Creative Loafing Tampa — March 13, 2025 by Chava Communications

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Kristin Bowman

Circulation

CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta

Chava Communications Group

FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Michael Wagner

CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Cassandra Yardeni Wagner

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Graham Jarrett

VP OF OPERATIONS Hollie Mahadeo

DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES

Kelsey Molina

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Meradith Garcia

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY Colin Wolf

ART DIRECTOR David Loyola

DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jaime Monzon

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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loaﬁng Tampa Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

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do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from March 13 -19

Feeling green

It’s that time of year again, when the City of Tampa dyes part of the Hillsborough River green (the city and dye company says it’s safe for the environment, humans and animals—anglers and environmentalists are less excited about the message it sends about the treatment of nature). Born in 2012 from the mind of former Mayor Bob Buckhorn (who’s rumored to be eyeing a run for the same ofﬁce in 2027), the no-cover River O’Green includes live music and performances on two stages from dance troupes, bands, and poets. Downtown St. Petersburg has its own (albeit ticketed) St. Paddy’s Day getdown on Saturday, happening at Williams Park. Leprechaun wrestling is part of the agenda at Paddy Fest along with bounce houses for the kids, bagpipers and more.

River O’Green (Tampa) and Paddy Fest (St. Petersburg): Saturday, March 15. 11 a.m. gates. Find links to both at cltampa.com.— Ray Roa

Big love

More than two decades after its inception at the Florida Holocaust Museum, the organization now known as Embracing Our Differences has once again brought public art and more to St. Pete for an exhibition that’s up through the end of the month. Last week, Patrick Arthur, Jackson Vice President of Learning and Engagement at the art and education nonproﬁt, told WMNF’s “Art In Your Ear” public affairs program that this year’s show features a healthy balance of young and adult artists, who’ve worked on 50 large, panels featuring photographs, illustrations and paintings all adorned with quotes and explainers. The exhibition, Jackson explained, incites conversation, which hopefully opens viewers to the organization’s message of kindness and respect.

‘Embracing Our Differences’: Through Monday, March 31. No cover. Poynter Park, 1000 3rd St. S, St. Petersburg. embracingourdifferences.org—Ray Roa

MARCH 13-19, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Sacred grounds

Chihchun Chi-sun Lee tops the bill, but talent from Eastern Asia, Europe and right here in Tampa Bay, spanning a variety of genres, gather for this three-day festival built around new music. CAMPground festival founder-curator Eunmi Ko—a highly accomplished recitalist and chamber musician who is a beloved teacher and musical mentor at the University of South Florida—told Creative Loaﬁng Tampa Bay that the festival is deeply motivational and this year revolves around the theme of musical marriage. “It’s a marriage between East Asian music, western music and the Disfunktionals, and it’s also a marriage between art, music and street dance,” said Ko. Venues in Ybor City, Tampa Heights and Seminole Heights will host, with more information at cltampa.com.

CAMPground25: Thursday-Saturday, March 13-15. Various venues. $15 & up. contemporaryartmusicproject.org—Grace Stoler

KEIR MAGOULAS

Songs of life

Poetry, song, and dance come together at one of St. Pete’s most beloved venues for a performance of Ntozake Shange’s collection of poetic monologues, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf” (stylized in all-lowercase). The work centers around ladies in seven colors and utilizes 20 poems to tell stories about loss, love, struggle, power (the absence of all those things) in unﬂinching fashion (CW: the work discusses rape and DV). First staged 51 years ago, the choreopoem by Shange (pictured) comes to life in St. Petersburg at the hands of playwright, USF faculty member and alumna Fanni Green.

Staged reading of ‘“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf’: Thursday-Friday, March 13-14. 7:30 p.m. $20. The Studio@620, 620 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. thestudioat620.org—Ray Roa

Indoctrination’s orders

Dr. William Felice was the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s 2006 Florida Professor of the Year. Seventeen years later, his name was on op-eds which explained that the coursework he taught would be illegal under Ron Desantis’ so-called “Stop WOKE Act,” a law that more or less makes it illegal to turn students’ eyes to examinations of structural racism that might invoke feelings of guilt. “It is impossible to teach courses on human rights, hunger, and ethics without including a discussion of the consequences of structural and institutional racism,” he wrote. For this installment of the Beach Drive Forums, Felice—a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Eckerd College and author of six books on human rights and international relations—will discuss whether or not speech on campus really is “free.”

‘Is Speech On Campus Free?’ Seminar By Dr. William Felice: Wednesday, March 19. 5:30 p.m. No cover. First Presbyterian Church, 701 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. fpcstpete.com—Ray Roa

Smash sisters

There are still about six months until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kickoff their 2025-26 campaign, but a different kind of full-contact sport has its home opener this weekend. Pinellas County’s Sunshine City roller derby team takes on Lakeland’s Swan City side under Friday night lights, and four different seating options are available from rinkside action seats (must be at least 18 years old to sit there) and GA. And yes, there is beer.

Sunshine City v. Swan City: Friday, March 14. 6 p.m. $12-$18. Largo Event Center, 6340 126th Ave. N, Largo. sunshinerollerderby.com— Ray Roa

POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

Perspective

Rob Lorei talks about leaving ‘Florida

By Ray Roa

Last Friday night, like he’s done weekly for more than two decades, Rob Lorei sat underneath the studio lights at WEDU at the close of the station’s public affairs program, “Florida This Week.” Like it’s always been, the 70-yearold, lifelong newsman was ﬂanked by a wide array of panelists. This time they included Jennifer Grifﬁth from the Pinellas County Democratic Party, consultant and pollster Barry Edwards, Pulitzer-winning columnist Dan Ruth, and Rosemary Goudreau O’Hara the former opinions editor at the Tampa Tribune.

But this signoff was different.

Reading from a teleprompter, Lorei told viewers that he’s made plans to step away as host of a program he’s helmed since its inception nearly 24 years ago. He expressed pride over how he and his producers have cultivated a show that’s always brought together a wide array of viewpoints.

This Week’ after nearly 24 years.

“The ﬁre still burns,” he told Creative Loaﬁng Tampa Bay. He described reading through the morning papers and his recent attendance at a meeting about social security in East Tampa where about 150 people turned out. “I thought, ‘Oh, my god, what a week of news that that potentially we could talk about.’”

Stepping away, he admitted, leaves him with mixed emotions since he didn’t really want to give up the show. On most days, despite dealing with stage four cancer of the liver and colon, he feels good. But there are times when the treatments take it out of him.

INTERVIEW

“While there have been disagreements on the set over policy, no one has ever stormed off the program or left the set in anger,” he said onscreen. “We’ve shown it’s possible to shed more light than heat in these divided times.”

He also told viewers that he’s stepping down to deal “with a serious health issue, cancer.” Lorei expressed solidarity with anyone in the audience who has the disease, and those with a loved one in the same situation, adding, “my heart goes out to you.”

Lorei told viewers that the show’s new host is Lissette Campos, known locally for her time as an anchor on WFTS, Tampa Bay’s ABC afﬁliate. Campos—an Emmy-award winner who most recently served as Senior Director of Strategic Branding, Marketing and Communications for the Tampa Bay Chamber—will interview Lorei on the March 14 episode of “Florida This Week” before taking over as host on March 21. “I leave you in her capable hands,” Lorei told viewers last Friday night.

“I might feel bad for three or four days out of each month, but you never know when it’s going to happen,” Lorei said. “I didn’t feel it was right to leave WEDU in the lurch since there could be a time where I was feeling so bad that I couldn’t come in and do the show.”

Over last weekend, it was heartening to hear from people who love the show. “Ninetynine percent of the people that are contacting me or people I’ve never heard from before, which is good,” he added.

In a press release from WEDU, station

President and CEO Paul Grove praised Lorei’s dedication, insight, and leadership, calling him “an incredible pillar” of the PBS afﬁliate.

“We’ve shown it’s possible to shed more light than heat in these divided times.”

Spencer Briggs, longtime producer of “Florida This Week” who’s been with WEDU for nearly 30 years, told CL that it’s been rewarding to work alongside Lorei for two dozen years as they’ve chased the facts and guests who could speak to Floridians’ most-pressing issues. It’s not always easy to get electeds, scholars and journalists to join a discussion where they’ll be met with opposing views, but Briggs has always been able to sell panelists on Lorei’s integrity. “He’s always informed, prepared, and fair. We’re PBS, and we avoid the circus. Our audience tends to be pretty smart, and they appreciate Rob’s character,” Briggs added.

play producer. A spokesperson for WEDU told CL that “Perspectives” has not yet announced a launch date, but Lorei said that he’s nailing down more details about the ﬁrst shows this week.

For now, Lorei will continue to chase the news (he was seen observing a recent #50501 protest) and lean on his family that’s been really supportive. His dog, a poodle mix named Pixel, continues to enjoy her walks with Lorei, too. Matter of factly, he told CL that outside some of the medical treatments, he simply doesn’t feel sick.

“I still am pretty vibrant. It’s the medication that holds me back,” he said, noting his suspicion that the “several tumors” inside of him are slow-growing. “I don’t know what the prognosis is. I don’t know how long I’ve got, but I certainly don’t feel bad.”

Lorei was confronted with the responsibility of putting on Republicans and conservatives, then truly listening to them and giving them a shot at ﬁnishing their thoughts and sentences. That balance, Lorei thinks, is something he did really well. He’s proud of what he accomplished at the station, but in hindsight, he thinks he could’ve opened the door a little bit wider.

Something Lorei’s not thinking too much about, however, is the cancer inside him.

“I don’t feel sorry for myself at all. There are people in much worse shape than me,” he said, noting how he sees people at Mofﬁtt who’re having to navigate treatments and payments with much more difﬁculty.

As the show faded out, Lorei still looked like a guy with unfinished business. Last Monday, three days after his final episode, he confirmed that suspicion.

Lorei’s not done at WEDU either, and has plans to host a new interview program called “Perspectives” where Briggs—who will continue with Campos on “Florida This Week”—will also

But hosting “Florida This Week” for nearly 24 years has changed Lorei, who founded the Bay area’s community radio station WMNF Tampa 88.5-FM, more than 40 years ago. The station had a pretty radical outlook and regularly opened the doors to people who rarely got on radio. WEDU wanted him to be more like Tim Russert and ask tough questions to both sides. Instead of chopping it up with the likes of Noam Chomsky, Pete Seeger and Barbara Ehrenreich,

He’s certainly saddened to have seen other friends pass away—and admitted that his brother, a Catholic priest, immediately administered last rites sacraments after the diagnosis—but Lorei doesn’t feel much anxiety about his situation. Instead, he’s opted for a more Buddhist approach, one of acceptance that everyone passes on and goes through transitions.

“I feel like maybe I’ll be off to the next adventure when it happens, but as long as I’m here, I feel like I’ve got to contribute something. I’ve got to be out there ﬁghting for the values I’ve always cared about,” Lorei said. “But I’m not scared.”

ANCHORMAN: As he steps down from ‘Florida This Week,’ Rob Lorei told CL that his ﬁre for news still burns.

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• Stretching improves your general wellbeing. Reasons We Lack Flexibility

WUSF presents the Longest Table. Join us on April 3rd for an epicurean experience right down the middle of Bayshore Drive in St. Petersburg. Details available online at wusﬂongesttable.org or by calling (800) 741-9090.

Cover me up

Electricians and mechanics at USF vote to join new union.

By McKenna Schueler

Asmall group of electricians and mechanics workers at the University of South Florida have overwhelmingly voted to join the International Union of Operating Engineers, after the university last year decided to unilaterally outsource their jobs to a government contractor. “They want protection, they want to just show up and do their job and not work in fear, you know?” said Jonathan Ellingwood, an organizer for the IUOE Local 30, in an interview with Creative Loaﬁng Tampa Bay. “I mean, they want better wages, they want a better pension, they want better health care—and Local 30, you know, ﬁghts for that.”

LABOR

Just a year before, the situation would have been different. The workers had previously been represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a labor union that USF would have likely been required to consult and negotiate with before unilaterally privatizing jobs and consequently threatening the job security, wages, and beneﬁts of the employees.

the worker told CL last November, just one month before the ofﬁcial transition.

improved beneﬁts, like more affordable health insurance and paid leave.

Workers voted 8-2 to join the IOUE, according to the National Labor Relations Board—demonstrating 100% voter turnout—while hundreds of other contracted employees, who similarly saw their jobs privatized last year, remain in a more precarious position at the university.

Last fall, the University of South Florida in Tampa moved to outsource roughly 400 bluecollar jobs at the university, after reaching a backroom deal with the Compass Group, a multinational government and private sector contractor that regularly contracts. Workers affected, including maintenance, electrical, and custodial employees, weren’t consulted at all, according to one worker who spoke to CL on the condition of anonymity out of concern for their job.

But after the Florida legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis passed a sweeping union reform law in 2023, making it harder for public sector unions to remain certiﬁed, AFSCME saw dozens of its unions across the state—including the workers’ at USF—dissolved. This has left thousands of local and state government workers without union representation, nor the protections previously guaranteed under their union contracts.

“We were forced into it,” said one maintenance worker at USF candidly, speaking to CL on the university’s decision to outsource his job. Although the Compass Group, a multibillion-dollar company with U.S. headquarters in North Carolina, reassured their new employees that their wages would remain the same, at least for the initial transition, the former state employees nonetheless lost their hard-earned government pension plans.

“That employer contribution to the FRS [Florida Retirement System] will no longer exist, because we no longer can contribute to the FRS,”

The university, which is currently seeking a new president, claimed the privatization deal would provide nearly $320 million in cost savings for the university, including a $25 million cost reduction for the contractor’s “enhanced facilities operations.”

It’s unclear, based on a redacted 209-page draft proposal CL obtained, what exactly “enhanced facility operations” entails.

But according to Ellingwood, the IUOE organizer, the electricians and mechanics at the university who recently opted to join his union were looking for the job security, the protections, and the basic rights of a union contract that they’d recently lost.

With union members along the east coast in Connecticut, New York, and Florida—where they also represent Veolia employees at Tampa Bay Water—Ellingwood said the next step is to begin bargaining a union contract for the workers.

Research has found that workers covered by a union contract earn 13.5% more on average than nonunion workers in the same jobs with a similar level of education and experience. The pay disparity is even greater for Black and Hispanic workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute, who are more likely to be union members than white workers.

“We’re just organizing and getting the word out there, and truly letting the workers know of their rights,” Ellingwood told CL.

“Every time we have a contract out there, word’s going to spread,” he added. “Down here in Florida, we just gotta keep educating.”

Just about 6% of Florida’s entire workforce even has union representation, compared to 11% nationwide, and even fewer are dues-paying members. Since Florida is a right-to-work state, workers can’t be compelled to pay union dues, even if their job is covered by a union contract that they beneﬁt from. Such policies have racist origins, initially pushed during the mid-20th century by Southern segregationists who saw a new movement of multiracial organizing at the time as a threat.

“ …they want to just show up and do their job and not work in fear…”

Ellingwood said the Compass Group took on the typical attitude of anti-union employers at USF—by urging workers to vote against unionization, and offering up “just the basic lies” of what it means to unionize, Ellingwood said with a chuckle but otherwise, he said the organizing drive at USF was pretty straightforward.

Union members, to Ellingwood’s point, are also more likely to have access to beneﬁts that nonunion workers don’t—like a pension—or

The contractor also negotiates with labor unions at other colleges and universities they contract with, including Northwestern University, where contracted food service workers are currently ﬁghting for higher wages, better job security, and an improved pension with their union, Unite Here (stylized in all-caps).

LIVE MUSIC LINEUP:

12:30PM-1:15PM Cage O’Hanlon

1:15PM-2:00PM St. Pete Irish Dancers

2:00PM-2:45PM Cage O’Hanlon

3:00PM-5:00PM Dave Gilmore and Pat Mangan

5:15PM-5:45PM Isle of Skye Highland Dancers

5:45PM-7:15PM Lucid Druid

7:30PM-8:00PM Suncoast United Pipes & Drums

8:00PM-10:00PM First of The Day

Iced out

Pinellas backs o agreement deputizing school police for ICE.

By Jackie Llanos/The Florida Phoenix

Pinellas County Schools are backing off from an agreement with the federal government to deputize school police for immigration enforcement efforts.

Luke Williams, chief of Pinellas County Schools Police, signed the agreement authorizing ofﬁcers to question people’s immigration status and detain them for turnover to immigration enforcement ofﬁcials, according to a statement a district spokesperson sent to Florida Phoenix Thursday morning.

However, the school board and superintendent didn’t authorize Williams to sign that agreement and didn’t know he had.

“The agreement is administrative in nature as it does not obligate the district to participate in training,” wrote Isabel Mascareñas, the school district’s public information ofﬁcer. “Pinellas County Schools does not intend to nominate any member of the Schools Police department to attend the training program to perform the functions of an immigration ofﬁcer through the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”

Guidance the district issued following the Trump administration’s reversal of a policy restricting immigration arrests at schools remains in place, Mascareñas said.

‘Safe learning environment’

“As always, the goal is to maintain a safe learning environment for our students. Ultimately, law enforcement is the function of law enforcement agencies, and not of the schools or the District,” the Jan. 27 guidance from the district to school principals states.

IMMIGRATION

The district recommended that principals contact the legal department if ICE or other immigration officials contact them and emphasized that schools can’t inquire about students’ immigration status. However, the guidance also instructs schools to cooperate with officials seeking access to students and contact the parents only if the officials allow it.

ICE took the Pinellas school police off its list of agencies with a pending task force agreement last Thursday morning, a day after the Phoenix reported that the district would have been the ﬁrst in the country to enact such an agreement.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education directed questions to the county but conﬁrmed the department has encouraged districts to enact task force model agreements with ICE if they believe it would beneﬁt safety.

All the sheriffs in the state and several municipalities and state agencies have entered task force model agreements with ICE, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has described as the maximum level of collaboration with the federal government.

Jared Nordlund, Florida director for Latino civil rights group UnidosUS, found it concerning that the school board and superintendent hadn’t been informed that the police chief had signed the agreement with ICE.

“I’m now wondering if that’s going to happen across the state, I mean, that shouldn’t be happening at all. … All people involved in the school district, from managing down to teaching, should be involved in a plan,” he said in a phone interview with the Phoenix.

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.

TSK, TASK: ICE relieved Pinellas school police of its task force agreement.

DAVID J. MITCHELL/SHUTTSTOCK

Rise and shine

Eat Art Love’s daytime service inspires perfect customer reviews.

By Kyla Fields

Riding off the momentum of its one-year anniversary, The Warehouse Arts District’s Eat Art Love has tirelessly proven itself as a must-visit spot for breakfast and lunch in St. Petersburg.

Tucked in between large warehouses and private art studios at 589 22nd St. S, the intimate, daytime restaurant is run by a small team of dedicated employees and can seat about 30 people. Helmed by longtime industry professionals Chef Mario Brugnoli in the back of house and Jess Williams in the front of house, Eat Art Love delivers a myriad of hospitality experiences. Whether someone is on their lunch break, grabbing a quick bite for breakfast, or dining with their entire family—Eat Art Love’s small, yet mighty menu is designed for all walks of life. With newly-expanded hours and the recent addition of a coffee program courtesy of local

pop-up Sage’s Playground, Eat Art Love has quickly evolved out of the conﬁnes of traditional weekend brunch service. And since the small restaurant shares a parking lot with its adjacent businesses, diners won’t struggle to ﬁnd street parking or better yet—have to pay—just to eat lunch with friends.

Both Eat Art Love ownership and the handful of employees proudly boast the restaurant’s perfect 5.0 on Google reviews, and for a good reason. Chef Brugnoli’s ﬁ ne dining background and penchant for detail shines through Eat Art Love’s daytime menu. He offers straightforward, yet perfectly-executed breakfast classics alongside more bright, creative and visually-stunning dishes—like his seasonal salad, which changes every few months. His current, Thai-inspired rendition features roasted broccoli covered in

“There’s

a pineapple sweet and sour dressing, chilies, mint, shallots and lime for $12.

Eat Art Love offers slightly different menus on weekdays and weekends, with WednesdayFriday focusing on handhelds and sandwiches while Saturday and Sunday feature more complex items—like Brugnoli’s seasonal salad, pancake and baked toast. These weekend selections are a bit more higher end, take longer to prep and serve, and are more technique-driven.

But there are also a few select dishes offered daily, which Brugnoli and his regular customers have deemed Eat Art Love staples. One is his poached egg dip with perfectly-seasoned creamed potato (think a mashed potato-sauce hybrid), chives and toasted sourdough that gets a healthy swipe of garlic butter ($14).

Another staple is the Eat Art Love Classic, which is an extremely safe, plan B if you’re not

sure what to order. While it can feel a bit pricey at $17, the classic plate comes with caramelized onions, snappy kielbasa, ultra-crispy hashbrowns that almost resemble a casserole or savory cake, and Brugnoli’s prized scrambled eggs—soft and custardy, ﬁ nished with small knobs of cream cheese, just like his father used to prepare for him when he was a child. The most expensive item on the menu is Eat Art Love $20 conﬁt duck leg, another weekdayweekend staple. It’s an indulgent, savory meal that still maintains a certain lightness. While most cheesy grits can feel laden with cheddar or gouda, Brugnoli opted to use feta to highlight notes of creaminess with a slight tang.

“I really had to fi nd different ways to put out technique-driven dishes while still fitting within the breakfast theme—there’s little aspects of the menu that are defi nitely inspired by my fi ne

continued from page 25 dining background, like the baked toast and duck conﬁt,” Brugnoli tells Creative Loaﬁng Tampa Bay. “I’ve always been the type of person that has focused on details.”

Rounding out the daily staples are Eat Art Love best-selling chicken sandwich ($14) with hot honey, mayo and a pickled cabbage slaw on a Sullivan Street Bakery focaccia roll (which fans of Tampa’s Supernatural Food & Wine will immediately recognize), a housemade sausage sandwich with pickled red onions, carmelized onions and Weber’s mustard ($12), and Brugnoli’s “Grandpa Larry’s” benedict ($15). This dish, reminiscent of a homestyle Italian pasta, features a family recipe of meat ragu that’s ladled over two poached eggs, garlic toast and ﬁnished with grated parmesan and basil.

“Going into opening this place, I thought to myself, ‘Well I’m a chef, I just have to cook good food.’ And then I quickly understood that there’s way more to worry about as a chef-owner than just the food tasting good. Marketing myself, promoting the restaurant and posting on social media were all things I had to learn how to do,” he explains. “What goes on the plate matters. The margins matter. You can’t just cook food that you like to eat, you have to cook what’s going to keep the customer happy every single time.”

wildﬂower honey on sesame sourdough offers a balance between sweet and acidic, paying homage to the Sunshine State’s citrus season.

Co-owners and silent partners Jose and Natalie Martinez approached Brugnoli about Eat Art Love in 2023, coincidentally a few weeks after he resigned from Sarasota’s Meliora as its sous chef, looking for a break from the overwhelming grind of the ﬁne dining world. Two months before the restaurant opened, Brugnoli appeared on Food Network’s “Chopped” to help promote the new breakfast spot.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Brugnoli, who is an operating partner and chef-owner, cut his teeth as a line cook at The Sundial’s now-closed Farmtable Cucina before heading across the bridge to be a part of Rocca’s debut brigade in 2019. After mastering the insand-outs of Rocca a few years before it gained a prestigious Michelin star (Tampa’s ﬁrst, nonetheless), he headed to Jeffery Jew’s AsianNowegian concept Lingr to try his hand at an unfamiliar cuisine.

When it was time to open Eat Art Love in January 2024, Brugnoli had the challenge of tackling another unfamiliar fare—breakfast.

Brugnoli is a perfectionist. His food is delicate, intentionally seasoned and garnished, and executed to the best of his ability—each and every time.

While “greasy spoon,” hangover-cure breakfast classics elsewhere can induce a certain “itis,” Brugnoli and Sous Chef Matt Rembas deliver something lighter for the palate. They both taste every single dish before it hits the pass, painstakingly adjust seasonings, and cook everything to order.

“This was pretty much the ﬁrst time that I ever had to cook eggs during service. I hyper-focused on everything when it came to creating the menu, and it’s been a challenge to actually slow down and try to dedicate myself to a cuisine that I’ve never really had to cook professionally,” Brugnoli says.

“It’s easy to elevate a dish by adding expensive ingredients, but there’s ways to make things better without overcomplicating the classics. I serve some of the best eggs in town, and small details like that makes folks come back.”

“This is truly the ﬁrst time I’ve ever had work-life balance as a chef.”

While many restaurants—even small ones— often utilize steam tables for quick service, at Eat Art Love, you’ll never see sauces or sides held to temperature in a rectangular metal six-pan.

Vegetables and fruit—sourced from local farms as often as possible—tend to receive a special treatment from the Eat Art Love kitchen, often showcased in its seasonal salads and sweeter options. Another rotating item that recently got a wintertime update is Brugnoli’s pancake, which is only available on weekends. The current pancake ($13), that’s almost reminiscent of a Japanesestyle jiggly pancake, features matcha whipped cream, strawberry jam and strawberry streusel, seamlessly combining the ﬂavors of fresh Florida strawberries with a nostalgic hint of a strawberry candy. This quarter’s specialty toast ($13) with poached mandarins, lemon ricotta and

13-19, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Brugnoli not only cooks with razor-sharp preciseness, but also cooks from a deeply personal place. His menu may seem like typical breakfast and lunch fare at ﬁrst glance, but there are sprinkles of familial recipes and inter-generational techniques amongst the dozen or so items. In addition to cooking, Brugnoli will often deliver dishes to a table, greet regular customers, cash them out and gather feedback from the dining room. And if his one year-old son Roman happens to be visiting the restaurant, Brugnoli will always take him to regular customers to say hello.

Brugnoli is intentional about building trust with regulars who are going to explore the menu multiple times—they may start with a simple breakfast sandwich, but in a month, they may venture to the conﬁt duck legs over feta grits. The Eat Art Love menu is a group of dishes worth coming back to, time and time again.

Diners usually need to book dinner reservations at a fancy, dimly-lit restaurant with

handcrafted plates to receive this type of customized, attentive service—but at Eat Art Love, your ﬁrst meal of the day can leave a lasting impression. Eat Art Love combines the inherent charm of a small restaurant with the culinary prowess of a large-scale eatery.

Tampa Bay’s breakfast options more-or-less lean towards the well-loved “greasy spoons” or trendy and expensive brunch restaurants. But locally-owned and chef-driven concepts like Eat Art Love are changing the expectations of what daytime service can be.

Only a year into its existence, both Brugnoli and the rest of the Eat Art Love team have continuously adapted and evolved to thrive in St. Pete’s competitive restaurant scene. But with an arsenal of regular customers and an unique culinary vision, Eat Art Love is hopefully on its way to becoming a proper institution in The ‘Burg. “I spend a lot of time thinking about the sustainability of this restaurant…my goal is for this to be a staple in St. Pete,” Brugnoli tells CL. “I want it to be around for decades, for my son especially.”

While Brugnoli’s job is to constantly manage the restaurant’s food cost and proﬁt, there’s another type of sustainability that he’s been able to maintain at Eat Art Love. After so many years of closing restaurants and getting home well past midnight, his daytime shifts have been a welcome shift of pace.

“Never in my life have I had a job where I come back after my one or two days off actually feeling refreshed. This is truly the ﬁrst time I’ve ever had work-life balance as a chef, and it’s more important than ever because I have a son now,” Brugnoli explains. “I come into this kitchen actually excited to cook. The combination of being an owner and only working during the day has me feeling really refreshed each week. When you work dinner service for so long, it feels like it takes up your entire day, every day.”

“I’m able to keep my anxiety levels low and just really be able to focus on the quality of food and service,” he adds.

Looking towards the future, Brugnoli has dreams of knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to expand seating into the restaurant’s neighboring unit. But before that day comes around, he expects a gradual growth in menu items and perhaps a shift towards more complex lunch plates.

Eat Art Love is open in the Warehouse Arts District from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. WednesdaySunday. Reservations are strongly encouraged on Saturdays and Sundays, but service during the week is walk-in only and folks can seat themselves. Visit eatartlovestpete.com for any questions about reservations and accommodations. See more photos via clatampa.com/ slideshows.

PLAY TIME: Sage’s Playground’s has recently added a coffee program at Eat Art Love.

For Pete’s sake

A sampling of restaurant news out of the ‘Burg.

By Colin Wolf

Anew waterfront dining spot has landed at the St. Pete Pier. As part of the recent expansion at the St. Petersburg Museum of History, Perry’s Porch is an homage to the 20th century developer Perry Snell, and will open this weekend at 600 2nd Ave. NE—a space that was most recently occupied by craft beer spot Hops and Props. The restaurant’s parent company, Seed & Feed Hospitality Group opened the concept in February.

“As lifelong residents of St. Pete, we’re proud to contribute to the city’s continued growth and vibrancy with Perry’s Porch,” said Ryan Grifﬁn, co-owner of Seed & Feed Hospitality Group, in a statement. “The St. Pete Pier is an iconic location, and we’re honored to be part of its story. We’re looking forward to creating a space that feels welcoming and reﬂective of our city’s charm.”

Seed & Feed Hospitality Group also operates other popular local eateries like Trophy Fish, El Cap and Mandarin Hide in St. Pete, as well as Mandarin Heights in Tampa.

Pete’s Bagels expanding in St. Petersburg, and opening drive-thru in 2025

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

The menu at Perry’s Porch centers around “Old Florida classics,” says the press release, “from sandwiches to salads, and savory dinner favorites—all with a coastal ﬂair.” The concept also includes a coffee shop component with baked goods, and a “one-of-a-kind gelato cart.”

Pete’s Bagels is ready to spread its “everything” seeds even further after the local chain announced plans to expand in St. Petersburg this year. The manatee mascot is bringing his charm to downtown St. Petersburg with a new concept spot called Seymour’s. The announcement told the story of Seymour, a New Jersey native that ate bagels scooped, with pickles. Seymour’s—located at 407 Central Ave. in the Snell Arcade Building—will serve coffees, bagels and lunch in a 1,200 square-foot space, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Pete’s Bagel is also ready to open its previously-announced drive-thru-only location this spring at 2439 4th St. S, in St. Petersburg. The location “still looks under construction,”

according to a social media post, but the long awaited drive-thru is almost done. No need to leave your car to grab the famous well-seeded everything bagel. The bagel shop ﬁrst opened in 2019. Now, Pete’s has expanded to three locations, with a cafe in Ybor City and another in St. Pete’s Grand Central district, and a bakery in Gulfport.

Opening dates for both Seymour’s and the drive thru are to be determined.

Pete’s Bagel serves its NY-style bagels with dealers’ choice of spreads (jalapeno, plain, scallion and more). The menu includes breakfast sandwiches, and the Plant Pete, a vegetarian plant-based option served with an egg patty and impossible sausage. Lattes and drip coffee is an option for those who want a complete morning kick. If you have a sweet tooth, pastries and parfaits are available for order.—Julia Saad

After 13 years in downtown St. Pete, The Avenue has closed

A popular St. Petersburg restaurant has reached the end of the road. The Avenue, which locals call “The Ave,” closed last month. Located at 330 1st Ave S. and known for its high-spirited game days and iconic weekend brunch menu, the bar and restaurant grew to become a St. Pete staple over the last decade. Owner Stephen Schrutt, whose Hunger Thirst Group has concepts across the Bay area, told multiple outlets that The Avenue—which has been open for 13

years—could not come to terms on a new lease and has no plans to relocate.—Grace Stoler

Florida’s ﬁrst Pepper Lunch location opened last weekend

Popular Japanese DIY teppanyaki chain Pepper Lunch has ﬁnally ready to introduce its sizzling hot plates to Florida. The new outpost opened last weekend at 4699 Park Blvd. in Pinellas Park.

Founded in 1994, Pepper Lunch prides itself on getting customers in and out of its restaurants for under $20. Menu items include steaks, seafood, teriyaki and pasta-based dishes, plus “Pepper Rice”—all served in sizzling pans for patrons to mix and cook themselves. The new location is a prototype for Pepper Lunch, and will be the chain’s ﬁrst attempt at all-kiosk ordering (with one “hospitality host”) and “optimized table tracking,” says the company.

Tampa-based Majestic Restaurant Group— which operates Zukku concepts across the Bay area along with Lings Dumplings and the Han Hand Roll Bar—will own and operate Pinellas Park’s Pepper Lunch. The group has also signed on to open 10 more locations in and around Tampa Bay, Orlando and Gainesville over the next ﬁve years.

The chain currently has over 500 locations across 15 countries. The new Pinellas Park Pepper Lunch locationis open seven days a week from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.—CW

BOOKS

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Get lost

University Press of Florida authors are in town, and South Tampa’s Book Lovers shop is closing.

By Ray Roa

As the rest of journalism is racing to document and speak truth to the actions of one President Trump, the importance of organizations like Florida Humanities and the University Press of Florida cannot be overstated. As part of President Johnson National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, endowments meant to bring the humanities to the public square were created— and we reap the beneﬁts of the legislation to this day. Established in 1973, the Florida Humanities Council (FHC) partners with nonproﬁts to help communities explore what it means to be a living, breathing being in these places we call home.

As part of its statewide book tour series celebrating the environment through literature, FHC brings Dr. Leslie Kemp Poole to downtown Tampa for a discussion around her 2024 book, “Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now,” which traces explorations of the past with the challenges scientists, researchers and citizens face today.

Across more than 200 pages, Poole—a fourth-generation Floridian and Associate Professor Of Environmental studies at Rollins College—celebrates the Florida that was and even tells readers about parts of the state that only exist in memories.

Using research from Jerald T. Milanich and Charles Hudson’s “Hernando de Soto and the Indians of Florida,” Poole argues that a violent 1539 expedition of conquest by Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto preferred Piney Point as a landing site. She then connects that site to the skyscrapers that now dot the shorelines on nearby horizons.

Elsewhere in the text, she visits the movements of John James Audubon, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and even those of “Eyes Were Watching God” author Zora Neale Hurston. At one point she invokes Harriet Beecher Stowe during a visit to Ocala National Forest.

But more than an academic text, Poole’s travelogue—winner of a bronze medal at last month’s The Florida Book Awards—is a tribute to natural Florida, and almost like a reminder to get outside and connect to a world not yet parsed into grids by street names.

Center for the Book Program Series:

‘Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now’ Wednesday, March 19. Noon-2 p.m. No cover. Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Water St., Tampa. tampabayhistorycenter.org

about Florida springs. He candidly described the tragic truth of Tampa’s Sulphur Springs, public policy surrounding Florida’s natural wonders, and spoke clearly on whether or not his line of work would survive politicians hell-bent on deciding which versions of history make it to students and the public at large.

Meindl is back in the Bay area this week, to not only discuss his latest book—”Florida Springs: Pumping Pollution, Policy and the Struggle for Truth”—but joining South Florida writer Andrew Furman for an evening conversation about Sunshine State nature and wildlife.

Dr. Christopher F. Meindl and Andrew Furman to celebrate Florida nature in Wednesday books talk

Last January, Dr. Christopher F. Meindl, a geography professor at the University of South Florida, made an appearance on WMNF public affairs program “The Skinny” where he was the center of a spirited 30-minute conversation

Furman’s 2025 book for the University Press of Florida, “Of Slash Pines and Manatees: A Highly Selective Guide to My Suburban Wilderness,” makes no effort to veil his domesticated existence, but always ﬁnds times to connect to the plants and animals he encounters while moving through the world. Like so much of the best environmentally-centered literature on shelves now,

Furman’s book also refuses to sidestep difﬁcult questions about development and how it co-exists with what was here before us. Dutifully utilizing the essay format, Furman makes the argument that South Florida deserves to be held is the same regard as the wild spaces romanticized in works by the likes of Thoreau and Wendell Berry.

Celebrating Florida Nature and Wildlife: Andrew Furman and Christopher F. Meindl Wednesday, March 19. 7 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave S., St. Petersburg.

South Tampa’s Book Lovers Bookstore has to move and is liquidating more than 20,000 books There aren’t many places in Tampa where a book lover can pick up the Bible, Playboy magazine and Playbill in one stop. There aren’t a lot of places like Dianne Skripek’s Book Lovers Bookstore either.

Available to visit only by appointment, the shop in the South of Gandy neighborhood is home to leftover inventory from downtown Tampa’s beloved Old Tampa Book Company and so much more. But not for much longer.

Skripek, who’s active with local chapters of the Sierra Club and Temple Terrace’s Democratic party, told Creative Loaﬁng Tampa Bay that her landlord needs to take the space back and that she’s trying to preserve her sanity and back— meaning all the books have to go.

“I will be there whenever necessary,” she added. “The more books that don’t have to be packed and moved is huge to me, and getting books in hands and hearts is what it’s all about—always.”

Skripek told CL she’ll be on site morning, noon, and night to move inventory—including banned books, “ephemera, sheet music, periodicals on all subjects, from Alchemy to Zeitgeist, including antiquary, Christian and Judaica rooms”—at bargain prices.

“It’s an experience,” Skripek said about the ritual of browsing through the collection of books she’s amassed. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure books get in hands and not in the wrong places.”

Skripek admitted to being sad about the closing of this chapter of her bookstore, but is optimistic about what happens next. “I will recreate it somewhere in the right place someday,” she added.

Anyone interested in picking up some books from Book Lovers Bookstore’s closing sale should call Skripek (813-992-9991) to make sure she’s on site.

POOLE PARTY: Of course Dr. Leslie Kemp Poole’s Florida travelogue moves through the Ocala National Forest.

Woman’s Furisode, c. 1935, Silk, Collection of Peter Kuhlmann and Diane Gilmour

Thursday, Mar 13, 2025 • 5:00 PM

13th Annual Buildings Alive Ybor Architecture Hop @ J.C. Newman Cigar Company 2701 N 16th St, Tampa

$45 Ybor Historical Society Member, $65 GA & Up shorturl.at/kNG9K

Thursday, Mar 13, 2025 • 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM

BUNT. • in the round tour @ The Ritz Ybor

1503 E. 7th Ave – Tampa $30 GA bit.ly/bunt0313

Friday, Mar. 14, 2025 • Show at 8:00 PM

Dyke Nite St. Pete Presents: DIRTY SOUTH @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa $17.67 GA crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events

Friday, Mar 21, 2025 • 10:00 PM - 3:00 AM

Benny Benassi (Sunset Saturday) @ The Ritz Ybor 1503 E. 7th Ave – Tampa $30 GA hive.co/l/benny0321

Friday, Mar 21, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Immersive Night Market Experience @ 1920 Ybor 1920 East 7th Avenue Tampa Free to public 1920yborcity.com/

Friday, Mar. 21 - Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025

Doors at 5:45 PM, Show at 7:00 PM

Luenell @ The Funny Bone 1600 E 8th Ave C-112, Tampa

Tickets start at $42 tampa.funnybone.com/event/luenell-5/ tampa-funny-bone/

Saturday, Mar 22, 2025 • 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM

@ 1920 Ybor

1920 East 7th Avenue Tampa

$30 GA, $50 VIP 1920yborcity.com/

SET IT OFF // PRE-TAMPA PRIDE EXPERIENCE

Saturday, Mar. 22, 2025 • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Seed Swap by 813 Hood Garden @ Ybor St

Community Garden 2924 Ybor Street Tampa

Free with RSVP eventbrite.com/e/seed-swap-tickets1249898322529?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Sunday, Mar. 23, 2025 • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Chicken Yoga with Yoga Loft Tampa and Ybor

Misfits @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Avenue Tampa

$12 General Admission bit.ly/3Ex8WtB

Saturday, Mar 29, 2025 • 3:00 PM - 3:00 AM

EDEN TAMPA QUEER LIFESTYLE + MUSIC FESTIVAL

@ 1920 Ybor

1920 East 7th Avenue Tampa

Waitlist Available 1920yborcity.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

Ybor City Saturday Market 1901 N. 19th Street Tampa

The largest continually operating outdoor market in the Tampa Bay Area. ybormarket.com

African Extravaganza

1405 Tampa Park Plaza, Tampa

A truly unique selection of traditional West African clothing, along with African art, crafts, local jewelry, beauty products and beautiful fabric. facebook.com/AfricanExtravaganzaInTampal/

La Segunda Bakery

2512 North 15th Street

Since 1915, La Segunda has been baking fresh Cuban bread, pastries, and more. lasegundabakery.com/

By Ray Roa

THU 13

C Gary Clark Jr. w/Danielle Ponder Let’s be real: The only redeeming quality of 2017’s “Justice League” was its usage of Gary Clark Jr’s rendition of The Beatles’ “Come Together.” On his latest, eclectic album JPEG Raw, the 41-year-old bluesman recruited Stevie Wonder and George Clinton, and dives into subjects from police brutality to lower class parents working their asses off to support their children. The feeling of isolation lingers as well (most of this album stems from his experiences in COVID-19 lockdowns), and Lord knows that’s how Tampa Bay feels about Clark’s lack of presence here in recent years. Atlanta-based musicianslash-lawyer Danielle Ponder opens his third-ever set in town, and his ﬁrst here since the 2019 Gasparilla Music Festival. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa)—Josh Bradley

C Penelope Road Michael McDonald might have long lost children out there, and all ﬁve of them might be in Penelope Road. The Atlanta band can get funky, but it really shines when it unabashedly channels the soul and harmony of vintage acts like Hall & Oates or The Doobie Brothers, then marries all of it with the pop sensibility of modern hitmakers like Michael Todd Gordon (aka Mk.gee). (Crowbar, Ybor City)

C Reggae Rise Up Lately, Sting’s visits to Tampa Bay have pretty much always involved another artist, whether it’s the Florida Orchestra or Billy Joel, and now he’s back—this time with Shaggy. The duo kicks off the four-day Reggae Rise Up festival, which marks its 10th year in town. Sting and Shaggy—last seen onstage together in the Bay area a year ago when Shaggy popped up during Sting’s co-headlining set at Raymond James Stadium—headline next Thursday, with other headliners like Stephen Marley, Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, Dirty Heads, and more closing the festival throughout next weekend. (Vinoy Park, St Petersburg)

FRI 14

C Dyke Nite St. Pete Presents: Dirty South w/Think Sweet!/Chemical Lex/ Vonne/DJ Donnie Luv/Sól Selecta After throwing one hell of a party at Crowbar last December, St. Petersburg’s Dyke Night is back in the Tampa’s historic district with plans to turn the venue into a veritable swamp of queerness. Sector.FM’s We’re Sweet Girls tops the lineup of DJs which include Chemical Lex, Donnie Luv, and Sól Selecta who’re all committed to playing the sweatiest songs from the Southern rap and R&B canon. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Samuel Metzger St. Petersburg First United Methodist Church has had a presence in downtown for a century, and the congregation hopes that its new organ can provide the music for services for another 100 years. Unveiled last September, thenew toy from Allen Organ Company was inspired by a visit to Forrest Burdette United Methodist Church in Hurricane, West Virginia where a 456-drawknob organ rocked the 800-seat sanctuary. Samuel Metzger—who’s served as Director of Music and Organist at Nashville’s Covenant Presbyterian Church (and sadly someone who posts anti-trans, pro-Trump BS on social media)—helps the SPFUMC break in its fourmanual organ with 100 ranks of strings at this no-cover recital. (St. Petersburg First United Methodist Church, St. Petersburg)

SAT 15

C Anemoia w/Mutant Fusion Collective

The spirit of GroundUp is a regular visitor to Dunedin Brewery, and it comes to the Moon Tower thanks to Armando Lopez, Andres Ferret, and Aaron Lebos, the trio at the core of Anemoia. The funky, Miami-based indierock band was born of improvisation, but does get organized enough to put stuff on record like it did on 2023’s A Muser!, plus Lost the Plot before that. (Moon Tower at Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

Bywater Call It’s a busy Saturday at SHAMC, which hosts back-to-back, separate, ticketed concerts. The ﬁrst comes from Southern soul and roots septet Bywater Call which plays the nighttime show after a late-afternoon show by proliﬁc blues singersongwriter and guitarist Seth Walker who’s touring in support of his latest album, Why the Worry. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor)

C Charles Walston w/The Inhalers/Atl Dog Don’t expect to cut any onions at the gig, but one of Atlanta’s OG purveyors of ‘90s altcountry is playing a no-cover dive bar show. Together with his Vidalias bandmates, Charles Walston cooked up a satisfying brand of rock that married rockabilly to the blues and even swing. Now based in St. Petersburg, Walston still goes hard—just listen to 2023’s Before I Call it a Day, where he went back to the Peach State and worked with Jonny Daly (plus a handful of Atlanta friends Spencer L Kirkpatrick, Paul Barrie, Phil Skipper, and Martin Kearns) to record nine tracks of Southern-fried, grooveheavy tunes just waiting to be played loud in the barroom. (The Hub, Tampa)

Concert for Darrin: Ken Logan w/Billy Wells/Scott Harrell/more If there was anyone in Tampa Bay who could tell you absolutely anything about the local scene of the ‘90s, it was Darrin Schnur. The USF graduate—who died last October—spent time DJ’ing at Tracks Night Club and spinning wax at Peaches, and eventually made his way to working for record labels as proliﬁc as Elektra, EMI, and Capitol. This no-cover tribute show

THU MARCH 13–THU MARCH 20

will see members of certain local ‘90s bands convene to honor Darrin’s memory, and while there’s no telling if any band reunions will happen, Led Zeppelin got back together for a night after Ahmet Ertegun died in 2006, so we feel that it’s a somewhat safe bet. (Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg)—JB

C GreyMarket (album release) w/ Bangarang/Lychee Camp/Idle Moves “Contact,” the first single from a forthcoming album by Tampa rock band Greymarket harkens back to the days when Nine Inch Nails and David Bowie dominated MTV. The track—with hints of Zeppelin and fit for a dramatized version of a H.P. Lovecraft novel—represents something of a comeback for the band featuring drummer Mike Gargiulo, singer-guitarist L. Cave McCoy and new member violinist Madison Keels. “Like everyone else we felt claustrophobic, scared, uncertain, and frustrated,” Gargiulo said about the band’s time in musical limbo during the pandemic. Other songs on the forthcoming LP, The Echo Relay, are just as futuristic, albeit more anthemic, with big melodies (“The Academy”) and dance-floor ready rhythms (“Your Last Murder Victim”) begging to be played live. To commemorate the comeback, Greymarket brings a limitededition, two-song, single printed on white vinyl to this gig where a trio of Bay area rock bands play support. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

C Last Bias (album release) w/Human Error/Floating Boy/The Bad Vibrations On “Florida” from Last Bias’ new album

The Sea Hates A Coward , frontmen Mark Twistworthy (who has a regular byline on Razorcake) and Mark Simpson help the St. Petersburg quartet race through a searing brand of hardcore. The Marks and two Chris’—drummer Cosgrove and guitarist Kirby—celebrate the release alongside crusty punk band Human Error, Sarasota emo outﬁt Floating Boy, and garage-pop quartet The Bad Vibrations. (VFW Post 39, St. Petersburg)

SUN 16

Guardin w/Kennedyxoxo Electro-emo is a thing, right? If so, Kennedyxoxo has the sound pinned down on “Bull In a China Shop” and “Mocha’s Song” (both titles stylized in all-lowercase) where he brings all the lyrical dexterity of rappers like Lil Uzi Vert to confessional, bedroom pop songs ripe for a sundown set during 97X’s Next Big Thing. The self-proclaimed “LeBron James of Messing Things Up” opens for Nicholas Jordan Kerr-Carpenter, the rapper and songwriter better known as Guardin. (Orpheum, Tampa)

Illenium After local shows at arenas and festivals outside the football stadium, Nick Miller is headed for the pool. The Grammynominated EDM producer better known as Illenium is the latest big name on the lineup Hard Rock Tampa’s Tempo Daylife parties, where he’ll bring non-electro sounds (think pop-punk, rock) into production that leans heavy on dubstep, house and bass music. (Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa)

TUE 18

Missio w/Layto Matthew Brue and David Butler have been giving electronic music “Middle Fingers” since 2017 when their band Missio’s breakthrough single seemed to be everywhere. Staples of alt-rock Sirius stations and known for energetic live shows, the band is fresh off a European tour and on the road in support of a 2024 album, I Am Cinco (Music hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

Visit cltampa.com and ﬁnd the web post “Tampa Bay’s best live music happening March 13-20” to see an extended version of this listing.

C CL Recommends

An indie-rock band with heart, heart, heart is back in action and headed to Tampa. Sleigh Bells recently announced “Wanna Start a Band?,” its ﬁrst new song in over three years, and is celebrating with a North American tour that starts in May.

The Brooklyn-based duo, composed of guitarist Derek Miller and singer Alexis Krauss (pictured right at Luna Park in Coney Island), cemented its space in millennial music fans’ hearts with its ﬁrst album, Treats , which delivered a loud, dancy-punk sound that largely deﬁned the early 2010s. And almost 25 years later, the pair is still going strong.

“Derek started messing with the riff for this song around 2014,” Krauss said in a press release. “It needed a lot of work but the spark was there. For us, this song is a reminder of how we started but it’s also the ﬁrst part of a new story we want to tell...

The release comes from Sleigh Bells’ forthcoming album, Bunky Becky Birthday Boy due April 4 via Mom+Pop Music (the title is an allusion to life and death). A video for the LP’s second single, “Bunky Pop,” is streaming via cltampa.com/music.

Burn Forever w/Consume The Wolf/ Castrofate/Markuss The Karkuss and the Bloody Nuns Friday, March 21. 7 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa

Roger Day Monday, March 31. 11 a.m. No cover. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater

Party on the Plaza: The Landsharks Sunday, April 6. 4 p.m. $35 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Trapt w/Nicaea/Spoiled Youth/THe Hand of Reason/The D.O.O.D./Kalus/ more Friday, April 11. 6:30 p.m. $25 & up. Brass Mug, Tampa

Genitorturers Friday, April 18. 7 p.m. $25 & up. Brass Mug, Tampa

New Dilemma w/SoulSwitch/Alive In Stone/Lovepit Saturday, April 19. 8 p.m. $15. Brass Mug, Tampa

Hannah Cole (opening for Lunar Vacation) Wednesday, April 23. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Thrower (opening for Cold w/ September Morning/University Drive) Saturday, April 26. 7 p.m. $25. Crowbar, Ybor City

Cheap Trick Saturday, May 3. 8 p.m. $46.50 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

The Motet w/Dizgo Saturday, May 3. 7 p.m. $27. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Tickets to see Sleigh Bells play The Ritz in Ybor City on Wednesday, May 28 are still available and start at $30. Other Florida stops on the tour include Orlando (May 29, Plaza live) and Fort Lauderdale (May 30, Culture Room). Another Brooklynite, pop-rapper Sophie Hunter opens the show. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Grace Stoler

Noah Reid Thursday, May 8. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Whörer w/Send All/Pig Pen/Hanging Brains Saturday, May 10. 8 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa

Diavol Strain w/Feyleux/L.U.S.T. Friday, May 16. 7 p.m. $17. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Honestav Friday, May 16. 8 p.m. $22.50 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City

Sam Hunt Friday, May 30. 8 p.m. $250 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tampa

Eem Triplin w/Melody of a Memory Saturday, May 31. 8 p.m. $25. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Old Dominion w/Redferrin Saturday, June 7. 6:30 p.m. $44.35 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater

Centragore w/Blood Desecration/ Voidrium/Piss On Christ/Withdrawn From Humanity Tuesday, June 10. 8 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa

Summer of Loud: Parkway Drive w/ Killswitch Engage/I Prevail/Beartooth/I Prevail/The Devil Wears Prada/ The Amity Afﬂ iction/Alpha Wolf/ TX2 Sunday, June 22. 3 p.m. $35 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

THURSDAY MARCH 13

FRIDAY MARCH

(SINGER-SONGWRITER) 5PM-7PM | $FREE

SATURDAY MARCH 15

BIERGARTEN

JAMIE THOMAS

(AMERICANA) 7:30PM-9:30PM | $FREE

SUNDAY MARCH 16

BIERGARTEN

TAMPA PAINT AND SIP

PET PORTRAITS

1PM-4PM | SAVE $5 W/ CODE WORLD5

MONDAY MARCH 17 CLOSED

TUESDAY MARCH 18

BIERGARTEN

JESS JOCOY

(SINGER-SONGWRITER) 6:30PM | $FREE

WEDNESDAY MARCH 19

BIERGARTEN

FUNK N TING

Just wandering

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I was close friends with “L” for two years. I ended up moving away, but we kept in contact regularly for a while over the past couple of years (including during Covid), it seems the contact has been one-sided. She’ll go months without responding to texts, most of the emails (our regular communication) I send get no reply, and I’m wondering if she’s just pulling away and going low/no contact. I would ask her, but… Do the cards have any insight?—End-Friend?

Cards: Page of Cups (reversed), Page of Cups (reversed), Queen of Swords, The Emperor

Dear EF, most of my close friends live far away. Some I talk to regularly, some I don’t. But if any of them called and asked me to ﬂy across the country to help them with something serious, I would be there within 24 hours. Long-distance friendships have their struggles, but you shouldn’t assume that silence is resentment or hostility. When we don’t see our friends regularly, we end up missing out on the minutia of their daily lives and don’t know the whole picture. It’s best not to make any assumptions without facts.

maybe even a little shy. I don’t doubt that you two are still fond of each other, but I think the more sensitive L is dealing with things that are taking up a ton of mental space.

The Queen of Swords has to be “on” all the time. It’s a position that requires us to be eagleeyed and vigilant, occasionally shrewd, and determined. This queen also used her determination to bring about change.

I think L is in a position where a lot of balls are in the air, and she’s spending a ton of mental energy keeping things together and working towards something.

ORACLE OF YBOR

Send your questions to oracle@cltampa. com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram

Again, we don’t know the details of her life at this exact moment. She might be getting a promotion at work, dealing with a health scare, dealing with relationship issues or a house that’s falling apart, starting her own company, or preparing for a cross-country move. We don’t know what is going on, but it seems that her energy is being directed elsewhere—and, for better or for worse, you aren’t part of the equation.

that movie recommendation, meme, or occasional email update. (Don’t, however, spam her looking for a response. The Emperor has dignity, after all.) Welcome her communication, but don’t take silence as passive-aggressive. Hopefully, there will come a time down the road when both of you will be in the right place to reconnect on a deeper level. Until then, keep that door open, extend grace, and make plans with other friends who text back.

Best of luck, my dear

Dear Oracle, I want to open up a bookstore/ coffee shop that can also work as a community center. What should I do to make that happen?—Bookworm

Cards: Seven of Wands, Six of Pentacles (reversed), Six of Cups, The Magician (reversed)

Dear Bookworm, as an avid book lover, I applaud your plan and would love to be a patron whenever you set up shop.

(or a great one), that might be difﬁcult. It might be best to start courting the kindness of strangers. The Six of Pentacles is a card of generosity, of freely giving. You need to ﬁnd where that giving is coming from. Maybe it’s a personal loan from a family member or through crowdfunding or arts endowment grants. Look around (after you have a plan!) and see if there’s any money on the table.

With the Six of Cups, I believe this would be a true passion project for you, and it’s important to remember that and feel that child-like excitement. Because you’re going to have to do A LOT. As The Magician, you’ll control the elements to make this work, but you’re also the only one responsible. It’s going to be your magic (and blood/sweat/tears) that transforms your dream into not only a reality but a reality that can make monthly loan payments.

As the Page of Wands, you’re open to the world and bustling with energy, itching to explore and bring your friends along. L, on the other hand, is the Page of Cups: dreamy, poetic,

This can feel like a blow, but remember that close friendships are often a long game. Right now, channeling the diplomatic energy of The Emperor is a good place to start. L has not told you that she wants nothing to do with you, so don’t assume that’s true. Still, reach out with

The key to making your dream into a reality is to actually move forward with it and prepare. The Seven of Wands is a turning point but also acts as a defense. You can’t just fantasize your way into a business. How is it going to work? What type of space would you need? Would you want to sell a general collection or a specialized one (children’s books, romance, mystery, etc.)? Learn how to write a business plan, how to do basic accounting, what the margins are, and steel yourself for the bumpy road of building a business with overhead.

Speaking of which, you’re going to need money. Banks are obviously the ﬁrst place many people go for a loan, but if you don’t have a long credit history

You should learn everything you can about the bookselling business (if you don’t already know) and the coffee business---or get a partner who will handle one side while you tackle the other.

There’s no real secret in how to make your dreams come true. It’s mostly just trying to do it and, if it fails, ﬁgure out why and try again. Luck certainly helps, as does money, but it’s mostly treating your dream seriously and working towards it.

If it fails, it fails. So what? As long as you have an accountant who can help you ﬁgure out when your “shut it down” line is, go forth and hustle your cozy cafe con booknook, my dear.

See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.

Acid tongued

By Dan Savage

I’m a cis man in a monogamous relationship with a cis woman who is going through perimenopause. She was recently prescribed a boric acid suppository to help deal with some normal but persistent vaginal health issues. Her doctor and all the reliable online medical resources we’ve found said we should wait “24-48” hours after she uses a suppository before I give her oral sex, as the stuff can be toxic if ingested. That’s all well and good, but if she uses a suppository every time we have PIV—which is what her doctor recommended—that would leave very little opportunity for me to eat her out, which I love to do and she loves to receive. (We have PIV probably 3-4 times a week and I would go down on her all day every day if I could.) Her health and comfort obviously come first, and we enjoy lots of other ways of having sex, so this isn’t the end of the world. But I do feel like we would need to mourn the (hopefully temporary) loss of something we really enjoy. So, my question for you is this: exactly how toxic is this stuff really? Are we talking drop-dead-on-the-spot toxic or more like risking-a-bad-tummy-ache toxic? And to my mind there’s a big difference between 24 and 48 hours in this regard, but that is as specific as the information we’ve been able to find. I don’t want to put my health at risk, of course, but I would like a better sense of just how careful we should be with this.—

I’m Not Gobbling Extremely Serious Toxins

“The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) published a safety brief last year due to reports of multiple people unintentionally orally ingesting boric acid vaginal suppositories,” said Dr. Stacy De-Lin, Associate Medical Director for Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, New York. “But the National Capitol Poison Center, aka Poison Control, found that the small amount of boric acid in a single capsule would not be expected to cause harm—a person would likely have to ingested large amounts of boric acid to result in issues like vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. And severe potential issues—things like kidney problems or death—have never been known to occur, according to Poison Control.”

So, while Dr. De-Lin and I believe you should follow the recommendations of your wife’s doctor, INGEST, the risks are low—and we’re talking tummy aches here and not an early death—and we would both understand why you might, after doing your own risk/beneﬁt analysis, conclude the risks are worth the rewards.

“INGEST could try it out”—you could try going down on your wife 24 hours after she’s used the suppository—“and see if any mild adverse effects occur,” said Dr. De-Lin. “Avoiding swallowing while performing oral sex may also help mitigate any potential GI issues.”

Dr. De-Lin had one other recommendation that she wanted you to pass along to the wife. “If INGEST’s partner is taking boric acid

suppositories to help with vaginal health issues due to perimenopause,” said Dr. De-Lin, “it’s worth speaking to her gynecologist about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). When hormone levels change around menopause, vaginal atrophy is common, and this thinning of the vaginal lining can lead to discomfort and infections. Multiple studies have shown that HRT, both when applied topically to the vagina or when used systemically, can improve vaginal tissue elasticity, moisturize the vagina, and can have a substantial impact on improving vaginal microﬂora to decrease infections.”

Follow @stacydelin_md on Instagram and Threads.

I’m in a poly partnership in which outside play was until recently confined to foursomes with other trusted couples. My partner recently broke a few rules with a couple of guys—via text—which would have been fine if I’d known they were happening. I was going through some work stress at the time, and I was much less open to communication than I should have been, so she didn’t talk to me about this. So, I share some small part of the blame. One of these sexting relationships, to my mind, is fine to continue because it was respectful, polite, and didn’t go too far emotionally. The other relationship, however, veered quickly into “I love you” territory, and included a whole bunch of short videos, some of which I think were risky and outside our normal rules—panty stuffing, for example—and I asked for that one to be terminated, and it has been. I

have two questions:

a serious risk of illness or death. But I ran that part of your question past Dr. De-Lin while I had her on the line, STUFF, just to be sure.

“Any foreign body left in the vagina for a long period of time could potentially lead to toxic shock syndrome,” said Dr. De-Lin. “The introduction of any foreign material into the vagina can lead to risks, primarily infection and irritation, risks which are dependent on factors like the material being absorbent or synthetic, which underwear is. But toxic shock syndrome is very rare and usually only develops due to extended insertion.” So, if your partner isn’t leaving her panties in her vagina for hours or days at a time—which I can’t imagine she’s doing—panty stufﬁng isn’t going to kill her.

“When it comes to putting foreign material into the vagina, in order to reduce the risk of infection, it is generally recommended that the item is non-porous and able to be well-sanitized, like silicone or stainless steel,” said Dr. De-Lin. “An alternate recommended approach would be using fabrics externally, on the vulva, while using safer materials for insertion.”

In other words: wear panties, insert insertables—doctor’s orders.

SAVAGE LOVE

1. I’ve been under the impression that panty stufﬁng is a risky behavior, with a possibility of toxic shock, so I’ve absolutely never asked a partner to do it. Am I correct in thinking this?

Is this a myth?

2. The respectful guy, with whom we’ve both exchanged pics now, requested a playdate with my partner. I was open to a threesome or a playdate at our place where they could have time alone together while I was nearby, but that’s evolved into the idea of a solo playdate at his place. I think I’m ﬁne to drive her over to his place for a few hours—not an overnight, protected sex only, no restraints used—but there’s an obvious fracture in our trust right now and that’s a problem. So, I’ve ordered a new day collar for my partner and said they can set a date when the collar arrives. Have I fucked this up?—Seeking To Understand Fraught Feelings

1. Toxic shock syndrome isn’t a myth—it is very real—but I don’t think brieﬂy stufﬁng someone’s panties in her vagina (or asking someone to stuff her own panties in her own vagina) presents

2. You’re asking me for a guarantee, STUFF, which I can’t offer you. If nothing goes wrong— if your partner and this other guy honor the boundaries you’ve set and include you in some small way (collar stays on, pics get sent) and you don’t wind up having a meltdown—then you won’t feel like you fucked this up. But if something goes wrong—if they do something wrong and you wind up having a meltdown or they do everything right and you still wind up having a meltdown (it happens)—then you’re going to feel like you fucked this up. You’re taking a risk, STUFF, and there’s no guarantee things will go perfectly and/or you won’t feel some big feelings, up to and including feelings of regret.

It’s not uncommon for someone in an open relationship—which is what yours is—to have a bit of a meltdown and/or experience intense or overwhelming feelings. Sometimes an after-thefact meltdown is a sign that it was a mistake, STUFF, and if you’re anticipating a meltdown, that might be a sign that it would be a mistake to take this step now. But sometimes a meltdown is a bid for attention—negative attention seeking—and if your partner knows she needs to lavish you with attention, affection, and gratitude after this meeting, you’re less likely to have the kind of meltdown you can’t come back from.

I am poly and have been in ENM relationships for the past decade. I recently visited a friend in another state and had a lovely, intimate weekend with them. During our weekend together they told me they have a girlfriend who doesn’t know they’re cheating—and not only with me.

My friend is a professional athlete, semi-famous, and they don’t have other friends or examples of ethical non-monogamy in their life. For the nearly 10 years that I’ve known them, it’s been clear to me that they’re more suited for ENM. I would say they’re MUD: monogamous under duress. Knowing what I know now, how do I ethically engage with this person? I don’t see them frequently—it’s been more than a year since we last saw each other—but when we do hangout, I am glad to be their friend who can help them explore ENM, ask questions, and encourage them to move in a more ethical manner. I feel awful that their partner doesn’t know about the cheating, and I hate contributing to it. I also feel for my friend as I know this loverboy is not meant for monogamy.—Side Piece Under Duress

You left something off that list of things you’re “glad to be” when you hang out with your old friend: in addition to being glad to be his friend, his sounding board, and his ethically non-monogamous role model, SPUD, you’re also glad to be his fuck toy, right? Professional athletes have great bodies (curlers and dart players excluded), they have tons of stamina, and they stay in nice hotels. So, as you reason your way through this moral conundrum, SPUD, you need to be on your guard against the kind of self-serving rationalizations—or the kind of clitful/dickful thinking—that can lead a person to do something (or keep doing something) that doesn’t align with their stated values. In your case, SPUD, you’ve very nearly convinced yourself that cheating with someone who’s “doing it right,” i.e. someone practicing ethical nonmonogamy and therefore isn’t cheating on their partner, might inspire your hot, semi-famous friend to stop “doing it wrong,” i.e. stop practicing unethical non-monogamy.

Now, it’s entirely possible your example will inspire this pro athlete to straighten up and cheat right; there are deﬁnitely people out there who’ve had the sense fucked into them. But let’s not kid ourselves: people who’ve cheated on their partners with people who weren’t cheating on their own—cheaters who were inspired to ask their partners for forgiveness (for fucking around) and permission (to keep fucking around)—are few and far between. And while I don’t doubt your pussy is magic (all pussies are), your pussy ain’t chemo and it’s not going to cure him.

All that said, SPUD, it’s not your job to police this man’s behavior; both his relationship with his girlfriend and the salvation of his immortal soul are his business. But if you don’t wanna contribute to cheating, you have no choice but to stop fucking this guy. If you keep fucking this guy, SPUD, you shouldn’t pretend you’re doing it for him. You’re doing it for you.

Email questions for the column to mailbox@ savage.love! Record them for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns, merch and more at Savage.Love!

NOTES: This was my first Sunday Halloween puzzle, reprinted here exactly as it appeared on Oct. 27, 1985. It’s a little ragged around the edges and the only truly scary thing is that it seems like 100 years ago.

ACROSS

Roberts of Star 80

To smithereens

Mountain ridge 15 School test, for short 19 With 105 Across, a Halloween tune? 21 Foxy female

Lhasa ___

Post-Halloween activity?

25 “Nothin’ ___!” 26 Prefix with center or gram

27 Of punishment

28 Ky and Thieu, in ’60s headlines

29 Decrease gradually

30 Coming-out celebs

32 Filmdom’s Ben, e.g.

33 Retina reactors

34 Calls forth

35 Plight of the poor

37 Fancy danse

57 Rigid class distinction 58 Penn., e.g.

“Dogs”

Blood donation

Stone arrangement à la Stonehenge 62 Prepare for a Halloween story?

Brinkley’s agenda

Nitti’s nemesis

Doll’s word

Hitchcock film, for short

Crime in print

Show off

Benchley, Perelman, et al.

75 The ___ of March

She wrote Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Poppy product

Reactions to this crossword, perhaps

Year, in Lisbon

News to Halloween tricksters?

Miss the mark, in a way

Dick’s ex

Early Sonny and Cher LP, Look ___

Sound investment?

Side track

A.m. droplets

“Moving floor” in Raiders of the Lost Ark

38 Charles Atlas’s real name, ___ Siciliano

40 Mom’s Halloween response to “Where’s your daughter tonight?”

46 Word with pick or wit

49 Gullies, in Tucson

50 Full of a grain

51 Phnom ___

52 Cartoonist Lazarus

55 Columnist Robb

56 Wall work

The Duke

Small, round woman’s hat

Infatuate

Rachel Carson topic

Worrier’s words

See 19 Across

Emission at Indy?

Of the kidneys

Shooting-star remark on Halloween night?

Close-up view, often

Moved by inches

Go back into business

Bends the elbow

Potter’s rank on M*A*S*H: abbr. 5 Lou Grant portrayer 6 City on the Ganges

Buddhist monk who has attained nirvana 8 Wharf need, for some

License plate

Verb for dieters

Uses a broom?

Freeway escape

Stands on the

about

“Not ___ close”

Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters

German article

Tito’s real name

Detective’s dog

Deprive of 112 Enjoys Stephen King

Rex Harrison’s son

Former informers of a sort

Copy machine additive 43 With an ___ (taking into account) 44 Tries, as Trigger 45 TV’s “Big Blue Marble” 47 Student teacher

48 Huey Lewis’s group

51 Insect’s feeler

52 Hanna-Barbera oldie, ___ Gorilla

53 Tax crime

54 Halloween party cry?

56 Figurative domain

57 Down time?

59 Impression

60 It means “lung”

61 An old-fashioned girl?

63 Shades

64 California politico Jesse who lost to Reagan in 1970

65 U.A.E. VIPs

66 Of prophets

72 Went 60

73 Buster Brown’s dog

74 Test acer

75 ___ standstill (has halted)

77 Harding’s home

78 Begin to wake

79 New Zealand parrot

81 High-pitched sound

82 Turns on a pivot

83 Certain potatoes

85 Like a grouch