Creative Loafing Tampa — October 27, 2022

MARKETING,

DIGITAL

by Joe Frontel.

PRESENTED BY

Page turner

By Ray Roa

On Friday, filmmaker Lynn Marvin Dingfelder will try to squeeze 100 years of history into just over 60 minutes. It’s all to mark the centennial for La Gaceta, the country’s only tri-lingual newspaper, which has documented Tampeño politics, news, social fodder and more since 1922.

Dingfelder—an Emmy-winning TV jour nalist whose brought the same newsy approach to past films about Goody Goody, JFK’s trip to Tampa and even Jefferson High School’s Fabulous Rockers—has been working on the documentary for a little over a year, and picked up the first camera for the project in February.

As she and her production partner Larry Wiezycki put the finishing touches on the film that premieres on Friday in Ybor City, Dingfelder said that even she was surprised by how much she didn’t know about the publi cation that became famous for its coverage of political refugees, Tampa’s strong immigrant past and rumors, too. “I mean, the FBI was involved at one point, and there’s so much drama and intrigue,” Dingfelder told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

“And you’re hearing from all three genera tions of the newspaper, too,” she added.

What’s more is that her team also got hold of never before seen footage featuring remarks from Victoriano Manteiga founder and edi tor of La Gaceta, who sailed to Tampa from Cuba in 1913. “Patrick has not seen this foot age yet,” Dingfelder said, alluding to Patrick Manteiga, the third generation publisher of the paper. Naturally, Dingfeler’s film—”La Gaceta The Documentary: 100 years and 3 Generations Behind America’s Only Trilingual Newspaper”—uses three languages, too.

The movie screens in the most appropri ate of places, Ybor City’s Cuban Club. Tickets are available on Eventbrite or at La Gaceta offices located at 3210 E 7th Ave. in Ybor City.

Special Screening: La Gaceta: The Documentary 3 languages & 3 Generations. Friday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. $35. The Cuban Club 2010 N Avenida Republica de Cuba, Ybor City. 813-248-3921

KEEP IT 100: Victoriano Manteiga founder and editor of La Gaceta, who sailed to Tampa from Cuba in 1913.

C/O LYNN DINGFELDER

“You’re hearing from all three generations of the newspaper.”

A new film celebrates a century of La Gaceta.

Bright lights

Photos by Shane Drummond and Jason Lowrie/BFA.com

Last Friday, Ian Schrager told reporters that Tampa was ready for its moment and described the metro as a “boom town.” Over the weekend, the latest installment of Schrager’s Edition hotels (stylized “EDITION”) arrived with a sonic boom of its own. It all kicked off with a private Lenny Kravitz concert at Amalie Arena before party people—including local politi cians, restaurateurs, plus what felt like hundreds of models, actors, and designers—poured into the Edition for an afterparty featuring a B2B DJ set featuring A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip and Boogie Down Productions’ D-Nice. The party continued on Saturday with another private set from Mark Ronson and Slick Rick. Here are just some of the people who showed up. See more photos via cltampa.com/slideshows and read more about Tampa Edition’s open ing night on p. 31.—Ray Roa

Voting day

Tuesday, Nov. 8. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. vote.org

POLITICS ISSUES

Oh, baby

By Colin Wolf

They say there’s “no such thing as a perfect candidate,” and Floridians know this bet ter than anyone. In fact, as a registered Democrat who voted for Joe Biden partially because the other guy was endorsed by the Klan, I often find myself screaming this statement from the bottom of a pool on a near weekly basis.

Which brings us to Charlie Crist, who is a lot of things. For one, he’s the tannest man in Pinellas County and a genuinely nice guy. He’s also a former Republican, and has a spotty record on things like gay marriage and abortion rights. And while his stances on those topics have since evolved (he was endorsed by pro-choice and LGBTQ leaders), he’s still not “a perfect candi date,” or even a good candidate, in my opinion. But he’s all we got. And as the GOP pushes for more “state’s rights,” while they simultaneously strip away individual freedoms for anyone who isn’t a cis white Christian Nationalist male in a lifted truck, Crist is the only hope we have at the moment.

I could go on and on about all the reasons to vote for Crist, but just about every daily news paper in Florida has already done this. So I’d rather focus on the big baby boy currently in charge, and his big fat wet diaper which we’re all being forced to change.

For the last four years, Ron DeSantis has been busy pushing through truly pointless culture war legislation that only serves Fox News chyrons and his billionaire donors, while local leaders across Florida have been forced to be the adults in the room and keep the state semi-operational.

It’s honestly weird as shit that the MAGA faithful conveniently forget that DeSantis did in fact “shutdown” the entire state and “close schools” during the pandemic. I seem to remem ber very clearly that Ronald only flip-flopped on these issues after he realized the dumbest corners of his base had a death wish and really, really wanted to go to the beach.

DeSantis was also privately, and “secretly” vaccinated before he realized dunking on Anthony Fauci made for good TV. So he ush ered in a new surgeon general who, besides discrediting real doctors, believes in “demon sperm’ and pushing for fake, unproven COVID19 treatments.

CHARLIECRIST/TWITTER

And what did it cost us? 82,000 dead Florida residents. That number would’ve been worse if it wasn’t for the mayors in Florida’s heavily populated areas—you know “Democrat-run cit ies”—who he thwarted and scorned at every turn.

But the pandemic was just the beginning of Ron’s propensity for showing his whole ass. Like a true cartoon villain, DeSantis has been busy building a reputation on the backs of the most vulnerable, spending taxpayer dollars to use legal migrants as political foam fingers, and turning transgender and non-binary residents into proverbial boogie people that are somehow gonna turn our public schools into learn-to-be gay academies.

Sorry, but no matter what your political beliefs are, this is the behavior of a common asshole, not anyone who should be taken seri ously, and certainly not a governor.

Unfortunately, DeSantis’ base likes him this way. The bigger the dick, the better for these folks. So, if there’s one thing to bring up to your DeSantisloving uncle, who could care less about “the gays “or “the Mexicans” and will probably never read this column, point him to our current affordable housing crisis and property insurance nightmare.

While DeSantis has been busy playing footsy with actual neo-Nazis, Florida’s insurance pro viders are fleeing the state faster than New

But this is what happens when developers and out-of-state vultures flood your re-elec tion PAC with cash, and now we’re literally at the point where NO ONE CAN LIVE HERE ANYMORE.

Yorkers under Cuomo. I, for one, love owning the libs by getting dropped from my insurance carrier because it was “declared insolvent.”

On top of this, Florida is literally “the least affordable state in the country.” At the same time, we also have the most vacant homes and the third largest homeless population. In other words, Florida is becoming its worst nightmare, Sean Hannity’s version of California.

The sheer lack of action by our governor on these issues is a clear policy choice, and it’s a hard sell to blame “Dark Brandon” and the Dems for your state becoming an unlivable slab of sinking pavement when only one political party has ruled Florida for the last 20 years.

But again, there’s no such thing as a “perfect candidate,” and this November it’s between an imperfect former Republican, and a large pink toddler who would rather throw tantrums about how everything’s too woke, than actually pass meaningful legislation.

That’s certainly something to scream about from the bottom of a pool.

In the race for Florida governor, it’s either Crist or the big adult baby boy currently in charge.

MR. SUN: The tannest man in Pinellas is also the only hope we have at the moment.

Make it count

CL’s ballot endorsements in the 2022 election.

By Ray Roa

If you believe the polls, then you’re probably expecting Charlie Crist to lose to big baby Ron DeSantis. We hope those polls are wrong (read p. 11 for more), but the danger in giving credence to polls is that you get sucked into politics as a horse race. Elections aren’t sports, and their results have real life consequences for our friends and neighbors.

How many more of your friends are you will ing to see used as political pawns in a culture war? Are you sick of thinking about ex-felons getting arrested because someone told them they could vote? Then the statewide races at the top of the November ticket probably mean a lot to you.

Those Supreme Court justices? Definitely vote on that.

The races down ballot should matter to you, too. They’ll decide your county commissioners and local judges—people who make decisions on your behalf and for the people who enter the courtroom. Other decisions about county and municipal amendments and referendums have a direct effect on how your city and county is governed, what the roads might look like, and whether or not a big ass rec center could land near that nature preserve.

The best part is that if you’re registered, voting is really easy.

Early voting sites are now open in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Hernando, Manatee, Sarasota and Citrus counties (check your local elections supervisors for locations).

If you haven’t done anything besides register yet, the last day to request a mail-in ballot is Saturday, Oct. 29. You can do that by mail, in person or by phone via your local election office.

If you have your mail-in ballot, fill the damn thing out and get it in the mail! Mail-in ballots must be received by your Supervisor of Elections office no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8—regardless of postmark. The United States Postal Service recommends that domestic non military voters mail back their voted ballots at least one (1) week before the Election Day deadline to account for any unforeseen events or weather issues.

You may also return your completed mailin ballot secure ballot intake stations required to be at Supervisors of Elections’ offices and at each branch office. Some early voting sites have secure ballot intake stations.

Over time, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has learned that many readers look to the paper to help them make selections on their ballots. While our bias has always been clear, some folks just need us to lay it all out there, so here it is: a cheat sheet to the ballot, conveniently sized and printed so you can bring it with you to your

polling place or dining room table and get the damn thing done.

Some of the endorsements below are so pain fully easy that we’ve kept our reasoning short in an effort to dedicate the limited space we have in the print issue for the more complicated votes.

U.S. Senate: Val Demings

Rubio doesn’t even want the job, and kowtowed over and over again to former President Trump after saying a bunch of disparaging stuff about him in the Republican primary eons ago. Our friends at La Gaceta say that Demings has big ger cajones than Marco. We agree, and even though she’s the same former police chief who sicced the cops on the headquarters of our sib ling paper Orlando Weekly, we’re holding our nose and voting for Val.

opponent is Trump-obsessed, “pro-lif extrem ist” and election denier Anna Paulina Luna. Enough said.

My last email from Kathy Castor opponent James Judge says “MEDIA: Where are you? Seriously, WTF?” Where we at? Tuning the fuck out after you gave away AR-15s, James. Castor was already a known commodity with a proven track record, but Judge makes this a walk in the park.

Governor: Charlie Crist

Attorney General: Aramis Ayala

ELECTIONS

Voting Day

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. vote.org

In a recent debate, Republican Republican Laurel Lee cried “nonsense” when faced with accusations that she’s invested in Chineseowned companies. But Florida Politics reports that Lee’s financial disclosure shows she and her husband, former Florida Senate President Tom Lee, own between $100,001-$250,000 worth of Alibaba stock. She’s a multi-millionaire running against a more-or-less middle class former TV journalist who opposes offshore drilling near Florida and supports expanding background

If you’ve seen the way Attorney General Ashley Moody has selected safe targets (opioid profi teers) while siding with the governor on issues when she should have bro ken away, then you know this was an easy pick. The only knock on Ayala is that she can be too blunt, and we’ll take that all day in a state capital dominated by big baby DeSantis. In a world of lies, we need someone ready to stand for truth. No doubt Ayala is best suited for the task.

Chief Financial Officer: Adam Hattersley

One of the CFO’s tasks is to keep an eye on the insurance industry. By all accounts, the incum bent Jimmy Patronis Jr. has failed. Hattersley wants to move away from DeSantis’ culture wars and get to work on the gargantuan task a CFO is asked to take on. He’s also ready to stand in between for environment against irresponsible development.

Commissioner of Agriculture: Naomi Esther Blemur

CL breaks with other local pubs here in select ing the person to fill the seat vacated by Nikki Fried when she decided to run for governor. As senate president, Wilton Simpson more or less sat back as Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a cul ture war instead of focusing on issues like the insurance crisis. A cabinet is supposed to speak truth to the guy in charge, and Simpson can’t be trusted to do that any longer.

Retention of Justices of the Supreme Court

When Ron DeSantis is the one picking Supreme Court Justices, you’ve got to turn things around. Voting four judges out of office obviously opens up the possibility of Ronald appointing another set of lunatics, but vot ers need to flex their power. As the Orlando Sentinel points out, “Florida’s highest court has become breathtakingly activist, repeal ing precedents wholesale to make criminal laws harsher, the death penalty more likely, and civil courts more hostile to people with damage claims against Big Tobacco and other corporate defendants.” It’s time for a change, and only Jorge Labarga—a Lawton Chiles appointee who actually tried to make sure the death penalty is only reserved the absolute worst murders—remotely deserves to stay.

U.S. Representative

Eric Lynn, a Democrat, is running for the seat Crist vacated (and endorsed by Crist himself).

While he’s a moderate, the St. Petersburg High School grad is favored by the Independent Party of Florida, which makes sense since his

checks for gun purchases. We know who we trust more.

District 13: Eric Lynn District 14: Kathy Castor District 15 : Alan Cohn District 15 : Jan Schneider District 17 : Andrea Doria Kale

Charles T. Canady: No John D. Couriel: No

Jamie Grosshans: No Jorge Labarga: Yes Ricky Polston: No

DAVE DECKER

SAY IT LOUD: Your vote is your voice this November, use it to vote for Michelle Rayner.

State Attorney District 6: Allison Miller

State Senate

Janet Cruz, mother to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s partner Ana Cruz, has a chokehold on her seat, and for good reason. Raised in West Tampa, Cruz is a reliable, albeit center-left, Democrat with a miles-long track record who’s running against a former Green Beret combat medic relying on the fact that he’s a Republican to try and unseat a vaunted incumbent. Good luck.

Like Cruz, Rouson’s 2019 vote to pass Florida toll road expansion is a major sore spot. Rouson has the added stain of taking money from Duke Energy and Amscot in the past, but his support for expanding affordable housing , increased funding for mental health and addiction counseling services, assault rifle bans and the protection Florida springs still makes him a no-brainer against Republican challenger Christina B. Paylan who Florida Politics reports is a convicted felon once charged with fraudulent use of personal information and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.

District 11: Brian Patrick Moore

District 12 : Veysel Dokur

District 14 : Janet Cruz

District 16 : Darryl Rouson

District 18 : Eunic Ortiz

District 21 : Amaro Lionheart

District 23 : Mike Harvey

State House

campaign stances that talk about substantial, constructive projects he would work on as state representative—instead, he’s playing off people’s fears. Meanwhile, Rep. Andrew Learned has led in a bipartisan way on issues helping smallbusiness reopen after COVID, more choices for parents, a raise for teachers, and a local economy that works for everyone.

District 53: Keith Laufenberg

District 54: Brian Staver

District 55: Charles “C.J.” Hacker Jr.

ELECTIONS

District 58: Bernard Fensterwald District 59: Dawn Douglas District 60: Lindsay Cross District 61: Janet Varnell Warwick District 62: Michele Rayner

District 64: Susan Valdes District 65: Jen McDonald District 66: David Tillery

District 67: Fentrice Driskell District 68: Lorissa Wright District 69: Andrew Learned District 70: Eleuterio “Junior” Salazar Jr. District 72: Roberty Guy Dameus District 73: Derek Reich

Florida state amendments

incumbent this time around (she lost to him in 2018 by nearly 5 percentage points). Hagan claims to support term limits, but has skirted them for two decades by bouncing between dis tricts. Birdsong is better on mass transit and brings fresh ideas to the chair.

District 1: Harry Cohen District 2: Angela Birdsong District 5: Mariella Smith District 7: Kimberly Overman

Hillsborough County Judge Group 14: Melissa Black

Retention of Hillsborough District Court of Appeals Judges

Judge John Stargel sided with now infamous Judge Jared Smith in an appeal over Smith’s decision to deny a teenager an abortion, in part, because of grades. For that alone, he should go bye-bye, along with Suzanne Labrit, Matt Lucas and Caig C. Villanti.

Patricia Joan Kelly: Yes Nelly N. Khouzam: Yes Suzanne Y. Labrit: No Matt Lucas: No Robert Morris: Yes

schools from kindergarten all through high school, then earned her Master’s at FAMU, and PhD at UNC, on the way to becoming a college professor is the best candidate for school board. That’s Keesa Benson, and she’s the most elect able, hands down, especially when running against DeSantis stan Dawn Peters.

District 3: Keesha Benson District 6: Brian M. Martin

Pinellas County amendments and referendums

Largo residents decide if the city should sell nearly 88 acres of a former landfill to a private developer. That developer is Lester “Les” Porter of Porter Development, who wants to turn Largo’s former landfill into a sprawling sports complex, water park, and tourist destination. Referendum 2 will give residents the decision since Largo’s city charter requires voter approval for any sale over a half-acre. The property in question sits right against Largo Central Park’s 31-acre Nature Preserve along the Long Bayou waterway. Nearby residents are concerned about its possible impacts on the preserve wildlife, including alligators, otters, protected gopher tortoises, and myriad bird species. Porter’s project is dubbed, ironi cally, “the Preserve.” Named exactly for the one thing Porter’s project won’t do.

Not taking away anything from the accomplished career of Michelle Rayner, the first openly queer Black member of the Florida Legislature, but her opponent was literally arrested for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. He’s running his campaign from a jail cell, guys.

Hydroxychloroquine should probably not be an option for treating COVID-19, but don’t tell that to Suan Valdes’ opponent Maura Cruz Lanz, who’s a fearless freedom fighter that backs former President Trump.

Jen McDonald’s opponent Karen-Gonzalez Pittman is a well-known third-generation Tampeña, but it’s also common knowledge that she’ll likely fall in line with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda. Ronald’s about one step away from Trumpism—and Pittman says she would have gone for Florida’s 15-week abortion ban—so we’re going with McDonald who has experience in the insurance industry, which needs a lot of help in Florida.

In a campaign video, Danny Alvarez claims he will defend “individual liberties” and “our children in the classrooms” alluding to DeSantis’ current culture wars over Critical Race Theory, along with the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The video says he will protect Florida against “disastrous policies” from Washington. None of these are

A “Yes” vote on amendment No. 1 about the Limitation on the Assessment of Real Property Used for Residential Purposes is risky for taxpayers since Florida’s home insurance situation is in shambles, but how many people making improve ments to their seawalls have insurance that’s going insolvent? Hopefully not many. The language of amendment No. 1 is too vague to go forward, so we say “no,” along with "no" to the undemocratic amendment about making it harder to bring constitutional amendments to the ballot (No. 2) and “no” to another illdesigned homestead amendment that’s supposed to incentivize housing for criti cal workers, but actually creates more inequity in a state on the way to being one of he worse places to buy a home. No. 1—Limitation on the Assessment of Real Property Used for Residential Purposes: Yes No. 2—Abolishing the Constitution Revision Commission: No No. 3—Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public Services Workforce: No

Hillsborough County Commission

Three of the races here are no-brainers, but for some reason, voters are a bit confused about District 2. Perhaps it’s the name recognition of Commissioner Ken Hagan—or maybe it’s the more than $416K he’s raised to his opponent’s $68K—but hopefully Angela Birdsong beats the

Travis Northcutt: Yes John K. Stargel: No Craig. C. Villanti: No

Hillsborough County referendum on transportation sales tax: Yes

Pinellas County Commission District 2: Patricia “Pat” Gerard

Pinellas County Judge Group 1: Delia Cope

Pinellas School Board Sometimes the candidate who attended Pinellas

Largo referendum 2—Selling city property for a potential recreational center: No

Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue referendum 1—Approve a fire dis trict tax: Yes

St. Petersburg referendum 1— Expansion of Dali Museum: Yes St. Petersburg referendum 2— Authority to grant economic development tax exemption: No St. Petersburg amendment 1— Change election schedule: No St. Petersburg amendment 2— Change residency requirement for redistricting: Yes

Clearwater amendment 1—Bluff development project: Yes

Indian Shores amendment 1— Qualifications for office: Yes Indian Shores amendment 3—Vice mayor rotation: No

Indian Shores amendment 4—Holding other offices: Yes

Indian Shores amendment 5—Charter offices: Yes

Madeira Beach amendment 1— Qualification and term of office: Yes

Madeira Beach amendment 2—Induction of newly elected member of board of commissioners: Yes

Treasure Island amendment 2—Signature requirement: Yes

CL staffer Justin Garcia and contributor Arielle Stevenson contributed to this election guide.

No, thanks

Vote No on Charter Amendment 1.

By Benjamin Kirby and Kevin King

Not unlike most Floridians, St. Pete vot ers have a busy ballot this election season.

There’s a U.S. Senate race to consider, a congressional race, and a slate of statewide races, including the race for governor. There are heated contests for state attorney, state senate, and the state house, and a race that will have significant implications for our Pinellas County Board of Commissioners. And that’s just the first page of the ballot. There is a page of judges, another page for three state constitutional amendments, and, finally, a page with two City of St. Petersburg Charter questions and two City referendum questions.

to compete with a senate or gubernatorial race on the ballot. And a question for progressives: Does Rick Kriseman still edge out Rick Baker while a popular Republican governor is running for re-election?

LETTERS

We are Democrats who have worked in Democratic politics most of our adult lives. But when we worked for the City of St. Petersburg, we were proud of the nonpartisan nature of our job. Our eight years weren’t without politics, but we rel ished the focus on people and policy. Aligning with partisan statewide and national races will, without a doubt, further politicize our local elections.

When you get to page four of your bal lot, if you don’t want it to be even longer next time, vote no on City of St. Petersburg Charter Amendment 1.

This is a question about rescheduling city elections, aligning St. Pete’s municipal races with even-year presidential and gubernatorial races (like this year). Such a switch would make St. Pete the outlier among Florida’s largest cities. No other big city in Florida does this. There is a frequent chant in the Sunshine City that we don’t want to be Miami or Orlando. In this instance, we think we do.

Aside from length ening an already long ballot, passage of this Amendment would also make municipal elec tions less visible.

We’ve had the priv ilege of working at all levels of government and politics. Policy and poli tics at the national and state level can be fun to watch and talk about, but it is local govern ment that has the biggest impact on our everyday life. It’s the government that can least afford to be overshadowed or be made an afterthought.

Should this pass, it will also make our municipal elections more expensive, making communicating about hyperlocal issues more difficult. When former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, for whom we both served for two terms, ran for re-election in 2017, it broke records for the amount of money spent on a race for mayor in St. Petersburg. Such a campaign would be considerably more expensive if forced

Some have argued that this change will increase voter turnout. While we agree that we ought to increase turnout in our elections across the board, this isn’t the way to do it. And in fact, a long ballot may result in voter fatigue and dropoff, decreasing turnout for the municipal elec tions. There is data to support this. As has been cited previously, about 550,000 Pinellas County residents voted in the 2020 election. About 30,000 less people voted down the ballot for the first constitu tional question.

We are not aware of any organized effort to pass or defeat this particular measure. We are not even aware of any individual voices being raised for or against this. But as veterans of national, state, and local gov ernment and politics, we’ve seen enough to know this isn’t the best idea. And as dads of young children, we care about the direc tion of our city. The sun is shining bright on St. Pete. Let’s keep it that way and stop trying to fix what’s not broken.

Please join us in voting no on City of St. Petersburg Charter Amendment 1.

Benjamin J. Kirby is a communications pro fessional who previously worked in the Clinton Administration, for St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman from 2014-22, and Nikki Fried for Governor. Kevin King works in the private sector and previously worked for the Florida Democratic Party, the Florida House of Representatives, and for Mayor Rick Kriseman from 2014-22.

NAH: If

ballot

even

time, vote no on City of St. Petersburg Charter Amendment 1.

Road warriors

Hillsborough residents can still vote on transportation tax.

By Justin Garcia

The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners says that despite a county court’s ruling earlier this month, residents are able to vote on a transportation tax that is on the ballot leading up to Voting Day on Nov. 8. The county has appealed the court’s ruling against the ballot language, which means that for now, voters are still allowed to vote on the tax until the appeal is addressed by the Second District Court of Appeal.

The county is asking voters if they approve a 1% sales tax over the next 30 years to help fund transit and road improvements, which leaders say are much needed in the county. But a lawsuit has aimed to stop the vote in its tracks.

(Editor’s note: Creative Loafing Tampa Bay recommends a “yes” vote on Hillsborough’s trans portation surtax referendum. See more ballot endorsements on p. 12.)

In August, the lawsuit against the county was filed by Karen Jaroch, the Gulf States Regional Director of Heritage Action for America, a conservative activist group. In her injunction lawsuit, Jaroch honed in on the language of the ballot presented by the county. Earlier this month, Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe sided with Jaroch, saying that the ballot language misleads the public.

But last week, the commission announced a stay on the court’s ruling in light of Hillsborough County’s appeal, adding that voters will be allowed to vote on the referendum leading up to and on Nov. 8.

“It’s critical that the voters know they can still vote on this important issue,” County Commissioner Kimberly Overman told CL, “Without this tax, potholes and roads will go unfixed, our bus service will be affected and the residents will be the ones to have to deal with it all.”

Overman said that a “small group of people” including Jaroch don’t want the citizens to be able to vote on the tax, but that the effects will be felt

across the county if there’s not enough funding for roads and transportation. She said that the county started the process of appealing Judge Gaylord Moe’s ruling the day after it happened on Oct. 11.

In her lawsuit, Jaroch wrote that, “the County’s ballot title and ballot summary are facially defective.” Jaroch claimed that the bal lot improperly induces voters to cast ballots in favor of the surtax by promising residents of select areas of Hillsborough County that they will receive specific transportation improvements. She said that this is misleading, because those are “promises the county cannot expect to keep.”

Jaroch also claims that the ballot fails to provide voters with a specific, narrow question to vote on, which she alleges could violate state law.

The actual language of the 2022 ballot crafted by the county says: “Should transpor tation improvements be funded throughout Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood, and Town ‘n’ Country, including projects that: Build and widen roads, Fix roads and bridges, Expand public transit options, Fix potholes, Enhance bus services, Improve intersections, Make walking and bik ing safer, By levying a one percent sales surtax for 30 years and funds deposited in an audited trust fund with citizen oversight.”

County commissioners and the pro-transit group All For Transportation (AFT) disagree with Jaroch’s viewpoint on the ballot language.

“This is a frivolous ploy to deny voters the chance to fix Hillsborough County’s transporta tion crisis,” Tyler Hudson, co-chair of AFT told CL in August. “A small group of obstructions have already delayed by 4 years much needed road, safety and transit projects which has had catastrophic consequences for the community. Lawsuits don’t fill potholes, and voters deserve the opportunity to decide their transportation future at the ballot box.”

System check

Andrew Warren, Sen. Jeff Brandes and others to speak at Tampa Criminal Justice Summit.

By Justin Garcia

This weekend, Tampa Bay’s first ever Criminal Justice Summit will bring leaders from around the state to discuss how to address key issues in Florida’s justice system. The event, hosted by Horizon Communities in Prison and Florida Prison Allied Partners (FPAP), includes a diverse group of community leaders, lawyers, returning citizens and their families, along with elected officials from across the state. Senator Jeff Brandes is set to attend, along with suspended Hillsborough state attorney Andrew Warren, and State Representatives Susan Valdes and Dianne Hart.

The summit is on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Tampa Preparatory School, 727 W. Cass St. Tickets can be purchased via hori zoncommunities.org.

Suspended State Attorney Warren—who is currently locked in a legal battle with Governor Ron DeSantis over his removal from office—will be speaking during the school-to-prison pipeline panel of the summit. “Public safety demands that we put at-risk kids on a path towards becoming law-abiding, productive adults,” Warren told CL in a written statement. “We’ve had a lot of success in Hillsborough with our approach to juvenile crime by balancing punishment, accountability and prevention, and I look for ward to a productive summit about how we keep moving forward.”

Senator Brandes will be participating in a discussion addressing the state of Florida’s criminal justice system in general, along with what options there are for reform. “I look forward to talking about diversion, about the education system within prisons, mandatory minimum sentences and what we’re going to do about reentry into society,” Brandes said to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

These conversations at the summit will be vital for the community, Brandes said, to inform the public on how they can advocate to the State of Florida for reform. “So many of these topics are things that the legislature has no real core competency in, and they have to have grassroots discussions in order to help facilitate new ideas,” Brandes added.

Brandes has been an advocate for prison reform for years, but has also drew criticism for saying returning citizens shouldn’t start at a $15 and hour minimum wage, and suggested instead a training wage geared toward people with criminal records. He’s argued that it would be difficult for returning citizens to get jobs when competing against the general public.

Florida is in the midst of a crisis within its prisons, as National Guard troops have been called to fill-in as prison guards. At the same

DAVE DECKER

time, the state’s decrepit parole system has been scrutinized for making it hard for the incarcer ated to attain freedom.

The emergency in Florida’s prison system makes it the perfect time for the community to discuss important issues at the summit, says Vanessa Grullon of FPAP, a grassroots organiza tion for prison reform that helped put together the event. “What makes this event special is that we’re bringing advocates from all over the state, and not only that, we’re bringing people from all walks of life to the table,” Grullon told CL.

He’s a returning citizen, and he took the initia tive to start organizing the event. “I just felt that there was a need to do something like this in the area,” Scott said. “So I reached out to a bunch of my friends that are in the industry and asked them if they were available.”

LOCAL NEWS

Criminal Justice Summit Saturday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. $20 & up (job fair/expo area is free). Tampa Preparatory School, 727 W. Cass St., Tampa. horizoncommunities.org

Grullon, whose husband was formerly incarcerated, said that this summit will give everybody a voice, including returning citi zens who have been directly affected by Florida’s carceral system. She pointed out conditions that people inside prisons face, including no air condi tioning or heat, mold and other unsafe conditions.

Donn Scott of FPAP formerly worked for the Southern Poverty Law Center and has spent years organizing for justice in the prison system.

What started as reaching out to contacts has now drawn the attendance of several jus tice groups, elected officials and people in the educa tion sector, including Kevin Plummer, Head of Schools at Tampa Prep. He will also be speaking during the schoolto-prison pipeline panel.

“To be honest with you, it’s a little bit personal,” Plummer said. “I can see inside of my own family and inside of my own neighborhood that I grew up in, the differences that education, mentorship and engagement made for some, but didn’t for others. Some of it was in my own family, who got into the life of crime and served time.”

Plummer said that law enforcement needs to avoid treating children like criminals, and

that educators have to make their best efforts to prepare kids to have choices, opportunities and to make positive choices.

Barbara Richards from the Sarasota-based nonprofit Project 180 will speak about formerly incarcerated people’s reentry into society. She told CL that she looks forward to, “discussing progressive initiatives that are available for indi viduals who are returning to our communities.”

Paralegal Keith Harris will talk about the process of appealing sentences in detail dur ing the forum. Harris said that when people are involved in the criminal justice system, it’s important for them to obtain a basic underlying knowledge of what rights they have.

“Our books are full of people who have spent years in prison, just to get their basic appeal rights back only because of a simple miscom munication or mistake,” he said.

The summit’s topics will include: Reentry, School to prison pipeline, The invisible victim: families of the incarcerated, How to advocate for criminal justice reform, Sentencing reform: Is parole coming to Florida, Conditions inside: Is your A/C running, Appeal process: What are your options once you get incarcerated.

WARREN’S PIECE: Suspended State Attorney Warren will be speaking during the school-to-prison pipeline panel.

One little thing

Tampa considers relaxing ADU rules, but hundreds say they would use them for Airbnbs.

By Justin Garcia

Tampa is considering easing rules for the use of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and hundreds of homeowners surveyed said they want to use the easing of regulations to cre ate Airbnb rentals. ADUs are usually smaller than one-bed room apartments, and often come in the form of mother-in-law suites, tiny homes and garage apartments. The size of the units makes them potentially easier to afford, while still providing all of the important aspects of an apartment.

exceed the benefits to travelers and property owners,” EPI found.

HOUSING

In 2020, Forbes Magazine wrote that the expansion of the Airbnb industry raises prices and pushes people out of their com munities. “The ‘Airbnb effect’ is to some extent remarkably sim ilar to gentrification in that it slowly increases the value of an area to the detriment of the Indigenous residents, many of whom are pushed out due to financial constraints,” Forbes wrote.

housing, and many cities are seeking ways to increase the availability of ADUs as part of a broader housing strategy,” Benson said. “The results of this year’s survey indicated strong interest in ADUs among those who responded.”

Benson added that at Thursday’s workshop the city will discuss ADUs as a housing option, and how they would work for each community in Tampa. “While ‘mother-in-law suites’ or ‘granny flats’ may not be right for every neighborhood, it’s critical to get input from stakeholders across

are one potential solution—but that the situa tion with Airbnbs is complicated. “We can’t do anything to regulate Airbnbs, we’re not allowed to regulate them because of state law, but we can watch them for code enforcement issues,” Hurtak said.

Hurtak added that if market saturation of Airbnbs continues, owners will need to switch back to using traditional rental leases. “Once it’s built, if they try to put in an Airbnb and it doesn’t work, then what are you going to do? You’re going to rent it out,”Hurtak said.

Last spring, a City of Tampa sur vey about ADUs received around 1,000 responses; 301 respondents said if they could have an ADU on their prop erty, they’d potentially use it as an Airbnb. Hundreds of respondents also answered that they’d use the proper ties for “landlord income” or as a place for relatives or visitors to stay. Several respondents selected multiple options, including using it as a place to stay for a family member, or also using it as an Airbnb at other times. A separate ques tion about which use of ADUs are most important received 400 responses. Just 1% of respondents said that affordable housing mattered most.

Tampa’s code currently allows ADUs for public use to be constructed in Seminole Heights and the area around Lowry Park. Everywhere else in the city, ADUs may only be created for a family member and the main resi dence must be owner-occupied. Other regulations can apply depending on where a resident lives. The full list of proposed changes to ADU—which include loosening zoning and permit rules—can be found on the city’s ADU website.

A workshop with the city is sched uled for Oct. 27 at 9 a.m. at city hall, where council, city staff and the public will discuss options for ADUs.

Tampa is in the midst of a rental crisis, and the takeover of Airbnbs, in place of traditional rental leases, has helped exacerbate the crisis, experts say. The Economic Policy Institute discovered in a 2019 study that the influx of Airbnbs hurt local renters and economies more than they helped. “While the introduction and expansion of Airbnb into U.S. cities and cities around the world carries large potential economic benefits and costs, the costs to renters and local jurisdictions likely

Stephen Benson, Tampa’s City Planning Director, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay via an email statement that ADUs are part of a strategy to find new housing options. “The city is exploring every option to increase affordable

the city as we assess proposed changes to the zoning code,” Benson said.

City councilwoman Lynn Hurtak told CL that the city should make it easier to build hous ing that people can have access to—and ADUs

Councilman Guido Maniscalco said that ideally, he’d like to see the city move forward with something that addresses the affordable hous ing issue.

“If you have somebody that has a mother-in-law suite, and they can rent it out for let’s say, $600 or $800 a month, not only does it help with the homeowner paying their mortgage or maintenance or taxes, but they’re creating an affordable situation for somebody that is unable to get an apartment because they don’t exist at that price,” Maniscalco told CL.

The easing of restrictions for ADUs is a great idea, said Councilman Luis Viera. But like with all such ideas, there must be a discussion about the potential problems. “I think that’s got to be what the workshop is about,” Viera said. “You sit down, you ask questions, and then you come up with the best possible solution. People need housing choices, and we have to make sure that that’s what this is for, long term housing choices for people.”

In the anonymous responses sec tion of the survey sent out to Tampa residents, several respondents voiced concerns about how the ADUs will be used in their neighborhoods.

“No AirBnbs. Concerned about traffic and parking. May not solve affordable housing in free market,” one respondent wrote.

“Truly dislike the idea of ADUs as AirBnB or short term rental,” another wrote. “I don’t want an unregulated hotel in my neighborhood.”

“I am not in favor of Airbnb or short term rental ADUs/properties in residen tial areas,” another respondent wrote. “I used to have one next-door to me and there were dif ferent people coming in every day, loud parties, people blocking my driveway etc.”

You get what you give

Maybe we deserve this.

By Jeffrey C. Billman

On Oct. 13, a 15-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed five people, including his brother and an off-duty cop, in a neighborhood east of Raleigh. The suspect suffered a single gunshot wound—it’s not clear whether it was self-inflicted or whether he was shot by police—and is in “grave” condition. If and when he leaves the hospital, he’ll be charged as an adult, which in North Carolina means he’ll face up to 40 years behind bars.

Raleigh’s mayor, like so many mayors before her, went before the cameras to offer her condo lences and urge that this time should be different, knowing that it won’t be, knowing that while we might be momentarily horrified by the violence, we’ve become so inured to senseless killing that this senseless killing would be swept off the front pages just in time for the next one to arrive.

And yet.

This weekend, ABC News released a poll showing that voters preferred Republicans by double digits on crime and the economy.

To be clear, my eye-rolling here is not at voters who lack faith in Democrats, or even voters who don’t share Democrats’ policy goals. It’s at voters who have any faith whatsoever in the Republican Party to do, well, anything productive.

Such an expectation grossly misunder stands what the GOP is.

INFORMED

But calls for gun reform were met with the usual rejoinders about how inap propriate it is to talk politics at a time like this. So we won’t mention that North Carolina lets any hormonal teenager own a rifle or shotgun; there are no age limits. And we won’t talk about how the state’s Republican-led General Assembly has rejected bills to remove guns from dangerous individuals and fund ad campaigns imploring parents to practice gun safety around their kids.

We are awash in guns. And yet we cannot fathom that being uniquely awash in guns is somehow related to being uniquely awash in gun violence.

Meanwhile, last week, Republican-appointed federal judges blocked President Joe Biden’s student debt relief program from taking effect and effectively declared the entire Consumer Financial Protection Board unconstitutional, siding with Republican lawyers who believe pred atory lenders should be immune from regulation.

And Republican politi cians, on the precipice of reclaiming congressional majorities, have declared their intention to take hostage and potentially default on the country’s debt, which would invite economic catastrophe. As best I can tell, their proposed remedy for inflation appears to be some combination of starving the poor, deporting immigrants, and rooting for the Federal Reserve to overcorrect the economy into a recession—which seems almost certain to happen.

And, of course, tax cuts, the cure for every possible ailment.

It is a post-policy party, a party in which advancing ideas matters less than picking fights. And so every policy is a blast from the past: tax cuts and deregulation, appeals to the false nostalgia of segregated suburban safety, and revanchist sexual and gender norms. Every “idea” is inherently atavistic, an own-the-libs manifestation of whatever grievance Fox News is stoking: attacks on woke corporations or Marxist professors or transgender athletes or drag queens or immigrants or librarians or social media companies.

But I fear none of that will matter. American politics are reactive. If the economy is strug gling, if gas prices are up, if violence crime can be successfully demogogued by race-baiting propagandists, the party in power is punished.

It doesn’t matter that the Saudis cut oil production to damage an administration that tepidly called out human rights abuses. It doesn’t matter that inflation isn’t just an American story but rather a global aftershock of pent-up demand and supply-chain issues as well as gov ernmental intervention. It doesn’t matter that the Trump administration ran record-setting defi cits during an expansion while demanding that the Fed keep money cheap. It doesn’t matter that Biden has already added more jobs to the economy than the last three Republican administrations combined. It doesn’t matter that states that voted for Donald Trump are much more violent than states that voted for Biden.

And it doesn’t seem to matter that one of the two major parties is openly disdainful of democratic norms.

This is the aspect of American politics that I’ve found most infuriating—and depressing— over the last six years.

A major party has committed itself not just to doing nothing about guns or climate

change, but also to sabotaging the global econ omy, to gutting institutions designed to keep protect consumers, to attacking reproductive rights that women have relied on for genera tions, to undermining the very fundaments of American democracy, to abandoning any pretense of pursuing compromise or working toward the common good in favor of feverish extremism. If polls are right, voters are about to reward them for it.

By double digits, Americans say they trust Republicans on the economy, inflation, and crime. Again, not because Republicans have produced a plan to deal with these things; they

haven’t. Not because they’ll offer any fresh insights into these conversations; they won’t.

But because—like in 2010—swing voters seem dismally unable to connect present events to causal events that happened more than six months ago.

It’s been said that you get the government you deserve. Maybe a country that has accepted that it can do nothing to stop a deranged teen ager from slaughtering passers-by deserves to be governed by a nihilistic party that takes Marjorie Taylor Greene seriously and sees Ron DeSantis’ authoritarianism as freedom.

I hope we don’t find out.

FEELING GREEN: Maybe this country deserves to be governed by a nihilistic party that takes Marjorie Taylor Greene seriously.

“It is a post-policy party, a party in which advancing ideas matters less than picking fights.”

Shit Happened

FRIDAY 21

The Hillsborough County Fair announces plans to return to Dover from Nov. 3-13. You’re damn right there’s a demolition derby, too.

THURSDAY 20

The supposed future of Florida’s Republican and Democratic parties spoke to Tampa Tiger Bay, and when asked how they connect with young voters, the Young Tampa Bay Republicans president said, “We have ice cream, make them feel heard.” The response from the president of Hillsborough County Young Democrats? “We text them.” Sounds about right.

Ron DeSantis tells court he shouldn’t have to testify under oath over Andrew Warren's suspension. Guy loves a bully pulpit, but fizzles away when he comes under some heat.

SUNDAY 23

In response to stories about his Tampa penthouse going up for $5.4 million, former Bucs Tight End Rob Gronkowski posted on Instagram, saying, ““This unit is a dump…

A report says Tampa home prices jumped 74% since the start of the pandemic, but added that the market is starting to cool. And by cool, we mean you now only have to work two jobs to afford your mortgage.

The owner is trying to rip people off/he is not a good guy. Stop using my name to sell it.” Welcome to renting in Tampa, Gronk.

More shit, relieved that even Super Bowl winners hate their landlords, via cltampa.com/ news.

New Edition

By Ray Roa

Inside his Lilac restaurant last Friday after noon, Chef John Fraser explained that he’s been learning more about Tampeño flavor.

“I’ve gotten to know what I think the palette of Tampa is, and I think it’s shifting,” Fraser told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, adding that one of his local favorite bites is the cobia collar at Seminole Heights’ Rooster & the Till.

“There is depth of flavor and sort of a heft that’s expected in what would be considered a great meal here,” he said.

Fraser, who earned Michelin stars at his Dovetail and Nix concepts, said he cooks from a posi tion that sees him lean on flavors and textures that are very light, bright and clear. The menu at Lilac—nestled cozily into the western end of the lobby inside Tampa’s posh, new Tampa Edition hotel (stylized “EDITION”)—reflects that with its modern Mediterranean menu anchored in Fraser’s vegetable-forward philosophy.

meal, and I think Michelin would be happy for me to say that,” he said.

The point of view he’s trying to get across is a big part of that. “I want it to be unique and in context of everything else around it, but I also want it to be unique in and of itself,” he explained.

OPENINGS

But there wasn’t much time for Fraser to get too deep into that vision. Just beyond his immediate point of view, past a supposed mil lion-dollar marble pool table and immaculate bar, were news cameras lined up for their interviews with the chef. The lobby, flush with tropical plants, was growing increasingly full of guests from a curated list of locals, plus internation ally recognized designers, models, entrepreneurs and actors.

While Tampa received three Bib Gourmands in its Michelin debut, our restaurant scene was shut out when it came to stars. Much of the chatter around Lilac is about Fraser—who also helms Tampa Edition’s Azure, Market, Lobby Bar and Pool Bar concepts—changing that. The chef said he appreciates his relationship with the revered dining guide, and sees a star as an incredible award for his teams, but admits that his approach to the pressure of earning one has changed a bit over the last decade.

“The Michelin star, it doesn’t change the way we do things,” he said. “We decided that this restaurant, with this level of hospitality, this is where we’re going. We hope to be recognized by Michelin for that, but unfortunately I’m not in a position to kowtow for a star.”

Fraser instead thinks about the rest of every one else who’ll come to Lilac not as Michelin inspectors, but as fans of unforgettable food and hospitality. “If they say, ‘That was an incredible meal and I can’t wait to come back,’ that’s way more important than one person having a great

Many of those people would attend a private Lenny Kravitz concert at Amalie Arena that night and then pour back into the hotel for an opulent, but markedly unpretentious, afterparty that took over Tampa Edition’s lobby, pool and deep blue Punch Room where Giant Step CEO Maurice Bernstein was DJing.

Ten hours after his chat with CL, Fraser was bumping elbows with A Tribe Called Quest founder Q-Tip, who was DJing the hotel’s Arts Club alongside Boogie Down Productions’ D-Nice. The next night, producer Mark Ronson and rapper Slick Rick did the same thing.

Getting past layers of security and into that space—adorned with at least three dozen disco balls, and big enough for no more than 100 people—felt like trying to defeat the final boss in a video game. Still, combined with perfect weather and a seemingly endless supply of drink and fine food, the experience was nothing else Tampa had probably ever seen—and it ushered in the next phase of development at Jeff Vinik and Bill Gates’ Water Street development.

Early last Friday during a virtual press conference, Edition creative director and part ner Ian Schrager (who’s signaled that he may

soon focus on a new line of hotels) initially said that some perhaps thought that Tampa, on the surface, might not be a great city for Edition hotels to be in. He clarified that state ment in a Q&A, saying that he saw Tampa as a boom town. “It’s Tampa’s time now, I can sense it,” Schrager, who co-founded New York City’s Studio 54, added.

Someone asked about how he plans to make all of Tampa feel welcome at the hotel with 172 guest rooms and suites (plus residences includ ing the most expensive apartment ever sold locally). Schrager responded by saying, “I don’t see luxury as exclusionary. I see it accessible for everybody.”

With rooms starting in the mid-to-high hun dreds, that’s clearly not a literal statement, but the welcoming vibe of the hotel is undeni able. Aside from the security maintaining safe capacity levels inside various parts of the hotel during the afterparty, it was impossible to feel like an intruder.

“If somebody didn’t feel welcome there, it wouldn’t be successful,” Schrager told report ers. “If only the critics get it, it’s not successful. If the local people don’t embrace the hotel, it’s not successful.”

But those locals also live in a city where a minimum wage earner with a one-bedroom apartment has to work 86 hours to not be rentburdened. What’s more is that Tampa Edition has risen in an opportunity zone run by a company that still hasn’t explicitly detailed how it’s using tax breaks to help low-income communities.

Tampa Edition’s success should not be judged by how said company answers those questions— and it’s not necessarily the hotel’s job to solve the area’s housing crisis—but the arrival of the city’s first five-star hotel certainly marks a shift in the culture. In the long run, it could change the face of downtown Tampa forever.

At the very least, it signifies that we can, in fact, have really nice things.

The Tampa Edition 500 Channelside Dr., Tampa editionhotels.com

“I’ve gotten to know what I think the palette of Tampa is, and I think it’s shifting.”

LIZ CLAYMAN

Tampa’s only five-star hotel hosts one hell of a grand opening.

CHANGING TASTES: Chef John Fraser and Tampa Edition bring a new flavor to Tampa Bay.

La familia

By Kyla Fields

After six decades away, the family of the once-popular beer Ybor City brand La Tropical brings its classic brews into the 21st century—and back to Tampa Bay. After La Tropical’s private re-launch party last week, craft beer-lovers can expect to see La Tropical’s “La Original ”amber lager, “Nativo Key” Suave IPA and “Tropiflaca” lite lager distributed in cans and on draft at local restaurants, bars and supermarkets throughout Tampa Bay. “The rebirth of Cerveza La Tropical represents a dream come true, fulfilling a lifelong passion to resurrect the brand throughout Florida,” Manny Portuondo—CEO of Cerveceria La Tropical and great-great-grandson of Federico Kohly, who founded the original brewery in Cuba in the late 1800s—wrote in a press release. “More than a century after La Tropical was founded in both Cuba and Florida, I am proud and excited to be creating a new La Tropical that pays tribute to the storied heritage of both.”

Openings

FOOD

The Yard Milkshake Bar The Yard made its Tampa Bay debut with its Carrollwood storefront last year, but it’s finally The Burg’s turn to get a taste of its massive confections. St. Pete’s new est dessert spot—known for its larger-than-life milkshakes and Instagrammable sweet treats— celebrates its grand opening on Friday, Oct. 21 at 111 2nd Ave. NE Suite 103. October’s offer ings involve expected fall flavors like pumpkin as well as spooky decorations, but The Yard will offer rotating specials in addition to its permanent menu of cookies and cream, Key lime pie and salted caramel cheesecake shakes. One of this month’s spe ciality creations is the “Put a Spell on You” milkshake—complete with hazelnut ice cream, purple marshmallow drizzle, a Nutella-dipped jar rolled in pretzel “broomsticks” and topped with a brownie and pumpkin cookie dough scoop. The Yard’s speciality milkshakes—served in a

souvenir pint glass—typically range from $17$19, with its other smaller desserts costing less. 111 2nd Ave. NE Suite 103.,St. Petersburg. the yardmilkshakebar.com

Coming soon

Potbelly Potbelly is planning a large expansion in the Tampa Bay area. The fast-casual sandwich chain recently signed an agreement to bring a total of 14 new locations to the Tampa Bay area through the STA Management group within the next five years, according to a press release.

The chain, known for toasted sandwiches, shakes and salads already has two locations in Tampa, one on Dale Mabry Highway and another on Falkenburg Road. The company did not specify exact locations for their new Tampa Bay outposts.

The Chicago-based restaurant group has been quickly expanding, with its second Tampa location having opened in June of 2021. Potbelly says it plans to open 2,000 locations within the next 10 years, and at least 85% of which will be franchised. For the unfamiliar, Potbelly’s menu runs spans a meat-centric landscape of hot and cold sammies, including its avocado turkey sandwich featuring turkey, avocado, Swiss cheese and cucumbers, and their “meaty

SeaGlass Tavern Bringing fresh sea food to Citrus Park, SeaGlass Tavern’s unique dishes will likely keep you on your toes. Located at 11935 Sheldon Rd., in the former Maikel’s Kitchen space, a soft opening happens on Oct. 24 before Sea Glass Tavern officially opens on Nov. 7. From charcuterie to octopus, SeaGlass Tavern’s menu features a variety of shareable small bites like its Seafood Tower with “cit rus poach lobster tail, shrimp cocktail, Garlic white wine mussels and clams, homemade fish dip, seared ahi Tuna and seasonal oysters” and heartier dishes like a Tuna Peri Peri “featuring “Black beluga lentils, Yuzu truffle vinaigrette,” and “Garlic green beans.” The restaurant will present a private event space for parties to enjoy, as well as their main dining area. With blue glowing counters, textured walls and low hanging lanterns, this seafood spot boasts not only their dishes, but its ambiance, sharing renovation updates on their Facebook page. Reservations are already open for the holidays, as the tavern gears up for their grand open ing. 11935 Sheldon Rd., Tampa. seaglasstavern.

com—Min Craig

WELCOME HOME: La Tropical is back in Tampa Bay after six decades away.

fan favorite” A Wreck, including turkey breast, hickory smoked ham, Angus roast beef, salami and Swiss cheese. potbelly.com

Help CL with this evolvinglisting. Did we miss a brewery or leave out an important detail? Email rroa@cltampa.com. Include brewery name, address, phone number and website, plus a short description of the unique offerings.

3 CAR GARAGE 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton. 941-741-8877, 3cargaragebrew ing.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com

3 KEYS BREWING 2505 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. 951-218-0396, 3keysbrewing.com

5 BRANCHES BREWING 531 Athens St., Tarpon Springs. fivebranchesbrewing.com

7VENTH SUN BREWING 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013/6809 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-231-5900, 7venthsun.com

81BAY BREWING CO. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com

ANECDOTE BREWING CO. 321 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach. anecdotebrewing.com

ANGRY CHAIR 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com

ARKANE ALEWORKS 2480 E. Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com

AVID BREWING 1745 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-388-6756, avidbrew.com

BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. barriehaus.com

BASTET 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. bastetbrewing.com

BAY CANNON BEER CO. 2106 W Main St., Tampa. 813-442-5615, baycannon.com

BAYBORO BREWING CO. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-767-9666, bayborobrewing.com

BEACH ISLAND BREWERY 2058 Bayshore Blvd. Suite 5, Dunedin. 352-541-0616

BIG STORM BREWING CO. Multiple loca tions, bigstormbrewery.com

BIG TOP BREWING 6111 Porter Way, Sarasota. 941-371-2939, bigtopbrewing.com

BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. 652 Oakfield Dr., Brandon. 813-643-9463, bootleggers brewco.com

BREW HUB 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com

BREW LIFE BREWING 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com

BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 7272-940-2350

BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bull frogcreekbrewing.com

CAGE BREWING 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278

CALEDONIA BREWING 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com

CALUSA BREWING 5701 Derek Ave., Sarasota. 941-922-8150, calusabrewing.com

CARROLLWOOD BREWING CO. 10047 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 23, Tampa. 813-969-2337

CIGAR CITY BREWING 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com

CLEARWATER BREWING CO. 1700 N. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. clearwaterbrewing company.com

COMMERCE BREWING 521 Commerce Drive S, Largo. commercebrewing@gmail.com

COPP WINERY & BREWERY 7855 W Gulf Lake Highway, Crystal River. 352-228-8103, cop pbrewery.com

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com

CORPORATE LADDER BREWING COMPANY 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. 941-4794799, corporateladderbrewing.square.site

COTEE RIVER BREWING 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-807-6806, coteeriver brewing.com

CRAFT LIFE BREWING 4624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-575-8440. facebook. com/CraftLifeBrewing

CROOKED THUMB BREWERY 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-724-5953, crookedthumbbrew.com

CUENI BREWING CO. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com

CYCLE BREWING 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com

DADE CITY BREW HOUSE 14323 7th St., Dade City. 352-218-3122, dadecitybrewhouse.com

DARWIN BREWING CO. 803 17th Ave. W., Bradenton. 941-747-1970, darwinbrewingco.com

DE BINE BREWING CO. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964.

DENTED KEG ALE WORKS 5500 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-232-2582, dentedkegaleworks.com

DEVIANT LIBATION 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727-379-4677, deviantlibation.com

DISSENT CRAFT BREWING CO. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-3420255. facebook.com/ dissentcraftbrewing

DUNEDIN BREWERY 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com

DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com

EIGHT-FOOT BREWING 4417 SE 16th Place, Cape Coral. 239-984-2655, eightfootbrewing.com

ESCAPE BREWING CO. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escape brewingcompany.com

FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., Wesley Chapel. 813-452-6333, flori daavebrewing.com

FLORIDA BREWERY 202 Gandy Rd., Auburndale. 863-965-1825

FOUR STACKS BREWING 5469 N. US HWY 41, Apollo Beach. 813-641-2036, fourstacks brewing.com

FRONT PAGE BREWING CO. 190 S Florida Ave., Bartow. 863-537-7249, frontpagebrew ing.com

GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-202-6071, grandcentral brew.com

GREEN BENCH BREWING COMPANY 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com

GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. 4824 14th St. W., Bradenton. 941-896-6381, thegoodliquid brewing.com

GRINDHAUS BREW LAB 1650 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com

GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY 3007 Beach Blvd., Tampa. facebook.com/GulfportBrewery

HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com

HOB BREWING CO. 931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. hob.beer

IF I BREWED THE WORLD 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com

IN THE LOOP BREWING 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com

INFUSION BREWING CO. 6345 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. 7272-484-4757

KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN ALE + CIDER 5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City. 813-7529100, keelandcurleywinery.com

KING STATE 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813-221-2100, king-state.com

LAGERHAUS BREWERY & GRILL 3438 East Lake Business, Palm Harbor. 727-216-9682, lagerhausbrewery.com

LATE START BREWING 1018 E Cass St., Tampa, latestartbrewing.com

LEAVEN BREWING 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813-677-7023, leavenbrewing.com

LIQUID GARAGE CO. 1306 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey. 727-645-5885. theliquidgarage.com

MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-362-0008, mad beachbrewing.com

MAGNANIMOUS BREWING 1410

Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-415-3671, magnan imousbrewing.com MARKER 48 12147

Cortez Blvd, Weeki Wachee. 352-606-2509, marker48.com

MASTRY’S BREWING CO. 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. 727-202-8045, mastrys brewingco.com

MOTORWORKS BREWING 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton. 941-567-6218, motor worksbrewing.com

MR. DUNDERBAK’S 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813-9774104, dunderbaks.com

OFF THE WAGON BREWERY 2107 S Tamiami Trail, Venice. 941-497-2048, otwbar.com

OLDE FLORIDA BREWING 1158 7th St. NW, Largo. 727-2298010, facebook.com/oldefloridabrew

OVERFLOW BREWING 70 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-914-0665, facebook.com/ overflowbrewingco

OZONA BREWING COMPANY 315 Orange St., Palm Harbor. 920-392-9390, ozonabrewing.com

PEPPER BREWING 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertap house.com

PESKY PELICAN BREW PUB 923 72nd. St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600, peskypelicanbrewpub.com

PINELLAS ALE WORKS 1962 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-235-0970, pawbeer.com

POUR HOUSE 1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 813-402-2923, pourhousetampa.com

PYE ROAD MEADWORKS 8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. 813-510-3500, pyeroad.com

RAPP BREWING COMPANY 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com

RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER 2244 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-360-0766, stpetearcadebar.com

ROCK BROTHERS BREWING 1901 N. 15th St., Ybor City. 813-241-0110, rockbrothersbrewing.com

SARASOTA BREWING COMPANY 6607 Gateway Ave., Sarasota. 941-925-2337, sarasotabrewing.com

SCOTTY’S BIERWORKS 901 East Industrial Circle, Cape Coral. 239-888-5482, scottysbierworks.net

SEA DOG BREWING 9610 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island/ 26200 US Highway 19 N, Clearwater. 727-954-7805, seadogbrewing.com

SILVERKING BREWING CO. 325 E Lemon St., Tarpon Springs. 727-422-7598, silverking brewing.com

SIX TEN BREWING 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-886-0610, sixtenbrewing.com

SOGGY BOTTOM BREWING 660 Main St., Dunedin. 727-601-1698, soggybottombrew ing.com

SOUTHERN BREWING & WINEMAKING 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com

SOUTHERN LIGHTS BREWING CO. 2075 Sunnydale Blvd., Clearwater. 727-648-4314, southernlightsbrewing.com

ST. PETE BREWING COMPANY 544 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-692-8809, stpetebrewingcompany.com

STILT HOUSE BREWERY 625 U.S. Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727-270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com

SWAN BREWING 15 W Pine St., Lakeland. 863-703-0472, swanbrewing.com

TAP THIS! BAR AND BREWING CO. 10730 US-19, Port Richey. 727-378-4358, tapthisbar.com TBBC 1600 E 8th Ave., Ybor City/13933

Monroe’s Business Park, Westchase. 813-2471422, tbbc.beer

TEMPLE OF BEER 1776 11th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-350-3055, templeofbeer.com

THREE BULLS TAVERN & BREWERY 4330 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico. 813-381-3853, threebullstavern.com

TIDAL BREWING COMPANY 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-701-1602, tidalbrewingfl.com

TROUBLED WATERS BREWING 670 Main St., Safety Harbor. 727-221-9973, troubledwatersbeer.com

TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-6077, facebook.com/twofrogsbrewing

TWO LIONS WINERY & PALM HARBOR BREWERY 1022 Georgia Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-786-8039, twolionswinery.com

ULELE SPRING BREWERY 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com

UNREFINED BREWING 312 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-4822, unrefinedbrew ing.com

WELTON BREWING CO. 2624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’Lakes. 813-820-0050, thebrew craftery.com

THE WILD ROVER BREWERY 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa. 813-475-5995, thewildroverbrew ery.com

WOODWRIGHT BREWING COMPANY 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-238-8717, facebook.com/woodwrightbrewing WOVEN WATER BREWING CO. 456 W Columbus Drive, Tampa. 813-443-9463, woven waterbrew.com

YUENGLING BREWING CO. 11111 N 30th St., Tampa. 813-972-8529, yuengling.com

ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills. 813-715-2683, zbcbeer.com

ZYDECO BREW WERKS 902 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City. 813-252-4541, facebook.com/ zydecobrewwerks

Drumroll, please

By Jon Palmer Claridge

Theatre Tampa Bay, the decade old consor tium of the region’s professional theaters, held its 2022 awards gala Sunday, Oct. 23 at HCC Ybor. It was the first since 2020 due to COVID. Following a catered reception in the lobby, the crowd moved upstairs into the MainStage Theatre where board member and local actor, Andresia Mosley, served as master of ceremonies. They presented 24 awards honoring excellence in theatrical design and production, plus three special awards.

The biggest winner was Stageworks Theatre with eight awards for three different produc tions, including four for “12 Angry Men,” which nabbed the Anna Brennen Award for Outstanding Production of a Play, newly named for the late Stageworks founder.

A real life couple, Nicole Jeanine Smith and Giles Davies, snagged the top acting honors for two different plays at Jobsite, but were not able to be present because they’re both working on the recently opened “Dracula.”

The Straz Center’s locally produced produc tion of “Crowns” nabbed three awards including Outstanding Musical while “Nunsense A-Men “pulled down Outstanding Actor and Featured Actor in a Musical for Matthew McGee and JS McLaughlin, respectively.

The surprise of the evening was when the enve lope was opened for Outstanding Director, Play.

“It’s complicated,” read presenter Clayton Christopher. By just a whisker, the Outstanding Director is the late Patrick Brafford for “Boing, Boing” at the Early Bird Dinner Theater. Mr. Christopher held up his hand to silence the crowd and continued, “However . . . in an effort to recognize outstanding living artists, by just a few hundredths of a point . . . we have an unprecedented three way tie! Please join us in congratulating: Clareann Despain, Karla Hartley, and Rosemary Orlando”

The judges’ scores are numeric and Patrick had the highest score. In an effort to recognize our living artists we decided to award the runner up as well,” Kim Rosenthal, President of Theatre Tampa Bay, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “The scores for Clareann, Karla and Rosemary were all within a few hundredths of a point so our judging team decided to acknowledge all 3 of them for Outstanding Direction of a Play.”

Special awards were also given to Powerstories Theatre, Naomi Randolph, and retiring Board President, Kimberly Rosenthal. The complete list of awards follows:

Outstanding Scenic Design Of A Play

Or Musical Frank Chavez, 12 Angry Men, Stageworks Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design Of A Play Or Musical Saidah Ben Judah, Crowns, Straz Center

Diary Of Anne Frank, Stageworks Theatre; Rosemary Orlando, 12 Angry Men, Stageworks Theatre)

Outstanding Direction Of A Musical Melissa Misener, The Pirates Of Penzance, Opera Tampa

Outstanding

Choreography Casey Hicks, Pirates Of Penzance, Opera Tampa

THEATER

Outstanding Fight Direction Giles Davies, The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui, Jobsite Theater

Outstanding Musical Direction Latoya Mccormick, Crowns, Straz Center

In A Featured Role In A Musical Amanda Deady, Cavalleria Rusticana, Opera Tampa Outstanding Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Play Giles Davies, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Jobsite Theater Outstanding Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Play Nicole Jeanine Smith, Animals Out Of Paper, Jobsite Theater Outstanding Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical Matthew Mcgee, Nunsense: A-Men!, Straz Center Outstanding Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role In A Musical Kelly Curtin, La Fille Du Regiment, St. Pete Opera

Outstanding Lighting Design Of A Play

Or Musical Joseph P. Oshrey, Gianni Schicchi/ Cavalleria Rusticana, Opera Tampa

Outstanding Sound Design Of A Play

Or Musical Jeremy Douglass, The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui, Jobsite Theater

Outstanding Direction Of A Play Patrick Brafford (Deceased), Boeing-Boeing, Early Bird Dinner Theater. ( Three Way Tie: Clareann Despain, Murder On The Orient Express, Stageworks Theatre; Karla Hartley, The

Outstanding Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Play Tr Butler, Murder On The Orient Express, Stageworks Theatre

Outstanding Performance By An Actress In A Featured Role In A Play Susan Haldeman, Murder On The Orient Express, Stageworks Theatre

Outstanding Performance By An Actor In A Featured Role In A Musical Js Mclaughlin, Nunsense: A-Men!, Straz Center Outstanding Performance By An Actress

Outstanding Performance By The Ensemble Of A Play 12 Angry Men, Stageworks Theatre

Outstanding Performance By The Ensemble Of A Musical Nunsense: A-Men!, Straz Center

Outstanding Production Of A Musical Crowns, Straz Center

Anna Brennen Award For Outstanding Production Of A Play 12 Angry Men, Stageworks Theatre

“The biggest winner was Stageworks Theatre with eight awards for three different productions.”

AND THE WINNER IS: Stageworks, actually, eight times, to be exact.

STAGEWORKSTAMPA/FACEBOOK

Theatre Tampa Bay awards include a three-way tie for Outstanding Director.

Twins Seven Seven,

in Rhode Island (detail),

and

on paper, Gift of Irwin and Marcia Hersey

End game

The ‘Halloween’ franchise ends in divisiveness, but we can all agree on ‘Black Adam.’

By John W. Allman

There are a few rules that I like to follow: Never shake hands immediately after walk ing out of a public restroom. Never eat food past its expiration date. Never pick fights on the Internet.

And yet, with the premiere of “Halloween Ends,” the 13th film in this 44-year-old franchise, I found myself doing just that—arguing with friends and other movie fans online—because of the hate and vitriol being spewed at what allegedly should be the final appearance of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode.

Again, it would have been so much easier for them to simply go back to what’s worked since 1978 and have Michael chasing Laurie and kill ing residents of Haddonfield indiscriminately for two hours. Would that have satiated fans? Who knows. And, honestly, who cares.

FILM & TV

Here’s the deal, and I’m going to give it to you straight: “Halloween Ends” is not the best movie in this forever franchise, nor is it the worst. That honor belongs to 2002’s “Halloween: Resurrection.”

Should we be at all surprised that four decades later, there’s really not much more that can be said or shown or imagined about a serial killing shape and the resilient babysitter who proves to be his undoing? Should we not have known back in 2018 when David Gordon Green and Danny McBride released the first of their planned final trilogy, which also included 2021’s superior “Halloween Kills,” that six hours might be a little much time to properly bid these characters goodbye?

Are we not intelligent folks? Are we not wise enough to just sit back and appreciate that Green, McBride and their creative cabal at least tried to do something different and out side the box with “Halloween Ends”? After all, isn’t that what any movie fan should hope for? The chance to see a director, writers and actors take chances, to push back against conventional thinking, to swing big for the fences, even if the effort ultimately falls short of greatness?

“Halloween Ends” time jumps four years from the end of “Halloween Kills,” and immedi ately introduces a new character, Corey (Rohan Campbell), who has his own Halloween holiday nightmare happen without any involvement from Michael Myers, which sets the stage for all that follows. Some of it works, a lot of it doesn’t (do we really need to sit with Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) as she thinks out loud in her head about the memoir she’s writing), but at least it’s not just 120 minutes of stalk-and-slash like we’ve seen 12 times before.

Truth be told, Green, McBride & Co. likely overreached and should have tempered their ambitions to two films instead of three, but who am I to criticize them when they likely got offered a shit-ton of money to realize their vision.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

We created this monster out of love for these characters, and yet how quickly we are to turn and bare our teeth just because we weren’t expecting to watch a movie that tries to analyze the nature of evil and examine how it can infect and corrupt and inspire oth ers to do awful things. Maybe instead of bitching online, we should all go back and rewatch John Carpenter’s original one more time, to say a small blessing of thanks.

“Halloween” may be over, and personally I honestly hope that this is it for this series, but we should forever be grateful for the memories and magical moments that these movies have brought us over so, so many years.

‘Black Adam’ marks a low point for Warner Bros., as its DC Comics empire continues to crumble There’s a reason you’ve likely seen some recent media reports about turmoil within Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company responsible for

overseeing the DC Extended Universe (“DCEU”) of films based on the popular comics characters. To understand that turmoil, which is a direct reflection of how deep and wide the chasm of quality and proper planning is between the DCEU and Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (“MCU”), look no further than the 11th DC film, “Black Adam,” an antihero origin story starring Dwayne Johnson.

This is a character that Johnson has been advocating to star as since 2007 (!?!). One might think that that might mean that the resulting movie would actually feel like a labor of love, a la Ryan Reynolds’ “Deadpool,” or just be good, you know, like watchable and enjoyable. One would be wrong.

“Black Adam” is the second worst standalone DCEU film behind “Shazam!” and fourth worst DCEU movie when counting the team-up adventures, “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.”

Am I being harsh? This is a movie that introduces the Justice Society of America, the precursor to DC’s Justice League, without any fanfare or backstory whatsoever. This is a movie that introduces two classic DC heroes, Hawkman and Doctor Fate, as well as two lesser-known heroes, Atom Smasher and Cyclone, without any fanfare or backstory whatsoever, other than a few brief flashbacks for Doctor Fate and a sin gle sentence of exposition for Cyclone. That’s more than fans get with Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), who is introduced during a legiti mately WTF video call with Henry Winkler as his uncle, the original Atom Smasher.

For context, imagine if the MCU’s “AntMan” had been introduced with absolutely no

acknowledgement of Dr. Hank Pym or his amaz ing suit that helps the hero shrink or grow to giant size. For fuck’s sake, Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) is basically the MCU’s Doctor Strange, who got his own stand-alone introductory film prior to joining the Avengers to battle Thanos, and Hawkman is depicted here as the leader of the Justice Society with an impressive lair in Louisiana that’s ridiculously elaborate for a char acter that many people will have no idea about.

Again, if I’m sounding harsh, it’s only because I’m pissed off that Warner Bros. can’t get its shit together and just make a good god damn comic book movie.

The irony here, of course, is that Warner Bros. recently made international headlines in August for scrapping a nearly complete “Batgirl” movie because of concerns about that film’s quality. All the while, Warner Bros. Discovery has continued to stick by Erza Miller, whose origin story “The Flash” is finally supposed to premiere in 2023, six freaking years since his character was first introduced in “Justice League,” despite a slew of criminal arrests and concerning cult-like behavior that would have derailed most other actors.

And, now, two months later, literally on the day that Walter Hamada, the former steward of all things DC, departs the studio against his will, “Black Adam” has arrived as an incoherent slog of CGI and slow-motion fight scenes that’s honestly an interminable viewing experience up to, and including, its ridiculous post-credits scene that marks the return of a fan-favorite superhero for no reason other than to tease a sequel that none of us should have any faith will be any good. 2/5 stars, now playing

TAKING SHAPE: Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode in ‘Halloween Ends.’

Beautiful nightmare

Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights delivers again.

By John W. Allman

The Halloween season never feels complete until you’ve nearly soiled yourself while navigating through a haunted attraction, and thankfully Florida continues to distinguish itself with a slew of stellar fright destinations, none more buzzworthy than Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights (“HHN”).

HHN has always tried to provide fans with an equal smattering of original haunted houses and houses designed around iconic film properties, including “Evil Dead,” “Cabin in the Woods,” or “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

For its 31st iteration, I’m happy to report that it’s the original ideas and properties that truly stand out this year in Orlando.

Yes, there are brand-name attractions, specifically a house built around John Carpenter’s Halloween, as well as another titled The Horrors of Blumhouse, which focuses on two film properties, “Freaky” and “The Black Phone,” from the successful produc tion company.

The Blumhouse attraction, however, was my least favorite of the entire night, if only because it just felt repetitive with the same characters modeled after Ethan Hawke and Kathryn Newton’s killers jump-scaring patrons at seemingly every turn.

Another low point was Universal Monsters: Legends Collide, which envisions a strange mashup of The Mummy, The Wolfman and Dracula all bat tling it out for supremacy. It’s not a bad haunted house, it just doesn’t really offer anything new or exciting for fans of the three titular creatures.

Thankfully, we got to check out four houses that more than made up for the price of admission plus a fast pass, which is abso lutely recommended or else you’ll never make it through all of the attractions in a single night.

The best of the best might surprise you, but hands down, The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare offers one of the most intoxicating and surreal haunted houses you’ve ever stepped foot inside. As you make your way through a

posh nightclub turned hellscape of blood and bad plastic surgery, with a soundtrack of the best hits by Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, blast ing through the speakers, you will be equally entranced and repulsed by the male and female victims waiting to greet you, including multiple performers dressed as The Weeknd in vari ous stages of distress and decomposition. It’s a thrilling few minutes of disorientation that makes you wish you could freeze time to study and absorb all of the elaborate set design and practical prosthetic makeup effects on display.

Equally enthralling is another original house, Dead Man’s Pier: Winter’s Wake, which trans ports you to a chilly seaside fishing village in New England that seems wholly inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. The massive set is breathtaking to behold, with ghostly, frozen sirens sing-screaming from the stern to the bow along with fish-faced fisherman ready to attack as the mighty vessel heaves and shudders against an angry sea.

That same fantastic attention to detail is also noticeable throughout Fiesta de Chupacabras, which places you at a Mexican festival that’s been ransacked by a horrible urban legend. One of the first things you will notice are the immaculately carved Dia de los Muertos masks worn by many of the performers. But don’t

worry, the menacing and magnificent beast soon makes an appearance, and while at first I thought Universal had simply repurposed props from an older house focused around “An American Werewolf in London,” I quickly real ized it was just inspiration that was borrowed as the chupacabras on display are both original and frightening and well-designed.

Finally, and I know that many people may not be able to stomach this last haunted attrac tion, but nothing can truly prepare you for Bugs: Eaten Alive, which time jumps you back to the nuclear 1950s when global conglomerates had Americans convinced that their best interests were being considered. In this case, Buzzcon Industries is holding an open house to show off its patented Extermin-Air system designed to kill pesky household pests…oh wait, fuck, the bugs are winning. If you aren’t a fan of things crawling over you, if you have an aversion to cockroaches, spiders and other multi-legged menaces, then this might be the house where you sit outside.

However, if you love being creeped out as much as having the poop scared out of you, and you don’t mind feeling that incessant itch of invisible legs for a good 45 minutes to an hour after, then Bugs: Eaten Alive might just be the best thing you experience at HHN 31.

HALLOWEEN

Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Studios, Orlando. Select nights through Oct. 31. Individual tickets start at $84.99, not counting $129.99 for an Express Pass. universalorlando.com

DIE FOR YOU: The Weeknd offers one of HHN’s best haunted houses.

This blows

By Ray Roa

A56-year-old staple of the Tampa music scene heads to the grave on Halloween night when WUSF 89.7-FM pulls the plug on “All Night Jazz.” Last week, WUSF’s General Manager JoAnn Urofsky told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that jazz on WUSF 89.7-FM “will be replaced with great public radio programs beginning Monday, October 31.”

“Those programs include 1A Plus, As It Happens and the second hour of Science Friday,” she added. “The changes mean WUSF 89.7 will become entirely focused on news and informa tion, including weather and safety, so we can better serve the residents of Florida.”

In March, the overnight programming’s time on air was cut down from eight hours (9 p.m.-5 a.m.) to just three (9 p.m.-midnight). At the time, Urofsky told staffers and the jazz com munity that the change was partially to make room for more BBC World Service news about the war in Ukraine.

Urofsky told CL that WUSF Jazz—which already has its own website and social media accounts—is moving to the station’s Arts Axis Florida hub. “...jazz will expand tremendously and we can add music, videos, podcasts and live jazz events and performances, allowing WUSF to reach more jazz audiences when and where they are; online, mobile, on social and beyond; all 24/7,” she added.

But all those things already exist at wusf jazz.org. What’s more is that Arts Axis’ Facebook page only has 245 people following it, compared to the 1,277 following on All Night Jazz’s Facebook account. Urofsky has still not responded to follow up questions regarding the specific reasoning for taking programming—which regularly high lighted local jazz artists and the biggest jazz shows happening in town—off the air.

“I’m not quite sure how they think they’re going to be increasing coverage of bands or the content of jazz on the station by pulling it off the air,” Mike Cornette told CL.

Cornette, who retired last December, was the last person to hold WUSF’s Jazz Director position. He called the decision “a sad affront to jazz fans” in the Tampa Bay area who’ve turned to “All Night Jazz” to not only be a companion for lonely nights, but the go-to source for infor mation about the local jazz scene.

A job description for WUSF’s new Arts Axis Florida Brand Manager position features a lot of the same responsibilities Cornette had, but it’s still unclear how that person will recreate the connection between jazz fans and the “All Night Jazz” programmers.

“‘All Things Considered’ didn’t even start until 1971,” Cornette added, alluding to the motivation to replace 56 years of jazz with NPR news. “It’s a shame that they’re ignoring the audience that they’ve built up because they don’t feel like having it on the air.”

“All Night Jazz” DJ Steve Splane, who came out of retirement to help Cornette with programming, told CL that during a meeting earlier this month and in last week’s note to the entire staff, he and other contributors were not thanked when station leaders told him and other jazz programmers about plans to move their shows to Arts Axis. “More importantly, those of the generations of jazz hosts that came before us were not acknowl edged or respected,” Splane said.

hundreds more like Zacur, hundreds of kids like him in the Bay area over the years,” Splane said.

LOCAL

Splane reworked his next on-air shift to pay homage to George Geiger, who was the first DJ to play jazz on WUSF back in 1966. That turn on the radio was Splane’s last. He was fired without cause the morning after he shared comments with CL.

No other WUSF DJs have responded to requests for comment.

Splane dolefully told a story about a Seminole-based saxophonist, Trace Zacur, who’s a 2020 graduate of Berklee College Of Music. Zacur recently told Bob Seymour (the last WUSF jazz director before Cornette) that he idolized him, and that he grew up on the station. “There’s

The station’s Program Director Sheila Rue— who was in charge of WUNC in North Carolina when the station got pushback for cutting jazz back in 1995—has also ignored all requests for more information.

What’s more is that station management has limited who can comment on the WUSF continued on page 53

“It’s a shame that they’re ignoring the audience that they’ve built up.”

RADIO INCUBATOR: Jason Charos Quintet plays the WUSF studio on June 26, 2019.

STEVE SPLANE

WUSF 89.7-FM announces plans to pull beloved ‘All Night Jazz’ off the air.

All Night Jazz Facebook page and taken down a post that was beginning to receive negative comments.

In the wake of the news, musicians and lis teners have written countless messages, ranging from melancholy to enraged, on social media. A new change.org petition by pianist Pablo Arencibia also asks Urofsky to reconsider and keep “All Night Jazz” on the air.

“Letting All Night Jazz die will impact the Jazz music scene in Tampa significantly and will deprive thousands of loyal listeners of this oasis on the local radio,” Arencibia wrote.

The morning after the petition launched, Urofsky told CL, “WUSF Jazz on Arts Axis Florida is going to help us bring jazz to more listeners on demand.”

But less than 24 hours after posting it, more than 600 people had signed Arencibia’s petition. As of press time, Arencibia's petition had 2,492 signatures. The Arts Axis Florida Facebook page on the other hand has only collected 158 “likes” since it was created in December 2020.

Urofsky added that the person eventually hired for a recently posted Arts Axis Florida Brand Manager job would be WUSF’s “connec tion to the local jazz community; keeping track of the local scene – musicians and venues, get ting performances recorded, creating podcasts and finding new ways to build audience through social media focused on jazz.”

“Our digital team is excited to have this opportunity to meet the audience where they are, on the platform they use to consume music. On the air, we’ll include local jazz-related inter views as part of Morning Edition and All Things Considered; our two most-listened to programs,” she said.

Without providing specifics, Urofsky added, “When WUSF becomes a single format radio station, we expect to see even more listening than in the past.”

But a jazz community that sees “All Night Jazz” as a hub for all things jazz in Tampa Bay is still at a loss and looking for WUSF’s exact reasoning for pulling locally-curated, beloved radio off the air and relegating it to a website and social media page that reaches significantly less people than WUSF Jazz’s website and social media pages.

And news of the decision to pull “All Night Jazz” off the air immediately reached the inter national jazz community, too.

Ted Gioia—renowned, award-winning author and jazz critic—shared the petition on his Twitter page, and told CL he was shocked by WUSF’s announcement, adding that jazz is more important to our culture now than ever before.

“The audience is growing, not shrinking. This is the time to reap the benefits of a halfcentury of jazz advocacy. It’s certainly not a time to walk away,” Gioia wrote in an email. “I could point to so many signs of the jazz resurgence.

Just look at pop culture, where artists as diverse as Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar are turning to jazz for inspiration. Or look at films as diverse as ‘La La Land’ and Disney’s ‘Soul.’

Or just go out to the clubs and watch young people dancing to jazz bands everywhere from L.A. to London. Jazz is the most vital part of our culture today and it’s in the ascen dancy again. The only people who haven’t figured that out are the bosses at WUSF.”

Jazz radio station disappear after 56 years of great music that is without doubt a real friend to the community.”

LOCAL NEWS

Bob Bakert, Executive Editor at Jazz Guitar Today, was more direct and asked, “What the hell are you doing?”

Still, Urofsky has been silent when asked about the specific thinking behind what she’s doing, or even simpler inquiries regarding the audience share for “All Night

“And a podcast or some on-line clips are not going to replace a well-curated rotation of jazz, that keeps you in the loop of what’s going on locally, what’s hot nationally, the trends in the music, all those things a nightly radio pres ence can bring to help build the arts community — and a station that has gained recognition nationally for its commitment to the music.”

In his 35 years on the air, Seymour inti mately got to know how deeply jazz on USF became a part of listeners’ lives. The program ming became a lifeline for older folks living alone who wanted real music. He made lifelong friends with callers. Two generations of local jazz players came of age—and were played on the radio for the first—because of WUSF’s jazz programming.

Nate Najar, a local guitarist who now records at Capitol Records studios and tours the world backing up his partner, songwriter-singer Daniela Soledade, said he used to record the shows overnight so he could listen to them dur ing the daytime.

In 2019, Pinellas trumpeter Jason Charos brought his ensemble to record a live set at the station. Within a year, Charos, a Frost School of Music graduate, was collecting accolades for playing on a Grammy-winning big band record ing from Brian Lynch.

“Young players from here all the way down to Naples tell us how vital it’s been to their development, having a home for jazz on the radio every night,” Seymour added. “It felt like a focal point of the arts community to me, and I hate to see it go.”

Seymour also brought up a moment in the late-’80s when WUSF leadership made him the last person to know about plans to remove jazz, which at the time did air six times a week from midnight-2 a.m. Every Tuesday night featured jazz from 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m.

Pre-internet, and without a word on the air, the WUSF jazz DJs spread the word to stake holders in jazz societies, leading to management and USF officials getting nearly a hundred let ters not just from listeners, but academics and NPR figures like Marian McPartland and Dr. Billy Taylor.

“It was a tense time,” Seymour said of the quiet, weekslong, pressure campaign. But jazz on WUSF survived, and eventually grew to 60 hours a week.

John McLaughlin, a guitarist who’s played with Mahavishnu Orchestra and Miles Davis, echoed Gioia’s sentiment about jazz being a cor nerstone of American culture, and said he was saddened by WUSF’s decision.

“I do understand that news is important, but it is my personal conviction that we have become addicted to news and it is rarely good,” he told CL, saying the station should perhaps compromise. “I would hate to see yet another

Jazz."

Cornette, the former WUSF Jazz Director told CL that when he was there, All Night Jazz’s share was always in the Top 10 during the 9 p.m.-midnight time frame.

Bob Seymour, jazz director before Cornette, told CL he is really disheartened by the news.

“In an area with a pretty vibrant jazz and artistic scene, it hurts to see a piece of it taken away,” he wrote in an email.

With the last “All Night Jazz” set to air on Oct. 30, time’s running out on the latest push to save the community staple.

Seymour told CL it’s been heartwarming and moving to see the response to the petition to save WUSF’s “All Night Jazz,” but stopped short of saying he was optimistic about station brass hearing the community.

“If I was gonna put a dollar on it I wouldn’t count on hearing Miles Davis on the radio after next week,” Seymour said.

“But I hope I’m wrong.”

MAY WE LEARN: One Kirei in the WUSF studio on July 22, 2022.

STEVE SPLANE

By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa

CL Recommends

THU 27

Iron Maiden w/Within Temptation

Iron Maiden’s four-month North American run will wraps in Tampa just in time for Halloween. The show is the only Florida date on the legendary hard-rock band’s itinerary, despite Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson having done a spoken word event at Tampa Theatre in January. The band last played Amalie Arena in 2017 and 2011, and saw the pandemic force the “Legacy of the Beast” tour to take a pause last year. Dutch sym phonic metal band Within Temptation opens the show. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

NoCap Alabama rapper born Kobe Vidal Crawford might not play rooms as small as The Ritz much longer. Pitchfork says the 23-year-old “is like a blues singer who fell in love with battle rap” and cites his emotion ally transparent—but overtly fun—output in lumping Crawford in with hip-hop heavy weights like Boosie and Kevin Gates. In fact, the indie tastemaking website even said he’s “on the precipice of becoming someone LeBron raps along to on Instagram.” No cap, indeed. (The Ritz, Ybor City)

Signals Midwest w/Bob Nanna Halloween comes a little but early for emo fans thanks to this show featuring a solo set from Bob Nanna whose band Braid lives somewhere between the genre’s second and third wave s. Cleveland outfit Signals Midwest operates in a similar lane and is in town to squeeze in an extra Florida show in conjunction with its appearance at The Fest in Gainesville. It’s lim ited capacity at this Seminole Heights record shop, so either get a ticket in advance or be in line early. (Microgroove, Tampa)

WMNF Halloween Ball: Layne Lyre w/ Scary Black/more Community radio station WMNF 88.5-FM has always made space for the harder sounds of industrial rock and EBM, and the airwaves come to life at least once a year. This gig features a set from Tampa goth act Layne Lyre joining a bill that includes Scary Black, a Kentucky band inspired by ‘80s alternative. The station also promises bobbing for apples, so wear that industrial strength makeup, too. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

FRI 28

Bands From The Dead: 27 Club Edition feat. George Pennington III/Dre Mack/ Samantha Leigh The other club that Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain are both a part of— besides the left-handed guitar club—will be saluted by a barrage of local acts. George Pennington and his band will portray Jim Morrison and The Doors, Samantha Leigh will play Amy Winehouse, and as for Mr. “Purple

Haze,” bluesman Dre Mack hits the stage. When the live music calms down around 11 p.m., a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” screen ing will begin, and Hell On Heels—Tampa Bay’s BOTB-winning live Rocky Horror cast— will take the stage for live theatrics. (Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg)

Demi Lovato w/Dead Sara Known for genre-blending hits “Skyscraper” and “Cool for the Summer” which infuse pop, soul, rock, R&B and more, Lovato’s seven studio albums all hit Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Four boasted more than a billion streams on Spotify. A new LP, Holy Fvck , brings Lovato—an onscreen Disney star, renowned songwriter and author—back to their pop-punk and rock roots while giving listeners a glimpse into the art ist’s most earnest life experiences. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)—Chloe Greenberg

Ian Munsick Country singer-songwriter Ian Munsick is currently in the process of developing his next studio album, due in 2023. His latest track “Horses and Weed” unleashes the Nashville and Wyoming in his soul, and you’ll almost certainly hear it when he makes his Tampa Bay debut at Dallas Bull this week. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)

Smashing Pumpkins w/Tiny Terror Not the band, but a celebration where folks can throw pumpkins off the restaurants second balcony onto a target below (not surprising as the place gets covered in raw eggs annually at its anniversary party). Tiny Terror, a downsized version of John Nowicki’s freak-folk project The Holy Terror, provides the sounds. As usual at Ella’s, there’s no cover. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa)

The Wallflowers w/Mercy McCoy Jakob Dylan and his longtime band were supposed to co-headline Tampa Bay with Matchbox Twenty in 2020, but after a number of postponements, the band behind “Three Marlenas” has pulled out, and will promote its latest album Exit Wounds alone. A Bay area stop from Dylan has become less of a rarity in recent years, but we didn’t get one until a 2018 gig at Curtis Hixon Park. Get to The Cap early for an opening set by local outfit Mercy McCoy. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

Ybor Horror feat. Discord Theory w/Hollyglen/ Neverless/Mortal Sons/ Keep It A Secret/Viewers Like You It sucks that Halloween is on a Monday this year, but Ybor is flexible enough to party down a little early.

Tampa rock group Discord Theory headlines a stacked lineup of local bands, and whoever wins “best costume” receives $100 cash, a full year of Crowbar shows, and free band merch. It’s gonna cost you $20 to get in without a cos tume, so stop being a stickler, dress yourself up, and please don’t break out the ol’ “This is my Halloween costume” t-shirt. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

SAT 29

Melt-Banana w/Ed Schrader’s Music Beat It’s been years and years since you could buy a physical copy of Melt-Banana’s 1996 album Scratch Or Stitch, and while the band has always come around to play, fans can finally grab the record on CD thanks to a recent reissue. The Tokyo-born punk duo—which criss-crosses the line between grindcore, techpunk and noise—is no stranger to the Bay area, but this is the first time Yako’s high-pitched vocal and wild guitar from Agata get to shred at the new Orpheum. Another duo, Baltimore’s Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, opens. (Orpheum, Tampa)

Demi Lovato

Palomino Blond w/Permanent Makeup/ Kick Veronica On the weekend after its set at III Points, Miami dream-pop band Palomino Blond is back in Tampa with a sound and ethos informed by bands like G.L.O.S.S. It's been nearly a year since the quartet dropped its last album, ontheinside , but the big lead guitar, crushing chords and sticky melodies still sound fresh as ever. A rare Tampa set from Permanent Makeup makes up the middle of this solid Florida rock show. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

Romeo Santos Santos is one of the few people still doing the most to help Puerto Rico in the wake of recent hurricanes (he recently pledged $100,000 for relief), and while he’s bringing a familiar bachata back ground to Tampa for this one, he’ll also probably show off his first-ever regional Mexican track “Me Extraño,” released earlier this month. The catch for this gig, however, is that tickets are available exclu sively by registering on the LaMusica app or by calling into El Zol 97.1-FM during desig nated times. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)

Singer Songwriter Seance: Aaron Hollingsworth w/Jon Barnes/Matt Shelley/Will Birdwell/Dangerpin/Evan French/Jordon Lilley/OtherworlD/more A first for The Vault DIY space, this Halloween Eve get-together includes Pilot Jonezz, Jon Barnes, Evan French, and nine other under ground Tampa Bay musicians. In between the music, there will be a tarot card reading as well as local art vendors, and Spring Hill food truck Spaghett About It. Nobody said that you can’t wear your costume, either. (The Vault DIY, Holiday)

SUN 30

La Fiesta: A Celebration of Chick Corea w/The Zachary Bartholomew Trio In the fallout of WUSF 89.7-FM’s decision to pull All Night Jazz off the air, I wondered what Chick Corea might have said about it all. The late jazz giant lived in Clearwater and passed at the age of 79 back in 2019. He frequently appeared on WUSF and was a champion of the local scene. Since we can’t hear from Chick, we might as well honor his legacy with this matinee where a trio featur ing pianist Dr. Zachary Bartholomew will play what the Tampa Jazz Club describes as “a wide sampling of the jazz master’s com positions from throughout his remarkable career.” (Mainstage Theatre at Hillsborough Community College, Ybor City)

Spooky Live Music Night: Will Quinlan & Max Norton Indie’s Halloween weekend kicks off Friday with its “Bat Sabbath” night, and continues with this folksy show featuring a visit from Tampa expat Max Norton, who now calls Nashville home. Costumes are encouraged, and we’d be floored if everyone donned “The Full Quinlan”—flannel shirt, jeans, glasses and a hat to match—in honor of Tampa’s song writer laureate who anchors the no-cover affair. (Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa)

MON 31

Emo Night Tampa: Misfits & Joyce Manor cover sets w/Mindwash/Bad Bad

Things/Amatuer Taxidermy The best costumes are tributes to your heros, and locals are going all in this week. Topping the list of cover band shows is probably this no-cover affair featuring members of thrashy hardrock band Mindwash plus newish rock band Bad Bad Things, who are taking on Misfits. In a message, Mindwash told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay it would play “all the bangers” and that “Astro Zombies” will definitely get the treatment. (The Hub, Tampa)

TUE 01

Bad Suns w/Last Dinosaurs/Quarters of Change Last fall when Bad Suns arrived at Jannus for its first Florida gig back from lockdown, the trio’s latest album Apocalypse Whenever was still in the shadows, awaiting release. A year later, the sweet, upbeat LP gets to breathe freely. Bonkers live act Last Dinosaurs and Quarters of Change open. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

WED 02

Beabadoobee Over the summer Beatrice Laus opened for Halsey at the big ol’ shed we call the Old Gary. This week, the FilipinoBritish singer-songwriter best known as Beabadoobee plays headliner in support of a new album, Beatopia , where the 22-year-old indie-pop darling takes fans to an imaginary, colorful world she created when she was just seven years old. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

THU 03

EXTC w/Sandman Sleeps/Ed Woltil Even though most members are still active, we still miss the hell out of XTC. Drummer Terry Chambers is taking the nostalgia route, and has formed his own XTC tribute band, EXTC, featuring Joe Jackson guitarist Steve Hampton, Robyn Hitchcock bassist Matt Hughes, and frontman Steve Tilling of TC&I. The band’s setlist consists of songs that were either never played by XTC, or haven’t been performed since the original band toured in the 1970s and ‘80s. Andy Partridge will not be present, but Terry has his blessing in doing all this. Dynamic Florida rock group Sandman Sleeps, and Ed Woltil of The Ditchflowers both open. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

Here Come The Mummies In recent years, a local gig from Here Come The Mummies—a surf-rock group that literally dresses in mummy costumes while going by ghoulish aliases—usually signifies that spooky season is coming to an end. Its last Halloween night gig pre-COVID actually took place at Jannus Live, and while the band has gone smaller in recent years, there’s no better place to catch it at The Cap in downtown Clearwater, which has a bit of haunted history itself. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

Oso Oso w/M.A.G.S Three years ago, emopop band Oso Oso was on an emotional high. But 2022 has been a bittersweet year for the band and frontman Jade Lilitri, not due to being on the road in a post-COVID world.

Guitarist Tavish Maloney—one of Lilitri’s

oldest friends—died last year at the age of 24 of an undisclosed cause. M.A.G.S and Anxious open. (Orpheum, Tampa)

Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown w/ Speak Easy/Sick Hot Convince your parents to come to this show by telling them that Shakedown guitarist Graham Whitford is the offspring of Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford. When they get to the gig, they’ll be impressed by Tyler Bryant’s brand of straight

Beabadoobee

ahead rock and roll and then buy a copy of his new album Shake The Roots , which marks a return to the independent, DIY beginnings of the Tennessee band. After that, tell them all about Sick Hot, one of the Bay area’s most promising acts and show opener, which is also calling it quits after this show. Bring it all home by explaining that Speak Easy, a monster of a soft-rock act, isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. (Floridian Social Club, St. Petersburg)

La Fiesta: A Celebration of Chick Corea feat. The Zachary Bartholomew Trio Sunday, Oct. 30. 3 p.m. $10-$20, free for HCC students with ID. HCC Ybor Mainstage Theatre, Ybor City

A Nuisance feat. In Debt Chet/Ice Gretzky/Pusha Preme/Deeze Wee The Reaper/Jacob Scott/DJ Mila Killa/more Friday, Nov. 4. 8 p.m. $10. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Siobhan Monique and The Negro NInjaz w/Ancestral Funk/Skratch Cartel Sunday, Nov. 13. 6 p.m. $30. The Factory, St. Petersburg

Danapalooza feat. Sister Hazel Sunday, Nov. 13. 6:30 p.m. $40. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa

Vagabond Tweed w/The Kyle Shaw Band/Al Torchia & The Tattered Saints Friday, Nov. 25. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Black Valley Moon w/Little Sheba and the Shamans/The Patina Turners/The Rum Syndicate/Ruby Vesper Burlesque Saturday, Nov. 26. 8 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Tim Reynolds and TR3 Thursday, Dec. 1. 8 p.m. $50-$85. The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City

Morgan Page Saturday, Dec. 3. 10 p.m. $20. The Ritz, Ybor City

Boa Boys (opening for Bendigo Fletcher) Friday, Dec. 9. 8 p.m. $12. Crowbar, Ybor City

Chris Isaak Wednesday, Dec. 7. 7 p.m. $69.50-$129.50. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Taylor Dayne Sunday, Dec. 11. 8 p.m. $60$87. Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

One of the greatest country songwriters of all time is headed Strait for Tampa Bay. Tickets to see George Strait at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023 go on sale Friday, Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. Ticket prices have yet to be announced, but opening the show is the popular country band, Little Big Town, plus Chris Stapleton who just headlined the old Gary amphitheatre.

Strait, making his first Florida appearance in a decade, is playing at just six stadi ums across the country. Tampa is the only Sunshine State stop on the tour from the 70-year-old whose earned 33 Platinum or multi-Platinum-selling albums during a three decades-long long career.

See Josh Bradley’s weekly new concert roundup below.—Min Craig

Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra Friday, Jan. 27. 8 p.m. $39.50-$99.50. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Al Di Meola Sunday, Jan. 29. 7 p.m. $35$55. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Neko Case Wednesday, Feb. 8. 8 p.m. $40.50-$60.50. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Andrea Bocelli Thursday, Feb. 16. 8 p.m. $80 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa

Martin Sexton Friday, March 17. 8 p.m. $30-$49. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Joanne Shaw Taylor Sunday, March 19. 8 p.m. $39. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Gordon Lightfoot Wednesday, March 22. 7:30 p.m. $69-$99. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Michael Bolton Thursday, March 23. 8 p.m. $71. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Jay and the Americans w/Gary Lewis & the Playboys/The Cyrkle/ The Vogues Friday, March 24. 7:30 p.m. $46 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

The Guess Who Saturday, March 25. 8 p.m. $42.50 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

Goodie Mob at The Ritz Ybor, Oct. 20 Rescheduled to Saturday, Dec. 17

Greta Van Fleet

DAVID MCCLISTER

Crushing loads

By Dan Savage

There is more to this week’s Savage Love. To read the entire column, go to savage.love.

I’m a 71-year-old gay man married to a much younger man. That’s all fine, not relevant so much as just info.Fifteen years ago, I briefly took Prozac. While it dulled my sex drive, the orgasms I did manage to have while taking Prozac were off the charts. I even talked to my doctor about it at the time and he just sort of shrugged and said enjoy it. OK, fine. But a little more than 15 years later—off Prozac for most of that time (I didn’t stay on it long)—my orgasms are still off the charts. My husband’s last a kind of normal-ish five-to-eight seconds but mine con tinues for a good 30 seconds and leaves me unable to function after. Possibly related, from time to time I get a short but slamming headache. I also very rarely experience unpleasant orgasm-related disorientation, like a sense of “déjà vu” that lasts for hours. I have been to a neurologist about this but was offered no explanation. I worry these orgasms might be permanently debilitating to me. Do you think I could be harming myself with these massive mind-blowing events? I am having sex about twice a week and they are always like

that —Massive Orgasms And Neurological Symptoms

Some people get intense headaches imme diately before or after climaxing, and while “sex headaches,” as their doctors call them, can be extremely annoying, they’re not life-threat ening. If you’re using Viagra or poppers (which should never be used together), that could be causing or worsening your sex headaches.

SAVAGE LOVE

As for your other symptoms, a recent study written up in The Times of London could offer some guidance. The study, published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, focused on post orgasmic illness syn drome (POIS), a rare sexual dysfunction that afflicts a tiny percentage of men. Basically, men can become allergic to their own sperm cells, and their own immune systems mount a response to those “left behind” sperm cells that exit the balls but not the body.

“Many health providers do not know about it, let alone the public,” the study’s lead author, Andrew Shanholtzer, a medi cal student at Oakland University, told The Times of London. “It is more than likely that

it is underdiagnosed, with many sufferers out there.”

Seeing as symptoms include feelings of fatigue, disorientation, and headaches, along with an assortment of flu-like symptoms, MOANS, it’s possible that you’re one of those undiagnosed sufferers.

The study details how Shanholtzer treated a younger POIS sufferer whose symptoms sounded a lot worse (and a lot less fun) than yours: a cough, swollen lymph nodes, hives. The use of an antihistamine reduced the severity of this man’s symptoms by more than 90%. The study will be published in the November 2022 issue of Urology Case Reports (“Post orgasmic illness syndrome successfully treated with antihista mine: A case report,” Shanholtzer, et al), if you want to print it out, show it to your doctor, and give the recommended antihistamine—fexofe nadine—a try. Or, hey, maybe it was the Prozac you briefly took 15 years ago and an antihista mine won’t help.

All that said, MOANS, we all gotta go some time… and I can think of much worse ways than being taken out by a massive orgasm in my eighth decade of life.

I’m a 41-year-old dude who has been monoga mously married for 22 years. I know you’re doing the math and, no, it wasn’t a shotgun wedding. We were high school lovelies who went to college, got our degrees, got married, and established our

careers before having two kids. Both our kids, who are still young, have been diagnosed autis tic. Needless to say, our lives have become more challenging. About two years ago, my partner fell in love with another woman (X) and asked if we could try polyamory. She asserts that her love for X does not diminish her feelings for me, and that, in part, X represents an escape from life’s challenges. I believe her, but that hasn’t made it easier for me. I’ve tried to be as supportive as possible, which has included developing a meaningful, loving, and sexually active relationship with X myself. However, the process of settling into polyamory has created more distance between us (me and my wife) than I would like. Further complicat ing matters, I’ve developed a strong connection with another woman (Y), and even though Y has strongly suggested the feelings are mutual, she’s in a long-term relationship that appears happy and monogamous. I want to tell Y I love her, but I haven’t out of respect for Y, her partner, and their young kids. I am also nervous about losing Y as a friend. Can telling someone you love them ever go wrong?—Paralyzed Over Love’s Yearning

You’ve got a wife, you and your wife currently share a girlfriend…

Go to savage.love to read the rest. Send mail to questions@savagelove.net, listen to the Savage Lovecast, and follow @FakeDanSavage on Twitter.

“Come

Ballet step

Terhune’s ___

“Pass the corn and sorghum, Pierre”?

For the time being

Jr. high preceder

Paid-for pages

Emulate Betsy Ross

Buyout experts on Wall Street?

Ticked off

News morsel

Actress Marta (anagram of NORTE)

Rhyme scheme

Collecting Beanie Babies, once

Listening post

Doo-dah lead-in

Steal: slang

Camera sound

Nouveau ___

Part of a school play about nutrition?

Actor Everett

Avis adjective?

The kid in The Shining

The ultimate French cheese book?

Crumb

Palindromic negative

Women’s cable network

Super Glue, before they changed the name?

Small bill

Zeno’s home

Mark, for one

TV’s “hipster doofus”

Old Jaguar

Dispatched

Publisher Adolph

Wretched

Love god

Calendar abbr.

Like a raw manuscript

Explanatory marks, for short

Fitness advocacy grp.

partner

Wiesbaden wife

Division

La Dolce Vita star

Old Italian bread?

“Well then,” in Paris

Give too little attention to

this amount

in dicts.

song start

Apothecary’s weight

dish layer

drink?

Arden and Evans

It means “water”

Pay this amount

men

Surprised one’s reply

Dwarf

Do zilch

Wight, for one

lawman

Ayatollah’s predecessor

Puts in more bullets

Major in astronomy?

“I saw ___ sawing wood ...”

Gets sleepy

star from Chockie, Okla.

country

syrup

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, etc.: abbr.

See 21 Across

Elephant Boy star

NBA team

Author Zola

The last word

Mayberry sot

Author Grey

Cinema whale

Decorative arch

Awkward one

Deli delicacy

Coating on a roller

The Poconos, e.g.: abbr.

Hang (behind)