The second day of June is looking pretty nice, with several noteworthy concerts happening in Tampa tonight. Breakdown of highlights below.
Drag The River with The Tim Version, Jeff Brawer & Branden Barnett Among the first wave of punks gone Americana, Colorado-based Drag The River is currently celebrating its 20th year of whiskey-soaked heartbreak. This tour showcases founding members Jon Snodgrass (Armchair Martian) and Chad Price (ALL) as an acoustic duo; favorites of Bay area live-music fans, they haven’t been here in well over a year, and should be welcomed with open arms. Throw in rollicking local twang-punk act The Tim Version and the similarly inclined Jeff Brawer and Branden Barnett, and you’ve got a helluva night at New World. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) –Scott Harrell
Ellie Goulding with Matt and Kim According to recent stories in Rolling Stone, New York Times and The Guardian, London-based pop songstress Ellie Goulding channels stress with boxing (she claims to be rather good at it), had a childhood obsession with murder (her dad collected true crime books), and tours with her own upright flight case/portable bar of booze and mixers. Clearly she’s matured a bit since the young rising star who covered Elton John’s “Your Song” in 2010, and grown a hell of a lot more popular – she has more than 13 million likes on Facebook, plays arena-sized venues, and seen smash charters in songs like the cheesy “Love Me Like You Do” (produced for the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack) and stickier fun “On My Mind” off 2015 third LP, Delirium. Brooklyn-based duo Matt and Kim warm her current tour with confetti-colored explosions of electro-pop enthusiasm. (Amalie Arena, Tampa) –Leilani Polk
Hotel Books with Gatherers, The Ongoing Concept Spoken word is a divisive style. You either understand it and relate, or you struggle to comprehend its complexities. Hotel Books's raw sincerity and spiritually conceived yarns are brought to life against ethereal and haunting melodies. For those who aren't aficionados of soul-wrenching spoken prose, there are some incredible opening acts here. New Jersey's Gatherers is a post-hardcore band that, while formulaic in some of its song structures, carves out a unique identity via unbelievably emotive and passionate screaming. The Ongoing Concept from Idaho continues the legacy of Christian hardcore metal bands, which as contradictory as that may seem, in this case, marries mostly secular lyrics with extraordinary volume. (Epic Problem, Tampa) –Brian Roesler
Eve 6 SoCal rock band Eve 6 saw some Top 40 and Alternative chart success with “Inside Out” (“Wanna put my tender, heart in a blender, watch it spin ‘round to a beautiful oblivion”) and “Here’s to the Night,” broke up for a span in the mid-‘00s, reunited in 2012 and promptly dropped fourth LP, Speak in Code. Support on this date from Oz, Christina Holmes, Four Star Riot and Empire Cinema. (Crowbar, Ybor City) –LP
Pro-Pain It's been close to seven years since Pro-Pain last toured. From the concrete skylines of New York's sprawl to the sun-baked streets of Florida's heavily contested and championed metal scene, metal veterans Pro-Pain have dominated the east coast for nearly 25 years. With their first two landmark albums set to be re-released in both digital and LP formats, longtime fans and newcomers alike can experience the chaotic intensity and focused aggression that has allowed Pro-Pain to maintain such longevity. They give a particularly vicious performance so be prepared for some serious mosh pits. (Orpheum, Ybor City) –BR
ALSO TONIGHT
Kirk Franklin Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Spyro Gyra The Devyn, Sarasota
Rock the Park w/The Getbye/Hello Joyce/Shawn Kyle Curtis Hixon Park, downtown Tampa
Mouth Council w/Billy Mays III/RGSM/DEA & Saint/Justin Hagerty The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg
Joe Marcinek Band Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2016.