THURSDAY, JANUARY 26
The Hackensaw Boys w/Pickford Sundries/Goodrich & the Die Tryins’ The musicians who make up Hackensaw Boys have been together a dozen years or so and are currently spread across the US — from their home of Virginia to North Carolina, Tennessee and California. They reunite regularly to record and perform, their music informed by their Bible Belt upbringing and shared wit. The result is a mix of country folk and bluegrass with a kitchen sink/punk rock appeal. All seven members take turns on twangy lead vocals and harmonies, and their instrumentation encompasses guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, a handmade ‘charismo’ tin can contraption, spoons, saw, drums and percs. The group’s latest effort is a 2011 EP, The Old Sound of Music, Vol. 2; both the first and most recent volumes are on sale for a mere $5 on the Hackensay Boys website. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—Leilani Polk
Me Talk Pretty w/Hawthorne Heights/Madina Lake/Young Electric/Air Like Oceans/Adame Me Talk Pretty is an alt rock group from NYC with dramatic pop tendencies, their radio-friendly sound marked by the powerhouse vocals of frontwoman Uliana Preotu. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)—LP
Mat Kearney Every now and then, a good pop record grabs a hold of me and won’t let go. The new one from Oregon-born singer-songwriter Mat Kearney — 2011’s Young Love — is a perfect example of that. Instantly memorable melodies and emotion-stirring chord changes are on full blast by the time the album’s second track — “Ships In the Night” — arrives with its chorus-first goodness. Every cut seems like an anthem (try to not sing along to “Chasing the Light”), and there are even a couple of slow burners sprinkled in this perfectly sequenced tracklist. “Sooner or Later” sounds like Coldplay reincarnated without the English pretentiousness and “Rochester” is the introspective album closer that anyone who has ever written a song dreams of putting to tape. Young Love is addicting for each one its 2,367 seconds, and I’ve had a hard time working it out of my system. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City) —Ray Roa
Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk w/Bobby Lee Rodgers Aaron Neville’s prodigal son has pioloted this New Orleans ensemble since 2003, his husky deep vocals and funkadelic organ grooves backed by a wompin’ two-bass assault via low-end cohorts Tony Hall and Nick Daniels III, wah-wah guitar and tasty solos by Ivan’s younger cousin Ian (son of Art), and rounding it out on a steady backbeat, drummer Nikki Glaspie. This is a band that’ll get your ass shakin’ — and I know this from experience. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
SPC Jazz Festival: Alfredo Rivero Trio / La Lucha with singer Jun Bustamante (Thursday); Kathy Kosins with the Helios Jazz Orchestra (Friday); and O Som Do / Antonio Adolfo (Saturday) For the fourth annual edition of the SPC Jazz Festival, organizers put together an eclectic bill of performances spread over three evenings. Kicking off the festivities on Thursday is the Alfredo Rivero Trio and La Lucha. The former is led by Cuban composer/guitarist Rivero and they produce Latin jazz with world flavors. The latter is a Tampa Bay-based three-piece with a repertoire that includes originals as well as jazz-inspired pop with Latin rhythms; La Lucha is joined by singer-songwriter Jun Bustamante. On Friday, sophisticated low-crooning vocalist Kathy Kosins performs with the swinging 18-piece Helios Jazz Orchestra. Finally, on Saturday night, the fest comes to a close with a Brazilian jazz showcase by O Som Do Jazz — featuring Rio de Janeiro singer Andrea Moraes Manson and an all-star cast of musicians from Brasil, Columbia, Cuba and the U.S. — and award-winning Bossa Nova pianist/composer Antonio Adolfo, also from Rio de Janeiro, his work recorded or covered by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66, Herb Alpert and Dionne Warwick, among others. (St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus Music Center, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27
Anthony Green / The Dear Hunter The charismatic frontman of rock group Circa Survive, Anthony Green, teamed up with indie folk trio Good Old War to record his second solo album, 2012’s Beautiful Things. The singer/songwriter shares a bill with The Dear Hunter, the indie rock band led by Casey Crescenzo that released a series of EPs followed by a 2011 album, The Color Spectrum, with songs inspired by each individual color visible in the spectrum — black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and white. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Cope w/Bird Street Players A Friday evening dance-inducing presentation by local jam rock mainstays COPE and purveyors of New Orleans-style funk rock, Bird Street Players. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Casanova’s Blast Friday: Rare Earth Downtown Clearwater’s first Blast! of 2012 kicks off with a street-side performance by Rare Earth, a funk rock outfit originally formed in the 1960s and still fronted by original founding member Gil Bridges. Their catalog includes classic singles like “Get Ready” (Rare Earth’s 1970 version of the Smokey Robinson track hit No. 4 on the charts) and “I just Want to Celebrate.” (Cleveland Street Stage, downtown Clearwater)—LP
Tom Rush The celebrated folk-blues artist with the laid-back baritone brought early recognition to artists like Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor when he covered their songs prior to them ever recording them, as well as putting out some of his own well-known originals like “No Regrets” and the truly funny “Remember Song.” He performs the latter — which he calls “modern day yuppie blues” — in a YouTube clip that’s gotten nearly five million views and features the narrative of a man (possibly Rush himself) who’s battling memory decay: “Looking for my wallet and car keys, well they can’t have gone too far, just as soon as I find my glasses, I’m sure I’ll see just where they are / I’m supposed to meet someone for lunch today but I can’t remember where, or who it is that I am meeting, it’s in my organizer, somewhere.” (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—LP
G. Love & Special Sauce Rhyme-slinging, verse-singing, harp-blowing songwriter G. Love draws on alt hip hop, blues and acoustic rock flavors with his Special Sauce. He collaborated with Americana stalwarts Seth and Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers on his fourth Brushfire release, 2011’s Fixin’ To Die, where he abandoned his usual Philly swagger to explore his rootsy country blues side via a collection that includes originals, a classic cover (Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”) and rearranged traditionals. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)—LP—LP
The Temptations / The Four Tops Soulful, funky R&B group The Temptations is responsible for one of my favorite grooves, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and also issued 14 other Top 10 singles (“My Girl” included) beginning in the mid-1960s. The doo wop-leaning Four Tops also enjoyed some time on the charts in the same eras, and their two No. 1 hits were “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Baritone Otis Williams is the only original surviving member of The Temptations’ “classic” lineup while tenor Abdul “Duke” Fakir is the remaining elder statesman of the Tops. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Ugly Radio Rebellion: A Frank Zappa Tribute Band A Zappa Tribute band that’s not Bogus Pomp — surprise! This one’s a Detroit-based trio led by guitarist/singer Scott Schroen. Their 71-song catalog includes numbers ranging from the ’60s (“Willie the Pimp”) through the ’70s (“Cheepnis,” “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow”) and into the ugly ’80s (“Dinah Moe Humm”). (Orpheum, Ybor City)—LP
Tycho w/Beacon & Navigateur Like the popular lunar crater he was undoubtedly named for, San Francisco producer Tycho (né Scott Hansen) is making an impact on the indie dance scene with his recent Ghostly International release, Dive. The full-length combines dreamy breezy down-tempo meanderings with upbeat melody-strewn interludes that are sometimes spare and light and other times heavy with vibrant tones and bumpin’ basslines. Live, Tycho is accompanied by a full band and “sensory-engulfing visuals that highlight the sepia-toned, double-exposed soundscapes of the music.” (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage Wall Street Journal named her “the new queen of bluegrass,” and few would dispute her talents. Rhonda Vincent plays mandolin, fiddle and guitar in addition to singing in a high dulcet drawl, her upbeat string backing provided by The Rage, which includes fiddler/son-in-law Hunter Berry and newest member, dobro player Brett Burke. Her last seven albums reached the Top 10 of the Bluegrass Charts, and three of those held the No. 1 spot, including her most recent and first release on her own label, 2010’s Taken. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)—LP
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28
The Bright Light Social Hour w/Black Taxi Texas-based foursome Bright Light Social Hour has gained quite the reputation for their groove-laden fusion of rock, funk, soul, blues and psychedelia. They’ve also earned a steadily growing base of fans via raw, sweaty, energetic live shows that are dynamic and full-throttle entertaining despite the fact that BLSH has only been a touring band for a little under two years. In 2011, they scored an unprecedented six wins at SXSW’s 29th Annual Austin Music Awards, including the coveted “Band of the Year” award. Seems the foursome is well on the way to achieving their goal of creating enduring rock and roll. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, St. Petersburg) —Rebecca Forman and Leilani Polk
Machine Gun Kelly w/Hopsin Not to be confused with the prohibition-era gangster of the same name, but possessing the same rapid-fire tendencies, Machine Gun Kelly (real name Richard Colson Baker) is a rapper who strings together fast-flowing verses into a hip hop fresh, in-your-face brew. The 21-year-old emcee released three mixtapes before he was discovered and signed to Bad Boy/Interscope Records last year. His debut full-length is due out sometime this year. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Zac Brown Band On their last stop in town, country rockers Zac Brown Band opened for Kenny Chesney at Ray-Jay Stadium. This time, the foursome — which took home two Grammy awards in 2010 and 2011, and has had eight No. 1 singles on the Billboard country charts — returns to headline an arena show on their latest tour backing their 2010 platinum-selling LP, You Get What You Give. (1-800-Ask-Gary-Amphitheatre, Tampa)—LP
Boogie Woogie Blues Piano Stomp Four pianists well-versed in boogie woogie and blues share two grand pianos in an evening of rockin’ tunes: Canadian sensation Michael Kaeshammer; distinguished vet Bob Seeley, who’s played Carnegie Hall several times in his more than six-decade career; St. Pete’s own mistress of the ivories, Liz Pennock; and Indiana key plunker Craig Brenner. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)—LP
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
Dia Frampton Half-Korean and half-Dutch singer-songwriter Frampton was the runner-up on the inaugural season of NBC’s singing competition, The Voice. Blake Shelton turned his chair around after hearing her perform Colbie Caillat’s 2007 hit, “Bubbly” and extended her fanbase further with a cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Her original single, “Inventing Shadows,” hit No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. But Frampton is far from new to the biz; she and her sister formed indie rick band Meg & Dia in 2004. After struggling to produce their fourth album, Cocoon, Dia auditioned for the reality show. Her solo album, Red, features upbeat tracks with a pop flair, but still stays true to her soulful, indie roots. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) —Rebecca Forman
Roberta Flack The smooth soul-R&B-jazz songstress won four Grammys in her career, two of those in 1973, both for her best-known gold-selling hit, “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” most famously redone in 1996 by The Fugees. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
MONDAY, JANUARY 30
The Kills w/Jeff The Brotherhood and Hunters A super hip indie rock show featuring UK duo The Thrills, made up of sexy singer Alison “VV” Mosshart and guitarist “Hotel” Jamie Hince. This is Spring Arts Preview must-see; read more here. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)—LP
Chris Pickering The Aussie alt country rocker makes his way to the U.S. for a string of dates to support his 2010 third LP, Work of Fiction, and a 2011 7”, “Fisherman’s Daughter”/“Just Want To Love.” (Sacred Grounds, Tampa)—LP
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31
Mitch & The Lagerheads w/Pickford Sundries A Tuesday bill of bluegrass headed up by the Lagerheads, formed by Mitch Lind (founder of Riverhawk and Stringbreak Music Festivals) several years back and delivering a sound that “pulls to the left of the Bluegrass center” with banjo man Alan Waters, bassist Ronnie “Mac” McGalliard, fiddler Jason “Cornbread” Baker and mandolin player Clint “Doc” Dockery. Pickford Sundries is a Bay area bluegrass staple with an all-star cast of local talent. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, St. Petersburg)—LP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
Anthrax / Testament w/Death Angel Anthrax is counted among Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth as the original speed and thrash metal innovators (as the Big Four Tours implied), and commemorated their 30th anniversary last year with a 10th studio effort and first new LP in eight years, Worship. The album also marked the return of “classic era” vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last record with Anthrax was 1990’s Persistence of Time. Co-headlining are some other thrash vets — Testament, led by deep growling and high-pitched howling Native American singer Chuck Billy. Testament is celebrating their own third decade in 2012 with preparations for a new album and this tour with their metal compatriots. (Stadium Green Iguana, Tampa)—LP
Natural Child A rough-and-tumble trio from Nashville with a nasty garage rock sound and heady jangly groove moments. (The Hub, downtown Tampa)—LP
Stray from the Path w/Cruel Hands/Struc/tures/Counterparts/Betrayed The national “Bring It Back to the Streets Tour” (presented by Amp Magazine) is a traveling showcase of rising hardcore talent. Leading the crush is Long Island’s Stray from the Path, signed to Sumerian Records and pimping a fifth LP, Rising Sun, which dropped last year to generally positive reviews (Alternative Press called it “a fierce, assaultive album”). (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa)—LP
Patti LaBelle w/Boney James Enjoy an evening with the R&B pop diva who draws on a well-worn repertoire of softer hits (“Lady Marmalade,” “New Attitude,” “On My Own”) as well as a more recent selection of gospel numbers and modern pop tunes. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)—LP
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2012.
