Creative Loafing Tampa — June 8, 2023

PUBLISHER James Howard

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf

MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields

FOOD and THEATER CRITIC

Jon Palmer Claridge

FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman

IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Arielle

Stevenson, Chelsea Zukowski

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker

SUMMER INTERN Gracey Davis

Apply for fall via rroa@cltampa.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel

CITY OF

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ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

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

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Andrew Zelman

Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest 40

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest 40

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sarah Fenske

Week ...................................................42 Concert

VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein

REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Hollie Mahadeo

DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Jaime Monzon euclidmediagroup.com

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

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The real community engagement begins now. YMCA unveils plans to redevelop six acres in Tampa Heights, p. 18.

Years of tears

Photos by Dave Decker

Emo Night Tampa and its devotees have built up quite the scene over the last eight years, and last Saturday night they all filed into Crowbar in Ybor City for a free show featuring some of the state’s best bands (Camp Trash, Gilt, and Tampa’s own Pohgoh) for the celebration. See more photos—plus some from the Emo Night Tampa photobooth the night before—via cltampa. com/slideshows.

—Ray Roa

do this

Ink Mania 2023

One of Tampa Bay’s largest tattoo conventions returns to St. Pete for a three-day celebration of body modification, art competitions and good ol’ fun. In addition to the hundreds of booths manned by artists from around the world, this convention also features tattoo contests, tunes from Tampa’s DJ Casper, educational seminars, art vendors, a graffiti wall and a seemingly-endless amount of entertainment and programming. Whether it’s your first tattoo, a long-awaited appointment with that international artist you follow on Instagram, or a regretful cover up, Ink Mania’s got your back. Its various food trucks and bars can be enjoyed in between tattoos, too. According to Ink Mania’s organizers, this weekend’s tattoo convention is also family-friendly. Friday-Sunday, June 9-11. 1 p.m.-9 p.m. $25$60. The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. inkmaniaexpo.com—Kyla Fields

Poetic Justice artist showcase

Green Book of Tampa Bay kicks off a month of Juneteenth-related events with this multifaceted showcase, part of a month-long “Black excellence” exhibit at Studio 620, which is on display until the end of June. This Juneteenth-themed event features visual art, poetry readings and live music from local, Green Book-affiliated artists like Anthony Williams, Eb and Floww, Miesha Brundridge and Zulu Painter, alongside many, many more. “Though we are constantly grieving, we still search for joy and for freedom,” Green Book writes about its Studio 620 exhibit. “Art is a form of expression that allows for these feelings.” In addition to promoting Black-owned businesses, the local nonprofit also advocates for local Black artists and cultural sites.

Friday, June 9. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $10-$15. Studio 620, 620 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. thestudioat620.org—Kyla Fields

Homegrown Stand-Up Show

Tampa is home to many artists, from painters to musicians to poets. That includes stand-up comedy, with a thriving scene and a variety of comedy clubs and venues. What we don’t really have is a lot of natives. Everybody, it seems, is originally from somewhere else. And while it’s great to have so many talented people find homes here, you kind of wonder where the original Tampeños went. Well, a few of them are still here, and four working stand-up comedians; this show features Jacoby Bruton, a comedian who travels around the country, Chuck Glass, (pictured) who was a member of the Best-of-the-Bay winning Improv group Got Jokes?, Johnny B, who’s heard on his nightly radio program on 102.5-FM The Bone, and Michael Murillo, a local writer, producer, comedian—and, in full disclosure, a Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor. They’ll each bring their unique perspectives to the show, so the audience will get a good mix of both cleaner and more adult material. Saturday, June 10, 8 p.m. $18$18. Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Rd., Tampa. carrollwoodcenter.org—Ray

Roa

12th annual Caribbean Heritage Festival

This family-friendly “vibrant celebration" and feast of Caribbean flavors comes complete with live music, dancing, food vendors and “warm community vibes”. It's a great chance to get in touch with your own roots (or truly appreciate someone else’s.) Enjoy a variety of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Jamaican food while enjoying entertainment from local artists like Mr. Unknown, Aramis y Sol, Tropi Groove, Jahfari and Mello Hype. This cultural festival is organized by Cando Inc. each year, a Tampa-based nonprofit that aims to “promote cultural awareness, development and advancement of the Caribbean American Community.” While adults have to pay a $20 admission fee, kids can attend this weekend’s cultural festival for free. Saturday, June 10. 2 p.m.-9 p.m. $20. University Park, 14013 N 22nd St., Tampa. wicando.org—Kyla Fields

St. Pete Bike Co-Op 10th anniversary

Mobility is one of the biggest obstacles to working in the Bay area, and for the last decade, the volunteer-powered, nonprofit St. Pete Bike Co-op has done its part to keep its neighbors on the road by helping folks of all backgrounds acquire a bike and learn how to fix it. To celebrate its anniversary, the co-op—which is not a bike shop that will fix your bike for you, by the way!—is holding a fundraiser and Friday night concert featuring punk and rock bands Permanent Makeup, Black Clash, Star of Kholara and Work Stress—plus artists and vendors. Friday, June 9, 6 p.m. Suggested $10-$20 donation. St. Pete Bike Co-op, 559 Mirror Lake Dr., N. St. Petersburg. stpetebikecoop.wordpress.com—Ray Roa

Pride at the Trop

The Rays are giving away a can cooler when they face the Texas Rangers for Pride day this weekend, and all eyes will be on the field for the game, too. Yes, because the Rays are the best team in baseball right now (the Rangers are close behind), but also because it’s been a year since at least five players decided not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms and hats, citing an unwavering belief in a gay-hating version of Jesus Christ. Four of those players—Jason Adam, Jalen Beeks, Jeffrey Springs, Ryan Thompson, all pitchers—are still on the team, and declined to comment on CL’s inquiry about whether or not the fellas will forgo the pride patch this weekend. Last year, lead bigot boy Thompson said his “nah” on the rainbow logo was a faith-based, “hard,” decision. “I think a lot of guys decided that it’s just a lifestyle that maybe—not that they look down on anybody or think differently—it’s just that maybe we don’t want to encourage it if we believe in Jesus, who’s encouraged us to live a lifestyle that would abstain from that behavior, just like (Jesus) encourages me as a heterosexual male to abstain from sex outside of the confines of marriage,” he said. “It’s no different.” OK, dude. Saturday, June 10, 4:10 p.m. $47 & up. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg. mlb.com/ rays—Ray Roa

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Right of way

Critics say St. Pete’s advancing sidewalk ordinance could hurt free speech.

By Arielle Stevenson

Last Wednesday, St. Pete City Council voted 6-2 to advance an ordinance broadening limitations to sidewalk activities and “table-like structures.” If approved at its second hearing, the city would have stricter restrictions on where tables and objects are on sidewalks.

William Kilgore, of the St. Pete Tenants Union or SPTU, told council he’s worried the ordinance would be used to limit free speech.

“When we have a protest or when we have a call to action, you know, we set up a table, it doesn’t block anything and it doesn’t cause any disturbance” Kilgore told the council, “City Hall’s going to be in the purview of that new prohibited zone. So that’s going to affect our organizing abilities and things like that directly.”

“Tell me about the law, if sidewalks are being blocked and there’s no permit and the police come and see that, are the tents supposed to be removed?” Montanari said.

“Yes sir, when I was here the sidewalk was not blocked,” Holloway said then. “We could only cite one person because he said the tents belonged to him. I made the decision to have the tents removed first thing in the morning.”

LOCAL NEWS

Last August, residents camped out in front of City Hall protesting for rent control (which the state has preempted). That night, Allendale Methodist Pastor Andy Oliver was cited for trespassing by St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway. In the aftermath, council member Ed Montanari questioned Holloway about why protestors hadn’t been arrested for putting tents on the sidewalk.

Holloway assured Montanari that it “won’t happen again.”

This ordinance expansion could ensure Holloway keeps his promise to Montanari. Council member Gina Driscoll proposed the original sidewalk ordinance in 2019. During last month’s Public Services and Infrastructure Committee, Driscoll asked for an expansion of that ordinance to, “create a safer space for our heavily trafficked space downtown and address some of the crowding issues downtown with tables and table-like objects.”

St. Pete’s current table ordinance bans tables in any right of way along a specific area of downtown. Under Driscoll’s expansion, that area would include the Pier, the

Edge and Grand Central District along with City Hall and other areas downtown. The current definition of blocking the right-of-way means the entirety of the stretch of sidewalk is blocked, but the new language could apply to a table blocking just a portion. As Laura Roe, a manager in St. Petersburg’s Police’s Legal Division, said last month “It’s not the crowd that’s the problem. It’s the table that’s drawing the crowd.”

But Kilgore says the current ordinance has stronger language than what Driscoll and the city are proposing. Formal written notice by SPPD is required now but not under the proposed changes. Instead of the current 90 days, removed objects would only be stored by SPPD for 30 days before disposal. SPPD would have discretion to decide what kind of objects are being used as a table or for a “table-like purpose.” Police and the city said last month that it wouldn’t apply to the homeless. But any display, exhibition,

presentation or distribution to the public could be applicable.

“I used to go out and play music, busking, on Central Avenue with an acoustic guitar, a milk crate, and a receptacle for tips,” Kilgore told council.“That becomes covered under this. You’re affecting all kinds of people; street performers, artists, non-commercial activities, you’re affecting a wide variety of people.”

Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Richie Floyd voted against the proposal. Floyd said he doesn’t think council should leave these kinds of interpretations up to SPPD.

“I’m very sensitive to issues where we’re regulating what kinds of social behaviors can be allowed,” Floyd said. “I just don’t want us to have to be relying on how we expect our police department to interpret things.”

The second hearing and final vote on St. Petersburg’s updated sidewalk activity ordinance is scheduled for Thursday, June 15.

TABLE TALK: A second hearing and final vote is scheduled for June 15.

“I just don’t want us to have to be relying on how we expect our police department to interpret things.”

POLITICS

ISSUES OPINION

Village people

YMCA unveils plans to redevelop six acres in Tampa Heights.

By Ray Roa

Tampa Heights has been a neighborhood on the rise for more than a decade, and last Thursday we caught a glimpse of the YMCA’s plans for the more than six acres it owns when Ellison Development filed rezoning requests, with plans for what a press release called “a new 6.20-acre mixed use development in Tampa Heights.”

Included in the plans are a relocation and eventual demolition of the current Bob Gilbertson Central City YMCA, which would stay open until a new, seven-story 110,000-square foot YMCA with rooftop pool is completed one block east as part of phase one of the redevelopment.

City’s Hotel Haya, nearby Tampa Armature Works, Oxford Exchange near the University of Tampa, and the members-only Stovall House off Bayshore Boulevard.

In all, 10 parcels owned by the YMCA are mentioned in the plans.

LOCAL NEWS

The new Central City Y will also have a pre-school, after-school care, programs for teens, pickleball courts and more. Renderings also show a skybridge over Florida Avenue, which will connect the YMCA to parking and the Y’s corporate offices.

Heights, but across Tampa where the YMCA has had a presence for the last 135 years.

“There are many other communities where kids and families deserve a Y… but where many cannot afford one,” he told CL. “This type of approach allows us to put a great resource (our land) to use in providing the financial means for us to build and sustain Ys in other parts of the city.”

In the press release, Mitchell said, “We look forward to robust conversations with the Tampa Heights residents and our neighbors as we explore the many ways this vision can offer value to the community.”

On the YMCA’s current plot, plans call for a 24-story multifamily tower with street-level commercial space.

Nearly 200,000 square feet of office space, 20,000 square feet of green space, 447 multifamily units—with at least 10% dedicated to affordable housing, according to the release—are also part of the plan. “Small, minority-owned businesses” will also be part of the 100,000 square feet of retail.

The old Standard Oil Building (110 E Oak Ave.), which currently serves as the YMCA’s administrative home, would become the lobby for what the press release describes as “a 200room luxury-lifestyle hotel.”

A 10-foot easement along E Palm Avenue for a potential streetcar expansion is included in the plans, but the old fire station (aka Red Door No.5) will stay and is not part of the plans.

If approved by Tampa City Councilmembers— which could make a decision on the development in November—Ellison says it can break ground on the new YMCA next summer and finish the entire redevelopment in five years.

YMCA President and CEO Matt Mitchell told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that one of the Y’s key responsibilities between now and council’s decision is to definitively show that the redevelopment is a good project for the neighborhood and Tampa in general. “Initial feedback would suggest it is, but we need to work hard to make this a project everyone can be proud of,” he added.

Mitchell said the YMCA started working exclusively with Ellison six or seven months ago. Over the years, many parties have reached out to buy their properties or see what the organization would do if they developed it. In the end, he was attracted to the development company’s “local roots and understanding of our desire to make this a hub of activity for our community… for those who live here and those who wish to visit.”

Other local projects where Ellison Development was the contractor include Ybor

In the press release, Mitchell said, “Our new facility and the surrounding development will generate resources to further our mission and extend our reach into underserved Tampa communities.”

He told CL that the YMCA would not own the hotel, residential complex or retail parts of the development, and instead lease the land to developers. He says that revenue will help the organization fulfill its mission not just in the

Mitchell added that the YMCA and its partners are in active discussions about figures and values regarding construction, leases and development of the land it owns, and was unable to speculate on how much money the deals would make for the nonprofit. “Any shared numbers at this point would be extremely premature. Happy to share more details as they become more concrete,” he added.

Traditionally, the YMCA has been accessible to a wide swatch of the neighborhood, including those who can’t pay for all or part of the YMCA’s programs. The YMCA’s mission statement is “to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”

Just one piece of public comment was uploaded to the City of Tampa’s Accela portal. The email expresses general support for the YMCA increasing density on the parcels it owns between Florida Avenue and Tampa Street but also shares concerns about the request for additional density at properties on Florida and Ross Avenue.

Mitchell told CL that most of the YMCA’s conversations about redevelopment have been with immediate neighbors and local stakeholders in the YMCA, adding that, “The real community engagement begins now.”

The YMCA’s already incorporated suggestions from initial discussions into the redevelopment plan, Mitchell said, including the preschool, skybridge, and minority business allocations in the retail portion. Community conversations and sessions with civic groups, he added, have been scheduled to hear input as the plan develops.

WHATEVER YOU FEEL: Tampa City Council still needs to OK the YMCA’s plan.

“We look forward to robust conversations with the Tampa Heights residents and our neighbors…”

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God’s plan

A message from the senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa.

By Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw

My husband and I finally had the conversation that I never actually expected us to have. It was Friday, after we’d both finished work for the day. It started off as a typical just-got-home chat, with silliness and recounting stories of our day, using the shorthand and inside jokes of a couple that’s been together for a long time. I find him enchanting, even after all these years. We talk with the excited cadence of a couple that is newly dating, but with the depth of two people who have sheltered one another through unimaginable storms.

I was surprised, sitting on our bed, having a lighthearted conversation, to find myself suddenly asking him when we will know if we need an exit strategy. I didn’t imagine that we’d reach the point where living in Florida would become untenable, for us as a gay male couple, and for me as a transgender person. Suddenly the hatred spilling out of Tallahassee was right there, in our bed with us. The weight of Florida politics had crept into our safe space.

COLUMN

because of ignorance, fear, and hate. The visible presence of LGBTQ+ people is vital. I was about 16 years old the first time I went to a Pride event. It was transformative and lifesaving for me. Just looking around and knowing that I was not alone meant everything to me. Since then, I have actively chosen a vocal and visible queer presence, and I specifically choose to do that in Florida today. These days, I am hearing a lot of Floridians talk about leaving. I understand that impulse. I really do. I hope that others will also choose to stay, to be visible, to be present, to keep living our lives, loving each other, and being ourselves. I hate to think of all the joy and inspiration that might pack up and get out. It hurts my heart to think about all those folks who are going to be left behind.

I am the senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa (MCC Tampa), the oldest, established LGBTQ+ organization in Hillsborough County. My husband, Allan, works for a community organization that provides HIV prevention, education, and treatment, primary care, LGBTQ+ healthcare, and other incredible services. We are both passionate about activism, care, and support in our community.

I was born and raised here in Tampa. This is my home. I remember when I was an awkward teenager, in the 1990s, struggling with my gender identity and my sexuality. I certainly wouldn’t have thought then that I’d feel unsafe here in 2023. I guess I imagined that by the time I was middle-aged it would all be so much better, not worse.

Of course, in many ways, we have seen vast improvements over the years. Society as a whole, in this country, has become more accepting, even just in recent years.

Marriage equality was not yet in place when Allan and I started dating, our community won that right, and were able to get married. Later, I was fortunate enough to be able to adopt our kids. Love made our family long before the laws caught up, but they did catch up, eventually. I have a lot of faith in the possibility of things getting better, even as we currently seem to be in a dystopian downward spiral. I am choosing to hope.

The thought of leaving Florida was shortlived. We refuse to be run out of our state

Yes, staying here is a challenging prospect and I fully support folks in doing whatever they need to do to survive and even thrive, whether that is staying or leaving. So much is on the line right now. For trans people, in particular, the struggle is very real. The prospect of staying is daunting. Our healthcare is in jeopardy. Our livelihoods are in jeopardy. It’s even illegal for us to use most public restrooms at this point. I can’t go online or watch the news without hearing yet another elected official make me feel unsafe. The current anti-LGBTQ+ laws are only part of the problem. When politicians and pundits imply that we are dangerous, that even saying words like “gay” or “trans’’ puts kids at risk, they are demonizing us. They are stoking the flames of fury in their followers, and I fear that this will lead to violence.

I will continue to meet hatred with love at every turn, for as long as I am able. I choose hope. I owe it to that awkward and uncomfortable queer kid I once was, and to all the kids who are trying to find their path today. In my faith tradition, we speak a lot about calling. I truly believe I was called to this. God called me to be exactly who I am, as a trans person, as a gay person, as a husband, parent, and pastor. What an amazing blessing it is to have walked the path I have walked so far! Now is not the time to be silent about our stories, now is the time for pride. If you are a Floridan who is being oppressed and you’ve felt silenced by hateful rhetoric, I hope you can feel boosted by this instead. You are not alone. You are valid. You are loved. You belong.

THE TALK: Allan (L) and Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw (R) finally had the conversation they never expected to have.

“Now is not the time to be silent about our stories, now is the time for pride.”

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Local talent

Castor picks police chief, plus more Tampa news.

By Ray Roa

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is skipping her promised national search, and going local in the selection of the city’s next police chief. Last Friday, Castor told reporters that interim Chief Lee Bercaw—a 27-year-veteran of TPD—is her choice to lead the department going forward.

Bercaw will have to go before city council for approval—as early as June 15, according to the mayor—but his appointment is not expected to be as contentious as the one for his predecessor, disgraced Police Chief Mary O’Connor, who was forced to resign after Creative Loafing Tampa Bay unearthed video showing her using her badge to get out of a traffic stop. O’Connor was with her husband Keith O’Connor—who is a leader in the city’s Neighborhood Enhancement or code enforcement department—when they were pulled over last November by Pinellas Sheriff near their home in Oldsmar.

Hillsborough County elections office says

58,000 voters had information hacked

An investigation into possible “criminal cyberactivity” at Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office says that approximately 58,000 voters had their information hacked. On May, 3, less than a week after the 2023 Tampa Municipal Runoff Election results were officially certified, the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office announced that a server was “illegally breached.”

The incident launched an investigation involving federal, state and local law enforcement officials.

LOCAL NEWS

Castor nominated O’Connor for top cop despite public outcry over her role in discriminatory policing operations (“Biking While Black,” and TPD’s crime-free multi-housing program) and past felony charges of battery on a law enforcement officer. O’Connor’s appointment also flabbergasted locals who expected Castor to select then-interim chief and West Tampa Native Ruben “Butch” Delgado to lead the department (he’s since retired and works in the private sector).

In explaining her choice to skip a national search for a police chief, Castor said that Bercaw—who has a doctorate in criminal justice from St. Leo University, a master’s in criminal justice administration from the University of South Florida, and a bachelor’s in criminology—has navigated different issues in outstanding fashion.

Last Wednesday, Hillsborough officials said the breach involved a user illegally accessing voter information used for registration list maintenance.

“The investigation has determined that an unauthorized user appears to have illegally accessed and copied files containing personal identification information, such as social security or driver license numbers, primarily from files used to conduct voter registration list maintenance,” said the statement.

“Voter registration list maintenance is the state-mandated process by which the office continually reviews its voter roll to identify necessary updates,” the statement continued.

“It’s important to note that the voter registration system and the ballot tabulation system, which have additional layers of security, were not accessed.”

CHOSEN ONE:

“He has not only continued to hold the Tampa Police Department up to the standards that our community expects. He has grown and moved this department forward,” Castor added.

In the run up to appointing O’Connor, Castor and her administration could not provide details on the search.

“The only thing that’s going to change is taking that word and ‘interim’ off,” Bercaw told reporters. He alluded to his many jobs in the department over nearly three decades and deflected credit for his appointment to the command staff behind him at TPD headquarters.

In a previous statement, Hillsborough County Elections Supervisor Craig Latimer reiterated that the breach did not interfere with the recent elections.

“Our voter registration system has multiple layers of protection, monitoring and redundancy,” said Latimer.

“Our tabulation system does too, and uses a stand-alone, air gapped server that is not connected to anything else. That server has not been compromised in any way.”

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office believes the breach may have involved roughly 58,000 registered voters, who will be notified via letter this week about the incident. Since the criminal investigation is still active, officials did not share any other details, like when the “cyber incident” occurred.—Colin Wolf

Interim Chief Lee Bercaw (L) and Mayor Jane Castor.

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Gimme shelter

Vicki Gibson found safety in gay bars—now she runs one of her own.

By Arielle Stevenson

When Vicki Gibson opened the Lady’s Room lesbian bar in Largo last April, it was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Gibson was born and raised not far from her bar on Ulmerton Road. Growing up, her mom kicked her out after finding out she was gay. Without a home to return to, Gibson says she found solace in lesbian and gay bars.

“My mom just got mad one day and put my clothes into a brown paper bag,” Gibson told Creative Loafing, “She said I wasn’t hers.”

With a bag of clothes inhand, Gibson took a bus to St. Petersburg, where she knew of a club later known as “Grand Central Station.”

had nowhere else to go. She moved back to the area in 2015 with that dream in mind. In 2022, she opened Lady’s Room—located at 9057 Ulmerton Rd.—and in doing so created arguably the only dedicated lesbian bar open in Florida.

FOOD NEWS

Located in a strip mall alongside Atomic Tattoos, and TJ’s Soul Food, sits the Lady’s Room. Think ‘70s and ‘80s aesthetics, a proper dance floor, a proper stage, plus good food and good drinks. The spot does drag king and queen shows, open mics, karaoke nights and more. When it’s busy, it’s really busy. But on a random Thursday night in May, things were slow.

The Lady’s Room 9057 Ulmerton Rd., Largo 727-953-3794. @theladysroomlargo on Facebook

“It was my escape,” Gibson said. “I sat there drinking pina coladas until they closed, then I slept on a bench until they opened again. It was a safe space.”

Grand Central Station, formerly known as DT’s lounge, was located in what would soon become the Grand Central District. According to Brian Longstreth, one of the St. Pete Pride co-founders, activist and realtor (Punky’s, Pride, Gay St. House), DT’s had long been a fixture in the scene. “It was a longtime gay neighborhood dive bar,” Longstreth told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Longstreth said the original owner, Wayne Palmer, became the first person to donate to St. Pete Pride, before it was even incorporated. In 2002, Palmer sold the property to new owners who renamed it Grand Central Station for the new neighborhood.

A year later, St. Pete Pride held its first parade in the Grand Central, celebrating the end of Florida’s ban on same-sex couples. But Gibson remembered it as a home.

“I was off the streets in a safe place and I relied on that,” Gibson said. “One thing I could never get out of my mind was wanting to more or less bring that back.”

Her dream was to open a lesbian bar, the kind of place that made her feel safe when she

“It’s a safe place to go with the ones you love,” Gibson said. “A place to go and escape for a while.”

But the bar has struggled between COVID-19, last fall’s hurricanes, and the anti-LGBTQ legislated climate created under Gov. Ron Desantis.

“Employees are afraid of somebody coming into the bar and shooting up the place,” Gibson said. “Today was the third day in a row I had ‘Jesus Saves’ cards taped all over the windows and doors.”

Gibson says she’s sold all her assets and put everything into the Lady’s Room but it isn’t enough. So friend and bar regular Tina Sapia decided to help. She posted Tik Tok videos of Gibson talking about what Florida’s last lesbian bar is facing. She went viral. The Cruising Pod, a podcast dedicated to traveling the country visiting what remains of America’s lesbian bars, picked up the story.

“It’s been incredible,” Sapia told CL. “To see these people coming out to support the bar and Vicki.”

Soon millions of people across the country were tuned into Gibson’s plight. The video was shared by “Princess Diaries” actress and lesbian activist Heather Matarazzo, who asked the lesbian and LGBTQ community to come out and show support in “fascist Florida.”

“If you’re an ally, if you’re a lesbian, if you’re a part of the LGBTQ community, please go

support the lady’s room,” Matarazzo said in the video. “There’s only one lesbian bar in Florida, only one. Lesbians, I know we’re really happy at home with our cats, I don’t want to go out but we’ve got to.”

A GoFundMe has raised over $40k since April. That’s helped Gibson pay off some of the debt, but she needs a steadier clientele if she’s going to stay open.

“I’ve sold all my property, I’ve tried banks and finance companies,” Gibson said. “They won’t touch it, they won’t say it’s because I’m a lesbian—but that’s what it felt like.”

In the last few weeks, Gov. Desantis has signed a slew of anti-LGBTQ legislation, banning minors at drag shows, the Don’t Say Gay law for students and educators, and genderaffirming care for minors. The impact is a chill on business at the Lady’s Room once again. “People are afraid to go out,” Gibson said. But she isn’t slowing down anytime soon, there’s a full roster of shows planned as Pride arrives.

“I was disabled and in bed 24/7 and this gets me out of bed in the morning,” Gibson said. “I just want to keep making it better.”

MAKING ROOM: After being kicked out of home, Vicki Gibson found it in lesbian bars.

ARIELLE STEVENSON

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Take five

5 Bucks Drinkery sets opening date for Pinellas Park location, and more Tampa Bay foodie news.

By Kyla Fields

Ahighly-anticipated bar will soon make its mid-Pinellas debut. Located at 7402 49th St. N in Pinellas Park—adjacent to a plaza that houses MD Oriental and Kung Fu Tea—5 Bucks Drinkery’s second location is slated to host a grand-opening on Thursday, June 15, according to owner Joshua Connell.

The bar’s wide variety of beer, wine and specialty cocktails are joined by a menu of boozefriendly fare like burgers, tacos and sandwiches, plus a corner filled with popular arcade games.A few of its signature drinks include the “Pink Taco” shot, complete with raspberry vodka, watermelon Schnapps, Sprite and sour mix, and the “Slutty Peter” cocktail loaded with dragon berry rum, peach Schnapps, pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine.

While the drinks and food items at 5 Bucks used to be $5 each, most cocktails average around $5.99 these days (thanks, inflation). Luckily, all domestic beer tall boys are still only $3.50. In a conversation last year, Connell told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that 5 Bucks’ signature cocktails will also be available in 32-ounce to-go containers for folks that want to get sloshed via Uber Eats or DoorDash.

5 Bucks’ flagship location on the 200 Block of Central Avenue has been a First Friday staple for the better part of 12 years. Hatewatchers of the MTV reality show “Floribama Shore” might recognize 5 Bucks’ downtown location as a frequent backdrop for its buzzed reality stars.

If Pinellas Park’s 5 Bucks boasts the same hours as its flagship location, it will be open from 11 a.m.-3 a.m. daily. For the latest information on 5 Bucks Drinkery and its upcoming grand opening, head to its Facebook page.

Mutts & Martinis, a new bar and dog waterpark, is now open in downtown St. Pete Grand Central District’s newest addition is the ideal place for your dogs to cool off in the summer heat. Located at 2900 Central Ave. in St. Pete, bar and doggy waterpark concept Mutts & Martinis celebrated its highly-anticipated grand opening last month to the delight of dog parents across Tampa Bay. Folks didn’t have to be members to attend its grand opening festivities, but memberships and registered pups are now required to access Mutts & Martinis’ fullystocked bar and menu of small plates.

Other guidelines for Mutts & Martinis include: up-to-date vaccinations, male dogs over 18 months old must be neutered and no in-heat female dogs are allowed. All pups must pass a “temperament test” before accessing the main park area. Owners can learn more

about the bar’s rules and regulations on muttsandmartinisoncentral.com.

Besides its massive dog waterpark, Mutts & Martinis offers a variety of specialty cocktails for their owners. Various flavors of mutt-garitas and martinis are on its menu, alongside an expected spread of beers and specialty cocktails like the “Puffy Poodle,” complete with rum, lime and strawberry puree.

Mutts & Martinis’ “human hours” are 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, noon-midnight on Fridays and 10 a.m.-midnight on Saturdays. Its “dog hours” are pretty much the same minus late Friday and Saturday nights, since all pups must be off the premises by 9 p.m. to safely make way for

property in Florida, it’s going to be torn down and redeveloped.”

Located at 9555 Blind Pass Rd. on St. Pete Beach, Sea Hags is known for its menu of freshlycaught seafood, live music and “Old Florida Charm.” Sea Hags’ manager Evan Carpenter told WVTV that its former building will be redeveloped into a new concept, but neither he or the owners are sure what will replace the beloved St. Pete Beach outpost. In 2021, St. Pete Catalyst reported that Ping Pong Partners, founders of the Cordova Inn and Station House, purchased Sea Hags and its property for $5.2 million dollars with plans for a “condo resort development.”

The beachside restaurant retained its entire staff until its last day open and continued to

chock full of Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian delicacies will pop up every Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m.-11 p.m. both nights. From boba teas, spring rolls and barbecue to specialty desserts, papaya salad and Vietnamese-style crawfish—the newly-launched Saigon Summer Night Market is a great place to sample a variety of made-to-order street foods.

Market organizer Lew Nguyen moved from California to Tampa Bay two years ago with the intention to start a business, and his dreams of creating a family-friendly gathering space have finally come into fruition. “I noticed that there weren’t many vendors or Asian markets like there were in California,” Nguyen tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I created this night market because it’s good for the local community and helps families and kids come together.”

Nguyen hosted his first street food market in the beginning of May, but took a few weeks off to restructure and organize it using the feedback he received from his first—somewhat overwhelming—wave of customers. “Over 1,000 people from different parts of Florida attended the first market, I was shocked that people would drive hours to come here,” Nguyen says.

Some of the vendors that attendees can expect at this weekend’s market include boba slingers Bambu, Tampa’s Gao Restaurant, Thuy Cafe, Juju Taiyaki, T & T’s Pho, Quan Ngon FL, JuMary Eats and Basil & Rosemary—alongside a dozen more small businesses slinging a variety of Southeast Asian fare. Nguyen emphasizes that although a majority of his vendors specialize in Asian cuisines, he accepts folks from all backgrounds at his weekly market.

live music and other entertainment. Mutts & Martinis is closed Monday-Tuesday.

After 15 years, St. Pete Beach’s Sea Hags Bar & Grill has closed Last week, Sea Hags Bar & Grill announced the June 5 closure of its popular beachside restaurant on social media. “We all kind of knew this day was coming when a developer bought the property a few years ago, but that doesn’t make it any easier,” Sea Hags recently wrote on Facebook. “We got 15 years out of this place— which was a pretty good run for an old fishing hut built in the 1950s. But like so much waterfront

boast daily specials like baked sea bass, grilled snapper and smothered ribeyes all last week. In addition to its flagship Blind Pass restaurant, Sea Hags once operated two more locations in Seminole and St. Pete Beach, which have both closed within the last few years.

Vietnamese street food event Saigon Summer Night Market returns to Clearwater

Fingers crossed that Florida’s impending hurricane season won’t affect a brand new night market that’s popping up in Clearwater this summer. Located at 14100 US Hwy. 19 N at Clearwater’s Little Saigon Plaza, a night market

Nguyen is always looking for more Tampa Bay-based food vendors to participate in his summer market series. Folks interested in slingin’ eats at this new Clearwater market can email Nguyen directly at festiveflingllc@gmail.com or give him a call at (727)-737-6774. For the latest information about its vendor list, head to Saigon Summer Night Market’s Facebook page, where updates are posted regularly.

New St. Pete restaurant and lounge, The Catalyst, will open out of the former Chief’s Creole Cafe space

St. Pete’s storied Chief’s Creole Cafe served its very last customers in April, and its replacement is already gearing up for its soft opening. Multifaceted hospitality concept The Catalyst on the Deuces will soon open out of the prized, pink building at 901 22nd St. S, dishing out tasty Jamaican food, cocktails and laid-back patio hangs. Local entrepreneur Jason Bryant, continued on page 40

RAISE YOUR SPIRITS: 5 Bucks is known for its massive, yet stiff drinks.

5 BUCKS DRINKERY/FACEBOOK

founder of local consulting business New Era Thinking, is one of the St. Pete residents committed to revitalizing the historic space.

“The southside is always a few steps behind the rest of the city, even though it’s literally less than a mile from all of this growth that’s happening,” Bryant tells CL. “ I really love my city and I love the lifestyle here, but I’d like to see The Deuces become a destination like downtown or the Grand Central District.”

Bryant says that The Catalyst aims to soft open sometime this month, and that light renovations have already taken place in the dining room and outdoor patio of the former Chief’s Creole Cafe. As for its iconic pink facade and large mural of Louis Armstrong, Bryant says those aspects will stick around for the time being, although the outside of the building might eventually get a facelift.

When Elihu and Carolyn Brayboy announced the closure of their Southern restaurant in April, the couple stated they would retain the facility, but it would remain “available to any entrepreneur who would like or

need a venue.” Bryant, his business partner Jeffrey Copeland and Chris, Sheldon and Andrew Steele—owners of St. Pete’s recentlyclosed Sid’s Caribbean Cafe—stepped up to the plate. Sid’s quietly closed its doors on Central Avenue earlier this year to the dismay of oxtail-lovers across The ‘Burg, but will bring its jerk chicken, stewed cabbage and savory beef patties to the southside this summer. In addition to its Caribbean restaurant, lounge and patio, Bryant says The Catalyst will also be available to rent for private parties and events.

according to St. Pete Catalyst. Bryant is applying lessons he learned from the Manhattan Casino and the now-closed 22 South Food Hall to his newest project in The Deuces.

“One of the things that I learned with 22 South is that the restaurant business is very unique and requires a certain level of skills and patience, which doesn’t suit me anymore,” Bryant says.

FOOD NEWS

The Steeles will operate their Jamaican restaurant inside of the building while Bryant manages the patio and lounge area, although customers of both businesses will be able to patronize either side in a seamless manner.

Free beer returns to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay this summer

A few weeks ago, the park announced that from now until July 20, annual pass holders who are 21-and-over can score two free 7-ounce beers per visit, while guests with regular admission can score one free beer.

Besides running his local consulting business and being involved in various community organizations, Bryant was most recently part of the Urban Collective, a group of St. Pete residents that attempted to revitalize the Manhattan Casino and operate its food hall in 2021.

Last year, Mayor Ken Welch did not renew its lease after a tumultuous few months between the city and tenants of the historic building,

“The community really does want something in that area, ran by people that have no other agenda,” Bryant continues.

“We need to start leaning on the history of The Deuces and factoring that into the business, while remaining flexible and hosting a variety of events for the people that live here.”

For the latest information on The Catalyst and its upcoming soft opening, head to its Instagram at @catalystonthedueces.

The free beers will be available at Twisted Tails Pretzels, which is located in the Pantopia area of the park from 10:30 a.m. to one hour prior to park closure. The park’s Hospitality House used to be the spot for free beers, but last January the building was transformed into the Springs Taproom, which hosts a full bar with a 12-tap rotating beer list, frozen cocktails and small bites. But moving the free beers to Twisted Tails is a smart move by the park, considering the spot is home to BG’s only place to get pretzel-wrapped hot dogs and sausages.

Free beer has been a Busch Gardens staple for over 50 years, all the way back to when it was owned by Anheuser-Busch. But the park ended the promotion in 2009. In 2019, during its 60th anniversary, BG brought it back.

Colin Wolf

continued from page 36

DEJA BREW: Busch Gardens revived its annual free beer promotion in 2019.

Now at The Dalí

Over 100 rarely displayed drawings from the hand of Salvador Dalí offer a glimpse into the artist’s most intimate and spontaneous creative process.

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Big splash

Weeki Wachee and mermaid culture star in new Netflix docuseries.

By Chelsea Zukowski

It’s a great summer to be a mermaid—thanks to the premieres of “The Little Mermaid” remake and the new Netflix docuseries “MerPeople.”

The four-part docuseries debuted last month and is all about professional mermaids and mer culture. Of course, you can’t talk about mermaids without including Weeki Wachee—the unofficial mermaid headquarters.

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay watched the docuseries for review, and Weeki Wachee and Florida mermaids are among the show’s top stars. Former Weeki Wachee mermaids like Crystal Robson, Arlene Brooks, Ruth Greening and “the mermaid queen” Barbara Wynns feature heavily in the series. Some of them, like Brooks, still occasionally swim in mermaid tails.

The famous mermaids of Weeki Wachee, especially Wynns, inspired Eric Ducharme to become a merman and eventually the famous Mertailor. His Citrus County-based company chiefly creates mermaid tails—the most expensive of which can cost up to $5,000. Mertailor also sells other merpeople accessories like bra tops, leggings, themed clothing and accessories, and even “guppy tails” for the little mermaids.

“Getting the ability to share my story and my history as the Mertailor; it’s a very exciting opportunity for me and for us,” Ducharme told CL. “I’m excited to see what this docuseries will bring to the rest of the world.”

“MerPeople” chronicles Ducharme’s childhood obsession with mermaids, his experiences at Weeki Wachee and the creation of his Mertailor brand.

“I fell in love with mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. That’s where my adventure started,” Ducharme said.

Ducharme also credits legendary Weeki Wachee mermaid Wynns for taking him under her fins and bringing him into the mermaid club. As a child, Ducharme’s grandparents, who lived behind the park, frequently took him to mermaid shows.

“I was so enchanted and captivated by mermaids as a child,” Ducharme said. “And I’ll never forget the first time I met Barbara (Wynns).”

Ducharme attended mermaid summer camp at Weeki Wachee. When he asked Wynns for a tail, she snuck a discarded one to him. The rest is history, Ducharme said, as Wynns helped him

get into the springs, get scuba certified and learn underwater ballet. He was around nine years old at the time. When he was older, he worked at Weeki Wachee making and repairing costumes and swimming as a merman prince.

“I was surrounded by this group of older women who no longer got paid to be mermaids, but were still so passionate,” Ducharme said. “Like this sorority, this family they kept on creating over the years.”

“MerPeople” also shows some of the final stages of construction of Ducharme’s Mermaid Aquarium Encounter, which opened in April 2022 on Gulf to Lake Highway in Lecanto, 30

spotlighting the mermaid auditions and the launch of the bold underwater Halloween show.

“So, to watch the trajectory of Mertailor’s Mermaid Aquarium Encounter unfold up close like—over those months—was fascinating,” Wade said. “This allowed the series to have lots of cinéma vérité scenes where the action unfolds in front of the camera, which is my favorite kind of filmmaking.”

Many of the people featured in the docuseries, even if they aren’t from Florida, reminisce about seeing their first mermaid show at Weeki Wachee, calling the crystal-clear springs a “magical” place.

Weeki Wachee has hosted live mermaid shows for over 75 years, and in “MerPeople” is portrayed as the place to be for professional mermaids. It’s a dream destination for one of the other main characters of the series, Mermaid Sparkles, also known as Brittany Sparkles. She

athletically trained underwater artists, many of whom are former circus performers. There are heartwarming scenes of kids screaming their excitement over getting to swim with a mermaid. There are also screams of pain from a mermaid furiously trying to wash her eyes out after swimming in an over-chlorinated pool. Cutthroat competition with an edge of danger is also there, as seen in mermaid auditions for Ducharme’s attraction and for the elite Circus Siren Pod. Before anyone gets in the pool, founder Morgana Alba said the number one rule of Circus Siren Pod is “no dead mermaids.”

Throughout the series, Alba drills down the importance of listening to and taking care of your body as a mermaid—breath training, ear and sinus care to ward off infections and capped performances in cold aquarium tanks to avoid hypothermia. There’s also a strong sense of community among finned folk, who often talk to each other with charmingly cheesy mermaid puns—saying “shello” to “seasters” and showing off “mersonality” to become a “FINalist” in a king and queen of the seas competition.

“MerPeople” touts professional mermaiding as a half-billion-dollar industry, showing how being a professional mermaid goes far beyond the ability to swim with your legs bound in a tail. According to MarketWatch, the value of just the mermaid tail market was $151 million in 2022, and is expected to reach $240 million in 2028.

The docuseries also touches on the why of being a mermaid—it’s a form of escapism, selfexpression or a passion turned into a career. There are Weeki Wachee mermaids, of course, but there are also mermaids who work at birthday parties, renaissance fairs, corporate events and at high-end restaurants and casinos.

miles north of Weeki Wachee. The attraction features marine life aquariums and education attractions as well as a 13,000-gallon underwater theater for Ducharme and the other resident mermaids to perform.

“It was always a dream for me…to create my own mermaid destination,” Ducharme said. “And here we are, 15 years later, 20 years later. I’m living my dream.”

Docuseries director Cynthia Wade said some of the first and last days of filming were spent with Ducharme, watching him and his team bring the Mermaid Aquarium Encounter to life. That included spending hours filming the attraction’s massive tank being lowered into the right position,

calls herself a “landlocked mermaid” because of her home in Arkansas but uses social media to share her lifestyle and book paid gigs like birthday party appearances.

In the first episode, Mermaid Sparkles ventures down to Florida to audition to be a part of Ducharme’s new pod of mermaids. The rest of the docuseries follows the highs and lows of being a mermaid, told through the eyes and fins of those who train and save to be part of this underwater world. The emphasis on the different mermaid styles is heavy—the classic Weeki Wachee mermaids of our Florida childhoods are worlds apart from the merfolk personas on social media. Then there are the

“As I met mermaids…I saw that mermaiding is a metaphor and a testament to the epic power of being oneself,” Wade said. “Each of the characters in this series has faced steep obstacles, and many have had a profound sense of being ‘othered.’ While their stories are distinct, each is motivated by their determination to bring forth the magic that lives inside of them, and to share this magic with the world.”

Just like the mythical sirens of lore, there is an allure or even a calling to don a colorful, sparkly tail and be under the sea in your own little mermaid story.

“What little girl or little boy doesn’t want to be a mermaid…at some point that thought is there,” Ducharme said. “And for some of them, that thought, that seed is going to flourish into something much larger.”

SEEN, QUEEN: OG Mermaid Barbara Wynns gets shine in ‘MerPeople.’

Pride life

The best St. Pete Pride happenings this and next weekend. From the St Pete Pride Guide

St. Pete Pride is finally here and the monthlong celebration kicked off last weekend with the free kickoff party on Central Avenue. Here are some St. Pete Pride events happening this month. Pick up the official St. Pete Pride guide or visit cltampa.com to read more, and get a full rundown of the St. Pete Pride concert schedule.

LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Day This joyfilled event will bring thousands of LGBTQ+ youth, queer families and allies to North Straub Park for this one-of-a-kind Pride event. Last year’s event was a remarkable reflection of St. Pete’s diverse and open-minded community, with many of the attendees being ally families. Guests will enjoy family-focused activities, vendors, and main stage performances. Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. St. Pete Waterfront Downtown, 400 Bayshore Dr. NE

more about the deep impact of Black and Brown qulture on the LGBTQ+ community as a whole and its deep roots in the evolution of Pride. The Shades of Pride Festival, with special guest TS Madison, will host the King Jives Show Live, Ballroom Extravaganza with host Yummy, Blaque- OUT Magazine writer Javannah Davis interview with TS Madison, Poetry Slam with the Blunt Space, Legendary Trans Panel, and the Pride Afterdark Party. This event purposefully centers the voices of the Black and Brown LGBTQ+ community by uplifting their experiences through collaboration, local entertainment, and vendors from within the community. This is an 18+ event.

PRIDE

St. Pete Pride

Through June 30. Various venues stpetepride.org

Get Nude: Drippin’ In Melanin If you missed last year’s TBBL Get Nude party, you definitely don’t want to miss this year. Join us at Savant on Second from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. for a room full of the most beautiful, flyest Black Queer Women in all of Florida dressed in their grown & sexy shades of melanin. Saturday, June 10, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $15 Savant on Second, 634 2nd Ave. S

Shades Of Pride Shades of Pride Festival will celebrate the history of Juneteenth while showcasing the Art and Qulture of our Black and Brown LGBTQ+ siblings. Join us to learn

Saturday, June 17, 6 p.m.-2 p.m. Free. The Factory, 2622 Fairfield Ave. S Stonewall Reception The iconic Stonewall Reception will allow us to honor those brave individuals who have fought for the recognition of civil rights and given hope to so many. Join us and gain inspiration from members of the LGBTQ+ community who will continue fighting for a better tomorrow. Share light bites, drinks, and entertainment with powerful luminaries including St Pete Pride sponsors, community partners, and government officials as we celebrate our progress in the beautiful James Museum and give credit to those who have made LGBTQ+ Pride possible. This is a ticketed event. Wednesday, June 21, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $75. The James Museum, 150 Central Ave.

HERE WE STAND

NOW THROUGH AUGUST 27

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

JAPANESE PRINTS FROM THE READ-SIMMS COLLECTION NOW THROUGH AUGUST 13

JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE MEIJI ERA, 1870-1900

NOW THROUGH JULY 23

WE ARE FAMILY: LGBTQ+ St. Pete Pride’s Youth & Family Day is on Saturday.

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

TURNEY

¡GOZADERA! LATIN DANCE

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL Recommends

THU 08

Suddenly w/Jordan Burchel/Jordan Esker & the 100 Percent A local soulful rock favorite heads to Ybor City with the help of two support acts from Gainesville. Acoustic duo Suddenly and Tik Tok-viral singer-songwriter Jordan Burchel will join “Florida’s soft-rock staple” Jordan Esker & The 100 Percent at The Attic for a night of original indie tunes where acoustic-indie band Suddenly also celebrates its recentlyreleased debut album Be That As It May. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City.)

FRI 09

Anees w/Michael Minnelli Justin Bieber joined a 2021 Instagram live stream from Anees Mokhiber, which caused a major uptick in listeners. At the time, the then-28-year-old was performing “Slip,” a love letter to his wife, which would soon accumulate over 18 million plays on Spotify. Since then, he has maintained crisp beats and an affinity for the acoustic guitar. Both are heavily included on his new album summer camp . Especially if Bieber approves, it won’t be a shock if Anees scores a major hit in the next few years, and performs at, say, Jingle Ball, but in the meantime, Jannus Live is the place to be. Michael Minnelli—of no relation to Liza—opens. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Closet Goth w/Bill./Soft Bite No strangers to the Tampa Bay DIY scene (having played Tampa’s In-Between house in 2019), Tucson post-punk outfit Closet Goth is back in town, this time supporting a brand new full-length, All Wrestlers Die , a 10-track, 30-minute outing that’s an abrasive, yet bouncy ode to Texas (“Tucson, Bridge City”) that also addresses selling out (“Everybody’s Got A Price”) and is ready to open the mosh pit up, too (“Marjorie”). Two of Tampa’s brightest indie-pop bands open the show.

(Shuffle, Tampa)

Goodnight Neverland (reunion show)

w/Geri X/Adam Randall Following a sixyear live show drought, beloved Bay area rock trio spent the latter half of last year hinting at new projects, and officially teased a reunion gig last New Year’s Day. New music is in the works, and it’s anyone’s guess if Goodnight Neverland—featuring the soaring vocal of “American Idol” alum Kerry Courtney—will preview some of it at this reunion gig, but fans have been promised selections from both Old Tree and the Oceans in the Clouds EP. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Selwyn Birchwood album release w/ Damon Fowler It’s a big night for the homegrown blues music scene, but before he celebrates a new album at a cathedral for the

genre, gravel-voiced guitar slinger Birchwood will help the “Live Music Showcase” on community radio station WMNF Tampa 88.5-FM mark a milestone of its own. Birchwood—who releases Exorcist this week—is the guest on the program where host Ken Apperson completes his second year as host while engineer Mark Perfetti marks 17 years on the show. That night under the Skipperdome, the Alligator Records heavyweight brings one of his closest pals, Damon Fowler, to open the show where Birchwood eill play Zappa-inspired odes to the Sunshine State (“Florida Man”) and total guitar freakouts, too (“Horns Below Her Halo”).

(Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)

SAT 10

Alien House and Akasha System (dual album release) w/Ovan Odero/Image

Research DJs/DJ ALBow Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor Annalise Mabe recently pointed out that Alien House’s new album, You, “knits together a collage of sounds: thrift store cassette tape samples, distorted vocals, breaks that make you bop, and a percussive

energy that’s impossible not to move to.” This weekend, the duo finally celebrates its release alongside another Tampa ambient music producer Akasha System who just dropped, Phytopia, an album of meditative, humid electronica. DJs from the local Image Research collective open the free show along with Ovan Odero. (The Bricks, Ybor City)

Spotlights w/The Darling Fire/Gillian Carter New York hard-rock outfit Spotlights' latest album Alchemy For The Dead was recorded in Mario and Sarah Quintero’s basement in Pittsburgh, and while it focuses on death, it’s not the traditional “oh shit, I’m going to die soon” epiphany. Mario admitted that while there are a few songs centered around our mindsets while we wait to die, most everything else reflects on “bringing a loved one back to life, or darker moments like suicide and deep depression.”

The Darling Fire—featuring past members of Dashboard Confessional—and Gillian Carter open Spotlights’ Saturday night gig at Orpheum, its first Tampa Bay gig since 2017. (Orpheum, Tampa)

MARILYN STRINGER

Selwyn Birchwood

Stuck w/Spoiled Rat/Superbitch Fans of Ought, Devo and hardcore punk will want to be in Tampa this weekend when the scene gets a visit from Chicago outfit Stuck, which arrives in support of a new album, Freak Frequency. A stalwart of the midwestern “egg punk” movement, Stuck plays a refreshing, infectious and incredibly energetic brand of rock which frontman Greg Obis, honestly, has been working towards since his days in ferocious Windy City indie acts like Teesh and Clearance. St. Pete hyphy-pop band Spoiled Rat and noisy whorecore project Superbitch open the show. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

SUN 11

Bestial Mouths The darkwave project of Lynette Cerezo and Brant Showers is in the process of getting a new album finished, and the first single off of it dropped last spring.

“I Am The Spell”—an electronic, almost dystopian sounding track—was inspired by Cerezo’s experiences with abusers and bullies, and encourages listeners to take said assholes down by “reversing the flow of power.” Print a photo of a toxic person from some point in your life, throw some darts at it, and head down to the New World music hall to catch Cerezo in action. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

The Expendables w/Passafire/ Seranation Members of the Santa Fe reggae rock outfit don’t feel like they have officially “made it” as a group yet, but have nonetheless come a long way from playing Dick Dale and The Surfaris covers at high school parties. The Expendables' upcoming Pleasure Point album features guest spots from Little Stranger and Ballyhoo!, and considering its staunch support of recreational marijuana, don’t be too shocked if the band performs at a get-out-and-vote concert in town next fall, should recreational ganja (finally) make the ballot. In the meantime, fellow reggae rock groups Passafire and Seranation—the latter from Treasure Island—open. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Mason Pace w/Cinema Stereo/Dirty

Janes/Persephone’s Choice Pearce, a South Florida-based “mystic metal artist” just turned 22, and has already been endorsed by Gibson guitars, as well as artists from Phil Collins to Cheap Trick. His latest single “Storm of Lies”—which depicts literal destruction from a storm—sounds like a Geoff Tate-era Queensryche jam, and it dropped one day after kicking off his “Passion and Power” kickoff-to-summer tour with Cinema Stereo. He’s winding things down on Sunday at The Floridian, with a little help from Dirty Janes, and the debut show from Persephone’s Choice, a local rock duo —still in search of the permanent drummer that will make them a trio—playing a mixture of covers and original songs. (The Floridian, St. Petersburg)

Tina Turner Tribute Skate It’s been just over two weeks since we lost Tina Turner, and if you still can’t stand the rain, then you’ve got a chance to stay together with fellow fans for this skate tribute that’ll help make it feel better until the heartache is finally over. (United Skates, Tampa)

WED 14

Declan McKenna Later this month, Jannus Live hots a major Pride concert with Idina Menzel and a barrage of local talent. Think of McKenna—a 24-year-old British glam rocker carrying the torch for David Bowie, minus the androgyny—as an unofficial launch to St. Pete’s Pride-related entertainment. McKenna, who writes most of his material with little assistance, if any at all, says that pansexuality is the closest description of his sexuality and has spoken out against conversion therapy. And with Wednesday being his first gig in Tampa Bay since 2018—and his first in St. Petersburg since 2016—brace yourself for McKenna speaking out against other anti-LGBTQ+

legislation in between his spacey anthems and guitar-heavy advice. The indie-rock Oracle Sisters open. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Drain w/Drug Church/Magnitude/Gel/ Restraining Order Sammy Ciaramitaro admits that most of his lyrics aren’t intentionally poetic, and that most everything he writes is a testament to what’s really going on in his life. His metal trio, Drain’s latest album Living Proof is, well, proof. Ciaramitaro went edge in his early-20s, and “FTS (KYS)” is centered around how he killed his old self, and made the necessary changes to live a cleaner, healthier life. “Weight of the World” is a lament about how the touring aspect of fame can get in the way of important family events. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

THU 15

Liquid Pennies w/The Venus/ Chaunces/Skinner Follie It’s been a pretty solid six months for Chas Binns and his friends in Liquid Pennies. The St. Pete psychrock outfit dropped the A-Wake Ending EP in January—described by Binns as “the most accurate representation of our live sound with far fewer embellishments than any of our other releases, but staying true to our love of being unpredictable sonically”—and a mini East coast tour promoting it went down earlier this year. The guys also performed some source material of a surprise remix EP at Daddy Kool Records on Record Store Day, and rocked Lost in St. Pete last month. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

Stuck

ALEXA VISCIUS

Taylor Swift isn’t the only songwriter who can play multiple nights inside Tampa’s largest venue. Luke Combs, who’s scheduled to play a sold-out Raymond James Stadium on July 8 has added an extra date to his run of shows in Tampa, Charlotte, Foxborough and Philadelphia, according to a press release. A rep for Combs told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the tour has sold 570,500 tickets across 11 stadium shows so far.

Tickets for Combs’ July 7 show at RayJay go on sale to the public on Friday, June 9 via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system, and start at $20.50 Openers in Tampa include Riley Green (who’s also playing Tampa Pig Jig this fall), Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry and Brent Cobb.

In February 2021, Combs came under fire when his part use of the confederate flag came to light after he tried to explain “The Great Divide,” a Billy Strings collaboration. “It isn’t meant to be political or try and tell you what to think or believe; that’s not my job,” Combs wrote.

Margo Price, who was among the artists to push back on Combs’ statement about not being political, also shared a Combs social media post where he quoted another user’s comment about Asians. Combs has since apologized for his use of the confederate flag and has regularly appeared at the top of the Billboard charts. His new cover of Tracy

An Evening of Jazz: AR Connection

Saturday, June 17. 8:30 p.m. No cover.

Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Cinema Stereo w/Stoned Mary/ Quail Hollow/Gianna Minichiello/ Persephone’s Choice Friday, June 30. 7 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Maddie Barker w/Frankie Jonas (opening for Hobo Johnson) Saturday, July 15.

9 p.m. $25. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Venus (album release) w/Ben

Katzman’s DeGreaser/Charlie/Chaunces

Friday, July 21. 7 p.m. $10. Crowbar, Ybor City

Yosemite In Black w/Endbringer/Murder

Afloat/Odium Rot/Summoned Skulls

Friday, July 21. 6:30 p.m. $12. Orpheum, Tampa

Days of Summer Tampa, Day 1:

Bloodbather/Scatter Shot/In Gloom/ Tombstone/Odium Rot/Grieve/Fatal

Frames/Rat Stick Saturday, July 22. 5:30 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Days of Summer Tampa, Day 2:

Weeping Wound/Illuminate Me/Spider Inside Her/Thirst/GasFL/Not Enough

Space/Nailwound/Novumora Saturday, July 29. 5:30 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

Hotel Fiction w/Trash Panda Saturday, Aug. 12. 8:45 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Bay Ledges w/TBA Tuesday, Aug. 15. 7:40 p.m. $18. Crowbar, Ybor City

Chapman’s “Fast Car" finds Combs working outside of the country genre and sits at No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

See Josh Bradley’s rundown of new concert announcements below.—Ray Roa

Blessthefall w/Caskets/Kingdom of Giants/Dragged Under Wednesday, Aug. 23. 6 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert Tuesday, Aug. 29. 7 p.m. $35 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Wave To Earth w/slchld Sunday, Sept. 17. 6 p.m. $40 & up. Orpheum, Tampa

Cardiel w/Use & Care/TBA Friday, Sept. 22. 8 p.m. $12. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

The Original Wailers w/Cas Haley

Friday, Sept. 22. 7 p.m. $22. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Quarters of Change w/TBA Sunday, Oct. 1. 6 p.m. $17. Crowbar, Ybor City

Off With Their Heads w/Dead Bars/Big Sad Thursday, Oct. 5. 7 p.m. $17. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Maluma Saturday, Oct. 28. 8 p.m. $61 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

Sammy Hagar & The Circle w/George Thorogood & the Destroyers/Damon

Fowler Saturday, Oct. 28. 7 p.m. $39.50 & up. The Sound, Clearwater

Fantasia w/Joe Friday, Nov. 3. 8 p.m. $59 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa

Russell Dickerson Friday, Nov. 10. 7 p.m. $29.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

JEREMY COWART

Out with it

By Dan Savage

I’m a solo polyamorous hetero-romantic pansexual cisgendered man. My serious romantic relationships have all been with cis women, but most of my sex partners are men. Since I bottom when I am with men, most people think I must be closeted or suffer from “internalized homophobia.” This has caused tension with the women I date, ranging anywhere from women not wanting to be with me because they think I am “living a lie” to a recent situation where I was repeatedly “outed” by a bi female poly partner who told people (friends, random gay men) that I was “into guys” and “bi.”

can’t be trusted after they’ve violated our trust. On the flipside, demanding absolute secrecy about an important part of a relationship—telling our partners they can’t confide in friends they feel they can trust (and might later learn they can’t)— isn’t reasonable or fair. Your right to privacy isn’t absolute, PANNED; your right to privacy has to be balanced against the needs of the women you date to seek advice, perspective, and bullshit detection from their (hopefully) trustworthy friends.

So, while I’m sure everyone loves seeing your queer ass in the kink clubs, PANNED, we’re going to need your queer ass on the barricades, too.

while he fucks you while wearing a condom on his dick vs. a stranger’s balls inserted into you pussy while he’s fucking you while wearing a condom on his dick… doesn’t make an enormous difference where the risks of STI transmission are concerned. Viruses such as HPV, herpes, or mpox can be transmitted via skin-to-skin contact regardless of whether his balls are inside your vagina or being pressed up against your vulva. (Your risk of contracting mpox during straight sex is very, very low—but if the men at the sex clubs you frequent also have sex with each other, they should get the two-dose mpox vaccine and so should you.)

I asked her many times to stop, explaining that while those labels may be accurate when I’m in a kink club or my doctor’s office, it is up to me to decide when to use them and with whom. And because I am hetero-romantic, I do not identify as pan or bi outside of those specific places. I think “LGBTQ” labels identify who one loves, whereas to me it is simply a description of the types of sex I enjoy. I had to end things with this woman over this and when I explained why she never admitted to doing anything wrong. While a part of me wants to just not tell women I date about my other partners, I know I can’t since my having sex with men who also have sex with men has health implications for my female partners. How do I convince women that disclosing my sexual preferences without my consent is wrong? How can men like me maintain our sexual privacy while responsibly disclosing relevant information to sex partners?—Pissed About Non-Necessary

Zooming back in on your sexual identity and romantic orientation… maybe I’m not being fair. You didn’t claim to be straight, PANNED, you only claimed not to identify as pan or bi outside of kink clubs and doctors’ offices.

SAVAGE LOVE

Erotic Disclosures

The first sentence of your letter is the most LGBTQ shit I’ve ever read in my life. I mean, anyone who needs seven words with roots in Latin, Greek, and Tumblr—clocking in at 20 syllables—to describe his sexual identity and romantic orientation is a lot of things, PANNED, but straight (single syllable!) isn’t one of them.

Which is not to say the people you privately come out to as pan—the women you date—have a right to tell friends and/or random gay men that you’re into guys (which you are) or that you’re bi (which you aren’t, although lay people often use “bi” and “pan” interchangeably). If the fact that you get fucked by men is something you wanna keep private… as private as you can keep something you’re doing in public sex environments (kink clubs)… your preferred sex partners (male) and preferred romantic partners (female) should respect your wishes and keep that shit private.

Sadly, PANNED, figuring out who can be trusted with something a partner has a right to know but that we would prefer kept private isn’t easy or obvious. All too often we only learn someone

Still, denying that you’re queer because you don’t fall in love with men—you’re not like the other girls—is a weird flex for someone who identifies as pansexual, PANNED, and it’s difficult to see what besides internalized homophobia and/or biphobia would motivate such a flexy denial. If you don’t want people who aren’t currently dicking you down and/or taking a rectal swab to think you’re queer, well, that’s your business. Just as some kinky people prefer to be perceived as vanilla, and some non-monogamous people prefer to be perceived as monogamous, some bi/pan people prefer to be perceived as straight. People are assumed to be straight, vanilla, and monogamous unless they speak up (or unless their loose-lipped girlfriends speak up), and if you’re comfortable with those assumptions—if you’re comfortable benefiting from those assumptions— no one can force you to identify as LGBTQ when you aren’t getting your ass fucked or swabbed.

But kinky people can’t claim they’re actually vanilla because they only get whipped on Mondays and people who are non-monogamous can’t claim they’re actually monogamous because they only fuck other people on MDMA—and you can’t claim to be something other than LGBTQ on a technicality like, “I only do queer shit with people I could never love.” You can’t embrace the LGBTQ label when it’s convenient (taking loads in kink clubs) and deny being LGBTQ when it’s not (on dates with women).

Actually, you can do that—that is, in fact, exactly what you have been doing. But you shouldn’t do that, PANNED, not right now, and not anymore. These are perilous times for LGBTQ people, as anyone who’s been paying attention to the news knows. Anti-gay, anti-trans, and antidrag laws are being passed all over the country, books are being banned, Pride events are being met with increasingly menacing protests. LGBTQ people are under siege, PANNED, and the people attacking queer people aren’t going to spare the hetero-romantic queers.

My boyfriend and I have struggled to connect sexually more or less since the beginning of our long-distance relationship more than a year-anda-half ago. First the issue seemed to be condoms, which he couldn’t stand, but now that I’ve gotten an IUD his desire for sex has completely plummeted and I spend my nights reading through r/deadbedrooms subreddit posts. He says “this usually happens” to him after about a year but he wants to stay together and work through it. But in all honesty, he seems unbothered by the lack of sex. I started snooping—I am aware that is super problematic and something I need to work on—and learned he had recently watched porn featuring exclusively Asian women and then found out he has been contacting random Chinese women via a social platform and asking to meet IRL so he could “learn more about Chinese language, culture, and food.” This just seems so off. I’m not anti-porn and I understand we all have types, but I’m weirded out by the possible fetishization and lack of transparency on his end. Big red flag?—Perplexed

And Sadly Sexless

That red flag is so big you can’t see the other red flags behind it. You’ve wasted a year and a half on this guy, PASS, and you shouldn’t waste another minute on him. And if it took a little snooping for you to figure that out—if it took snooping for you to see that your boyfriend has been lying to you from the start and that he was prepared to tell you (and other women) bigger and worse lies—you don’t have to waste any time feeling bad about the snooping. DTMFA.

I’m a cis woman that loves to go to sex clubs to try new things. The last event I went to, someone put his penis and balls inside of my pussy, which was such a great experience. But now I am thinking this was a mistake on my end because although he wore a condom on his penis, there isn’t a “ball condom,” at least so far as I know. I want to try this again, but I also want to do it in a low-risk way to keep myself and my other partners safe. Is this considered a risky sexual practice? I know that balls normally are uncovered, but normally there isn’t nearly so much contact as having them inside of me.—Somewhat Apprehensive Concerning Kink’s Estimated Danger

A stranger’s balls slapping against your vulva (or your taint, or your asshole, or your chin)

The location of infection can make an STI harder to spot, harder to treat, and more painful to endure. If the dude shoving his dick and balls into you has a small wart or sore from syphilis, herpes, or mpox tucked away under his balls, you may not realize that it’s there. And a genital wart inside your vaginal canal may go unnoticed at first, thereby delaying treatment, SACKED, whereas you or one of your other partners are likelier to spot one on your labia right away. (And if you aren’t already vaccinated against HPV, the virus that causes genital warts, get vaccinated for that too!)

In the final accounting, SACKED, letting someone put his balls inside you elevates your risk of contracting STIs that are passed through skinto-skin contact—but these are STIs you’re already at risk of contracting during casual sex even when using condoms and, depending on how often you frequent sex clubs, STIs you have probably been exposed to before. The added risk here, again, is the potential location of an outbreak. Ultimately, only you can decide if the reward/thrill of having someone’s balls deep inside you is worth the additional risk. If so, go for it. If not, don’t.

P.S. While none of my gentleman callers has ever shoved his balls into me, I would imagine it would be a lot easier for a condom to unintentionally slip off if someone somehow managed to get his/ her/their dick and balls all the way inside — so, maybe consider using a female/insertable condom next time.

P.P.S. Recognizing that we all make mistakes, SACKED, the right time to think about the safety of our other partners is before someone shoves his balls in us, not after.

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