The Memorial Weekend holiday is finally upon us, and a nice slate of concerts is happening on this Fri., May 27, as well as this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. Take a look at the breakdown of highlights for tonight, then peep what's coming up, too…
Brandy Clark She’s the co-songwriter behind numerous charting singles by better-known country music talents – Kasey Musgraves (“Biscuits,” rated as the best country song of 2015 by Billboard), Toby Keith (“Drunk Americans”), Miranda Lambert (“Mama’s Broken Heart”) and The Band Perry (“Better Dig Two”) among many others. Washington-spawned country songstress Brandy Clark also writes and releases her own original material, earning a Song of the Year win at the CMAs for “Follow Your Arrow,” a track off her 2013 debut. This date comes directly before she drops its sophomore follow-up, Big Day in a Small Town, out June 10 via Warner Bros. (Ferg's Live, downtown Tampa) –Leilani Polk
R. Kelly R. Kelly once peed on someone. This is a fact. It will not happen live, so stop hoping for it will, you pervert. What you can expect is a nightmarishly surreal smattering of radio and club hits paired with a campy, puffed-up stage show of dazzling set designs and massive video interludes. At least R. Kelly's blissfully bass-heavy R&B coupled with his startling range – from soaring falsettos to moaning baritone – and lyrics full of often playful eroticism (and unexpected wit) are enough to warrant his relevancy. Still waiting on that Trapped in the Closet tour, however… (Amalie Arena, downtown Tampa) –Brian Roesler
Florida Night Heat with SHOT, Soapbox Soliloquy, Broom Closet It’s a Friday face-melting from four fine locals – Florida Night Heat throws down stoney sludgy washes of instrumental ooze, SHOT grinds and shreds cock-rocking heavy metal, Soapbox Soliloquy mesmerizes with whirling and chugging psychedelia, and Broom Closet bashes and batters lo-fi grrrl rock. Hell, yeah. (Crowbar, Ybor City) –LP
State Champion with Fever Hands, Funhater There’s something at once charming, breezy and forlorn about “Fantasy Error,” the title track off State Champion’s 2015 record; it’s a perfect mix of mournful fiddle melodies, twangy-jangly guitars, loose bounding beats and heartfelt multi-voice harmonies driven by the warm, poignant drawl of lead songsmith Ryan Davis. The Louisville/Chicago-area country-punk outfit heads up this early (6 p.m.) in-store with Jacksonville’s Fever Hands and Funhater, a St. Pete band featuring members of Permanent Makeup and Piss Ghost. Admission is free, but be kind and bring a little scratch to throw in the donation pot; touring ain’t cheap, yo. (Microgroove, Tampa)–LP
Stop Light Observations w/The Tattered Saints/Kerry Courtney/Draem Girl South Carolina six-piece Stop Light Observations plies lush rock songs built on layers of tumbling and cascading synth, keyboard and guitar melodies, with Will Blackburn’s sweetly raspy vocals hitting creamy falsetto notes amid soaring wails and sonic moods that shift from tenderly rousing (“Dinosaur Bones”), to synth-heavy sinister and urgent (“Smilers of the Night”) to playfully haunting with gospel overtones (“Purple People”). (New World Brewery, Ybor City)–LP
ALSO TONIGHT
Blood Bath & Beyond CD Release Party w/Slingshot Robot/Almondy Brown/Red Calling/Sinister Circle (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Civil Youth (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Sunset Music Festival Pre-Party w/Christian Alexander/Basomatik/Blunts & Blondes/Winta/Nate Verde/Smgglr (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
RSGM w/Mouth Council/Oxford Noland (The Loft, St. Petersburg)
Tony Tyler Band w/Grape Soda (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Nate Currin (Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Communion After Dark Presents: Astari Nite w/GhostFeeder/DJ Maus (The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg)
Blast! Friday w/Here Come The Mummies/Noah Guthrie (downtown Clearwater)
24th Street Wailers (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
Fractured Fairytales/Abbey Death/Mero Bellum/Seven Factor (Brass Mug, Tampa)
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
97X Backyard BBQ w/Young the Giant/Strumbellas/Bear Hands/Jr. Jr./Joywave/The Wombats/Never Shout Never/Finish Ticket Sat., May 28, Vinoy Waterfront Park, St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Margarita Festival w/Blues Traveler Sat., May 28, Curtis Hixon Park, downtown Tampa
Joe Walsh w/Bad Company/Makana Sat., May 28, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Gemini: An Expression of Love for Venture Compound w/Direwood/Panamory (Album Release)/Julex/Panamory/Laghima/Joe Suel/DEA and Saint/The Omni Project/Shifted Grimm and Mirkwood Sat., May 28, Venture Compound, St. Petersburg
Riddle of Steel w/Traindodge/Auto!Automatic!! Sat., May 28, Crowbar, Ybor City
Boxcar Hollow w/Flat Land Sat., May 28, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Sunset Music Festival w/Hardwell/Galantis/Jason Ross/Tritonal/Rezz/Nghtmre; and
Sunset Music Festival After Parties, Night 1 Sat., May 28, The Ritz Ybor, Orpheum, Ybor City
Rise of Saturn Sat., May 28, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
The Applebutter Express w/Florida Mountain Boys Sat., May 28, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Free Metal Show w/Frost Fang/Spar/Grave Gnosis/Donner Reed Sat., May 28, Local 662, St. Petersburg
Sunset Music Festival w/Jack Ü/The Chainsmokers/Sam Feldt/Party Favor Sun., May 29, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Sunset Music Festival After Parties, Night 2 Sun., May 29, The Ritz Ybor, The Cuban Club, Ybor City
Ol’ Dirty Sundays 5-Year Anniversary Party w/Prince Paul/Dee Jay A.Vee/Deacon/Mega/Fader/Qeys/Blenda/LeSage/Casper Sun., May 29, Crowbar, Ybor City
Rise Up Sunday Sessions w/Passafire/Resinated/Miami’s Jahfe/Side Real Sun., May 29, Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
American Head Charge w/Motograter Sun., May 29, Orpheum, Ybor City
Naked Naps w/Big Brothers/Snacking Sun., May 29, The Bends, St. Petersburg
Guardians of Easycore 2016 w/Abandoned By Bears/For The Win/Settle Your Scores/Up From Here/Infinity on High/Pushover/Airport and Novels Sun., May 29, Local 662, St. Petersburg
20th Annual Scratch My Back Benefit w/Ruben Ray and the Undercover Band/The Lint Rollers/Johnny G Lyon Band/Quivering Rhythm Hounds with Damon Fowler Sun., May 29, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Ghost Drag Records Memorial Day Weekend Bash w/Los Bronson/SOXX/Luxury Mane/Johnny Mile & the Kilometers Sun., May 29, The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg
The Screaming J’s Sun., May 29, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
A Night of Heavy Distortion w/The Prosecution/Smokestack Lightning/Channel Drive/Five Alarm Fire Sun., May 29, Brass Mug, Tampa
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 2, 2016.
