Proto EMO
His overly dramatic posing and preening croon — not to mention the untrammeled angst and mopery that permeate his music — make Morrissey a pariah to many a pop follower. But the opposite is also true: He boasts some of the most dedicated fans in the annals of rock. Even though the music scribes at the Loaf tend toward eye-rolling on the topic of Morrissey, we dutifully admit that his stopping by to play a theater-style venue in Tampa Bay is clearly an event. While he's most highly regarded as the frontman for alt-rock pioneers The Smiths, Morrissey has been quite prolific since breaking up the band 20 years ago. He has a substantial repertoire to choose from, and we're betting that he'll be nattily dressed and act very much the star. Opener Kristeen Young, originally from St. Louis, fronts a guitar/drums duo and sings bracing songs in a tense, sometimes jittery, voice.
Morrissey w/Kristeen Young, Thurs., July 12, 8 p.m. $77, $57. rutheckerdhall.com. —Eric Snider
Sweet to Hear
Tampa's Candy Bars are in a tough spot. Their debut CD, Cutting Tigers in Half and Understanding Navigation, has been justly praised around town and in national indie publications for enhancing the standard mix of spooky singing and moody percussion with superbly emotive cello playing. Problem is, cellist Melissa Castellano has decided to leave the band. Singer/guitarist Ryan Hastings and drummer Daniel Martinez performed live and made records for a couple years before teaming with Castellano in '05, so it's not like these guys can't or shouldn't carry on without her. However, attendees expecting to hear the stirring strings that make the CD stand out might be disappointed. Incidentally, this show's a fundraiser for the band's upcoming tour of the Northeast. It appears that the Candy Bars will hit the road sans a replacement cellist. Rounding out the roster are a couple more Tampa indie acts: Matt Slate (formerly of the Pohgohs and The Maccabees) calls his new, Sufjan Stevens-channeling project King of Spain. Lily (singer/guitarist) and Rosie (drummer) Richeson are Inertia, a sister act that makes sweet, acoustic pop that's by turns moving and humorous.
Candy Bars w/King of Spain/Inertia, Sat., July 14, 10 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $5. —Wade Tatangelo
Crime Dog
It's been a while since DMX was better known for hit records than his arrest record. Last year, the rapper with the distinct canine growl released Year of the Dog … Again. His first album since moving from Def Jam to Sony Urban, the album failed to produce a memorable single (or one that even charted) and rapidly faded into the background. But now that DMX has reached veteran status, it's a pretty safe bet that he will stick to the hits that made him the hardcore rapper to beat following the deaths of 2Pac and Biggie — as well as the only hip-hop artist to have his first four albums top the Billboard 200.
DMX, Sat., July 14, 10 p.m., State Theatre, St. Petersburg. $18/$22 day of show. —WT
This article appears in Jul 11-17, 2007.