THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8
BLUE OCTOBER w/YELLOWCARD/SHINY TOYGUNS A modern rock band with a smart, dark sound recalling the layered, atmospheric works of U2 and prog-rockers like Gabriel-era Genesis (filtered through an emo sensibility), Blue October has been performing together for more than a decade, but just started to rise to national prominence in recent years with such hits as "Hate Me" and "Into the Ocean." Jacksonville's Yellowcard is a pop-punk band that distinguishes itself from the pack by including a fiddler in the lineup. Shiny Toy Guns offers 1980s-style synth-pop buoyed by the dual vocals of Jeremy Dawson and Carah Faye. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
EVANS BLUE w/FRAMING HANLEY/NEUROSONIC/SAVING ABEL A hard-rock band guilty of melodramatic power ballads like their current hit "The Pursuit," Evans Blue has put out two albums in as many years. Its latest, The Pursuit Begins When This Portrayal of Life Ends, came out in July and just missed the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 album chart. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
ERIC LINDELL New Orleans-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Eric Lindell is one of the more interesting figures on the modern blues scene. A talented vocalist with a throaty growl and a fiery ax man, Lindell couches his guitar solos in funky rhythms and offers lyrics that steer clear of blues clichés. He's been releasing albums since the mid-1990s but his career didn't take off until last year, when his CD Change in the Weather came out on the venerable indie blues label Alligator and reached No. 9 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart. (Ace's Lounge, Bradenton)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9
KANSAS/FRAN COSMO Ah, Ribfest, that bastion of classic rock, cheesy or otherwise (but mostly cheesy). This year's event trots out a plethora of acts, starting tonight with Kansas, a band that has always sprinkled a bit of prog-rock into its basic foundation of pop-song structure. It's interesting how classic rock cuts across generations. The other day, one CL staffer played the Kansas groaner "Wayward Son" in the office, and another staffer, a woman shy of 30, cheered it on. Oh well, at least he didn't play "Dust in the Wind." Also on the bill is Fran Cosmo, a former singer for Boston; he'll be joined by fellow ex-Bostonites Anthony Cosmo (his son) and Barry Goudreau. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —Eric Snider
DOWN Something of a metal super-group, Down features Pantera singer Phil Anselmo, Corrosion of Conformity guitarist Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Todd Strange and drummer Jimmy Bower. The New Orleans-based band put out its acclaimed debut album, NOLA, in '95. Last month, they released the equally potent — in a hard, Southern-rock sorta way — Over the Under. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
LIL ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS w/SEAN CHAMBERS Following in the footsteps of greats such as Elmore James, Chicago's Lil' Ed Williams is a gloriously flashy slide guitar player who leads a tight blues band that rocks, swings and boogies, offering the ideal soundtrack for a night of drinking and shuffling under the oaks at Skipper's. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SPOON Witty lyrics that are often humorous, grabby melodies unadorned by superfluous noise and a frontman (Britt Daniel) whose vocals reach out to the listener with sassy flair — for my money, Spoon reigns supreme in the modern indie-rock world. Considering the popularity (No. 10 on the Billboard 200) of their latest album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, prospective concertgoers might want to call ahead for tickets before making the trek on I-4. For more info go to clubatfirestone.com. (Club Firestone, Orlando)
3 GREEN WINDOWS Neo-classic rockers 3 Green Windows is a local band formed by guitarist Todd Grubbs. The quartet delivers blues-based crunch with occasional forays into prog-rock grandeur that recalls Pink Floyd. (Kelly's Pub, Tampa)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD/EDDIE MONEY/ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION/CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE: THE WALL Ah, more Ribfest, the Big Saturday extravaganza. When I was a much younger fellow, I plunged ears first into a 1970 live album by Grand Funk; my immersion lasted for maybe two months, after which I emerged cleansed, with no further interest in the band. I look back on that as a good thing. Eddie Money is a survivor; after nearly succumbing to all manner of excesses in the '80s, and then watching his hitmaking come to a halt, he has endured as an engaging performer (and appealingly raspy-voiced singer) on the classic-rock juggernaut. Atlanta Rhythm Section held down the poppy end of Southern rock in the '70s and has likewise endured. Also part of Big Saturday is Classic Albums Live: The Wall, which the website says "features exceptionally talented musicians and singers" reproducing the iconic Pink Floyd album "note for note and cut for cut." (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —ES
SARA EVANS This Nashville star has been serious tabloid fodder in recent months thanks to an ugly divorce from failed politician Craig Schelske. She's touring in support of her first greatest-hits collection. The disc includes the 2004 smash "Suds in the Bucket." Goosed by old-timey fiddle and steel guitar, it's one of my favorite tunes to come out of Music City in recent memory. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
ENON w/LOVE OF DIAGRAMS/WIN WIN WINTER! Echo-y dance beats collide with gritty guitar and myriad other found sounds on Enon's new album Grass Geyers…Carbon Clouds. Experimental and noisy, the trio also has an ear for melody, making their songs both catchy and complex. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
BADFISH A Sublime tribute band. Need we say more? (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
ELTON JOHN Sir Elton has released some passable albums of original material in recent years, but it's performances of golden oldies like "Crocodile Rock," "Rocket Man," "Bennie and the Jets," et al that still allow him to pack arenas. (New UCF Arena, Orlando)
PALANTINE/MAP OF THE UNIVERSE/JOUST Indie rock these days is deep in the midst of a twee revival, with gently plucked acoustic guitars and soft violins as likely to turn up as the feedback bombs of '80s indie lore. Palantine is having none of that. Its self-titled sophomore LP rocks out unapologetically, with fuzzy Mascis impersonations left, right and all points in between. (Pastimes Pub, Sarasota) —Cooper Levey-Baker
ZEROCREEP/DOLT/BURN THEORY/SESSO The Tampa-based metal act Zerocreep takes a drive south this weekend for a night of head-banging righteousness in Sarasota. The group tempers its rampaging steamroller sound with big, grungy melodies in the mold of so many other contemporary rock acts. Support comes from a handful of like-minded local groups. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —CLB
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11
GREGG ROLIE/LOU GRAMM/EDGAR WINTER BAND The final installment of this year's Ribfest features a couple of former lead singers from popular bands of yore. Gregg Rolie played organ and helmed vocals for several early Santana hits, then left the band to form Journey, where he sang lead until Steve Perry showed up. Lou Gramm gave voice to all those Foreigner smashes: "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice," "Hot Blooded," "Urgent" and so on. The most appealing act on this bill is the Edgar Winter Band; although best known for the lurching instrumental "Frankenstein," Winter's groups have always been solidly grounded in rhythm-and-blues. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —ES
CHIODOS w/EMERY/SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS/THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Like My Chemical Romance, Chiodos is a modern rock band with a love for Queen-inspired histrionics and bombast. The band's latest album, Bone Palace Ballet, came out last month and includes the rather appealing string-and-piano-laden power ballad "Lexington." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
POLYPHONIC SPREE A band custom-made for those who think the Flaming Lips are too subtle, Polyphonic Spree craft soaring, Beach Boys-influenced pop songs and then, with all two dozen members in tow, present 'em while wearing long, flowing robes on stage. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12
LIFEHOUSE w/MIDWAY STATE Offering a sorry brand of light alternative rock, Lifehouse is responsible for some of the most annoying hit singles of the new millennium: "Hanging By a Moment," "You and Me" and "First Time." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
BOB WEIR AND RAT DOG Following the success of a recent Joe Walsh show, the Mahaffey welcomes back another classic-rock hero: Grateful Dead founding member, singer/guitarist and songwriter Bob Weir. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
THAT 1 GUY One-man-band That 1 Guy is a classically trained bassist who plays a self-styled instrument he calls The Magic Pipe. The structure stands seven feet tall and has been described as "a chaotic collage of galvanized steel, duct tape and electronic gadgetry, run through an array of samplers and effect boxes." That 1 Guy's vocals are equally wacky, especially when he's singing about meat falling from the sky or people getting their eyes poked about by birds. Odd but engaging, this is an act that begs to be witnessed live. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
PAT MONAHAN w/I NINE Pop-rock crooner Pat Monahan is best known for his work with Train, which had that huge, and hugely annoying, hit "Drops of Jupiter" in 2001. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
KELLY RICHEY A Kentucky native, Richey brings some serious firepower to the stage with her raw blues-rock, shredding guitar strings and vocal chords in equal measure. Richey's songs aren't so much "songs" as they are platforms from which she blasts sonic volleys with the help of a loose and dirty backing band. (The Breamar, Venice) —CLB
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14
TEGAN AND SARA w/NORTHERN STATE One of the hottest acts in the indie world, identical twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin are a contemporary folk duo touring in support of their gorgeous new record, The Con, which features the singles "Back In Your Head" and the title track. Check out my interview with Tegan on p. 45. Northern State is a New York City rap trio that has drawn favorable comparisons to the Beastie Boys. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
MATT WERTZ w/DAVE BARNES A strummer with an agreeable voice and a gift for penning inoffensive love songs, Matt Wertz sounds primed for adult contemporary success. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
November
16 Chuck Prophet and Mission Express w/Eilen Jewell Band Skipper's Smokehouse
16 Slightly Stoopid Jannus Landing
17 The Wiggles St. Pete Times Forum
17 Yamato Drummers Ruth Eckerd Hall
17 Deborah Harry Tampa Theatre
18 The Legendary Shack Shakers Orpheum
18 Clearwater Chorus Holiday Ruth Eckerd Hall
19 Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus St. Pete Times Forum
20 Tori Amos Ruth Eckerd Hall
23 The Legendary J.C.'s w/Stand Back Crowbar
23 Misfits State Theatre
24 Avenge Sevenfold Jannus Landing
24 Shaw Blades State Theatre
26 Three Redneck Tenors Ruth Eckerd Hall
28 Wynona Ruth Eckerd Hall
29 Michael McDonald Ruth Eckerd Hall
December
1 Kelly Clarkson Ruth Eckerd Hall
1 The Charlie Daniels Band Ford Amphitheatre
2 97x's "Next Big Thing" w/The Used/Jimmy Eat World/Rise Against/Angels and Airwaves/Sum 41/Paramore/Coheed & Cambria/Flyleaf/Silversun Pickups/Against Me!/Saosin/The Starting Line/The Almost/Mutemath Ford Amphitheatre
2 Crosby/Loggins Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
5 Tony Bennett Ruth Eckerd Hall
8 Col. Bruce Hampton & the Quark Alliance Dunedin Brewery
8 The Avett Brothers Skipper's Smokehouse
9 Keith Urban w/Gary Allan St. Pete Times Forum
12 Jethro Tull Ruth Eckerd Hall
14 Sister Hazel Tampa Theatre
16 Johnny Winter State Theatre
This article appears in Nov 7-13, 2007.
