A musician in a bright orange jumpsuit and a white face mask tucked under their chin performs at a night event. They are focused on adjusting a synthesizer and mixer on a tiered stand, with a laptop displaying audio software in the foreground and green-tinted projections visible on the wall behind them.Pleasures plays The Bends in St. Petersburg, Florida on Oct. 31, 2020. Credit: Brian Mahar / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

The 600 Block’s rock and roll heyday might’ve never been captured on film if it wasn’t for Brian Mahar.

The St. Petersburg photographer—with bylines in long-defunct music magazines and blogs Reax and Suburban Apologist, plus Creative Loafing Tampa Bay—was everywhere. From The Local 662 to Fubar, The Bends (pictured above), and any warehouse show he was hip to, Mahar captured the best moments from the Tampa Bay music scene.

And now the 45-year-old who relentlessly photographed Bay area music needs some help.

Over the summer, friends and family launched a GoFundMe to help him during treatment for stage four Hodgkin’s lymphatic cancer and stage four blood marrow cancer. Despite a positive oncology report last November, Mahar now has severe nerve damage in his legs and hands, and faces a long road to healing. 

Donations will be accepted during Punk at the Pub: Benefit for Brian Mahar with Lot Lizards and Human Error happening Thursday, Jan. 22 at 49th Street Pub in St. Petersburg.

This article appears in Jan. 15 – 21, 2026.

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Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief…
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