Friday Forecast: Satellites Seance Sunday

Actual photo of the sun from Nasa this week - apparently all those photos before were fakes...
[Charles] Friday Forecast is a little ditty about Tampa and weekends. I'll riff on three great things to do that I would do if I could fit them all in. If you don't know where to go this weekend and happen to like music, art, and exploring the city - you've come to the right place.

Friday night kicks off with some live music at Ella's Folk Art Cafe from Signals From Satellites. It looks like the shows at Ella's have gone from hit or miss when they opened to do-not-miss as they get into their second year. I love Ernie and Mel and think they have fantastic musical taste so it's nice to see bands getting over there and spreading the love around for the neighborhood. This Tampa band Signals From Satellites is a rockin trio with indie rock roots. They say they take influences like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. and mash them with more modern bands like Explosions in the Sky. Definitely head over and check them out tonight with opener Brahm Bones

Forecast: 80% chance of cool weather on the patio with smokin guitar inside - grab a Cigar City brew if they've got one on tap tonight.

Before you head to Ella's, I'd recommend checking out the show at Tempus Projects called Seance for No One. It's got new work by Joe Griffith and Kym O'Donnell who have been around for years working on their own and through the art group Experimental Skeleton. I have no idea what to expect which is sort of the draw with shows at Tempus. Tracy, the curator, is happy to bring in fascinating and interesting art of all types. I love that we have a gallery that will push the envelope here in our very neighborhood and I'm happy to walk down there and take a chance on something amazing.

Forecast: 90% chance you'll discover something strange and beautiful at Tempus tonight.

Get all your projects done on Saturday because Sunday is the next installment of the Sunday Morning Market in Seminole Heights at Hillsborough High School. The weather should be awesome - cool and no chance of rain which is just what we need after all these dreary days of late. I know with all the snowstorms around the rest of the country we don't seem to be able to complain, but as my buddies at work remind me "They make up for my crappy pay in Florida with sunshine and I intend to take my share." Get out and enjoy it folks - as a bonus in the Forecast - after you finish up at the market and enjoy a nice bike ride in the hood - head over to catch D'Visitors at Ella's. This world music / reggae local group is by all accounts really fantastic.

Forecast: 70% chance of amazing bike conditions at the market this weekend.

Friday Forecast: Hey Pauses Kale

Image from Last Year's Gasp!arilla Art Show at Cafe Hey
[Charles] Florida in January can be a little chilly but that's no reason to sit at home and wish you had a fireplace! Apparently it has something to do with too much snow in Siberia. Whatever it is, it means to wear layers when going to New World and Skipper's!

Before you go to the show at New World tonight, head over to Cafe Hey first and warm up with some fair trade coffee and a new songwriter's night. Tonight they have a couple of intriguing ladies Cuba Luna and Jun handling the music duties. You know how much I love Cafe Hey and it is a great place to start off for a long night of music. Load up on espresso or tea for the cold night out. Check out Cafe Hey's Facebook page for updates on what's in the oven and tasty. I would recommend getting dinner there or if you've never been - right around the corner at the Grass Root vegetarian restaurant.

Forecast: 70% Chance of an empty soup bowl in your future tonight! Get there too late and No Soup For You!

Tonight I would highly recommend heading to New World Brewery in Ybor to catch The Pauses with Sleepy Vikings, Gordon Withers, and Rec Center. Honestly, Sleepy Vikings would be enough to get me out and headed for an 8 Ball Stout at the New World, but adding in the eclectic indie rock folks in The Pauses from Orlando and you've got a do-not-miss show. In a strange interview with Curtis Ross this morning that seemed a bit too obsessed with making theme show music, they discussed their Kickstarter work and how it has funded the CD release. This show tonight is the first part of the CD release party which continues tomorrow in Orlando. Head over to the Creative Loafing article and check out the first single from Cautionary Tale called "Go North".

Forecast: 60% chance you'll wanna ditch your coat tonight after the music gets cranked!

Finally on Sunday don't forget to kick off the new year at the Sunday Morning Market at Hillsborough High School! Every time I visit I discover something new and always leave feeling energized and excited about the potential for our neighborhood. There will be prepared food, veggies - organic and conventional, and lots of local vendors selling their own creations. Last time at the market I ran into Magnolia Organics which is running an interesting type of CSA and making the most of the internet by emailing their weekly offerings and even allowing online ordering. That's pretty exciting stuff for Tampa and I'm glad to see people letting their entrepreneurial spirit drive new ideas for businesses like this. Check it out here or go talk to them in person at the market!

Forecast: 50% chance you'll be typing Kale into your Epicurous app this week!

Friday Forecast: Lucero Turner Distortion, 615 Souls, and Market Sunday

Photo from Elawgrrl shots of Frank Turner
[Charles] This weekend brings a lot of choices, but I believe you can fit them all in! Tonight brings a bada$$ group of bands together on the same bill at Jannus Live in St. Pete. Any one of these bands would be worth the price of admission which explains why the show has been sold out for weeks. First off, you can see Frank Turner who has wormed his post punk way in to the hearts of many of us that cut our teeth on hardcore but now can appreciate a nice rebellious sing-a-long mixed in to our rock soup. This is the kind of guy that you would follow out the door of his concert and across the street to a parking lot just to get to spend more time with him. Don't believe me? Read about his Fest show here from the excellent first person account of none other than Andy Stern whose Beard rating system should be applied universally to most of the shows I attend. "Frank Turner’s fest performance encompassed everything you expect from a Fest show. Sing-a-long songs, drunken celebration, crowd surfing, and surprises." After a bar-raising and bar-drinking opener like Frank Turner, you can expect a hell of a show from Lucero and Social Distortion. I hope they bring it because this opener is no slouch and is really developing a following in the area.

Forecast: 95% chance of some bearded dudes clutching beers and getting their faces melted off!

Saturday, after you've risen from the dead in the late morning hours, I would recommend a big greasy brunch at somewhere like Nicko's and then I'd send you on down to the Independent for an easy relaxing bit of beer sipping. Before you head out of the hood, definitely check out the art show over at Tempus Projects - Calling (615) with a group of artists from Nashville bringing a little show round that you won't want to miss. Tempus has really taken no shortcuts in bringing terrific new art to their space and I'd really like the neighborhood to turn out and take notice.

You'll want to be ready when you start making your way to New World Brewery for The London Souls a rock band from NYC that's been called "amazingly tight" and "swampy rock music". I suck at all those kind of cool music descriptors but I know good music when I hear it and trust me, this is really good. Check 'em out for yourself.

Forecast: 50% chance of needing a designated driver on Saturday - where'd those electric taxis go anyway? Oh yeah the City of Tampa killed those - make sure they don't kill Cigar City Brewery in the same way... take that link to read about it and be sure to send an email along to our wishy washy City Council.

Sunday is the Sunday Morning Market at Hillsborough High School. Dry out, buy some local honey, find some organic produce, and maybe even shake your hula hoop a little that day. It should be fun and the weather will be perfect. Winter in Florida means a rain jacket is your heavy coat...

Forecast: 40% chance some fancy coffee will be sipped while perusing the local wares and catching up with the neighbors - Enjoy!

Friday Forecast: WMNF Fund Drive, 9Bullets Anniversary Show, Sunday Market

[Charles] A couple of quick things to check out this weekend. First off, this week was the WMNF fund drive and if you didn't chip in then let me remind you of the vast wasteland of other music that awaits us if you don't. Just get off your wallet and send em $10 or whatever. Find your favorite show and put money in the tip jar so they know what you like. They are stopping the drive today and they are still really short. If you need a show to check out, then go to the archives and see either Saturday Asylum, Grand National Championships, or Artful Dodgings. There are lots of great shows, but these to me are the never miss, indie shows that always introduce me to new music. They definitely deserve some love.

On Saturday, over in St. Pete is the 9Bullets Anniversary show with a lot of cool bands and one of my favorites - Will Quinlan and the Diviners. Show these guys some love and enjoy some nice rock and alt-country in the process. This blog puts out consistent reviews on albums and shows that don't get much press here or anywhere else. I can't go, so buy Brian a drink for me. If you really want a taste, then go to the pre-show at Ella's tonight to see The Only Sons. They are a solid alt-country band in the Lucero family of bands that should get the place rockin.

On Sunday, hit up the Sunday Morning Market at Hillsborough High School. It is the first market of the season and should be a great one with lots of vendors and amazing weather. It sounds like Greg and Tiffany have some more surprises this year with lots of fresh local produce and even more prepared food vendors. I'll be there loading up on some awesome coffee and hopefully the gumbo that got me hooked last season. We aren't setting up this time around as we are still getting our act together on what we are making these days, but it will be nice to just enjoy the crowd and actually enjoy hanging out with our neighbors. See you there.

Mother's Day Madness Tonight!

[Charles] Okay so maybe not madness, but definitely silliness. We were asked by some of our awesome customers to stay open a little late to accommodate some last minute Mother's Day shopping, and well since we basically do whatever they want then why not? So, we'll see you tonight until 8:00. Stop by and check out the new lighting and home goods from 2Jane like the Stem Vase above (perfect for displaying Mom's flowers this Sunday). It should be fun to chat and shop and we even have some wine left over from the Earth Day Celebration. No we didn't drink it all! See you tonight!

Also, don't forget this weekend is the last of the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Markets before the heat drives us all back to our air conditioned caves for the summer. Please head out and show the love for our hood so that this thing comes back in full force in the fall. We want the organizers and all the vendors to know how much we enjoy it!

Sunday Morning Market in Seminole Heights a Success

Photo from Alan Snel at Bicycle Stories



The sun was shining on Seminole Heights yesterday as arts, crafts, food, and community organizations met hundreds of residents on the lawn of Hillsborough High School on Central Ave.  The cold didn't scare people away and as soon as the sun came out, it was packed!  We saw so many friends and customers that it was a little overwhelming at times, but the show of support from our neighbors was very inspiring.  Artists that we invited to the event were blown away by the neighborhood support and that will allow the market to grow with each new date.  The next market will be March 14th and we can hardly wait!
Personal highlights for me were seeing groups like the Urban Charette, Seminole Heights Bicycle Club (with biking blogger Alan Snel, BGOSH, and the Seminole Heights Community Garden in full force meeting neighbors and getting the word out about their respective missions.  Future blog posts will cover each of these with events such as the Pub Grub Ride and Paint the Town Green.  Other highlights were the awesome vegan Crimson Velveteen (red velvet on steroids) cupcakes from the Organic Juice Co-op, sampling our new Gluten Free Bakey Viitals awesome cookies,  and Joe's Oat Patties for lunch.  Apparently Viitals has organic coffee so I'll happily be diverting some of my Java cash from the green giant down the street. 
There were lots of great artists including jewelry, clothing, and a really awesome woodworker that we chatted with early on in the morning whose name escapes me (I suck at names BTW).  Thanks for everyone that came out and feel free to drop a comment and link to other artists or groups that you enjoyed at the show.
CharlesH

Give Market this Sunday in Sem Heights a Chance...

Photo - "Mary and the Rabbits"
Personal Collection - shot in Brooklyn
CharlesH

Some readers might know that the reason we call our shop "Tampa Street Market" is because three years ago when we started it, Tampa didn't have a street market. We needed a place that could house a little bit of everything and still retain a cohesive identity. I would guess that most Seminole Heights residents have never visited our little shop for some confusion over what it might contain. Now with a second market in Tampa on the way this Sunday, I'm sure the confused phone calls will continue.

Seminole Heights is having an open air market on the front lawn of Hillsborough High School from 9-1 this Sunday the 14th. There will be music, food, produce, art, and all kinds of stuff. For us, a street market is a place to find just about everything - produce, plants, food, flowers, art, crafts, and cool antiques. Without some of these , a market lacks the allure of the urban treasure hunt that it is. We love visiting markets in NYC that could easily fit a new folk artist between a flower booth and a pile of antique cameras. I bought a silver cigarette case at the Portobello Road market in London while I was munching on some locally produced gourmet soup and that remains a fantastic memory of urban exploration.

I am glad that we are being included in this market, even though we are being encouraged to only bring our handmade crafts and furniture and no old funky stuff. I don't know why it is so hard to explain to people what our shop can offer them and I have no idea why we get so many "spinners" (our term for people who spin on their heels and exit our store as quickly as they came with a look of intense fear or confusion).

I have told everyone we know about the market and hope that it gets people out of their houses on what might be a chilly Sunday morning this weekend. There were something like 25,000 people in Seminole Heights in the 2000 census and that doesn't include the neighboring areas. A blog post on "Big Blue" this week asked what people can do to keep our neighborhood moving forward.

I say "Go to the market. Give it a chance. Give every business in the 'hood multiple chances. If you have a bad experience, see what you can do to remedy it. Offer constructive suggestions to business owners. We are people. We are neighbors. We aren't huge corporations that with big ole cash reserves. Most of us don't have a backup plan! We are doing all we can to make you happy so all we ask is that you give us all a second chance and... So your food was slow at the restaurant once? So you had to sit at the counter at a diner once? So a shop was closed early and you missed them? We are people with families and homes and dreams and failures, just like you. Don't give up on your own neighborhood, we locate our businesses here because we love the 'hood as much as you do.

For info on the market try http://seminoleheightsmarket.com/


-CharlesH

Back in the saddle again

First things first... we are open, the shop looks awesome, and we are ready to rock! We've done plenty of late nights, running around with the voice of Tim Gunn at the door shouting "Make it work!"

We did get it done finally and we are really happy with the results. Ella has a larger and more secure play area. Baci has more room to stretch out and nap. Amy has the space to organize the office and dig out of our mess of paperwork that was 2009.

We got the chandelier hanging dividers up to help section the shop better and we also set up some moveable dividers for artwork. We hope to hear from more artists that are interested in renting space so we can continue encouraging the local artist community in our neighborhood.

We also learned that one of our favorite locals - Ana of "Nested Yellow" was selected as an emerging artist in the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts! Congratulations to her and to all of the people that got her jewelry for Christmas this year! She does amazing and beautiful work in natural themes with a good mix of metal and salvaged materials like antique buttons or stones.

We are working to get a booth at the Sunday Morning Market in Seminole Heights that is coming up in two weeks. If you are interested, let us know as we are putting together a group of artists to band together and show how creative this community is.

Thanks for your patience with our closing this month. Come by the shop and see all of the new stuff - you will be amazed!

-Charles