February 6, 1976, and extradited to the United States.
LOCAL NEWS
As previously reported, he was on the PineRidge Reservation in South Dakota when the FBI raided the land and began conflict with members of the Oglala Lakota Nation, including women and children, in 1975. The indigenous people protested, and a gunfight ensued. Several natives and two FBI agents were killed as a result of the conflict. There was never any evidence that Peltier killed the agents.
Reached by phone shortly after the commutation, Sheridan Murphy told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he was still in shock and in tears. “I think it’s a release and sentimental. I mean, there’s a lot of people that have put a lot of effort into this for 50 years,” Murphy, who’s long been involved in Indigenous protests, added.
He pointed to others like Jean Roach—of the Mnicoujou Lakota from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, who served as a board member of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee—who’s been working for Peltier’s release since the day he was arrested.
The movement to free Peltier has come close before, Sheridan said, adding that President Bill Clinton almost did it before the FBI marched on his office. Now former FBI Director Christopher Wray also warned Biden about granting clemency for Peltier, saying, according to NPR, that commuting Peltier’s sentence “would be shattering to the victims’ loved ones and undermine the principles of justice and accountability that our government should represent.”
“So to see this happen is just amazing. It’s going to be a real good feeling across most of Indian country today and in the next few days,” Murphy said, adding that Peltier will likely go home to Turtle Mountain in North Dakota.
Now, Sheridan said, Peltier can adjust to live outside of prison and possibly paint whenever he wants, among other things. “He’s a fairly accomplished artist, and he doesn’t have to wait for them to open up the art room or let him in. He doesn’t have to get in line to make a phone call. I mean, just little things like that—even seeing people,” Murphy said.
The United Nations’ independent expert on the rights of Indigenous Peoples welcomed the communication, with human rights expert Albert Barume saying Peltier’s release is a critical acknowledgement of past wrongs and “an important gesture by the United States toward the country’s Indigenous Peoples.”
Still, the UN, pointed out, the release underscores a need for continued reform in the U.S. justice system. And Peltier will have to wait to get out of Coleman, too, since Biden’s order doesn’t go into effect until Tuesday, Feb. 18.
“A lot of people have put a lot of effort into this for 50 years.”
Nick Tilsen, founder and CEO of the NDN Collective, told Democracy Now! that the first order of business for Peltier will be a doctor’s visit. “We really want to get him home sooner because his health is continuing to deteriorate. And he’s excited to come home, but we’ve got to make his health and his safety number one priority,” Tilsen added.
In a statement shared by the NDN Collective, Peltier said, “It’s finally over — I’m going home. I want to show the world I’m a good person with a good heart. I want to help the people, just like my grandmother taught me.”
IN SHOCK: Activists like Sheridan Murphy (speaking) were shocked by Peltier’s last-minute commutation.
DAVE DECKER
Shady
Hillsborough
commissioner defends proposal to eliminate Sunshine law for her and colleagues.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Among the list of legislative proposals that the Hillsborough County Commission is asking their state lawmakers to enact this year is a request from one board member to eliminate sunshine laws for county commissioners.
Donna Cameron Cepeda, a Republican first elected in 2022, says her proposal is not about reducing transparency in local government, but instead is intended to improve the “functionality of the decisionmaking process for commissioners and specific boards.”
“Discussions under the current Sunshine law can hinder effective communication, particularly [for the] Commission on Human Trafficking where sensitive information needs to be handled cautiously,” Cameron Cepeda told the Phoenix in an email message.
public officials who would like to operate more in the shadows than in the sunshine.
“More often than not, these public officials try to argue that allowing officials to discuss issues out of public scrutiny would ‘improve the functionality of the decision-making process,’” Wilcox said. “This is code for actually saying, ‘Making deals would be easier if we didn’t have to do it at a public meeting.’
LOCAL NEWS
“As a dedicated public servant, I value transparency, accountability, and the public’s trust in government operations. Florida’s Sunshine Law has been instrumental in ensuring openness and preventing corruption. However, certain circumstances call for thoughtful updates to improve efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining the integrity of the public process.”
That human trafficking commission is one of the agencies Cameron Cepeda serves on and she says that the ability to discuss strategy is “crucial.”
“Traffickers actively monitor anti-trafficking efforts, and public discussions can inadvertently expose our plans, jeopardizing their effectiveness,” she said. “Limited private discussions would allow us to safeguard sensitive information while continuing to uphold our mission to protect the most vulnerable.”
Florida has a long history of strong sunshine laws, starting with the Public Records Law in 1909, which says that citizens can see, read, and copy any records the government receives during the course of business unless a state law says the information is private. The Government in the Sunshine Law was adopted in 1967.
In 1992, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a public right to access records and meetings. A decade later, as lawmakers were adding exemptions, voters approved another constitutional amendment making it harder for legislators to approve future exceptions.
Code words
Ben Wilcox is research director for Integrity Florida, a government watchdog group. He says that, since its inception, there have been attempts to weaken Florida sunshine laws by
“These public officials will also seek to justify their desire to operate out of the sunshine by citing sensitive issues like human trafficking and raising security concerns that traffickers will ‘monitor’ the public discussions and somehow use the information to evade prosecution. Again, this is a red herring. Any action the local government might take regarding human trafficking will still have to come before the body as an agenda item and be subject to full public discussion. Allowing commissioners to discuss public issues in private will only facilitate back-room deal making.
“The overall effect of weakening our Government in the Sunshine Law will be a loss of public confidence in its government. This County Commissioner says she is not ‘advocating for secrecy or reduced public oversight,’ but in reality that is exactly what she is advocating for.”
Harry Cohen, one of two Democrats on the seven-member Hillsborough County Commission, does not support Cameron Cepeda’s proposal.
“I am not in favor of elimination of the sunshine law for county commissioners,” he said in a text message.The Phoenix reached out to two Hillsborough County Republican state lawmakers for comment, but neither responded.
Additionally…
“Allowing commissioners to discuss public issues in private will only facilitate backroom deal making.”
Support legislation for flexibility in housing statutes or policies that may allow for local decision-making while fully funding the Live Local Act programs. Oppose high-hazard coastal areas receiving Live Local Act funding.Oppose legislation that would undermine the county point of sale ban on certain fertilizers containing phosphates during the rainy season.Oppose legislation that impedes home rule authority, thereby limiting the ability of local governments to address issues within its jurisdiction in a timely manner.
Other proposals that the Board of County Commissioners are calling for include:
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
SEE THROUGH: Government watchdogs call Donna Cepeda’s arguments a red herring.
Same song
Rep. Kathy Castor says Trump presidency ‘defined by illegality’ so far.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Democrats nationally and in Florida have been cautious in responding to the barrage of executive orders and actions that Donald Trump has enacted in his first week-and-a-half as president.
But Tampa Bay area U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor had no qualms in blasting the president last Wednesday following the uproar over his decision to freeze federal funding on grant and loan programs, a move that has already been blocked by one federal judge.
The White House did announce that it would rescind the order, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made it clear later on Wednesday that officials were only rolling back a controversial memo by the Office of Management and Budget. “The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented,” Leavitt wrote on X.
The Democratic National Committee released a memo last week highlighting its message that Trump is concerned more about wealthier Americans than the working class, saying that they should highlight how he took the presidential oath at his inauguration last week with billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk standing right behind him.
Castor said the question coming up will be whether “our hard-earned tax dollars should go to fund tax cuts for billionaires or wealthy corporations, the folks who had a front-row seat at Trump’s inauguration, or do we believe that people should have affordable health care, that their children should be able to attend pre-school with qualified teachers … that veterans get the care that they have earned.”
consequences for our economy and American families.”
“Here we are just a week and a day into the Trump administration and it is being defined by illegality, by really stretching the boundaries of the law and the Constitution,” Castor said in a Zoom press call, referring specifically to the firing of more than a dozen inspectors general last weekend. Castor’s statement appeared to be part of a broader strategy.
Other Democrats weighed in, with U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz writing on X, “Americans voted for lower prices — not to cut off critical services to fund tax breaks for billionaires. Trump’s illegal federal funding freeze puts vital resources for states, cities, schools, hospitals, American families and businesses at risk.”
LOCAL NEWS
A top priority for Trump will be to extend his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a measure that lowered tax rates for most Americans, before they expire at the end of 2025, but with much of the benefit going to wealthier people and companies.
“Let’s be clear, Donald Trump and the WH want to confuse you! Why? Because they do want to take away your Medicare, Social Security, food assistance, FAFSA, and more! But they’re halfway walking it back because they only want to take these things away from you when you don’t notice. And yesterday you noticed,” U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost added.
U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said the freeze was “creating chaos, with unpredictable
“The freeze will raise costs for working people from housing to health care to prices at the grocery store. This action isn’t just dangerous, it’s also a lawless attack on our system of checks and balances.The Constitution is clear that President Trump cannot freeze this funding without Congressional approval,” Frankel said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, more Florida Democrats are holding public events criticizing some of the Trump administration’s early moves.
Wassermann Schultz and U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick held a news conference in Sunrise on Thursday to speak out on the federal funding freeze. And Central Florida Rep. Darren Soto was scheduled to hold a press conference last Friday in Kissimmee to “highlight the negative, dangerous impacts of President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders and proposed freeze on federal funding,” according to a press release.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
WILD RIDE: Kathy Castor at the 2024 MLK Day Jr. parade in St. Petersburg.
DAVE DECKER
JIMBO JIMBO
CARSON CARSON
NICK NICK ADAMS ADAMS
LAGOONA LAGOONA BLOO BLOO
RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Good Ponte
A Tampa favorite opens in St. Pete, and more local food news.
By Colin Wolf
Last March, celebrated local chef Chris Ponte
shared plans to open a new St. Pete version of his popular South Tampa Italian restaurant Olivia, and now it’s ready to debut. The new 5,600 square-foot Olivia St. Pete officially opened to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 21, on the ground floor of the 36-story Ascent building at 225 1st Ave. N.
Like the original Tampa location, Olivia St. Pete (stylized “OLIVIA”), centers around the James Beard semifinalist’s selection of house-made pastas, craft cocktails and decadent entrees, like pizzas, squid ink pasta and porcini mushroom-rubbed filet mignons, to name a few.
Pacific Counter’s newest location will open at 210 37th Ave. N in St. Pete, out of a former Island Fin Poke space around the corner from other popular concepts like Cali, Fresh Kitchen and El Cap.
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
Besides the two Olivias, Ponte also owns a few other local favorites, including Ponte in Midtown, On Swann and Bare Naked Kitchen. He’s also currently working on a new waterfront restaurant in Tampa with Bob Bashman, known for founding Outback Steakhouse and PDQ.
P.F. Chang’s will open new fast casual concept, Pagoda Asian Grill, in St. Pete
Popular Asian-fusion chain
P.F. Chang’s is ready to debut a faster, more efficient way to get beef and broccoli into your circumference. Pagoda Asian Grill, a new fast casual concept from P.F. Chang’s, opened in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Jan. 15, according to an event listing from the company. Located in the former Rib City building, at 1550 66th St. N., the new outpost is the company’s second Florida-based Pagoda Asian Grill. The first Pagoda opened in Orlando, but closed last fall.
Pagoda Asian Grill’s menu features a lot of familiar protein and noodle dishes from its big brother, but served in $11 to-go bowls. There’s other portable grub options like wraps, pork egg rolls, shrimp dumplings, wonton chips and more. The Pagoda Asian Grill is open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Fast-casual concept Pacific Counter opens second St. Pete brick and mortar
A popular local chain is opening another restaurant in its original stomping grounds.
St. Pete Catalyst says that its upcoming, 1,300 square-foot location in the Northeast Shopping Center was slated to open by the end of January. Pacific Counter is known for its customizable, Hawaiian-style poke bowls, hot dogs—with fresh toppings like Vietnamesestyle daikon salad, kimchi, Hawaiian salsa and avocado—Spam musubi, and pineappleflavored soft serve ice cream. For drinks, the fast-casual concept offers freshly-squeezed juices, kombucha, a few different flavors of boba tea, coconut water and other canned beverages. Customers who purchase Pacific Counter bowls can choose from a variety of signature flavors—like the O.G. with rice, noodles, mixed greens, tuna, edamame, avocado, red onions, shredded nori and sesame seeds—or build their own orders starting with a base of white or brown rice, gluten-free noodles or mixed greens and adding proteins like tofu, tuna or salmon (spicy or regular), imitation crab, baked or barbecued chicken, shrimp, calamari, or mushrooms. Toppings include a range of vegetables, fruit, herbs and other items like seaweed salad, slaw, radish sprouts, masago, pickled ginger, crispy shallots, wonton crisps, chili flakes, chia seeds and furikake, plus a variety of sweet, spicy and tangy house made sauces.
Partners Tock Noythanongsay, Tanner Loebel, and Eric Bialik—who all have extensive backgrounds in the restaurant industry— opened the first Pacific Counter at 660 Central Ave. in 2018 and have been consistently opening locations since.
St. Pete’s upcoming Pacific Counter marks the locally-owned and operated company’s seventh location in Tampa Bay, including another soon-to-open storefront in Apollo Beach. Other locations can be found in Tampa, Sarasota, and Lakewood Ranch.
Despite being based in The ‘Burg, this upcoming Pacific Counter location is just the
local company’s second brick and mortar in St. Pete. Its scaled-down location inside of Tropicana Field has been closed since Hurricane Milton damaged its roof last fall, although the Catalyst says that Pacific Counter recently extended its contract with the stadium for another four years. Head to @pacific_counter on Instagram for the latest updates on its new St. Pete location, amongst other news like upcoming menu items, specials, and more.—Kyla Fields
After 12 years, Tampa Bay’s Squeeze Juice Works is closed
The Bay area has one less place to get cleansed. After a dozen years in the community, award-winning Squeeze Juice Works is closed. Founder Kelly Lessem shared the news on social media last month. A pioneer in Tampa Bay’s small batch, handcrafted juice scene, Squeeze launched in 2012. The St. Petersburg once had
three locations and a cafe—including a shop in South Tampa.
Lessem, who lives with the rare neurological autoimmune condition Myasthenia Gravis, founded the shop after she started juicing for own health. Squeeze served juice, shots, food and recently started a juice cleanse subscription service. Squeeze Juice Works’ last day in business at 675 30th Ave. N was Monday, Jan. 20.
In her message, Lessem thanked the many employees who helped Squeeze Juice Works run over the year, and expressed gratitude for all the lessons she learned. “Thank you all for trusting us and to support your health. Over the last decade, we saw pregnant mothers, children who have been drinking our juice since they were very small, people working through a variety of illnesses, and then just you folks in the community are curious about your health,” Lessem added.—Ray Roa
RISING TIDE: Olivia St. Pete is on the ground floor of the 36-story Ascent building.
All of me
Giles Davies talks about playing Macbeth and leaving Tampa.
By David Warner
You’d better catch Giles Davies’ extraordinary performance in Jobsite’s “Macbeth” before it closes this weekend, because after that it may be too late to see him in anything, at least not in Tampa. The actor has split time for many years between Tampa Bay and Cincinnati, where he has a longtime association with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, but now he’s decided to return to Ohio for good. It’s a huge loss for Jobsite: He has appeared in 24 mainstage productions for the theater across 14 seasons, estimates Producing Artistic Director David Jenkins, who wrote an eloquent tribute to him at jobsitetheater.org. I wanted to catch Giles before he returned to the Midwest to talk not only about why he’s leaving, but also to ask him about acting—especially about playing Macbeth (which he’s done five times).
seen your work since ‘Quills,’” and I’m like, OK, you’ve seen all of me then.
What brought you to Tampa?
INTERVIEW
Macbeth
Closes Feb. 9. $24 & up Jaeb Theater at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts Center. 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. jobsitetheater.org
You were riveting as Macbeth. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the ‘tomorrow and tomorrow’ monologue done so lucidly. Tell me how you address a speech as famous as this one.
I really try to separate the speech from all that baggage, tackling it in the arc of the character and the immediacy of the moment: Why is he at this point delivering these words, these lines?
How has this speech evolved from the first time you ever played Macbeth?
Well, in between my undergrad and graduate degree [at Ball State and Ohio State, respectively], I took about five years just traveling around the world with, you know, no plans and no home. So when the winds of fate seemed to be blowing me away from Cincinnati, I began to look, okay, so where do I want to rebase myself? And my partner at the time, her family had a winter abode on Siesta Key. After spending a few weeks there, I started getting turned on by the weather, having grown up in Hong Kong. So my partner and I found a nice, reasonably priced place in Gulfport. And then I found my first job with Gorilla Theatre, and then a family with Jobsite that I fell in love with.
What made you decide to make the move back to Cincinnati permanent?
“And that leaves a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth.”
In this production in particular, I really feel the bottoming out of the character. He’s working through the emptiness that he feels in the moment, and it really is the realization of the passing of his wife that causes that expression of his soul. How many Shakespeares have you done? Have you ever counted?
I think if memory serves, I’ve done about 30 of the 37. I’m getting very close to finishing the canon. I would love to be able to say by the end of my life that I’ve managed to do them all. What was your first role with Jobsite?
The Marquis de Sade in “Quills” in 2004. I had to bare all on stage. There’s nothing like meeting subscribers and they say, “Oh, we’ve
It was an incredibly difficult decision. Economic necessity was certainly one motivating factor. I had a big personal-life shakeup about the middle of last year which called into question my ability to sustain myself. But that in itself was not enough reason to leave. It really wasn’t until, to be honest, the cutting of arts funding by Florida’s state government. Jobsite, luckily, has grown over the years, and David [Jenkins] truly has our best interests at heart. So when the company grew, our paychecks grew. However, after losing any sort of state funding, we then had to take a pay cut. And I began to call into question whether, you know, the community that I was working for was really interested in cultivating the artist community that it had. And that leaves a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth.
What will Cincinnati give you that you aren’t getting here?
I have a strong friendship base in Cincinnati, and better opportunities for cheaper housing. There are three Equity houses that I can
immediately start working and auditioning for, all of which are easy to reach. [In Tampa Bay] a lot of the community support is for non-local arts. Whereas Cincinnati is, I think, far more supportive of their local arts community.
One of my favorite roles of yours was the amazing Caliban that you did in “The Tempest.” It felt like you’d invented your own language. Yeah, I mean, rarely as an actor can you explore your imagination outside of the limitations of humanity—when the opportunity arises to be able to portray something that is beyond human. The set of possibilities is just so much greater.
You’re in remarkable physical shape for 53-going-on-54. What are you doing to maintain that?
Luckily, I have a bad lower back, and in order to keep the pain level down, I’m forced to keep strong abdominal muscles and keep as much weight off me as possible. I’m also blessed with a metabolism that burns whatever I give it. And, you know, I’m not rich enough to feed myself nonstop. I don’t go to the gym three times a week. As long as I’m working, the way I tackle the work I think keeps me fit.
And you also have a very distinctive face.
When Adrien Brody hit the scene, a good number of people sent me his photo saying, “Hey, Giles, this guy’s got your career.”
Have you always seen your particular look as an asset?
I have learned that because of my facial features I’m the villain. Luckily, the bad guys have the best roles, the fun roles. As a side note, I will say that I always must be prepared to be the one that is pulled out of line by TSA. What roles do you still have your eye on?
I would take any role in any of those seven Shakespeares that I have yet to do. I look forward to growing into Lear. I would love to play Scrooge.
You’re leaving Tampa on a very high note with “Macbeth.”
Thank you. I had hoped for that. I can only hope I can come back and perform for this community that I have grown to love so much. Thank you so much for the opportunity to say farewell.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
TOMORROW AND TOMORROW: Giles Davies (top) is moving to Ohio for good. STAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
Here comes the sun
George Harrison’s love of gardening lands in Sarasota, with Olivia Harrison and Patti Smith in tow.
By Jeff Houck
He was “The Quiet Beatle,” the thoughtful, stoic one searching for spiritual peace while exploring beyond the boundaries of rock music with eastern philosophies and exotic instruments. What musician George Harrison longed for was a lost connection to nature, something which eluded him during the turbulent, noisy, confusing and melodramatic years he was in the world’s biggest band, The Beatles. Harrison would find that tranquility while resurrecting the 32 acres of Victorian gardens at his English estate Friar Park west of London during the last half of his life, far from the screaming crowds, flashing cameras and tumultuous life of a rock guitarist.
Starting this weekend, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota will examine that private side by presenting “George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life.” The exhibition, on view through June 29 at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, is the ninth installment of the gardens’ annual Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, which examines the work of major artists through the lens of their connection to nature. The roots of the Harrison exhibition trace to the Gardens’ 2022 exhibition, “Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith: Flowers, Poetry, and Light.” The show explored Mapplethorpe’s flower photography and rock singer Smith’s lyrics and poetry about flowers and nature, in dialogue with original horticultural installations inspired by their art. Smith first visited Selby in February 2022 to perform songs and readings she selected to complement the exhibition. Later that year, Smith would be named the Gardens’ artist-in-residence.
botanical garden complex. That first phase raised more than $57 million and provided an improved welcome center, parking and restaurant facilities as well as a research complex and stormwater improvements.
Phase Two consists of a new Conservatory Complex, a Learning Pavilion and a Conservatory Complex, crystal palace filled with more than 20,000 plants from Selby Gardens’ living research collections (including the best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads in the world).
A&E EVENT
George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life
The capital goal for Phase Two is $60.9 million, of which more than $40 million has been raised. Roughly 99 percent of the total for both phases has come from private donations. Groundbreaking for the second phase is expected later this year. Tying it all together is building upon the success of the recent collaborations with Patti Smith and the Georgia O’Keefe estate.
Feb. 9-June 29. $12-$28 (kids four and under, free). Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Downtown Sarasota Campus. 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. selby.org
To keep that momentum, Rominiecki brainstormed which artist next might fit the profile.
WIth husband Rob and sons Luke and Noah being musicians and Beatles fans, they suggested perhaps Harrison might be a fit. (She and Rob’s first dance as husband and wife 22 years ago: “Something,” by George Harrison.)
“It needs to be told in a botanical way.”
“At first I thought I didn’t know that he was a gardener,” she said. “I started Googling and found out that not only was he a major gardener, it was a serious, thriving passion of his post-Beatles career. I saw that it needs to be told in a botanical way.”
Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, said those first shows prompted thoughts of who else in the music world would be a good fit for interpretation. Far from being a mashup of different arts—performance versus botanical—Rominiecki seeks to cement Selby as The Living Museum, a garden and research facility which evolves in ways that keep visitors engaged and returning to see new angles on nature.
Selby Gardens is on a hot streak. In January 2024, the first of a three-phase expansion and improvement master plan opened to the public, including the world’s first net-positive energy
All of the exhibitions are created from scratch, including Harrison’s, which includes images, music and horticultural interpretations in the gardens as well as food at Selby’s restaurants. “We really want a totally immersive experience using all of your senses,” Rominiecki told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
George’s free approach to gardening combined creativity, spontaneity, whimsy, humor and joy. This approach has inspired a dynamic display of objects and ephemera in the Museum of Botany & the Arts with stunning horticultural vignettes in the Tropical Conservatory and throughout the gardens of the 15-acre downtown Sarasota campus.
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50 YEARS of Love & Fashion in Ybor City!
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A selection of special programs will be scheduled throughout the run of the exhibit.
On Feb. 11, Olivia Harrison, the musician’s widow, will appear at a luncheon conversation with Robin Lane Fox, renowned gardener, author, and historian, at Selby’s Downtown Sarasota campus. (The event is sold-out.) A selection of George’s music and lyrics, as well as excerpts from “Came the Lightening,” a book of poems by Olivia Harrison dedicated to George and reflecting on their time together, will be featured in the exhibition, highlighting her husband’s connection to nature and celebrating his life and legacy through the power of plants. Selby’s team worked with Olivia and the Harrison estate to curate the images and music for the show.
A&E EVENT
Then on Feb. 12, Patti Smith returns to perform “An Evening with Patti Smith Dedicated to George Harrison” at Selby’s Downtown Sarasota campus. Harrison’s purchase in 1970 of Friar Park marked the start of what the public perceived as his reclusive years. For context, the 27-year-old Harrison’s world at that time was blowing apart like a daffodil in a breeze.
“We really want a totally immersive experience using all of your senses.”
In January 1970, Harrison left the band midrecording session, an event captured by cameras making a documentary to accompany the album. (Check out the 2021 streaming series “The Beatles: Get Back.”) Harrison would return to finish the project, including reluctantly playing a rooftop concert, but he’d already been working to fill a triple solo album called “All Things Must Pass,” full of all the songs he couldn’t get onto Beatles records. He purchased Friar Park in Henleyon-Thames, a small town in the county of Oxfordshire, England. Built by an eccentric lawyer named Sir Frank Crisp in 1889, the oncegrand Victorian mansion with elaborate, manicured gardens had fallen into disrepair after years operating as a Salesian convent. With the help of his wife, Olivia, George revitalized the neglected property, consisting of the mansion, lodges, caves, lakes, grottoes, underground passages and an Alpine rock garden with a scale model Matterhorn.
His band was held together by the thinnest thread of a commitment to finishing what would be its 12th and final album, Let It Be. As The Beatles’ lead guitarist, he’d grown tired of playing only what bandmate Paul McCartney directed him to strum. He was chafing to showcase his artistry, especially in the months following the critical and financial success of his song, “Something,”an instant worldwide classic worthy of Frank Sinatra’s praise.
George’s love of gardening became an integral part of his identity after The Beatles disbanded. In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine in 1979, the singer-songwriter described himself as “just a gardener.” His strong association with gardening was on full display in his 1980 autobiography, “I Me Mine,” which he dedicated “to gardeners everywhere.”
As Friar Park was for Harrison, the exhibit is a new frontier for Selby, Rominiecki said.
“We all know George Harrison and Patti Smith but not through their connection to nature and botanical gardens,” she said. “We’re creating a new dimension in how you can look at these artists.”
WITHIN YOU: WITHOUT YOU: An evening with Patti Smith dedicated to George Harrison happens on Wednesday. CLIFF
print depicting Carolina parakeets (Plate 26) from Birds of America, by John James Audubon
Reasons We Lack Flexibility
• Inactivity reduces flexibility.
• Repetitive muscle overuse in sports like tennis, golf, and running also decreases flexibility.
• Accidents, injuries, or surgery can lead to loss of mobility.
Why Stretching?
• Stretching helps to enhance mobility and range of motion, speed up recovery, and improve posture and circulation.
• Top athletes regularly incorporate stretching into their lives.
• Stretching improves your general wellbeing.
Sun, meet city
Tampa Bay Sun FC will host NWSL’s Gotham FC in March.
By Ray Roa
Tampa Bay Sun FC’s push for the playoffs kicks back off when the spring schedule starts this weekend, but the Bay area’s first professional women’s soccer team is going to get one hell of a matchup a month later.
Last week in Tampa, the team announced plans to host a spring match against Gotham FC, the 2023 champions from the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The friendly marks the first matchup between teams from the 12-year-old NWSL and the USL Super League, which launched its inaugural season last summer.
The match is a huge get not just for Blake High School’s Riverfront Stadium, but for local fans of the game who may very well get to see Gotham FC stars— including 2019 USWNT World Cup winners Rose Lavelle, Tierna Davidson, and Emily Sonnett—play in downtown Tampa.
Unkel was flanked by Gotham FC midfielder and Florida State University alum Jaelin Howell (who has five caps for the USWNT) and Sun FC midfielder Jade Moore who’s made 50 caps for England’s national team.
Season ticket holders will get first dibs at tickets to see Tampa Bay Sun FC v Gotham FC at Blake High School’s Riverfront Stadium in Tampa on Sunday, March 2.
It’s been a busy winter for the Sun, too, which said goodbye to a lot of players after the fall season—but also unveiled its new mascot last month.
SPORTS
Fort Lauderdale United FC v. Tampa Bay Sun FC
Saturday, Feb. 8. 7 p.m. $20 & up Riverfront Stadium at Blake High School. 1701 N Blvd, Tampa. ampabaysunfc.com
The Sun, for its part, includes three of the USL Super League’s top goal scorers, Carlee Giammona, Cecilie Fløe Nielsen, and Natasha Flint (pictured).
Tampa Bay Sun FC, which is starts the spring campaign just one point out of the playoffs, made the announcement today, with Christina Unkel, the team’s President and General Manager, saying, “This game represents a significant milestone for both leagues and serves as a testament to the growing strength and visibility of women’s professional soccer in the United States.”
A press release says, “Solé (pronounced “soLAY”) is a stylized lizard with bright colors that represent the vibrant Tampa Bay area and the vibrant light of the Sun— the star that inspired her name. Her cheerful, smiling face is bright yellow with electric blue accents and fiery flames to resemble the strength of the community and the female athlete.”
Solé served as the Grand Marshall of the Gasparilla Children’s Parade after her unveiling, and this weekend—when the Sun takes on Fort Lauderdale United FC for a match rescheduled due to the hurricanes—is the first time the mascot will be in front of fans at the stadium.
“You can expect Solé to show the same passion for engaging with the community and sharing the love of ‘the beautiful game’ as our team has shown since its very beginning,” Unkel added.
ROLLING STONES: Natasha Flint at Riverfront Stadium last November.
Thursday, Feb. 6 • 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM
Mission Thursday @ 7th + Grove Ybor City
1930 East 7th Avenue Tampa
$12 for General Admission bit.ly/40DkjJc
Thursday, Feb. 6 • 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Sound of Justice: Ending Qualified Immunity
Through Music @ Crowbar
1812 N 17th St Tampa
$25 Early Bird, $30 at the Door crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events
Thursday, Feb. 6 • Doors at 6:15 PM, Show at 7:30 PM
Sarah Hester Ross: Serving @ The Funny Bone Comedy Club
1600 E 8th Ave C-112, Tampa
Tickets start at $32 bit.ly/40qlzxX
Friday, Feb 7 • Doors at 7:00 PM, Show at 8:00 PM
Camping in Alaska w/ Catalyst, Silver Fern & Flowers For Emily @ Crowbar
$17.67 General Admission crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events
Saturday, Feb. 15 • 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
A Tour of Italy Wine Dinner
@ Chateau Cellars Ybor
2009 N. 22nd St. Tampa
$175 per person bit.ly/TourOfItalyYbor
Jimmy’s Tacos 1604 N. 17th Street jimmystacosfl.com
New York New York Pizza Bar & Grill 1512 E. 7th Avenue nynypizzeria.com
Retro House
Coffee Bar & Asian Bistro 934 E Henderson Ave Tampa retrohousetampa.com
Cheeseology’s 1 Year Anniversary! 1527 E. 7th Ave., Tampa cheeseology.net
Centro Ybor 1600 E. 7th Avenue Tampa
Unique shopping, dining, and entertainment in the heart of historic Ybor in Tampa, FL centroybor.com/directory
Blue Devil Tattoo 1603 E 7th Ave Tampa Tampa’s oldest tattoo shop bluedeviltattoo.com
Hotel Haya 1412 E. 7th Avenue Tampa Featuring fabulous fare from upscale coastal cuisine to pool-side sips hotelhaya.com
Casa Ybor
Casa Ybor offers unique retail spaces, office spaces, and apartment homes for rent or lease in both newly constructed and lovingly restored historic buildings throughout the vibrant National Historic Landmark District of Ybor City near Downtown Tampa, Florida. casaybor.com
FREE GENERAL ADMISSION
FRI., FEB. 28
KICKOFF PARTY
from 6-10 p.m. with performances from Flow Tribe and more.
SAT., MARCH 1
The Shaelyn Band
Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast
Eddie 9v
Mr. Sipp
Eric Gales
SUN., MARCH 2
Dig3 Band
Chris O’Leary Band
Ally Venable
Blood Brothers
Gates
(OPEN
By Ray Roa
THU 06
Rock The Park: Anthill Cinema w/Hex Appeal Every time a new band made up of St. Pete’s Ladies Rock Camp comes on the scene, things start to look a little brighter. That’ll certainly be the case for Curtis Hixon’s second Rock The Park of the year, when Hex Appeal—a semi-new, witch-punk quintet—opens for experimental fusion collective Anthill Cinema. Also, don’t be afraid to lament the recent postponement of this year’s Gasparilla Music Festival, which took place around this time of year at Curtis Hixon every year until 2023. We’ll be sentimental, too. (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa)—Josh Bradley
C Sound of Justice: Ending Qualified Immunity Through Music A decade after the death of their son, Andrew Joseph III, Andrew Jr. and his mom Deanna continue the fight against qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields public officials, including cops, from liability for misconduct. Every February, the Josephs—who in September 2022 were awarded $15 million in a lawsuit against Hillsborough Sheriff—spend a week reenergizing the community in the ongoing push to not only heal and honor lives lost, but work for justice and a better future. This concert next Thursday is preceded by a Feb. 4 panel discussion with survivors of police brutality, a candlelight dinner, and masquerade dinner. More information is at andrewjosephfoundation.com. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
FRI 07
C Camping In Alaska w/Catalyst/Silver Fern/Flowers For Emily A dozen years ago, Camping In Alaska introduced itself to listeners by asking emo fans to Please Be Nice (the title of the Alabama outfit’s 2013 debut LP, stylized in all lowercase). After going on break after a 2016 album, frontman Austin Davis got the band back together for a 2022 comeback that’s still on the road, this year celebrating a fourth full-length, Eggbeater Jesus where Camping In Alaska channels stalwart sounds of the genre (Brand New, Piebald, Into It! Over It!) in its own special slacker take on indie-rock. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Zutopia: Guavatron w/Side Trakd/Dose/ Dropkick/Sauce Pocket/more Some people think it’s nothing but retirees out there in Sun City Center, just a 40-minute drive south from downtown Tampa. Those folks are mostly right, but the demographic should age down, at least for this Super Bowl weekend, when Zutopia organizers stage a three-day music festival that also gives campers access to petting zoos and horseback riding. The music is mostly jamtronica (Guavatron) and straight up EDM
THU FEBRUARY 06–WED FEBRUARY 12
(Side Trakd), with nearly three dozen bands on the bill. Just know that you gotta get off the property by 5 p.m. on Monday. (Sun City Stables, Sun City Center)
SAT 08
C Alice Cooper Cooper is known to have one of the best live bands in hard rock, and the 77-year-old (who celebrated a birthday last Tuesday) recently added a Guns N’Roses alum to the lineup while staple guitarist Nita Strauss is currently on a solo tour and taking a temporary break from the band. Gilby Clarke, who spent 1991-1994 on the GNR roster, joins guitarists Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen in the attack which runs about 24-songs long on this tour. (The BayCare Sound, Clearwater)
C Bob Marley Celebration: Tribal Style w/I-Ruption Bob Marley would have been 80 years old this week, but his songs still feel timeless as ever. Tribal Style, one of Tampa’s longest-running purveyors of roots reggae pays tribute to Marley’s songbook at this backyard gig alongside I-Ruption. (Shuffle, Tampa)
C Mary J. Blige w/Ne-Yo/Mario Swifties got a proper introduction to Mary J. Blige in 2015 when Taylor asked the queen of R&B to join her onstage during the 1989 world tour. Hopefully some of them make it out to this run of dates the 54-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is calling the “For My Fans Tour.” New stuff like “Don’t Fuck Up” is in the setlist, but most of the show is bonafide hits where Blige works through deep stuff (she talked about her divorce in Atlanta earlier this week) and a bunch of costume changes, too.
(Amalie Arena, Tampa)
Songwriter Club Vol. 3: Freedy Johnston w/Geri X If you judged Freedy Johnston by his Billboard chart appearances, you’d think he was a rocker through and through
(the 63-year-old’s 1994 major label debut was produced by Butch Vig and reached No. 54 on the Hot 100). These days, however, the Kansan wants to show off his folk roots. There aren’t very many better places to put those bonafides to the test than this emergent St. Petersburg songwriters series happening inside the home of late beat icon Jack Kerouac. (Jack Kerouac House, St. Petersburg)
Sculpted Air: The Hot Seat w/Steven Richard It’s always going to get weird when John Nowicki is onstage. The long-running Bay area musical polymath is an enigmatic figure in the local scene, and his Sculpted Air improvisation set welcomes experimentalrocker Steven Richards to the hot seat where musicians have no idea what they’ll play until they show up. (The Hub, Tampa)
SUN 09
A Musical Tribute To Kym O’Donnell: Handshake Squad w/Monkey Fist Hypocrisy/more As Mitzi Gordon pointed out in 2016, Kym O’Donnell’s signature handpainted photographs and ephemera are crafted into lovingly composed mementos of theaters, fairgrounds, and graveyards. The Tampa artist who studied under Suzanne Camp Crosby at HCC Ybor would’ve turned 54 last fall—but she passed last November after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. O’Donnell, who operated Para Gallery in the VM Ybor neighborhood of Ybor City, lived an analog life, and her friends are coming together for hugs and a concert after others celebrate her life on Sunday morning in Dunedin. The gig will feature a reunion of Handshake Squad, voted “Best Experimental Band” by this publication in 1999 and 2001 (when it was still called Weekly Planet). (Shuffle, Tampa)
C In Loving Memory w/Novely/Pyre/ more The late-’90s pay Gulfport a visit this weekend thanks to In Loving Memory,
a short-lived, but deeply-revered, Iowa screamo band that’s recently reunited with its original lineup. The band brought heartland heartcore to fans who just might bring their CD-R copies of albums like As Years Pass and Feel Like Seconds to this gig where a handful of local heavy hitters play support. And if you already miss recently-shuttered vegan restaurant Golden Dinosaurs, know that the concept will provide food outside this DIY venue. (The Icehouse, Gulfport)
TUE 11
C Daniela Soledade There aren’t many more things sexier than not understanding what the fuck someone is crooning onstage. Songwriter and singer Daniela Soledade, who sings in Portuguese, is no stranger to fans of the local jazz scene, but there might not be a better laid-back, no-cover Valentine’s gig happening in the Bay area. Early arrival is suggested if you want to get a seat. (Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails, St. Petersburg)
WED 12
Newgrounds Death Rugby w/Bummer Hill/Spanish Bombs/Just Courtesy It feels almost trite to lump any band into any phase of the so-called “emo-revival” but more than many of its contemporaries Newgrounds Death Rugby fits the bill. Featuring the mathy riffs of genre staples like American Football, the Charleston quintet slings lo-fi pop-punk that would’ve killed at Warped Tour before the traveling festival’s death knell in 2019. Atlanta outfit Bummer Hill brings a little bit of its Georgia Snow to the support bill. (Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)
See an extended version of this listing via cltampa.com/music.
C CL Recommends
Camping In Alaska
Tampa rapper Doechii won her first Grammy awards last Sunday night (Best Rap Album, Alligator Bites Never Heal ), and while the 26-year-old has already played her own headlining show in town this year, there are other winners and performers with plans to play Tampa Bay in the next year.
So far, that list is topped by Billy Strings— winner of Best Bluegrass Album for Live Vol. 1—playing Tampa’s Yuengling Center on Wednesday, April 9. CeCe Winans won two Grammys on Sunday night— Best Gospel Album (More Than This ) and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (“That’s My King”)—and she’s headed for Lakeland’s Family Worship Center on Thursday, March 13.
The Beatles won for Best Rock Performance, and one of those guys, Ringo Starr, brings his all-Starr band to the BayCare Sound in Clearwater on Saturday, June 21.
Just one Grammy performer—Lainey Wilson, who played during the Quincy Jones tribute—plays Tampa’s Amalie Arena on Friday, Nov. 7. See more Grammy winners in Florida, and updates to this post via cltampa.com/music. See Josh Bradley’s weekly rundown of new concerts coming to town below.—Ray Roa
Bebeshito Friday, Feb. 14. 8 p.m. $200 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa
The Backfires w/Foxtide/Mak Saturday, Feb. 15. 7 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Las Reinas Saturday, Feb. 15. 10 p.m. $17.67. Crowbar, Ybor City
Rinzen Saturday, Feb. 15. 10:30 p.m. No cover with RSVP, $10 for guaranteed entry. The Ritz, Ybor City
Emo Night Tampa: Better Place w/Pet Lizard/Walking Blue/nowincolor Sunday, Feb. 16. 9 p.m. No cover for 21+, $5 for under 21. Crowbar, Ybor City
Delta Heavy Friday, Feb. 21. 10 p.m. No cover with RSVP, $10 for guaranteed entry. The Ritz, Ybor City
Astari Nite w/Obsidian/L.U.S.T./DJ Maus Saturday, Feb. 22. 7 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Pink It Up 16: Victims of Circumstance w/Saganaki Bomb Squad/Chubby Tuff/Bargain Bin Heroes/Chilled Monkey Brains/Over Wait Mammal/DJ Interceder Saturday, Feb. 22. 7 p.m. $7. Crowbar, Ybor City
Tinlicker Saturday, Feb. 22. 10 p.m. $30 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Flogging Molly w/The Aggrolites/ Slaughterhouse Monday, Feb. 24. 7 p.m. $40.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Matt Corman and Ollie Joseph Tuesday, Feb. 25. 8 p.m. $17.67 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City
Gryffin Sunday, Feb. 16. 11 a.m. $75. Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
The Modern Gentlemen Sunday, Feb. 16. 1 p.m. $18 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
American Aquarium Monday, Feb. 17. 7 p.m. $20. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
The Band Feel Thursday, Feb. 20. 7 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City
Midland w/Pug Johnson Thursday, Feb. 20. 8 p.m. $65 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa
Asleep At The Wheel Thursday, Feb. 27. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Jacob Sigman w/Prizilla/5 Door Sedan Friday, Feb. 28. 8 p.m. $12. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Louder Than Love: DJ Fader Friday, Feb. 28. 9 p.m. $5. Crowbar, Ybor City
Newski w/Florida/Andy & The Argonauts Thursday, March 6. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Trump and dump
By Dan Savage
I’m a lesbian in a big city. My partner of five years is the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met, and we are deeply in love, and plan to spend the rest of our lives together. She has a son from an early-in-life marriage to a man. He is 18 years old, a senior in high school, and living at home with his mother. (My partner and I do not live together.) About two years ago he got swept up in MAGA hate, toxic masculinity, and virulent homophobia. He is incredibly verbally abusive to my partner and increasingly to me. He has threatened her physically a couple of times. He has called me a pedophile and refers to me as “that piece of shit.” He has said that Trump is going to “take care of people like” me and his mother! All his friends are MAGA bros, but he is too embarrassed by his gay mother to bring them around. My sister says it’s past time for this young man [to] find his own place to live but my partner doesn’t want to throw him out because that’s what’s been done to so many queer young people and of course she loves him. She has a lot of justifications for why he turned out this way. I am hesitant to keep weighing in because he’s her kid, but it affects me and our relationship. He is the angriest and most hateful person, and he thinks I am preventing his mother from living a “normal life.” I don’t know what boundaries I should set but I’m not willing to give up this woman who I love with all my heart. I would welcome any advice you might have.—This Relationship Under Mounting Pressure
I agree with you and your sister: your girlfriend should give her adult child a reasonable amount of time to find someplace else to live— perhaps he might be happier living with his father—and then make an appointment with a locksmith to have the locks on her house changed on a set date.
Your girlfriend also needs to stop making false equivalencies: yes, hateful parents have thrown out kids because they disapproved of their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But your partner wouldn’t be throwing her son out (read: politely asking him to move out) because she disapproves of his political identity. The problem here isn’t this kid’s loathsome political beliefs—it’s not that he’s a MAGA bro—but his unacceptable behavior: he’s threatened his mother with violence and verbally abused his mother’s partner. Queer adult children who threaten their loving parents with violence and are towering assholes to their parents’ opposite-sex partners deserve to get tossed out on their asses too.
Worried my reaction might be too harsh— and conscious of the fact that I don’t have much expertise in this area—I shared your letter with Joanna Schroeder, the feminist writer and media critic whose work focuses on raising healthy boys. In addition to writing a newsletter (“Zooming
Out”) about parenting, relationships, and family equity, Schroeder is the co-author (with Christopher Pepper) of the forthcoming book “Talk To Your Boys: 27 Crucial Conversations Parents Need to Have With Boys (And How to Have Them).” Instead of quoting from her long, thoughtful, and far more than-mine response, TRUMP, I’m gonna share it in its entirety.
There are two issues I see at work here, and while they may feel like one big problem, they need to be kept separate while making a plan for what to do next.
My first concern, and most pressing, is that this young man is threatening violence toward his mother. Regardless of any other concerns—his politics, his homophobia, the way he expresses his masculinity—this is a potentially dangerous situation, not just for your partner, but also for her son. At his age, assuming he is intellectually and developmentally typical, threats like this can indicate something is wrong and that it’s time to enlist the help of a licensed mental health professional. This should be the first order of business: family therapy and/or arranging for him to meet with a licensed therapist who is experienced working with adolescents.
feel awkward and unwanted—and gave him an outlet for his rage in the form of people he could blame for his uncomfortable feelings. In other words, I’d guess that these extremist opinions are a symptom of the problem rather than the origin of it, and that his community is inflaming and exacerbating the situation rather than helping him address and heal it.
That brings me to my second concern: how his politics are being discussed in their home. If the message he’s hearing from his extremist bros is, “They’ll never accept us,” and, “They don’t care about us,” and, “They want to dominate us and take away our identity,” the last thing we want to do with our kids is confirm that the extremists are correct. This happens when we refuse to accept that their opinions are different from ours, push them away from us because of their politics, or try to force them to become like us or believe what we believe through guilt, coercion or ultimatums.
First quick thing: if your partner’s son refuses to see a therapist and continues making threats—if those reminders that everyone should feel safe in their own home don’t have the desired effect—out on his ass he goes. (Or should go; again, this is your partner’s decision to make, not yours or mine.)
SAVAGE LOVE
One caveat: As tempting as it may be, this offer or nudge toward professional help should come from a place of compassion (if safe and possible) and should be pursued by his mom or both parents, without mention of his politics— focusing on the threats and other objectively unsafe behavior. As dangerous as the extreme wings of MAGA culture can be to so many of us, bringing up his politics will only push him further away and give his mom less influence in his life… and that’s the last thing we want.
It’s important to remember that rage and angry outbursts can be red flags for major depression—especially in boys and men. While I have no doubt that his mom is a fantastic parent and tried to raise him in a loving, accepting environment, it can be hard for boys and young men to escape the more oppressive aspects of masculinity that tell boys to push down their pain or externalize it into rage. He may also have something in his history that caused him to feel shame, and shame is very easily catalyzed into rage when it’s not addressed. While it’s hard to have compassion for someone who is so cruel to you, when we’re talking about a child—and a senior in high school is still a child— I’d guess his possible mental health issues started before he discovered this radical, hate-based sect of MAGA. Based on patterns I’ve observed with boys in similar situations, I’d bet he was having a tough time and they flooded him with acceptance— which is so affirming for teenage boys who often
For now, while your partner attempts to address the possible mental health aspects of her son’s behavior, I would suggest pushing “pause” on any discussions about Trump, MAGA, or politics in general. That doesn’t mean she cannot have boundaries for her (and your) safety. For instance, he is not allowed to threaten her, to insult her or say homophobic things that make anyone feel unsafe in her home. Beyond that, don’t engage with him on these issues. Instead, opt out of conversations like this and, should he start to escalate, remind him that everyone should feel safe in their home.
As for you, I know you love your partner, but you don’t deserve to be threatened or insulted by anybody. You get to set the terms for how you will be treated by this young man, and seeing as you don’t live with them, this can be as simple as setting a boundary and making clear that if he cannot refrain from threats, insults or degrading language, you will simply leave the house. You do not have to go back there if it feels unsafe, but you also do not get to tell your partner that her high school-aged son should be kicked out of the house.
As a mom of sons around the age of her son, I can tell you that asking a person to choose between a romantic partner and their own kid won’t end well for anyone. Instead, I’d suggest supporting your partner on her journey to help her son become stable while establishing your own boundaries around safety and comfort, and drawing lines there. That may mean only seeing your partner away from her home or while her son is out. It may also, unfortunately, mean taking space in the relationship to keep yourself safe.—Joanna
Schroeder
OK, back to Dan here: I wanna thank Joanna Schroeder for being so generous with her time and sharing such great advice—advice I sadly suspect will be relevant to other readers—before adding two quick things.
Second quick thing: I wanna emphasize one of the points Schroeder made in her response. You’re allowed to set your own boundaries. Refusing to be around this kid while your partner gets him the help he needs to address his rage issues—including the work of getting him to accept that help in the first place—may mean spending less time with your partner in the near term. But seeing as her son is old enough to feed and bathe himself (and old enough to vote, unfortunately), this “kid” doesn’t need a fulltime parent anymore. So, your partner should be free to retreat to your place for days or even weeks at a time while her son is 1. still living at home and 2. still being a towering asshole.
P.S. If this kid’s father isn’t in the picture—if he can’t go live with dad—you would think this kid would be grateful to the parent who’s there for him. But angry teenagers are notorious for directing their rage at the parent whose love, support, and presence they take for granted. I’m old enough to know people who had terrible relationships with their kids when they were teenagers who now have great relationships with their adult children. It doesn’t make a stage like this any less unpleasant, and it doesn’t happen overnight, but happens regularly enough that hope for a better relationship with this kid in the future isn’t irrational. So, your partner—and you—shouldn’t give up hope or write this kid off. Your job if and when this kid comes around emotionally and/or politically will be not to hold the angry teenager he once was against the reasonable adult he eventually became.
P.P.S. If you and your partner’s lesbianism is the reason this kid isn’t bringing his shitty MAGA friends around right now… and making himself scarce… thank God for your lesbianism. If that worked on all MAGA bros and being a lesbian was a choice, I’d choose to be a lesbian myself. Who wouldn’t want a forcefield like that?
P.P.P.S. The next four years are gonna suck. But they’ll suck worse if we let the news cycle— and the man who dominates it—drain the joy from our lives. We need to pay attention and we need to stay in the fight.
Follow @JFSchroeder1on Instagram and Threads and @IProposeThis on Twitter. Subscribe to Zooming Out on Substack. Talk To Your Boys to be published by Workman in April. For updates and presales, go to TalkToYourBoys. com.
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