Summer Rentals
Not too many modern rock groups offer psychedelic power-pop marked by Moog synthesizer madness. Weezer's self-titled Blue Album blew up in 1994, and the next year co-founder and bassist Matt Sharp formed The Rentals. The cheeky title of their debut CD was The Return of The Rentals; it featured the quirky, catchy hit single "Friends of P." A second Rentals album came out in '99 (by then, Sharp had quit Weezer) and then nothing — until the EP Last Little Life, released last month. Is The Rentals' coed lineup the same as it was in the 90s? Nope. But Sharp, who played on Tegan and Sara's choice new album The Con, is still in charge … and the lineup is still coed … so expect quality.
The Rentals w/Copeland/Golden Boy, Thurs., Sept. 6, 7 p.m., Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, $17. —Wade Tatangelo
CODE: MUSIC
Multi-intrumentalist/songwriter Bobby Lee Rodgers' rich, brassy vocals perfectly complement the music of his Atlanta-based trio The Codetalkers, who fuse the rolling rhythms of 1950s-style rock 'n' roll with electric blues, country swing jazz and a bit of Latin flavor. You're likely to find all three members in three-piece suits performing and improvising on songs that are laced with a healthy dose of humor, like "Body in the Lake," about disposing of a corpse. Rodgers recently changed the Codetalkers lineup and he's now backed by two young musicians who areb well-versed in jazz and ready to prove it. This weekend's show in Dunedin opens with a "Birthday Bash" set by Teddy and Friends featuring birthday boy/musician/music promoter Ted Freed with a lineup of local friends: Rich Whiteley, Animal from Funky Seeds and COPE's Dave Gerulate, Kenny Stadelman and Dennis Stadelman.
Bobby Lee Rodgers & The Codetalkers w/Teddy and Friends, Sat., Sept. 8, 9 p.m., Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin, $8 in advance/$10 at the door, risingjupiter.net. —Leilani Polk
All That Jazz
The Dave Matthews Band makes me scratch my head and wonder why, of all the groups clogging the concert circuit, this one can sell out 20,000-seat joints like the Ford Amphitheatre more easily than most acts could fill a phone booth. Don't get me wrong — the band puts on a solid live show. In fact, they won me over when I saw them open for the Rolling Stones at a multiband bash held at Miami's Orange Bowl in '97. But DMB's brand of jazz-rock spiced with the occasional pop ditty didn't lead me to believe that a decade later they would be the biggest jam band in the land, capable of filling the nation's largest venues whether or not the group has a single on the charts. Then again, I suppose people who critiqued Jimmy Buffett three decades ago are equally perplexed at his ability to continually draw monster crowds. Take note: Arrive on time. Former Bob Marley collaborators, The Wailers, open.
Dave Matthews Band w/The Wailers, Wed., Sept. 12, 7 p.m., Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, $36 (lawn) $61 (reserved). —WT
This article appears in Sep 5-11, 2007.