THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23
UNEARTH w/PROTEST THE HERO/THE ACACIA STRAIN/WHITECHAPEL/GWEN STACY Boston quintet Unearth melds thrash, hardcore and extreme metal to create a sonic experience that's disturbingly intense yet intelligent. Formed in 1998, the band has been recording for Metal Blade since 2004. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
BUCKETHEAD w/THAT 1 GUY Avant-metal guitarist/composer best known for his 2000-04 stint in Guns N' Roses brings his KFC-crowned freakiness to the 'Burg. Opening for Buckethead is That 1 Guy, a one-man band packing a self-made bass-style instrument that he uses to create future funk. For more info on Buckethead, click here. (The Garage, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
LOS LONELY BOYS w/ZAC BROWN BAND Texican sibling trio Los Lonely Boys glossed it up for their 2004 radio smash "Heaven," but in concert the siblings rock out with a gritty blues edge, thanks, in large part, to the fierce guitar solos of Henry Garza. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW Acclaimed tribute act will recreate Pink Floyd's solipsistic rock opera The Wall in its entirety — followed by a greatest-hits encore. Attendees can expect a first-rate laser show, animation and, yes, inflatables. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
MAGNOLIA FEST Gas prices are down, so why not a road trip? It's four hours from Tampa to Live Oak, but the drive should prove worthwhile if you're into the great outdoors (it's gorgeous up there) and folk/jam-friendly bands. This year's lineup includes acoustic rockers the Avett Brothers (see the Music Brief here), Allman Brothers' bassist Oteil Burbridge, sacred steel aces the The Lee Boys and many more. Magnolia Fest takes place Oct. 23 through 26. For more information, go to magmusic.com. (Suwanee Music Park, Live Oak)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24
29TH ANNUAL FREAKER'S BALL FEAT. UNKNOWN HINSON w/REV. BILLY C. WIRTZ For nearly three decades, hippies of all ages have been dressing up and getting down at the Skipperdome's appropriately named Freaker's Ball. Talented rockabilly whack-job Unknown Hinson and pianist/funny man/serial Skipper's performer Billy C. Wirtz provide the on-stage entertainment. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
NEIL DIAMOND It is a good time to be a fan of the Jewish Elvis. Concertgoers will have the opportunity to witness Diamond croon beauties like "Sweet Caroline," "Cracklin' Rosie" and "I Am … I Said" — and perform material from his recent pair of Rick Rubin-produced albums. The two discs rank with the finest of Diamond's five-decade-spanning career. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
PETER FRAMPTON The flowing blonde locks might not have survived the 1980s, but as long as Frampton has his guitar, talk box and is willing to perform the 1970s what-the-hell-happened-last-night classic "Do You Feel Like We Do" (and "Show Me the Way"), he'll forever have an audience. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
INGRID MICHAELSON w/MEIKO/PRISCILLA AHN/ERIN MCCARLEY/BROOKE FRASER/SAMANTHA CRAIN This mini Lilith Fair features New York-based singer/songwriter/pianist Ingrid Michaelson, the young woman responsible for the chipper hit "The Way I Am." It became a big MP3-seller in 2007 after being featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy, an Old Navy ad campaign and a Chevrolet commercial. Now you remember it? (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
JARVIK 7 w/EBU GOGO/OCEANS RISE! Tampa post-rock quintet Jarvik 7 shares the stage with Ebu GoGo, a Rhode Island prog trio whose "sole purpose is to enjoy itself, reference movies more than music and embrace its inner nerd," according to the band's website. The over/under for women at the show? Six. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
THE FAINT w/SUMMERBIRDS IN THE CELLAR/THE SHOW IS THE RAINBOW Cheeky New Wave revival outfit from Omaha, Neb., rocks the synths while imploring listeners to "Get Seduced," do the "Glass Danse" and "Dropkick the Punks." Trivia: A very young Conor Oberst was in the band for a few minutes during its embryonic late 1990s. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
TRAVIS TRITT w/JONATHAN SINGLETON Tritt's fusion of neo-traditional country and Southern rock resulted in 1990s hits like "Help Me Hold On," "Anymore," "Foolish Pride" and the Steve Earle-penned "Sometimes She Forgets." (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
TRACY BYRD Another major 1990s country luminary whose star has faded in recent years, Byrd's best known for the amicable novelty numbers "Watermelon Crawl" (1994) and "Drinkin' Bone" (2004). (Dallas Bull, Tampa)
STEEL TRAIN w/DEAR AND THE HEADLIGHTS Steel Train's winningly melodic indie rock is refreshingly sincere, catchy and smart. The Jersey-based band has issued three albums on Drive-Thru, with each one earning stronger reviews than its predecessor. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25
GUAVAWEEN The booze-fueled, bead-throwing, boob-flashing fest that only a reprobate could love also features live music. Post-grunge clowns Puddle of Mudd headline the 98Rock stage while pioneering female rapper MC Lyte closes the 95.7 The Beat platform. For more info, see cc-events.org/gw. (Ybor City)
GANDALF MURPHY AND THE SLAMBOVIAN CIRCUS OF DREAMS Singer/rhythm guitarist Joziah Longer and lead guitarist/backing vocalist Sharkey McEwen will perform the National Anthem before the Tampa Bay Lightning/San Jose Sharks hockey game, then the trippy jam band will play a post-game concert on the plaza. The Circus is also performing at Magnolia Fest Oct. 23-24 (see separate entry above). (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
Sunday, October 26
USF FACULTY JAZZ ENSEMBLE The Tampa Jazz Club has changed venues from the Gorilla Theatre to the Springs Theater in Sulfur Springs for its series of Sunday matinees. Next up is the seven-piece USF Faculty Jazz Ensemble, which includes a bevy of the Bay area's top players: trumpeter/leader Jack Wilkins, trumpeter Jay Coble, saxophonist Valerie Gillespie, trombonist Tom Brantley, guitarist LaRue Nickelson, bassist Mark Neuenschwander and drummer Ian Goodwin. The show is at 3 p.m. The Springs Theater — a cool venue, by the way — is at 8029 Nebraska Ave. (Springs Theater, Tampa) —Eric Snider
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27
DREDG w/JUDGEMENT DAY/DIVISION DAY San Francisco's Dredg offers alternative metal that's more art-rock than aggro. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
BREATHE CAROLINA Credit Denver duo for doing something different: mashing up electronica and screamo. Pleasant (albeit generic) disco beats and seriously processed vocals are spiked by processed growls. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28
BEN KWELLER w/WHITLEY Genre-hopping rocker Ben Kweller has just recorded a straight-up country album titled Changing Horses, which is due out early next year. The former teenage Radish frontman and sometimes Bens member (his group with Ben Folds and Ben Lee) dishes on his love for Hank Williams Jr. and getting loaded with his pal Conor Oberst in a recent interview with CL. For more on Kweller, click here. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29
CITY OF SHIPS w/LIQUID LIMBS/GUILTMAKER/MERCHANDISE City of Ships bring it hard and loud but with accomplished vocals and stirring sonic twists, earning the Virginia-based band favorable comparisons to thinking man's metal standouts like Mastodon and Torche. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
JOE SATRIANI w/MOUNTAIN FEAT. LESLIE WEST AND CORKY LAING A seminal figure in guitar geekdom, Satriani played a crucial role in shaping the technically superior yet bereft-of-soul ax gods that emerged in the 1980s. Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett were both Satriani's pupils before the teacher landed a record deal of his own. In 1987, Satriani made wannabe guitar heroes drool with his breakthrough album, Surfing With the Alien. That's all fine and good, but his chop-intensive fireworks have never moved me. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2008.