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✔️= Critic’s Pick
✔️ J. Cole w/Young Thug/Jaden Smith/Kill Edward There’s only one guest on J. Cole’s introspective, expansive new album, KOD, which was released in July. That guest is Kill Edward (stylized “kiLL edward”), who was just announced as support on this Tampa show less than two weeks ago. The addition of the KOD-featured rapper is kind of kitschy, of course, because J. Cole has admitted that Kill Edward is his alter ego. What won’t be pointless, however, is the North Carolina rapper’s ambition to make this show live up to the excellent album it is supporting. “Kendrick’s show gave me chills because I got to see what it was like to have a hit album performed, and it set off a desire,” J. Cole told Vulture about his own live experience watching Lamar gave life to the Pulitzer-winning D.A.M.N.. Those are gigantic shoes to try and fill, but J. Cole is routinely mentioned in most best-rapper conversations alongside Lamar and Drake, so if anyone can do it, then it’s him. And even if he fails (he won’t), fans will still get more than their money’s worth thanks to a support bill that also includes Atlanta rapper Young Thug and Jaden Smith. (Amalie Arena, Tampa) INFO
Five Finger Death Punch w/Breaking Benjamin/Nothing More/Bad Wolves Don’t expect to see Chris Kael bumping drinks with anyone at this tour stop, since the Five Finger Death Punch bassist — who has spoken extensively on his struggles with addiction to alcohol and cocaine — recently celebrated six month of sobriety. The news comes as the band’s frontman — Ivan Moody — is enjoying his own return to the stage one year after he had an onstage meltdown that resulted in him leaving the band to receive treatment for alcohol addiction. Breaking Benjamin opens this radio-ready rock show alongside Texas’ Nothing More and Bad Wolves from L.A. (Mid Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) INFO
MUSIC ISSUE 2018
St. Petersburg trumpeter Jason Charos rides straightahead jazz’s open grooves to find optimism and himself
✔️ Jason Charos w/Kendric McCallister/David Mason/Joe Porter/John Jenkins Jason Charos — a young trumpet player CL featured in its recent Music Issue — joins tenor sax player Kendic McCallister and David Mason on alto for this event where the Al Downing Tampa Jazz Association shines a light on jazz students who’re studying the art form at various schools across the country. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium, St. Petersburg) INFO
Singing For Their Sake: A benefit for Tampa’s at-risk youth Tampa bicycle shop Vélo Champ is hosting a Seminole Heights party where philanthropic music lovers can donate to a variety show and cookout benefiting the Camelot Community Care’s Tampa Bay Youth Outreach program. (Velo Champ, Tampa) INFO
WE SEE YOU
Singing For Their Sake bands artists together for Tampa Bay’s homeless youth
Connexionism w/Christopher Lawrence/Suzy Solar/Ephemeral Mists/Ascension/more If the thought of getting lost in progressive trance, Goa trance, psy-trance and psy-breaks all night long sounds appealing, then this party thrown by The Chilluminati collective is probably going to lead you to a downtown St. Petersburg industrial district venue where drug use, weapons, drama and underage drinking will not be tolerated. The gathering is also more than music, according to the promotions group, which is returning to the area after a successful throwdown in February. “Multidimensional and multifaceted experiences — incorporating musical, visual, art and kinetic performances, as well as interactive workshops and community,” is how the show is described online. “Our gatherings are about transformation and becoming. Whatever your sense of spirituality is, you bring that to the event.” (The Movement Sanctuary, St. Petersburg) INFO
✔️ Squirrel Nut Zippers The last Bay area set from spaz-jazz and swing revivalist band Squirrel Nut Zippers was in 2017 at the State Theatre, and we all know what happened to that place (nothing serious, it just got sold and is now under renovation before eventually re-opening as a concert venue again). We fully expect this pair of shows at the new Attic listening room above Ybor City’s Rock Brothers Brewing to be equally zany. Shows are at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and neither of them are sold out quite yet. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City) INFO
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ALSO PLAYING
Chad Montana Band (The Stockyard, Holiday) INFO
Audio Artwork w/Jinx/Bazz God/Louie Free/She.Go (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
4th Annual Backpack Brigade w/DJ Lion (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
The Easy Button w/Fast Talkers /Growler /King of Denmark (The Blue Note, Tampa) INFO
Femme Feature P(art)y w/Wally Clark/Betty Emmy/Henesis (Hooch and Hive, Tampa) INFO
WMNF Presents Ordinary Boys and Seafang (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
First Annual David Bowie Glam Gala & Dance Party w/DJ Sugar Bear/VJ Hural Knight (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Ellis Paul (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Holey Miss Moley w/Legendary JC’s (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
Minutes From Here w/Kevin K Band (Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg) INFO
Shoeless Soul (Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor) INFO
The New Rulers w/The Freecoasters/Selector Kelly Blanx (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
Little Black Dress (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
This article appears in Aug 9-16, 2018.
