THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
Shpongle w/Phutureprimitive A distinctive downtempo psych-electro (‘psybient’) music duo from the UK, Shpongle was formed 16 years ago by Simon Posford (aka Hallucinogen, on synths, production and live instrumentation) and Raja Ram (flutes, concepts, vocals). The duo are joined by assorted musicians in collabs that marry traditional world music sounds and textures with western synth-driven psychedelia as shaded by their own consciousness-expanding experiences, evidenced most clearly in popular tripped-out tribal odyssey, “Divine Moments of Truth” (acronym ‘DMT’). The current “Masquerade Tour” features a colossal stage rig, dazzling lights and kaleidoscopic visuals. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City) —Leilani Polk
Pierce the Veil w/Sleeping With Sirens/Tonight Alive/Hands Like Houses Collide with the Sky, Pierce the Veil’s third studio LP and first on Fearless Records, debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and is marked by the wildly sung and screamed vocals of Vic Fuentes, which arch and climb over energetic post-hardcore with experimental tendencies. Dark and seething single “King for a Day” features guest vocals by Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, a post-hardcore outfit that supports Pierce the Veil on their current tour. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
The Dwarves w/Dead Cat Lounge If GG Allin and The Cramps had a bastard child, it would be The Dwarves. Since their beginnings in the mid-1980s, The Dwarves have never failed to shock both lyrically and sonically. Though the production-value of their records has improved, the message remains the same: Kill Everyone With Loud Rock & Roll — No One is Safe. This show is recommended for everyone who likes adrenaline rushes and the smell of fear. (Brass Mug, Tampa) —Justin Little
Alejandro Escovedo w/Ghost Wolves Mexican-American singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovado hits the Skipperdome with an eclectic performance bolstered by his backing band, The Sensitive Boys. The 61-year-old was named “Artist of the Decade” by No Depression magazine back in 1998 and to this day, he maintains a richly underground sensibility with a knack for alt-country rockin’ and ruminations on life, love, and hardship. After collapsing on stage in 2003 as a result of a long-fought battle with Hepatits-C, Escovado returned to the stage disease-free and healthy a few years later, and shows no signs of letting up with five studio albums under his belt since his comeback (including 2012’s Big Station, his 12th overall). Austin garage-rock outfit Ghost Wolves supports. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —Andrew Silverstein
The Ben Miller Band Ozark stompin’ and skulkin’ blue-collar musicians make up The Ben Miller Band, which purveys a mix of Delta blues and Appalachia-laced roots music; songwriting namesake Miller — who has nasal drawling vocals and plays a mean slide blues guitar along with banjo, foot percussion and harmonica — is joined by one-string washtub bassist Scott Leeper and Doug Dicharry on drums, percs, trombone, electric washboard, trumpet, mandolin, and electric spoons as needed. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)—LP
Luther w/The Arteries/Hold Tight! A pre-Fest 11 show featuring sets by Philly’s Luther, a grungy alt-rock foursome with pop-savvy hooks; Wales punk rockers The Arteries; and pop punk outfit Hold Tight!, from Richmond, Va. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa)—LP
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26
Blast Friday: The Romantics The streets of downtown Clearwater are alive and rocking this Friday night as Detroit garage rock/power pop legends The Romantics hit Clearwater’s monthly street festival, Blast Friday. Best known for their timeless party rock anthem “What I Like About You” and 1980’s catchy-as-hell mega-hit “Talking in Your Sleep,” the leather-clad foursome have developed a rep for staging raucous live performances that always include plenty of sweat and soul. The Romantics have continued to record throughout the years and promise to play some new songs from a forthcoming album as well as signature hits and a host of other equally potent tracks from their 30-year career output. The festival — which also features street vendors, food and beverages — kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. (Cleveland Street, downtown Clearwater) —Gabe Echazabal
Maggie Rose A fresh, dulcet-drawling 20-something country music singer who has recorded the odd single (including a cover of “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon early in her career and sassy-challenging “I Ain’t Your Mama” more recently) as well as a 2011 EP, Maybe Tonight. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)—LP
33rd Annual Freakers Ball: End Of The World, Yours And Mayan The venue throws its long-running Halloween costume ball, this one paying unavoidable homage to the impeding end of the world according to the Mayan calendar with fatty cash prizes for the best themed costumes. Pete Jarvis of Pete and Wayne serves as Master of Ceremonies, and hip-hop rockers Stick Martin Show provide the musical entertainment. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Two Man Gentlemen Band Once you’ve seen ’em, you know there’s no two musicians who put on a show quite like Two Man Gentleman Band. The tenor guitar and string bass duo composed of Andy Bean and Fuller Condon blend wry humored lyrics with dexterous, street-folk instrumentation into a live performance that has charmed and entertained audiences across the nation, and in Tampa quite a few times, for the past seven years. Song titles like “Prescription Drugs (Let’s Have a Party!)” and “Pork Chops” should give you an idea of what these guys are all about; good old fashioned fun. Make no mistake about it, though – this string duo can shred with the best of ‘em. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —AS
Riders of the Easy Posse Halloween Party The local country rock jam outfit (think Blackberry Smoke or Zac Brown Band with the chops to open for the likes of Gretchen Wilson) ambles out to Yeoman’s for their second annual Halloween shindiggy, this one featuring a Pegasus mascot in the back alley for photo ops with the adult kids, and costume contests, too. Tickets are $5. (Yeoman’s Road Pub, Tampa)—LP
Com Truise w/bonde de role/Poolside You can usually count on Ghostly International to rep high caliber electronic music artists. Com Truise aka Seth Haley is among them, a NYC-born, NJ-based producer who layers a diversity of synth textures — heavy bass pulses, shimmering washes of melody, blips, warped unz, heady fuzz and other electro debris — into a mid-tempo 1980s-hued dance sound he’s dubbed “slow-motion funk.” (Orpheum, Ybor City)—LP
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Though “Dr. Funkenstein” has forgone his flamboyant hippie-vibrant hair pieces in favor of a trimmed ‘do and a tasteful collection of fedoras, the 71-year-old still has his swag and will lead his P-Funk orchestra through a down and dirty set of cosmic funked-up grooves. Get ready to shake your moneymaker. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—LP
Rascal Flatts w/Little Big Town A behemoth country music tour featuring two groups who formed around the same time. Rascal Flatts has earned the headlining spot with more platinum-selling albums to their credit and more time on the charts with a dozen No. 1 singles to Little Big Town’s one. Both have 2012 smash hits; the former, “Banjo,” the latter, “Pontoon.” (1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, Tampa)—LP
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27
Zappaween The Skipperdome welcomes Bogus Pomp for its second night of spooktacular festivities. The Zappa tribute ensemble is fronted and directed by guitar whiz Jerry Outlaw, who’s been honing his chops on some fresh Frank fare; promised among the setlist of twisted titles are “Willie the Pimp,” “Yo Mama,” “G-Spot Tornado,” “The Torture Never Stops,” “Zomby Woof” and “Sinister Footwear.” (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Halloweenie Roast feat. Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson w/I Devil/All That Remains/Machinehead/In This Moment/Royal Buss What better two acts to headline 98 Rock’s raging annual Halloweenie Roast than gothic rock legends like Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson? The concert kicks off at 2 p.m., so expect masses of wet black cotton and matted hair to flail as musician-turned-film guy-turned-musician again Rob Zombie rocks it with his signature brand of grooved-out, redneck-y metal culled from his years as a solo artist and White Zombie frontman. Marilyn Manson assumes the second headlining spot with a sure-to-be-theatrical performance of his industrial strength shock-glam alt rock, his setlist likely studded with MTV-era hits “The Beautiful People” and “The Dope Show.” Heavy rock harbingers warm up the stage. (1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, Tampa) —AS
The Psychedelic Furs w/The Lemonheads Known for their signature brand of British pomp and 1980’s rock sensibilities most widely recognized in 1986 single “Pretty in Pink” (used both in the film and as the title of the John Hughes film), New Wave legends Psychedlic Furs formed in 1977, went on hiatus in 1991, then re-convened in 2001 to the glee of their substantial cult following. American alt-rock elders The Lemonheads also enjoyed a hiatus after their rise in the 1990s and a much-anticipated reunion in 2005 as led by remaining constant Evan Dando. Both bands join forces for what will surely be a memorable tour. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —AS
Front Bottoms/Cheap Girls w/Hostage Calm/Jensen Serf Company According to the internet, the Front Bottoms are a two-piece “American acoustic-dance-indie-punk band.” Try saying that 10 times fast. Regardless of superfluous genre descriptions, this small, but oddly powerful duo cranks out a wildly original brand of upbeat pop. Think The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle guest-spotting on an acoustic stripped-down LCD Soundsystem track. Cheap Girls, a Rise Records rock band from Michigan, joins them on this tour. (Local 662, St. Petersburg) —AS
Possessed by Paul James ‘Burg folks are treated to another appearance by Ninebullets.net fave Possessed by Paul James (Jon Konrad Wert), a family man, school teacher and one-man explosion of alt country, folk and blues that he builds on violin, electric and acoustic guitars, dobro, mandolin, banjo, stomp box and diddly boe. This stop follows his Fest 11 appearance in support of 2012 LP, Feed the Family. (Crum’s, St. Petersburg)—LP
Arturo Sandoval A well-regarded Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz trumpeter and pianist with 35 years of experience under his belt, Arturo Sandoval has lent his chops as session artist or sideman to generations of performers – Frank Sinatra, Herbie Hancock and Alicia Keys among them. The multi-award winning protégé of Dizzy Gillespie is also a prolific composer with a huge repertoire of original music. Sandoval stages two performances at the Capitol on this night, at 6 and 9 p.m. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—LP
The Expendables/Iration w/Cisco Adler After a sold-out show opening for Rebelution here in August, ska-rock mainstays The Expendables return to Jannus to play their own headlining slot. Formed in 1997, the Santa Cruz, Calif. outfit has honed a unique sound marked by tinges of everything from surf to punk over their six-album career. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —AS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28
Why? w/Naytronix/The Black Swans To hear Why?’s bizzaro, indie rock sensible alt-hip hop on record is one thing. Seeing them live is a whole different animal, and I mean that in the best way possible. Their last Florida performance proved equal parts beautiful and strange, marked by an eclectic set (much of it culled from their 2010 LP Alopecia) and frontman Yoni Wolf’s no-holds-barred stage presence. This time around they back their 2012 latest, Mumps, etc. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —AS
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/Adrian Younge/DJ ROIAL1 The day after a Guavaween headlining set with his full backing band and following the Why? show, Adrian Younge presides as guest at Crowbar’s weekly dance party, likely spinning some psychedelic soul and blaxplotation funk tracks from the film Black Dynamite (which he wrote and scored) along with other selections falling within a similar aesthetic, some hip hop cuts, and whatever else he snatches from his collection. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
The Bangles Hits “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Eternal Flame,” “Manic Monday” and a redux of Paul Simon’s “Hazy Shade of Winter” put all-femme pop rock trio The Bangles on the 1980s music map. On this date, guitarists Susanna Hoffs and Vicki Peterson, and drummer Debbi Peterson will likely scatter the old tunes amid newer cuts off 2011 album, Sweetheart of the Sun. (Hard Rock Café, Tampa)—LP
Maria Muldaur Folk-blues artist Muldaur enjoyed her heyday in 1974 with charting hit “Midnight at the Oasis,” but her output extends far beyond that single with more than 30 recordings to her credit. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Sharon Van Etten w/Damien Jurado Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten offers up an evocative brand of acoustic folk that brought her to prominence back in 2009 with debut full-length, Because I Was in Love, which Pitchfork.com praised for her “unerring sense for crafting memorable, seductive melodies.” She’s since appeared as a guest on the albums of (and toured with) The Antlers and The National, as well as crafting her own LPs – 2010’s Epic and this year’s Tramp. Opener Damien Jurado has a similarly hushed, folk style. He’s touring in support of his latest album, Maraqopa. (The Social, Orlando) —AS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
Titus Andronicus w/Ceremony Though Titus Andronicus was named for a violent, ill-regarded Shakespeare tragedy, their music comes off as confident, high-energy punk-vibing indie rock with a shit-kicking good time appeal and literary lyrics offering up a dark ironic feel ala the opening verses of their 2012 third LP, Local Business: “Okay I think that now we’ve established everything is inherently worthless / And there’s nothing in the universe with any kind of objective purpose.” (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31
Black Moth Super Rainbow w/The Casket Girls/Fortune Howl In the time between Black Moth Super Rainbow’s 2009 release, Eating Us, and the just-dropped Cobra Juicy, the experimental-psych rock outfit’s visionary sound sculptor Tobacco issued a solo record, wrote a new BMSR album, scrapped it, and started fresh on another one, the R&B roller disco-fused Cobra Juicy. The album was funded via Kickstarter.com (a campaign for $45k ended at a little over $125k), self-released on Tobacco’s own Rad Cult label, and finds a more cohesive calm to the messy electro fizz pop, dreamy-sighing vocoder-lite vocals, ‘80s skating rink grooves, and scattered doses of familiar synth fuzz and bit-damaged texture. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Larry and his Flask Punk-bluegrass provocateurs Larry and his Flask hit St. Pete alongside a ramshackle troupe of other down-home, knee-slappin’ acts, including bearded folkist Willy Tea Taylor, The Mud Flappers of Orlando, and St. Pete native Dylan Martin & the JubJub Birds. Larry and his Flask are known for their wild assortment of acoustic instruments that members routinely swap, have been known to busk on street corners when tour gas gets low, and infuse this same working man’s sensibility into their breakneck bluegrass music. The sextet is on the road in support of their aptly-titled 2012 LP, Hobo’s Lament. (Local 662, St. Petersburg) —AS
3rd Annual Ybor Jazz Festival Kick-Off w/La Lucha The third annual edition of the Ybor Jazz festival kicks off with a performance by La Lucha, a three-peice (bassist Alejandro Arenas, drummer Mark Feinman and keysman John O’Leary) with a repertoire that includes Latin rhythm-fused jazz standards and originals. They are joined by special guests Marty Morell (a vet player in Bill Evans’ band) and singer-songwriter Jun Bustamante. (HCC Performing Arts Center, Ybor City)—LP
Nero Halloween Bash British electro-dubstep duo Nero brings their wubbed-out sounds to Amphitheatre for an event that’s sure to get bodies moving this Halloween. A typical dubstep show is enough of a costume contest already; I can only imagine what the Ybor City club will look like as hundreds pack the place for Nero’s pulse pounding set of visual and auditory stimulation. The duo recently produced “Follow Me,” the title track on Muse’s new album; expect to hear it here. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City) —AS
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Oct 25-31, 2012.