FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Whole Wheat Bread From the fast thrashing instrumental drive and howling falsetto hallelujahs of “New Age Southern Baptist N*gga From Da Hood,” to the Celtic stomp and charge of “Old Man Sampson” and reggae vibing flavor of the catchy grinding “Girlfriend Like This,” Whole Wheat Bread has established a distinctive sound beyond the “dirty south punk rock” label they assumed after bursting onto the Jacksonville scene in 2003. The threesome — rapper/singer/guitarist Aaron Abraham, bassist Will Frazier and drummer Joseph “Mr. Whitefolks” Largen — has played, collaborated and toured with a range of artists, among them, Murs, Rancid, Bad Brains and Lil Jon. WWB is working on a follow-up to 2009 sophomore album Hearts of Hoodlums, and while a recent Kickstarter.com campaign to fund its recording proved unsuccessful, Abraham told EU Jacksonville, “We will still make the record regardless. That’s just punk rock.” (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
French Montana You know those hip-hop club bangers that aren’t much more than an oversized beat and a few emcees spouting repetitive verses like “Whatchoo twerk with?” I’m specifically referencing “Pop That,” the hit single from yet another drug slinger-turned-rhyme flinger French Montana with co-hort Rick Ross; the latter teamed up with P.Diddy in a joint venture to produce and release the Moroccan-American rapper’s debut full-length via their respective Maybach and Bad Boy imprints. Though the drop date for Excuse My French has been delayed indefinitely, it appears the hype tour is still on… (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
The Lee Boys w/Ted Lukas & the Misled The sacred steel tradition as practiced by The Lee Boys is rooted in gospel music, carried on bluesy rhythms, and infused with elements of R&B, folk, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and country music. The African-American family band is led by the Lee brothers — guitarist Alvin and vocalists Derrick and Keith — and rounded out by nephews Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (seven-string bass) and Earl Walker (drums). All six members learned to play music as children in South Florida’s House of God church, where their father/grandfather, Rev. Robert E. Lee, was the pastor and a steel player himself. The joyous spiritual music that accompanied the congregation’s worship services was originally dubbed “sacred steel” by folklorist Robert Stone, who discovered the Lee Boys after attending services and ultimately convinced them to record. Third full-length album Testify was issued via Warren Haynes’ Evil Teen label in October. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Taylor Dane Golden-haired throaty soulful singer Taylor Dane hit the airwaves in the late 1980s with a string of AC pop hits (“Tell It to My Heart,” “I’ll Always Love You,” “Don’t Rush Me,” “Love Will Lead You Back”) and two double-platinum albums. Most recently, she released a single, “Floor on Fire,” that hit No. 8 on the Billboard Dance/Club charts. (The Club at Treasure Island, Treasure Island)
Black Friday Record Store Day Party w/Feral Babies/Jensen Serf Co./Direct Effect/Von Dagger If you must go out on Black Friday, at least make it worth your while — by doing your holiday shopping at independently-owned retailers, specifically, the places taking part in Record Store Day’s Black Friday sale. A bunch of limited (indie-store-only) releases have been issued for the occasion by artists ranging from the Shins to White Stripes to the Rolling Stones. Mojo will be carrying limited RSD releases, offering specials throughout the day, and hosting a lineup of local punk-and-garage leaning acts that hit the standing room stage at 8 p.m. (Mojo Books & Music, Tampa)
Death Fest w/Blunt Trauma/Agerasia/City Of Seba/Reveal Renew/Valor/The Home Front/Creatues Of Habit/As Crusaders Depart This holiday weekend live music rage-a-thon features a bill of local hardcore and death metal bands, among them, Blunt Trauma, a seven-piece that pummels while striving to “inform the world of the corrupt evil known as the American government.” (Neptune Lounge, Tarpon Springs)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24
2 Chainz He started out as one-half of hip-hop duo Playaz Circle, formerly called himself Tity Boi, but only started earning fame for his syrupy Southern rhymes after he went solo and changed his name to 2 Chainz. He’s since issued a well-regarded mixtape, 2011’s T.R.U. REALigon, and was signed to Def Jam to release his 2012 full-length debut, Based On A T.R.U. Story, which jetted to the top of the Billboard 200, R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap charts, and features an all-star cast of guests, like Kanye West (“Birthday Song”), Drake (“No Lie”) and Nicki Minaj (“I Luv Dem Strippers”). (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
My Wild Heaven w/Artificial Heart Beat My Wild Heaven mixes aggressive punk riffage, sci-fi prog storylines (likened to Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man) and quirky nerdy rah-rah/sing-song vocals as delivered by guitarist and mellotron player Bill Bechtel (also of Bride of Chaotica), with back-up from bassist Robert “Red” Redmond and drummer Mirko Soko. Artificial Heartbeat purveys loose and grungy garage/punk marked by the abrasive barks of vocalist Brian Berowski. Both are from the Tampa Bay area. (La La’s Brew House, Largo)
Dave Koz & Friends 2012 Christmas Tour “I think the Christmas season gives us all a chance to go back in time, it’s so nostalgic — and music plays such a big role in bringing out that feeling,” California sax extraordinaire Dave Koz said of his annual Christmas tour. Now in its 15th year, the tour has grown into a holiday tradition of epic smooth jazz proportions as piloted by Koz, who invites along different guest players each run. The 2012 edition features pianist/composer David Benoit, who performed in the tour’s original 1997 line-up; vocalist Javier Colon, winner of NBC’s first season of The Voice; drummer, percussionist and vocalist Sheila E. (best known for hit track “Glamorous Life” and stints backing Prince and Ringo Starr); and jazz, pop and Bossa Nova songstress Margo Rey. The quintet plays cuts from their respective catalogs as well as staging jazzed up arrangements of seasonal favorites, with the highlight most definitely a medley of Vince Guaraldi’s holiday-themed Peanuts music. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
An Evening with Shaun Hopper The fingerstyle acoustic guitar whiz with percussive technique returns to his favored stomping ground, the Skipperdome, for an evening of choppy musicianship covering tunes from his extensive repertoire, which touches on jazz, folk, soul, blues, New Age, rock, pop, Celtic and classical music. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
The Long Johns Fifth Anniversary Show w/Can’t Do It/General Tso’s Fury/Four Minute Warning Local bands come and go, but The Long Johns are here to stay, at least for now. The sextet celebrates five years of longevity with a serving of their ’90s power pop-infused third-wave ska as propelled by the powerful piping vocals of singer-keyboardist Stephanie Summerbell, carried on the sonic interplay of guitarist/singer Matt Bartholomay, bassist Josh Dykstra and drummer Woody Bond, and brightened by the brassy double punch of trombonist Brian Ferreira and sax player Justin Larsen. A solid and eclectic lineup of other ska acts support. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Welcome in the Holidays A seasonal and retro music charity concert to benefit Toys for Tots as headlined by Tommy Mara and the Crests, a doo wop vocal group responsible for 1950s and ’60s hits like “Sixteen Candles,” “Step by Step” and “Trouble in Paradise.” Also on the bill: The Mystics (“Hushabye”) and Johnny Thunder (“Loop De Loop”); The Impacs open. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales benefit Toys for Tots and a rep from the nonprofit will be on hand to collect new unwrapped toy donations. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
Rubber Revolver: A WMNF Beatles Tribute The Beatles’ entire remastered catalog was finally pressed to vinyl and released a few weeks back. This latest wave of renewed interest in the band means it’s the perfect time to stage a tribute show. Pop-rock outfit The Ditchflowers have stepped up to the plate and present two seminal mid-career Fab Four albums — Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966) — song by song, back to back, in their entirety, and with a little help from their friends. Jeremy Thomas, Ricky Wilcox, and Rebekah Pulley and Rob Pastore support. Proceeds from the concert benefit WMNF. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
The Birthday Massacre w/William Control/Aesthetic Perfection “There’s something in the dark and I want to go home / There’s someone else here; we’re not alone,” Chibi croons softly in “Leaving Tonight,” the first track off The Birthday Massacre’s 2012 fifth album, her clear high-toned vocals sailing over the Toronto sextet’s darkly textured mix of goth, industrial, Dark Wave and synth rock. According to Chibi, much of Hide and Seek was inspired by her fascination with unsolved murders, the city, death, and in particular, the 30-year-old mystery of a missing girl. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Beenie Man & Singing Melody w/Jeff & The Universal/Kahlil/Boasy/Splitta Squad Self-crowned “King of Dancehall” Beenie Man has been toasting and producing bumpin’ reggae-fused tunes since 1983, but likely you know the Grammy-winning Jamaican artist best from his 1998 hit, “Who Am I (Sim Simma).” Also hailing from the island nation is Singing Melody, who has more of a tender R&B feel to his songwriting. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Sevendust After some time in the studio laying down new material for a forthcoming ninth studio album, Atlanta alt-metal outfit Sevendust hits the road for a five-date Florida tour leading into their appearance on the “ShipRocked 2012” cruise to try out some cuts off it, like the dark melodic prog ode “Blackout,” apparently about the passing of guitarist Clint Lowery’s father. (The Cuban Club, Ybor City)
Sasha The veteran Welsh DJ and producer lands in Tampa for a night of Euro dance music that jumps between trance, breakbeat, progressive and deep house atmospheres. (The Kennedy, Tampa)
Gino and the Goons Record Release Party w/The Black Roses Local punk-garage rockers Gino and the Goons throw a rowdy BYOBD party in honor of completing their Play Loud 12” release, and in classic DIY style, the foursome gives away free copies of the album and plays a free show of their ball-busting new tunes. Garage blues guitar-and-drums two-piece The Black Roses support. (Star Booty, St. Petersburg)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/DJ Platurn/DJ Sandman The dance party gets crankin’ this Sunday night when Ol’ Dirty Sundays welcomes Iceland-born, West Coast Bay area-based DJ Platurn, whose takes his name from his native language (the direct translation of ‘DJ’ is ‘plate turner’). Platurn is a member of the Oakland Faders DJ collective, a relentless vinyl digger, and a whiz on decks who makes perceptive selections from his record collection, and mixes, scratches and mashes up hip-hop, disco, soul, and funk, from hits to obscurities, from A Tribe Called Quest to James Brown — anything to get the party vibe going. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Fuel/Filter Two heavy-leaning post-grungy rock bands that both formed in 1993 and spent some time on the Billboard Alt-Rock charts: hard rocking Fuel with “Shimmer” in 1998 and the more prevalent “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” in 2000, and industrial-leaning Filter with “Take a Picture” in 2001, though you likely recall their seething first single best, 1995’s “Hey Man, Nice Shot.” Both bands are working on new material, with albums due out in 2013. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Twangsgiving w/Steve Vaclavik and The Woeful Ones/Al Torchia and The Tattered Saints/The Donny Simonds Band/Hapi & Patty/The Crabgrass Cowboys Local acts representing alt-country, heartland rock, bluegrass, roots rock, folk rock, Americana and rockabilly deliver a days worth of twang to raise money and collect food for Metropolitan Ministries. Bring a nonperishable food item to give along with the suggested $10 donation for admission. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Clay Aiken Christmas Concert Among the brightest shining poster children for American Idol-spawned success is Clay Aiken, who took his reality show fame to multi-platinum heights with the release of his debut in 2003. He’s issued several recordings since then, including a few holiday-themed albums: Merry Christmas With Love, Billboard’s best-selling Christmas LP in 2004 and best-selling Christian album in 2005; a 2004 TV-to-DVD special, A Clay Aiken Christmas; and a 2006 EP, All Is Well. He stops in town on his fifth Christmas tour (“Joyful Noise 2012”) to perform holiday songs and select hits from his catalog of originals. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Japandroids w/Swearin’ When I was younger, I hated it when some old, out-of-touch asshole ranted about the death of rock ’n’ roll. Now, at 31, I feel bombarded by EDM and anthemic pop-rock. Thank fuck for Japandroids. Two dudes playing ferocious, catchy, Springsteen-filtered garage-punk about partying and girls. Their performance at this year’s SXSW set music blogs on fire and their 2012 debut full-length earned them a Polaris Prize nomination for “Best Album by a Canadian Artist.” Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl) is admittedly somewhat formulaic and four-minute songs like lead single “The House That Heaven Built” sometimes seem too long considering the duo’s style. But killer lead breaks and jubilant crowd chants are a beautiful formula to abuse, and Celebration Rock is a deep breath of fresh air. Brooklyn four-piece Swearin’ opens Japandroids’ Tampa date. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Joel Weiss
Flow Tribe w/Touch the Sky Flow Tribe soaks up the pulsing late night music vibes of their New Orleans hometown, then squeezes out a hard grooving blend of funk, blues, reggae and rock n’ roll. Songs like “Do Yo Thang” and “She Don’t Play” (off 2011 eponymous full-length) are carried on fatty basslines, ass-shaking beats, wah wah guitar and reverb-wailing solos, trumpet blasts and harmonica screams. All members of the six-piece sport wardrobes full of clashing plaids, loud colors and plenty of old man headwear. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2012.