FRIDAY, FEB. 24
THE MOODY BLUES They started out in '65 as a worthy member of the British invasion with the hit "Go Now" (far and away the band's best song). Late in the decade, the Moodies shifted to artier fare like "Nights in White Satin," and the LP Days of Future Passed. By the early '70s, the group had plunged full on into pomp-rock with Seventh Sojourn. They scored another smash in the mid '80s with "Your Wildest Dreams," and in the last decade or so have become a fixture in performing arts halls. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) Eric Snider
ELECTRIC SIX/ROCK KILLS KID/SHE WANTS REVENGE Electric Six rocked the world — or at least the U.K. — with its single "Danger! High Voltage" a couple of years ago; it was a disco-leaning rock track with backing vocals courtesy of Jack White. Electric Six's latest record, 2005's Señor Smoke, continues the band's joke-y take on garage rock. Rock Kills Kid is more straightforward punk, while She Wants Revenge is a downbeat goth band that sounds straight out of 1979. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) Cooper Lane Baker
ELIZA GILKYSON One of the more enduring acts on the contemporary folk circuit, Gilkyson possesses a husky voice, a knack for melody and the occasional penchant for writing a song that's truly scathing (i.e. "Man of God," an eloquent rip on Bush 2 from her current disc, Paradise Hotel). Gilkyson comes from good stock: Her father Terry Gilkyson wrote such durable folk songs as "Greenfields," "Marianne" and "Memories are Made of This." In '03, Gilkyson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame. (Friday Morning Musicale, Tampa) ES
THE VILLAGE PEOPLE I was around when Village People 12-inches rocked the discos, and, yes, I boogied to "Macho Man" and "YMCA." But I promise that I never did the arm signal thing, even at a wedding, and even if I was dancing with a fine chick. A man has to have standards, y'know. Journalists always have a tough ethical decision when "outing" someone, but here goes: I've heard these guys are gay. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg) ES
KEITH URBAN/PAT GREEN Urban is a bona fide country superstar, with a string of hit singles that avoid the overblown — and overproduced — ridiculousness of what passes for country in Nashville these days. The guy does cop some stuff from arena rock, but doesn't overdo it, opting for a lighter sound that may not be the most thrilling, but is far from the worst. Pat Green's latest was produced by a guy who worked with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa) CLB
45 GRAVE/FOREWARNED INJUSTICE/DEAD END KIDS 45 Grave is a semi-legendary (check their Web fandom) horror-rock band that is back together after a long breakup, during which original bassist Rob Graves overdosed and died. The band combines creepy aural effects like pipe organs with macabre subject matter, all dolled up with a sense of humor, of course. (688 Skatepark, Clearwater) CLB
RAQ The Burlington, Vt., quartet makes its first-ever stop in the Bay area, and audiences can look forward to tight, proggy compositions interspersed with funkified jams, hard rockin' grooves and plenty of improvisation. For more, see the Music Column. (The Bank, St. Petersburg) Leilani Polk
SATURDAY, FEB. 25
WHAT WE LIVE The Emit series looks to unveil a pretty radical show this time out. Info on the San Francisco trio What We Live is tough to come by, but suffice to say that the group came up in free jazz and most likely maintains residence there. For this performance, WWL shows off a multi-culti bent by bringing into their midst the exotic Turkish singer/improviser Saadet Turkoz, who'll bring the whole Mediterranean/Middle Eastern thing into play. (Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg) ES
INXS I never watched the reality show about this band hunting for a new lead singer, but I read recently that the guy they picked is, vocally at least, pretty much a Michael Hutchence spin-off. INXS was a particularly good live band oh, a couple of decades ago. It might be worth attending just to hear the resuscitated outfit perform "What You Need," one of the greatest funky rock songs ever. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) ES
DARK STAR ORCHESTRA The popular Grateful Dead tribute band, which re-creates a different Dead set list song-for-song every show, lost co-founder and keyboardist Scott Larned to a heart attack while on tour last April. Of course, as far as the Dead goes, the music never stops and Dark Star regrouped, returning to the road a little over a month later. Tonight, the band makes its first Bay area appearance since Larned's death. (Jannus Landing, St. Pete) LP
GREEN LEMON If you need somewhere to go after Dark Star, get tired of the same old noodling, or are simply interested in hearing some good, original music, Green Lemon offers reggadelic jams and a fun, party atmosphere. See the Music Column for more. (The Bank, St. Petersburg) LP
FLOGGING MOLLY One of the bands that put forth Irish punk as a viable genre, Molly basically sounds like classic rock with a slight nod toward punk, sung by some Irish dude. It's for the ethnologists out there to explain the subtle references to traditional Irish music. I eagerly await your e-mails. (Masquerade, Ybor City) CLB
W.A.S.P. Part hair-band, part metal band, W.A.S.P. had a spasm of success in the '80s as one of the more aggressive acts in that milieu. Blackie Lawless and his gang, like so many of their '80s peers, have continued to barnstorm in the name of classic metal. We can roll our eyes if we want, but it makes sense. I mean, what's Blackie gonna do? Sell mutual funds? (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) ES
NICK MOSS & THE FLIP TOPS Throughout the history of the blues, certain white boys have fallen under its spell, always will. Nick Moss is among the latest guitar slingers to keep the Windy City tradition alive. A former sideman for the legendary Jimmy Rogers, Moss has a wail in his voice in the mold of Buddy Guy and a stinging guitar attack that amalgamates the Chicago tradition. If rollicking, pre-rock 'n' roll shuffle blues is your bag, don't miss this one. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg) ES
SUNDAY, FEB. 26
CINDY KALLET/THE RETRO VALLEY GIRLS Kallet hasn't done a lot of solo work lately; she's mostly collaborated in recent years. She's got an austere way with a song, though, combining understated guitar playing and pipes that are heavily indebted to Joni Mitchell. That's far from a complaint, friends. I had trouble finding any info on the Valley Girls. Can they be so retro as to be without a Myspace account? (Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa, Tampa) CLB
THE KINGSTON TRIO One of the definitive groups in all of folk music, the Kingston Trio was indispensable to the rise of the genre as a popular force, after the emergence of rock 'n' roll but before rock solidified its hold on the mass consciousness. The group essentially took the grimy and at times bizarre songs collected by musicologist Harry Smith on his Anthology of American Folk Music and scrubbed them up to make the whole thing more presentable. There's no shame in this; popular music has long thrived on reworking the past. But in the Trio's case, the dependence on what had come before was what may have sealed the group's fate when the upheavals of 1960s music arrived. Still, in their time, the members of the Kingston Trio were some of the most influential players you could find. Second show on Mon., Feb. 27. (Venice Little Theatre, Venice) CLB
MONDAY, FEB. 27
DARKEST HOUR/HIMSA/A LIFE ONCE LOST/THE ACACIA STRAIN/DEAD TO FALL D.C.-based Darkest Hour is a furious and brutal metalcore act with enough talent to play complicated, multi-part tracks that make the affair a little less hammer-in-the-head than you'd expect. According to one review, the band's latest sees it taking a new lyrical tack, but how would you know when every line is bellowed in that same garbled scream so ubiquitous on the metal scene? The rest of the bands here bring a similar sort of noise. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) CLB
WILLIE NELSON With his long-awaited reggae album now out, what is left for Nelson to tackle? The man started as a Nashville songsmith, made a name for himself as a country outlaw, earned cred in the rock and pop world, recorded blues and standards albums … and now this: Willie's latest single is called "Cowboy's are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)" — which is not, I said not, on the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack. (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota) CLB
PATTI PAGE Yes, Patti Page is alive, and no, she's not 90. She's but a lass of 78, still active, her bio says, still singing "Doggie in the Window," "Tennessee Waltz" and "I Went to Your Wedding" for the geezer set. Is this one of those shows that's so square, it's hip? Uh, no. (Youkey Theater @ Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland) ES
MICHAEL PICKETT These days, traditional blues often sounds forced, as if the artist were treating the genre with just too much respect. Pickett doesn't seem to have that problem. For starters, the man's a whiz on the acoustic guitar and the harmonica, which makes it all go down smoothly. His blues are of the storyteller variety, with references to gin, juke joints and dirty women, but somehow it doesn't sound as contrived as you might think. (Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Sarasota) CLB
TUESDAY, FEB. 28
BONNIE RAITT She came up on the blues/folk circuit in the early '70s, then signed with Warner Bros., where she struggled through a long tenure, fraught with unfulfilled commercial promise. Then, in the late '80s Raitt moved to Capitol, came under the aegis of producer Don Was, and busted out with the monster hit Nick of Time, which spurred her historic Grammy sweep. The good times rolled for a few more years, and Raitt became a bona fide star, even performing in arenas for a spell. The big hits are in the past now, and she's returned to the performing arts hall circuit. That's where she belongs: Raitt is still an immensely charming performer, whose soulful, whiskey-tinged voice and beguiling slide guitar work are a treasure. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) ES
STRIKE ANYWHERE/A GLOBAL THREAT/WITH HONOR/NEW MEXICAN DISASTER SQUAD Strike Anywhere may not hail from D.C., but Richmond, Va.'s close enough, and you can hear the proximity to the nation's capitol in the music. The five-piece pays homage to everything fast 'n' enlightened about D.C. hardcore, from Minor Threat and all those other guys on Dischord to other legends like Bad Brains. The music and the politics are one-dimensional: fast and loud, leftist and uncompromising. If you ever wonder what happened to militant punk, the answer is here. (Orpheum, Ybor City) CLB
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Humperdinck belongs to the crowd of crooners — Tom Jones is another — that came along in the late 1960s as alternatives to a rock music field increasingly crowded, outlandish and sometimes dangerous. This style usually features at least one — if not more — of the following characteristics: 1. A ridiculously overdone sense of romance and savoir-faire; 2. Talented, if overly dramatic, vocals; 3. Panties and hotel keys onstage. Humperdinck scores a perfect trifecta on our little quiz here. His latest record is appropriately titled Let There Be Love. (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota) CLB
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB Originally pegged as just another band in that vague "Rock Is Back!" movement (quoth Rolling Stone) a few years ago, BRMC never really fit the mold. BRMC's first album was dark and loose and noisy as hell, and there were tunes about Jesus and a track called "Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n' Roll [Punk Song]" that was both a lament and Stooges-like kick in the ass. The band released an even more extreme second effort that essentially flopped. All but broken up, the band got dropped by its label and recorded its latest, Howl, with its own cash. The record is not entirely a departure, but there definitely is a new roots/acoustic feel. For more, see the Music Feature. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) CLB
KEM This guy's take on groovin' R&B is unfortunately just too much on the adult contemporary side of the scene, downplaying the funk and bringing forth the soft, jazz-like licks. He does have a beautiful voice, though. If only he could find a band with some punch to act as a counterweight to such supple singing. Still, your girl might like him. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa) CLB
TORCHE This Miami-based three-piece mixes by-now-traditional alt-rock fare with a metal grind that's surprisingly tuneful. Neither ear-murderingly repetitive, nor wimpy beyond belief, the band has a knack for letting both melodies and muscle coexist. This comes as a real shocker, because it's a rare skill. Maybe they can put on a clinic or something while they're in town. (Haram Skatepark, Tampa) CLB
This article appears in Feb 22-28, 2006.