Matt Woods at the Independent Bar & Cafe on Aug. 11, 2013. Credit: Photo by Nicole Kibert/elawgrrl.com
Matt Woods’ “Deadman’s Blues” turns 10 years old this fall, and it feels like the songwriter’s been best friends with the Bay area just as long. The formerly Nashville-based troubadour is back in Tampa for a no-cover gig that’s part of Woods’ annual tradition of kicking off spring in the Sunshine State.

This time, Woods—who’s released half a dozen albums since the “Blues”—brings along recovering Jersey ska favorite Sammy Kay who’s now the self-proclaimed “Andy Kaufman of folk punk.”

There’s no cover to see Matt Woods and Sammy Kay play Tampa’s Independent Bar & Cafe on Friday, Feb. 17.

This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2023.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...