Creative Loafing Tampa — August 31, 2023

PUBLISHER James Howard

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf

MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields

THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge

FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman

IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, McKenna

Schueler, Arielle Stevenson, Chelsea Zukowski

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jack Cymbryla, Dave Decker, Sandra Dohnert

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ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore

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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 Kristin Bowman

SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING

MANAGER Corrie Miserendino

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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You kind of have a legal problem now. SunRunner implements fares a month early, p. 17.

DFAC yeah

Dunedin Fine Arts Center (DFAC) was buzzing last Saturday night as art lovers from across the Tampa Bay area gathered for the 17th annual Wearable Art fashion show where about a dozen designers from across the world—including Amy Wolf, Julian Hartzog and Mark Byrne—showcased their work for a sold-out audience. See all the photos via cltampa.com/ slideshows—Ray Roa

Photos by Sandra Dohnert

©2023 Garrison Brothers Distillery. Garrison Brothers is a registered trademark of Lone Star Distillery LLC. Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Cooked, distilled, barreled, and bottled by Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hye, Texas 78635.

do this

Feeling green

At the end of each summer, the beloved waterfront town of Gulfport—known for its laid back ambiance and quirky businesses— hosts a big ass, end-of-summer celebration with its unofficial mascot front and center. The 2023 rendition of Gecko Fest features a massive, all-day block party with dozens of local vendors and artisans, a variety of food and drink to choose from, live music, street performers, a walking parade and costume contest. This year’s theme, which was chosen by Gulfport residents via social media, is “Around the World in 80 Geckos.” Attendees are always encouraged to come to Gecko Fest dressed in costume—whether they’re inspired by the lizard itself or 2023’s travel-inspired theme. It’s also common for surrounding businesses like Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, Stella’s, O’Maddy’s and Neptune Grill to also celebrate Gecko Fest by offering their own food and drink specials during the all-day party. Both admission and parking for the family-friendly Gecko Fest are free. According to event organizers, the annual festival also “supports local charities, local arts and home-grown small businesses.” 23rd Annual Gecko Fest.

Saturday, Sept. 2. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Free. Gulfport Historic Waterfront, 3101 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport. visitgulfportflorida.com

—Kyla Fields

Tampa Bay's best things to do from August 31 - September 06

Play on, player

Thanks to statewide thespian festivals, downtown Tampa’s been no stranger to seeing young actors and playwrights sprawl across local streets. But Rory Lawrence wanted something for the homegrown, local talent, so in 2014 he started the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Nearly a decade later, he is back again with yet another packed agenda set to kickoff on Friday with an opening night presentation of “Trying to Make It” where an Airbnb mishap forces a group of strangers across a diverse swatch of backgrounds to be together for weeks. The festival continues through the weekend with workshops, master classes, plus awards and competitions for plays and monologues. Admission to the monologue competition and awards is free, with tickets for other events starting at $10. Tampa Bay Theatre Festival. Friday-Sunday, Sept. 1-3. Various venues. tampabaytheatrefestival.com

—Ray Roa

Life lessons

Local history buffs have already learned a lot from Julie Buckner, who is an expert on many of the buried Black cemeteries in St. Pete. But in a new memoir about her birthplace, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg English professor touches upon her experiences in Birmingham while leaning hard on the history of the civil rights movement that was happening around her while she was a toddler. For this book talk moderated by NPR’s Eric Deggans, Bucker discusses the interviews, research and lessons from the release.

Julie Buckner Armstrong’s 'Learning From Birmingham.' Wednesday, Sept. 6, 6:45 p.m. No cover with RSVP. Tombolo Books 2153 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. tombolobooks.com

—Ray Roa

NIKKI/ADOBE

Stocked market

Marketing itself as “Tampa Bay’s largest monthly vintage market,” Vintage Marche has occupied its massive warehouse space in St. Pete’s Skyway Marina District for an entire year now. The monthly market celebrates the first anniversary in its new location with three full days to find the best vintage wares and hard-to-find- treasures. The St. Pete warehouse spans over 15,000 square-feet and is packed full of prized vintage goods— from furniture and clothes to decor and jewelry. To get a sneak peek of its weekend wares, be sure to attend Vintage Marche’s “First Dib Friday” event, which costs $5 to attend if you purchase your ticket in advance or $10 at the door. Entrance into its Saturday and Sunday markets—which happen the first weekend of each month— are always free. Before moving to the Skyway Marina District last summer, Vintage Marche used to occupy a space in St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District; fans of the monthly market are thankful for the addition of a parking lot at its second location. Vintage Marche Anniversary Market. Friday-Sunday, Sept. 1-3 Free. Vintage Marché, 2906 34th St S, St. Petersburg. vintagemarche727.com

—Kyla Fields

Too timely

With climate change-related disasters sweeping the planet and Florida’s own hurricane season in full swing (fuck you, Idalia), Lab Theater’s Project newest play about a particular environmental tragedy might hit a little close to home. “Drift,” which runs for three weeks in Tampa, explores the relationship between two farming families—led by maternal figures Nora and Molly—that both survive the deadly incident of a pesticide drift. Written by award-winning playwright and author Patrick Gabridge, “Drift” delves into themes of family, tragedy and community, all set in a rural background. The performance’s total run time is two-hours 15-minutes with a 15-minute intermission, and is recommended for ages 13 and up. LAB Theater Project describes itself as “the only theater company in Tampa dedicated to the development of new works.” The organization is also still hosting its 2023 fundraiser, which has a goal of 60,000 to help the organization continue producing new works and highlighting new talent. ‘Drift’ at LAB Theater Project. Thursdays-Sundays starting Sept. 7. $31. LAB Theater Project, 812 E Henderson Ave., Tampa. labtheaterproject.com—Kyla Fields

Shroom joint Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is not onboard with amanita muscaria, a plant that hemp dispensary Chillum started promoting last year as a “legal ‘magic’ psychedelic mushroom.” A stop sale was initially placed on Chillum’s Ybor shop before it started selling Amanita muscaria for “educational purposes,” but FDACS stopped the sale of that again this month. There is an appeals process, but owner Carlos Hermida says the road may be too costly for him. “Honestly, it may be time for us to move on,” Hermida told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Still, he added, Chillum will stay true to its mission to promote alternative cultures, and continues the push this weekend when it hosts a grand opening for a St. Pete store by booking educational panels, drag shows, live music and even a blunt rolling competition that goes down at 5 p.m. Chillum Mushroom and Hemp Dispensary grand opening. Friday, Sept. 1, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. No cover. 1916 Central Ave., Unit B., St. Petersburg. chillumdispensary.com

—Ray Roa

ALEXANDRA/ADOBE

KAPPLAN BRYANT

POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

SunBummer

After complaints about homeless riders, PSTA votes to start charging fares on the SunRunner.

By Arielle Stevenson

Last week, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) board voted 12-2 to begin charging fares on the SunRunner bus rapid transit system starting Oct. 1, one month before fares were scheduled to begin anyway. The PSTA board’s decision comes weeks after a St. Pete Beach Commission meeting where Commissioner Chris Marone blamed SunRunner’s free fares for what he called a rise in homeless folks and crime. Marone added that Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told him deputies couldn’t pick up and drive the homeless elsewhere and drop them off, but they could “make their lives miserable.”

“That’s all we can do is pester them. They used to not be here, these troublemakers. They’re here now,” Marone added at that meeting.

Last Wednesday, in front of the PSTA board, Gualtieri claimed that people are naked, urinating and defecating at the beach. “Word got out, instead of sleeping in St. Pete, in Williams Park, they could take the SunRunner to St. Pete Beach, sleep on the sand, under the stars,” Gualtieri added. But crime in St. Pete Beach, he said, isn’t up across the board.

“St. Pete Beach overall is a safe place,” Gualtieri said at the meeting. “This is social crime, crime related to this chronic homeless population.”

The Florida Department of Health estimates that there were just under 2,000 homeless people in Pinellas County last year. In a press release, PCSO claimed that in 2023, there were 2,144 homeless individuals in Pinellas. “Of those, 204 (12%) were chronically homeless,” the release added. And Gualtieri said the only crime that’s increased is theft, with 48 thefts in 2022 compared to 101 in 2023. He detailed more statistics, and re-sent them to reporters this afternoon.

Gualtieri claims that:

• Calls for service increased by 535% at the Dolphin Village Shopping Center across the street from the SunRunner stop on Gulf Boulevard from 20 calls for service in 2022 to 127 calls for service in 2023.

• Calls for service increased by 384% at the St. Pete Beach Public Access from 31 calls for service in 2022 to 150 calls for service in 2023.

• In 2023, 19 of the 101 thefts were retail thefts, with 15 of the thefts being from either

Publix or 7-11 on Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach.

Gualtieri told the board that in July, he stationed deputies near the SunRunner stop at 4700 Gulf Blvd.—at a cost of $10,000 per week. That special detail, according to the press release, issued 32 ordinance violations, made 52 arrests, did 90 field interview reports, and issued 132 trespass warnings.

CEO Brad Miller initially proposed implementing a 50-cent fare he hoped would help in “reducing the number of homeless individuals who are using it to access the beach.”

But Miller was counseled to seek board approval first.

LOCAL NEWS

The SunRunner has been free to ride since its launch last October. PSTA said the service is nearly at 1 million rides. But starting Oct.

In front of the board last week, Andy Oliver, Pastor at St. Pete’s Allendale Methodist, noted that the reduced fare might’ve gone unnoticed without Commissioner Marone’s comments about the homeless.

“You kind of have a legal problem now.

city ordinances aimed at trespassing people from Williams Park where the downtown bus hub used to be located.

In her presentation last week, Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas CEO, Dr. Monika Alesnik, stated that “public transportation should never be used to marginalize any group.” She called the decision to raise fares at this time an “apparent aim at the homeless population,” and also added that “there are no signs on our beaches that I remember seeing that state you must own a home or be a renter to use our beach.”

The over three-hour meeting was standing room only, with an additional 279 in attendance online.

Many comments were from St. Pete Beach homeowners and business owners calling for increased fares immediately. St. Pete Beach is one of the only local governments that doesn’t contribute directly to PSTA’s operating budget, though it does contract with PSTA.

Originally, the SunRunner was supposed to go all the way to the Don Cesar, but St. Pete Beach opposed that version of the route.

In her motion, which passed, PSTA Board Member Rene Flowers also asked that all concerned entities related to the issue get together to discuss long-term solutions.

Gualtieri said he would gather data from Oct. 1-Nov. 1, and report back to the PSTA board on whether implementing fares solves the problem. St. Petersburg city councilmember and PSTA chair Gina Driscoll voted against the rate hike, along with board member Vince Cocks.

St. Petersburg’s FY2024 funding includes money to subsidize free fares on the SunRunner next year. If the city passes that proposed funding, the PSTA board would still have to approve it.

1, fares will cost between $1.10-$2.25, depending on whether or not a rider can prove they are eligible for a reduced fare. What’s more is that only contactless options, like debit, credit and Flamingo Fare cards—will be accepted.

In an Aug. 11 email obtained by Creative Loafing through public records requests, PSTA

[Marone] said the quiet part out loud,” Oliver said at the meeting. “I’ve talked to lawyers and they are chomping at the bit to sue over this rate hike.”

Oliver mentioned Catrone v. City of St. Petersburg, a 2011 case in which the city lost to four homeless folks suing over unconstitutional

Mayor Ken Welch—who expressed concerns about Miller’s proposed 50-cent fare hike, “Both in terms of its potential effectiveness and equity”—wasn’t in attendance at the meeting, nor were any representatives from St. Pete’s leadership team. Welch has not yet responded to a request for comment, but City Councilman Richie Floyd, who has been a huge SunRunner proponent, told CL over the phone, “I don’t know what to say, I’m frustrated.”

“Public transportation should never be used to marginalize any group.”

NO CENTS: PSTA CEO Brad Miller initially proposed a 50-cent fare at select SunRunner stops.

Fight back

Florida parents launch Parenting With Pride program.

By McKenna Schueler

Florida parents have organized with Equality Florida, a statewide civil rights organization, to formally launch a new program that parents say will allow them to “fight back against the rising tide of right-wing extremism.”

“We are under attack,” Cassandra Brown, a local Black mom and native Floridian, said at a press conference Tuesday morning. “We must stand up and we must fight back.”

The program, Parenting With Pride, was developed in partnership with national organizations such as the Trevor Project, PFLAG and the Human Rights Campaign. Its launch comes in response to a right-wing “parental rights in education” movement that, in Florida, has sought to roll back acceptance of gay, queer, and transgender people and to whitewash history in public schools, under the guise of empowering parents.

“For years, parents and families just like the ones behind me have been under assault,” said Brandon Wolf, an LGBTQ activist and press secretary for Equality Florida. “Politicians have

waged war on these families, turning their classrooms into political battlefields and descending school districts into utter chaos.”

Florida’s Republican-controlled state legislature this year passed a number of anti-LGBTQ bills, approved by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, that have raised red flags for parents. Florida schools in particular, many of which have started the school year with teacher shortages, have become a battleground for the right wing’s culture war.

New state regulations ban classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, require students and teachers to use bathrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth, and regulate chosen name and pronoun usage by school staff and students.

Board’s AP Psychology and AP African American Studies, due to vague guidance from the state.

Brown, a local mom and equal rights advocate, questioned the priorities of state leaders. She said that for families like hers, it’s not a question of if her children will learn about the uglier aspects of American history, but how.

“I, as a Black mother, do not have the luxury of hiding or protecting my children from the uncomfortable truths of our history,” said Brown, expressing concern about book bans and policies that censor, or erase, African American history in public education.

FLORIDA NEWS

“Our children deserve to know the truth, no matter how embarrassing or painful,” she said. “They deserve to see themselves successful, healed and thriving through the lives of their idols and ancestors found in books.”

“My son deserves to be able to share his family life with his peers, and his teachers should be able to support him without fear of losing their jobs,” said Wilkie. “Each of us here today have the power of our stories and our voices, and our parental rights matter, too.”

The new parents’ program, officially launched Tuesday, aims to offer a one-stop resource for Florida parents and families of diverse backgrounds. Families can find or request guidance on new laws, connect with other parents in their communities, and plug into opportunities to collectively speak up and speak out.

It’s beginner-friendly, and families are welcome to opt into whatever is most helpful for them at this point in time. Even if it’s just an opportunity to connect with other parents who have learned how to come to terms with and respect their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

Books that tackle difficult issues like racism, or feature LGBTQ themes, have been removed from school libraries in classrooms to comply with state law, and there’s been mass confusion among school district officials and teachers over schools’ ability to offer individual courses, such as the College

Heather Wilkie, a licensed mental health counselor and executive director of the proLGBTQ organization Zebra Youth, shared that her rights—both as a LGBTQ mother and partner to a nonbinary educator in the public education system—matter just as much as those of the loudest member of Moms for Liberty, a conservative group that has advocated for antiLGBTQ policies in schools.

Already, over 1,000 families across Florida, from Pensacola to Key West, have expressed interest in the program, according to Equality Florida, demonstrating a sizable interest in organizing a broad coalition even prior to its official launch.

You can find more information about the program at parentingwithprideflorida.org.

This story first appeared at our sibling publication Orlando Weekly.

LIFELINE: Parents have responded to Florida’s right-wing ‘parental rights in education’ movement.

“Our children deserve to know the truth.”

emotional case (the Cruz case), is causing complete destabilization of Florida’s death penalty.”

The Legislature approved the change after an ideological shift in recent years on the Florida Supreme Court. Shortly after DeSantis took office in 2019, he appointed justices who established a conservative majority. The court in 2020 reversed course on the death penalty and said unanimous jury recommendations were not necessary.

The unanimity requirement remained on the books, however—until this spring, when state lawmakers passed the law responding to the Cruz life sentence. DeSantis, who championed the change to a lower standard, signed the legislation on April 20.

The change is affecting Death Row inmates preparing for resentencings because of the Hurst decision. The unanimous standard was in place when the resentencings were ordered, leading their attorneys to argue it should continue to apply in the cases.

The new law also is having an impact on cases involving defendants accused of committing murders before DeSantis signed the law. Their attorneys also maintain the 8-4 threshold should not apply retroactively.

Capital C

Florida’s new death penalty changes are causing ‘chaos,’ attorneys say.

By Dara Kam/News Service of Florida

Anew state law lowering the number of jurors required to recommend death sentences has spurred a rash of litigation, triggered conflicting judicial rulings and infused an additional level of uncertainty in capital cases. The changes have caused what numerous attorneys called “chaos” in the death-penalty system.

The law allows death sentences to be imposed based on the recommendations of eight of 12 jurors, an easier threshold than a previous requirement of unanimous jury recommendations. The change—prompted by Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz receiving a life sentence after a jury did not unanimously recommend death—gave Florida the lowest death-penalty jury standard in the nation. Allowing 8-4 recommendations is the latest in a series of changes in the capitalsentencing process since a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case known as Hurst v. Florida. The ruling found that the state’s death-penalty process was unconstitutional.

required. The Legislature responded in 2017 by putting such a unanimous requirement in law.

FLORIDA NEWS

Amid uncertainty over whether the unanimity requirement should be applied retroactively to older cases, justices ordered resentencing for about 150 Death Row inmates who were sentenced based on recommendations by nonunanimous juries. Before 2016, inmates could be sent to Death Row based on majority— or 7-5—jury recommendations.

About 90 resentencing proceedings were completed under the unanimity requirement before this year’s law went into effect. More than three-fourths of those proceedings resulted in life sentences, with prosecutors often not asking for the death penalty in the resentencings.

When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 8-4 law this spring, nearly fivedozen Hurst resentencing cases were pending. That has led to disputes about which standard should apply.

“Here we go again, with changes of laws that create different categories of people that are being treated very differently, which has to be a violation of the Constitution. And then, we’re looking at the overreach or the overstep as a result of very emotional, traumatized community and the play of politics in the death penalty, which is just horrifying, but we know it’s very political,” Hannah Gorman, a professor who is director of The Balanced Justice Project at Florida International University’s College of Law, said in an interview.

The dispute over applying the 8-4 standard, in part, involves what is known as the “ex post facto” clause in the state and federal constitutions.

Defense attorneys contend that applying the new standard to cases initiated before April 20 would violate the ex post facto clause because the standard represents a substantive change in the judicial process.

Prosecutors, however, maintain that the lower threshold amounts to a “procedural” change and therefore should apply in such cases. Judges—including in the same judicial circuit— are divided on the issue.

In the 10th Judicial Circuit, Judge Kevin Abdoney last month rejected prosecutors’ request to apply the 8-4 standard in the sentencing of Bryan James Riley, who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder in September 2021.

with the possibility of being executed that he will actually meet such an end is greater now than before. Shouldering the defendant with such increased risk not present at the time he allegedly committed his crimes substantially implicates ex post facto concerns,” Abdoney wrote in a July 12 ruling.

But three weeks earlier in the same circuit, Judge Angela Cowden ruled that the 8-4 standard should be used in the sentencing of Zephan Xaver, who was accused of killing five women during a bank robbery in 2019.

“In defendant’s (Xaver’s) case, the change in the law has increased his chances of receiving the maximum sentence he already faced; however, it has not ‘change(d) the punishment, (or) ‘inflict(ed) a greater punishment, than the law annexed to the crime, when committed,’” Cowden, who is based in Highlands County, wrote on June 26, partially quoting a legal precedent.

Both judges’ analyses were rooted in prior court rulings on the ex post facto issue.

As circuit judges grapple with which standard should apply, a number of appeals have made it to the Florida Supreme Court. But a “lead” case—if there will be one—has not emerged.

Lawyers for Attorney General Ashley Moody argue that the new law should apply to “all defendants whose penalty phases” will occur after April 20.

A Supreme Court case drawing attention is the appeal of Leonard Gonzalez, a Death Row inmate ordered to be resentenced following the Hurst decision. Gonzalez, who was convicted in the 2011 murders of an Escambia County couple, is appealing a circuit judge’s ruling that called for the 8-4 standard in resentencing.

Gonzalez’s case includes a number of twists, with Moody’s lawyers initially asking justices to weigh in on the retroactivity issue.

“Capital trials and Hurst resentencings are being stayed and delayed awaiting guidance from this (Supreme) Court regarding the constitutionality and proper application of the recently amended death penalty statute. This court should address these issues as quickly as possible to prevent any further delays,” Charmaine Millsaps, a senior assistant attorney general, wrote in a brief filed June 19.

But just weeks later, another one of Moody’s lawyers filed a motion asking the Supreme Court to dismiss the case, arguing that Gonzalez’s appeal raised issues “best addressed in a posttrial direct appeal.”

The court rejected the state’s request, and the case remains pending.

In October 2016, in the similarly named case of Hurst v. State, the Florida Supreme Court interpreted and applied the U.S. Supreme Court ruling and said unanimous jury recommendations were

“Undoubtedly, the new statute will plunge Florida’s death-penalty system into further instability and chaos,” Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternative to the Death Penalty, told The News Service of Florida.

“This knee-jerk change, in an understandably

Abdoney, a Polk County-based judge, found that the new law “moved the goalposts” on the state’s death-penalty process.

“In the same stroke of the pen, the Legislature has reduced friction on the path toward death while increasing it on that toward life. As a result, the risk to a defendant confronted

Melanie Kalmanson, an attorney who publishes the Tracking Florida’s Death Penalty blog, pointed to the state’s filings in the Gonzalez case to demonstrate what she called “widespread chaos” in the death-penalty system.

“There’s some indication that even the state is not sure how they want to address the litigation about the new statute,” she said.

DOUBLE BLIND: Even judges are divided on the state’s new death penalty changes.

DAVE DECKER

“Here we go again.”

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Bye bye, brews

Clearwater Brewing Company announces closure, and more local food headlines.

By Kyla Fields

Pinellas county just lost one of its craft breweries. Clearwater Brewing Company, located in the Old Clearwater Bay neighborhood at 1700 N Fort Harrison Ave., took to social media to announce the unfortunate news. “It is with great sadness that we announce that we are closing Clearwater Brewing Company effective immediately,” the brewery wrote on social media last week. “We thank all of our customers, staff, and the City of Clearwater for your patronage and support over the last few years.”

Its website has already been taken down as well. On commercial real estate website Loopnet.com, Clearwater Brewing Company’s 1,736 square-foot parcel is listed for $825,000. In addition to the building and its outdoor seating space, the listing also includes its “ 3 BBL Brewing System, multiple fermentation tanks, and a comprehensive cooling system.” Co-owners Keith Ford, F. Bowling, Rob Neff and Howard Shirley purchased the old Clearwater gas station for $180,000 back in 2017, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Although its closure is effective immediately, its real estate listing has been online for the past several months.

In addition to popular beers like its “A Dolphin’s Ale” IPA and Bomber’s Brown Ale, Clearwater Brewing Company was also known for its variety of weekly events like open mic Wednesdays, drum circles and other live performances. Keep your eyes peeled at 1700 N Fort Harrison Ave. to get the first look at the new business that may replace Clearwater Brewing Company. FHR Commercial Realty’s Eric Perkins told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he’s in communication with “several interested buyers.”

Clearwater Brewing Company joins the ranks of other breweries that have recently closed throughout Tampa Bay, including 7venth Sun’s Seminole Heights taproom, West Tampa’s Bay Cannon Brewing Co. and Rock Brothers Brewing in Ybor City.

RIP, Publix hurricane cakes

It’s the end of an era for Lakeland-based grocer Publix. The company, which will make a cake for just about anything unless your a transgender person or a graduate who finished

“Summa Cum Laude,” said in a statement that it has instructed bakers not to make hurricanethemed cakes, or “hurricakes,” as not to “make light” of natural disasters.

In a statement that was actually posted to the company’s website last year, but just recently surfaced on social media, Publix said that while they enjoy “finding ways to delight them with their favorite Publix items as they prepare for uncertainty,” the cakes will no longer be made.

“Our associates make every effort to support our customers during weather events. Often

media. Some of the earliest images of “hurricakes” appear around 2019, as Hurricane Dorian headed towards Florida. But the decision by Publix to pull the “hurricakes” was made before the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which saw deadly storms like Ian and Nicole rip across parts of Florida, as well Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the Bahamas.Recently, Publix announced it will no longer allow dogs inside its locations, with the exception of service animals.—Colin Wolf

‘Empanada connoisseur’ Top Nada debuts new Tampa-based food truck

Fans of “Nuyorican street food” will soon have a local food truck dishing out unique empanadas and chopped cheeses throughout Tampa Bay. After a year and a half of existing solely as a pop-up, Top Nada debuted its new food truck

classic beef and cheese empanada captivated festival goers—a classic item that will definitely be on the food truck’s menu, alongside other dishes like chopped cheeses and loaded fries. Other empanada flavors that Top Nada founder Adam Ayala will regularly dish out include “The Rude Bwoy” with marinated chicken and homemade jerk sauce, “The Birdy Mac” stuffed with buffalo mac and cheese and “ The Bubba Gump” complete with Gulf shrimp and a garlic creole dipping sauce. Ayala tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he will announce more empanada flavors and an expanded food truck menu sometime soon. In addition to popping up at popular Tampa breweries like Magnanimous Brewing, Wulfaven Brewing, Ology Brewing Co. and Woven Water, Top Nada is also available for a variety of private events, too. For the latest information on Top Nada’s whereabouts, head to its Instagram at @topnadaofficial, where its schedule is posted daily.

Saigon Night Market’s Mid-Autumn Festival heads to Pinellas Park

Most folks know about the Lunar New Year celebration that happens each winter, but millions of people throughout East and Southeast Asia celebrate another holiday in the fall to honor the harvest season and the autumn equinox. Clearwater’s Saigon Night Market—a weekly event packed with dozens of street food-inspired vendors and karaoke—hosts a local rendition of the widely-celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival next month in Pinellas Park.

England Brothers Park at 5010 81st Ave. N hosts this weekend-long festival on SaturdaySunday, Sept. 16-17. Saturday’s festivities will run from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. while Sunday’s party happens from 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Both days will feature DJs and cultural performances—including the iconic lion dance—in the park’s bandshell, dozens of vendors specializing in Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, Filipino and Chinese fare, a pho eating contest and bounce houses and face painters for the kiddos.

times, this includes finding ways to delight them with their favorite Publix items as they prepare for uncertainty,” said the company. “For these requests in particular, it is our company policy to not produce bakery cakes that would make light of a natural disaster. We have sent communications to our stores reminding them of our policy.”

It’s tough to say exactly when these viral desserts first started popping up on social

in Seminole Heights this weekend. Common Dialect Beerworks hosted the food truck’s grand opening last weekend, where bumpin’ reggaeton music and a raffle welcomed Top Nada’s first customers.

Top Nada made its food truck debut at the same place where it took home the first prize for “Best Traditional Empanada” at the Tampa Bay Empanada Festival earlier this year. The pop-up’s

Festival organizers are only accepting 10 contestants for its pho eating contest; folks that would like to participate must follow Saigon Summer Market on social media, tag a friend and share its post in order to register and possibly win $200. And unlike its weekly market in Clearwater, this special celebration will have beer for purchase. Entrance fees cost $10 per day or $15 for two days, and kids under the age

continued on page 34

CLOSING TIME: Clearwater Brewing Company’s former waterfront parcel is available for purchase.

of eight can attend for free. Tickets can be purchased at the festival’s entrance.

“In Vietnamese households, the Mid-Autumn Festivals are typically for the kids. Adults would give us toys or a lantern to walk around the village, watch the moon and play with other kids,” Saigon Night Market founder Lew Nguyen says about his personal relationship with the holiday. “There are dragon dances and other entertainment at the church in my hometown, too, and we will also give the kids at our festival little lanterns to continue these traditions.”

Besides sparking up lanterns and admiring the moon, another tradition affiliated with this holiday is snacking on the tasty and intricatelydesigned Chinese mooncake—a treat that will definitely be for sale at this Pinellas Park festival.

In addition to next month’s massive MidAutumn Festival, Nguyen says an even bigger Lunar New Year party is slated for February 2024.

For more information on Pinellas Park’s MidAutumn Festival, head to Saigon Night Market’s Facebook page or Instagram at @saigonnightmarket, where information about its weekly events and vendors are regularly posted. And if you’d like to get a sneak peek of its Mid-Autumn Festival, the Saigon Night Market happens at 14100 U.S.Hwy. 19 N in Clearwater every Saturday from 6 p.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Changes at Seminole Heights restaurant Coasis include daytime service and expanded hours

Earlier this year, St. Pete-based chef and owner of Three Generations food truck Melissa “Melly”

Gardner opened her first brick and mortar with partner Brandi Gergle. Coasis—located at 7701 N Nebraska Ave. in that sweet spot between Old Seminole Heights and Sulphur Springs— recently launched the first phase of its opening and is finally ready to roll out a brand new menu and operating hours.

“We’re finally ready to launch phase two of Coasis,” Gardner tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “We are seeing that breakfast and lunch is more popular than dinner service, and that our customers are asking for lower price points and more casual options—and we had to listen to them.”

Starting on Thursday, Sept. 7 (although it may soft launch a few days earlier), Coasis will offer breakfast and lunch service from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, brunch from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays, and remain closed on Mondays. In addition to expanded hours and service, Gardner says her and Gergle are also adding 50 extra seats both indoors and outdoors, hanging several TVs throughout the restaurant and constructing a bar on its back patio.

with a DJ and lots of flowing cocktails—will “still be a party.” Tables for breakfast, lunch and brunch service will be available for both reservations and first come first serve.

Future plans for Coasis include renovating and opening the second floor of its two-story building and increasing parking for customers, Gardner added, all in due time of course. Since opening in February, Coasis has already garnered an audience of loyal brunch-goers, several Buccaneers players and over 12,000 followers on social media.

FOOD NEWS

In addition to Coasis and two Three Generations food trucks, Gardner says her first Three Generations brick and mortar is getting ready for a fall debut in the heart of St. Pete’s historic Deuces district. Until next month’s operating changes go into effect, Coasis will remain open from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

St. Petersburg Distillery’s new Spirit Garden. With almost 10 years of distilling, we want to welcome everyone to enjoy great company, great food, and of course great spirits,” the business writes on social media.

In addition to Italian eats from newlyopened, on-site restaurant Cala, and craft cocktails from the distillery, this outdoor lounge will also feature a plethora of shaded outdoor seating, interactive games, and a stage for live music. A free RSVP is required to attend its grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 1 and can be made directly via stpetersburgdistillery.com.

New items that patrons can expect when Coasis launches breakfast and dinner service include its Lil’ Nebraska breakfast plate with bacon, eggs and potatoes, a variety of omelets, sandwiches, burgers, loaded waffles and salads, alongside approachable daytime cocktails like mimosas and spritzes. There will also be more vegan and vegetarian options, also requested by popular demand.

Gardner reassures her regular customers that its popular Sunday brunches—complete

For the latest information on Coasis’ new operating hours and menus, head to its Facebook page or Instagram at @coasistampa.

St. Petersburg Distillery celebrates grand opening of its outdoor ‘Spirit Garden’ this weekend

St. Petersburg Distillery has produced locallymade spirits out of its Warehouse Arts District space for almost a decade, but it’s about to debut a brand new, late-night hotspot to help kick off Labor Day weekend. “Be the first to experience

Specializing in pizza, pasta and focaccia bread, Cala is an Italian restaurant that recently opened adjacent to the distillery. While the two businesses are separate entities, they both share the Spirit Garden courtyard. Also sharing the St. Petersburg Distillery’s massive Warehouse Arts District property is Chad Mize’s new gallery Space (stylized “SPACE”), which will also be home to Indie Flea’s upcoming market season. St. Petersburg Distillery made its ‘Burg debut in 2014 and has built a reputation around its popular spirits like the Banyan Reserve vodka, Old St. Pete gin and Oak & Palm coconut rum. For more information about St. Petersburg Distillery’s outdoor Spirit Garden, head to its Facebook at @StPetersburgDistillery or Instagram at @stpetedistillery.

After next weekend’s debut, St. Petersburg Distillery’s new outdoor lounge will be open from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m.-9 p.m. on Sundays.

continued from page 31

BE STILLERY MY HEART: St. Pete will have a new space to drink in spirits.

HAYWORTH PR

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

I feel good

Joy is the order of the day at freeFall’s Motown Celebration.

By Jon Palmer Claridge

Idon’t know about you, but I’m almost afraid to turn on the news. It’s a horrific tossed salad of wildfire devastation, an ethics-free SCOTUS, the party of Lincoln rushing to nominate an authoritarian facing 91 indictments, raped children being denied medical care, plus the ongoing war in Ukraine all liberally sprinkled with America’s perennial favorites: gun violence and racism. As Marvin Gaye would say, “What’s Goin’ On?”

My solution to Make America Great Again is to “simply escape a while” to freeFall Theatre’s Motown Celebration, where the award-winning Broadway actor-singer, Chester Gregory, is simply unmissable. It’s a virtuoso’s turn on every level.

He’s got all the right moves as he struts, jumps, leans, and bends leading the audience in call and response; we are putty in his hands. An impressive head of hair rises high above his scalp and an equally notable ring on his right index finger gleams as he rocks, shimmies, and claps his hands cajoling the audience to sing along “signed, sealed, delivered.”

THEATER

A Motown Celebration

Through Sept. 10, $25 & up freeFall Theatre. 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. freefalltheatre.com

Dressed in a maroon velvet blazer with black satin lapels, “music” emblazoned on his arm, and a giant “M” Motown logo on the back, young Mr. Gregory is a phenom.

The crackerjack band is equally impressive, anchored by musical director-pianist, Damon Carter, who was so memorable as Jimmy Powers in last season’s “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.” Here, he nimbly caresses a grand piano or coaxes myriad tones from his electric keyboard, which sometimes wistfully pretends to be a Hammond organ. The other two band members are equally versatile as musicians with diametrically opposed visual personas. Drummer E.J. Porter exemplifies cool, despite delivering every beat in the Motown book, he’s got a natural reserve, often closing his eyes and rolling his neck like a Jane Fonda exercise video. Bassist

Matthew McKinnon can hardly contain his joy, as he and Gregory toss around big Cheshire Cat grins like two Olympic pingpong medalists. But McKinnon always delivers musically, especially with the familiar bass riff on Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”

Joy, it seems, is the order of the day as Gregory seduces the audience with many charming personal anecdotes and a cavalcade of Motown hits. One minute he’s Smokey Robinson, then Motown’s founder Berry Gordy (his role on Broadway and on tour), then Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and even James Brown.

The songs are so familiar and the atmosphere so welcoming and relaxed that there are snippets of melody wafting in from the crowd. Across the aisle from me is a middle-aged woman clearly younger than most of the crowd. Let’s call her, Aretha. She sings beautifully, adding the sweet, punchy echoing background vocals so much a part of the Motown sound.

Gregory has great fun reminding us of how Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love” still surprises since the singer is white, and laughs when he reaches the familiar brass section of the arrangement since there are no horns in the room. Never fear, he calls upon the crowd to mimic the bridge and we are willing accomplices. Later, he has us all whistling.

Set designer, Edward E. Haynes Jr. and the lighting team of Trenten Szabo executing Andrew Schmedake’s design produce an appealing physical environment up to freeFall’s usual exacting standards. The stage is chock-full of lush neutral drapery which proves a welcome canvas for evocative use of lighting colors. There’re lots of midcentury modern furniture and design touches, plus a veritable museum for sound historians: record player, reel to reel, microphones, and an unidentified box with a meter plus a quartet of big black knobs and multiple switches.

Even at a sleepy, rainy Sunday matinee, in an audience jam-packed with aging boomers (myself included), Gregory’s charismatic guided tour through Motown’s greatest hits, turns into a dance party. “Who remembers ‘American Bandstand?’” he coos seductively into his mic. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he challenges

us with “how about Shindig!”? Before you can say Dick Clark, the 140-plus audience members are on their feet like giggling 1960s teens doing the Twist, the Jerk, the Swim and the Watusi. Across the aisle from me, “Aretha” is clearly in the zone, doing perfect renditions of all the dances as they are mentioned. Her “pony” is particularly evocative with a prancing triple step while holding the reins out front; she practically neighs with glee while her nearly waist-length braids bounce in rhythm as she gallops in place. It turns out, she’s a child of New York whose parents lined the stairs with Motown album covers and taught her all the dances that they treasured. I’ll bet there’s an “Aretha” or two at your performance; certainly no one is holding back.

Proof that Motown endures across generations. Even those less talented and well-trained audience members are having the time of their lives. There are many dance-challenged folks who are nonetheless caught up in the energy of the moment. Gregory’s brand of unbridled enthusiasm whips the crowd into an evangelical Motown frenzy. His vocal prowess is inspiring, effortlessly jumping registers and sustaining notes beyond imagining. But he’s also a superb actor who shares touching, emotional stories which I dare not give away. Suffice it to say, when he finally ends after 90 minutes—running up and down the aisles with James Brown’s “I Feel Good”—a sense of euphoria sweeps the crowd and we all feel good, too. Very good, indeed.

DO FOR LOVE: Gregory’s unbridled enthusiasm sends the crowd into a frenzy.

“Chester Gregory, is simply unmissable.”

AUGUST PROMO

Good, Godsey

A historic home designed by St. Petersburg’s first architect is now for sale.

By Colin Wolf

Ahistoric Mediterranean Revival built by one of St. Petersburg’s pioneering architects is now on the market in the Granada Terrace neighborhood. The Godsey House, located at 2240 Coffee Pot Blvd. NE, was constructed in 1925 for plumbing contractor CJ Godsey, and his wife Lilian, by celebrated architect Edgar Ferdon, who first came to the area in 1903 and is considered to be St. Petersburg’s “first professional architect.”

Bay and includes the Crislip Arcade, the First Congregational Church, and the American Bank and Trust building, which was unfortunately torn down (but the columns can still be seen at the Veterans Memorial at Williams Park).

HOMES

The 3,647-square-foot home comes with four bedrooms and five bathrooms, as well a pool, a dock, a two car garage and a ton of original features like wood floors, a chandelier, a gas fireplace, a solarium, and more.

Ferdon, who passed away at the age of 63 in 1932 as the result of a stroke, was behind quite a few notable local homes and buildings during the Florida land boom of the 1920s. Today, his work can still be found all over Tampa

The current asking price for the Godsey House is $3.5 million and the listing agents are Caryn Rightmyer and Bill Caulfield of Premier Sotheby’s. See all the photos via cltampa.com/ slideshows.

Getting soft

Florida theme parks see attendance fall in Q2.

By Chelsea Zukowski

Acombination of a slowing post-pandemic travel boom, scorching weather (read more on p. 42), inflation and political tension has made for a decrease in attendance at Florida’s theme parks. In the last few weeks, Disney, Comcast (Universal’s parent company) and SeaWorld Entertainment all shared quarterly earnings for the months of spring through early summer. While all three companies continue to report gains in revenue, they also saw drops in attendance at their Florida parks.

At Disney, the Parks, Experiences and Products segment saw a 13% increase in revenue. Disney’s international parks saw the biggest surge, with a 94% increase in revenue for the quarter.

CEO Bob Iger said during an Aug. 9 investor call. Iger pointed to post-COVID demand leveling off in the state as well as the U.S.’s strong dollar “tamping down international visitation.”

Still, Disney reported operating “well above pre-COVID levels” with adjustment for $100 million in accelerated depreciation this quarter for the upcoming closure of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Another $150 million in accelerated depreciation for the two-day resort experience will come next quarter.

THEME PARKS

Disney’s domestic parks reported just a 4% increase in revenue year over year, with modest increases at Disneyland Resort in California. In Florida, the company reported lower attendance and less people staying at the hotels last quarter.

“We saw softening performance at Walt Disney World from the prior year, coming off our highly successful 50th anniversary celebration,”

Up the road from Disney, Universal Orlando Resort posted lower revenue while still operating above pre-pandemic levels, according to Comcast executives. Comcast’s parks division, under NBCUniversal, reported record profitability of $833 million with adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).

The parks segment also saw a 22% increase in revenue compared to the same quarter in 2022. According to Comcast executives, the biggest drivers of growth were Universal’s Beijing

and Japan parks, as well as the success of Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Hollywood.

As for SeaWorld, the company reported a 2% decrease in attendance compared to the same quarter last year. And for the first six months of the year, SeaWorld’s parks attendance was down 1.5% from 2022.

During the company’s earnings presentation, CEO Marc Swanson pointed to weather and construction delays for the decrease in attendance. “Some combination of unusually hot and cold weather, rain and/or the fallout from Canadian wildfires impacted most of our markets during the quarter,” Swanson said.

During the quarter, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks opened new rides in Orlando, San Diego, Williamsburg and Virginia. SeaWorld San Antonio also has a new water coaster coming soon. While these revenue and attendance results were for roughly for April, May and June, Central Florida’s theme parks have been going through a bit of a summer slump.

Throughout the usually packed summer season, videos have popped up on social media showing much thinner crowds at Disney World and Universal Orlando. And according to Thrill Data, which tracks park wait times, Florida’s theme parks have been experiencing shorter average wait times since the beginning of the year.

Pinpointing the reasons for a slower busy season at the theme parks isn’t an exact science.

Overall, there is data pointing to a slowdown in post-pandemic tourism overall as well as specifically in Central Florida.

According to the Orange County Comptroller, tourist development tax collections were down 7.3% in June compared to last year. June 2023 was the third month in a row that reported a year over year decrease.

While the rise in inflation has been slower than expected in recent months, the costs to visit a theme park are still incredibly high—what with $100-a-day tickets, food and gas prices, and the pressure to fork over still more money to avoid long lines. Beyond that, news outlets and theme park blogs point to record-breaking heat waves in Florida and throughout the South, along with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political agenda as reasons for keeping travelers from the theme parks.

The NAACP, the Human Rights Campaign and the League of United Latin American Citizens have all issued “travel advisories” for the state of Florida because of recent legislation that harms minority groups and the LGBTQ community.

Still, it’s hard to track data that definitively shows a cause and effect relationship between low theme park attendance and Florida’s political climate.

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

NO QUARTER: Recent earnings reports shed light on the state of Florida amusement parks. DISNEY

“Still, Disney reported operating ‘well above preCOVID levels.’”

BUY LOCAL HALF OFF!

Raindance check

New Busch Gardens policy allows guests to reschedule if it’s too hot.

By Colin Wolf

Tampa is in the midst of a record hot summer, and thanks to human-induced climate change, we can expect to experience hotter and hotter temps going forward, which is not ideal for standing in long lines at theme parks. In an effort to get more butts in queues, this morning Busch Gardens Tampa announced the launch of its new “Weather-or-Not Assurance” policy, which allows guests to reschedule their visit for anytime over the next 12 months in the event of extreme weather.

“The Weather-or-Not Assurance program applies when rides are closed for 60 minutes or more due to weather,” says a press release. “Additionally, if inclement weather causes early closure or negatively impacts the park’s operating hours, guests are eligible for a return visit at no additional cost.”

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment umbrella, including Adventure Island, SeaWorld Orlando and more.

Busch Gardens Tampa announces new HowlO-Scream haunted houses, scare zones and shows

THEME PARKS

As is tradition here in Tampa, spooky season doesn’t officially start until Howl-O-Scream debuts at Busch Gardens. This year the annual fright fest runs on select nights from Sept. 8-Oct. 31, and will feature a few new scare zones, haunted houses, and shows.

Refer

According to the theme park, the new policy covers rain, lightning, wind, snow, hail and even extreme heat, specifically if the heat index reaches 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, the new policy does not apply to passholders—other conditions can be found on the Busch Gardens website.

The park’s new “Weatheror-Not Assurance” program is “the most generous in the theme park industry,” says Busch Gardens, and compared to other Florida theme parks, this statement is probably true.

For example, Universal Orlando only allows guests to reschedule if “a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center or a state of emergency is declared for the Orlando area or in your place of residence.” A similar policy is in place at Disney World resorts.

Besides Busch Gardens Tampa, the new policy applies to all theme parks under the

Before we get to the new stuff, some fan-favorites are making a return. Popular haunted houses like Stranglewood Estate, Witch of the Woods and The Residence: Home for the Holidays, are all back for the new season.

In terms of scare zones, guests can expect the return of The Junkyard, Beyond the Veil, The Shortcut and Ravens Mill. Live entertainment is also a big part of Howl-O-Scream and like every year, the park’s Festival Field will host some spooky entertainment, this time from class rock and alternative cover band “Rock The Grave.”

Plus, guests can find Cirque X-Scream at the Stanleyville Theater, and live musical performances from The Rolling Bones over at Dragon Fire Grill. New this year is the “Scare-E-Oke” karaoke experience over at Gwazi Plaza, and the “Raveyard,” at the Coke Canopy, which features speciality cocktails and allows guests to “dance the night away until the clock strikes twelve.”

Tickets to Howl-O-Scream start at $37.99, and are on sale now. For more info on tickets and Howl-O-Scream announcements, visit buschgardens.com.

WEATHER-OR-NOT: Rain, lightning, wind, snow, hail and even extreme heat are covered at Busch Gardens.

c.

Loud On 7th

w/Anne Marie/Beat Down Band/Fre$hP P/The Badest Lyrik/Keezie Free/JC Tha God/Es’Synce/more. Monday-Sunday, Sept. 4-10. $5 & up (with select events no cover). Various venues, Ybor City. loudonseventh.com

REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK

Get loud

Aych’s week-long music festival and conference takes over Ybor City.

By Ray Roa

At his childhood home in Delaware, Hansel Wilson’ mother surrounded him with hiphop and R&B. “She’s a huge Salt-N-Pepa fan, and a huge Rakim fan,” Wilson, aka Aych, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Heavy D and Run-D.M.C. were also in the mix, but The God MC is the reason Aych (pronounced like the letter “H”) started rapping in the first place. Whenever he got a chance, Aych would put on a Rakim cassette and listen, pick up the intricacies of the delivery, then bring what he learned to mini cyphers at school where classmates would approve of what they heard.

“But I was really just taking his flow and putting my own words on it,” he said. “I was literally a hip-hop kid.”

To close out Labor Day weekend, Aych kicks off his homegrown, far-reaching music festival, Loud On 7th, which will surround Ybor City with not just hip-hop and R&B, but also rock and poetry.

Loud On 7th takes place at seven venues on four different Seventh Avenue blocks in the historic district. The eighth stage is at one of the neighborhood’s brightest new spots, Nana’s Restaurant & Juice Bar on E 4th Avenue, which hosts the opening day “Hip-Hop & Shop” featuring vendors, plus more than a dozen artists including kid rapper Kanary Yellow and the Bay area drum academy. Day one wraps with a grown folks party at one of Aych’s regular haunts, Crowbar, where Tampa’s popular Beat Down Band headlines.

The next six days are a mix of comedy, poetry, live music, hip-hop trivia, media panels, battles, showcases, art shows, producer summits, networking events, industry chats, apparel parties, Verzuz-style concerts, national headliners like Ann Marie and more. In all, there are almost two dozen events, including a few that feature no cover (tickets for other events start at $5 and go all the way up to $225 for a full festival wristband).

While the festival is somewhat new, Aych has long been a presence in the historic district, where he’s worked since moving to the area in 2004. Crowbar is now home to his monthly Cypher series, but he used to perform during a different open mic at the club when it was still called On the Rocks. When it shut

down, Aych, who was part of Tampa’s Umbrella Corporation collective, brought the party to places like Empire and Full Moon Saloon. The owner at the latter encouraged Aych to become a promoter.

“I was against it,” Aych told CL He just wanted to rap and write because he thought some promoters were in it for the wrong reasons. Eventually, though, his desire to rap started to fade. “I kind of fell out of love with it a little bit.”

So after patronizing festival-conferences like Atlanta’s nearly 20-year-old AC3, Aych noticed fellow Tampeños well-represented among

attendees and wondered why there wasn’t something like it back home.

“We had the infrastructure. We had the layout, and with me working with all these different clubs, the Ybor, it was just connecting the dots,” he said. In its four years, Loud On 7th has hosted legends like Kid Capri, plus wave-making newcomers like Snow Tha Product, Ball Greezy, Tae Bae, and homegrown favorites like Dynasty, Famous Kid Brick and local rap hero Tom G.

This year, he’s booked more non-hip-hop acts than ever before. He’s even started rapping again, inspired by a new energy and attitude that young Loud On 7th acts have brought to the festival. The support from the rap community is there for Loud On 7th and he hopes to

grow it, but his job, Aych said, is to bring more casual fans to all these stages to hear something different.

“My homework for the festival every year is figuring out how to grab more and more of that audience that just loves music, whether it’s hip-hop, R&B, whatever,” he said. “I don’t want it to be just a hip-hop festival, I want it to expand. I want it to be the festival that people come to when they want to see the up and coming acts, no matter what genre it is.”

More than anything, Aych wants locals to take advantage of the programming he works so hard to build out. “This festival is made in Tampa, but it’s for the world,” he said. He can’t say that loud enough.

“This festival is made in Tampa, but it’s for the world.”

UMBRELLA MAN: When it comes to hip-hop in Tampa, Aych has it covered.

JACK CYMBRYLA

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa

C CL Recommends

THU 31

Editor’s note: We sent this round of live music previews to the printer as Idalia set its sights on the west central coast of Florida. We hope you’re safe, and please check cltampa.com/ music for the most updated versions of these listings.

Ghost w/Amon Amarth After testing the arena waters with a show at Yuengling Center last September, metal giant Ghost now has plans to play the biggest venue in town. Ghost’s “Re-Imperatour U.S.A. 2023” finds the Swedish theatrical rock band playing in support of its fifth studio album, Impera , which entered the U.S. charts at No. 1. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

Needtobreathe Hard Rock Event Center turns into a cave this month when Grammynominated pop band Needtobreathe which arrives in support of its ninth, and perhaps most ambitious, studio album, Caves. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

FRI 01

Craig Morgan w/The Reeves Brothers Mr. “Redneck Yacht Club” will probably cry if you say anything bad about Donald Trump, and recently, the 59-year-old made a big deal about re-enlisting in the military while onstage—and in uniform—at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. Per NBC News, Morgan will be stationed in Alabama two days a week, while still being able to tackle his current “God, Family, Country” tour, which stops at Pasco’s equivalent of Tampa’s Dallas Bull. (The Stockyard, Holiday)

Midnight Tyrannosaurus w/Jiqui/Sisto/ Inaktivity/Mother Lotus Hudson-based EDM producer Midnight Tyrannosaurus— whose specialty lies mostly in bass—comes home after spending the better portion of summer taking on the U.S. and Canada. It has been said that no two sets are the same on this current “The Gauntlet Audio & Visual Experience” tour, and “Planet Purge!”—Mr. Tyrannosaurus’ 2016 “Rick & Morty” collaboration with Eh!de—will not be included. (The Ritz, Ybor City)

Mikey Lion w/Lee Reynolds/Brian Busto/Illanoise Michael Leon believes that there’s a lot of softness and entitlement in new-age EDM fans. “When I was 25 at festivals, I was lucky to wake up inside my tent, ready to full send it again with my crew in nature for the next 20 hours, 3 days in a row,” he recently tweeted. “Now these kids need clean sheets and complimentary breakfast to enjoy a festival.” Not that you’ll need to camp outside the former State Theater, but

just know that he—along with support acts Lee Reynolds, Brian Busto, and Illanoise—has paid his general admission dues. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

Producer Showdown: Buckwild vs. Diamond D w/DJ Casper/DJ Fader Anthony Best, better known as Buckwild, is a pupil of Anthony Best, and alum of the Diggin’ In The Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.). The 55-year-old has worked with some of rap’s living legends, like Nas, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Black Rob (for whom he produced “Whoa”), but has also lent his talent to The Notorious B.I.G.’s “I Got A Story To Tell.” Fellow New Yorker and D.I.T.C member Joseph Kirkland (aka Diamond D) is no stranger to the Bay area and has even invited Bay area rappers and producers to hear unreleased music at local studios. The 55-year-old’s hits are also the stuff of rap folklore (“Hip Hop” by Mos Def, anyone?). The producers go hit-for-hit in a special showdown-style performance where DJ Casper and DJ Fader open.

(Crowbar, Ybor City)

Rod Wave & Friends One of St. Petersburg’s most beloved hip-hop sons turned a quarter of a century old last weekend. On the heels of a cryptic new album entitled Nostalgia, due on Sept. 15, Rodarius Marcell Green— aka Rod Wave—hosts a birthday bash on Channelside Drive, described to be the first of its kind, with a plethora of currently unknown special guests. Considering how Mr. “Street Runner” managed to get the likes of Jack Harlow and Lil Durk on his last two albums,

anything up his sleeve shouldn’t end up being too much of a shock. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

Two Friends U.K. producer TroyBoi, who played The Gathering at Tampa’s Armature Works last week, likes to live in those lower, grimier, BPMs, but this weekend, the tempo goes up a bit when American EDM duo Two Friends lands in the Heights with its “Big Bootie” mixes in tow. The fellas, lifelong friends Eli Sones and Matthew Halper, had their come-to-EDM-Jesus moment watching DJs at Coachella and have since brought their brand of poppy progressive-house to the desert for a a ‘chella set of their own. (Armature Works, Tampa)

SAT 02

Svinfylking w/Luciferian Insectus/ Voidrium/Saturnine/Vorn/Alptraum

Tampa’s resident “fed-slaying outlaw rock” outfit—which promises to debut a new single for “oi punks,” a British subgenre of punk rock—headlines a hella mega gathering of mainly Florida-based heavy metal talent. And Brass Mug is pretty much one of, if not, the only remaining local venues where smoking is allowed, so feel free to light one up. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

Slightly Stoopid w/Sublime with Rome/ Atmosphere/The Movement The last time Rome Ramirez stepped onstage at the

ol’ Gary was last December at 97X ‘sNext Big Thing, when he got up with The Dirty Heads to perform “Lay Me Down.” His band, Sublime with Rome—featuring ex-Sublime bassist Eric Wilson, and newly equipped with Jason Vick behind the drum kit—just had a spot at Reggae Rise Up less than six months ago, and while there hasn’t been any talk of new music, who wouldn’t want to open for San Diego reggae-punk outfit Slightly Stoopid, right? (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

SUN 03

Chew w/Highway Advisory Radio/ Deaf Company Chew’s last Bay area gig was three years ago, a month before a covid vaccine was even available. At the time, promoters wrote that anyone who wore a mask would win a prize, but a lot’s changed since then. For starters, about 80,000 have died in Florida after contracting the disease.

TUE 05

Bad Omens w/Erra/I See Stars We totally feel for the hell fans overcame while obtaining Bad Omens tickets this time around. But with Alabama-based prog-metal quintet Erra (stylized “ERRA”) opening—in the midst of recording new material with the addition of post-COVID touring guitarist Clint Tustin, no less—it’s not too much of a shock that yet another great war went down on TicketMaster. On the other hand, isn’t it about time that Noah Sebastian and friends get a spot at this year’s 97X Next Big Thing, or next spring’s Innings Fest? Tuesday will be Bad Omens fourth post-Covid show in town, so why not make a fifth one happen before the year is out? (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

WED 06

Plague Spitter (EP release show) w/ Freeze Mf/Circuit Circuit/Send All This week, the award for most-apropos band name goes to Plague Spitter, a new metallic hardcore outfit that caps off the hellscape of the last few days by releasing a new EP alongside another nascent local punk band (Send All). The homegrown rippers open this biker bar gig ahead of sets by Freeze Mf (stylized “MF”), something of a Philadelphia hardcore supergroup that’s drawn comparisons to Kublai Khan, Greyhaven and even Turnstile. Brutally chaotic, math-ish, Nashville noise-rock band Circuit Circuit caps things off. (Born Free Pub & Grill, Tampa)

THU 07

Mac Miller Tribute: Bauxmonk w/ SydLive/Vern Senior/Xzstance/DJ

Dillman/more Tampa Bay’s hip-hop scene stays busy, and there’s never a shortage of opportunities to see a rap show built around original music, but this one gets you into the hybrid indoor-outdoor space at Hooch and Hive where emcees and songwriters will pay tribute to one of the most beloved rappers of the last decade. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Rock The Park Tampa: Electric Blue Yonder w/House Of I/Maude

There’s also yet another new variant floating around, but the Atlanta band still plays a potent amalgamation of psych-rock and experimental-electro. A familiar local outfit—Highway Advisory Radio, which played alongside Chew at that 2020 Mermaid Tavern show—opens once again. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Niko Moon w/Kidd G/Deejay Silver Flo Rida pulled off one hell of a pool party at the Hard Rock last weekend, so country songwriter Niko Moon (Zac Brown Band and Dierks Bentley) has his work cut out for him on Sunday. The 40-year-old has experience getting people turnt in the sunlight, however, and all you need to do is find video of him playing Tortuga festival to see. (Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

Pet Lizard w/The Urbane Cowboys/ Bad Bad Things There are few things more therapeutic to screaming along to a song at the top of your lungs. And if that doesn’t

work during the set from Tampa emo and band Pet Lizard, you can try to feel better by ordering a liquor drink at this no-cover dive bar show that could be just what we need after Idalia either spares us or kicks Tampa Bay in the ass. Fellow pop-ish punk band Bad Bad Things opens the show alongside Americana-rock band The Urbane Cowboys. (The Hub, Tampa)

Will Johns w/T Bone Hamilton In terms of the music industry, 50-year-old blues rock musician Will Johns has had an in pretty much since he was born. With his mother being Pattie Boyd’s sister, Johns has had both George Harrison and Eric Clapton as uncles, as well as legendary producer Glyn Johns, who worked with both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

On his own, the young Johns—ahead of the release of his new Yin & Yang album due out next month—just released a gritty, almost lo-fi single entitled “Ruthless.” (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Last month, Rock the Park’s 13th anniversary got rained out (although the bands found a covered stage to play at Hooch and Hive). On this hurricane week, let’s hope downtown Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park isn’t too waterlogged to host the free concert series, which this month features Montgomery, Alabama space-folk band Electric Blue Yonder in the headlining slot. (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa)

Sam Hunt w/Brett Young/Lily Rose

If not for his celebrity status, Sam Hunt would probably be celebrating his one-year anniversary of getting out of jail on a DUI charge from 2019. After pleading guilty in 2021, the country star was given a jail sentence of 11 months and 29 days, but ended up only serving 48 hours at a DUI education center in Tennessee. Two years later, the 38-year-old has cleaned up his act by touring with Brett Young, and preparing to become a father for the second time by year’s end. (Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)

DAVE DECKER

Pet Lizard

Last March, Neal Francis played a twonight, hometown stand at Chicago’s famed Thalia Hall where he tipped the cap to Peter Frampton by recording his own ambitious live album, Francis Comes Alive . The 34-year-old, mind-blowing songwriter and pianist-organist was accompanied, unsurprisingly, by an 11-piece band and decked out in full psychedelic regalia. Francis—who played Tampa’s Gasparilla Music Festival in 2022—told the Chicago Sun-Times that the gigs were a “childhood dream come true.” This fall in South Tampa, Francis will do his part to help students’ dreams come true, too. He’ll make it happen with the help of The Becky Walker Scholarship Foundation and its annual Becky’s Bash concert at Tabellas at Delaney Creek on Friday, Oct. 27. Tampa guitar virtuoso George Pennington opens the show, which supports the foundation founded in the memory of the late Becky Walker, a beloved local educator who passed in 2019 after a bout with pancreatic cancer.

Each year, the foundation—which has raised $253,000 since inception—selects a total of four students from local Title 1 high schools Spoto and Leto, and awards them three, $10,000 scholarships to be delivered over a four-year period. The Becky Walker Scholarship Foundation’s goal is to eventually raise enough money to expand the program to every school in Tampa Bay that classifies as Title 1, meaning its population

Lance Lopez Band Thursday, Sept. 7. 7 p.m. $20 & up. Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg

Cult Fashion w/MrENC/Highway

Advisory Radio/Revel In The View/ Spider Lily/Central Florida Project/Razor and the Boogie Men/more Saturday, Sept. 9. 12 p.m. $12. Union Hall, Lakeland

Fever Head w/The George Saturday, Sept. 9. 7 p.m. No cover. Shuffle, Tampa

Tampa Bay Indian Music Festival: Shri

Ritesh Rajnish Mishra w/Shankh Lahiri/ Anirban Chakraborty/Dr. Jayanthi

Kumaresh/S.G. Pramath Kiran/K.U.

Jayachandra Rao Saturday, Sept. 9. 4 p.m.

$30 & up. Community Hall at Hindu Temple of Florida, Tampa

USF Faculty Jazz Ensemble Thursday, Sept. 14. 8 p.m. $5 & up. New Tampa

Performing Arts Center, Tampa

Jeremy Carter Group Saturday, Sept. 16. 8 p.m. $25 & up. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

The Steel Crows w/Quail Hollow/TBA

Saturday, Sept. 16. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Blues Beatles Sunday, Sept. 17. 6 p.m.

$30 & up. Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Baby Arms w/Jensu/Animal Hospital/ Superbitch/Mold! Friday, Sept. 22. 7 p.m.

$12. Bananas Records, St. Petersburg

includes what the department of education calls “high percentages of children from low-income families.”

The foundation hopes to see more than 1,000 people at the show. Tickets to see Francis play Becky’s Bash on Friday, Oct. 27 at Tabella’s at Delaney Creek are on sale now for $100. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concert announcements below.—Ray

Roa

Matt Schofield Friday, Sept. 22. 8 p.m. $20 & up. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Eric Nam w/Alexander Stewart

Saturday, Sept. 23. 6 p.m. $40 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City

Hot Tonic Orchestra Saturday, Sept. 23. 8 p.m. $25 & up. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Knife Rituals (EP release) w/Nashira/ The Pilot Waves/Dagger Saturday, Sept. 23. 7 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

The T-Bone Hamilton Band (live album recording party) Saturday, Sept. 23. 7:30

p.m. $30 & up. The Music Gallery, New Port Richey

Rutterkin w/The Pauses/Virginity

Sunday, Sept. 24. 5:45 p.m. $10. Microgroove, Tampa

Simon Lasky Sunday, Sept. 24. 7:30 p.m. $25 & up. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

ProgJect feat. Marc Bonilla w/Mike Keneally/Ryo Okumoto/Jonathan

Mover/Ric Fierabracci Thursday, Sept. 28. 7 p.m. $18. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Bryan Gee w/Jumpin Jack Frost/ T.R.A.C./more Friday, Sept. 29. 8 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

YSANNE TAYLOR/GMF

She will not be ignored

By Dan Savage

Dear Readers: I’m off this week, so please enjoy this evergreen column from February 2011.

If you’re wondering whether I’ve gotten any nicer over the past 12 years, this column is proof that I’ve gotten nicer. Way nicer. Enjoy!—Dan

I’ve written before, but I didn’t hear back from you—probably because my email didn’t contain flogging or santorum or whatever. But I won’t be IGNORED, Dan. My question: I’m a 32-year-old female. Second marriage, two kids: one kid with my ex and one with the man I cheated on my ex with (my current husband). My problem: A year ago, I found my “first love” on a social network. I’d been looking for him off and on for more than 16 years. This person was a jerk who left me for one of my friends back in high school. But he was and still is the love of my life. Always has been. Always will be. He is not married, has never been married, and has no children. We began an affair about seven months after finding each other. My marriage, my second marriage, had been rocky before this. My second husband, of three years, stopped having sex with me after I became pregnant, and this continued after our child was born. We tried counseling. It didn’t help. In no way am I using this as an excuse. I know what I’ve done is wrong. But I also have a pretty bad track record and have cheated on every man I’ve ever been with, except for my first love. This man, my first love, is the worst person in the world for me. Yet I’m in love with him. I have ALWAYS been in love with him. He wants me to leave my white-collar husband for him, a very blue-collar guy. I live in a nice home in the suburbs; my first love lives in a small apartment in the city. Five months after we began having sex with each other, my current husband found out. Instead of leaving me, he has turned into a different man: extremely loving and attentive. He says this experience has made him realize how much he loves me and that he doesn’t want to lose me.

I’ve read what you’ve written before, SCIL, but I didn’t respond because I didn’t have much to say to you and I still don’t. I had the same reaction reading your email today that I had reading all the other emails you’ve sent. My reaction is a little selfish, and I’m a little embarrassed to share it with you. But you keep asking, SCIL, and so here it is:

THIS BITCH CAN GET LEGALLY MARRIED AND I CAN’T?!?!

SAVAGE LOVE

Sorry, sorry, sorry. That was cunty of me— nowhere near the level of compassionate professionalism that people expect of me—and so now I’m going to have to make amends by scrounging up some of that advice shit you’re after. But I’m going to offer you my advice on one condition: You don’t write to me ever again.

OK!

would’ve cheated on him like you’ve cheated on everybody else.

If you leave your current husband and break up your first child’s second home and your second child’s first home and go back to your first love, SCIL, it won’t be long before you get around to cheating on the love of your life, too. Because you’re a cheater. You’re a habitual, serial cheater. You’re precisely the kind of person who shouldn’t make monogamous commitments. Or get married. Or have children.

So, what should you do? Stay? Go? Frankly, SCIL, I don’t give a fuck. Stay or go, it’s not going to make a fuck of a lot of difference. Your personal life is a mess, SCIL, and it always will be. Because, you see, wherever you go, there you are.

That said: If your current husband doesn’t mind being cheated on, if he can put up with your affairs and wants to put your children first, then I think you should stay with him for the sake of your kids. They deserve whatever stability and continuity you can scrounge up for them between infidelities.

Again, if you leave your current husband for the love of your life, SCIL, it won’t be long

understand why it happened and that we won’t be getting back together. All in all, I’ve felt like we’ve both been pretty mature, and things are going well.

The complication: We still find each other attractive, and we work very well together sexually. So, she proposed an FWB arrangement, and I said yes. We laid down ground rules—we are not together, we are just friends who fuck, so no “I love you,” no commitments, no expectations— and we started having hot sex. Is this foolhardy? We both know that I’d prefer something more. So, the question remains: Should we keep fucking?— Can’t Recall Acronym Procedure

How are you going to feel when your ex-girlfriend/current-fuck-buddy finds a new boyfriend and ends your FWB arrangement? If you can honestly answer, “I’ll be happy for her,” then you can keep fucking her—but don’t forget to ask for your balls back when she dumps you that second time.

If you can’t say that and you decide to keep fucking the ex-girlfriend anyway, CRAP, you wouldn’t be the first lovesick dumpee who agreed

My other problem: I didn’t begin this affair to get my second husband’s attention. I began it because I’m in love with my first love and always have been. My husband knows of my deep feelings for my “first.” I mention divorce often, but it falls on deaf ears. I want to do what is best for my kids—and that would be staying right where I am. But I feel my only chance for “true” love, if there is such a thing, is passing me by. I’ve never felt for anyone as I do for this man. Every man who has come into my life AFTER him knew about him and knew that if he ever came back for me, I was gone. This includes my current husband. Dan, pull out all the stops on this one, as you famously do, and please tell me what to do.—Serial Cheater In Love

You say you’ve cheated on every man you’ve ever been with, with the exception of your “first love,” SCIL, and you regard that as a sign your first love was your true love. But I see signs of circular reasoning/magical thinking—you’ve concluded that he must be the love of your life because you didn’t cheat on him, and you didn’t cheat on him because he’s the love of your life. No. You didn’t cheat on him, SCIL, because you didn’t get around to it. You two broke up when you were 15 years old. If you’d been with him a little longer—another week, maybe two—you

before you’re cheating on your third husband and preparing to uproot your kids a third/second time. I know it, you know it, everyone out there reading this knows it, even your current husband seems to know it.

So just stay put, OK?

My girlfriend of two years, my first real relationship, broke up with me a month ago. Although I felt like shit for most of that month, we somehow managed to struggle through to a close friendship. I wouldn’t say I’m entirely over her, but I

an FWB arrangement with an ex in the mostlikely-delusional-but-you-never-know hope of getting back together. If the short-term rewards (all that hot sex) and the potential long-shot payoff (getting back together) make the risk seem worthwhile, then keep fucking.

Dear Readers: SCIL held up her end of the bargain she never sent me another letter again.

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

KASPARS GRINVALDS/ADOBE

WHOSE PUZZLE IS THIS ANYWAY?

by Merl Reagle

5 Actress de la Garza