THURSDAY, MARCH 24
EYES LIKE KNIVES w/AUDITORIUM/ARCADE INFERNO Boston's Eyes Like Knives is a melodic rock outfit that features guy-girl vocals and a dynamic sound that draws from the heavier end of the alternative playground. Auditorium is the brainchild of former Gita frontman (and Planet graphics guy) Joran Oppelt; it's an emotive – but definitely not emo – mix of guitar anthemics and electro atmosphere. And as for Arcade Inferno, well, those two fuckers are just crazy. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
COPELAND/ACCEPTANCE/LOVEDRUG/AS TALL AS LIONS Christian post-emo poppers Copeland and stylish Old-Wave-meets-new pop purveyors Lovedrug are regular visitors to the State, and the kids love 'em. Along for the ride this time around is Acceptance, a hooky all-ages-scene staple that recently landed on "new bands to watch" lists in both Alternative Press and Spin. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
KENNY G I believe the music-scribe community has officially used every single Kenny G joke involving the word "blows," so I don't know what to tell you, other than the smooth-jazz icon/magician lookalike's Van Wezel appearance coincides with the annual Sarasota Jazz Festival. (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota)
BRIAN JOHNSON/BIG MACHINE It's a rock show. Not an alternative rock show. Not a punk rock show. Not a pantywaist indie rock show. It's a rock show, plain and simple. Got a problem with that? Good. Big Machine is a new band led by Kelly Schaefer, a local head shop owner and musician best known for his years with Atheist and Neurotica. Schaefer's known fellow Sarasota resident (and AC/DC frontman) Brian Johnson for years; it was Johnson, in fact, who helped Neurotica release their first record, 1998's Seed. Both guys are born showmen, though neither perform often at all anymore. Translation: Show up. Proceeds from the show benefit the Florida Center for Child and Family Development. (Khrome, Sarasota) -Mark Sanders
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
MAROON 5 W/THE DONNAS Last year's big new act Maroon 5 parlayed melodic pop-jam grooves, good looks and the whitest frat-kid soul since 311 into a Grammy win. Really, mainstream America, you should demand more from your pedestrian radio heroes. Formerly bratty all-girl rock party The Donnas grew up a bit last fall, evolving past fast three-chord tunes about how boys are both great and stupid with the surprisingly well-rounded Gold Medal. Read more about everybody's favorite snide chicks in the Music Column. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
MACHINE DRUM/H8/THE BAND OF THE NAME/HYDRA THE SEA SERPENT Rumor has it two electro/glitch-hop/pop-industrial experiments topping this Aestheticized bill will be bringing some serious postmodern dance-party weirdness to the New World patio. Band of the Name works a more familiar psychedelic post-rock sort of sound, while Jack-show favorite Hydra The Sea Serpent combines both elements. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
THE QUEERS/RIVER CITY REBELS/THE BLACK HALOS/THE BONES Our sincerest apologies to Joe Queer and whoever's backing him these days – this one kind of snuck up on us. Expect perfectly written speed-pop tunes influenced by an unholy union of The Beach Boys and The Ramones, with plenty of snotty attitude thrown into the mix. Also prominently featured are River City Rebels, a band that used to be punk as all get out, but seems to be going for more of a sleazy New York Dolls-meets-Faster Pussycat persona on its latest album, Hate to be Loved; unsurprisingly, it was produced by surviving Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS w/THE VODKANAUTS Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that roots-punk upstarts The Legendary Shack Shakers put on one hell of an Appalachian tent revival gone horribly right – folks are still talking about their last Skipper's gig. Do yourself a favor and get up there for this. Local surf/lounge/smarm revue The Vodkanauts opens. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SATURDAY, MARCH 26
ATMOSPHERE w/P.O.S./GRAYSKUL/GROUND OPENING/RED TIDE Like last week Music Menu highlight Sage Francis, Atmosphere is a truly original hip-hop act that puts out records on bar-setting punk label Epitaph Records. Also like Sage, Atmosphere is unbelievably good – the duo's carefully crafted beats and thoughtful rhymes were a major highlight of last year's Warped Tour to-do. Expect everybody else on the bill to rock the house intelligently as well. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
DECIBULLY w/CODESEVEN More unsung indie-rock road warriors. Decibully is an ambitious, soundscape-building pop band that features former members of The Promise Ring and a wonderful sound that's equal parts Pink Floyd and meandering Americana; Codeseven, a group from Winston-Salem that records for formerly hardcore-heavy label Equal Vision, does something more sweetly brooding. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
NEW GRANADA PRESENTS Brandon label New Granada has staked out a regular night at the New World to showcase great local and up-and-coming national acts, and so far, the results have been pretty great. This installment features Gainesville band Thick as Thieves, along with rising locals Red Room Cinema and Limeade. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, MARCH 27
CITYWIDE EASTER SERVICE Tampa's Without Walls International Church presents a nondenominational musical celebration of life and spirituality. Headliners include Patti LaBelle and Fred Hammond, and get there early – this thing kicks off at 9 a.m. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
MARE/BODIES IN THE GEARS OF THE APPARATUS/DOVE/BYAM KLAVOR Mare's deep and marvelously disturbing post-metal is a must-hear for fans of stuff like Isis, Today is the Day and Pelican (I'm talking to you, Ian). Awesome. B.I.T.G.O.T.A. does some crazy prog/screamo/hardcore shit, and seems to be getting more exposure every day. Central Florida's excellent Dove has long been an Orpheum favorite, and Bradensota's Byam Klavor do the Viking Ren-Fair doom-metal thing to the hilt – check out this week's Music Feature for more on this extremely interesting outfit. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SOUND TRIBE SECTOR 9 w/COLLECTIVE EFFORTS STS9 is one of those forward-thinking groove outfits that gets lumped into the constantly expanding jam scene because, frankly, there's just nowhere else to put them. Funk, deep soul, jazz, incredible musicianship and ahead-of-their-time ideas set the group far apart, not too mention a marriage of live instruments and electronics that actually has something new to add. Support comes courtesy of independent Atlanta hip-hop act Collective Efforts, whose music you might've heard while staying up late to watch Adult Swim. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
JAZZ GUITAR SUMMIT USF's Monday Night Jazz Series has been quietly cranking along for almost 10 years, lining up performances by artists both local and national. Tonight's special program features a couple of biggies – bop-improvisation specialist and veteran session player Vic Juris, and jazz-guitar iconoclast (and USF alumnus) Corey Christiansen. They'll be joined by well-known local player and USF faculty guitarist LaRue Nickelson. (USF Music Recital Hall, Tampa)
TUESDAY, MARCH 29
TAMMERLIN/REDHEADED STEPCHILD Folk- and roots-friendly promoter TAFFEE Presents brings another double bill to the Skipperdome. Mystical Jacksonville folk duo Tammerlin and eclectic Buffalo blues/bluegrasss/Americana pair Redheaded Stepchild were both featured performers at the recent Suwannee Springfest up in Live Oak. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30
IN THE RAW FEAT. LANKY The Weekly Planet-approved acoustic showcase series In The Raw continues. This one's a little bit special; in addition to sets by local performers Candy Land (Auditorium), Al Torchla (The Standing Shadows), Eugene Baldi (The Human Echo), Bob Anthony, and Tom Scudiero, New Jersey singer-songwriter Lanky will stop by to do a song or four. He's got a power-poppy way with the acoustic thing, and his tune "Lovesick" was nominated for Song of the Year in 2004 by the Asbury Music Awards. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
This article appears in Mar 23-29, 2005.