THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Rose Connelly A new(ish) outfit that plays Americana and folk music, "with a twist of country, rock, reggae, blues and bluegrass." The band includes "Simply" Tony Caruso (acoustic guitar, vocals) and Fil Pate (lead guitar) from Pickford Sundries, along with Poetry n' Lotion rhythm section Tom Murray (bass) and John Nowicki (drums). (The Hub, downtown Tampa)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
CL Bob Schneider w/The Ditchflowers/Monica da Silva The much-touted climax to WMNF's Birthday Week features one of the station's favorite live artists of the past 10 years — Austin-based indie singer-songwriter Bob Schneider, he of the gentle high-toned tenor, poetic lyricism, working-class ethos and cult-like fanbase. The pop rocker has built a respectable career for himself with songs like the poignant pace-changing balladry of "40 Dogs (Like Romeo and Juliet)" (from his critically-acclaimed 2009 LP, Lovely Creatures), and the percussive-fused "Let the Light In" from his latest, A Perfect Day (2011). The Ditchflowers support with songs off their just-released LP, Bird's Eye, as does Brazilian singer Monica da Silva. (Skippers Smokehouse, Tampa)
Despise You w/Magrudergrind/Shitstorm/Cellgraft/No Qualms/God Harvest/Headless Dogs Landing at Transitions on their first-ever jaunt to the Sunshine State is Inglewood, Calif. hardcore outfit Despise You, along with DC powerviolence/grindcore trio Magrudergrind. Several brutal acts from around the area support. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa)
Pale Orchestra A tribute band dedicated to the music of experimental jazz-rock outfit Morphine and headed up by drummer John Nowicki. (Ella's Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa)
Jane Jane Pollock w/Hear Hums/Mini Prophets One of the acts I wanted to see and managed to miss at this year's AntiWarpt Fest (and also one that everyone shit their pants over), is Jane Jane Pollock, a quintet from Tallahassee and Thomasville, Ga. Their music jumps from dark and brooding trip-hop to dreamy electro island-hued psychedelia to heavy washes of fizzy bumpin' experimental pop. The players build their sound with a kitchen sink full of instruments and devices — pianos and toy keyboards, trumpet, cooking pots, banjo, samplers, acoustic guitar, drums, ukulele, lap harp, whistling, harmonium, melodica, tambourine, bass and organ. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
DesolationFest w/Adaliah/The Covery/Between the Tides/The Divine Process/Visionaries/Misanthropic Tyrant/Assyrian/Drowning The Krakken/Arm The World A showcase of heavy crushing "-core" acts from Florida that includes Sarasota melodic hardcore/metal sextet Adaliah, currently playing to raise funds so they can tour in support of their new conceptual Rituals EP, Tampa-based post-hardcore sextet The Covery, and Misanthropic Tyrant, a deathcore/metal five-piece from Ft. Myers. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Someday Souvenir St. Pete's all-girl radio-friendly rock band celebrates their win of the MTV Ourstage "Takes The Stage" competition (which included a grand prize of $1,500) at this full-bad gig. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Almost Kings w/Hot Action Cop Indie heavy-rocking hip-hop-infused Almost Kings hail from Atlanta and is fronted by lyricist/vocalist/emcee Boze, who yells barely intelligible rhymes over the band's noisy blasts of self-styled "club rock." (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
The Hazies After a well-received reunion show last November at Jannus, locally-bred post-grunge rock outfit The Hazies return for another go-round in Clearwater. You know the band best for breakout hits, "Skin and Bone" and "Trip Free Life" off their 1996 EMI release Vinnie Smokin' in the Big Room, or possibly for their riff-raging cover of The Vapors' "Turning Japanese" (from the Beverly Hills Ninja soundtrack). The evening begins with a set of early material (from their pre-Hazies UROK days) followed by an electric set of Hazies highlights. (Capitol Theatre, Cleatwater)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Candy Bars w/Mrenc/A.T.T.I.C. We haven't seen Candy Bars since the experimental rock trio came out of hiding for a few shows last summer. Guitarist/singer Daniel Martinez is directly responsible for holding things up; while members Ryan Hastings (drums, percussion) and Melissa Grady (cello) both reside in Tampa, Martinez is working toward a Masters in Architecture at University of Florida in Gainesville, which means a very small window of time to devote to performing, not to mention writing the sophomore follow-up to the band's nationally well-regarded 2006 debut, On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Two Man Gentlemen Band w/The Lambasters/Amandla Tunesmith/Sista Otis Locals are treated to the retro irreverent ditties of NYC neo-vaudevillian acoustic duo Two Man Gentlemen Band a few times a year, their combo of Tin Pan Alley, classic R&B, Western swing and hot jazz always a highlight at WMNF's Tropical Heatwave. This tour around, the dapper gents (Andy Bean on guitar and banjo, Fuller Condon aka "The Councilman" on upright bass) pack the van full of instruments, vintage duds, and copies of their debut vinyl release: a limited edition 7" featuring "Prescription Drugs (We're Having a Party!)" and "Tikka Masala" (out Sept. 20 on Free Dirt Records). The gents are consummate showmen, and trade quick-fire repartee in the midst of much whistling, scatting, heel-kicking and foot-stomping. This is the last show celebrating WMNF's 32nd birthday, and an eclectic bill of Bay area talent kicks things off. (Skippers Smokehouse, Tampa)
Journey w/Foreigner/Night Ranger A three-prong bill of soft progressive rock bands that enjoyed their respective heydays in the 1970s and '80s. Headlining act Journey still includes original members Neal Schon (lead guitar, vocals) and Ross Valory (bass, vocals), but since 2007, has featured Filipino lead singer Arnel Pineda taking up where smoky-wailing Steve Perry left off. Pineda got the job after Schon saw a YouTube video of him performing and nailing Journey's "Faithfully." The band issued their second album with Pineda and 14th overall, Eclipse, in May. (1-800 Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, Tampa)
Meat Puppets w/The Weeks/Pretty Voices If you listened to mainstream radio in the mid-1990s, you might know Meat Puppets from their big hit single, "Backwater" off 1994's Too High to Die. Or, more likely, you were introduced to the Phoenix rock band by Nirvana, which famously covered three Meat Puppets songs on their last recording, Nirvana Unplugged — "Plateau," "Oh, Me" and "Lake of Fire." The band's sound is marked by the droning drawling vocals of songwriter Curt Kirkwood, and draws on punk, country and stoner-psyche rock influences. This tour supports album No. 13, 2011's Lollipop. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Atmosphere w/Blueprint/Evidence For more than 10 years, the Minnesota-repping hip-hop group Atmosphere consisted of Slug (emcee) and Ant (producer). That changed in 2011 with the addition of Erick Anderson (keyboards) and Nate Collis (guitar), who dished out a foundation of moody live instrumentation that turned out to be the perfect compliment to Slug's emotionally charged, introspective rhymes. The group is on tour following the release of their latest LP, The Family Sign, which sees a maturing, 39-year-old Slug spinning somber tales of spousal abuse, misplaced childhood friendships, and bar room reflections on life as a dad and working-class rapper. Consider him a binge-drinking antihero of poetic rap music. Look for opening act Evidence (formerly of Dilated Peoples) to perform some tracks off his interesting 2010 mixtape, I Don't Need Love, which features heavy sampling from the Beatles on every track. (The Beacham, Orlando) —Christopher Spata
Saxes Gone Wild II feat. Jeff Kashiwa This showcase spotlights the reedy talents of more than a dozen Tampa Bay area saxophone slingers, among them, event host Mike MacArthur, Butch Thomas (who's played for the likes of Sting, Jaco Pastorius, and Diana Ross), Jeremy Powell (Infinite Groove Orchestra, Swamp Logic), and Tampa Bay Sax Quartet. Contemporary jazz artist Jeff Kashiwa (The Rippingtons, The Sax Pack) closes the evening with a one-hour set of original material. (Skippers Smokehouse, Tampa)
Rebecca Zapen CD Release Party The St. Petersburg-by-way-of-Jacksonville singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist — whose vocals are a sublimely mellifluous caress — made the Bay area her home three years ago after falling for and marrying pianist producer Jeremy Douglass. The couple worked together on Zapen's fourth studio album of jazzy, lusciously-textured folk pop, Nest, which is loosely inspired by the idea of home and family with songs like the ukulele and melodica-driven Americana of "Beautiful Love Songs Without the Love," and the rhythmic Bossa Nova sway of "Ledge." (The Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg)
Charlie Morris & Friends St. Pete-based blues singer-songwriter Charlie Morris (guitar, dobro, vocals) delivers his droll commentary in a conversational style or sings in brassy drawling tones. At this CD release concert in celebration of his September release, The Forest, Morris is joined by musician friends Tom Bell (guitar, vocals) and Mike Chavers (bass, vocals). (UU Dome, Tampa)
Incubus w/Young the Giant For their seventh studio LP and first album of original material in five years following an extended hiatus, West Coast alt-rock outfit Incubus re-convened with producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Bob Dylan). According to lead singer and lyricist Brendan Boyd, 2011's If Not Now, When? is about "love and finding art and success in love. I never know what I'm going to be writing about until I'm actually writing about it. It's what's relevant in my heart and mind. There's definitely a romantic undertone and overtone." (1-800 Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, Tampa)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Bad Brains w/Birdhand Most first wave hardcore punk bands were made up of inexperienced musicians; not so for Bad Brains, which featured players who drilled riffs and pounded out rhythms faster and harder than any that raged before them. Bad Brains was the first all-black punk band, and their move from D.C. to NYC in 1979 was spurred by the racial divide, not to mention their permanent expulsion from a number of DC area clubs due to their volatile live performances. After a few line-up changes and break-ups, the original Bad Brains returned in 2007 with a new album, Build A Nation, and have been touring behind it ever since. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Set It Off CD Release Party w/Patent Pending/Lion Faced Boy/A Play On Words/Cyrenia The Tampa Bay emo-pop rock outfit led by dramatic wailing singer-songwriter Cody Carson is currently celebrating their July signing to Equal Vision Records (Chiodos, We Came As Romans). This show marks the August re-release of Set It Off's expanded 2011 EP, Horrible Kids. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Surfer Blood w/Fake Problems/Sleepy Vikings/Guy Harvey Delivering a moody, fuzzed-out style of sunshine doused in equal parts Afro-pop and indie surf rock, West Palm Beach four-piece Surfer Blood impressed with their first LP and debut on Kanine Records, 2010's Astro Coast, earning across-the-board accolades that extended from the hipster blogsphere and Pitchfork.com to mainstream media like Rolling Stone and Spin magazine. The band has been touring off and on ever since, and just debuted the first single from their forthcoming Tarot Classic EP, the driving power-pop ode, "Miranda." The new record is due out October 25 on Kanine. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Chromeo w/Mayer Hawthorne/Sammy Bananas Sexy soulful electrofunk duo Chromeo — which consists of P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) on keys, synths and talk box, and Dave 1 (David Macklovitch) on guitar and lead vox) — produce glossy 80s-inspired dance music and got hands-on influence for their 2010 third album, Business Casual, from Darryl Hall himself after the Hall and Oats musician invited Chromeo to jam on his popular online show, Live from Daryl's House. Read more about Chromeo in Andrew's story. (Beacham Theater, Orlando)
Click here to see a full list of concerts taking place this week and beyond…
This article appears in Sep 15-21, 2011.