THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29
MICHAEL MCDONALD The former Steely Dan backup singer and Doobie Brothers frontman enjoyed soft-rock solo success in the early 1980s, but by the mid-'90s had rejoined the Doobies to work the oldies circuit. Then, in 2003, a strange thing happened. McDonald released Motown, a collection of soul covers as unimaginative as its title, and it became a surprise hit, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard 200. Not one to mess with his newfound Michael Bolton/Rod Stewart-esque success, McDonald came back the next year with Motown Two, and the damn thing charted even higher, hitting No. 9 on the Billboard 200. Somewhere, someone is eagerly awaiting Motown 3 — and that's just sad. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
SOVUS RADIO w/WIN WIN WINTER/MUMPSY/THE VERA VIOLETS At once retro and refreshing, Atlanta quartet Sovus Radio stands out among the myriad bands trying to recreate the chemical-fueled magic of the hippie era. Their sound thrusts the listener into a psychedelic haze of marching drums, background chants, tambourines, funhouse organ, languid guitars and stoner vocals that speak to a thousand twisted trips. This ain't the Beach Boys' 1960s. It's Iron Butterfly dosed with the dirty French pop of Serge Gainsbourg. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30
MOUSE FIRE w/THE DARK ROMANTICS/WITH HATCHET, PIKE AND GUN/BRER Lakeland quartet Mouse Fire's fuzzy guitars, mopey melodies and aloof vocals left me cold when I saw 'em open for Modern Skirts in March. Tampa's Brer grabbed my attention recently with their song "Microwaveable," a grabby mix of folk, rock and pop featuring a smart, impassioned vocal. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
MIGHTY JOE PLUM One of the rare Tampa Bay acts to ink a major label deal, post-grungers Mighty Joe Plum had a minor hit in '97 with the melodramatic power ballad "Live Through This (Fifteen Stories)." But their subsequent Atlantic records debut album, Happiest Dogs, tanked. The band recently re-formed following a long hiatus. (Bourbon Street Nightclub, Ybor City)
THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW The second of two shows at Ruth Eckerd Hall in the last seven days by one of the world's top-drawing and most respected tribute bands (hell, even Gilmour endorses these guys), this gig finds the ensemble recreating Dark Side of the Moon — laser light show, inflatables and all — plus a greatest-hits set. Basically, it's the same presentation Roger Waters offered earlier this year at Ford Amphitheatre, except with a complete lineup of ringers on stage — as opposed to a lineup consisting almost entirely of ringers. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
NANCI GRIFFITH Griffith began her career on the indie folk label Philo, where she released her masterpiece, The Last of the True Believers, in 1986. At the time, Nashville had temporarily loosened its reins and allowed artists like Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and k.d. lang to prosper. This movement landed Griffith a deal with Earle's label, MCA. Her major label debut, Lone Star State of Mind, came out in '87 and included the self-penned "Ford Econoline" (a great number about a Mormon mom busting free and leaving her husband and "five restless children") and the definitive version of "From a Distance" (Bette Midler's sappy rendition wouldn't hit the charts until 1990.) Griffith's tenure with MCA (and then Elektra in the '90s) never made her a full-fledged star but earned the singer/songwriter a devoted following. Griffith's latest album, Ruby's Torch, came out on Rounder last year. As the title suggests, it's a collection of torch songs ranging from Tom Waits' "Ruby's Arms" to the Frank Sinatra standard "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." As she did with "From a Distance," Griffith manages to inhabit each line, making the songs sound both gorgeous and highly personal. (Jannus Landing, Tampa)
POTATO GUN/POP POP/WATERDIGGER A Gulf Coast fave of the mid-'90s, Fort Myers' Potato Gun apparently enjoyed its reunion show last month — they're back in the 'Burg to offer more of their catchy punk with lyrics that recall the subversive revelry of They Might Be Giants. (Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg)
CHRIS MCCARTY BAND w/DON MIGGS Gainesville's Chris McCarty Band offers Ben Harper-style acoustic-guitar-driven soul with touches of reggae and funk. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
NOAH WOODS A University of Tampa student from Washington, D.C., Woods does the Jack Johnson thing better than most, delivering lyrics that aren't too Hallmark-y with polished sensitivity. (Sacred Grounds, Tampa)
MONTGOMERY GENTRY/WINTERS BROTHERS BAND Arcadia (Sarasota's country cousin) welcomes another polished and radio-friendly pop-country act to town tonight. Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry — who must have spent, like, whole minutes coming up with their band name — debuted back in '99 with tales of the blue-collar good life set to music a bit more rock-edged than other similar acts. (Turner Agri-Civic Center, Arcadia) —Cooper Levey-Baker
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1
LARRY GARNER w/JULIE BLACK The Suncoast Blues Society brings to town Louisiana singer/guitarist Larry Garner, one of the most acclaimed artists to arrive on the blues scene in the past decade. A songwriter who typically sidesteps blues clichés in favor of detailed storytelling, Garner is also a capable ax man with a sweet, churchy voice. A dexterous performer, he alternates from juke joint jams to soul numbers and ballads that recall the spirituals he sang as a young man. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
FLORIDA SKA FESTIVAL The recently reformed Magadog — Tampa Bay's premier ska purveyors — headlines this bash masterminded by band frontman Ed Lowery. (To read my interview with Lowery, see p. 37). The roster includes Daytona Beach standouts Skif Dank, which brings an experimental edginess to the ska template; St. Pete fave Rude Squad, a quintet that mixes things up with nods to surf rock and Sublime (in a good way); and fellow 'Burg skankers The Cohorts, another act with a handle on inspiring good times. The Duppies, The Sweet Kings and The Pants are also on the lineup. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
HELLYEAH w/OTEP/BLOODSIMPLE This year witnessed the arrival of perhaps the lamest redneck metal "supergoup" ever. The appropriately named Hellyeah (one word, dude) features Mudvayne's Chad Gray and Gregg Tibbett (guitar), Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla and former Pantera/Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul. Hellyeah's self-titled debut album came out in April and produced the hits "Alcohaulin' Ass" and "You Wouldn't Know." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME w/AUGUST BURNS RED/BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Prog-metal quintet Between the Buried and Me offers an interesting assortment of tricky time signatures, thrash metal speed, spacey keyboard excursions and soaring classic-metal guitar solos — often all in the same song. Lead vocalist Tommy Rogers vacillates between traditional singing and an undecipherable death-metal growl — with the latter dominating most numbers. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
NERVOUS TURKEY One of Tampa Bay's scrappiest and most entertaining blues acts, Nervous Turkey is led by the charismatic, Howlin' Wolf-channeling (by way of Tom Waits) singer Ernie Locke. (Kelly's Pub, Tampa)
WARFIELD CD RELEASE PARTY w/338/FACEPLANT!/EX ANIMIS MORTUUM Warfield parties to honor the completion of its new CD, full of the maniacal thrashers you'd expect from the local metal scenesters. (Gallery Billiards, Sarasota) —CLB
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2
JOE BONAMASSA The SRV acolyte arrived on the scene in 2000, riding on the heels of MTV-friendly blues-rockers like Kenny Wayne Shepard and Jonny Lang. But there's a grit to Bonamassa's work that places him a cut above his more commercially successful contemporaries. So does his willingness and ability to cover slide-guitar virtuoso Chris Whitley's "Ball Peen Hammer," which Bonamassa does with aplomb on his new album, Sloe Gin. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 3
DAVE KOZ AND FRIENDS: A SMOOTH JAZZ CHRISTMAS Want to get some holiday pre-venge on relatives you loathe? Send 'em tickets to this gig, which combines two genres — smooth jazz and seasonal pop — into one surely unbearable whole. Koz also performs Wed., Dec. 5, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —CLB
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5
SOILED MATTRESS AND THE SPRINGS w/MES MUSIC/WATERDIGGER NYC's Soiled Mattress and the Springs are a tight jazz trio (drums, keyboard, sax) taking their cue from classics like John Coltrane's majestic My Favorite Things and Jimmy Smith's funky Root Down. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
TONY BENNETT The world's greatest living crooner (and one of the kindest men I've ever interviewed) returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for a sold-out show. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2007.