THURSDAY, JUNE 09
OOJAMI Turkish composer Necmi Cavli has long been favored by London's trendsetting club scene for his original and uninhibited amalgams of dancy electro beats, re-imagined New Age ambience, and traditional Near East sound and culture. Oojami is Cavli's belly dance-inspiring road-show spectacle; he handles the programming and turntables, and is augmented by live violin, bass, oud and percussion, as well as vocalists and a Sufi dancer. Intriguing. (Royalty Theatre, Clearwater)
JAZZ ATTACK FEAT. RICK BRAUN/RICHARD ELLIOT/PETER WHITE/JONATHAN BUTLER You should know the drill by now: Smooth jazz concerts are generally marketed as package shows, with a number of the genre's stars appearing in one jam-packed (pick one) snoozefest/orgy of instrumental delights. This show is no exception. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
-ERIC SNIDER
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
JIMMY LAFAVE & NIGHT TRIBE w/CIGAR STORE INDIANS So, what, is the guy living down here? WMNF brings Jimmy LaFave to town so often, it makes Bob Schneider's appearance schedule look like Mama Cass'. (See, it's funny because Bob Schneider plays here a lot, too, and Mama Cass is dead, so she doesn't play anywhere.) Anyway, LaFave does the whole Texas roadhouse roots-rock/weepy Western-swing thing with an aplomb born of long experience. Atlanta rockabilly/roots road warriors Cigar Store Indians return to lend able support. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
UNA VOCE: THE FLORIDA MEN'S CHORALE It's "Table for Two," a two-part program that's the first Una Voce performance of the season. Part One is a set of standards, classics and doo-wop, while Part Two takes on a more serious bent; titled "When We No Longer Touch: A Cycle of Songs for Survival," its material is the story of a person coming to grips with HIV. Conducting the Men's Chorale for these two shows – tonight's in St. Petersburg, tomorrow's at USF in Tampa – is guest conductor Derek Edward Weston. (MCC King of Peace, St. Petersburg/USF Theatre 1, Tampa)
BEDLIGHT FOR BLUE EYES/MY EPIPHANY/THE HIGHER/SECRET LIVES OF THE FREEMASONS Ah, Trustkill Records. You see that name on a record, and you're pretty sure what you're going to get – metalcore, metalcore, and a little metalcore. New Jersey's Bedlight for Blue Eyes try to fool you a bit with their rock 'n' roll-influenced chug, but when the chorus comes, the big screamy-screamy is right where it always is. Eh. My Epiphany are somewhat more interesting, what with the chiming guitar parts and electro noises and super-melodic vocals and all. The Higher hail from Las Vegas, but could be from anywhere that has broadband Internet for checking out Myspace.com and an occasional all-ages show featuring bands on Drive-Thru Records; and Asheville's Secret Lives of the Freemasons aren't quite as cool as their name might suggest, but still do some taut, above-average nu-punk/emo. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
PLEASANT PROBLEM CD RELEASE PARTY Tampa-based Pleasant Problem play a fun, rootsy mix of reggae, pop-punk, ska and hip-hop. Now, normally that would mean the band isn't very good, because it's extremely tough for white kids to rock a Sublime-esque, Fishbone-knowledgeable sound without coming off as hopelessly soulless and fratty. But this stuff is pretty good, playing to its light, entertaining strengths instead of getting all brah'ed out on your ass. Help 'em celebrate the release of their new disc, and ask if they know any Urban Dance Squad. (City Lights, St. Petersburg)
SATURDAY, JUNE 11
TAMPA BAY CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL FEAT. LOS LOBOS/BAHA MEN/OTHERS When you think Caribbean festival, a band of Chicanos from East L.A. isn't the first thing that comes to mind. But, hey, in the interest of panculturalism, I'm down. Besides, how's a critic going to nitpick when one of his favorite bands is playing in town? If you have absolutely no interest in attending a Caribbean fest, go see Los Lobos anyway. For more on the band, which plays tonight at 7:30, check out the Music Column. Baha Men, who perform Sunday, June 12, play a lively mix of Bahamian and Western pop called junkanoo. There will be lots of other stuff going on, including too many acts to outline here. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)
-ES
S.M.A.SH 7 The Southeast Music Alliance stages its seventh showcase/party/not-just-another-local-show event in the ever-nicening environs of the State. Gaming center The D-Pad returns as a sponsor, donating prizes this time around instead of dragging out all the consoles, and our favorite St. Pete art collective, The Artillery, will contribute immaculate visuals to pleasantly stimulate thy rods and thy cones. And, oh yeah, there's music as well: Atlanta garage-rockers The Hush, Pinellas modern rock acts Auditorium and Knowing Stu, preferred shoegazey fuzz bomb The Human Echo, and Bradenton emo-rock outfit Rumors of War will do it to it. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
FLORIDA LYRIC OPERA W/RENA MASSEY Esteemed pianist Massey introduces and accompanies Florida Lyric Opera singers Yves Fava, Linda Muley-Switzer, Maria Moon, Esther Talledo, Jeff Clark and Mark Payne in a program presenting some favorite and best-known pieces. (Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, Tarpon Springs)
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS w/ACCEPTANCE/SOULFOUND You know American youth pop culture's attention span has reached a frightening low when a new band is referred to as "the new Taking Back Sunday." Here I am, thinking that Taking Back Sunday was still "the new Taking Back Sunday." But Dayton's Hawthorne Heights have been tagged and prepped for ascension to the level of mainstreamo's Shit-Hot New Thing (97X's sponsorship of this show proves as much), and yes, they sound an awful lot like everybody's favorite reclaimers of weekends. Along for the ride are the much better Seattle outfit Acceptance, who do moody, dynamic indie-pop with hooky flair, and local act Soulfound, who should take advantage of this big opportunity and bring as much merch as they can fit in their van. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
MICHELLE ARI CD RELEASE PARTY Singer-songwriter Ali, a transplant from Detroit, headlines a very strong collection of local talent, including Ronny Elliott, The Semis, Nessie, Jeremy Gloff, Tribal Style and Rebekah Pulley. Ari, whose new album is titled 85th and Nowhere, will be backed by an ensemble of ace players from various other beloved Bay area bands. This is an early show, and kicks off at 3 p.m. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
-ES
JOHNNY SKETCH & THE DIRTY NOTES w/FREIGHT TRAIN ANNIE Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes play swampy, soulful Louisiana-style jam-band fare that borrows as much from jazz and hip-hop as it does R&B. Several members of the band are classically trained, and the combo has won awards from various New Orleans mags, including Offbeat. Freight Train Annie is a dynamic Bay area blues-rock outfit that features a veteran female vocalist – anybody wanna guess what her name is? (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
TUESDAY, JUNE 14
DEF LEPPARD w/TESLA It's a repeat of the British pop-metal heroes' triumphant '87-'88 arena tour for the chart-topping Hysteria album – the tour that made them icons, put "Pour Some Sugar on Me" at the top of the Strip-To List, and gave a struggling California band called Tesla some much-needed and well-deserved exposure. You know you're going to get more hits you know the words to than you knew you knew the words to from the headliner; hopefully, the opener will turn in a scrappy, high-volume set like the ones I remember so fondly from their heyday. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa)
OKKERVIL RIVER w/THE DIVINERS/THE MERCY SEAT Over the last week, every time somebody asked me who I was writing about and I said "Okkervil River," the answer was inevitably "Who?" The smart, expressive Austin rock/roots/singer-songwriter outfit hasn't played down here, to my knowledge, but I'm counting on the band to live up to its simply amazing records. For the full Okkervil story, check out the Music Feature. Though the group is often referred to as alt-country, there's actually a lot more going on here, so it's fitting that two locals as talented and diverse as The Diviners and The Mercy Seat set an eclectic tone. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
ADEMA w/SHORTIE Adema has always represented the generic bottom of the nu-metal barrel. Sure, the act had a couple of hits because kids who envisioned themselves as misunderstood were buying any band that had a dreadlock and a goatee in its promo photo, but Adema could've been any anonymous coattail-riding, trend-sucking caricature – except for the fact that the band's singer was the half-brother of Jonathan Davis from Korn, that is. Now he's gone, and Adema isn't any better; the groovecore has been left behind in favor of what's ostensibly a timelier modern-rock sound, but the band remains as unnecessary as ever. At least they've got company – Shortie represents the same sort of flat, uninspired, FM-aimed modern rock. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
M.O.D./JACKKNIFE/CRISIS/SOCIETY'S END Enduring joke-thrash outfit M.O.D. probably would've died unnoticed nearly 20 years ago, were it not for the cheerleading efforts of friends Anthrax, and a side project, S.O.D., involving members of that more famous metal band. Then again, frontman Billy Milano's got quite a mouth on him, so maybe he would've found his way into the pantheon of provocateurs in any case. Expect fun, sweaty thrash with offensive, occasionally politically charged and often sophomoric lyrics. (Boomerz Boiler Room, Seminole)
PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO This is how emblematic Pat Benatar is of the '80s: Her first hit, "Heartbreaker," debuted on the charts on Dec. 22, 1979; her last, "All Fired Up," appeared in 1988. In between, the lusty belter gave us such MTV and radio fare as "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Love is a Battlefield" and "Invincible." At her side all along was Giraldo, her guitarist, producer and husband. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
-ES
TASTEMAKERS The clique-breaking trend continues: rock bands, hip-hop DJs and, tonight, yours truly will be playing a bunch of crappy rock tunes and hip-hop tracks from back when rap was good. That's right, the Weekly Planet music critic is curating this installment, for better or (probably) worse. Live music comes courtesy of power-pop act Four Star Riot, jangly post-punk combo Eumenides, rising funk/groove/ska/punk outfit WeakSauce, and last-minute addition Animal Hospital, a cool one-man-band who's on the road and whose "Jack show" for tonight went south when the headliner broke up suddenly a few days ago. You'll also get good spinnage from resident Tastemakers DJs Deacon and Colonic. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
This article appears in Jun 8-14, 2005.