THURSDAY, APRIL 17
VHS OR BETA w/TIGERCITY/PEMBERLEY/STAVROS A dance-rock outfit that recalls New Wave and New Romantic bands like Duran Duran, Louisville's VHS or Beta has been crafting hypnotic synth-pop for more than a decade, long before acts such as The Killers introduced '80s ebullience to listeners who were infants when those sounds (and sights) first dominated Top 40 radio and MTV — a time when folks actually had to grapple with the big home-entertainment decision of VHS or Beta. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
ADAM PASCAL Tony-nominated for his role as Roger Davis in Rent, Broadway star Pascal indulges his rock 'n' pop side with a performance of original songs and show tunes like "Maria," from West Side Story. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL CD RELEASE PARTY w/NESSIE/WILL QUINLAN & THE DIVINERS/BARON VON BEAR Casting Shadows Tall as Giants, the most compelling new alt-country debut album on the market, just happens to come from Tampa Bay luminaries Have Gun, Will Travel. For a story that chronicles the Bradenton outfit's journey from nationally-signed indie rock trio The Chase Theory to frontman Matt Burke's twangy, Have Gun, Will Travel solo EP to his old bandmates being brought into the fold for HGWT's excellent full-length debut, go to Music at sarasota.creativeloafing.com. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
JOE BUCK w/TAILGUNNER JOE AND THE EARLS OF SLANDER/BLIND BUDDY MOODY Former guitarist for Th' Legendary Shack Shakers and stand-up bassist for Hank Williams III, anti-Nashville wild man Joe Buck also maintains a solo career that finds him subverting country music with a grippingly vicious brand of punk hillbilly marked by song titles like "Demon in My Head (and He Wants You Dead)." (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg)
EISLEY w/THE MYRIAD/VEDERA/THE ENVY CORPS A family alternative pop quintet from Tyler, Texas, led by sweet-singing DuPree sisters Sherri, Stacy and Chauntelle, Eisley's breakthrough album, Combinations, came out last year on Reprise, the band's second full-length for the major label. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
TAMPA BAY SMOOTH JAZZ FEST: KEM/CHIELI MINUCCI/PAUL TAYLOR/JONATHAN BUTLER/BONEY JAMES/ALLON SAMS/BOBBY G. SUMMERS Unless you're that weird species who can actually groove to smooth jazz, bring a comfy blanket for this snooze-inducing free show that takes place today and tomorrow at the same location. (Coachman Park, Clearwater)
AVANT This R&B crooner with male-model looks has landed a string of slick, baby-making hits in recent years, including 2000's "Separated," 2004's "Read Your Mind," and 2006's "4 Minutes" — the latter title of which indicates he's not a serious foreplay enthusiast. (Cee-Jay's Martini Bar and Lounge, Brandon)
MARK HUMMEL'S BLUES HARMONICA BLOWOUT '08™ Holy jeez, it's a blowout! A blues harmonica blowout! Date stamped and trademarked, even! Who imagined such wonders existed? Apparently, road warrior Hummel, who's been hawking his traveling blues harp (as the blowout contingent refers to it) extravaganza since 1991. He's accompanied this tour by fellow winded ones Rick Estrin, Robert Cray band vet Curtis Salgado and special guest Bobby Ray Bishop. (Ace's Lounge, Bradenton) —Amanda Schurr
HUDOST Montreal's Moksha Sommer and New York's Jemal Wade Hines lead a world-music ensemble that's part Eastern chanting, part Western instrumentation, all new-age folk atmosphere. Influences are everywhere — Croatian, Georgian, Macedonian, Sufi-ism — prepare for a trip and a half. (Rising Tide International, Sarasota) —AS
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
AVRIL LAVIGNE w/BOYS LIKE GIRLS Pseudo-punk princess Avril Lavigne got lucky — even by pop star standards — with her sassy romp "Girlfriend." The ridiculously catchy ditty, which topped the Billboard 100 chart for six weeks last year, sounds a lot like a rather obscure single by an act that achieved one-hit wonder status three decades ago with a cover of "I Think We're Alone Now." Credited as a Lavigne cowrite, "Girlfriend" features a chorus pilfered from The Rubinoos' '77 recording "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" (listen at myspace.com/rubinoos). Maybe Lavigne has a killer record collection that belies her age. Maybe she left the writing of the hook — the bit you couldn't get out of your head hours after hearing it at the local supermarket — to songwriting partner Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald (we're betting on the latter). As usually happens in a scenario like this in which millions of dollars are riding on a tune's true origins, Lavigne, Gottwald and her record company were sued. Thanks to what was likely the work of a high-powered team of attorneys, the singer was recently exonerated of any wrongdoing. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
ST. PETERSBURG NOISE FESTIVAL: BREED THE CIRCUS w/ SSTER/ M31/HUNKER DOWN ROY/BIG SUGAR VICTORIOUS/MICROWAVE WINDOWS/OTOLATHE/ INSECTICIDE LOBOTOMY/CATHARSIS AND MORE Conventional-music-bucking local acts like Tampa's Breed the Circus converge for a marathon of trippy synthesizer washes and aggressive numbers featuring heavily distorted guitar exploits and perhaps a few power tool solos. (Café Bohemia, St. Petersburg)
AL STEWART The Mainsail Arts Festival brings in this Scottish singer/songwriter, the man behind somnambulent (or are they painfully dull?) mid-'70s hits "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages." (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —Eric Snider
AUTO!AUTOMATIC!! w/HISTORY/WITH HATCHET PIKE AND GUN If, like me, you're not a huge fan of avant-instrumental rock, which abruptly changes tempos midsong and implements myriad effects pedals, Auto!Automatic!! is still worth checking out. The Tampa trio, especially in a live context, manages to expertly turn all those tricky time signatures and guitar gadgetry into a concert experience that even fans of more conventional music can appreciate. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
UNCLE JOHN'S BAND FRIENDS 500th SHOW CELEBRATION Yes, it's been a long, strange trip for Uncle John's Band, the local Grateful Dead cover act with considerable chops that has been capably — as opposed to slavishly — interpreting the works of Jerry Garcia, et al since 1990. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
CAR BOMB DRIVER w/RANCID POLECATS/DOLL PARTS Old-school punk, replete with deceptively simple lyrics that address basic needs and urges, doesn't get much better than Tampa's Car Bomb Driver, the quintet led by wonderfully manic frontman Dave Reeder. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg)
THE MAYHAWS w/RADIO-FREE CARMELA AND THE TRANSMITTERS On down-home ditties like "Bumble Bee" and "Fish Story," Sharla June and Carrie Hamby's harmonies are sweet as honey. The Tallahassee honky-tonk band — which also includes Dave Leporati and Scott McArthur — meld bluegrass, country and Southern soul in a warm, jug-tune repertoire. Local lady of Americana, Radio-Free Carmela and her Transmitters, open. (The Bungalow, Sarasota) —AS
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
EARTH, WIND & FIRE The mega-band held down the more pop-oriented side of radio R&B in the latter half of the '70s and early '80s with such monster hits as "Shining Star," "Sing a Song," "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "After the Love Has Gone" and "Let's Groove." EW&F accomplished most of this during the disco period — without ever adopting many of disco's orthodoxies. The band has always remained at least a little bit funky. (Ruth Eckerd Hall) —ES
JACK BROKENSHA QUARTET Everyone should see a live performance on vibraphone before shuffling off this mortal coil. You can start with Aussie-bred Jack Brokensha, a very, very veteran player (he's 82) who retains considerable facility on the ringing instrument. He'll be joined by pianist Matt Bokulic and a rhythm section of Dominic Mancini and Johnny Moore. 6 p.m. show. gorillatheatre.com. (Gorilla Theatre, Tampa) —ES
DEVON ALLMAN'S HONEY TRIBE Gregg Allman's son has a rich, husky voice reminiscent of his dad's, and surrounds himself with ace backing players who are well-versed in classic blues-rock. The St. Louis-based band delivered a solid set when I saw 'em open for Gregg a couple years ago at the Sarasota Blues Festival, but Devon's debut disc, 2006's Torch, shows he's still a long way from matching the songwriting brilliance his father displayed on classic Allman Brothers Band and solo albums. (Derby Lane, St. Petersburg)
DAMON FOWLER GROUP w/CHRISTIE LENEE & FUNK GRASS GROOVE Versatile bluesman Damon Fowler and funk-folk-jazz picker Christie Lenee are two of the Bay area's best guitarists, both enjoying strong local followings, especially Skipperdome fave Fowler. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
A PLEA FOR PURGING Christian Hardcore: Over whiplash riffs the singer growls like Satan's spawn about how much he loves Jesus. I failed college algebra — twice — and would have a better chance of understanding quantum mechanics than comprehending the appeal of this shit. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
DZEM Since forming in the mid '70s, the blues-rock band — regarded as one of the most successful and most influential in their native Poland — has experienced its share of rock 'n' roll clichés. Vocalist Ryszard Riedel succumbed to drug addiction back in 1994, and pianist Pawel Berger died in a car accident a few years ago. The present, six-strong lineup is decidedly Floyd-esque, complete with cult following. (Holley Hall, Sarasota) —AS
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
JAKE SHIMABUKURO w/FUTUREMAN & THE BLACK MOZART ENSEMBLE Shimabukuro's been called the "Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele" — but don't laugh. This young man from Hawaii has skills aplenty. For evidence, YouTube his performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
MINISTRY This is the final tour, or so they say, for the industrial dance-metal pioneers that opened doors for the likes of Nine Inch Nails and, after a decade of recording, scored an unlikely hit single in '91 with "Jesus Built My Hotrod." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS w/BETWEEN THE TREES Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the Jacksonville emo quintet responsible for the 2006 smash "Face Down," returns to town for an unplugged set. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2008.