THURSDAY, SEPT. 08
ANTHONY DAVID WMNF presents up-and-coming singer-songwriter-guitarist-Atlantan Anthony David. He plays and sings smooth and husky soul that owes more to '60s and '70s classics than newer, more urban styles. While the closest many folks have come to hearing him is via a tune of his covered by India.Arie, those who heard him live in the station's studio earlier this summer were made instant converts. The Springs Theater is located at 8029 N. Nebraska Ave. in Sulphur Springs. (Springs Theater, Tampa)
THE BANK'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY Represent, people! It's been a year since downtown St. Pete's The Bank opened its doors, started fiddling with its format and gave local artists another place to hang and/or showcase their work. Let's keep 'em around another year, shall we? Since the anniversary party happens to fall on a Thursday, it's also the Southeast Music Alliance's SMAsh Thursdays local-music showcase; featured performers tonight are Military Junior (featuring former members of Chalkpeople and Brainiac's Daughter), Mants, The Glass, and Manasota's Rumors of War. (The Bank Nightclub & Concert Venue, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 09
AGAINST ME! CD RELEASE PARTY w/THE EXIT/WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE Heroic strum-punk Gainesville outfit Against Me! is back with a whole new album of songs to lose your voice screaming along to — it's called Searching for a Former Clarity, and it smokes, and you already know they're absolutely devastating live to boot. For more on AM!, check out this week's Music Feature. In tow are heavily, worthily buzzed art-punk trio The Exit (whose Clash-meets-The-Police-meets-The-Case-Theory record, Home for an Island, comes out next month) and gritty, storytelling Americana singer-songwriter William Elliott Whitmore. (The Masquerade, Ybor City)
THE CIGAR STORE INDIANS What is there to say about Georgian roots/rockabilly/jump-blues faves The Cigar Store Indians that we haven't said before? Nothing, because they've been here 4.3 million times. Not that that's a bad thing; we loves us some CSI. Oh, I know — this time, it's for a Swing Time event, which means even more dancing than usual. And, there's a beauty contest for girls who sexily, tastefully recall the bygone eras of the speakeasy and the pin-up girl. (Gulfport Casino, Gulfport)
THE LEGENDARY JC'S The buzz about this band runs as deep as frontman Eugene Snowden's gospel-flavored vocals, most likely due to the supergroup of Orlando musicians that comprise the lineup. Drawing on a wide range of R&B influences — B.B. King, James Brown, Maceo Parker, George Clinton — the seven-member, soul-shakin' funk band (formerly known as the Joint Chiefs) puts on an electrifying stage show that gets the energy pumpin' and the booties bumpin'. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —LEILANI POLK
THE HUMAN CONDITION/THE 7 MESSENG-ERS/KOSMIK EGG/BURNING TREE Smoky grotto The Uptown gets all eclectic for a Friday bill. Bradenton's The Human Condition do an emotive sort of strummy jam-pop; they remind me a little of Simple Minds sometimes, and in my mind, that's a compliment. From Venezuela by way of Orlando, The 7 Messengers do a disparate surf-punk thing, with many mellower moments and Spanish lyrics. St. Pete's Kosmik Egg mixes in everything from surf to funk, and fellow Pinellas scenester act Burning Tree does the heavily reggae-fied ska-rock thing. So, yeah, with the exception of The Human Condition, all these bands sound at least a little like Sublime. (Uptown Bar, St. Petersburg)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 10
TINSLEY ELLIS Atlanta native Ellis is white and plays blues guitar — anybody wanna guess to whom he's most often compared? Right-o. But to call the tireless player an SRV acolyte is misleading; his style is as influenced by Memphis soul and grittier Delta styles as it is by stinging Texas roadhouse R&B. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY REMEMBRANCE RIDE Every year since 9/11, Harley-Davidson has sponsored the Remembrance Ride, a serious biker run that's raised money for a bevy of national police and firemen's charities. This year, the Ride rolls from South Tampa's Gadsden Park to Channelside where, after a brief ceremony, rising country artist (and former Army Task Force Ranger and Bronze Star recipient) Keni Thomas and his band Cornbread will play a free show. Proceeds benefit the Gold Shield Foundation and Operation Warm Heart. (Channelside Entertainment District, Tampa)
A FREE NIGHT OF BLUES Who knew preacher/activist/Refuge Ministries principal Bruce Wright was a player? I didn't. Tonight, his eponymous blues band will rock for, and with, the Solid Rock Recovery Center. He'll be joined by blues harp — that's a harmonica, people — player Lance Monlux and noted local bluesman Dave Sheppard. Like the name says, this shindig is free, but you gotta call ahead at 727-278-1547 and let 'em know you're coming. The Solid Rock Christian Recovery Center is located at 4128 28th St. N. in St. Pete. (Solid Rock Christian Recovery Center, St. Petersburg)
TAMPA FALL BALL Good local rock bands, good local rock bands, and more good local rock bands. Seven of 'em, to be exact, in precisely the kind of event those of you who might not be up on all the Bay has to offer in terms of original music need to frequent. Doors open at 6 p.m., and five bones will get you a buttload of decent homegrown tuneage. The lineup: 34, Life of Pi, Weaksauce, Knowing Stu, Trace of Day, Truly Sunday, Soulfound. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 11
FOO FIGHTERS/WEEZER The two biggest, and quite possibly best, names in non-threatening contemporary hard guitar-pop join forces in the name of selling out monstrously large venues across the country, and hopefully thrilling countless adults who no longer relate to pop-punk along the way. Look, both of these bands aren't what they used to be, product-wise; in fact, they both peaked stylistically years ago, and both with their second and most ambitious albums (Pinkerton for Weezer, The Colour & The Shape for the Foos). But can they rip it live? Of course they can. Will you be there no matter what gets written on this page? Of course you will. Yeah, me too. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
DICK HYMAN The highly regarded pianist, who composed, arranged and played the music for many a Woody Allen movie (Zelig, Sweet and Lowdown and about a dozen others), opens the Palladium's jazz season with a program titled "Dick Hyman at the Movies." The Venice, Fla., resident will play music from Allen films and others that he's worked on — then, as the press release says, "perform improvised piano fantasies for each title." Hyman's style is rooted in early jazz and stride; he's a remarkable technician and historian, and a damn soulful player to boot. (The Palladium, St. Petersburg) ERIC SNIDER
MONDAY, SEPT. 12
MEAT LOAF Of all the things we could write here about the man who brought you "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" that you already know, by far the most entertaining is the fact that in the late '60s he was in a band called Popcorn Blizzard. What do the man and the homestyle diner entrée have in common? Very few people don't love 'em, and if somebody says they don't, you can't help but look at that person with vague suspicion. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
TUESDAY, SEPT. 13
THE UNDECIDED RECORDS TOUR Lake Worth label Undecided Records has been putting out punk and indie rock ranging from the challenging to the ear-friendly for seven years now. On balance, the imprint has earned its reputation for putting out better music than most of the larger and more well known all-ages-centric labels out there; Undecided's hall of fame includes the likes of Poison the Well and Breaking Pangea. This tour features Cru Jones, an interesting band that sounds a bit like all of the Saddle Creek roster playing heavier music than they're used to, along with Coral Springs pop-punk act The Big Screen, heavily buzzed singer-songwriter project Shindig, and a host of others. (688 Skatepark, Clearwater)
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2006.
