David Dondero, who plays Crab Devil in Tampa, Florida on April 15, 2023. Credit: NICOLE KIBERT

David Dondero is no stranger to Tampa Bay. In fact, his shows here are calendar staples, and he even immortalized this neck of the woods on the title track of his 2005 album South of the South.

On the classic Florida track, the Sunshine State songwriter sings about tender chickens in Florida rotisseries, lightning bolts, thick humidity, CSX trains and Ybor City “where they burned up a couple blocks, and to me seemed like a pity.”

“That was once a Cuban district and a center for the arts, was now a mall like atmosphere, homogeneous and insincere,” he sings of the historic district. “They burned it’s heart right out. Down south of the south.”

Next weekend, Dondero and a forthcoming new art compound of folkloric proportions come together when the 53-year-old plays Crab Devil in Ybor Heights—just two miles from that mall-like entity he sang about nearly two decades ago. The show is the kickoff for Crab Devil’s live music series and will see parts of the Peninsularium immersive art experience open to attendees (if you’re into weird, mythological Florida, then you’re gonna wanna see it).

What’s more is that Tim Ogden’s recently-opened Deviant Libation will supply the juice, with all donations to Crab Devil going to Dondero as he criss-crosses the country on yet another tour.

Crab Devil—located at 3800 N Nebraska Ave in Tampa—will collect $20 donations (cash or Venmo) when Dondero plays there on Saturday, April 15. Doors are at 7 p.m., with music starting at 8 p.m.