A quick breakdown of this holiday weekend’s most worthy concerts. For a more comprehensive schedule, check out our Upcoming Events page.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Depeche Mode (pictured) w/Peter, Bjorn and John English electronic music pioneers Depeche Mode have influenced anyone from Radiohead to Rammstein to Crystal Method, and are among the too-few bands that emerged from the 1980s with dignity intact and more than a just few charting singles (45 in the UK, 18 in the U.S.). I enjoyed a brief but torrid love affair with Violator in high school during a period when all the music I wanted to listen to had to be dark and intense and danceable. DM’s simple yet weighty lyrics — “Words are meaningless and forgettable” “Because when you learn / You’ll know what makes the world turn” “Never before is what you swore the time before” — were just what I needed at that moment in my life and to this day, frontman Dave Gahan’s affected vocals evoke very specific memories. The band just released their 12th full-length, Sounds of the Universe, and are supported this tour by Peter Bjorn and John (read my feature on PBJ here). 7:30 p.m., Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, $43.50-$83.50
REAX Rent Party w/Glasgow/Geri X/Nessie/Memphis Train Union/Will Quinlan & The Diviners/Military Junior/King of Spain/The Basiqs/Vera Violets/Life of Pi The print industry is experiencing some rather dark times right now, with newspapers across the country desperately trying to figure out how to survive in an era where the general public consume their news and information for free via the internet. Grassroots publications have been hit hardest, including Florida’s own REAX, which is hurting so bad it won’t go to press this month and is actively seeking donations of money and supplies to stay afloat. A bill of quality local acts have banded together to help by playing this benefit show, and the music ranges from the introspective roots rock of Will Quinlan & The Diviners, to the psychedelic fuzzed-out shoegaze of the Vera Violets, to the experimental dancetastic hip-hop of The Basiqs. Admission is cheap, so dig deep when the donation bucket is passed. 6 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $5 (ages 18 & up)
This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2009.