FRIDAY, APRIL 14
ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT In the mid-'70s, with certain folks all agog 'cause he engineered The Beatles' Abbey Road and, even better, Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Alan Parsons got together with songwriter Alan Woolfson and started cranking out tepid, immaculately produced prog-pop (the first album was called Tales of Mystery and Imagination — Edgar Allan Poe). APP actually placed 17 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1976 to '86, the biggest by far being "Eye in the Sky" in '82. I guess, for this tour, Parsons called it Alan Parsons Live Project so that we'd know it wasn't going to be cardboard cutouts on stage. Or will it? (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) Eric Snider
LEFTOVER CRACK The crusty, infamously political NY hardcore/ska act makes its first State Theatre appearance in a couple of years. The band's last record was '04's Fuck World Trade, which came out on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE JUKE JOINT KINGS The latest event from the big band and dance aficionados at Swing Time features relatively new jump-blues quintet The Juke Joint Kings, an outfit comprised of several R&B-scene favorites who've shared the stage with the likes of Hubert Sumlin and Albert King. (Gulfport Casino, Gulfport)
SHAKEDOWN AND THE JEFFS Comprised of former members of both granola-funk band Stone Soup and the party-hearty reggae/hip hop combo Fiasco, Shakedown and the Jeffs is trying to get something new started. It's no surprise that the tunes are bottom-heavy jams, considering the group's pedigree, but its head-nodding rhythms are what separate the group from its competitors. Internet sample songs don't seem too meandering, so let's pray that the band isn't sucked into the unrelenting black hole that is the jam scene. (Fogartyville Café, Bradenton) Cooper Lane Baker
SATURDAY, APRIL 15
AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY/THE CODE/BRAIN FAILURE/CRIME IN STEREO What is it, Political Ska-Thrash Week at the State? The night after Leftover Crack rolls through town, longtime Miami favorite AAA stops by with a full bill of punk rock in tow. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
RIVER CITY HIGH Punky, wildly entertaining Richmond rock act River City High enjoys a loyal fanbase here in the Bay area — the group's been coming down for years, and can be counted on to deliver a fun (and often funny) set. I'm not sure exactly how this one will go over, as both RCH and its fans tend to be drinkers, and Palm Harbor video game parlor The D-Pad serves no hooch, but I guess I'll see you (and the guys in the band) in the parking lot of the nearest gas station or liquor store. (The D-Pad, Palm Harbor)
LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS w/FREIGHT TRAIN ANNIE This electric blues act from Chicago's West Side is becoming a Skipperdome favorite. Local blues/roots/R&B act Freight Train Annie opens up. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
JAMES "SUPER CHIKAN" JOHNSON Two years ago, I sat in Super Chikan's tool-strewn garage in Clarksdale, Miss., while he gave me an impromptu command performance. He's a charming guy with a bright smile, and a passel of feel-good blues tunes. (If that seems like an oxymoron, Super Chikan somehow makes it work.) The guy plays the "chikantar," which he invented and built. It's basically a guitar with a brightly painted gas can for a body, which emits a particularly metallic sound. This is a Suncoast Blues Society show, and it's good to see the organization taking a break from the post-Chicago style and giving the Delta sound a go. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg) ES
DICHOTOMOUS PRESENTS STEP IT UP!!! VOLUME ONE The guys behind Aestheticized Presents, the Tastemakers series and the shows at Skatepark of Tampa's Transitions Art Gallery have joined forces for a new series called Step It Up!!! This inaugural event seems like a party not to be missed; it's heavy on top-notch local and regional hip-hop talent, including Tampa duo The Villans, well known battle rhymer Madd Illz, former Double Helix members Surreal & DJ Balance, and plenty more. Come out, have a few, get your white-guy-totally-feeling-the-rap on, and help make this thing a success. (Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD/SCIENCE-NON-FICTION Let's get this out of the way up front: WWB is an all-black punk rock band. It's idiotic to have to mention it, because the band is surely no novelty. The trio's sound draws inspiration from punk latecomers like Green Day rather than the established old-school pantheon. This is kind of a bummer, but the band has got enough of a hardcore edge to escape comparisons to the bottom of the punk barrel, Blink-182. Did I mention that opening up for these guys is an all-white hip-hop group? Hmmm … discuss. (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) CLB
THE HAPPY HAPPY FREE EASTER SHOW NoFoes promoter, Tommy 69 bandleader and all-around longtime scene supporter Tom Nestor has moved into the world of artist management; this Easter Sunday shindig is a way to entertain while showcasing some of his roster. Following a 4:20 p.m. Sunday service by St. Pete's Refuge Ministries, performances by reggae-and-groove-infused bands Kosmik Egg and Fall on Purpose will be separated by videos and a performance by comedian Kevin Knows. The FREE entertainment runs until 9; the full bar and killer grub for which the Skipperdome is known are extra. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
TUESDAY, APRIL 18
TAPROOT w/FROM SATELLITE Unlikely success story Taproot saw its comparatively light take on nü-metal garner substantial airplay toward the end of the whole violent-angst trend. Why? I'll never know. Opener From Satellite hails from Ventura, Calif., and works a more straightforward and slightly power-pop-influenced modern-rock sound. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
TWO GALLANTS/COLD WAR KIDS/DRY COUNTY San Francisco's Two Gallants is a great drums-and-guitar combo heavily influenced by old blues and hill-country Americana. The act's second album, What The Toll Tells, is out on Saddle Creek Records, and is being massively hyped, justly so. Whittier, Calif.'s jauntier Cold War Kids and Tampa's own marvelous, semi-sophisticated indie-pop trio Dry County provide support. (Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)
ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF BATTLE OF THE BANDS Extremely local-scene-supportive North Tampa dive the Pegasus Lounge takes time out from its usual Tuesday night open jam for another installment of Rock Your Socks Off. This week, post-emo/ power-pop favorite Select Start takes on all comers — all comers being Tears in the Sahara, Amberly Drive and Filjar. (Pegasus Lounge, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19
ANDRE RIEU Dutch-born violinist, composer and conductor Rieu is a (oxymoron alert) contemporary classical titan. He's known as the Waltz King of Europe, and his latest release, The Flying Dutchman, topped Billboard's Classical chart. His most recent tour of the States landed in Pollstar's list of last year's most popular and successful jaunts. Adept at finding new ways to market himself in a pop-culture climate that all but ignores classical music, the musician is also seen frequently on PBS. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
FAMILY FORCE 5 I don't know who it is in the Orpheum/No Clubs camp that loves Family Force 5, but somebody must, because it seems like this Atlanta retro-Wave/dance-punk/alt-rock group makes an Ybor City stop at least once a month. The sound is catchy and clever, but also a little (read: a lot) too conspicuously trendy. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
This article appears in Apr 12-18, 2006.