This Sat., June 11, features a few tearful farewells on top of all the usual concert happenings. Breakdown below.
Suncoast Blues Society's 19th Anniversary feat. John Nemeth with Big D & The Dirty Deal A rising star on the national blues circuit who makes a fine Blues Society anniversary headliner, Midwest-brewed John Nemeth has a vocal quality that’s warm, stout and as soulful as the harmonica he blows, which belongs on some ‘70s era Stevie Wonder record when it’s not in tube amp overdrive, while his swinging and shuffling grooves are executed by a tight, practiced three-piece. If you’ve been digging on Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Nemeth is in the same vein with a bit more polish. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) –Leilani Polk
Fubar and Destroyer Fest Present: Lunglust, Weltesser, Ad Nauseum, Disevered Boston’s working class culture has spawned some-down right testicle kicking hardcore punk and metal. Lunglust falls into that category. There's a grimy, gritty texture to Lunglust’s sound that helps them stand out and above contemporaries. Thick and utterly brutal screamed vocals are paired with spine-wrenchingly primal but effective song structures that make for a vicious combination. St. Pete doom metal luminaries Weltesser are beyond cool, methodical in their construction of relentless, heavier-than-gravity dirge metal that sounds reminiscent of Satan's bowel movements. Ad Nauseum and Desevered round out the heavy lineup with deathly and just plain brutal metal, respectively. (Fubar, St. Petersburg) –Brian Roesler
Joanne's Going Away Party! with Flat Stanley, Old Vices & more Joanne Rivera, aka JoJo, has been slinging suds at New World for a long-ass time and she’s finally packing up and shipping out. Before she hits the road, the music scene family that’s grown up around her throws her a wild farewell party featuring sets by a couple of punk-kicking rock bands (Flat Stanley, Old Vices and another TBA) and hosted by the Love Doctors, who devote a portion of the night to friends and family interested in sharing stories or performing something for JoJo, while a raffle of goodies raises funds to help pad her landing in Colorado. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)–LP
The Amsterdam's Final Show with Jackson Davis & The Jackettes, Jordan Esker & The Hundred Percent, House of I While New World sees-off one of its beloved own, St. Petersburg loses a watering hole that was starting to feel like a Edge District mainstay. The Amsterdam presents its last-ever show (and final night of brews) with three high-quality local acts touching on warm piano pop, earnest melodic acoustic rock, and dreamy psychedelia, all with fine groove qualities. Get ready for some tearful toasts and good-bye rock-outs. Read more about its closing here. (The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg)–LP
Speakeasy Night with Dean Johanesen The acoustic guitar-swinging songmaker throws another Speakeasy Night party featuring live painting by Rolf Hellem-Brusso paired with Johanesen’s Django-inspired gypsy-jumping hot club jazz and Spanish rumba-infused Americana, and joined by a special TBA guest on upright bass for some swinging circus tunes. Era attire (1920’s and ‘30s styles) is encouraged (prizes for the most festive threads) and a free download of Johanesen’s jaunty hat-tipping new single “Red Eyed, Red Light, Good Night!” is included with every ticket purchase. (Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)–LP
The So So Glos with Honduras Brooklyn punkers The So So Glos reign with a balance of feel-good punk and brash indie rock that has a spark of magic and experimentation, their ongoing trend of putting power chords in the oddest of places and unique up-tempo style securing them a diehard fanbase over the years and spurring their growing relevance. Fellow Brooklyn contemporaries Honduras ply an especially detached and bombastic brand of classic punk. Incredibly primal [you used this word in your last write-up] but with surprisingly complex and profound lyrics, Honduras balances beautifully chaotic noise and ruthlessly simple song structures. Mohawks are not required for entry. (Orpheum, Ybor City) –BR
John Gold Album Release Party In the three years since his last release, the Bay area native singer-songwriter found God. And he sings all about it, in great detail (and with between-song commentary) on his new album, John Gold Finds Love. The quality of his compositions remains strong — indie rock with heavy folk and pop-punk flavor — but the heavily Christian lyrical themes are distracting at best. (According to the Gold in the credits, “It wasn't me it was God. It wasn't my voice it was his. I didn't write the songs he wrote them. I can't take any credit. This belongs to him.”) The show is not a traditional release. You can pick up a copy of the album there (50 available), and because the venue does not permit sale of tickets or items, admission is by donation only; $10 gets you a copy of the album, $12 a tee shirt, and $20 gets you both. According to Gold's Facebook invite, ""There will be a live performance, but there will also be speakers, and activities, prepare to be as much a part of the night as I am." (5401 Land O' Lakes Blvd., Land O Lakes, 6:30-10 p.m., all ages)–LP
The Happy Together Tour with The Turtles feat. Flo and Eddie & more A seemingly never-ending cycle of nostalgia tours hearkening back to the golden era of ’60 pop rock comes through Clearwater, and this one is a regular gravy train that is currently in its seventh year. Signature headliners The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie (behind the song tapped for the tour’s title, “Happy Together”) bring antics and satire along with support in other era acts like Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night, behind “Mama Told Me Not To Come,” “One” and “Easy To Be Hard”) and Mark Lindsay (former lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders, behind “Kicks,’” “Hungry” and “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone”). Other performers include The Cowsills, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, and The Spencer Davis Group. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)–LP
ALSO HAPPENING TODAY
Jim Chambers Music Box Presents: SUMMER 2016 IS LIT! w/Extra Celestial/Inkblot/Surviving the Mile Whiskey Joe's, Tampa
Cognitive w/Contorted/Blistering Defilement/Mutilation Ritual/Enfold Darkness Brass Mug, Tampa
Have Gun, Will Travel Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa
Bride of Chaotica The Hub, downtown Tampa
Kill The Noise The Ritz Ybor , Ybor City
Elliott, Krispinsky, Quinlan, Vaclavik: Songwriters In The Round Beer & Brownies, Tampa
Blitz 2 w/Coda Cutlass/Drastic Fall/Sahe/Didges Christ Superdrum/Chronologic The Local 662, St. Petersburg
That ‘90s Show w/Brajhon/T.EsQuire/Faydthegod/Monie/Quez Swain/Charlie G/2wayz/Alec Burnright The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg
Urban Gypsies w/Ramblegrass Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
This article appears in Jun 9-16, 2016.