THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
MAT KEARNEYw/MEIKO Nashville-based singer/strummer Mat Kearney makes the earnest, safe, acoustic-guitar-centric pop/rock that resonates with the masses. "Nothing Left to Lose," the title track from Kearney's major-label debut, Nothing Left to Lose, is your typical Adult Contemporary hit: lyrics that speak to the power of love sung in an Adam Duritz-indebted croon over a predictable melody punctuated by stately piano. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
VOODOO GLOW SKULLS w/LEFT ALONE Dubbing their sound "Southern California street music," hardcore punk/ska band Voodoo Glow Skulls have released seven albums since their creation in 1988 — influencing other Cali bands like Sublime to explore brassy off-beats and bilingual sarcasm — but they're just plain better live. They're sure to get your blood pumping. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Kat Clement
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26
RYAN SHAW w/BISHOP WAYNE WMNF presents Ryan Shaw, a young man from Decatur, Ga., with the pipes and personality to carry on the time-honored tradition of Southern soul music started by fellow Georgians like the late James Brown. Released in April on Razor & Tie, the singer's debut album, This Is Ryan Shaw, finds the 26-year-old delivering explosive originals and punchy covers of obscure rhythm-and-blues classics like the Dozier/Holland/Dozier nugget "Working on a Building of Love." Check out my story about Shaw in the music feature. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
BENISE Latin music star Roni Benise brings his "Nights of Fire" to town, promising a "sexy blend of Spanish, salsa and gypsy." And dancers. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
28th ANNUAL FREAKERS BALL w/PAUL CEBAR AND THE MILWAUKEEANS One of the longest running and most colorful Halloween bashes in Tampa Bay, this year's Freakers Ball features Paul Cebar, a master of roots-oriented party music who writes and performs songs that range from reggae and calypso to rock and R&B. Of course, live music is only part of the reason you attend this night of revelry that will result in $1,000 being given to the attendee donning the best costume. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
THE SAMPLES w/SHANNON MCNALLY During the frat-rock craze of the mid-1990s that gave rise to bands like the now-nearly-forgotten Hootie & the Blowfish to the now-bigger-than-ever Dave Matthews Band, along came The Samples. Formed in the hippie-friendly haven of Boulder, Colo., in '87 by singer Sean Kelly, the band made its mark by taking the folk-informed sound of the Grateful Dead and occasionally altering it with reggae rhythms. Shannon McNally, one of more distinct and expressive singers to emerge in recent years, offers spooky alt-country originals and the occasional well-chosen cover in a presentation she calls "North American Ghost Music." (Tamiami Bar, St. Petersburg)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27
THE PRODIGALS Following in the footsteps of bands like the Pogues, the New York City-based Prodigals have spent the past decade spreading their exuberant brand of "jig punk," which typically combines traditional Celtic melodies with fresh lyrics and gooses 'em with rock verve. On last year's Momentum, The Prodigals also successfully incorporated funky bass lines into the mix. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
GUAVAWEEN w/GENITORTURERS/DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY/AREA51 (MORE TV-32 STAGE) HELLYEAH/NONPOINT/SKINDRED (98 ROCK STAGE) NAUGHTY BY NATURE/CHUBB ROCK/UTFO (95.7 THE BEAT STAGE) It's doubtful many people attend the cluster-fuck, ass-grabbing contest known as Guavaween to see their favorite artists perform, but Orlando industrial metal band Genitorturers should draw a crowd for their estrogen-driven brand of shock-rock with a XXX twist. (Various corners of Seventh Avenue, Ybor City)
ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY The British smooth jazz band got started in '80s, featuring two acoustic guitarists: one on nylon string and another on steel string. The current incarnation showcases a lot of electric guitar and thick synthesizers. But hey, why change the name? It's branded. And ultimately it doesn't matter: Regardless of the name, AA plays tepid, inoffensive instrumental pop. (Tampa Theatre, Tampa) —Eric Snider
ALBERTSON'S OKTOBERFEST w/ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT/LOVERBOY A staff engineer at EMI Studios who worked on The Beatles' Abbey Road and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Alan Parsons ruined his cred as a behind-the-scenes whiz with a solo career that produced such soft-rock schlock as "Don't Answer Me" and "You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned." Loverboy are purveyors of equally annoying pop-rock ditties like the '80s hits "Working for the Weekend" and "Hot Girls in Love." (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)
ZAPPAWEEN w/BOGUS POMP Tampa Bay's world-renowned Frank Zappa repertory band has done some pretty classy gigs over the years, none more so than when they shared a stage with the Florida Orchestra. For my money, though, the 10-piece BP shines most during its Zappaween shows. The late Zappa loved the holiday and always scheduled a concert, his music being perfectly suited for costumery, tomfoolery and buffoonery. Bogus Pomp continues the tradition, playing Zappa's head-swimmingly complex music with precision and passion, but adding in a lot of costumery, tomfoolery and buffoonery. This is the 12th annual Zappaween — if you haven't been to one and you like, or are just curious about, Frank Zappa's music, now's a good time to take one in. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —ES
REV. RAVEN & THE CHAIN SMOKIN ALTAR BOYS The Suncoast Blues Society brings to town Rev. Raven and the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys, a band from Milwaukee that plays standard Chicago-style shuffles and boogie originals with more chops and panache than most. (Dino's Jazz Bar & Grille, St. Petersburg)
ROCKY HORROR METAL SHOW w/SUDDEN DEATH/RMISERY/UNKEMPT/SHIMERA/FATAL TRIP/CELLPAN Timed to coincide with Halloween, this multi-band Sarasota extravaganza features all the local ear-bleeding chaos-rock you could want, combined (I'm assuming) with all kinds of crazy costumes. Start buying up that fake blood, like, now. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —Cooper Levey-Baker
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28
LAURA LOVE ACOUSTIC BAND w/BARBARA LAMB WMNF brings back another one of its most played artists to the familiar setting of the Skipperdome for a show to benefit the community-supported radio station. An accomplished singer/songwriter and bassist, Laura Love plays folk music with a funk sensibility that has won her an ardent following over the last decade-plus of her career. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
WITCHCRAFT w/SAVIOURS Swedish foursome Witchcraft is one of several bands that successfully revive the hard rockin' sounds of early-'70s doom-metal. Saviours are a self-styled "piss-angry metal band" from Oakland, Calif. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Leilani Polk
TOM & CHRIS KASTLE A week after its annual folk festival, the Sarasota Folk Club throws members a curveball at its monthly concert series by booking Tom & Chris Kastle, a duo that specializes in all things musical and all things maritime. They revive sea shanties, river songs and tunes that grew up around the world's lakes, delivering them with a reverential authenticity. That might lend tonight's show a bit of an anthropology-class vibe, but let's hope Tom and Chris can enliven the history lesson for us. (Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Sarasota) —CLB
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK w/MAE/ANBERLIN/METRO STATION Minneapolis-based pop-punkers (with a fair dose of emo), Motion City Soundtrack deliver big hooks and lyrics that are not nearly as cloying and corny as those of their contemporaries and genre heroes Blink-182. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30
ELLIOTT YAMIN Pop-soul crooner was runner-up on American Idol, season five. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE CULT Fans of English hard-rockers The Cult ("She Sells Sanctuary," "Fire Woman") got nervous when singer Ian Astbury agreed to front the Doors of the 21st Century (renamed Riders on the Storm for legal reasons). But in February, Astbury decided to hang up his Jim Morrison mask and get back to being the leader of The Cult, which just released the very Cult-ish sounding album Born Into This. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31
IVAN NEVILLE'S DUMPSTAFUNK w/KARL DENSON TRIO Anyone who's familiar with New Orleans singer/keyboardist Ivan Neville knows that the dude has some serious funk chops. In 2003, he formed Dumpstafunk with his guitarist cousin, Ian, bassists Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, and drummer Raymond Webber solely to play the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Four years later, the band is still playing its hard, funky grooves for appreciative audiences all over the nation. Dumpstafunk joins sax-playing Karl Denson and his trio for several Southeastern dates, stopping in town just in time for some Halloween fun. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —LP
HALLOWEEN MADNESS w/WORLDWIDE ZOO w/CRAIG KATHS/AUTO! AUTOMATIC!!/TRIBAL STYLE Credit Ybor nightclub Czar with booking three of Tampa Bay's most accomplished local acts to provide the soundtrack for a night of ghoulish revelry. Worldwide Zoo is an organ trio offering funk/jazz that's equal parts French Quarter and jam band; instrumental trio Auto!Automatic!! rocks tricky time signatures and otherworldly guitar sounds; Tribal Style plays the kind of classic "one drop" reggae that wouldn't sound out of place on the soundtrack to The Harder They Come. Craig Kaths mans the turntables. (Czar, Ybor City)
VILLAGE PEOPLE/THE TRAMMPS Q: Does it even matter that only a couple of the guys performing tonight under the Village People moniker are the actual macho men that lit up the disco era? I'm guessing not. After all, can fans even name the original members? (And "Sailor Guy" doesn't count.) Nope, I imagine most people ponying up the $45-$50 the Van Wezel is demanding for this Halloween gig are going strictly for the kitsch factor. At the very least, the people watching should be simply amaaazing. (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota) —CLB
This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2007.