Creative Loafing Tampa — March 2, 2023

MARCH 4-5

FREE ADMISSION

The 53rd Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts – one of the top outdoor, juried fine arts shows in the United States – will once again inspire and unite us in 2023. We invite you to join us at the stunning Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in downtown Tampa to experience the power of the arts.

• More than 250 artists

• Local Artists Spotlight

• Educational and interactive activities and displays

• Children’s activities

• The Showcase, celebrating the award-winning artists

• Local food and refreshing drinks

• Live music

PUBLISHER James Howard

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf

MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields

STAFF WRITER Justin Garcia

FOOD and THEATER CRITIC

Jon Palmer Claridge

FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman

IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl

CONTRIBUTORS Kelly Benjamin, Josh Bradley

PHOTOGRAPHERS Tre ‘Junior’ Butler, Dave Decker

SPRING INTERN Tyana Rodgers

Apply for summer via rroa@cltampa.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel

ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

.................

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

SeaWorld in February, animal rights claiming the practice of keeping wild dangerous. But even though public many don’t see a parallel between the kind and the practice of displaying animals asking for too much? Or is it time for a “entertainment” animals?

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Tampa Bay Blues Fest 40

Andrew Zelman

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS

Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest 40

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sarah Fenske

Music Week ...................................................42 Concert review: Artic Monkeys 42

VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein

REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Hollie Mahadeo

DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Jaime Monzon euclidmediagroup.com

cltampa.com

cldeals.com

EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa 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

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Ybor Festival of the Moving Image cltampa.com/arts

The Temple of Beer offers a sleek and minimalist space to sip on creaft beer. A guide to Tampa Bay Beer Week, p. 55.

facebook.com/cltampa editors Connects,

facebook.com/cltampa editors Connects,

DAVE DECKER THEBRUTALIST.BEER/FACEBOOK COLIN WOLF

ON THE COVER: Photos by Dave Decker. Design by Joe Frontel.

This one’s easy. Bill Carlson’s District 4 race is the only simple choice in this election, p. 17.

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from March 02 - 09

Grand Prix of St. Petersburg It’s going to be unusually loud in downtown St. Peter this week. The four-day Grand Prix of St. Petersburg runs March 2-5 and kicks off with a Thursday’s 5K where runners will be able to race on the track itself and then get down with the community at North Straub Park’s “Party in the Park.” Practice and qualifying is on Friday, with a full day of racing (MX-5 Cup, Indy cars, more) on Saturday. Sunday is the big, 100-lap race, which kicks off at 12:30 p.m.

Thursday-Sunday, March 2-5. Downtown St. Petersburg. $25 & up. gpstpete.com—Ray Roa

Willie Nelson The Strawberry Festival’s music lineup kicked off last week, but its crown jewel arrives when Willie Nelson hits the bandstand for an afternoon set. Nelson, who just turned 90, last played the Strawberry Festival in 2019, and this appearance will be his first in Plant City since the heartbreaking death of his sister, a vaunted pianist who toured with her younger brother’s band until her death last March at the age of 91. Come pay your respects. Friday, March 3. 3:30 p.m. Sold-out. 303 Berryfest Pl., Plant City. flstrawberryfestival.com—RR

Coastal Comedy Night: ‘Two Dykes and a Mic’ Comedians, writers, and besties Rachel Scanlon and McKenzie Goodwin host the viral “Two Dykes and a Mic” podcast, and their listeners can experience the banter in person. Attendees can enjoy popular bits like “Gay News,” “What’s Gayer?” and “Ask a Dyke”, where other lesbians ask Scanlon and Goodwin for relationship advice. Chock full of cultural commentary, dating horror stories, a quest to build queer community and sex positive content, this live podcast will definitely provide a laughter-filled Friday night. After St. Pete’s gig, the “Two Dykes and a Mic” hosts will continue their comedy tour throughout the country, but you can always listen to their weekly banter on Spotify, Apple music and Audible. Friday, March 3. 7:30 p.m. $15-$25.

Coastal Creative, 2201 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. coastalcreativetv.com—Kyla Fields

Lift Every Voice: New Play Festival St. Pete’s James Museum looks back on the best of western art, but a new festival coming to the space has its eyes and ears on the future. Across three days, “Lift Every Voice” brings six new plays (culled from 200 submissions) which “promote, celebrate, or explore the experience of BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ individuals with themes that are relevant to our world today,” according to organizers. Dillon Chitto, Melissa Leilani Larson, Jayne Deely. Doug Robinson, Miguel Muñoz and Madeline Sayet are the anchors for the festival, and will present works about the Pulse tragedy, dark comedy about hiding Latin roots, whimsical romance, and more. This is a chance to see work in its inception phase, rub elbows with your next favorite playwright, and take part in workshops, too. Starts times are 5:30 p.m., 1 p.m. amd 10:30 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday-Sunday, March 3-5. $100 for all access pass. The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art. 150 Central Ave, St. Petersburg. americanstage.org—RR

Tampa Zine Fest Back for the first time in several years, the grassroots Tampa Zine Fest once again celebrates all types of homegrown prints, zines, music and more. This familyfriendly festival is free to participate in and attend. Dozens of local vendors like the USF Libraries Special Collections, Microgroove record store, Found Family Collective, Print St. Pete, Rebel Hearts Publishing and Dirt Media will sling their stationary wares at this diverse celebration of art, culture, communication and education. In addition to its massive amount of browse-worthy media, Tampa Zine fest will also host live musicians and food vendors with plant-based options. Saturday, March 4. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Free. Southern Brewing & Winery, 4500 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. @tampazinefest on Facebook—KF

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts This two-day, free-to-attend festival is the best way to discover your new Tampa Bay artist. Each year, Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park is transformed into a “giant outdoor museum,” featuring hundreds of local artists peddling paintings, ceramics, jewelry, sculptures, and everything in between. The festival grants over $80,000 in prize money to a few lucky artists, including a $15,000 Raymond James Best of Show Award. Food and drink vendors, family-friendly activities, interactive art exhibits and live entertainment will be scattered among the hundreds of artist booths. Organizers for the 2023 event expect to draw 75,000 visitors, so plan accordingly. Saturday-Sunday, March 4-5. 9 a.m. & 10 a.m., respectively. Free. Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N Blvd., Tampa. gasparillaarts.com—KF

Lagerfest 2023 Happening smack dab in the middle of 2023’s Tampa Bay Beer Week— King State once again hosts its annual, lager-centric party. It will feature over 35 different breweries from around the county, all pouring unlimited sips of their crispiest lagers. There will also be a King State coffee bar on site if you need a little help sobering up. Both ticket tiers will get you access to the event’s vendors and all of the lager you can sample, buy VIP ticket holders can enter the event early, are fed by the King State kitchen and will leave with an exclusive 4-pack of Lagerfest beer. See more TBBW events on p. 55. Thursday, March 9 4 p.m.-8 p.m. The Brutalist, 1776 11th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. king-state.com—KF

GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

AMERICANSTAGE/FLICKR

PRINTSTPETE/FACEBOOK

The kids are alright

Photos by Dave Decker

Students from at least nine universities across Florida walked out of class last Thursday in protest of Ron DeSantis’s relentless barrage of attacks on the state’s higher education system. The walkouts, organized by the Dream Defenders and Stand for Freedom, came in response to DeSantis’s crackdown on all things “Woke” in state education, including banning AP African American Studies, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, any curriculum dealing with Critical Race Theory and so-called “divisive concepts” such as intersectionality.

More than 200 students attended the walk out rally at the University of South Florida Tampa campus. including 21 year old Jonathan Chavez, president of the USF College Democrats. “We, as free-willed adult citizens, refuse to be indoctrinated by the will of the governor,” Chavez told the walkout crowd. “The overwhelming majority of Florida students support our schools the way they are, not the way the governor wants to make them.”

Read more and see all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.

—Kelly Benjamin

See you at the crossroads

CL’s endorsements in the 2023 Tampa Municipal Election.

By Ray Roa

It’s an interesting time to be paying attention to Tampa politics. People from around the world are flocking to our neighborhoods faster than housing can keep up, and recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the inflation rate in Tampa is at just under 9%, which is 2% higher than the national average. Rent officially topped more than $2,000 a month on average, and wages aren’t keeping up. Even developer-friendly publications are opening stories by saying, “Tampa Bay’s boom in popularity and population are only paying off for some.”

Tampeños, more than ever, are at a crossroads. And as Tampa’s 2023 Municipal Election kicks off (before wrapping on Election Day, Tuesday, March 7), voters have a chance to take the wheel and elect city council people who’ll serve not just developers and future residents of our fine city, but those who’ve called Tampa home for generations beforehand.

Later that year, after promising a nationwide search for Tampa’s next police chief, even members of Castor’s own staff could not produce public records related to the search. Her own comms director didn’t know if the mayor had even called anyone about the job. In February 2022, despite outcry from the community over the candidate’s history of battery on a law enforcement officer, Castor picked her friend Mary O’Connor to be top cop. The confirmation vote split city council. Nine months later, Castor was forced to ask for O’Connor’s resignation when Creative Loafing Tampa Bay unearthed video showing the chief using her badge to get out of a traffic stop.

ELECTIONS

Council as it stands has been an OK check on an administration led by Mayor Jane Castor, who gets credit for her early response to the COVID pandemic three years ago. But Castor fell flat more than a few times during her first term—mostly for her lack of transparency when it comes to big decisions about our city.

While council members do vote with the mayor far more than they don’t—with one councilman saying the media overblows the conflicts between Tampa’s branches of government—our endorsements reflect the need for a council body that will show its spine when it comes to standing up for Tampeños.

Early voting is happening now and wraps on Sunday, March 5. Election day is 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. See a web-friendly version of this voter guide—and see all the early voting locations—via cltampa.com/news.

Mayor: Write someone in, symbolically

In April 2021, a developer disputed the mayor’s decision to award the multi-million “Rome Yard” contract to Miami-based Related Group, which donated $10,000 to Mayor Jane Castor’s election PAC and employed her nephew, according to records.

In March 2022, her now-former City Attorney Gina Grimes was caught using her personal cell phone to communicate with an attorney, who just months ago sued former councilman John Dingfelder, in part, for using a personal email. Some of Grimes’ communications even went “missing” in CL’s public records requests.

The mayor has also claimed that rent control would disrupt development—an industry that, at the time, funded over half of her PAC. And don’t get started about the Depart of Justice’s two investigations into racist policing policies by Tampa police, or a City Center at Hanna project that ballooned from $6.2 million to over $100 million without a public request for proposal, and the administration’s thirst for its PURE wastwater plan.

Mayor Castor only faces one challenger— write-in candidate Belinda Noah—who CL will not endorse, in part, because of Noah’s past failed campaigns for circuit court and U.S. Senate.

Castor is a shoe-in. While she recently told the Tampa Bay Times that her communication could have been better, Tampeños deserved a challenger that would have forced the mayor to publicly address her shortcomings.

The mayor may believe in second chances for people (worked out well for the police chief), but Tampa deserves a council that will continue to put pressure on the administration. With Castor guaranteed a second term, CL recommends you symbolically write-in anyone else.

District 1: Alan Clendenin

Tampa’s District 1 City Council race includes Chase Harrison, a former Tampa cop who was unapologetic about the 10 sustained violations he earned while on the force. Dr. Sonja Brookins has been open to rent stabilization measures, sided with council on its recent move to send city charter changes to voters, and joined a chorus of opposition against Castor’s PURE wastewater plan. But Brookins declined to comment on possible expanded oversight capability—including subpoena power—for Tampa’s police Citizens Review Board.

Alan Clendenin supported the charter amendment providing independent counsel for the CRB—something that’s been a point of contention in city hall. His willingness to take a

stance, and the fact that he nearly made a runoff for this seat in 2019, combined with knowledge earned during his years-long involvement in local politics, make him best fit to replace incumbent Joe Citro whose time on the dais (and recently as council chair) has not yielded significant achievements outside of the “Ready for 100” green energy resolution that’s been symbolic at best.

CL endorses Alan Clendenin for Tampa City Council District 1.

District 2: Robin Lockett

District 2’s Tampa City Council race features the most competitive and competent field. Michael Derewenko is a former skateboarder and current continued on page 19

DAVE DECKER

THANKS FOR ROBIN: Robin Lockett has a unique chance to change the makeup of council.

IN FOR LYNN: There’s only one District 3 candidate that hasn’t injected homophobia into the race.

continued from page 17

business owner who’s not been shy about about standing up to developers, strengthening the citizen’s police review board and allowing council more power to in the city’s day-to-day operations.

Mike Suarez did two terms on council from 2011-2019. He was against the confirmation of Tampa’s since-disgraced police chief, says council should have asked more questions about the troubled City Center at Hanna project in its inception, and is also against the PURE wastewater plan.

Incumbent Charlie Miranda is termed out and running in District 6, so Guido Maniscalco (termed out in D6) is running in D2 instead. Maniscalco is a likable elected official, and easy to talk to. His calm demeanor on the dais can be a balm when discussions get heated, and if it weren’t for his no vote on independent counsel for the police citizen’s review board, we would endorse him outright.

Robin Lockett has a unique opportunity to change the makeup of council and has earned it. Like Maniscalco, she is a tried and true Tampeño (although she prefers the term “Tampanian”). Lockett—former President of the Hillsborough Democratic Black Caucus and past Political chair of Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus—is also a mainstay at Tampa City Council where she regularly advocates for issues that affect the most vulnerable people in our community. She understands marginalized communities in Tampa and has been a fierce advocate for their well being every step of the way. If Lockett does not make it to a runoff, we’ll back Maniscalco, but council needs her voice—and her desire for council to “review EVERYTHING through a lens of equity”—on the dais now more than ever.

District 3: Lynn Hurtak

ELECTIONS

The District 3 race has a somewhat crowded field, but only two candidates are clear front runners. Just one of those candidates has a track record on city council and not lobbed false claims of homophobia at her opponent—that’s incumbent Lynn Hurtak. After being appointed to the seat last April following the contentious exit of John Dingfelder, Hurtak—a copy editor and writing consultant—has proven to be a studious, and relentless councilwoman who knows the issues up and down. She’s worked with the mayor to establish renter assistance programs, while also advocating for more aggressive relief for struggling Tampeños.

CL endorses Robin Lockett for Tampa City Council District 2.

Hurtak’s opponent, Janet Cruz, saw her 12-year run in the Florida Legislature come to an end last fall when she lost to Republican newcomer Jay Collins. Cruz’s defeat was part of the

shellacking Florida Democrats got after trotting out tired candidates, old ideas and even more worn-out, ineffective messaging that basically said, “vote for me, because I’m not a Republican!”

Late last month at a NAACP forum, Cruz expressed frustration with Hurtak challenging the mayor on difficult issues, then asked her, “Do you have a problem with gay people?” The false accusation and injection of homophobia into the race drew boos (Hurtak was the only candidate endorsed by the Hillsborough LGBTQ Democratic Caucus, after all), and Cruz failed to appear at local forums for the rest of the week. The meltdown was indicative of a candidate who’s gotten used to running races defined by broad topics and ideology, instead of the tiny and extremely tiring details that Hurtak seems to have grown accustomed to in her short time on council.

A recent mailer attacking Hurtak (funded by a Democratic South Florida political operative, continued on page 21

DAVE DECKER

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nonetheless) is more proof that the political machine is flailing—and recent campaign finance analysis by CL shows that more than half of Cruz’s financial support comes from bigticket donors and entities outside of Tampa. In a statement to CL, a campaign manager for Cruz responded to the discrepancy in local fundraising by saying that “businesses and families from across the country are looking at Tampa as a world-class destination.”

Cruz likes to tout that she’s from Tampa, but so is Hurtak (who was born at St. Joseph’s in 1977). At a time when regular Tampeños need their elected officials to fight for them more than ever, the city deserves a candidate who will answer questions directly and show up to face the music even after a gaffe.

Despite an awkward endorsement from the mayor herself (Castor is the partner of Ana Cruz, Janet’s daughter), some local publications have

been willing to look over the fact that Cruz on council may present a conflict of interest. “Voters would have ample opportunity to watch and hold Cruz accountable if that relationship affects her performance,” the Tampa Bay Times wrote in its recommendation. “Cruz has demonstrated her independence throughout her career and deserves the benefit of the doubt.”

Unfortunately for Cruz, the mayor’s judgment and history of not-disclosing important municipal matters should be enough to make voters say, “No thanks.”

CL endorses Lynn Hurtak for Tampa City Council District 3.

District 4: Bill Carlson

This one’s easy. Blake Casper—a McDonald’s heir whose family recently sold off all of its locations for an undisclosed amount—had to fly in from Chicago to file his city council paperwork at the last minute. The businessman and

developer initially said he ran because his opponent, incumbent Bill Carlson, was not pro-police enough—despite Carlson voting to increase cops’ wages by 18.5%. But as the race has worn on, Casper and Carlson tend to have more in common (most notably, an opposition to the mayor’s wastewater plan, colloquially referred to as “toilet-to-tap”).

Casper’s donations to Florida GOP figureheads—Ron DeSantis ($214K), Trump ($100K-plus in 2020) and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna ($7,800), who once praised the hosts of a QAnon conspiracy theory show—are eye-popping, and so are his recent comments floating criminalizing panhandling as a solution to homelessness. Casper has ideas about what needs to change in Tampa—the usual suspect of transportation being one of them—but has offered few specifics about how he’ll get it done.

Carlson gets flack for his sometimes combative tone on the dais—especially when it comes to transparency from the Castor administration—but he’s been a steady and studied force on council who’s ready to speak on a myriad of issues. He knows how council works and deserves another term to see his ideas through.

CL endorses Bill Carlson for Tampa City Council District 4.

District 5: Orlando Gudes

This is perhaps the most difficult choice voters face. Newcomer Gwen Henderson is an educator at Jefferson High School who switched from the city-wide District 3 race to this one after Jeffrey Rhodes dropped out—and she could very well win.

issues including rent control and the handling of the police’s crime-free multi housing program which the Tampa Bay Times found disproportionately evicted renters of color.

No race is a toss-up, but this is as close as it gets. On one hand, Tampa gets a fresh start with Henderson, who has not committed when it comes to putting treated wastewater in the drinking supply. On the other, it gets someone with a tarnished reputation who explicitly opposes the PURE wastewater plan while also demonstrating the essential ability to think independently from the administration.

CL reluctantly endorses Orlando Gudes for Tampa City Council District 5.

District 6: Hoyt Prindle

Eight terms is enough for Charlie Miranda, who’s out of time in District 2 and looking to win this seat. His long winded comments from the dais are endearing to some, but often meander and come off as condescending. For his part, Miranda has never apologized for his style and doing what he thinks is best for voters—and voters have obviously fallen in line over and over again.

Unlike Miranda, most of his opponents in the race have spoken against the PURE wastwater plan and have good ideas. Rick Fifer, a Realtor, is a hard-working transplant big on pedestrian safety.

ELECTIONS

Like her opponent, Orlando Gudes, she’s an advocate for listening to all parties and wants to help East Tampa, but at a recent Tampa Tiger Bay forum, she said she needed more information on the mayor’s PURE wastewater plan to commit to a position on it. The honesty is a hallmark of Henderson’s campaign, and appreciated, but at this point, candidates should have enough information on one of the city’s most controversial agenda items to at least hint at their positions.

Gudes isn’t easy to get behind either. Yes, he’s been an advocate for increased accountability for police, a steady champion for East Tampa, and someone who brought the mayor to the table when it comes to helping one of the city’s most overlooked neighborhoods. But his first-term on council was marred after the Castor administration made public three-yearold allegations of Gudes creating a toxic work environment and of sexual harassment for one of his former aides. The city made a $200,000 settlement for Gudes’ accuser—and then saw the case dismissed by a judge two months later.

Some in Gudes’ district saw the surfacing of the allegations as a political hit job against a councilman—and former cop who served for nearly 30 years—who had opposed the mayor on

Tyler Barrett has an impressive background as a community organizer, plus solid, tangible ideas about sustainability. What’s more is that Barrett seems eager to learn the detailed ins and outs of council and unafraid to be an agitator, adding that the “Being an agitator doesn’t mean being dysfunctional or confrontational. It means not being afraid to ask the hard questions that people are afraid to talk about.”

Barrett checks a lot of the boxes, but was noncommittal when it came to telling Tampa Tiger Bay his position on PURE wastewater plans. He was honest about his naivete and vowed to learn more, but that’s what puts Hoyt Prindle over the edge.

Prindle, an attorney, opposes the mayor’s wastewater plans and finds it troubling that a project so widely disliked is being pushed by the administration. “The city should use its lobbyists to unwind the legislation that mandates these wastewater issues be resolved by 2032,” he said in a CL questionnaire.

Prindle’s stances against rent control and subpoena power for the police citizens review board, are red flags, but he was also supportive of recent council veto overrides that will let voters decide on certain changes to the city charter—he would have also voted with District 7 Councilman Luis Viera in letting voters decide if the citizens review board should have an independent attorney.

continued on page 23

HOYT SHIT: It’s close in District 6, but Hoyt Prindle is the best choice.

DAVE DECKER

continued from page 21

What’s more is that his arguments for positions that we oppose—notably Prindle’s take that the city cannot afford to lose money defending lawsuits like the one it’s facing after siding with residents in denying a developer his proposed boutique hotel—are delivered succinctly and with proposed alternatives (like actually doing something about the comprehensive plan and development code).

It’s close between him and Barrett, but CL endorses Hoyt Prindle for Tampa City Council District 6.

District 7: Luis Viera

Viera ran unopposed and will be sworn in for his third term this summer, which is no surprise. He’s gone hard for his constituents in New Tampa and North Tampa. Viera’s been accessible at every turn and willing to meet with folks on every side of an argument (he even got heat for going face to face with “community patriot” groups). It’s unclear if Viera wants to continue serving after this third term, but it would be nice to see him walk away from some of his more even-keeled, middle of the road stances and forcefully take a stand when the temperature gets hot in council.

This change would make it so mayoral approval is only necessary for ad hoc committees. What’s more is that the mayor would still have veto power over a standing board created by council. There’s always more room for checks and balances—and word towards a consensus—in local government.

Vote yes on the charter amendment about city council creating standing boards.

ELECTIONS

Question No. 2 Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 6.03 Regarding the Appointment of City Department Heads: Shall the amendment to section 6.03 of the Tampa Charter, providing the mayor’s nominations for heads of departments and other city employees as set out in section 6.03, must be approved by four votes of the city council and providing for interim appointments of existing city employees by the mayor for a maximum of 180 days, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-2, be ratified and approved:

timeline on the mayor. But we’ve all seen council approve extensions for department head residency requirements—and we don’t doubt that the body could find a way to give a mayor more time to find a department head if they needed one. There’s nothing wrong with making the mayor work a little harder.

Vote yes on the charter amendment about appointment of City of Tampa department heads.

Question No. 3 Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 2.02 Regarding Term Limits of City Council Members: Shall the amendment to section 2.02 of the Tampa Charter, revising the term limits of city council members to limit the ability of members of city council to serve more than a total of four consecutive, full terms, effective with the City of Tampa election in 2027, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-3, be ratified and approved:

Vote yes on the charter amendment about term limits for city council.

Question No. 4 Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 10.10 Regarding the Charter Review Advisory Commission: Shall the amendment to section 10.10 of the Tampa Charter, providing that, commencing in 2025, a Charter Review Advisory Commission shall be established every eight years, instead of every ten years, providing for the hiring by the city of legal counsel and a professional facilitator for the Commission, with city council approval, and correcting a scrivener’s error, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-5, be ratified and approved:

CL endorses Luis Viera for Tampa City Council District 7.

Charter amendments

In the 2023 Tampa Municipal Election, voters will decide on four changes to the charter, which is more or less the constitution for the city. Opponents of the new language more or less like things the way they are, and have said that the changes were proposed in haste, but we think that our elected officials have thought the process out in a healthy manner and—more importantly—believe voters should have the final say. See ballot language and explanations of our endorsements below. CL endorses “yes” votes to all proposed changes on the Tampa city charter.

Question No. 1 Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 9.01 Regarding the Creation of Standing

Boards: Shall the amendment to section 9.01 of the Tampa Charter, clarifying that standing boards shall be created by the city council by ordinance without requiring the mayor’s recommendation,

as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-1, be ratified and approved: Opponents of this charter amendment say that it gives council too much power and dismantles Tampa’s strong mayor form of government, but that’s not the case. As council has pointed out in long discussion, the current charter language—which gives council the authority to create standing boards and ad hoc committees “upon the recommendation or with the approval of the mayor”—could stand to be more specific.

City council has moved to clarify language about mayoral appointments for department heads. Tampa voters would likely not be talking about this charter change if Mayor Castor’s police chief search and selection weren’t done in secret—or ended with the selection of an unpopular selection who flamed out in less than a year.

The change would mean that any interim department head could only be vacant 180 days. Opponents say that it places an unfair

Sixteen consecutive terms is a long time to be a city councilperson. Yes, the charter already prevents a councilperson from serving more than two consecutive terms (eight years), but some council people go around that by running for a seat in a different district.

And sure voters can deny someone another turn at an office at the ballot box, but turnout is so damn low at municipal elections that this provides another layer of protection against career politicians who seem to think they need more than four consecutive terms. Go find something else to do guys, like being a lobbyist or something.

Interpretations of the charter have recently been major roadblocks in issues like police accountability, appointments of department heads and the creation of citizen boards. This amendment changes the charter review frequency to every eight years (instead of once a decade), and requires the city to hire a lawyer and facilitator to help the process along. The hiring of that lawyer would also be subject to city council approval.

Again, if we’d had a mayor with a better approach to transparency, we might not be having this conversation, but eight years between charter reviews is reasonable. Power and the way it’s allocated is meant to be checked, and so what if citizens want a tune-up every eight years?

Vote yes on the charter amendment about the charter review commission.

TIME FOR CHANGE: Vote ‘yes’ on all charter amendments.

NOAH DENSMORE/ADOBE

GET MARRIED AND WALK IN THE TAMPA PRIDE DIVERSITY PARADE

COMMUNITY WEDDING EVENT HOSTED BY THE HILLSBOROUGH CLERK OF COURT & COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE

Join us on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in Ybor City for a group ceremony uniting multiple couples in marriage in celebration of Tampa Pride Month. For the event, couples receive a special Commemorative Marriage Certificate, and the official Certificate of Marriage is mailed from the Clerk's Office within one week from the date of the ceremony. The Clerk graciously waives the standard $30 ceremony fee for this event. The Clerk of Court and Comptroller, Cindy Stuart, will perform the ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Immediately following the ceremony, couples are invited to walk with the Clerk’s Office in the 9th Annual Tampa Pride and Diversity Parade. There will be a small reception following the parade at The Cuban Club for couples and their invited guests. Registration for this event is now open for a limited time! Scan the QR code or visit HillsClerk.com for more information.

Únase a nosotros el sábado 25 de marzo de 2023 a las 3:00 p.m. en Ybor City para una ceremonia en grupo que unirá a varias parejas en matrimonio en celebración del Mes del Orgullo en Tampa. Para el evento, las parejas recibirán un Certificado de Matrimonio Conmemorativo especial, y el Certificado de Matrimonio oficial se enviará por correo desde la Oficina de la Secretaria dentro de una semana a partir de la fecha de la ceremonia. La Secretaria gentilmente renuncia a la tarifa de ceremonia estándar de $30 para este evento. La Secretaria del Tribunal y Contralora, Cindy Stuart, realizará la ceremonia a las 3:30 p.m. Inmediatamente después de la ceremonia, se invitan a las parejas a caminar con la Oficina de La Secretaria en el 9 Desfile Anual del Orgullo y la Diversidad de Tampa. Habrá una pequeña recepción después del desfile en El Club Cubano para las parejas y sus invitados. ¡La inscripción para este evento ya está abierta por un tiempo limitado! Escanee el código QR o visite HillsClerk.com para obtener más información. Traductores de español y ASL estarán disponibles.

Problematic

Janet Cruz makes false claims of homophobia at Tampa city council forum.

By Justin Garcia

Last Monday during closing remarks at a city council candidate forum, Janet Cruz steered away from her own merits as a politician to instead lob an incendiary question at her opponent, incumbent Lynn Hurtak. Cruz was talking about her 13 years serving in the Florida legislature, when suddenly she shifted gears and said, “I don’t know what Hurtak’s problem is with my daughter and the mayor.”

“I do!” someone in the crowd at the Hillsborough County NAACP forum shouted back. Then, the booing poured in, but that didn’t stop Cruz from continuing on.

“I know!” Cruz said. “Do you have a problem with gay people?” Cruz said, turning to Hurtak. “I don’t understand you.”

She ended it there and sat down, but the booing continued until the next candidate to speak stood up and asked for calm.

Cruz was referring to her daughter, Ana Cruz, managing partner at the lobbying firm Ballard Partners. Ana refers to herself as “Tampa’s 1st lady” on Twitter and has been the significant other of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor since 2008.

Cruz entered the city council race last November after a failed Senate bid and decided to run against Hurtak—the only woman

currently on city council.

Luis Salazar, Political Action Chair for the Hillsborough LGBTQ Democratic Caucus told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that candidates should avoid using accusatory remarks. “It’s never OK to attack anyone at a forum, especially when they have a proven record of defending LGBTQ rights, which both of these women do,” Salazar said.

Both Hurtak and Cruz are members of the caucus. However, Hurtak was endorsed earlier this month because the membership thought she’d be a more long term supporter of the caucus and because of her long history of supporting the LGBTQ community. The caucus did not endorse any other candidate besides Hurtak.

“One of the main reasons we voted for Hurtak was her putting her support into action for our community,” Salazar said. “She spoke about marriage equality and how when she got married to her current husband, they chose to get married in New York instead of Florida because there was marriage equality there.”

Hurtak and her husband Tim Burke got married back in 2012. After the attack, the councilwoman told CL that it was very important for them to economically support those who already had marriage equality. “And instead

of a traditional registry, because we were older and didn’t need much, we asked for donations to marriage equality instead,” Hurtak said.

Hurtak referenced her recent endorsement by both the Hillsborough LGBTQ caucus and the Florida LGBTQ Democratic Caucus.

“So I don’t know where this accusation comes from,” Hurtak said. “I think people saw it for what it was, and the people are just as insulted as I am.”

The day after the outburst, Cruz—who skipped the next two community forums—said that her job as a mother is to always stand up for her family, and that nobody should second guess that.

“It threw people off. They were like, ‘Where did she get that from?’,” Lewis told CL. “I’ve never heard Lynn Hurtak say anything about having a problem with gay people.”

Lewis encouraged the community to watch Hillsborough NAACP’s video where the incident takes place at 38 minutes and 30 seconds in. “I just can’t understand why Cruz would do that,” Lewis said.

ELECTIONS

“I’m proud of my daughter and everything she’s accomplished and Lynn’s continual attacks on my family and her whisper campaign is pathetic,” Cruz said. “We have too many important issues to tackle and I have zero tolerance for mean girls.”

Tampa Municipal Elections

Hurtak pointed out that city council often approves much of what the mayor wants done. But Hurtak and others on council have sounded off about controversial aspects of the mayor’s agenda, like the PURE wastewater plan (also known as toilet to tap) and the City Center at Hanna Avenue project.

Early vote at select sites through Sunday, March 5. Election Day is Tuesday, March 7. votehillsborough.gov

Cruz’ campaign team alleged that Hurtak was going around before the forum letting people know about the relationship between Ana Cruz and Castor, and the fact that Janet is Ana’s mother.

Yvette Lewis, President of the Hillsborough NAACP, said she didn’t hear about Hurtak saying anything in regards to the Cruz family before the meeting. She added that Cruz’ behavior made people confused.

“You know, toilet to tap, or extra subpoena power and an independent lawyer for CRB, or being able to vote on whether or not we’re having a housing emergency, those are things that I took from citizens and not from the mayor, and I’ll stand by those votes,” Hurtak said.

After months of Hurtak taking stances against the mayor when her constituency requested it, Cruz entered the race against her.

“City council serves as a check and balance to the city administration, and my opponent’s choice to frame the fact that I take that role seriously as ‘an attack on my family’ speaks for itself,” Hurtak said.

QUALIFICATION: Cruz is in the Tampa City Council race, but politicos said a recent attack was uncalled for.

Special interest

More than half of Janet Cruz’s campaign cash is from outside Tampa.

By Colin Wolf

While former State Sen. Janet Cruz has the most cash on hand in her newfound quest for a Tampa City Council District 3 seat, most of it isn’t from the voters she’s hoping to win over.

Earlier this month, Florida Politics reported that Cruz, who is also the mother to Tampa mayor Jane Castor’s partner Ana Cruz, crossed the six-figure fundraising threshold, which is a considerable accomplishment for a local race. According to public filings from November through February, Cruz currently has accrued $130,812 between her Building The Bay political action committee and individual donations.

“I am humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support from the community,” Cruz told the publication. “Together, we are building a strong, inclusive and thriving Tampa. Our campaign is powered by the people, and this success is a result of their hard work and commitment to making our city the best it can be.”

However, according to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s examination of public campaign documents, 52% of the cash from Cruz’s 166

total donations have come from people or organizations outside of Tampa. For comparison, the incumbent District 3 candidate, Lynn Hurtak, has logged 328 donations, totaling $58,219 in campaign cash—but only 30% of Hurtak’s money is from outside of Tampa’s borders.

“I’m incredibly proud of the fact that the majority of our money comes from this community and from individuals who believe in what we’re doing,” said Hurtak to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Where your money comes from shows who you’re listening to.”

It’s important to note that Hurtak doesn’t have a political action committee, so by law, none of her donations can legally exceed $1,000. Her campaign, according to Hillsborough County elections documents, is mostly funded by small sum donations from Tampa residents, with an average donation amount of just $177.

Some of Hurtak’s more notable donations include a few $1,000 checks from local attorneys, consultants, her mother, and Shawn Wilson, President and CEO of affordable housing developer Blue Sky Communities. There’s also two

donations totaling $31 from progressive St. Petersburg City Council member Richie Floyd.

By contrast, the average donation for Cruz is $788. According to public filings, most of Cruz’s donations are from her PAC, which witnessed a $68,000 influx of cash since she announced a run for city council last November.

Since Cruz spent four years in the Florida House, it’s no surprise that some of her largest donors include known Florida politicos and large law and investment firms, including a $10,000 donation from Jacksonvillebased Farah & Farah, and $10,000 from Miami-based law firm Ratzan, Weissman & Boldt, which coincidentally is headquartered inside the same building as the Related Group.

candidate Nikki Fried. State Senator Jason Pizzo also donated $1,000, and State Senator Lori Berman gave $100.

Local politicians are also well represented among Cruz’s donors. Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn donated $250, former City of Tampa city attorney Gina Grimes donated $250, and Tampa mayor Jane Castor’s PAC donated $1,000.

ELECTIONS

Tampa Municipal Elections

Plus, there were multiple donations totaling $1100 from Tampa lobbyist Ronald Christaldi, who is currently serving as the new vice chairman of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ board to gut and “revamp” New College of Florida in Sarasota.

Early vote at select sites through Sunday, March 5. Election Day is Tuesday, March 7. votehillsborough.gov

In 2021, Related fell under intense scrutiny after it won a bid for the multi-million dollar Rome Yard construction contract and it was discovered the developer donated $10,000 to Mayor Jane Castor’s Tampa Strong election PAC, employed her nephew for the project, and also hired the same lobbying firm that employs “Tampa’s 1st Lady,” Ana Cruz.

Other notable donors to Janet Cruz’s campaign include a slew of Florida politicians, like $100 from former Democratic gubernatorial

“At a time when businesses and families from across the country are looking at Tampa as a world-class destination, Janet Cruz’s record as a statewide consensus builder and a no nonsense leader for over a decade is exactly what people want in their local government,” said Cruz’s campaign manager Ashley Bauman in a statement to CL. “Our City is on the path to continued success and unprecedented growth, now it’s time to have a city council that will work together to continue Tampa’s progress.”

The upcoming municipal election is on March 7, with early voting happening now at select sites through March 5.

MONEY TALKS: Cruz (pictured) took $1.1K from Tampa lobbyist Ronald Christaldi who’s vice chairman of the’ board gutting New College.

Changing face

Democrats condemn Bob Buckhorn’s support of right-wing city council candidate Blake Casper.

By Justin Garcia

As longtime Democrat and former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn campaigns for a Republican city council candidate, local Democrats are denouncing his behavior.

In January, Blake Casper joined the District 4 city council race at the last minute to run against Bill Carlson, the incumbent democrat. Buckhorn immediately threw his support behind Casper, an heir to a McDonald’s fortune and right-wing candidate who has donated hundreds of thousands to Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. Casper was also on DeSantis’ task force to reopen Florida in April of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was just hitting the state and people were dying in large amounts. In a recent campaign commercial, Buckhorn sang Casper’s praises.

“Blake Casper is the right guy, in the right district at the right time to help city council right its course,” Buckhorn said of the 49-year-old with no experience in public service. He said that Casper could help make Tampa “the city that we know that it is capable of being.”

“We need Blake in that seat and I am one hundred percent enthusiastically supporting Blake Casper for the city council seat,” Buckhorn added. He also posted a picture of a Casper sign in his front yard, writing, “My yard, my choice. Hope it is yours as well.”

Some prominent local democrats are upset with Buckhorn, who recently served for over a year as Vice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party after being appointed by former president Manny Diaz. In January, Buckhorn resigned from his role after Diaz stepped down following one of the worst democratic election beatings in Florida history.

Ione Townsend, Chair of the Hillsborough Democratic Party, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the party has received calls from several people who expressed concerns about Buckhorn endorsing a Republican against a sitting Democrat.

ELECTIONS

Tampa Municipal Elections

Early vote through Sunday, March 5 Election Day is Tuesday, March 7 votehillsborough.gov

he still supports DeSantis’ policies, and those policies are discriminatory towards the Black community, the LGBTQ community, and when it comes to individuals with disabilities, I mean, we’re not even on his radar,” Clay, who also heads the Hillsborough County Disability Caucus, said.

Clay added that DeSantis doesn’t care about communities with disabilities because if he did, he would reduce Florida’s long Medicaid waiting list. She also pointed out that Buckhorn’s support of Casper shows that he doesn’t care about the

been a member of the Democratic Executive Committee for decades.

“I’m not an elected official, I’m not a party official, I’m a private citizen,” Buckhorn told CL. “Throughout my career, I have always put my city ahead of my party affiliation. I’ve endorsed people who I thought were better for my city, irrespective of what party they belong to. I’m going to endorse whoever I think is going to be better for the city that I spent most of my life trying to improve.”

BOB WHITMORE

“To have a Democrat with such a visible position within the Democratic Party endorse a DeSantis and Trump-supporting Republican, people feel offended, disappointed and disrespected,” Townsend said. “Our volunteers work hard to get Democrats elected, and this action by Mr. Buckhorn feels particularly egregious to them.”

Karen Clay, President of the Democratic Disability Caucus of Florida, said that she doesn’t think that Buckhorn is truly a Democrat, and that his support of a DeSantis acolyte is especially offensive to those in marginalized communities. “Casper has openly said that

lives lost by opening up Florida before there was even confirmation on how the disease spread. She said that his support of Casper means “turning his back on Democrats and it’s a knife in our back from Bob Buckhorn.”

In response, Buckhorn—now an executive at lobbying firm Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick—said that he’s still a registered Democrat, but hasn’t

He pointed out that in the past, he endorsed former-Republican Mike Bloomberg. In 2018, he supported centrist-Democrat Gwen Graham over Andrew Gillum in the race for the governor’s mansion. Buckhorn said he didn’t get criticism over those endorsements—but did make it clear that he’s not a fan of some of the people that Casper has donated to.

“I don’t support some of the folks that he has supported. In fact, I think they’re an abomination,” Buckhorn said. “But that’s not what we’re being asked to vote on.”

Asked about the qualms of Hillsborough Democrats, Buckhorn said, “I don’t really care what they think.”

Several members of the Hillsborough Democrats said Buckhorn is supporting Casper out of spite. Carlson and Tampa’s last mayor have butted heads over the years, especially during Tampa Police Department’s “biking while Black” scandal, which occurred during Buckhorn’s tenure as mayor. In the Twitter post with Casper’s sign in his front yard, Buckhorn seemed to refer to Carlson, writing, “Four years of delusional conspiracy theories and nonstop grievances is enough. South Tampa deserves better. It is time for a change.”

Carlson has challenged current Mayor Jane Castor, who is a personal friend of Buckhorn’s, on certain controversial projects, such as the “PURE” project, also known as “toilet to tap” with the support of several of his constituents.

But Carlson said he didn’t know what conspiracy theories Buckhorn was referring to. “For our community to succeed, we need to set aside old grudges and move forward collaboratively,” Carlson added. “Holding anger and a grudge for so long is not healthy.” Buckhorn responded that he’s focusing on the candidate he supports. “Saying I’m doing this out of spite would assume that I care about Bill Carlson, which I don’t, or think about Bill Carson Carlson, which I don’t,” he said.

Patty Cohn, Chair of the PR Committee for the Hillsborough Democratic Party, said that Buckhorn is harming the morale of rank and file members. “It’s just a slap in the face to the everyday Democratic volunteer, knocking on the doors, working so hard to get Democrats elected, and you have a member of your own party working against you,” Cohn said.

The bigger picture, Cohn argues, is that Casper’s campaign is a test for Republicans to potentially start taking over Tampa, a traditionally blue city. She pointed out that two relatively unknown Republicans recently won seats on the Hillsborough County Commission amid a swath of right wing victories in Florida. Buckhorn’s support of such candidates is doing the Republican party’s bidding, she said. “Casper just does not hold the same values that Democrats do,” Cohn added. “And if Buckhorn thinks that’s OK, then he should become a Republican.”

Sound off

After pushing Ybor noise ordinance, Tampa city staff opposes creating new entertainment district.

By Justin Garcia

Representatives of Mayor Jane Castor’s administration have recommended against creating another entertainment district in Tampa, following controversy over a law that targeted noise levels in Ybor City and other entertainment districts.

Last year, the City of Tampa’s legal team and Tampa Police Department pushed the law, which banned all amplified sound in Ybor after midnight and removed a requirement for cops to issue warnings to establishments before fining them for noise violations. The ordinance also affected the Channelside area and parts of South Tampa, where nightlife is vibrant.

to amending Chapter 14 or establishing a special district for alternative sound standards,” Johnson-Velez and Feeley wrote in a memo.

going to keep young people in our community,” Carlson told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We can’t not have one.”

LOCAL NEWS

Chapter 14 of the city’s charter discusses standards for noise violations. Before the law that was passed and then repealed last year, Tampa already had a noise ordinance in its charter. In Ybor specifically, it is against city law for an establishment to make “unreasonably excessive noise” with a threshold of 87db from 6 p.m.-3 a.m., which is roughly the sound of a noisy restaurant. For the rest of the hours of the day, that number drops to 75db, or about the level of noise a vacuum cleaner makes.

Tampa City Council initially approved the law, but it was repealed in March after outcry about its constitutionality from residents and business owners—especially those in Ybor. Instead, city council suggested that a new entertainment district could be created, which would be less subject to strict noise standards.

But in a memo sent last month, Senior Assistant City Attorney Susan Johnson-Velez and Abbye Feeley, Deputy Administrator for Development and Growth Management, now say that creating a new party district is not the way to go. “At the present time, staff does not recommend taking any further action in relation

While most people who spoke at council last year were against a stronger noise ordinance in Ybor, some residents, especially those who were newer to the district, complained about the noise, mainly from the rooftop bars in the area.

Councilman Bill Carlson, who motioned to explore the potential of a new entertainment district, said today that Ybor is changing and that new options have to be explored.

“As Ybor is turning back into a neighborhood, and as the neighborhoods around South Howard push to convert that district to a culinary district, instead of a party district, we need to find an area for an entertainment district if we’re

Carlson said that he wants the city to work together to find a place where they can put a new district. “I’m disappointed that staff has not come up with an answer. So now it will be up to city council and find the solution,” Carlson added.

Tom DeGeorge, owner of Crowbar and longtime resident of Ybor, questioned who is behind the push to move the area away from being Tampa’s major entertainment district.

“There are plenty of people that view Ybor City as a party district,” DeGeorge told CL. “And then there are developers that want to change it from being an entertainment district. So, you know, depending on how you look at it, it’s like, does the city run the city, or do the developers run the city?”

He said anyone moving to Ybor should be aware of the culture there, and that it can get loud, especially at night. He said that a band playing at his establishment is just as much an expression of art and free speech as anything else in Ybor, and should be treated as such.

City staff’s memo did reference Tampa growing and becoming “more urban each day.” But added that balancing everyone’s wants and needs from the city “often becomes a challenge which requires a sensitive balance.”

“Does the city run the city, or do the developers run the city?”

DeGeorge pointed out that Ybor’s entertainment businesses were in place for decades, but said that they are being forced out, because developers who “want to change the entire footprint of the area” are coming in. “And if the city doesn’t put things in place to protect those businesses, you get bullied out,” he added.

Staff held three public meetings about the subject in 2022, not in entertainment districts but instead in North Tampa, West Tampa and East Tampa. Of 44 people surveyed at the meetings, the responses were mainly complaint oriented, the city said. The main noise concerns included outdoor amplified sounds and noise limits in Ybor, the process of filing noise complaints to TPD, the city said.

In the memo, the city also shared numbers for noise complaints and citations in recent years. In 2021, 7,560 noise complaints were made, with 178 citations given. Last year saw 6,548 complaints with 50 citations issued, a major decrease from the year before.

AUDIBLE AVENUE: City officials have been toying with Ybor noise ordinances for the last year.

Shit Happened

WEDNESDAY 22

An Exhibition that really rocks

hunkering down for all 48,000 of you who actually care enough to vote.

Ash Wednesday marks the arrival of Lent in Tampa Bay, and at a local forum, one City Council candidate left the smudge on his forehead to prove his Catholic-ness.

MONDAY 27

On Truth Social, Donald Trump said Fox News is covering Florida Gov. ‘Ron DeSanctus so hard.’ The best part is we don’t know if ‘DeSanctus’ is a typo or a new nickname.

Early voting kicks off in the Tampa Municipal Election. The supervisor of elections is

As new Florida Democratic Party chair, Nikki Fried says she wants to end ‘30 years of losses.’ Also, can we just start reefer madness now?

TUESDAY 28

After more than a year of watching him kick their ass, the Tampa Bay Times has wised up and made Creative Loafing Tampa Bay Staff Writer Justin Garcia an offer he won’t refuse. We're stoked for JG, and also hiring a new staff writer!

More shit, wondering if Justin is taking his plant with him, via cltampa.com/news.

TheHistoryCenter.org

NOW ON DISPLAY

Between 1985 and 2001, the Orlando concert promoter Figurehead invigorated the musical landscape in Central Florida. Catch a glimpse into what made this time in the Orlando area so memorable – the bands and the clubs, the community and the chaos.

COFFEE & CONVERSATIONS

DANCE MUSIC IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

Sunday, March 5, 2023, 2 – 3 p.m.

Meet Orlando DJ John Gardner as he discusses the dance-music scene of the 1980s and ’90s. Free.

BRECHNER SPEAKER SERIES

Music that made Florida History. Free.

Good Day Sunshine State: The Beatles in 1964 Florida

Sunday, March 19, 2 p.m.

Featuring author Bob Kealing

Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East

Sunday, April 2, 2 p.m.

Featuring author Bob Beatty

Gainesville Punk: A History of Bands & Music

Sunday, May 7, 2 p.m.

Featuring author Matt Walker

Photo: Miki Berenyi of Lush, courtesy of Jim Leatherman

Left: Poster from the Figurehead Collection

Figurehead programming supported by

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SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD

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Saturday 3pm-6pm

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RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES

Hoppy day

Florida Avenue Brewing’s Seminole Heights taproom leads roundup of the past year’s brewery news.

By Kyla Fields

If you miss having a Seminole Heights taproom to sip refreshing, Florida-inspired brews in—then your lucky day may be right around the corner. Florida Avenue Brewing Co., which also owns Brew Bus Brewing, is finally making its return to Seminole Heights for the first time in almost two years. Although the new Florida Avenue taproom—located at 4315 N Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights—won’t be open quite in time for this year’s rendition of Tampa Bay Beer Week, patrons can still expect a soft opening later this month.

CEO Anthony Derby talked about the decision to merge Florida Avenue and Brew Bus with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, stating that it’s one of the company’s main goals of 2023 to consolidate the two local beer brands.

“Moving forward, all of our can designs and branding are now through Florida Avenue Brewing,” Derby said. “We’re still going strong with the beer tourism buses, but now we’re streamlining our focus to the Florida Avenue brand.”

Although there’s no soft opening date locked in, the new taproom and brewery is near completion. When open, the 3,000 square-foot space will boast a five-barrel brewing system (with the intention to add more), 16 taps filled with core products and seasonal pours, a large shaded patio, and most of its original staff behind the bar.

From its general manager to head brewer and line cooks, all staff at Florida Avenue’s upcoming taproom have worked within the company for years—some might even recognize a few faces from Brew Bus’ former Seminole Heights location. While Derby hasn’t had much time to think about grand opening details, he’s “really confident about everything that we’ll be putting out from day one onward.”

In terms of differences between its soon-toopen taproom and its former Brew Bus space, Derby says that it’s “a little more stylish and comfortable” than its predecessor. Renovations and new decor aside, the upcoming Florida Avenue location will continue to host its “Friday Night Heights” neighborhood parties, a longstanding tradition within the company.

The new Seminole Heights brewery and taproom will share food and drink offerings with its 38,000-square-foot sibling location in Wesley Chapel. Its 20 foot-long, on-site food trailer plans

to dish out the same beer-friendly eats like Bavarian pretzels, chicken wings, cheese curds and cheesesteaks, but the two location’s tap lists might differ from time to time. “The taps between the two locations won’t mirror each other 100%, but there will definitely be some

Redner, Tampa strip club legend and president of Florida Avenue Brewing Co., told the Tampa Bay Times last year that “they jacked my rent up (so) I bought a piece of property in Wesley Chapel.”

Although the rent was certainly a factor,

delays. While all of its core products—like the perpetually popular “You’re My Boy Blue” blueberry wheat ale and its “Luminescence” tropical hazy IPA— will be manufactured in Wesley Chapel, its Seminole Heights space will produce seasonal and one-off brews throughout the year, too. And like its sibling brewery, Florida Avenue Brewing Co.’s Seminole Heights location will offer a full liquor bar, coinciding with the company’s expansion into the world of canned cocktails.

When Brew Bus acquired Florida Avenue in 2015, the young business (led by a young Derby) inherited an established brewery that specialized in beers for the humid Florida climate.

“Honestly, when we purchased Florida Avenue, we were kind of just looking for a place to brew our own beer,” Derby explained. “That’s all we knew at the time.”

Eight years and a global pandemic later, business has certainly changed, as has Derby’s relationship to the craft beer industry as a whole. He first started Brew Bus in 2011 as a senior at the University of Colorado, with his parents driving buses and hosting tours until he moved back to Tampa post-graduation.

“I would say my relationship to the beer industry has continued to evolve,” Derby said. “We used to be knee-deep in beer tourism, but that’s a model that’s already been perfected. In order to grow into the scale of what we really wanted to do, we realized that we had to be on the production and manufacturing side of things.”

continuity between what’s available at each taproom,” Derby added.

While Wesley Chapel’s location has been in the works since 2019, plans for another Seminole Heights taproom didn’t come into fruition until its Brew Bus space at 4101 N Florida Ave.—which now houses Angry Chair Brewing—closed in 2021.

While Derby and the rest of his team initially intended to stay at the former Brew Bus spot, unsuccessful rent negotiations ultimately deterred them from renewing the lease. Joe

Derby told CL he had been wanting to expand north of Tampa for quite some time.

“When I met my now wife in 2015, she lived in Wesley Chapel and I started noticing all of these great things happening there,” Derby says. “It was impeccable timing when we bought that space in 2019, I knew we needed to be in that area.”

Florida Avenue opened the restaurant portion of its massive Wesley Chapel location in the fall of 2020, with its brewery following a few months later, after construction-related

With over 100 employees to manage and millions invested into the buildouts in Tampa and Wesley Chapel, Derby says he had to take a step back from his involvement in the local beer community to focus on the brand’s expansion. And its upcoming Seminole Heights brewery might not be the only new location on the horizon.

“We want to open more Florida Avenue taprooms within the three counties in our immediate area because I want to stay close to my family and home, but still continue to grow,” Derby tells CL. “We’ve looked at spots in the Trinity and Odessa areas, but haven’t locked in another spot anywhere.”

With its new location getting ready to open its doors and a fully-loaded 2023 release

BUS DRIVER: Anthony Derby is excited to re-open in the neighborhood where Florida Avenue Brewing started.

“I want to stay close to my family and home, but still continue to grow.”

calendar full of new brews, Derby and the rest of his Florida Avenue team are certainly staying busy. And for the latest updates on Florida Avenue’s highly-anticipated soft opening later this month, head to its Facebook or Instagram at @floridaavebrewing.

As part of our celebration of Tampa Bay Beer Week—happening March 3-12—here’s a recap of breweries that’s opened, closes and made plans to open over the past year.

Openings

Angry Chair Seminole Heights craft beer fans rejoiced last summer when Angry Chair Brewing reopened just a few blocks from its old spot, complete with a parking lot. Since reopening in a much larger space last August, Angry Chair has activated its brewhouse and booked an active event calendar that includes guest brewery nights and tap takeovers, charity benefits, Ric Flair night and more. Staples among the 24 taps include its “Not Dead Yet” nitro stout, “Oh Cripes Slushii” fruited sour, and “Darrig” Irish, which are now all flowing alongside special releases like the “Fionn” imperial porter with hazelnuts, coffee, banana and cinnamon. The kitchen has rolled out items like crab rangoon dip, nachos and even specials like a crispy cajun gator hoagie along with staples like tacos, pretzels and wings. What you won’t find are Jenga, yoga or trivia. 4101 N Florida Ave., Tampa. angrychairbrewing.com

3 Daughters Clearwater Beach While the 3 Daughters flagship taproom hosts live music and massive events in downtown St. Pete, its newest beachside location boasts some of the most scenic waterfront views in all of Clearwater Beach. Now open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily, this new taproom—located directly above Hooters— offers a small “Beach Bites” menu alongside 3 Daughters’ popular craft beers, ciders, seltzers, sangria and non-alcoholic CBD beverages. Its new location’s on-site brewing facility pumps out exclusive brews that are only available at the Clearwater Beach taproom. A few of its popular offerings include its “Big & Blue” blueberry ale, Florida Orange IPA and Key Lime cider. 381 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach. 3dbrewing.com

The Brutalist The folks behind King State—Tampa’s go-to spot for craft coffee and beer—opened their first St. Pete brewery and taproom last year. Self-described as the“pinnacle of community brewing,” The Brutalist is a multiproduction facility that pumps out both King State and other local brewery’s beer, while its accompanying taproom, The Temple of Beer, offers a sleek and minimalist space to sip on its craft brews.

Local food trucks, like Mexican-food favorite Te Invito, are typically parked in front of the Brutalist slinging beer-friendly eats. Some of King State’s most popular beers include its

“Green Dart” pilsner and “Tropunk” IPA. The most recent facet in King State’s never-ending expansion is a brand new cafe headed to St. Pete later this year, in addition to its annual Tampa Bay Beer Week party, Lagerfest. 1776 11th Ave., N, St. Petersburg. templeofbeer.com

Common Dialect Seminole Heights’ newest brewery is located next to pet boutique Health Mutt and across the street from the Independent Bar & Cafe. Owners and longtime Seminole Heights residents Kendra and Mike Conze spent almost two years transforming their empty warehouse space into a vibrant and familyfriendly brewery. Co-owner and head brewer Mike told CL that Common Dialect boasts a well-rounded spread of popular and expected beers—like its “Cool Opotamus” double hazy IPA and “Lunar Tide” oatmeal stout, complete with de-bittered black malt and British noble hops. The newly-opened brewery and taproom offers a pet-friendly patio, a rotating selection

of local food trucks and bright, welcoming decor.

“Our decision to open Common Dialect wasn’t motivated by it being a good business decision, we did it because we wanted to invest in the neighborhood that’s given us our livelihood,” Kendra told CL earlier this year. 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. commondialectbeer.com

Deviant Libation Nearly three-and-a-half years after getting the keys to his Ybor Heights brewery, longtime Tampa brewer Tim Ogden opened the doors to his very own temple of beer, Deviant Libation. Deviant Libation’s taproom can seat 12 people at the bar fashioned out of old, resin tables from the University of South Florida. About 30 more folks can fit at communal tables, and an outside patio is available, too. Ogden—an alum of Cigar City, TBBC and Hops—promises classic styles, like helles, stout, IPA and sours, but the outside-the-box, highconcept beers he’s come to be known for aren’t

going away. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. @ deviantlibation on Facebook—Ray Roa

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Four Green Fields Opened at Channelside last spring to the surprise and delight of its longtime patrons. Unfortunately, after joining the laundry list of bars, restaurants and stores that fell victim to the hardships of COVID-19, the original Platt Street location shut its doors for good after 30 years of being of service in 2020. While the new location’s 16,000-square-foot warehouse is different from the original pub’s layout, the entrance welcomes its beloved patrons with a mural made to mimic the Platt Street bar front—with the original green door. The no-frills microbrewery and bar dishes out expected beers like its “Four Green Fields Irish Red,” an approachable ale with a slightly malty and soft sweetness. A full spread of both domestic and international bottles and cans are offered

SPECI-ALE PLACE: Common Dialect is speaking Seminole Heights’ language.

C/O COMMON DIALECT

continued from page 46 alongside its small batched microbrews. 802 N 12th St.,Tampa. fourgreenfields.com

Olde Florida Brewing Company Largo’s newest craft brewery debuted last spring, and the number of its housemade beers have doubled since its grand opening. Blueberry wheat ales, milk stouts, blonde and brown ales, and hazy IPAs occupy its constantly-rotating tap list. Its small taproom features a shiny Florida beachthemed bar top, with barrels and other brewing equipment displayed along the adjacent wall— arguably one of the most unique things about this new brewery. There is also an extensive outdoor seating area fully equipped with beach chairs and kitschy Florida decor—including a vintage jet ski-turned-plant holder. In addition to its housemade brews, Olde Florida Brewing Co. also sells merchandise like shirts, hats and tank tops. The new brewery is gearing up for its first anniversary, so head to its Instagram to check out all of its festivities. 1158 7th St., NW, Largo. @olde.florida.brew on Instagram

Ology Brewing Before its Seminole Heights taproom opened last year, Ology Brewing had already made a name for itself in Tampa Bay’s craft beer scene by hosting tap takeovers at neighboring breweries and participating in 2022’s Tampa Bay Beer Week. This science-themed brewery originated in Tallahassee, and opened its first Tampa Bay location out of the former Angry Chair space. In addition to brewing its own craft beer—like the popular “Sensory Overload” hazy IPA and “Rainbow Colored Glasses” Berliner Weisse sour—Ology also dabbles in liquor distilling, coffee roasting and hard seltzer manufacturing. And if craft beer isn’t your thing, don’t fret, because Tampa’s Ology taproom also slings a variety of craft cocktails, too. When CL spoke to Ology founder and head brewer Nick Walker last year, he expressed excitement about entering Tampa’s beer scene. “We’ve been looking at Central Florida for a while, and there’s such a vibrant and developed craft market in Tampa,” he said. “We end up there all the time, visiting friends and working with folks in the scene, so it’s definitely a good fit.” 6401 N Florida Ave.,Tampa. ologybrewing.com

throughout the week, like car shows, live music or improv. A rotating list of food trucks are usually parked out front, too. 6340 49th St. N, Pinellas Park. peepasgaragecraftbrewery.com

Where’s Jubes This Australian-themed brewpub and downtown hotspot opened out of St. Pete’s former Lucky Dill space last spring, and has been dishing out craft cocktails, housemade brews, grilled steaks and meat pies since. While it’s unsure if Where’s Jubes ever got its brewing tanks up and running after encountering permitting issues, the brewpub still offers a wide range of local, domestic and Australian beers.

“I’ve never understood why America’s favorite beer is Bud Light but breweries tend to push heavy, hoppy beers—I think there’s a big demand for pilsners, lagers and lighter stuff in general,” founder Josh Cameron—who also owns Oyster Bar and Crafty Squirrel— told CL last year. “Back home, all you want is a cold, crisp beer—especially on a hot day. In Australia, we love drinking cold beer—we take that shit really seriously.” 277 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. wheresjubes.com

DRINKS

Wulfaven Brewing Co. Boasting to be “Carrollwood’s first microbrewery,” Wulfaven Brewing Co. opened its doors in fall 2022 after years of construction and anticipation. The family-owned business brews everything from juicy and bitter IPAs to crisp and clean lagers and pilsners. Its newly-opened taproom doesn’t dish out any food, but resident food trucks are on-site slinging different beer-friendly eats. In addition to house-brewed craft beer, Wulfaven also sells different wines and seltzers, which can be sipped inside of its warehouse-like space or on its large outdoor patio. Games like cornhole are set up on a grassy area adjacent to the patio. The idea for Wulfaven started in 2017 when Joseph Lazzara and his father Santo Lazzara dreamed about creating a brewery of their own, after decades of combined industry experience. Despite the pandemic stalling the business’ progress, the newly-constructed building broke ground at the end of 2021. 10828 Perez Dr., Tampa. wulfaven.com

Coming soon

more updates, follow Flamingo Bay’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 910 14th St. W, Bradenton. @flamingobaybrewingco on Instagram

Pee-Pa’s Garage Craft Brewery One of the only—if not the only—craft brewery in Pinellas Park, Pee-Pa’s Garage opened its doors to a thirsty crowd last summer. Opened out of the former North St. Pete Collision space, the building has retained its industrial, garage-like character. A few of its in- house brews include the Bigfoot brown ale, “Me-Maw’s Chai Tea” white stout and a “Ready, Set, Gose!,” complete with toasted coriander, pink peppercorns, and Himalayan sea salt. In addition to its unique beers, Pee-Pa’s makes its own seltzers and boasts a variety of guest taps. The new Pinellas Park brewery also hosts different types of events

Flamingo Bay Brewing Co. Bradenton’s newest brewery is almost ready to open its doors at 910 14th St., right outside of downtown. While the new brewery gets ready for its soft opening this spring, sneak peeks from its social media depict exciting brews like hazy IPAs, raspberry and blueberry-infused fruited sours, creamy oatmeal stouts and different bourbon barrel-aged brews. Discover Bradenton says owners Tom and Christine Fako recently moved to Florida from Chicago and are finally ready to turn their years of home brewing experience into their first local business. The soon-to-open brewery will feature both indoor and outdoor seating in its beer garden when it opens later this year. For

Golden Isles Brewing Co. Opening out of an old gas station in St. Pete’s Magnolia Heights neighborhood, Golden Isles Brewing Co. will soon be The Burg’s small-but-mighty craft beer spot. According to its social media, Golden Isles will offer a rotating tap list of outof-town brews, prosecco, wine, sangria and NA options alongside its own craft beers. This dog and kid-friendly brewery plans to have indoor and outdoor seating, old school arcade games, and quite a few food options. Future patrons can expect chicken wings, hot dogs, and a rotating selection of local food trucks to help wash down pints of Golden Isles brews. Although there’s no exact grand opening date, St. Pete’s newest family-owned brewery is finishing up its renovations, and is expected to open its doors sometime this spring. 3000 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg. @staygolden_stpete on Instagram

Late Start Brewing Although this “Tampa born-and-bred” company still might have a decent amount of buildout left, its website says that it will celebrate its grand opening sometime in 2023 (although it was originally slated to debut in 2022.) Its roughly 2,500 square-foot building formerly housed a convenience store and market, and is undergoing its evolution into a go-to spot for hazy double IPAs, barrelaged imperial stouts, and neighborhood hangs. “Tampa’s first downtown brewery in nearly 60 years”—as co-founders Jordan Copher and Tyler Sanke, Tampa Bay brewing industry veterans— is on the way, and for now supporters can enjoy Late Start’s beers at bars and package stores around Florida while they continue to wait for the new taproom. 1018 E Cass St., Tampa. latestartbrewing.com

Voodoo Brewing Co. This Pennsylvaniabased brewery is finally bringing its quirky brews to the South. About a year past its

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BEER-LIVE IT OR NOT: Downtown Tampa’s Late Start says it's opening this year.

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original opening date, Tampa Bay’s debut Voodoo Brewing will open its doors on Saturday, March 25, according to Google. St. Pete’s Voodoo taproom will have 15-20 taps featuring popular brews like its “Good Vibes” West Coast IPA and “Oh Mama” American lager—although no beer will actually be brewed on-site. All beer will be shipped from its production facility in Meadville, PA. The new taproom—complete with newly-renovated garage doors—will also offer sidewalk seating, a “distinct elevated pub food menu,” and a second-story arcade. 220 4th St. N, St. Petersburg. voodoobrewery.com

chicken wings, tacos and sandwiches. The next closest Yard House resides in Orlando, although there’s over 80 locations across the country. 450 Channelside Dr., Tampa. yardhouse.com

Trellis Brewpub Fans of Sparkman

Wharf’s now-closed Fermented Reality

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Biergarten have been patiently waiting for owner Joel Bigham’s latest concept. While we’re not actually sure when Trellis Brewpub will open the doors to its Ybor City brewpub, future patrons can expect both indoor and outdoor seating, a dinner menu full of “upscale American fare,” and trendy brews like IPAs, sours and lagers.

built in the heart of Tampa Heights. The New England-based company has seemingly bounced back from a 2021 sexual assault scandal, after founder Daniel Lanigan stepped down as its CEO. Renderings from last year depict Lord Hobo’s 4,000 square-foot recreation area and a 6,185 square-foot beer garden—although plans might have changed since then. While you wait for the debut of this massive Tampa Heights taproom, its beers—like its popular “Boom Sauce” double IPA and “617” lager—are available at many bars and bottle shops throughout the Tampa Bay area. 2304 N Florida Ave., Tampa. lordhobo.com

“Flying Boat is where we were able to grow into the brand we are now,” King State co-owner Nate Young told Creative Loafing last year. “The Brutalist will be able to brew as much KS beer as we need, but the goal long term is to add enough tank space to provide a full service to other breweries, in the same way we’ve been helped by others.”

Yard House While this nationwide chain won’t offer the local charm of our favorite neighborhood taproom, it still boasts what it calls the “world’s largest selection of draft beer.” Headed to the perpetually-growing Water Street Tampa district, there’s no official opening date for the Amalie Arena-adjacent Yard House just yet. Alongside its massive tap list of both local and domestic beers, this indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar dishes straightforward entrees like nachos, burgers,

“At the Biergarten I was known for the tap list of over 40 beers—and a little bit of that will be showcased at Trellis Brewpub, ” Bigham told CL last year. Although Trellis will be a great spot for craft beer and food, Bigham also hopes to resurrect the Fermented Reality brand elsewhere in downtown Tampa. 1910 E 7th Ave.,Ybor City. @trellisbrewpub on Instagram

Lord Hobo Brewing Co. Local beer lovers are patiently waiting for Lord Hobo’s first brewery and taproom outside of Massachusetts, being

Closed

Flying Boat Brewing Co. King State—Tampa’s hip coffee roaster, cafe and beermaker— took over Flying Boat’s St. Petersburg location last year, and we’re not sure if the former neighborhood favorite is reopening elsewhere in Tampa Bay. King State opened The Brutalist and its accompanying Temple of Beer taproom out of the former Flying Boat space, and continues to brew a variety of local beers at its massive, 100+ barrel production facility.

Last year, Flying Boat stated that its owners were looking for another spot in The Burg,’ although there’s been no recent updates on its possible relocation. 1776 11th Ave. N, St. Petersburg Avid Brewing Co. After ringing in 2023, St. Pete’s Avid Brewing closed its doors after serving the community as a home brew supplier, and then taproom. The closure is emblematic of many of the changes on the Sunshine City’s Grand Central district where long-running local businesses are being replaced by new development. The folks behind Avid have yet to say if they plan to re-open elsewhere. To celebrate the closure of its taproom, Avid Brewing offered a $20 allyou-can-drink New Year’s special to help drain its many taps. 1745 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg

OH, BEER: Flying Boat’s closure was one of the bittersweet closings of 2022. CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

Hoppy hour

20 Tampa Bay Beer Week events, parties, and special releases.

By Kyla Fields

Tampa Bay Beer Week 2023 runs from March 3-12, and this year’s festivities will definitely tantalize the local beer lover. From largescale events like the 14th Annual Brewer’s Ball to exclusive releases like Cigar City’s Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout drop—craft breweries from every corner of the Bay are celebrating their all-time favorite beers. From out-of-town tap takeovers, educational programs and unique beer launches, here are almost two dozen parties, events and exclusive releases to help celebrate the return of Tampa Bay Beer Week. To discover more events, head to tampabaybeerweek.com. Missed your event? Add it to CL’s events calendar, then email kyla@cltampa.com.

Tampa Bay Beer Week kickoff Dunedin’s House of Beer helps celebrate the return of TBBW 2023 with a tap list full of local beers, in addition to other festivities. Friday, March 3. Dunedin House of Beer, 927 Broadway, Dunedin. dunedinhob.com

Florida Lager Road Trip BarrieHaus Beer Co. brings some of Florida’s most prized breweries to the heart of Tampa. Expected guests on its taps include Tactical Brewing, Invasive Species Brewing, Gatlin Hall Brewing, Prison Pals Brewing Co. and many, many more. Friday, March 3. BarrieHaus Beer Co., 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. barriehaus.com

The Ultimate Brew This massive, community-focused brewing event has been a TBBW mainstay for the past few years. Over 30 local breweries will bring a few ounces of their favorite hops to throw into a massive collaborative brew. Friday, March 3. $30. Magnanimous Brewing, 1420 N Florida Ave., Tampa. magnanimousbrewing.com

Florida Brewers Guild Craft Beer Festival This huge gathering of industry folks features sips from almost 100 different breweries, food trucks and other festivities. Profits from this festival support the Guild, which not only educates the public about the good work brewers do, but also advocates for brewers inside the state capitol in Tallahassee. Saturday, March 4. $45-$65. Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 1000 E Harrison St., Tampa. floridabrewersguild.org

Brewer’s Ball 2023 This party features food, live music, beer samples and the main event of the evening: a presentation of the winners of 2023’s Best Florida Beer Championship. Kudos to organizers for bringing it to Sulphur Springs. Sunday, March 5. $60. River Tower Park, 401 E Bird St., Tampa. bestfloridabeer.org

Shakespeare on Tap! The Independent hosts a slew of TBBW-themed events next week, but Jobsite Theatre’s Giles Davies and William Glenn will give a uniquely tipsy rendition of

Shakespeare skits at this weekday gig. Monday, March 6. Independent Bar and Cafe, 5016 N Florida Ave., Tampa. independentbartampa.com

Halfway to Rapptoberfest: A Lager Celebration For one night only, Rapp’s taps will be chock full of crispy German-style lagers to celebrate the halfway mark to its annual Rapptoberfest party. Tuesday, March 7. Rapp Brewing Co.,10930 Endeavour Wy. ,Pinellas Park. rappbrewing.com

Beer Week Beer Dinner This beachside mainstay hosts a three-course dinner paired with its most prized brews. Wednesday, March 8. $45. Mastry’s Brewing Co., 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. mastrysbrewingco.com

complement this Bradenton-based brewery’s helles smoked lager, oyster stout and tequila barrel aged datil imperial porter. Thursday, March 9.$60. Epicurean Theater, 1207 S Howard Ave., Tampa. epicureanhotel.com

Bohdega This newly-opened Tampa brewery celebrates its inaugural TBBW with a unique bodega pop-up experience with NY-forward eats and 16 exclusive taps. Friday, March 10. Ology Tampa, 6401 N Florida Ave., Tampa. ologybrewing.com

Chair Brewing, 4101 N Florida Ave., Tampa. thedarkembraceinvitational.com

Arkane In The Membrane Sample over 30 of Arkane’s most prized beers, including its “Unicorn Blood” Key lime pie Weisse and the “Double Barrel Dessert Eagle,” complete with notes of marshmallow and peanut butter. Wednesday, March 8. $100-$200. Arkane Aleworks, 2480 E Bay Dr., Largo. arkanebeer.com

Lagerfest 2023 Join over 35 different breweries from around the county, all pouring unlimited sips of their crispiest lagers. There will also be a King State coffee bar on site if you need a little help sobering up. VIP is soldout online, so best act on the GA tickets ASAP.

Thursday, March 9. $50-$75. The Brutalist, 1776 11th Ave., N, St. Petersburg. kslagerfest.com

Beer Dinner with Motorworks Brewing Epicurean’s multi-course tasting dinner will

DRINKS

Tampa Bay Beer Week

Berry Beer Fest Over a dozen local breweries will pour their best berry-forward beer and mead at Crooked Thumb’s first-ever Berry Beer Fest. Friday, March 10. $40. Crooked Thumb 555 10th Ave. S, Safety Harbor. crookedthumbbrew.com

Coppertail Open Coppertail Brewing pairs with The Boardr to host this high energy skateboarding competition, complete with a $500 grand prize. Friday, March 10. Coppertail Brewing Co 2601 E 2nd Ave., Tampa. coppertailbrewing.com

Foeder for Thought Fermentation-forward beers are the star of this annual party, but Green Bench always seems to put a fresh spin on things. This year’s rendition features over 20 brews to sample, industry panel discussions and complimentary tasting glasses. Friday, March 10. $115. Green Bench Brewing Co., 1133 Baum Ave. N, St. Petersburg. greenbenchbrewing.com

Dark Embrace Invitational Cycle, Angry Chair and Ology Brewing come together to host this collaborative TBBW party. They’ve invited over 40 breweries around the world to sling their best barrel-aged brews at this exclusive event, hosted for the first time at Angry Chair’s new taproom. Sunday, March 11. $150-$250. Angry

Hunahpu’s Day 2023

March 3-12. Various venues tampabaybeerweek.com

For the 13th year in a row, Florida beer-lovers will line up bright and early to wait for the annual release of the Hunahpu’s Imperial stout, an 12.5% ABV beer chock full of cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon and guajillo chili peppers. While Hunahpu’s Day is Cigar City’s biggest TBBW event, the brewery will release several other exclusive brews throughout the week, including the “Tuesday,” a barrel-aged Imperial stout that honors Ybor City’s vibrant history. Saturday, March 11. Cigar City Brewing, 3924 W Spruce St., Tampa. cigarcitybrewing.com

Pye Road Meadworks 2-Year Anniversary Weekend

This weekend-long party features exclusive mead kegs—including barrel-aged brews and exotic treatments—live music, food and local craft beers from Pye Road’s favorite local breweries. Pye Road Meadworks, 8533 Gunn Hwy.,Odessa. pyeroad.com

IPA Smackdown Homebrew Contest

This friendly, amatuer-focused competition coincides with Troubled Waters’ 4th anniversary party, which will feature music, food, and of course, lots of craft beer. Sunday, March 12. Troubled Waters Brewing, 670 Main St.,Safety Harbor. troubledwatersbeer.com

Hop King Invitational This light-hearted, free-to-attend competition will feature some of the Bay’s best hop-forward beers, where the winner will be crowned 2023’s “Hop King Champs.” Sunday, March 12. Tampa Bay Brewing Company, 1600 E 8th Ave., Ybor City. tbbc.beer

THOUGHT POLICE: Green Bench runs the trap when it comes to fermentation-forward beers.

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C

THU 02

Albert Cummings Acts being booked by the gang at the SHAMC are getting bigger and bigger. Blues legend Bobby Rush performed on the outdoor stage in January, and in the last week, patrons—who bought tickets to a mystery show that promised to be massive—were taken to see Paul Thorn “out of town.” Next Thursday, Blind Pig Records guitarist Cummings—who has shredded alongside Buddy Guy, Double Trouble, and the late B.B. King—will perform across all corners of his career, including his latest album 10 , which dropped last year. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor)

Happy Landing w/Speak Easy/Kerry

Courtney Fans of foot-stomping, harmonyslinging Americana might want to check out Happy Landing, which WEGL called the first “‘skate-folk’ band in existence.”

Kerry Courtney, a songwriter with a vocal that wowed “American Idol” judges back in Season 15, opens the show, with the yachty, soft-rock styling of Speak Easy in the middle. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Nina On My Mind: Synia Carroll You know what’s crazy? There’s absolutely no evidence of Nina Simone having ever performed anywhere close to Tampa Bay before her death in 2003. The soul legend’s career has had a bit of a resurgence in recent years, following the release of Questlove’s “Summer Of Soul” documentary, which showed lost footage of 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Simone’s performance of “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” was certainly a highlight of the two-hour doc, and we can only hope that Sarasota-based jazz singer Synia Carroll throws it into her setlist when she pays tribute to the singer who would have celebrated her 90th birthday on Feb. 21. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

FRI 03

Blake Shelton w/Carly Pearce/Jackson

Dean Country superstar Blake Shelton recently announced his departure from “The Voice,” on which he is the last remaining host from the show’s 2011 debut. He cites spending more time with his family as the reason for leaving, so while it’s not completely probable that retirement from touring is on the horizon for the 46-year-old, we’re expecting a hiatus of some sort once this “Back to the Honky Tonk” tour wraps. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

De La Day 2023: Prince Paul w/DJ

Casper Thirty-four years after 3 Feet High and Rising changed the genre forever, De La Soul is finally being introduced to a new generation of rap fans this week, when the iconic trio’s first six albums are made available on streaming services. Prince Paul, the

pioneering mind who produced 3 Feet, plays on the 34th anniversary of the album’s original release—and will surely honor De La’s David Jolicoeur (aka Trugoy) who died unexpectedly last month. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

The Florida Orchestra: ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve, and local Harry Potter fans had so much thirst for an “Order of the Phoenix” concert that TFO will now play two shows (Friday night and a Saturday matinee) where Ron Spigelman conducts while the fifth installment of the film series adapted from J.K Rowling’s novels plays in HD in the background. (Carol Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)

Gillian Carter w/Pez/Nashira/Iron

Buddha It’s been just five months since Pez played an opening set at Born Free, and the Gainesville cyberpunk band is doing it again at the biker bar, this time for headliner Gillian Carter, a band famous for heavy, almost theatrical shows. The Orlando outfit arrives with Salvation Through Misery —the screamo unit's first full-length since 2018—in tow, featuring familiar themes (hopelessness, humanity), but a sound that is more technical and angrier than anything the band’s put out in its nearly 20 years in the scene. Bandcamp, mostly for better but sometimes for worse, has allowed for the proliferation of hardcore; at times it can all sound the same, but Gillian Carter’s always stood out from the rest. St. Pete shoegaze band Nashira opens along with South Florida “rot ‘n’ roll” trio Iron Buddha. (Born Free Pub & Grill, Tampa)

Florida Strawberry Festival: Halestorm & Willie Nelson

This year, the Florida Strawberry Festival has some odd live music pairings on certain days. Not that any of these acts co-headline the same show or anything, but once Willie Nelson finishes his

set on Friday afternoon, Pennsylvania hardrock outfit Halestorm—fresh off of a new album Back From The Dead , heavily inspired by Lzzy Hale’s time in lockdown—will storm the barn stage. No telling if Alice Cooper is gonna show up, but hey: Willie is pretty open to music after his time, so maybe he’ll join the band for an encore. Besides Nelson, other artists coming to the festival over the next seven days include Sara Evans, The Gatlin Brothers, Josh Turner, Neal McCoy, The Pointer Sisters, CeCe Winans, for King & Country, Tanya Tucker, plus Tommy James & the Shondells. Visit cltampa.com/music to get previews for all of those shows. (Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City)

Mustard Plug w/Stop The Presses/The Brainiacs/Monument Beach/Abortion

Twins Ska-punk outfit Mustard Plug—currently on its fifth bassist—is still going strong three decades after the release of its debut album. The group hasn’t been to Tampa since a 2018 stop at Crowbar, so its current run of shows are Florida-exclusive with Brooklyn ska, and retro-pop outfit Stop The Presses opening all dates. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

SAT 04

Alison Brown She doesn’t play banjo for Alison Krauss & Union Station anymore, but Brown is thriving on her own. It has been said that the 63-year-old banjo maestro—a Harvard MBA—has been working on her first new album since 2015, and it features guest spots from Steve Martin and Sierra Hull. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City)

Doo Wop Reunion: Kenny Vance And The Planotones/Lou Christie/Jay Siegel’s Tokens/Joey Dee Vance might just be one of the most interesting men in

Prince Paul

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music history. The 79-year-old Brooklyn boy got his start by co-founding Jay and the Americans (“Come A Little Bit Closer”), and went on to discover Steely Dan in the late-‘60s. He then had a brief stint as musical director for “Saturday Night Live,” where he booked the likes of Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, and—on the same night—Todd Rundgren and some kid named Prince. Expect him to tell a hell of a lot more tales of a fabled career—partially preserved in “Heart and Soul,” a recent doo-wop-centered documentary he directed—when he headlines the annual Doo-Wop Reunion, featuring Lou Christie, Jay Siegel’s Tokens, and peppermint twister/Clearwater resident Joey Dee. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

Emo Night: Big Sad w/My Cat Umi/ Amateur Taxidermy/Razor & the Boogiemen Local punk outfit Big Sad just demoed a new song—using only GarageBand instruments—centered around one of the things frontman (and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor) Dave Decker does best: Hitting the streets and photographing protests while under fire from chuds and police. We’re pretty stoked to hear it live when Big Sad closes this year’s third Emo Night Tampa. (American Legion Post 111, Tampa)

Gasparilla Festival Of The Arts: Mandy Harvey w/The Applebutter Express/Katara/Ashley Smith & the Random Occurrence/Johnny Mile and the Kilometers/Blake High School Jazz Band/In The Pocket/more The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is a visual feast, but there’s a musical element, too. Over the weekend, everyone’s favorite weatherman Denis Phillips plays MC when bands from across the country take over two stages. Highlights at the no-cover shows include ukulele-player Mandy Harvey who wowed judges on Season 12 of “America’s Got Talent” (Simon Cowell gave the songwriter, who went deaf at age 18, a golden buzzer), Tampa jazz outfit Katara, St. Pete rock and roll trio Johnny Mile and the Kilometers, Americana collective Ashley Smith and the Random Occurrence, plus more. (Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa)

Rauw Alejandro w/Jabbawockeez

Grammy-nominated Puerto Rican superstar Alejandro kicks off his “Saturno” world tour in Tampa, where famed dance crew Jabbawockeez plays support. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

Thelma & the Sleaze w/Hovercar/

The Dirty Janes America’s favorite guitarshredding snaggle-toothed lesbian, Lauren “LG” Gilbert, is back in town, still hawking an unapologetically Southern, glam-rockloving brand of hard-nosed rock and roll that owes as much to U.K. singer Robert Palmer as it does to San Diego metal band Ratt. Come to think of it, if Palmer and Stephen Pearcy fucked each other while Skynyrd filmed it for OnlyFans with the Runaways’ “American Nights” playing in the background , you might be have an idea of the kind of horny joy Gilbert’s band Thelma & the Sleaze brings to the stage. Thunderous grunge-rock duo Hovercar and AC/ DC-worshiping young gun The Dirty Janes make this gig one of the weekend’s best bets. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Yield To None w/Crone/Afterworld

Tim Anderson’s got a knack for bringing out-of-the-box, ear-splitting sounds to nontraditional venues, and the Tampa promoter and musician is doing it again with this one at a riverside dive bar near Busch Gardens. His punk trio, Crone is in the middle of this bill and playing its first show alongside Tampa hardcore lifer Yield To None.

Anderson told CL that the performance is happening on the dock’s gazebo, and that the secret to booking these shows is to be a very annoying person. “Frequenting the establishment helps,” he added. Afterworld, opens the show just a few days off the release of a demo where the dark-electro duo featuring CL staff writer Justin Garcia and Carson Cox (Merchandise, Romeo Blu, Too Free) plays noise-rock that’s harsh (“Make Me”), freaky (“Don’t you like it?”) and even poppy (check out the hook on “Eternally You”). (Bigfoot On the River, Tampa)

SUN 05

Blu J.D. (album release) w/Mty Jai

The Nana’s courtyard just south of 7th Avenue in Ybor City is a special place to catch a show, and it’ll be where rapper Justin Davis says goodbye to Tampa. This gig is a farewell show and album release for The Reflection L.P. which finds Davis (aka Blue J.D.) noshing on “Fried Chicken & Sushi,” plus working with local luminary Sundé (“Reflection”) and making room to be soft, too (“Found Your Love”). Hyper-posi Bay area emcee Mty Jai opens the show. (Nana’s Restaurant and Juice Bar, Ybor City)

St. Petersburg Jazz Celebration: Shawn Brown/Jeremy Carter/Simon Laskey/James Suggs/John Lamb/more St. Pete's all-jazz internet radio station (WSPJ), together with saxophonist Henry Ashwood Jr., will raise money for a nonprofit serving local kidney patients. To help, Ashwood’s assembled a who’s who of locals—trumpeter James Suggs, Hammond god Shawn Brown, pianist Simon Lasky, saxophonist Jeremy Carter, and drummer Rodney Ruckus.

(The Factory, St. Petersburg)

TUE 07

Cheap Trick Tampa Bay never has any shortage of Cheap Trick. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted quartet (now a quintet, with the recent addition of Robin Zander’s son, Robin Taylor) has opened for Rod Stewart, ZZ Top, and—less recently— The Kinks. But due to Zander being a Safety Harbor resident, it’s no hassle for him to get into his Hummer and drive up to Ruth Eckerd Hall for a solo show with his kids, or the Seminole Hard Rock, where he, Tom Petersson, and the Nielsen father-son duo will most likely play an hour or so of deep cuts, new songs, and semi-hits, and then close up with 25 minutes of greatest hits.

(Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

Soul Glo w/Cloudrat/Backslider There’s a feral energy to a Soul Glo record. The world fucked around and found out about it last year when the Philly hardcore band’s album Diaspora Problems landed on best-of lists across the blogosphere. Next month, Pierce Jordan’s quartet plays Coachella, but not

before a trio of Florida dates where Soul Glo is finding its way without guitarist Ruben Polo (who contributed to Diaspora ), plus supported by promising Michigan grindcore band Cloud Rat and Pennsylvania punk band Backslider. Get there early to catch Tampa’s own Vacancy open the show. (Orpheum, Tampa)

THU 09

Alan Doyle w/Chris Trapper We wish that Great Big Sea was still together, but at least Alan Doyle and his former bandmates are still friendly with each other, and musically active, no less. Doyle—after an opening set from The Push Stars’ Chris Trapper—will finally fulfill a long-postponed date in downtown Clearwater from 2020, in which he will perform Celtic-Americana-folk hybrid songs, and promote his new live album, Here , Tonight , due March 11. It’s a digital release only, so don’t expect to see any vinyl pressings on the merchandise table next Thursday. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

The Florida Orchestra: Soundwaves

The local music scene’s best reason to go to church returns when Florida Orchestra assistant conductor Chelsea Gallo guides a small ensemble—roughly 16 musicians playing strings, woodwinds, brass, harp and percussion—through an intermission-free program that includes French composer Paul Dukas’ symphonic poem “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” the work of another Frenchman (Camille Saint-Saëns’ tone poem “Danse macabre”) and Stravinsky’s “Dumbarton Oaks” concerto. (Church Of the Ascension, Clearwater)

Soul Glo

TODD COOPER

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Sa 3.18

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THE CURE TRIBUTE + SWITCH FIRST WAVE

STONEBURNER

W 3.22 THE FOREIGN RESORT + SLEEPING PILLS

F 3.24

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COMEDY IN CONCERT: RAHN HORTMAN MICHAEL MURILLO DEVIN ALEXANDER DYLAN WALKER

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BOLD shows are in the Music Hall

An annual rite of passage, Spring Bloom presented by AdventHealth is the most colorful time of the year as thousands of azaleas, camellias, and annuals signal a new season. The festival celebrates the majesty of Mother Nature, February 1 through April 30.

CONCERT UNDER THE STARS SERIES

A partnership of the Lake Wales Arts Council and Bok Tower Gardens, enjoy amazing music, starlit nights, and the beautiful setting for a truly unique concert experience.

AN EVENING WITH ALISON BROWN

Friday, March 3

AN EVENING WITH THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS

Friday, March 24

AN EVENING WITH THE STEELDRIVERS

Friday, April 21

AN EVENING WITH TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS

Friday, April 28

This

The saga continues, when hip hop icons Wu-Tang Clan and Nas come back to Tampa. The “NY State of Mind Tour” will land at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel pool on Sept. 24. Tickets go on sale March 1, and start at $75. Other Florida stops include Jacksonville and Hollywood.

Minus the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, all of the original members of the Wu-Tang clan will be in attendance, including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck. Fresh off a Grammy win for King’s Disease and a Grammy nomination for its follow-up King’s Disease II , Nas recently released a new album titled Magic featuring A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier.

After the tour’s debut, Wu-Tang Clan prepped for the final season of their biopic series, “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.” This isn’t the first time the Bay has seen the “NY State of Mind Tour”; last year it stopped at the MidFlorida Credit Union.—Tyana Rodgers

Blu J.D. (album release) w/MTY Jai Sunday, March 5. 5 p.m. $10. Nana’s Restaurant and Juice Bar, Ybor City

Jose Ramirez Thursday, March 9. 8 p.m. $10. Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg

Priscilla Block Friday, March 10. 10 p.m. $20. Dallas Bull, Tampa

CAMPGround23: Andrea Burgess w/Arda Cabaoglu/Julianna Eidle/Wyatt Hatch/ Jamie Jordan/Kevin von Kampen/Eunmi

Ko/Matthew Korloch/more ThursdaySaturday, March 16-18. $15. Times and locations at contemporaryartmusicproject.org

Spring Break Takeover: Murda Beatz w/ AB/Kali/Blocboy JB/Lacro$$e Thursday, March 16. 7 p.m. $59.99 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City spill tab (opening for Sabrina Carpenter) Friday, March 17. 8 p.m. $40 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Stoneburner w/Chimeric Drift/DJ

Vurloque Sunday, March 19. 8 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Mega Mango w/Taverns/Peace Cult

Sunday, March 26. 6 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Skid Row w/Buckcherry/No Resolve

Tuesday, March 28. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

April Fool’s Burlesque: Alistair Graves/ DaneGer Spice/Ktwo LeMew/Mary

Strawberry/Ruby Vesper Saturday, April 1. 8 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Lightning Bolt w/TBA Friday, April 7. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Celebrating David Bowie: Peter Murphy w/Adrian Belew/Scrote/

Royston Langdon/Eric Schermerhorn/ Ron Dzuibla/more Saturday, April 8. 8 p.m. $43 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Escuela Grind w/Bonginator/TBA

Sunday, April 9. 6 p.m. $15. Orpheum, Tampa

Speed with Karma w/Day by Day/Three Knee Deep Wednesday, April 12. 7 p.m. $17. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Red Clay Strays Saturday, April 15. 8 p.m. $20. The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City

Ouija Macc w/FJ Outlaw/Pierce The Skies/TJ Trainwreck Tuesday, April 25. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Shawn Mullins Saturday, April 29. 7:30 p.m. $35. Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor

UPSAHL w/TBA Saturday, April 29. 8 p.m. $17 & up. Crowbar, Ybor City

Vampires Everywhere w/Saving Vice/ more TBA Tuesday, May 2. 7 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Leah Marlene Thursday, May 4. 8 p.m. $30 & up. The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City

Summer Salt w/The Rare Occasions/ Addison Grace Thursday, June 1. 6 p.m. $26. Orpheum, Tampa

Lettuce w/Steel Pulse/Makua Rothman Friday, June 16. 7 p.m. $44.50 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Yellowcard w/Mayday Parade/Story of the Year Sunday, July 23. 7 p.m. $25.75 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa

Pentatonix w/Lauren Alaina Thursday, Aug. 10. 8 p.m. $24 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

Pegged as bi

By Dan Savage

My boyfriend of six months wants to try pegging and I’m down. But he wants “the whole experience,” which means sucking the dildo too. That raises a red flag for me. I know how this sounds before I even ask, so please forgive me if this question is insensitive. But does his desire to suck on the dildo indicate gay or bi tendencies? He says he’s not attracted to men, but he will sometimes make remarks about a “good looking guy” he saw. He also told me he had a threesome in his early-20s with a married couple and that the husband sucked him off. He says he hasn’t done anything like that since—and he’s had tons of sex and done a lot of freaky stuff. Is this a kink? Would this leave him wanting the real thing? He wants to get married and all that. Should I be concerned?—Wondering

About Sexual Proclivities

I’m gonna crawl out on a limb here and assume your boyfriend has demonstrated—to your satisfaction—that he enjoys straight sex. Or opposite-sex sex, I should say, since not everyone who has “straight” sex is straight. Bisexuals have “straight” sex all the time; sometimes even gays and lesbians have “straight” sex, and not always under the duress of the closet. Just as some straights are heteroflexible, some gays and lesbians are homoflexible.

Anyway, I’m assuming your boyfriend has demonstrated—again, to your satisfaction—that he enjoys having opposite-sex with you, WASP. He likes to kiss you, he likes your tits, he eats your pussy, and he fucks you senseless. And I feel confident in making this assumption because if he was only going through the motions when he was having sex with you, if the “straight” sex you were having together was bad or infrequent or both, you surely would’ve mentioned that fact.

So, since the sex with your newish boyfriend is good and frequent (and trending freaky), WASP, we can safely strike “gay” from your very short list of concerns. And while some would regard the distinction you’re attempting to make between your boyfriend wanting you to fuck his ass and your boyfriend wanting you to fuck his face as meaningless—most will regard him wanting to have his ass fucked as just as gay or even gayer than him wanting to have his face fucked — there is a difference. A guy can wanna have his ass fucked for the pure physical pleasure of being penetrated, e.g., the stimulation of all those nerve endings, the amazing feeling of being opened up, the pounding of his prostate gland, and the dildo is simply a means to those ends.

But sucking on a strap-on dildo… that’s more of a psychological thrill. You won’t feel anything, and your boyfriend doesn’t have a prostate gland on his soft palate.

But even if he’s getting off on the idea of sucking dick… that’s not proof he’s gay or bi. Some women have dicks, as we’ve learned over the last two decades and change, and your boyfriend could be fantasizing about sucking a woman’s dick and there’s nothing gay or bi about a cis man sucking a trans woman’s dick. (Right? Right.) Or your boyfriend could be into the idea of forced bi. Or your boyfriend could be turned on by the transgression against what straight sex is supposed/assumed to be, e.g., males penetrate, females are penetrated.

Zooming out for a second…

At the start of a new relationship people will sometimes hint at their non-normative sexual interests, or desires. A guy might share a little about his past—like having had a threesome with a married couple and getting sucked off by the dude—because he wants to assess his new partner’s reaction before sharing the rest. A guy into bondage might tell a new partner he once “let someone” tie him up when he actually begged that person to tie him up; a woman into spanking might tell a new partner about some spanking porn clip that somehow popped up in her Twitter feed when she actually went looking for it. Your boyfriend could be bisexual, WASP, and told you some married guy sucked his dick when actually he went looking for a guy—married or not — to suck his dick.

So, let’s game out your worst-case scenario: Your boyfriend is bisexual. Would that really be so bad, WASP? If you’re going to obsess about the downsides of marrying a bisexual guy—he’s going to want to fuck a guy once in a while—you should at least pause to consider the upsides. For instance, you won’t have to be on the receiving end of penetration every time you say yes to sex, WASP, because you’ll get to do the penetrating every once in a while. And the occasional MMF threesome… well, that seems like the best-case scenario to me, WASP, but I’m a little like your boyfriend: here for the freaky stuff.

I’m a 38-year-old mother of two youngish kids in a 10-year hetero relationship that I am destroying. I cheated with a girl at my job at the end of last year and now I have feelings for her. I’ve ended the affair several times, but each time we start back up again. I’ve always known that I’m bisexual but never really explored that side of myself. I don’t know if I never explored this side of myself out of fear, internalized homophobia, or that the right girl never presented herself. Now I need to choose. Do I stay with my longterm partner, a man I love dearly, and tamp down this side of myself? Or do I break up with him and explore my sexuality? If we didn’t have kids, I would choose the latter. We have talked about opening up the relationship but he is way

too hurt for that to be an option anymore. I know I majorly fucked up. I betrayed his trust and snuck around with this girl. Am I just a horrible person who needs to get her shit together and somehow patch things up with my partner? Or is exploring my sexuality something that I should prioritize over stability and long-term love?—Confused As Fuck

If you were childless—or childfree—you would leave. But you aren’t childfree, CAF, and you owe it to your kids to at least try to make things work with your long-term partner.

That said, CAF, you aren’t obligated to stay in a relationship you can’t make work. If your actions have irrevocably destroyed your partner’s ability to trust you, and if you can’t come to some sort of accommodation moving forward that allows you to be the person you are (an accommodation that could take many different forms), ending it may ultimately be in the best interests of your kids. Because a bitter, loveless, high-conflict relationship will not only make you and your partner miserable, but it will also make your kids miserable.

If your relationship never recovers from the blows you’ve inflicted on it—if you can’t get past this—then you’ll have to end it. But at this point you simply don’t know whether or how this relationship can be salvaged. So, give it a chance, do the work, and see where you are in a year. If leaving was ultimately the right thing to do, it’ll still be the right thing to do a year from now. If leaving was the wrong thing to do, you won’t be able to undo it a year from now.

that argument to me are bisexuals who made monogamous commitments before fully exploring their sexualities. LGBTQ people never tire of pointing out how a particular thing might be harder for gay men and a different particular thing might be harder for lesbians and another particular thing might be a whole lot harder for trans people and a long list of other things might a bazillion times harder for asexuals, demisexuals, sapiosexuals, omnisexuals, etc., etc., etc. And yet it’s somehow taboo to suggest that monogamy—which, again, is pretty damn hard for everyone—might be just a tiny bit harder for bisexuals.

SAVAGE LOVE

P.S. Bisexual People? Please get out there and suck some dick and/or eat some pussy before you make a monogamous commitment to an opposite-sex partner—or a same-sex partner, for that matter, although I get fewer letters from bisexuals in samesex relationships who’ve recently “explored” their bisexuality (with disastrous consequences) or begged their same-sex partners for permission to “explore” their bisexuality (and been threatened with disastrous consequences). Yeah, yeah: bisexual people can honor monogamous commitments. But as you may have noticed—as anyone who’s been paying attention should have noticed by now—monogamy isn’t easy for anyone. And while it’s considered bi-phobic to suggest that monogamy might be a little bit harder for bisexual people, most of the people making

I’m a bisexual woman who once had an affair with a married man. (Let’s call him “AP.”) The affair ended a decade ago. I was in an abusive marriage at the time and AP showed me what a loving, caring relationship was like. He was, and still is, happily married except for sexual dissatisfaction. His wife has an extremely low sex drive and is a prude. (She calls sex “icky.”) AP, on the other hand, has a high libido and is very adventurous. He loves anal, threesomes, etc., and has had experiences with men when he was younger. He loves his wife and kids, and I love him, so when we were discovered, I removed myself from the situation. I left the abuser, did a LOT of work on myself, and found an awesome, open-minded, sexy bisexual new husband. Would I be an asshole if I sent an indecent proposal to AP and his wife? Everything out in the open this time. A one-time invitation to meet in a neutral place where the four of us could get to know each other. And then, if everyone is comfortable, we can have some naughty adult play time that would include all the stuff she doesn’t enjoy (anal, same-sex play, oral, etc.). Is this a shitty thing to do? I’ve come to a point that I realize a healthy relationship is based on far more than monogamy, and if my husband really wanted to engage in something I had no interest in, I’d give him my blessing. But that’s me. I hate the idea of AP living out the rest of his life unfulfilled. My husband is fully on board.—Decent Proposal

P.S. For what it’s worth, AP bears some resemblance to a Muppet!

Do not do this.

P.S. A woman who doesn’t wanna do anal, oral, or same-sex play is highly unlikely to wanna watch her husband do any of those things in front of her — particularly with a former affair partner.

P.S. Muppet-faced men are the best-faced men!

Send your burning questions to mailbox@ savage.love. Podcasts, columns, merch and more at savage.love!

POWERLINE INSTALLER/REPAIRER FOREMAN

to supervise crews of 2-6 persons performing repairs and installations in Hillsborough & Polk Counties. Candidates will have a min of 24 months exp as a foreman /supervisor, with experience in bucket truck and yard machine operations. Please send resume or C.V. including all qualifications and salary requirements to: Heather@barrowpower.com

to perform repairs and installations in Hillsborough & Polk Counties. Candidates will have a min 12 months exp as an electrical technician and have knowledge of bucket truck and yard machine operations used in powerline installation and repair. Please send resume or C.V. including all qualifications and salary requirements to: Heather@barrowpower.com

YOU'RE GETTING WARMER

by Merl Reagle

NOTE: If you start to sweat as you fill in this grid, there’s a reason—actually, 18 identical reasons, forward, backward, up, down, and diagonally (in word search fashion). Can you find them all?

ACROSS

1 California clam

6 Horn sounds

11 Greek lyric poet

17 Chou of China

18 Trios singing with trios

20 Microphone inventor

23 “It’s so ___ fall in love”

7

3

8 Old verb ending

11 Consult with

12 On ___ (at the movies, e.g.)

13 Tower city

14 Out of touch with reality

15 Victim of Dutch colonialism in 17th-century South

18 Open