Seminole Heights record store Microgroove was once a surefire place to catch a great band on occasion, but the pandemic put the kibosh on that. But now, celebrated alternative hardcore band Moving Targets is changing that for an intimate show on Thursday, Oct. 28.
The gig is so intimate, in fact, that only 40 tickets are being sold.
“I've been a big fan of Moving Targets for 30 years,” Microgroove and New Granada Records owner Keith Ulrey told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “A band I was in the early-‘90s, even played a show with them in Bremen, Germany.”
Though Moving Targets never had much commercial success, the Hüsker Dü-influenced band was a huge part of the ‘80s Boston underground music scene which led the group to land to a record deal with Taang!—a label that launched the careers of The Lemonheads and Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
“The band has gone through some tragedies of losing two of the core members,” Ulrey said, “while leader/guitarist Kenny Chambers soldiered on with different iterations of the band.”
Ulrey said that five years ago, Chambers reformed Targets after being contacted by Canadian musician-fans who encouraged him to restart the band with them as the rhythm section.
The band has since released a couple of albums and continues to tour, including a stop at this year’s Fest in Gainesville, which Ulrey helped coordinate.
“They were originally scheduled for the 2020 Fest until it was postponed due to the pandemic,” Ulrey said.
“I'm very excited to host one of my favorite bands AND to FINALLY book a small DIY show at the shop, the first since probably December 2019,” Ulrey said, guessing on that date.
Ulrey is unsure if Microgroove—located at 4906 N Florida Ave.—will host another show this year, but his band Pohgoh is opening for Athen’s Five Eight on Aug. 6 at the Crowbar.
Tickets are $10, but early this month, there were only 15 tickets still available to see Moving Targets and local punk band Slap of Reality play Microgroove in Tampa, Florida on Oct. 28. This show is limited-capacity. Masks will be encouraged in general, but mandatory for those not yet vaccinated.
Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team works tirelessly to share music news, events and concert announcements as the Tampa Bay music scene recovers from coronavirus shutdowns. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter and subscribe to our newsletter.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2021.