The Osmond Brothers Christmas Once considered pop music's most wholesome family act, the Osmonds are now universally regarded as a genetically engineered race of uber-singers whose agenda of world domination ultimately perished in the white-hot flames of indifference. Oddly enough, they're still thought of as wholesome. Now, the ones not designated by code-references Donny and Marie travel the land, with a fiendish new plan to transform our entire nation into some twisted version of Branson, Mo., where every day is a holiday. Enjoy! (Dec. 28, Ruth Eckerd Hall)
Mikey Dread w/Sister P Clash collaborator and Jamaican-music revolutionary Mikey Dread has been a potent force in reggae since the mid-'70s, when his groundbreaking talents as a DJ led him to begin recording. Sister P worked with Lee Scratch Perry. That should be all you need to know. (Dec. 28, Jannus Landing)
Jonathan Powell Group An expatriate Tampa trumpeter currently living and working in NYC, Jonathan Powell returns to our shores, along with his award-winning, horn-playing brother Jeremy. While primarily based in jazz, the six-piece JPG adds bold experimentation with electronics, turntables and effects to the mix, embroidering an organic vibe with technological flourishes. Noted area musicians Jim Beckwith, Jonathan Priest, and Philip Booth help round out the lineup. (Dec. 28, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Car Bomb Driver/The Fizz/Rumblebustskin/ The Smuts It's been a while since the acerbic, spastic punk-rock juggernaut that is Car Bomb Driver last graced the State Theatre with its presence. Do be a dear and go give 'em some love, would you? Garage-fuzz kids The Fizz are getting pretty good at whipping out the eyeliner, skinny ties and a sound that lies somewhere between The Jam and a train wreck. The new-ish Rumplebustskin features a couple of the talented ladies from The Jackie Papers. As for The Smuts, well, come on, they're called The Smuts! Highly recommended. (Dec. 28, State Theatre)
Emo Philips Diaries CD Release Party w/Thinking Day Rally/Isobella/Hankshaw/ Closure/Pseudo Heroes Whazzup! Yo yo yo, East Tampa crew represent! New Granada Records' new Emo Philips Diaries compilation disc documents one long-running and close-knit arm of the Tampa Bay indie/punk/ posthardcore scene with humor and poignancy. Grizzled scene vets can't help but remember the Stone Lounge heyday, while you new kids may be pleased to find that some folks around here have been doing it, and doing it well, for quite some time. The five supremely talented acts performing tonight all contain people who've lived, laughed, loved and toured together in various outfits for almost a decade now, and they're only getting better. But where the hell is Tomorrow? Also highly recommended. (Dec. 28, Orpheum)
The Crash Mitchell Quartet/The Dukes of Hillsborough/Big Kitty Just when you thought the New World couldn't top itself in terms of fun, eclectic, quality local-rock shows, you get something like this. The Crash Mitchell Quartet's follow-up to the marvelous Cantankerous has been anticipated for some time now — Crash and co. ply some of punkest, most attitude-laden and infectious country-rock this side of a Slobberbone gig. New act The Dukes of Hillsborough (featuring members of hometown grindcore heroes Nothing Promise) has been building some substantial hype on the strength of a singularly crushing-yet-melodic sound. Think Melvins covering The Get Up Kids as a lark, and get really excited. Even newer act Big Kitty just might end up being the coolest Bay area draw around before too long; their combination of formidable female vocals, tight, spunky rhythms and punk/wave songcraft is pretty much irresistible. This is what you're doing tonight. (Dec. 29, New World Brewery)
Grim Faeries w/Retard-O-Bot 2000 Perennial State Theatre New Year's Eve spectacle Grim Faeries opted this time around to help fill the void between Christmas and the time the ball drops. Expect big, sinister Gothic-industrial-fetish grooves, which, as we all know, pretty much go hand in hand with the spirit of the season; nothing says happy holidays quite like using a menorah to drip hot candle wax on the nipples of a loved one. Those crazy jackasses in Retard-O-Bot will presumably make some sort of an entertaining mess, as well. (Dec. 29, State Theatre)
Gene Loves Jezebel w/Blue Flame Combo/606 Androgynous, ethereal new wave/rock outfit Gene Loves Jezebel capitalized on the British Goth-pop crossover of the late '80s and early '90s with a couple of hit singles and sizable cult success. Their devoted underground following will try to tell you they've remained viable and awesome ever since; their devoted underground following also thinks that DNA is reopening any day now. Excellent, vaguely creepy Goth-a-billy heroes Blue Flame Combo and '80s cover outfit 606 (formerly The Sharks!) provide support. (Dec. 29, Goldstar, St. Petersburg)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Nearly a decade ago, Savatage founder Jon Oliva somehow parlayed a left-field seasonal oddity into a yearly requisite by welding classical arrangements to metal guitars and rhythms. Weird, how traditions get started. What's even weirder, perhaps, is the fact that it still sounds like a pretty interesting live occurrence. (Dec. 29, Ice Palace)
Deep Banana Blackout Funky, jazzy jam band Deep Banana Blackout returns to Jannus Landing, on the second leg of a yearlong tour in support of their latest disc, Feel The Peel. (You know what's funnier than a band that makes album titles reference their name? Everything. Seriously. EVERYTHING.) They just finished playing eight shows with The Allman Brothers Band which, for a jam band, is up there with legalization and biodegradable clothing on the Wouldn't It Be Great list. (Dec. 30, Jannus Landing)
Adam Morris Outward Bound Scholarship Benefit feat. Roy Book Binder/Ronny Elliott/Shana/Pete Gallagher/Raiford Starke/Carl Wade/Lenny & Me/Outrageous Fortune/More This is the second and final benefit of the year for the Adam Morris Outward Bound Scholarship fund, which raises money to send underprivileged kids on Outward Bound's highly respected, wilderness-based educational experience for teens. OB has served to develop leadership qualities and intellectual confidence in more than one generation of promising youth; Rochelle and Norm Morris established the fund last year in the memory of their son, Adam. Since this is the last benefit in a year full of them, let's take a minute to appreciate all of the Bay area bands, venues and fans who donated their time and talent (many of them several times) for various causes. From the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to the families of Sept. 11's heroes to Outward Bound, tons of acts stepped up to lend a hand. A big, two-armed hug (none of that casual one-handed shit) and giant bevvie to all of you. You fucking rock. (Dec. 30, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Red Elvises w/The Urbane Cowboys Ring out the old, and ring in the campy/weird, with some zany-ass Russians and their surf/rockabilly. It's like The King and Dick Dale beating the shit out of Dick Clark in Las Vegas' Times Square, or something. Also, local roots/rockabilly upstarts The Urbane Cowboys are always worth a listen. (Dec. 31, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Donna The Buffalo WMNF is proud to welcome 2002 in the company of Donna The Buffalo, who were here just about every other month this year anyway, so why the hell not? Remember, this isn't Jannus Landing, so please leave your tie-dyed Baby New Year diaper back at the commune, sorry. But don't let that deter you from enjoying some of the best roots-jams to be heard anywhere, in any year. (Dec. 31, The Coliseum)
—All entries by Scott Harrell
This article appears in Dec 27, 2001 – Jan 2, 2002.