Creative Loafing Tampa — May 9, 2024

PUBLISHER James Howard

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

Editorial DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf

MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields

THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge

FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman

IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Gabe Echazabal, Linda Saul-Sena

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Kimberly DeFalco, Linda Saul-Sena, Phil DeSimone

POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore

SPRING INTERN Suz Townsend

Creative Services

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel

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 chavagroup.com cltampabay.com cldeals.com

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.

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Events & Media, LLC, 633 N Franklin St., Suite 735. Tampa, Florida, 33602.

The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampabay.com. Copyright 2023, Tampa Events and Media, LLC.

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

Our main number: (813) 739-4800

Letters to the editor: comments@cltampa.com

Anonymous news tips: cltampabay_tips@protonmail.com

SPMOP hosts an array of free events throughout the month of May. Marian Tagliarino is part of the St. Pete Month of Photography, p. 39.

Follow us: twitter.com/cl_tampabay instagram.com/cltampabay facebook.com/cltampabay

Corazon at Hyatt Place MANGO-JALAPENO MARGARITA

Council Oak at The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Tres Generaciones Anejo, Cointreau, Louis XIII, Black Lava Salt, Fresh Cherries, Fresh Pear, Purple Edible Glitter, Sorrell Leaves, Lime

Crafty Squirrel

Hornitos Blanco with guava infused Cointreau, lime, and muddled pineapple

Coyote Ugly

The Dan At Hotel Flor THE N FLORIDA AVE MARGARITA

El Tesoro, St George Spiced Pear Liquor, Cointreau, Lime, Lemon, Hibiscus syrup

Doodle Noodle Bar

MEXICAN PANDA

Tres Generaciones, Thai-Chili Infused Yuzu Marmalade, Lime, Naranja Liqueur, Chinese Salt

Flor Fina at Hotel Haya FLOR AGAVE

Tres Generations, Cointreau Noir, Belle de Brillet. Rosemary Honey, Lemon, Hibiscus Liqueur, with Rosemary Sprig and Hibiscus Rim

Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro SPICY JALAPENO MARGARITA

Hornitos Blanco, Natalie’s Margarita Mix, Fresh Muddled Jalapeño, Simple Syrup

The Galley / Ship’s Hold THE DEVIL’S KISS

Hotel Tampa Riverwalk SEA FOAM MARGARITA

Tres Generations, Triple Sec, House-made Sour Mix, Lime, Orange Juice, Air Salt Foam Zested lime

Jotoro Fine Mexican Provisions THE TIPSY MONO

Banana Infused El Tesoro Reposado, Chocolate infused Cointreau, Fresh Lime Juice, Fresh OJ, Banana, and Chocolate

Kona Grill PASSION FRUIT MARGARITA

Toasted Coconut & Coconut Oil Washed Espolòn Reposado, Mango/Lime/Habanero Oleo-Saccahrum, Mango Infused Aperol, Cointreau, Mango Juice, Garnished with Mango & Coconut Grand Marnier Gummies

The Helm Provisions & Coastal Fare

THE OLD SALT

Tres Generaciones Reposado with Watermelon, candied jalapeño, house sour, cointreau, jalapeno simple, salted rim

Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar

At The Fenway Hotel

TROPICAL PRESSURE IN A HEAT WAVE

Mezcal, Jalapeño Simple, Kiwi, Lime with a Dehydrated Kiwi Ancho Rim

Hornitos Blanco, Cointreau, Passion Fruit Puree, Lime, Simple Syrup, and Tajin

Mother Kombucha

ZERO PROOF COCONUT MARGARITA

Key Lime Agua Bucha, Coconut Milk, Agave, Lime, with Florida Pure Sea Salt rim and Lime + BOOCH-ARITA

Hopped Passion Fruit, Agave, Lime, Grapefruit, with Tajin rim and Dried Grapefruit

Oak & Ola JOSEFINA

Amaras Mezcal, Red Bell Pepper, Spicy Agave, Lime

Pier Teaki

THE BLUSHING DAISY MARGARITA

Shhhh! It’s a secret recipe Riveters Tampa

Sal Rosa

Shaker & Peel PEACHES BE CRAZY

Ginger infused El Tesoro Reposado with Lime, Giffard Peach, Cointreau, Peach Ginger Simple, and a Honey/Peach/Cinnamon/Lime Foam

St. Pete Distillery

Tequila Daisy

A perfect blend of El Tesoro blanco, fresh lime juice, and agave syrup topped with a house made blood orange egg white foam and Hawaiian Style Red Alaea Salt

Velvet Gypsy VOTE

So hot

Photos by Kimberly DeFalco

After going on ice in 2016, WMNF’s exotic evening of eclectic entertainment—Tropical Heatwave—returned to Ybor City last year. Last Saturday, the community radio station’s revered music festival was back at the Cuban Club which hosted 17 bands—plus the history of hip-hop takeover in the theater—across four stages. See more photos via cltampa.com/ slideshows.—Ray Roa

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from May 09 - 15

One hell of a drug

Local newbs and natives alike can never have enough venues to help them connect with home, and J.C. Newman Cigar Co. is definitely one of those destinations. The family is pouring money into the V.M. Ybor neighborhood and welcomes two reporters—Tampa Bay Times’ Gabrielle Calise and Axios’ Kathryn Varn—for this talk built around “Florida!” an A24 book the duo worked on and released in 2022. The tome is a must-have guide to the quirky aspects of the Sunshine State, and it’ll be fun to hear the authors dive into the research they did around our neck of the woods. And, yes, we hope they discuss Taylor Swift’s new song about the Sunshine State, too.

“Florida!: In Conversation with Gabrielle Calise & Kathryn Varn: Tuesday, May 14. 6 p.m. No cover (registration encouraged). J.C. Newman Cigar Company, 2701 N 16th St., Tampa. @bookendsybor on Instagram —Ray Roa

Wake up, children

We’re still about 170 days away from Halloween, but that’s not stopping St. Petersburg from hosting a horror con. Sunshine City Scare organizers say their event—which celebrates anime horror and video game horror as well as horror in TV & movies—is a new breed of scare con. The big theme centers around the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” video game and movie, but activations include a signing by “Monster High” doll creator Garrett Sander, cosplayers (King River Glass, Cassandra Cosplays, more), contests, workshops, panels, plus after-hours adults-only programming on Saturday. And, yes, moms get in free on Sunday if they’re accompanied by a ticketed adult or child.

Sunshine City Scare: Saturday-Sunday, May 11-12. $15 & up. Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N., St. Petersburg. sunshinecityscare.floridacomiccons.com —Ray Roa

Day of the Dalí

It’s been 100 years since André Breton published his “Manifeste du surréalisme,” a booklet that sought to define what surrealism is. Loyal to the French writer and poet was Salvador Dalí, who, at least in Tampa Bay, defines the movement. The local museum that bears Dalí’s name (and houses the world’s second largest collection of his work) celebrates what would’ve been his 120th birthday, and the city is declaring May 11 as “Salvador Dalí Day.” Admission is slashed to $19.04 for the afternoon, and kids under 12 get in free. Free commemorative birthday cards will be available while supplies last, while games are planned in the Avant-Garden. They’re singing happy birthday at 1:20 p.m.

Salvador Dalí Day: Saturday, May 11. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $19.04. The Dalí Museum, 1 Dali Blvd, St. Petersburg. thedali.org/birthday —Ray Roa

Pedal power

In People For Bikes’ Best Places To Bike City Ratings of 1,733 locales across the world, only 472 rank lower than Tampa (two of those places include Clearwater at No. 1,466 and St. Petersburg at No. 1,506). Still, a large cycling community braves the roadways, and this month, we celebrate those pedal pushers for National Bike Month. Next week, Tampa Airport—which in 2020 was named the League of American Bicyclists’ first bike-friendly U.S. airport—is the stopping point of a guided bike ride that leaves from the MetWest center two miles away at 4142 W Boy Scout Blvd. There’ll be secure bike parking plus a keynote address from the League’s Government Policy Expert Caron Whitaker. New Bicycle Friendly Business Awards will also be presented. The ride starts at 5 p.m., but organizers at Walk Bike Tampa ask you arrive 20-30 minutes early. Tickets to the talk include heavy appetizers and one drink ticket, with free tickets available to individuals who need sponsorship.

National Bike Month Celebration: Next Thursday, May 16. 5:30 p.m. $35. Tampa International Airport, 4100 George J Bean Pkwy., Tampa. walkbiketampa.org

—Ray Roa

Passport to paint

Bringing kiddos to the MFA St. Pete is always a good experience (especially when a croissant from the museum’s Clementine cafe is involved), but talking about painting and works of art only gets you so far with a four-year-old. Painting In the Park is a good resolution. Attendees get a “Painting In The Park Passport” that guides them through 10 activity stations as they create make-and-take masterpieces inspired by the MFA Collection, earn stamps, then get a prize. The MFA says it’ll have activities for “toddlers, tweens, and in-betweens.” Register in advance to get a special friendship bracelet.

Painting In the Park: Saturday, May 11. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. No cover. MFA St. Pete, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. mfastpete.org —Ray Roa

Pitch in

Abortions are banned in Florida after six weeks, and while there are still about 180 days until voters will decide on whether or not to enshrine the right to reproductive care into the state constitution, the Tampa Bay Abortion Fund (TBAF)—which provided support for about 2,000 people last year—is not wasting any time. The nonprofit continues to provide access, financial assistance, and logistical support to people seeking abortions in the Bay area—but it needs help. An out-of-state abortion can cost around $2,000, according to TBAF. An online Fund-A-Thon is about 25% to its goal, and on Friday, Tampa sports and drinking facility Shuffle hosts a dance party featuring raffles and DJs like Cub, DJ Plant BAE’sd (Shaun Drees of hardcore band Horsewhip), and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s senior music correspondent Gabe Echazabal.

Dance Party Fundraiser for Tampa Bay Abortion Fund: Friday, May 10. 7 p.m. No cover. Shuffle, 2612 N Tampa St., Tampa. @tampashuffle on Facebook —Ray Roa

“Teachers shouldn’t have to take on second and third jobs in order to pay their bills.”

State of pay

Florida

ranks second-to-last in nation for average teacher pay, says report.

By McKenna Schueler

After hovering close to dead-last in the nation for average teacher pay for years, the state of Florida has dropped even further. The Sunshine State sits second-to-last in national rankings of all 50 states and the District of Columbia this year, according to a new report released by the National Education Association.

According to the NEA, a labor union representing over 3 million educators and school staff in the United States, Florida’s average teacher salary of $53,098 is among the lowest in the entire country, behind only West Virginia, where average pay is $52,870.

Florida was ranked No. 48 in the nation last year, and is ranked No. 50 this year.

This puts the state—which has launched multiple political attacks on teachers and their unions in recent years—below pay rankings even among other Southern, right-to-work states where teachers’ unions either aren’t legally allowed to collectively bargain or otherwise have limited resources and power to negotiate higher pay for teachers.

This new ranking from the NEA, pulling data from the 2022-2023 school year, is a drop from last year’s rankings, where Florida ranked No. 48 in average teacher pay. Nationwide, the NEA’s new report shows that the annual teacher salary actually increased 4.1 percent, reaching $69,544..

Clinton McCracken, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association—a local NEA affiliate representing roughly 13,600

teachers and school staff—says the state is “failing our students” with its lack of investment.

“It’s imperative for elected officials to take decisive action to restore respect for teachers and ensure that they can afford to live, pay bills and support their families,” McCracken told Orlando Weekly in a statement. “The state is failing our students when it refuses to address fair and competitive pay for educators as this exacerbates the critical teacher and staff shortage in Florida.”

Teacher shortages in Florida schools have been a chronic and worsening problem over the past couple of years, with some school districts at times seeing dozens of vacancies in instructional and support staff positions.

That places Orange County’s starting teacher pay above Florida’s state average, according to the NEA report, where Florida is ranked No. 16. Florida’s comparatively higher minimum pay for teachers in the state is an accomplishment Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis takes every opportunity to tout—despite concerns raised by teachers’ unions over the years that, while minimum pay for teachers goes up, longtime teachers continue to see wage compression. That is, there’s little difference in educators’ pay regardless of their years of experience.

Andrew Spar, president of the statewide teachers’ union, hasn’t been shy about where he places blame for Florida’s position in national pay rankings.

EDUCATION

Teachers and their unions blame this issue, in part, on non-competitive pay amidst an increase in Florida’s cost of living, pricing public educators out of their own communities, or otherwise forcing them to find a job that can better support themselves and their families. State officials, meanwhile, have argued that Florida has “championed” policies to improve the teaching profession.

“Teachers shouldn’t have to take on second and third jobs in order to pay their bills,” said McCracken. The Orange County teachers’ union recently ratified a new union contract that delivers a near 10 percent raise for most teachers in the district, and raises starting teacher pay to $49,375, up from $48,400.

“Time and time again, anti-education politicians say they support teachers—but the proof is undeniable,” Spar said in a statement. “In the past five and a half years since Governor DeSantis took office, Florida’s publicschool teachers have experienced a stagnant and declining average salary.”

The Florida Education Association, representing over 150,000 educators and school staff in Florida, has called on state legislators to increase education funding by $2.5 billion a year for the next seven years to address issues such as pay, the hiring of more mental health specialists in schools, and other services to support students’ academic success.

Gov. DeSantis has yet to either receive or approve the state budget approved by state lawmakers for the 2024-2025 fiscal year—a budget proposal that the FEA stated they disapprove of for lack of sufficient investment.

Options for protest, however, are limited. Florida teachers are legally prohibited from engaging in any sort of strike, and can face fines or even lose their teaching licenses for doing so. This hasn’t stopped educators in other no-strike states such as West Virginia or Massachusetts from launching illegal strikes, which have historically stemmed from issues such as stagnant wages, proposed increases to healthcare costs, and disinvestment in public education that leaves schools ill-equipped to properly staff and address issues in schools.

DeSantis has proposed funding for teacher pay hikes in his own budget proposals (and has in the recent past tried to recruit military veterans to fill in teacher shortages), but the process for how this funding trickles down to local school districts is not terribly straightforward, and has generally caused finger-pointing between the Governor’s office, local school districts, and the teachers’ unions.

Union leaders have emphasized that sufficiently compensating educators and investing sufficient funding into public education isn’t just meant to benefit teachers themselves, but also the students they teach.

“Every student, regardless of race or place, deserves caring, qualified, committed educators,” said Becky Pringle, president of NEA, in a statement. “And every educator needs our fierce support in helping them inspire imagination, curiosity, and a love of learning and to provide the skills students need to thrive in their brilliance.”

California, New York, and Massachusetts have the highest average teacher salaries, while Alabama, New Mexico, and Mississippi saw the largest increases over the last year.

This story was first published at our subling publication Orlando Weekly.

TAKE ME HOME: Only West Virginia pays teachers worse than the Sunshine State.

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RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES

Hometown heroes

Hospitality veterans open specialty cafe in Tampa Heights.

By Kyla Fields

While some Floridians may associate the beginning of summer with sweltering heat, 8 p.m. sunsets and an uptick in mosquito bites, many folks in our local hospitality industry are preparing for their “slow” season, marked by snowbirds’ annual pilgrimage back up north. Despite a majority of local bars, restaurants and hotels gearing up for a quieter summer, an up-and-coming Tampa Heights cafe is getting ready to (slowly and steadily) open its doors.

Una Más—a specialty coffee shop with light, Hispanic comfort food-inspired bites—is the brainchild of longtime Tampa baristas and hospitality maestros Paola Chamorro Ward and Curt Hensley. Local coffee lovers may not necessarily know them by name, but chances are you’ve seen them behind the bar of beloved shops like Foundation, Union and King State just to name a few.

And like a lot of other great ideas, their small business kind of started out as a joke.

Chamorro Ward and Hensley most recently worked together at King State as its former GM and kitchen manager, respectively, and both departed their roles last spring. Chamorro Ward dove head first into her own cold brew delivery program and pop-up while Henley stuck with back of house gigs, and the two eventually circled back to the recurring notion of starting their own shop.

OPENINGS

Chamorro Ward, 37, and 31-year-old Hensley’s current friendship and business partnership has decade-old roots that reach back when the two first worked at Buddy Brew together around 2014. The baristas ended up working side-by-side at Armature Works’ former cafe Union and then Foundation in Tampa Heights where they slung espresso and shared regulars. Two regulars in particular—Robby and Megan Wages of Fancy Free Nursery—would eventually serve a huge role in their debut business several years later.

“We’ve always connected over our preferences for coffee and approach to service as a whole, and always kind of joked that we wanted to start something together one day,” Chamorro Ward tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “One of the best parts about being in the industry for so long is that we’re both at a point in our careers where we know what we’re good at and what we want out of our work.”

Una Más pop-up

Saturday, May 11. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fancy Free Nursery. 1502 N Florida Ave., Tampa. @unamastpa on Instagram

“We’ve both been doing this for so long, have worked at so many different spots, and have been a part of different openings that we just eventually decided to seriously start talking about doing something of our own,” Hensley adds.

Una Más will be located inside of the Tampa Heights plant shop (to the left when you walk through its doors), offering a “comfortable and familiar” atmosphere and about 20 seats, with most tables outside amongst the flora.

The duo hosts their first pop-up inside its future home at 1502 N Florida Ave. this weekend. The sneak peak will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m, and you can give its tiny team a heads up if you’re attending by commenting “Vamos” on its recent Instagram post. Folks can expect a scaled-down version of what Una Más will eventually be—including a small spread of breakfast items, savory bites, cold brew and espresso from Hensley and Chamorro Ward’s brand new GS3 La Marzocco machine.

Una Más’ bar will only sling espresso-based beverages using beans sourced from Colombia, an intentional move by Hensley and Chamorro Ward to highlight the wide variety of coffee that the South American country produces. A “barista special” will give their guests a true sample of their beverages, offering a “one and one,” (a double shot—one served solo and the other served with milk), 2 oz. of cold brew and 2 oz of drip.

Drawing from their Colombian and Cuban heritages, Una Más will offer Hispanic comfort food in quick service form. Small plates like cheesy corn arepas, picadillo over rice and black beans, breakfast burritos and pastel de pollo pastries are inspired by their childhoods, but also fit neatly in Tampa’s multi-cultural culinary landscape. A few non-coffee drinks like juice and tea will be on the menu, too.

Quick service and an approachable price point of $7-$12 for breakfast and lunch items are also at the forefront of their business ethos.

In addition to slinging samples of its “cocina & bebidas” menu this Saturday, Una Más will also have its first retail bag of beans for sale, a classic washed coffee from a co-op in Nariño, Colombia courtesy of Pinellas-based Eastlick Coffee and Yellow Rooster Coffee Imports. A collaboration with Wuz Here Coffee—a local Colombian coffee roaster stationed at L.P.C.X Café—may be in the works, too. All proceeds from this weekend’s pop-up will assist the duo with additional supplies and equipment needed for its summertime debut. The duo is funding Una Más independently without outside investors, and while that may make the cafe’s light buildout more of a challenge, Chamorro Ward says it’s an “advantage” as well.

“It’s made us be extremely intentional with our decisions and really think everything through,” Chamorro Ward says. “We’d rather start very simple and small and learn from that, only expanding if we really want to.”

“Growth, for us, won’t look like multiple locations or anything. We would love to get our own spot one day but we’re definitely not rushing anything,” Hensley adds.

In Tampa’s current hospitality scene, small scale, locally-owned and operated cafes and

restaurants seem few and far between compared to the droves of corporate entities or out-of-town concepts with big money investors.

Both Chamorro Ward and Hensley have found their niche in an industry they’ve dedicated so many years of their lives to— an effortless expression of not only their respective cultures, but their integrity and intuitive approach to service. While expansion and rapid growth is the name of the game for some local businesses, Una Más will slowly exist in its small corner of Tampa Heights, steadily growing alongside its de facto customer base of former regulars and fellow industry workers.

“We’re not trying to be everything to everyone and overreach at all, we’re just trying to do what we know and also what we think is missing in Tampa,” Hensley tells CL. “We just want to be consistently good and provide great customer service—not the cheesy, phony stuff—but like that genuine connection you have with regulars who become actual friends.”

For the latest updates on Una Más and its summertime opening, head to @unamastpa on Instagram. After the specialty cafe debuts, its ownership plans to be open Wednesday-Sunday from about 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., but that may be subject to change.

DOUBLE SHOT: Hensley and Chamorro Ward are longtime coworkers turned small business owners.

Get it for your mama

15 Mother’s Day dinners, bu ets and brunches happening in Tampa Bay.

By Kyla Fields

It’s Mother’s Day once again in Tampa Bay, and a variety of hotels, resorts, and restaurants both casual and high-end are hosting their annual brunches, buffets and prix fixe dinners this weekend—here’s 15 of them. All events take place on Sunday, May 12 unless marked otherwise. Head to cltampa.com to browse the complete Mother’s Day event listing.

Bascom’s Chop House From 11 a.m.-3 p.m. this beloved steakhouse dishes out an exclusive brunch menu of shrimp and grits, crab cake Benedict, steak and eggs and a house quiche with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and ham. Bascom’s will also serve its daily menu of steaks, slow-roasted prime rib and classic seafood entrees until 9 p.m. 3665 Ulmerton Rd., Clearwater. bascoms.com

Blush Wine Room Enjoy a laid back Sunday brunch with flowing bubbly and live performances from R&B and pop singer Cienna Alidaa and saxophonist Marlon Boone. The three-course, pre-set menu costs $39.99 and an additional $20 for its “Sparkling Blush Bucket” of champagne and mixer. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $10 deposit (which is accredited to total bill). 5863 Goldview Pkwy. Unit 107, Wesley Chapel. nicobrown-productions.ticketleap.com

Bon Appetit This waterfront favorite in Dunedin has been serving moms upscale brunch for the past 45 years, and 2024 is no different. Indulge in Bon Appetit’s all-you-can eat spread of seared ahi tuna, charcuterie, shrimp cocktail, bay scallops, roasted lamb, prime rib and a ton of different desserts. Kids under the age of 10 can attend for $25 each. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. $99. 148 Marina Plaza, Dunedin. bonappetitrestaurant.com

Caddy’s Most Tampa Bay Caddy’s locations (Bradenton, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach and Treasure Island) host a beachside, Sunday morning brunch chock full of traditional a.m. eats and a whole lot of booze. Moms get a free mimosa (or glass of champagne) plus $20 bottomless mimosas and $5 margaritas. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Multiple locations. caddys.com

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Clearwater’s Aquarium hosts an “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”-themed brunch for Mother’s Day this weekend, where kids can interact with themed activities, snap photos in a “Tiffany’s-inspired” photo booth and even meet and greet with two lemurs, courtesy of Tampa Bay Rescues. Moms also get a free welcoming drink, have a chance to win a few prizes from a stacked raffle, and of course, access to the aquarium’s exhibits after brunch wraps up. 10 a.m.-noon. $80 ($55 per child). 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater. cmaquarium.org

Craft Tampa’s new river dining cruise was probably designed for special occasions like Mother’s Day, offering scenic views of the Hillsborough River, plus options from its prixfixe menu of upscale brunch favorites. 3:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m. $129.95. 603 Channelside Dr., Tampa. crafttampa.com

Don CeSar Straight forward brunch classics and decadent desserts are the name of the game for Don Cesar’s annual Mother’s Day buffet, which takes place in its King Charles Ballroom. Children ages 5-12 can chow down for an additional $50. 7 a.m.-11 a.m. $150. 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. doncesar.com

Fenway Hotel

German-American Society’s Mother’s Day special of shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta and mixed vegetables. Live music will be provided, and mom-friendly dancing is encouraged. A full cash bar features a $7 Pink Lady special. Saturday, May 11. 6 p.m.-11 p.m. 8098 66th St. N, Pinellas Park. germantampabay.com

Grand Central Brewhouse A jazzy trio featuring Josh Hindmarsh of Hot Tonic will provide tunes in the beer garden while moms can enjoy a full spread of brunch from neighboring concept LaLa, plus endless beer and mimosa options. Noon-3 pm. 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. grandcentralbrew.com

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

Indulge in the Hew Chophouse’s exclusive holiday offerings of seafood focaccia and roasted corn bisque, roasted asparagus salad with Florida citrus or vanilla bean braised short rib in lieu of its daily menu. Gain a few extra brownie points with mom by buying her a flower crown or bouquet from Florist Fire. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $85. 453 Edgewater Dr., Dunedin.fenwayhotel.com

German American Society of Pinellas County Indulge in traditional German eats like schnitzel or bratwurst or opt for the

Mise en Place Tampa’s OG fine dining restaurant provides an upscale, three-course experience fit for a queen, although Chef Marty Blitz has not yet posted the choices for his appetizer, entree or dessert just yet. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $75. 442 W Grand Central Ave., Tampa. miseonline.com

Ocean Prime This restaurant near International Mall is open for brunch just three times a year, and will serve a Mother’s Day dinner, too. À la carte brunch items include starters like warm cinnamon bread and a citrus rhubarb mimosa, with mains like crabcake eggs benedict, smoked salmon latkes, and even lobster and avocado toast. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 2205 N Westshore Blvd., Tampa. ocean-prime.com

Safety Harbor Resort & Spa Indulge in an all-you-can-eat brunch experience loaded with

omelet and carving stations, fresh shrimp and oysters, charcuterie boards, salads and pasta at Safety Harbor’s go-to resort and spa this weekend. Children ages 10 and under can also enjoy the buffet for $36 each. And if you’re feeling really generous, book mom a massage or facial from its popular spa after y’all chow down. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. $89. 105 N Bayshore Dr., Safety Harbor. safety-harbor-resort-and-spa.myshopify.com

Tampa Edition A trip to this fancy, five-star hotel this weekend promises Mama Dukes a “tantalizing buffet menu, limitless mimosas, curated spritz and exquisite rosé offerings and delightful photo ops” well worth the price tag. Kids ages 5-12 can attend for $50 each. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $150. 500 Channelside Dr., Tampa. editionhotels.com. TradeWinds Island Resorts This waterfront resort hosts a loaded brunch of smoked fish, seafood, made-to-order breakfast items, salads, carving stations, pasta and desserts at its Island Grand Palm restaurant. Seniors ages 60 and up cost $73 and kids ages 3-10 can attend for $33. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $86. 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. tradewindsresort.com

The Vinoy Enjoy an all-inclusive buffet spread (think carving stations, fresh seafood and brunch favorites) at The Vinoy’s Grand Ballroom and take a post-brunch lounge next to the pool afterwards. Children ages 6-12 cost $24 while kids 2 and under can attend for free. The hotel also hosts a build-your-own bouquet at its annual Mother’s Day celebration. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $165. 501 5th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, opentable.com

PRIME TIME: Ocean Prime is only open for brunch three times a year.

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Slice of life

V.M. Ybor bakery brings back wildly-popular ‘Gilmore Girls’ menu, plus more local food news.

By Kyla Fields

Lovers of the “slice-of-life,” cult classic show can indulge in some TV nostalgia this month when Elevenses hosts its annual run of “Gilmore Girls”-themed menu items.

“Hello fellow townspeople—It is with great excitement (and only a smidgeon of trepidation ) that we announce our annual trip to Stars Hollow!” Elevenses owner Jade Yelvington writes on social media. “Last time your enthusiasm for this themed menu was seriously unmatched, so we’re going even bigger this time.”This year’s “Gilmore Girls” menu— which boasts the theme of “a thousand yellow daisies”—runs from Wednesday, May 15 to Saturday, June 1. Elevenses’ hours will remain normal throughout these three weeks—noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday (or until sold-out.)

Elevenses’ specialty baked goods and beverage menu draws inspiration from the fictional Connecticut town of Stars Hollow, referencing different characters and places. A few offerings are even based on dishes that were sold at Luke’s Diner, a regular gathering place within the show. A few sweet treats offered at this month’s event include “Breakfast at Luke’s” macarons (blueberry pancakes, French toast, Luke’s coffee, eggs & bacon), yellow daisy sugar cookies, “Babette ate oatmeal” cream pies, blueberry sweet corn cookies, “Sookie’s dream” s’mores cake slices, blueberry “shortcake” pavlovas and brown sugar pop tarts. A few savory items will be up for grabs as well, including “Jackson’s Greenhouse” tomato tarts, soft pretzels and “Sleeping with the Zucchinis” muffins.

Elevenses and its tiny team are also offering a variety of Stars Hollow-themed drinks—which range from espresso-based beverages like the “Lorelei” sparkly strawberry latte and “Team Christopher” vanilla latte with cardamom and Fruity Pebbles to less caffeinated options like “Gypsy’s Sparkling Lemonade” and the “Lime Fantasy Supreme,” a shaken, citrusy matcha with coconut condensed milk. In an attempt to quell the massive, hours-long lines that formed down the block at last year’s “Gilmore Girls” pop-up, the first half of each day will be first-come, first-served, while the second half will be reserved for pre-orders.

Follow @elevensesco on Instagram for the latest updates on its upcoming “Gilmore Girls” menu and information on how to preorder items. And if you plan to patronize any of these specialty menu days, you may want to prepare to wait in a line (and please don’t block any driveways on surrounding streets.)

Pete’s Bagels opens a new grab ’n go shop in Gulfport

Gulfport’s newest gluten dealer just opened its doors. According to its website and social media pages, Pete’s Bagels newest outpost resides at 1407 49th St. S adjacent to other popular concepts like Island Flavors & Tings and 1 Chick 1 Bro Cafe—but unlike its other Tampa Bay locations, it will only serve as a grab ‘n go shop. Pete’s Gulfport shop officially opened last week on Thursday, May 2.

Pete’s new walk-up window dishes out fresh bagels and bulk cream cheeses, in addition to espresso and coffee from up-and-coming roaster Look Alive. The Gabber says that the new production space and grab ‘n go concept can crank out about 2,000 bagels a day—and its glowing “fresh bagels” sign will act as a Batman signal for fresh bakes. Pete’s offers a variety of expected bagels like plain, everything, poppyseed, salt and sesame, plus a few unique flavors like cheddar jalapeño and cinnamon raisin. Its grab ‘n go cream cheese options will be scallion, garden herb, harissa, jalapeño and cinnamon, with a few vegan options on their way.

In addition to its flagship location in St. Pete’s Grand Central District (2361 1st Ave. S), Pete’s also operates a daytime cafe in Ybor City (1804 E 4th Ave.) and will soon debut a one-of-a-kind drive-thru shop on the corner of 4th St. S and

25th Ave. The 326 square-foot building will boast a walk-up window and outdoor patio in addition to its drive-thru, but will not offer indoor seating. There’s no slated opening date for its new southside drive-thru, since the historic building “needs a lot of work and is still going through the permitting process,” according to Pete’s social media.

During its soft opening from ThursdaySunday this week, Pete’s new Gulfport spot will be open from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Head to @petes_general on Instagram for the latest updates on its operating hours and menu items.

After 13 years, Ybor City’s Stone Soup Company announces immediate closure

One of the more seasoned businesses along Ybor City’s bustling 7th Avenue took to social media to announce its abrupt closure at the end of April.

“Effective immediately, The Stone Soup Company will cease operations. We would like to thank all the current and past employees, the Ybor and Tampa community, and our guests who have supported us over the last 13 years,” ownership wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook today. “We appreciated the opportunity to serve you all! Thank you!”

The casual restaurant at 1919 E 7th Ave. was known for its menu of Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, burgers, salads and of course, soup—which ranged from lobster bisque and chicken noodle to tomato basil and Spanish

black bean. The Stone Soup Company’s original owner Ilya Benjamin Goldberg opened his Ybor City restaurant in 2009 and its reputation for tasty Cuban sammies and quick service grew over the years, as well as its sizable “Best of the Bay” award collection.

In late 2022, Goldberg announced that he was retiring and enabled the help of Teamshares to transition the Ybor City restaurant into an employee-owned business. He then stated in a press release that this process would “ensure that Stone Soup can never be sold again and will be around for many years of growth”—an unfortunate statement in light of today’s closing announcement. While its seasoned employees were able to own a small portion of Stone Soup Company with its new business model, former restaurant owner and sales veteran Mike Long has been leading the team as its president since early 2023. His LinkedIn states that Stone Soup Company experienced “16% growth in year 1” with a projected growth of 24% in its second year of being employee-owned.

Stone Soup Company’s sudden shuttering joins a slew of other bar and restaurant closures in the Ybor City area, including popular concepts like White Lie, First Chance Last Chance, The Boneyard, Zydeco Brew Werks, Rock Brothers Brewing and Florida Cane Distillery’s tasting room.

CULT CLASSIC: Long lines formed outside of Elevenses for last year’s 'Gilmore Girls' menu.

Twice a year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay does a big update on this listing featuring Tampa Bay’s many breweries. Help CL with this ongoing project. Did we miss a brewery or leave out an important detail? Let’s get that in here. Email rroa@cltampa.com and kyla@cltampa.com. Include brewery name, address, phone number and website, plus a short description of the unique offerings. (Last updated Feb. 22, 2024)

3 CAR GARAGE Small-batch craft beer and rotating food trucks plus live music and happy hour specials. 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton. 941-741-8877, 3cargaragebrewing.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of downtown St. Pete’s most popular hangouts and a beautiful facility in which to drink some great brews. The brewery also has an outpost on Clearwater Beach. 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com

3 KEYS BREWING South-of-the-Skyway restaurant and brewery and gastrobrew specializing in small batches. 2505 Manatee Ave. E, Bradenton. 951-2180396, 3keysbrewing.com

5 BRANCHES BREWING Soon-to-open veteranowned brewery, slinging small batches of IPAs, stouts and more. Serving brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 131 Hibiscus St, Tarpon Springs. 727483-9122, fivebranchesbrewing.com

7VENTH SUN BREWING Some of the best sours, IPAs and collabs going at one of Tampa Bay’s OG breweries. 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013. 7venthsun.com

81BAY BREWING CO. South Tampa’s first craft brewery boasts a wide variety of styles. You can still drink it, but the taproom is closed for renovation. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com

ANECDOTE BREWING CO. Sip inside or on the patio of Indian Rocks Beach’s first micro brewery. 321 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach. anecdotebrewing.com

ANGRY CHAIR BREWING Crazy-good Seminole Heights beer, open Tuesday-Sunday. The taproom has tons of parking and a food shanty that low-key slings some of the best chicken wings in Tampa Bay. 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com

ARKANE ALEWORKS A wide variety of styles and flavors from the second brewery to open in Largo. 2480 E Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com

BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. Lager-specific brewery, carrying on a more than 150-year brewing legacy. With Zydeco gone from the historic district, it serves the cleanest beers in Ybor City. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. 813-242-2739 barriehaus.com

BASTET BREWING Named after the Egyptian catgoddess, the brewery offers seasonal ales, ciders and even the occasional ginger beer. 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. 813-242-0064, bastetbrewing.com

BAYBORO BREWING CO. Veteran-owned kidfriendly brewery that has tons of events to go with its creative tap list and low-key music venue/listening room that tops most others in Pinellas. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-767-9666, bayborobrewing.com

BIG STORM BREWING CO. Brewery with fun, signature brews (Bromosa, anyone?), and a gigantic footprint that includes a Pasco Storm Room, Clearwater outpost and new Ybor City spot overlooking 7th Avenue. bigstormbrewery.com

BIG TOP BREWING Perhaps Sarasota’s premier purveyor of locally crafted beer, Big Top’s reputation has spread far beyond the region and gets served up at two locations just south of Tampa and St. Petersburg. bigtopbrewing.com

BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. This Tampa taproom from Bootleggers Beer & Wine Home Brewing Supplies offers house-made suds and guest beers.10256 Causeway Blvd., Tampa. 813-643-9463, bootleggersbrewco.com

BREW HUB Some of the area’s best beers are produced here along with suds for their own label. 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com

BREW LIFE BREWING Ultra-small batches and a lot of ‘em at this unassuming plaza brewery. 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com

BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. Tarpon Springs spot specializing in music-inspired brews like the “So Fresh n’ So Clean sour” and “All the Single Belgians.” 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 7272-940-2350, @brighterdaysbrewco on Facebook

BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. A multitude of styles from former garage brewers is on tap in Valrico. 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bullfrogcreekbrewing.com

CAGE BREWING Custom brews in the Grand Central District from one of the ‘Burg’s best brewery-music venues. 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278. cagebrewing.com

CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the historic Dunedin Times building. 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com

CALUSA BREWING Family-owned and operated; open Tuesday-Sunday. 5377 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, 941-552-8846, calusabrewing.com

CIGAR CITY BREWING Tampa’s most famous craft brewery has its headquarters and mothership in Carver City. There’s also a taproom at Amalie Arena and inside Tampa International Airport. 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com

CHANNELSIDE BREWING CO. This new addition to the bustling Channelside district is a contract brewing facility with a few neat pilsners and IPAs of its own. 802 N 12th St., Suite C, Tampa. 813-5925700, channelsidebrewing.com

COMMERCE BREWING Live entertainment, events, and a wide variety of brews live at this newly-opened taproom. 521 Commerce Dr. S, Largo. 727-330-7011, commercebrewing@gmail.com

COMMON DIALECT BEERWORKS Seminole

Heights’ new family and dog friendly brewery—located right next to the Health Mutt pet store—has a familial and welcoming feel for all walks of life, plus beer from longtime brewer Mike Conze. 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-443-6659. commondialectbeer.com

COPP WINERY & BREWERY A one-stop shop for all wine, beer and brewery needs in Crystal River. 7855 W Gulf Lake Highway, Crystal River. 352-228-8103, coppbrewery.com

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO.

Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms complete with killer kitchen. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com

CORPORATE LADDER BREWING COMPANY Brewery focused on customer experience and celebrating social gatherings. 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. 941-479-4799, corporateladderbrewing.com

COTEE RIVER BREWING Craft beer in the heart of historic downtown New Port Richey. 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-8076806, coteeriverbrewing.com

CRAFT LIFE BREWING Originally based in Land O’ Lakes, this small-batch spot brewery now serves sips out of its larger location in Hudson. 46810 Tower Dr, Hudson. 727-378-4530, craftlifebrewingcompany.com

CROOKED THUMB BREWERY Safety Harbor’s first brewery boasts homegrown flavor and local guest taps, plus local food trucks and a stacked live music calendar. 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-7245953, crookedthumbbrew.com

CUENI BREWING CO. Located off the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin and is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary there. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com

CYCLE BREWING A true destination of The ‘Burg’s and one of the OG craft breweries in downtown St. Pete, quietly slinging one of St. Pete’s best beer menus to devoted regulars who watch the world go through Cycle’s garage doors. 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com

DADE CITY BREW HOUSE The heart of downtown Dade City’s destination for original beers, wines and ciders. 14323 7th St., Dade City. 352-218-3122, dadecitybrewhouse.com

DE BINE BREWING CO. This addition bolsters the Northern Pinellas craft beer scene. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964, debinebrewingco.com

DENTED KEG ALE WORKS Local brewery nestled in downtown New Port Richey. 5500 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-232-2582, dentedkegaleworks.com

DEVIANT LIBATION Latest project from local beer god Tim Ogden now open in Ybor Heights. Food trucks are regularly on site, and you might catch a local hardcore show there, too. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727-379-4677, deviantlibation.com

DISSENT CRAFT BREWING CO. Unique flavors and adventurous style outside downtown St. Pete. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-342-0255. @dissentcraftbrewing on Facebook

DUNEDIN BREWERY Florida’s oldest microbrewery features beer, eats and live music in what’s now become an iconic setting. 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com

DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER This beer stop brews its own, and also has 40 guest taps. 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com

ESCAPE BREWING CO. Another very worthy Odessa-Trinity destination that’s in the process of building out a new food hall. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escapebrewingcompany. com

FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. Beer for the Sunshine State brewed in a family-friendly taproom. Its newly-opened location in Seminole Heights dishes out a full food and cocktail menu, while the Wesley Chapel hub gives the greater Bay area a chance to imbibe. floridaavebrewing.com

FLORIDA BREWERY Built in 1937, the second oldest brewery in Florida offers a Lager-focused brew menu that’s distributed to 15 countries around the globe. 202 Gandy Rd., Auburndale. 863-965-1825, floridabrewery.com

FRONT PAGE BREWING CO. This Bartow brewery offers Wednesday trivia, Thursday bingo and live music on the weekends. 190 S Florida Ave., Bartow. 863-537-7249, frontpagebrewing.com

GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 10,270 square-foot brewery, taproom, beer garden, and event venue with a lager-focused tap list. 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-202-6071, grandcentralbrew.com

GREEN BENCH BREWING CO. A space worthy of the adventurous beers it produces, and you can always walk over to the James Beard-nominated Webb’s City Cellar for funky ferments. 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com

GOLDEN ISLES BREWING CO. This new, kid-friendly neighborhood brewery in St. Pete features its own ales, IPAs, porters and lagers on tap and also hosts a handful of different food trucks each week. 3000 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, St. Petersburg. 727-502-9446, staygoldenstpete.com

GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. Dozens of taps and beerfriendly fare from a husband-and-wife duo, who also operate a nearby distillery and cocktail lounge under the same company umbrella. 1570 Lakefront Dr, Sarasota, 941770-4282, thegoodliquidbrewing.com

GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts from this Pinellas-based “boutique brewery.” 1650 N. Hercules Ave. #1, Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com

GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches—like its Gulfport Golden Ale or Hippie Oasis hazy IPA—plus an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Gulfport. 727954-4109, gulfport-brewing.com

HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS This Tampa Heights brewery features a rotating tap selection of unique craft beers. 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com

HOB BREWING CO. Rotating taps, with some brewed on-site and alongside a combination of local breweries, plus local and international craft beer makers. 931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-474-5584, hob.beer

IF I BREWED THE WORLD A self-described “mixtape of breweries” with a bit of everything from the classic to the fun and outrageous. 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com continued on page 35

Angry Chair Brewing

continued from page 33

IN THE LOOP BREWING Family-friendly with a lot of community support and plenty of events. 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com

INFUSION BREWING CO. Another great location in the good-beer-packed Trinity/New Port Richey area. 6345 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. 7272-484-4757, infusionbrewingcompany.com

KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN ALE + CIDER Tasty brews from the folks behind Keel & Curley winery. Perfect for anyone who likes farm vibes with their craft beer. 5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City. 813-752-9100, keelandcurleywinery.com

KING STATE This Tampa spot is a beer brewer, a coffee roaster and whatever else it wants to be. Beer is made offsite, but available on tap and in package at the Tampa Heights headquarter and St. Pete restaurent. 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813-221-2100, king-state.com

LATE START BREWING Beloved Tampa label formerly doing its thing inside the Pour House, but is now building a new location in downtown Tampa. 1018 E Cass St., Tampa, latestartbrewing.com

LEAVEN BREWING Riverview’s first brewery is run by folks who’ve got experience brewing big and small. 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813-677-7023, leavenbrewing.com

LIQUID GARAGE CO. Trendy one-offs and traditional styles all in Jeffery Ashline’s industrial and automotive-themed taproom. 1306 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey. 727-645-5885. theliquidgarage.com

MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING Brews, ciders and meads by the beach. 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-362-0008, madbeachbrewing.com

MAGNANIMOUS BREWING In a warehouse a halfblock north of I-75, this addition to Tampa’s beer scene provides a large variety to drink in or to go curbside pickup. In addition to its OG Tampa Heights headquarters, Magnanimous also operates taprooms in Seminole Heights and Bradenton. 1410 Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-415-3671, magnanimousbrewing.com

MARKER 48 BREWING Hernando’s first production craft brewery with tasting room and beer garden 12147 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. 352-606-2509, marker48.com

MASTRY’S BREWING CO. From CD Roma’s restaurant to sweet new digs on St. Pete Beach. 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. 727-202-8045, mastrysbrewingco.com

MOTORWORKS BREWING A taproom and beer garden featuring full liquor and wine as well as 30 taps. 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton. 941-567-6218, motorworksbrewing.com

MR. DUNDERBAK’S The longtime restaurant, biergarten and homebrewers’ hangout is serving up its own beers. 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813977-4104, dunderbaks.com

OLDE FLORIDA BREWING Largo’s newest craft brewery is open Tuesday through Sunday and features a beachy outdoor space. 1158 7th St. NW, Largo. 727229-8010, @oldefloridabrew on Facebook

OLOGY BREWING CO. This Tallahassee-based company opened its first Tampa location in 2023 and now offers a variety of in-house brews, coffee and spirits. 6401 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 850-296-2809, ologybrewing.com

OVERFLOW BREWING CO. Laid-back spot courtesy of St. Pete native and head brewer Troy Bledsoe and company. 770 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-9140665, overflowbrewing.co/

OZONA BREWING COMPANY Fresh, local craft beer made on site, wine, food and live entertainment in the heart of Ozona. 315 Orange St., Palm Harbor. 920-3929390, ozonabrewing.com

PEE-PA’S GARAGE CRAFT BREWERY We think your dad will totally love this new brewery, which is known for its lighter ales, stouts and fruited goses. 6340 49th St. N, Pinellas Park. 727-526-2300, peepasgaragecraftbrewery.com

PEPPER BREWING The Angry Pepper Taphouse’s in-house label, available “on a limited basis.” 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertaphouse.com

PINELLAS ALE WORKS PAW offers a dog-friendly environment in addition to tasty brews, with a portion of proceeds regularly going to local animal-centric nonprofits. 1962 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727235-0970, pawbeer.com

POUR HOUSE With new release events and special feature nights, Pour House celebrates all things beer. 1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 813-402-2923, pourhousetampa.com

PYE ROAD MEADWORKS Located in Odessa, Pye Road focuses on mead but also keeps beer and wine in house for naysayers of the fermented honey drink. 8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. 813-510-3500, pyeroad.com

RAPP BREWING COMPANY The late Greg Rapp’s award-winning styles are carefully crafted at this “nano-sized” brewery. 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com

SEA DOG BREWING COMPANY This Treasure Island craft brewery also operates a handful of food trucks throughout Tampa Bay. 9610 Gulf Blvd.,Treasure Island. 727-954-7805, seadogbrewing.com

SOGGY BOTTOM BREWING More Dunedin goodness, including some truly original flavors and inventive brews. 660 Main St., Dunedin. 727-6011698, soggybottombrewing.com

SOUTHERN BREWING & WINEMAKING Multiple brews only available in its tasting room, which is also home to products and guidance for homebrewers. 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com

SOUTHERN LIGHTS

BREWING CO. Only the finest hops, grains and natural ingredients go into these handcrafted small-batch ales and lagers. 2075 Sunnydale Blvd., Clearwater. 727-648-4314, southernlightsbrewing.com

SPONGE CITY BREWING A “fresh take on modern brew houses,” this newly-opened taproom dishes out IPAs, stouts and beer-friendly bites. 501 South Pinellas Ave.,Tarpon Springs. 727-937-8677, spongecitybrewing.com

ST. PETE BREWING COMPANY

Beers crafted specifically for the climate, plus a bumpin’ “Nest” event space next door. 544 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-692-8809, stpetebrewingcompany.com

STILT HOUSE BREWERY Friendly joint specializes in high-ABV ales and other styles you won’t find elsewhere. 625 U.S. Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com

SESH The newest concept from the owners of Mad Beach Craft Brewing Co. is also a restaurant serving craft cocktails and house-brewed craft beers, seltzers and ciders in a supposedly-haunted historic building. 2221 4th St. N, St. Petersburg. 727-933-0266. Seshstpete.com

SIX TEN BREWING Wide variety and a real passion for the craft-brew community. 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-886-0610, sixtenbrewing.com

TAP THIS! BAR AND BREWING CO. Neighborhood beer and wine sports bar. 10730 US-19, Port Richey. 727-378-4358, tapthisbar.com

TBBC Formerly Tampa Bay Brewing Co., local favorite has served local craft beer lovers for nearly two decades with two locations including one in the heart of historic Ybor City and another in the Westchase ‘burbs. tbbc.beer

THIRSTY BUFFALO BREWING COMPANY Located at The Hub, Land O’Lakes’ new brewery features ales, IPAs, the Midnight Bull vanilla milk stout and a coffee blonde made with beans from Bexley-based Yummee Coffee Roasters. 16794 Focus Loop, Land O’ Lakes. 813-475-5591. thirstybuffalobrew.com

THREE BULLS TAVERN & BREWERY Smallbatch handcrafted beer and food made from scratch wrapped in a creative atmosphere. 4330 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico. 813-381-3853, threebullstavern.com

TIDAL BREWING COMPANY Small batches in Spring Hill. 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-7011602, tidalbrewingfl.com

TROUBLED WATERS BREWING An easygoing taproom featuring draft and bottled craft brews, billiards and live music. 670 Main St., Safety Harbor. 727-2219973, troubledwatersbeer.com

TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY Tarpon Springs’ latest brewery and taproom focuses on American ale styles. 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-9406077, @twofrogsbrewing on Facebook

ULELE SPRING BREWERY Beer crafted in accordance with traditional Bavarian purity laws, inside a gorgeous municipal pump house turned awardwinning restaurant. 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com

UNREFINED BREWING All-natural and only in-season ingredients go into these craft brews. 312 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-4822, unrefinedbrewing.com

WELTON BREWING CO. Its Land O’ Lakes brewery closed at the end of 2022, but its upcoming Pinellas Park location—which seems to share its property with Pinellas’ German-American Society—has experienced serious construction delays. Its most recent update said a grand opening was slated for December 2023. 8098 66th St. N, Pinellas Park. 813-820-0050, thebrewcraftery.com

THE WILD ROVER BREWERY What started as an English pub in Odessa is now a higher-production facility in Westchase. 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa. 813475-5995, thewildroverbrewery.com

WOODWRIGHT BREWING COMPANY Traditional German styles in downtown Dunedin. 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-238-8717. woodwrightbrewing.com

WOVEN WATER BREWING CO. Tampa Heights brewery with a focused menu often using fresh fruit as part of its beers. 456 W Columbus Dr., Tampa. 813-4439463, wovenwaterbrew.com

WULFAVEN BREWING CO. Carrollwood’s new brewery, making crisp and clean beers, but also some juicy and bitter IPAs and pale ales for the hop-chasers. 10828 Perez Dr., Tampa. 813-374-8226. wulfaven.com

YUENGLING BREWING CO. One of just two U.S. Yuengling destinations, and now home to recentlyopened Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen. 11111 N 30th St., Tampa. 813-972-8529, yuengling.com

SUN KING BREWERY This Indiana-based brewery expanded its footprint to Florida in 2022 and now operates an airy taproom in North Sarasota. 1215 Mango Ave., Sarasota. 941-893-3940, sunkingbrewing.com

SWAN BREWING Nearly four decades of combined brewing experience go into the offerings at this pet-friendly joint. 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland. 863-7030472, swanbrewing.com

ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY East Paco’s first microbrewery. 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills. 813715-2683, zbcbeer.com

ZYDECO BREW WERKS This New Orleans-inspired brewery and restaurant closed its flagship location in Ybor City in eary 2024, but is still pouring reserved brews at its scaled-down operation at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry aka MOSI. 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. 813-240-5213, zydecobeer.com

Email rroa@cltampa.com and kyla@cltampa.com for any corrections and updates. Thanks!

Woven Water Brewing Co.

“...high on the list are projects such as this one.”

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Feeling crabby

There should be a giant crab in the center of this Tampa Heights tra c circle.

By Linda Saul-Sena

There are over 30 roundabouts and traffic circles within the City of Tampa. The great news about them is that they’re both safer and more efficient for cars and bicyclists. If they can make you smile, so much the better.

One in East Tampa has an obelisk in the center. Another near the aquarium is home to Channelside’s “Exploding Chicken” sculpture. And there’s one roundabout in Tampa Heights that needs a pinch of picante to live up to its full potential.

As you head north on N Boulevard, past Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park and the future womens soccer stadium at Blake High School, there’s a bridge. At its northern foot is a smallish traffic circle. To the right is Armature Works. Beneath it, the western terminus of the Tampa Riverwalk.

What’s no longer there is any hint of the intersection’s configuration and rich history.

The original fixed bridge at this location was built in 1909 and had a streetcar track which ran down the center, connecting lines to the Ybor City and West Tampa. Named Garcia Avenue Bridge, it was replaced in 1959 by a much higher, more modern expanse—the Eugene Holtsinger Bridge. Situated on land that makes the Hillsborough River bend beneath both bridges were neighborhoods that illustrated Tampa’s ethnic diversity.

Roberts City—a Black neighborhood which disappeared as part of urban renewal (or “urban removal”)—was to the south. To the north, white Tampa Heights. Hispanic enclaves thrived nearby in Ybor City and West Tampa.

get a chicken neck and a string and go to a body of water in Tampa, stand on the seawall, and you catch crabs. Today, if you head south of Ybor City to Palmetto Beach, you can still see remnants of the crab shacks there.”

Small stores—Matassini Seafood, Agliano & Sons Fish Co., Seabreeze, and Mirabella Fish

During the Depression, anyone could catch the plentiful blue crabs and after carefully picking out the crab meat, mix it with stale Cuban bread crumbs and make a devil crab for themselves. Hot sauce completed this Tampa classic snack, hence the name “devil” crab.

Wouldn’t it be so delightful to have a giant sculpture of a crab in the center of the traffic circle, welcoming passersby with a wave of its giant claws? One claw could hold hot sauce and the other a loaf of Cuban bread. The crab’s name should definitely be Garcia, in honor of the location’s origin story.

symbol, adding that the city is onboarding a new staff position to help it manage the need and requests for all the CRAs. “...high on the list are projects such as this one,” she added.

COLUMN

Christian Leon originated the idea for this sculpture as an homage to authentic Tampa.

“Geographically this intersection, North Boulevard and Palm Avenue, is the meeting point of the white, Black and Hispanic communities. Devil crab is a distinct cuisine of Tampa, speaks to the abundance of a healthy bay,” Leon, community advocate and lifelong Tampeño, told CL. Tampa blue crab, our local Cuban bread, Italian tomato paste, perhaps Spanish olive oil. What an amazing way to celebrate our unique history, marking a significant meeting point of unique communities and highlighting a dish that’s only found here in Tampa. The taste of Tampeno history.

Company—had outposts there, close to their fishing boats docked in the Hillsborough River.

Local families would fish in the river and come to the fish houses located here to buy fresh shrimp and crabs.

“Crabs have sustained generations of immigrants in Tampa,” Tampa historian Noel Smith told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “You would

In nearby Ybor City, cigar factory workers enjoyed deliveries of stuffed potato balls and deviled crab.

That’s where our traffic circle comes in. So many of the crustaceans responsible for the signature Tampa snack originated near there.

Picture this: a playful, metal sculpture, painted bright blue with blue eyes, orange pinchers and a perky wave.

Surely, the City of Tampa’s Public Art Committee would support such a cheery piece.

Robin Nigh—Arts and Cultural Affairs Director, Neighborhood & Comm Affairs—told CL that it’s a good time to propose such a joyful

If private funding is needed to realize that soon-to-be-favorite Tampa icon, there are many local folks to ask for help. Perhaps the Related Company, busily building hundreds of apartment units mere feet from the bridge would agree to delight their future tenants with this delightful image. The Columbia Restaurant makes great devil crab croquettes and a killer hot sauce, too; its owner has a thing for public art—maybe he could pitch in. La Segunda Bakery, our Cuban bread heroes, might even have some ideas.

Robert W. Saunders—who in 1952 took over as Florida’s NAACP field director when his predecessor was killed in a Ku Klux Klan bombing—grew up in Roberts City and has written about how the neighborhood transcended segregation.

“My family had neighbors from various ethnic groups, including Cuban and Italian, as well as Black and Caucasian families. Local children played together, ate in each other’s homes, fought, and protected each other,” he explained in his book “Bridging the Gap.”

In this world of factions and friction, nothing draws people together as effectively as food. Perhaps Garcia, our beloved crab-to-be, could be another tie that binds us more together.

PICTURE THIS: A blue crab collage by artist Sigrid Tidmore.

Picture this

St. Petersburg Month of Photography returns with new events and exhibitions.

By Suzanne Townsend

Picture this—a whole month dedicated to the art of photography. Now in its second year, Saint Petersburg Month of Photography (SPMOP) hosts an array of free events throughout the month of May, including six planned exhibitions and two private collection tours.

“We are hoping to expand the number of art lovers that will join us in this month-long celebration of lens-based art," Marieke Van Der Krabben, executive director of SPMOP said in a release.

The winner will be announced during a special ceremony this weekend.

LOCAL ARTS

SPMOP Photo Laureate 2024 Award Reception

The organization also collaborated with the Museum of Motherhood for Mother Lens: Four Visions of Motherhood featuring photographic works including visual essays and portrait series. Works by Mikaela Martin, Águeda Sanfiz, Jena Love and Angelika Kollin will be on display at the museum through May 31 at the MOM located at The Factory in St. Pete.

Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. No cover Morean Arts Center. 719 Central Ave, St. Petersburg. smop.org

The Morean Arts Center hosts this year’s Photo Laureate competition finalists exhibition until May 25. Finalists are Christa Moody, David Moreno, José Ramirez, Ric Savid and Marian Tagliarino, each of whom are well-established in their varying photographic genres from photojournalism, environmental photography and photo collage.

SPMOP is also looking forward to the release of the previous year’s Photo Laureate competition winner Richard Sayers Ellis’ photobook and exhibition “PARADISE | PARADISE layered” in June at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.

Check out the full calendar of events via spmop.org, and more arts & entertainments events at cltampa.com.

REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK

Rainbow warrior

Allison Russell talks forgiveness, voting and more.

By Ray Roa

On her current tour, Allison Russell regularly joins Hozier to sing “Work Song,” an anthemic ballad about people holding each other up. The performances are happening in front some of the biggest crowds the 44-year-old has ever played in front of, and they come just months after her earth-shattering single “Eve Was Black” beat out Jon Batiste, Rhiannon Giddens and others to win the 2024 Grammy for “Best American Roots Performance.” Still, there’s at least one collaboration that eludes the Montreal-born, Nashville-residing, songwriter and activist.

“Oh my god. You don’t know how much I want to collaborate with Kermit. Kermit is the reason I play banjo, before I knew anything about the banjo being America’s African instrument, brought over by the diaspora,” Russell told Creative Loafi ng Tampa Bay. “Let me tell you, if ‘Sesame Street’ ever comes calling, me and Kermit have a date.”

can’t break cycles of harm by pretending harm never happened. And that the only way out is through. And the only way through is together,” she said about her upcoming visit to our neck of the woods. “We have to stop treating each other as enemies and the other—we are one human family on this precious beleaguered, under fullon assault by our worst practices, planet. We can change things together. We can grow circles of goodness together.”

Her band’s moniker, the Rainbow Coalition, is a nod to that ideal and to a term that surfaced in the late-’60s when Fred Hampton brought together seemingly juxtaposed organizations— the Black Panthers, white southerners in the Young Patriots, and the Latin group Young Lords—to combat a common enemy: poverty.

INTERVIEW

Russell—who’s been nominated for eight Grammys and the Polaris Prize, plus won two Juno Awards—brings a similar joy and intentionality to everything she talks and sings about. As she preps for a sold-out show in Tampa, Russell’s single “Tennessee Rise” is being deployed to get out the vote in support of U.S. Senate candidate Gloria Johnson who Republicans tried to oust from the state legislature last year.

Hozier w/Allison Russell

Saturday, May 11. 7:30 p.m. Sold-out MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. 4802 U.S. Hwy-301, Tampa

“I think any people that has ever been oppressed can relate to any other people that have been oppressed,” Russell explained. “Because it’s the same toxic hierarchies trying to divide and conquer in order to extract and hoard resources. It’s just the same story over and over and over again.”

And while Russell has a lot of ideas about the world, rest assured, she’s working on herself, too.

While her latest recordings, in part, harrowingly and soulfully reference instances of sexual abuse by Russell’s adoptive father and the work she’s done to heal and reclaim her life, her activism is largely built around getting out the vote.

“It’s really our trans siblings who are just being assaulted left, right and center, you know, the most vulnerable among us,” she said about the state she’s called home since 2017. She very well could’ve been talking about Florida. In fact, Russell would love it if Sunshine State artists coopted the idea of the Tennessee Freedom Singers for a “Florida Rise” song or offshoot of the “Love Rising” concerts that raised close to $600,000 for LGBTQ+ causes in The Volunteer State.

“We can’t erase history by banning books. We

She gets the boost to soldier on onstage and on the road with bandmates. Russell—who released her latest album, The Returner, last year—says that Hozier’s audiences are some of the most diverse she’s ever seen. In North Carolina, she played to more queer Black women than ever. “It was so joyful. When we sang ‘Eve Was Black,’ there was a group of women right at the front, holding up these signs saying ‘Eve was Black, and so are we.’ I was crying because it was so beautiful,” she added.

The audiences, she noted, are young, too— and it’s Gen Z that gives her the most hope.

“They just seem to not have a lot of the same biases that have plagued previous generations, and they seem to have deep wells of empathy and compassion and care,” she said. “Really the Rainbow Coalition is everybody that believes in the basic principle of human equality of our one human family and the fact that we have a shared destiny on this one life-bearing planet that we know of in the universe. We gotta show up for each other in better ways.”

When Russell and her husband toured the country in their band Birds Of Chicago, she watched her daughter grow up in a van and try to meet new kids at a different park almost every day. Sometimes they accepted her, and other times, she would get rebuffed. But Ida— who’ll join mom for a few dates on the Hozier run—didn’t stay daunted for long.

“She’s made so many friends where other people might just see or feel like they couldn’t try again or take it to heart that they’ve been rejected. She has an endless curiosity about other people. She feels things really deeply,” Russell explained, adding that Ida often wonders why the world doesn’t do more to help people, who, like mom at one point, didn’t have a home. “She just really motivates me to be more proactive in trying to change the things we can no longer stand.”

Russell is working on getting closer to understanding true forgiveness, too—something she said is paramount if humanity is going to make it.

“It’s in short shrift these days. There’s a kind of an unfortunate kind of addiction to outrage that’s that I see happening online. Excommunicating anybody is really dangerous. To have a lack of forgiveness condemns us to an endless cycle of vengeance and violence and discord,” she added.

This summer, when Russell gets to Toronto for a show with Sarah McLachlan, she hopes to have enough courage to visit her abuser, who is now an elderly, ailing man.

“I’m going to try and go see him and just say, ‘I forgive you, go in peace,’ kind of thing. We’ll see if I’m able to do it,” she said. As the world asks the places like the Middle East, Sudan, the Congo and East Timor to break cycles of violence, Russell knows that she, too, must try.

“I think about these cycles of unbelievable harm. People that have endured and meted out harm far greater than anything I’ve ever had to endure. And we’re asking them as a global community to stop the violence, and we’re asking them as a global community to change, to break the cycles,” she said. “If I can’t practice forgiveness in my own life, how can I be asking anybody else to do it right?”

EVE WAS BLACK: Allison Russell wants you to look up the Mitochondrial Eve.

Brotherly love

Before Tampa debut, The Lemon Twigs talk influences, family and more.

By Gabe Echazabal

Brother acts have long been prevalent throughout music history and in rock and roll have been responsible for creating some of the genre’s most memorable and enduring contributions. Ray and Dave Davies, the masterminds and brothers behind one the greatest British rock bands of all time, The Kinks, immediately come to mind. Not to be overlooked are Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis, The Black Crowes’ Rich and Chris Robinson, the Wilson clan from The Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers, and, of course, The Bee Gees.

A pair that might be unfamiliar to some, but should be added to the list of historic musical brothers, is Michael and Brian D’Addario. Both are in their mid-20s, but their collective musical acumen and pedigree far pre-date the number of years they’ve been alive. The sons of Ronnie D’Addario, a longtime musician and songwriter and unabashed lover and fan of music, the brothers grew up with a steady diet of good music serving as the basis for their adoration of the art form and their drive to form their band, The Lemon Twigs.

Writing songs and learning to play instruments at an early age, the D’Addario brothers were quickly noticed for their unbelievable range and depth of talent as teenagers. The pair released an independent cassette of their songs in 2015, and, the following year, released a first proper album, Do Hollywood, on the respectable 4AD Records label, best known as the home of more ethereal and goth acts like Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, and Bauhaus.

up listening to, there are plenty of nods to The Beatles and The Beach Boys throughout. While hardly a nostalgia act or a throwback outfit, The Twigs manage to add flavor to their musical creations, which helps to avoid unfair accusations of thievery or pilfering of the music of their musical mentors. Other less obvious nods go the music of The Association, The Hollies and 10cc.

Quirky harmonies, unusual melodies, and an air of contemporariness help The Lemon Twigs maintain an aura that faithfully and lovingly looks backward while exuberantly and joyfully looking forward in carving out their niche.While preparing to embark on a major concert tour to promote the fine new album, the band is traveling to locations they’ve never before reached. Included in this jaunt is the group’s Tampa debut. Both D’Addario brothers spoke briefly to talk about the new album and the band’s first-ever local show. They shed light on their brotherly bond and their deep love and admiration for the music they grew up listening to and loving.

INTERVIEW

The Lemon Twigs Sunday, May 12. 6:30 p.m. $22 Crowbar. 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City thelemontwigs.com

While still not of voting age, the D’Addario brothers made their mark with that debut album and got the attention of critics and peers alike. Brian and Michael, then 17 and 15 years old respectively, created a record rich with harmonies, pop sensibilities, and well-crafted songs. Each handled lead vocal duties on the songs they’d individually written, and the pair played the bulk of the instruments on the record. Since then, the band has continued to build a catalog of fine albums that only get better with each subsequent release. The group has also managed to receive accolades and praise from musical luminaries like The Roots’ Questlove and legendary pop outfit, The Zombies.

The Twigs’ current offering, A Dream is All We Know (Captured Tracks), was released only a few weeks ago and is the band’s richest and most sparkling offering to date. Steeped in the obvious influence of the bands the brothers grew

“When we were finishing mixing [2023’s] Everything Harmony album, we already had four or five songs for the new album,” Michael told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. While that album leans more on ballads and quieter numbers, in contrast, A Dream is All We Know relies more on straight-up power pop and draws heavily on upbeat, melodic offerings. A guest appearance from Sean Ono Lennon on the new album, as co-producer and bassist for one of the album’s best tracks, “In the Eyes of the Girl,” came about after Lennon collaborated on a project with Michael and Brian’s father, Ronnie, on one of the senior D’Addario’s records.

“He [Lennon] reached out to us, and we came up to his studio. We spent five days working on basic tracks and we worked on the song that’s on the flexi disc b-side,” Michael added, referring to “Gifts,” which appears on a web store exclusive pressing of the new album. “It was fun. We got to track things in a live way, and we did quite a few overdubs. He was a good host.”

Asking about the pair’s father’s obvious musical influence, both brothers chimed in. Besides turning his sons onto the music of The Beatles from an incredibly early age, he was also a major factor regarding the process in which the brothers make and create music. “We’d play him a song and he’d offer what he thought would be an interesting chord or melody, but there were cases where we ignored him,” Brian mentioned.

Citing other less-obvious musical influences, the brothers brought up composer and songwriter

AS LONG AS WE’RE TOGETHER: Michael and Brian D’Addario are among rock’s great brother bands.

Burt Bacharach, whose compositions might not have had the same impact on them when they were ‘tweens, when their dad first introduced them to that catalog, but are more receptive to it now. Other less obvious influences their father brought to the young brothers include old television show theme songs. Brian mentioned the theme of the 1960s sitcom “Car 54, Where Are You?” and another one whose name eluded him.

“What was the name of it? The one with the one-armed man in it?” he stammers. “You mean ‘The Fugitive?’” Michael ased. “Yes! That’s it!” Brian exclaimed, in a relieved tone.

But both cite each of their parents when tracing their love and admiration for the arts.

“Our dad and mom have similar tastes. They share tastes and they’ve always loved movies from the ‘30s and the ‘40s” Brian said, adding that he and his brother were also interested in musical theater. The influence is evident from the fact that he and his brother Michael had stints as child actors on Broadway and a handful of television series in the earliest days of their careers.

When asked if there was a particular record or artist that led them to gravitate toward music, an unexpected but understandable answer was revealed. “The Dave Clark Five” Michael quickly offered, referring to the 1960s British Invasion rock and roll band that at one time rivaled The Beatles in fandom and popularity.

“I was going to say The Dave Clark Five too!” Brian added, which only bolstered the significance that the band had on their collective musical palettes. “They were so raw and really energized!. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Herman’s Hermits…that model of mid-60s pop meant so much to us as kids, in forming so much of a bridge for us.”

The brothers then started rattling off songs that made an impact on them and how they approached music: The Beatles’ “She Loves You,” The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City” and The Kinks’ “Dead End Street.”“That song had an edge to it” Brian recalled. “Those songs were outside of the realm of a typical song” he added.

And, outside the realm of typical songs and musical acts is exactly where The Lemon Twigs reside. Students of great, classic pop music, thanks to the influence their music-loving parents provided them at an early age, Brian and Michael D’Addario have taken sounds and vibes of the music that was created long before they were even alive and added their own quirky, unique twist to it. The result is one that, despite its familiar leanings, leaves listeners with a combined sense of intrigue and wonder. And, at last, local audiences will have the chance to experience the joyful, artful blend of style and sound The Lemon Twigs have to offer, from a live stage, for the very first time.

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

GOZADERA LATIN DANCE

MOTHER'S DAY TURTLES

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM CLOSED

TUESDAY MAY 14

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

THURSDAY MAY 16

RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM RESTAURANT & BAR OPEN 11AM-11PM

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL Recommends

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 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)

FRI 10

C Chris Stapleton w/Grace Potter/Nikki Lane Chris Stapleton, who just appeared on a new song with George Strait, is no stranger to the Bay area. Local blues fans just saw Grace Potter in St. Petersburg last month, and Nikki Lane, well, she opened for Lana Del Ray last September. But you’ll probably never see all of these heavyweights on one bill, so this one’s kind of a no-brainer for any fan of country music that doesn’t suck. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Daniel Mason w/Mark Wagner/Tyler James Nall Florida Maverick Artist Management launched last fall, and since

then the group—which includes Crowbar co-owner Tom DeGeorge, Healthy Phoenix promoter Luis Giler, and music lawyer Randy Ojeda—has regularly booked shows not just at DeGeorge’s venue, but others in the Bay area. This one features former Hank III banjo player Daniel Mason, an Alabamanian joined by Sarasota songwriter Tyler James Nall on the bill. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

C Destroy Boys w/Margaritas Podridas/ Chokecherry/Hijas De La Muerte It’s been hell of a year for Destroy Boys, the Sacramento-based quartet which spent a month last summer touring arenas alongside Turnstile and Blink-182. “…we learned so much so fast, and I feel like we became an immensely better band because of it,” guitarist-singer Violet Mayugba told Spin about the band’s whirlwind 2023. The Boys— including Alexia Roditis, Narsai Malik, and David Orozco—arrive in the Bay area with a new single, “Plucked,” which finds the band embracing its quirks and delivering a shimmery pop-rock rager. Noisy Mexican grunge-rock band Margaritas Podridas opens alongside San Francisco’s Chokecherry, and Florida’s own Hijas De La Muerte. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

C Geese w/Discord Theory There aren’t a lot of rules in a show from Geese, a Brooklyn rock band fronted by Cameron Winter who’s not afraid to ask his band to flip popular singles on their heads to mess with fans. “ ...it’s hard for us to be entirely serious about the songs when we’re on stage,” Winter

recently told Variety. A year ago, Geese was on the road with Greta van Fleet, and the band arrives in the Bay area to headline a show in support of a standout sophomore outing, 3D Country, a concept album that follows “an uptight cowboy as he wanders through the desert after taking psychedelic drugs, watching the world around him.” The cowboy’s mind unravels, and Geese deploys a genre-hopping sound (country, funk, rock) to soundtrack the experience. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Indian Classical Instrumental Concert: Shankh Lahiri w/Suddashil Chatterjett/ KV Mahabala Last weekend, Bay area tabla player and bandleader Shankh Lahiri wowed WMNF’s Tropical Heatwave with a set by WAHH World Fusion band, and this weekend he is part of a more traditional performance of Indian music alongside santoor player Suddashil Chatterjet and KV Mahabala on sitar. (Hindu Temple of Florida, Tampa)

C Pohgoh 30th anniversary show Next month, Tampa emo pioneer Pohgoh goes on another tour of Japan, but this weekend, it looks back on 30 years of history that reaches all the way back to Ybor City’s long-shuttered Blue Chair Music where the band played its first show alongside Bob Suren’s hardcore band Failure Face and Washington State postpunk OG Unwound. That show saw drums handled by a machine, but for this anniversary gig, Pohgoh has Keith Ulrey keeping time (he joined the band for its second show and hasn’t

looked back) as Pohgoh plays songs from all three of its studio albums at this no-cover record store gig. (Microgroove, Tampa)

SAT 11

Bynx Capitol Records’ Lyfestyle Corporation/Field Trip label just signed Bnyx, and this weekend the “Touch Me” producer brings his high-energy, and internet-popular, brand of drum and bass and house music as part of a U.S. tour that includes a twonight stand at Miami’s Surfcomber. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

IV and the Strange Band w/ Swamp Poney/Skinny McGee & the Handshakes/One Trip Little Masters for a new album from One Trip Little are being finalized as your read this, and the outlawfolk group fronted by Justin Little will likely

C Hozier w/Allison Russell Eleven years after he first took the world to church, there still aren’t many voices in pop as distinctive as the one that bellows out of Andrew John Hozier-Byrne. The 34-year-old Irishman better known as Hozier is on the road supporting his new album Unreal Unearth , and uses his platform to amplify traditionally-marginalized voices. Opener Allison Russell used to be one of those underheard voices, but is now a modern folk hero. Read our interview with Russell on p. 41. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Periphery w/Eidola/Jake Bowen The last time we had the chance to see the prog-metal outfit was during a headlining set at the Ritz Ybor a month before COVID-19 shut things down. Four years later, the D.C.-based band is pushing its latest album Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre , on which it breaks out the synths on a number of occasions, including on the radio-friendly “Silhouette” and the 11-minute closing epic “Thanks Nobuo.” Hardcore outfit Eidola (also on the heels of a brand-new album, which dropped less than a month ago) and Ibanez shredder Jake Bowen open. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Tamayo w/Row Jomah If you’ve hung around Dunedin in the last few years, you’ve probably seen adverts for Row Jomah at the oldest microbrewery in Florida where the band has staged Talking Heads tribute shows, album release parties, and even recorded a live album. This time, the rock-funk-jazz-etcetera fusion quintet co-headlines a two-night stand with Gainesville-based rock-electronica fivepiece Tamayo. Friday will consist of all originals from both acts, and Saturday promises an all-covers gig, only featuring renditions of Jerry Garcia, Bob Marley, Santana, and a special “Royale With Cheese: Music of the Films of Tarantino” set. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

SUN 12

tease some of it—and play lead single “I Can Handle It”—as part of this set opening for a band fronted by Coleman Williams, “the great-grandson of Hank Williams Sr., grandson of Hank Williams Jr., and only son of Hank 3.” (Brass Mug, Tampa)

Heroes: A Video Game Symphony Performances from games like “Diablo, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, and Assassins Creed, as well as a new arrangement for World of Warcraft” are all promised for this show borne from the mind of Jason Michael Paul, producer and creator of the first stateside “Final Fantasy” concerts, and “The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary” concerts. A 70-piece orchestra and choir bring it to live while visuals from the games play in the background. Leave that Apple Vision Pro at home, people. (Morsani Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)

C Mother Funker’s Ball: Ronnie Dee and the Superstars w/Kristopher James Ronnie Dee is an effervescent, immenselytalented family man, so it’s no surprise to see him bringing his love for music and community together for a show where mom gets a free beer or wine to help grease up the dancing shoes, which will get a heavy workout thanks to the horn-driven hits that Dee (son of Joey Dee) and his band will play. “I lost my mother to cancer and miss her every day. Every damn day. This will help my usual shitty mother’s day vibe turn around to something more positive, as gigging is therapeutic for me,” Ronnie told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I’m gonna hug every mom in the place.” (Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg)

TUE 14

The Remix: Milli Moon It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that one of the first people to serve as special guest at Shuffle’s weekly open mic after Pusha Preme’s Q&Aslash-performance is someone who recently worked with the local legend. Milli Moon’s smooth alto appears just about as heavily as Preme’s on “Give Up On Me.” The Queen of Trill&B is keeping details of her upcoming album Moonwave Plaza under wraps, but if it’s anything like her latest pop-meets-chillhouse single “Pink Vapors,” she may be right that no one else in town has the same sound as her. (Shuffle, Tampa)

WED 15

En Vogue Three decades after emerging as a R&B-pop hitmaker, En Vogue is still at it. A 2018 album Electric Café was the trio’s first in 14 years, and the ladies (Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron-Braggs and Rhona Bennett, without founding members Dawn Robinson and Maxine Jones) have endured legal battles to keep sharing music, this time inside the Seminole Hard Rock’s very busy event center. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

C The Florida Orchestra: Pops In The Park One of the Bay area’s finest live music traditions is the free Mother’s Day concert from The Florida Orchestra. This year’s program includes classics from Tchaikovsky, Sousa and Bernstein, but once again dips into cinema (“E.T.,” “Star Trek,” “Jurassic Park”), theater (“Phantom,” “West Side Story”) and also pop culture (Adele’s “Skyfall”). Chelsea Gallo conducts for this, first-come first-served picnic blanket show which is also a food drive for Tampa Bay Harvest. (Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa)

C The Lemon Twigs w/Crystal Egg

Michael and Brian D’Addario. Both are in their mid-20s, but their collective musical acumen and pedigree far pre-date the number of years they’ve been alive. The sons of Ronnie D’Addario, a longtime musician and songwriter and unabashed lover and fan of music, the brothers grew up with a steady diet of good music serving as the basis for their adoration of the art form and their drive to form their band, The Lemon Twigs. Read our interview on p. 42. (Crowbar, Ybor City) Gabe Echazabal

C Woolbright w/Quail Hollow/The Easy Button/TV Breakup Scene In January, three years after releasing the Carousel EP, Davie-based rock band finally put out some new music where singer-guitarist Candice Maritato takes on “Sparks” from Coldplay’s year 2000 debut. Woolbright’s version is just as melancholy, and will hopefully hold fans over as the Florida band puts the final touches on its second full-length. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

THU 16

C Fastball w/Fayroy After postponing last month, the Austin-based rock band hits downtown St. Pete with a career retrospective, and possibly even a few Patreon-exclusive tracks. A young and handsome staple of the Bay area surf-rock scene, Fayroy, opens the show. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

Swinging Down Broadway: Annamarie Smith-Butz Depending on how many touring versions of more classic Broadway shows

you’ve gone to see over the years, you may have already seen Annamarie Smith-Butz perform. Her resume includes a handful of roles that Julie Andrews has touched upon (Eliza in “My Fair Lady,” Anna Leonowens in “The King and I”) and even Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.” She’s capable of nailing “I Could Have Danced All Night” and “Suddenly, Seymour,” meaning there are hardly any challenging Broadway tunes she can’t knock out. Expect to hear showtunes turned into jazz pieces by Smith-Butz and musical director Robin Swenson. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

Also playing:

DJ Casper Friday, May 10. 9 p.m. No cover with reservation. Alter Ego, Tampa

Grateful Dead Dueling Pianos: Waynard Scheller and Josh Foster Friday, May 10. 7 p.m. $15. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg

Daniela Soledade: Caração Brasileiro Friday, May 10. 7 p.m. $22. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

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

Have Gun, Will Travel Friday, May 10. 7:30 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Los Mescalitos w/Swamp Poney F riday, May 10. 9 p.m. No cover. Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa

Lords Of Acid w/Praga Khan Friday, May 10. 6:30 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

May Daze Weekend Fest: King Bee w/The Tilt/House of I/Beach Terror/ Meteoreyes/Physical Plant/Northstar/ Lesa Silvermore Band/X Minus 1/ Domino Pink/more Friday & Saturday, May 10 & 11. 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday. No cover. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg

Zacarias Ferreíra Friday, May 10. 9 p.m. $60 & up. Club Civico Cubano, Tampa

Zingara w/Steller/Gardella/Sum.Simpl Friday, May 10. 10 p.m. $20. The Ritz, Ybor City

The Rebekah Pulley Twosome Sunday, April 12. 3 p.m. No cover. Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa

Salsa Night: Juan Bongoe Friday, May 10. 8 p.m. $15 & up. Oscura, Bradenton

Sgammato School of Music Show: Alleycat K w/Face the Fence/Maryn Alyse Band/Grant Shurley Friday, May 10. 7 p.m. $10 at the door. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

Symmetr y Friday, May 10. 8 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg

Tampa Bay Symphony: A British Fantasia Friday, May 10. 8 p.m. No cover for 18 and under and college students, $25 for everyone else. New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa

Cosmic Jenkins Saturday, May 11. 1

p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg

Danielle Mohr Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. No cover. Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor

DJ Milo Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. No cover. Oscura, Bradenton

Emo Night Rager Saturday, May 11. 8 p.m. $12. Orpheum, Tampa

Impulse Saturday, May 11. 8 p.m. $10. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

Mr. Whiskers & the 9 Lives Saturday, May 11. 8 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg

David Pabon Saturday, May 11. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Club Civico Cubano, Tampa

DJ Craze Saturday, May 11. 9 p.m. No cover with reservation. Alter Ego, Tampa

Don McLean Saturday, May 11. 8 p.m. $49 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Drake vs. Everybody Saturday, May 11. 10 p.m. No cover with RSVP before 11:30 p.m. $10 for guaranteed entry. The Ritz, Ybor City

Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. $25. Music4Life Living Arts Center, Clearwater

Reverend Billy C. Wirtz Saturday, May 11. 7:30 p.m. No cover. Biergarten at New World Brewery, Tampa

Taylor Reed Saturday, May 11. 6 p.m. No cover. Riverwalk Stage at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

Noche de Verano Sin Ti Saturday, May 11. 9 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Pusha Preme (single release party) w/ DJ Klutch/DJ Dacse Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. $15 & up. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Vavo Saturday, May 11. 12 p.m. $20 & up. WTR Pool, Tampa

The Wandering Hours Saturday, May 11. 7 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Acme Jazz Garage Sunday, May 12. 3 p.m. $13 & up. New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa

Bluegrass and Americana Jam: Little Strange Sunday, May 12. 5 p.m. No cover, but RSVP recommended. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg

Boho Sideshow Sunday, May 12. 2 p.m. No cover. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

DJ Ku & DJ Casper Sunday, May 12. 7 p.m. No cover with reservation. Alter Ego, Tampa

John Nowicki Sunday, May 12. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa

Kaleigh Baker Sunday, May 12. 4 p.m. No cover. The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg

Kayla Collins Sunday, May 12. 12 p.m. $20. WTR Pool, Tampa

Sunday Jazz: Mother’s Day with The Crew Sunday, May 12. 6 pm. No cover, but RSVP is required. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Undercover Rasta Sunday, May 12. 2 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Chops: The Rod Alnord Quartet Wednesday, May 15. 8 p.m. No cover. Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa

Big Al & The Heavyweights Thursday, May 16. 7:30 p.m. No cover. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg

Dave Seaman Thursday, May 16. 9 p.m. $15 & up. The Nest at St. Pete Brewing Company, St. Petersburg

Bonzai w/Muck Sticky/The Rhythm Inya Thursday, May 16. 7 p.m. $15. Oscura, Bradenton

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

Grateful Shred w/Circles Around the Sun Thursday, May 16. 7:30 p.m. $29.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Madonna-Gaga-Britney-Kylie Dance Party Thursday, May 16. 8 p.m. $12. Orpheum, Tampa

The Forum w/Mirror Parts Thursday, May 16. 7 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Fayroy

Hecklers are gonna love this. Ben Folds is expanding his requests tour, which is now coming to Tampa Bay.

During the show, fans of the 57-year-old songwriter, arts advocate and founder of Ben Folds Five are encouraged to launch their requests onto the stage via paper airplane (you haven’t forgotten how to fold one have you?). Folds has only played a handful of headlining shows this year, and they were all in support of his 2024 album What Matters Most , so it’s still unclear how the format will affect the makeup of the setlist.

Tickets to see Ben Folds play Ferguson Hall at Tampa’s David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Nov. 23 start at $44.50. See Josh Bradley’s weekly rundown of new concert announcements below.—Ray Roa

C Note Friday, May 17. 8 p.m. $35. Orpheum, Tampa

Cryogeyser w/Deadharrie Sunday, May 19. 5 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Red Calling w/Don’t Pet the Dinosaur/ Neon Guillotine/Val Jackson and Sunrise Highway Friday, May 24. 8 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa

Miguel Angeles w/Heffy/F3LIX Wednesday, June 12. 7 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

Blink 180-Deux w/Discord Theory Friday, June 14. 7 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

D.R.U.G.S. w/Savage Hands/ Downswing/The Requiem Saturday, June 22. 6 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

These Times w/Seneca Burns/The Hand Of Reason/Amateur Taxidermy Monday, June 24. 7 p.m. $8. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Bodybox w/Restrictor Plate/Chain Gang Wednesday, July 3. 6 p.m. $15. Orpheum, Tampa

Eyes Set To Kill w/Lost In Separation/ Spider Inside Her/No One Road Sunday, July 7. 6:30 p.m. $18. Orpheum, Tampa

Ken Carson Wednesday, July 10. 8 p.m. $49.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Northlane w/Invent Animate/Thornhill/ Windwaker Tuesday, July 16. 7 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

Steel Pulse w/Jesse Royal Thursday, July 18. 7 p.m. $34.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Asia w/Focus/more Monday, July 22. 7 p.m. $80 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

SeeYouSpaceCowboy w/The Callous Daoboys/Omerta/Roman Candle Thursday, July 25. 6:30 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

The Head And The Heart w/ Phosphorescent Friday, Aug. 2. 7 p.m. $40.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Icon For Hire w/Skydaddy/Keith Wallem Friday, Aug. 2. 7 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

Jack Botts Friday, Aug. 2. 7 p.m. $20. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

That Girl Lay Lay Saturday, Aug. 24. 7:30 p.m. $33.50 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Imagine Dragons Sunday, Sept. 1. 7 p.m. $184 & up (resale only). MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

Staind w/Breaking Benjamin/Daughtry/ Lakeview Wednesday, Sept. 25. 5:30 p.m. Prices TBA. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

The Buena Vista Social Orchestra Monday, Sept. 30. 8 p.m. Prices TBA. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert Thursday, Oct. 3. 7:30 p.m. $52.50 & up. Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

The Marley Brothers Friday, Oct. 4. 7:30 p.m. $46.65 & up. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

Anne Wilson Saturday, Oct. 5. 7 p.m.

Prices TBA. Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa

Quickies

By Dan Savage

1. I’m 53-year-old straight woman. I’ve been talking with a guy online for three years—text, voice, video. I am in love with him. He is my daily companion and he says he loves me. He lives 269 miles away. He doesn’t want to meet me, although he isn’t married, and lives alone. I’ve tried going out with other people, but I am stuck on him. I definitely want more. Do I leave him or keep trying?

Can you leave someone you’ve never met? I’m not sure—but you can do the next best thing(s): you can block his number, you can block him on your socials, you can block his email address.

2. I have a disgusting and embarrassing problem. I have chronic IBS, and every time my husband and I want to have PIV doggy-style, my butt smells and he loses his erection. I know: cringe. I have tried a number of things: changes to my diet; a treatment for SIBO; a colonoscopy/endoscopy; even using a bidet. Nothing has helped. The gastroenterologist proposed not having doggy-style sex, but that’s my favorite position! Please help.

You’ve tried everything—including a bidet (a sign of true desperation)—and nothing has worked. So, maybe it’s time to think outside the healthcare/health interventions box. My suggestion: get your husband a rubber hood and gasmask with a long breathing tube—hell, get his & hers rubber gimp suits and masks—and your husband can fling his breathing tube over his shoulder or get a longer one that runs down to the floor. You won’t be able to have doggy-style sex spontaneously if you need to get dress in full rubber before you get started—but it’s your favorite position, so why not make it an occasion?

don’t know where this leaves me. I’m not asexual. The idea of fucking a stranger literally makes me feel ill with anxiety. But I don’t want to build “an emotional connection” with a man. Too much bitterness and mistrust. So, anyone you’d care to pawn me and my problems off on?

My recommendations: Lori Gottlieb, Carolyn Hax, Damona Hoffman, E. Jean Carroll, Xaviera Hollander, and—still, always, forever—Judith “Miss Manners” Martin.

6. Please share these pronouns with your readers, listeners, and followers: She/He/Shay; Her/ Him/Shem; Hers/His/Shems; Herself/Himself/ Shemself. My thought is that these gender-free pronouns could be used rather than using plural pronouns. They could ultimately replace gendered pronouns for everyone. Thank you for sharing these gender-free pronouns with the world!

SAVAGE LOVE

Shou’re welcome? P.S. The supply of gender-free/gender-neutral pronoun options is outstripping demand: we’ve already got ve/ver/ verself, xe/xem/xemself, per/per/perself, fae/faer/ faerself, ze/zir/zirself, to say nothing of neopronouns that are impossible to conjugate (or take seriously), and only “they/ them” is in wide use. And people who prefer gender-neutral pronouns seem to have settled on they/them/themself not despite its association with a plural meaning, but because of it. (“I contain multitudes, bitches!”) Anyway, tossing your idea out there, per your request.

P.S. “Your” is a pronoun that can mean just one person or a group of people—so, wrapping our heads around singular and plural meanings of “they” doesn’t seem like an impossible task.

that to him, he’d have a breakdown. How do I walk around these landmines?

A partner who can’t take gentle criticism without having a self-lacerating meltdown may be less terrifying than a partner who flies into a rage at the slightest criticism, but in both cases the goal (conscious or subconscious) is the same: to reduce their partners to nervous wrecks. Meltdowners and ragers alike want their partners walking on eggshells at all times in a desperate and futile effort to avoid setting them off. You can stay with a pathetic meltdown type—someone like your partner—on the condition they get 1. professional help and 2. a grip. But those more dangerous and damaging ragers won’t seek help until they’ve been dumped for the hundredth time.

9. My lover and I have a weird push/pull dynamic. He reaches out for me—he texts a lot—and if I don’t respond right away he keeps texting these very sweet, very sincere messages about how concerned he is about me. But once I get back to him, I can’t get him to talk about anything going on with him. He’s great at listening, not so great at talking. I tell him everything, but I know next to nothing about what’s going on with him, despite my questions about his life. What can I do to get him to open up?

No clue.

10. I’m a bi AMAB 26-year-old enby who moved back in with my verbally abusive mom after college. Things with her came to a boiling point, so I moved in with my partner of six months. They’re 100% supportive and caring, but I’m worried about putting too much pressure on our new relationship. It’s the best relationship I’ve ever been in, and I don’t wanna ruin it, but I can’t afford my own place and I can’t move back in with my mom. What do I do?

12. I hooked up during a lunch break. While I was sucking on a dude’s titties with his encouragement, he started sucking on my neck. I shook him off as soon as I realized what he was doing, but an hour later my office bathroom mirror revealed a prominent hickey. This is a major party foul, right? Like, a borderline consent violation? How pissed at this random dude do I have a right to be?

I’m reluctant to slap the “consent violation” label on this—no need to get the authorities involved—but giving an adult a hickey is inconsiderate and juvenile, and you have every right to be pissed.

13. How to get over feeling self-conscious about poop during anal when my partner doesn’t care?

It’s a butt and regular butt stuff (it’s an exit) sometimes derails irregular butt stuff (it’s an entry). Take fiber supplements, douche, only have anal when you feel like you’re good to go, and if the worst should happen… jump in the shower and pivot to something else.

14. Best way to loosen tight ass for anal?

Poop may be its biggest PR problem, but tension is the real enemy of anal sex. So, before you engage in anal penetration, experiment with anal stimulation—that is, anal play that doesn’t involve anything going into your ass. Lubed up fingers slipping around, not in; having your ass eaten, not fucked; placing a vibrator on your hole, not inserting it. Having a few dozen orgasms during this kind of anal play will create a powerful association between anal stimulation and pleasure, decreasing anxiety and tension (which tightens you up), while ramping up anticipation and desire (which opens you up). Good luck!

3. I’m in love with my sex worker. Can it ever be more than it is?

It could—if the feelings are mutual and you’re not one of those guys who wants “his” sex worker to stop seeing other clients. You’re dating her, not taking possession of her.

4. How to survive going long-distance—suddenly and temporarily—at the beginning of a relationship?

Lean into the big dirties—dirty texts, dirty pics, dirty video chats—and give DADT a chance.

5. Recommendations for other sex advice columnists with a female perspective? I’ve been reading your stuff for years, lots of value, but I need a fresh perspective and I know my specific questions would piss you off and I wouldn’t get good advice. The outline is that I, a cishet woman in her late-30s, have recently concluded that I don’t LIKE men. At all. I’m also still a virgin. I

7. What do you call a sibling’s child who uses they/them pronouns? Merriam-Webster is musing about nibling, which feels weird but might be the answer.

If “nibling” weirds you out—perhaps due to its homophone (“nibbling: to bite gently; to eat or chew in small bits”)—you could go with the gender neutral expression my aunts and uncles used when referring to me and my siblings and our dozens of cousins: “that little shit/those little shits/you little shits.”

8. I’m with someone who cannot take even the slightest bit of criticism. If I say, “I’d like if you consult my schedule first,” or, “Can you do that more slowly—or faster, or to the left, or whatever it might be—he melts down and acts like he’s a total failure, everything is over, etc. I try to be incredibly gentle with anything I say, but he’s so sensitive we can’t really talk about anything at all. And of course, if I were to say

Six months is too soon to move in with a new partner—but what other choice do you have? If there are no sublets or roommate situations you can afford in your area and you can’t move home, you’ll have to accept your new partner’s generosity. Find ways to take the pressure off by spending time with other friends, giving your partner plenty of space and plenty of head.

11. Me and my wife are in this cycle where the sex drops off from once a week to once a month due to her not feeling sexy due to body image issues. We talk, I reassure her, we go back to having sex once a week, and then the cycle repeats. Any advice on how to break the cycle?

If body image is the issue, offer regular reassurance—not just when the sex drops off—and make sure your wife has time for solo activities that make her feel comfortable in her own skin. And broadening your definition of sex to include non-PIV options and/or asking your wife to help you have a wank once in a while (without any pressure to upgrade to intercourse) and/or offering to go down on your wife (ditto) might also help.

15. Do you think masc/masc is a toxic gay identity?

Not necessarily. Some masc guys — gay and straight — are insecure and overcompensating assholes, of course, but a masculine gender presentation isn’t always an act and it’s rarely an attack on anyone else. Just as femme can be a guy’s authentic gender expression, masc can be a guy’s authentic gender expression; just as someone can be genuinely attracted to femmepresenting partners, someone can be genuinely attracted to masc-presenting partners.

16. Have you ever ejaculated hands-free? Unless you’re talking nocturnal emissions, hands-free orgasms are rarely stim-free orgasms. They typically come after a lot of edging, build up, and play; some dude gets himself close to the point of orgasmic inevitability— using his hands—and then another dude fucks him right over the edge. And yes, I have.

Got problems? Yes, you do. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

ACROSS

1 Comprehension

6 Fern’s reproductive body 11 Lincoln et al. 19 Type of animal ID 21 Ryan’s daughter 22 Plays for about 45 minutes, in lounge lingo

23 “I’d like to thank the Academy and (a 2007 film) ...”

25 “... (a 1995 film) ...”

26 He’s a shunning example

27 Pie-cooling place

28 Hetero conclusion

29 Seurat setting, La Grand ___

32 “... (a 1955 film) ...”

37 Gram intro

38 As we speak

40 Soup of life

41 Irene’s Roman counterpart

42 “... (a 1992 film) ...”

47 Blacktop

51 Food preservative

52 Dye in the lab

53 Zodiac zoo member

55 Cuba’s primary cash crop

56 Doth speak

58 Bachelorhood bye-bye

59 “... (a 1958 film) ...”

61 “... (a 1986 film) ...”

65 Preposition for Proust

66 Some times

67 Pool hall?

68 Declaim

71 Day break

73 Word derivationally related to “spay”

77 Baseball’s big mo.

79 “... (a 1980 film) ...”

“... (a 1942 film) ...”

Glynis’s john

Ms. Dickinson

Go ___ (degenerate) 92 After your bedtime 93 Sergio’s spaghetti western composer 96 Bills or Bulls

Oldest capital city in the U.S.

“... (a 1974 film) ...”

Samuel’s teacher

Nephrite in its precious form

Pointer Sisters hit, “___ So Shy”

Art, to Warhol

“... (a 1972 film) ...”

Profound depth

Former Internet giant

Jay Gould’s railroad

Catchers

“... (a 1942 film) ...”

“... and (a 1949 film)”

Guy with a ready excuse

Love, at the Belle Aurore 128 Lose all hearing

Added spice to

Sideshow worker

Intended

Round up

The old college cheer 3 It follows you a lot

The Apostle of Ireland, for short

Upstart

Room in the game of Clue

Steps before firing 8 SNL alum Cheri

Tosses again, as a coin

Fruit served in

Achilles was dipped in it

Toothpaste, for one

Larry or Curly, to Moe

Disbelieving comeback, R. Crumb-style

The Postman

Very soon

Luke, to Darth

Archipelago near the Fijis

Dig up

Covert group discontinued by HST

Promise to tell the truth

Babe in the woods

Type of conferencing

“Peace ___ time”

Minister (to)

Culture supporter?

Holy man of the Himalayas 50 Very, in Calais

It comes between partners

Possesses 60 “Tell me, old boy ...” 62 Well-versed in

Glib

Kapek opus 10 German spa town, Bad ___ 11 Think highly of 12 Peter of Young Frankenstein

Zodiac zoo member 69 White House John 70 Wood used in musical instruments

72 Org. for Couples

73 Crew that knows CPR

74 Swift Malayan boat

75 Home of SportsCenter

76 Theatrical thespian

78 FDR’s big water project

80 Charlie’s teenaged fourth wife

81 “For ___ us a child is born” (Isaiah)

82 Relative of a bureau

83 Vaca catchers

84 Witchcraft evocations

86 Aptly named novelist Calvino

87 Fuel ingredient

88 Sum again

94 “What’s going on ___?!”

95 Coleridge’s “Dejection,” for one

98 Enters, as a class

100 Eye action or rock band

101 Ivan’s pantheon

103 Behind bars

Golden Hind captain 109 “But ___ me, give me liberty ...” 110 Yet to be rojected, as a film

111 An udder world? 113 Part 2 of an audiotape

You love, in Latin

Like Mr. Chips: abbr.

“Washboard” muscles

Computer introduced in ’84

Singer Sumac

Stephen of V for Vendetta