SNOOP THERE HE IS
Snoop Dogg: A big man in a little venue. Prior to November's Pharrell-assisted single "Drop It Like It's Hot," Snoop hadn't really put out any seriously kick-ass music in a while. But smokin' records or no, Calvin Broadus is nothing less than a pop-culture icon – since his introduction via Dr. Dre's The Chronic more than a decade ago, the man has remained one of America's favorite celebs, whether rapping, cameo-ing in movies, hosting videogame awards shows, getting drunken hotties to lift their shirts in Girls Gone Wild videos, or wondering about fabric softener on a TV commercial. Snoop could easily pack a much larger venue than the Jannus courtyard, so consider this a rare treat, an intimate little party where the host just happens to be one of the world's most recognizable acquitted murder defendants. Highly recommended. (Feb. 1, Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
-Scott Harrell
THURSDAY, JAN. 27
STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES Original outlaw country-rocker Earle had a banner year, what with becoming one of the elder statesmen of liberal outrage and all. MoveOn.org shows in huge arenas are cool, but here's a chance to see, hear and feel the gravelly-voiced songwriter's compelling reality in an intimate venue that's lately boasted much better sound than its old reputation would have you believe. (Tampa Theatre, Tampa)
GEORGE CLINTON The one-time '70s funk deity was reborn in the mid '90s, embraced by the jam-band movement. Clinton and his large, rotating ensemble, bite into a groove and shake it 'til it begs for mercy. A Clinton/P-Funk show is loose, often silly, and full of extended solos. A party, y'all. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg) -Eric Snider
THREE THE HARD WAY Rhythm, rhymes, and some seriously impressive instrumental prowess are on the docket for this eclectic hip-hop and groove bill. Tampa's own Red Tide and Tribal Style bring killer indie rap and World Beat-influenced sonics, respectively, and the hometown heroes are joined by organic, inventive Orlando funk/hip-hop/jam outfit One Drop. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
THE BLACK SWANS Columbus, Ohio's Black Swans ply a sparse, insinuating sound that's been compared to Tindersticks, Dylan and Townes Van Zandt – nice company to be in, frankly. Bandleader Jerry DeCicca is heralded as one of the unsung songwriting giants of his generation. Sounds like a perfect fit for dynamic, sonic noir merchants The Mercy Seat, who will play both this Thursday night Emerald gig and a Friday night show at Tampa's New World Brewery; in Tampa, the bands will be joined by The Sugar Oaks and The Rogue Set. (Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, JAN. 28
JERRY JOSEPH W/NOVEMBER FOXTROT WHISKEY Singer-songwriter, outspoken progressive and underground icon Joseph is often lumped in with the jam-band guys, but his attitude, ethics and energy are pure punk rock. The former Little Women frontman and heroin addict never got a real shot at the big time, but his honest tunes and outspoken aesthetic have endeared him to a disparate cult following. This highly recommended gig also features an increasingly rare set by fine, unclassifiable Bay area treasure November Foxtrot Whiskey. (Uptown Bar & Café, St. Petersburg)
GIN BLOSSOMS w/THE MOONSNAKES Apparently, the Arizona outfit that brought you all those bouncy pop-rock hits a decade ago has chosen fading away over burning out. A bright spot comes courtesy of sophisticated local pop act The Moonsnakes, a group fronted by longtime musical journeyman (and former Delores Telescope drummer) Ricky Wilcox. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
BROTHERS PAST w/LUSH PROGRESS Philly four-piece Brothers Past eschewed both standard music-industry procedure and genres in general; the independent group tours constantly, and has developed a singular mix of rock, pop, and electronica that draws fans in from all over the stylistic map. Locals Lush Progress provide support. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
PETER OSTROUSHKO & ARKADIY YUSHIN Fiddle and mandolin master Ostroushko has recorded and performed alongside some of the biggest names in Nashville roots music, including Emmylou Harris, Chet Atkins and Willie Nelson. (He even reportedly did some uncredited work on Dylan's Blood on the Tracks.) Strange, when you consider the guy's from Minneapolis. Tonight, he's joined by Russian ace guitarist, composer and arranger Arkadiy Yushin (Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon Springs)
SATURDAY, JAN. 29
MOFRO W/HOBEX The Jacksonville area's Mofro oozes flowing, hippie-fied funk and roots-rock. Hobex, from North Carolina, has tagged its music "soulternative," and draws from the '60s/'70s rock of Zeppelin/Hendrix/Beatles as well as Southern soul, Motown, James Brown and the like. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
ESLORNA BRACEWELL CD RELEASE PARTY Gifted young Bay area singer-songwriter Bracewell is celebrating the release of her new disc God Forbid, and will be joined at Pro Star (3220 28th St. North, St. Pete) by a bevy of surprise-guest friends, along with her new backing band. The $15 cover might seem a bit steep, but you get a copy of the album as well as an evening of entertainment. (Pro Star Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
KEITH URBAN w/KATRINA ELAM New Zealand-born Urban caught the American country music bug from his father; he relocated to Nashville in the mid-'90s, and worked as a session guitarist before scoring some hits as the CMT Generation's hot young thing. Urban's pop-country exhibits more rock 'n' roll tendencies than most, and features his standout guitar playing. Twenty-year-old Katrina Elam is an up-and-coming contemporary C&W singer. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
PINELLAS COUNTY FOLK FESTIVAL Folk, gospel, country and bluegrass will all be well represented at this day-long Largo shindig, along with various non-musical goings-on such as arts and crafts, storytelling, and that timeless folk-scene tradition, the antique car show. (Heritage Village, Largo)
SPONTANEOUS HABIT CD RELEASE Shannon Fortner and her band have been playing nearly every weekend since their inception two or so years ago. Steady gigs at Fly, Silver Cricket and j.a.c.s. have made this band not only tighter, but also one of the most high-profile original acts in town. Their music, a blend of old-school jazz (a la Billie Holiday) and newer-school trip-hop, is continually evolving and dynamic. Sensual Side Effects, their debut album being released tonight, is proof of that. (j.a.c.s., Sarasota)
Mark SandersHANK WILLIAMS, JR./BIG & RICH It's a brace of goofy, larger-than-life country acts sure to get the hootin' and hollerin' goin', and the parking-lot beer flowin'. The Middle Hank's outsized persona tends to be more funny and caricatured than offensive, and he did manage to write a few pretty good tunes along the way. As for new superstars Big & Rich, on the other hand, there's just not enough space here for me to adequately and eloquently relay all the reasons why I think they suck, so I'll just go with the cheesy attempts at urban/edgy marketing, the lowest-common-denominator pandering, and the horrible, horrible songs. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
KRISTINE W She's probably the most famous female artist you couldn't name, because she works in dance music, where there's rarely a video in heavy rotation or a face to associate with the sound. But Kristine W's most recent single, "Wonder of it All," is her ninth consecutive Number One on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Chart, making it a record-breaker. Who held the old record of eight? Why, she did, beating out both Madonna and Janet Jackson. (Chrome, Tampa)
THE DOWNSHIFTERS/SPANKIN' FRESH Doug Holland, meter reader, new daddy and drummer for Bradenton punk rockers Spankin' Fresh, began throwing shows at the Trailside almost a year ago. The Semis, Car Bomb Driver and other well-known Bay area acts have shown up to support his cause: live, original music in Bradenton. Spankin' Fresh, which (when not spanking audience members onstage) plays some three-chord jams reminiscent of early Ramones, is joined by Best of the Suncoast "Best Rock Band" winners The Downshifters. Order your Pabst Blue Ribbons early; the bar may run out. (Trailside Bar, Bradenton) -MS
SUNDAY, JAN. 30
BOB SCHNEIDER W/ASLYN Bob Schneider has always been up there with Austin's roots-rock elite. He fronted The Scabs, The Ugly Americans and Joe Rockhead, and his rhythmic style has long been a favorite of roots-music fans who prefer to dig deep for the good stuff. He's got a new video, "Captain Kirk," in rotation on VH-1, so some long overdue mass exposure might be on the way. Atlanta singer-songwriter Aslyn is out working his major-label debut, Lemon Love, out now on Capitol. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
LONG BEACH SHORT BUS w/28 GATES/WEAKSAUCE/BAD WITH NAMES Sublime's ska-surf-reggae-punk influence continues to be felt, and its bro-community DIY tradition carried on, by acts like Long Beach Short Bus. Dig the vibe, smell the really good pot, count the Skunk Records T-shirts. A trio of similarly groovy, eclectic young local acts fills out the bill. (Boomerz Boiler Room, Seminole)
DEVOTCHKA I'm sure that even though Devotchka's still a relatively new band, the "desert rock" label's beginning to annoy them. But they do bear an uncanny resemblance to fellow ethno-rockers Calexico, whom they've shared tour duties with. Guitars and drums are joined by tuba, bouzouki, theremin and other assorted weird shit on their impeccably crafted 2004 release How it Ends. (Khrome, Sarasota)
MSIRA SULLIVAN JAZZ QUINTET In the '80s, Sullivan, who can play reeds and trumpet (a rare combination), had a successful band with trumpeter Red Rodney – with a major label deal and everything. They toured a lot but Sullivan called South Florida home, even when that was anything but a hotbed of jazz activity. These days, he's still an extremely viable, versatile veteran player. And if that's not enough alliteration for you, he's very good. If you haven't been to one of these intimate Tampa Jazz Club shows at the Gorilla, you just might find it a particularly pleasing portion of entertainment. (Gorilla Theater, Tampa) -ES
MONDAY, JAN. 31
BOB MOULD This man simply fucking rocks. Beginning back in the early '80s with Hüsker Dü, Mould helped define a sound that would influence contemporaries like the Pixies and Nirvana, not to mention countless younger indie rock acts. Lately he's been working on a new album (Body of Song) while handling turntable duties in a D.C. nightclub. He doesn't play many shows (this is his first Florida show in many years), so see him here while you have a chance. (Municipal Auditorium, Sarasota) -MS
TUESDAY, FEB. 01
TED LEO & PHARMACISTS Veteran East Coast post-punk indie rocker Ted Leo has seen his profile rise steadily over the course of the last few years and a slew of albums that blended melody, energy, idiosyncratic songwriting and a conspicuous love of Thin Lizzy. (The fact that he spent much of 2004 as a go-to political commentator for the Indie Rock Nation didn't hurt, either.) Last year's Shake The Sheets pared back some of the weirdness in favor of a taut, crackling, Jam-inspired set, but it didn't seem to affect the quality of Leo's songwriting at all. If you haven't seen him, you must. If you've seen him, see him again. Also, his drummer rules. (Municipal Auditorium, Sarasota)
WALLS OF JERICHO/BURY YOUR DEAD/FULL BLOWN CHAOS/PREMONITIONS OF WAR Another metalcore onslaught. You know what you're getting – jagged groovecore guitar riffs, great rhythm sections, and singers bent on leaving bloody phlegm on the mic. What else? Bury Your Dead has a really weird thing for Tom Cruise, naming their songs after his movies, and Full Blown Chaos sounds a hell of a lot like Hatebreed trying to write Pantera songs, but without that vastly superior group's knack for inventive rhythm. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2005.