GEORGIE’S ALIBI: THE REUNION
Georgie’s Alibi, a staple in the St. Petersburg LGBTQ community for fifteen years, closed its doors for the last time in September 2015. Now, a grassroots reunion has materialized nearly two years later.
“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the rumors are true and Georgie’s Alibi St. Petersburg will cease operations,” the bar’s Facebook page abruptly announced in 2015, just over a week before its scheduled closure. (Employees found out not long before.) “The real estate and an adjoining parcel have been sold to a developer who plans on building new housing units… Technology and a greater acceptance of alternative lifestyles have impacted the viability of gay venues throughout the country, and The Alibi was not immune to this phenomena.”
It was a statement that didn’t resonate well with many in the community at the time, and revisiting it does it no favors: particularly since new venues have popped up — and lasted — and the empty shell of a building (and ghost of the Alibi sign) still remain in St. Petersburg.
It’s something that former patrons and staff are likely to discuss at the now-scheduled reunion, hosted by DJ L Mo of Alibi et al and The ZOO Studios and Event Space, also in St. Petersburg.
“Come together for an evening with friends, staff, performers and shared memories!” the public Facebook event page reads. It promises “historic pics and videos” on projection screens throughout the event space, with “appearances and recognition of those we love and miss.”
The event is scheduled for Aug. 14, from 8pm until midnight with free admission. No word on the $2 Long Island Iced Teas in a Mason Jar.
EAT, DRINK AND BE… AARON?
Tampa-born Aaron Carter recently opened up about his attraction to both men and women in a heartfelt coming out on Twitter —and now, he’s come out again: to Hamburger Mary’s Brandon.
The former child star and Backstreet Boy sibling singer has faced backlash for several of his decisions in the last year, having faced an arrest for a suspected DUI and, before that, supporting Donald Trump. (He later retracted.)
But Carter’s coming out has been met with welcoming arms by many in the LGBTQ community, and his fans were certainly ready to “eat, drink and be Mary” with the singer as he performed live at the popular eatery Aug. 10 (OK, we’re assuming went well, as the event hasn’t happened yet as of press time).
“Looking forward to seeing all my fans in my hometown of Tampa Bay Aug. 10 at Hamburger Mary’s Brandon,” Carter shared on Facebook, calling the performance an “intimate evening and pop up acoustic showcase.”
Mary herself weighed in on the Mary’s Brandon Facebook page, calling it “a once in a lifetime intimate acoustic setting with Aaron Carter,” with “real and raw vocals [that are] only the best.”
And they were (again, we’re assuming. We feel so in the dark on this one), Congratulations Aaron!
