Creative Loafing Tampa — July 27, 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, Jennifer Ring, McKenna Schueler

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Phil DeSimone, Cristina Trespando

SUMMER INTERN Gracey Davis

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ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

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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?

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Leigh Wilson

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

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Let us slay

As we all know, Tampa Bay boasts a busy live music calendar, but Creative Loafing Tampa Bay photographers were also out in full force last weekend. Check out photos of Michael Franti, Mudvayne, Gwar and Yellowcard, then visit cltampa.com/slideshows to see more.—Ray Roa

Photos by Phil DeSimone and Cristina Trespando

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Tyrannosaurus, wrecked

Each summer, downtown’s historic Tampa Theatre hosts a movie-themed fundraiser that features craft beer samples, small bites and tons of costumed fun. This year’s tongue-in-cheek theme is "Beerassic Park," paying homage to the popular film franchise about the beloved mesozoic beasts. This weekend’s event features samples of craft beer and light bites from a variety of Tampa Bay-based breweries and restaurants including Woven Water Brewing, Corner Club, Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, Common Dialect and Independent Bar & Café, alongside many more. Guests are welcome to dress as their favorite “Jurassic Park” character or in dinosaur-themed costumes. Although the party won’t feature any full-length screenings of “Jurassic Park” films, a rep from Tampa Theatre told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that clips and scenes from various movies from the “Jurassic Park” world will be on display throughout the party. Over the past 13 years of hosting BeerFest fundraisers, Tampa Theatre has raised over $100,000 to support its various artistic, educational and community programs. Beerassic Park. Saturday, July 29. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. $45-$75. Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St. tampatheatre.org—Kyla Fields

Puppy love

For some reason, summer makes me crave crawfish, and while there won’t be any at this pop-up happening in Seminole Heights this weekend, the rest of the “Summer Seafood Fest” will satiate any thirst for steamed crustaceans.

Chef Randy Kukwa’s food truck, A Boy Named Sous, promises boil (snow crab, shrimp, mussels, sausage), beer-battered fish, hush puppies, grouper tacos, adobo mussels, boiled peanuts and more—all ready to be washed down by Mike Conze’s impressive lineup of beer. Summer Seafood Fest. Friday, July 28 . 4 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover, bring money for food. Common Dialect Beer Works, 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. commondialectbeer.com—Ray Roa

Baker’s dozen

The greenspace off Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa was once known as “Trip Park” and has since come a long way since reopening as Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in 2010. The park’s reinvention brought with it a then-fledgling, free, outdoor concert series that has since become a staple for life in a downtown that’s emerging faster than ever these days. For its 13th anniversary, Rock

The Park assembled a characteristically-eclectic trio of acts playing ambient-electro (Alien House), rock and roll (Witch Hiatus, pictured) and a special brand of songwriter soul/R&B (Tone I.E.). Jam Dish, per usual, will sling some of the city’s best Jamaican food, and the event is family-and-petfriendly. Get a sitter for afterwards, however, if you plan to hit up the official Rock The Park anniversary after-party happening with DJ Deacon at The Hub, just a couple blocks away. Rock The Park 13th Anniversary: Witch Hiatus w/Alien House/ Tone I.E. Next Thursday, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m. No cover. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 400 Ashley Dr. N., Tampa. @rockthepark on Facebook—Ray Roa

Going back to school can absolutely devastate a family’s pocket book, but about 30,000 schoolkids will have one less thing to worry about if WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil has anything to say about it. His Bullard Family Foundation holds its annual “BackTo-School” bash this weekend and will give away bookbags stuffed with school supplies including writing utensils, notebooks, folders and more. Registration is encouraged, but not required, for the Back To School Bash backpack giveaway, but families who want to receive medical, dental and eye services must sign up ahead of time. Titus O’Neil’s Back To School Bash. Saturday, July 29, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa. tinyurl.com/bashmedical2023—Ray Roa

Magic men

Just as COVID-19 mask mandates were first lifted, Chris and Ryan Zubrick—originally brought together by accidentally having respective magic shows booked at the exact same time and place—constructed a 93-seat venue in St. Pete’s Edge District, with the intention of showcasing 70 minutes worth of joint trickery. Ever since opening up shop two months later, the married couple has appeared onstage almost every Thursday through Saturday night, as well as every other Sunday afternoon—wowing even the most cynical of adults and kids alike. This weekend marks the second anniversary of the show’s initial debut, so don’t be too surprised if cake is involved on 1st Street that night. Two-year anniversary weekend. Thursday-Sunday, July 27-30, 7 p.m. (2 p.m. Sunday matinee). $42 & up. Zubrick Magic Theatre, 1211 1st Avenue N, St. Petersburg. zubrickmagic.com—Josh Bradley

Time to grow

Ybor City’s Growhouse describes itself as “a collective of Tampa artists dedicated to growing community, creatives, and culture through spoken word poetry and hip-hop,” and its extensive, yearround programming puts that mission statement into practice each week. From artist workshops, slam poetry battles and open mic events, Growhouse hosts a variety of events throughout Tampa to help bolster the local spoken word community. The collective’s first event of the month is its “First Monday” open mic and poetry workshop on Aug. 7; the freeto-attend and 18-and-up event happens at graffiti shop The Backroom Tampa, located at 7006 E Adamo Dr. More events happening throughout August include its monthly “Wynwood Wednesdays” poetry and music showcase and the “Ybor City Poetry Slam,” which takes place every fourth Saturday of the month at its Kress Collective headquarters. For the latest information on Growhouse’s many events, head to its Instagram page (@growhousetampa). Growhouse. Various events throughout the month Kress Collective, 1624 E. Seventh Ave.,Ybor City. growhousetampa.com

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POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

Gotta move

Tampa releases a mobility plan, but won’t seek external investigation of the department.

By Ray Roa

Last Tuesday in MacFarlane Park, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor unveiled a 30-year mobility plan called Tampa Moves. The city hopes that by 2050, half of all commutes in Tampa would happen via transit, walking or biking.

With the announcement, the mayor—flanked in part by the city’s Infrastructure and Mobility Administrator Jean Duncan and Mobility Director Vik Bhide—addressed one elephant in the room: that Tampa is among the most dangerous places in America for pedestrians and bicyclists. The group also confronted another painful truth: the city is nowhere near having enough money for the $2 billion plan, with Castor telling reporters that the city is entertaining every possible way to find the money including higher impact fees and property taxes.

Largely sidestepped from the podium last week, however, was the absence of women who would’ve played a big role in the implementation of the plan, including Transportation Engineering Manager Danni Jorgenson and Chief Transportation Planner Alana Brasier.

Jorgenson, hired in 2018 in part because of her significant background and experience, was fired by Bhide and Duncan on June 2, according to her personnel file. No cause was given, but Jorgenson’s performance evaluation completed in January saw Bhide give her “outstanding” marks across 11 out of 11 criteria, and heap praise on her leadership skills, problem solving and more.

Citing possible litigation, Bhide is not talking to reporters about what changed between him and Jorgenson over the last few months. In a grievance letter first published by the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Jorgenson details her achievements and says that Bhide falsely believed that she was “brainwashing” Bloomberg consultants to get him fired. Bloomberg Associates was giving pro bono feedback to the mayor across several departments, and, according to the letter, “identified several inadequacies in Mr. Bhide’s leadership,” and then started to coach him professionally. After that, the letter says “he grew increasingly hostile, particularly to me and my female staff.”

Jorgenson’s letter says Bhide “continually chided me about my female employees and me

occasionally for working remotely,” despite the fact that the team consistently met its goals.

“He repeatedly stated that my female teammates and I ‘worked from home more than anyone else in the City,’ which is entirely untrue,” the letter adds. “While my female subordinates and I did occasionally work from home due to our primary role as caretakers for our young children, we excelled at our jobs, which is evident from our performance reviews. Moreover, neither I nor my female subordinates exceeded the allotted leave afforded to us by the City.”

“Only then did I learn Mr. Bhide had been dishonest,” the letter adds, “there was no Citywide policy prohibiting employees from working from home, even in a caregiving situation.”

LOCAL NEWS

When she brought the concern to Bhide, Jorgenson’s letter says he “became irate,” forbade her from speaking to the HR manager, plus “raised his voice and accused me of ‘going behind’ his back.”

Braiser—one of three women Jorgenson supervised—sent her own resignation letter two weeks after Jorgenson was fired. She told TBBJ that she hoped to have a long career in the city

with myself, are mothers with small children at home.”

The Tampa Bay Times reported that another woman, Brandie Miklus, mobility’s primary communications staffer, also resigned in the wake of Jorgenson’s firing. Miklus’ July 4 resignation letter says that “over the last several months, and increasingly over the last few weeks, I am disappointed to say that I have lost confidence in the direction of the Mobility Department… This, combined with a lack of internal communication, has made it impossible for me to continue telling Tampa’s transportation story in good faith.”

The city for its part told news outlets that the mayor has full confidence in Duncan and Bhide, with City Communications Director Adam Smith telling the Times, “None of these employees ever said a word about any problem or concern with the department until now.”

At the Tampa Moves press conference Mayor Castor was asked to speak to folks possibly looking to fill those mobility positions once occupied by women and working moms. She touted diverse hiring at top positions at the city and said that the mobility has “an incredible bench” that is “stepping up to the plate as you’ve seen today.”

Pressed on whether or not there would be an investigation into the allegations from Jorgenson’s letter, Castor told reporters, “We are always doing after action and looking into what we could have done better. If there were mistakes made. We will always do that. And we’ll do that in this particular instance as well.”

Jorgenson’s letter says that the reasons for her firing proffered by the city “through back channels” are not credible, adding, “Instead, the evidence will show that I was terminated because of my gender.”

Jorgenson’s grievance says that at one point, Bhide “fabricated the existence of an alleged City-wide policy that he claimed prohibited employees from working from home.” Taking him at his word, Jorgenson asked a human resources manager for a copy of the policy to distribute to her team.

but that “unrealistic expectations prevented her from doing so.” TBBJ added that Brasier fears more women, “particularly the full-time working moms” will continue to leave the city and that she’s “afraid the mobility department’s ability to deliver projects and pursue additional grant funding will suffer.”

Public records show that Chief Production Engineer Lara Bouck—another one of Jorgenson’s employees—also resigned after her boss’ firing. Jorgenson’s letter points out that, “Both Ms. Brasier and Ms. Bouck, along

Asked the next day if Castor had ordered any internal or independent investigations into the allegations and departures at Tampa’s Mobility department, Smith said there is no outside review and that the mayor herself is looking into what occurred.

“After the resignations, Mayor Castor and other administrators talked to and continue to talk to people familiar with those situations, because we never want to lose good employees. She has found no areas of concern to date and has confidence in Tampa’s excellent mobility department,” Smith added.

Whether or not Castor’s inquiries will produce a paper trail, or accountability, remains to be seen.

“The evidence will show that I was terminated because of my gender.”

RAY ROA

MOVE AND SHAKE UP?: Mayor Jane Castor speaks to reporters on July 18.

Strip search

Despite benefits, testing for xylazine is still illegal in Florida.

By McKenna Schueler

Florida lawmakers this spring passed a new law, recently approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, that decriminalizes fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl test strips are an effective, cheap and easy-to-use tool that can detect fentanyl, a powerful opioid, in street drugs. They can’t detect the amount or potency, but experts say they can still save lives.

But there’s a catch with what the new law—celebrated by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle—does and does not do. SB 164 does decriminalize those $2 paper strips for detecting fentanyl, but it leaves out testing tools capable of detecting other controlled substances.

FLORIDA NEWS

Also known as “tranq” or “tranq dope,” xylazine is a non-opioid tranquilizer that’s not recommended for human use. In humans, xylazine can cause dangerously low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, sedation, as well as serious skin wounds and necrosis—the rotting of skin tissue. Left untreated, necrotic skin ulcerations may require amputation. Mixed with fentanyl, the combination can be lethal.

whether to use a drug or abstain. This is true not just for people with addiction, or the millions of Americans with a clinical substance use disorder, but for anyone who acquires drugs through less than legal means.

But finding tools to test drugs for xylazine in Florida isn’t so simple, or without risk.

The criminalization of harm reduction practices

prescribed as a painkiller, but it’s also manufactured illegally, and it’s those illicit forms of fentanyl that are responsible for the majority of U.S. fentanyl overdose deaths. Unlike legal forms of fentanyl, illicit forms aren’t regulated. There’s no quality control.

That includes xylazine, a powerful veterinary tranquilizer with serious side effects that’s increasingly being laced into street drugs, such as fentanyl, unbeknownst to the person buying.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people who use street drugs to avoid using alone—you need someone to be there in the event that you accidentally overdose. The federal agency also encourages testing street drugs for xylazine and fentanyl.

Advocates for harm reduction say that testing recreational drugs for fentanyl or for xylazine can help users make an informed decision about

Tools for testing drugs, also known as drugchecking equipment, are illegal to possess, use, or sell in Florida—as they are in a number of states. That’s because they’re classified under decades-old state statutes as a form of illegal “drug paraphernalia.” Under Florida law, drug paraphernalia refers to any item used to “plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain, or conceal a controlled substance.”

Prior to July 1 of this year, that included fentanyl test strips.

Fentanyl remains the most common drug detected in Floridians who’ve died of a drug overdose, followed by cocaine and meth, according to state data for 2022. Fentanyl is legally

Fentanyl is also super potent. It’s 50 times more powerful than heroin, and can be deadly in small amounts for those who don’t use it frequently and chronically.

That’s a serious danger for people, including teens and young adults, who recreationally use drugs who take it by accident. Fentanyl has been found in counterfeit pills sold on the street, as well as drugs like cocaine, meth and marijuana. It has permeated the supply of other illicit opioids like heroin. It’s been on the radar of Florida lawmakers for years. And a spike in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic only increased the urgency for lawmakers to take action.

Over 107,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdose in 2022 alone—a record high. Twothirds of those deaths involved fentanyl and chemically similar substances known as analogs. Opioid overdose deaths in Orange County,

continued on page 21

X FACTOR: Xylazine is a powerful veterinary tranquilizer with serious side effects.

“Finding tools to test drugs for xylazine in Florida isn’t so simple, or without risk.”

continued from page 18

Florida slightly dipped last year, but local elected officials are reluctant to let their guard down and celebrate the downward trend just yet.

Fentanyl’s proliferation in the street drug supply is still a concern. Plus, other dangerous contaminants are entering the supply, too, like xylazine. And unlike opioids, xylazine is not affected by naloxone—a drug also known as Narcan, that’s capable of reversing an opioid overdose.

A problem in Florida

A study published last June found that xylazine has been detected in 36 states, including Florida. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference in June to raise awareness about the drug, and Florida state officials have also sounded the alarm.

“In 2021, xylazine was the 11th-most frequently identified drug in the FDLE crime labs,” said Eli Lawson, special agent of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, in April. “In 2023, so far, it is the sixth-most frequently present drug in processing drug-related evidence statewide.”

“Since 2021, our FDLE crime labs across the state have logged 1,090 cases of xylazine being present in processed evidence,” Lawson added. “This growing challenge is serious.”

Data from the state’s medical examiner’s office shows xylazine was involved in at least 218 deaths in Florida last year, up from 112 reported deaths in 2021.

Orange County sheriff John Mina shared in June that xylazine has been linked to at least three overdose deaths in Orange County so far this year, and two deaths last year.“We can’t stress how important this is to let our residents and visitors know the dangerous effect of xylazine in our community,” said Mina.

The drug has generally been found in the form of a white, off-white, brown or purple powder, a FDLE spokesperson told Orlando Weekly.

But Tim Santamour, director of the Florida Harm Reduction Collective, told Orlando Weekly that unless you have a way to test your drugs— with commercially available xylazine test strips, for example—there really aren’t any ways to know whether there’s xylazine in your drug supply. If you’re buying street opioids, you might feel groggier or more sedated from opioids laced with xylazine, Santamour said. That’s because xylazine, like opioids, is a depressant.

But drug-checking tools for xylazine— including test strips, similar to those that test for fentanyl—aren’t widely available in Florida, as far as Santamour knows. At least not for the general public.

Some law enforcement agencies do have access to tools, used in labs or at street stops, that can check for xylazine—for the prosecution of drug-related offenses.

Santamour says there’s not a lot of communication about their detection of drugs in local communities in real time. “That information

could be released to the public, or at least to the Department of Health, you know, immediately,” said Santamour.

“That would go a long way to informing people who use drugs what’s out there, and what they should be looking out for,” he added. “It would also help folks that are doing wound care in hospitals and emergency rooms, so they know what to expect ahead of time.”

A missed chance?

This year wasn’t the first time Florida lawmakers considered decriminalizing drug checking equipment, and an earlier effort would have gone further. In 2022, Florida Democratic lawmakers launched a broader proposal to decriminalize all drug-testing equipment, including but not limited to fentanyl test strips. Other lawmakers weren’t biting.

So, then-Democratic Rep. Andrew Learned filed an amendment to a separate controlled substances bill that would, like this year’s bill that

paraphernalia.” Later, the bill language was amended to clarify that this only applied to testing tools that aren’t capable of identifying the “quantity, weight or potency” of a controlled substance.

Orlando Weekly reached out to the two Democratic lawmakers who sponsored this year’s measure—Florida Rep. Christine Hunschofsky and Florida Sen. Tina Polsky—to ask if they regretted not pushing for a broader decriminalization proposal.

Rep. Hunschofsky did not respond to two emailed requests for comment.

not the only tool or strategy out there that can help address the problem of accidental overdose.

FLORIDA NEWS

An aide for Sen. Polsky informed us that Polsky is out of the country for the rest of the month, and wouldn’t be available for an interview. But back in January, when Hunschofsky first filed her bill in the House, the lawmaker told Orlando Weekly that the narrowly tailored language was intended to increase the bill’s chance of passing. She wasn’t wrong.

Its eventual passage was a rare, biparti-

State lawmakers, particularly the GOP, have in recent years moved to further crack down on people who deal fentanyl by, for instance, enhancing criminal penalties for fentanyl trafficking. Most illicit forms of fentanyl are smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico, through legal ports of entry. Focusing on criminal penalties for trafficking, however, is a point of concern for some drug policy advocates, who see it as a perpetuation of the United States’ “War on Drugs.” It’s a “repeat of failed law enforcement practices of the past,” said Santamour.

“I think we saw that with the crack [cocaine] crisis that increased penalties did not stop, or did not curtail the availability of crack,” Santamour said. “That’s not going to stop fentanyl from entering the communities.”

What it’s going to do, he said, is punish low-level drug dealers—street-level drug dealers—who “have no idea of knowing” what’s all in the drugs they sell. The Florida Harm Reduction Collective, he added, was “neutral” about the move to decriminalize fentanyl test strips.

It’ll be helpful for people who use drugs recreationally, particularly non-opioids, Santamour said. But for people who use street opioids like heroin multiple times a day to stave off distressing withdrawal symptoms, the strips won’t be of much use.

Fentanyl has contaminated the street opioid supply in recent years. For many of those who chronically use street opioids, it’s already just assumed there will be some amount of fentanyl in them.

“We know it’s beneficial for some communities,” said Santamour, of the move to decriminalize fentanyl test strips. “But it wasn’t equally beneficial for all communities.”

Still, he adds that being able to do the bare minimum of checking drugs for xylazine without facing potential misdemeanor or felony charges under state law could be helpful moving forward.

passed, decriminalize fentanyl test strips only.

The GOP-controlled legislature, however, shot it down at the last minute. Critics worried that it could encourage drug use (a claim that’s not backed up by research).

“There’s a real philosophical question there, much like providing drug needles to addicts,” former Sen. Scott Plakon, a Republican, told the Sun Sentinel at the time. “It does give me heartburn.”

This year’s proposal was watered down to make it more palatable for skeptics. The bill’s language specified that only drug testing equipment for detecting fentanyl would be removed from the state’s legal definition of illegal “drug

san victory this session, with Democrats and Republicans agreeing on little else of substance.

“Unfortunately when it comes to the supermajority Republican Legislature, working in an incremental way with harm reduction programs is the only way to get things through,” Orlando Rep. Anna V. Eskamani—who co-sponsored the fentanyl test strip bill— told Orlando Weekly over email.

Decriminalizing other types of drug-checking equipment, she added, “should absolutely be a priority next legislative session.”

Florida isn’t the only state to tailor its language to only apply to fentanyl test strips. It’s also

“It allows folks to make different decisions around those substances,” he said. “And that could include not using, and seeking alternatives such as detox, treatment, MAT [medicationassisted treatment], you know? Something else besides continuing to use.”

The White House recently rolled out its own plan to address the “emerging threat” of xylazine mixed with fentanyl—a potentially lethal combination—on a federal level.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office officials, for their part, admitted they don’t think the issues they’re seeing with fentanyl or xylazine are going to go away any time soon.

“It’s not a fad,” said OCSO Captain Darryl Blanford. “This is a growing trend that’s probably gonna be here for a few years.

This post first appeared at our sibling publication Orlando Weekly.

CUT OUT: Florida Sen. Tina Polsky tailored SB 164’s language to increase the bill’s chance of passing.

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Datz dat

Datz and Dough are closing in South Tampa, plus more local food news.

By Kyla Fields

Folks driving down S Macdill Avenue will soon miss the tongue-in-cheek phrases on Datz’s sign, because the South Tampa restaurant recently sold to new owners. Datz and its accompanying dessert shop Dough— located at 2616 S MacDill Ave.— will close to make way for the new property owner’s concepts.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal says Datz owners Roger and Suzanne Perry recently sold their South Tampa parcel for $6.1 million dollars and that the building’s new owners will revamp the former Datz space into another restaurant and replace the former bakery with a new retail concept. TBBJ adds that Datz and Dough will “wind down their operations at some point in the next several weeks,” but did not include an official closure date.

Calls to both Datz and co-owner Suzanne Perry were not immediately returned. A Dough employee, however, told CL that July 20 was actually the bakery’s last day in operation, and that South Tampa’s Datz will be open until Aug. 29.

Center confirmed that its Datz cafe is no longer in operation and has since been replaced with other hospitality concept. For the latest news on Datz and Dough’s imminent closure in South Tampa, head to its Facebook at @DatzTampa or Instagram at @datz4foodies.

Zydeco Brew Werks will open second location at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

When taking your kiddos to Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry, you’re typically limited to juice boxes and PB&Js for sustenance. Well, one popular Ybor City brewery is about to change that in a huge way. Located at 4801 E Fowler Ave. near the University of South Florida and Busch Gardens, MOSI will soon debut an outdoor taproom and food truck from Ybor City’s Zydeco Brew Werks—the second location for the New Orleans-themed brewery.

In addition to South Tampa’s Datz, there are additional locations in downtown St. Pete and Riverview, which will both stay open.

The Tampa-based restaurant—founded in 2009—is known for its whacky culinary creations and Instagrammable eats like breakfast carbonara pasta, Nashville chicken doughnuts and “trash can” nachos. Its prized Cheesy Todd burger—smashed between two fried mac and cheese “buns”—was even on the cover of Creative Loafing’s munchies-themed issue earlier this year.

Dough, Datz’s sweeter sibling, made its debut in South Tampa in 2013 and specialized in everything from cakes, brownies and milkshakes to cheesecakes, doughnuts and iced coffee.

In addition to its various Datz locations and Donovan’s Meatery in Riverview, the Perrys once owned and operated other concepts like Dr. BBQ in downtown St. Pete and South Tampa’s New Orleans-inspired Roux. Both restaurants have closed within the last few years.

Datz also opened a small outpost in the Tampa Convention Center in 2021, although it is no longer listed as a location on datztampa. com. An employee of the Tampa Convention

Zydeco’s General Manager Josh Henneman tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that MOSI’s newest hospitality concept is just a few weeks away from making its debut, slated to open sometime in August. Zydeco at MOSI will feature an outdoor bar loaded with the brewery’s most popular beers, an 18-foot food truck next to the museum’s miniature golf course, four TVs and shaded seating under its amphitheater awning (where the IMAX theater once was)— which will soon host a variety of live entertainment, too. After the hospitality concept opens next month, parents will be able to sip on lagers and IPAs while their kids enjoy the outdoor ropes or mini golf courses.

“Not only will we attract parents and their kids, but USF is on the other side of Fowler Avenue and students can walk on the bridge right to us,” Henneman says. “We’ll also have our food available on delivery apps so they don’t even have to leave their dorms.”

Zydeco’s newest outpost will open when the MOSI opens at 10 a.m., but will continue to serve beer and burgers long after the museum closes at 5 p.m. The outdoor bar and food truck will even have its own entrance from MOSI’s parking lot, although it won’t operate as a full-service restaurant like its flagship Ybor City location does. Patrons can expect core beers like Zydeco’s

Ybor Premium lager and its “All I Wanted Was a Pilsner” from award-winning head brewer Paul Rutherford (served in cans or plastic cups for safety reasons), in addition to popular food items like burgers, po’boys, fries, wings, boiled peanuts, soft pretzels and more. And yes, Zydeco’s food truck will offer a kid’s menu, too.

Zydeco’s owner J. Paul Pepin says his partnership with MOSI started when the museum’s new President and CEO John Smith started frequenting the Ybor City brewery with his family. The addition of Zydeco’s bar and food truck is just a small facet of MOSI’s extensive renovations, which include a revamped planetarium and the possible construction of an in-house catering kitchen for large-scale events.

Zydeco’s outdoor bar and food truck at MOSI is the first phase of its expansive relationship

with the museum. Pepin tells CL that there’s a very real possibility that Zydeco will open a brand new taproom inside of MOSI a few years down the line as a part of its lofty renovation plans. “A lot of parents and adults came to MOSI as kids, and the addition of our food and drinks will definitely have those people coming back,” Pepin says.

MOSI—a go-to destination for field trips and birthday parties—offers popular attractions like planetary shows, its outdoor ropes course, stargazing events, science-themed mini golf, VR experiences, interactive exhibits and much, much more. The museum also hosts “Science After Dark” events for adults only, and the addition of its own in-house taproom and food truck might make those parties even more enjoyable. continued on page 33

CLUCK NO: The whacky items at Datz South Tampa were a stoner’s delight.

DATZ

continued from page 31

Zydeco Brew Werks’ newest location inside MOSI won’t affect operations at its flagship taproom at all. The brewery and restaurant— which has been thriving on Ybor’s 7th Avenue since 2018— is actually about to launch a brand new menu loaded with new desserts, flatbreads and updated vegan and vegetarian options. For the latest information on Zydeco’s highly-anticipated debut at MOSI, head to its Instagram at @zydecobrewwerkstampa.

Tampa Italian restaurant Forbici will open new second location in St. Pete’s Sundial

For the first time in several years, a new hospitality concept is headed to downtown St. Pete’s Sundial mall at 153 2nd Ave. N. TBBJ says Forbici’s second location is slated to open sometime next year, marking the beginning of the local brand’s possible nationwide expansion. Co-owner Jeff Gigante—who operates Forbici with partner Joseph Guggino under the Next Level Brands umbrella—estimates that 30-40

locations of the Italian restaurant could eventually open throughout the country.

St. Pete’s upcoming Forbici will take up 7,000 square-feet, and will include an indooroutdoor bar, as well as a 3,000 square-foot shaded patio. The concept will open out of Locale Market’s former parcel, which closed in early 2020 after now-defunct plans for Sundial’s food hall were announced.

Forbici arriving at Sundial makes sense.

of seafood, chicken, veal and steak, and a variety of both square and round Roman-style pizzas. Its menu of modern Italian fare is joined by a spread of expected cocktails, imported and local craft beer and a variety of wines.

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

Sundial’s new owner Andrew Wright, who purchased the 85,357 square-foot development in partnership with Paradise Ventures for $21.13 million last year, is also affiliated with Gigante’s hospitality group Next Level Brands.

In addition to Forbici, Next Level Brands also owns and operates Water Street’s Boulon Brasserie and the newly-opened restaurant Union New American. The South Tampa restaurant is known for its menu of hearty pastas, main plates

Forbici’s flagship location has been an anchor restaurant in South Tampa’s Hyde Park Village since 2019. Currently, the only other hospitality concepts in St. Pete’s Sundial include a Ruth’s Chris Steak House and seafood-centric restaurant Sea Salt.

The announcement of the Sundial’s upcoming Forbici can be considered part of the development’s recently-announced multimillion dollar renovations. Renderings from earlier this year via St. Pete Catalyst depict a new outdoor courtyard and open-air bar, which are slated to be completed by the end of 2023.

For the latest news on Forbici’s new St. Pete location, head to its Facebook or Instagram, both at @eatforbici.

Tampa Bay’s first Dutch Bros drive-thru coffee has plans to open in South Tampa

One West Coast-based coffee chain (with a cultlike following) has its sights set on the Sunshine State, and recently filed permits to open its first outpost in South Tampa. According to construction plans and a rezoning application filed this month on The City of Tampa’s permitting website, a 950 square-foot, drive-thru Dutch Bros is planned for 3616 W Ballast Point Blvd. in South Tampa’s Sun Bay South neighborhood.

Currently, Ballast Point Car Wash occupies that parcel of land, but if Dutch Bros’ plans are approved, the wash will be razed for the coffee shop’s new development. The plans also state that the Dutch Bros location will offer no in-store seating and will serve customers strictly through its drive-thru. There will be nine parking spots, presumably for employees. Renderings were provided by Tampa-based architecture firm Dark Moss.

This proposed Dutch Bros would be the Oregon-based company’s first outpost on this coast of Florida. There are several Dutch Bros locations planned for Jacksonville and the greater Orlando area, although none have made their debut yet.

The popular coffee brand is known for its iced lattes, smoothies, teas, sodas, milkshakes, frozen blended coffees and energy drinks— all from the convenience of its drive-thru. Signature drinks include the “Golden Eagle” Dutch freeze blended with vanilla and caramel and the aptly-named “9-1-1” loaded with six shots of espresso, half and half and Irish creme syrup. In addition to its various coffees and lattes—which can be ordered hot, iced or blended—Dutch Bros also has a reputation for exceptionally-friendly customer service from its “bro-istas” (move over, Chick-Fil-a).

Dutch Bros was founded in 1992 in Grants Pass, Oregon and started franchising across the northwest in 2000, its website states. The coffee brand now operates over 800 locations throughout the U.S.

Earlier this year, the coffee company was subjected to a class action lawsuit, in which lead plaintiff Jerry Peacock claimed that Dutch Bros misled its various investors in 2022, according to Dailycoffeenews.com. Investors had until May 2023 to join the class action lawsuit and there are no recent updates on the case, although the status on the plaintiff’s lawyer’s website confirms that it has been recently filed with the Southern District Court of New York. For the latest news on Tampa Bay’s possible Dutch Bros location, head to the company’s Instagram at @dutchbroscoffee or keep your eyes peeled on the car wash at 3616 W Ballast Point Blvd. for any possible development.

Tampa Bay’s first-ever Yard House will open Oct. 9

Downtown Tampa is finally ready to go Yard. Yard House, a long awaited addition to Water

EATFORBICI/FACEBOOK

FOR-REALI: Next Level Brands wants to open 30-40 Forbicis across the U.S.

DINE

continued from page 33 Street, has set a tentative opening date, according to its website. Originally announced in March 2022, Tampa Bay’s first Yard House— located at 450 Channelside Dr., right across the street from the Amalie Arena—has set its opening date as Oct. 9.

Yard House is a concept from Darden Restaurant Group, who also owns Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, and has over 80 locations nationwide. The closest location to the Bay area is in Icon Park in Orlando. The inaugural Tampa location will feature bar bites, vegan dishes and over 100 on-tap beers, with a modern industrial interior and outdoor seating area.

—Gracey Davis

Bier Fest is back at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Anyone riding those hot ass roller coasters at Busch Gardens this summer is certainly brave, and the park is rewarding them with a stein of ice-cold beer. For the six consecutive year, Bier Fest takes over the amusement park, allowing guests to sip over 60 beers from IPAs and pilsners to lagers and ales, in addition to indulging in Oktoberfest-inspired eats from Busch Gardens’ various hospitality outposts.

New pub-inspired bites include braised pork shank, a spicy mustard-topped bratwurst on a pretzel bun, savory onion pies, dark beer doughnuts and chicken schnitzel with brown butter spätzle, alongside many other dishes. While access to Fest-ivities is included in the price of admission, its various food and drink offerings are available for purchase throughout the park.

• Clearwater Beach’s Hyatt Regency hotel is offering a “Drivecation” discount for Florida and Georgia residents who can get up to 20% off their stay through Dec. 20. Use the code DRIVE5, or call the resort directly (727-3731234). A press release says travelers must book their trip and stay at the resort before Dec. 14 in order to claim this offer.

• The Market and Azure concepts at Tampa Edition—both at 500 Channelside Dr.—have launched an express lunch that hopes to get downtown denizens in and out during lunch hour. Both available from noon-3 p.m., MondayFriday, the streamlined menus include the concepts’ most popular items. Upstairs at Azure, diners can choose between four starters (including salads and the pink peppercorn mussels plancha), four entrees (like the branzino sandwich with htipiti, shaved fennel and wild arugula) and even desert. At Market on the ground floor of the hotel, there is a trio of antipasti, four entrees (including margherita pizza and the blackened grouper sandwich), and a pair of desserts. Two and three-course options are available at both concepts ($29-$35).

OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

• Tampa’s beloved “8/13 Day” is only a few weeks away, and one local speciality roaster is celebrating in a big way. Wuz Here Coffee hosts its “love letter to Tampa” event on Sunday, Aug. 13 at Seminole Heights’ L.P.C.X Café (6204 N Armenia Ave.) from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., complete with food specials, drinks and a slew of local vendors.

In addition to these exclusive food and drink experiences, Busch Gardens hosts a variety of live entertainment Friday-Sunday on its Coke Canopy to help celebrate 2023’s Bier Fest. Bier Fest 2023 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay runs from through Sep. 4 and is included with park admission. For more information, head to buschgardens.com.

ICYMI: Bites from around the Tampa Bay food

scene

• Shaners Market, located at 2000 Pass A Grille Way and a neighborhood favorite for almost three decades, has sold, but a press release says the buyer, Orange Fuel, LLC, “will continue on with much of the same staff and products.”

• Celebrated Tampa institution Bern’s Steak House reopens this week and is now accepting reservations after its temporary, renovationrelated closure. While its kitchen and BOH remodeling has been completed, its lounge remains closed for further renovations. The celebrated restaurant is also bringing back its beloved wine cellar and kitchen tours, which can be booked alongside dinner reservations.

• St. Pete fine dining restaurant Il Ritorno (stylized “IL Ritorno”) at 449 Central Ave. N hosts an exclusive caviar tasting dinner on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Reservations cost $235 per person and can be made via tock.com, giving guests access to six caviar-centric courses from owner and Executive Chef David Benstock, which include a squid ink capellini with caviar Lingotto and a “peaches and cream”-themed dessert.

• Caddy’s recently closed both its Gulfport and St. Pete Beach locations, and the latter already has a new concept getting ready to open its doors. Waterfront restaurant Taverna on the Bay will dish out Mediterranean eats out of the former Caddy’s at 5501 Gulf Blvd.; there’s no debut date just yet but it’s listed as “coming soon” via @tavernaonthebaystpetesbeach on Facebook.

• One of Tampa’s most popular Chinese restaurants is temporarily closed after a fire broke out in its kitchen last week. Beijing House, located at 1441 E Fletcher Ave., is promoting a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild its restaurant, claiming that “insurance does not extend to cover the necessary remodeling expenses.” “Every dollar contributed will go directly towards restoring the kitchen, making it a safer and better space to continue serving you,” its fundraiser reads.

fashion: Olga Saretsky + Kikimora Studio

Artful dodgings

Bypass the summer blues by taking a Central Florida artcation.

By Jennifer Ring

Atrip to St. Pete is a staycation (props to any paradise dwellers who live there), but it’s still one of my favorite day trips. And it’s a trip full of art and culture. There’s always something exciting going on at the Museum of Fine Arts and The Dalí Museum. And if you haven’t visited the city post-2020, you must experience Fairgrounds St. Pete, see the newly renovated MFA galleries, and walk the new St. Pete Pier.

Start at the MFA, St. Petersburg’s first art museum. A 2020 renovation of the original collection galleries has the MFA looking better than ever. Through a chronological ordering of the art, you can now walk through the MFA as though you’re walking through art history. And there’s no small amount of art history here.

On a sunny day, you might not make it past the room where Christian Sampson has installed “Tempus volat, hora fugit,” an immersive work that casts a geometric flood of light and color across the MFA Conservatory.

Go early, too, so you don’t miss your chance to enjoy an artful pastry at the MFA’s Café Clementine. Admission is $22 for adults, and more information is at mfastpete.org.

A&E EVENTS

Next, take a journey into Salvador Dalí’s creative process. The Dalí Museum is perpetually revisiting the Spanish artist’s catalog, developing novel ways to present his work. And somehow, the team hasn’t run out of ideas yet. A recent conservation project presented the rare opportunity to showcase about a hundred of Dalí’s drawings this summer.

The MFA—located at 255 Beach Drive NE in St. Pete—has art bridging 5,000 years of art history from ancient Greece and Mesoamerica to present-day Tampa Bay. Walk through the newly renovated original galleries in order, or grab one of the themed pamphlets and have yourself an art scavenger hunt.

In addition to the drawings, The Dalí Museum—located at 1 Dalí Blvd. just a few blocks from the MFA—created a new "Dalí Alive 360" experience in partnership with the Museum and Grande Experiences (the folks that created the immensely popular "Van Gogh Alive"). The 39-foot tall, 60-foot wide dome immerses visitors

in dynamic animations of Dalí’s art. It was supposed to open July 15, but a power surge killed the air conditioning. Now the Dalí’s postponed the opening until they can fix it. I’m not sure how long this will take, and they haven’t released a new opening date yet, but I’m still hoping Dalí 360 premieres this summer. Admission to the Dalí is $15-$29, and advanced, timed tickets are recommended. More information is at the dali.org. After spending some time in the air-condistioning, get outside and snap a quick St. Pete mural selfie. St. Pete’s many murals have inspired more than one mural tour. While, Florida CraftArt pauses its Saturday morning 30-mural, four-block walking tours in August due to extreme heat, St. Pete Biking Tours still offers its tours, in addition to brewery and foodie tours, year-round. St. Pete Biking Tours’ two-and-a-half-hour, six mile. “St. Pete Awesome Mural Biking Tour” is $55, includes bike rental, free parking and more than 40 murals. It meets at 2ns Ave. S. in St Pete, and more information is at stpetebikingtours.com.

And if you don’t feel like sweating it out in the Florida sun, there are so many murals in St. Pete you’re likely to drive past several of them by accident. But if you’d prefer to plan your driving tour, head to Visit St. Pete/Clearwater for a list of St. Pete murals by district.

Do make plans, however, to enjoy some ocean air by breaking in a little public art and writerly grub at the new St. Pete Pier. The new pier almost instantly became the local St. Pete hangout when it opened in 2020.

The city commissioned nearly $2 million worth of public art for its new plaything. The collection includes Mark Aeling’s “First Flight,” Nathan Mabry’s “Myth (Red Pelican),” Janet Echelman’s “Bending Arc,” a bronze sculpture of moving water by Belgian artist Nick Ervinck, and a 23-foot wide and seven-and-a-half-foot high mosaic by Xenobia Bailey.

Once you’ve seen the sights, stop at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grill—located at 600 Second Ave. NE on the west end of the pier—for a drink or meal. The popular waterfront restaurant gets its name from the marine biologist and ex-CIA agent that stars in Randy Wayne White’s Florida crime novels. While you’re there, pick up a copy of one of White’s books to remember your trip by.

After that, dive in by immersing yourself in Florida-themed art at Fairgrounds St. Pete. which opened in 2021 before Mermaidcore was a thing. In Florida, mermaids are more a fact of life than an internet trend. The professional mermaid job still exists in central Florida, and

continued on page 42

COOL COLORS: ‘Tempus volat, hora fugit’ by Christian Sampson offers air-conditioned immersive art.

“There’s no small amount of art history here.”

Restaurateurs incentivize their customers to dine during the times that they need it most. The low merchant cost empowers local restaurants and staff to retain more of their revenues and thrive, unlike other third-party services.

DINERS GET PAID TO EAT OUT

Diners can go to Dinefits.com to browse all the local cashback offers. When they go to a participating restaurant they pay their tab during the rewards window with their linked credit card and earn up to 20% or more cashback!

RESTAURANTS BOOST THEIR BUSINESS WITH TIME-BASED OFFERS

"DINEFITS IS THE BEST WAY TO DRIVE MORE DINERS TO YOUR RESTAURANT"

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.

continued from page 39

Fairgrounds is an artistic representation of the state, mermaids, cheap motels, and all.

Walking through Fairgrounds—located at 2606 Fairfield Ave. S. in St. Pete’s Warehouse District—is like walking through a Florida funhouse. The coolest thing about Fairgrounds: local artists made it. The other coolest thing: there are so many great selfie opportunities here you won’t know where to begin. Admission is $27 for adults, and more information is at fairgrounds.art.

Before you leave downtown St. Pete, dine inside a mural at 2D Café and grab an artsy souvenir at Florida CraftArt.

St. Pete hopped on Japan’s two-dimensional cafe trend in 2022 when Maria Merello’s 2D Café opened on Central Avenue after Merello gave Chad Mize free rein to paint the place. The result: a trip to 2D Café—located at 2105 Central Ave.—is like walking into a black-andwhite mural where you are the subject. Here, you can enjoy the art and be the art at the same time, all while munching on a cronut (or avocado toast if you’re being good).

Florida CraftArt—a mile-and-a-half down the road from 2D Café at 501 Central Ave.—is a local treasure for several reasons. First, it showcases and sells crafts made by Florida artists. Second, many of these crafts are highly affordable. So buy a homemade souvenir to remind yourself how close you live to this amazing art city.

Winter Park

Another amazing art city is just 130 miles east, and makes for a great spot to enjoy the local scenery with a cup of coffee and a collection of Tiffany art. More than just parks, the Orlando neighborhood of Winter Park hosts the largest collection of Tiffany art, the original Barnie’s Coffee, multiple James Beard nominees, and a lot of sculptures.

Start your day with delicious, locally-made coffee at Barnie’s flagship café before heading to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art to see the world’s most extensive collection of Tiffany art. Think beyond stained glass windows, lamps, and jewelry. The Morse—located at 445 N. Park Ave. in Winter Park—includes rare pottery, blown-glass vessels, the Byzantine-Romanesque chapel interior that Tiffany designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and the Daffodil Terrace that connected the dining room and the gardens at Tiffany’s Long Island estate. Admission is $6 for adults, with more information available via morsemuseum.org.

And since you probably won’t be touching the work at the Tiffany exhibition, Rollins Museum of Art gives you a chance to get in touch with, and explore, our human connections to people and places in three summer exhibitions. “Together Again” features artwork from the permanent collection that celebrates local and global connections post-pandemic.

In “Mediated Terrain: Perspectives of a Reenvisioned Landscape,” Native American artist Kay WalkingStick explores the connections between humans and their environment. Multimedia artist Eugene Ofori Agyei explores the idea of home, belonging, and identity in “Where is Home? Home is Where I belong.” The exhibitions are up until Aug. 27, and admission to the Rollins Muse rollins.edu/rma.

And if you need to call home, enjoy the local scenery at the Albin Polasek Museum Sculpture Gardens. Tour Czech American sculptor Albin Polasek’s home, galleries, and sculpture gardens on Lake Osceola. Through Aug. 20, you can also see the artwork of American sculptor George Nock who passed from COVID-related illness in 2020. Admission to the Albin Polasek Museum Sculpture Garden—located at 633 Osceola Ave. in Winter Park—is just $12, with more information available via polasek.org.

And you can’t leave a town called Winter Park before visiting one of its more than 70 parks.

But how does one choose from so many options? Start with the “crown jewel”—the 11-acre Central Park, known for its fountains and rose garden, in the middle of downtown Winter Park. Then enjoy the sandy beach (no swimming) at the 23.16-acre Lake Baldwin Park, the city’s most dog-friendly park. The 47.6acre Mead Botanical Garden is worth a visit for its wealth of Central Florida flora and fauna.

Alternatively, thanks to a chain of lakes, you can enjoy Winter Park’s scenery by water. The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour looks to be the most popular option for doing this, with over

1,000 excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. But you also have the option to take a guided kayak trip through Get Up And Go Kayaking.

For dinner, Visit Orlando recommends Park Avenue Italian restaurant Prato or The Ravenous Pig gastropub—both have James Beard award nominees at the helm.

Sarasota

Anyone looking for some southern exposure should explore nature and the circus arts in Sarasota where they can indulge their inner child with circus art and pie. In Sarasota County, circus art and a trip to the historic Asolo Repertory Theater are a must. And thanks to a partnership between The Ringling and the Circus Arts Conservatory, you can see circus art at Asolo Rep this summer.

Summer Circus Spectacular brings circus artists from around the world to Sarasota’s Asolo Repertory Theatre— located at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail—through Aug. 12. Admission is just $13-$20 (with kids under 12 free), but you can tack on a visit to The Ringling’s Circus Museum for $5. More information is at ringling.org

adult museum admission includes entry to the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, plus Bayfront Gardens. More information is at ringling.org. Touch even more grass with a dive into nature at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Located at 1534 Mound St. in Sarasota, Selby Gardens offers plenty of opportunities to stop and smell the flowers if you feel like braving the summer heat and getting outdoors. Through Sept. 17, the Downtown Sarasota campus showcases work from Sarasota designer and illustrator John Pirman outdoors and in the Museum of Botany & the Arts galleries. Admission is $26 for adults, and more information is at selby.org.

A&E EVENTS

There’s even something for the doom scrollers in Sarasota, thanks to the Historic Spanish Point campus which invites visitors to experience art in the gardens via augmented reality. Download the app via selby.org, then stroll through the gardens with your cell phone, and watch the art pop up. The augmented reality experience at 401 N Tamiami Trail in Osprey runs through the summer and is $18 for adults.

Step out from the big top after that, and go beyond the circus, with a visit to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, located at 5401 Bay Shore Rd. in Sarasota. There you’ll find Lorna Bieber’s “Natural World” (through Oct. 15), contemporary Seminole art (through Sept. 4), and “Art Deco Lacquer and Textiles from Japan” (through Oct. 22). It’s $25 to get in, and

Before you hop back on the road to leave Sarasota, make a pit stop to grab a pie at Yoder’s Restaurant (3434 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota), named one of Florida’s 12 most iconic restaurants by Trips to Discover. And if you didn’t melt at Selby, consider a trip to see the gators at Myakka River State Park (13208 SR-72, Sarasota) or wait for the sun to go down and take an illuminated night tour of Sarasota’s waterways in a glass bottom kayak.

TOUCH GRASS: The downtown Sarasota campus of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS PRESS ROOM

BAD REPUTATION:

LATIN SUNDAY

RENÉ SCH LEGEL

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL Recommends

THU 27

Hunter Hayes Mr. “Invisible” seems to be taking the Taylor Swift route, veering further and further away from country music—while remaining an avid lover of it—and ascending into a more mainstream pop sound. The 31-year-old’s new album Red Sky is loaded with airy backing vocals, songwriting collaborators that have previously worked with Beyonce and BTS, and love songs worthy of soon rocking arenas and stadiums. This gig—Hayes’ first in Tampa since a 2019 stop at Busch Gardens—is the only Florida date on a three-stop east coast tour, with the other two having already taken place in New York. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

FRI 28

Bedside Kites w/Laverty/Dunies/Jack

Vinoy Micah and Sally of local rock band Charlie are also the brains behind Bedside Kites, a mainly acoustic project focused on writing songs about mending, and people they no longer know. The fidelity level mostly remains the same as Charles Irwin’s, so this free gig with a stacked lineup of local support should grease up the singer-songwriting wheels in your head. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)

Between the Buried and Me w/Thank You Scientist/Rivers of Nihil The Raleighbased prog metal outfit is leaving rhythm guitarist Dustie Waring behind this time around, following allegations that he raped a drunk fan. Filling his vacancy on this tour— which sees the band performing nothing but its 2012 The Parallax II: Future Sequence album front to back—is session guitarist Tristan Auman, who also founded instrumental rock trio Sometime In February. Fellow prog metal groups Thank You Scientist and Rivers Of Nihil open this heavy shindig.

(Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Foxgloves w/Floating Boy/The Tilt

There are shoegaze bands a plenty, but one of South Florida’s most unique purveyors of it blends its take on the genre with a touch of dream-pop and post-rock, too. Featuring guitarist Jamil Najid together with guitarist/ lyricist Dani Hamon, plus Frank Hernandez on drums and bassist Guillermo Selva, Foxgloves arrives supporting a new single, “Surf,” a blast of ‘90s fuzz that feels like rolling through your old neighborhood on the hottest summer day. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Maddie & Tae w/Shelby Darrall The Nashville-based, CMT Award-winning duo—fresh off of two, eight-track EPs—has previously opened Tampa shows for Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley, and made its local

headlining debut at the 2017 iteration of Florida Strawberry Festival. Four months after a gig at Busch Gardens’ Food and Wine Festival, Maddie Font and Tae Kerr’s harmonies will make grown men cry in downtown Clearwater for the first time. Shelby Darrall—a fellow country up-and-comer, and graduate of Belmont University—opens.

(Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

SAT 29

Bad Reputation: A WMNF tribute to Women Who Rocked the ‘80s The 1980s were a hot time for music fans, and for much of the decade, women ruled the airwaves. For this tribute show, Tampa Bay community radio station WMNF 88.5-FM will keep cool (the show is air-conditioned) and ask locals to take on the songs of more than two dozen of the decades most popular artists including Kate Bush (yes, “Running Up That Hill”), Joan Jett, Madonna, Tina Turner and more. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

Blaine Krauss Tampa Bay’s a place natives can always come home to, and that’s what’s happening when Gibbs High School graduate Krauss—who did stints on Broadway with “Hamilton,” “The Cher Show” and “Kinky Boots”—does his first hometown show since leaving for college a decade ago. The performance of “From The Soul” has St. Pete running through its veins thanks to compositions and arrangements from Dylan Glatthorn whose tasked Krauss with leading the way for the intimate, acoustic performance. (The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, St. Petersburg)

Fuerza Regida The regional Mexican band—actually based in southern California— has been on the Latin music scene for half a decade now, but didn’t start taking up top spots on U.S. and Mexican charts until last year. Its Peso Pluma collaboration “Igualito a Mi Apá” was the first to chart anywhere, but it was “Bebe Dame,” off the band’s latest album Sigan Hablando , that marked its first no. 1 in Mexico. (Yuengling Center, Tampa)

John Fogerty w/Hearty Har Early this year, after a 50-year battle, the face of Creedence Clearwater Revival finally got the publishing rights to his songs back. Hence the reasoning behind Fogerty’s current “Celebration” tour, his first in town since his hellscape of a 2018 co-headlining show with ZZ Top on the same property. Not that either band sounded bad, but buying a ticket to buy a $4 bottle of water without a cap? Come on. Fogey’s sons Tyler and Shane open the show with their band Hearty Har, which rocked a late afternoon day one set at last year’s Gasparilla Music Festival. (The Sound, Clearwater)

Nickelback w/Brantley Gilbert/Josh Ross Christmas is here early. Nickelback, North America’s foremost purveyor or pure, unabashed, five-time-Grammy-nominated butt-rock, arrives supporting its 10th studio album, Get Rollin’—the band’s first in five years —and finds two country openers, Brantley Gilbert and Josh Ross, warming up the show. (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) -RR

Night Moves: Trace Zacur Quintet

Last Monday, Tampa’s godfather of jazz, Bob Seymour, welcomed young, charismatic,

Blaine Krauss

continued from page 45

saxophonist Trace Zacur to WMNF 88.5FM’s “Jazz In the Night” program. On-air, the Berklee College Of Music graduate and David Pate-disciple detailed how his septet—including vocalist Theo Valentin, percussionist Gumbi Ortiz and pianist Jason Park—will give voice to classic R&B songs plus jazz from New Orleans. And as an FYI, there’s no Bob Seger in the setlist either. (Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

No Fraud w/Round Eye/Meatwound/ Last Bias You know it’s gonna be good when Meatwound comes out to play. The somewhat reclusive Tampa hardcore giant supports a legend of the Florida thrash scene, Venice’s No Fraud, which careened into the scene in the mid-’80s before unleashing about a dozen albums and EPs while also appearing on countless comp cassettes, splits and records including Gnome’s 1992 antifascist tape and the famed “We Can’t Help It If We’re From Tampa” documentary. Set to go Destructo (an ode to the band’s founder Dan Destructo) along with No Fraud is Shanghai punk band Roundeye and St. Petersburg hardcore outfit Last Bias. The Nest will never be the same after this. (The Nest at St. Pete Brewing Company, St. Petersburg)

Odyssey Music Festival: Sidney Charles w/Mr. Carmack/Madvilla/Saka/Ms. Mada/Backwhen/Greco/XTN/Slugg/

DJedi/more Because every up-and-coming city needs to have a Coachella connection, the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront is set to once again stage Odyssey Music Festival, which debuted last summer. This iteration features tech-house DJ Sidney Charles and Mr. Carmack (the latter played Coachella’s Do Lab stage last spring alongside Glitch Mob and Machinedrum) along with a slate of local producers and artists. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)

Owls & Old Fashioneds: Shae

Krispinsky w/Robert Wegman If you know the feeling of finding one of Florida’s wild creatures—be it bird, deer, racoon whatever—in your backyard, then you recognize the important work organizations like Owl’s Nest Sanctuary are doing. Together with its volunteers, the nonprofit, state and federallypermitted wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization treats and releases sick, orphaned and injured wildlife. “Essentially, if it is a native Florida species, we can help, or we can help you find someone who will,” the group says. To raise money for the cause, songwriter Shae Krispinsky and enigmatic Tampa musician Robert Wegman (Triple X Girls) will play tunes all while nature-inspired vendors sell wares and bartenders mix up wildlife-minded cocktails. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Steam feat. Bill Pascali Pascali has a thing about fronting new iterations of your parents’ favorite bands. Over the years, he has sung for Vanilla Fudge, The New Rascals, and currently, he fronts a brand new version of Steam, a pop one-hit-wonder from the very late-‘60s that he toured with for a few decades. He’s the last member of the band standing, but if you’ve ever wanted to hear an actual band perform “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” rather than a stadium crowd, New Port Richey is where you’ll want to be on Saturday night.

(Richey Suncoast Theatre, New Port Richey)

Summer Chic: Merritone Music w/ Marlon Boone/Steve Higgins/Jjaopa

A little bit of Jamaica makes its way to Bayshore Boulevard for this “all-white soiree” featuring DJs from the Merritone Music soundsystem, which throws it back to the days of the sound clash—a concept born from the Jamaican tradition of portable sound systems which would “clash” on the streets of Kingston back in the ‘50s. American R&B was king back then, but the selection should be much more eclectic for this garden party that also features Jamaican saxophonists (Marlon Boone), singers (Steve Higgins) and dancers (Jjaopa). (Tampa Federation Garden Clubs, Tampa)

SUN 30

Crobot w/Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol

Remember when the hard rock quartet promoted its debut album at St. Pete’s dearly departed Local 662? Eight years later, that spot has since become a Maple Street Biscuit Company, and Brandon Yeagley and friends— who opened for Steel Panther at Jannus Live earlier this year—are pushing Crobot’s fourth studio album Feel This . The record—which has been said to summon both Soundgarden and Black Sabbath—sees long, eclectic guitar sections from Chris Bishop, and Yeagley’s unmatched vocals tackling topics such as flying, and being a musician who lives in the streets, with no need for anything except for his hair and his guitar. Texas-based “doomwop” rock band Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol opens what appears to be Crobot’s Tampa-proper debut. (Orpheum, Tampa)

Infinite Third Billy Mays III was once a fixture in Tampa Bay’s ambient music scene, and he comes home for a one-off

performance under the Infinite Third moniker, where he sits cross-legged and utilizes looper pedals and a guitar to create an immersive, almost body-shaking soundscape that’ll have listeners buzzing whether they drink kava or not. (Grassroots Kava House, St. Petersburg)

TUE 01

Post Malone w/Beach Fossils The 27-yearold rapper and songwriter born Austin Richard Post arrives fresh off off the Friday release of his self-titled album, Austin. “I love y’all so very much and I’m so excited to get out and do some more shows for y’all,” Post, who’s been nominated for eight Grammys, wrote in a press release. “Help me put a baby through college and come on out. Some cool new production, new songs, and a very very handsome man up on stage. Sending love to you and yours.” (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

WED 02

Jackson Browne Ruth Eckerd Hall is 40 years old and still one of the best sounding rooms in Tampa Bay. Browne, the boomer icon with a golden voice, will undoubtedly showcase why top-tier songwriters want to meet fans there almost every time they stop in town. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

THU 03

The O’Jays The soul legends are going full Elton John, and milking their final run of shows for as long as possible. Following a stop at Straz Center last year, another string of

farewell shows takes the boys behind “For The Love of Money” across the east coast, before wrapping up in Philadelphia. A final farewell there would make sense, considering The O’Jays’ Philly soul sound, and of course, their 1970 album In Philadelphia . (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

Sister Hazel You can’t say that Sister Hazel hasn’t been kind to its home state. In the last five years, the band has staged a pandemic drive-in show at Raymond James Stadium in 2020, headlined a tribute concert to a fallen music scene devotee, and even saw frontmen Ken Block and Drew Copeland do a handful of acoustic gigs in Clearwater and Safety Harbor. On this run of summer shows—one year out from the 30th anniversary of Sister Hazel’s debut album—expect a career retrospective, filled with jangly, Southern anthems, as well as a few covers of both those who have fallen (including fellow Gainesville legend Tom Petty), and The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” Because how else do you make a group of sweaty Floridians lose their shit? (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Underoath w/The Ghost Inside/We Came As Romans/Better Lovers Hardrock hometown hero Underoath nixed plans to play Yuengling Center and will instead stage two nights of shows at The Ritz where I once saw guitarist Tim McTague absolutely losing his shit while in the audience during a sold-out show 2005 from Jimmy Eat World (when the room was called Masquerade). McTague and bandmates—fresh off a “Best Recording Package” Grammy nomination for Voyeurist , an album that is the focus of this set—get a turn onstage at the iconic venue and will have deep homies in the lineup, too. (The Ritz, Ybor City)

NATE YOUNG/TNSN DVSN

Underoath

No comps: New concerts coming to Tampa Bay

Clearwater Jazz Holiday comes home in the fall when it returns to Coachman Park, and its new performance space The Sound. And now we know who’s making noise for four days in the park. Tickets to the 44th annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday—happening ThursdaySunday, Oct. 19-22—are now on sale, and start at $30.75 for single tickets on select dates.

This year’s lineup features a plethora of CJH repeat offenders, including R&B legend Gladys Knight, guitar veteran Buddy Guy—in the midst of his “Damn Right Farewell Tour”—and classic funk outfit Average White Band. Preservation Hall Jazz Band also returns, while Jazz Holiday gives fans a glimpse at the future of the blues with a Sunday set by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

Gipsy Kings will lend a world music vibe to the 2023 Clearwater Jazz Holiday lineup, while Dustbowl Revival and Trampled By Turtles bring Americana and bluegrass to the four-day affair. Also included are first timers Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Los Lobos, and the current lineup of The Beach Boys, fronted by Mr. MAGA and “Good night baby, sleep tight baby” himself, Mike Love.

Due to Coachman Park’s renovation closure in late 2019, the last two, slightly scaled-down iterations of Clearwater Jazz Holiday have been held at Baycare Ballpark. And while yes, we loved chowing down on a cheesesteak from Delco’s while watching the opening sets, there’ll surely be some tears of joy shed by some, upon seeing that waterfront view again.

The nonprofit Jazz Holiday will also show off the music education and jazz outreach work it does during the rest of the year by bringing up its “Young Lions” ensemble to open the festival on Thursday. Have a look at daily lineups via cltampa.com/music, and see my weekly roundup of new concert announcements below.

Josh Bradley

Pyrexia w/Animals Killing People/Atoll/ Reeking Aura Tuesday, Aug. 8. 7 p.m.

$17.09. Brass Mug, Tampa

Benefit for Josh White: Drawn Out w/ Migrant Fury/Reaching Out/Right On Time/Spit Truth (debut show)/Zero Chill (debut show) Friday, Aug. 11. 7 p.m. $10. Born Free Pub & Grill, Tampa

Unfun Friday, Aug. 11. 11 p.m. No cover.

Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Pierce The Veil Friday, Aug. 11. 7 p.m. Check 97xonline.com for free ticket drops.

Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Row Jomah (album release) Saturday, Aug. 12. 9 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Jeremy Gloff (album release) Saturday, Aug. 12. 7 p.m. $10 & up. Disco Dolls Studio, Tampa

Choking on the Revelry w/The Dirty Janes/Mak/Matt Burke Friday, Aug. 18. 7 p.m. $10. Crowbar, Ybor City

Archers w/Versus Me/Discrepancies/Not

Enough Space/Stoned Mary Saturday, Aug. 19. 7 p.m. $15. Orpheum, Tampa

DogJoy w/Mrzky Beat/Ortrotasce/Romeo

Blu Sunday, Aug. 20. 7 p.m. No cover, but RSVP needed. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Vosh w/TBA Monday, Aug. 21. 7 p.m. $15.

Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Draining Kiss w/Glass Chapel/Sleeping Pills/Offerings Saturday, August 26. 8 p.m. No cover. The Hub, Tampa

Jack Jallo Memorial Show: Illuminate Me w/Spider Inside Her/Madtown/Gillian Carter/more Saturday, Aug. 26. 6:30 p.m. $5 at door, or canned food donation. Orpheum, Tampa

The New Brutarians w/Teen Cobra/Dave Reeder/Gino & The Goons Sunday, Aug. 27. No cover. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Godsmack w/Atreyu/Flat Black Saturday, Sept. 2. 7 p.m. $29.50 & up. Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa

Niko Moon w/Dee Jay Silver Sunday, Sept. 3. 11 a.m. $50 & up. Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Ravenscoon w/Drinkurwater Friday, Sept. 8. 10 p.m. $15. The Ritz, Ybor City

Chlöe w/Rosegold Saturday, Sept. 9. 7 p.m. $32 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

Lakeview Friday, Sept. 15. 8 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Sueco Friday, Sept. 15. 8 p.m. $22. Crowbar, Ybor City

Dexta Daps Sunday, Sept. 17. 8 p.m. $49 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

Fidlar Thursday, Sept. 21. 7 p.m. Prices TBA. Orpheum, Tampa

Worm w/TBA Saturday, Sept. 23. 7 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

Scream Tour ‘23: Next Up! feat. That Girl Lay Lay w/Young Dylan/Wanmor/ Papa Jay/Lay Bankz/D Sturdy & The Philly Goats/more Sunday, Sept. 24. 6 p.m. $59.50 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa

All Time Low w/Gym Class Heroes/ Grayscale/Lauran Hibberd Friday, Sept. 29. 6 p.m. $43.50. The Ritz, Ybor City

Faze Wave w/0 Miles Per Hour/TBA

Wednesday, Oct. 4. 7 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Avey Tare w/Geologist Thursday, Oct. 5. 7 p.m. $20. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Yes Wednesday, Oct. 11. 8 p.m. $53.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

AJJ w/Sad Park/Foot Ox Friday, Oct. 13. 7 p.m. $23. Orpheum, Tampa

Scary Pockets w/David Ryan Harris Saturday, Oct. 14. 9 p.m. $22.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Paul Cauthen w/Colby Acuff Tuesday, Oct. 17. 8 p.m. Prices TBA. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

The Church Thursday, Oct. 19. 8 p.m. $34.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Common Kings w/Jakobs Castle

Thursday, Oct. 19. 7 p.m. $22 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Aidan Bissett w/Anna Shoemaker Friday, Oct. 20. 8 p.m. Prices TBA. Crowbar, Ybor City

Nick Carter w/Maddie Poppe Sunday, Oct. 22. 7:30 p.m. $49.50 & up. Morsani Hall at Straz Center, Tampa

Moon Walker w/Nordista Freeze Monday, Oct. 23. 7 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Kota the Friend Thursday, Oct. 26. 8 p.m. $30 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

Eve 6 w/Ill Star Friday, Oct. 27. 7 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

BLP Kosher Saturday, Oct. 28. 7 p.m. $18.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Sammie Friday, Nov. 3. 8 p.m. $28. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Dollyrots w/Pohgoh/City Mouse

Sunday, Nov. 5. 6 p.m. $17. Crowbar, Ybor City

Ednita Nazario Sunday, Nov. 5. 8 p.m. $75 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

PAUL NATKIN

Ride out

By Caroline DeBruhl

Dear Oracle, I’m living in Pennsylvania, where I’m from and am trying to move back to Florida with my elderly cat. I’m having a hard time making it happen? I work from home, so I can work from anywhere; I’m in the travel industry. Will it happen? Please advise!—Looking for Sunshine

Cards: The Chariot, Six of Pentacles, Temperance, The Magician (all reversed)

Dear Sunshine, a confession: I asked the cards a slightly different question for you. I know you wanted to know if you would move back to Florida, but since Tarot isn’t great at answering “yes or no” questions, I asked how you could get back to Florida—and BOY, did they have something to say! With three major arcana cards, some really strong feelings and forces are at play here, including some competing ones (more on that in a minute.)

important to analyze risks/rewards and see the big picture…especially because your mind will be split between Chariot energy and The Magician.

I’ve written before about how The Chariot is this bombastic energy. It can be potent if you are trying to get shit done because it’s a “go out and get it!” type of card. This energy is about doing whatever you need to do to get you and your cat down to the sunshine state.

On the other hand, we have the equally powerful Magician. The Magician is powerful both in himself and because he’s a conduit of powers above him. He understands that there are things outside of his control.

ORACLE OF YBOR

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

First, I want to stress that you’ll need patience. With all the cards in reverse, I would say this will take longer than six months, so you’re probably looking at 2024 at the earliest. We also have Temperance, which stresses balance, moderation, and patience. You’ll have to be patient as these plans take shape, and you’ll have to keep a level head about things. It will be

In order to get down here, you need to be aggressive about what you can do, but you also need to learn what is outside of your control. It’s a bit like The Serenity Prayer: accept what you can’t change, change what you can, have the wisdom to know the difference. You don’t want to keep hitting a wall that won’t crumble, but you don’t want to back down when you need to push through.

Funny enough, I think the only minor arcana—the Six of Pentacles—might offer some advice. It is a card of generosity and sharing of gifts. It might be that someone else can help you move along, either as a benefactor or possibly as

a co-conspirator. Is there anyone besides your cat that you would consider this relocation with? I would keep an open mind about where help may come from. Remember: some things may be out of your control, but they might be controlled by someone else. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when necessary.

I hope you make it down to the land of good living, my dear!

Dear Oracle, as I grow more self-aware and develop boundaries, I find myself desiring to let go of certain friendships that no longer inspire me and challenge me in a healthy way. Because there is no clear guide to friendship breakups, I feel like despite my desire to end friendships, it still hurts, and I’m not completely doing it right. Is my desire to let go of these connections too impulsive? Am I doing it right?—Foe of a Friend?

Cards: Three of Pentacles, The Devil (reversed), The World (reversed), Eight of Cups (reversed)

Dear Friend, I’ve written before about how friendship breakups can feel worse than romantic ones, partly because at least when you break up with a partner, you can ask, “Maybe we can be friends?” But when you end a friendship, it’s over. You want them out of your life completely.

I don’t think you’re being impulsive. The Three of Pentacles is often a card about working well with others—but it can be a time to reflect when things don’t feel like they’re best. You know this feels off.

You say you don’t feel inspired or challenged in a healthy way, which suggests you may feel challenged in an unhealthy way. The Devil can be a prison of our own making. While often about the material world, it can also be that we feel like we have to keep working at something, that we’re chained to this rock. But the truth is, we can slip these chains. You can set a boundary and keep from repeating the unhealthy pattern. Then there’s The World, the end of a journey and the start of a new one. I have no doubt that this friendship has meant a lot to you over the years and probably gave you a lot—but it may have run its course. Just because something ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t supposed to happen in the first place. It just means it’s time to let go. I think you know that this is the right thing to do, deep down.

Unless someone is a nightmare, breakups never feel 100% good, even if you know it’s the right call. It has been hurting and will hurt—but the Eight of Cups suggests taking a different approach than what you’ve been doing. You may need to be direct and tell your friend that you want to end things. You don’t need to give a laundry list of reasons but be tactfully honest.

Don’t say, “I just need some space for a little while,” if that’s not true; it’s cowardly and cruel. Be prepared that they might be furious or hurt— and for mutual friends to have opinions about it. But if this is what you need, this is what you need. Figure out how to do it with dignity so you know that you did it the “right” way.

I know this is difficult, but I hope it brings you peace.

Quickies

By Dan Savage

How much pineapple should I be eating? Most commercial pineapple growers use a lot of pesticides and other agrochemicals in the production of this slow-growing fruit, which isn’t good for the environment or the health of agriculture workers. Furthermore, unless you live in South America, the pineapples you’re eating most likely traveled thousands of miles to get to you, which means their carbon footprints are huge. So, you should be eating only organic pineapple, if you’re eating any at all, and even then only as a special treat.

P.S. If this is about the taste of your cum— and pineapple questions are always about the taste of your cum—it doesn’t matter how many pineapples you eat, your cum will never taste like room temp froyo.

Is licking ripe armpits bad for my health? My boys and I like to sniff and lick each other’s pits after sweaty workouts. Can that bacteria in there do evil things? There’s a decent amount of bacteria in your boys’ armpits, but there’s way more bacteria in their mouths and yours—between six and 20 billion bacteria per mouth. Still, the 700-plus species of bacteria found in your mouth and your boys’ armpits are mostly benign. The same can’t be said for the bacteria living all over the equipment at the gym where you work out. Wipe your gym equipment down before use!

I feel like a bit of an outlier in this, and maybe it’s just porn that makes me feel this way, but I won’t suck a dick after it’s been inside me. I also won’t take a dick if it’s just been in someone else. Am I a germaphobe? Do you kiss boys on the mouth? Do you suck their dicks? Do you go to the gym? If the answer to any of those questions is “yes,” then you’re not a germophobe. As for ATM (“ass to mouth”), you can ignore the messages porn is sending you: that shit definitely isn’t for everyone.

When should you reveal to a would-be partner that you’re not as thin as they think you might be? If you used to be thin, and their mental image of you is how you used to look, and they haven’t seen you lately, do you need to disclose that you are now, in fact, fat before anything happens? Or do you wait until they see you in person and let them see it for themselves? Well, it depends on what kind of rejection you’re more comfortable risking here—and to be clear, I’m not saying you will be rejected because you’re not as skinny as you used to be. And I’m certainly not suggesting you should be rejected for that reason. But if being rejected because of your size when you meet face-to-face for the next

time would be more painful than being rejected before that face-to-face meeting, you’re going to want to disclose that fact in advance. If you don’t say something and/or send some current pics, you will be tense when you arrive; after you’ve arrived, you’ll be so busy scrutinizing every look or statement for evidence that your size is a problem that you won’t be able to relax, enjoy yourself, and be yourself. Tell them.

My boss is a pervert. How to fix him? Do you mean “fix” like you might “fix” a dog? Well, you can’t do that—not unless he wants to get fixed like a dog. (And there are men out there who want that.) Or do you mean “fix” as in “help him heal”? You can’t do that either—that’s something he has to do for himself.

Pup play—are you into it? Pup play isn’t something I’m into — but if the right 28-yearold Australian twink pop star who just released a catchy new dance track wanted to be my pup, I’d have Amazon Prime on my porch with a collar and a leash before the end of day.

I haven’t had sex in 10 years. Should I start trying again? Are you sexless and content? Maybe not. Are you sexless and miserable? Maybe so.

idea of my boyfriend being ogled by thousands of men. Your boyfriend enjoys being ogled by thousands of men—kind of textbook exhibitionistic behavior there (that’s the “why” of this)—and you can’t stand the idea of your boyfriend being ogled. So, seeing as your boyfriend refuses to stop posting his ass where you (and thousands of others) can see it and almost certainly posting his dick to alt accounts where you can’t see it (but thousands of others can), I think he’s the wrong boyfriend for you. Don’t draw this out: you’re not sexually compatible, and you should break up.

During a fight my boyfriend said he didn’t want to be intimate with me. I got mad and said I didn’t care because I’ve had better cock than his. That isn’t true and I apologized and asked what I could do to make it up to him. His reply was to have a threesome, which made me feel like he was manipulating me. He’s been asking to have a threesome ever since we got together. What should I do? Don’t draw this out.

SAVAGE LOVE

How come sometimes there’s smegma under my foreskin and sometimes there isn’t? I clean my dick daily. Smegma is comprised of oils, sweat, and dead skin cells, and it can accumulate under the foreskin or in the folds of the labia—so it’s not just a dick thing. And while your body sheds hundreds of millions of skin cells every day, your body doesn’t sweat or produce oils at a constant rate. So, some days you have a noticeable buildup, some days you don’t. (But keep washing every day.)

Quick question: How do you tell the difference between a crush, an infatuation, a romantic/sexual obsession, and actual love? You fuck around and find out—eventually.

Is it “normal” for your boyfriend to want to be on Twitter sharing his naked self with the whole world? I told him I didn’t want people seeing his dick on OnlyFans and he got off. Then I asked him to stop showing his dick all over Twitter. He complied but he still won’t get off completely. I don’t understand the “why” of this. Why does he feel a need to post his ass? He says he doesn’t know why, he just likes doing it. Is he an exhibitionist? I can’t stand the

What are your thoughts on reusing sex toys from one relationship to the next? For instance, I have a strap on attachment that I love and that has only ever been inside my vagina. I just ended a relationship. Is it weird to sanitize it and use it with my next partner or must I dispose of it? We don’t dispose of our genitals after a relationship ends—even though genitals can transmit sexual infections. A silicone dildo that’s been run through the dishwasher, by way of contrast, has never given someone HPV or herpes or even cooties. We don’t throw out mattresses after a relationship ends, we don’t cut off fingers that were inside our exes (or cut out tongues), and there’s no reason to dispose of a sex toy that got some use in a past relationship either.

I’m a woman married to a male presenting non-binary person. I explored my sexual feelings for women (with the full support of my spouse) and figured out that I am gay. I have a relationship with a woman now, and I’m still married to my male-presenting spouse. My spouse says that they can’t achieve orgasm at all anymore because I “destroyed their sexual self-confidence.” Is it my responsibility to make my spouse get off somehow? I feel a lot of guilt and get a lot of blame from them. I love my spouse, but I also love my girlfriend. I don’t know if I should choose a life of sexless marriage with someone I have history with or leave them for a person I’m attracted to and love but don’t have a long history with. If being with you— after everything that happened—means your

spouse can’t achieve orgasm anymore, your spouse should want to leave you. If your spouse refuses to leave you under these circumstances and instead demands you get them off somehow, they’re not interested in being with you. They’re interested in punishing you. It’s understandable they might want to—they have every right to be upset—but if you’ve been given a choice between a dysfunctional marriage with someone you’ll never be attracted to sexually and who’ll most likely stay mad about a new relationship with someone you’re attracted to romantically and sexually, the choice seems pretty obvious.

Any tips for menopausal women who don’t feel like doing IT anymore? Outsource.

Why is it called the “taint”? Because “Alito” was taken. (Actually, I looked it up: the vulgar meaning of “taint” is a contraction of “it ain’t.” As in, “it ain’t the butthole, and it ain’t the dick or pussy.” Taint!)

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve licked? A doorknob, long ago, on a dark and stormy night in Iowa.

My boyfriend is into rope bondage. He a skilled “rigger” who ties up both men and women. At the start of our relationship, I convinced myself I was comfortable with this. It was only after I developed serious feelings for him that I came to realize I wasn’t comfortable with this at all. My plan is to “wean” him from rigging, first by asking him to stop tying up women—for obvious reasons of jealousy (I am a straight woman, he is a straight man)—but I am going to demand he stop tying up men as well. We’ve discussed marriage and I am afraid he will propose before I can “walk back” my permission for him to engage in these activities. Help! I’m fresh out of help today—at least for manipulative liars. So, no help for you. In fact, the only thing I’ve got for you is a family-sized box of go fuck yourself. Seriously. You were never comfortable with your boyfriend tying up other people. You lied to him at the start of this relationship because he wouldn’t have dated you if you had been honest with him from the start. And now that you have some serious emotional leverage, e.g., now that he has feelings for you, you’re going to ask/demand he stop doing something he loves, something he was open about with you from the start, and something that gives him both a sense of accomplishment and community. Since you’re probably too selfish to take my advice and break up with your boyfriend (because he deserves better of you), here’s hoping your boyfriend sees this column, recognizes himself, and dumps you before you start issuing ultimatums. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.

STAIRWAY

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TO KNOWLEDGE by Merl Reagle