THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
EOTO w/Jantsen/Subpirate It's a bill made for getting crosseyed and painless. Boulder, Colo. two-piece EOTO features drummers Jason Hann (of String Cheese Incident) and Michael Travis fusing live beats, keys, guitar, vocals and mixed and remixed samples into bass-banging electro-experimental forays. And EOTO just might have one of the most epic small-scale visual displays on the road right now — a fully-immersive eyeball-popping three-dimensional "Lotus Flower" that encircles both musicians. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—Leilani Polk
Joe Cocker w/Dave Mason British blues rocker Joe Cocker has the soulful sandpaper howl we all know from his redux of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" (oh, how I miss The Wonder Years). He has plenty of other award-winning material and more than 20 studio albums to his credit. For this evening, Cocker is joined by fellow Brit and Traffic original singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dave Mason, who doles out Traffic hits along with cuts from his extensive solo repertoire. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)—LP
Greyhounds w/Daryl Hance In the slinky scorcher "Yours to Steal," guitarist Andrew Trube murmurs, cries, howls, moans and sighs the refrain ("My soul is yours to steal") in his strong made-for-rock n' roll tenor, where keys-playing cohort Anthony Farrell has a deeper, more direct soulful-bluesy drawl, though he can hit the high notes at will. The twosome (who record and tour as Greyhounds when they're not gigging with JJ Grey & Mofro) concoct a heady brew of blues, funk, rock and soul that brims with warm vintage resonance. For their Florida run, the twosome are backed by Orlando drummer Anthony Cole (also of Mofro), and Fender-slinging Mofro bandmate Daryl Hance warms up the crowd. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
The Blind Shake w/Jensen Serf Co. Minneapolis trio The Blind Shake serves their tunes melody-free. Brothers Mike and Jim Blaha rip warped and detuned riffs and solos on baritone and standard guitars with thrashing backing by drummer Dave Roper, the results sullen, reverb-coated garage-punk. Nice and gritty Hub music, with haze-washed local surf rockers Jensen Serf Co. opening. (The Hub, downtown Tampa)—LP
Boyz II Men I could probably recite every word to "Motownphilly" without missing a beat, a capella vocal breakdown or rap break. Boyz II Men were all over my 1990's, played everywhere for long enough that their hits are embedded in my brain for life. I'm not ashamed. They weren't just entertainers, they were a vocal group with members who could sing and harmonize in perfect pitch, and their R&B had a little new jack swing along with all the schmaltzy AC balladry. The group is currently touring as a threesome — baritone Nathan Morris and tenors Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris. Expect a hits parade, as delivered by vet showmen. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)—LP
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5
St. Pete Shuffle Presents: Black Eyed Angels, Ghost Hospital, The Happiness Machine Enjoy shuffleboarding and a triple serving of local(ish) live music as headed up by the Sarasota outfit formerly known as Sons of Hippies and recently revived as the Black Eyed Angels (guitarist/vocalist Katherine Kelly and drummer/percussionist Jonas Canales are now joined by bassist David Daly). Ghost Hospital brings noisy garage, surf and psychedelia to the bill, and The Happiness Machine tops it off with their fresh and buoyant folk pop. (St. Pete Shuffleboard Courts, St. Petersburg)—LP
Tone Lōc w/The Black Honkeys Though Tone Lōc hasn’t recorded any new music since ‘91, the hip hop artist with the low, sandpaper-chafed vocals and flowing narrative style has maintained the momentum of successful hits "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing" for more than two decades. On this date, The Black Honkeys warm things up with their high-octane mix of blues, funk, soul and R&B. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
The Wailers w/Tribal Style After Bob Marley’s death in 1981, the remaining members of his beloved Jamaican backing band, The Wailers, have continued to spread his music far and wide. Bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett carries the mantle of sole original Wailer, with Marley-channeling vocals provided by Koolant Brown. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)—LP
Riverboat Gamblers w/Cobra Skulls/Ink & Sweat/Nothing in the Dark The Austin-based punk n' rollers of Riverboat Gamblers attempted a darker, more muscular approach in 2012’s The Wolf You Feed, bringing on the whiskey-soaked blues in songs like "Gallows Bird" or dropping-kicking punch of punk in "Bite My Tongue" and "Soliloquy." Support this tour by Fat Wreck Chords punk rock trio Cobra Skulls. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)—LP
Allen Stone w/Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds/Magnus Tingsek The so-called "hippie with soul," Allen Stone, hails from a small town in Washington and has pitch-perfect velvety vocals that purr serenades or hit falsetto heights, not exactly what you expect from a pale 20-something in funky clunky thrift store spectacles and old man fedoras. Or, maybe that’s exactly what you expect in light of Mayer Hawthorne. His is a analogous mix of 1960s and '70s-style Motown-kissed R&B, pop and soul, but rooted in gospel (Stone's a preacher's son). His eponymous sophomore record was self-released last year and picked up by ATO for a major label re-release this July. (Orpheum, Ybor City)—LP
Bret Michaels Since the cancellation of his hit reality show Rock of Love, there's been too little Bret Michaels in our lives. Lucky for us, the Poison frontman is bringing his hair rock stylings to Largo. Though Rikki Rockett, C.C. Deville and Bobby Dall won't be joining him, his solo set lists usually includes Poison hits like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and my personal favorite, "Fallen Angel." Since Michaels is rumored to be single again, not that it would matter, there are sure to be plenty of ladies lining up outside of his infamous tour bus, trying to get a glimpse of just what's under that bandana. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo) —Stephanie Powers—LP
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6
NineBullets Sixth Anniversary Party w/Adult Boys Thunderband/Matt Woods/Will Quinlan & The Diviners/Have Gun, Will Travel For the past six years, St. Pete's own Ninebullets.net has reported on live music, recorded music and all things pertaining to both with a refreshing, if sometimes cranky and whisky-stained idealism ("we do not listen to bad music, so why should we write about it?"), and has grown into an international online tastemaking staple and resource for roots music (country, rock, blues, folk, bluegrass and all their various sub-genres). Proprietor Bryan Childs now hosts his own weekly Ninebullets Radio slot on WMNF in addition to the odd live date, like this anniversary throwdown featuring local and Florida regional acts all stamped with the 9b seal of approval. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
Vacation Dad w/Andy Boay/Big Job/Justin Depth A free all-ages show at Mojo featuring Vacation Dad, the performing moniker of Wisconsin chillwave/ambient bedroom pop artist Andy Todryk, who has produced a string of recordings like the hazy track "Hemp Scented Body Lotion" that premiered on Pitchfork.com in 2010, and the more-recent gliding tribal-tinged groove of "LIVIN" off a forthcoming EP. Andy Boay hails from Orlando and his loose, skuzzy lo fi musical tableaus are tied together with hoots, hums and melodic-turned-chaotic calls, guitar strums, sample scuzz, and noise-reverb-analog experimentation. Heady. (Mojo Books & Music, Tampa)—LP
Caravan of Thieves w/The Mud Flappers/Applebutter Express Formed by street-busking couple Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni (guitar, vocals, percussion) and ultimately rounded out by violinist Ben Dean and double bass player Brian Anderson, New England's Caravan of Thieves crafts acoustic Django-inspired gypsy jazz with swinging vaudeville flair, folk-pop appeal and delivers it clad in thrift store chic periodwear. The quartet imbued 2012 studio album The Funhouse with a dark amusement park ride vibe, maintaining their unplugged sound but incorporating banjos, resonator guitars, ukuleles and all manner of found percussion. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
An Evening with Public Image Limited The post-punk experimental noise rock outfit led by John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) has reunited and is bringing the tour to Tampa! Many prefer PiL's eclectic world-influenced sound and thought provoking lyrics to the short-lived and controversial Sex Pistols, which is understandable since Mr. Lydon traded brashness for a more textured sound, swapping shock value for depth. Both have their place, but the sustainability of depth is proven by Pil’s history of releases, spanning 1978 to 2012 with This is PiL, out in May. (The Cuban Club, Ybor City) —Justin Little
Archnemesis w/Earphunk Archnemesis: Two men, two laptop-and-synths rigs, one giant EDM sound drawing on elements of glitch, ghetto-tech and electro-crunk, all of it scattershot with samples ranging from early 1920s-era blues and jazz records to modern hip-hop and soul cuts. New Orleans native openers Earphunk gets it going with grooving B3 jams. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Last Damn Show 14 I can hardly believe it's been 14 years since Last Damn Show was first launched and brought a big lineup of the hottest hip hop stars to the then-Ice Palace. For this edition, Wild 94.1-FM welcomes the elder statesman of hazy hip hop, Snoop Dogg, er, Snoop Lion, along with socially-conscious anti-establishment rapper/producer Lupe Fiasco, Southern rap slayer 2 Chainz, and young rapid fire rhyme-slinger Machine Gun Kelly. Also on the bill: Pleasure P, Rita Ora, and Kreayshawn (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)—LP
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
Victor Wooten Though plenty busy as lowend maestro of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, innovative jazz fusion bassist Wooten (who sings and plays electric, fretless and upright bass in addition to cello and guitar) still finds time to write plenty of solo material as evidenced by his just-released 2CD set. Disc one, Words and Tones, features female vocalists and a few covers while disc two, Sword and Stone, is a purely instrumental foray revealing Wooten's diverse stylistic approach. His touring ensemble includes multi-tasking back-up vocalists and instrumentalists on drums, bass, keys and horns who jump around in what's described as a "part choreographed and part improvised display of musicianship and showmanship." No openers; show starts at 8 p.m. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Sorne w/Milo/Wave Functions The interface of Austin-based Sorne's website beckons with a stirring black-and-white video of a parched, bald Morgan Sorne belting out a capella with grotesque beauty. As far for the rest, Sorne’s mood altering music is difficult to sum up with words, one of those "You just have to see them" bands. More than impassioned eloquence, his music has some odd flotsam and jetsam; a tableau of a family drama and human archetypes permeated with elements of the surreal, familiar and outright chilling. Two Jacksonville bands support: Milo, made up of multi-instrumentalist Andreas Verastegui and drummer brother Diego, who lift with cinematic sweeps, catch you off guard with dynamic riffs and keep you interested with good old-fashioned aggression; and fellow Skinny Records labelmate Wavefunctions, a septet that shares some of Milo's sensibilities but with an electro-psych sensibility ala Radiohead. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —Julie Garisto
Anthony Gomes w/Flannel Church Gomes is a Canadian singer and axeman who has nine albums to his credit that combine blues, rock, folk and soul. New Orleans funky rhythm and blues purveyors Flannel Church open. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
MONDAY, OCTOBER 8
Band of Skulls w/Ponderosa Slaying with a seething mix of garage, blues and alt rock is British three-piece Band of Skulls, their sound marked by the dueling and complementing vocal demands of bassist Emma Richardson and guitarist Russell Marsden. Warm-up by Atlanta's Ponderosa, their 2012 album Pool City a driving, highly appealing mix of roots rock, dream pop and alterna-folk that stands reminiscent of both My Morning Jacket and Grizzly Bear. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Darrell Scott He's written songs for a range of big-name country artists, from Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill to Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw, but singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott has seven albums of his own original material that he’ll draw from during this Club Jaeb concert. (Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)—LP
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9
The Jealous Sound w/Daytrader/Ascend the Hill/Mousefire Nine years after issuing a much-lauded first album, 2003's Kill Them with Kindness, LA-based emo-pop rock outfit A Jealous Sound has finally delivered sophomore follow-up, A Gentle Reminder. CL Writer Scott Harrell gave it four out of five stars, commenting "Reminder is firmly rooted in the same unique, poignant, yearning mix of Old Wave emotion and melody, crackling, dynamic indie guitar textures and memory-adhesive pop hooks that earned The Jealous Sound its legion of cult fans. The mix is just a bit more complex, ambitious and assured here, and many of the tracks best the material on Kindness as a result." (Orpheum, Ybor City)—LP
John Németh Boise, Idaho native Németh has been a force in the modern blues-soul circuit since his 2007 debut on Blind Pig Records, Magic Touch, his far-ranging vocals (booming lower tenor to high-flying falsetto) paired with sizzling virtuosity on harmonica. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Langhorne Slim & The Law w/The Last Bison The rambling troubadour who takes his name from his hometown of Langhorne, Penn. hits town on tour behind his new high-quality fan-funded full-length, The Way We Move. Read the full story here. The Last Bison opens. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Andrew Bird w/Here We Go Magic Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Andrew Bird charms listeners into fans with a clever turn of lyrical intellect, warm and golden vocals, some first-rate whistling, and instrumental prowess on violin, guitar and glock that he demonstrates in his lushly serene baroque-flavored folk pop. Bird has recorded nine studio LPs; the latest, Break it Yourself, dropped via Mom & Pop in March. Here We Go Magic provides a support highlight. Third full-length A Different Ship (produced by Radiohead's Nigel Godrich) is a favorite of 2012, ranging from the lightly Kraut-y rock that has become the band's trademark to gentle and more melodic moments of blissful electro folkedelia, Luke Temple's vocals breathy tender and channeling shades of Paul Simon. (Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for Performing Arts, Tampa)—LP
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10
Flobots w/Astronautalis/Samurai Shotgun Emcee Jamie "Jonny 5" Laurie is the ostensible frontman of Flobots, his rhymes sliding over a bed of rocking beats and grooving bass that, paired with the melodic sweeps, graceful flourishes and staccato plucks of viola, comes off as rather classy and organic. The quintet is on the road supporting their politically-leaning third LP, The Circle in the Square, out this August. (Orpheum, Ybor City)—LP
GZA: Liquid Swords In the title track off 1995's Liquid Swords, GZA looks back at the roots of rap and with well-deserved bravado, reflects on and delivers the sharp lyrical flow that’s his weapon of choice. The rapper otherwise known as The Genius — spiritual head of Wu-Tang Clan and the seminal hip hop group’s oldest and wisest member with more than three decades of experience — presents the entirety of his critically-acclaimed breakthrough second album on his current tour, and an intriguing bill of guests support, including Killer Mike, Bear Hands and Sweet Valley, the screwed, sampled and spliced experimental electro-break side project of Wavves' frontman Nathan Williams and brother Kynan. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)—LP
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2012.