THURSDAY, JUNE 08
GUITARS & SAXES Four geniuses of smooth jazz combine their titanic talents in a show for the ages. The legends on stage will include saxophonists Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot, and guitarists Peter White and Jeff Golub. Go so you can tell your grandchildren. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) Eric Snider
FRIDAY, JUNE 09
TWIZTID w/BOBAFLEX/POTLUCK/A.M.B. Insane Clown Posse's protégé duo Twiztid works the same cheesy, insipid, image-heavy shit-rap angle that ICP unleashed upon an unprepared universe, only with a heavier slasher-flick/incarcerated-maniac influence. Look, kids, just because a couple of millionaires in clown makeup say they understand your frustrated alienation doesn't mean you have to believe them, or join their extended family of taste-impaired, Faygo-spraying vandals, or like the equally marginal crew they appoint to follow in their footsteps. I know it's nice to belong, but fuck, go join a gang or something — at least those guys listen to decent MCs sometimes. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
RUBBER CITY REBELS/HAT TRICK HEROES/ROPPONGI'S ACE The cult-legendary Rubber City Rebels appeared amidst the same '70s Akron, Ohio-anchored do-it-yourself garage scene that spawned the likes of Devo, The Dead Boys, Pere Ubu and The Pretenders. The group played a slightly more mannered and melodic version of the sort of proto-punk being plied by the likes of The Stooges, but the shows were every bit as chaotic as those of RCR's rawer peers. After a 17-year hiatus, the band reformed in '01 just as kids were getting around to checking out the bands that influenced the bands that influenced the bands they saw on the Warped Tour, and have been on the road off and on ever since. Locals Hat Trick Heroes (the young rock act formerly known as Squirrels Gone Wild) and Roppongi's Ace (the moody garage-fuzz duo formerly known as, uh, Roppongi's Ace) provide support. This eminently worthwhile gig is brought to you courtesy of eminently worthwhile Tampa-centric blog SticksOfFire.com. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
THEO & THE SKYSCRAPERS Theo Kogan, she of the late, Plasmatics-obsessed feminist punk-rock spectacle that was the Lunachicks, has a new band with her husband, Toilet Boys principal Sean Pierce, and this is it. It's pretty much the opposite of the 'chicks' scattershot messy-rock bombast, with a stylish New Wave sound that mines influences like Gary Numan and Missing Persons, but remains much heavier and guitar-oriented than those two names might suggest. Could be interesting. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
THE KNOW HOW/BULLETS TO BROADWAY/SAFETY Gainesville ska-punk unit The Know How somehow works a bit of that famed, gritty G-ville rock 'n' roll vibe into its upbeat party-gig sound, and makes it work. Tonight they cap off a bill of groups that also features Nashville's Bullets to Broadway — a combo that includes in its ranks most of the folks from favored outfits Teen Idols and Rehasher — and Tampa's own ska-flavored Safety, fresh from its first Tropical Heatwave appearance. (State Theatre)
MICHAEL ROSS QUARTET One of the enduring truisms about jazz is that it's damn hard to keep a band together, even for top acts. Economics is the preeminent factor, of course, but also, jazz musicians are by nature restless, itinerant and always looking for something new. Which is why the fact that local bassist Michael Ross has kept his quartet intact for, well I don't know exactly, but for a comparatively long, long time, is nothing short of remarkable. The group's melodic post-bop is tight and mature, which is to be expected when the band includes saxophonist David Pate, guitarist LaRue Nickelson, drummer Walt Hubbard and Ross. The Springs Theater on Nebraska has terrific acoustics and is an intimate setting. (Springs Theater, Tampa) ES
NAKED BLUE/JENNIFER DANIELS The husband-and-wife team of Jen and Scott Smith (aka Naked Blue) charm with their easygoing and poppy folk-rock, with a slight dose of roots music in there too. Daniels is opening up, with a slower and almost gospel-infused folk sound. (Fogartyville Café, Bradenton) Cooper Levey-Baker
JOSÉ VALENTINO This concert of smooth jazz kicks off the Van Wezel's latest series of Friday Fests, free monthly outdoor concerts. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or better yet, a portable hammock. Also, pack a hammer, because after listening to smooth jazz, you'll probably need something blunt to hit yourself in the head with. (Outside the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota) CLB
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
THE METAL CRUSADERS TOUR While the name might conjure visions of old-school sword-and-sorcery metal a la Manowar or Dio (or maybe just the warrior chick who rides the polar bear in the Rumplemintze ads), in reality this is a much more death/black metal kind of a good time. Veteran Polish killing machine Vader celebrates its 20th year of existence by headlining a packed bill that also includes fellow venerable outfits Kataklysm and Destruction, new "old school thrash" project Speed\Kill/Hate (which features former and current members of the legendary Overkill), Italian atmospheric doom-metal provider Graveworm, and Tampa's own, amazing The Absence. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
SUNCOAST BLUES SOCIETY'S TENTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY God, didn't the SBS have an anniversary, like, just last year? This one's the biggie, though, and features an axe-slinger of appropriate stature — off-and-on Tampa resident, Hendrix relative by marriage and Gong Show winner Guitar Shorty, who at nearly 70 years old is still reportedly capable of delivering blistering and physically acrobatic live sets. Rising local act Juke Joint Kings, a group that appeals to blues diehards and swing/jump-blues aficionados alike, opens up. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
BOURBON STREET'S EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY Yep, it's been going on since last week, since, er, Firehouse played. This bookend to the New Port Richey venue's weeklong birthday bash features none other than New Orleans '70s-metal icon Zebra, along with support from, heh heh, Bon Jovi tribute band Slippery When Wet. (Bourbon Street, New Port Richey)
THE COFFIN CADDIES/THE DEAD POPES/THE CHEAPSHOTS/YESTERDAYS CHILDREN Prepare to get skeered at this night of horror-punk. From Miami, the Coffin Caddies sing passionate tributes to subjects like Michael Myers (the cinematic serial killer, not the actor). Tampa's Popes bring the rockabilly along. The Cheapshots add the horn section and laments about how lame living in Venice is. Yesterdays Children's website doesn't even have any sound samples, just photos and comments about how "extreme" the band is. I guess we'll just take their word for it. (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) CLB
ELYSIUM CD RELEASE PARTY Elysium, the Tampa metal band with the best website intro pages in the history of local music (check the current one at www.elysiumband.com), has a new album coming out. It's called Huntley Ave., and tonight the group will use its muscles to force that little thing right on through it collective metaphorical birth canal. Be there when it hits the floor and starts mewling. Words our Weapons, Stranded and Nothing Promise will cut the cord, smoke cheap cigars and play really loud, really heavy music. (Pegasus Lounge, Tampa)
SUNDAY, JUNE 11
THE TOO PRETTY FOR ROCK TOUR Ah, self-deprecating sarcasm — it's the calling card of modern youth, which means this must be an all-ages shindig at Clearwater punk haven 688 Skatepark. British Columbia's Aslan used to be called Halfway Through December, which should give you an idea of exactly how freakin' emo the band was at one time; hopefully, the switch to being named after a talking lion from a beloved Christian allegory has tempered the angst with some rock. And most local kids are familiar with Clearwater's Deathbed December, and its flailing metalcore sound. (688 Skatepark, Clearwater)
PLAN 17/REDTIDE/6 YEAR BENDER If you can take more pogoing the night right after the Coffin Caddies show, Boston's own Plan 17 has the punk/ska shit to set you right. (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) CLB
JOSE MARISCAL World-renowned classical pianist Mariscal seems to have a bit of the itinerant wanderer in him. In addition to having performed at Carnegie Hall, he seems to tour more than most of his contemporaries, and has crisscrossed the U.S. and Canada repeatedly in recent years. (Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, Tarpon Springs)
TUESDAY, JUNE 13
JOHN HIATT & NORTH MISSISIPPI ALLSTARS An inspired pairing, this. Hiatt, the venerated singer-songwriter backed by a group of young firebrands from the hill country south of Memphis. The collaboration gives Hiatt's music a bluesy grit. When this billing came through before, NMAS opened with an intimate acoustic set, and then plugged in while backing the headliner. We imagine the format will be the same. Hiatt's songs and gravelly voice; NMAS' instrumental verve. Like I said, an inspired pairing. Need I add that the show comes highly recommended? (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg) ES
BUDDY GUY LIVE The ageless bluesman has settled nicely into an elder statesman role, but not with the avuncular quality of a B.B. King. The 69-year-old legend still brings a sexually charged performance to the stage, not to mention being a scary Strat-slinger and blues belter of the first order. We should all hope to end up as virile as Buddy Guy. Opening will be top-tier local act Damon Fowler, who's supported a bevy of heavies during his budding career. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) ES
Wednesday, JUNE 14
THE NEW CARS/BLONDIE There's no Ric Ocasek and there's no Benjamin Orr, but there's a renewed interest in New Wave, so a couple of The Cars' less visible original members seem to have conned none other than Todd Rundgren into fronting a new version of the revered '80s group. There's new music afoot, too, and it holds to the most immediately recognizable elements of The Old Cars' sound, but at the end of the day, expect this to be a nostalgia trip more than anything. As for Blondie, the reunited combo did put out some inspiringly good new material on '99's No Exit, but the same rules apply. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
MOLLY HATCHET & BLACKFOOT Francis from Rebel Yell must be just about wetting himself over this one. A couple of groups who helped shape the harder edge of the Southern rock sound without every reaching the level of a Skynyrd or a .38 Special, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot are nonetheless both genre touchstones. Even if you think you've never heard a song by either group, if there's an FM radio in your house, car or office, then chances are you have. "Flirtin' with Disaster"? "Train, Train"? Yeah, I thought so. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
THE INCOMING TIDE/THE WOODWORK/BROKEN IMAGE/IMADETHISMISTAKE Bradenton's Tide headlines this show, with its straightforward emo-punk tunes. They've got a new album available soon. The Woodwork isn't far from the Tide's sound, and the vocalist even recalls Ted Leo. Broken Image is just back from its first ever tour. Ask 'em how the van smells now. Imadethismistake, up first, might be the most intriguing name on the bill. Basically one guy talk/singing over super lo-fi strumming; the tunes are spacious and weird. (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) —CLB
SICK OF IT ALLMAN BROTHERS/THE 39 STEPS/LESLIE Hipster-friendly rock 'n' roll action at the New World. So what else is new? Wonderfully named Sick of It Allman Brothers is a punk-cover supergroup that features former/current members of Unrequited Loves, The Tim Version, and Vagina Sore Jr., and will play both your favorites and the tunes you have to pretend you know in order to be cool. The 39 Steps is an abrasive, groovy, sardonic Tampa rock outfit that's taking the stage (well, the patio) for the first time since re-forming. (Guess Brendan got tired of paying for beer again.) Leslie hails from South Carolina; it's a three-piece band with no girls, no guys named Leslie, and a tune called "Sex Gospel." (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
This article appears in Jun 7-13, 2006.