Hey DJ!
Few men are responsible for inspiring as much ass-shaking in the last two decades as house-music hero Paul Oakenfold. The English DJ/producer first made his name in the late '80s, spinning his distinct mix of steady thumping bass lines, pop samples, world-music flourishes and electronic effects. He then coproduced the Happy Mondays' 1990 masterpiece Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, cementing his rep as one of the best beatmeisters around. Oakenfold spent the next decade doing remix records for everyone from U2 to Snoop Dogg. By the time the new millennium arrived, he was that rare DJ scoring hit singles under his own name. The biggest came in 2002, when his cut "Starry Eyed Surprise" became a huge dance/rave fave that just missed cracking Billboard's Top 40. The song leads off Oakenfold's new best-of collection, Greatest Hits & Remixes, which came out Oct. 22.
Paul Oakenfold w/Hybrid, 10 p.m. Fri., Nov. 16, State Theatre, St. Petersburg. $33 advance/$38 day of show. —Wade Tatangelo
Twice is Nice
Community radio station WMNF (88.5 FM) brings one of its favorite artists, Chuck Prophet, to the Bay area for two shows on back-to-back nights on each side of the Bay. Prophet belongs among the WMNF elite, but he's not a doctrinaire roots-rocker or died-in-the-wool folkie (although both of those genres are generously represented in his music.) Prophet will use a drum machine, sprinkle in some noise. He is impossible to categorize; think of his music as rock 'n' roll that casts a wide net. His lyrics are clever and insightful; his deep voice is expressive and conversational. He spent eight years in the revered cult band Green on Red. He recently released his eighth solo album, Soap and Water (Yep Roc), and it's terrific. Prophet's wry stage persona serves him well. And he always brings along a tight band.
Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express, 8 p.m., Fri., Nov. 16, Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa; 8 p.m. Sat. Nov. 17, State Theatre, St. Pete, $17, wmnf.org. —Eric Snider
On the Rocks
One of Tampa Bay's premier party bands, The Vodkanauts serve up a dance-friendly blend of surf, lounge, rockabilly, classic rock and jump blues. Their covers range from a killer take on the Stones' "Paint It Black" to a hilarious, yet well-executed (these guys have chops, kids), 20-minute Elvis medley. The ensemble debuted in '02 opening for surf-guitar pioneer Dick Dale at the State Theatre. The Vodkanauts perform Saturday across the street at downtown St. Pete's most beloved dive: The Emerald. It's a fifth anniversary gig that promises "three monster sets of damn near everything we know, and lordy, we got-a lotta tunes," says V-nauts guitarist Mark Warren. "Fun for the whole family … provided your family drinks heavily and likes to get up and shake their collective moneymaker."
The Vodkanauts, 9:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 17, Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg, $5. —WT
This article appears in Nov 14-20, 2007.