THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9
PJ Bond w/Billy & Joe/Y Los Dos Pistoles/Dead Sound/Mr. Davis This past November, alt country-folk artist PJ Bond premiered a new song via video at Altpress.com, “I’m in a Bad Way,” his acoustic guitar strumming, husky wailing vocals and whiskey-poetic lyrics paired with the mournful notes of lap steel guitar as delivered by his brother Brian. The New Jersey singer-songwriter plans to release more new music in 2012, so you’ll likely hear some fresh tunes in his repertoire. (Fubar, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
Toubab Krewe w/Locos Por Juana/Bird St. Players Mixing the sounds of Mali with jam rock influences, Toubab Krewe weaves together gorgeous fluttering melodies via the stringed interplay of guitar and more exotic instruments like the African kora or kamelen’goni, filling it out with thick swaying bass grooves and hand percussion-fused rhythms. The instrumental sextet from Asheville, N.C. issued their last album, TK2, in 2010 via Nat Geo Music. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —LP
Dominic Balli w/Urban D/Benjah In the title track off Dominic Balli’s sophomore LP, American Dream, the California reggae rocker and Christian recording artist (who soaks his uplifting sound in a healthy dose of pop and hip hop) reflects on capitalism and how it’s shaped the American dream: “They say cash rules everything around me it seems / for 30 pieces of silver you can buy you a king / And forfeit your soul become a slave to the machine / Some would sell they’re own momma for the American pipe dream.” (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —LP
Ennis Direct from Newfoundland, Canada, is JUNO-award winning sisters Maureen and Karen Ennis, who mix the traditional Celtic songs of their home with original modern compositions. Both sing and play acoustic guitar; Karen also supplies melodies on mandolin, bodhran, and tin whistle. The duo gets instrumental back-up from Mark Murphy (percs) and Billy Sutton (bouzouki, guitar, accordion). (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) —LP
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Zach Deputy Band Normally, funky soulful Zach Deputy works as a one-man show who uses looping technology in place of bandmates, continually layering instrumentals to get to his fuller sound. But for his “singer-songwriter” album, 2011’s Another Day, he brought on a vet team of musicians to join him and recorded with Grammy-winning producer Scott Jacoby (John Legend). His velvety stirring vocals are set to R&B-fused rock and gospel-tinged soul pop with light hip hop, funky Latin and Caribbean flavors. He’ll be joined by a band on his current tour backing the LP. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —LP
The World Inferno Friendship Society w/The Adicts/Mischief Brew Brooklyn-based World Inferno — which issued a fourth LP, The Anarchy and The Ecstasy, last year — crafts lush and cheeky-lively pro-anarchist odes, their idiosyncratic sound fusing cabaret punk, soulful rock, horn-fueled Klezmer and swinging jazz styles. Dramatic wailing vocalist Jack Terricloth leads the collective, which encompasses a rotating cast of players on sax (tenor, alto and baritone), violin, keys, drums, bass and guitar. A multitude of musicians have passed through the World Inferno ranks over the years, including The Hold Steady’s Franz Nicolay. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —LP
Holopaw w/Halibut/Memphibians A first-rate indie rock band from Gainesville, Holopaw, was signed to Sub Pop at Isaac Brock’s urging and stayed with the label until 2009, when they moved on to the indie-er Bakery Outlet and released the well-regarded Oh, Glory. Oh, Wilderness. The band’s third record found the core duo of John Orth and Jeff Hays building upon their rootsy with a new rhythm section, guitarist, and cellist, and the band is due to release a new record sometime this year. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —LP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Kaleigh Baker w/Gringo Star For some reason, Orlando-based songstress Kaliegh Baker — whose powerhouse vocals are set to indie bluesy acoustic rock — has chosen to remain in Florida for the time being, though you never know when she’ll answer the call of NYC; she’s currently backing her first official recording, The Weight of It All EP. Gringo Star is from Atlanta, and issued their sophomore album of catchy indie pop, Count Yer Lucky Stars, last year with production assistance from Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter). (Local 662, St. Petersburg) —LP
Rubblebucket w/D’Visitors/Sons of Hippies Purveying an intoxicating blend of psyche rock, Euro-jazz, and dance music is Rubblebucket, an eight-piece fronted by musical couple Alex Toth (trumpet, vocals) and Kalmia Traver (vocals, saxophones). The twosome’s sweetly intertwining boy-girl harmonies and horn arrangements (which encompass the trombone skills of Adam Dotson) are borne on buoyant beats and marked by heady synths, keys and B3, and Afro-percussive textures. Overall, solid music from a group of musicians whose 2011 studio album, Omega La La, was produced by Eric Broucek (LCD Soundsystem, !!!). This show is a must-see. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —LP
The Local Revolt Music Series w/The August Name/10th Concession/The Surfin’ Raccoons/Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso/more A huge day of music showcasing 10 bands that hail from here or within 100 miles of the greater Tampa Bay area; a portion of proceeds benefit Suncoast Hospice. (England Brothers Bandshell, Pinellas Park) —LP
Singer-songwriters in the Round: Eliza Gilkyson, Ellis Paul and Audrey Auld The three artists share the stage for an intimate evening of songs; Austin folkie Gilkyson, literati folk-pop songwriter Paul, and country-leaning Auld, from Australia. (The Musicale, Tampa) —LP
A Benefit for Clothes For Kids Local cover bands play Kiss, Black Flag, Green Day, Rancid, Foo Fighters and Good Charlotte to benefit Clothes for Kids; attendees are asked to bring new and/or gently used clothing donations for kids. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa) —LP
SubAp One-Year Anniversary Party w/Feral Babies/Criminal Culture/Michael Christmas Click here to read more. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Mishka w/The Constellations The breezy groove-laden songwriting of Bermuda-born reggae artist Mishka is most definitely informed by the time he spent sailing the Caribbean with his family, which includes sister songstress Heather Nova. Not only was Mishka the first act signed to Matthew McConaughey’s record label, j.k. livin, but it was his that drove the actor to start a label in the first place. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —LP
Kansas The band responsible for such classic rock staples as “Carry On, Wayward Son” (used in both Guitar Hero II and Rock Band II), and gold-selling ballad “Dust in the Wind” hits town for the first time in nearly five years. Their stop follows the release of 2009’s There’s Know Place Like Home, a concert DVD that celebrates the 35th anniversary of the group’s 1974 debut LP with backing by 50-piece orchestra. (Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center, downtown Tampa) —LP
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Rock n’ Roll Marathon w/Flo Rida A huge international marathon series with stops in Madrid, Spain, New York City, LA, DC and a dozen other big cities adds St. Petersburg to the schedule. For the runners making their way through the streets of St. Pete (and any onlookers who show up to cheer them on), stages are set up every mile featuring live music by a range of local bands (The Semis, John Q, and Shane Meade and The Sound among many others), and the marathon concludes with a concert by Miami hip hop superstar Flo Rida in North Shore Park. Visit runrocknroll.competitor.com for more info. (Various streets in downtown St. Petersburg) —LP
Ira Sullivan Tampa Jazz Club welcomes Ira Sullivan for his 16th consecutive year. The 80-year-old jazz great is a five-time Grammy nominee who possesses skills on trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, and tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones. He played an integral part in the Chicago jazz scene in the 1950’s, performing with the likes of Art Blakey and Charlie “Bird” Parker. He made the move to Miami in the 1960’s and hasn’t left Florida since. For this afternoon jazz program, he’s joined by Michael Royal (piano), Richard Drexler (bass) and John Jenkins (drums). (HCC-Ybor Mainstage Theatre, Ybor City) —Rebecca Forman
Kopecky Family Band w/Sleepy Vikings/Red Feather There’s something inherently heartwarming about the music of Kopecky Family Band, made up of six musicians who consider themselves family even though none are related by blood. Maybe it’s the tenderly winding vocal melodies of singers Gabe and Kelsey (on guitar and keys respectively), hers a velvety stroke against his slightly higher timbre. Or perhaps it’s the strains of cello that give their folk-pop a luscious chamber appeal, or the way they evoke shades of electro rock fuzz, Afro pop buoyancy and alt rock drive in their lively and well-textured arrangements. Regardless, their music speaks for itself and paired with memorable performances at the past few SXSW and CMJ music fests, the band has been attracting some well-deserved notice. This is a must-see show. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —LP
Glen Phillips The frontman of Toad the Wet Sprocket returns to Hideaway for another solo gig of his alt rock/“intellepop” songwriting. (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg)—LP
Daylight w/Featherweight/Collision/We’re Not Dead/Blacksmith Daylight issued their third proper EP of brooding, grunge-inflected alt rock in December. The Difference in Good and Bad Dreams is an appetizer of sorts leading up to the Pennsylvania quintet’s much-anticipated debut full-length, due out sometime in 2012. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa) —LP
BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet w/Gumbo Boogie Band The well-known Cajun music group is headed by multi-instrumentalist Michael D. (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, accordion, vocals) with help from brother David (guitar, vocals). BeauSoleil (which means ‘beautiful sun’ in French) is, not surprisingly, from Louisiana and also includes accordion player Jimmy Breaux, percussionist Billy Ware, drummer Tommy Alesi, and Mitchell Reed on bass and aux fiddle. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —LP
Olga Tañon w/Charlie Cruz A love-themed show dubbed “Concierto Del Amor” that showcases the serenades of two Puerto Rican talents — Grammy-winning Latin pop star Tañon, who adds merengue spice to her upbeat sound; and up-and-coming salsa music maker Cruz. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) —LP
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Emilie Autumn “Sounds like the best cup of English Breakfast spiked with cyanide and smashed on your antique wallpaper,” reads Emilie Autumn’s Twitter bio. She’s a world-class violinist, while her stage performance is more burlesque meets gothic-circus. She’s labeled her genre “Victoriandustrial” and is backed by a band of equally talented women she calls the ‘Bloody Crumpets.’ Her latest album, Fight Like a Girl, follows the release of an autobiography, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, which is inspired by her experiences living with bi-polar disorder and the stint she spent in an insane asylum. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —RF
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Celtic Woman It has to be the luck of the Irish that’s afforded area folks with the privilege of having these ladies in Tampa on Valentine’s night. The all-female Celtic music ensemble’s seventh studio LP, Believe, was released Jan. 24 (its companion DVD — filmed at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta — began airing on PBS in December) and features Irish tunes like “Téir Abhaile Riú,” classics like “Ave Maria” and “The Water is Wide,” and of course, an energetic number, “The Foxhunter,” for the fiddler to frolic to. Oh, and there’s bagpipes. Who doesn’t love them some bagpipes? (Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center, downtown Tampa) —RF
Bitter Ball 2012 w/Scars on 45/Mikey Wax Give V-Day the big kiss off at this party held to toast to bitter singledom and hosted by Play 98.7. Guests enjoy acoustic an performance from UK indie rock band Scars on 45, which landed a record deal after their song “Beauty’s Running Wild” appeared on CSI: New York, and continued this trend of TV fame when another track, “Heart On Fire,” was featured in the current season of ABC’s medical drama series, Grey’s Anatomy. New York singer-songwriter Mikey Wax opens. (Stadium Green Iguana, Tampa) —LP
Audrey Auld / Sam Baker / Gurf Morlix A three-way bill of singer-songwriters — Aussie country music mistress Auld, deep and crusty drawling blues-tinged folk troubadour Baker, and multi-instrumentalist alt country crooner Morlix. (UU Dome, Tampa) —LP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Mandy Patinkin “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Yes, that Mandy Patinkin. Not only is he an Emmy-winning actor, but a Tony-winning Broadway star who got his start on the stage in 1980 and recently celebrated his 20th Anniversary of performing solo concerts. He’s well-known for bringing popular song to life with his brawny tenor, from Rogers and Hammerstein to Stephen Sondheim. You might also recognize him from the newly popular Showtime series, Homeland. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —RF
Van Dyke Parks Americana composer, producer, singer, songwriter and keys-extraordinaire, Van Dyke Parks, performs an early evening show at the cozy Craftsmen House in support of his first new recordings in more than 15 years: an exclusive series of 7″ vinyl singles released in 2011. He also issued a comp, Arrangements Vol. 1, that Pitchfork praised to the high heavens, gave it ‘Best New Reissue’ props with an 8.6 rating, and called the song selection “uniformly fantastic.” (Craftsmen House Gallery, St. Petersburg) —LP
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2012.
