New Year's Eve in Tampa means two things: fireworks in Channel District and the Outback Bowl Parade. Sports fans got ready for some football Thursday with the traditional parade before today's Outback Bowl matchup between the Northwestern Wildcats and Auburn Tigers. The parade featured krewe floats and nearly 20 marching bands, representation from both schools and even a pep rally. The route along Seventh Avenue in Ybor City from 20th to 14th streets was lined with fans donning Wildcat purple or Auburn orange. Although the rivalry might be fierce on the field today, for the most part the opposing fans kept the New Year's Eve pregame partying on a friendly basis. ...more

January 1, 2010

Summer in the Bay area means thunderstorms and the Warped Tour, the punk and underground music festival that made a stop at Vinoy Park on Sunday. ...more

July 27, 2009

They came out from under rocks and caves to Busch Gardens to prove who was the scariest of them all. ...more

July 13, 2009

Ladies and gentleman, children of all ages, it's almost time to make your way to "The Greatest Show on Earth." ...more

December 17, 2008

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists handed out its 2008 Griot Drum Awards at its annual banquet Thursday night at the Poynter Institute. ...more

November 21, 2008

GOJIRA: THE WAY OF ALL FLESH (PROSTHETIC) **½ There was something uplifting about "From Mars to Sirius," the 2006 U.S. breakthrough album from French metal outfit Gojira. Heavy as it was, the group avoided metal's oppressiveness with soaring riffs and lyrics that revealed its commitment to environmentalism (and a love of sea mammals: "When we play we try to sound like a whale," singer Joe Duplantier told the Tribune in 2006). ...more

November 20, 2008

FUJIYA & MIYAGI: LIGHTBULBS (DEAF DUMB & BLIND) *** Fujiya & Miyagi (an English trio, rather than an Asian duo - take that, expectations!) are either heavily ironic or heavily absurd: Vanilla strawberry/Knickerbocker glory/I saw the ghost of Lena Zavaroni, anyone? But "Lightbulbs" is so full of creamy pop goodness the lyrics can be taken as the afterthought they very well may be. ...more

October 17, 2008

THE VERVE: FORTH (ON YOUR OWN) **½ The Verve returns 11 years after scoring a hit with "Urban Hymns" and subsequently disbanding. "Forth" has one foot in the solid song structures of its 1997 album and one toe dipping tentatively into the more free-flowing waters of early albums. ...more

October 10, 2008

THE MELVINS: NUDE WITH BOOTS (IPECAC) **½ You just don't realize how prettified most hard rock and metal is until you listen to The Melvins. The Melvins strip it all down to muscle and sinew - it ain't pretty, but it's way more functional. ...more

September 12, 2008

CD reviews from The Tampa Tribune ...more

September 5, 2008