Creative Loafing Tampa — August 3, 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, Tyana

Rodgers, McKenna Schueler, Arielle

Stevenson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker

SUMMER INTERN Gracey Davis

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora

Story

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel

ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

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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?

Leigh Wilson

MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Lauren Caplinger

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Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest 40

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

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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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You’re not looking at what may or may not be prevented. Despite setback, St. Pete housing activists continue fighting, p.

fashion: Olga Saretsky + Kikimora Studio

Bash brother

It takes a village to raise a child, and earlier this month, WWE superstar Titus O’Neil rounded up friends to help stuff school supplies into more than 30,000 backpacks. Last Saturday, O’Neil was back at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium where the Bullard Family Foundation and partners helped distribute the school supplies and provide medical screenings, haircuts, and hugs before the start of the 2023-24 school year. See more photos via cltampa.com/sldieshows.—Ray Roa

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do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from August 03 - 10

Hold the line

If you’ve been sleeping, then you definitely missed it, but there’s a writer’s strike happening right now, and it’s sent nightly talk shows into the dark. One program that’s been affected is NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” and while some striking Writer’s Guild members have put together YouTube shows (read: “Picket Tonight”), Meyers—who came to prominence during his 13-year tenure on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” where he was head writer and part of the show’s popular “Weekend Update”—is fully aware that the strike could go on and on. He recently told “Late Night” viewers writers are entitled to make a living, adding that, “I think it’s a very reasonable demand that is being set out by the guild, and I support those demands.” No telling what Meyers has in store for audiences, but he’s one hell of a writer (with 29 Emmy nominations and one win, plus several Writers Guild of America Awards) so expect it to be good. Seth Meyers. Next Thursday, Aug. 10. 8 p.m. $110 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. 5223 Orient Rd, Tampa. seminolehardrocktampa.com—Ray Roa

Stay golden

Yes, and…

Last week on WMNF-Tampa 88.5-FM’s “Art In Your Ear” public affairs program, Countdown co-founders Kelly Buttermore and Matt Walker said that improv comedy lets an artist be free and funny-on-the-spot. “You’re essentially building something with your partner,” Buttermore added, about the “yes, and…” building block of a performance. “I love the idea of doing something that has never been seen before and something that never will be seen again,” Buttermore (pictured with her “From Justin To Kelly” partner Justin Peters) said. Across four days next week, the festival presents improv in solo, duo and trio formats, plus workshops with close to 100 acts coming from about 18 different states, including Florida. Countdown Improv Festival. Wednesday-next Saturday, Aug. 9-12. $20-$65. Hillsborough Community College Performing Arts Building, 1411 E 11th Ave., Ybor City. countdownimprovfestival.com—Ray Roa

Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, aka MCC Tampa, is the local chapter of the pro-LGBTQ+, “life-affirming” church with fellowships all over the world. Tampa’s faction was founded on Aug. 6, 1971, and has been spreading the loving word of God and serving the spiritual needs of the LGBTQ+ community for over five decades. It is even considered the oldest, established LGBTQ+ organization in Hillsborough County. The pandemic postponed its actual 50th anniversary, so MCC Tampa and its supporters are celebrating this weekend with a friendly gathering and a homecoming service on Sunday morning. MCC Tampa’s golden anniversary will feature light hors d’oeuvres and desserts and the chance to spend time with the organization’s friends and family; folks who are interested in joining the church are welcome as well. The church has been occupying its Seminole Heights space on the corner of N Central Avenue and E Cayuga Street since 1996, and hosts a variety of workshops, volunteer days and community-centered events throughout the year, in addition to bible study and worship service each Sunday morning. MCC Tampa provides both a physical and spiritual safe haven amidst Florida’s increasingly-hostile political atmosphere, and in the words of its own senior pastor Jakob-Hero Shaw: “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.” MCC Tampa golden anniversary celebration. Saturday, Aug 5. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Free; donations welcome. Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa, 408 E Cayuga St., Tampa. mcctampa.com—Ray Roa

Filling good

A few months ago, Tampa food truck

This Little Pig hosted a Cinco de Mayo pop-up in honor of Ybor City’s long-lost restaurant Mema’s Alaskan Tacos (pictured is the queue). Well, the food truck’s customers loved the concept so much that they requested another fried taco pop-up, and its second iteration heads to Ybor Heights this weekend. Fried tacos can be purchased in sets of two and are filled with a variety of proteins, from beef and shrimp to fish and tofu. Quesadillas stuffed with pork, chicken or mushrooms are also on this Sunday’s menu, alongside from-scratch guacamole and salsa. Read more on p. 37. ‘PeePaw’s Deep Fried Taco’ pop-up. Sunday, Aug. 6. 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Free to attend. Deviant Libation, 3800 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. followtheflyingpig.com—Kyla Fields

COUNTDOWN IMPROV FESTIVAL

MCCTAMPAFL/FACEBOOK

Tim on Tim

Known for his roles in TV shows like the “Tim and Eric Awesome Show” and “Bob’s Burgers,” comedian Tim Heidecker brings his latest show to downtown Tampa. This two-act evening consists of stand-up comedy for the first half and live music with his Very Good Band during the latter. The unique performance portrays both sides of the dynamic Heidecker, known for his Jagjaguwar-released 2019 LP What The Brokenhearted Do just as much as his popular comedy specials. The 47-yearold also collaborated with a number of notable indie musicians including Mac Demarco and Weyes Blood, and his 2022 release High School garnered positive reception for its brutally honest, autobiographical songs. A number of VIP packages are available (signed poster, access to sound check and a pre-show Q&A) for what is Heidecker’s only Florida show. Make sure to stop by the Democratic Socialists of America table in the lobby, too. Tim Heidecker. Saturday, Aug. 5. 8 p.m. $39.50 & up.Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St. Tampa. tampatheatre.org

—Kyla Fields

POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

Sound the alarm

Tampa City Council wants updated safety master plan.

By Arielle Stevenson

Last month, Tampa’s Fire Chief Barbara Tripp presented the long-awaited Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) public safety master plan to City Council. According to Tripp, TFR has made $12 million in fleet improvements since she took charge in 2020. Tripp said at the meeting that she faced “the challenges of the pandemic, the Super Bowl, the accreditation, outdated equipment, and of course, work overload.”

Tripp, a Tampa native, is the first female fire chief in Tampa history. Her predecessor, Fire Chief Nick LoCicero, retired in May 2021 after a six-month investigation cleared him of wrongdoing; he was suspended over unspecified allegations of misconduct in November 2020. Tripp was appointed fire chief by Mayor Jane Castor in June 2021.

“I can say that this administration has done everything to be resilient,” Tripp said at the meeting. “To come into the future.”

In 2021, Tripp hired the consulting firm, Fitch and Associates, to conduct a feasibility study of TFR. She told council she had worked with Fitch before, during her time as Rescue Division Chief for Hillsborough Fire Rescue.

Tampa’s Firefighters Union, Local Chapter 754, says Tripp hired a company known for union busting. On Feb. 21, 2019, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) executive board declared Fitch & Associates a rival organization at the request of Orlando’s Local 1365.

“These last three years, they haven’t done anything except find these companies that are looking to save a buck and break unions,” Tampa’s Local 754 President Nick Stocco told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

Tripp told CL she didn’t know about the rival organization designation until the Fitch report was already underway.

“I did not know that they were, but once I started the report, I heard someone grumble about it,” Tripp said. “When I investigated it, there was a recommendation that some departments could go single-cert.”

Tripp was talking about when Fitch evaluated Orlando Fire in 2018. That report recommended “single cert” units to address what Fitch called a lack of medical care. Single-cert means only paramedics would be available as opposed to firefighters who are trained as paramedics.

“It’s not so much Fitch telling them you don’t need firefighters. You just need paramedics,” Tripp said. “It’s more like you told me to look at your information, and this is what you need.”

Tripp said single-cert units were never a recommendation in Tampa’s Fitch report.

“That’s not true,” Stocco told CL. “There was an attempt during our contract negotiations to create two different shifts, only for paramedics.”

Stocco said the union didn’t agree to that proposal.

Last month, Stocco and City Council member Bill Carlson raised concerns about the $99,995 Tripp paid to Fitch for the report. That amount falls just under the city’s $100,000 requirement for approval from the City Council.

The Fitch report was presented to council by Fitch partner Steven Knight, a retired assistant fire chief from St. Petersburg, who argued in favor of “public/private partnerships,” hiring companies like Sunstar instead of adding more sworn firefighters or building more fire stations.

“The most expensive way to improve that time is purchasing additional stations and staff personnel,” Knight said at the meeting.

LOCAL NEWS

Stocco says that 68% of the city’s fire stations are past life expectancy. Fifteen stations are at least 30 years old, and some are as old as 90 and 100 years old. He also pointed to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 standard regarding response times. The NFPA recommends response times of six minutes. Tampa’s is 13.1 minutes, according to last month’s presentation.

“That means 90% of the time, an ambulance is at your door in 13 minutes from you calling 911,” Stocco said. “It’s quicker to get an Uber.”

The report comes weeks after Tampa’s Firehouse 13 came under scrutiny for an incident where a toy monkey was found hanging from the ceiling. The firefighter who filed a human resources complaint about the monkey told WFTS that he also found a picture of himself with racist language scrawled across his forehead.

Last month, TFR’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) had a server hardware failure, going offline on a Sunday evening through Wednesday. That means calls were dispatched manually. Stocco told CL that the CAD failure was partly due to the delay in TFR’s master plan.

“There was a gap in service,” Stocco told CL. “Everything had to go to paper and pen. We did see upwards of 30 minutes waiting for an ambulance at some scenes Tuesday night.”

He said the current CAD system was installed in 1998 and was supposed to be replaced in 2021.

“I don’t want to see another $99,995 contract again. I don’t know whose idea it was, but it looks like it’s circumventing the public and us, the city council,” Carlson said at the meeting.

Tripp told CL, “It was more like we need to get this done, and I paid you what you asked for.”

Last month, Council unanimously requested a different consultant or mediator to work with Local 754 on an updated report. Council asked staff to prepare a report on possible public safety revenue resources. TFR will also host a workshop on the public safety plan on Aug. 31.

“I know we had to do a lot of things manually,” Tripp told council last month, in her report on the outage. “But as far as responding to the community and providing service, there was no gap in service.”

Tripp told the Council that TFR is contracting a vendor to replace the CAD system and is expected to have an update this month.

“There was an attempt during our contract negotiations to create two different shifts, only for paramedics.” TAMPAFIRERESCUE/TWITTER

WORTH FIGHTING: Tampa’s firefighters union says Fitch and Associates makes anti-union suggestions.

Praise the ‘lord

St. Pete City Council votes to repeal its own Tenants Bill of Rights.

By Arielle Stevenson

Dozens of hard-won tenant protections across the state have effectively disappeared into thin air. That’s because Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed HB 1417 aka the Florida Landlord Tenant Act into law, which went into effect on July 1. Last month, St. Petersburg City Council voted 6-0 to repeal its own Tenants Bill of Rights as a result of the new law.

Council member Richie Floyd says landlord and realtor lobbying groups like the Bay Area Apartment Association, the Florida Apartment Association, and the Florida Realtors Association are largely to blame for the loss of renter protections across the state.

“This is thanks to lobbyists and our friends at the apartment association spending the last legislative session trying to claw back on the little bit of things that we were able to give people here,” Floyd said at the meeting. “I’m disturbed by the situation that we’re in right now.”

tenant-landlord relations. Citing Orange County, William Kilgore with the St. Pete Tenants Union asked the Council to refer the issue to the Housing, Land Use, and Transportation committee for further discussion.

“You’re not looking at the specific parts and what may or may not be prevented,” Kilgore said at the meeting. “In terms of source of income protection, they’re [Orange County] saying that it’s a Fair Housing issue, which is separate.”

St. Pete Assistant City Attorney Bradley Tennant said that discrimination is unlawful in the state of Florida, under the Florida Fair Housing Act in Chapter 760.

HOUSING

“There is potentially an opportunity to look at what can be done there,” Tennant said at the meeting. “As I stated, discrimination remains unlawful and that is covered through a different section.”

Last year, St. Pete voted to opt out of Pinellas County’s Tenant Bill of Rights, with expanded tenant protections, in favor of its own. Pinellas County has since removed its Tenant Bill of Rights page, referring to HB 1417 as the cause.

St. Pete’s Tenant Bill of Rights is no longer offered on the city’s website. Since taking office last year, Floyd has tried to combat the housing crisis by trying to pass rent control via ordinance, strengthening tenant protections in the city’s bill of rights, and continuing the long fight for tenants right to counsel.

“We have a prime example right here of something small that can help tenants,” Floyd said. “And people that we interact with regularly are constantly trying to claw back and it’s very, very frustrating to me, and quite frankly, embarrassing that people would be so brazen.”

St. Pete is not alone in the fight for tenant rights.

Last year, over 60% of Orange County residents voted to approve a rent stabilization ordinance. The will of Orange County’s people was immediately challenged in court by the Florida Realtors Association (FRA) and the Florida Apartment Association (FAA). In April, the Florida Supreme Court refused to take the legal dispute between Orange County and the FRA and FAA.

But, Orange County did hang on to some victories, albeit without the rent stabilization voters asked for. Orange County will maintain its source of income discrimination ordinance, as it is stipulated outside the state preemption on

Tennant said an ordinance specifically addressing discrimination could be researched and considered. What HB 1417 prevents is any ordinance specific to Chapter 83 or anything interfering with the tenant-landlord relationship.

Earlier in the meeting, Council was approving a statue to honor St. Pete civil rights organizer Joe Savage, who organized the workers in the 1968 St. Pete Sanitation Workers Strike. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968, Savage was supporting workers in the Memphis Sanitation strike. St. Pete’s strike began one month after his murder. Muhammad noted that 1968 was also the year Florida instituted “Home Rule,” a law that argued that the government closest to the people governs best.

“When we talk about what was happening in 1968, local municipalities were trying to address and combat racism and discrimination and the state said ‘localities, you all know what’s best for your area,’” Muhammad said at the meeting. “So fast forward, we’re having a conversation about discrimination as it relates to removing Home Rule and preempting local governments.”

Florida’s 1968 passage of Home Rule came with legal challenges, including the first Florida Supreme Court case that discussed the 1968 amendment. That decision narrowly defined the amendment’s application, which created the basis for the 1973 Florida legislature Municipal Home Rules Power Act (MHRPA) codifying the amendment under Chapter 166. Under MHRPA, “Courts have interpreted this provision to mean that local government action should only be

prohibited if the action is either 1) preempted by state law or 2) in conflict with state law.”

That’s why so much recent legislation has been specific to state preemption. St. Pete City Attorney Jackie Kovilaritch told council that the Tenants Bill of Rights needs to be repealed, “legally, as soon as possible,” in order to comply with HB 1417. Kovilaritch recommended Floyd create a new business item specific to source

of income discrimination.

Floyd promised he would. “With source of income, I saw with my own eyes how much it helped people in my life,” he added.

Floyd was absent at the time of the vote. Council member Lisette Hanewicz was absent from the meeting. The second public hearing and final vote on the repeal of St. Pete’s Tenant Bill of Rights is scheduled for Aug. 3.

OUT OF CONTROL: Housing activist outside St. Pete City Hall in February 2022.

DAVE DECKER

“I’m disturbed by the situation that we’re in right now.”

Whitewashed

Discussing Florida’s new Black history standards.

By McKenna Schueler

The Florida Board of Education last Wednesday approved new standards for the teaching of African American history in Florida schools, as well as other social sciences, that reflect what critics describe as a “whitewashing” of Black history. The 216-page document detailing new academic guidelines for K-12 schools was approved at a board meeting in Orlando, but not before facing criticism by numerous educators, Democratic politicians, as well as the Florida Education Association (the statewide teachers union) and the NAACP. Critics argued the new standards “omit or rewrite key historical facts about the Black experience” and ignore state law about required instruction.

Already, the changes have garnered national attention— largely due to a section of the middle-school standards that would require instruction on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

dubbed by Gov. DeSantis as the “Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act,” or “Stop WOKE Act.” Separate rules were also adopted Wednesday concerning preferred pronouns and bathroom use by transgender students and educators in schools. House Bill 7, approved by the GOP-dominated legislature in 2022, bans instruction that characterizes one race or gender as morally superior to another, and bars educators from teaching anything that could make students feel guilty for past discrimination by members of their race. Or, that was the intent. That law has since been blocked.

FLORIDA NEWS

Vice President Kamala Harris, who paid a visit to Florida this week, condemned the language. At a conference for the Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta in Jacksonville on Thursday, Harris said bluntly, “They want to replace history with lies,” calling it an effort by extremist leaders to spread propaganda.

Moreover, new standards for high school instruction would expose students to another hotly debated message: To meet the new benchmarks, lessons on white supremacist-led massacres against Black Americans—including, but not limited to the Rosewood massacre in 1923 and Ocoee massacre of 1920—will include instruction on violence both “against and by African Americans.”

Members of the board, however, as well as the state Department of Education, defended the new standards. MaryLynn Magar, a DeSantis-appointed member of the education board, said on Wednesday that “everything is there” in the new history standards and “the darkest parts of our history are addressed,” the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

Manny Diaz Jr., the state’s education commissioner (and a former Republican lawmaker who sponsored HB 7, also known as the “Stop WOKE Act” of 2022) also defended the changes. “This is an in-depth, deep dive into African American history, which is clearly American history as Governor DeSantis has said, and what Florida has done is expand it,” said Diaz.

In fact, the new standards were adopted as a curriculum update made necessary by HB 7,

In the wake of the newly adopted academic standards for Florida schools, Orlando Weekly spoke with Dr. Robert Cassanello, an associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida. Cassanello, who also serves as president of the university’s full-time faculty union, has an educational background in Florida’s civil rights history, Jim Crow and labor. He is also a plaintiff in one of the first legal challenges to the “Stop WOKE Act.” This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What is your understanding of what these new standards do, or what purpose they will serve, within Florida’s public education system? These standards continue a trend in Florida that goes back almost 20 years, at least 15, to sort of strip interpretation out of history, and really try to whitewash history in a lot of ways. And when I say whitewash, I mean that literally. I took a look at the standards this morning, and shocks me how naked the attempt [is] to revise African American history to one that is something I don’t think most scholars recognize. I think that the term that I’ve heard most often in the last few days with the standards, it’s “both sides-ism,” right?

To give you one example: When the standards examine racial violence, specifically the Ocoee massacre, there’s a phrasing in there that said something like, instruction on violence to African Americans and by African Americans. As if African Americans also committed violence to white folks presumably. And you know, it doesn’t really bear out in the standards where that might come in. But it’s there, if you want to explore that concept of both sides and say, well, there’s racial violence against African Americans, and then, you know, there’s racial violence against whites—which I think a teacher would be hard-pressed to find to be able

to include in some kind of social studies lesson in middle or high schools.

Right, I think one teacher was quoted in their critique of the changes as describing the new guidelines as presenting “only half the story and half the truth.” Do you think that’s a fair way to describe this?

Yeah, I think so. One of the other things that stood out to me is, they’re really trying to accommodate what they refer to as “white guilt.” That concept that Chris Rufo and DeSantis—you

know, the architects of the law against critical race theory, known as HB7—really tried to perpetuate this notion that whites can’t feel guilty for past inhumanity to other people. And we see this, I think, in the standards when there is discussion of the international slave trade, specifically [on page 8, SS.912.AA.1]— the Atlantic slave trade.

So in that section of the standards, what we’ll notice is that teachers are asked to discuss the origin of slavery in West Africa, slavery in continued on page 24

WAKE UP: Dr. Robert Cassanello knows Florida’s civil rights history, Jim Crow and labor.

“They want to replace history with lies.”

continued from page 21

Asia, slavery with the Barbary Pirates of North Africa, and slavery with the indigenous people of both North and South America, right? But nowhere in these criteria, in these bullet points, is there a discussion of slavery in British North America, or slavery with Europeans. Like what was their role in creating slavery and slave institutions? It’s completely absent in the standards, as if slavery was really a non-European thing in its totality. And I think this goes into trying to explain or at least justify the notion that whites have no reason to be guilty for slavery, because white folks had no role in slavery. It’s really kind of … I mean, it’s beyond laughable, you know, it’s really almost offensive, I think.

You mentioned that this kind of change in instruction has been a trend over the past 15 to 20 years. So from a historical standpoint, have we in modern history seen this kind of

whitewashing before in the state curriculum?

And if so, where and when have we seen this?

The whitewashing of the history curriculum goes back decades. In the 1960s, there was a group of scholars who began to question these celebratory histories of the United States. And this started a discussion that would bear fruit in the 1980s—20 years later, when states began to revise their history standards or social studies standards, and began to include the lives of African Americans, the lives of Asian Americans, the lives of people from Latin America, and it became a much more diverse and inclusive curriculum. And what we started hearing in response from conservative activists was this idea that the “real history” is no longer being taught— like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and such were being removed [and replaced with] the likes of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman,

and things like this. That really started in the early 1990s.

And in Florida, in 2008, is when the state legislature really kind of adopted that philosophy to change the history standards in Florida. They began to introduce things like the genius of the founding fathers into the history standards, promotion of free market capitalism, free enterprise, and the creation of America.

FLORIDA NEWS

I think HB7, when that comes along in 2022, that seizes upon that same movement, except it’s specifically directed at race. It has this kind of racialized intent, so that it muzzles professors so they can’t really speak about institutional, structural racism. You know, we see that in the standards that came out this week, because in these standards, the founders are referred to as the “architects of liberty and equality” [as if] they were working feverishly to

end slavery in America. And you’re left with the notion that well, it was the 19th century. [There were] those people, those Americans in the 19th century that continued slavery when the founders really were working their best to eliminate slavery. And of course, that really isn’t true.

So, what do you think is propelling the changes being made today, and within the last couple of years?

I think the changes are part of a conservative effort to manufacture a cultural war. And what I mean by this is, that there is a political benefit for people who are interested in sort of manufacturing the “other.” And then manufacturing people who are “disunited.” I think what the standards represent is a blueprint for conservative politicians and conservative activists to point to and say, “Look, this is what’s wrong with the way history is being taught, and here’s the

continued on page 27

FLORIDA WOMAN: Vice President Kamala Harris, who paid a visit to Florida last week, condemned the language.

KAMALAHARRIS/TWITTER

“The whitewashing of the history curriculum goes back decades.”

continued from page 24

way it should be taught.” And it’s being done in ways that enshrine it in legal pathways. Like, what happens if you don’t teach this stuff, if you’re a K through 12 teacher? You’re in violation. Presumably, you’re in violation of your job as a public school teacher. So I think these things really do serve that cultural war purpose.

And how do these new standards adopted this week fit within the DeSantis administration’s broader education agenda?

These standards fit in DeSantis’ broader education agenda by infusing this fear of critical race theory, institutional racism and structural racism. You know, these are the pillars of DeSantis’ education policy in regards to the teaching of history and social studies. I think what [the] standards that were released this week document is really the stripping of African American history, of any kind of discussion about the consequences of racism.

These new standards are tied to HB 7, the bill that you mentioned earlier from last year, more commonly known as the “Stop WOKE Act.” You’re a plaintiff in one of the first lawsuits to challenge that law, which has since been blocked. As a plaintiff in that lawsuit, and as an educator yourself, what kind of impact do you see these changes, these targeted attacks having on the educational workforce, or what have you observed already?

As a plaintiff in one of the HB 7 lawsuits, I really have a great deal of concern over the standards because the students I will get—most of the students that I will get—will come from an education system that presumably will be teaching these standards, and I think they will be ill-equipped to have the kind of foundation needed to really learn history effectively and learn history holistically. So on that level, it really concerns me, because I may have to reteach a lot of students. I can’t tell you how many times a student will come into class and say, “Well, this is what I learned in high school.” And I would imagine that this will be much more pronounced after these standards are put in place.

The other concern I have is that of self-censorship, because what these standards do is set a tone. And again, the whitewashing isn’t as explicit as one might think, but it is certainly there, and I think what it does is it’s going to create a condition by which history teachers throughout the state are going to be questioned on what they can and cannot teach in regards to the history of racism in this country, and the role and responsibility of past actors to that history.

Just yesterday, as a matter of fact, a highschool history teacher contacted me and said, “What am I going to do with these standards?” This person was panicking. And at the moment … I just didn’t know what advice to give them at that point. But I would say to anyone who’s struggling with these standards to continue to

teach what is accepted history, what is out there as historians tell them. I think the [new state] standards weren’t created by historians or with historians in mind. History teachers really need to feel that they’re not bound by those standards if they’re going to serve their students.

Is there anything about the media coverage of these new standards so far that you think has been misconstrued? Or is there anything missing from it that you think is important?

Everything I’ve read so far, their characterizations seem to be what I read too in the standards. The only difference is there’s a lot more there to substantiate those characterizations than we’ve read in the stories.

Right, yeah, it’s a 216-page document so there’s obviously a lot in there.

Right, and it’s kind of curious, because the section with the most revisions is the African American standards. And what’s sort of fascinating is the way that in parts of that they’ve kind of centered white history in African American history. It’s almost as if African Americans are sort of secondary in the section that’s supposed to be about the history of African Americans in this country.

One of the things that I’m really kind of curious about, I can’t figure out, is there’s a section there, a standard on violence, right?

And so I know a lot of people picked up on the “violence to, violence by” African Americans. A lot of people picked it up. That’s great. That’s certainly troubling. But if you read further into that standard, there’s this [section]: ‘Discuss,’ it says, Lincolnville and St. Augustine, and this other town in Oklahoma. And why discuss those in terms of violence? I know Martin Luther King had called St. Augustine the most violent city in America in 1963 and ‘64 when he was marching there, but Lincolnville? This was a black community in St. Augustine when Martin Luther King was there. So it doesn’t really explain, why is Lincolnville connected to the stories of violence? If I were a teacher, you know — not having a PhD, or being a historian — when I was in the classroom, I wouldn’t know what to do with this Lincolnville material. Like, what am I supposed to do with this? How am I supposed to speak about Lincolnville and violence? I don’t know. It’s not in the standards anywhere. And in fact, I even went online, because I was curious myself, like, what’s the violence in Lincolnville? And I did a Google search, and of course, nothing comes up [beyond information related to St. Augustine.]

public education, that I haven’t asked about that you would like to share?

I hope the public really does pore over this and takes an interest in what the state says history teachers should be teaching in the classroom. Because, again, this goes back at least to 2008 when lawmakers in Tallahassee demanded that history teachers do not teach opinion, do not teach interpretation and only teach facts, right? And I think lawmakers putting themselves into the classroom in this way is really harming the teaching of history as a discipline in K through 12.

FLORIDA NEWS

And I do hope that this wakes people up and makes them say, hey, perhaps lawmakers aren’t the best person to decide what history teachers should be teaching. Perhaps it should be the experts. There’s history and social studies teaching organizations that devote time and effort into all this, have conferences, produce resources and guidelines. It doesn’t look like any of that stuff was consulted on these standards. And I think it’s time that we take this to the lawmakers and expect more out of them and what they’ve been doing with history standards.

Is there anything else about these new standards, and what they mean for the state of

This post first appeared at our sibling publication Orlando Weekly.

RON AWAY: The new standards infuse DeSantis’ fear of critical race theory.

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Lasting Impressions: Japanese Prints from the Read-Simms Collection was organized by the Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

Nana’s one-year anniversary

T.Couture w/Mila Killa/Sado Smooth/Friki Donya/more Saturday, Aug. 5, 8 p.m.-midnight. $20-$25

Nana’s Juice Bar & Restaurant. 1601 E 4th Ave., Ybor City nanas-restaurant-and-juice-bar.business.site

RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES

Secret garden

Nana’s marks a year of healthy eating in Ybor City.

By Kyla Fields

Beware of Nana’s Juice Bar & Restaurant in Ybor City—you could have a plant-based platter and smoothie so delicious and energizing that it might have you contemplating going all-vegan. The small green building and giant colorful courtyard marked a year on its Ybor City parcel last month, and is celebrating this milestone with a party on Saturday, Aug. 5. Nana’s birthday party features dozens of local vendors, performances from T.Couture, Mila Killa, Sado Smooth and Friki Donya, henna tattoos, and food and drink specials from chefowner Anisa Mejia (aka “Nana” herself).

On a humid July day, with Florida’s dark clouds looming above ready to downpour at any second, Mejia sits down with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay in Nana’s courtyard—located at 1601 E 4th Ave.—to detail the many obstacles she overcame to operate Nana’s, let alone open it in the first place.

“So first of all: I had no idea what I was doing when we decided to open this business,” Mejia, 28, says frankly.“I was literally walking up and down 7th Avenue making connections and asking other restaurant owners if I could see their kitchens. I visited NY NY Pizza, Due Amici, and a few others.”

Having to learn the City of Tampa’s permitting process and Ybor City’s business guidelines regulated by The Barrio Latino Commission was one hurdle, and all of Nana’s DIY renovations and remodeling was another. The building was once “The Dojo”, a recording studio run by Tampa rapper Sam E. Hues; before that, it was a BBQ restaurant, so Mejia luckily didn’t have to weather the city’s change-of-use permitting process.

All of her and her family’s DIY renovations and personal touches shine through Nana’s customer service and overall ambiance. When waiting for your smoothie in the small dining room (which consists of a single table and a few stools), it’s common to witness employees greeting their regulars by name as they walk into the cozy, foliage-covered building.

And just like how other restaurateurs gave her advice last summer when she was preparing for Nana’s debut, she passes down any knowledge to other new business owners in the area. She recently connected with Rodney Dhanraj

who’s opening his Trinidadian concept Pepper’s Island right around the corner at 1701 E 4th Ave., sharing any permit-related and operational knowledge that she’s gathered in the past year.

After enduring the months-long process of opening Nana’s doors in 2022, Mejia is finally looking ahead and starting to hone in her plant-based menu and the business’ eventual expansion. In Nana’s second year, she hopes to

In addition to its smoothies—which often utilize health-forward ingredients like aloe, bee pollen, beetroot powder and ginger—Nana’s offers a la carte items like walnut meat empanadas, papa rellenas (stuffed potatoes) and carrot “toona” sandwiches daily. Each Monday, the restaurant posts its weekly “meal of the day” menu on its Instagram (@nanas_ybor), a perpetually-changing list of plant-based entrees ranging from Dominican-inspired eats like pastelón (think plantain lasagna) to Asian and Italian dishes.

Mejia says she never likes to offer the same items for too long, and is always anticipating the next new dish on Nana’s menu.

it into my kitchen. [Apothecary owner Lyani Powers] teaches us the spiritual aspects of each plant and how to be intentional with it,” Mejia explains. “Food is one of the main medicinal sources we get from nature and when I cook, I’m very conscious about everything I’m creating.”

“My connection with food has always been this deep,” she adds.

Mejia was born in New York City, moved to Tampa in 2006 and spent a few years in Miami before moving back to the greater Tampa Bay area in 2020. Her childhood memories include both grandmas cooking around her all the time. “Even though they were both Dominican, they had completely different styles and ways of cooking,” Meija says. She feels a deep, ancestral-like connection between her Dominican and African roots and the history of Ybor City, and feels a spiritual responsibility to continue the district’s legacy and community-oriented feel.

She hopes the proposition of nearby development won’t threaten that mission. There’s a good chance that Ybor Harbor—developer Daryl Shaw’s proposed 33-acre mixed-use development—will start its build out just a few blocks away from Nana’s alongside the northern tip of Ybor Harbor. There haven’t been any recent updates about the massive development that was proposed in early 2023, but Mejia is still concerned about its possible impact on her and other family and Black-owned businesses in the immediate area. Meija said that she was unhappy with how WFTS portrayed her feelings about Ybor Harbor earlier this year, saying that her interview conveyed unanimous support for the development, when in reality she communicated various concerns about its effects on the rich history and culture of Ybor City.

host more events in the courtyard, expand the daily menu and eventually open a mobile food truck that can sling smoothies and plant-based plates throughout Tampa Bay.

“I’m really experimental by nature—I love trying new things and challenging myself. We try to do everything homemade, from-scratch and as natural as possible,” she says. “I feel like a lot of people have this misconception of if you’re vegan that means you’re healthy, but that’s really not the case.”

Mejia tells CL that expanding Nana’s everyday offerings and creating more unique plant-based recipes is at the forefront of her creative drive as a chef and owner. And when she isn’t prepping in the kitchen or taking care of her six-year-old daughter, she studies herbology at Tampa’s Modern Herbal Apothecary and plans to incorporate her education into Nana’s food and drink offerings.

“I’m learning about the study of plant medicine so I can learn how to use it and incorporate

Nana’s even offers a 10% discount to everyone living or working in Ybor City, to make it utterly clear that her establishment is dedicated to serving the folks who live and breathe the neighborhood. “It was definitely a learning process just to get the restaurant open in the first place…but the community loves what I’m doing here, they feel the energy when they’re here and I know they’re excited to see us grow too,” Mejia tells CL.

Nana’s Restaurant & Juice Bar is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and is closed every Sunday and Monday. For more information on Nana’s everchanging menu and the various events it hosts throughout the year, head to its Instagram at @nanas_ybor.

NANA, HEY HEY HEY: Anisa Mejia and her Nana’s team.

Yes, daddy

‘Peepaws’ Alaskan tacos pop-up returns to Tampa, plus more local food news.

By Kyla Fields

Afew months ago, Tampa food truck This Little Pig hosted a Cinco de Mayo pop-up in honor of Ybor City’s long-lost Mema’s Alaskan Tacos. Well, the food truck’s customers loved the concept so much that they requested another fried taco pop-up, and its second iteration heads to Ybor Heights on Sunday, Aug. 6 from 4 p.m.-9 p.m.

“Obviously fried tacos are delicious, so we’re going to run with that; But there will be updated recipes and more menu items to offer,” This Little Pig writes on social media. Newly-opened brewery Deviant Libation—located at 3800 N Nebraska Ave.—hosts this weekend’s pop-up and beers like its lemon-ginger Crate Digger sour ale will surely compliment This Little Pig’s spread of fried tacos.

Fried tacos can be purchased in sets of two and are filled with a variety of proteins, from beef and shrimp to fish and tofu. Quesadillas stuffed with pork, chicken or mushrooms are also on next Sunday’s menu, alongside from-scratch guacamole and salsa. Besides its Mema’s-inspired tacos, This Little Pig dishes out specialties like fried green tomato sandwiches, loaded tater tots and spicy mac and cheese at its other pop-ups throughout the week.

For recent Tampa transplants, Mema’s Alaskan Tacos was a Ybor City haunt that was known for its fried tacos and other affordable eats. The popular restaurant dished out greasy tacos from 2004-2011, and many Tampeños fondly remember the late-night spot.

Seminole Heights-based This Little Pig is also raising money to give its food truck, Petunia, a facelift. Its GoFundMe has raised $1,590 of its $6,000 goal so far. For the latest news on This Little Pig and its weekly pop-up schedule, head to @thislittlepigfoodtruck on Instagram.

“John wanted to do things a little more his way this go around. A little more thoughtful with ingredients and the way proteins are cooked and seasoned,” Lynsey Thompson, co-founder of Three Little Pigs, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We are also offering more than just tacos.”

Chef Erik Youngs discusses annual ‘Voodoo Bash’ food fundraiser, which returns to Ybor City this month

Each summer, a veteran Tampa chef and his charitable foundation host a weekend of events in support of his ultimate mission: directly supporting the community through food education.

Erik Youngs aka “Voodoo Chef” has spent the last two-and-a-half-decades as a Culinary Educator in the Hillsborough County Public Schools, helping kids further their education through a variety of sponsorships and local events.

“The Voodoo Chef Foundation is what I call my full-time part-time job," Youngs told CL last month. "We’re coming up on a weekend-long run of events that we do every year: the Signature Chef Progressive Dinner and Voodoo Bash.”

Voodoo Bash is the “grand finale” of Youngs’ year-round event programming, with tons of burger samples from Florida-based chefs, live entertainment from ‘80s cover band Scream Machine, a silent auction and exclusive dessert samples for VIP ticket holders. Tickets to Friday’s Progressive Dinner start at $160 while Voodoo Bash tickets run between $40-$75. CL readers can also get discounted tickets to next month’s Signature Chef Progressive Dinner and Voodoo Bash by using the code “CL” at checkout.

While these events are certainly exciting, Youngs stresses that his signature dinner and foodie competition are only two facets of his year-round programming.

Schools as a culinary instructor in 1997, and started helming an incredibly unique program at Chamberlain High School just a few years later.

“I started at Chamberlain in 2002 where I helped create one of the only model culinary academies in the nation,” Youngs tells CL. “ We actually had the exact replica of an Outback Steakhouse right on campus, where students could learn FOH and BOH skills in a functioning restaurant.”

These days, he runs the Professional Culinary Arts & Hospitality program at Tampa’s Erwin Technical College, but still finds time to host a variety of events and fundraisers for the Voodoo Chef Foundation, in addition to hosting a foodcentric podcast and selling his signature seasoning blends. Funds raised through events or sponsorships either pays for college tuition at local schools or helps send students to national culinary competitions.

“We used to send all these aspiring chefs to school in other parts of the country, but there was a big chance they weren’t coming back to Tampa. Now, we’ve created a place where we can keep people and their talent right here in Tampa.”

For the latest information on Youngs’ upcoming foodie events and Voodoo Chef Foundation’s year-round programming, head to its Facebook page at @VooDooChefFoundation or Instagram at @voodoochef13.

Streetlight Taco, a new concept specializing in regional Mexican cuisine, opens in South Tampa this fall

His annual Signature Chef Progressive Dinner happens on Friday, Aug. 18 and the 2023 rendition of Voodoo Bash takes place on Saturday, Aug. 19—both inside Ybor City’s Cuban Club at 2010 North Avenida Republica de Cuba.

Friday’s event is a fine dining-style, fivecourse tasting dinner from various Tampa Bay-based chefs (complete with live entertainment), while Saturday’s main event is a quest to find the “best burger in Florida.”

Thanks to corporate sponsors like First Watch and EuroBake, the foundation teams up with the Gasparilla Children’s Parade, hosts high school recipe challenges, culinary competitions and an annual charity golf tournament each year. The foundation also partners with local restaurants to help Youngs’ culinary students stage at various eateries throughout the greater Tampa Bay area.

After years of cutting teeth in local kitchens, Youngs started teaching at Hillsborough County

There’s no shortage of food trucks and taquerias dishing out no-frills fare throughout Tampa, but one restaurant veteran will introduce a brand new dining experience at his upcoming Mexican restaurant.

Chef-partner Michael Brannock tells CL that his debut restaurant, Streetlight Taco, will open its doors sometime this fall—hopefully September. Located at 4004 Henderson Blvd. in South Tampa’s Palma Ceia neighborhood, this “hyper-traditional,” 2,500 square-foot restaurant will boast a capacity of about 100. Brannock’s partners in Streetlight Taco are Jack Murray and Nick Reader, two of the managing partners

continued on page 42

FILLING NOSTALGIC: The spirit and taste of Tampa's long gone Mema’s Alaskan Tacos resurfaces in Ybor Heights.

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continued from page 39

of Rocca, the modern Italian restaurant that took home one of Tampa’s first Michelin stars earlier this year.

Although he recently left the corporate food world to dive head-first into Streetlight Taco’s opening, Brannock says that this concept has been on his mind for several years.

“I started waiting tables back in college and after a year or so I realized that I was a lot more passionate about cooking and learning about food. Since I grew up in a small North Carolina town with only chain restaurants, it took a while to realize that I could actually do this for a living,” Brannock explains. “From there, I worked my way into managerial and regional roles and then eventually a corporatelevel position with the company that brought me to Tampa about 10 years ago.”

dishes that Brannock will feature on his menu. He stresses that Streetlight will highlight the brightness and uniqueness of Mexican produce, from family-grown heirloom corn and swiss chard to peppers only cultivated in certain regions of the country.

Instagram at @streetlighttaco, where you can also find documentation of Brannock’s Anthony Bourdain-style travels throughout Mexico. Brannock says that during his restaurant’s soft opening phase, Streetlight Taco will be tentatively open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

FOOD NEWS

Customers will be able to witness Streetlight’s wood and charcoalfired grill in action, as well as masa being ground and tortillas being pressed. This particular grill requires a special hood system— one of the many details of Brannock’s open-air kitchen.

“I kept the kitchen completely open on purpose because I wanted people to be involved in what we’re doing and what we choose to take our time on,” he says.

St. Pete vegan eatery Freya’s Diner closes this weekend

The ‘Burg is losing another one of its many plant-based concepts. Freya’s Diner, located at 2462 Central Ave. in the Grant Central District, announced its closure. Sunday, Aug. 6 is the vegan lunch and dinner spot’s last day in operation.

“We want to take this time to thank everyone for their support this last year and for weathering so many changes that came our

“June and July have been the slowest months in retail/dining on Central since we can remember.”

Freya’s Diner took over the former Lucy’s Vegan Corner space in the summer of 2021. Although Freya’s closure comes at the plantbased community’s dismay, the unfortunate news isn’t a surprise to some, considering the diner’s Central Avenue space has been for sale on loopnet. com for quite some time now. The listing features several parcels from 2458-2462 Central Ave. for $1,599,000, including two studio apartments on top of the commercial spaces and Freya’s sibling concept Valhalla Bakery—although that business has not announced any closures or operational changes related to the real estate listing.

An employee from Valhalla Bakery told CL the pastry shop will remain open with its regular hours of 10 a.m.-7p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.

Throughout his career as a corporate chef for large companies like Carrabba’s and PDQ, he’s come to realize that Mexican fare is a vast and deeply historical cuisine that Tex-Mex franchises and Taco Tuesday-promoting restaurants don’t showcase. Coworkers and friends that he made in kitchens and beyond gave him a taste of true Mexican food at various birthday parties, Christmas dinners and quinceañeras—but realized he had to fully immerse himself in the culture to learn even more.

Brannock has spent the last several years traveling throughout the nooks and crannies of Mexico—from bustling cities to rural farms— soaking in the knowledge and craftsmanship from what he describes as the “very best chefs in Mexico.” Just a handful of cities he’s frequented include culinary hubs like Oaxaca, Mexico City, Toluca and Cuernavaca.

“It’s been a few years that I’ve been able to travel around Mexico and just be a student of the entire process. I’ve spent years just getting the nixtamalization of corn right,” he tells CL. “It’s an incredibly complex cuisine and the restaurant will definitely speak to that. Americans—actually anybody besides Mexicans themselves—might not realize its complexity.”

The nixtamalization of corn in order to make tortillas is a lengthy, yet necessary process that dates back thousands of years, according to tastingtable.com. Once kernels are soaked in an alkaline solution, they are ground into masa aka the corn-based dough that can be flattened and grilled to make tortillas.

In terms of the menu future customers can expect when Brannock’s restaurant opens this fall—tacos will obviously be the star of the show—but will also be joined by a variety of other traditional dishes and vegetable-based sides. Roadside-style chicken (cooked on the wood-fire grill, of course), bright green chorizo verde sausages, cactus fried rice, Pueblan-style cemitas sandwiches and carnitas cooked in the traditional copper pot are all travel-inspired

Mezcal, which Brannock describes as “one of the most misunderstood spirits,” will be showcased on Streetlight’s small cocktail menu alongside a spread of imported Mexican cerveza, juices, sodas, sangria and horchata. “There’s a lot of flexibility and potential in the ways we can expand the menu down the road, but what I’m most excited about is continuing being a student of this entire process,” Brannock explains.

For the latest information on Streetlight Taco’s soft opening this fall, head to its

way. Unfortunately, St. Pete is seeing its slowest season to date and has left us with no other option but to close our doors,” its Instagram post read. “We’ve spoken to so many others that are feeling the effects of today’s economy. We aren’t the first to close this season, and we definitely won’t be the last.”

This eerie farewell message ended with Freya’s Diner encouraging its patrons and community members to support other small businesses throughout St. Pete, stating that

Celine Duvoisin, owner of popular plantbased hotspot Valhalla Bakery, opened Freya’s Diner a few years ago. The restaurant quickly became a go-to spot for veganized versions of diner classics, from burgers and sandwiches to wraps, salads and bowls.

Duvoisin debuted Valhalla Bakery in 2018, and opened another plant-based dessert shop Valkyrie Doughnuts—which is only a few storefronts away from Freya’s Diner and Valhalla Bakery—in late 2021.

ROLLING OUT: Vegans are gonna need to fin d a new place for dishes like Freya’s ‘Impossiball sub.’

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By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa C CL Recommends

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)

Rock The Park Tampa: Witch Hiatus w/ Alien House/Tone I.E 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 characteristicallyeclectic trio of acts playing ambient-electro (Alien House), rock and roll (Witch Hiatus,) 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-pet-friendly. 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. (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa)

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)

FRI 04

Bret Michaels’ Parti-Gras: Night Ranger w/Jefferson Starship/Steve Augeri/ Mark McGrath After spending last summer on the road with Def Leppard, Joan Jett, and a newly reunited Motley Crue, Poison frontman Bret Michaels is in the midst of hosting his own stacked summer shindig. Granted, most of the names on the who’s-who lineup don’t sell out stadiums by themselves, but hearing Sugar Ray frontman and Beach Boys cover-murderer Mark McGrath perform “Every Morning” in the same few hours as Jefferson Starship performing songs from all three of its incarnations could be much-needed summer sensory overload.

(Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Florist (live debut and EP release show) w/Drifter/Star of Khorala Self-described “riff heavy psychedelic swamp metal” outfit Florist has never officially performed live. But to promote the release of its debut Contact EP last month, frontman Frankie Consoli paid $158 to the City of Tampa for a surveillance tape of a motorcycle running a red light on North Florida Avenue. We’re not sure what made that the perfect promo, but perhaps we’ll find out at Florist’s free release party in the West River district.

(Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Grrrl’s Night Tampa: Operation Acoustic Kitty w/Spoiled Rat/Peace Cult/Hoverca r Tampa’s best new bands get their start at house shows and DIY venues,

but they also book mini-ragers at essential rock clubs like Crowbar where this collection of punk and rock outdits will camp out for a night. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Tim Cappello Believe it or not, the sexy saxophonist from “The Lost Boys” played in Tina Turner’s backing band in the ‘80s. The 68-year-old has been playing some brief solo gigs across the country, and though he remains skeptical about a return to Jacksonville (no one showed up to his recent gig there), Cappello is spending the first half of August in Florida. If Bradenton on a Friday night won’t work for you, he’s also making a two-day appearance at the Tabernacle Of Oddities Convention & Performance next weekend at The Cuban Club. (Oscura, Bradenton)

SAT 05

Young 40 (EP release) w/Heyeyella/ Scxtt Aye/Jay Browne/SV Noir/B Popes In less than one month, more than 10,000 people have plugged in and vibed out to the laid back flow and production on “White Buffalo.” The tune is the lead single from Young 40’s new EP, Young4Eva , a release he teased a couple years ago when interviewed for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 22 Rappers

To Watch in 2022 package. The EP’s second single, “Groovy” is quickly gaining steam, too, and the Tampa rapper already has 13 new songs mastered and ready to roll out after Young4Eva lands at this show. Openers include some of the Bay area’s best emcees— including Jay Browne from that 22 in ‘22 list—plus drummer AJ Hall (Nas, Kid Cudi, Jack Harlow) who’s DJ-ing, and producer Maxx Forman playing host. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

continued on page 48

Young 40

Freestyle Explosion Throwback

Jam: Stevie B/Taylor Dayne/TKA K7/ Debbie Deb/Shannon/Trinere/Johnny O/Cynthia/69 Boyz/Rob Base Grab your parachute pants and bright neon colors for this gathering of old school legends playing freestyle, pop and hip-hop from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Headliner Stevie B. was a freestyle pioneer in Miami in the late-80’s with his hit “Party Your Body.” Other well known hits by Stevie include his No. 1 ballad “Because I Love You” and “I Wanna Be The One.” With a career spanning three decades, Taylor Dayne became an overnight sensation with her song “Tell It to My Heart” in 1987. Throughout her career she’s snagged 17 Top 20 singles, and won multiple awards including an American Music award and a New York Music Hall of Fame honors.” The queen of dance” Shannon is also on the bill along with and freestyle stars TKA K7, Debbie Deb, Johnny O, Cynthia, Freestyle, Trinere, Rob Base and 69 Boyz. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

—Tyana Rodgers

George Strait w/Chris Stapleton/ Little Big Town Strait—a 70-year-old who earned 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums during a three decades-long career—makes his first Florida appearance in a decade, and is playing at just six stadiums across the country. Opening is the popular country band, Little Big Town, plus Chris Stapleton who headlined the old Gary amphitheatre last fall. (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa)

Marten Hørger One of house music’s critically-acclaimed future kings is shooting over from Ohrid, North Macedonia for a quick, U.S. one-off gig by the pool. The 42-yearold has been dropping EDM singles all year, but it’s been 10 years since we’ve seen a full album from him. After his visit with us, it’s straight up to Canada the next day, and within a week, the 42-year-old will be back in Europe for a few homecoming shows in Germany. (WTR Pool at Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas, Tampa)

Melapalooza!: Row Jomah Strange things happen at Tampa Heights sports club and music venue Shuffle. Instrumental rock favorite Row Jomah—playing a collection of originals and covers the outside stage— probably knows this, but its gig there this weekend coincides with Melapalooza!, a 40th birthday celebration for music scene supporter and all-around great friend Melanie Hodge Rouse. Shuffle bosses have promised a side of polka, and lots of corn dogs. “We hired a Disney Princess but she might be in rehab by then,” Shuffle added. “We can’t say which one, due to legal reasons.” (Shuffle, Tampa)

Offerings w/Knife Rituals/Jensu Brianna Bullock’s synth-pop project Offerings is back onstage showcasing a reverb-drenched, Siouxsie and the Banshees-inspired spin on EBM. (Hooch & Hive, Tampa)

Selwyn Birchwood We’re still on a high from the Alligator Records guitar virtuoso’s new album Exorcist . Between the gig-heavy release process, and being granted an opening slot for blues legend Bobby Rush in January, Birchwood and his band will let loose in downtown St. Pete,

playing the Zappa-inspired take on Florida men, the organ and sax-heavy lament about Lazarus, and other cuts from Exorcist and beyond. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

SUN 06

Al Downing Birthday Celebration

Tampa Bay’s jazz scene is seriously active, with players tackling everything from the next-gen sounds of la Domi and JD Beck or Thundercat, to more traditional work by classic jazz icons like Art Blakey, Django Reinhardt and Duke Ellington. This gig features disciples of the latter school—including trumpeter Dwayne White, trombonist Andy Foertsch, bassist Erik Hempel and more—celebrating the life and legacy of Al Downing, a legendary local jazz teacher, musician and mentor who died in 2000 but not before serving St. Pete as the city’s first Black Commissioner of the Housing Authority and member of the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. There’s no cover for children 12 and under during the 2 p.m. matinee. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

TUE 08

Arrows In Action w/Honey Revenge/ Finish Ticket Venting to Mom about being sick of the world you exist in, watching your hometown devolve before your very eyes,

and depicting a friendship—or relationship—as a movie with a less-than-happy ending, and the credits are now rolling. These are some of the themes that make up the Gainesville-bred, Nashville-based rock outfit’s debut album Built To Last . Expect to hear the vast majority of the new record, as well as a handful of tracks from the band’s 2021 Be More , which comes off as more of an EP than an album. California rock outfits Honey Revenge and Finish Ticket open.

(Orpheum, Tampa)

Pyrexia w/Atoll/Cerebral Incubation/ Reeking Aura In honor of the 25th anniversary of System of the Animal , the current lineup of the Long Island-based metal outfit recently rerecorded the album. Production value also played a key role in the new version. “I don’t think a lot of people were ready for such a mix of brutal death metal vs. beatdown hardcore,” guitarist Chris Basile wrote in a press release. “When people hear this material with the new production, combined with the fact that the music was written in the mid-90s. I think it puts Pyrexia in a whole new light for a lot of people.” It’s anyone’s guess if other additions in Pyrexia’s discography will also get a new production makeover.

(Brass Mug, Tampa)

WED 09

Counting Crows w/Dashboard Confessional Although you won’t be in the presence of Adam Fredric Duritz’s

once-luscious locks, you can still see his popular ‘90s rock band Counting Crows in Tampa (you know, since you didn’t get into that intimate Hard Rock gig in April 2022). Since there hasn’t been an announcement of any new Counting Crows music being released, fans will most likely hear late 90’s favorites like “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here,” plus tracks from its 2021 EP Butter Miracle . Opening the show is Dashboard Confessional, the project of longtime Durtizpal Chris Carraba who’s been trying to make this tour happen for the better part of two decades now. (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)—Kyla Fields

THU 10

Pentatonix w/Lauren Alaina Pentatonix has come a long way since opening for Cee Lo Green at the Mahaffey Theater some 12 years ago, as the last year has been off the chain for the finest acapella pop group in music right now. The Texas-based quintet released yet another holiday album, Holidays Around The World last December, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in late February. Just before that, the group performed a stunning version of “Heroes and Villains” at the Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys, in front of Brian Wilson, no less. “American Idol” runner-up Lauren Alaina opens the band’s first show in town since 2018. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Dashboard Confessional

C/O BIG HASSLE

GIESE

J. MARC BAILEY & JENEEN TERRANA

No comps: New concerts coming to Tampa Bay

There’s a moment in everyone’s European travels when they’re sitting on a tour or guide boat and look up from their Rick Steves book to find at least two other people reading the same one. When it comes to traveling the continent, the 68-year-old is pretty much god, and next year he’s going to spread the good word as part of an unusual performance alongside The Florida Orchestra (TFO).

Tickets to see Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey with The Florida Orchestra—happening Friday-Saturday, March 15-16, 2024 at Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg—go on sale to the public on Tuesday, Sept. 12 and start at $35.

A spokesperson for TFO told Creative Loafing that the PBS star is onstage telling stories, with the orchestra’s musical director Michael Francis leading the ensemble as it plays in front of a big screen. “Unlike anything we’ve ever done. And he doesn’t do many of these concerts,” Kelly Smith, TFO’s Chief Communications Officer added.

Music has played a part in the 11 seasons of “Rick Steves’ Europe." Steves—a big Beatles fan—used to teach piano, so maybe he’ll play a tune or two. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concert announcements below.—Ray Roa

Emo Social: Chris Kamrada/xRAWRx/ Sad Girls Club Wednesday, Aug. 9. 9 p.m. $10. Crowbar, Ybor City

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

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

TBxNY’23: Psych Montano w/Albert J/ Nico Sweet/Jay Browne/Cas the Tinman/ Qung Xav/Renee LaMay/Kyle Vargas

Sunday, Aug. 20. 6 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Dave Stone w/Katie Strandberg/TBA

Wednesday, Aug. 23. 7:30 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Britney vs. Christina Drag Show Friday, Aug. 25. 7 p.m. $10. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Flo Rida Sunday, Aug. 27. 11 a.m. $30 & up. Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Cynic Friday, Sept. 8. 7 p.m. $25. Orpheum, Tampa

Crowbar w/Primitive Man/TBA Saturday, Sept. 9. 7 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

A Skylit Drive w/The Bunny The Bear/ Ovtlier/Lost Trees Sunday, Sept. 10. 6 p.m. $20. Orpheum, Tampa

The Florida Orchestra: The Music of James Taylor, Neil Diamond, and Paul Simon Saturday, Sept. 16. 8 p.m. $20 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Lady Apple Tree & FayRoy (opening for The Nude Party) Tuesday, Sept. 19. 7 p.m.

$20. Crowbar, Ybor City

Dropout Kings w/Outline in Color/ VRSTY/Fatal Frames/Downpour Tuesday, Sept. 19. 7 p.m. $18. Orpheum, Tampa

The Florida Orchestra: Jurassic Park in Concert Friday-Saturday, Sept. 22-23. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. Saturday. $20 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Deadwolff w/Mightnight Vice/The Osceola Brothers Saturday, Sept. 30. 7 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Faze Wave w/0 Miles Per Hour/TBA

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

Suki Waterhouse Tuesday, Oct. 10. 7 p.m. $25. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Arcy Drive Wednesday, Oct. 11. 7 p.m. $16. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Black Crowes Thursday, Oct. 12. 8 p.m. $83 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Clearwater Jazz Holiday: Kenny Wayne Shepherd w/Buddy Guy/Gladys Knight/ The Beach Boys/Average White Band/

Gipsy Kings/Los Lobos/Dustbowl Revival/ more Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 19-22. 4 p.m.

Thursday, 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4:45 p.m. Sunday. $30.75 & up. The Sound, Clearwater

Price (opening for Kota the Friend)

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

Lacuna Coil w/God Forbid/Lions at the Gate Sunday, Oct. 29. 6 p.m. $28.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

The Florida Orchestra: Tchaikovsky x Drake Thursday, Nov. 2. 8 p.m. $20 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Blackberry Smoke Saturday, Nov. 11. 9 p.m. $30. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Tesseract w/Intervals/Alluvial Saturday, Nov. 11. 6:30 p.m. $27.50. Orpheum, Tampa

The Secret Agency Sunday, Nov 12. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. $22.50 & up. Ferguson Hall at the Straz Center, Tampa

Citizen w/Narrow Head/Modern Color Sunday, Nov. 12. 6 p.m. $24. Orpheum, Tampa

Tech N9ne w/Hollywood Undead Wednesday, Nov. 15. 7 p.m. $40 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Red Friday, Nov. 17. 6:30 p.m. $25. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Bruce Hornsby Saturday, Nov. 18. 8 p.m. $61.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Dwight Yoakam w/Charley Crockett/ Annie Bosko Saturday, Nov. 18. 6:30 p.m. $34.50 & up. The Sound, Clearwater

Dave Koz and Friends: Jonathan Butler w/Marcus Anderson/Rebecca Jade/ Justin Lee Schultz Saturday, Nov. 25. 8 p.m. $42 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Peter White w/Mindi Abair/Vincent Ingala Thursday, Dec. 7. 8 p.m. $40 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Bowzer’s Holiday Rock ‘n Roll Part: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone w/Jay Siegel’s Tokens/Joey Dee/more Friday, Dec. 8. 7:30 p.m. $41.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Andy Summers Sunday, Dec. 10. 8 p.m. $44.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Dark Star Orchestra Sunday, Dec. 10. 7 p.m. $32.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Zebra Saturday, Dec. 16. 8 p.m. $39 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Joe Bonamassa Saturday, March 16. 7 p.m. $73.75 & up. The Sound, Clearwater

Pat Metheny Thursday, March 21. 8 p.m. $55 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

C/O THE FLORIDA ORCHESTRA

Take care

By Dan Savage

I have a partner of several decades who needs me, as I am his primary caregiver and he’s been going through a prolonged health crisis. But we have been sexless for two decades. There are multiple reasons for that, on both sides, some of which include the fact that I’m just not that physically attracted to him anymore, even if I once was, even if I love him, even if I still feel sexual desire, just not in his direction. I have no interest in renewing our sexual relationship, especially not now, given the condition he’s in. I don’t even know if he’s capable anymore. But I don’t want to give up being a sexual being. I also don’t think he would be open to opening the relationship and allowing me to get my needs met elsewhere. He’s very traditional in that sense, and I’m scared to ask. I think it would break his heart.

Yet, at the same time, he’s kind of getting his needs met via porn, which he hides and he’s very reluctant to talk about, although I understand. Not because I watch or enjoy porn, but because I understand he has needs, and I am not fulfilling them. I guess in his mind it’s different because he’s not engaging in a relationship with someone else, so it’s not cheating. Although I could argue that the amount of hours he spends watching porn and the extreme types he views certainly feels like something close to cheating to me. Not quite sure what I’d call it. I kind of mind when it’s bordering on jailbait and/or violent situations, I do find those subjects more problematic, but I’m trying really hard not to judge, even when it’s more disturbing to me, because I don’t want to add to his shame. These are just fantasies, and he wouldn’t act on them. He can’t act on them. So, I am trying not to mind, and consider myself grateful that he is getting his needs met somehow, and I’m off the hook.

My question, I guess, is how do I broach the topic that I have needs, too? And maybe get permission to get them met elsewhere without hurting him? I’m not going to leave him. I can’t. That would be cruel. But I don’t want to spend the rest of our lives (and his might not be that much longer) living like a nun.—Married Or Martyr

So, you don’t wanna meet your husband’s sexual needs, assuming he’s still capable of being sexual; in fact, the thought of being sexual with your husband—who’s on his way out—is so unappealing that you don’t even want to risk broaching the subject of sex, MOM, for fear he might get ideas about being sexual with you. But you can somehow risk monitoring the porn your husband consumes, MOM, porn he tries to hide from you (however unsuccessfully), porn you could help him hide from you (by turning a blind fucking eye), and porn you

should be grateful he has access to (porn gets you off the hook).

While you were never that sexually attracted to your husband, MOM, at some point you made the difficult transition from sexual and romantic partner—or presumed/default sexual and romantic partner—to caretaker. Even people who enjoyed strong sexual connections with their long-term partners sometimes have to make that awful transition, and the sex dwindles away. But sex was never an important part of your marriage and stuck around anyway, and now you’ve taken on profound obligations and responsibilities that transcend sex; you’re not there to get him off, you’re there to see him out. That’s a loving thing to do—or it’s a thing that can be done lovingly (some people are monstrous to their dying partners)—and the less resentful you are about the pressures and deprivations that come with being a caretaker, the more loving a caretaker you’ll be.

So, there’s your rationalization, MOM. If discreetly getting sex elsewhere without seeking your husband’s permission—thereby sparing your husband a painful and pointless conversation that would only highlight what never worked about your marriage at the end of his life—will bring you some small measure of happiness, I think you should go ahead and get sex elsewhere. It’s entirely possible your husband is no more interested in having sex with you than you are with him—it’s possible he prefers porn at this stage of his life—but regardless, MOM, your husband didn’t ask for your permission before he figured out a way to take care of his own needs. He did what he needed to do. You should do the same.

“It can be very difficult when someone you love needs help but won’t get it,” said John Moe, host of Depresh Mode, a podcast that tackles depression with humor and without stigma. “You can only lead the horse to water, right? It’s a tricky move that depression pulls where the disorder sort of builds a protective shield around itself where the person is so devoid of hope and self-regard that they don’t think help is either possible or deserved, when in fact it’s both.”

So, while your partner is already on antidepressants and therefore has sought some sort of treatment, if he’s still struggling with depression—and having no libido can be a sign that someone is struggling—he may not be on the right antidepressants and/or antidepressants aren’t the only treatment he needs.

feel so much anger towards myself. What can I be doing to earn my wife’s trust back? Was it cheating? I guess my biggest question is, why did I do this?—Picture Include Consequences

SAVAGE LOVE

“When I was at my low point, before diagnosis and before treatment, I didn’t think I was worth getting better,” said Moe. “Finally, my wife said, ‘If you don’t love yourself enough to go see someone, do you love me and the kids?’ I said sure, of course. ‘Then do it for us,’ she said. And I did. The other line I know sometimes works when people don’t want to get help is to just ask how the status quo is working out of them. Like what exactly is so great about the current situation that you want to hold on to? Not so much about sex, really, but getting help can lead to a better mental state where sex becomes more feasible.”

Follow John Moe on Twitter @JohnMoe and the DepreshMode podcast on Instagram @depreshpod.

You had your dick in one hand and your smartphone in the other—that’s why you sent that pic—but you also sent it because you wanted to feel wanted. Sometimes a married person in a monogamous relationship needs to have their desirability affirmed by someone who isn’t their spouse; sometimes we need to hear we’re hot from someone whose job it isn’t to tell us we’re hot. People used to get that need met by strangers in hotel bars or people they briefly interacted with at work—people used to get that need met in ways that didn’t create a digital trail—but nowadays we get that need met online. So, instead of flirting with someone you were never going to be in the same room with again, PIC, you connected online with someone you were never going to be in the same room with ever.

Was it cheating? Well, I wouldn’t consider it cheating, PIC, but I’m not your wife.

As a general rule, I think monogamous couples should define cheating as narrowly as possible. Touching someone else with your dick? Obviously, that counts. Flirting with a stranger you’re never going to meet in person? I don’t think that counts. If we want monogamous marriages to survive routine temptations, online and off, I think we need to round things like this—not just what you did, PIC, but what you got caught doing—down to stupid-butforgivable rather than rounding them up to cheating-and-unforgivable.

P.S. But for the love of Christ, MOM, stop looking at his browser history or dusting his DVD collection or whatever it is you’re doing that forces you to think about the porn your husband is watching. If his porn preferences bother you, there’s an easy fix for that: respect his privacy.

P.P.S. I honestly can’t understand why people whose marriages have been sexless for years or decades but who choose to stay together don’t release their spouses from monogamous sexual commitments.

Here’s the situation: I’m involved with someone who is depressed, and I don’t know how to help him. His depression has caused him to lose the ability to experience pleasure, for the most part. He’s on anti-depressants, but not the kind that impact your libido. How do I lift his spirits and get him to enjoy sex again?—Blues Clues

I’m active-duty military, and my wife is as well. We are apart for now, but she will be where I am in September. I made a huge mistake. I was scrolling on Reddit and came across a subreddit that was intriguing. All I wanted was to get a release through photos. The stranger on the other end asked for my WhatsApp information so they could send me photos. I ended up sending an inappropriate picture back to get a “rating,” and wound up in a blackmail situation after the recipient of my photo threatened to send it to my wife. Obviously, I didn’t want that to happen, so I sent money but this person on Reddit still sent a screenshot to my wife. I told my wife I messed up bad. I feel so angry and resentful towards myself and I’m in therapy now working through my issues. I have an unhealthy relationship with porn and I should have sought out for help before I ended up sending an inappropriate photo to a stranger on Reddit. My wife knew I watched porn, and she was OK with that, but she isn’t OK with this. I love my wife and I don’t want it to end over a single penis picture sent to a random person. I didn’t seek a conversation or anything else from this stranger. I’m trying to understand and forgive myself. I just

But again, PIC, I’m not your wife. Once the woman you married gets past her initial shock and anger, I would hope she could see that you were the victim here—the victim of your own poor judgment, but also the victim of an online sociopath and a victim of revenge pornography. You shouldn’t do that thing where you’re so theatrically angry with yourself that your wife feels manipulated into comforting you. You need to let her be angry, you need to apologize to her, and then, when things calm down a little, you can talk about what you actually did. You flirted with a stranger, which is something your wife has probably done herself, and that stranger turned out to have an ulterior motive and a vindictive streak… and the dick pick you were stupid/horny/needy enough to send them.

If your wife can forgive you for flirting with a stranger like this, then this marriage can be saved. If she can’t, then this marriage—and any future marriage your wife might enter into — is probably doomed.

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

1 “It’s all the ___”

2 Ponderosa name

5 ___ nothing (barge ahead)

6 Passed 7 0

8 Singer about Alice

9 Note taker

10 Speak up, in a way

11 Some envelopes

12 Dry as ___

13 “Forget it, pal!”

14 Sot’s woe

15 Tough wood

16 Desert image

17 Weill lyricist

18 Stamina, e.g. 24 “Big house” 26 Author Kingsley

29 “Interesting!”

32 Emlyn Williams play, The Green

34 Algerian city 35 Russell and Waldheim

36 Way to go: abbr.

37 Doll’s word 38 “___ it!” (fielder’s cry)

39 Small salamander