Per usual, the Tampa Bay live music calendar is full of great options for fans looking to support and experience live, local, music. Here are a few of this week’s standouts and a listing of everything else Bay area music makers are up to from May 23-29.
Ari Chi The music calendar at Ella’s is looking robust for the summer, and this is a chance to get an early table for a front row seat to see Bay area folk and hip-hop scene staple Ari Chi work through songs from her latest, occasionally-tropical album (Lost In the Hues) at one of Seminole Heights’ hippest hangouts. Fri. May 24, 10 p.m.. No cover. Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa. brokenmoldentertainment.com.
Pagan Faith w/Pig Pen/Precipice/Piss Test/Blasphemation Older fans of the Florida hard-rock scene might remember a 1985 Florida compilation cassette, Florida Explosion, which featured bands like Disorderly Conduct, The Drills and Tampa’s own Pagan Faith. According to a collector’s guide written by Failure Face singer Bob Suren, Bay area promotions company No Clubs released Pagan Faith’s 1985 7-inch. While Suren (who owned the revered record store Sound Idea) called the effort a “decent release,” he did laud Pagan Faith’s live show, adding that a cover of the Dictators’ “Faster and Louder,” really hit the mark. The old-school punk band is joined by some younger outfits at this local hardcore hangout. Fri. May 24, 7 p.m. $6-$8. Brass Mug, Tampa. INFO.
Union Hall Grand Opening w/The Black Honkeys The Black Honkeys aren’t strangers in the Tampa Bay scene, but the rock outfit wants to make Lakeland’s brand-new Union Hall its Polk County homebase. After a few weeks of soft-opening activity, this venue helmed by songwriter Dan Signor is ready to go all in. Fri. May 24, 8:30 p.m. Sold-out. Union Hall, Lakeland. eventbrite.com.
Amigo Tattoo Tropical Impressions Art Show w/Twisty Chris and the Puddin’ Packs/The Wrenchers Tattoo parlors are illegal in Cuba. Crazy right? Thankfully, the artists at Amigo Tattoo are mas loco and throwing a benefit art show that will collect funds so that Cuban tattoo artists can get supplies to draw on their friends in a safe and sanitary manner. Tiki attire is encouraged, and wild-ass St. Petersburg twist-punk outfit Twisty Chris & the Puddin’ Packs headlines a show that includes surf-rock trio The Wrenchers. Sat. May 25, 8 p.m. Donations accepted. The Bricks, Ybor City. INFO.
Drive-Thru Church w/Ricky Wilcox & the Moonsnakes You can’t write a Tampa Bay history book without mentioning Steve Connelly and Ed Woltil. The former is a famed Bay area producer whose band, The Headlights, toured as backing band for the Byrds, and Wotil waded into new wave and power pop with his band, Mad for Electra. The pair’s joint project — Drive-Thru Church — featured the duo on guitar for a more adventurous project, but momentum slowed as Connelly’s famed Zen studio took off. Backed now Jeremy Douglass, Michael Hoag and Dan DeGregory, Wotil (who was also in the Ditchflowers) and Connelly are done kicking the tires and back at it. You could call it a reunion show, but there’ll be more music out this one. Sat. May 25, 8 p.m.. $7-$10. Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa. skipperssmokehouse.com.
Revenge of Wild Island w/Babyteeth/Human Error/The Inhalers/Laser Mouth/Pretty Voices/Switchblade Villain/more Tampa Bay’s famed floating sandbar concert is taking over a channel near Weedon Island this Sunday, but us landlubbers without enough dough for a boat can still enjoy music on the water with this CJ’s On the Island gig where a couple handfuls of rock and punk bands — including Babyteeth, which features members of now-dormant Doll Parts — play a well-liked Treasure Island haunt. Sun. May 26, 4-10 p.m.. No cover. CJ’s On The Island, Treasure Island. INFO.
LOCAL MUSIC/D.I.Y. SHOW LISTING
Thursday
May 23, Discord Theory w/Tal/Garden Club/Sun Signs (Crowbar, Ybor City)
May 23, Young Wook (Orpheum, Ybor City)
May 23, Kimi Tortuga (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg)
Friday
May 24, Thomas Wynn & The Believers w/Hannah Harber & Lionhearts/Erica Blinn (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
May 24, Friday Concerts in the Park w/Buzz Factor (River Tower Park, Tampa)
May 24, Ari & the Alibis w/Beartoe (Sparkman Wharf, Tampa)
May 24, Holey Miss Moley (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)
May 24, Will Quinlan w/Mountain Holler (Independent Bar, St.Petersburg)
May 24, Flipturn w/King Complex/Wallysburg (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg)
May 24, Serotonic (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg)
May 24, Liz Pennock & Dr. Blues (Vino Simpatico, St. Petersburg)
May 24, Yearløve w/Sick Hot/Crownz/Cain and the Fool Moons (The Blue Note, Tampa)
Saturday
May 25, Teen Divorce w/Snacking/DieAlps!/Planet Loser/more (Lucky You Tattoo, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Weird n' Wild Night of Wonders w/Lilith/Vomit Sawdust/Signalkraft/Spidey Jones/The Prople/Claymore/more (Blue Note, Tampa)
May 25, New Fang w/Viewers Like You/Blake Daniels and Co. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Kyle Biss Birthday Show (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Exet 7 w/The Mak Brothers (Wild Rover Brewing Company, Tampa)
May 25, WD-Han w/The Bad Verbs/TBA (Ruby's Elixir, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Johnny Mile and the Kilometers (Caledonia Brewing, Dunedin)
May 25, Lassyu w/HisHem/Deb Ruby (Green Light Bar, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Applebutter Express (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Hector Mayoral (c. 1949 Florida Beer Garden, Tampa)
May 25, Terrapin (Speakeasy Kava, Largo)
May 25, Kozmic Pearl w/Uncle John’s Band/Damon Fowler (Tabellas at Delaney Creek, Tampa)
May 25, John Kelly (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg)
May 25, Rule No. 7 Beer Release w/Betty Fox Band (Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor)
May 25, Ella Jet & Future Soul (Sparkman Wharf, Tampa)
May 25, SPIT Album Release w/Shitstorm/Insolent Wretch (Tampa City Boxing, Tampa)
May 25, The Black Honkeys (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg)
May 25, WMNF Pub Crawl (St. Petersburg)
Sunday
May 26, 14th Annual Floating Sandbar Concert (Weedon Island, St. Petersburg)
May 26, Uncle John’s Band (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
May 26, Memorial Day Weekend Party w/The Black Honkeys (Ka’Tiki, Treasure Island)
May 26, Crushtone (Pegasus Night Club, Tampa)
May 26, Paul Cataldo Duo w/Marc Ganancias (Independent Bar and Café, Tampa)
May 26, Black Honkeys (Ka`Tiki, Treasure Island)
May 26, Easy Posse (Sparkman Wharf, Tampa)
Tuesday
May 28, Melody Artisans of the Crooked Thumb – Circus Songs (Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor)
Wednesday
May 29, Dave & Kenny Duo (Ka'Tiki, Treasure Island)
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This article appears in May 23-30, 2019.