A portrait of five musicians standing closely together outdoors against a hazy blue sky. Four of the subjects wear hats (a fedora, a cap, and a flat cap), and one is holding a cowbell and stick, while another is holding a trumpet.
The California Honeydrops Credit: Deborah Wilson

The California Honeydrops are a different kind of improvisational band, rarely sticking to setlists, often asking for requests, but never over-indulging on jams. And they bring the party to the Tampa Bay area in January.

After getting their start busking in Bay Area subway stations, the ensemble was quickly pulled to the surface with the “new retro” resurgence of the 2010s. Channeling heartland soul by way of the West Coast, the Oakland R&B outfit struck a nostalgic chord with audiences, gaining popularity throughout the country with their live shows.

The Honeydrops’ latest release, Redwood Highway (released Aug. 8), reaches beyond the expected Motown grooves with a roadtrip across southern styles. The album explores both the loneliness and beauty of life on the road, broadening the band’s sound into a full spectrum of modern Americana.

Tickets to see The California Honeydrops at Jannus Live in downtown St. Petersburg on Thursday, January 8 are still available and start at $41.62.

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This post first appeared at Cigar City Sounds, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email rroa@ctampa.com. Support Cigar City Sounds by following @cigarcitysounds on Instagram.

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This article appears in Dec. 04 – 10, 2025.