The blues are an age-old American artform, and every now and then its fans gets to see one of the genre’s innovators at work. The 79-year-old born David William Kearney (better known as Guitar Shorty) may not do somersaults onstage the way he used to, but his live-wire licks and raw vocal still harken back to a time when B.B. King, Guitar Slim, T-Bone Walker were the order of the day. It’ll be a treat to see the bluesman who cut his teeth in Tampa make an appearance at one of the area’s longest-running venues. Kid Royal & the Hang-Ups play support at Skipper’s Smokehouse on Friday.
Skipper’s hosts another heater on Saturday when soul-singing drummer Lindsay Beaver headlines yet another rowdy Rockabilly Ruckus party from Tampa Bay community radio station WMNF 88.5-FM. The Nova Scotia-born Texan is a jazz-trained percussionist who’s heart belongs to all forms of roots music, and she’ll be joined by old WMNF favorites like Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys and Rocket 88 for this one underneath the cover of the Skipperdome.
More information on both shows is available via skipperssmokehouse.com. See more roots, blues and Americana show below.
ROOTS/BLUES/AMERICANA CONCERT CALENDAR
May 10, Hymn For Her (Ella's Americana Folk Art Café, St. Petersburg)
May 11, Hannah Wicklund & The Steppin Stones w/Cat Ridgeway (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City)
May 11, Velvet Caravan (Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon Springs)
May 11, Betty Fox Band (Wild Rover Brewing Co., Tampa)
May 11, Lauren Mitchell & Ari McManus Duos (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg)
May 12, Betty Fox Band (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg)
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This article appears in May 2-9, 2019.