Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Florida singer/songwriter/guitarist Danny Roberts has worked with Tom Petty, Derek Trucks, Billy Joe Royal, Robert Nix, Denny Cordell, Phil Seymour and many more fantastic musicians. He also played in JGLB, and in other bands with current and former JGLB guys like Ray Blade, Rob Stoney, “Count” Arthur Basie, Will Perish and Johnny G Lyon.

Danny is recovering from injuries sustained in a serious car accident. Please join us Sunday July 13 at 5 PM at Skipper’s Smokehouse for a great concert to help out our bro Dan-Bob:

Danny and Tom Petty worked together in “Mudcrutch” for 2 ½ years, from 1972-74. Danny wasn’t just a sideman, he wrote and sang lead on many of the band’s songs. Danny was with the band on their famous trip to L.A. An excellent bio can be found at http://www.thoseguys.com/bio_danny.html.

At the other end of his resume, Danny also played with JGLB, and in other bands with guys that were in our band. We’ve been fans of Danny since the 70’s, when he played in the hottest band (The Bad News Boys) in the hottest club in Lakeland (The Lakeland Lounge, which was actually in Hillsborough County, just across the county line).

Danny was in a bad car wreck recently. Although he was seriously injured, he’s recovering rapidly. A bunch of us are hooking up to help out a brother in need, if you will.

The performers are a mix of Danny’s old Lakeland buddies, guys he played with in Tampa, and guys who just wanna help out.

Take Five is Danny’s Lakeland buddies. They’re Allman Bros-esque, featuring two outstanding drummers. Guitarist Larry Berwald and drummer Johnny Rhodes played in “Fat Chance,” one of Florida’s top bands in the early to mid 70’s. Rhodes also played with Danny Roberts in a notable early 70’s Florida rock band, “Power.”

Tampa guys is us, Johnny G Lyon & JGLB (or Johnny G Lyon Band). We played with Danny in “The Purple Gang” in 1984, and Danny did a stint with JGLB in 1997.

Guys who just wanna help out: our buddy Damon Fowler. A few years ago, Damon was in a car wreck, and received a lot of support when he needed it from the musician community. As a result he’s happy to help out in situations like this. He’ll be jamming with both Take Five and JGLB.

Also playing: Charlie Souza of St Pete also played in Mudcrutch after Danny left. He’s with “The New Rascals” now, and he’s also been working with Danny on a project called “The Mudbreakers.”

“Count” Arthur Basie, now living in Tampa, is originally from Lakeland. He’s a versatile veteran of the bay area music scene, having played in JGLB among many other bands, including “Perfect Stranger” with Danny Roberts in 1976.

For more information about the show, head to downtownwestevents.com.  I encourage you to come help take are of your local musicians and have a good time while doing it.

Charity Dinner, part 5

Without much thought, I agreed that my husband and I would put on a charity dinner for the Boy Scouts.  Then I panicked.  Then I freaked out.  Then I formulated a plan.

The Noho Bistro was kind enough to donate space for the dinner. Publix and La Cense Beef donated food for the cause, and Vintage Wine Cellars donated the wine. Now we can create a great dinner to raise money for the Boy Scouts.

Greg designed a soup and entrée course, a celeriac root and roasted chile soup with cilantro oil and cardamom crème fresh and a pan roasted petit sirloin with tomato gazpacho coulis, zucchini and fennel “pappardelle”, and orange-almond-mint gremolata.  While NoHo chef and co-owner Jessica left us with a homemade cherry sorbet and Mexican chocolate cookies for dessert. Divine does not explain that sorbet nor the cookies.

NoHo chef and co-owner Tina ensured everything went to the tables perfectly, with help from our friends, Fred Stolz and Joe Prince.  They all received a standing ovation, and even stuck around to help clean the place up at the end of the night.

My FOH crew was made up of volunteers also. Carol Gualdiero and Sally Martin (Greg’s cousins) and our neighbor and friend, Marianne Santilli all volunteered to give up their Friday nights.

The celebrities? Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Michael Winslow (Police Academy, think the beat box man), Mark Goddard (Lost In Space) and Erin Gray (Buck Rogers) were just a few. Everyone was very, very gracious and thankful. Okay, one had too much to drink and had to be reminded by Greg to maintain his composure, while another kept groping my neighbor, but hey, it’s Hollywood!

Tommy has allowed me to list all of the donating businesses on Sticks Of Fire to the right. Please visit their sites and their stores. These are the kinds of businesses we need to support in Tampa. Ya know, for the Boy Scouts.

Thanks again, to everyone.

Charity Dinner, part 4

Without much thought, I agreed that my husband and I would put on a charity dinner for the Boy Scouts.  Then I panicked.  Then I freaked out.  Then I formulated a plan.

The Noho Bistro was kind enough to donate space for the dinner. Publix and La Cense Beef donated food for the cause, but we are still going to need some wine.

I have to admit it. So far, everyone I had approached simply “handed over the keys,” but not so with wine. I thought this would have been the easy one. That’s until I walked into Vintage Wine Cellars.

I had never been to Vintage Wine before. I knew of it and had wanted to go because I had heard how wonderful their selection was, from every day wine, weekend wine, to wine for special occasions, they had it. Not to mention an awesome selection of microbrews. I found quite a few bottles that I needed to have, all within my under $15 budget (I’m not a wealthy woman). I poked around a bit and ooed and ahhed over some very luxury selections that I promised I would buy as soon as I had my Maserati.

Michael (a.k.a The Wine Guru on Channel 8’s DayTime) greeted me. I explained the dinner and asked for his recommendation. I had succumbed to the fact that I would have to buy the wine.

“I was an Eagle Scout.” Michael stated. “I’m going to give you the wine.”

I looked at him a little strangely, I’m sure, because I was just taken back by the fact that this man would just give me 12 bottles of vino based on my story. For all he knew, I was pulling a scam for free wine.

“Are you sure?’ I meagerly asked.

“Yes. It’s for the Boy Scouts.” He replied.

I now had it all. The venue, the food, the wine, and the staff - all through the goodness of others.

The dinner itself will be a breeze, right?

Stay tuned.

To be continued…

Charity Dinner, part 3

Without much thought, I agreed that my husband and I would put on a charity dinner for the Boy Scouts.  Then I panicked.  Then I freaked out.  Then I formulated a plan.

I would beg and plead with everyone I knew in the food industry. I suspected I would have to trade my soul for the help, but I was willing, it’s for the Boy Scouts after all.

The Noho Bistro was kind enough to donate space for the dinner.  Now I need some food to cook.

I’ve been buying La Cense Beef for a while now. It’s beef that tastes like beef. New York Strips that are robust with deep flavor and Ribeyes that are fork tender. Awhile back I did a column for the Tribune all about glorious beef and where to buy it. Through this, I met Laura Baddish, La Cense Beefs PR rep. She and I hit it off instantly. We spent a good three hours just chit chatting over coffee while she was down for the Rum Festival (one of her clients was being represented). During our conversation, I mentioned the Boy Scout dinner. Without a hitch she asked, “Would you like La Cense to donate the beef for the Boy Scouts?”

I could have kissed her. Like clock work, Laura had 30 individually packaged petit sirloins at my doorstep the night before the dinner.

***

My husband spends the majority of his life in grocery stores (it’s a Personal Chef thing). Together, we have shopped at just about every grocery store in Tampa. One store, hands down, is the friendliest, the cleanest, the most efficient, and offers a great selection. Because of this, he shops at this store whenever possible.

Enter Publix Store #0582 at the corner of Habana and Hillsborough Ave.

Just to give you a glimpse as to how fantastic the people are at this store, the Produce Manager; David, takes his personal, company mandated break at the same time every morning just to take a customer (a little old lady who can not drive) to the hospital just down the road, so that she can visit with her terminally ill husband.

Okay, I know. You’re a little stunned. I was too. I didn’t even know people like that still existed! (And yes ladies, he has a girlfriend.)

Now top on that this store has amazing produce, an extremely helpful deli and bakery, a very fresh seafood counter, a great meat case selection, cashiers who smile and actually speak to you, managers who are helpful and visible at all times and the 15+ rows of everything else one may ever need. Have a special order item? No biggie, they handle it with a smile. Need a suggestion? Ask anyone. I have witnessed on several occasions, stock boys and girls, helping customers choose the right product. Yeah, they actually know and CARE what they are selling.

When I approached David about the charity dinner, with out a hick up he responded, “I’m sure Alex (the store manager) would be fine with it. It’s for the Boy Scouts.” James, the Assistant Store Manager came over. “Oh, I’m sure it will be fine. It’s for the Boy Scouts, right?”

Sure enough, Alex had no problem. “I’ll leave a message for David, what ever you need.”  These guys were so easy going about it that I wasn’t really sure they had even agreed.

Venue?  Check.

Food?  Check.

This is just going too well.  But I still need some wine.

To be continued…

Charity Dinner, part 2

Without much thought, I agreed that my husband and I would put on a charity dinner for the Boy Scouts.  Then I panicked.  Then I freaked out.  Then I formulated a plan.

I would beg and plead with everyone I knew in the food industry. I suspected I would have to trade my soul for the help, but I was willing, it’s for the Boy Scouts after all.

First of all, I needed a place.  So I called my friends at The Noho Bistro, Jessica and Tina.

If you’re not aware of The Noho Bistro, you need to make plans tout-suite. They serve an amazingly delicious, casual yet elegant lunch menu and offer catering. Their menu is seasonal, which is just plain awesome. Greg and I equate Jessica and Tina’s (both Chefs) cooking style to well-trained, classically French taught chefs who know what they are doing in the kitchen. Rumor has it they will be opening for dinner in the fall, and I can guarantee these ladies are going to make SoHo restaurants work for their money. I am still raving over the Duck Confit Salad with Pancetta and Cranberries I had last fall. The Pancetta was baked slightly, forming nouveau rose buds. It was gorgeous and divine. Not to mention their Bison Burgers SHOULD have won the Creative Loafing Best Burger Competition.

On with the begging.

“Sure, we’ll pair up with you. It’s for the Boy Scouts,” stated Jessica.

It can’t be this easy?  Can it? 

If you plan to dine soon at The Noho Bistro, please tell ‘em how great they are for donating their space.

I’ll still need food and wine, but at least I have the place.

To be continued…

No doubt many of you have heard about the attack on the young woman returning books to the public library in Bloomingdale. It’s a crime so vicious, ugly and senseless that there are simply no sides to take and no issues to debate.

Unfortunately, it looks like that might not turn out to be the case in the aftermath. Here’s hoping that this doesn’t turn into another moral, ethical and, ultimately, political football, like the Terri Schiavo fiasco. The victim and her family have certainly suffered enough without that circus coming to town again.

In the meantime, while we’re all still being civil with one another and are at least in agreement that these people are facing unimaginably horrific circumstances over which they have no control, at least we can help.

SunTrust Bank has established the “Bloomingdale Library Assault Victim Fund.” Call a local SunTrust Bank branch and tell them that you would like to contribute. Please spread the word about this young woman and her family, so that she is not forgotten, and let others know how they can help, too.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could grab a spare bicycle at The Pier in St. Pete, and ride it to Tropicana Field for a ballgame, where someone else could use that same bike to get to the Dali Museum?  Once the Rays finish beating the Yankees, you could pick up another spare bicycle outside, and ride over to Baywalk, and put it in the bike rack with a handful of other bikes available to anyone to use for free.

Awesome idea, huh?  And the (turn down audio before clicking!) Green Bike Initiative wants to do just that:

Seeking to fill a niche need within our community, St. Pete’s Bike GREEN initiative was launched in March 2008 by cycling enthusiasts around Pinellas County. Having seen successful Public Utility Bike (PUB) programs in a number of European and American cities, founders Andrew Blikken and Brent Bruns decided the time had come for their own community to benefit from such an initiative.

It will never work.

The Tampa Downtown Partnership tried a similar program 10 years ago.  All 50 of the hideous orange bikes were stolen within a week.

Even Bike GREEN knows it.  In an interview with Big 13, BikeGreen.info founder Brent Bruns expects problems:

“We’re anticipating a thousand bikes to be stolen each month for six months, which is why we are launching with 8,000.”

Holy cow! - You’re telling me that you are going to flood downtown St. Pete with 8,000 green bicycles?  Imagine that for a second.  And then you expect 1,000 to be stolen each month for six months!  What happens in month 7?  Do people get bored with stealing bicycles every day?

And just how on earth are they raising money for 8,000 bicycles?  The obvious - they are selling handfuls of Altoids for $.25 each from vending machines.

This has success written all over it.

Tedd Webb and the Famunda All Stars are throwing a party to help out the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

The Famunda All Stars are staging Koncert For Kiddz II Saturday night, May 17th at The Ritz-Ybor at the corner of 7th Ave and 15th Street in Ybor City. The Famundas will welcome local celebs such as Belinda Womack, Michael Clayton of the Tampa Bay Bucs, as well as TV giants like Brendan McGloughlin, Mike Deeson, pro wrestler Lanny Poffo, and newspaper elite Ernest Hooper, Steve Persall, and Bob Ross to sing for the benefit of The Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Bay News 9’s Jen Holloway, and Fox 13’s Charley Belcher will MC.

Tickets are on sale now, contact Tanya Loira at 813-839-9393. Corporate tables are $500 for 6 seats, while General Admission is $30.

This will be a great time, and I plan on hanging out there at the Ritz Theater in Ybor for a while, and partying with all the local celebrities: Michael Clayton of the Bucs, Sharon Taylor, Jeff Fisher, Belinda Womack, Lanny Poffo, Mike Deeson, Jerry Petuck, Brian Blair & The Oreos, Steve Persall, Ernest Hooper, Bob Ross, Jen Holloway, Charley Belcher, and more.

That’s this Saturday evening. The silent auction begins at 6pm, and the musical acts start around 8pm. As you can see be the list of guests above, there’s no telling what is going to happen.

Once they are finished, the Johnny G. Lyon Band starring Tommy Duncan is playing across the street at the Blue Shark, and you can be sure that we are going to party the rest of the night away there.

If you haven’t been to Ybor in a while, Saturday night is an excellent opportunity to reaquaint yourself. See you there!