Creative Loafing Tampa — March 23, 2023

PUBLISHER James Howard

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf

MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields

THEATER CRITIC

Jon Palmer Claridge

FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman

IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Annalise

Mabe, McKenna Schueler, Arielle Stevenson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Chandler Culotta, Dave Decker

SPRING INTERN Tyana Rodgers

Apply for summer via rroa@cltampa.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel

question

ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

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?

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS

AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

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

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Andrew Zelman

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sarah Fenske

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

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Weekly, LLC, 633 N Franklin St., Suite

The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampa.com. Copyright 2021, Tampa

The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.

tampa.creativeloafing.com/cltv twitter.com/cl_tampa

How was your Date? cltampa.com/movies cltampa.com/PartyPics

How was your Date? cltampa.com/movies on cltampa.com/PartyPics Ybor Festival of the Moving Image cltampa.com/arts

facebook.com/cltampa editors Connects,

Our main number: (813) 739-4800

Letters to the editor: comments@cltampa.com

Anonymous news tips: cltampabay_tips@protonmail.com

Ybor Festival of the Moving Image cltampa.com/arts

Photo by Dave Decker. Design by Joe Frontel.

Knowledge is power. Florida’s proposed anti-LGBTQ+ laws—and how to fight back, p. 45.

do this

Love Is Love group wedding

Registration for the “Love is Love” group wedding closed last Friday, but be sure to cheer on the couples during Tampa Pride during ceremonies performed by Hillsborough’s Clerk of Court and Comptroller, Cindy Stuart. After the nuptials, the 50 couples are invited to walk with the Clerk’s office in Tampa’s 9th annual Pride and Diversity parade. A small reception at The Cuban Club will follow. Saturday, March 25. 3 p.m. Ybor City. hillsclerk.com—Tyana Rodgers

Tampa Bay's best things to do from March 23 - 30

Tampa Pride Tampa’s Pride Festival is once again taking over the streets of historic Ybor City. While there’s a culmination of different drag brunches, performances and other festivities taking place in Ybor City this weekend, there’s only three official Tampa Pride events: the parade itself, which starts at 11 a.m., a diversity parade at 4 p.m., and Pride@Night, which ends the actionpacked day with a concert from the queen of raunchy rap, Cupcakke. All Tampa Pride events are free to attend and all ages, except for Cucakke’s gig, which is 18 and up. For a full list of Tampa Pride events taking place this weekend, head to page 45. Catch some beads, wear your rainbows, and live freely despite the hostile political atmosphere of our state. Saturday, March 25. 11 a.m. Free. Various locations throughout Ybor City. tampapride.org—Kyla Fields

Shuffle’s 5th anniversary party This Tampa Heights staple teams up with local promoter Brokenmold Entertainment to help honor its five-year anniversary this weekend. Neighborhood bar and hangout Shuffle hosts a day-long celebration full of live music, food and drink specials and “balloon artists, stilts walkers, white walkers, ancient alien lovers and knitters of sweaters,” (whatever that means.) Guests can enjoy music from local artists The Burke Bros, Kay Three, Biishop the Artist and Soft Bite, while battling each other on Shuffle’s indoor or outdoor shuffleboard courts. Danielle O’Connor and Jennifer Evanchyk opened Shuffle in the spring of 2018, and their watering hole, restaurant and shuffleboard club has since garnered a reputation for being the go-to neighborhood hangout in Tampa Heights. Saturday, March 25. 4 p.m.-midnight. $10 donation. 2612 N Tampa St., Tampa. shuffletampa.com—Kyla Fields

DAVE DECKER

DAVE DECKER

NICOLE KIBERT/ELAWGRRL.COM

continued from page 08

Lakeland Punk Rock Flea Market On any given day, there are at least a hundred reasons to go to Lakeland. On Sunday, 50 of them have to do with shopping when the massive Lakeland Punk Rock Flea Market with more than four dozen vendors engulfs Swan Brewing. A strong contingent of Tampa and St. Pete bands—including Wolf-Face, Rath & The Wise Guys and Oceans End—carry the concert portion while Bay area vegan favorite Nah Dogs joins six other food vendors in the lineup. Sunday, March 26, noon-6 p.m. Free to attend.

—Ray Roa

Jane Goodall Within an hour, tickets to see Dr. Jane Goodall this Wednesday sold-out. The talk coincides with the famed conservationist’s 89th birthday, and is supposed to encourage attendees to value their individual impact in creating a better future for the earth and its animals. Youth plays a big part in that future, and organizers have saved room for select local students to come see Goodall speak. The students must enter into a short essay contest and will be asked for a short description (250 words) about “what you can and will do to make the world better for people, other animals and the environment.” Responses will be read by folks at the Jane Goodall Institute, who’ll pick 50 winners, too. And if you’re not a student, or have no great ideas about the future of the planet (kidding), you can still be inspired by Dr. Goodall when she speaks at a separate event at downtown Tampa’s Florida Aquarium on Tuesday, March 28 at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, 7 p.m. Sold out. Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St. Tampa. janegoodall.org—Ray Roa

Once and Future Lovers: 10th Anniversary Celebration Provocative stories about broken bikes, parenthood, and teenage desire seem to be the ire of conservatives these days, but the Bay area’s embraced those collected by Bay area author Sheree L. Greer who’s celebrating the 10th anniversary and re-release of her book, “Once and Future Lovers.”

The new edition features some updates, and to make sense of it all is Tampa poet and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay columnist Yuki Jackson, who’s moderating a post-reading conversation. Tuesday, March 28, 6 p.m. Free with RSVP. Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg. tombolobooks. com—Ray Roa

DAVE DECKER

J. WYNN

Drop it

Photos by Dave Decker

Students rallied in downtown Tampa last Wednesday afternoon, demanding the State Attorney for Florida’s 13th District (SAO13) drop charges against four University of South Florida students arrested last week during a protest outside the office of USF president Rhea Law. During that protest, video shows USF Police Chief Chris Daniel, without announcing an arrest, initiating contact with a protester by yanking on her arm. More video shows other students—protesting low Black enrollment at the school as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attack on courses that touch upon Diversity, Equity, Inclusion—being slammed to the ground and

shoved by USF police who’ve since deferred any inquires about their actions to SAO13.

As previously reported by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, four protesters now face felony battery on a law enforcement officer and multiple misdemeanors. A rep for SAO 13 told CL that the office has not yet filed any charges and that the charges are just booking charges from USFPD for now. Moreover, the state attorney has 170 days to gather and consider evidence before deciding if prosecutors want to move forward with official charges. See all the photos and read more via cltampa.com/slideshows.

Ray Roa

POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

Hold up

Six-week ban could impact St. Pete’s push to fund access for reproductive healthcare.

By Arielle Stevenson

Both of Florida’s six-week abortion ban bills were filed by far-right Republicans in the state legislature; SB 300’s Sen. Erin Grall and HB 7’s Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka. Dubbed “Pregnancy and Parent Support” bills, Amy Weintraub, reproductive rights director with Progress Florida says the language does just the opposite.

“It is not about pregnancy support or parental support,” Weintraub told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “It is a near total abortion ban and that is what it should be called.”

“So suddenly the Florida Senate has jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service?”

Weintraub told CL. “They can’t dictate what the U.S. Postal Service sends or allows through its system.”

And the bill goes even further, prohibiting the expenditure of any state funds for “a person to travel to another state to receive services that are intended to support an abortion.”

LOCAL NEWS

The bill may also affect a push from St. Petersburg officials who want to allocate funds for increased access to “practical services” related to reproductive healthcare.

Far-right Republican and Trump supporter Rep. Webster Barnaby of Deltona filed a six-week abortion ban bill back in 2021, but it failed. A year-and-a-half later, accessing abortion in Florida looks quite different after last summer’s Dobbs decision. Mckenna Kelley with the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund or TBAF said neither bill is about providing support.

“The concerns of the legislature are with the unborn or whatever phrase they use,” Kelley told CL. “Yet, there is little to no support for pregnant people, for children, for babies, once they’re born. The concern is solely control of pregnant people.”

SB 300 allows for exceptions to the six-week ban up to 15 weeks in cases of rape or incest, with proof. But rape and incest survivors must provide physicians with a copy of a “restraining order, police report, medical record other court order or documentation.”

Kelley says that TBAF estimates 90% of its callers are six weeks along or more when they find out they’re pregnant. And sometimes, the staterequired ultrasound before an abortion reveals they are even farther along than they thought.

“Under the proposal, some people will be able to know that they’re pregnant early on and be able to seek abortion care if that’s what they want,” Weintraub told CL. “But many, many people will not even know they’re pregnant until it’s too late to get an abortion.”

Grall’s bill also targets abortion care through telehealth and abortion pills sold through the mail. Weintraub called that provision an “overreach.”

Since December, St. Petersburg city council member Richie Floyd has been trying to get a reproductive rights resolution and city funds for TBAF. Last month, the city’s Health, Energy, Resiliency and Sustainability or HERS committee advanced a proposal for $50,000 in support for practical

support to TBAF. Coincidentally, the line item in SB 300 came right after the HERS committee vote. Kelley told CL that the proposed language could impact those funds.

“We’re not funded by the state now and I don’t know that any of the other Florida funds are either,” Kelley told CL. “But I think we all knew that there were all these possibilities.”

On average, TBAF spends $1,150 per Floridian needing to go outside the state for abortion care. That cost doesn’t include the abortion itself, which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.

According to Planned Parenthood’s nationwide abortion access map, abortion is illegal in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas,

Missouri, and West Virginia. Florida and Georgia are considered “severely restricted.”

“We are considered an abortion haven right now, because southerners are coming here,” Weintraub told CL. “So this ban will not only have disastrous impacts for Floridians, but for all people in our neighboring states.”

Weintraub notes that providers in northern Florida, and now central Florida are seeing higher numbers of out-of-state patients since last summer’s Dobbs decision. And Kelley says TBAF got 63% of its calls for support between July 1-Dec. 31, after the Dobbs decision.

The proposed TBAF funding and the reproductive rights resolution are slated to go before a full council for a vote on March 23.

“We are considered an abortion haven right now, because southerners are coming here.”

CHANDLER CULLOTTA

SHOW ME A SIGN: Activists outside St. Pete City Hall in June 2022.

Axios-ed

Reporter Ben Montgomery fired over response to DeSantis DEI email.

By Ray Roa

Ben Montgomery was on a hell of a run when the phone call came in. “I had like 41 million points, man,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Montgomery was playing a Godzilla pinball machine somewhere in Savannah, Georgia where he’d flown to be with his girlfriend on her birthday.

But the call last Monday night, March 13, from Axios Local Executive Editor Jamie Stockwell, was about another monster: Ron DeSantis, whose press team, hours earlier, had sent a press release about how the governor held a roundtable “Exposing the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Scam in Higher Education.”It was the second time in as many weeks that DeSantis—who’s become the poster child for turning anti-woke grievance into legislation— had to play defense. The week before, the guv held another presser to spew rhetoric about the “book ban hoax.”

Montgomery, one of two reporters who founded and lent credence to Axios’ Tampa Bay newsletter, read over the DEI email looking for something he could include in the email which subscribers receive in between 6 a.m.-7 a.m. seven days a week.

DeSantis’ email included quotes from the governor and five of his woke-warriors, including Christopher Rufo who DeSantis appointed to the New College of Florida Board of Trustees.

Montgomery didn’t see much substance in the release, so he replied by writing, “This is propaganda, not a press release.”

Less than an hour later, Alex Lanfranconi, Communications Director for Florida’s Department of Education, and famous for his antagonistic approach to outlets who so as much question what the governor says, posted a screenshot of Montgomery’s response, with the caption, “This afternoon, Tampa based @axios journalist @gangrey decided to respond to our press release with the below.”

Montgomery told CL that to his editor, he’d flushed his credibility as a reporter down the toilet.

who was making six figures at Axios, told CL. Nevermind that DeSantis and his communications team have politicized everything from the lives of transgender youth to the pregnancy outcomes of mothers struggling to put food on the table.

Stockwell did not respond to a request for comment. Instead, via a spokesperson, Axios Editor-In-Chief Sara Kehaulani Goo told CL, “This reporter is no longer with Axios. Out of respect for our employees, we do not discuss conditions of departure.”

“This gives the trolls another scalp,” Montgomery told CL. He won’t go back to Axios, even if the backlash from the firing compels his old boss to renege.

LOCAL NEWS

Lanfranconi's Twitter post was racking up impressions and being lapped up by bots and trolls, with some real user reaction mixed in.

Stockwell, who took the executive editor job at Axios Local a year ago, fired Montgomery on the phone last Monday night. By Tuesday, his internal Slack account had been deactivated, and last Wednesday Axions (what Axios calls its people) were told that Montgomery—a Pulitzer finalist in 2010—was no longer with the company.

The political nature of his reply to DeSantis’ press office, and the fact that Lanfranconi’s post had been broadcast all over Twitter, were the reasons for his termination, Montgomery,

“I’m pissed,” Montgomery said of his firing. “I’m pissed that it makes the press look weak, and I’m pissed about the message this sends about the chilling effect this kind of intimidation from the governor’s office has on solid, truthful reporting.”

Last Wednesday, Montgomery retweeted Vanity Fair Staff Writer Charlotte Klein, who shared the news of his firing. “Some personal news: I made crepes this morning for the first time in years. Strawberry compote and whipped cream,” he wrote. “They were delicious.”

On the Friday after his firing, on WMNF, Montgomery told listeners of the public affairs radio show he co-hosts not to cancel their Axios subscriptions, mentioned that he’d pushed back on bosses about a heavy workload, and cited the hard-working journalists still working to put

out newsletters in markets across the country.

The news of his firing also traveled far and wide, with Montgomery appearing on MSNBC’s “The ReidOut with Joy Reid,” and popping up on the Washington Post, Fox News, and on Poynter where columnist Tom Jones said “maybe there was more to this than one snippy response to an email.”

Last Thursday,, Esquire published a scathing commentary saying, “Axios stands revealed as a creepy little band of Beltway-drunk dilettantes who, taken together, don’t have the courage God gave the average assistant night city editor at a 30,000-circulation daily.”

“If there’s one thing I despise most in this business, it’s suits who don’t stand behind their reporters in the face of unjust, performative outrage and flinch before they’re hit,” Charles P. Pierce wrote in the piece.

And there’s at least one fundraiser happening in the wake of the firing, too.

Saturday, March 25 is the fifth anniversary of Tampa Heights bar and sports emporium Shuffle, which is co-owned by Montgomery’s exwife, Jennifer Evanchyk.

“My sweet ex-husband wants to offer a free Jell-O shot to anyone on 3/25 who says to the bartender: CRAFT BEER IS PROPAGANDA,. And Shuffle will donate all proceeds to The First Amendment Foundation,” she told CL in a text message. “Danielle [O’Connor, co-owner] and I agree that this is his way of making our success about him—however we also agree that this will bring us a lot of attention and I want CL and Fox News to be the first to know.”

CREEK DON’T RISE: Ben Montgomery said he doesn’t want his job back.

BEN MONTGOMERY

“I’m pissed that it makes the press look weak.”

Auguste Rodin, Minotaur or Faun and Nymph, c. 1886, Bronze, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Leona Cantor Palmer, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Fix it

Tampa City Council OKs $77 million for wastewater improvements.

By Arielle Stevenson

Last Thursday, Tampa City Council voted unanimously to fund $77 million in wastewater improvements. Under Tampa’s wastewater master plan, $577 million is slated for wastewater over the next 20 years.

The city has already funded $54 million to date, according to Tampa’s Wastewater Department Director Eric Weiss, who said the funds won’t go towards Mayor Jane Castor’s controversial PURE (Purify Usable Resources for the Environment) project. That project would treat and release reclaimed wastewater back into the Hillsborough River to supplement the city’s drinking water source. But Weiss assured the council that the funds are needed to update old equipment under the master plan.

“It can be very confusing so thank you for clarifying to the best of your ability,” Hurtak said. “It makes clear sense and explains why we need this work done.”

LOCAL NEWS

In February 2022, Tampa City Council voted 6-1, with Carlson opposing, to approve $1.2 million to continue exploring PURE. But seven months later, council denied a $1.2 million request and called for a “radical restart” on the PURE project. Those opposed say PURE is just Castor’s rebrand of the city’s previously failed “toilet to tap,” program. The Sierra Club opposed PURE, citing environmental and health concerns. Residents voiced concerns over trust in Castor’s administration following two DOJ investigations.

“It’s really just replacement of existing facilities,” Weiss told the council. “Everything is just old.”

Tampa’s Howard F. Curren wastewater plant treats about 50 million gallons per day of reclaimed water before dumping it into the nearby Hillsborough Bay. Weiss says wastewater piping was built in low-lying basements back in the 1970s. That poses a risk with sea level rise and the possibility of hurricane flooding. The funds would raise equipment up 13 feet and refurbish the second step of Tampa’s three-part water treatment process.

“Removing the organics from the wastewater, also known as carbon, was the backbone of the treatment plan,” Weiss said. “this $77 million will completely rehab that whole process.”

The presentation spelled out the history of the wastewater treatment plant back to its 1950s origin. Council member Lynn Hurtak thanked Weiss for clearing up the confusion.

Council members Hurtak and Charlie Miranda motioned for city staff to answer questions about PURE. Another motion by Carlson asked for information about PURE’s legislative impetus SB 64. That legislation—crafted in part by lobbyists for the City of Tampa—says cities have to refrain from wastewater discharge into bodies of water by 2032. PURE could potentially qualify for continued release under “beneficial use.”

The two PURE-related items were on Thursday’s meeting agenda but Councilman Carlson motioned to continue at a later date, citing new rules. Items related to PURE must now be labeled as PURE/wastewater reuse, or the item gets automatically continued.

“The public is concerned about PURE,” Carlson said Thursday. “They want it to stop.”

City staff will present its follow-up on PURE to the city council on May 4.

LET IT FLOW: Tampa’s wastewater master plan allocates $577 million for wastewater over the next 20 years.

“The funds won’t go towards Mayor Jane Castor’s controversial PURE project.”

I’m out

Clearwater mayor’s abruptly resigns.

By Arielle Stevenson

In the last year of his four-year term, Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard resigned abruptly Monday morning during a special work session. “This is probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Hibbard said. “But I know it’s right, ‘cause I’m not a quitter. But I’m not the right mayor for the council anymore.”

Hibbard—who was mayor from 2005-2012 before getting his old job back again in 2020—began packing his bag.

The change kicked off March 19 when the streetcar started to pick riders up every 12 minutes from 1 p.m.-9 p.m. The 12-minute pickup window is also effective Fridays and Saturdays from 1 p.m.-9 p.m.

LOCAL NEWS

“I’m concerned about where the city is going ‘cause this is simple math and we’re not doing very well on the test,” Hibbard said. He gave no specific reason for his resignation and quit following discussions for a new $90 million city hall and municipal services center.

“My understanding is there’s interest in building a new city hall/ms facility,” Hibbard said. “The price tag we have on that now is $90 million, there’s an unfunded gap of about 60 million. Is that a priority for everyone other than me?”

The now-former mayor was the only council member to oppose the project.

One hour into the work session, Hibbard grabbed his bag and water bottle and left the dais. Hibbard served as Clearwater’s mayor from 2004-2012 and was re-elected in 2020 to serve until March 2024. Following the resignation, Vice Mayor Kathleen Beckman called for a recess.

Tampa’s TECO streetcar increases frequency to every 12 minutes during peak hours

Tampa’s TECO Line Streetcar system increased its peak hour service last Sunday.

The streetcar—which runs 2.7 miles from between Ybor City’s Centennial Park to the intersection of S Franklin and E Whiting streets in downtown Tampa—will continue to pick up passengers every 15 minutes outside of peak hours.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) said the increased peak hour service is “to accommodate the increase in ridership the Streetcar experiences on the weekends.”

“The TECO Line Streetcar continues to show what an investment in public transportation can provide with enhanced connectivity in the area and increased foot traffic to businesses,” Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. President Michael English, wrote in a release.

Tampa’s streetcar has been free to ride since 2018, thanks in part to a $2.7 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation. Before that, a fare was $2.50. In recent years, FDOT funds, together with local matches from HART, have kept the trolley a no-fare affair.

HART says the streetcar carried over a million riders in the 2022 fiscal year, but the service dates all the way back to the late 1800s when it connected what’s now downtown to Ybor City, while also passing through Tampa Heights and even Bayshore Boulevard.

See some vintage streetcar photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.—Tyana Rodgers

NOTHING IS GOING TO GET BETTER: Hibbard, reading on Dr. Seuss Day this month.

MYCLEARWATER/TWITTER

“This is simple math and we’re not doing very well on the test.”

Proud Sponsor of Tampa Pride 2023

"Celebrating 49 years of Love and Fashion in the Heart of Ybor City"

Offering both Vintage and New - Clothing - Hats

- Shoes

- Jewelry - and so much more!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @lafranceybor

Open Everyday 12-7pm

Shit Happened

THURSDAY 16

Part of Florida is under quarantine to contain the spread of the African land snail. Just tell ‘em how much rent is around here, they’ll go away.

MONDAY 20

The Florida House passes bill expanding private school vouchers, and allowoing homeschooled students to receive funds. All that just to get rid of teacher’s unions huh?

I guess.

TUESDAY 21

WFLA says, a fungus that poses “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has already been detected in more than half of U.S. states, including Florida. It’s DeSantis.

More shit, looking for the fungus among us, via cltampa.com/news.

Florida Senate proposal would block local governments from removing confederate monuments. Because there just aren’t enough of ‘em left, huh?

Florida Republicans want to legalize ‘Back the Blue’ flags for homeowners with HOAs. Law and order, but not when it’s the HOA writing the rules,

GAGE SKIDMORE

Gone fishin’

Seafood rules the latest round of Bay area foodie news.

By Kyla Fields and Tyana Rodgers

Baba, a popular Mediterranean restaurant in St. Pete’s Grand Central District, has recently debuted its smaller sibling concept. Earlier this month, Barbouni—which is located next to Baba in its former bakery and cafe space at 2701 Central Ave.—opened its doors with limited weekend hours.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Barbouni boasts a small sign and blue and white adornments to indicate its entrance, located to the right of Baba. Upon entering, guests are met with its sleek decor and colorful display of assorted tinned seafood. St. Pete’s new Barbouni concept calls itself a modern ouzeri.

In European countries like Spain, Portugal and Greece—where Baba co-owner Debbie Sayegh’s family is from—conservas typically refers to a range of canned seafood, from fish to octopus, squid and mussels. These proteins are typically accompanied by bread or crackers.

Just a few of Barbouni’s dozens of canned options include smoked salmon, preserved barnacles, anchovies, mackerel, sardines, smoked mussels and razor clams. In addition to its variety of canned seafood, Barbouni also offers craft cocktails and other alcoholic options. It boasts an intimate raw bar where guests can watch their fresh oysters being shucked in real time, too.

According to a comment that Baba made on its Instagram, its daytime bakery and cafe has closed in order for Barbouni to open in its former space. In addition to their newly-opened canned seafood concept, Debbie and George Sayegh also own and operate other popular St. Pete restaurants. The Sayeghs opened Latin spot Bodega on Central Avenue in 2012, Greek-Lebanese restaurant Baba in 2019, and added speakeasy Bar Chica inside of their new-and-improved Bodega location in late 2020. For more information on this new St. Pete eatery, follow its Instagram at @barbouniatbaba.

Also open

Trophy Fish A little bit of the beach has landed in Seminole Heights. Trophy Fish—with a menu built around fresh seafood and the concept’s beach escape inspired ambiance—had a grand opening on Wednesday. The 2,000 square-foot space, and sister to a St. Pete location with the same name, is located at 5901 N Florida Ave. in the same space as cocktail lounge Mandarin Heights.

“Our goal was to create a one-of-a kind relaxed atmosphere where our patrons can sit back, relax, escape the busy city-life, and enjoy great food with their family and friends.” owner Ryan Griffin said. Trophy Fish menu favorites include its grouper sandwich, house made fish spread, smoked shrimp, and a seafood boil for two. If you have a sweet tooth, the spot also has housemade cheesecakes and ice cream. In addition to the food menu, the drink menu includes awardwinning cocktails like the boat beverages and the pistachio Mai-Tai.

Coming soon

Olivia Riding off the success of his new Tampa restaurant Ponte Modern American, a renowned local chef is ready to tackle his next culinary endeavor. James Beard semifinalist Chef Chris Ponte will soon open a downtown St. Pete location of popular Italian restaurant Olivia (stylized “OLIVIA”), which currently resides in South Tampa.

continued on page 39

St. Pete Rising says that the 5,600 squarefoot Olivia will open on the ground floor of the 36-story Ascent building at 225 1st Ave. N. St. Pete’s Olivia is slated to debut by the end of 2023, although no opening date is set in stone. It’ll will be neighbors with Hoots, Joey Brooklyn’s Pizza, newly-opened seafood restaurant Cap’s and country bar and venue Welcome to the Farm. Another neighbor will also be Cane and Barrel, a Cuban-inspired rooftop bar that just opened on the 8th floor of Ascent St. Pete. While St. Pete’s newest Italian restaurant undergoes its buildout, head to the flagship location of in South Tampa (3601 W Swann Ave.) to get a taste of its charcuterie boards, pizzas, squid ink pasta and porcini mushroom-rubbed filet mignons. The modern eatery also boasts a large wine and cocktail list to accompany its house-made pastas and decadent entrees, in addition to popular desserts like tiramisu and apple butter cake.

While the St. Pete and Tampa locations of Olivia might share a majority of its menu items, its upcoming location might boast a few changes. Chef Ponte opened South Tampa’s Olivia location in 2019 and modern dining restaurant Ponte Modern American last year. For the latest updates on Chef Ponte’s second Olivia location, follow its Instagram at @olivia_tampa.

Moving

CJ’s On The Island One of Treasure Island’s most popular bars is making a move to the mainland. Best of the Bay-winning CJ’s on the Island—most known for its stiff drinks and karaoke nights—took to its Facebook last month to announce the bar’s imminent relocation. CJ’s will remain at its 5,000 square-foot space at 115 10th Ave. until the end of April, and will reopen at its even bigger St. Pete location at 5631-5651 Park St. N sometime in May 2023.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

“We are very excited to share with you the new and improved CJ’s!” its social media post reads. “Larger space, plenty of free parking and new amazing concepts. Thank you for these past ten years on the island and for your continued support.”

According to the popular bar, their landlords and property owners are tearing the massive Treasure Island plaza down for redevelopment purposes. CJ’s former neighbors, Mediterranean restaurant The Pearl, relocated to Gulfport last fall after 20 years on Treasure Island due to the plaza’s imminent transformation into mixeduse development.

CJ’s on the Island has garnered a reputation over the years as one of the best places for live

band karaoke, daily drink specials (including $2 drinks for industry workers) and tons of bar games—all characteristics that will continue at its new St. Pete location. CJ’s on the Park will open out of the St. Pete space currently occupied by Buffalo City Bar and Grill, a concept that might sound familiar to fans of the popular TV show “Bar Rescue.” In 2019, Buffalo City was featured in season 6 of the show, where owner Doreen Levy struggled to upkeep the bar she inherited from her deceased father.

It’s unsure if Buffalo City will open elsewhere in The Burg’ when CJ’s takes over this spring; Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to the bar with no response yet. For the latest updates on CJ’s on the Island and its new location’s build out, check out @CJsOnTI on Facebook. It’s open at its current location from 11 a.m.-3 a.m. daily, and we can expect similar operating hours when its CJ’s 2.0 debuts this spring.

Closed

Cask Social On Sunday, March 5, employees of a popular South Tampa restaurant unknowingly worked their very last shift. Cask Social Kitchen—located at 208 S Howard Ave.—unexpectedly closed this week, shocking employees,

patrons, and even its food vendors. On Monday, March 6, Cask CEO Stephen Bishop wrote a letter to roughly 25 now-former employees, stating that the restaurant had been purchased by the owners of St. Pete karaoke bar La La. “As of this morning, Cask restaurant has been sold to the owners of La La St. Pete. They will be shutting down the restaurant effective immediately and converting into a different concept,” the letter, obtained by CL, read.

The letter states that its former employees will receive their last paycheck as normal, and that restaurant is willing to assist them in finding other jobs in Tampa Bay’s hospitality industry. Bishop also told WFLA that he made job offers to several of his former BOH employees, in addition to “providing resources for others.” “We apologize for the suddenness of this announcement but there is simply not a better way to do it,” the letter continues.

Omar Elgaouni, a former bartender at Cask, organized a GoFundMe to help raise money for himself and his recently laid-off coworkers. “We were not given time to find a new job, any sort of severance, or even time to mourn the loss of our close knit family,” the fundraiser reads. Elgaouni says that his main goal is to help his former coworkers find new jobs as soon as possible, especially folks with children.

“We just want to get as much attention and media coverage for our fundraiser. Even if we get new jobs right away, we’ll still have to wait a month or so for the first paycheck,” he says. “It’s not right how restaurants do this, and somebody has to do something about it.”

Hamburger Mary’s Tampa Bay’s last standing Hamburger Mary’s—a once popular restaurant franchise staffed with drag performers—has closed its doors. Clearwater’s Hamburger Mary’s located 28910 U.S. 19 N, announced its imminent closure without naming any direct causes for it.

Besides boasting a staff filled with drag performers, Hamburger Mary’s is known for its charity events, drag bingo and a menu stacked with sandwiches, salads, signature desserts, and of course, burgers.

Ybor City’s Hamburger Mary’s closed in 2019. The closure came after a worker tested positive for Hepatitis A, although owner Kurt King denied the infection, stating that the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County took “false and discriminatory actions.” Shortly following the closure of its Ybor City location— which recently reopened as a Big Storm Brewing taproom—King announced the closures of his Brandon and St. Petersburg locations as well. There are now only three other Hamburger Mary’s in Florida located in Fort. Lauderdale, Orlando and Jacksonville.

Local gay clubs like Enigma, Bradley’s on 7th, City Side, Southern Nights, Cocktail and newly-opened restaurant Zoie’s still host a slew

continued on page 42

continued from page 35

SOMETHING LIKE OLIVIA: Chris Ponte’s South Tampa staple is expanding to the ‘Burg.

OLIVIATAMPAFL/FACEBOOK

continued from page 39

of drag queen performances amidst Florida’s heightened anti-LGBTQ+ political atmosphere, which may include proposed bans on all-ages shows.

Events

Margarita Wars Get your go-to hangover cures ready Tampa Bay. On Friday, April 7, Margarita Wars takes over TPepin’s Hospitality Centre—located at 4121 N. 50th St. in Tampa— for another year of exciting cocktail samples, Mexican-inspired eats, entertainment and the annual “Ultimate Margarita” competition. In addition to a slew of sampling from some of Tampa Bay’s hottest bars and restaurants, guests can fulfill their Food Network fantasies by voting for their favorite margarita of the night. A few local hotspots that will sling their best cocktails at April’s event include vegan restaurant Good Intentions, Hotel Tampa Riverwalk, JoToro, Sonder Social Club and The Library among many more.

And designated drivers can still enjoy light Mexican bites and non-alcoholic beverages from Herban Flow and Lucid Zero Proof Lounge & Restaurant.

VIP ticket holders can access this boozy party starting at 6 p.m., two hours before general admission folks, in addition to other perks like appetizers, complimentary parking and entry into a VIP-only raffle. There’s also a $75 GA plus ticket which gets you access at 7 p.m. if you don’t want to fully splurge on VIP admission. Keep up with Margarita Wars’ website and follow CL on Instagram at @cltampabay for the latest updates on next month’s massive foodie event. More details will be be released as 2023’s Margarita Wars nears closer.

A portion of proceeds will benefit Current Initiatives of Tampa Bay, a local nonprofit that is “committed to educating and mobilizing communities to be Hope Dealers through the Laundry Project, Hope For Homes Project and Affordable Christmas initiatives.”

Tickets are on sale at margaritawarstampabay.com, with general admission costing $65 and VIP running for $85. This annual event has sold out in the past, so we recommend getting your tickets ASAP via margaritawarstampabay. com.

Pinellas Pepper Fest Another year, another rendition of this spicy festival. Once again, Pinellas Park’s England Brothers Park—located at 5010 81st Ave. N—will host this massive foodie fest, this time on Saturday-Sunday, April 1-2 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. And yes, it’s free to attend and both child and pet-friendly. In addition to a variety of local vendors slinging hot sauces, jams, seasonings and rubs, food trucks and other small businesses will also dish out their best (and spiciest) eats. Local bands 727band, Tommy & Mimi, Infinity Tilt and The Band Grounded will take over the England Brothers Park bandshell

while the festival’s guests enjoy a wide spread of eats, family-friendly activities, eating contests and local vendors.

An organizer from Pinellas Pepper Fest told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that there will be over 30 food options at next month’s event. Although a full list of food offerings has yet to be released, guests will be able to enjoy a variety of sandwiches, barbecue, kettle corn, seafood, jerky and desserts.

And like in previous years, two of the festival’s main events include a jalapeño eating contest on Saturday and an extreme lollipop lick-a-thon on Sunday, where only the highest spice tolerances will prevail. Champions will receive bragging rights and a giant pepperadorned trophy. For the latest information on 2023’s Pinellas Pepper Fest, head to pinellaspepperfest.com.

complete with guacamole and tequila-infused drinks. The outside experience will feature more than 100 hard seltzers, according to a press release, with brands like Casa Azul, Viva Tequila, PLANT Botanical, SABÈ. Guests can expect a live DJ, Instagrammable moments and activities like ladder ball and seltzer pong.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Seltzerland first debuted in Chicago in 2020 then expanded into a sold-out national tour that sold out in 23 cities in 2022. While hard seltzer peaked in 2020 when White Claw raked in more than $4 billion, consumption of it has declined over the last year.

A press release says a portion of proceeds from all Seltzerland events will be donated to Forage Forward, a national nonprofit that contributes

flight in Tampa. Popular food delivery service Uber Eats recently announced a new partnership with Tampa International Airport (TPA) to bring mobile ordering to travelers and staff. With the new “TPA to Go” program, customers are able to order food and drinks ahead of time and skip the line at more than 20 concession locations throughout the airport. Users will not be able to have food delivered. Unfortunately, you can’t order a beer. The program is available to everyone including passengers, flight crew and airport staff. Travelers can set their location to the airport before they arrive and pick it up when they get there.”Our partnership with Uber Eats is another way we’re elevating the guest experi-

Seltzerland After staging a socially-distant party on suburban golf courses over the last two years, Seltzerland is coming to the big city with a party at Willa’s in the NoHo neighborhood of Hyde Park. The festival will be held on Saturday, April 15 on the restaurant’s parking lot, located at 1700 W Fig St. Tickets to Seltzerland 2023 in Tampa start at $39, with plenty of upgrade options that’ll get you swag and more booze.

Seltzerland 2023 promises a new “fiestafilled experience” that includes a “CANtina”

to causes including “food recovery and insecurity networks, environmental conservation, nutrition and health education, access to clean water and wells, and social equality & justice causes.” More information is at seltzerland.com.

ICYMI

Uber Eats partners with Tampa International Airport, a first in the country Weary travelers will soon be able to have a burger waiting for them when they get off their

ence by making shopping and dining at TPA easier and faster, which is a great value for our customers.” said Laurie Noyes, Airport VP of Concessions and Commercial Parking.TPA is the first official U.S. airport to partner with the delivery service, says Uber Eats. Though the company first partnered with the Toronto Pearson Airport, and later launched pilot programs at Ohio’s John Glenn International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

HARD STYLE: No one’s gonna judge you for shotgunning a seltzer at this festival.

CANNONBALL PRODUCTIONS

Get loud

Florida’s proposed anti-LGBTQ+ laws—and how we fight back.

By McKenna Schueler

Unless you’re living under a rock (do we distribute print there?), it’s no secret that Florida’s Republican lawmakers—who make up the supermajority of the state legislature— have made LGBTQ+ folks a target for policies governing everything from education to bathroom use and healthcare.

Since 2021, when Florida lawmakers passed a bill targeting trans athletes, later signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republicans in the state have gained more power. And this year, they’ve unveiled what Equality Florida has dubbed a “slate of hate bills,” driven in no small part by DeSantis’ stated priorities, including the “protection” of children from queerness, as he prepares to (likely) run for president in 2024.

Last year, there was “Don’t Say Gay,” “Stop WOKE,” and a law that’s emboldened a wave of book banning and the removal of books from K-12 classrooms at the behest of conservative activists with groups like Moms for Liberty.

This year, there’s more. A lot more.

Here at Orlando Weekly and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, we believe knowledge is power. This sh*t—Florida politics, that is—is difficult to navigate and understand sometimes. So, we want to help make it easier.

We’re going to include the state lawmakers who’ve filed it (we call ‘em out as we see it), broad strokes of what the bill would do, and what people are saying about it. Ready? Gloves on, let’s dive in.

HB 1223: Expanding Don’t Say Gay

What it would do: This bill would expand Florida’s existing “Don’t Say Gay” law, by banning classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation from pre-K through eighth grade. Currently, it’s banned up to third grade. Plus, discussion in grades eight and up would be restricted to that which is “age appropriate” and “developmentally appropriate”—terms that are super vague and not clearly defined by legislators. The bill would also regulate pronoun usage. Piggybacking off last year’s nickname, this new bill’s been dubbed “Don’t Say They” by opponents.

What folks are saying: “This legislation is about a fake moral panic, cooked up by Governor DeSantis to demonize LGBTQ people for his own political career,” said Equality Florida Public

Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer. “Free states don’t ban books or people.”

SB254/HB1421: Banning gender affirming care

What it would do: Lot to unpack, but TLDR; the biggest thing is that this legislation would ban gender affirming treatment (e.g. puberty blockers) for trans and nonbinary youth, and cut off public insurance coverage for it (if you’re lucky to have any at all). That means adults would be

impacted, too. The bill would also allow the state to take “emergency” custody of a child whose parents allow them access to that treatment. That could include children in custody of a trans-affirming parent out of state. Some have been likening this to “state-sponsored kidnapping.” Gender affirming care (which can be medical, or social—like simply using someone’s preferred pronouns) is evidence-based for

PRIDE GUIDE

treating gender dysphoria, and it’s endorsed by every major medical association, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. What folks are saying about it:

“What you’re doing is taking away a life-saving potential opportunity for me and my family. A decision that should be made between me and my healthcare professionals and my therapist that works with continued on page 47

DESASTROUS: The governor and his GOP cronies have unveiled a slate of hate bills.

DAVE DECKER

“This year, there’s more. A lot more.”

Ian Stanislaus Gómez Esquire

Joel Yanchuck Esquire

Ira Berman Esquire

Lindsey Sheppy Esquire

my child,” Judy Schmidt, a parent of a young transgender child, said during a committee meeting for SB 254.

SB 1438: Legislating drag

What it would do: Under the guise of “protecting” children from drag performances (um, OK), the bill threatens to “fine, suspend, or revoke” the license of any public establishment that admits children to an “adult live performance.” The definition for that term is described in painstaking detail, and uses the words “shameful” and “morbid interest.” Legislating drag is a move that’s being taken up by conservatives across the country. Tennessee was the first state to approve similar legislation in February.

What folks are saying about it: “In his desperation to build a presidential campaign on the backs of LGBTQ people, DeSantis has already taken aim at small businesses that host drag performances,” Equality Florida spokesperson Brandon Wolf told Axios Tampa Bay. “It should come as no surprise that he may cajole the Legislature into carrying out his punishment of those small businesses, and the stripping away of parents’ rights to choose what entertainment their families enjoy, during session.”

HB 1069: Mucking up sex-ed

What it would do: It would regulate sex-ed in schools by only approving it for sixth graders and up, and would force abstinence-only as the “expected standard” for teens. It would also allow any person in your school district to object to any classroom book, school library book, or a book on a reading list that shows or describes any sexual conduct, even if it is not pornographic—provided it’s not for a health course. Plus, if you like the gender binary, this one’s for you: It would redefine sex to “the binary division of individuals based upon reproductive function” in public schools.

PRIDE GUIDE

What folks are saying about it: The ACLU describes it as “state dictated sex ed” (we love that Big Government here in Florida) and “expanded book banning.” The Florida Coalition for Trans Liberation has dubbed it the “Trans and Queer Denier in Sex Education Bill.”

Stand up: How to fight back in DeSantis’ Florida

When LGBTQ+ rights are under attack… You know that chant right? (Stand up, and fight back!)

We know this is depressing stuff (OK, the flag thing is kind of funny, sorry-not-sorry hideous Tampa flag), but just because there are folks who have proposed this legislation in Florida doesn’t mean there aren’t also people in Florida fighting back.

Groups like the Florida Coalition for Transgender Liberation and Equality Florida have issued a number of calls to action.

Legislative attacks on the basic human rights and dignities of queer folks isn’t easy to read, write (quite frankly), or to live through. If this has taken a toll on your mental health, you’re not alone. Here are some resources that can help you learn more about what’s going on and/or where you can find support:

Peer Support Space (Orlando) peersupportspace.org

Trans Lifeline translifeline.org

Equality Florida eqfl.org

HB1011: Bans Pride flags from public buildings

What it would do: Essentially what the title says. Would ban and require the removal of LGBTQ+ Pride flags from public buildings, including schools. Oddly enough, the bill also wouldn’t allow for local government flags to be flown either (in Tampa’s case, maybe that’s a blessing in disguise).

What folks are saying about it: “It’s onerous, ridiculous and would take away a community’s right to display flags that reflect those communities,” said Jim Gilleran, who owns a gay bar in Key West

SB 1674: Anti-trans bathroom bill

What it would do: Republican Sen. Erin Grall isn’t satisfied with just fighting against abortion rights. Nah, she’s also filed an anti-trans bathroom bill, titled the “Safety in Private Spaces Act,” that’d ban people from “willfully entering” gender-specific bathrooms and changing rooms designated for “the opposite sex.” How that would be enforced is anyone’s guess. The bill does contain some exemptions: It would, for instance, exclude chaperones for young kids, custodial workers just doing their damn jobs (provided no one’s in the restroom/changing room), as well as cops and emergency medical workers who are also entering for work-related reasons.

What folks are saying: “More anti-trans bigotry funded by Florida tax dollars,” Thomas Kennedy, a DNC member and activist, said.

HB

999: Eliminating queerness from colleges and universities

What it would do: First things first, it’s not just an anti-LGBTQ+ bill (because I know some folks aren’t happy with how the media is framing this). It would essentially overhaul state colleges and universities, creating a hellscape for faculty and staff. But it would also gut diversity programs, as well as ban majors and minors in subjects like Gender Studies, Intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, Radical Gender Theory, etc. Critics are calling it unconstitutional, and frankly, we can’t imagine how it wouldn’t be. Welcome to the Free State of Florida, y’all.

What folks are saying about it: “Blocking access to knowledge and ideas to control how people think isn’t freedom—it’s fascist indoctrination happening now in Ron DeSantis’ Florida in plain sight,” tweeted former State Rep. Carlos Guillermo

Smith of Orlando

SB 952: Targeting employer coverage of trans healthcare

What it would do: This bill, dubbed the “Reverse Woke Act” by its own bill sponsor, would require Florida employers that cover the cost of transgender healthcare services to also cover the cost of any “detransition” treatment, should that ever become necessary. This would apply even for workers who are no longer employed by that same boss.

What folks are saying about it: “If successful, the bill could result in tens of thousands of transgender adults losing coverage for gender affirming care because companies may consider it too risky to provide such coverage,” wrote activist and independent reporter Erin Reed.

Contact legislators Advocates have been urging folks to call or email legislators (not just your own, but those who are sitting on these committees that vote on the bills) to tell them to vote “No” on these proposals. You can find Florida House reps (and their contact info) via myfloridahouse.gov and Florida Senators’ vis flsenate.gov. Often, these calls to action come with templates: A framework for what you might tell legislators. But, sharing a personal story can also be powerful.

Raise awareness in general Talk to your family about these bills (if it’s safe for you to do so). Your friends. Coworkers. Neighbors. Post on social media, make a TikTok that goes viral. And tell all of them (followers, friends, family) to contact their legislators, too.

Organize in your community In addition to the electoral stuff, there are also groups that are organizing on a grassroots level, from the ground up, to build a safe and welcoming community for LGBTQ+ folks, and to help care for folks’ basic needs moving forward.

Resources + Support There are groups in the Tampa Bay region and Orlando that offer spaces for peer support, for instance, and/or organize mutual aid. We’ve got those resources listed below.

Florida Coalition for Trans Liberation fc4tl.org

PFLAG pflag.org

Metro Inclusive Health (Tampa Bay) metrotampabay.org

The Center Orlando thecenterorlando.org

Q Latinx (Orlando) qlatinx.org

Del Ambiente (Orlando): A community of LGBTQ+ Puerto Ricans @DelAmbiente on Facebook

Fed Up Collective: For trans+, intersex, and gender diverse people with eating disorders fedupcollective.org

For LGBTQ Youth:

The Trevor Project thetrevorproject.org

Zebra Coalition (Orlando) zebrayouth.org

Project Caerus projectcaerus.org

—McKenna Schueler

“It’s fascist indoctrination happening now...”

Saturday, May 13

¡Prepárate para un nuevo sabor! Prepare yourself for a new flavor!

Pride & Passion returns in 2023 for its 17th year, setting the stage for a celebration of LGBTQ+ and Latin American culture at the Tampa Museum of Art.

All funds raised by Pride & Passion directly support Museum programs that reduce barriers to admission, create safe places for people to experience the arts, and celebrate local talent.

EQ purchase tickets: outfit inspiration: @PridePassionArt TampaMuseum.org/Pride

Big gay parties

Over a dozen Pride-themed throwdowns, drag brunches, and performances happening in Tampa Bay.

By Kyla Fields

Ybor City is called the “Gaybor District,” and that well-deserved nickname has a lot to do with the legacy of Tampa Pride. While LGBTQ+ folks have existed since the beginning of time (sorry, snowflakes) Tampa didn’t start hosting an organized pride celebration until 1982—and it was more like a barbecue. Like previous years, 2023’s iteration features a slew of drag performances, a parade through the heart of Ybor City, scantily-clad hotties and of course, booze. Here are over a dozen Pride-themed events happening in Tampa Bay this week.

Arts Legacy Remix- Global Pride: A Unified Community The Straz Center welcomes folks to celebrate their authentic selves at its outdoor Riverwalk Stage (weather permitting.) This year, The Straz commemorates the Stonewall Riots of the late-1960s, while highlighting local artists that “embody the global impact of the LGBTQIA+ community.” Friday, March 24. 7:30 pm. Free. Riverwalk Stage at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N WC MacInnes Pl., Tampa. strazcenter.org

Silent Disco Pride

Celebration Craft cocktails, drag performances, silent disco and live entertainment help Water Street Tampa ring 2023’s Pride season in. A portion of proceeds from this somewhat quiet party will be donated to Metro Inclusive Health. Friday, March 24. 8 p.m. $12. Raybon Plaza at Water Street Tampa, 536 Channelside Dr., Tampa. bigtickets.com

Tampa Pride Brunch & Bar Crawl This parade pre-game features a buffet-style brunch, unlimited mimosas,a best outfit contest, and a “welcoming shot” at up to five participating bars throughout Ybor City. The same event company hosts a similar Pride-themed crawl at downtown Tampa’s District Tavern, which also includes a drag performance. Saturday, March 25. 10 a.m. $25-$60. Showbar Ybor, 1613 E 7th Ave, Ybor City. eventbrite.com

Pride Parade Patio Party This free-toattend event is a good pregame for the parade or just a chill alternative for the local wine-lover. From 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Ybor City Wine Bar offers bottomless mimosas and select wines for as low as $35 a bottle. Saturday, March 25. 2 p.m. Free. Ybor City Wine Bar, 1600 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. yborcitywinebar.com

Tampa Pride 2023 Street Festival

This massive block party and headquarters of Tampa Pride feature an arts and crafts show, community health fair and entrepreneur’s area. Festivities will kick off at Cuban Club’s outdoor mainstage, but vendors will populate two main locations: E 9th Avenue and The HCC parking lot, located at 2112 N 15th St. The festival’s food truck alley, located between Cuban Club and HCC, will sling tasty eats from 11 a.m.-11p.m., too. Saturday, March 25. 10:45 a.m. Free. The Cuban Club, 2010 N Avenida Republica de Cuba. tampapride.org

performances, a laser light show, and flowing drinks all night-long. Queen of raunchy rap CupcakKe, known for singles like “Deepthroat” and “Lgbt,” headlines this massive, 18-andup Pride gig. Saturday, March 25. 6 p.m. Free.

Cuban Club, 2010 N Avenida Republica De Cuba, Ybor City. tampapride.org

PRIDE GUIDE

Tampa Pride Diversity Parade The 2023 parade follows its expected route, which travels east from the corner of Nuccio Parkway towards

Big Storm Pride Parade

Party Big Storm’s newest taproom provides great parade views, flowing beers and liquor, and a quick respite from the 7th Avenue craziness. Saturday, March 25. 11 a.m. Free. Big Storm Brewery, 1600 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. bigstormbrewery.com

GirlPride Tampa 2023 Nashville-based singer Sarah Peacock and her all-female ensemble headline the 6th annual GirlPride gig.

Noon. $50. Big Easy Bar, 1704 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. thebigeasybar.com

‘Love is Love’ Tampa Pride Day Party

This Ybor City club offers one of the best views for parade watching, in addition to a slew of stiff drink specials. But starting at 9 p.m., PTL will start hostings its “Eden” event, a lesbianfocused party that describes itself as “Tampa Pride’s only official women’s party!” Saturday, March 25. 2 p.m. $25-$100. PTL, 1507 East 7th Ave., Ybor City. eventbrite.com

Bedroom Blqqm: Tampa Pride After Party Folks are encouraged to wear their best lingerie and/or pajamas to this late night event, hosted by actress and model Jerrie Johnson, known from the popular TV show “Harlem.” In addition to this afterparty, 7th + Grove will also offer drink specials all day-long. Saturday, March 25. 7th + Grove. 10:30 p.m. General admission free, VIP $25. 1930 East 7th Ave., Ybor City. eventbrite.com

Queer Expressions’

E 7th Avenue. A multitude of LGBTQ+ organizations, nonprofits and communities from every corner of Tampa Bay will be participating in this year’s parade, throwing beads, rockin’ rainbows and spreading queer joy. Saturday, March 25. 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Multiple locations throughout Ybor City. tampapride.org

Pride @ Night Hosted by Tampa-based queen Brianna Summers, this official after-party features a multitude of drag

Other Tampa-based musicians like Shevonne, Stephanie Callahan, and many more take the Crowbar stage, too. Saturday, March 25. 1 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City. eventbrite.com

Tampa Pride 2023 Drag Brunch This Bacardi-sponsored brunch is a great way to pregame the parade and other festivities. It’s chock full of drag performances, traditional breakfast eats and daytime drinking. Saturday, March 25.

Futurity Pop-up

Although this laid back pop-up is happening on the other side of the bridge, it’s still a great way to support queer and BIPOC artists, vendors and small business owners. Local organization Queer Expressions hosts this event each month to create an accessible space for Tampa Bay’s BIPOC creatives,never charging a fee to vend. Saturday, March 25. 6 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Black Crow Coffee, 722 2nd St., N St. Petersburg. eventbrite.com

Orange Party Pride Edition

Music by Charlie B and Eric Armiliato help keep this casual, pool-side party bumpin’. Enjoy ogling at scantily-clad beefcakes and sipping on cocktail specials. Light bites are included in this event’s ticket price. Sunday, March 26. 2 p.m. $50. Hula Bay Club, 5210 West Tyson Ave., Tampa. eventbrite.ca

SINful Sundays Although this isn’t necessarily a Tampa Pridefocused event, it’s still a great weekly showcase of some of the best (and creepiest) talent in Tampa Bay, happening in an always inclusive environment. Expect performances from drag kings and queens alongside other burlesque and cabaret-style numbers. Haunted cabaret group The Graveyard returns to SpookEasy and promises a “bizarre, sexy, and hilarious” night of fun. Sunday, March 26. 9 p.m. $10. SpookEasy Lounge, 1909 N 15th St., Ybor City. spookeasylounge.com

DAVE DECKER

SAY GAY: The annual Tampa Pride parade returns on Saturday, March 25.

Pride, not prejudice

By Kyla Fields

Jakob Hero-Shaw—senior pastor at the interfaith Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa—is a hopeless optimist. It’s what made him a man of faith, champion of LGBTQ+ rights, and longtime proponent of Tampa Pride’s annual celebration. But a few weeks ago, HeroShaw reached a breaking point. After being publicly misgendered by longtime Tampa Pride president Carrie West for a third time, MCC’s board of directors decided to pull their support from 2023’s Pride celebration, which returns to Ybor City this Saturday, March 25.

misgendering had happened many times in various public spaces. But Hero-Shaw emphasizes that the problems with West and the structure of Tampa Pride as an organization run much deeper than misgendering.

“I also care about the good people involved in Pride who are trying to remake the image of this organization, an organization that for years has had the reputation of being misogynistic, racist, and transphobic,” Hero-Shaw wrote.

PRIDE GUIDE

On March 8, MCC sent a letter to Tampa Pride explaining its withdrawal from all affiliated events, stating that the church would not return until “the Executive Board takes the necessary actions to prevent Carrie West from representing the organization and therefore being seen by some as a spokesperson for Tampa’s LGBTQ+ community.”

In a public announcement separate from MCC’s official statement, Hero-Shaw described his role in the situation in a document titled “What Happened with Tampa Pride?” HeroShaw said West had not started misgendering him until he found out that the pastor was a transgender man, and that the continuous

In addition to West’s misgendering, Hero-Shaw has a problem with West referring to his home as “The Plantation” or “Rainbow Plantation,” emphasizing that language matters, and just because West doesn’t intend to harm, doesn’t mean that his words cannot cause harm. Hero-Shaw adds that West and other leaders within the organization told him that he was “overreacting” about being repeatedly misgendered by the leaders of Tampa’s LGBTQ+ community.

MCC’s withdrawal comes three months after West’s husband, Mark Bias, made a controversial statement about drag queens on social media. Bias stepped down from his position as a board member and secretary of Tampa Pride, although Hero-Shaw says he still remains in a “de facto role.”

Tampa Pride did issue a public apology to HeroShaw after MCC’s withdrawal. West also expressed regret about his “pronoun mistake” to Watermark Magazine. West told Watermark that “ethnicity, gender, it doesn’t matter—this is a day of celebration to recognize what Tampa is for its LGBTQ+ members.” Hero-Shaw told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that West’s colorblind statement missed the point; emphasizing that the LGBTQ+ community should be embracing the intersectionality of the queer identity, not disregarding it.

“Things like gender and ethnicity actually matter a lot, and I hope that Carrie makes the choice to learn and be more inclusive. This can be a transformative opportunity,” Hero-Shaw tells CL. “Trans people and people of color are not ‘others’ in this community.”

Carl Simmonds aka Aquariius, a popular Tampa Bay drag performer, withdrew from their Tampa Pride performances after MCC’s announcement earlier this month. “I am pulling out of the Pride @ Night event by Tampa Pride unless Carrie steps down,” Simmonds posted on Instagram. “The continued transphobia is not okay and my name will not be associated with it. As much as performing with CupcakKe would mean, my trans brothers and sisters always come first.”

In addition to this public statement, Simmonds says that he still “absolutely believes in Tampa Pride and wants to see it succeed,” and continues to call for both West and Bias to step down from their leadership positions.

Reached by phone for input on the situation, West told CL that he “wasn’t going to answer any of those questions,” describing them as “hearsay.”

“I still hold Reverend Shaw in very high regard, but it’s a shame that MCC would belittle two people that have built up this community,” West said. “I apologized, I did my best.”

West stated that next year’s Pride celebration will be even grander, although he’s “afraid that there may not be a Pride or Pride parades across the state of Florida in 2024. We are very very concerned about that.”

Late last year, Axios reported on a handful of Tampa Pride who left after several community members called for its board to diversify.

While MCC and a few like-minded individuals and organizations have decided to withdraw from their Tampa Pride-affiliated events, HeroShaw stresses that he is in no way or form asking people to boycott Tampa Pride—quite the opposite, actually. Despite folks accusing him of “behaving like Ron DeSantis” and causing community in-fighting, Hero-Shaw still encourages queer Floridians to attend this weekend’s events.

“I don’t want people to miss out on any opportunity to connect with joy, and Pride truly brings people joy,” Hero-Shaw adds. “ When I attended Pride as a teenager, it was just so life giving to me to feel like I wasn’t alone. I would hate for anybody to miss Pride and feel more alone, especially at a time like this.”

While MCC stated that it will not support or participate in Tampa Pride unless West steps down, Hero-Shaw says that if West showed the ability to reconcile and that there was real evidence of change, then he and MCC might be able to reason with him. “But I just don’t know if the desire is there,” he adds.

GOING, GOING: MCC won’t be at Pride, but its pastor still encourages queer Floridians to attend this weekend.

Trans MCC pastor withdraws from Tampa Pride, still encourages others to go and ‘experience joy.’

house

By Annalise Mabe

Robert Frost has said: “no surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader,” and Alien House is full of surprises. Its new album, You, is a playful romp in a synthetic soundscape featuring bright and shiny bops woven in throughout each song, plus nostalgic snips that call back to the early aughts in tracks like “LYVM,” (Love You Very Much) which opens with a dial tone, a girl’s voice, and a, “Hey, what’s up?”

a metaphor: of, perhaps, a place they wish they could have gone during that time. Flora was (and is) a fictional, spirit-filled island where the artists and listeners alike could journey through the misty tropics of each place and each song, which were all intentionally composed with the same BPM and time length.

LOCAL MUSIC

Band members Justin Myers and Anthony Tarallo released Alien House’s first full-length concept album, Flora, in early 2022 after writing it, separated by their insular bubbles, in the beginning of quarantine/the pandemic. It was the first time the duo—which released its debut self-titled record in 2011— had collaborated remotely, sending songs back and forth online, and what came out of it was

But after Flora (and after the worst of the pandemic) the duo wanted to get back into the same room and out of the confines of structure to have a little fun with a more free-form approach to their songwriting, which they achieved with You

The 12-song collection sits tightly at about 40 minutes and knits together a collage of sounds: thrift store cassette tape samples, distorted vocals, breaks that make you bop, and a percussive energy that’s impossible not to move to.

A favorite track, “Move Your,” features Tarallo

vibing off ethereal strings and a subtle beat as he whisper-sings: “Make the bed / brush my teeth / wash my hands / clean my feet / all these different things to eat / coffee is my favorite drink.” Synthy notes peak up, bringing a brightness that complements the playful lyrics before the static of a radio station takes us elsewhere, to echos of shouts, to a clear percussion, and to an ultimate, staggered coming down.

You marries the audio artifacts of the early aughts with the resurgence of '90s house music, a trend that can be seen, too, in Beyoncé’s Renaissance. And it seems, “post”-pandemic, many people are craving this exactly: fun, dancey, non-serious tracks.

“Approaching the project as a mixtape allowed us to take it less seriously and allowed different genres and media to come through,” Tarallo says. “It helped us widen the scope a bit.”

Influenced early on (circa 2004/2005) by skate videos, Saddle Creek (read: The Faint, Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos), The Sex Pistols, and Animal Collective among others, the duo

became an amalgamation of everything that made them feel something raw and real.

“Anthony and I both, from a young age, were never influenced by just one thing,” Myers says. “It was skateboarding, it was art, it was the age of the internet—we could access so much, and we did, becoming a collection of all these things.”

And like a collection or a collage, the two set out to invite in as many hands as they could to work on all aspects of You. Graphic designer, Stephen Lurvey, has worked up the album art; JJ Revell, who mixes front of house for Underoath signed on to mix, and Reily Ilo, a Tampa-based hip-hop/rap artist, offered up a fresh single, “Fond of Them,” for the record.

The inclusion of vocals as accents, the airy electronics, and the dug-up-from-the-decades cassette clips are just some of the elements that make You an album to start up and get down to. In its entirety, you almost don’t see the scraps glued together. And in it, you see that Alien House isn’t trying to be anyone else.

“Approaching the project as a mixtape allowed us to take it less seriously.”

LYVM: After writing an album in quarantine, Alien House was desperate to get back in the same room.

‘You,’ Alien House has a little fun with a more free-form approach.

Pure imagination

Rick Wakeman encourages listeners to create art with his music.

By Josh Bradley

Rick Wakeman hasn’t played on a Yes album since 1997’s Keys to Ascension 2, but he has kept plenty busy in the years to follow, having performed with orchestras, fellow ex-Yes members Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin, and completely solo. The 73-year-old Moog legend’s latest work, A Gallery of the Imagination, is a concept album with the English Rock Ensemble— Lee Pomeroy, Dave Colquhoun, and Ash Soan, with vocals from Hayley Sanderson—that reveals one of the musical tactics that has kept the wizard going all these years: Mentally painting pictures.

INTERVIEW

Wakeman composed most of his The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table album while in the hospital, recovering from a heart attack. But when he performed the whole album at the O2 Arena with the Orion Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir in 2016, repressed hospital memories came to mind during album closer “The Last Battle.”

Rick Wakeman

Saturday, March 25. 8 p.m $40-$65

“I see pictures with everything that I do, certainly when I’m playing,” Wakeman told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay during a recent phone call. It started as a piece of advice he was given as a child by a music teacher. It’s an idea he’s been using going back to the Close To the Edge days of Yes, and he can even recall what he saw in some of his early masterpieces.

“I would expect to see all the knights fighting outside Camelot with King Arthur himself and Lancelot. I expected it to be a battlefield by the castle in Camelot,” Wakeman began. As it turned out, that’s not at all what came to mind. “The visual that came into my head was me lying in a hospital bed, and it occurred to me afterwards that perhaps because I was going through a battle of my own, trying to recover from the heart attack maybe that piece of music had as much to do with me as it did with King Arthur.”

And on “Brother of Mine,” from Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe’s 1989 eponymous record, it was more about people coming together. “When we first played it live on stage, I remember closing my eyes, and it was all of the musicians who were onstage,” he recalled. “It was like a strange family get-together, if I remember correctly, in a field.”

And that was before Wakeman rejoined Yes for the Union era, so who knows if that portrait had anything to do with him coming back into the fold?

It’s poignant moments like that which inspired Wakeman to encourage listeners to do the same thing with A Gallery of the Imagination. “People don’t have to, but I absolutely encourage people to close their eyes, and have their own memories to this music. Have your own thoughts about the subject matter, because every subject matter is so wide,” he explained. And for the listeners that do, Wakeman has his heart set on renting out a few places in the U.K. next year, and using them as literal galleries to display fan art— from sculptures to paintings—inspired by the album. Talk about promotion.

Another album he was involved with recently—but didn’t make the cut on—was his old buddy Jon Anderson’s 1000 Hands: Chapter One. Though Wakeman swears that he did a

piano piece for the record, he’s the only member of Yes’ classic lineup that does not appear on the album. “Maybe he forgot,” he admitted after looking over the album for a few minutes. But with Chapter Two being worked on now— according to Jon anyway—maybe he’ll get his chance on that.

In the meantime, Wakeman’s one-man show returns to downtown Clearwater this weekend, and his die-hards know that the music—currently not consisting of new material—will not be the main highlight.

Die-hards know that another huge aspect of his live shows is the comedy in between songs, relating to candied apple Halloween costumes, and Wakemanified acronyms (like “SJF,” which means “sorry, just farted.”) “I do take my music seriously, and sometimes, when concerts can be quite full-on listening, it’s nice to have comedy as a thing in between,” he explained. “It just lightens everything.”

Wakeman doesn’t have a specific comedic influence, but he does enjoy Ricky Gervais’ material. “I love the fact that he could look at life, and see both the funny side and the pathos,” he added.

And hey, if you end up envisioning Wakeman getting that prostate exam he was talking about while listening to him perform “Sea Horses” on Saturday night, to each their own.

HIDDEN DEPTHS: Rick Wakeman plays a solo gig this weekend in Clearwater.

©

LEE WILKINSON

Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St, Clearwater. rutheckerdhall.com

“I see pictures with everything that I do.”

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa

CL Recommends

THU 23

Blood Brothers After producing albums for Samantha Fish, Jimmy Carpenter, and Jeremiah Johnson, Mike Zito just had his—and best friend Albert Castiglia’s—latest album Blood Brothers produced by Joe Bonamassa. The Castiglia-penned “A Thousand Heartaches,” off of the new record, sounds almost like an Eagles song with less harmony in the lead vocals, and features Bonamassa stepping up to shred, rather than stick to only working behind the board. The two Blues Music Award winners just spent the last week on a cruise, and they’re about to perform right down the street from Gigglewaters in Safety Harbor, continuing a run of shows going until June. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor)

Lissie Without a doubt, Elisabeth Corrin Maurus is one of the most undersung forces in the American songwriter scene. The 40-year-old better known as Lissie has been at it for a decade-and-a-half, and made her debut via Nettwerk in 2007 before breaking out with her 2009 Fat Possum EP Why You Runnin’ where she expanded on a penchant for crafting dusty folk-rock by mixing in even more sepia-toned roots influences along with hints of poppier influences like Britney Spears plus old school favorites like Patsy Cline. While Lissie is mega-popular in the U.K., catching her inside intimate spaces like The Attic is a treat for stateside fans. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City)

Michael Bolton Bolton’s hair ain’t what it used to be, but 70-year-old Mr. “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?” can still hit the same high notes he could some 30 years ago. Let your mom know, and if you’re planning to make Thursday night a late one, make sure to brush up on those slot machine skills, because the last time Bolton was in town, he just barely cracked the 70-minute mark. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

Spring Beer Jam: Punkadelic w/ Joe Marcinek/Steve Molitz/Jon Ditty/ Row Jomah/Zero Context/Brain Emoji/ more It’s no secret that Dunedin Brewery is a stronghold of the Pinellas music scene, and next weekend it lines up a full slate of bands—and superjams—across two stages for its annual Spring Beer Jam. Hip-hop, jazz, punk and jam music will all get play, often within the same breath. And the best part is all of it’s free to attend (bring money for beer, obviously). (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

Steve Miller Band w/Greg Billings Band I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Steve Miller Band is one of—if not, the best— nostalgia acts you’ll ever see live. Most of the early, psychedelic material featuring Boz Scaggs goes unacknowledged these days,

but if the Gangster of Love’s sold-out stop at Ruth Eckerd Hall is anything like his show at the Hard Rock last year, Tampeños are in for a nostalgic treat that shines a light on an almost-80-year-old (!) who can still shred and belt out lyrics like there’s no tomorrow, without the aid of flashy clip shows behind him.

(Ruth

Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

FRI 24

Bloom on Franklin: Shelby Sol w/ Perception/DJ Donnie Luv/The Muddie Buddies Tampa Heights’ premier block party returns, with none other than songwriter Shelby Sol headlining and bringing warmer weather with her, too. Perception, whose style of hip-hop evokes new jack swing and old-school East coast flow rounds out the lineup along with 7/27 Day founder and DJ

Donnie Luv. The party is free to attend, and encompasses several venues on the Oceanic Market block—donations are encouraged. (N Franklin Street, Tampa)

BroJob w/Tactosa/In Gloom/Sever The Memories/Endbringer If deathcore’s, err, masculinity, turns you off, then let BroJob bring you back in the saddle. Metal Injection says the group “Is Literally The Gayest Deathcore Band You’ve Ever Heard, And It’s Amazing” citing songs like take genre tropes and turn them on their heads (try on “Talk Shit, Get Kissed” and “Erection Injection”). And if you’re more into the tea, BroJob’s comment section is full of it, with the band responding to homophobes with threats like "You messaged us, dumbass. You better move the fuck on before we clap your balls between our butcheeks. Real shit.”

(Orpheum, Tampa)

C

Damon Fowler

Damon Fowler & Friends Birthday

SAT 25

Bash

As one of the Bay area’s best blues exports, Damon Fowler has built up a lot of goodwill in the scene. You’ll see that love for the guitar slinger at this birthday bash underneath a tree canopy that’s seen performances from some of the genre’s best musicians. Expect a lot of friends on stage at the Skipperdome and be ready to hear songs from his latest live release recorded in St. Petersburg a year ago. (Skippers Smokehouse, Tampa)

Jay and the Americans w/Gary Lewis & the Playboys/The Cyrkle/The Vogues/ Chris Ruggiero Come a little bit closer. Jay Black is long gone, and Kenny Vance has been out killing it by himself for decades, but the current iteration of Jay and the Americans is still a mainstay in the nostalgia scene. Technically, it’s still fair to go by that moniker, because the current lead singer’s name is also named Jay, and with two original members still onstage. Grab your parents—or your grandparents—because Gary Lewis & the Playboys, The Vogues, and Chris Ruggiero, as seen on PBS, make this magic moment more of a boomer supershow. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

Ken Block and Drew Copeland Tampa Bay is no stranger to Gainesville alt-rock band Sister Hazel. In a post-COVID world, the band has done a co-headlining gig with Tonic at The Cuban Club, and more recently, a benefit concert at Skipper’s for music scene regular Dana Woodward Peck, who died last year. Co-founders and main creative forces Ken Block and Drew Copeland will take intimate live music to a whole new level, when they perform a rare, acoustic duo show right behind Gigglewaters in Safety Harbor. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor)

Matt Stell Self-described “ex-boyfriend country” artist Matt Stell just got back from England, where he performed as part of C2C: Country to Country, a stacked, threeday country concert that featured the likes of Lady A (the band, not the jazz singer) and Thomas Rhett. Now that he’s back home, the 38-year-old Arkansas boy is kicking off a brief run of U.S. shows at Tampa Bay’s beloved live music saloon. Tickets are soldout, but I guess that’s boyfriend season for ya. Or in his case, ex-boyfriend season. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)

The Winery Dogs w/Roxx Revolt & The Velvets Mike Portnoy has made a point to keep busy ever since it was deemed safe to go on tour again. Last fall, he reunited with Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci for an instrumental tour that covered only Petrucci’s solo material, and not a lick of Dream Theater. A reunion’s a reunion, but while his ex-band is spending the spring on the road overseas, Portnoy is back together with hard rock supertrio The Winery Dogs, featuring Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan and short-term Poison multi-instrumentalist Richie Kotzen. The guys are promoting their new, third album together, properly titled III , and roll in for their first gig in Tampa Bay since a 2015 stop at the since-rebranded State Theatre. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

The Beatles: A 60th Anniversary Tribute: Black Valley Moon w/Blues Walk/Cottondale Swamp/The Crabgrass Cowboys/Deb Ruby/Ernestine Black/ JCT 27/Mark Carufel/Rebekah Pulley and The Reluctant Prophets/more March 22 marked the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ debut Please Please Me first hitting the shelves in the U.K. Sir Paul and Sir Ringo won’t be present, but a plethora of locals will convene for a WMNF-conceived salute to the biggest band of all time. A press release said that 60 songs will be performed by 17 different bands, so it’s probably safe to assume that all—or at least, the vast majority—of Please Please Me will be tackled. Macca’s old Wings bandmate Denny Laine—who has actually performed at Skipper’s—does live in Naples though, so if he’s up for a road trip, maybe he’ll check it out. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Johnny Mathis Mathis’ mansion in Hollywood Hills recently suffered some landslide damage, seven years after a fire caused his roof to collapse in. Luckily, no one, including the the 87-year-old Voice of Romance got hurt in either incident. He returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for what appears to be a thirty-umph song setlist, including a barrage of covers of his old friend, the late Henry Mancini. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

Rick Wakeman Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman is full of anecdotes that you’ll tell your friends in need of a laugh. But at the piano, he literally paints mental pictures, a practice he was taught as a child by a music teacher. And he openly promotes that exact idea on his new concept album, A Gallery of the Imagination , on which he challenges the

listener to paint something of their own while listening to one of the twelve tracks. Read our interview with him on p. 54. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

SUN 26

Mega Mango w/Taverns/Peace Cult Philadelphia-based college band Mega Mango was forced into a pandemic-related hiatus in 2020, but returned stronger than ever. Its most recent EP Fun and Games which has been sporadically releasing for the last year or so—has tracks literally named after board games, but tackles an apology for previous unsettling behavior, endless exhaustion, and resisting the urge to say something one might regret in the long run. Fellow indie-pop bands Taverns and Peace Cult open. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

TUE 28

The Eagles When The Eagles closed out their show in Tampa last February, Don Henley looked out at the crowd and said, “In case we don’t pass this way again, I want to thank all of you for a wonderful ride, for a wonderful 50 years.” We all knew the iconic classic-rock group would be back, though. The show features Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill in a lineup that will play The Eagles’ classic album frontto-back, accompanied by an orchestra and choir. There’ll be an intermission, naturally, before a second set featuring the band’s greatest hits. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

David Manson and ERG Dr. David Manson—a music professor at St. Petersburg College—has worked with the likes of the

recently-deceased Burt Bacharach, and his music has been heard on HBO, Fox, and even “Riverdale” on the CW. Manson recently took inspiration from the Dalí Museum’s newest exhibit, “The Shape of Dreams,” to put together a few compositions, which he will perform at the museum Tuesday night, along with his modern jazz ensemble ERG, featuring David Pate on saxophone and flute, Tom Kersey on cello, TJ Glowacki on double bass, and Jim Stewart on drums. Tickets are not included with admission, but are available at thedali.org. (Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg)

Skid Row w/Buckcherry/No Resolve

Despite what the title of Skid Row’s latest album tells you, the gang is not all here. Some of us may be biased because we still live in the ‘90s, when Sebastian Bach was fronting the band, and—unlike his bandmates at the time—was willing to open for Kiss, even agreeing to do so without consulting anyone first. Twenty-five years later, the current iteration of Skid Row is now on its fifth frontman: Former H.E.A.T lead singer Eric Grönwall joined last year, and will make his Tampa debut as a member of the band, along with Anaheim hard rock hitmaker Buckcherry, and No Resolve. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

THU 30

Big Wild w/Bay Ledges We’re a bit surprised that EDM producer Big Wild didn’t promote his latest record, The Efferusphere, at Okeechobee Music Festival this year. Perhaps it was all with good reason, because the 32-year-old finally arrives back in the area with folksy dream-pop duo Bay Ledges opening up shop. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

The Eagles

HAPPY HOUR AT AMSO

THURSDAY MARCH 23 NO SHOW | RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

FRIDAY MARCH 24

BIERGARTEN SAMUEL

SINGER-SONGWRITER 7:30-9:30 | FREE

SATURDAY MARCH 25

COMMUNION AFTER DARK PRESENTS

MUSIC HALL

ASTARI NITE

+ DEAD COOL / OFFERINGS / DJ WINTERS

DOORS 7 | SHOW 8 | $15 ADV | $20 DOS | 18+

SUNDAY MARCH 26

BIERGARTEN

REBEKAH PULLEY TWOSOME

AMERICANA / SINGER-SONGWRITER 6:30-8:30 | FREE

MONDAY MARCH 27 CLOSED

TUESDAY MARCH 28

BIERGARTEN

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC W/ FRED CHANDLER 7-9:30 | FREE

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29

MUSIC HALL

COMMUNION AFTER DARK / ENDOXA BOOKING PRESENT

COMBICHRIST

OLD SCHOOL ELECTRO SET ! + PRIEST / ESOTERIK / DJ GOLD

DOORS 8 | SHOW 9 | $22 ADV | $30 DOS | 18+

THURSDAY MARCH 30

BAR

BUSHMILLS • THE KRAKEN • DOBEL TEQUILA

OBSCURA UNDEAD KATARSIS GOTH NIGHT DJ AZY † SPECIAL GUESTS 7-11 | FREE

Although you won’t be in the presence  of Adam Fredric Duritz’s once-luscious locs, you can still see his popular ‘90s rock band Counting Crows at its Tampa gig this summer.

Counting Crows will headline Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater on Wednesday, Aug. 9, joined by opener Dashboard Confessional. Tickets are available now and start at $29. Counting Crows embarks on its massive 56-date North American tour on June 13 in the midwest, and wraps up over three months later at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Since there hasn’t been an announcement of any new Counting Crows music being released, fans will most likely hear late 90’s favorites like “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here,”—in addition to tracks from its 2021 EP Butter Miracle . The last time Counting Crows stopped in Tampa Bay was back in 2018, when the band played an intimate set at St. Pete’s Al Lang Field.

See Josh Bradley’s latest roundup of new concert announcements below.—Kyla

Fields

Emo Night Tampa: Moka w/Better Than This/Pet Lizard/Discord Theory Saturday, April 1. 9 p.m. No cover. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Meteoreyes w/Blonde Gentlemen/ Movie Props/Samuel Wolter Saturday, April 1. 6:30 p.m. No cover. If I Brewed The World, St. Petersburg

The Venus w/Johnny Mile & the Kilometers/The Tilt Saturday, April 1, 9 p.m. No cover. The Bends, St. Petersburg

Ravine w/Summer Hoop/Bangarang/ TBA Sunday, April 2. 7 p.m. $8. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Quail Hollow w/Mortal Sons/Red Letter Day/Razor & The Boogiemen/Manna Thursday, April 6. 7 p.m. $13. Crowbar, Ybor City

Displace w/Speak Easy Saturday, April 8. 9 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Have Gun, Will Travel w/Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters/Claire Vandiver S aturday, April 15. 7 p.m. $12. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

Mipso Saturday, April 22. 8 p.m. $50 & up.

The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City

Mindwash w/Bad, Bad Things/Sligh

Friday, April 28. 9 p.m. No cover. The Bends, St. Petersburg

Deb Ruby w/Claire Vandiver/Emily Turnage/Noan Partly Friday, May 5. 8 p.m. $10. Crowbar, Ybor City

Down By Law w/Slap Of Reality/Slinky/ Clairmel Saturday, May 6. 8 p.m. $8. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Frogs Show Mercy w/TBA Friday, May 8. 8 p.m. Prices TBA. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Chasing Airplanes w/Spider Inside Her/The Funeral Portrait/Prison/Woe Is Me Saturday, May 13. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Helloween w/HammerFall Tuesday, May 16. 6 p.m. $50 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Winona Forever w/Cathedral Bells/ Sorry Barb Friday, May 19. 8 p.m. $12. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Matt Maeson Wednesday, June 7. 8 p.m.

$29.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Stuck w/Superbitch/TBA Saturday, June 10. 8 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

R&B Music Experience: Tyrese w/ Monica/El Debarge/Ginuwine/112/Silk/

Tweet Sunday, June 18. 7 p.m. $75 & up.

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Raquel Lily w/Treis & Friends/ Driveaway Friday, July 21. 8 p.m. Prices TBA. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Matt and Kim Friday, Sept. 15. 7 p.m. Prices TBA. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Elevation Worship w/Steven Furtick Wednesday, Oct. 4. 7 p.m. $29.75 & up.

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Jesse Cook Saturday, Jan. 13. 8 p.m. $26 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Cancellations/reschedules

Yungblud at Jannus Live, May 17

Rescheduled to Tuesday, June 27

"Keeping Tampa Bay's ear to the (under)ground since 1997" © AES Presents, LLC

Alright, folks

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I adore my parents and enjoy being regularly in touch, but I’m challenged by their inability to reflect on the past and learn from it in a therapy esque fashion. As I am trying to work through trauma and challenges of my youth, it would be so valuable to have them on board and able to offer insight; unfortunately, they get very defensive and angry when I attempt to do so. I want to try to break patterns in the familial thread that lead to these traumas but feel powerless to do so without their help. Will I ever break the faulty chain?—A Faulty Chromosome

Cards: The Fool (reversed), Five of Cups, Eight of Pentacles, Two of Wands (reversed)

Our parents are complex and contradictory and kind of fucked up, like all humans are. Some parents really knock it out of the park when it comes to child-rearing. Some rightfully have CPS called on them. Most fall on a spectrum between. It seems like you really want a better relationship with your parents than it has been, but there’s a breakdown in communication, which is what we see from the Five of Cups.

ORACLE OF YBOR

Dear Faulty Chromosome, a therapist might tell you that forgiveness is not about excusing the other person’s behavior but allowing yourself space to move on from that hurt. And there’s a reason why they talk about forgiveness as a one-way street: not everyone thinks they did something that needs forgiving.

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

The Five of Cups is about dysfunction in a relationship, an issue that leaves both parties unhappy. But the Five of Cups is about how things feel, not how they actually are. Our memories aren’t reliable; with time, little changes can occur, or parts can be forgotten. This is especially difficult when talking with a parent about incidents from childhood because what might be a hurtful memory for you might not even register in their mind. They might not remember an episode of abuse or, in their minds, might remember it as something different.

your parents, that forgiveness will have to come without an “I’m sorry” from them. It’s shitty. I’m sorry.

But you don’t have to continue down that family path. Remember, you’re on your own journey as The Fool. With the hardworking Eight of Pentacles, I think a therapist could help you process your past and support you as you move on.

Breaking out of unhealthy familial patterns is an incredible goal. I wish you well on this healing journey.

Dear Oracle, I’ve never been super gung-ho about the prospect of giving birth. Still, as my window of opportunity shrinks with the passage of time, I have become increasingly curious about the experience. A large part of me wants to step into the new challenge of human experience, and so I accept that as “wanting to have kids.” Is this reason enough?—Cautiously Curious

You are sitting at a precipice: to have kids, to not have kids. The cards suggest a total commitment one way or the other.

The wands, both Seven and Nine, show that there needs to be some sort of breakthrough. It’s a change that feels correct on all fronts, almost like an epiphany. Once this clicks, the path forward feels obvious. The trick is how to get there.

Your letter is very “heady” when it comes to pregnancy. You mention “curiosity” and seem to intellectualize the process, interpreting those thoughts as you “wanting to have kids.” With that impulsive intellectual, The Knight of Swords, you can intellectually get behind this idea—but you also need your heart in agreement.

The Hanged Man is often misunderstood, and while it looks like he’s being tortured, he’s content with himself. He knows in his heart and his gut what’s right.

To answer your questions briefly: yes, you can break the faulty chain because you can recognize the pattern and choose not to follow it. That’s The Fool’s journey here: you’re becoming conscious and starting down a new path. But not everyone is going to want to join you.

The “Truth” is probably some combination of both memories—but that doesn’t really matter. You felt hurt by your parents, and you would like them to acknowledge that they hurt you.

And the truth is, I don’t know if they ever will. The Two of Wands is looking back; your parents have and hold onto a different version of the past than you do. If you want to forgive

Cards: Nine of Wands (reversed), Seven of Wands, Knight of Swords, The Hanged Man Dear Cautiously Curious, my very wise mother has often told me this: almost nothing in this life is irreversible. It might take a lot of money, time, or lawyers, but almost no decision is for life. The one caveat she would mention is choosing to have kids. Once you decide you want to, and they arrive, and you start raising ’em, that’s it. Technically, you can surrender them before age 18, but that’s not great for a child’s psyche or self-esteem, so I strongly encourage that situation to be avoided if possible.

Intellectually you could talk yourself into having kids as easily as you could talk yourself out of having them. But I think, deep down, you have a true answer. There is something in your gut that you know, even if you haven’t discovered it yet. I can’t tell you what that is, nor can the cards. Only you can crack that nut.

So journal, meditate, make a shamanic journey—whatever you need to help uncover those feelings, do. I know you’re worried about your fertility window, but I think it’s better to be sure and possibly go an alternate route (surrogate, adoption) than to discover that your heart wasn’t in it. It’s a big decision but I know you’ll find an answer. Take your time, my dear.

Coming around

By Dan Savage

I’m a straight cis woman who could never orgasm from vaginal penetration alone. But suddenly I am able to come just from vaginal penetration now that I’m reached middle-aged! This was never the case for me before—I could never come from PIV all by itself—and I’ve never heard another cis woman talk about suddenly being able to come during PIV after hitting her late 30s. Is this common?—Suddenly Having Intensely Felt Tremors

“We too often think about orgasms as stable or unchanging,” said Dr. Debby Herbenick, a professor at the Indiana University of Public Health, a prolific and widely published-and-cited sex researcher, pundit, and author, and director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

“In fact, orgasms sometimes shift over time or in response to certain life stages or body experiences—experiences such as pregnancy, the postpartum period, or menopause.”

While Dr. Herbenick couldn’t say for sure why you’re so suddenly able to come from just PIV alone—something most women can’t do—she did share some possible explanations.

“First, it may just be learning over time, especially if SHIFT has a new partner, is exploring in new ways with a long-term partner, or is paying attention to vaginal sensation in ways SHIFT perhaps didn’t before,” said Dr. Herbenick. “Or maybe SHIFT’s just open to the experience now in ways she wasn’t earlier.”

Basically, SHIFT, if you ran out of fucks to give—something most women eventually do—and consequently became more vocal and assertive about your pleasure and the positions, speeds, depths of penetration, etc., that work best for you, you could be experiencing PIV very differently now.

“Another option is anatomical change,” said Dr. Herbenick. “While the changes are slow-moving, cisgender women do experience anatomical shifts—the angle of vagina in the body can change over time. I’ve always found this fascinating, and this may be contributing to how intercourse feels for SHIFT. Because along with changes in vaginal angle come changes in how the vagina and cervix may be stimulated during intercourse.”

If the angle of your vagina has shifted even slightly, SHIFT, the angle or angles of penetration that work best for you now—new angles that hit you just right—could be stimulating your clit, internally or externally or both, in ways PIV didn’t use to.

“Another possibility could be shifts related to hormones and the brain,” said Dr. Herbenick. “If SHIFT is around perimenopause or menopause, no doubt she’s noticed a range of ways that hormonal changes are affecting ways that her body feels. Orgasm is not just about the clitoris or vagina; these are stimulating points but they’re only one part of what contributes to orgasm. How we sense and perceive those sensations are influenced by our brain, which is also influenced by hormones.”

Finally, SHIFT, assuming you can still come from oral, manual, and vibrational stimulation, I think we can safely file your question—suddenly being able to come from another kind of stimulation—in the “good problem to have” drawer. Enjoy!

Follow @DebbyHerbenick on Twitter and @ DrDebbyHerbenick on Instagram.

I began getting massages to help with my back pain and discovered how utterly relaxing they are. But I also get a sexual charge from them. I’m a gay male, and every time I go, I’m hard from the moment the massage therapist touches me until the moment it ends. One masseur took this as a green light and gave me a happy ending, which I didn’t ask for or expect. I’m worried that by getting hard I may be making some massage therapists uncomfortable. Is that a possibility? Or are massage therapists used to that type of response? I’ve tried jerking off beforehand, but still got hard during my session. I even got a massage from an older woman once and somehow still got hard! I leave these sessions and feel guilty, which sort of negates some of the calming aspects of a massage. Am I a terrible person? Should I stop getting massages? Should I warn them?—Bothered Over Needlessly Erect Dick

Erections happen for non-sexual reasons— spontaneous erections, reflexive erections, nocturnal erections—and most professional massage therapists know to ignore them. So, while you may be getting a sexual charge during your massage (or you may be assuming you’re getting a sexual charge when you’re actually having a reflexive erection), your massage therapist is going to give you (and your boner) the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re not intentionally doing something to make them uncomfortable. The one therapist who took your erection as a “green light” to give you a handjob took a wild guess, BONED, and seems to have guessed correctly—I mean, you don’t seem traumatized by the experience. But if that massage therapist had guessed incorrectly, he could’ve lost his job or worse.

So, you are not a terrible person, and you may keep getting massages. And since the only thing more awkward than a client getting an erection during a massage—at least according to a massage therapist pal of mine—would be a client saying something like, “I just wanted to let you know that I sometimes get an erection during a massage,” no advance warnings.

While trying to fall asleep the other night, insomnia struck again, and I decided to use the masturbation trick to knock myself out. I must have struck a creative nerve because a question popped into my head: Could I penetrate myself with my own penis? I’m a straight male and I’ve never received anal but the thought of giving has always aroused me. Could I give it to myself? Since fully erect obviously wouldn’t work, I relaxed, lubed up, and only massaged myself to a state of semi-engorgement. And I was able to do it! And then, after applying a little pressure to the base of my cock, I was able to create an in-and-out piston-like action that made me come right away! In my own ass! Does that have a name? Could I hurt myself if I do it a lot? Despite being a straight male, I’m not at all bothered by what I did—if anything, I’m bothered it took me 30 years to figure this out. Did I miss the boat by not watching any gay porn? Please enlighten me!—Gone And Fucked Myself

SAVAGE LOVE

no doubt helped, and I got into porn and vibrators, which increased my pleasure and therefore my interest. Now, I like to have sex or masturbate once a day. I’m going to reach menopause in a few years, which could make things more difficult, so I’m anxious to enjoy as much as I can now. However, this has caused some friction between me and my husband. He just doesn’t want sex as often as I do, and he doesn’t want me masturbating as often as I’d like to. He claims the noise from the vibrator is distracting. I’ve tried to be flexible, but he needs more sleep than I do, so sex and masturbation are off the table between at 9 p.m.-6 a.m., which are both good times for me— right before sleep, right after waking up—which leaves during the day, while our children are at school, but he’s not always interested during the day. But if I masturbate before I head to work, he says the noise disturbs him. (He works from home.) I think he’s being selfish. Most of the time when I approach him for sex—or mutual masturbation, which I also enjoy—he has trouble maintaining an erection. He says he doesn’t want to “deal with a doctor” about getting medication that might help. I say if he doesn’t want to deal with doctors, let me use my toys! But he insists the noise disturbs him while he’s working. How do we remedy this situation? Am I the unreasonable one here or is he being unreasonable?—Buzzing Sounds

Last week a hateful rightwing troll told me to go fuck myself—again, not something I need to do for myself, as I have people for that—and this week a straight reader of mine goes and fucks himself. Coincidence? Or did reading my column last week, which I assume GAFM did, plant a seed in him? Anyway, GAFM, hung dudes who can fuck themselves—guys who can twist their own hard cocks around far enough to slip them into their own asses and then rock back and forth on their taints until they come in themselves—were the crazy new thing in gay porn for 10 minutes 20 years ago. And while I’m sure there are still plenty of porn performers out there fucking their own asses and uploading videos to PornHub and OnlyFans, it’s not the crazy new thing anymore, and doesn’t get the attention (or the clicks) it once did. It’s still fucking crazy, though—crazy to do (requiring a degree of flexibility at the root of the cock that not all men possess), and crazy to think about (some people really can go fuck themselves). And since I’ve haven’t heard from or about someone who accidentally snapped his dick off trying to fuck his ass, GAFM, I’m gonna assume this is relatively safe—just take it slow, be sober, and use a lot of lube.

I’m a woman in my late-40s, married 20 years. My husband is in his late 50s. My sex drive was low for a while but now is quite high. I’m not sure exactly what accounts for the change, but some marriage counseling improved communication, which

You’re up for fucking and/or messing around all the time lately, your husband’s not up for fucking and/or messing around much at all lately, and you’re happy to take care of yourself routinely—which is an entirely reasonable solution, BS, and your husband should invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and/or get out the 10 long minutes it takes for you to get yourself off in the morning. I will take your husband’s side on the nighttime masturbation blackout—no vibrator use in your shared bed between 9 p.m.-6 a.m.—as it can be difficult to get to sleep when someone is using a vibrator beside you. But you should be free to take your vibrator to the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, the car, or the roof when you wanna vibe one out at 10 p.m… and if you’re not free to do that, well, there are worse problems in your marriage than your current sexual disconnect.

Finally, you don’t have to “deal with a doctor” to get E.D. meds anymore, as E.D. meds can be prescribed and ordered online. But there has to be an interest… and it doesn’t sound like your husband is interested, at least not right now. It’s possible your husband feels sexually inadequate and worries he’s disappointing you, and the sound of your vibrator makes it harder to ignore those feelings—which might be something to talk about with a couples counselor.

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

NOTE: See if you can figure out what the theme answers have in common before solving 120 Across.

ACROSS

1 Gab

4 Linger in the tub

8 Like some poker

64

4

7

5

21 “___, team!”

23 Honeymoon quorum

26 Ford flop

28 Credit card buildup

29 “Orinoco Flow” singer

31 Dresden’s river

32 To see, in Paris

33 Transgress

34 Zodiac sign

35 1551

36 Pt. of AT&T

42 Young Cleaver, for short

43 String toy

44 Singer Don or Phil

45 Ed ending

47 Keystone ___

51 Pyramis’s love

53 Brazil, e.g.

55 Earning

56 “That was before ___ you”

58 8 starter

59 Admonish

61 Sue who played Lolita

62 Outlet insert 63 So far

by Merl Reagle