Thursday, March 1
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL FEAT. LITTLE RICHARD, GEORGE JONES, CLINT BLACK, GRETCHEN WILSON, LEANN RIMES, RAY PRICE, RANDY TRAVIS AND OTHERS The Florida Strawberry Festival’s been bringing the best in fruit confections and country music — classic and contemporary — for decades. George Jones kicks this year’s concert lineup off at 4 p.m. Thurs., and I might just have to sneak out of work to catch it. An opera singer trapped in a hillbilly façade, Jones is the most expressive vocalist Nashville has ever produced. His ability to bound from the high to low register for dramatic effect is unmatched on timeless recordings such as “A Good Year for the Roses,” “The Grand Tour” and his biggie, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” I went to see Jones when he played the festival several years ago and was pleased to find him in good voice. Granted, the range isn’t what it used to be, but Jones makes the most of it. Word of advice: Bring a flask. The festival doesn’t sell booze and there’s something fundamentally wrong about singing along with “White Lightning” with nothing but a paper cup full of Sprite. Making his festival debut is the inimitable Little Richard, who still was able to give me a thrill when he played a double bill with Chuck Berry a few years back at Ruth Eckerd Hall (see music feature). (Plant City Festival grounds; runs through next week. Go to flstrawberryfestival.com for details).
PM DAWN In the early ’90s, hip-hop was a far more egalitarian affair. The music didn’t have to be all about thugs and bling. Hence, there was room for PM Dawn, a New Jersey brother duo that combined soft raps and gauzy slow jams with spacey lyrics. The group scored a handful of hits, most notably the chart-topping “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” and “I’d Die Without You,” which ascended to No. 3. (Bishop Tavern, St. Petersburg) —Eric Snider
THE CRUXSHADOWS The Industrial Goth outfit from Tallahassee that’s popular with Hot Topic shoppers brings bass intensive, gloom ‘n’ doomy dance tunes — with rather positive lyrics — to town. (Boomerz Nightclub, Seminole)
HELL WITHIN/PAYLOAD/SYFUR/WARP Gallery Billiards came to the rescue a few weeks back when it stepped up to host Suncoast original metal shows after Bradenton’s Rockerfella’s went kaput. The venue switch even has a big plus: The pool hall’s shows are all-ages affairs. In addition to featuring local bands every Saturday night, this week Gallery is welcoming Hell Within, a group of New England metalheads signed to Germany’s Lifeforce records. The band has one disc out, with the ace title Asylum of the Human Predator, and is making moves in the metal universe. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —Cooper Levey-Baker
Friday, March 2
PATTI LABELLE The R&B diva’s first hit dates back 45 years when she fronted the Philly-based Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. The song: “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman.” In the years since, LaBelle has gone from psychedelic soul siren (with the group LaBelle) to a classy, gown-clad solo act who plays performing arts halls. No matter how upscale the surroundings, though, Patti LaBelle always brings that through-the-roof belting, a surefire crowd-pleaser. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
WEBB WILDER w/DELTA MOON Driving American à la Steve Earle is what Nashville’s Webb Wilder delivers in the form of songs such as the “Human Cannonball.” Georgia’s Delta Moon play foot-stomping, lap-steel-guitar-laced gutbucket blues. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
NESSIE w/HEY THERE, BATTLE SHIP/Statik Quo Power pop with a dollop of twang, Nessie’s new material has been well received — especially “The Process of Mythmaking” and “Smarter than Dumb” — at the myriad of area shows the band has played in recent months. Judging by the demo Harrell handed me last September, their new EP …Like A Drunk with a Gun is well worth picking up at this CD release party. Fellow St. Pete act Hey There, Battleship makes mopey, fuzzy, indie rock and Statik Quo has nothing posted online so, sorry, I have no idea what they sound like. (The Emerald, St. Petersburg)
CORI YARCKIN w/TRACE OF DAY/MURPHY PROJECT/NO RECESS NOON BLUE Orlando sexpot Cori Yarckin headlines this lineup of area pop/indie rock bands. (The Orpheum, Ybor City)
Saturday, March 3
DOO WOP VII Gots to be seriously down with the doo-wop to even know headliner Kenny Vance & the Plantones. If so, enjoy. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
THE ONE AM RADIO w/ZILLIONAIRE/THE OAKS/AWAKE AWAKE A night of precious shoegaze headlined by L.A.’s One AM Radio, a band that makes synthed-out songs about crying all night in bed. Not my cup of tea — but some people say it’s pretty. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
TAMPA BAY FESTIVAL FEATURING LUIS PALAU w/MANDISA/MARCOS WITT/WYNONNA JUDD/P.O.D./TOBY MAC/KIRK FRANKLIN/BARLOW GIRL/CHRIS TOMLIN Popular music and worship make for interesting bedfellows at this mammoth event featuring Argentinean Christian evangelist Luis Palau. Event picks up again tomorrow. (Raymond James Stadium Grounds, Tampa)
THE COHORTS w/CAN’T DO IT/CROOKED EDGE St. Pete skasters The Cohorts are calling it quits. That’s too bad. The band enjoyed a rather successful three-year run that included two Warped Tour appearances, an East Coast tour and opening gigs for acts such as The Toasters. The five-piece boasts a pair of ace horn players and fun songs about bad girls (“Fight”) and the voices in your head (“Demons.”) Joining the finale festivities will be fellow local Bay area bands Crooked Edge (punk/hardcore), Can’t Do It (ska/punk) and The Set Back (pop punk). (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Sunday, March 4
PHIX After five years and nearly 500 shows, the Colorado foursome — which recreates the experience of attending a Phish show, complete with expert musicianship and a dazzling light show — is calling it quits to pursue original projects. Phix returns to St. Petersburg for one last hurrah, so if you’re hurting for some live Phish, make sure to see this premier tribute band while you still have the chance. (The Garage, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
DOC SEVERINSEN AND HIS BIG BAND Better known for his banter with Johnny Carson as his bandleader than for anything he’s done on wax, Severinsen nevertheless has recorded a slew of discs in a variety of styles, everything from bop to pop. As his billing indicates, tonight’s show features the big band side of things. (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota) —CLB
Monday, March 5
LYMBYC SYSTYM/RELAY/JOON Just in case you didn’t get enough “experimental,” Brian Eno-indebted snoozegaze from One AM Radio, here’s another fistful of downer offered at the same venue. Thirty-three seconds of Lymbyc Systym’s “Truth Skull” clip has bored me to the point of annoyance. (New World Brewery, Ybor)
Tuesday, March 6
WILLIE & LOBO New age music for diehards only. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Wednesday, March 7
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Can you see the meeting? “Listen kid, ‘Arnold Dorsey’ is just not gonna cut it on the boards. Here’s your new stage name: Engelbert Humperdinck. I nicked it from the German chap who wrote Hansel and Gretel.” And somehow it worked. The one-time ’60s heartthrob is 70 now, still singing “After the Loving,” “Release Me” and many more of his 23 charting singles to appreciative audiences. There will be a second performance at the same venue March 8. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —ES
TEA LEAF GREEN This San Francisco quartet has been making waves on the West Coast for the past nine years with their free-wheelin’ take on rock ‘n’ roll. They produce the sort of music you’d expect from a band coming out of the 1970s — a little funky, a little down home and marked by a refined folk-and-rhythm sensibility, rollicking piano and thoughtful lyrics. Tea Leaf Green puts on a pretty great live show; this is their pre-Langerado stop in St. Petersburg. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —LP
This article appears in Feb 28 – Mar 6, 2007.
