Yes, it’s true that plantains may be the most misunderstood fruit in the plane, not to mention one of the most unattractive — bigger than bananas, with faceted, angular sides, But many devotees find them also bigger in flavor. The chameleon-like fruit can be fried, baked, mashed, used in casseroles, wrapped around scallops, shredded as a coating for fresh fish, or grilled and stuffed with creamy mozzarella cheese.

The “plantano macho” (translation, “the macho banana”) cannot be eaten raw. Cooking is an absolute necessity.

In the blemish-free green stage, plantains are mild, and function much like an Irish potato — the perfect stage to make plantain chips and coatings for fresh fish.

Medium-ripe plantains (yellow with black spots) become slightly sweet and more succulent with a soft texture perfect for boiling, sautéing, mashing and baking. When purchased black, or allowed to fully ripen, the plain is wonderfully sweet and perfect for maduros fritos (fried plantains). When choosing these fruits, be careful to select firm ones, avoiding anything moldy, squishy, oozing or shriveled.

Peeling the plantain is perhaps the most difficult part. Start with a sharp paring knife. First slice 3/4 inch from each end and discard those pieces. Making four evenly spaced slits lengthwise, cut through the peel from top to bottom, avoiding the fruit. Beginning at the corner of each slit and using a sharp paring knife, pull the skin away lengthwise, one strip at a time. Peeling under cold running water helps ease the process. To store after peeling, place the whole plantain in salted cold water to prevent it from becoming discolored. Armed with your knowledge of the plantain, take a stab at one of these plantain-centric recipes this holiday season.

Maduros Fritos
aka Fried Sweet Plantains; Makes four servings.

Ingredients:
4 ripe plantains, peeled and cut diagonally into 3/4 inch pieces
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Lime juice
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Heat a large skillet. Add the olive oil and butter and cook until the oil begins to smell fragrant. Add plantain slices and fry for about three-four minutes on each side, carefully turning with a spatula or pancake turner to prevent slices form clinging to the plan. Add more oil if necessary. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon. Drain paper on paper towels or brown paper bags. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with lime juice and salt. Serve hot or warm.

Tostones
aka Twice-Fried Plantains; Makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil for frying
2 large green plantains, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch diagonal slices
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil until sizzling and fragrant, the temperature should be medium-hot, about 325 degrees. Carefully add the plantains for about two to three minutes on each side or until they begin to turn golden. Remove plantains with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels for a few minutes. When cooled, place a piece plastic wrap or paper toweling on top. Using the palm of your hand, a meat pounder, or the back your hand, then push down and flatten the slices to look like pancakes, about 1/4-inch thick. Return the smashed plantains to heated oil (you may need to add more) or store at room temperature until it is time to serve. Fry again in the oil until golden brown, three-four minutes, depending on thickness. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain, again. Sprinkle with salt. Serve warm.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Heffron Drive feat. Kendall Schmidt w/Eric Dash/Ariana & The Rose Not much happening on Thanksgiving Day, because once your tummy’s full of turkey and trimmings, it’s damn difficult to budge from that cozy spot on the sofa. But if you start feeling antsy, the Steelers-Ravens game isn’t doing it for you, or (more likely than both of those), your daughter's a diehard fans of Nickelodeon’s soon-to-be-canceled show Big Time Rush and the boy band of the same name it spawned, Orpheum presents Heffron Drive. BTR lead singer Kendall Schmidt — who has a high youthful vocal quality with an emo-nasally tone — and BTR touring guitarist Dustin Belt comprise Heffron Drive, named for the street they both lived on when they first met back in ’08 and re-launched this fall after four years of inactivity. The duo plays early material and fresher pop-tronic rock odes on their first U.S. tour. High-class showmanship courtesy of Kendall. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
A$AP Ferg & The A$AP Mob w/Joey Fatts/Aston Matthews/OverDoz Yes, it’s another A$AP — there’s a whole mob of them, dontcha know? (The acronym actually stands for ‘Always Strive And Prosper,’ the outlook of the Harlem-based A$AP Mob hip-hop collective.) A$AP Mob’s current rising rhyme-slinging star (after A$AP Rocky) is gold-grill sporting A$AP Ferg, aka Darold Ferguson Jr., a 25-year-old rapper who just issued a well-regarded debut through RCA, Trap Lord. This is his first headlining tour, and he’s joined by his Mob compadres. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

Love & Life Party w/The Freestylers/DJ Lace/Funk Lab/Mike Nice/MC Cles1/many more A new presence has taken up residence in the nightclub space formerly occupied by Empire. Pressure Ybor has been serving the EDM-loving public since opening its doors in September. The rave-up party planners of Love & Light present this latest event, billed as “A celebration of love, life, friends and family.” London-bred production outfit The Freestylers (Matt Cantor and Aston Harvey currently joined by third member Chris Bishop) head up the festivities, backing fifth and latest album The Coming Storm, and firing off mixes that draw on bass music, urban electro house, breakbeats, dubstep and lightly discofied dance. (Pressure Nightclub, Ybor City)

Mindless Behavior Surfing atop the waves of boy band groups spawned from the ‘00s is Mindless Behavior, more in the vein of Another Bad Creation than Backstreet Boys with their electro-bouncing hip-pop tendencies and high-toned sweet harmonies crooning sticky lovesick tracks like R&B charters “My Girl” and “Mrs. Right.” (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)

Nofucksgiving w/Abortion Twins/Fall on Purpose/Jormundgandr/Stereo-Type/Architect Of Infinity Some of us are giving thanks for the holiday weekend; others are exclaiming, “Fuck giving, let’s rock!” (Or, this is what I imagine when I see bills like this on the calendar.) Leading the thankless festivities are Abortion Twins, a cheeky raging five-piece spewing songs like “Cocksucker in a 3-Piece Suit” and “Portuguese Breakfast” (if you knew what it was, you’d be disgusted); this is the last show featuring drummer-bassist team Spaz and Jonny. Other highlights include the ska-fused variety show rock of Fall on Purpose, and the self-styled “melodic Viking Jedi death metal” of Jormundgandr (their material touches on Star Wars and Vikings, sometimes simultaneously). (Brass Mug, Tampa)

Professor Pennygoode’s Mighty Flea Circus After a memorable set warming the stage for piano howler Jason D. Williams, Professor Pennygoode’s Mighty Flea Circus makes their way back over from Florida’s East Coast to deliver a full-scale Skipperdome showing. Their blend of jumping blues, jiving swing and retro shuffling rockabilly twang is marked by dual Gresch guitar tones and the rich throaty drawl of the quintet’s leading lady as joined by the smokier masculine harmonies of her axe-wielding on-stage counterpart. Material includes classic vintage tunes by Eddie Cochran, Slim Gaillard and Wanda Jackson as well as numbers by more modern artists like Squirrel Nut Zippers and Imelda May. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones Detroit-bred, Bradenton-based Deming plays a mean blues guitar and belts out resonant vocals over his band’s shuffling, harp-blasted sound, which also draws on elements of Texas swing, country roots and rockabilly. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)

James Tristan Redding w/Troy Petty With just an acoustic guitar, breathy warm croons or ragged howls, and solo material full of poignant and profound lyrical musings ala debut full-length Walking Into Brooklyn, James Tristan Redding has been reeling in fans beyond those drawn from his late alt-country band Union Pulse, whether he’s listing all the reasons why “My Dad is a Bad Ass” or waxing poetic about the nature of women (“A Girl Name Elizabeth”). (The Hub, Tampa)

The Florida Orchestra Presents the Music of Pink Floyd This year marks the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and The Florida Orchestra honors the occasion with a revival of the most popular program in its Rock Concert Series arsenal. A full band led by Zebra guitarist/vocalist Randy Jackson plays tunes from Dark Side as well as select cuts from The Wall and A Momentary Lapse of Reason, with full symphonic backing by TFO. (Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg) [page]

Koffin Kats w/New Cathedral/Housebroken/The Upshots/Redliners Combat boot-kicking street punk collides with cheeky rowdy psychobilly in the fast, hard-driving, hell-raising sounds of The Koffin Kats. The Detroit three-piece (fronted by booming vocalist/upright bass banger Vic Victor) infuses some riffy metal flavor into seventh and latest studio album, Born of the Motor, a sonic homage to their hometown and its blue-collar roots. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

Zulu Wave/Hussar/Mountain Holler/Kyle Chason and The Swindlin’ Hearts/Madame Albatross A five-pack of locally-brewed talent featuring darkly experimental/avant alt rock quartet Zulu Wave; eerie howling, acoustic guitar battering roots rocker Mountain Holler (Mark Etherington, of set and setting and RedFeather); alt country-folk rock group Kyle Chason and The Swindlin’ Hearts, its namesake also the bassist in Can’t Do It; indie prog/post-rock quartet Hussar, featuring the fiercely magnetic vocals of frontwoman Emily Turnage; and soulful jazz trio Madame Albatross. (Fubar, St. Petersburg)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Kanye West w/Kendrick Lamar Whether you think his music is an act of God or preposterously overblown, you can’t deny that rapper, producer, fashionisto and overall hip-hop superstar Kanye West has staying power and he’s maintained enough public interest to keep his multi-million dollar career in check, despite any questionable or downright controversial life choices “Kimye” may make. He might be self-assured to a fault, but his platinum album sales give him good reason to be, with five out of six topping the Billboard charts (including this year’s Yeezus), and his artistic integrity is ostensibly intact, even if his attempts to evolve and outdo himself (bringing on Daft Punk to produce some tracks, incorporating Chicago house and trap music sounds while sampling artists ranging from Nina Simone to Beenie Man, tapping unexpected guests like Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon) aren’t always embraced. For a little while, it seemed like his Tampa date might not happen after a tour bus accident destroyed an essential component of Kanye’s stage show (a 60-foot LED screen and its truss). But everything is back on track and the “Yeezus Tour” will land as scheduled. High caliber warm-up comes courtesy of Kendrick Lamar. Check out his guest spot on Big Sean’s “Control” to hear just what I’m talking about. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)

COPE w/Savi Fernandez Tampa Bay’s favorite jam-rock stalwarts, COPE, have been playing around town for more than a decade, though the current lineup was only solidified this year, with brothers Kenny and Dennis Stadelman, and keys and sax player Juan “Juanjamon” Montero joined by drummer Brad Elliott in March following Dave Gerulat’s departure. Seems to be working out well; the foursome have been gigging pretty regularly since the personnel change, and even played their third Bear Creek Festival a few weekends ago. Keep up the good work, guys! (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Genitorturers “20 Years of Depravity” Anniversary Show If you’ve been around long enough to remember when Orlando-spawned Genitorturers first burst onto the scene with their heavy industrial sounds and X-rated sadomasochistic stage show, then you just might want to come out and raise a glass to Gen, the petite Mistress of Depraved Ceremonies, as she celebrates the 20th anniversary of 120 Days of Genitorture. Gen is joined by original 120-era players (including shred maniac Jerry Outlaw) and dusts off some old school pain-wreaking implements (like ‘The Rack’) for this exclusive one-night show, which will encompass the entirety of 120 Days as well as select tracks from other recordings. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour Smooth jazz saxman Dave Koz returns for his yearly holiday stop in Clearwater, and this go-round, the ‘friends’ who join him include a few distinguished R&B-gospel artists — soulful singer Oleta Adams and South African guitarist Jonathan Butler (who just issued his first seasonal LP, Merry Christmas To You) — along with Japanese born pianist/composer/producer, Keiko Matsui. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 01
Trans Siberian Orchestra Lasers, light shows, pyrotechnics, video projections, theatric guitar and violin gymnastics, Broadway-style narratives, holiday tunes transformed into symphony-backed prog odysseys — yep, it’s the annual stop of Trans Siberian Orchestra. This year, TSO marks 15 years on the road with one last encore presentation of their Charles Dickens-inspired NYC-set multi-platinum rock opera, The Lost Christmas Eve, which includes the infamously shredded instrumental, “Wizards in Winter.” Cuts from last year’s Dreams of Fireflies (On a Christmas Night) EP and TSO’s debut, Christmas Eve & Other Stories, are also on tap for the two (3 and 7:30 p.m.) shows. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)

Angel Olsen She has odd-lovely vocals with a light vibrato and phrasing that sometimes sounds as if she’s gulping her words or regurgitating them up. Missouri indie folk singer-songwriter Angel Olsen last hit Mojo supporting Bonnie 'Prince' Billy’s Cairo Gang in 2011. She returns for another free in-store, solo, hyping a forthcoming second full-length, Burn Your Fire for No Witness. (Mojo Books & Records, Tampa) [page]

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03
Bonnie Raitt w/Paul Brady The rusty-drawling, red-headed blues songstress with the slide guitar chops won the Best Americana Album award at the 2013 Grammys for her first new full-length in seven years, 2012’s Slipstream, made up of songs written by other artists and delivered with Bonnie Raitt’s usual relaxed class. In addition to receiving across the board accolades (Rolling Stone called it “a loose and adventurous reminder of everything she does well” and named it one of the 50 best albums last year), Slipstream was also the best-selling blues LP of 2012 and its support tour earned Bonnie Raitt a whopping $11.3 million; she hits Clearwater on her next go-round. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 04
Yanni The world’s most illustrious purveyor of contemporary pop-classical music (he’s rejected the ‘New Age’ label though it fits him so snugly) — Greek composer, producer Yanni brings his lush arrangements and full backing orchestra to the Hall, playing on two consecutive nights (Wednesday and Thursday). (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

Needle to the Groove w/DJs Casper, LeSage and Charlie Chase Ol’ Dirty Sundays’ resident DJs Casper and LeSage have united with Cold Crush Brothers former Charlie Chase to deliver a hump-day vinyl throwdown of funk, disco and boogie, set to occur every first Wednesday of the month; this is the inaugural edition. (The Social Club, Ybor City)

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Book Thief is a study in contradictions: a personal account of life in German during WWII, but on a small enough scale that the cosmic relevance of such an existence gets lost. Viewers get to experience the dread inside the home when the SS is around, and the localization of such events does well to personalize the experience for viewers. But, at the same time, it mutes the overall horror and significance of WWII and the Holocaust on a global scale. One of the film’s strengths is also one of its greatest weakness; imagine someone wrote a somewhat-lighthearted screenplay from the Reader’s Digest version of Elie Wiesel’s Night and you’ll get the general idea.

Young Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) is the illiterate daughter of a filthy communist, sent away to live with foster parents Hans Hubermann (Geoffrey Rush), painter, and his frigid wife, Rosa (Emily Watson), who complains that she arrived on her own instead of with the brother that died in transit.

She is called “dummkopf” by her peers for her inability to read — a moniker with unfortunate staying power, despite her remedies — and “saumensch” by her overbearing, new mother figure for her crass, unladylike behavior. Herr Hubermann, however, has a softer hand and teaches young Liesel how to read, employing The Grave Digger’s Handbook, her last token of remembrance from her departed brother.

Liesel becomes pals and running mates with Rudy (Nico Liersch), the eager young blonde boy who shows up to escort her on her first day of school. That grows a bit more difficult when Max (Ben Schnetzer) shows up. Max is a young Jew whose father saved Hans’s life in the First World War, an obligation from which Hubermann does not shy.

Liesel helps Rosa with the laundry business she runs out of the home, putting her in contact with Frau Hermann, wife of the bürgermeister (think mayor with Nazi ties), who notices Liesel sparing a tome from the book-burning bonfire and offers her access to her expansive library. As Hans seems to be finding more work painting over shop signs (at least, those with ethnic Jewish names) than regular painting, Liesel’s and the Hubermanns’ daily vigil over Max grows ever more difficult.

It’s a shame the narrative and visuals whitewash the Nazi Germany experience, because all the mains turn in wonderful performances. Geoffrey Rush gives his most memorable performance since Shine (die in a grease fire explosion if you bring up the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) and Emily Watson is the perfect foil as his wife.

While the rest are virtual unknowns to American audiences, Sophie Nélisse is both adorable and eminently sympathetic as Liesel, the beautiful ingénue with eyes full of curiosity and young wonder. Nico Liersch does well as Rudy, the unwitting phenotypical perfection of the Nazi ideal, and Ben Schnetzer, as Max, seems to be the Jewish, WWII-era answer to Josh Hartnett (good Hartnett, mind you).

The Book Thief offers an intriguing premise that you want to root for. But, perhaps because of failings in the page to-screen process, it ends up a watered-down account of the personal experience in Nazi Germany.

That can't have been the filmmakers' original goal.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

After the first half of A Marvelous Party!, I was ready to throw in the towel. This musical tribute to Noel Coward was coming across as so trivial and irrelevant, I found myself wondering why I’d taken Coward so seriously over the years, and even thought of him as a standard-bearer of urbane wit and stubborn decency in an often savage and indecent century.

But here they were: insignificant, mediocre songs like “London Pride” and “What Ho! Mrs. Brisket,” and here I was being asked to care about “Has Anybody Seen Our Ship,” with the utterly forgettable lines, “We’ve been on shore for a month or more/And when we see the captain/We shall get what for.” Surely the devisers of this tepid entertainment — David Ira Goldstein, Carl Danielsen, Mark Anders, and Patricia Wilcox — could have found better examples of Coward’s art than “She sailed away/Across the bay,/And we haven’t had a smell of her/Since New Year’s Day!” Perhaps the Noel Coward that I’d long admired was not to be found at American Stage.

And then Act Two started – and everything changed. First, Melissa Bayern sang a deeply moving rendition of “Mad About The Boy,” and any sentient human who’d ever been in love had to admit knowing the “odd diversity of/misery and joy” to which the song referred. Then Larry Alexander turned in a splendid version of “I’ve Been To A Marvelous Party,” which touched on Coward’s gayness with memories of how “young Bobby Carr did a stunt at the bar/With a lot of extraordinary men…/The grand duke was dancing a foxtrot with me/When suddenly Cyril cried ‘fiddle-dee-dee!’/And ripped off his trousers and jumped in the sea./I couldn’t have liked it more.” After a regress of a some minutes (the exceedingly unimportant “Why Do The Wrong People Travel?” and “Sail Away”), the ingenious “There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner” followed, and we were back to the recognizable world of international crisis – the world, that is, in which we still live. Next, Matt McGee and Bayern delivered the beautiful love song “A Room With A View” and for the rest of the evening there was nothing but honest emotion or wonderfully witty wordplay, not to mention a hilarious parody of Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love).” The shipwreck of Act One was (almost) forgotten. This was a marvelous party.

So should you invite yourself to it? Consider these details: there are four main singers — Lizzie Hagstedt is the fourth — and musical director Philip King mans one of the two pianos (Hagstedt’s occasionally on the other) and enters the action at unpredictable moments. Wearing period fashions designed by Mike and Kathy Buck, the main actors dance a little, clown a lot, and barely take on recognizable personalities.

Alexander, with perhaps the most spectacular singing voice, is the gay Don Juan, just past his prime but still devoted to a life of pleasure. Bayern is the romantic sophisticate, led by her heart into all sorts of difficult entanglements, and much more intellectual than the men she falls for. McGee is the crowd-pleaser, born to make us laugh, and Hagstedt is the dynamo, brimming with talent and enthusiasm and good intentions.

On Greg Bierce’s set — an amalgam of walkways, small stages, and an imposing staircase, backed by oversize travel posters from the ’20s and ’30s— these performers present us not only with songs but with aphorisms (“The world has treated me very well, but then I haven’t treated it so badly either”), confessions (“I’m a drudge about work, you know. And as a matter of fact, I absolutely loathe Champagne.”) and a snippet of a Coward play (South Sea Bubble). Director Steven Flaa does a tiptop job of keeping the action moving, and has even opted to put some spectators at tables onstage in order to emphasize the cabaret ambience. (I wonder whether the show would do better in a small cabaret space — Act One particularly seems out of place on a mainstage.)

One last caveat: this is not a comprehensive introduction to Noel Coward. Most of his best-known plays are missing, his contributions to the war effort of the ’40s are missing, and there’s little to remind us that the writer/composer/lyricist was also an actor of distinction. Mostly this is a grab-bag of songs, some of which are, as I’ve suggested, second-rate. If there are treasures here, there's also flotsam and jetsam.

Or as Coward himself put it: “Most of my gift horses seemed to have come with bad teeth.”

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Gregg Perkins, an artist and University of Tampa communication professor, was just looking to make a painting of a mountain when he stumbled upon an aerial photograph of Mont Blanc, shot by Swiss aviation pioneer Walter Mittelholzer in 1935. Mittelholzer, who made the first north-to-south flight across Africa and co-founded the commercial airline that would become Swissair, captured Perkins's imagination.

In turn, that fascination led to a collaboration with Erika Greenberg-Schneider, owner and master printer at Bleu Acier in Tampa Heights, where Perkins worked for a few months earlier this year to create a series of prints inspired by Mittelholzer’s adventures.

These new prints — one photogravure, a suite of two aquatints and one of three woodcuts, each in small editions — together with a pair of paintings, a small bronze sculpture and a 3D animation of Mont Blanc based on NASA data, make up the exhibition Gregg Perkins: First There is a Mountain, which fills the gallery space adjacent to the printmaking studio at Bleu Acier. The show is unusual, as much a work of art itself as some of the featured artworks (in fact, stronger as a whole than some of the individual pieces). And, though I operate under an extremely liberal definition of art, I’m tempted to say the exhibition extends beyond art to constitute something else. It’s as if Perkins has written a short story about Mittelholzer, a cerebral tale fusing past with present that is also a partial history of image-making, hidden it, and made a series of visual artworks about the story. The result feels like a win for everyone involved: a smart reemergence for Perkins, whose last solo show was in 2006; an opportunity for Greenberg-Schneider to display her impeccable printmaking skills; and an intellectual and visual treat for their audience, which ought to include anyone interested in art in Tampa Bay.

Greenberg-Schneider says the exhibition marks a new direction for Bleu Acier, which has struggled since 2004 to find a balance between producing and marketing print editions and exhibiting contemporary art, sometimes as entirely separate efforts. Now she intends to develop exhibitions primarily to give context to the prints she makes collaboratively with artists by placing them within a larger body of work. It’s a strategy that may help her cultivate, at last, a deeper appreciation among local collectors of Bleu Acier’s output. First There is a Mountain is an exciting start.

The core of the exhibition is her collaboration with Perkins and, specifically, the photogravure “Double Mountain.” To create it, Perkins melded Mittelholzer’s black-and-white photograph with its own reflection in Photoshop, generating along the image’s vertical axis a provocative Rorschach blot in which snow-capped mountain meets snow-capped mountain. Through the process of photogravure, Greenberg-Schneider translates the virtual double mountain into a velvety print with a virtuosic tonal range of grays.

Instead of Mittelholzer’s photograph, Perkins reaches for a more contemporary data set for other works. Both the suite of woodcuts and a video animation take as their basis a 3D topographical map of Mont Blanc generated by NASA through the measurement of thermal emissions. To create the animation, Perkins made a wireframe (a complex 3D outline akin to a contour drawing) based on the NASA information, which is in the public domain, using Maya software. The finished video shows a rough-edged, ghostly three-dimensional mountain rotating in space. The woodcuts bear only a slight resemblance to the digital wireframe, though Perkins used it as the jumping off point to carve a simple, linear mountain into three woodblocks. With the basic shape of the wireframe in mind, he pored over the works of 19th-century Japanese painter and printer Hiroshige at Greenberg-Schneider’s advice, to glean how Hiroshige had conjured Mount Fuji with line. The resulting abstracted mountain, filtered from the analog world into the digital and back again, printed in three versions with white ink on fibrous black rice paper, is a fine thing.

A pair of aquatints offers something different — a perspective of falling snow that suggests Mittelholzer’s view just before beholding Mont Blanc and snapping the fated photograph. And a handful of what I would call supporting works (they don’t stand well on their own, but they’re brilliant as part of the collective exhibition) flesh out the tantalizing narrative: a photograph of a noble-looking Haile Selassie, who was Ethiopia’s emperor when Mittelholzer met him while producing a documentary about the country in the 1930s; a digital print of a map charting Mittelholzer’s pioneering journey by airplane over Africa; a duplicate of his original Mont Blanc photograph; two paintings by Perkins, based on his own woodcuts based on the NASA data-derived wireframe of Mont Blanc; and a seven-inch-tall bronze sculpture of a mountain.

My jury is still out on the paintings and the bronze, neither of which seem particularly skilled. But I read Perkins’s style of conceptualism as entailing a certain amount of self-deprecation about his own adventurous border-crossing. In particular with the bronze sculpture — an absurdly primitive cone set atop a small copper plate, the kind used to hold images in printmaking, which reflects its mirror image — Perkins plays with the limit of how little visual stimulus will provoke a viewer to imagine something as vast and majestic as a mountain. If, by the time you arrive at considering his bronze mountain, the answer is very little, it’s because he’s done so well in summoning the mountain so many times.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

I love to give dinner parties. And, conveniently, it’s an excuse to drink more wine, which is the mantra for this column. Under the influence of Julia Child, I developed a dinner party strategy based on serving multiple courses with matching wines. The basic progression is amuse-bouche, appetizer, soup, sorbet, an entrée (or two), salad, cheese and dessert.

If this seems daunting, just think about starting small and breaking down your normal dinner into its component parts — with a few additions if you prefer. Then, garnish each part as a special course in sequence over a number of hours to make a more interesting evening. You can then match a different wine to each course and give your guests a chance to sample a wide range of grapes. If you’re serving a number of small courses, I find that a single bottle of wine serves eight people because of smaller pours.

When guests arrive it’s nice to be able to greet them with Champagne or, if you prefer, Spanish cava or Italian Prosecco which are kinder on your wallet. Bubbles announce that this is a special occasion. Begin with some small amuse-bouches — a finger food with perhaps two pieces per guest.

Next, when you sit down at the table, start with a light first course or perhaps a soup. Which comes first generally depends on the wine match. If I’m starting with shellfish or a light preparation, I’ll serve a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

Then, perhaps a gumbo or red pepper soup, which goes well with an off dry Riesling because the sweetness balances the spice.

You can follow that up with an oily fish like salmon or lobster in a butter-based sauce that will match with the heavier white, Chardonnay. Grilled salmon also works with a light red like pinot noir so you could skip to reds if that’s your personal preference. As long as your sequence goes from white to red, light to heavy and dry to sweet, you’ll be OK.

Before you move onto red wine or to a meat entrée, it’s nice to have a little sorbet to cleanse your palate. If you’re not up to making your own, try one of the commercially available lemon versions. It’s a nice break in the meal and sets up your palate for the change to heavier food and wine.

As you make the switch to reds, aim for a lighter varietal; say pinot noir with a rack of lamb or perhaps a Chianti with pasta.

I follow the European custom of eating salad after the entrée. Since vinegar is not so wine-friendly, depending on the salad, I often skip wine with this course. But, if you like goat cheese, try slicing a thin medallion, dipping it in olive oil and coating it with Panko breadcrumbs. Six minutes at 400 degrees and you’re ready to top your greens. Add toasted pine nuts and dried cherries and bring back some Sauvignon Blanc.

Now it’s time for cheese. Believe it or not, lots of cheese goes best with white wine so you could go there, depending on what you want to drink. But if you haven’t had a chance to serve a bigger red with your entrée, try some pecorino with Brunello or a stinky cheese with a big red cabernet blend. Get recommendations from your wine shop or look for advice online. Lots of help is just a click away.

Now we’re ready for dessert. There are many philosophies regarding dessert wine. Some people like to serve the sweet wine just by itself. I prefer to match it with a dish. Most dessert wines are available in half bottles (357ml); I love Quady, a California producer of Elysium (black Muscat) that’s terrific with chocolate or raspberries. Or Essensia (orange Muscat) that’s great with crème brûlée or other desserts with lighter fruit flavors. Some tasters love port with chocolate.

These are only general rules, merely a quick road map so that you don’t overwhelm more delicate food with bold grapes or vice versa. There’s a reason that we don’t drink a big Cab with oysters — both suffer from that match.

Just dive in — you and your friends can’t help but learn and have fun as you drink more wine.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

When Prohibition was ratified in 1919 through the 18th Amendment, the so-called “noble experiment” didn’t sit too well with many residents of Tampa and Ybor City.

Hillsborough County was one of the last wet counties in the state, and didn’t comply until April 3, 1919. The Tampa Tribune reported the dramatic moment when Florida Brewing Company drained eight casks of beer into the streets, totaling 22,320 gallons. Scenes in the newspaper depicted children scooping up the dumped-out beer and selling it for 5 cents a pop.

But the farewell was short-lived, says historian Gary Mormino.

“Ybor at this time is a wet island in the deep dry South,” Mormino explains. Italian, Cuban and Spanish immigrants, who worked in the bustling cigar industry, couldn’t understand why anyone would make alcohol illegal. “They couldn’t believe they were being told that they can’t have a glass of wine.”

Only three years earlier, Florida had elected as governor Sidney Johnston Catts, aka “the Cracker Messiah,” who ran as a third-party candidate on the Prohibition platform. Years before that, wives of community powerbrokers had organized women’s temperance groups.

Evangelist and former baseball star Billy Sunday drew 6,000 people to a tent revival in Tampa, where he preached to the good people in hopes of saving a city from sin.

“Everything the devil’s in favor for, I’m against,” Sunday told believers. “I’m against booze and I’m against card parties because the devil’s in favor of them.”

The post-World War I “moral fervor” reached its height from 1916-1918.

“There was a passion for Prohibition,” says Mormino. “The wars had created political connections. Prohibition and immigration restrictions come together in 1921.”

The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 limited how many people could come into the United States and from where. Prior to that time, the policy was relatively liberal and “anyone could walk through Ellis Island,” says Mormino. But only Northern Europeans made the cut under the law; Italians, Slavs and Jews weren’t on the list.

For sons of Italian immigrants living in Ybor at that time, there were only a few job opportunities: spend decades working hard in the cigar factories, become an athlete, or work in the underground spheres of illegal gambling and organized crime.

“Bootlegging served as a conduit for attaining Italian goals,” Mormino wrote in his book The Immigrant World of Ybor City. “It allowed Italians an entry into Tampa’s underworld economy, which some used as a springboard to later careers in organized crime, especially bolita.” The underground bolita operations (an illegal game involving gambling on white numbered balls) were the province of Cubans and Spaniards, earning them thousands and thousands of dollars.

Bootlegging came in many forms: Caribbean rum would arrive through lumber shipments inside hallowed-out cedar logs; home distilleries and moonshine making were popular as well. And many contend that the underground tunnels running throughout Ybor City (you already knew about those, right?) were used to store and transport bootlegged liquor.

“This town was wide open,” Mormino says of Tampa’s Prohibition years. Italian bootleggers would deliver to cafes in town that continued to serve booze despite the law. Mormino recalls how prominent Ybor City-born Italian American Sam Ferlita described his bootlegging days.

“I was in high school and had this LaSalle with no rear seat. I used to fit 22 five-gallon jugs of moonshine in the back,” Ferlita said. When he struggled with a heavy load, even the police would help carry deliveries inside.

“The police were in on it,” Mormino says. “Ferlita would say you’re in trouble if you’re not part of the system. You’re in trouble if you’re on your own.”

Play by the illegal rules, or law enforcement (paid by bolita and bootleggers) would take you out. Even the arrest records for illegal alcohol were fictionalized; bootleggers would pay off the police department and names were changed, all to reinforce the impression that Tampa was still “dry.”

In 1933, President Roosevelt passed the 21st Amendment abolishing Prohibition in the United States.

“Prohibition is 100 percent intertwined with Americanism,” Mormino says. “But it was considered ridiculous by 1930.”

Roosevelt, who enjoyed a martini, didn’t realize he’d be dismantling a well-oiled machine of underground corruption in Tampa by doing so. The illegality of alcohol is what made it such a profitable commodity.

Soon, the bustling cigar industry began to falter as Americans tightened their spending.

“Americans had given up expensive cigars,” Mormino says. People migrated North for work. The Great Depression had arrived.

Still flush with funds from bootlegging, Italians made their move into bolita, starting a local war with Tampa native and bolita king Charlie Wall. He came up against Italian mobster Santo Trafficante. It didn’t end well, but without Prohibition it would have been a far less exciting story.

“That’s why the 1920s are so great,” the historian says. “Prohibition adds a theatrical quality.”

Party like a prohibitioner: The Tampa chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild celebrates the end of the 18th Amendment with their fourth annual Repeal Day party at Ybor City’s Don Vicente Historic Inn. Local and guest bartenders will be mixing up classic cocktails from the “Golden Age” of the cocktail, 1850-1919.
Proceeds from the event benefit locally founded nonprofit Because of Ezra and the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans. Purchase tickets online at repealdayparty.com.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Before you get your Thanksgiving on, take a listen to some of the most listened-to, jammed-out songs, albums and artists of the week as submitted by the CL Music Team along with a rotating crew of tastemakers — local music promoters, record store and venue owners, music fans and scenesters, DJs, musicians, and a radio personality or two; check the past several week’s worth here. Audio and video included, along with any applicable show information. And on that note, what are you jamming this week? Tell us in the comments…

LEILANI
Trying to narrow down my Best of 2013 album nominees, and taking a last listen to some music I missed or only briefly skimmed before narrowing down my shortlist contenders. So far, the self-titled third album from groovin' post-punkish/psych pop outfit The Features and vet rapper Aceyalone's Leanin' on Slick go directly onto the shortlist, while I've been able to give a definitive 'no' to pop rock sisters trio HAIM (I dig the single "Forever" but not completely sold on the rest), Janelle Monáe's The Electric Lady (great first single, "Q.U.E.E.N." with Missy Elliott) and Local Natives'Hummingbird (got bored two songs in, same as the last few times I listened), and am still on the fence about Foals'Holy Fire and the new What If It Is EP from hip hop songstress K.Flay. Much more listening to do in the coming weeks...

GABE ECHAZABAL
The Three O' Clock, The Hidden World Revealed (2013)
An exquisite collection that honors the best band from the early 1980's "Paisley Underground" movement. Hailing from southern California, the band went through a name change (they were formerly known as Salvation Army before a potential lawsuit thwarted that) and recorded for indie labels Frontier and I.R.S. before being personally singled out and recruited by Prince to join his Paisley Park Records roster. This collection focuses on the band's early work and contains key album tracks and plenty of rare and unreleased material. Lead singer Michael Quercio's unique breathy, high-pitched voice is as unique as it is engaging. The band's jangly, infectious pop hooks are sure to please any powerpop fan. Standout tracks include the band's classic "Jet Fighter" (below) and a spectacular cover of Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam." It's nice that this overlooked band is getting some due credit thanks to this loving tribute.

ADAM KUHN | music fan and scenester with discerning taste
Sandrider, Godhead (2013) My personal AoTM. Stoner rock from Seattle at times sludgy in the vein of Electric Wizard shifting to full speed riff-heavy Mötörhead-style metal, these guys might be a worthy successor once the Melvins decide to finally hang it up. Full album available for streaming here.

Nightmare Boyzzz, Bad Patterns (2013) This may be the first time I've spoken of the state of Alabama in any sort of positive context, but these garage powerpop dudes from Huntsville seem an exception to the rule. Loud, fuzzy and hook heavy, fans of Exploding Hearts and Gentleman Jesse take notice. Get with it.

The Limiñanas, Costa Blanca (2013) French male-female yéyé duo, their previous releases were trended much more in the fuzz/garage direction but this edges them ever closer to Serge Gainsbourg territory. Cocktail party music that almost makes berets seem cool. Almost. "My Black Sabbath" below.

SARAH GECAN | Daddy Kool Records and No Clubs Entertainment
Sam Russo, Storm (2012) A gruff, sometimes pain-strained vocal with a hint of a British accent is set against acoustic guitar in the songs of Sam Russo. Sometimes he reminds me of The Honorary Title, while other moments Chuck Ragan or Frank Turner comes to mind. Russo's 2012 release is perfect music for the cloudy winter days we've had so often recently.

The Honorary Title, Anything Else But The Truth (2004) I've been a fan of The Honorary Title for nearly a decade and listening to Sam Russo made me yearn for Jarrod Gorbel's vocals, and in particular the track "Everything I Once Had" (video below). Gorbel yells and his voice cracks when he utters, "for you I cared." The pure and unadulterated honesty of the song and the way he performs it gets me every time. Both Honorary Title albums are incredible, but the debut is always the one I return to. Gorbel's music reminds me of the songs they'd pipe in the background of Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind. I aspire to be in Montauk, laying on the ice, and having "Anything Else But The Truth" playing the background.

JERRY DUFRAIN | DJ Lazy, Orpheum co-owner
This week I got a chance to check out the Funk Volume documentary, Independent Living, at once a tour journal and label/artist bios for Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, Jarren Benton and Swizzz. The doc offers a pretty healthy sample of the Funk Volume catalog alongside live footage that'll appeal to hardcore fans and first time viewers/listeners.

I may have seen one or two too many VH1 behind the music episodes, but I couldn't help but feel at least a moderate sense of dread about the wheels coming off this freight train. The featured artists are learning to deal with fame and the trials and daily grind of touring for the very first time and not all of them seemed to handle it in the best possible way, though they are at least honest about fortune, fame and their shortcomings throughout. Dizzy Wright, particularly, proves to be an arresting personality and an artist to definitely watch out for in the future.

Hopsin, the label's biggest star right now, is set to release his long awaited album Knock Madness album this week (Nov. 26), and his tour hits the Orpheum on Fri., March 7th. Documentary trailer below.

'Independent Living: The Funk Volume Documentary' OFFICIAL TRAILER from APLUSFILMZ on Vimeo.

ANDY WARRENER | freelance writer, CL & TBT.
I'm back on a Western kick again. This week I stumbled on The Hacienda Brothers. This Arizona-based group really drives the twangy genre with instrumental selections that could be in a Clint Eastwood western, like 2005's Saguaro and 2006 follow-up Son of Saguaro. The bass line on "Cowboys to Girls" is infectious and the The Hacienda Brothers spice up their vibe with a little soul.

I'm also rocking Lucinda Williams this week. Williams is celebrating the 25-year anniversary of her original self-titled release with a re-release of the album set for January 14 of next year. The gravely crooner's voice only seems to get better with age. Her most recent offering from Lost Highway Records is Blessed but I consider 2001's Essence her best album with signature cuts like the title track and "Lonely Girls."

JOE D'ACUNTO | THX MGMT Presents
I remember listening to "In the Sun" by Joseph Arthur on the Vinyl Fever staff picks station when it first came out; recently had the lyric run through my head so it's back on repeat. And I typically have a lot of guilty pleasures, but my latest is Lorde, "Royals."

MELANIE CADE | Mojo Books & Records
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Live from KCRW (2013)
Black Friday is almost upon us! Battling people for electronics is fun, but Record Store Day Black Friday is unarguably more fun. One reason: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are releasing a live, stripped-down performance featuring songs from 2013's Push the Sky Away, as well as classic Nick Cave material. Available at Mojo on vinyl this Friday.

Bob Dylan, Side Tracks (2013)
Another highly anticipated Black Friday release — 30 tracks of Dylan rarities, including alternate versions of “You're a Big Girl Now” and “Forever Young,” live takes of “Visions of Johanna” and “Isis,” soundtrack contributions and more. To own Side Tracks, you can either A) Get it on CD by buying a massively expensive retrospective CD boxset or B) Get a numbered, 180gram vinyl, triple album independent of any boxsets. I know which way I'll be going. Technically it hasn't been jammed yet, but it surely will be this Friday.

Angel Olsen, Half Way Home (2012) Angel Olsen first came to our attention as vocalist for The Cairo Gang during 2011's Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & The Cairo Gang in-store at Mojo. Since, Olsen has released an EP, LP and 7” under her own steam. On Half Way Home, her voice is an instrument, alternately piercing, warbling, humming, cracking and sighing. And this Sunday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., Olsen will be back at Mojo playing a free in-store. "Acrobat" video below.

Spotify playlist below...

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Lots to do on the eve of Thanksgiving — because the holiday we have off from work involves alot of eating and lounging around and napping, so the night before is primed and ready for carousing. I've compiled a list of likely fun-having possibilities, all with their own pre-holiday drink specials and at least one with some gobble-worthy eats, too.

Wooden Indian Burial Ground—which plays New World— is the latest Portland band to earn a positive buzz from the likes of the New York Times and NPR, their riffy, expansive, grungy sci-fidelic garage rock sound marked by the haunting crowing Jack Black-eqsue vocal quality of bandleader/guitarist Justin Fowler. Alaskus, Sonic Graffiti and The Porch Sessions open. 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $TBD.

The Lou Collazo-led Brand New Opiates throwdown some damn fine pre-Turkey Day sounds — a mix of twangy roots rock, swampy gumbo blues, Euro-gypsy swing and shades of psychobilly and punk. 9:30 p.m., The Hub, downtown Tampa, free.

Orlando ska-reggae rockers The Supervillains land in upper Pinellas for to play a show with support from Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso and Saganaki Bomb Squad. 8 p.m. doors, Orbit 19 Lounge, Holiday, free admission before 9 p.m., $3 after.

DJs Casper and LeSage — the fine fellas who normally bring you Ol' Dirty Sundays — are joined by DJ Fader for the 2nd Annual Drunken Turkey Fry in the Crowbar courtyard. Casper and Bossman Tom fry up three turkeys and serve the fixings free throughout the night (or until they run out). Indoors, the new humpday party "What You Need Wednesdays" (hosted by Chris Wood and DJ Silence) add some additional funky grooves to the classic hip-hop, reggae and soul party happening outside. 8 p.m. doors, Crowbar, Ybor City, free.

If you can deal with the Shepard's crowd, the beach resort is presenting Electric Beach Music Festival this Thanksgiving Eve, with three stages and more than a dozen DJs, including George Acosta, DJ Deville, Kid U Not, DJ Ray and Nerd Rage. 8 p.m.-3 a.m., Shepard's Beach Resort, Clearwater Beach, $10.

And finally, if you want to go to a real banger, Reign: 10th Anniversary of Czar celebrates the danceclub's longstanding tenure as part of Ybor City nightlife. All three rooms of The Ritz will feature DJs — Sloane with special guests spinning music that was hot when Czar opened in Cyberia, SIRIUS in the Main Theatre spinning hot current dance tunes, and NEIVA in the Revolution Room spinning tunes popular from between now and the '03 grand opening. 10 p.m., Czar at The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City, $10 (admission is free for all guest list attendees).

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Hanukkah to all of our readers out there today.

While those fortunate enough this weekend will gather with friends and family to eat, shop, watch lots of pro and college football, see movies and do other fun things together, there's another group of folks who are going to be under a lot of anxiety by this weekend.

They're called congressional Democrats, wondering how well the Obamacare website, healthcare.gov, will be working.

That's because after the disastrous rollout of the site became apparent last month, President Obama, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other White House officials vowed that the site would be completely working by the end of November.

That would be this weekend.

As the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, however, key officials have been lowering the bar in recent days and weeks on that promise.
President Obama recently said the website would be functioning "for the majority of people who are using it," while Press Secretary Jay Carney has suggested that eight in 10 people would be able to get on the site successfully. Yesterday Secretary Sebelius said "We are definitely on track to have a significantly different user experience by the end of this month."

So the question then becomes: What if it isn't working any better? (By the way, a new CNN poll shows that 54 percent either support Obamacare, or say it's not liberal enough).

Although some pundits say the rollout debacle ensures that Republicans will seize the day in the 2014 elections, that's an absurd thing to predict nearly a year before an election. Unfortunately for Alex Sink and the Democratic Party, the special election to replace Bill Young in Pinellas County takes place in March, not next November. Conventional wisdom today (especially from Republicans) is that the problems with health care will redound on Sink.

But then again, maybe it won't. If the election were to be held next month, Sink might be in serious trouble. But she's not running against either Kathleen Peters or David Jolly until the springtime, when presumably the website will be running more efficiently. Of course, there could be more negative fallout from the plan that we don't know about yet, but Sink still dominates the two Republicans on name recognition, and in a flash poll last week had a solid edge over her potential challengers. But just like in 2010 when she lost to Rick Scott for governor, the president's health care overhaul isn't doing a lot of favors for Florida's former CFO.

Meanwhile yesterday the National Republican Congressional Committee sent out a very sarcastic pamphlet designed to "help" Sink answer questions about the ACA. But the DCCC has always been busy, blasting Kathleen Peters for allegedly flip-flopping when talking about the national flood insurance program that is expected to hit tens of thousands of PInellas County property owners.

With the most concentrated period of shopping for toys about to commence, the Florida Public Interest Research Group, or FPIRG, released a new report and held a news conference yesterday warning parents and others who will purchase gifts for young ones about the dangerous toys that are being sold in stores today.

And the St. Pete City Council's decision to take Penny for Pinellas money to help build a new police station at the expense of focusing on local neighborhoods is upsetting a lot of folks. CL's Terence Smith attended Monday night's meeting at City Hall to capture the reactions of those for and against the plan.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

For years, writer and director Rob Williams has brought his films to the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. And he was always struck not just by how gay-friendly the area is, but by how friendly in general it is.

“Everybody made me feel like part of the family,” he said.

So it was a no-brainer for the California-based filmmaker, co-founder of Guest House Films, to use Tampa, rather than Los Angeles, as the backdrop for his seventh feature-length film, the gay murder mystery Out to Kill.

In fact, “we wanted to make Tampa another character in the movie,” said Rodney Johnson, the film’s executive producer and Williams’ real-life partner. “We had this idea of a gay murder mystery written specifically for Tampa Bay.”

This witty whodunit centers on a group of gay men living in an Ybor City loft complex. Private detective Jim Noble, who recently moved into the complex, is hired to investigate the murder of one of his neighbors.

“He finds, as in all mysteries, that not everyone is telling the truth,” Williams said.

He added, “This isn’t a movie about being gay. It’s a murder mystery that happens to have gay characters.”

St. Petersburg actor Jeffrey Klein, who took on a small role in the film, said fans can expect Williams’ typical humorous dialogue and entertaining storyline in Out to Kill.

“He has a way of writing wit and humor that I truly respect,” Klein said. “This story is that of a murder mystery, but adds in the everyday conversational humor that I think a lot in the community will relate to.”

When the couple screened The Men Next Door at TIGLFF last year, Williams made an off-the-cuff comment during a Q&A session about filming their next movie in Tampa.

“I was bombarded by people,” he said.

Locals offered him places to stay, contacts with area businesses and locations to film the movie.

“We had more locations than we can use in the film,” Williams said. “That never happens in L.A.”

“The hospitality has been mind-blowing,” Johnson added.

So Guest House Films brought their production to Tampa, filming in the area between Nov. 9 and 18. Locales used for Out to Kill included Box Factory Lofts and other parts of Ybor City, Davis Islands and areas of Bayshore Boulevard overlooking the water.

“The fact that [Rob] fell in love with the area and opted to utilize Ybor and Tampa as the backdrop for it was great,” Klein said.” Everyone locally seemed to really open up and help these guys achieve their vision of their seventh film.”

While Williams and Johnson brought a few actors with them, they heavily drew their cast and crew from the Tampa area.

“It was an absolute pleasure working with Guest House Films,” said Karleigh Chase, a St. Petersburg actress who portrayed real estate agent Ann Fitzsimmons. “They were so nice and it was easy to get along with everyone. Rob and Rod run a tight ship; it was great to work on such a professional set.”

Williams said he hopes to hold the international debut of Out to Kill in Tampa this year and also will submit it to next fall’s TIGLFF.

Williams and Johnson founded Guest House Films in 2005. They debuted their first feature film, Long-Term Relationship, on here! TV in August 2007. The production company is currently taking pre-orders for a new short-film collection, Green Briefs, featuring five gay films filled with family drama.

For more information on Guest House Films, go here.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

By 5 p.m. tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, you could be feeling bloated and bored.

OR…

You could be celebrating the fact that you just scored some amazing deals in Week Two of the Creative Loafing Holiday Auction— and helped raise funds for The Children's Home at the same time.

That's right. You've only got a little more than 24 hours to bid on the items in Week Two of the CL Auction, which closes at 5 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 28 (aka Thanksgiving Day).

That means only a little while longer to bid on…

•Tampa Bay Lightning tickets and a ride on the Zamboni.

•A Super Bowl feast delivered to your door by the award-winning crew at The Refinery

• Tickets to see Lyle Lovett at Tampa Theatre

• A Downton Abbey Season Premiere Party on New Year's Eve at the Straz, plus tickets to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular

Plus…

• A wine club membership from Cooper's Hawk Winery, gift certificate to Bella's Italian Restaurant — plus a surprise (not previously announced): a magnum of Cooper's Hawk Meritage

• One-on-one photo and camera instruction from CL's award-winning photojournalist Chip Weiner

• A bunch of irresistible combo packages: American Stage tickets & dinner at La V; Stageworks season pass & a pour-your-own draft deal from Pour House; lunches at Spain& shopping at Old Tampa Book Co.; a night at Don Vicente& a private wine tasting at Ybor City Wine Bar; acupuncture, oxygen therapy & massage from two prestigious spas

• And lots, lots more.

Make this T-Day a multi-tasking triumph: While you're digesting turkey and watching football, flip open your laptop and get yourself a whole bunch of holiday shopping deals — without ever leaving the couch!

Who needs Black Friday?

And stay online after 5, because that's when Week Three Auction Items go live. Beer for a year from Datz, dinner at the Hangar with a biplane ride, New Year's Eve with B.B. King, Miller Lite Party Deck tickets to the suddenly hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The fun — and the deals — just won't stop!

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

It ain't easy being homeless, especially in Tampa, where the City Council passed and Mayor Bob Buckhorn signed several new ordinances earlier this year banning panhandling in most parts of the city. It also prohibited sleeping in public spaces. People who violate the ordinance are given three warnings, and then are given the option by the police of going to a shelter or to jail.

"It doesn't take a social scientist to see that we have a homeless problem in the downtown area," Chief Jane Castor told a group of reporters a news conference at TPD headquarters on Wednesday morning. But the chief said that it truly isn't the desire of the police to criminalize the homeless, so recent discussions with other local agencies in town have led to a new program to make sure the homeless have a place to sleep, especially in cold nights like tonight.

Hence "Operation Gimme Shelter." The plan is to challenge downtown businesses and individuals to donate money to the Salvation Army to help the homeless have a place to stay during this holiday season.

The Tampa Police Department started the operation off with a $2,000 donation to a special fund within the Salvation Army specifically designated to provide shelter for the homeless. The Tampa Downtown Partnership is also contributing $1,000, and are calling on other businesses in the downtown core to contribute as well.

Currently a homeless person can stay up to five nights at the Army's facility on Florida Avenue for free. There is a $10 nightly charge after that. But Salvation Army Major James Hall said his board has been looking at that policy and realized that the fee may be contributing to the excessive panhandling downtown. "But there are costs involved in housing people," he says. "So this donation and cooperation by the chief has just been fabulous because it helps offset our desire to try to help out the situation." He said the average stay is eight nights for a homeless man or woman in Tampa.

Christine Burdick with the Tampa Downtown Partnership said that she frequently hears complaints from downtown businesses about the homeless, with the charge being that "somebody else "needs to do something about the situation. Now she says they can.

"Our donation is a challenge and inspiration" Burdick added.

With tonight expected to be one of the coldest nights of the year, Hillsborough County officials have announced that they will open four of their shelters, two located in Tampa, one in Brandon and one in Town N' Country.

For citizens who want to help out, they can check out the Tampa Salvation Army website, or mail a check to PO Box 2839, Tampa, Fl 33601. They are advised to put Operation Gimme Shelter in the memo line.
Credit card donations can also be made via phone 813-228-761

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Gregg Perkins, an artist and University of Tampa communication professor, was just looking to make a painting of a mountain when he stumbled upon an aerial photograph of Mont Blanc, shot by Swiss aviation pioneer Walter Mittelholzer in 1935. Mittelholzer, who made the first north-to-south flight across Africa and co-founded the commercial airline that would become Swissair, captured Perkins's imagination.

In turn, that fascination led to a collaboration with Erika Greenberg-Schneider, owner and master printer at Bleu Acier in Tampa Heights, where Perkins worked for a few months earlier this year to create a series of prints inspired by Mittelholzer’s adventures.

These new prints — one photogravure, a suite of two aquatints and one of three woodcuts, each in small editions — together with a pair of paintings, a small bronze sculpture and a 3D animation of Mont Blanc based on NASA data, make up the exhibition Gregg Perkins: First There is a Mountain, which fills the gallery space adjacent to the printmaking studio at Bleu Acier. The show is unusual, as much a work of art itself as some of the featured artworks (in fact, stronger as a whole than some of the individual pieces). And, though I operate under an extremely liberal definition of art, I’m tempted to say the exhibition extends beyond art to constitute something else. It’s as if Perkins has written a short story about Mittelholzer, a cerebral tale fusing past with present that is also a partial history of image-making, hidden it, and made a series of visual artworks about the story. The result feels like a win for everyone involved: a smart reemergence for Perkins, whose last solo show was in 2006; an opportunity for Greenberg-Schneider to display her impeccable printmaking skills; and an intellectual and visual treat for their audience, which ought to include anyone interested in art in Tampa Bay.

Greenberg-Schneider says the exhibition marks a new direction for Bleu Acier, which has struggled since 2004 to find a balance between producing and marketing print editions and exhibiting contemporary art, sometimes as entirely separate efforts. Now she intends to develop exhibitions primarily to give context to the prints she makes collaboratively with artists by placing them within a larger body of work. It’s a strategy that may help her cultivate, at last, a deeper appreciation among local collectors of Bleu Acier’s output. First There is a Mountain is an exciting start.

The core of the exhibition is her collaboration with Perkins and, specifically, the photogravure “Double Mountain.” To create it, Perkins melded Mittelholzer’s black-and-white photograph with its own reflection in Photoshop, generating along the image’s vertical axis a provocative Rorschach blot in which snow-capped mountain meets snow-capped mountain. Through the process of photogravure, Greenberg-Schneider translates the virtual double mountain into a velvety print with a virtuosic tonal range of grays.

Instead of Mittelholzer’s photograph, Perkins reaches for a more contemporary data set for other works. Both the suite of woodcuts and a video animation take as their basis a 3D topographical map of Mont Blanc generated by NASA through the measurement of thermal emissions. To create the animation, Perkins made a wireframe (a complex 3D outline akin to a contour drawing) based on the NASA information, which is in the public domain, using Maya software. The finished video shows a rough-edged, ghostly three-dimensional mountain rotating in space. The woodcuts bear only a slight resemblance to the digital wireframe, though Perkins used it as the jumping off point to carve a simple, linear mountain into three woodblocks. With the basic shape of the wireframe in mind, he pored over the works of 19th-century Japanese painter and printer Hiroshige at Greenberg-Schneider’s advice, to glean how Hiroshige had conjured Mount Fuji with line. The resulting abstracted mountain, filtered from the analog world into the digital and back again, printed in three versions with white ink on fibrous black rice paper, is a fine thing.

A pair of aquatints offers something different — a perspective of falling snow that suggests Mittelholzer’s view just before beholding Mont Blanc and snapping the fated photograph. And a handful of what I would call supporting works (they don’t stand well on their own, but they’re brilliant as part of the collective exhibition) flesh out the tantalizing narrative: a photograph of a noble-looking Haile Selassie, who was Ethiopia’s emperor when Mittelholzer met him while producing a documentary about the country in the 1930s; a digital print of a map charting Mittelholzer’s pioneering journey by airplane over Africa; a duplicate of his original Mont Blanc photograph; two paintings by Perkins, based on his own woodcuts based on the NASA data-derived wireframe of Mont Blanc; and a seven-inch-tall bronze sculpture of a mountain.

My jury is still out on the paintings and the bronze, neither of which seem particularly skilled. But I read Perkins’s style of conceptualism as entailing a certain amount of self-deprecation about his own adventurous border-crossing. In particular with the bronze sculpture — an absurdly primitive cone set atop a small copper plate, the kind used to hold images in printmaking, which reflects its mirror image — Perkins plays with the limit of how little visual stimulus will provoke a viewer to imagine something as vast and majestic as a mountain. If, by the time you arrive at considering his bronze mountain, the answer is very little, it’s because he’s done so well in summoning the mountain so many times.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
—Genesis 4:1

Scrabbling around in our garage this week, I came across our old grill, and thought — a bit ruefully — that I’ve not only given up smoking, I’ve given up smoking turkeys. What next, grilled cheese? This is a vegetarian house, but the rules are fluid.

On Thanksgiving, I used to get up at 5 a.m., dust off the grill, fill the pan with water, add some mesquite chips to the charcoal, heave the turkey onto the grill, and try to squirt the lighter fluid and light the coals in the right order. Jeanne would have made some tasty marinade with which I’d baste the massive bird throughout the morning, watching it slowly turn that delectable brown color as the scent of roasting turkey spread around the neighborhood. The thought occurs to me that these turkeys weren’t vegetarians. They didn’t get those Butterball breasts from veggies.

Often when it was done I’d carry the bird proudly out to the park in front of our house, setting it on a table filled with other gifts for the neighborhood’s Thanksgiving banquet, featuring smoked fish, Virginia-cured ham, heaps of sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pumpkin and mince pies for the hungry pilgrims of Driftwood …

Jeanne became a vegetarian about 20 years ago. She had an ambiguous health scare, and wasn’t about to wait around to see what would happen: she read a lot of books and, despite being famous for her chicken Vindaloo, decided vegetarianism was the way to go. This seems to have been a wise choice, as at the advanced age of X, she’s one healthy whipper-snapper.

I too am healthier, as, not counting an occasional squirrel, no meat can enter our doors. Jeanne looks on this as win/win, as she often lets me talk her into going out to dinner, where she enjoys her Caesar salad with salmon, while tossing meatballs to me like fish to a gaping pelican at the Pier (now also closed, come to think of it).

It’s difficult to debate a vegetarian. Jeanne and many other “near-vegetarians” eat fish, particularly salmon, for their health, which seems a tad contradictory — but “I won’t eat anything that screams when you kill it” is pretty tough to argue with. The idea of my chicken sandwich shrieking like Maria Sharapova makes me hesitate. Electric chairs would be expensive, and injections with poison would make chickens inedible. Besides, vegetarianism seems good for our environment, in a way that cattle ranches and chicken coops aren’t, so pointing out a few philosophical inconsistencies doesn’t cut much cheese.

Like many of my Tea Party friends, when cornered I often turn to the Bible. But this, too, poses problems on the subject. Cain, as we know, was Adam and Eve’s first-born, followed closely by Abel, both brought safely into the world without Obamacare. Cain was “a tiller of the ground,” and Abel, not wanting to copy his brother, raised sheep. Violence then entered the world — via males: that seems right — when Cain beat Abel to death because God accepted Abel’s offering of roast lamb but turned down Cain’s vegetarian medley.

One would naturally think that Cain, the vegetarian, was right, being the first-born, and so, we’ve been taught by psychologists, an over-achiever. But why did God turn his vegetables down? From the very Beginning, it seems to have been a case of De gustibus non est disputandum.

I’ve therefore decided to follow the Greeks, who are much clearer, though not as interesting, on the subject. Their general advice — summed up by Aristotle — was to follow the “golden mean,” moderation in all things, guided by wisdom and experience. You can see why the overheated Tea Party prefers the Bible to Plato’s Symposium. Therefore I’ve decided to mostly join Jeanne, and eat much less meat, so long as I don’t have to go cold turkey.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
—Genesis 4:9

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Why suffer the malls and the big box stores when you can find great stuff in CL's Holiday Auction? Better yet, the proceeds from every winning bid support The Children's Home.

The bidding on Week Three of the auction began on Thanksgiving Day at 5 p.m. (three hours before Target!) at cltampa.com/HolidayAuction2013.

Here's just some of the cool stuff in this week's list.

Miller Lite Party Deck passes to the Dec. 8 Bucs/Bills game

New Year's Eve w. B.B. King

Six months of shows at The Mahaffey Theater, including Chris Isaak and the Rudolf Nureyev State Ballet

A cocktail a week for a year at The Bends

Dinner at The Hangar and a biplane ride

Find all these and more at CL's eBay store. Auction Week Three closes Dec. 5 at 5 p.m.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

I have stocking envy — Christmas stocking envy. I have a mantle that’s perfect for dangling a stocking from, but unless I adopt the tradition for Chanukah (which I’m seriously considering), I’ll be living vicariously through this column, which is all about filling them fashionably.
Not really sure how much style can be stuffed into a stocking, so I came up with this formula: six things for guys, six things for girls = 12 days of Christmas.

For the guys
• There’s something so sexy about a man in a French cuff shirt, and if he has one (or if you give him one) he’ll need a pair of cuff links. Though details.com just ran a scathing piece about how men should abandon French cuffs and the links that go with them, the good news is that according to the article, one acceptable place to wear them is “in close proximity to a bowl of eggnog.” It’s the holiday season. The cuff links stay.
• Wake up Christmas morning to the tick-tock, tick-tock of a vintage timepiece. He’ll look regal reaching for a pocket watch.
• With the “anything goes” rules of street style, bow ties have become far more versatile than anyone might have anticipated. They go beautifully with the classics — a tuxedo and martini — but consider them also with a sleek button-down collar shirt sans jacket. (And consider buying one from Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Tie the Knot line; proceeds benefit organizations working toward LGBT rights.)
• I take my man clean-shaven, but the perpetual 5 o’clock shadow thing is sexy, too. Fill his stocking with luxe shave products and stand by as his fragrance fills the air. (Cleanse Apothecary has just added the high-end Art of Shaving line, which is also available at International Plaza. Or, for an option that’s easy on the pocketbook and on his face, consider the Kiss My Face line available at Whole Foods.)
• Whether tucked in his pocket or in the car’s glove compartment, a handsome writing instrument is a powerful expression of style. Maybe he’ll pen you a love letter.
• Style meets substance in men’s magazines such as GQ and Details. Roll one up with a one-year subscription. That’s a whole year’s worth of presents fit into one stocking.

For the girls
• Meet her at the mistletoe! But first pop some super kissable lipstick in her stocking.
• Lace, print or popping opaque tights are perfect for pumping up the volume at a holiday party (or on a plain black outfit). As far as I’m concerned, you could fill the whole stocking with stockings and cute, cozy socks. #favoritewinteraccessory
• Fashion documentaries are perfect for the chick who likes flicks that inform as well as entertain. A few titles to tickle her pink: Valentino: The Last Emperor; Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel; and Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s.
• Mark the occasion with temporary tattoos. They provide all of the fun of self-expression without the silly mistakes.
• Claws will come out with graphic nail art. Drop in a few polishes and decorative tips so she can scratch your back in style.
• Nothing screams celebration like a giant, gleaming cocktail ring. And if you’re stuffing a stocking for a stylish little princess, a Ring Pop will suffice.

Happy stuffing! Now I’ve got to go fill my Chanukah stocking.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Protests spearheaded by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) against Wal-Mart were held across the country on Black Friday. At the demonstration in front of the retail giant's superstore on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, approximately 20 people gathered to blast the company for paying an average of $8.81 for their employees. "That's not enough to put food on the table," says Angela Williamson, an organizer with the UFCW International based in Washington D.C. who was leading the local rally.

Williamson says she speaks from experience, having worked on two different occasions for the retailer in the Panhandle city of Gulf Breeze. She says that making such a low-wage puts pressure on employees to be able to support a family. "That's no way to live," she asserts, "especially when you're working for one of the largest retailers in the country."

Mike Ortiz has worked at the Dale Mabry Walmart close to three years unloading delivery trucks. A college student taking online courses at Full Sail University near Winter Park, his biggest gripe (other than his hourly wage of $8.90 an hour) is the actual work environment at the Dale Mabry location.

"The backroom is really cluttered" says Ortiz, who works 24 hours a week at Walmart. "It's a safety hazard pretty much." When asked what his biggest issue was with his employer, he said it was a general lack of respect for the worker.

Like many of his colleagues, Ortiz put in a full day of labor on Thanksgiving, but considered himself fortunate in that his shift ran from 5AM to 2PM, allowing him to spend the rest of his day with his family on the national holiday. But he said he knew many fellow employees who were working 2pm - 10 pm. slots last night. "I think it's shameful" he says of the company's decision in 2012 to open on Thanksgiving. "People should be able to be with their families during certain holidays."

Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon has aggressively defended his company's position on having his store's open during the holiday. "That's what the industry is heading towards,"accused Wal-Mart earlier this month of illegally disciplining workers, including some who were allegedly fired for protesting the retailer’s employee policies">he told the Today Show on Friday.

Jonathan LaFavor has worked at the Wal-Mart location on Gunn Highway for a decade now. He makes $10 an hour and works 40 hours a week, better than a lot of his colleagues, yet not enough to allow the 32-year-old to move out of the house he shares with his mother and a couple of roommates in Carrollwood.

LaFavor participated in a brief strike against the retail giant last Saturday, missing two days of work to protest against working conditions at Wal-Mart before returning back to work. He says his biggest concern on the job are the conditions with pallet jacks. "Some of them don't work right, " he says. "It's hard to find some that work properly. Sometimes we hurt our backs trying to pallet."

Asked to sum up what he'd like from his boss and he replied, "A decent living wage, respect on the job, and better health care."

The name of the group behind the protests is called OUR Walmart, and they promised before today that there would be protests at some 1,500 Walmart stores. The conservative leaning Washington Examiner reported earlier this week that the National Labor Relations Board had approved the UFCW's practice of paying people to protest against Wal-Mart in a legal memorandum earlier this month.

However Teamsters member Miguel Gonzalez flatly denied he'd been offered anything to protest on the day after Thanksgiving. "I want to make my contribution to society and to the workers of this community who have been making Wal-Mart very powerful and rich," he said.

Recently President Obama has come out in support of theFair Minimum Wage Act, legislation being sponsored in the Senate by Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin and in the House by George Miller (D-California) that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour (the federal minimum wage currently is at $7.25 an hour).

"It's a good start, but still $10 an hour in the year 2013 is still a minimal salary, " maintains Bob Ruggiero from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, who said that the growing wealth disparity in this country needs to be addressed by our lawmakers.

In advance of today's protests nationwide, Wal-Mart spokesperson Kory Lundberg told Forbes last week that “There’s nothing new about the [United Food And Commercial Workers] union’s campaign against Wal-Mart," referring to similar protests from a year ago.

The National Labor Relations Boardaccused Wal-Mart earlier this month of illegally disciplining workers, including some who were allegedly fired for protesting the retailer’s employee policies.

Wal-Mart “unlawfully threatened, disciplined and/or terminated employees” at stores in 13 states for protesting working conditions, according to a statement from the NLRB.

The UFCW's Angela Williamson says that "We are pushing them (the NLRB) to make a quick resolution to it and get these workers back to work immediately."

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

More to do this weekend and next week ...

Seminole Heights Holiday Shop Hop Popular shops like Cleanse Apothecary, Culture and Thrills and many more will have refreshments and special offers throughout Central Tampa's historic neighborhood on Sat., Nov. 30, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Find locator map on zeemaps.com.
Golden Dragon Acrobats Behold a breathtaking 25-century-old tradition that melds traditional dance, acrobatics, fancy costumes, and ancient and contemporary music. 2 and 7 p.m., Sun., Dec. 1, $24.50-$34.50. Largo Cultural Center. LargoArts.com.
Plant Museum’s Victorian Christmas Stroll University of Tampa’s 32nd annual tradition begins and runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Dec. 23. Sing with the carolers, check out antique toys and marvel at a 15-foot tree. $7-$13. plantmuseum.com.
Billy Collins The two-term poet laureate (pictured above, left) visits Tampa to share verse from his new book, Aimless Love, for one night only, Wed., Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Jaeb Theater of the Straz. Click here for a nice ticket-book package deal at Inkwood.
A Thousand Clowns Hat Trick Theatre Productions presents Herb Gardner’s touching play, starring Ned Averill-Snell and Hannah Anton. $14 for preview opening on Thurs., Oct. 5; $23 through Dec. 22. 8 p.m. Straz’s Shimberg Playhouse. facebook.com/HatTrickTheatre‎

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Each year, World AIDS Day is held on Dec. 1, turning the spotlight on a disease that affects 1.1 million people in the United States and an estimated 34 million people worldwide. This global day of recognition was first organized in 1998 to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died from it.

Here are some of the events planned throughout Tampa Bay to commemorate the day:

The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Muvico Ybor present a World AIDS Day film program on Sunday, Dec. 1 starting at 7 p.m. The event will feature the Florida premieres of the documentary Keep the Promise: The Global Fight Against AIDS and the dramatic short film Stigma.

Narrated by Margaret Cho, Keep the Promise is a documentary that profiles advocates from around the world as they gathered in Washington, DC in 2012 to protest global AIDS policy on the eve of the 19th International AIDS Conference. The film includes celebrity appearances by Dr. Cornel West, Tavis Smiley, Reverend Al Sharpton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as musical performances by Wyclef Jean.

In Stigma, Peter’s worldview changes when he tests positive for HIV. He goes on with his normal daily routine unsure of what to do with himself or who to tell, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

Tickets are $10 or $8 with a canned good for the AIDS Service Association of Pinellas (ASAP) Food Bank or an unwrapped toy for Metro Wellness and Community Centers.

ASAP will also hold its 4th Annual Santa Speedo Run that day at Ybor City’s Centennial Park. Runners check in at 1 p.m.; the run begins at 2 p.m.

Runners strip down to their swimwear to raise money for ASAP and Brighter Seasons for Children. The cost to register for this one-mile run is $35. Pledges can be made in the name of a participating runner, and general donations are also accepted.

And earlier that morning, St. Pete’s King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church will hold a special “Tolling of the AIDS Memorial Bells” at 10 a.m. to commemorate the lives of those who lost their fight with HIV/AIDS.

The next day, Monday, Dec. 2, Tampa’s Francis House will hold a vigil at 5:30 p.m. to remember those who have died from HIV/AIDS in the past year.

Later in the week, Pinellas Countywill observe World AIDS Day on Friday, Dec. 6, 12 to 4 p.m., at Williams Park in St. Petersburg. In addition to free health screenings, the event will also include food, entertainment and giveaways. This year’s theme is Getting to Zero, meaning zero infections or AIDS-related deaths.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]