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Tampa Bay kissed 2024 goodbye last Tuesday, and naturally, St. Pete’s gayest hotel did it with a cockdrop and party that took over the Mari Jean, Cocktail bar, and Wetspot pool. Because she’s the queen of queen’s, Bearded Lady Adriana Sparkle upped the ante by rappelling down the outside of the hotel, too. See all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.—Ray Roa
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do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from January 09 - 15
Shuck yeah
Get ready for an outdoor party where seemingly every oyster in Florida ends up either in a cooler or on in-ground fire pits for a full-day of food and drink fundraiser for Frameworks, a nonprofit that helps parents and children work on their emotional intelligence. The get together is also a concert, this year headlined by Georgia songwriter Pony Bradshaw, who brings his latest album, Thus Spoke the Fool , to soundtrack the shindig. Read more on p. 41 of Music Week.
Tampa Oyster Fest: Sunday, Jan. 12. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. $150 & up. Tabellas at Delaney Creek, 5818 Causeway Blvd., Tampa. tampaoysterfest.com—Ray Roa
Here, Kitty kitty
Hello Kitty is well into her senior years, and her ride is about to enter that category, too. The brand—which says “Hello Kitty” is a girl, not a cat—marks its 50th anniversary this week and is ready to celebrate with the Bay area. Last week, it was in Brandon and spends this weekend in the Westshore District where the hot pink Hello Kitty cafe truck (marking its 10th anniversary) pulls up to sling clothes, collectibles, sweet treats plus 50th anniversary totes and hoodies. See a full list of shit you can buy via cltampa. com/arts.
Hello Kitty Cafe Truck: Saturday, Jan. 11. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. No cover (and no cash accepted as payment). Near H&M at Westshore Plaza, 250 Westshore Plaza, Tampa. sanrio.com—Ray Roa
09-15, 2025 | cltampabay.com
Dreamers
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. while a doctoral student at Boston University. In 1961, the famed civil rights activist gave a speech at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in West Tampa. Tampa’s Black History Museum invites locals to celebrate not just the legacy of the late Dr. King, but that of another Alpha, Tampa’s own Cyril Blythe Andrews (pictured, bottom left) whose family continues to publish the city’s famed newspaper, the Florida Sentinel Bulletin—one of the few Black publications that owned its printing press and graphic equipment. The family also owned a Negro League Baseball team ands tirelessly advocated for the humanity of Tampa’s Black population. C. Blythe Andrews has a busk on the Tampa Riverwalk, but guests will bring the family history to life for this pre-MLK Day event. Read more and get a link to Andrews’ oral history interview via cltampa.com.
His Wildest Dream—A Tribute to the C. Blythe Andrews family and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Tuesday, Jan. 14. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. Tampa’s Black History Museum, 1213 N Central Ave., Tampa. tampabayhistorycenter.org—Ray Roa
Barrrggghhhk you ready?
Paw Pawtrol takes a back seat to the furry friends ready to take part in the Tampeño tradition of Gasparilla. While the day parade is not until Jan. 25, a pet-friendly parade happens this weekend, complete with activities for furballs, pirate pup costume contest, pet adoptions and more. See even more Gasparilla activities via cltampa.com/arts.
Water Street Pirate Pup Parade: Sunday, Jan. 12. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. No cover. Water Street and Sparkman Wharf, downtown Tampa. waterstreettampa.com—Julia Saad
That land is their land
Born in Havana 66 years ago, José Ney Mila Espinosa knows Cuba’s role in the African diaspora. A press release says the self-taught photographer’s new show “captures the vibrant rituals, sacred symbols, and deep-rooted traditions” that bridge the island nation with the movement of Africans across the globe. With Ybor City’s AfroCuban roots still respected and prevalent in the historic district, the show—which opens next week—is yet another chance for Tampeños native and newb to connect with home.
José Ney Milà Espinosa: Land Land Land opening reception: Next Thursday, Jan. 16. 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Free with RSVP. Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 1630 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. fmopa.org—Ray Roa
Wild cat
Bengal tigers, great hornbills, Asian elephants, King Cobras and the Indian rhinoc eros are some of India’s most famous animals, but they don’t dominate the work of photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur. The 48-year-old member of the National Geographic Society board of trustees is known for his dramatic landscape captures of his country mountains, plans and jungles, plus his shots of Pallas’s cat (aka the manul), a tiny, grumpy-faced fishing feline whose story he hopes to bring to this talk about wild cats (like the show leopard pictured). The show is the second installment of the Straz Center’s National Geographic Live series, which wraps in April with shark scientist Jess Cramp.
Sandesh Kadur: Wild Cats Revealed: Next Thursday, Jan 16. 7 p.m. $25 & up. Ferguson Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. strazcenter.org—Ray Roa
SANDESH
Gate crasher
Twenty-three-year-old launches campaign to be mayor of Tampa.
By Ray Roa
More than three dozen people braved the Florida-cold last Friday to watch Alan Henderson open the gate in the race to be Tampa’s next mayor. The night before his announcement, the Brandon High School alum who turns 24 years old on Feb. 6 told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he wants his campaign to be optimistic, focused on collaboration and focused on the future of the city. If elected, he would not be Tampa’s youngest mayor, but its first Black one. Tampa’s current mayor, Jane Castor, won re-election in 2023 and is termlimited; voters won’t decide on her replacement until 2027.
During the press conference, friends and supporters took to a podium and described Henderson’s kindness and character. His older brother Roderick, ten years his senior, described how a four-year-old Henderson used to sit in restaurants and have full-blown conversations with adults.
refuses to back down. It’s a city where resilience isn’t just a trait, it’s our way of life—and that’s why I’m so proud to call this city my home.”
Online, his campaign touts a vision centered around empowering communities, sustainability, and “building the Tampa of tomorrow today.”
While he’s shared thoughts on modular housing, Tampa’s dissolved police citizens review board and how he voted on state amendments, Henderson offered a few more specifics about his views during the announcement speech. Beyond “heartbreaking,” he said that seeing people have to sleep under bus shelters for warmth is “unacceptable.”
ELECTIONS
“He just was different,” Roderick said, telling a story about how as a child, Henderson started a photography business. “When most kids were out playing sports, he was out taking pictures of the kids that was playing sports and selling the pictures to the parents. I was like, ‘Dang, this boy got a lot of business sense inside of him.’” Henderson—a self-described entrepreneur who votes in Hillsborough’s Precinct 859, according to records at the Supervisor of Elections—recently led an esports company that landed him on a Tampa Bay Business Journal list of young residents to watch. He told supporters that in Tampa that someone’s dreams can be as real as the hard work they’re putting in. He also applauded the city’s resilience after back-to-back hurricanes. He, too, had to find strength after the recent loss of his mother, who supporters said would be proud of him.
“Tampa doesn’t just end on Ashley Drive or Water Street. We have obligations to constituents all across the city, from West Tampa to East Tampa, from the Channel district to New Tampa,” he said. “Every neighborhood, every individual, every family, every person, deserves to feel seen, valued and supported by their city’s government.”
He pointed to public policy and leadership classes he’s taking at the Harvard Kennedy School, and his experience “scaling multi-million dollar teams” for local clients, as part of his preparation for the roles.
“Tampa doesn’t just end on Ashley Drive or Water Street.”
The Monday after his announcement, Henderson told CL that he’s launched a “Tomorrow Team” where “experts, scholars, citywide leaders and passionate volunteers” from around the country will work together to address key issues facing Tampa. He did not share the names of individuals in his coalition, but said he’d make introductions in the coming weeks.
the race for Tampa’s mayor is nonpartisan, Henderson is a registered Democrat who will undoubtedly need support from his party.
“The party is the one that’s going to go canvas for you. They’re the ones that help you raise funds, they’re the ones that open the right doors or talk to the right people,” Luis Salazar, President of Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, told CL.
Salazar added that in an eventual primary, Henderson could end up running against big name Democrats. Councilmen Luis Viera and Bill Carlson, plus former Mayor Bob Buckhorn have all been floated as potential candidates. One of those men has even reached out to Henderson since his announcement.
“Viera, who wished me good luck,” Henderson said.
Democratic Black Caucus meets on Jan. 9, with the rest of the month seeing Democrats from East Hillsborough, South Tampa, and Temple Terrace meeting over the next two weeks. The nonpartisan Tampa Tiger Bay Club even hosts a post-election discussion with Hillsborough party leaders on Feb. 21.
Salazar said he can’t fully support Henderson yet, simply because he still doesn’t know who he is, but added that he’s ready to have a conversation and start building the trust that helps candidates win voters. Overall, however, he strikes an optimistic tone around Henderson’s campaign launch.
“We’ve proven time and time again—we don’t just bounce back, we bounce back stronger,” Henderson added. “Tampa has always been a community that faces challenges head on and
“I’ve designed these teams to help analyze the city’s challenges, host public forums, and provide actionable insights on matters that align with my campaign promises,” he said. “Our plan is to leverage their findings to inform solutions and share them with the public in a clear and accessible way, ensuring transparency and community involvement throughout the process.”
But as a more-or-less political unknown, Henderson has his work cut out for him. While
Republicans, Salazar explained, will be in the field, too. “The GOP is feeling very emboldened right now because of the huge wins they had across the state and across the country,” Salazar said, adding that his caucus’ support helped push some candidates over the edge in the last municipal election.
Henderson said he’s planning to attend as many upcoming events to connect with local leaders and open up collaborations. He’ll have plenty of opportunities. Hillsborough’s
“It’s smart of him to start early. It is the new playbook, and he’s doing what he’s got to do,” Salazar said, pointing to Trump whose rewriting of campaign norms exposed the need to run year-round.
Young blood and new perspectives might be what the party needs, too. Especially in a county where there are only 2,232 more registered Democrats than Republicans.
“These last elections also told us that just because things seem secure—Hillsborough County seems like a pretty secure blue democratic area—they are not,” Salazar said. “We really have to be putting ourselves out there to be ready for that.”
EARLY BIRD: Alan Henderson is the first candidate to enter the 2027 Tampa mayoral race.
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RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Party time
New food and drink scene events to put on your calendar.
By Julia Saad
Prepare your stomachs and wallets for a fiveday culinary extravaganza coming to both sides of Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival (TBWFF) is back for the third time this spring when it stages a five-day “weekend” with six different events kicking off April 8.
The first day is an invite-only evening in the Tampa Club, a 42nd-story venue known for its amazing views of downtown. The public is welcome for the next two days, April 9-10, when tastings take over still-to-be-determined locations in St. Petersburg and Tampa.
The main events kick off Friday, April 11 with the chef showdown in Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park, which also hosts Saturday’s big grand tasting where guests can try more than 40 Tampa Bay restaurants then vote for “Best bite of the day.”
Another invite-only “Breaking Bread with Heroes” dinner welcomes first-responders, military and veterans on Friday, April 11.
Tickets to Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival happening Tuesday-Saturday, April 8-12 are still available and start at $150. Bundle tickets—and $50 under-21 tickets—are available, too. A full schedule is available via cltampa. com/food-drink.
Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival returns for eighth year
Believe it or not, you don’t have to stew your collard green for hours (sorry, grandma). The beloved Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival (TBCGF) makes its flavorful comeback midFebruary, showcasing many of the ways you can prepare the southern staple with global reach (in Brazil, they’re called “couve,” commonly paired with barbeque).
The one-day celebration—set for February in St. Petersburg—will include vendors, live music and educational workshops to promote healthier eating habits. The festival and organization started as a joke between church friends. Now, eight seasons later, the festival remains a staple community celebration of Black, brown and African-American heritage and cuisine in the Bay area.
The organization also hosts a Youth Entrepreneurship Row Accelerator event on Saturday, to promote vending in future events.
Over 13,000 attendees are expected to join the celebration, according to TBCGF. The festival is preceded by a 5K race and fitness extravaganza (Feb. 9) and the “Collards After Dark” fundraiser and community conversation on Valentine’s Day.
Visit tbcgf.org to participate in the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival cook off, become a vendor, donate to the organization or volunteer. There’s no cover for the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival happening Saturday, Feb. 15, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., at St. Petersburg Woodson African American Museum of Florida.
Creative Loafing’s ‘Highball’ cocktail competition returns to St. Pete this spring
The new year just kicked off, and you’re already thinking about having a drink. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay can help with that next month when its Highball cocktail competition returns to St. Petersburg.
The event at FloridaRama stylized (“FloridaRAMA”) finds some of the Bay area’s best bartenders presenting their take on the classic, two-ingredient cocktail served on the rocks. Featured liquors at Highball 2025, according to a press release, include Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Herradura Tequila, Ford’s Gin, Diplomatico Rum, and Chambord Liqueur.
More than a dozen different highball cocktails will be available for sampling, along with bites to help you soak up the booze, plus live music, tarot and other entertainment. Attendees
will also vote for their favorite cocktail from each spirit category. Bartenders from American Social, Sonder Social Club, Bar Tiki, Highland House, and The Living Room are some of the first confirmed competitors.
A portion of the proceeds from Highball 2025 benefit Current Initiatives of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit whose Laundry Project and Affordable Christmas efforts help families throughout the Bay area.
Tickets to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Highball 2025 cocktail competition and tasting happening Friday, Feb. 21 at FloridaRama in St. Petersburg are available now and start at $25.
VIP tickets ($50) include early-entry, free parking, passed appetizers, a VIP gift and more. Designated driver tickets ($20) get ticket holders in and access to all the food and non-alcoholic beverages they can stomach.—Ray Roa
GRAND OL’ PARTY: Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival’s main event is the April 12 grand tasting.
THURSDAY, JAN 9 | 5-8 PM
ART AFTER DARK
Enjoy discounted admission and exclusive programming, including engaging docent-led tours, thought-provoking lectures, film screenings, and more!
THURSDAY, JAN 9 | 6-7 PM
AIGRETTES, EGRETS, AND REGRETS
NINETEENTH-CENTURY FASHION AND THE DESIRE FOR FEATHERS
Feathers, long a staple of fashionable design, became paramount to the well-dressed in nineteenth-century Europe and the United States. This obsession with feathers in fashion reflected larger cultural interests in understanding and replicating the natural world. Join art historian Erin Wilson as she explores these sartorial and environmental legacies.
SATURDAY, JAN 11 | 10 AM-12 PM
SENSORY SATURDAYS
The MFA welcomes families with children with sensory sensitivities to explore the galleries. During this time, all rotating audio components will be turned down or muted to ensure a calm environment.
ANSEL ADAMS
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE MFA COLLECTION
AUDUBON’S BIRDS OF AMERICA
EXPLORE THE VAULTS THE ART OF NEW GUINEA
FÉLIX GONZÁLEZ-TORRES
“UNTITLED” (L.A.)
LIVE CONSERVATION
CONSERVING AN ALTARPIECE SCULPTURE
TEMPUS VOLAT, HORA FUGIT
Visit mfastpete.org for tickets, RSVPs, event information, and additional programs. Events are subject to change.
SOUND AND FURY: Jobsite kick's off 2025 with a show that might break down preconceived notions about The
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
Game night
Lab Theater Project and Jobsite Theater open new productions this week.
By Ray Roa
If you’re not thinking about layoffs in 2025, then count your lucky stars. Tough times seem to be a feature of life as of late, and this new work from English and Canadian playwright Guy Newsham doesn’t shy away from bringing the topic onstage.
In “Green Cheese”— directed at Lab by Katie Calahan—Olive, played by Jessie Mease, has to cut ties with one of two senior employees at her company.
much insight into the human condition as it offers up in belly laughs.”
THEATER
‘Macbeth’ at Jobsite Theater
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2 p.m. through Feb. 9. 24 & up. Jaeb Theater at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts. 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. jobsitetheater.org
One of them is her husband, and the other is her ex-boyfriend and best friend. Olive decides to let a party game make the decision for her.
“I love the humor between the long-term friends, and the vulnerability, that suddenly ramps up into
‘Bringing a knife to cake fight,’” Calahan wrote in a press release. “ This play gives as
Newsham—known for his prolific production of 10-minute plays—was inspired to write this longer piece about honor and power relationships when he was playing Trivial Pursuit with friends online during the pandemic. “Could you ever really be sure someone rolled what they said they rolled if the dice weren’t on camera?,” he asks. In his play, the characters are competing for absurd stakes. Nothing goes according to plan, and it’s unclear if the cast finds any real answers at all.
The show kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 9, and limited tickets will be available at the discounted price of $25, starting 10 minutes before
showtime at the nonprofit company that exclusively produces new works.
Rock the bard when ‘Macbeth’ opens at Jobsite Theater
Greed, ambition, and a lust for power also stand to be prevalent themes in 2025, and the Straz Center’s resident theater company will tackle all of them when “Macbeth” opens this week. Jobsite’s creative team is referring to its version of the classic as “Pictofuturism” that reimagines the lives of the ancient Picts people in the north of Scotland.
“This fantastical approach will inform all of the technical elements of the play, while maintaining Shakespeare’s original rich text in a slightly streamlined cutting,” a press release says, adding. “When Macbeth meets three witches who predict he will become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland, madness sets in and he and his wife seize power by all possible means, leading to murderous consequences.”
Best of the Bay-winning director David Jenkins follows Shakespeare’s lead for this production and stages it out of period, this time working with Chris Giuffre’s design team to
build a world closer to what someone might recognize from “Dune.”
“I think, visually, a style like this might break down some barriers or preconceived notions folks have about Shakespeare. People might often feel intimidated by this stuff, but then I watch them binge hours and hours of content in the worlds of Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones or Dune with no problem,” Jenkins wrote in promotional material. “If we can adopt an aesthetic that makes this stuff feel more accessible to folks from jump, why wouldn’t we do that?”
Starring Bay area theater scene giant Giles Davies—2024 winner of Theatre Tampa Bay Awards’ Outstanding Actor in a Play—alongside fellow favorite Katrina Stevenson, plus Cornelio Aguilera, Troy Padraic Brooks, Logan Franke, Mon Lim, Jared Sellick, and Blake Smallen, Jobsite has once again tapped Jeremy Douglass for a new original score that will have newbs to the company’s musical repertoire saying, “What bloody man is that?”
Tickets to see “Macbeth” inside Tampa’s Jaeb Theater at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts Center in Tampa on select nights from Jan. 15-Feb. 9 start at $24 and increase by demand.
Bard.
Friday, January 10 / Doors at 10:00pm
LAYZ • Aftershock Tour @ The Ritz Ybor 1503 E 7th Ave, Tampa
GA - $15 • GA Day Of - $20 bit.ly/layz2024
Friday + Saturday, January 10, 11 / See website for details
Jay Pharoah @ The Funny Bone Comedy Club 1600 E 8th Ave C-112, Tampa
GA tickets start at $37 https://tampa.funnybone.com/calendar/
Saturday, January 11 / 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Lux Pole Cabaret @ The Castle 2004 North 16th Street, Tampa
GA - $25 • VIP - $100 - $400 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lux-pole-cabaret-11125saturday-tickets-1092449619219?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
Every Saturday : January 11 / 9:00am - 3:00pm Ybor City Saturday Market @ Centennial Park 1800 E. 8th Ave Free to the public https://ybormarket.com/
Friday, January 13 / Doors at 8:00pm • Show at 12:00am SANDMAN & DEACON BACK AGAIN @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa
Free to the Public https://www.crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events
Tuesday, January 14 / 11:30am - 1:00pm January Chamber Luncheon @ Columbia Restaurant Ybor City 2117 E. 7th Ave. Tampa
Members $35 • Non-Members $45 https://members.ybor.org/events
Every Tuesday : January 14 / 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Anything Goes Open Mic Tuesday @ The Fringe Theater
1624 E 7th Ave Ste 307, Tampa
Pay What You Can https://theatre.tampafringe.org/
Thursday, January 16 / Event 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Paul Hobbs Wine Dinner @ Columbia Restaurant 2117 East 7th Avenue Tampa
Chicken Yoga with Yoga Loft @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Avenue, Tampa
$10 per person https://www.yogalofttampa.com/events
Sunday, January 19 / 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Popcorn and Wine Pairing @ Society Wine Bar 1600 E 7th Ave, Tampa
$40 per person https://linktr.ee/yborcitywinebar
Try Out These Restaurants:
LARA - Opening Soon 1919 East 7th Avenue https://www.tampalara.com
Ocean Ink • Opening Soon! 632 E 7th Avenue, Tampa https://www.oceaninkraw.com
Society Wine Bar
1600 E 7th Avenue, Tampa https://yborcitywinebar.com/
Jimmy’s Tacos
1604 N 17th Street, Tampa https://jimmystacosfl.com/
Asiatic Street Food & Noodle Bar
1600 E 8th Avenue #D101, Tampa
https://asiaticstreetfood-noodle.com/
Where to Live:
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. https://casaybor.com/
Places To Visit:
Yoga Loft
2002 E 5th Avenue, UNIT 102, Tampa
The Yoga Loft is a space to breathe deeply, quiet the mind, and strengthen and heal the body. Check out their fun events and classes! https://www.yogalofttampa.com/
TECO Line Streetcar System Operates every 15 minutes
(Every 12 minutes during peak hours; Friday 1 PM to 9 PM, Saturday 1:00 PM to 10 PM, and Sunday 12 PM to 8 PM.) http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/
Ybor City Tattoo Company 1901 E 5th Avenue, Tampa
Ybor City Tattoo is a full-service tattoo and piercing studio located in Ybor City since 2010. We are a custom studio working with each client to create a truly one-of-a-kind tattoo. YCTC has a variety of artists specializing in different styles such as traditional, portrait, Japanese. https://yborcitytattoocompany.com/
REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK
Great communicator
LaRue Nickelson brings new work to Tampa Jazz Club’s 2025 kickoff.
By Ray Roa
The folklore around LaRue Nickelson almost sets the Tampa guitarist up as a mythical figure whose talent is more-or-less unrivaled in the Bay area. His admirers, for the most part, aren’t wrong, but last Sunday afternoon, after working two church gigs in the morning, the 50-year-old spent a few hours partaking in something the proletariat was up to as well.
“I just got done watching the football game,” Nickelson told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. That matchup on the field saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punch a ticket to the playoffs for the fifth season in a row. It was a rare moment in time when Nickelson didn’t have his instrument in his hand, but come the same time next Sunday, he, too, will have just wrapped up what promises to be one hell of a show.
could be doing, it’s hard to say it’s like ‘work, work’, but I spend time on it every day, and pretty much have for my whole life, but it’s definitely more enjoyable than work,” he said.
Not just for him either. Other guitarists can see the devotion Nickelson has to his instrument, and they are in awe of what that time spent together has borne.
INTERVIEW
Tampa Jazz Club: LaRue Nickelson Group
Sunday, Jan. 12. 3 p.m. $10-$25 (no cover for HCC students and staff). Mainstage Theatre at Hillsborough Community College, 1411 E 11th Ave., Ybor City. tampajazzclub.com
“You should have seen the scores,” Steve Splane told CL. The former host of WUSF’s since-canceled All Night Jazz was talking about the compositions on paper the last time he saw Nickelson—who’s now taught guitar at the University of South Florida for a quartercentury—stage a show similar to the one he’s bringing to Ybor City this weekend.
Nickelson was doling out incrediblyelaborate, six-and-seven-piece band charts, Splane—who now spends his days as a photographer, and on the boards of the Suncoast Jazz Festival and Tampa Jazz Club— explained. “But then when you listen, it just flows out so effortlessly. It’s a traditional horn section, straight ahead, modern acoustic jazz, but he plays electric guitar and it’s an amazing blend and unique sound.”
“When you dedicate your life to something so abstract, and explore your relationship to it unencumbered, great things can happen,” Nate Najar, another one of the foremost jazz guitarists in the Bay area, told CL. The guitar, he added, offers so many more branches to explore thanks to its many sounds and all the legends who’ve also devoted their lives to the instrument. He said Nickelson is, without a doubt, one of those great artists. Najar lauded Nickelson’s sensibility around phrasing, and noted how, no matter what’s being played or how he’s playing it, Nickelson is an exemplar of communicating through melody.
“And his sense of taste is unparalleled—these are all things one can learn from awareness, exposure and reflection, but these are not things that can necessarily be taught,” Najar added. “And because his range of experience and exposure is so vast, he plays things that seemingly defy convention.”
“He plays things that seemingly defy convention.”
For his part, Nickelson, who first jumped into guitar after hearing Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and “Iron Man,” has traditionally brushed off the praise, reminding anyone with a compliment that he does have to really work at it. For a moment though, you could almost hear him smiling through the phone when he added this part: “I mean, it’s fun work. Compared to what you
Dominic Walker, who leads the DI CoffeeBar Friday Night Jazz series (more on p. 36), told CL that Nickelson can play anything he wants or hears in his head, and added, “He could be playing any jazz standard and his improvisation inspired by Charlie Parker, Allan Holdsworth, Angus Young, Yngwie Malmsteen and B.B. King all at the same time would not sound out of place.”
Nickelson doesn’t really believe that.
“You try, you know. I’m always trying to get better, but that’s why you practice. If you could do anything that popped into your head, you wouldn’t need to really work at it anymore—but
I don’t know anybody who’s done that,” Nickelson said, proving Walker’s other point.
“He’s basically never satisfied,” Walker added, “which annoys the hell out of us because we all dream of playing half as good.”
And there are other players with imagination and chops that capture Nickelson’s attention.
“I’ve seen guys in their 20s and said to myself, ‘Wow, I thought maybe somebody could do that, but I didn’t take the time to do it,” he added. One player Nickelson hung out with, Thomas Griggs, had that effect on him, and so did fingerstyle guitarist Chris Cava.
On Sunday in Ybor City, Nickelson will be surrounded by guys he holds in even higher regard, including longtime drummer Walt Hubbard and Mark Neuenschwander on bass. Nickelson can’t pinpoint exactly when he decided to pursue three-horn arrangements for the
original tunes he’s bringing to the gig, but an Orlando-based horn section—Daniel Jordan on tenor sax, Frank Wosar playing trombone, and trumpeter Scott Dickinson—will help bring that vision to life. And instead of piano, he’s tapped Cole Hazlitt to play some chords on vibraphone.
“The vibes and guitar blend very well together,” he added.
The show, undoubtedly, will be a peek into a musical mind that’s truly a treasure of the local scene. More than that though, it’s another chance for Nickelson—who records rough MIDIdriven versions of his songs as demos—to explore and play the game.
“That’s the fun,” he said about the experience of getting to bring the sounds from his mind to life alongside other players. “I’m kind of lucky that I get to play music and write music. I’m kind of like a kid with this stuff.”
HIP CAT: LaRue Nickelson is revered among Tampa Bay jazz fans.
Take seven
Where to see jazz in Tampa Bay, on any night of the week.
By Ray Roa
LaRue Nickelson is the first to admit that he’s not the guy you want to talk to when you’re looking for live jazz in Tampa Bay on any given night of the week.“I don’t get out enough,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
If the guitarist is not onstage working (more on that on p. XX) or working on music in the classroom, he’s being a homebody with his wife and three cats, Hodor, Kilgore Trout, and Pea. He does have fond memories, however, of seeing local legends like guitarist Larry Camp playing alongside iconic trumpeter Buster Cooper at the since-shuttered Garden on St. Pete’s First Block (there’s a camper-themed bar there now).
“He was really important to me for my first, like, five years here,” Nickelson added. While he won’t be out, Bay area jazz fans do have plenty options when it comes to seeing the artform on any night of the week.
In an effort to update a couple of nearly five-year-old listings, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked readers and members of the Jazz in Pinellas County social media group to chime in on where they would catch live jazz on any day of the week. Please reach out to rroa@cltampa. com to tell us what we missed, but here’s some of what we found. Find an updated and expanded listing via cltampa.com/music.
Monday
The Al Downing Jazz Foundation’s jam at The Hangar with Dwayne White is still the
gold standard for Bay area Monday jazz hangs. Emergent talent can play alongside seasoned vets, and visitors can gawk at the planes taking off and landing in the background at Albert Whitted Airport. It happens from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at 540 1st St. SE in St. Petersburg. Eight miles towards the beach on Mondays is another popular Monday gig featuring The Tomcats Jazz Band playing CJ’s Backstage at 7022 22nd Ave. N starting at 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Iconic Tampa jazz pianist and singer Kitty Daniels just passed away, and it’ll be hard to fill her shoes, but her home base at Donatello’s, including residents Kelly Mettling and Jerry Kenney, will maintain its commitment to hosting live jazz seven nights a week in its San Marco Lounge located at 232 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa.
year-round on Fridays-Saturdays, too. On the Tampa side, Shuffle hosts a jazz, funk and soul night every Wednesday though May 28.
Thursday
While it happens just on the last Thursday of each month, this British pub gig at The Horse & Jockey (1155 Pasadena Ave. S, South Pasadena) attracts the cream of the crop who come to play onstage with trumpeter James Suggs and The Crew, which includes Bryan Hughes on vocals, John O’Leary or Stretch Bruyn on piano, Jean Bolduc on drums and Steve Boisen on bass (with occasional appearances from Bay area jazz totem John Lamb). Positano’s Ristorante (3309 Tampa Rd., Palm Harbor) devotes its Thursdays to jazz every week.
VENUES
Other surefire Tuesday gigs happen at Eddie V’s in Tampa (4400 W Boy Scout Blvd.), plus Dunedin’s Fenway Hotel (453 Edgewater Dr.), which hosts saxophonist Kyle Schroeder, plus more artists on Thursday and Friday nights.
Wednesday Look to south Pinellas county where the small town of Gulfport hosts jazz at The North End Taphouse & Kitchen (2908 Beach Blvd. S). The veranda at Pia’s Trattoria (3054 Beach Blvd. S) has live music (including jazz) on WednesdaysFridays when the season is on, and stages it
If you’re hoping to stay downtown on Thursday, look no further than Ruby’s Elixir (15 3rd St. N, St., St. Petersburg), one of the busiest live music venues in Tampa Bay, which hosts a trio featuring bassist Hiram Hazley. Less than two miles from Ruby’s is Left Bank Bistro (1225 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N) where the Jazz Librarians set up camp.
Friday
Fresh off its first anniversary, DI CoffeeBar’s Friday Night Jazz finds guitarist Dominic Walker on the back patio entertaining about 75 people each week, with open jams and shows featuring small ensembles. Walker credits a lot of the vibe to DI CoffeeBar owners Marilyn and Ramon Perez, who just celebrated 10-years open on the island. They’ve been committed to having music, and they’ve built a crowd that almost needs to come together each week for what’s now the premier Friday night jazz gig in town. DI CoffeeBar’s no-cover Friday Night
Jazz happens Fridays from 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. at 214 E Davis Blvd. in Tampa.
Located at 310 E Tarpon Ave., H’ours Creole Smokehouse in Tarpon Springs—where the Jazz Phools play on the first and third Fridays—is among the handful of places to catch a gig to kick off the weekend. Also reliable for Friday night jazz are Dunedin’s Crown & Bull (319 Main St. No. 5733) and Lakeland’s Jazz Loft (108 S Tennessee Ave.).
Saturday
H’ours Creole is at it again on Saturdays along with Ybor City’s Copper Shaker (1502 E 7th Ave.), but jazz fans will want to save the first and third Saturdays for jazz on the patio at Independent Bar and Cafe (5016 N Florida Ave.), which hosts one of the longest-running regular jazz nights in the Bay area.
Sunday
There are a lot of jazz gigs to be had in Pinellas on Sundays, from brunches at Palm Harbor’s Bogata Kitchen (917 11th St.) and lunches (Boulevard Burgers & Tap House, 5905 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach) to matinees at St. Pete’s Studio Public House (2950 Central Ave.). Floridian Social (687 Central Ave. N) has a fantastic jazz Sunday afternoon jazz series, while Scotty Wright regularly plays Tampa Bay Drinkery (2756 Central Ave.) as a nightcap. And if you’re in Tampa, head to Old Seminole Heights’ Corner Club (1502 E Sligh Ave., Tampa) on the second Sunday of every month to see the young talent from the In The Pocket ensemble take on tunes from the likes of Clarence Clemons, Grover Washington Jr., and seemingly everything in between. The last Sundays of the month are also home to tea shop shows at Kaleisia Tea Lounge (1441 E Fletcher Ave. No. 1).
BUMPIN’ AT SUNSET: Dunedin’s Fenway Hotel hosts jazz at least four nights a week.
MARRIOTT
By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL Recommends
THU 09
C Daikaiju w/Cozy In The Black/ Prescribed Fire Seeing the unhinged surfrock quartet in person is a rite of passage for any self-respecting live music fan. Part death-defying sideshow, part-concert, a show from Daikaiju is a theatrical experience, sweaty as it is scary and sensational, as the band moves from the stage to anywhere in the venue it’s safe to strike a match. With 25 years of bandom under its belt, there’s still no other touring rock act like kabuki maskwearing Daikaiju. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)
C Judy Collins You can’t help but wonder if the 85-year-old folk singer—who first listened to Joni Mitchell singing her “Both Sides Now” over the phone— knew the eventual recording would launch both of their names into countless American households. These days, Collins has songwriting on her mind, largely thanks to her late friend, Leonard Cohen asking her why she didn’t write her own songs very early on. There surely won’t be a shortage of tracks from her latest, alloriginals album Spellbound , but you might also get to hear Collins quote a Facebook meme or two in between stories of her father during this annual stop in downtown Clearwater’s historic 750-seater. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
C Kaleigh Baker’s Songwriters in the Round: Ella Jet w/Joshua Lamkin/Terri Binion Baker told CL last year that she’d be looking into a more showcase-based style for her band’s live performances, and it looks like that also goes for a few of The Someday Honey frontwoman solo performances. This gig promises to rotate songs and stories from Baker (who opened for Rufus Wainwright weeks before starting a sabbatical that saw her temporarily move to New York) and three other local singer-songwriters. Ella Jet (“Sunshine and Roses”) had a hell of a year, having split her time between the Bay area and Nashville while also rocking an intimate set at Hulaween. Tampa expat Josh Lamkin—who also lives in Nashville—continues focusing heavily on his eponymous guitar business, which sees him customize and repair axes of all sorts. Orlando folkie Terri Binion rounds things out. (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
C Tycho Hard to believe, but it’s been eight years since San Francisco producer Scott Hansen was been in town with his ambient music project. Following an incredibly successful rollout of his uber-chill latest album Infinite Health, the 47-year-old better known as Tycho gave fans an early Christmas present, the Where You Are EP. It’s basically a sampler for Health itself, just featuring an extended version of Hansen’s title-track collaboration
THU JANUARY 09–THU JANUARY 16
with Cautious Clay. “To make the most positive impact on the people you love and the people that love you, you have to be the healthiest, strongest version of yourself and that includes both physical and emotional health,” Hansen wrote in a release. “Music has a unique ability to heal and help people with things they are going through. It’s always been my goal when I consume music to find a meditation or a healing property in it. And I only hope that my music can do that for people.”
(Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
FRI 10
C Andy & The Argonauts (EP release) w/The Rebekah Pulley Twosome/Joshua Reilly Following a successful single release gig with Have Gun, Will Travel last weekend, Matt Burke will prove that he’s one of the most versatile artists in Tampa Bay’s music scene when he helps showcase the vision of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andy Brey, who fronts and founded heavy power-folk band Andy & the Argonauts. Brey’s band—which includes Burke on electric guitar, plus Jesse Martin on drums and Jesse’s brother Chris on bass—has penned gothic tunes about the 1991 eruption of the Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo which affected
the climate for a few years (Brey is a geologist by day). His band releases a four-song EP after support sets by two of the Bay area’s most-revered songwriters. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)
Mortal Sons (album release) w/ Persephone’s Choice/Giorgi/Hibiscus/ Fear The Hammer Proggy, fresh-faced Tampa blues-rock band Mortal Sons (FFO: Sabbath, Halloween) celebrates the release of its new album, Songs Of A Dead Gravemaker. A clutch of the group’s rock and roll compadres opens. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Ryan Montgomery The Lake Worth resident got his start playing country music covers as a teenaged tailgater at West Palm Beach’s iThink Financial Amphitheatre, where Montgomery would eventually share a bill with the likes of Chase Rice and Morgan Wallen. The 26-year-old went on to put out a string of mostly self-written singles and EPs (a rarity in said territory), until last October’s Lettin’ The Night Roll , which saw Montgomery collaborate with songwriters that penned the tracks for his bro-country cohorts that brought him to where he is today. If you’re still struggling to let go of last summer’s recurring country theme in the higher-tier live music scene, grab a drink in
your Solo cup and hightail it down to the Bull. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)
Seals & Crofts 2 Two years after the death of Jim Seals, a relative of the yacht-rock hero—his cousin Brady Seals—brings the spirit of “Summer Breeze” back to St. Pete. Brady’s partner in the music is Dash Crofts’ daughter Lua, and together they will not just revive the songs of their ancestors, but play new singles like last year’s “Runnin’ To the Sun,” as well. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
SAT 11
C Python feat. Adam Deitch, BigUki, Eric 'Benny' Bloom, and Brad Miller w/Brain Emoji/RisKay The drummer of Lettuce—one of the best funk jam bands on the scene right now—recently opened Deitch Academy, an online, membership-only series of instructional videos where he opens up his bag of tricks to aspiring percussionists wondering about his techniques, inspirations, and beyond. It’s pretty handy, considering all the MasterClass ads we’re seeing, and a monthly pass would be a considerably cheap
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Kaleigh Baker
late Christmas gift. We don’t anticipate that it’ll be long before Lettuce returns to town, but in the meantime, the band’s trumpeter and drummer continue on with their fairly new, similarly categorized supergroup this weekend. The show is a branching out for Michael Lyn Bryant, who manages Dunedin Brewery and has booked music at the venue for 15 years. It finds Bryant, who’s easily booked more than 2,500 no-cover gigs in his hometown, teaming up with Bay area scene lifer Shawn Kyle, who recently left Floridian Social and is continuing his work cementing Bayboro Brewing Co.’s status as one of the best new venues in St. Pete. Deitch’s group, Python, has its own fresh take on hip-hop, jazz, and funk, which is fitting for Bryant’s new chapter as a promoter. Opening the show is Brain Emoji, a collaboration between Bryant and seasoned jam-scene guitarist Joe Marcinek. (Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg)
C The Handlers w/Mark Wagner & The Bad Habits Some Underoath fans were left befuddled last month when the hardcore hero tapped The Handlers to open the final night of a four-night stand. Unabashedly country, the band features Tampeño and Underoath sound man J.J. Revell along with Nashville’s Riley “Rowdy” Anglen who is the drum tech for the band. Together, the boys have probably traveled more than a million miles side-by-side for the last decade, and the brotherhood oozes out on songs like “Match & Gasoline.” Mark Wagner’s Bad Habits project opens what’s easily the best country music show happening in the Bay area this week. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
C Jeremy Gloff The last person that expected Jeremy Gloff to stay fertile and artistic through his 40s was Gloff himself, but here he is staring 50 in the face the only way he knows how—with a loud celebration. The longtime Tampa pop songwriter has collected his best songs of the last decade into 50 AF: The Best Of Jeremy Gloff Vol. 2 , which features six new tunes including “All I’ve Found,” recorded with Rebekah Pulley and Matt Burke on three-part harmony. The release marks Gloff’s 25th album, and while it’s tempting to call the party an exclamation point on a life well-lived, it’s not hard to imagine Gloffy creating until the day he dies. (The Disco Dolls Studio, Tampa)
C Dunedin International Film Festival: Jerome Derradji w/Austen van der Bleek
The Dunedin International Film Festival kicked off Wednesday, taking over six venues to present comedy specials, panels, shorts, documentaries and feature-length work. It dips its toes into St. Petersburg’s Warehouse District for a gig headlined by Derradji, a French Chicagoan and DJ who founded the Still Music label in 2004. Derradji narrates “Taking Back the Groove,” one of the festival’s first films, and a documentary that tells the story of Bronx disco star Richie Weeks. Expect him to spin tunes by Weeks at this set, along with more obscure disco, funk and house. (Suite E Studios, St. Petersburg)
Jdog and Syd Plays Bangers w/Lucky Duck and GothPrepBoy/We’re Sweet Girls A busy month of concerts at Bananas’ retail location on 22nd Avenue N kicks off with this dance party anchored by Bay area collective We’re Sweet Girls. (Bananas Records, St. Petersburg)
C Songwriter Club: Leon Majcen and guests w/Shawn Kyle After helping shut down six-year Tampa music venue Hooch and Hive late last year, Bay area expat Majcen makes a quick swing back home to play a hyper intimate show that is the second installment of a songwriter series inside St. Pete’s Jack Kerouac House (the shows are in the living room, with overflow seating on the screened patio). Bosnian by blood, Majcen’s music is pure Americana, inspired by Townes, Prine, Dylan and Guy Clark, then propelled by hammer-ons and a gruffvocal that should be coming out of a man three-times his age. Hosting is Shawn Kyle, frontman of rowdy Tampa rock and roll outfit The Beauville. Advance tickets are highly-recommended as there will be no day-of sales in the event of a sellout. (Jack Kerouac House, St. Petersburg)
C A tribute to Jimmy Buffett feat. members of the Coral Reefer Band There’s no shortage of Jimmy Buffett tributes, but very few of the outings after the late trop-rock pioneers death actually have connections to the legend himself. Coral Reefer vocalists Nadirah Shakoor and Tina Gullickson are on the bill for this one along with Doyle Grisham, whose pedal steel was first heard by Parrotheads on Buffet’s “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean.” St. Pete resident and “Coral Reefer #001” Roger Bartlett rounds things out along with John Frinzi who collaborates with Grisham. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
SUN 12
C Tampa Oyster Fest: Pony Bradshaw There are a lot of narratives currently circulating about what rural America looks like. James Bradshaw’s version of North Georgia is one we’d revisit over and over again. The Coosa and Hiawassee Rivers flow through the heart of the 43-year-old’s latest album, Thus Spoke the Fool , released last month. Recorded in an old Athens, Georgia church, the 10-track outing from the former newspaper man finds Bradshaw’s once bluegrass-centric sound adding more texture to mountain music that ignores cliches in favor of pointed storytelling that sheds light on a region often overlooked by the rest of the country. One single from Fool , “The Long Man,” honors the Cherokee people and the land they once inhabited, land where Bradshaw has resided with his family for nearly two decades. “To the Cherokee, the Long Man is a ‘personification of the river, whose head lays in the mountains and feet stretch to the sea,’” Bradshaw—an Arkansas, Texas native who lived nomadically until settling in Georgia—wrote in a press release. “Some folks believe in the legend, passed down through generations, which tells the story of a spectral figure who wanders and watches over the rivers and mountains of Cherokee land.” There’s also a little dry humping and beating off happening on the actually-beautiful cut, “Young Eudora.” Bradshaw—who performs as Pony Bradshaw—brings all that history and storytelling to a popular fundraiser in the Palm River-Clair Mel neighborhood. Perennial Oyster Fest favorite Applebutter Express is also on the bill along with Fil Pate Trio, one
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The Handlers
tix&info: www dot aestheticized dot com
"Keeping
of the best instrumental bands in Tampa Bay. (Tabellas at Delaney Creek, Tampa)
Winter Jam: Skillet w/Anne Wilson/KB/ Colton Dixon/NewSong/Micah Tyler This gig might do for anyone who resolves to go to church more often this year. One of the biggest Christian music tours in history makes its annual stop in Tampa Bay, this time with a homegrown talent—St. Petersburg rapper KB—joining headliner Skillet and more. Tickets are just $15 at the door. (Yuengling Center, Tampa)
SUN 12
Daniella Mass The Colombia-born polyglot—whose four-octave vocal range landed her stage with Andrea Bocelli and on “America’s Got Talent” last decade—performs this matinee as part of the New Tampa establishment’s “unplugged” series. Expect to hear Mass perform selections from her “Liri pop” catalog featuring operatic originals and traditional pieces. (New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
Nile w/Six Feet Under/Psycroptic/ Embryonic Autopsy In its fourth decade of existence, Nile may be a different band, but it still holds strong with original main creative force Karl Sanders still at the helm. The Greenville-based metal outfit (now equipped with a new bassist and an additional guitarist) is pushing its new studio album The Underworld Awaits Us All , and Sanders recently revealed that because of the first half being far more electrifying than the second half, there were arguments over how the record could be executed on vinyl. In his mind, side A and side B of an album are generally two very different things, but in the end, most of the mainstream pressings were made into two LP sets. There’ll probably be a few available for sale during Nile’s first gig in town since a 2022 gig at Orpheum’s since-shuttered Ybor City location. (Orpheum, Tampa)
WED 15
C Permanent Makeup w/Deep Bite/ Pleasure Cube/Knife Rituals This loud, midweek treat pairs well with some of the best beer in Tampa Bay for this gig that is the first of the year for longtime homegrown proto-punk outfit Permanent Makeup. Together with Tampa shoegaze outfit Deep Bite, the band supports Pleasure Cube, in town all the way from Minneapolis and less than year removed from the release of a grunge two-song single that tiptoes the line between art-punk and noise-rock. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
Sheer Terror w/Drawn Out/No Plea/ Remote Control Just weeks following the end of its 40th year in existence, Sheer Terror—a New York punk outfit described as one of the first ones to bring heavy metal sounds to punk—brings a fairly diverse career retrospective to one of Tampa’s longest-running metal bars. If you decide to attend as one of the group’s titular characters (and there are plenty to choose from), please, for everyone’s sake, don’t select “Skinhead Girl,” OK? (Brass Mug, Tampa)
Moon Medallion w/Razor and the Boogiemen/Dissentors This Texan punk band makes a point to be a mostly instrumental project, and its eponymous debut album (released last summer) is a reminder of how multifaceted punk is. There are tinges of psychedelia in the album’s whimsy guitar licks, and though there were some lyrics here and there, we only wish that violinist Maddy Brotherton had a chance to take the spotlight with her fiddle. A recent gig in Gibbon, Minnesota must’ve seen the quartet at its best, because a four-track live EP recorded at the show (and mostly made up of tracks from its eponymous debut album) was released on Bandcamp last month, and if it can be replicated, no one’s gonna complain if another live EP called Tampa ends up in the cards. With different tracks, of course. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)
See an extended version of this listing via cltampa.com/music.
For the first time in a decade, Alison Krauss and Union Station are going on tour, and the band’s long journey ends right here in Florida this fall.
A press release said the band now includes IIIrd Tyme Out’s Russell Moore, who is the most-awarded male vocalist in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association. Moore, who just celebrated his 61st birthday, joins Krauss, 53, plus longtime Union Station members Ron Block, Barry Bales, and dobro legend Jerry Douglas, who joined in 1998.
“I’m so grateful to get to make music again with my comrades of 40 years,” Krauss said in a press release announcing the 73-date run. “They’ve always accomplished incredible work individually and have been constantly traveling because of it. We’re very inspired to experience this new exciting chapter in the band’s history.”
The press release added that the band has plans to release new music, its first since 2011’s Paper Airplane, which won Grammy awards for Best Bluegrass Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Tickets to see Alison Krauss and Union Station play Clearwater’s BayCare Sound on Saturday, Sept. 27 are on sale now and start at $39.50. Old Crow Medicine Show founder Willie Watson opens the show along with Union Station’s two other Florida dates in St. Augustine (Sept. 26) and Hollywood (Sept. 28). See Josh Bradley’s weekly rundown of new concert announcements in Tampa Bay below.—Ray Roa
Frikitona Friday, Jan. 17. 10 p.m. $17.67. Crowbar, Ybor City
Cochise Sunday, March 30. 8 p.m. $25. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Violent Femmes Monday-Tuesday, March 31-April 1. 8 p.m. Nnight two $44.50 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
MercyMe Tuesday, April 3. 7 p.m. $25 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa
Bright Light Social Hour Saturday, April 5. 8:45 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City
Damaged goods
By Dan Savage
My husband and I have been together 15 years and been through pretty much all of the ups and downs sexually that a monogamous relationship offers. Two years ago, my husband was in an accident and broke his back. The accident resulted in some mild-to-moderate nerve damage to his legs and a newfound case of premature ejaculation. I adore my husband and while toys normally help finish the job for me, I’m left wanting for our old sex life. I’m also worried about his satisfaction. His lack of endurance stresses him out and I end up feeling like it’s more important for me to fake an orgasm, so he doesn’t feel bad and worry about his performance.
He’s tried Cialis but it causes more nerve spasms than it’s worth. I’m at a loss. I’ve found very little in my research on back injuries and the effects on sexual functions and don’t know what else to do or where to look.
I want to be satisfied like I used to be, but I also don’t want to broach the subject with my husband without having an action plan in place. He’s not as open about discussing things and definitely a sensitive soul. I just want to ride my husband like I used to and selfishly not worry about holding back for his sake. I know he wants the same. How the fuck do we get back there?—Back Where We Belong
meeting for the first time and recreate their first few weeks of dating. Another option might be one of the various desensitizing ointments and creams that contain lidocaine available over the counter.”
Zooming out for a second: I’ve been on the receiving end of one or two of those desensitizing creams in my time, BWWB, and I strongly recommend very carefully applying it only to the last couple of inches of his hard dick before carefully rolling a condom over the whole thing. You wanna numb his dick, not your hole.
Zooming right back in: Even if your husband agrees to seek treatment, BWWB, and even if that treatment proves effective, the process is gonna take some time. So, this is how your husband’s dick works—at least for the time being—and both Dr. Gelman and I think you should make the best of it.
SAVAGE LOVE
“Sexual dysfunction due to back and spinal cord injuries are very common,” said Dr. Rachel Gelman, a physical therapist who lives and works in the Bay Area. “There are reports of premature or rapid ejaculation after back injuries, which makes sense: erections and ejaculation require a lot of systems to be working together well, one of which is the nervous system.”
So, if the nerves running to and from your husband’s cock were damaged or compromised during his accident, BWWB, is there anything that can be done?
“There are many treatment options available,” said Dr. Gelman. “I would strongly recommend having him consult a sexual medicine provider. The Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) and The International Sexual Medicine Society (ISSM) are great options to get resources and find a local provider. There are also sex therapists and counselors that can discuss exercises or strategies to address his PE.”
Dr. Gelman also had a few recommendations—a few sex sex tips—while your husband waits for his first appointment with a specialist.
“She could try having him wear a condom,” said Dr. Gelman, “the theory being that a condom can help reduce sensitivity and delay ejaculation. And if they want to spice things up—and justify the condom—they could pretend they’re
“This could be an opportunity to play around with new routines and sexual activities,” said Dr. Gelman. “Try more toys—BWWB mentioned that toys are usually a win for her—and go slow and take more time to build things up. And sex doesn’t have to end just because he climaxed. Depending on how long his refractory period is, they could take a break, have a snack, and then go for round two. Or he could just focus on BWWB’s pleasure after his climax.
“And while I fully support BWWB’s desire to ride her husband to her heart’s content like she used to,” said Dr. Gelman, “it’s important to remember that our bodies do change over time.”
Ideally, this process—we age, things change—is a gradual one, and we discover new tricks, new pleasures, and fun new ways of getting off. But when changes come fast, BWWB, their very swiftness can make it hard to adjust.
“I hear the distress this issue is causing for BWWB and her husband,” said Dr. Gelman, “and those feelings are perfectly understandable. But a reminder that stress and anxiety can be mood killers.”
So, in addition to asking your husband to see the doctors and do the work so he can maybe last longer again someday, you should invite your husband to do things he can nail right now: oral sex, mutual masturbation, internal and external vibrators, big and small strap-ons, etc. To build up his confidence again, BWWB, you need to put the focus on joy and pleasure—both of you do—and take the focus off penetration and endurance. And if you approach other routes to pleasure as good and possibly great sex and not as sad consolation prizes, BWWB, you can start having great sex again tonight.
Dr. Rachel Gelman is a pelvic floor specialist and a sexuality counselor. You can follow @
pelvichealthsf on Instagram and Threads and learn more about her work—and pelvic health in general—at pelvicwellpt.com.
My fiancé is a lovely man, and we have a wonderful relationship. My mother is a difficult woman, and we have a complicated relationship. She followed my fiancé on Instagram after I introduced her to him, and then—after extensive sleuthing—she found his alt. My mom is now convinced my fiancé is abusing me because we’re into BDSM and she wants me to call the wedding off. This is rich coming from a woman who made zero effort to protect me and my sisters from any of the abusive men she married. My mother disinvited us for Christmas, which was frankly a relief, but now she’s threatening to send screenshots to my very Christian sisters and their husbands if I don’t break things off with my fiancé and “get mental help.” I worked hard to reestablish a relationship with my sisters in adulthood (I’m the youngest, they left home as soon as they could) and I’m afraid I won’t have any family at all when this is over. How do I navigate this?—Boy’s Disturbingly Shitty Mom
Your mom has a weapon in her hands right now—screenshots of your fiancé’s alt—and there’s only one way to disarm her: tell your sisters everything. You don’t have to send them screenshots of your own or (God forbid) links to your fiancé’s alt, BDSM, you only have to give them a rough but accurate outline: you and your fiancé are kinky, you shared some pictures on an obscure corner of the Internet, and your mom somehow managed to find them. Emphasize to your siblings that you wouldn’t be sharing these details about your sex life if your mother hadn’t invaded your quasi-privacy (you guys did share those pics publicly) and wasn’t now trying to blackmail you by
free to copy and paste this into your group chat: “BDSM is cops and robbers for grownups—minus pants, plus orgasms—and studies have shown that adults who enjoy this kind of sex play with other consenting adults are just as emotionally healthy as people who do not. So, there’s no need to worry about me and the only person who should be ashamed of themselves right now is mom.”
threatening to send screenshots to your sisters. If they’re upset to learn these facts about your sex life, BDSM, tell them to go yell at your mother. And if your sisters are judgmental about your kinks and/or concerned for your safety, BDSM, feel
Tell your sisters they can decide for themselves what, if anything, they wanna share with their husbands—their husbands, their problem— and urge them not to open any emails or texts they get from mom with attached photos. Then send a long text to your mom: let mom know you told your sisters everything, let mom know you’re not breaking up with your fiancé, and let mom know—at least for the time being—she’s not invited to your wedding. Then let mom know you will call the actual cops (not the pretend ones) and press charges if she sends those screenshots to your sisters or anyone else. Most people who get arrested for revenge porn (“revealing sexually explicit images [with the] intent of causing distress or embarrassment”) are angry exes, BDSM, but revenge porn is a crime even when a parent does it. Let your mom know. And finally, BDSM, you will have family when this is over. Because your soon-to-be husband and the people in your lives who love and sup - port you—as individuals and a couple—are already your family. They may not be your family of origin, BDSM, but they’re definitely your family of destination. Don’t let what you might lose… and stand to benefit from losing… blind you to what you already have. Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.
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NOTICE is hereby given that the undersigned, LeAnne Selman, of 1810 E. Palm Ave., Apt 2303, Tampa, FL 33605, pursuant to the requirements of the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, is hereby advertising the following fictitious name:
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