THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
SLEEPIN' DOGZ Acoustic duo from the Space Coast features the soulful singing of Jeannie Biatus and lead guitar by fusion enthusiast Leo Burke. (Sacred Grounds, Tampa)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
THE RAWKUS 50 feat. SMILE RAYS w/LAWS/DUTCH MASSIVE/WILLIE EVANS JR./PROTOMAN/DJ SLOPFUNKDUST Rawkus Records is the hip-hop label responsible for launching the careers of Mos Def, Talib Kweli and El-P, who famously slagged the organization once he broke free form. This tour features "Rawkus' 50 next important hip-hop artists" — but don't worry, not all in one show. Smile Rays is a Jacksonville funk/rap trio; Laws is an emcee from Spring Hill who tore it up last month at Da Cypher, the open-mic night held every Wednesday at Full Moon Saloon. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR w/THE SUGAR OAKS/MATT BUTCHER/MIKE BARON New York quintet Food Will Win the War's pensive, keyboard-and-violin indie rock alternates from precious melancholy to They Might Be Giants-inspired quirkiness. Orlando's The Sugar Oaks have become a New World favorite by playing soulful, Grateful Dead-indebted folk that works better in a live setting than on record. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
VALENCIA w/METRO STATION/JUST SURRENDER/WE THE KINGS Philly five-piece Valencia mix emo-ish rock songs with poppy ballads. Metro Station are based in Hollywood, Calif., and bring the pleading emo vocals over synthy '80s beats. Bradenton quartet We The Kings offer the kind of crisp power pop that just begs for airplay. Their self-titled debut album comes out on S-Curve Records (Fountains of Wayne) on Oct. 2. Hear the disc's lead track and single "Secret Valentine" at MySpace.com/wethekings. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
WORLDWIDE ZOO w/KURT REIFLER Organ trio Worldwide Zoo's jammy, funk-jazz workouts recall the sounds heard pouring out of the clubs on New Orleans' Frenchman Street. Kurt Reifler is an eclectic singer/songwriter from New York City touring in support of a self-titled debut disc that came out in March. (Kelly's Pub, Tampa)
LENNON w/CORE/DIVE BAR STALKERS Orlando resident Lennon Murphy's debut disc 5:30 Saturday Morning came out on Arista in 2001, and thanks to a gushing Rolling Stone piece that called her a "voluptuous teenage vixen with a penchant for bawdy lyrics and dark metal riffs," it appeared the young woman was poised for stardom. But the album's industrial-metal sound apparently didn't register with listeners, and it failed to chart. Lennon then left the major label and issued Career Suicide, a collection of dramatic, self-penned piano ballads reminiscent of Tori Amos. On last year's Damaged Goods, Lennon was back rocking with a band. (Bourbon St. Nightclub, New Port Richey)
THE LEGENDARY J.C.'S w/NERVOUS TURKEY The Legendary J.C.'s return to the Skipperdome (from home base Orlando) to offer concertgoers another greasy dose of horn-intensive, old-school soul. Ernie Locke, the singer/harmonica player for Tampa's Nervous Turkey, channels flamboyant blues greats such as Howlin' Wolf and Scream' Jay Hawkins. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL w/NESSIE/A WHISKEY A DANCE & A KISS GOODNIGHT Regular readers know we heap much praise on alt-country band Have Gun, Will Travel, but we feel it would be a horrible disservice if we allowed one of their shows to go by unmentioned — especially one like this, which finds the Burke brothers (Matt and Danny) as well as the rest of the HGWT musicians performing close to home in front of a crowd that will likely include family and friends. (Rasher Tierney's, Bradenton)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
WMNF BIRTHDAY BASH Like Tropical Heatwave, only smaller, this event features 15 bands of varying styles spread across the three stages of the Cuban Club. Singer/songwriter Kim Richey (For more on Richey, go to the music feature) performs at 8:50 p.m. on the Patio, followed by the cutting of the birthday cake (ticket holders are promised a free slice) and then a performance by everybody's favorite Frank Zappa homage band, Bogus Pomp. Inside on the Cantina stage, attendees will find the rambunctious, genre-busting Zydepunks at 8 p.m. Venus in Furs, the all-female Velvet Underground cover band featuring Rebekah Pulley, goes on at 9:30 p.m. and then Pulley leads her Reluctant Prophets through a set. Upstairs in the ballroom is where local ska legends Magadog — reunited for this gig — hold court at 10:30 p.m. For a complete schedule, go to wmnf.org. (Cuban Club, Ybor City)
DADDY YANKEE Reggaeton — a hyper-kinetic blend of hip-hop, electronica, reggae and merengue — has been around since the early '90s but didn't go mainstream until Daddy Yankee's single "Gasolina" became a ubiquitous hit in '04. His latest album El Cartel: The Big Boss came out in June and has produced the hits "Ella Me Levanto" and "Impacto." (Amway Arena, Orlando)
LYMBYC SYSTYM w/GRAVY RECORDS/ATTACHEDHANDS/MES MUSIC/JOON This odd pairing of post-rock and hip-hop features Lymbyc System, a duo following in the steps of instrumental luminaries like Explosions in the Sky. Gravy Records and MesMusic will liven things up with some funky beats and witty rhymes. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
PASSAFIRE w/STAND BACK A four-piece from Savannah, Ga., Passafire is yet another in the seemingly endless stream of post-Sublime bands that blend elements of punk, dub and reggae, although Passafire has something that sets the band apart: These guys are actually good at the style. The rhythm section nails that loping Jamaican beat; the guitars and keyboards spike on the offbeat, and lead singer Ted Bowne does a pretty convincing Island-style croon, especially considering the kid's from New Jersey. (Aces Lounge, Bradenton) —CLB
THE EXPENDABLES w/AUTHORITY ZERO/SUPERVILLAINS SoCal quartet the Expendables are one of the better bands offering the Sublime-style (see Passafire entry) blend of white-boy reggae, rock and laid-back funk. Authority Zero and Orlando's Supervillains bring it ska-style. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
EDDIE MONEY w/RICK SPRINGFIELD/JOHN WAITE Gotta tell you this one: Back in the '80s, when Eddie Money was a star, I did an interview with him in his dressing room. Pretty standard stuff, until it was time for Ed to get dressed for the show. After he finished putting base makeup on his face, he asked me to suggest items from his wardrobe case. It took quite awhile, and he pretty much gave me carte blanche. So I figured: Why not dress him up like a rock 'n' roll clown? The capper was a brightly colored scarf tied around his neck. So Eddie Money is an eccentric character, but I've always felt he was a good singer. In the '80s — when the Steve Perry high, clear tenor was the standard — Money had some whiskey in his pipes. This '80s-themed package tour also feature soap star and rocker Rick Springfield, whose most famous song is "Jesse's Girl," and John Waite, former lead singer of The Babys and Bad English who had a No. 1 solo hit in '84 with "Missing You." (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
TAMPA BAY STEEL ORCHESTRA WITH FRED JOHNSON Steel-drum ensemble performs Calypso, reggae and invites concertgoers to "wear your flip flops and island shirt — it's a casual farewell to summer with a snappy beat." Fred Johnson is one of Tampa Bay's most venerable singers; he's jazz-leaning but can sing pop and R&B as well. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
PEOPLE NOISE w/THE BEAUVILLES/WIN WIN WINTER! Like U2 with a Goth makeover, People Noise offer dark soundscapes with big hooks. The band is led by Zeke Buck (former guitarist for VHS or Beta). (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
WENDY & THE SOULSHAKERS w/CHARLIE MORRIS BAND/DUKES OF JUKE Many women have attempted to mimic the gravel-and-booze-riddled vocal style of Janis Joplin, but Wendy Rich is one of the few to actually pull it off. In fact, she occasionally tours with Joplin's old band, Big Brother and the Holding Company. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER 18
INTERPOL w/LIARS Is it worth the drive to see a goth pop band whose biggest single is titled "The Heinrich Maneuver"? You decide. (Hard Rock Live, Orlando)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
THE TREWS Props to the UT kids for bringing to town this Canadian four-piece that rocks with the zeal of bands like Cheap Trick and Aerosmith circa the mid-'70s. In fact, Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas helmed The Trews' latest release, Den of Thieves, which reached No. 6 on Billboard's Top Canadian Albums chart. (University of Tampa, Tampa)
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.