THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
CHAD & JEREMY This British duo scored a series of hits in the mid 1960s with sophisticated pop songs that would go on to influence contemporary indie bands like Belle & Sebastian. Chad & Jeremy's best-known songs include "Before and After," "If I Love You," "Willow Weep For Me" and "A Summer Song." The latter helped introduce the duo to a younger audience thanks to its inclusion on the soundtrack to the classic 1999 Wes Anderson film Rushmore. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
STRUNG OUT w/EVERGREEN TERRACE/I AM GHOST SoCal's Strung Out split the difference between punk and metal, with speedy riffs, melodic choruses and the occasional face-melting guitar solo. Formed in the early '90s, the quintet has released nine albums on Fat Wreck Chords, including their latest effort, Blackhawks Over Los Angeles, which came out in June. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
BLUE COUNTY The country-pop duo's self-titled debut album came out in 2004, producing the hit "Good Little Girls," as well as the less successful singles "Nothin' But Cowboy Boots," "That's Cool" and "That Summer Song." Blue County's straightforward (with a whiff of twang) cover of The Beatles' "Revolution" appeared on the soundtrack to Evan Almighty. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)
ELEVATED The popular St. Pete band returns to the city's most venerable outdoor venue to offer fans a crowd-pleasing blend of rock, ska, reggae and hip-hop. Attendees can expect Sublime-inspired originals mixed with covers like "La Di Da Di," the classic Slick Rick/Doug E. Fresh number popularized by Snoop Dogg in the '90s. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
LOW FREQUENCY SHAMAN w/EXPERIMENTAL PILOT Tampa quartet Low Frequency Shaman play ambient music with a strong psychedelic bent and plenty of grooves and soulful vocals that put them under the jam-band umbrella. Synthesizers figure prominently, but there are organic elements as well, namely guitar, bass, mandolin and live percussion. Guest horn players often sit in with the band. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
VERA VIOLETS w/LIFE OF PI/THE SEMIS/MATT BUTCHER Playing gauzy shoegaze with a psychedelic, chamber-pop flair, Tampa sextet Vera Violets offer immersion music that teems with melancholy. Also on this roster of local talent are delicate, melodic rockers Life of Pi and the engagingly sloppy power-pop band The Semis. Orlando singer/songwriter Matt Butcher has a warm voice, delivers memorable, confessional lyrics and wraps 'em around hooks that stick. He's a former member of The Heathens. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
CRATE BROTHERS Local DJs promise to play everything "from the most random kids records to classic hardcore to backpack hip-hop from Ohio … to the sounds of our favorite tight-shirted indie acts, if we have a chance to play 'em, we will." (Orpheum, Ybor City)
DREW STREET MARY/NO INSIDE/SPANKIN' FRESH Safety Harbor's Drew Street Mary rough up Rasher Tierney's this weekend with a tough yet hooky alt-rock strategy. Tampa's No Inside unplug things for a tasty goulash of folk and punk. Village of the Arts punkers Spankin' Fresh get it all started, although the band is still not at full strength — Melissa DuCasse continues to recover from a horrific car wreck on May 20. (Rasher Tierney's, Bradenton) —Cooper Levey-Baker
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
THE DITCHFLOWERS w/BLIND BUDDY MOODY/BRENT RADEMAKER/SOME DANCING SKELETON This all-star showcase of local and national acts features a couple of our favorite Bay area artists. The Ditchflowers won Tampa's Best of the Bay award for Best Local CD. Released earlier this year, Carried Away brings the finest elements of classic pop and rock, with poignant, mature lyrics that hold up nicely to repeated listens. Blind Buddy Moody picked up some hardware at Tampa's recent BOTB awards program as well. The singer, guitarist and harmonica player was honored as Best Discovery. Formerly relegated to the flea market circuit after a heyday that included opening for legends like Waylon Jennings and George Jones, Moody has been blowing local rock and blues fans away with his spirited, distinct covers of country-soul standards by the likes of Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. Brent Rademaker is the bassist in the L.A. psychedelic alt-country band Beachwood Sparks, while Some Dancing Skeleton is the country noir project of talented 22-year-old singer/songwriter Marlee Flanagan. A superb lineup all around, playing at one of the 'burg's more intimate venues. Highly recommended. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg)
THE APPLES IN STEREO w/THE POSTMARKS/AQUEDUCT One of the most critically acclaimed indie releases of the year, The Apples in Stereo's New Magnetic Wonder takes The Beatles' lushness and updates it with electronic flourishes and a power-pop sense of purpose. With sharp hooks, clever lyrics and just enough quirkiness to keep things interesting, this Denver band has been around for more than a decade and appears to be reaching its peak. Miami's The Postmarks became one of Florida's biggest buzz bands this year thanks to the release of their delightfully poppy self-titled debut disc (for more on The Postmarks, see the music feature). Aqueduct is one-man band David Terry, a Midwesterner with a knack for keyboard-driven pop ditties that traverse the music map. Aestheticized Presents promises this show will sell out, so get your hands on some tickets ASAP. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
RMISERY/THE D.O.O.D./SYFUR/BURN THEORY/A MOMENT ALONE Destructo-metal mavens Rmisery have roped together one of the biggest fanbases of any local band, and they bring their army to the Gallery for what promises to be yet another opportunity to bang yer head. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —CLB
THE YELLOWJACKETS For 26 years, The Yellowjackets have been among the more high-quality bands in the post-fusion genre. Over the years, the group has used electric instruments and a variety of contemporary (and world) rhythms, but has never lapsed into the quagmire that is smooth jazz. The current incarnation includes four terrific players: original members keyboardist Russell Ferrante and bassist Jimmy Haslip, and saxophonist Bob Mintzer and drummer Marcus Baylor. The Yellowjackets are playing an intimate club venue. (Dino's Piano Bar & Grille, St. Petersburg) —Eric Snider
SCHOLARS WORD/ROADBLOCK Scholars Word chugged out to 61 live dates around the country this past summer; this week, the Florida reggae/dub group brings its happy-footed rhythms to Sarasota's Lost Coast Pub, a venue working hard to increase its profile on the local music scene. God knows we could use another solid option when the weekend rolls around. (The Lost Coast Pub, Sarasota) —CLB
ANAÏS MITCHELL Mitchell troubadours on down to the Suncoast for a gig at New College of Florida. The Vermont native has slowly built a rep in the underground indie-folk community with her whimsical, childlike vocals. The Brightness, released this year on Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records, features 11 delicate campfire strummers. And while you cannot (cannot!) attend New College parties unless you're a student or a guest of a student, you are reportedly welcome at this evening's show. (New College of Florida, Sarasota) —CLB
THE SAUCE BOSS Bill "The Sauce Boss" Wharton plays boogie music while cooking a big ol' pot of gumbo, which he then serves to the audience. Good times. Good eats. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
HANGTOWN w/TOO MANY SUBPLOTS/REBEKAH PULLEY & THE RELUCTANT PROPHETS Local alt-country lineup includes familiar favorites Hangtown and Rebekah Pulley; Too Many Subplots is Steve Connelly's latest project and features Aimee Trachtenberg on lead vocals. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1
UNEARTH w/DARKEST HOUR/AUGUST BURNS RED This night of growled vocals and hard, whiplash riffs is headlined by Massachusetts metalcore outfit Unearth. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2
ROBB MCNURLIN w/RONNY ELLIOTT Kentuckian Rob McNurlin has a sweet Southern drawl to his voice and delivers songs that speak to the classic country of the 1960s and '70s. CL favorite Ronny Elliott picked up a Hall of Fame honor at our recent Best of the Bay awards show. He'll likely preview songs from his upcoming release Jalopypaint. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
GWAR W/CRADLE OF FILTH/VKY/VAINS OF JENNA Few acts take the shock rock thing as far as Gwar, a band that breaks nearly every taboo — from staged necrophilia to urine spraying — in the name of entertainment. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3
PORCUPINE TREE w/AUDITORIUM English prog-rockers Porcupine Tree are touring in support of their new full-length Fear of a Blank Planet, which features guest spots by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and King Crimson's Robert Fripp. The band's touring ax man is Tampa's own John Wesley Dearth. St. Pete art-rockers Auditorium open. Unfortunately, you'll have to drive I-4 to catch this gig. (House of Blues, Orlando)
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2007.
