Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt There is a fire inside of world-renowned Indian classical guitarist Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and it earned the 66-year-old a Grammy for Best World Music Album way back in 1993. Bhatt was assisted by American composter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder on that LP, but he’ll get help from another revered world music star, tabla player Pandit Subhen Chatterjee, at this one. (Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa) INFO
New World Brewery 22nd Anniversary w/Magic City Hippies/Demi Nova/Redfeather/DJ Blenda Ask any regular concertgoer in Tampa Bay, and they’ll tell you: New World Brewery just might be the best small venue in town. A bastion of the Bay area’s best brews and bites (wings, pizza, delicious barbeque and weigh-yer-plate buffet), the urban oasis is a restaurant by day and the home of ridiculously intimate concerts from locals as well as the best breaking international acts by night. TV On the Radio and My Morning Jacket are just two bands who famously cut their teeth on the infamous Ybor City patio (and you can here their set below). Now, as new residential development has been approved for the address, New World’s 22nd anniversary seems more poignant than ever. Miami soul and funk band Magic City Hippies (led by charismatic frontman Robby Hunter) headline a bill that includes freak-folks Redfeather and soul heroine Demi Nova. No one knows when/if New World will eventually have to sacrifice its established, and important, history for the next wave of Cigar City development, but Saturday (every day, actually) is a good day to see what the fuss is all about. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) INFO
Sonic Graffiti/Soapbox Soliloquy 7-inch Release Party w/ Fayroy The energy is just about perfect in the Soapbox Soliloquy camp right now, and they’ve married the good vibes to the swelling fortunes of Sonic Graffiti for a new, 7-inch split they’re calling Ghost – A – Go Go. One hundred pink and orange splatter vinyl get born tonight, and you can hear the release's closing track here. (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Sgammato Student Showcase You know, CL loves the kids. That's why we thinks its pretty cool that Bay area musician Chris Sgmmato is putting a bunch of his students at one of our favorite venues so they can showcase everything they've learned. Bean Spence (who you've probably seen doing live art at festivals) provided cool laminates for the kiddos, too. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
Sugar Hill Gang At one point, the Philadelphia Soul arena football franchise was owned by Bon Jovi, but this particular evening belongs to our hometown, five time Arena Bowl champs, the Tampa Bay Storm, who welcome rap legends Sugarhill Gang to help them kick off a new season with fans who’ll enjoy a postgame concert. It’s been almost 40 years since they flipped Chic’s “Good Times” upside down on “Rapper’s Delight,” but the boys — Master Gee and Wonder Mike — should still be entertaining as they pay tribute to late founding member Big Bank Hank who was killed by cancer in 2014. (Following Tampa Bay Storm vs. Philadelphia Soul at Amalie Arena, Tampa) INFO
DieAlps! w/Fast Talkers/Talk With Your Hands Tampa trio Fast talkers bring a new single (“Been Home”) to biergarten where indie-rock quintet DieAlps! (who just asked The Shins to give them a new touring van) round out a bill that also includes Orlando dance-pop group Talk With Your Hands. All ages, and pet friendly? We’re in. (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg) INFO
Sun Signs w/Tiny Farm/Dawns Gainesville’s Tiny Farm comes to the home of Tampa’s stiffest drinks where Dawns also play support for Best of The Bay winners, and celestial inspired rock outfit Sun Signs who’ve said that this will be their last show before heading back to the studio to record the follow up to a self-titled 2015 EP.(The Hub, Tampa) INFO
ALSO PLAYING
Rock/Pop/Country
The Band Perry (Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival, Tampa) INFO
Donna Lu w/Empire Cinema (SubCentral at Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO
Nerf Or Die w/Car Bomb Driver/more (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
Tail Light Rebellion w/The Devil's Cut/Saint Christopher Webster/Mouse Sex/Breathe Dissent/more (Sawgrass Gallery & Teahouse, St. Petersburg) INFO
Springtime Grilled Cheese Festival w/Bearded Brothers Band/Skylark Clark Band/DJ Anthony/more (Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill, St. Petersburg) INFO
Discord Theory w/Malaya/The Great White Dope/Barbosa (Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO
Colours w/DBMK/Goodnight Neverland (The Local 662, St. Petersburg) INFO
Hip-Hop
Starlito and Don Trip w/DJ Wynn (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) INFO
Ignite The Night w/Tiphanie/KG-III2/Sashalyn/2Brothers/more (Pegasus Lounge, Tampa) INFO
Tribute
Runaway Gin(Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) INFO
Folk/Singer-Songwriter
“Twisted” Opening Reception w/Mallory Moyer (St. Pete Artworks, St. Petersburg) INFO
Mad Beach Band 40th Anniversary Show (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Russil Tamsen (Above The Salt Cafe, Tampa) INFO
Blues/Jam/World
Doug Deming and the Jeweltones w/Gypsy Wind (The Ale & the Witch, Tampa) INFO
MZG + K-Slat (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
Axes Saxes and Taxes w/Johnny G Lyon/Otis Velt/Tommy Duncan and Star-Q (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
EDM/DJ
NItti Gritti (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
This article appears in Apr 13-20, 2017.