The Straz Center’s last Club Jaeb concert of 2010 spotlights Nashville-by-way-of-NYC alt country singer-songwriter Amy Speace , whose observational lyrical style and drawling, husky soulful vocals earned her a spot on Judy Collins’ Wildflower Records label roster.
Her 2009 album, The Killer in Me, got high marks from The Washington Post, which wrote, “If you bemoan the lack of solid singer-songwriters in the folk world who can bridge inner turmoil with universal experience, Speace is just what you need to hear.” (Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa, strazcenter.org)
Or, if you spent the weekend in a hectic flurry Christmas shopping and need something a little more low key, decompress with The St. Petersburg College Orchestra Concert featuring works by Vivaldi and Haydn. Don't worry if you emptied your wallet and maxed out your cards — this one is free. 7:30 p.m. Free. St. Petersburg College-Gibbs Campus, 6605 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg. 727-341-7984. spcollege.edu/spg/music/calendar.htm.
And for something wayyyy on the other side of the musical spectrum …
’s forthcoming second full-length, Not Yet, his wildly ragged vocals dissolving into nonsensical shouts and guttural bilingual utterances carried on a hard one-two drum stomp and heavily distorted guitar riffs.
The unapologetically raucous garage rock trio from Tel Aviv is currently on the road promoting the album, which is was produced by Steve Albini and drops Jan. 25 via Drag City. Monotonix has earned a rep for staging outrageous live shows (flaming cymbals and band members, trash-can antics, entire drum kits crowd surfed, drinks stolen from fans and poured on themselves), so if you’re into that sort of raw, balls-to-the-wall rock energy, this show’s for you. (Orpheum, Ybor City; information on Monotonix and Speace courtesy of Leilani Polk)
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2010.