THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16

ALANIS MORRISETTE w/ALEXI MURDOCH She kicked her way onto the international scene in '95 as a brilliant, angry (and a little scary) 21-year-old with the watershed Jagged Little Pill. Now she's 34, demure, sophisticated and literate, with a current album titled Flavors of Entanglement that's burdened by brittle production and a general air of preciousness. Alanis seems to have lost (for some time now) the ability to come up with that ever-elusive catchy pop single that resonates with the masses. That said, I would expect her to deliver an engaging concert and be far more comfortable in front of an audience than in the early days when she'd walk in a circle and whip around her long mane. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider

LOVE SAID NO w/AM CONSPIRACY/LOST IN CHAOS/MR. BELLA Atlanta old-school metal trio Love Said No is fronted by Erik Rogers, formerly of Stereomud, which had a hit single 2001 with "Pain." (Crowbar, Ybor City)

CLEARWATER JAZZ HOLIDAY It has become something of an annual ritual to comb through the Clearwater Jazz Holiday lineup looking for jazz. That comment's on the jazz-snobby side, I know, but fact is that this longstanding event, while a wonderful gift to the community (it's free), has ceased to be of much interest to fans of the real thing. After perusing the lineup, I saw one artist that I would be excited to see: the forward-thinking vibraphonist Stefon Harris (Fri., 6 p.m.). There are certainly several other acts that have significant entertainment potential. Tony Bennett (Thurs., 8:30) is always a charmer, and singer Patti Austin (Sun., 8:30) has a great set of pipes (plus she'll be backed by the CJH big band). Joe Sample and David Sanborn come from the old guard of crossover jazz (far better than the new guard of smooth jazz). And, as usual, there's bound to be a few acts that turn in worthy, perhaps surprising, sets. Continues through Sun., Oct. 19. For complete schedule, see clearwaterjazz.com. (Coachman Park, Clearwater) —ES

THE SHOCK THERAPY TOUR: BLAZE YA DEAD HOMIE w/ANYBODY KILLA/BOONDOX/AXE MURDER BOYZ/J RENO/MARS Could rap get any worse? A former roadie for Insane Clown Posse, Chris Rouleau, aka Blaze Ya Dead Homie, is a rotund white dude from Michigan who wears a mask on stage and adopts the persona of a reincarnated gang member killed in the late 1980s. (Tamiami Bar, St. Petersburg)

ROCK, RIB & RIDE FESTIVAL The remains of Blue Oyster Cult and 1990s country semi-star Neal McCoy play this fest, which takes place today through Sun., Oct. 19. For more details, see rockribandridefestival.org. (Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17

KELLY'S PUB 2nd ANNIVERSARY BASH w/WORLD WIDE ZOO/SMOKESTACK & THE FOOTHILL FURY For the past two years, Kelly's Pub has stood as one of the few places worth visiting in downtown Tampa after dark. Celebrate the venue's second anniversary with what will surely be an ass-shaking set by locally based World Wide Zoo, a highly talented organ/bass/drums funk trio that just issued its vinyl debut, the 7-inch The Roots Deep/Dust. (Kelly's Pub, Tampa)

THE CRYSTAL METHOD L.A. rave-set faves blew up (as did the duo's disco biscuit-gobbling fans) in 1997 with the release of their debut disc, Vegas, which featured the club smash "Comin' Back." Often knocked for biting from the Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method offers a fun, albeit rather pedestrian, big-beat melding of rock, hip-hop, soul, pop, etc. (Green Iguana Anderson Road, Tampa)

SALIVA w/DROWNING POOL A pair of mainstream metal titans — with post-grunge roots — share the bill, with Saliva taking the headlining spots thanks to a slew of rote hit singles in recent years, like "Click, Click Boom," "Always" and "Ladies & Gentlemen." (Jannus Landing, St, Petersburg)

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS w/EMERY/THE COLOR FRED/TICKLE ME PINK/THE MILE AFTER An emo band with a slight edge, Hawthorne Heights soldiers on following guitarist Casey Calvert's fatal overdose last November. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

JIMMY THACKERY AND THE DRIVERS w/ INCA MAYA Guitarist/singer and serial Skipperdome headliner Jimmy Thackery returns with his trio for another evening of agreeable bar blues. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)

MEAT LOAF He's still bellowing about doing anything for love — but that. Yuck. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

LADY ANTEBELLUM Boasting a male and female lead singer, this country pop trio hit it big this year with the slickly-produced send-off "Love Don't Live Here." Free concert. (University of South Florida, Tampa)

HANGTOWN 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION w/DOC LOVETT AND THE BLUES PUNKS/THE URBANE COWBOYS Tampa Bay's Ted Lukas and his ace alt-country outfit Hangtown celebrate 10 years of first-rate twang with pals Doc Lovett (lead guitarist Mojo Gurus) and Urbane Cowboys. (The Garage, St. Petersburg)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18

PALANTINE CD RELEASE SHOW w/THE SEMIS/GLEAMING AMOEBAS Tampa's Vinnie Consentino and his wonderfully dirty power-pop trio Palantine celebrate their new record. Melee, the band's third in as many years. For more info, click here. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)

THE HIGHER w/JUST SURRENDER/THE WHITE TIE AFFAIR/THE MORNING OF Epitaph recording artist The Higher offers an upbeat take on contemporary dance-rock, with shades of emo and cheeky lyrics. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

ZACH DEPUTY w/COPE Singer/guitarist Zach Deputy augments his roots-rock and soul with hip-hop flourishes and dancehall riddims. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19

ALL TIME LOW w/EVERY AVENUE/THE MAINE/MAYDAY PARADE Maryland pop-punk band All Time Low is one of the more successful acts that look back no further for inspiration than Blink-182 and Green Day. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

JACK'S MANNEQUIN w/ERIC HUTCHINSON/TREATY OF PARIS Piano pop/rock outfit Jack's Mannequin proved a bit too saccharine for my 26-year-old friend and me (age 30) when we saw them this summer at Warped Tour. But the sweaty teens and tweens around us screamed through the entire set like it was The Beatles at Shea. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

SUNCOAST BLUES SOCIETY'S INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE Local acts including the Walker Smith Group, Nervous Turkey and Sack O' Woe compete for a chance to perform at an annual blues bash in Memphis. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20

DOLLY PARTON Country music's most iconic female performer remains a vital live act whose legacy continues to grow in stature thanks to bands like the White Stripes routinely covering her self-penned classic "Jolene" and virtually every young Nashville star citing her as an influence. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

PEPPER w/PASSAFIRE/SUPERVILLAINS Pepper returns to Jannus for another round of pothead-friendly blend of pop, punk and reggae. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21

RISE AGAINST w/ALKALINE TRIO/THRICE/GASLIGHT ANTHEM Hardcore luminaries Rise Against come to town in support of their excellent new disc, Appeal to Reason. Fellow Chicago punks Alkaline Trio are also on the bill. For my interview with AT leader Matt Skiba, who now resides in Los Angeles, click here. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22

PORTUGAL. THE MAN w/EARL GREYHOUND/WINTERSLEEP This odd pairing finds Portland-based indie/experimental rock quartet Portugal. The Man joined by neoclassic-rock power trio Earl Greyhound. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

SUICIDE SILENCE w/EMMURE/BENEATH THE MASSACRE/AFTER THE BURIAL/ARCHITECTS Riverside, Calif., deathcore quintet Suicide Silence top this roster of metal fiends. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2008.