Friday Forecast: Heatwave Heatwave Heatwave

Photo from triumphant cover of the Austin Chronicle when Bright Light Social Hour cleaned up the awards last year
[Charles] If you have talked to me in the last few weeks, I've probably mentioned Heatwave. I go on and on about it but it hasn't disappointed me yet. 50 plus bands, outside and inside, tons of people that really love music, awesome food, and just the best hang out vibe around. I love this festival! They have so many great bands this year and I always miss many more than I can see. One way to catch more is to pay attention to the surrounding dates and some of the bands play other shows the day before or after...

Friday night you can hopefully catch me checking in on Jubal's Kin up at Ella's Folk Art Cafe in Seminole Heights. This is a really awesome family folk band from Florida. Tons of buzz around this crew at Heatwave and if you see them Friday night you can see somebody else at Heatwave yeah!

Saturday is the main event. Get there at 4:30 and you can stay until something like 2 am. There are so many bands - Carolina Chocolate Drops and Cracker are the headliners. I am even more excited for bands like The Bright Light Social Hour, Two Man Gentleman Band, Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade, The Only Sons, Alias Punch, Those Darlins, Hymn For Her, and well I could go on and on. Get to the website wmnf.org/heatwave - download a schedule, and get a freakin ticket. You won't be disappointed and if you don't like a band or it gets too crowded just walk five steps and the entire thing changes. They bring in so many different types of music it will blow your mind - folk, rock, americana, bluegrass, big band, latin, african, soul, blues, and even zydeco. I'll definitely see you there... Oh yeah and The Lambasters have just been added to the schedule!!! See our favorite front man Ernie Locke in his new rawkin band!

St. Pete Times Guide

CL Tampa Guide

Sunday you can catch The Flat Earth Society from Belgium over at the Palladium. I've heard all sorts of cool things about this 15 piece improvisational jazz band. It might be worth checking them out at Heatwave and then maybe heading over to see them for the cooldown on Sunday.

Friday Forecast: Sixteen Record Sons

[Charles] What to do, what to do?! It's Friday folks so maybe you'll peruse our short list of suggestions and maybe, just maybe, you'll have some fun this weekend...

Tonight marks the Sweet 16 show at New World Brewery and unlike the show that finally destroyed MTV, this one probably won't have a multi-million dollar budget or a hot pink dyed pool. However, what it will have is a really great collection of bands that tend to put on awesome shows on the patio and that is worth a heck of a lot more than a whole bunch of confetti and whiny teenagers to me. Head out to see Sunbears!, The Semis, Alexander and the Grapes, and Gentlemen Please. I've seen The Semis but have yet to catch any of the others and everything I hear about them is good. Sunbears! got some press for being on Yo Gabba Gabba but don't let that scare you away. Getting out and celebrating the coming of age for a friend like NWB is pretty sweet no matter what.

Saturday brings back around Record Store Day and it sounds like all of our local stores are gearing up for some pretty terrific shindigs. It's still a little bittersweet for those of us that are still stinging from the loss of Vinyl Fever last year. That being said, I'm happy to report that Mojo Records and Books up by USF is taking up the baton quite nicely for those of us in my area. They announced that they are expanding and adding a cafe in the store which has got to be a smart decision as far as I can tell. I love the combo of books and music and why not make it better for hanging out and spending some more coin while you're there. They are planning to have bands play all day and it sounds like they are in the middle of the move so you can see sort of how the expansion will play out. Record Store Day last year at Vinyl Fever had a line around the block to pick up the special releases and hopefully this year will bring even more attention to the stores we love and don't want to lose. Catch sets by King of Spain, Sons of Hippies, and lots of more awesome local bands. They are even having a vegan bake sale and Kahwa coffee for the folks waiting in line so seriously, get over there early. Doors open at 9 AM. Check out limited editions by Of Montreal, The Decemberists, Regina Spektor, Matt and Kim, Gorillas, even Foo Fighters - heck everybody is in on the action - here's the full list!

Saturday night there will be another event at the West Tampa Arts Center that sounds like a great time for a fantastic cause - Save Our Sons Benefit Concert. The group One City Ministries, which we've written about before is launching a new mission in Uganda and raising money. This is really a different approach because this actually involves taking at risk teens in Tampa who are in a cycle of drugs and alcohol and committing them to working in Uganda with people that truly have life and death choices before them every day. Applying their energies to helping people instead of the spiral of self-destruction should be life-changing for all involved. Our friends have teamed up with some great musicians and the awesome DJ Fuego to put on a concert and they will set up the Fair Trade wares from AfricaTraid to sell and raise money as well. Catch some cool local musicians like Cuba Luna, Matt Hires, and Nathalia Estrada and drop $10 to get this new project off the ground! Doors at 7.

Have a great time out there!

Friday Forecast: Gun Chiseler Refinery

Poster from Brokenmold
[Charles] Friday Forecast is a running feature here on TSM about what to do and where to go in Tampa for the weekend. I pick three things I would like to do if I could break away from my busy Saturday schedule. Check it out and let me know what you think.

There are tons of pre SXSW shows this weekend as bands continue to contend with higher gas prices and tapped out fans. I've seen a number of groups heading to Kickstarter to try and drum up some gas money so definitely see if one of your favorites is out there and drop them some coin if you can. One of the many shows is Have Gun Will Travel tonight over at the Local 662 in St. Petersburg. These guys are getting a lot of buzz and let's send them to SXSW with enough cash to do it right and hopefully get noticed.

Tomorrow is the Chiseler's Flea Market at the University of Tampa in downtown. I've never been to this but I drove by once and it was huge. Long lines and lots of people descend on UT for what is apparently a really great bunch of stuff that gets donated during the year as a fundraiser. It only happens once a year and a lot of vintage hunters in the area swear by this one. Maybe this year I'll finally see what all the hubbub is about...

Sunday marks the official celebration of The Refinery's one year in Seminole Heights! They are having drink specials and get this... a free buffet! Oh yeah! Greg and Michelle have done a fantastic job of promoting their place and getting really great and challenging food onto skeptical Tampa plates. The result has been an overwhelming success that even garnered them a James Beard Best New Restaurant nomination. They are having live music and the deck should be hopping. Have fun and as they say "Eat. Drink. Confabulate."

Friday Forecast: Sleepy Sun Fever

Photo of Sleepy Vikings from Elawgrrl
[Charles] This weekend in Tampa is the big Gasparilla day parade so that is definitely an option if you are in for drinking and partying downtown with thousands of people. If you're probably not gonna avoid that this weekend like me, then here's some other options.

First up, tonight at Ella's Folk Art Cafe, Sleepy Vikings are apparently playing an acoustic show. Regular readers know how much we love Ella's, but this makes tonight a definite do not miss. I think that Sleepy Vikings are really really fantastic and unlike the same old stuff that you can hear every night on American "Idle" these folks have a unique sound all their own. If you are anywhere within the hood tonight then definitely make it a point to catch this band and support them at Ella's.

Forecast: 65% chance of more Vikings than pirates at Ella's tonight.

Saturday might be the day for pirates, but as far as I'm concerned, the one send off I'd like to catch is the Vinyl Fever Sendoff. Vinyl Fever is shutting its doors after something like 30 years in Tampa and I haven't been able to get myself over and face it to even say bye. I love that place and I've spent hours just flipping through the cd's and vinyl before dropping stacks of new bands on the counter to take home. They are the place I could always count on for their solid local band section when I wanted to pick up bands I'd heard of. I took my daughter there for Record Store Day and still can't imagine next year's event coming round without the Feve. I know that they've struggled for years and Tampa's ridiculous real estate prices finally destroyed their chances of continuing. By the way, FU Florida real estate industry! You have no stake in your tenants and are happy to just let great businesses go out so you can continue to raise your rates. Congratulations. Anyway, the sendoff is going to have local bands like Will Quinlan, Matt Hires, and Guiltmaker as well as dj's from the shop spinning what else? vinyl of course. Head over any time on Saturday afternoon - bands start at 3:30.

Forecast: 95% chance of PBR consumed and poured out on the premises.

After that on Saturday, you might feel like continuing the music party and heading over to Transitions Art Gallery to check out what the next generation is up to. I'll keep harping over The Sun Society until you go see them so really quit screwing around and head over there. They are excellent. They take the best parts of say, Regina Spektor without being too heady and Cat Power without being too whiny. Oh yeah and they know how to Rock! with a capital R folks. This is another group I expect big things from so seriously, give them a chance. How many times can you watch that boat come in while your neighbor pukes next to you behind a lawn chair?

Forecast: 80% chance of snagging a new EP from The Sun Society at the show! If you can make it through the crowd...

Holy cow! I just found their EP on Bandcamp so check it out and download it right now!

That's the link to download their EP on bandcamp up there but if you missed it - here!

Friday Forecast: Jukebox, Superchunk, and Jobsite

[Charles] Lots to do this weekend folks, and not just Christmas shopping and movies at the mall... This time of year brings bands from the north that are happy to escape the cold weather and soak up the warmth of Florida crowds.

The problem this weekend is that all three of these shows are on the same Saturday night. The good news is that they are all within walking distance of each other in Ybor. How about we make it a little mini fest and get some comfortable shoes for a little rock hopping?

Superchunk came out of the late 90's from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and really trail blazed their own indie label Merge and toured like crazy for years. They don't tour much now even with a new album out but they've been tapped by Skate Park of Tampa to play their anniversary show this Saturday. This show is at Czar just down the street from The Bricks and the SPOT skate shop on 7th. Forecast: 90% chance at $10 this one will sell out and this crowd won't be giving away their tickets to any "Slack Motherf-er" without a fight.

Maybe first you should head over to New World Brewery and check out some of the bands playing in support of Jobsite Theater. This is the combo wrap season party and rock out that they use to raise money for the coolest theater group in Tampa. After working hard all year for a less than supportive *ahem* city as far as theater goes, it's time to let them know that we appreciate what they do. $8 gets you some Famous Monsters of Finland, Vodkanauts, Pale Orchestra, and they have raffles!!! So go ahead and check it out and get some good fuel for the evening. Forecast: 25% chance The Vodkanauts will mashup Neil Diamond and David Bowie.

After the first two shows, or if you are getting to Ybor late, you'll want to head to Crowbar to checkout Jukebox the Ghost. They get a lot of Ben Folds comparisons but after seeing Matt and Kim this year, I think the piano is getting a little more street cred than you might think. This should be a lot of fun and according to Soangelicate's review on Ninebullets, they put on an awesome show. Forecast: 60% chance of somebody getting a keyboard for Christmas after this show.

Have fun out there!

Also congrats to Cigar City Brewery for getting their wet-zoning approved this week! I'll have to remember to head over and pick up a growler and congratulate them in person. If you still haven't tried them... you're missing out!

Friday Forecast: Vodka, Bash, and Films

[Charles] Tonight should usher in a nice chilly breeze to help motivate those brave souls that are biking the 40 miles roundtrip out to Flatwoods on Sunday morning. If you are going to bike it from Seminole Heights then plan to leave from the Garden Center at 8:30. The Bicycle Bash is a huge bicycling event and has a new location in Flatwoods County Park which apparently has some really nice bike trails and a large (car-free) loop. Expect tons of bike vendors and groups, lots of other bicyclists, and a couple of my favorites - Cafe Nola and Buddy Brew Coffee to warm up and motivate you for the ride home. You can park and ride from Branchton Park and bike in from a closer distance if you want. Forecast: Chances that I'll be biking all the way from Seminole Heights at 8:30 am are maybe 20%. I'm thinking I'm still a ways off of a 20 mile hungover ride... More info here

The reason for that hangover will most likely be the band playing tonight at Ella's Folk Art Cafe in the hood. The Vodkanauts are a self-described "lounge rock" band which always promises a good time. They feel a little like if a young band invaded Vegas and kicked out Wayne Newton and performed his playlist for the night with a little Rat Pack and 80's mix thrown in. They effortlessly jump genres in their choices and don't take themselves too seriously while promising a seriously good time. Forecast: 80% chance that martinis will be shaken and not stirred at Ella's tonight.

Last of all is a small but well-stocked film festival over by the University of Tampa. I don't know much about the films at the Tampa Independent Film Festival, but judging by the awful state of Hollywood movies these days, I'll drop $20 to see some new talent and open my mind. It sounds like you buy a day pass and get in to all of the movies that day. Friday is the Florida Film Showcase and then Saturday is the Best of the Fest Awards and movies - that's what I'm thinking. Check out their site and see if there is something that interests you, or better yet, just buy a ticket and take a chance on somebody's dream of making movies that still matter. Some of these are from students at USF and Ringling so it's really a chance to see some local talent as well. Forecast: 70% chance you'll see a movie that you'll be talking about for years.

Create:Freedom Event at Springs Theatre this Friday Sep. 3rd

[Charles] This Friday I'll finally get a look inside the Springs Theatre up on Nebraska Ave in Tampa. I've been looking for a good excuse to get in there since the first time the old building just north of the Hillsborough River caught my eye. It's an intriguing old building that was a movie theater in the hey day of Sulphur Springs and now hosts a large recording studio and is used for special events.

The show this Friday is an interesting mix of vendors, music, and artists that are raising money for a group that does mission work in Cambodia. The child prostitution and human trafficking that Tampa Street Market works against is central to their work. The door charge is $5 and goes to help this group and to work with Joy Engdahl who is moving back to Cambodia to work with young women in the country. There will be art and craft vendors as well as plenty of information about fighting human trafficking and slavery.

The other thing that looks pretty interesting about this show is the music. I'm especially excited to hear The Sun Society that consists of some family members of The Grecian Urns. The Sun Society sounds pretty amazing - just head over to Youtube and check out a few of their tracks. Here's their myspace page as well. I don't know much about the other two players MrENC or Preson, but they sound interesting and should definitely be a good time in the neighborhood for a good cause.

I also snagged a photo of the theater from its earlier days from a blog about historic theaters in the area, so here's a bonus link!

Rail in Tampa Vs. Rail in China

Photo of Shanghai rail station from bennettdesigns on Flickr
[Charles] Okay it's not really a fair comparison. In Tampa we are putting up a vote for a 1 cent sales tax for public transportation improvements. In China they are putting the finishing touches on a 6.7 MW power generating solar roof for their new high speed rail station. While the mayor here argues whether it should be high speed rail vs. light rail to the airport, the Chinese happily knock out a state of the art facility that will probably shame whatever rail station we can scrape together. We might have money for a new baseball stadium but lets definitely think hard about getting people where they want to go. People on the roads are unproductive and mad and more likely to end up dead quicker! So let's get off our seats, literally, and get this rail thing going! This is the chance to do something amazing and ENDURING in downtown Tampa that isn't a parking lot! If you've seen the new airside at TIA or the new art museum downtown you bear witness to some of our city's momentum. I'll finish up my little pep talk with a link to a group called Moving Hillsborough Forward and their upcoming meeting at TMA. Below is the video they made to start getting people talking about the vote coming up.

Sherry's Yesterdaze in the New York Times

Chip Litherland for The New York Times

Mitzi Gordon of Tampa, at Sherry’s YesterDaze Vintage.

Photo from the New York Times - Chip Litherland

[Charles] Last Thursday, in the travel section of the New York Times, Sherry's Yesterdaze from little ole Seminole Heights was the main part of a feature story on vintage clothes shopping in Tampa. It was nice to see Tampa shown as something more than just a cigar factory graveyard. Sherry's was one of the pioneering businesses to head to Seminole Heights when she left South Tampa years ago. I'm sure there are old customers of hers south of Kennedy still wondering where Seminole Heights is.

Here's the link to the article -

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/02/travel/02vintage.html?scp=5&sq=Florida&st=nyt

Also, at the bottom of that article was an earlier article called 36 Hours in Tampa which was pretty enjoyable too. It's nice to be a tourist in your own city every once in a while...

http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/travel/escapes/09hour.html?fta=y

Independents Week Starts Today!

And you're saying to yourself a) What the heck is independents week and why haven't I heard of it? or hopefully b) How can I help?


First I'll start with "A" for some backstory... Independent businesses caught on that they were being edged out about the time it was too late. Right after I walked out of Wal-mart and wondered, what used to be here? Wasn't there an office supply store and a bike shop and a garden supply in my town? The businesses that weren't obliterated in the first few years and those crazy enough to start new one's like us, started getting together. Independent Business Associations started to crop up with one of the most popular coming out of Austin, Texas. Anybody heard of "Keep Austin Weird"? That's the kind of slogan that Target and Best Buy just can't help with. So anyway, to get the word out, these business groups needed a rallying week and when better than the heat of summer? July 4th - Independents Day was born! Unless we want chain stores from sea to shining sea then we'd better get out and support these guys!



So then question B) How can I help?

TIBA - The Tampa Independent Business Association is running a promotion with the help of Creative Loafing that involves getting stamps on a "passport" this month. If you get the most, then you are entered in a drawing for $500 in gift certificates. One of those will be from Tampa Street Market, so make sure you get this done! Find the "Passport to Indies" in this issue of Creative Loafing.

If that is a little too much structure for your independent self, then just get out and support your favorite indies! Eat at Nicko's, Cappy's, Bungalow Bistro, Taconazo, and Grassroots. Get down to Vinyl Fever and buy Wilco's new album. Head over to Inkwood Books and get an autograph from Carl Hiaasen. Get over to the Old Tampa Book Company and pick out a classic. Get out to Skipper's Smokehouse and catch a band and some fish dip. Or try to do three - at the same time - go to New World Brewery, drink an indie brew, and listen to a local band - all in one night! This is what makes a town worth living in folks! Remember the hardware store that burned down in the Heights last year? Those are the places that make a neighborhood...



Here's the link to get your passport - Don't wait, my little brother started on Saturday!
http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/page?oid=752147

-Charles

Paint the Town Green and Back in the Day Events

Upcoming events for Tampa Street Market...

Friday Night May 1st - Paint the Town Green hosted by The Urban Charette -
We are putting together our own crew of mass transit minded partiers. If you love a good pub crawl and like to chat green, join us for a fun night out in Tampa. We are hoping to get a group on the bus in Seminole Heights and head downtown. We haven't picked a meeting place yet, options are Fly Bar, Cafe Hey, or the new Columbia Cafe at The History Center. You can email us with ideas at amy@tampastreetmarket.com Definitely we want to make it to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts downtown as they are part of the event. Get more details at http://www.ecolutiontampa.com/



Before we start the crawl on Friday, we will be attending an art opening for Lynn Manos at Clayton Galleries at 4105 S. MacDill Ave. from 7-9 pm. If you're interested in seeing an extremely talented artist that currently calls Tampa home, check it out.

Friday Night May 15th, 7-9:30 pm - Back in the Day Bazaar at Tampa Street Market and Seminole Heights Antiques -

Don't miss our first night time event at our new location. Long overdue for a party, Loko Cuisine has put together a delicious menu and drinks so you can chat and shop while you cool down from the week. $15 covers food and drinks with special discounts up to 20% for the night only. See the awesome menu below or learn more at http://www.lokocuisine.com/

$15 Old School Menu with a Twist Includes:

Lipton's French onion dip with balsamic and rosemary, fresh veggies and Ruffles

Country fried chicken salad, green onion, celery, Frank's Red Hot Dressing

Pimento goat cheese sandwich on Wonder bread

Southern style potato salad with curry

Meat loaf, chipotle ketchup, fried onions

Deviled ham, sesame chili mayo

Iceberg wedge, tarragon caper thousand island

Beer, Wine, Soda

Celebrating Earth Day 2009

Tampa’s biggest Earth Day celebration, Earth Day Tampa Bay, was bigger and better than ever when it took over Lowry Park’s Band Shell area on Sunday, April 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The family-friendly festival featured exhibitors offering products, information and demonstrations on ways to help you create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. There were children’s activity areas, live music, food vendors and fun! Headlining this year’s festival was The Nine Volts (www.theninevolts.com). The Cape Canaveral band performs rollicking feel-good Americana- roots rock music at venues across the state and was selected from nearly 40 applicant bands. Above - Groovy Cats and Dogs represent at the Earth Day Celebration - treat the earth and your animals better!

Below - The maker of our tye-died onesie below - Great folks at Sunshine Dye Dream (also did the WMNF tie dyed shirts this fund drive!)



Above - Seminole Heights Community Garden Table - Can You Dig It?!!!

Below - Shari and Danielle from Chi Chi Amor - dressing our kids with recycled and organic designs from Guatemalan artisans.


It's Our Nature - Awesome company and awesome t-shirts, organic and natural dyes.