THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22
MEGA SMEGMA w/CRASH MITCHELL QUARTET If all that tryptophan doesn't put ya out for the count after the Thanksgiving feeding frenzy, head over to The Corner Club (Sligh Avenue and 15th Street) for a night of politically incorrect metal send-ups courtesy of Mega Smegma and the Crash Mitchell Quartet's brand of country at its utmost insurgent. Micthell's press release reads: "Confident heterosexual beer drinking meat eating ass kicking antidefamation league and community outreach band." In other words, bring the kids. (The Corner Club, Tampa)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23
MISFITS Now in its 20th year, horror-punk heroes the Misfits made one brilliant album: their 1982 full-length debut Walk Among Us. Founder, frontman and primary songwriter Glenn Danzig broke up the band in 1983 and went on to have a mildly successful solo career that included the late-'80s hit "Mother." In 1995, original bassist Jerry Only formed a new version of The Misfits sans Danzig. But never fear — the replacement players still don the corpse paint. (State Theater, St. Petersburg)
THE LEGENDARY JC'S w/K-G AND THE BAND/STAND BACK We didn't let Leilani write about the JC's 'cause they played her wedding a couple of weeks ago. Conflict of interest — maybe. But that doesn't prevent me from telling you that the Orlando "Southern soul revue" can really put on a dancefest, old-style funk grooves, horns, charismatic frontman and all. K-G and the Band, out of Winter Park, have put together a punchy mix of Afro-pop, reggae and other styles from the diaspora. By any measure, this should be an ass-shakin' night. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Eric Snider
NESSIE w/BRER/MEMPHIS TRAIN UNION Led by longtime local rocker (and former Creative Loafing music critic) Scott Harrell, Nessie presents a mature blend of roots- and garage-rock with plenty of hooks and heart-on-sleeve vocals. Brer, a trio from Tampa, layers shimmering guitars over a grabby folk-pop framework. Dave Korman fronts Dunedin's Memphis Train Union; his gritty voice and songwriting calls to mind John Mellencamp. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —ES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24
SUNSET '07 FEAT. THE CRYSTAL METHOD/BT/OTHERS Now in its second year, Sunset '07 — a daylong electronica fest presented by the now-defunct Amphitheater's owner/founder John Santoro — features a first-rate roster of dance-music talents. Heading up the bill is The Crystal Method, a West Coast duo (Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland) whose been producing big-beat, dramatic electronica since the early 1990s. In September, Crystal Method released a 10th anniversary deluxe edition of its 1997 major-label debut, Vegas, a rave classic that still holds up a decade later and is mandatory listening for anyone interested in the electronic music genre. Brian Transeau (otherwise known as BT) is another luminary of the scene who used his classical music background to forge new paths in progressive house music. Nowadays, the alleged "Father of Trance" divides his time between composing music for films and working on albums like 2006's ambient This Binary Universe, which was produced in 5.1 surround sound and is accented by a 110-piece orchestra during its more expansive moments. Other DJs on the bill include Chicago's Bad Boy Bill, Edgar V of Miami, Sharaz and Monk (formerly of Rabbit in the Moon). (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
AVENGED SEVENFOLD w/OPERATOR/BLACK TIDE/THE CONFESSION Metalcore sextet Avenged Sevenfold gets all Rush Limbaugh on their new self-titled album, especially on the lead track/single "Criminal Mind." The song meshes power ballad guitar solos with thrash-metal riffs and spoken-word rants. Our favorite lines: "Blaming their own nation for who wins elections/ They've never contributed a fucking thing to the country they love to criticize." Whatever, dude. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
HEAVY HEAVY LOW LOW w/DANCE GAVIN DANCE/FOXY SHAZAM/TERA MELOS ADD rockers Heavy Heavy Low Low offer a chaotic mix of speed-metal, screamo and experimental sonics that fails to coalesce in any meaningful (let alone appealing) way. A big blog band a couple years ago, the San Jose quintet's debut album, Everything's Watched, Everyone's Watching, came out last year to minimal fanfare. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO w/SUBBURBAN LEGENDS/THE STITCH UP Third-wave ska band Streetlight Manifesto keeps things fresh with a horn section that offers sly funk and jazz interludes that gleefully stray from the ska/punk format. The band's new album, Somewhere in Between, came out Nov. 13. The disc includes the peppy, rather poignant lead single "We Will Fall Together." (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
PINK LINCOLNS w/VENUS IN FURS/MIDDLE CLASS TRASH/BLAST If Tampa Bay has a band that could be considered punk royalty, Pink Lincolns is certainly in the running. Formed in Tampa in the mid-'80s, the group has left some serious carnage in its wake over a couple of decades. The band's stock-in-trade is buzzsaw guitars, snotty vocals and snottier lyrics. Venus in Furs is a fairly new band that does "The Velvet Underground, filtered through a postmodern vibe, sorta." Its members are Rebekah Pulley (bustin' out her more rockin' side), Laura Taylor, Karen Collins and Sandy Grecco. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —ES
HALCYON w/DIANE WARD & JACK SHAWDE Halcyon, the longstanding duo of Deb Hunseder and Stephanie Callahan, is not a regular touring and recording unit like it was in the past. Deb's based in St. Pete, Steph in Nashville, Tenn., and they get together about once a month to play their sometimes lively, sometimes introspective singer/songwriter fare for loyal Tampa audiences. Coming up from Hollywood, Fla., for the show are singer/songwriter Diane Ward and her guitar-playing sidekick Jack Shawde. Their sound is a bit more rootsy and rockin' than Halcyon's, but these acts make nice bookends. (Skipper's Smokehouse) —ES
KILLROY w/LAST DAY ALIVE/CLAIRBORNE/GREYMARKET Brandon four-piece Killroy offers post-hardcore with an emo bent. This show is a CD release party for the band. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
GETCHA PULL/RMETAL Getcha Pull started out back in 2005 as a tribute to metal guitar icon Dimebag Darrell, who was shot and killed by a deranged fan while onstage the year before. In addition to delivering heavy doses of Pantera, the band has branched out into original material as well. Either way, the musical blueprint remains the same: body-blow drums, thrashing riffs and Halloween-quality screams. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —Cooper Levey-Baker
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25
CHERRY WEASEL w/RICHARD GILEWITZ The latest project from quirky blues singer/songwriter guitarist Waz, Cherry Weasal is a power trio that finds the veteran frontman flanked by bassist Glenn Dillman and drummer Damon Navari. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26
THREE REDNECK TENORS There's nothin' like dressin' up three fellas as yahoos in mullets and having them sing Christmas fare. Now that's entertainment. Cousins Billy Bob, Billy Joe and Billy Billee mix music with tomfoolery in this 1 p.m. matinee. The joke inside the joke is that each of the Billys is a classically trained opera tenor. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
NNENNA FREELON The Monday Night Jazz Series at USF brings in vivacious singer Freelon, a five-time Grammy nominee, in a program titled "The Music of Billie Holiday, an American Icon." Freelon's a charmer, but most of her recorded work lacks the opening-a-vein confessionalism of Holiday's. Still, she has chops to burn, and the songs are great. She'll perform with USF Jazz Ensemble 1. (Music Recital Hall FAH 101, USF Tampa campus) —ES
THE SINGING WATER The Singing Water is the duo of Dennis Devine and Janet Kato, who are more interested in healing your soul than in shaking you up with their über-mellow folk stylings. They're so calm they actually lead group and personal therapy sessions via song. Is your heart troubled? Maybe a night with Singing Water and the Sarasota Folk Club will do you good. (Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Sarasota) —CLB
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27
THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW Formed in Adelaide, Australia, in 1988, this wildly successful tribute band first came to international prominence when it toured the U.K. in 1993. They have been globetrotting ever since and sold out Ruth Eckerd Hall last year. The Australian Pink Floyd show was featured on PBS in a special that ran Labor Day weekend. How's this for cred? In 1996, they were invited to play David Gilmour's 50th birthday bash and were joined on stage by Pink Floyd members Richard Wright and Guy Pratt. The band will play a second show at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Nov. 30. For more on Australian Pink Floyd, see p. 44 (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28
WYNONNA In the late '80s/early '90s, when Garth Brooks and the gang were rewriting the country-music playbook with millions upon millions in sales, Wynonna was riding along with them, probably the most talented singer of the lot. Never one to be pigeonholed into Music City orthodoxies, Wynona bristled at the rigidity of the country format and added plenty of rock and blues into her sound. She started out, of course, as the lead singer of The Judds (with her mama Naomi). When the elder Judd hung up her touring boots, Wynonna didn't miss a beat, casting a wider stylistic net and really unleashing the lust in her voice. I interviewed her around this time and will never forget it. She refused to fall back on the sunny platitudes favored by most country stars and instead let her darker side show through. Her music is all the richer for it. That said, this is a Christmas show, so the edgier Wynona will probably remain backstage. But we're betting it's the most worthy holiday concert of the season. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —ES
This article appears in Nov 21-27, 2007.