THURSDAY, JAN. 26
VINCE GILL Gill is one of those ubiquitous country stars — à la Garth — whose songs you know even if you think, or claim, you don't. He worked hard to get where he is, though, and comes with a throwback country past that hasn't been entirely smothered in Nashville cheese. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) COOPER LANE BAKER
DR. JOHN The New Orleans native has been quite active in the city's cultural restoration, throwing his gravelly voice and keyboard prowess at a variety of projects. Dr. John blends good-time Crescent City party jams with a more stately take on standards. He's made the Bay area a regular tour stop in recent years. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg) ERIC SNIDER
THE LIVING BLUE/DEAR & GLORIOUS PHYSICIAN Champaign, Ill.'s The Living Blue is a better-than-average garage/R&B/fuzz-pop band currently building a larger-than-average buzz — the foursome's music was recently featured on One Tree Hill, and E Street Band guitarist/radio-show host Little Steven Van Zandt is among its most vocal proponents. Oh, and if you used to like this totally unknown garage-rock band called The Blackouts, and ever wondered what happened to it, well, it changed its name to The Living Blue. Tallahassee edgy-pop outfit Dear & Glorious Physician returns to town for support. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
FRIDAY, JAN. 27
THE BLASTERS w/ROSIE FLORES Conceived by brothers Phil and Dave Alvin, legendary roots-rock juggernaut The Blasters spent the '80s showing punks, rockers and country fans that Americana did indeed sound good turned up really fuckin' loud. Phil is fronting the Dave-less reunited touring version of the band (which also features original bassist John Bazz), so expect at least a respectable amount of that original fire. Rosie Flores updates the traditional rockabilly vibe with an alt-country edge and her own sonic style. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
NAKED EYES There is always something there to remind me that a lot of us listened to a lot of questionable music in the '80s. See, MTV sucked back then, too. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
RADIX/BREAKDOWN/EFFEX/MENTAL MASS/THE RUKUS Indie hip-hop at the New World, a venue that seems to hold the record for cool, disparate shows this week. RADIX is a duo hailing from Boston with a smooth style that's more informed by the old school than the backpack scene; so is Breakdown, a Tampa MC who's worked before with beatbox maestro EffeX. St. Pete pair Mental Mass boasts a more urgent sound, and local MCs Rudy Rude and KeithElite stand and spit for loose country-spanning collective The Rukus. Highly recommended. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
KEN SPIVEY CD RELEASE PARTY Tampa singer-songwriter Ken Spivey's got a new disc coming out; naturally, he didn't tell us what it was called, but he did let us know that a bunch of local artists will be helping him celebrate its birth tonight at USF's Crosswinds. Ken will be joined by partner Augusta as well as Jeremy Gloff, Redliners, Kristie Lenee & Orenda, Stacy Halter, The Seed, Noiretblanc w/Michele Agius, and KORE. Some of the take will be going to help send underprivileged kids to summer camp, as well. (University of South Florida, Tampa)
SATURDAY, JAN. 28
SON VOLT w/SHANNON MCNALLY Former Uncle Tupelo co-principal Jay Farrar's band Son Volt roared back from the void last year with the universally acclaimed Okemah and the Melody of Riot, and is making its first full-band appearance in the Bay area in God only knows how long. For more info on Farrar and Son Volt, check out this week's Music Feature. Opener Shannon McNally straddles the line between Americana and more mainstream Adult Contemporary. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
RICKIE LEE JONES Once a Rickie Lee fan, always a Rickie Lee fan. Count me among them. Jones stormed the scene in the late '70s with her brilliant self-titled debut (with the hit "Chuck E.'s in Love"), then kept the momentum into the early '80s. As the years wore on, though, her artistic energy seemed to flag, maybe because she had to sit around and watch lesser artists, many of whom appropriated elements of her style, surpass her commercially. Jones made a strong return to form in 2003 with Evening of My Best Day. She's an idiosyncratic performer who, on her best days, can be spellbinding onstage. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —ES
GAYE ADEGBALOLA/A HISTORY OF WOMEN IN THE BLUES It's an extremely interesting two-part event — an afternoon program at New Port Richey Public Library exploring the history and importance of the role of female vocalists and musicians in blues music, followed by a rollicking live performance at NPR's Bourbon Street. Both feature W.C. Handy Award winner Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women founder/solo artist Gaye Adegbalola. The library program begins at 2 p.m.; the concert, for which local bluesmen T.C. Carr and Lenny Austin will reunite before Adegbalola and boogie pianist Roddy Barnes play, kicks off at 8. (New Port Richey Public Library/Bourbon Street, New Port Richey)
CHARLIE-PALOOZA Charlie Daniels' annual concert benefiting Pasco County home for the handicapped The Angelus is always a mixed bag of country and Southern rock offerings, and this year is no exception. Included in the list of performers are Jason Aldean, Marshall Tucker Band, Confederate Railroad, Chad Brock, Cletus T. Judd and Trick Pony, among others. Gates open at 1 p.m., and Wiley Fox gets the music started at 2. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
HUUN HUUR TU The Tuva throat-singing ensemble Huun Huur Tu made quite an impression on indigenous-music fans during its last Skipper's appearance. The group's strange, enthralling vocal strains are backed by a variety of traditional instruments. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SKATEPARK OF TAMPA'S LUCKY 13TH ANNIVERSARY Please don't go to this year's annual SPoT Anniversary party. Not because it's going to suck — it won't, not with killer punk from Toys That Kill, Hot Water Music offshoot The Draft, Strikeforce Diablo, Torche, Baroness, Assholeparade, roughneck new Fat Wreck hardcore act Western Addiction, The Holy Mountain, and New Mexican Disaster Squad. Not because there won't be sweet new skate videos up on the big screen — there will be, courtesy of Thrasher magazine. I don't want you to go to the SPoT's Lucky 13th, because you're a free-beer leech, and every time I go, I only get one before all of the gratis drinks are gone. So stay home, you fucking ale-sponge, and let me get mine. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, JAN. 29
GIN BLOSSOMS What else is there to say about this '90s several-hit wonder ("Hey Jealousy," "Until I Hear It from You," etc.) that hasn't been said before, about one of its several previous nostalgia-tinged visits to our area venues? Nothing, really. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
HAMELL ON TRIAL Think acoustic shows are boring? Solo punk troubadour Ed Hamell can fix that real quick. Hamell's pointed wit and sweaty, fully committed delivery sometimes logs in somewhere between a George Carlin stand-up routine and a Black Flag set on the intensity meter, but never sacrifices the dynamics, songcraft and intellectuality that are hallmarks of the protest singer-songwriter genre. Good stuff. Floridian songstress Lorna Bracewell deservedly lands a coveted opening slot. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 01
SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR The Soweto Gospel Choir is named after the South African town in which it convened, and its passionate, upbeat mix of native and American spiritual vocal sounds has become a hit with audiences worldwide. The group's live performance includes both a capella and accompanied material in six languages, and also serves as a fundraising platform for its AIDS- and orphan-related charitable activities back home. For more, check out this week's music column. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
This article appears in Jan 25-31, 2006.