Creative Loafing Tampa — May 2, 2024

Tamales

CHICKEN | PORK | BEEF

MEXICAN COKE

*Chido Trio and Mexican Coke deals only available on 5/5/24

Chips and dip (Guac, Salsa & Queso)

CREATIVE LOAFING

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Phil DeSimone, Kira Skye

POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore

SPRING INTERN Suz Townsend

Creative Services

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

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ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson

Advertising

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

AGENCY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Michael Pereira

Events and Marketing

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Leigh Wilson

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Kristin Bowman

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING MANAGER Corrie Miserendino

Circulation

CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta

Chava Communications Group

FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Michael Wagner

CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Cassandra Yardeni Wagner

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Graham Jarrett

VP OF OPERATIONS Hollie Mahadeo

DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES

Kelsey Molina

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Meradith Garcia

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY

Colin Wolf

ART DIRECTOR David Loyola

DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jaime Monzon

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

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Who has two thumbs?

Photos by Kira Skye

The weather’s been remarkably perfect lately, and last weekend in St. Petersburg people (and their pooches) got out of their gardens and onto the grounds at Walter Fuller Park for the Sunshine City’s annual, two-day Green Thumb Festival. See more photos via ctampa.com/ slideshows.—Ray Roa

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from May 02 - 08

Opening night

Every Year, artistic hub Creative Pinellas doles out a handful of grants to St. Petersburg-based artists that are hitting the groove in their respective mediums, whether they’re up-and-coming, or seasoned veterans of the creative world. This year’s crop includes: Print St. Pete founder Kaitlin Crockett, oil panter Harriet Monzon-Aguirre, poet and Florida Man Tyler Gillepsie, visual artist Vanessa Cunto, professional fire performer Gaby Rosa, poetry and creative nonfiction writer Antonia Lewandowski, filmmaker and photographer Luci Westphal, nonprofit founder David McCauley, learned oil painter Fran Failla and multifaceted poet Thomas Sayers Ellis. These creatives will showcase their work at the Emerging Artist opening reception, where folks will get a first look (and chance to purchase) the grant-funded works. “The Emerging Artist Grant aims to support and build meaningful relationships among the outstanding creative artists in Pinellas County and their audiences,” the local art agency writes about its annual grant. “It provides a solid foundation to nurture the creative community and elevate Pinellas as an art and cultural destination that draws tourists worldwide.” From May 18-June 1, Creative Pinellas will also host an “Art Talk” with each one its grant recipients on select dates, where local art watchers can delve into their inspirations, mediums and current pieces.

Creative Pinellas Emerging Artist Opening Reception: Thursday, May 9. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. Creative Pinellas, 12211 Walsingham Rd., Largo. creativepinellas.org —Kyla Fields

A lotta things to do

Ask any hip-hop head in Milwaukee, and they’ll tell you that Todd Thomas knows a lot about community. Better known as Speech, the 55-year-old founder of Arrested Development put his stamp on the 414 not just through his band’s positive, soulful, Afrocentric brand of rap, but how he moved through his community. “It was not just, ‘OK, I rapped with him’ or ‘He produced a song for me,’” DJ Bizzon told Radio Milwaukee… “they knew him, they worked with him, they met with him, they just knew where he lived. He was just around.” Speech and friends headline day two of downtown Tampa’s weekend-long celebration of community, which is preceded by local bands a “Taste of the Riverwalk” food festival, and hot air balloons (Friday), taco festival and weiner dog races, plus stand up paddleboard races, more music and local markets (Saturday). Read our interview with Speech on p. 42.

Tampa Riverfest. Friday-Saturday, May 3-4. No cover for GA, food wristbands and VIP available for $15 & up. Curtis Hixon Park and Water Works Park. thetampariverwalk.com —Ray Roa

May days

It’s just a 45-minute drive from Tampa to Masaryktown in Hernando County, and the view when you get there will be more than worth it each weekend this month for the Sunflower Festival. In addition to the regular attractions (gem mining, pedal cars, petting farm, more), admission gets you access to maze-like paths lined with sunflowers and zinnias. Bring your own vase and shears (or buy some when you get there), and never pull a flower from the ground. And yes, the farm sells beer and wine. Kids two years old and under get in free.

Sunflower Festival: Saturdays & Sundays in May. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (10 a.m.2 p.m. on Memorial Day). $13.95 & up. Harvest Moon Fun Farm, 15990 Stur St., Brooksville. harvestmoonfunfarm.com —Ray Roa

MIKE MULLIS (VAGABOND)

Paint the town

For the second year in a row, St. Pete’s Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project—a nonprofit that aims to “support, encourage, and promote BIPOC Arts and Artists in Tampa Bay”—hosts its community-organized chalk festival in the historic Deuces district. The sidewalks of 22nd Street, between 7th Avenue S and 9th Avenue S, will once again be adorned with colorful chalk art from professional artists, local residents and art enthusiasts alike. While there are no food or drinks at the festival, organizers encourage attendees to patronize one of the nearby restaurants in southside St. Pete, like Lorene’s Fish House, Heavy’s, Rastaman Natural Juices, Night Flow Restaurant or Urban Drinkery. “This is an opportunity to bring together the community of artists, recreation centers, youth providers, and businesses, in addition to showcasing professional artists’ chalk work from near and far,’’ festival organizer Debbie Yati Garrett writes about the second annual Tampa Bay Chalk Festival. “And most importantly to give our children a day of art expression using chalk and art while having fun.” The PDAP is also using this weekend’s festival to help kick off its new Beautify Project by encouraging folks to adorn river rocks that will outline Urban Drinkery’s property.

2nd Annual Tampa Bay Chalk Festival: Saturday, May 4. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. No cover. 2184 9th Ave. S, St. Pete.tampabaychalkfestival.com —Kyla Fields

Ground control

Close to 200 lowrider vehicles of every stripe will spill out of the Quaker Steak and Lube parking lots for Racers and Rods Automotive Media’s firstever lowrider festival. It’s free to pull up, but guaranteed spots, and blocks for car clubs, are available starting at $10.

Lowrider Fest: Saturday, May 4. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. No cover. Quaker Steak and Lube, 10400 49th St. N, Clearwater. racersandrods.com —

Ray Roa

Eat to thrill

At Busch Gardens, your best bets for grub usually range from chicken tenders, to pizza, and the smokehouse— but for a month each year, there’s a little more variety. The theme park and zoo’s 2024 Food & Wine Festival runs weekends and wraps on May 19. It features twists on food from around the world including South African curry stew (bunny chow) and baked meat pies (bobotie), or options from Argentina (beef chimichurri), France (ratatouille), Spanish meatballs (albondigas), the U.S. (lobster rolls) and way more, all paired wines, too. Access to the food—plus concerts from the likes of Boys LIke Girls, .38 Special—is included with park admission, but items are priced a la carte, with sampler lanyard options ($70-$85), too.

2024 Food & Wine Festival: Fridays-Sundays, through May 19. Included with park admission. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 10165 McKinley Dr., Tampa. buschgardens.com —Ray Roa

“This is bizarre.”

Born again

Biden stumps on abortion in Tampa, while protesters bash him outside.

By Ray Roa

Florida’s six-week ban on abortion is now in effect, and Kaitlyn Joshua wanted Tampa to know what that means to her.

Last Tuesday afternoon at Hillsborough Community College, the Louisiana resident told a room of about 200 Joe Biden supporters, local politicos and elected officials about how her joy about a second child turned into a nightmare after mild cramping and spotting became major blood loss.

“I drove myself to the emergency room. I was having a miscarriage, but because of the state’s abortion ban the health care team was afraid to tell me what was happening,” she said. “They sent me home saying they would pray for me.”

Still losing blood, Joshua said she met her mom at another hospital in Baton Rouge and was put in a wheelchair by a security guard. The care she sought for the miscarriage is the same as abortion care, Joshua explained. The second hospital told her to go home and wait. It was weeks before she was able to get any emergency care.

“This experience has made me see firsthand how Black women die without proper maternal care,” Joshua said.

In July 2022, a Louisiana appeals court ruled the state’s strict “trigger ban” on abortion—which calls for 10-and-15-year prison sentences for doctors convicted of providing abortion—must be reinstated as legal challenges play out.

With Florida’s six-week ban now in place, anyone who willfully performs or actively participates in an abortion outside of the restrictions could be charged with a third-degree felony, punishable by fines and imprisonment of five years, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

constitution during November’s general election by voting yes on Amendment 4. Language in the amendment says, in part: No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.

ELECTIONS

Passage of the amendment would likely lead to more legal battles, but President Joe Biden, who appeared at the podium after Joshua, hopes the issue drives Floridians to polls—delivering a victory not just for Biden, but for candidates up and down the ballot.

“This is bizarre,” Biden said about Florida’s abortion ban.

that Bible he’s trying to sell—I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell’s in it.”

Biden said the decision was no act of god.

“It was a political deal he made with the Evangelical base of the Republican party to look past his moral and character flaws in exchange for his commitment to appoint justices to the supreme court who would overturn Roe,” the president said. “Don’t think he’s [not] making a deal right now with MAGA extremists to ban nationwide abortion in every single state, because he’s making it.”

Gambling his election on abortion rights will be a tricky game in Florida this fall.

A bill filed last year by Florida Sen. Lauren Book tried to keep women from being jailed over Florida’s abortion bans, but it died in committee, so it’s still unclear how or if a pregnant person will be held liable.

Still, Florida voters have a chance to enshrine abortion rights into the state

In less than 13 minutes, the president mentioned his opponent Donald Trump nearly two dozen times, reminding supporters how the former president, presumptive GOP nominee, and impeached insurrection-inciter seated U.S. Supreme Court Justices who overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

“He described the Dobbs decision as a miracle,” Biden said of Trump. “Maybe it comes from

As of April 9, Republicans in Florida held a 892,034 advantage in active registered voters over Democrats. And while there are more than 3.5 million voters who have no party affiliation, Biden’s handling of Israel’s plausibly-genocidal response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas has made him deeply unpopular with progressive members of his own party.

While garden variety pro-life activists waved signs on campus at Hillsborough Community College, a pro-Palestinian contingent held a “No genocide Joe” demonstration nearby in protest of the billions of dollars in military aid the U.S. has sent to Israel. See more photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.

RIDIN’ WITH BIDEN: In Tampa, the president mentioned Trump nearly two dozen times.

DAVE DECKER

Warren’s piece

Andrew Warren says Hillsborough is not safer since his suspension.

By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his suspension of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren last Wednesday, but declined to comment on whether he would suspend Warren again if the two-time elected prosecutor is reelected.

Warren has been battling for the past 20 months to be reinstated to his job through the courts—he won a legal victory in January that could mean a reinstatement, though the case has yet to be resolved. He filed for reelection last week for the top prosecutor’s job.

During a bill signing media availability held in Pinellas County, DeSantis made several remarks about Warren’s suspension:

“My action was based on the constitutional authority I have as governor, and it was appropriate what we did, and it has made Hillsborough County safer as a result,” the governor said in response to a question offered by a Florida Phoenix reporter.

He added: “Criminals are held accountable in a much more significant way since Suzy

Lopez has been the state attorney there in Hillsborough County. That’s just a fact. Talk to any of the sheriff’s deputies. Talk to the sheriff himself about the change that’s happened. Recycling criminals and letting them out going easy, that doesn’t work. And so our actions were appropriate. People can do whatever.”

After another reporter asked DeSantis whether he would resuspend Warren if the former prosecutor would be reelected, DeSantis did not directly respond, but said:

off on some ideological joyride to do whatever you want. You take an oath to apply that law.”

Warren fired back in a text message later in the day, asserting that it is Lopez who is actually weak on crime.

LOCAL NEWS

“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts everyday would be Christmas,” he said to laughter from the audience, packed with local Republican elected officials and supporters. “I think it’s all going to work out, and I think it’s going to be good.”

Later, DeSantis said he didn’t believe that elected prosecutors had “a right” to say that they would not prosecute certain laws that they don’t like, such as charging minors. “You don’t have the right to hijack the law, to go

“The governor has proven that he has no regard for the constitution or the truth,” Warren said. “While he has installed a political appointee who is soft on violent crime, my record of success speaks for itself. Under my watch, crime went down over 30% in 5 years, and we made Hillsborough the safest large county in Florida. We had a productive partnership with law enforcement, who repeatedly stood with me as we implemented policies that reduced crime. The governor’s talking points don’t change those indisputable facts.”

According to statistics provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in 2021, Warren’s last full year in office, Hillsborough County had a crime rate per 100,000 population of 1,400.2, which was lower than Miami-Dade (2,859.6), Broward (2,434.8), Duval (3,508.1), Orange (2804.4) and Palm Beach County (2,299.3).

The Phoenix reached out to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister regarding DeSantis’ remarks.

“State Attorney Suzy Lopez is a valued partner in the fight against a crime,” he said in a text message. “She is prosecuting criminals and relentless in pursuing justice for victims. Hillsborough County is a safer place because of Suzy Lopez.” However, he did not provide any data with his comments.

Chronister is a Republican, as is Lopez. Warren is a Democrat.

DeSantis suspended Warren in August of 2022 for alleged “neglect of duty” and “incompetence,” claiming he went too easy on criminals with some of his policies and that he had signed policy statements objecting to the criminalization of abortion and transgender care. He replaced Warren with Lopez, a former state prosecutor who DeSantis had appointed as a judge in Hillsborough County seven months earlier. She is now going before the voters for the first time this fall and has already raised more than $470,000 combined in two political campaign accounts.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

“The governor has proven that he has no regard for the constitution or the truth.”

COURTSIDE: Andrew Warren won a legal victory in January that could mean reinstatement.

“Not being able to nourish my community right now has absolutely crushed my spirit.”

RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES

Up in the air

After code complaints, Nana’s fights for survival in Ybor City.

By Kyla Fields and Suzanne Townsend

Last summer, the team at Nana’s Restaurant & Juice Bar was all smiles celebrating the plant-based concept’s first birthday. Seven months later, the once-bustling little green building on Ybor City’s Fourth Avenue is temporarily shuttered and no longer slinging popular Caribbean-inspired fare.

Nana’s Restaurant and Juice Bar, located at 1601 E 4th Ave., took to social media earlier this month to announce that the popular vegan eatery would be temporarily closed until further notice.

Owner Anisa Mejia has passed all health inspections and successfully operated on the premises for almost two years, but has been forced to shut down following code complaints filed with the City of Tampa’s Code Enforcement department. One complaint mentions a “change of use without permit,” since the property is not zoned for a restaurant—something Mejia assumed wasn’t a problem since the building was once a barbecue restaurant.

Nana’s received a stop work order on Wednesday, April 10 while the enforcement complaints are under investigation; Mejia has since started the change of use application process in order to reopen as soon as possible. She’s also working with a lawyer to help her with these rezoning issues.

The 29 year-old mother of a seven-year-old daughter had to lay off seven employees (including a few family members) after the stop work order shut down her brick-and-mortar, but still has to continue paying rent and utilities for the business while doors are temporarily closed. After the complaints, Meija, in her typical sunny fashion, told followers, “We are here trying to rectify the situation and I hope we will be open soon. Sending hella peace, hella love, and hella good vibes.”

Mejia said that she’s received lots of messages from people asking how they can support Nana’s through its temporary closure. And if you’ve ever frequented Nana’s as a customer, you’d know that the vegan eatery has a slew of die-hard supporters, many which Mejia knows and greets by name. She says that some even travel as far as two hours to indulge in her smoothies and “meals of the day,” which range from traditional Dominican fare inspired by her grandmothers to from-scratch Italian, Asian and Mexican dishes.

Since the closure earlier this month, Mejia has hosted pop-ups at other vegan spots throughout the greater Tampa area, including fellow Ybor City

haunt La Sétima Club, Brandon’s Vine Vegan and WeVegan Cafe. She’s also had a recurring guest spot at a popular food truck park at 4914 E Broadway Ave.

“If you guys didn’t know, Nana’s Restaurant & Juice Bar was shut down by the City of Tampa for zoning issues with no end in sight. If you have ever been to Nana’s then you know how special this place is to the community,” co-owner of WeVegan Cafe Effren Denson shared on Facebook in promotion of Nana’s pop-up last week. “Not only is the food absolutely amazing but this space was a place that also brought many people together and the love was always felt.”

chapter in my journey, but not being able to nourish my community right now has absolutely crushed my spirit,” Meija told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I wish I had a rich uncle or something to help me get out of this situation, but I don’t. And that’s the reality for working class people in Tampa.”

The owner of the lot that Nana’s operates on is Joseph Gaspar Monte, and he greatly sympathizes with Mejia, calling the current zoning issue “the saddest thing he’s dealt with in a long time.”

accepted. Records related to the code complaints were marked as “locked” as of April 15, so it wasn’t clear who made the complaints against Nana’s. Calls and emails to the city’s code enforcement department have not been returned. In response to a public records request from CL, the City of Tampa said it’s “determined the complaints were opened by the code inspector as proactive.”

FOOD NEWS

“I’ve owned that property there for decades…I’ve never seen anybody crueler as the bunch that are making the complaints right now,” Monte told CL in a phone call. “Whatever’s happening there isn’t deserved, they’ve been picked on quite a bit..I’m very disappointed with the neighbors.”

In addition to hosting pop-ups, Mejia has been tapping into private chef and catering gigs, as well as meal prep services. She described herself as “not a GoFundMe type of person,” adding that she doesn’t want people to pity her and would rather exchange her services instead.

While the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of fear and disappointment, Mejia’s ultra-positive and grateful demeanor—which is the foundation of her spirituality and ethos—has kept her hopeful. At the end of the day, she just wants to feed good people good food.

“In many ways, this is one of the biggest lessons in my life so far, I feel like I’m about to start a new

The zoning complaint that resulted in the stop work order was certainly not the only one that Nana’s has received over the last several months.

Public records acquired through Accela show that folks have filed complaints about the height of the restaurant’s fence, the noise from the restaurant’s concerts, a lack of “conformance to Ybor City parking lot requirements,” and hosting events without permits. A similar zoning-related complaint was made in October 2023, stating that a “restaurant-type business is operating on property.” All in all, almost a dozen complaints have been filed between late 2023 and now. Under Florida Statutes 162.21 and 166.0415, anonymous code enforcement complaints are no longer

Although it’s still unclear who is behind the complaints, Meija and her landlord definitely have their suspicions. What is clear, however, is that Nana’s clientele is left without a place to have nourishing plant-based dishes and take part in community-centered events like yoga, daytime vegan barbecues and other community-focused events, with third party event promoters hosting late-night concerts and other gatherings after hours.

“Ninety-percent of the people that come to my restaurant are people of color, and they don’t have access to good nourishment and the safe, welcoming space that we’ve created anymore,” Meija adds.

Since the closure almost three weeks ago, Nana’s has received an outpouring of support from both her customers and local business owners.

“Nana’s Restaurant & Juice Bar is a fine representation of Ybor’s history and culture. A family owned hard working small business owner establishment. It’s unfortunate the City of Tampa doesn’t work hand in hand to help young business owners trying to contribute to our culture fix their zoning issues,” Crowbar owner and fierce Ybor City defender Tom DeGeorge wrote on social media last week. “We allow people that live in condos that are committed to the gentrification of Ybor City to force our culture out because it’s loud or trashy to them.”

“It’s almost like an angry pitchfork mob mentality of elitists that get to decide how and in what way they want Ybor City’s history represented and by who,” DeGeorge added.

Representing the Hispanic, immigrant-lead legacy of Ybor City was one of the main reasons that Mejia wanted to open a business in the historic district in the first place. She remembers visiting its cigar factories on field trips as a child and being fascinated by its eclectic culture.

“If you really tap into what Ybor was, it was a port that immigrants have always been to flourish in,” Mejia says. “We are trying to add value to the neighborhood and honor the history and legacy of Ybor, as well as encourage our people to eat healthier.”

Five days after Nana’s was temporarily shut down, Daryl Shaw’s new, 33-acre Ybor Channel development was initially approved by Tampa City Council. (Read the full version of this story via cltampa.com/food.)

ALL SMILES: Owner Anisa Mejia and her team celebrated Nana’s first anniversary last summer.

Let it linger

St. Pete Norwegian-Asian restaurant Lingr has closed, plus more local food news.

By Kyla Fields

After three years of dishing out exciting fusion cuisine and picture-perfect cocktails, a mainstay in St. Pete’s dining scene has closed its doors. The upscale Norwegian-Asian restaurant at 400 6th St. S served its last customers on Saturday, April 27, according to a post on its social media pages.

“After almost 3 years of Lingr serving the St. Petersburg community and its visitors, I have made the difficult decision to close. During illness and family emergencies, I have always counseled my employees that their health and family are more important than Lingr,” Chef and owner Jeffrey Jew writes on Lingr’s Instagram. “Now, I am in the position that I must take my own advice and spend time with my Mother as we navigate her Lewy body dementia.”

He encouraged his customers to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association as an act of support for him and his family during this difficult time.

Lingr made its highly-anticipated debut in the spring of 2021 showcasing a contemporary blend of Jew’s Nordic and Asian heritage with unique dishes like pumpkin and mushroom dumplings, smoked lion’s mane and trumpet mushrooms with Brunost cheese, and fried fish with fermented black beans and chili oil.

The St. Pete restaurant also boasted an exciting beverage program of mocktails, seasonal drinks and a core cocktail menu inspired by the five elements of nature.

Stillwaters Tavern before pivoting to open Lingr. While COVID-19-related obstacles delayed the opening in 2021, Jew added dining measures like an expanded outdoor patio and various sanitation devices to help ensure the safety of his new diners.

“Thank you to everyone—our amazing staff and fabulous customers who have made this journey possible,” Jew tells his patrons.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

The restaurant’s name even referenced an Old Norse word meaning both “belonging to” and “descending from,” according to its website. Jew—also known for his time as a “Top Chef” contestant, in addition to winning Food Network’s popular “Guy’s Grocery Games”— helmed the kitchens at St. Pete’s BellaBrava and

“While we prepare to say goodbye to our space on 6th Street South, we look forward to keeping the spirit of Lingr alive through our continued connection with all of you in the community.”

Popular Orlando Turkish restaurant Bosphorous opening new location in St. Pete

Bosphorous, a popular Turkish restaurant in the Orlando area, will soon open a

new location in Tampa Bay. The concept has signed a lease to debut within the new mixeduse Edge Collective at 1246 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, according to a press release from developers PTM Partners and hospitality investment organization DoveHill Capital Management. While no exact opening date was given, Bosphorous will open on the ground floor in a large 5,000 square-foot space previously occupied by Furnish Me Vintage.

The space, which is across the street from Hawkers, will share outdoor seating with the neighboring Moxy Hotel.

Bosphorus’ menu focuses on classic Turkish cuisine, featuring everything from kababs, baklava, hand-carved halal meats, pides (flatbreads), and more. Founded in 2004, Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine’s first location opened along Park Avenue in Winter Park. The company has continued on page 31

FUSION FANFARE: Jeffrey Jew’s restaurant Lingr was known for its contemporary Norwegian-Asian cuisine.

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since expanded with outposts in Winter Garden, Lake Nona Orlando and Dr. Phillips Orlando. The restaurant also has a new location planned for Tampa in June at 714 S Howard Ave., says St. Pete Rising.—Colin Wolf

Ciro’s, one of Tampa’s first speakeasy concepts, has closed

A longtime South Tampa mainstay has officially closed its doors, although its ownership is “actively seeking other locations.” Last week, Ciro’s parent company Three Oaks Hospitality announced the permanent closure of the high-end cocktail bar, citing ongoing structural issues within the Bayshore Royal building at 2109 Bayshore Blvd.

“Since 2009, Ciro’s has been a cherished spot for locals and visitors alike,” the bar wrote on social media. “Thank you to our loyal guests, staff and the Tampa community for your support and memories shared over the years. As they say, this isn’t a goodbye, it’s a see you later.”

Last month, Ciro’s temporarily closed due to renovations happening within the Bayshore Royal Condos, but the 100 year-old building’s structural problems have forced the cocktail lounge to close for good. Billed as one of the first speakeasies in Tampa, Ciro’s made its debut in South Tampa 15 years ago, boasting a variety of classic cocktails and innovative drinks in a sleek, speakeasy-themed setting. Over the years, Ciro’s has snagged countless Best of the Bay awards for Best Martini, Best Cocktails and “Best Place to Drink in the Dark.”

Three Oaks Hospitality recommends its former Ciro’s patrons visit sibling concept Jekyll at 1500 W Swann Ave., which is another chic speakeasy located in Hyde Park. A Ciro’s-style pop-up happens at Jekyll on Wednesday, May 8, where guests can bid on Ciro’s memorabilia in an effort to raise funds for Children’s Dream Fund. Head to @cirossouthtampa on Facebook or @cirostampa on Instagram for the latest updates on the popular speakeasy.

Crisp & Green abruptly closes Water Street location

After a year in the heart of Water Street Tampa, a fast-casual salad concept has closed its doors. Crisp & Green, located on the ground floor of the East Cumberland Avenue parking garage, quietly shuttered its doors this week. The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that signage on the Crisp & Green storefront was taken down yesterday morning. The Minneapolis-business has not shared any reasons why its one year-old Tampa location closed. Tampa’s Crisp & Green location has already been removed from Google, the restaurant’s website and waterstreettampa.com, leaving no trace of the health-conscious concept. Representatives from the company shared the following statement with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay: “After thoughtful consideration, we

have decided to close our Tampa location. We’re so thankful for the hard work and dedication of the team to bring the Crisp & Green brand and for the opportunity to serve our amazing customers in Tampa. Thank you for being a part of our journey and we hope to be back in Tampa soon.”

Crisp & Green’s mission is to “offer chef-crafted nutritious foods to fit conveniently into a modern, wellness-driven lifestyle,” boasting menu items like its signature salads, grain bowls, smoothies, aguas frescas, acai bowls and build-your-own options.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Mike Lester and Steve Strigler of Walking Tall Brands—who also operates the Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux in Midtown Tampa—opened Tampa’s first Crisp & Green last spring.The only other Florida-based Crisp & Green

coast chicken tendie concept Sugar Wing is about to make its deep-fried debut in the Sunshine State. The New York-based chain opened its first Florida location on Friday, April 26 at 7724 113th St., within the Seminole City Center in Pinellas County. Sugar Wing, which will be open daily between 11 a.m.-9 p.m., is clearly all about consuming various types of chicken (like wings, hand-breaded strips, and chicken sandwiches). But there’s also chopped salads, mac and cheese, fries, and sauces... a lot of sauces, 16 to be exact.

Sugar Wing started as a ghost kitchen concept in 2019 from the folks at Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, and has since expanded to include brick and mortar locations in

locations can be found in Winter Park, Naples, Venice, Estero and Winter Garden. In 2021, Crisp & Green announced that it was planning to open a dozen new stores throughout the greater Tampa Bay area, although it’s unsure how Water Street’s recent closure will affect these expansion plans.

Chicken tender chain Sugar Wing opens first Florida location in Tampa Bay this week

Another New Yorker is moving to Tampa, but this time they’re bringing chicken. East

the New York and New Jersey area. The company says there’s also plans to open a new Westgate Plaza location at 12004 Anderson Rd. in Tampa next month. —CW

Flatbread & Butter’s

new

cafe is now open in downtown Tampa

People are already taking pictures of their breakfast outside Tampa’s newest place to get a really good pull of espresso. Flatbread & Butter has soft-opened near the corner of Tyler Street

and Ashley Drive, giving downtown denizens, and students living in the nearby Henry building, a place to catch a caffeine buzz and get some work done (bring your own WiFi though). Located at 101 W Tyler St. in the shadow of the old Tampa Bay Times building, Flatbread and Butter is already running a full coffee bar menu which includes drip, cold brew, and all the espresso things (like this ridiculously decadent cortado in front of me right now). Loose leaf tea and lattes (matcha, golden, chai) are available, too. The concept, as previously reported, is a favorite in St. Petersburg’s coffee shop scene, where the small menu includes burritos, loaded toasts, yogurt bowls, breakfast sandwiches, pizzas, and of course, flatbreads.

Cafe owner Jesse Muire signed Flatbread’s Tampa lease sometime in 2020, and announced plans for the Tampa location last fall. The 3D-coffee bar is here, as promised, and a small menu of pastries is available while the rest of the menu gets off the ground For now, downtown Tampa’s new Flatbread & Butter location is open 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. —Ray Roa

ICYMI

• St. Pete’s longtime modern Italian eatery IL Ritorno has launched its multi-course, spring tasting menu—which starts with a luxurious amuse bouche of wagyu tartare and caviar on a polenta cake and seared foie gras in a savory pastry, and ends with a fresh, tiramisu-inspired dessert with guava coulis, mint oil, mascarpone, green mango, macadamia nuts and lady fingers. Other highlights include its charcoal-grilled octopus over a pea foam, served with fennel crostini and artichoke, as well as its lobster tortellini entree, which comes with black trumpet mushrooms and a rich seafood broth. IL Ritorno’s spring tasting menu—which is available alongside its daily menu of pastas, vegetable and seafood-forward small plates and entrees—costs $125 per person. Reservations can be made on tock.com.

• Chinese-American chain P.F. Changs is bringing its new fast casual concept Pagoda Asian Grill to 1550 66th St. N in west St. Pete, where it will dish out build-your-own bowls loaded with General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli and lo mein. The quick service offshoot debuted in New York last year and will be the first of its kind in Florida, although St. Pete Rising says that another Pagoda Asian Grill is headed to Orlando, too. Currently, there’s no projected opening date for St. Pete’s upcoming location.

• Superfood spot Fit Bowl Co. recently announced that it’s opening a third location inside Armature Works, at least on a temporary basis. Its acai bowl and smoothie pop-up is now open at the Tampa Heights food hall from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday; head to @fitbowlco on Instagram for more information.

DOWNTOWN DIGS: After a three year delay, Flatbread & Butter’s Tampa cafe is now open.

“We see clearly and unequivocally that diversity is a gift.”

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Townies

Stageworks’ latest elevates a viewpoint that removes inherited blinders from our eyes.

By Jon Palmer Claridge

Early in the day of the opening night of Stageworks’ “Our Town,” a friend’s post on Facebook caught my eye. Next to beautiful closeups they had taken of a snail inching forward at full extension, and the stunning blooms of an African iris and a beach sunflower, was a simple reminder. Perhaps the ghost of Thornton Wilder whispered in their ear: “Remember to notice the beautiful, little things during the day.”

THEATER

It’s not surprising that Wilder’s most acclaimed play with plain-spoken philosophical observations on love and marriage, life and death is ostensibly a very white play. It was written in 1938 pre-World War II and long before the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It’s set, of course, in the fictional Grover Corners, New Hampshire just after the turn of the 20th century from 1901 through 1913. The world of these United States pre-World War I was not exactly a haven for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Much like Florida in 2024.

This production, however, is from a 2017 three language multicultural makeover of Wilder’s gently lyrical Pulitzer-prize-winning masterpiece—performed primarily in English, plus short segments spoken in Spanish or Creole with English surtitles. Director Karla Hartley offers that the play is “about generosity and kindness, and kinship. [It] shows that you can embrace your community no matter how it looks and as a society, I think we need to re-discover that.”

Dominating the action is Jim Wicker’s Stage Manager who is exquisitely calibrated as to seem effortless. He’s folksy, relaxed and totally winning even in his direct address to the audience breaking the fourth wall.

The two pairs of parents anchor the narrative. Particularly strong are JL Rey (Mr. Webb) and Josh Goff (Dr. Gibbs). Both actors know how to command attention and make the most of their stage time. Jessica Moraton (Mrs. Webb) and Lena Morisseau (Mrs. Gibbs) handle their bi-lingual dialogue fluidly and convincingly. Hartly also casts others against convention. Emily and George, the smitten ingenues (Jessie

Dorsey and Jaiden Gray) are atypical, but always endearing and supporting actor Alli Bica is a gender-bending, generation-hopping delight in several roles, which works so well because she grounds her several characters and finds the simple essence of each role playing them “straight” while still eliciting laughs. What might seem odd or amateurish otherwise is totally believable. Hugh Timoney is equally fine in multiple roles from the milkman to the alcoholic church organist.

Joseph P. Oshry has demonstrated his skill as one of the region’s premiere lighting designers and has the awards to show for it. His work here covers the arc of the action. But, given the deliberately stripped down scenic demands, there’s an obvious opportunity to skew toward some overtly dramatic images, which he and director Harley have chosen to ignore or, perhaps, are hamstrung because the floor to ceiling surtitle screen doesn’t lend itself to mood-establishing color washes.

Maggie Council DiPietra’s sound design and original music are spot on and perfectly timed to reinforce the Stage Manager’s descriptions which vividly establish place and the time-jumping narrative. Unfortunately, the thunder and lightning that begins the last act overwhelmed some of the subtler moments—at least on opening night.

There’s a large burden placed on Lindsay Ellis’s period costumes and the minimal furniture which comprises Hartley’s set. Even though the design scheme is deliberately limited and the themes cross the decades, the play is still set prior to WWI and both areas contain elements outside of the time frame.

While the play’s heartfelt universal themes are indeed absolutely timeless, much of the episodic narrative which must have seemed odd to pre-war audiences, now just seems, to me, creaky and anachronistic to modern sensibilities. Post 1968 with the advent of reliable contraception, the sexual revolution, and the demand for women’s equal rights, the oppressive nature of women’s roles in society and the across the board reluctance to address the “wedding night” (wink, wink) seems laughable to modern ears in the age of Tinder.

Conversely, and surprisingly, despite the country being built on WASP supremacy, morphing the two families from historical WASPs to Haitian-American and Hispanic-Americans, doesn’t seem at all radical. In fact, Stageworks’

first trilingual production (as director Hartley wryly points out in her pre-show curtain speech) seems perfectly natural, which speaks well for our glacial progress as “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Obviously, embracing diversity builds empathy and breaks down the prejudice born from fear of the “other.” Sadly, this seems to be a natural human tendency that bridges world cultures.

The rise of Christian nationalism at the core of the MAGA movement threatens our democracy.

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s supporters are on the verge of assembling the power to change their constitution to enshrine Hindu supremacy and marginalize Muslims. Not to mention the intractable conundrum that is Gaza.

Seamlessly injecting diversity into a revered American classic like “Our Town,” elevates a viewpoint that removes the inherited blinders from our eyes. We see clearly and unequivocally that diversity is a gift. And despite my qualms, the Boomer couple that joined me left with tears.

Wilder was inspired by a visit to Roman ruins and the epiphany that “human lives across centuries are universally conjoined by certain personal moments and milestone events.”

For me, what resonated strongly as we gallop toward an election that will decide between authoritarianism and democracy is the Stage Manager’s pithy observation that “wherever you come near the human race, there’s layers and layers of nonsense . . .”

BIG TENT: Stageworks’ first trilingual production seems perfectly natural.

The conservation of art—preserving objects through professional, specialized treatment—is one of the Museum of Fine Art’s most important goals. This small, intensive exhibition focuses on the conservation of a gilded, painted, and carved tabernacle made in Northern Spain during the mid-1600s.

Over the coming months, Luis Seixas—an alumnus of the conservation program at the prestigious Universidade Nova, Lisbon—will meticulously undertake the task of cleaning, consolidating, and restoring this precious artifact live within the Miriam Acheson Gallery.

Live conservation will occur most weekdays (Tuesday through Friday) between 10 am – 2 pm, with a break around noon. Special Saturday sessions on May 4 and June 3.

Department heads

USF

professors will teach a class that explores the literary side of Taylor Swift.

By Ray Roa

The University of South Florida (USF) is going to produce more tortured poets than usual this semester. The English department at the school’s Tampa campus is now offering a course that takes a literary look at lyrics penned by none other than Taylor Swift.

The course is co-taught by Emily Jones, an Associate Professor at USF who specializes in the renaissance period of the 16th and 17th centuries. Her co-teachers for the course—Associate Professor of Instruction & M.A. Advisor Jessica Cook and Assistant Professor of Instruction Michelle Taylor—specialize in 18th century romantics and 19th century victorian, respectively.

Influences from their backgrounds will play some role in the coursework for the three-credit course “Lit 3301: Cultural Studies And The Popular Arts,” but the subtitle of the offering is “Taylor Swift’s Eras,” with Swift’s work at the core of everything.

The course description reads like this: Calling all mad women, heartbreak princes, and tortured poets! In this course, we’ll do a close and critical study of the current cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift.

Often praised as one of the greatest songwriters, Swift takes her artistic heritage not just from other musicians but from major literary figures: William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Dickinson, and more. Together, we’ll explore the cultural history behind Swift’s career, and we’ll interpret her lyrics as poetry, using a range of approaches.

We’ll also consider Swift as a performer and self-marketer: how does she fashion herself as a writer, musician, and cultural icon through both art and public life?

“What we really want to do is take seriously, Swift’s lyrics as poetry and close read them as individual songs like in conversation with each other,” Jones told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Thirty-five students can enroll in each of the three sections, which will meet together in a large lecture hall on Tuesdays, then separately on Thursdays for smaller class discussions.

And yes, the professors are all featured in themed promo posters for the classes (see them via cltampa.com/slideshows).

While the course starts this fall, the syllabus was still in its draft era on the eve of Swift releasing her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department

“So that might blow our minds to the extent that we want to rethink what we’ve done a little bit,” Taylor—who listened to the album the second she got off a late flight in Iowa City—added. The idea for the class was born over lunch as the friends leaned into an academic conversation

about Swift’s 2012 album Red, which marked the songwriter’s shift into pop. The debate centered loosely around a song’s placement on the album and its relationship to other songs; textual evidence from the lyrics was presented to back interpretations, and then Cook jokingly suggested that the friends teach a course on it.

“Then we thought about it for a second—and we could teach a course on this, we could make this happen,” Jones added.

“I was like, ‘OK, whether I was going to label myself as that or not—which I clearly am now that I think about it—that’s kind of how that became institutionalized that we are the Swifties,” Taylor added.

Cook relates to being a superfan, but admits that finding the easter eggs Swift leaves for fans can feel a little exhausting.

“So I wonder: ‘Does that mean that I have to forfeit my Swiftie title?’” she wondered.

Cultural Studies And The Popular Arts was already an offering, with topics such as Harry Potter and Jane Austen being centerpieces, but the friends knew that centering it around Swift— who broke records during her three-night stand in Tampa last year—would be even more popular with students.

“Something doesn’t have to be old in order for it to be taught in a literature classroom.”

“It could amp up our efforts to recruit students and sort of show them the continued relevance of English and culture and textual interpretation,” Jones said.

All three of the instructors love the music, but Taylor didn’t call herself a Swiftie until the idea of the course grew legs. That’s when a department head titled a logistics virtual meeting about the course “Swifties.”

While Jones—who is happy to embrace the title of “Swiftie”—doesn’t have the same parasocial relationship with Swift that some of the students of LIT 3301 probably do, the course does give the instructors the perfect opportunity to introduce concepts of literary theory that students might not yet know about. And could the course uncover new easter eggs, and become a research powerhouse for Taylor Swift fans?

“If anyone can do it, it’s our students,” Cook said. “I feel like I know Swift really well, and then I start talking to them and I’m like, ‘Oh, you know Swift on a different level.”

Other colleges like Harvard and the University of Florida have offered classes with

LOCAL NEWS

Swift in the course title, but USF’s might be the first in the country that solely uses her lyrics as class material.

The breadth of the Swift catalog will be covered, but expect instructors to be particularly enthusiastic about the folklore era. The album, Taylor said, has at least four allusions to “Jane Eyre,” which has a Byronic hero and songs about the Romantic and lake poets. Even vault tracks from the re-release of 1989 advance the prevalence of the New Romantics in Swift’s catalog.

“I have a whole theory about the song ‘Slut’ and William Blake,” Taylor added, pointing out that Swift is also not the first person to rewrite Shakespeare with a more optimistic ending.

“The 18th century was notorious for rewriting Shakespearean plays like tragedies like ‘King Lear’ and giving them these kinds of more sort of happy endings for the characters,” Cook said. “So I think it’s interesting to point out—even if she didn’t realize she was writing in that tradition—that she is writing in a tradition of people who have done that specifically with Shakespeare.”

At the end of it all, Taylor—who will work Swift into a separate LIT 2000 course subtitled “Anti Heroes, Tortured Poets, and New Romantics”—wants her students to realize how pertinent their fascinations with Swift are.

Yes, the pop star is more or less ubiquitous in our culture, with Chads and Brads complaining about seeing Swift on an NFL broadcast, but Taylor hopes students will realize that having their finger on the pulse of popular culture means they already have the skills to understand the humanities’ place in the real world.

“This course helps validate and legitimize the cultural practices that many of our students may feel are, silly or you know, ‘cringe’ as the youngs say. What they’re doing has cultural and literary merit,” Jones said. “And then on the other side, it also gives currency to a discipline that’s frankly very old.”

Cook points out that, like Swift, the plays of Shakespeare, Byron’s poems, and even “Jane Eyre” weren’t experienced as history in their present moment. They were experienced at the time as kind of living, breathing, and very contemporary.

“Something doesn’t have to be old in order for it to be taught in a literature classroom, and the things that students are doing with Swift right now are also the same things people were doing in Shakespeare’s time or environs, or in Charlotte Brontë’s,” Cook said. “So I think we’re excited about giving students a chance to do this kind of cultural and critical analysis with something that’s contemporary to them.”

HOW EVERGREEN: (L-R) Jessica Cook, Emily Jones, and Michelle Taylor.

Good girl

Meet Bella, who brings peace to mourners at one Tampa funeral home.

By Chelsea Zukowski

Funeral homes and cemeteries are places no one ever wants to visit. But at one Tampa funeral home, Bella the therapy dog helps soothe the sorrowful.

“She is great because no one wants to walk into a building like this, right?” Kaylee Wilson, the general manager of Blount and Curry at Garden of Memories, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “People can’t breathe … and it’s the worst day of their life. They have a seat in the lobby waiting for their appointment, and she’ll walk over and sit down next to them and they’ll start petting her and they can just breathe again.”

Bella is a five-year-old chocolate lab-whippet mix who has been working at the funeral since October 2022 when Wilson and her family moved back to the area. Wilson has been with the home’s parent company for a decade, working at locations in Oklahoma City, Austin and now Tampa.

Bella’s comforting presence has also made a lasting impression on the staff of Blount and Curry. The business of death is a heavy load to carry every day, but Wilson said Bella is a bright spot in her and every team member’s day.

“My employees will seek her out throughout the day…for pets or a couple of treats,” she said. “She knows who keeps the cheese in their lunchbox. And she has a very special and unique relationship with each and every one of them.”

No one eats lunch alone at Blount and Curry, Wilson said, and they always have the happiest employees even during Monday morning meetings.

LOCAL NEWS

Bella also recognizes how important her job is and takes both working and relaxing very seriously.

“She is ready to work and knows that that’s what she’s here for,” Wilson said. “And after a long day, she can be found on the foot of the bed in front of her fan.”

Bella was supposed to be a family pet, Wilson said, after her adoption from the Humane Society in Oklahoma City. But “she just had the sweetest disposition.”

When Bella was around two-and-a-half, the Wilson family was in Austin and began the AKC Canine Good Citizen training and then a couple more courses through the Humane Society.

“She is a certified good girl,” Wilson said. With the funeral home laying to rest about 1,200 people a year in the cemetery and hosting around 600 families for services, Bella has daily opportunities to impact many lives. She even gets special requests to be at certain functions like visitations.

Wilson remembers a service where a woman needed to step out after having trouble in such a large crowd of people.

“Bella went and sat next to her and was just there with her,” she said. “She’s just a calming presence.”

When she’s not making her rounds in the office lending a comforting paw during funeral services, Bella will roam the cemetery grounds or join Wilson on trips to flower shops. She likes to greet families visiting loved ones’ resting places on birthdays and holidays and be a familiar face when headstones are unveiled.

“She likes to watch the heavy equipment in the cemetery,” Wilson said. “She’ll lay down in the grass and watch them dig. She keeps a safe distance but… she’s a great supervisor.”

Having a therapy dog seems like an obvious element for a funeral home. But Wilson believes it’s not widespread because of an industry that’s slow to make changes to historic traditions.

“She kind of just knows when and where she’s needed.”

The death of a loved one is full of scary changes, especially for children. Funeral services can be overwhelming and are often a child’s first experience with loss. But Bella knows just what to do to help.

“That’s really hard, to lose a grandparent or a parent. It’s scary,” Wilson said. “She’ll go and will just sit with them for hours if that’s what they need because being alone in a room full of adults when you’ve lost your person is very, very difficult.”

“She kind of just knows when and where she’s needed. She’s very intuitive for a little dog,” Wilson added.

“A lot of these services and funerals that you see haven’t really evolved much up until about 10 years ago,” she said.

“We have gone more toward celebrations of who someone was and not the rigid structure of service.”

Dogs like Bella are a big part of the efforts to bring as much peace and normalcy to people experiencing stress and upheaval. There’s much emphasis on the “home” in funeral home as well as family—and Bella is an integral part of the Blount and Curry family.

“I think that for her, it’s definitely the excitement of being alive and being able to, you know, be her happiest self,” Wilson said. “And she has never met someone who was not a friend.”

See more photos of this very good girl by finding the online version of this story at cltampa. com/arts.

FRIEND AT THE END: Bella can make end of life celebrations easier to bear.

REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK

Hot shot

Ybor City’s beloved exotic evening of eclectic entertainment stages a comeback.

By Ray Roa

Folklore says that in 1975, the University of South Florida’s student-run programming on WUSF was taken off the air by a school president who wanted a fine arts radio station instead of the rock and R&B that was on the airwaves. In response, one student vowed to start their own public radio station. Three years later, six or seven likeminded people went door-to-door across the Bay area to ask neighbors what kind of programming they wanted from said station— they asked for donations to get the project off the ground, too. Tens of thousands of replies were gathered; eventually, that ragtag group collected enough money to go on the air in September 1979.

WMNF hasn’t looked back.

For more than four decades, the non-commercial community radio station, which broadcasts on 88.5-FM and hosts several channels online at wmnf.org, has been steadfast in its commitment to platforming a diverse body of voices who not only host music and public affairs shows, but volunteer behind desks, answer phones, raise money and more. (Full disclosure: This writer is a volunteer programmer who hosts a show on Friday mornings.)

One of those voices belongs to Linda Reisinger who started at the station in ‘79 as the host of “Friday Nite Crusin’,” which was on the airwaves for 26 years. Reisinger—better known as Linda Lu and co-host of WMNF’s Tuesday afternoon drivetime show—also has a fond memory of knocking on a door for the station.

“It was in Hawthorne,” Reisinger told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about that fateful day. With her in Alachua County was WMNF’s first station manager Janine Farver and the late Bruce Christensen who hosted a program called “Let the Good Times Roll.” The year was 1985, and the log cabin door belonged to rock and roll originator Bo Diddley. WMNF was there to ask him about playing for the station’s then-fledgling music festival Tropical Heatwave.

“He took us out to his shed where he practiced with his guitar, and he introduced us to his daughters who had a band then,” Reisinger added, alluding to The Diddley Darlings. “They begged him to play.”

Three years after founding a festival stylized after Ybor City’s famed Artists and Writers Ball, Reisinger explained, “Bo Diddley was our very first major Heatwave artist.”

For a while Heatwave looked like a party that would never cool down.

In 1986, Buckwheat Zydeco nearly caused a riot when the Cuban Club filled up past capacity. In '87 avant-jazz god Sun Ra brought his AlterDestiny 21st Century Omniverse Arkestra. By the early-’90s, Heatwave expanded to the nearby El Pasaje Plaza and added a second day.

could come together to enjoy really good music that crossed genres and generations, whether they knew the bands or not. In 2012, more than 73 artists played 13 stages that extended well beyond Heatwave headquarters at the Cuban Club, and the festival eventually started hosting sets as far away the Orpheum location several blocks down 7th Avenue.

But in 2016, then station General Manager Craig Kopp put Heatwave on ice, suspending the festival and claiming losses that other station leaders later disputed. WMNF tried a Heatwave Cruise in 2018, but even the Royal Caribbean couldn’t hold a candle to the charm of Cigar City. Talks about a May 2020 return died with the arrival of the pandemic, and last year Heatwave finally came

Astroman? held it down for the underground. For the first part of her life, Hval’s parents would get a babysitter and enjoy the festival while she was being a kid at home.

Hval—who is part of a four-person events team that helps build and book the lineup—was clear about the main catalyst for Heatwave’s return.

“The community was clamoring for Heatwave to return.”

“It was our listeners,” she told CL. “Even as I was just getting my bearings, everyone was already saying how amazing it would be to bring back Tropical Heatwave. So many people were pushing for it. The community was clamoring for Heatwave to return.”

The growth stalled a few years later, and in ‘96 the party went back down to a single day. Heatwave bounced back in the year 2000 when Buckwheat Zydeco returned, and booked indie-rock darlings like Andrew Bird before he got famous.

Beloved for its lookalike contests and sweaty revelry, Heatwave cemented itself as an institutional event where old farts and young punks

back to life with a 16-band lineup that included blues powerhouse Shemekia Copeland and a rare hometown set from new-wave heavyweight Glove (now known as girl garçon).

WMNF Program Director Samantha Hval came on board at the station in 2021. Heatwave was already 12-years-old when she was born. Headliners that year included Dick Dale, Brave Combo, and The Iguanas; Man Or

This year, Hval is looking forward to seeing rising, deeply-harmonic, Nile Rodgers-approved, soul-disco trio She She She, which is one of close to 20 bands taking over four stages at the Cuban Club. Grammy-nominated blues-rock trio The Record Company is a huge coup for the festival in 2024, along with WMNF favorite songwriter Ruthie Foster, rock duo The Dollyrots, Freddie King-channeling guitarist Eddie 9 Volt, gospelsoul band Sensational Barnes Brothers, and a host of homegrown heavyweights like Selwyn Birchwood and Kristopher James. World music, per usual is represented (look for Wahh World Fusion band to pay tribute to late WMNF icon Ray Villadonga), and so are bands like Tiger 54 which makes the kind of darkwave and industrial music typically played at The Castle just a few blocks away. There’s even a hip-hop lounge in the theater where DJs will trace the 50-year history of the genre over four hours.

And while tickets are still inflation busters—it was $5 to get into the first Heatwave in ‘82, and just $40-$50 now—the festival is not immune to the rising costs of everything from artist fees to fencing.

“We respect the artists, number one, and we’ll offer the best we can do,” Reisinger said about Heatwave’s approach to booking. The stress of it all can cause heartburn on an hourly basis, but looking around and seeing new and old faces makes it worth it. Now, WMNF just needs the community to show up and help the Heatwave revival gain steam and become sustainable.

“Heatwave should always keep going, if we can afford it,” Reisinger added.

“It’s got to work. It’s really got to work… It’s always been Tampa Bay’s exotic evening of eclectic entertainment. I want to carry that forever.”

TEAMSTERS: (L-R) WMNF events team Michael Bagley, Samantha Hval, Lee ‘Flee’ Courtney, and Linda Reisinger.

Snapshots

Kurt Vile talks loss, ‘Moon Beach,’ guitar practice and more.

By Ray Roa

Outside of birthdays and important family dates, Kurt Vile is not really one for anniversaries. When the 44-year-old gets to St. Petersburg, it’ll be pretty much a year to date since his good friend and recording partner Rob Laakso passed away from a rare cancer (Laakso was 44 years old, too).

“Rob’s always in my heart and in my band’s heart. I always think about his wife and his kids, more than I am thinking about the anniversary,” Vile told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “But I float on the periphery—it’s my survival method.”

That’s why I make music. And I just keep doing it all the time. Now I’m just churning it out from my house like I was in the old days—except for more high fidelity. I know my family is a fan, and I’m a fan of my music, so I guess it’s by default, without thinking, I’m making some kind of legacy. I’m just in the moment, and I get to look back at everybody else’s legacy, and that keeps me going with mine.

INTERVIEW

Kurt Vile and the Violators

Wednesday, May 8. 7 p.m. $29.50

Jannus Live. 200 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg kurtvile.com

He just keeps recording music, too. Vile’s latest is the Back To Moon Beach EP, released last year. Clocking in at just under an hour, the record features a few covers and some songs that didn’t make it to a 2022 LP, Watch My Moves —but mostly, it’s cuts that simply weren’t finished.

“They all had potential,” Vile explained. When his label, jazz imprint Verve Forecast, asked for EP, he relished the opportunity to revisit the tunes and adding to them until he and collaborators—including Cate Le Bon, “Farmer” Dave Scher, and bandmate Adam Langelotti—landed a place that felt right. “They were challenging but also rewarding because we just overdubbed like crazy.”

Vile talked about the creation of the record, the late David Berman, and more. Read parts of our Q&A below and see a full version of the conversation at cltampa.com/music.

There is this line on “Tom Petty’s Gone” about David from Silver Jews. When you think about this body of work that David left, and this gigantic mark on music lovers that he had—do you ever think about your legacy?

I’m such a fan of all those Drag City bands. David was the most poetic, and his voice cut through effortlessly. Pavement was my favorite band growing up, but then here comes this guy, and “You’re like, wait, what? There’s another band that Stephen Malkmus plays in?” And here’s this other guy with this kind of coarse, but still kind of jagged guitar playing—but it’s still somewhat hypnotic. And his voice, he’s basically talking in this low timbre, and it cuts through so good, effortlessly, with hardly any musical technical musical ability. And I just love that about David. All those people are my saviors—so many different artists.

Is there anything you’ve been obsessed with lately that you can hear manifesting itself in new songs or in the live setting?

I would say anything new I’m obsessed with does bleed into my music. And it’s also so new that I couldn’t even tell you because I don’t want you to know what to look for in my new music.

I like that you always have secrets, and you straight up tell people, “Listen, man, I’m just I’m just not going to tell you.”

It’s funny because whatever my latest secret weapons are—be it gear, or new artists I’m obsessed with—I often share if I’m obsessed with an artist, but when they’re my main thing, I keep them secret for a long time.

I think last time we talked you were also still wrapping your head around your archive. You have backlogs, you have front logs…

That’s still a serious dilemma. My archive is a serious dilemma, all my early stuff is on these digital eight-track, zip discs. I haven’t gone back. Any day now, I’m sure it’s going to be gone.

I am curious about things that you can’t do on guitar, that you wish you could. Are they things no one’s figured out yet, or things that you’re hearing other people do? Do you still practice a lot in the traditional sense?

“I float on the periphery—it’s my survival method.”

I got this basic rule: don’t force it, but then I pick up a guitar, sometimes I’m forced to, and I’m glad I did. Other times I go over to a keyboard—I have minimum knowledge of that, and I write simple songs. It’s interesting because sometimes I feel cocky, like, “I’m effortless, I got these skills,” and then I see other bands that are super professional and they kind of deliver every night, or they’re 20 times as popular.

Like, I’m influenced by Springsteen—but I get drawn to his melancholy, sort of dark songs— I seem to cover those. Whereas Springsteen as

The Boss, he’s on every night. I’m not good at just being that unless it’s sort of raw. In my live shows, I’m pretty much stoked because I finally can go into that place where I’m one with myself, in the moment. But as far as putting on a huge show, huge production, or playing on TV—I still aim to really slay TV like Nirvana, or Neil Young when he played “Rockin’ in the Free World.” We did play a pretty great “Mount Airy Hill’’ on Stephen Colbert. Then they requested I play “How Lucky,” and they say that Colbert had a tear in his eyes. Sometimes I’ll slay TV, but I do sometimes get deer in the headlights when it’s go-time in a production.

Thinking about that banjo, which you are bringing on this tour—I think your dad Charlie Vile played lots of old time music growing up. Does playing the banjo take you back to your time with him?

I still see my parents all the time. Sure it takes me back, but we hang out. I like that I can see my childhood when I play the banjo, and I can also channel folk music, and I have my own sort of style on the banjo—but it’s still that hypnotic, ethereal, high G drone string, you can really get lost in that. You can see your whole childhood, I can see my dad, or I could just go visit him whenever.

NEVER RUN AWAY: Kurt Vile says that he’ll eventually address his enormous backlog and frontlog of archived music.

Bout it

Speech talks parenting ahead of free Tampa Riverfest concert.

By Kelly Benjamin

Icried the first time I heard Arrested Development’s banger “Never Had Your Back” while on a road trip with my daughter during the pandemic. The chorus from the song off of the group’s 2021 album For the Fkn Love (stylized "FKN"), goes like this. “You’re a Black queen, You are not a vixen, You are not a trick bitch, You’re nobody’s quick fix. America’s never had your back..”

I pulled it together before anyone in the car noticed, but damn, that song—about teaching your daughter how to understand and navigate the imagery and stereotypes the world will inevitably force on her daily while matter of factly reminding her that this country never gave a damn about Black women—just hit hard.

When I told Speech, the Grammy-winning rapper and founding member of the 36 year-old hip-hop collective, that he made me cry on that road trip, he paused and said, “I really appreciate you telling me that because I broke out in tears writing it.”

“Our philosophy is this: you have a short timeframe to help them understand the truth about life so when they’re seven or eight and they still listen to you, get in there and stay on top of what they’re learning so that by the time they’re 16, they’re not at the whims of what pop culture and the internet throw at them,” he added. “They’ll thank you later.”

Getting solid parenting advice like this on the regular should cost money. Speech just gives it away, which in a sense, is what conscious hip-hop is all about: Guiding with love. Why aren’t more artists doing that?

INTERVIEW

Tampa Riverfest w/Arrested Development

Friday-Saturday, May 3-4. No cover for GA, food wristbands and VIP available for $15 & up Curtis Hixon Park and Water

“I was looking at all the music coming at my daughter from every direction, the shows she was watching, social media, and I wanted to combat that and make sure I had an influence to correct the narrative,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “ I wanted to make sure she wasn’t brainwashed by these messages that are so prevalent in our society.”

When not in the studio or on the road performing songs from his five-decade spanning catalog of music, Speech—born Todd Thomas—is a family man. He and his wife of 32 years have raised two children, both now in their 20s, and he’s quick to dispense with parenting advice for anyone deep in it.

“The pathway of getting it out to the mainstream is way harder now because radio stations and streaming platforms don’t support that content these days,” Speech explained. “The commercial atmosphere in the ‘90s was much more palatable to conscious music and lyrics. We’ve just been steady at it for years and built our foundation.”

What keeps someone, who could very easily rest on his laurels, putting out dope, deep music laced with poignant poetry well into their mid-50s?

“For me, it’s passion, but also, as someone who is now becoming an elder statesperson in this genre of music, I feel more inspired to speak about the truths that a lot of young cats may not know they can speak about,” he added. “I’ve had an incredible blessing to have this opportunity in life to be able to do this and I plan to keep doing it.”

Read the full version of our interview and get more info on the show via cltampa.com/ music.

SPEECH NOW: Arrested Development plays downtown Tampa this weekend.

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa

CL Recommends

THU 02

C Andy Frasco & The U.N. w/Dogs in a Pile The music festival scene’s favorite party guy and podcaster, Andy Frasco, brings his revered live set back to Tampa with a new record, L’Optimist , in tow. The 36-year-old has said that he’s the happiest he’s ever been, but is also hoping that fans drawn to his rowdy live set can also read between the lines and see him for his songwriting, too. “I’m just really dialing in my songwriting, really dialing in my musicianship, so I know I can’t blame my partying for my sh***y songs…I love partying and I love giving the people their entertainment,” he recently told Salt Lake Magazine, “but I also want to give them something to think about.” (Crowbar, Ybor City)

C Rock The Park: Gat$ w/Operation Acoustic Kitty/Sealskin & Zitrovision Expat Tampa rapper Robb Gats went from the Sunshine State to California and recently landed a golden opportunity with Equity Distribution, a Roc Nation platform that’s also home to Kool G Rap, Pink Siifu, Fly Anakin, and Roc Marciano. EQ signed Gats to a multi-project independent deal this year, and helped him form Robbafella Records. For this first of two homecoming shows, Gat$ plays a more family-friendly, smooth set at the park before heading to Ybor City where he will likely pop up at Crowbar’s Ol’ Dirty Sundays for a set of harder tracks from his latest outing, Thank You For Robbin’ . (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa)

C Tampa Bay Rays City Connect Celebration: Wolf-Face w/Florist/ Shevonne/Crownz Campbell skatepark is just on the other side of the interstate from Tropicana Field, but the obsession with skateboarding baked into the storytelling behind the Tampa Bay Rays’ new City Connect jersey is odd. Other than that, however, everything about the team’s new uniform is the stuff of superfan dreams. The duds—featuring green and blue neon and a flaming Tampa Bay front—are the best of the league’s City Connect series so far, and the team is leaning on local favorites to celebrate the release, too. Furry Sunshine City punk-rock band Wolf-Face headlines a free concert that includes heavyhitting rock outfit Florist, Shevonne (who starred in the City Connect video), and alt-pop band Crownz. DJ Fresh soundtracks the drone show at the end. (St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg)

FRI 03

The HeadTones w/Mad Moon The Headtones have been described as a sextet that fuses electronica sounds with horns and funk. The St. Pete-based reggae outfit latest single “Best of You Too” extends into hip-hop territory, and while we’re still

holding out hope for the band to finally appear at next year’s Reggae Rise Up (they’ve opened for The Wailers at Jannus before, so it’s way past time), it’s not uncalled for to want to hear the new experiment live. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

C Indigo Girls w/Kristy Lee Amy Ray and Emily Sailers are having a pretty big year in terms of appearing on the silver screen. The folk-rock duo’s catalog is the center of “Glitter and Doom,” a jukebox musical-slashqueer rom-com about two performers on different ends of the entertainment industry trying to make it as musicians. Additionally, the girls are also the subject of a new documentary that was well-received at Sundance Film Festival and set to hit streaming services later this year. If you head over to Ruth Eckerd this Friday, just don’t forget to check your back seat for any potential Kens joining you. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

C Levitation Room w/Soft Cuff/Peli

Gene Psych-rock bands are everywhere. There’s an entire festival in Texas dedicated to the best of them, but Levitation Room rises above nearly any outfit on the road right now. Self-produced for the last decade, the Los Angeles quartet is led by singer and guitarist Julian Porte who guides founding members Gabriel Fernandez (lead guitar) and Johnathan Martin (percussion) through the band’s latest album, Strange Weather. The effort finds Levitation room moving past the fascination with ‘60s garage-rock on the band’s first two album and into the ‘70s where the psychedelia gets a sprinkling of lo-fi atmospherics, Summer of Love melodies, and some piano, too. St. Petersburg instrumental trio Soft Cuff (FFO: Daptone Records) and bedroom bop maker Peli Gene open. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

A Night of Drum & Bass: Vixen Stylee and Subcult w/Jungle Rivers/Anodnb/ more Ybor Heights brewery Deviant Libation has found footing as a space for hardcore shows, but puts its EDM hat on this weekend with help from OGs of the drum and bass scene. Guests from Orlando (Vixen Stylee, Subcult) and Albuquerque (Jungle Rivers) join local legends like Footsouljash and Thee Joker on the bill. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)

Noan Partly A recent profile from WMNF Tampa 88.5-FM explains why songwriter Noan Partly doesn’t like to put her music in a box. “People want to name things to feel like they understand it, and that kind of just causes more division,” she told the Bay area community radio station. Partly, who studied jazz in college, also shared plans to release a debut album before the fall, and you might get a taste of it when she plays this free show in Seminole Heights. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa)

C Riverfest: Arrested Development w/Tribal Style/Cat Ridgeway/Sunde/ Judyanne Jackson/Doug South Trio/Kelsey Hickman/more Arrested Development’s free Saturday concert is the highlight of downtown Tampa’s annual Riverfest, but music actually kicks off Friday at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park with acts like homegrown country and pop songwriter Judyann Jackson. Saturday’s lineup features a stage at the Curt, plus one at nearby Water Works Park where the soulful sounds of Sunde and Cat Ridgeway are part of a daylong lineup under the bandshell. Read more on p. 12. and p. 42. (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Water Works Park, Tampa)

C Spanish Love Songs w/Oso Oso/ Sydney Sprague/Worry Club Spanish Love Songs makes pop-punk that is just perfect for singing away the sadness. Anthemic at every

turn, music from Dylan Slocum and his bandmates in the Los Angeles-based rock outfit will please fans of The Menzingers and The Gaslight Anthem (the latter is taking Slocum & co. on tour in Europe this summer). The group arrives supporting its latest album, No Joy, at the tail end of a month-long U.S. tour. (Orpheum, Tampa)

C Waxahatchee w/Good Morning It’s finally time to hear Katie Crutchfield play songs from her pandemic masterpiece, St. Cloud , and latest LP, Tigers Blood , in person, but Waxahatchee’s got a hell of an opener on this tour, too. Up until their new album, Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair wrote and recorded independently in an almost McCartneyLennon way. But Good Morning Seven finds the decades-long pals changing the recipe and turning in an indulgent double album that’s brighter, more melodic, and layered with more harmony, samples and synth than anything their Australian indie-rock band has done before. “It’s a personal milestone. We wanted to change the palette, to ‘go long’ and we were pleasantly surprised with what came out. It was like writing our first album, for the first time again,” they said in a press release. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

SAT 04

Brooks & Dunn w/David Lee Murphy/ Ernest Don’t expect any brand-new material from Brooks & Dunn at this gig because the legendary country music duo is—as its tour title says—rebooting. Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn spent about a decade off the road following a “final rodeo” tour in 2010, and despite a few one-off gigs throughout the remainder of the ‘10s, it was right before COVID-19 hit when the guys decided to hit the studio again. They re-recorded 12 of their greatest hits, with a little help from current country music stars from Kacey Musgraves to Luke Combs, and fans will probably get to hear the newish arrangements at the ol’ Gary. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

C Dagger album release w/Second Impact/Scissor Blade/Flag Burner Wounds has been out in the world since February, but Bay area hard-rock band Dagger is just now getting around to celebrating its release. Last week, the quintet partied with Tampa fans and this week it headlines a free show in St. Petersburg where it’ll play a special brand of rock that can go from headbanging (“Coming Home”), to mosh-worthy (“Kiss and Choke”) and radio-ready (“twenty-sevens”) in a split second. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)

Kevin So This should be obvious to longtime fans of the genre, but contrary to its moniker, Americana music is quite international. Chinese-American Nashville songwriter Kevin So—former touring keyboardist for Keb’ Mo’—embodies that ideal, and writes strong melodies into songs that cross boundaries into country, pop and blues. After sharing stages with Mo’, Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg and Randy Newman, So plays an intimate solo show inside a St. Petersburg bungalow. (Craftsman House, St. Petersburg)

Li Kenobi album release w/Kalibmusic/ Luh Tox/Psych Montano How do you know that Tampa’s a hell of a town? An upand-coming rapper whose name includes “Kenobi” is hosting a release party for his debut album on Star Wars Day. The New York-bred MC—who once successfully put together a “strip club anthem” called “Let Me See Sum”—has kept the details of Everything You Wanted under wraps for the most part, but has described the opening track as a “symphony [he] produced,” and one of his favorite songs on the album. Local art, clothing, and candle vendors will be on site at the gig along with a visiting bartender with a limited time “Dark Side” old-fashioned up her sleeve. (Shuffle, Tampa)

Mak w/Softbite/You First/GothPrepBoy

For just over two years, Whamo Media’s been a boon for the Bay area DIY scene, booking shows not just at homes, but at small clubs, too, all in an effort to put local talent in front of audiences who want to listen. Whamo leaders are headed out west for a while so they’re hosting what they’re calling the “last Whamo show for a while.” High-energy indie-rock band Mak tops the throwdown at “some dude’s backyard,” and will be joined by fellow rock bands Soft Bite and You First, plus DJ Goth Prep Boy. DM organizers for the address, and bring $10 to drop in the hat.

Rugawd album release w/Scxtt Aye/ Adia It should come as no surprise, but the very best players want to be in a band with Rugawd. The bass savant is at the helm of a new album, Little Treats , which he’s called “an instrumental experiment.” The album's lone single, “Cold One,” finds the Tampeño joined by drummer and designer Roho, plus Pinellas piano prodigy Anthony Aldissi as they craft heady instrumentals for fans of not just Thundercat, but also Domi and JD Beck, or Mononeon, too. You have to DM or email da ‘gawd (littletreatsalbumrelease@gmail. com) to get the address for this show featuring a set from Tampa rapper Scxtt Aye and sounds from Bay area songwriter Adia.

C WMNF 88.5 Tropical Heatwave: The Record Company w/Ruthie Foster/Say She She/The Dollyrots/Eddie 9V/Selwyn Birchwood/Sweeping Promises/ The Sensational Barnes Brothers/ Kristopher James Band/Divine AF/more You can’t kick off Florida summer without WMNF’s Tropical Heatwave, and the Bay area community radio station stages its latest iteration of the revived, and revered, music festival this weekend. Read more on p. 39. (Cuban Club, Ybor City)

SUN 05

C Jask There’s no official committee working on creating a new day of the week called Sade. If there was, it would meet at Alter Ego on Sundays. Thaisoul label founder and absolutely legendary Bay area DJ Jask is launching “Sade Sundays” in Water Street this weekend where promoters have promised that, “Nothing Sade-esque is off limits, from originals and covers to remixes, samples, and songs” all inspired by the band fronted by iconic songwriter and singer Sade Adu. Reservations are recommended at this new music-centric cocktail lounge. (Alter Ego, Tampa)

The Offspring Josh Freese was the touring drummer of The Offspring when he was asked to join the Foo Fighters in the wake of Taylor Hawkins’ sudden death in 2022. Filling in his shoes at the Hard Rock this weekend is former Marilyn Manson drummer Brandon Pertzborn, who’s younger than the California punk-rock outfit’s Smash , an album that knocked the group into punk-rock royalty. Supposedly, there’s some new material being worked on right now, but in the meantime, expect to hear a healthy career retrospective fronted by original lead singer, main creative force, and hot sauce bandito Dexter Holland. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

MON 06

C Jacob Collier w/Kimbra Though keyboards are his strongest suit, it wouldn’t be shocking if Jacob Collier can play every instrument known to man. The English wunderkind already had a hell of a year, too. The 29-year-old played “Both Sides, Now” at the Grammys with Joni Mitchell three months ago, and his new album Djesse Vol. 4 sees his smooth baritone take on tracks fast enough to get you out of bed in the morning, and some that’ll keep you in the sheets all day. The record marks the end of Collier’s “Djesse” series, which has been going since 2018, but based on how heavily Jon Anderson praised Mr. “Never Gonna Be Alone” a few years ago, it won’t be too much of a shock if the Yes legend is the next huge name he heads off to work with. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

Sleep Token w/Empire State Bastard Sleep Token is known for a synthesis of various genres from atmospheric indie to progressive metal, and has also released cover versions of songs by OutKast and Billie Eilish. The band made the move from Basick Records to the Universal subsidiary

Spinefarm Records in 2019, and released its third album Take Me Back To Eden last summer ahead of a sold-out North American tour. The rock band has developed somewhat of a lore to accompany their mysterious theatrics. In the only interview he’s ever done, Vessel explained that the band members are the mortal representatives of the ancient deity called ‘Sleep.’ Vessel is their leader, the master and creator behind the music, though II has received songwriting credits as well. In II’s only interview he discusses musical influences like Slipknot and Deftones. (Yuengling Center, Tampa)—Suzanne Townsend

WED 08

C Kurt Vile and the Violators Kurt Vile is taking St. Pete Back To Moon Beach in support of a new EP (which is actually an hour-long). The EP is somewhat of a departure from Vile’s mostly-posi outlook on the world, but still includes sprawling meditations (“Back To Moon Beach”), heartland folk (“Another Good Year for the Roses”), and a little synth-pop version of Mitch Miller’s “Must Be Santa”(popularized by Bob Dylan). Read part of our Q&A with the slackerrock guitar hero on p. 41. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

C Narrow Head w/Wishy/Dazy Shoegaze gets in bed with pop and grunge on Narrow Head’s new album, Moments of Clarity, where a sound that simultaneously pays homage to both Hum and the Smashing Pumpkins launched frontman Jacob Duarte & co. into a higher echelon touring bands (the Texas-based outfit played Coachella last month). Wishy, an Indiana band toting an ebullient brand of fuzzy dream-pop opens the show along with Virginia noise-pop outfit Dazy. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Toto Current Toto frontman Joseph Williams (son of legendary film composer John Williams) wrote a few songs for “Return of the Jedi” in the early-‘80s, but had no idea that his “Ewok Celebration” finale would be cut from the eventual special edition reissue. “I wasn’t crazy about what they replaced it with,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Despite this, he still loves just about everything related to “Star Wars,” and while he didn’t comment about the sequel trilogy, the 63-year-old did acknowledge how much he appreciates everything else Disney has made out of the franchise, especially the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series and “Star Wars: Rebels.” Read our full Q&A with Joseph Williams at cltampa.com/ music. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

THU 09

C AJR w/Dean Lewis With the exception of 2020, Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met have been to Tampa Bay every year this decade, having played after a Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field, and then twice beforehand at the ol’ Gary, one of which was for a special performance of “Record Player” with Daisy The Great at the 2021 iteration of 97X Next Big Thing. The Maybe Man was initially announced as a “new era” around this time last year, but there are tracks on the album (more specifically, “God Is Really Real”) inspired by

Li Kenobi

COURTESY

the decline and eventual death of the Mets’ father last summer. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

Diana Ross She’s the last living member of the original Supremes, but there ain’t no mountain high enough to keep Ms. “I’m Coming Out” from the stage. The 80-year-old empress—who swings into Clearwater on a biannual basis—has even proven that she’s totally down to give those that came after her a chance at helping her out with new material. Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff produced and co-wrote “I Still Believe” on her latest album, 2021’s Thank You , which also features contributions from modern guitar hero St. Vincent. (The BayCare Sound, Clearwater)

C Sting w/The Florida Orchestra This won’t be the first time the King of Pain has performed with the decades-old ensemble, you know. In 2017, under the baton of Michael Francis, he fronted TFO’s 50th anniversary gala, which raised $1.5 million for its free community programs, which, according to a press release, would go toward reaching “people in hospitals, schools, parks, museums and more, as well as artistic initiatives that bring top talent to Tampa Bay stages.” Some of the orchestra’s arrangements were even extracted from his 2010 album of orchestral reinterpretations, Symphonicities , which we’re assuming will be put to good use during this two-night stint. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)

Also playing

Black Light Silent Disco Friday, May 3. 8 p.m. $15. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg

C-Rena & The Soul Magicians w/DJ Rob Friday, May 3. 6 p.m. No cover. Riverwalk Stage at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

Emo Orchestra w/Escape The Fate Friday, May 3. 8 p.m. $39.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Hope Darling w/Henleys/American Souvenir Friday, May 3. 7 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Jazz with Jim: Sinatra and Martin w/ Paul Vincent Friday, May 3. 7:30 p.m. $18$20. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa

Kevin Kon Friday, May 3. 9 p.m. No cover with reservation. Alter Ego, Tampa

The Spazmatics Friday, May 3. 7 p.m. $5. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Terrapin w/Matthew Hatfield/ Uhlectronic/Doom Modem Friday, May 3. 8 p.m. $5. Oscura, Bradenton

Vagabond Tweed Friday, May 3. 7:30 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Velvet Sky w/Silver Bullet Smile/Desoto Tiger/Almondy Brown/Lovepit Friday, May 3. 6:30 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa

Weedeater w/Telekinetic Yeti/Restless Spirit Friday, May 3. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Shakes Society Friday, May 3. 8 p.m. $10. OCC Roadhouse, Clearwater

41Saturday, May 4. 6 p.m. $25. Club Skye, Ybor City

Alpha Wolf w/Emmure/UnityTX/Chamber Saturday, May 4. 6 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

Audien Saturday, May 4. 12 p.m. $20. WTR Pool, Tampa

B2B Battles: Meeshy w/Sherif Sidarous/ il diamante/Michael Wagner/Jenny Zie/ S.A.B.R.I./St8ofKind/Rindle Saturday, May 4. 8 p.m. $15 & up. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg

Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest: MeteorEYES w/Summer Hoop/Zeta the Babe/Brittany Zeff/Nowincolor/ Gracie Cespedes Saturday, May 4. 3 p.m. Donations accepted. Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, Sarasota)

Bonnie x Clyde Saturday, May 4. 10 p.m.

$20. The Ritz, Ybor City

Chris Renzema Saturday, May 4. 8 p.m. $22 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Cosmo Baker Saturday, May 4. 9 p.m. No cover with reservation. Alter Ego, Tampa

Femmes & Follies: Viva Follies Cabaret Saturday, May 4. 7 p.m. $30 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

First Saturday Jazz: La Lucha S aturday, May 4. 8 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa

Liliac w/Rozy/Voxx/Fyre Insyde/The Hand of Reason Saturday, May 4. 6:30 p.m.

$25. Brass Mug, Tampa

KV Mahabala w/Suddhashil Chatterjee/ Shank Lahiri Friday, May 10. 7 p.m. The Hindu Temple of Florida, Tampa

Matthew Frost Band Saturday, May 4. 7 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles Saturday, May 4. 7 p.m. $19.64 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater

Ramones Tribute XIX: Atlanta Dog w/ Boney Fiend/Fear the Spider/Olde Rage/ Return 2 Saturn/more Saturday, May 4. 8 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin JB

Renaiddance: Beyoncé Celebration Saturday, May 4. 9 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Seven Year Witch w/Mortal Sons/ Persephone’s Choice/Grey Market Saturday, May 4. 8:30 p.m. $12. Oscura, Bradenton

Space Krate w/One Love Rising/Dawn Loves Nash feat. Critter Saturday, May 4. 7 p.m. $10. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg

Taj Farrant Saturday, May 4. 7:30 p.m. $38.50. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Teen Suicide w/Awakebutstillinbed Saturday, May 4. 7 p.m. $25. New World Brewery, Tampa

Todd Murphy Saturday, May 4. 7:30 p.m. No cover. Biergarten at New World Brewery, Tampa

226york w/Young Prophet/Blaxq Jezus/ F.A.M Killa/Levi YT/MTS Jordan Sunday, May 5. 7 p.m. $13. Orpheum, Tampa

Blueprint w/DJ Detox/Jon Ditty/Purple Kloud Sunday, May 5. 6 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Cinco de Mayo: Live Mariachi and Latin Music Sunday, May 5. 3 p.m. No cover. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Cinco De Mayo Fiesta: South of the Border Sunday, May 5. 3 p.m. $13 & up. New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa

Davis Coen & the Skinny Lowdown Sunday, May 5. 9 p.m. No cover. Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa

James Kennedy Sunday, May 5. 12 p.m. $20. WTR Pool, Tampa

Lauris Vidal Sunday, May 5. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa

Little Strange Sunday, May 5. 5 p.m. No cover. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg

Porch Coffin w/Fastwalker/Off Day/more Sunday, May 5. 5 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Retro Reggae Brunch: DJ Mike Blenda Sunday, May 5. 12 p.m. No cover. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Sunday Blues Session: Josh Nelms Sunday, May 5. 6 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Thy Art Is Murder w/Angelmaker/Signs of the Swarm/Snuffed On Sight Sunday, May 5. 7 p.m. $30 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

Cattle Decapitation w/Carnifex/Rivers of Nihil/Humanity’s Last Breath/The Zenith Passage/Vitriol/Face Yourself Monday, May 6. 4:30 p.m. $35. Orpheum, Tampa

‘It will always be The State Theatre’: Victims of Circumstance Monday, May 6. 7 p.m. No cover. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

The Remix: Goodview Tuesday, May 7. 8 p.m. No cover. Shuffle, Tampa

Tampa Bay Symphony: A British Fantasia Tuesday, May 7. 8 p.m. $25. Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Doyle w/Otep/Red Devil Vortex/Bad Future/Voidrium Wednesday, May 8. 6 p.m. $25. Brass Mug, Tampa

DJ Cub Wednesday, May 8. 7 p.m. No cover. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Witchgrass Wednesday: Fil Pate Wednesday, May 8. 7 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Gloria West w/Swing Time Thursday, May 9. 7 p.m. $10. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

The J-Rod Sullivan Band feat. Kyle Schroeder Thursday, May 9. 7:30 p.m. $30. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Oceans of Slumber Thursday, May 9. 7 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Queensrÿche w/Armored Saint Thursday, May 9. 8 p.m. $29.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Narrow Head

Some people think throwing chairs off balconies or drunkenly shouting slurs makes an artist an outlaw, but we’re willing to bet that Waylon and Willie have more in common with the Maren Morris’ of the world than they do with someone like Morgan Wallen.

Morris—who won the Changemaker of the Year Award at Variety’s Hitmakers event last year—loves country music, but famously bucked against it in 2023 when she vocally denounced the toxic elements of the genre (read: an ongoing lack of diversity on radio playlists, the celebration of veiled racist dog whistles, more). “I want to take the good parts with me,” she said last year on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen." She’s bringing some of that goodness down to Tampa Bay this summer, too.

Tickets to see Maren Morris play the Duke Energy Center for the Arts at Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg Saturday, Aug. 17 are on sale now and start at $44. Betty Who opens the show, along with Morris’ other Florida shows in Jacksonville (Aug. 16) and Hollywood (Aug. 18).

The shows are billed as a revival and reunion of the 34-year-old’s pandemic-shortened 2020 run of the same name (which die not have a Bay area date on it). The gig also comes on the heels of Morris’ Billboard Women in Music performance where a press release said she earned the Visionary Award for her commitment to speaking out against injustices throughout her career.

Future Joy Friday, May 10. 11 p.m. $8 & up. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Crystal Egg (opening for The Lemon Twigs) Sunday, May 12. 5:30 p.m. $22. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Chippendales Thursday and Friday, May 16 & 17. 8 p.m. $55 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Farseek (album release) w/Kick Veronica/Floating Boy/Agile Saturday, May 18. 8 p.m. $10. Crowbar, Ybor City

Vintage Culture Sunday, May 19. 11 a.m. $50 & up. Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Blue Devil Tattoo 30th Anniversary Party: Scumbag Wrld w/Coldsteel/The Kutoffs/DJ Chuck Knorris Thursday, May 23. 7 p.m. No cover. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Resolvers w/The Dub Collectors/ Eric Swanson Saturday, June 15. 7 p.m. $13. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Gwar w/Weedeater/X-Cops Monday, June 17. 6 p.m. $27.50 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

Last month, Maren performed at Billboard’s Women in Music event in Los Angeles and was recognized with the Visionary Award for her commitment to speaking out against injustices throughout her career. She was also honored with the Changemaker of the Year Award at the Variety’s Hitmakers event in December.

See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new Tampa Bay area concert announcements below.—Ray Roa

Silversun Pickups Monday, June 17. 7 p.m. Prices TBA. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Walled City w/Plague Spitter/Caught Fire/Blown Apart/fisherpriceguillotine Saturday, June 29. 6 p.m. $11. The Icehouse, Gulfport

Anberlin w/Hawthorne Heights/Armor for Sleep/Emery/This Wild Life/more TBA Saturday, July 6. 5:30 p.m. $39 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater

Sydney Valette w/Matt Hart/More Is Not Enough Friday, July 12. 7 p.m. $18. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Jorge Celedón Thursday, July 18. 8 p.m. $40 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

The Moss w/TBA Thursday, July 18. 9 p.m. $23. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Aristocrats Tuesday, July 23. 6:30 p.m. $30. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Swon Brothers Thursday, Aug. 29. 7:30 p.m. $24.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo

Fire of love

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, My partner and I have been together for a long time despite the many signs that we should part ways. I’m finally ready to end things. I’ve recently found love in the most unexpected of places, and it feels like the universe is pulling us together. Though both of our lives are in transition right now, do the cards see a promising future for me and my new love interest? —Burning for New flame

Current situation with partner: Temperance, Six of Pentacles (reversed), Two of Cups, (reversed)

What you need in this transition: Seven of Swords, Page of Wands, The Chariot (reversed)

Future with new flame: Five of Wands, The Fool (reversed), Waning Gibbous Dear Burning, while you technically only asked me one question, I felt like there were three lurking: what to do about your current situation, what you need during this time, and—your question—what does the future look like with this new flame. I asked the first two because if it was simple enough to just break up, you would have. Long relationships often produce things (houses, children, businesses, friend groups), and it’s worth figuring out how to leave one before starting anew.

The good news is that your current part -

level-headed. This is not a smashing plates and screaming “Fuck you!” kind of ending. This is a long, quiet talk at the dinner table. It looks like you both loved each other for a very long time, gave so much to one another, but now it’s time to close that door.

While I think Gwyneth Paltrow has introduced a lot of nonsense into the world, I have to credit her with introducing “Conscious uncoupling” to the masses. It’s essentially a thoughtful way to break up. Our lives become intertwined with those we share it with, and to part does require untangling. With Six of Pentacles and Two of Cups reversed, I think it’s worth being conscious and generous (emotionally) with each other as you separate finances, figure out living situations, draw up custody plans, or do whatever you need to do. It’s important to end on a good note—as much as possible—because you will need to move on fully.

remember—because you also need to rediscover yourself. (If this sounds like opposing advice, it’s because it kind of is.) As the Page of Wands, you will experience a new level of freedom you haven’t had in years. You are no longer one half of a partnership. You are you, full stop. You now have the time and freedom to discover parts of yourself and to try new things.

However, with the Seven of Swords lurking by, you will have to be conscious to not fall into old (or new) patterns of self-destructive behavior. Remember what you want. Remember what those red flags were in your last relationship and what you wished was different in your life.

ORACLE OF YBOR

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

The Seven of Swords can also be a deception— not seeing something as it really is—but it’s often a self-deception. You are moving forward with your life. You are exploring and growing; you don’t want to end up back where you started. You probably know if your gut if something feels like a familiar pattern if you’ve seen this scene play out before. If it does, ask yourself if it’s what you really want?

What we have is potential. With The Fool, you’re starting out into a new horizon with hope in your heart. Your new partner might be starting out the same way. I’m not sure. With the Five of Wands, I’m not sure if you’re sure either. Miscommunication and division are at the heart of Five of Wands. This usually breeds conflict (it’s often a card for war), but it can also be a sign that you shouldn’t assume anything. Things need to be discussed (in detail!), and you both need to listen to each other.

With The Fool reversed you have to take a beat before this relationship can start. Don’t rush things.

The waning gibbous reminds us again of old patterns and obsessive thoughts. I don’t know if you maybe rushed into relationships before or maybe took more of an “ask questions later” attitude, but for this new flame, I’d really encourage you to know a lot about them, to know where they stand on issues that are close to you, and to have a talk about what kind of future they would want to see. (Are they looking for something serious? Do they want children? What would they want their lives to look like in 10 years?)

For the transition, I want to start with The Chariot reversed. As I’ve written before, The Chariot is a powerful card, all about momentum and focus. It’s the card that will pull you out of a bad situation and set you down a new path. But, to be able to handle that, you need

Because, again, while The Chariot can drive us away, it can also drive us right back into a destructive pattern if we let it.

As for the future with you and your new love interest, I have some very boring cards. It is not a big sweeping wedding or passionate lovers—though that doesn’t mean those things

Now, none of this is to say you shouldn’t start something up with this person. This isn’t to say that the universe isn’t pulling you together. But Kismet can only do so much. We have to take over for fate and put in the work. I know, it’s not that romantic. But, I think if this is something fated to be, long conversations with someone who sets your heart a-fire won’t feel like work. Best of luck, my dear.

Mask 4 mask

By Dan Savage

I’m a cis gay man in Canada. Other than my supportive enby partner of five years and a few close friends, most people in my life don’t know that I’m a fetish content creator. My stuff delves into the foot porn/macrophilia (love of giants) space. I don’t make enough to live off, but it’s a good side hustle; I earn enough to help with bills and groceries. Plus, creating this content has resulted in meeting people with the same paraphilias and fantasies that I have. Being a kink content creator has many more pros than cons and it allows me to share my sexual interests with willing and understanding people—which is a great thing, as my combination of fetishes is pretty rare. I do all of this faceless. Save for the handful of times I’ve posted a glimpse of my face on my OnlyFans account, I’ve never shown my face on public platforms. I am self-employed, so I don’t have to worry about my boss finding out and firing me, since I am my own boss. But the “internet is forever” and I fear repercussions if I change careers in the future. How best to navigate this? —Fearful About Coming Employment Situation

reasons for remaining anonymous are sound, FACES, and may resonate with you.

As for santorum, i.e., “the frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex,” douche before your boyfriend fucks your hole, HOLE, and you won’t get a visit from the disgraced (and disgraceful) senator.

SAVAGE LOVE

“The extra money is a huge perk—we earn between $2,000-$3,000 per month—but it’s not consistent money,” said Aaron. “For example, our original Only fans account was pretty shortlived. The company’s stance on porn changed one day, and suddenly all our content was banned for being ‘extreme,’ and that money disappeared. We’ve also been suspended from Twitter after posts got reported as ‘violence’ by people who don’t understand consensual BDSM. So, unless FACES has some other means of support besides his foot porn and macrophilia content, putting his face out there for the sake of a little extra cash that may or may not be there next month probably isn’t worth it.”

For the record, not all of Aaron and John’s fans hate their masks.

“The internet is forever,” said Aaron, a 30-year-old gay man and BDSM content creator. “I see news articles every week about people losing their jobs after someone sent their OnlyFans account to their employer.” Which is why Aaron and his fiancé John, a 25-year-old gay man who shares his love of bondage, both wear masks in the videos they post on their joint JustForFans account. “Until we live in a world where no one is shamed for their sexual interests and what they choose to do in our free time,” said Aaron, “showing our faces is not worth the risk to our careers or to our relationships with friends and family.”

The couple had been posting short bondage clips on Twitter before the pandemic hit and then—like a lot of people stuck at home during lockdowns—they decided to get on OnlyFans.

“At the time we figured, ‘Why not,’” said Aaron. “People seemed to like the stuff we enjoyed posting for free and anyone who wanted to see more of us could subscribe and we might make some money doing what we love.” Aaron and John promised each other that they would stop if creating content started to overwhelm their sex life. “But four years later, we’re still sharing our kinky faceless content and it has not only broadened our exploration in the world of kink, but—just like FACES—creating and sharing fetish content has led to many wonderful IRL connections.”

Some fans have begged Aaron and John to show their faces—a few have offered to pay them more if they remove their masks—but their

“We each wear a particular mask while filming,” said Aaron, “and to our surprise, some of our subscribers have started to fetishize the masks we wear. Now we’ve got people asking where they can buy masks and hoods like the ones we wear in our videos!”

(Normally I share the socials and/or links to my guest experts’ websites here. But Aaron and John wanted to remain masked in the column.)

I’m a 45-year-old gay man in a monogamous relationship. It’s the best relationship of my life. My partner and I have decided to become fluid bonded. (A term you probably haven’t heard in years!) However, he has a condition called hypospadias, and I’m wondering whether it is something we need to factor into our decision to have condom-free sex. He has an extra hole near the head of his cock. It’s like he removed an enormous Prince Albert, and the second hole remained open. It’s weirdly hot. But this second hole is very wide and uncovered by foreskin when he’s hard. So, I’m worried if he fucks me without a condom, he could be at heightened risk of infection. Or worse, could he get santorum in there?

—Hoping Our Love Endures

Your boyfriend’s condition—let’s not call it a disorder—puts him at greater risk of urinary tract and bladder infections, which occur when harmful bacteria creep up the urethra. Cis women, due to their shorter urethras, get UTIs and bladder infections more often than cis men. So, with that bonus hole effectively shortening your boyfriend’s urethra, he should take the advice cis women are giving to prevent UTI/bladder infections: piss immediately after sex—well, not immediately after (he might wanna withdraw first)—and maybe take a quick shower or an even quicker whore’s bath just to be on the safe side.

I’m writing because I feel lonely and wrong. Short story: I’m a 30-something Italian lesbian and I’ve broken up with my lover of nine years because there have been too many dicks involved—including the dick of a good friend (ouch!)—and while I’ve tried to let her be free to do whatever she wanted because I deeply love her and I want her to be happy, I’ve realized that it’s too much for me. Polyamory isn’t really an option for me. We have a deep and strong relationship, with a lot of love and sex, and we constantly helped each other and our views about life are very similar. I don’t want to lose all of this, but I can’t see a solution. She needs to go in a direction I can’t go. So, I have decided to set her free, but I’m suffering so badly. One thing—one of the many things—that I can’t get out of my mind is being told that only liking girls was an “illness” and that I was missing out on half of humanity. But I can’t help liking women. Am I so wrong? After all of this, I feel totally empty and not right at all, badly alone. My self-esteem is so low right now and I worry about being sad and lonely for the rest of my life because I am not open to polyamory and have no interest in the other half of humanity. I know who I am and what I like but everything seems really confused and confusing. —Utterly Gutted Homosexual Exiting Relationship Suddenly It’s normal to feel sad and lonely after breaking up—I would be worried if you didn’t feel sad and lonely right now— but you shouldn’t feel bad about your sexual orientation. If you have the bandwidth to feel anything else right now, UGHERS, you should feel angry at your ex-girlfriend. Not wanting to fuck all of humanity doesn’t mean you’re missing out on half. I’m sure there are lots of men in your life you like and one or two you love. You love your dad, UGHERS, maybe you have a brother or two you love, and friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are men that you like very much. While I’m exclusively attracted to males, I loved my mom and I love my sister and I have friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are women that I like very much. Nothing about being

romantically and sexually attracted to one sex exclusively—in your case or in mine—means we’re missing out on half of humanity. It was manipulative, disrespectful, and unkind of your ex-girlfriend to blame the conflict that doomed your relationship on your hard-wired aversion to dick and love of pussy. And it’s not like things would’ve worked out if you had somehow come to love dick as much as she did: you wanted monogamy, she wanted the freedom to fuck anyone she wanted—including good friends—without having to take your feelings into consideration. Even if you were sexually compatible, which you weren’t, you were romantically incompatible.

So, you had a good run, you had some good times, you tried to make it work, but it wasn’t going to work out—you were never going to be happy—and you called it. Basically, UGHERS, you reached that tipping point where staying with someone causes more pain than moving forward without them. But unlike the slowly accumulating pain of staying, the pain moving forward without someone—the pain of dumping someone you wanted to be with—comes crashing down on you all at once. But trust me: that pain becomes more bearable with every passing day, every late-night phone call to a friend, and every letter you send to an advicecolumnist. In a year or two you may be able to reconnect with your ex and enjoy the kind of loving friendship so many lesbians have with their exes—it’s the lesbian superpower—but you need time away from her for now. And don’t make the rookie heartbreak mistake of waiting until you feel like you’re completely over your ex before you start dating again. When you feel like you’re almost ready, UGHERS, you’re ready.

P.S. For the record: Most men have dicks, most dicks have men—but not all men have dicks, not all dicks have men; most lesbians aren’t into dick, some lesbians like it fine; most gay men are into dick, not all gay men require it; bisexuals exist and they’re valid; homosexuals exist and they’re valid; straight people exist and don’t require validation, etc., etc., etc. Got problems? Yes, you do. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

Mr. X’s favorite place?

Mr. X’s favorite form of trickery?

25 Tuneful 26 Recede 27 Beatles tune, “You Won’t ___” 28 Mr. X’s favorite baseball nickname?

30 Pro votes 33 Lisa 35 Tommy followup 36 Water-softening process, ___ exchange 37 Mr. X’s favorite cartoon character?

42 Order: abbr.

Draw out

Second word of an Elvis film

Gina’s good

Sooner city 53 Czech statesman Jan (anagram of ASK MARY)

55 Mr. X’s favorite food?

57 Manilow’s longtime label 58 “What ___?”

Little bird

Was awarded

Cold mo.

County bordering Napa (and it’s not Sonoma)

80 Mr. X’s favorite outdoor gear?

81 Nomadic Kenyan

you like to see

Knoxville sch. 85 “Is there ___ in here?”

88 Very, to Verdi 90 Santa ___ CA

91 Contacting info: abbr.

“Fernando” foursome

(anagram of ROBIN)

Attach a patch, e.g.

Stony mass on a

Lt. Kojak

The Sunflower St.

92 Grammar bestseller, Woe

93 Cognac brand, ___ Martin

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