THURSDAY, MAY 1
DIMMU BORGIR w/BEHEMOTH/KEEP OF KALESSIN Norwegian black-metal heroes Dimmu Borgir have spent the past 15 years expanding the genre's traditional template of speedy guitar riffs, brutal percussion and dark lyrics (which are sung, in English, more than growled), with cinematic keyboard swells and operatic vocal touches. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
STORY OF THE YEAR w/MADINA LAKE/JOSEPHINE COLLECTIVE A post-hardcore band from St. Louis that often goes into screamo mode, Story of the Year's belligerent thrusts are intercut with poppy interludes, resulting in radio hits like "Anthem of Our Dying Day," "Until the Day I Die" and "We Don't Care Anymore." (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
BOBAFLEX w/THE BANGKOK FIVE/CLENCHFIST/BURN THEORY Courted by major labels in the late '90s, unfortunately named nu-metalers Bobaflex eventually inked a deal with the indie imprint Eclipse, which issued the band's generic, dated-upon-release 2003 disc, Primitve Epic. The West Virginia quintet's latest album, last year's Tales from Dirt Town, came out on TVT and features a more classic metal sound. (Bourbon Street Nightclub, New Port Richey)
THE SEMIS w/MILITARY JUNIOR/DJ N8 High-volume-loving alternative rock quartet The Semis share the stage with fellow locals Military Junior, an emotive math-rock trio that last month posted three fine new tunes on its MySpace page. (Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, MAY 2
B.B. KING w/DAMON FOWLER A true gentleman, B.B. King deserves the rep as the ambassador of the blues like no other. His shows became pure ritual decades ago: backing band opens with a handful of instrumentals; MC exhorts the crowd with "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. BEE BEE KiiiiNG;" B.B. strolls out, sings some classic blues tunes and drops a few by-the-numbers guitar solos; B.B. leaves the stage; the MC picks up his shtick; B.B. returns, basks in audience adulation, plays another tune and leaves. Me? Been there, done it. If you haven't, you might dig it. Local blues-rock firebrand Damon Fowler nabs the coveted opening slot. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK w/STICK TO YOUR GUNS/WINDS OF PLAQUE/VEIL OF MAYA/BELAY MY LAST L.A.'s As Blood Runs Black trades in well-executed but rather predictable death-metal. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
AZTEC TWO-STEP Pleasant but not exactly gripping folk-rockers, the duo had a taste of mainstream commercial success in 1977 when its RCA album Two's Company charted, barely. (Studio@620, St. Petersburg)
ROCKET 88 w/CHARLIE VEGAS & THE NEW BLUES COMBO An Orlando rockabilly outfit, Rocket 88 is known for raucous live shows and space themes exemplified by song titles such as "Supersonic Satellite." (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
ERIC CHURCH Country pop fans — aka Dallas Bull regulars — will know Nashville newcomer Eric Church for his pair of blue-collar odes, "Guys Like Me" and "Sinners Like Me," both hits last year. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)
COLONY 5 This Swedish duo takes its cue from industrial pioneers like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails, offering Gothy, rave numbers reliant on deep-voiced vocals and cold, propulsive synths. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
RESCUE 22 w/SCILTER/CIRCLE OF THIEVES Tampa modern-rock four-piece Rescue 22 is fronted by former American Idol finalist Heather Piccini, a big-voiced singer who operates well in the loud guitar context, but the band's tunes lack the hooks to distinguish them from the myriad other acts treading similar ground. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
MOJO GURUS Countrified blooze-rockers return to Ringside, where the St. Pete band — one of the few Bay area acts to have signed with a major label in recent years — filled the place to capacity last month for their Let's Get Lit With … The Mojo Gurus CD release party. (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg)
STEVE YOUNG w/JAMES HAWKINS AND COLD HARBOR Nashville singer/songwriter Young is best known for penning tunes recorded by the likes of Waylon Jennings ("Lonesome, Orn'ry & Mean"), Hank Williams Jr. ("Montgomery in the Rain"), The Eagles and Dolly Parton ("Seven Bridges Road"). The "Renegade Picker" is an accomplished performer in his own right, melding Americana, alt-country and roots-rock on a dozen deserving albums that have never quite met with the fame of his charting contemporaries. (Holley Hall, Sarasota) —Amanda Schurr
STREETWISE II The hip-hop-heavy Streetwise bill returns with 30-plus MCs, beatboxers and slam poets. Among the highlights: SRQ rap-rocker Noah Andreas, Bradenton duo Geno & Skunk Boogie and a troupe of rollerskating breakdancers from O-Town. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —AS
SATURDAY, MAY 3
YEA BIG + KID STATIC w/MES MUSIC/BREAKDOWN/GRAVY RECORDS/JINX/CRATE BROTHERS Chicago hip-hop duo Yea Big + Kid Static brings lo-fi, sideways beats to rhymes that are truly humorous, especially the mock-braggadocio single "Eatchyo Samwich," a laugh-out-loud riot about a dude "slinging the meat" and "six types of cheese." (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
LITTLE FEAT w/HOT TUNA One of the great semi-underground bands in rock history, Little Feat folded in 1979 after the untimely death of its visionary leader, Lowell George. The group re-formed in '88, much less visionary but still a tight unit with terrific players and singers. Feat hasn't accomplished much on the recording front in recent years, but its tours still command a dedicated following among the jam-band set and boomers who grew up on its '70s stuff. This show features a bonus: the much-admired acoustic rock quartet Hot Tuna, which has headlined Jannus several times. (Jannus Landing, St. Pete) —ES
BEAUTIFUL GIRLS w/VIRGINIA COALITION/MATT JENNINGS Australian trio Beautiful Girls alternate from alt-rock mode to Jack Johnson mellowness and dub offerings. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
BENJI MADDEN The guitarist for pop-punkers Good Charlotte (and boyfriend of Paris Hilton) returns to Push to play DJ — "Stars Are Blind" anyone? Didn't Madden just spin at Push in March? Does the dude have a time-share down here or something? Does Paris? (Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg)
HIGHWAY TO HELL w/DESTROYER Popular Tampa AC/DC tribute band Highway to Hell reportedly operates with the blessing of AC/DC frontman and Sarasota resident Brian Johnson. Destroyer will be paying homage to KISS. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
CHRIS MCCARTY BAND w/K-G AND THE BAND Gainesville's Chris McCarty has become a Skipperdome favorite thanks to his ability to lure the coed set with breezy, Ben Harper-style strum-pop. K-G, originally from East Africa, and his multi-ethnic band are advertised as an act that "builds a unique sound that is only compared to a combined feel of Sade, Bob Marley, Seal, Dave Matthews Band and Wyclef Jean all in one." (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
FIREHOUSE w/JULLIET Pop-metal Johnny-come-latelys Firehouse had hits during the grunge era with early-'90s titles like "All She Wrote," "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "When I Look Into Your Eyes." (Bourbon Street Nightclub, New Port Richey)
16 PENNY W/DRAGONFLY RIPPLE Arcadia nu-grungers 16 Penny and Sarasota power-pop trio Dragonfly Ripple team up for an evening of local alt rock. (Pastimes Pub, Sarasota) —AS
ELYSIAN SEX DRIVE CD RELEASE After years of rotating players has led the veteran band back to its almost original lineup, local lady-of-rock DeLaran and co. drop their latest disc, A Note to the Alchemist, as a benefit for nonprofit organization SCOPE. (mack b gallery, Sarasota) —AS
SUNDAY, MAY 4
BRANDON WILSON BENEFIT: DUKES OF JUKE/BLUE DICE/STACEY KNIGHTS/FOCUS FIRE/SANDY ATKINSON/BILL JOHNSTON Tampa rhythm-and-blues vets Dukes of Juke and fellow local roots acts put on a show to benefit 13-year-old Brandon Wilson, who is "fighting an aggressive form of cancer, Glioblastoma." (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
GRUPO NICHE This group trades in Latin pop and salsa (sung in Spanish) from Colombia. (Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay)
MONDAY, MAY 5
PITBULL w/DJ SANDMAN A Miami rapper who cashed in on the Deep South crunk sound of slowed-down bass and party chants, Pitbull has scored a slew of hits in recent years with titles like "Culo," "Go Girl" and his latest, "The Anthem." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, MAY 6
RADIOHEAD w/LIARS Is Radiohead the most important rock band to release its debut album in the past 20 years? For my definitive answer, go to p. 41. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
THE CASUALTIES w/KRUM BUMS N.Y.C. punk revivalists The Casualties carry on the sound (and look) of the Sex Pistols but at a faster clip and with vocals that are barked as opposed to snarled. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
MARY FLOWER Folkie-turned-blues singer Flower (who is formerly of the Denver-based Mother Folkers) brings a taste of Memphis (her new home) and country-blues pickin' to the 'Burg. (Studio@620, St. Petersburg)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE w/THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE Formed in 1997, NYC's Mindless Self Indulgence follows in the footsteps of bands like Lords of Acid and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, which brought twisted humor and danceable beats to the industrial-rock genre. Frontman Jimmy Urine sets his falsetto vocals against driving electro-industrial punk-metal, the outrageous lyrics meant to appall as much as amuse. Expect a concert rife with Urine's notorious stage antics and verbal abuse of fans who soak it up with masochistic ardor. If you're lucky, they might even play an amped-up, highly enjoyable cover of Rush's "Tom Sawyer." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg). —Leilani Polk
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2008.