THURS 07
moe. The long-running progressive jam rock five-piece (est. 1990) imbues their music with a distinctive Southern-roots twang. While they don't have a leader, per se, their sound is carried on the nasally, high-pitched vocals of guitarist, keyboards and effects man Al Schnier and the rusted-brassy drawl of string-thumping and hard-plucking bassist Rob Derhak. Both musicians are also moe.'s primary songwriters, though guitarist/singer Chuck Garvey, drummer Vinnie Amico, and Jim Loughlin (percs and vibes) contribute generous input. Live shows are high-octane affairs with lots of opportunities for improvisation and stretching a song into an epic. The band hails from upstate New York and rarely ventures further South than Atlanta. In fact, we haven't seen moe. in the Tampa Bay area since 2003. Nice that they're finally gracing us with their presence. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
Aaron Lewis A rocker with one of the most distinctive howls in mainstream alt-metal departs from his regular gig as frontman of Staind and tries out his solo country boots with 2011's Town Line. "I'm proud to be an American and strong in my beliefs," he sings in the first single, "Country Boy," its video featuring every country cliché imaginable: a flapping American flag, shots of Lewis hunting in the woods, playing guitar in the bed of a pick-up, shaking hands with U.S. military folks, guest spots by country luminaries George Jones and Charlie Daniels … Sounds a lot like Staind — if it werede-clawed, twanged-up and treated with a heavy dose of patriotism. (Hard Rock Cafe, Tampa)
Rock the Park w/Peter Baldwin/The Hip Abduction/Corey Cottrell Rock the Park presents a solid showcase of performers just in time for the perfect weather: Orlando-based alt-soul rocker Peter Baldwin and his full band; St. Pete world, funk and jazz fusion collective The Hip Abduction, which recently added a member on percs and kora (the 21-string West African harp); and out-of-town guest Corey Cottrell, a San Diego acoustic musician with a velvety croon. (Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa)
FRI 08
Sam Pacetti The ambient, spirituality-infused tunes of Florida-born, Virginia-based acoustic folk artist Sam Pacetti would be perfectly suited in a Kumbaya circle. He makes it clear what he's all about in songs like "The Christians and The Outlaws," which opens, "Once I was a Christian / and I lived upon the Earth / until I died and went to heaven / where I got my second birth." His steel-string guitar playing alternates between a lulling rhythmic strum and finger-picking mastery that shines through most notably in songs like the instrumental composition, "Ascension." Pacetti cites Buddha and Christ as his biggest influences and based on the videos posted to his MySpace page — about spiritual exploration, world dimensional shifts, transcendental awakenings, and the like — he's probably not being ironic. (Hideaway Cafe, St. Petersburg) —Valerie Quintana
Pato Banton & The Now Generation w/Rasta Rafiki Pato Banton is a UK reggae singer and toaster who took a seven-year hiatus from music and returned in 2008 newly invigorated and with a 16th album in tow, Destination Paradise. Banton is a natural showman who brims with infectious exuberance and encourages his fans to sing along all throughout his sets. He's also known for his tradition of inviting the most enthusiastic ones up to the stage to perform with him. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
Jackyl The piercing wail of vocalist Jesse James Dupree is backed by multi-voiced rah-rah choruses in the AC/DC-influenced Southern boogie and heavy metal of Jackyl, the band responsible for such 1990's hard rock odes as "Push Comes to Shove" (which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts in 1994) and the anthemic "I Stand Alone," its video featuring real life footage of Jackyl playing an impromptu concert in a K-Mart parking lot after the store refused to sell their music because of its explicit content (and in particular, a song titled "She Loves My Cock"). Jackyl released a sixth album, When Moonshine and Dynamite Collide, in 2010. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Harry Connick, Jr. The swinging, suave-crooning pop jazz vocalist returns to woo his Florida fans and move more copies of his new DVD/CD release, In Concert On Broadway, which spotlights select performances from Harry Connick Jr.'s 15-day sold-out run on Broadway and has been hanging around the top of the Billboard Jazz charts since its release in March. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
SAT 09
Steep Canyon Rangers w/Will Erickson & Local Roots Multi-talented comedian Steve Martin exposed the Steep Canyon Rangers to national audiences when he played with the N.C. bluegrass quintet on NPR's A Prairie Home Companion in 2009, then invited the musicians to back him on a few dates in support of his Grammy-winning LP, The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo. You may have seen the Martin-fronted lineup in 2010 when they hit Jazzfest or Bonnaroo, but more likely your first introduction was when Martin appeared with the band on The Colbert Report a few weeks back to tout the 2011 album he recently recorded and released with them, Rare Bird Alert. Of course, the "Rare Bird Tour" with Martin doesn't actually start until a few dates after SCR's stop in Tampa, but at least you can see what all the fuss is about and use your imagination to picture Martin there with them; I'm sure he'd approve. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
Kevin K w/The Spears The old school DIY street punk musician was born and raised in upstate New York, and tooled around NYC with the likes of Johnny Thunders and Cheetah Chrome until he eventually re-located to Florida having never claimed a modicum of fame for his foul-mouthed music. He's recorded upward of 25 albums over his three-decade career and in 2010, issued a two-DVD set, The Restless Spirit of Kevin K, along with an autobiography, How to Become a Successful Loser. (Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg)
J Roddy Walston and the Business Locals who caught The Black Keys in Orlando last year have been buzzing about the wildly energetic opening band J Roddy Walston and The Business ever since. The foursome's muscular brand of hip-swinging blues-fused rock 'n' roll left a definite mark, their sound driven by the keyboard melodies and hoarse, strident vocals of namesake frontman Walston. For fans of Led Zeppelin and My Morning Jacket. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg)
SUN 10
Acoustic Africa This intimate unplugged showcase features a trio of African singer-songwriters — Habib Koite, Afel Bocoum and Oliver Mtukudzi — who deliver a program of folk songs from Senegal, bluesy ballads from Mali and more. (Ferguson Hall-Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)
The Radiators Farewell Tour w/The Roy Jay Band/No Money Down *FREE* After 33 years of spreading their slow-burning R&B-flavored swamp rock around the country and beyond, beloved New Orleans quintet The Radiators announced they'd be calling it quits. This date is part of a "Farewell Tour" that ends mid-June and Jannus offers free admission to everyone who shows up to say goodbye. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Mount Kimbie w/Young Egypt The electro-experimental duo from London has been lumped into the dubstep genre, and while Mount Kimbie definitely makes late night music, their minimalist tendencies and use of samples, loops and ambient textures and melodies never actually makes it into dubstep territory. (Honey Pot, Ybor City)
Easy Star Allstars w/Cas Haley/The Green Last April, reggae collective Easy Star Allstars packed Crowbar to its max capacity and delivered a set of groove-shaking, dub-and-ska-fused covers from their three tribute albums: Radiodread (in tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer with a few bonuses), Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band (The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper) and Dub Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon). The show at State Theatre this Sunday promises to be just as sweaty, but with more space to get your dance on. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks w/Grant Peeples WMNF welcomes back a cult favorite — eccentric, wryly humorous snappy-dressing roots music singer-songwriter Dan Hicks, who throws elements of folk, jazz, bluegrass and country swing into his laid-back sound. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MON 11
JGB Feat. Melvin Seals When I got the announcement for this show, I forwarded it to a Jerry Garcia Band fan and asked if he thought it was a tad bit absurd that Melvin Seals has been touring under the JGB moniker all these years when Jerry passed away in '95. He agreed and replied, "I'd go see them, but only if they had a cardboard cut-out of Jerry on stage and they left space for the audience to imagine the guitar solos." In Seals' defense, he was a longtime member of the original JGB (from 1980 to '95), and helped build the band's gospel-soul-R&B sound on keys and Hammond B-3. This tour, he keeps the JGB legacy alive with guitarist-singer Stu Allen, bassist Jimmy Tebeau, and drummer Pete Lavezzoli. Despite the lack of Jerry, both the 6 and 9 p.m. performances at the intimate 50-seat venue will likely sell out, so if you're interest is piqued, get your tickets stat. (Craftsmen House Gallery, St. Petersburg)
TUE 12
Saving Abel w/Red Line Chemistry/Seven Years Past/Sunshine and Bullets Made-for-radio rockers Saving Abel churn out a mix of alternative jams with a little bit of Southern country attitude that stems from their Mississippi roots. Their all-American swagger flaunts sing-along choruses with plenty of headbanging guitar riffs complemented by rugged vocals and a repertoire of songs with titles like "New Tattoo," "Addicted," "Stupid Girl" and "The Sex Is Good." (There seems to be a pattern here.) They're currently on the road in support of their 2010 release, Miss America, its title track dedicated to the soldiers they performed for in Iraq last year. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —VQ
ALSO THIS WEEK
Melechesh / Rotting Christ / Hate / Abigail Williams / Lecherous Nocturne Thurs., April 7, Brass Mug, Tampa
Vinyl Music Festival w/Darude/Randy Boyer/Drager/Sharaz/Breakfixx/Superfly & Shakka/many others Thurs., April 7-Sun., April 10, multiple venues, Sarasota
3 Pint Harmony Thurs., April 7, St. Pete Museum of History, St. Petersburg
Acme Jazz Garage Fri., April 8, Blue Parrot, St. Pete Beach
Sound Spektrum Fri., April 8, Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa
Who's Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Fri., April 8, Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2011.