Turn it Up
Drink beer. Hoot. Holler. Scream "Hell yeah!" Slap high fives. Sing along to them old, familiar songs. Drink more beer. Observe the gal in the Daisy Dukes flash her new, store-bought titties. That's how the deal will go down when the wonderfully titled "Rowdy Frynds Tour" featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr. arrives in town Friday. And, well, I'm all for it. Southern rock institution Skynyrd and outlaw country hero Bocephus both put on shows that I highly recommend for anyone in touch with their inner redneck. Granted, the Skynyrd that regrouped in '87 with the late Ronnie Van Zant's kid brother Johnny taking over singing duties is not the same juggernaut that recorded the firecrackers that light up classic rock radio these days. But the current Skynyrd lineup still does justice to the favorites — even "Free Bird," the epic jam that hipsters love to hate. Bocephus can still bring it, too. In fact, his latest studio LP, I'm One of You, ranks as one of the best mainstream country releases of '03.
Lynyrd Skynyrd w/Hank Williams Jr./.38 Special, 6:45 p.m. Fri., April 13, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa. $39.50-$69.50. —Wade Tatangelo
License to Kill
Las Vegas quartet The Killers captured the nation's attention in '04 with the irresistible disco-rocker "Somebody Told Me," from their new-wavey debut disc Hot Fuss. Last year's follow-up, Sam's Town, isn't quite as bouncy as its predecessor, with darker themes that speak more to a "next big thing" hangover than "hey, we made it" jubilation. The album's best cut, the popular single "When You Were Young" has a soaring, Springsteen feel. Here's to hoping The Killers are up to putting on a Boss show.
The Killers, 7:30 p.m. Wed., April 18, USF Sun Dome, Tampa. $32. —WT
Ride That Train
Wayne "The Train" Hancock's watertight debut album, the alt-country classic Thunderstorms and Neon Signs, came out in '95 but sounds more like a collection of honky tonk and swing from '55. Hancock has kept it delectably retro ever since, just slightly expanding his sound with increasingly more nods to early jazz. I first met the man when I was in Austin, Texas, about five years ago during South by Southwest, the venerable music festival that Hancock had not been invited to play that year. Instead, he set up in an empty backyard near the famed Continental Club, bassist and drummer in tow. Hancock sang his cowboy ass off and his band blazed away. When we talked after the gig, he had a wad of about $300 cash in his hand from passing the hat. He blew most of it on beer and other stuff. Wayne Hancock is the real deal.
Wayne Hancock, 8 p.m. Sat., April 14, Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa. $10/$13. —WT
This article appears in Apr 11-17, 2007.