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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 7, 2002
Red Tide rolls on
Tampa Bay area hip-hop act Red Tide, above, will perform this weekend with locals Function and Trace Element. The three will celebrate live electronic performance with a stage full of synths, computer equipment and gear, allowing them to create wonky, experimental sounds and terrific music.
We don't have a huge hip-hop scene here, but what we've got is good. We should thank our lucky stars for Red Tide, whose innovation is along the lines of clever Kool Keith and Del the Funky Homosapien. Red Tide makes music that's witty, intelligent, and fresh, never missing a beat. The act, which has collaborated with big names such as DJ Spooky and Saul Williams, gets props nationwide, too, with raves from The Source.
Function, Red Tide, and Trace Element perform 9 p.m. Friday at the Orpheum, 1902 Avenida Republica de Cuba, Tampa. (813) 248-9500. Admission is $5 for 21 & up, $6 for those under 21.
When Robert Schimmel last performed in this area, in July 2001, he was recovering from treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and trying to prove wrong doctors who said he wouldn't live long.
Schimmel, a former writer for In Living Color and star of an HBO special, is now celebrating 18 months of remission. He's performing almost every weekend around the country. And he's on a crusade: His Web site, www.robertschimmel.com, has the usual list of performance dates and photos of past shows, but much of it is given over to his "Laughter is the Best Medicine Project," which includes a journal of his diagnosis and treatment, survivors' stories and links to cancer organizations.
As part of the project, he's asking fans in each city to bring to his show new or used comedy CDs or audio books. Schimmel says that listening to comedy helped him through the long, painful cancer treatment. The CDs and books he gathers will be given to others going through treatment.
Schimmel also lost a young son to cancer and plans to add children's books and games to the project soon.
Schimmel appears tonight through Sunday at the Tampa Improv. Show times are 8 tonight; 8 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $14-$18, and all shows are nonsmoking.
The Improv is in Centro Ybor, 1600 E Eighth Ave., Tampa. Call (813) 864-4000 for information and reservations.