THURSDAY, MARCH 17
SAGE FRANCIS w/SOL.ILLAQUISTS OF SOUND/JARED PAUL/SCIENCE-NON-FICTION Spoken word artist/poet/battle rapper/social commentator Sage Francis' A Healthy Distrust delivers – it's a taut, moody collection of mostly hard-edged tunes that take on everything from Clear Channel to organized religion, and Francis can spit and write. Jazzy hip-hop fusionists Sol.ILLaquists of Sound return to town, as do Bradensota favorites Science-Non-Fiction; Jared Paul hails from Providence, R.I., where he runs that city's award-winning Providence Youth Slam poetry project. Highly recommended. (Masquerade Infinity Room, Ybor City)
DAVID ALLAN COE The original C&W outlaw makes another stop in the Masquerade big room. Coe wrote the Johnny Paycheck smash "Take This Job and Shove It," among many other hits for himself and various artists. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
BLAKE SHELTON At the other end of the country-music spectrum, we've got Blake Shelton, who first scored in 2001 with the hit "Austin." His latest album, Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill, is pretty lightweight, but Shelton's easy baritone and obvious sense of humor set him apart from the stubbled, posturing bad-asses and cheesy-wordplay addicts (though he suffers a bit from that particular malady himself). Buck Wild is located at 4951 U.S. 98 N. in Lakeland. (Buck Wild, Lakeland)
WILLIE AND LOBO Violinist Willie Royal and guitarist Lobo Fink have been playing world music since before there was such a category at your local record store. Royal lives in Sarasota; Fink spends his time somewhere in Mexico. They've been playing what's commonly referred to as "gypsy jazz" (an incomplete summary at best) for well over a decade now, and although Royal keeps a low profile in his hometown, Willie and Lobo's all-too-infrequent concerts down here are always a welcome diversion. (March 17, Sangrias, Tampa; March 20, Players Theatre, Sarasota)
-Mark Sanders
FRIDAY, MARCH 18
JIMMY SOMMERS People magazine coined him one of its "Top 50 Eligible Bachelors," which we suspect is not as impressive as Chris Botti's inclusion into a 50-most-beautiful-people survey. But hey, I'm sure Sommers'll take it. The saxophonist is out doing shows to pimp Appleton Estate V/X Jamaican Rum, so go get yourself a sip or two while you check out Sommers' "funky and spirited" (his bio's words) alto sax work. (Headliners, Tampa)
-Eric Snider
GLASS & ASHES/NORTH LINCOLN/THE TIM VERSION/NEW BRUISES Glass & Ashes is a tight, screamy punk outfit from Ventura, Calif., that's garnering comparisons to idiosyncratic cult fave Planes Mistaken for Stars; stalwart Gainesville label No Idea put out the group's Aesthetic Arrest last October. Labelmate North Lincoln does a more straightforward "Gainesville Sound" type of thing, akin to that of Tampa's slightly twangy, wholly rough-and-tumble Tim Version. (Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)
TRULY SUNDAY CD RELEASE PARTY These quickly maturing Pinellas County emo heroes have a brand new 12-track disc, The View from Here, to pimp. Helping 'em out to that end are catchy, frenetic frequent bill-mates Soulfound; popular and talented punk act Crooked Edge; and the evocatively named Hopesick. (Boomerz Boiler Room, Seminole)
TARPONFEST Tarpon Springs venue The Neptune Lounge has been throwing an annual March shindig for four years now; the club has provided a nurturing environment for emerging young Bay area bands for quite a while, though recently national underground touring acts have graced the stage with increasing frequency. While Saturday features the daylong bill (starting at 2 p.m.) that is the meat of TarponFest, there are four days' worth of notable shows going on here, so we'll list 'em all for your edification. Fri., March 18: Variety Workshop/Chubby Tuff/Synergy/Effusion/Hot Metal Sat., March 19: Uprise in Tragedy/Caius/Until Eternity/Car Full of Midgets/The Farce/Bomb Rockets/Noise for Heroes/Eugene/The Secret Handshake/The Homecoming/Brotha Mello Sun., March 20: Mason (West Palm Beach)/Echo Me Astronaut (West Palm Beach) Mon., March 21: Verona Burning (NYC)/My Hero is Me (NYC)/Greenhaven/Down Falls the Morning (Orlando) (Neptune Lounge, Tarpon Springs)
NELSON The hey day of Love and Affection are over for early-'90s hair metal act Nelson, but that hasn't deterred them from releasing six (yes, six) albums since then. Ricky's sons are born entertainers, it seems, and this time around, Matthew and Gunnar pay tribute to their dad with a batch of acoustic songs. (Neel Performing Arts Center, Bradenton)
-MS
TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL Three days of blues, R&B and derivations thereof happen in downtown St. Pete this weekend. It's always a good time, even if you're not a hardened blues aficionado (and if you are a blueshead, you've already got tickets, because this is something you don't pass up around here). For the complete skinny on the fest, check out the Music section's lead stories. (Fri.-Sun., March 18-20, Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)
-ES
SATURDAY, MARCH 19
THE BEACH BOYS Brian Wilson's completion of his SMiLE album, and its attendant tour last year, surely eclipsed anything the other Beach Boys have done in, oh, the last couple of decades or so. Mike Love and the fellas are purely a nostalgia act, so the show will likely be a nice trip down memory lane. They make no pretense about art, per se, and just reliably deliver the hits. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
-ES INTERPOL W/Q & NOT U New York quartet Interpol took the indie-rock scene by storm a few years back with a dark, clubby, sound and an unabashedly upscale fashion aesthetic. (Check out the Music column for more.) Q & Not U is one of the artier members of Dischord Records' D.C.-area post-punk cadre – their latest album, the strained and fragmented Power, inspired rave reviews, though I bought it and still can't figure out why. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
PSYCHOPATHIC ALL-STARS Psychopathic Records is the stable maintained by the marketing geniuses/abhorrent recording artists/extreme-wrestling enthusiasts that are Insane Clown Posse – but don't worry, they're not actually playing. Legendary Detroit horror-core MC Esham is playing, however, so you best check it out. As for the rest of the bill – Jump Steady, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Anybody Killa, Drainage X, and The Filthy Immigrants – who knows, but they can't possibly be as bad as Twiztid, can they? (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE FABULOUS ROCKERS Extreeeeeeemely long-running Tampa rock 'n' dance ensemble The Fabulous Rockers first coalesced at Jefferson High School back in 1957, and has been inspiring fans of all ages to "get a partner and your dancing shoes" off and on ever since. Because this shindig is being billed as one of a series of farewell shows, those inclined to climb into the way-back machine with the Rockers had better do so while the option is still available. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: Bring extra cash, as prizes will be raffled off in order to benefit The Unsinkable Molly Brown Foundation, which stands up for arts education and music in the schools. (The Coliseum, St. Petersburg)
BOHOLA St. Patrick's Day has come and gone, but it seems like you can always get your ears some good Irish music around here in Tampa Bay. This masterful, traditionally grounded acoustic trio features accordionist Jimmy Keane, fiddler Sean Cleland and dordan player/vocalist Pat Broaders. (Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon Springs)
SUNDAY, MARCH 20
GARY SMULYAN & PETE MALINVERNI I've heard Smulyan called the greatest baritone saxophonist in the world, but I'm not quite ready to hand over such an appellation – let's say he's the fifth best baritone saxophonist in the world. That's still pretty good, huh? OK, I'm being smug. I have limited exposure to his playing, but what I've heard is particularly impressive. Plus, it's not very often (in these parts, especially) that you see a concert featuring that beautiful, guttural bari sound. Smulyan will be joined by accomplished pianist Malinverni, who enjoys a very strong rep on the international jazz scene. This is another one of those great Tampa Jazz Club matinees, where 50-or-so people can lounge in the intimate theater for a generous Sunday concert that starts at 3 p.m. (Gorilla Theater, Tampa)
-ES
SECOND ANNUAL SPRING EQUINOX SUN FEST Captain Soularcat is a five-piece band from Atlanta that plays funky, blues-inspired grooves with influences that range from the Allman Brothers to John Coltrane to Paul Simon. This eclecticism has earned them a respectable following in the Southeast and a nod from Relix magazine. They are joined by the newly relocated Mountain of Venus, one of few bands on the jam scene with a female vocalist; local psychedelic jam vehicle Buffalo Strange; and "cybernetic roots" rockers Dixie Flatline. (Gaspar's Grotto, Ybor City)
-Leilani Polk
25TH ANNUAL SARASOTA JAZZ FESTIVAL Congrats on a quarter century. The Sarasota jazz fest started small, as most do, concentrating on swing-era players. Its stylistic scope has grown over the years. Space does not permit us to detail all the goings-on (go to www.jazzclubsarasota.com for all the info), but here are a few of the featured performers: Fred Johnson, The Venturas, Kenny Drew Jr., Dick Hyman, Bill Charlap, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, Tommy Newsom and – ta da! – Kenny G. (March 20-26 @ venues throughout Sarasota)
-ES
TUESDAY, MARCH 22
FRENCH KICKS/CALLA/DUMBWAITERS/CANDYBARS NYC outfit French Kicks doesn't get as much ink as scene-mates like Walkmen or Liars, but their mix of sinewy, rhythmic rock 'n' roll and contemporary underground eccentricity ranks right up there. Also from the City that Never Sleeps, Calla has a more varied and atmospheric thing going on. Feel free to insert the same raving praise I always heap on better-every-day Tampa iconoclasts Dumbwaiters here, but right after that comes the part where I tell you rising Bay area duo Candybars' scarily original space-pop-rock sound is probably the best new thing we've got going lately. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
THE DUHKS w/CHUCK BRODSKY The rootsy, neo-folky and insanely hyped Duhks come from Canada, but they're down here touring America so much lately it just doesn't seem fair to say they actually live anywhere. You might have seen them at Skipper's before; since then, they've become quite the Next Big Thing, landing on various Americana charts and NPR radio shows. Tonight, they're fresh off a showcase set at Austin's South by Southwest industry to-do. Gifted, autobiographical singer-songwriter Chuck Brodsky opens. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
SLIPKNOT w/LAMB OF GOD/SHADOWS FALL It's something of a symbolic torch-passing. Sure, Slipknot's antisocial, heavily image-dependent mix of aggro-metal and pointedly offensive subject matter is still a little resonant. But for a metal band, being nominated for a Grammy is a pretty good indicator that it's all over but the long, long descent into irrelevance, and two songs from Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) got nods last year. And, come on, everybody knows that 2004 absolutely belonged to excellent, vaguely retro Boston thrash act Shadows Fall, though rising riffmeisters Lamb of God justifiably cooked up almost as much buzz with their own seductive brutality. (USF Sun Dome, Tampa)
RADIO 4/SUPERSYSTEM/NEW ROMAN TIMES Formerly buzzy organic-house combo VHS or Beta had to drop off of this tour; they were hand-picked to open the remainder of Duran Duran's current jaunt. Anyway, Radio 4's 2002 set of dubby techno dance-punk, Gotham!, got them signed to cred-saturated electronic-music label Astralwerks, which recently released the group's politically charged follow-up Stealing of a Nation. Supersystem rose from the ashes of Dischord Records' frankly indescribable experimental outfit El Guapo. The quartet's Touch & Go debut, Always Never Again, is a spiky, socially conscious mix of Kraftwerkian propulsion and post-Le Tigre synth-punk. And as for Orlando's New Roman Times, the group's mediocre debut album just doesn't do them justice – they absolutely tore it up at New World Brewery a few weeks back. (The Bank, St. Petersburg)
This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2005.
