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✔️= Critic's Pick
✔️ The Florida Legacy Of “The Genius” Ray Charles w/Lattimore/ Alex Harris/more In Florida Soul, University of Tampa professor John Capouya made light of the fact that Ray Charles lived and worked in Tampa as a teenager, but another beloved Bay area writer, Roy Peter Clark, has pointed out that for over a half-century, Charles often returned to Florida with many visits to St. Petersburg, including performances at the Manhattan Casino, a venue for black performers in the days of segregation, but also at the Bayfront Center and at an outdoor concert at Campbell Park. “In 1950 we think his first recorded work may have been ‘St. Pete Florida Blues,’ also known as ‘I Found My Baby There,’” Clark wrote to CL, adding that he’s asked the city to declare February 15 “Ray Charles Day.” Well, the move has been approved, and the proclamation will happen at Studio@620 where a group of presenters and local musicians (including Florida soul legend Lattimore) will showcase Charles’ legacy. (Studio@620, St. Petersburg) INFO
✔️ Herbie Hancock Tampa Bay won’t have to travel to Miami’s III Points festival to see Herbie Hancock. The 78-year-old, 14-time Grammy winner is headlining a show in Clearwater where he’ll honor the legacy of a career that’s seen the him collaborate with a host of jazz greats including Miles Davis and John Coltrane. If you like your jazz a little more smooth, then head over to Capitol Theatre, where Michael Bolton is playing on the same night. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) INFO
✔️ MadeInTYO In a recent tasuaki-directed visual for “Retro 88,” Malcolm Jamaal Davis goes shopping and skates his way through Tokyo. The clip is for a single that the 26-year-old Hawaiian-born, Atlanta-repping rapper better known as MadeinTYO pulled from a 2018 full-length debut — Sincerely, Tokyo. The effort elevated Davis from tastemaker to must-see live act, and he brings the work to Orpheum for this Friday-night gig that could very well sell out. (Orpheum, Ybor City) INFO
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✔️ The Florida Orchestra: The Planets Footage from NASA will play on a big screen when the Florida Orchestra pays tribute to a seven-movement suite by U.K. composer Gustav Holst, who premiered The Planets way back in 1918. Zappa, John Williams and Hans Zimmer (plus countless prog-rock bands) have all sampled the work, and more celestial composition (Debussy’s three-movement Nocturnes) is on the agenda for three performances which kick off Friday in Tampa before heading to St. Petersburg and Clearwater on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Per usual, the orchestra is offering free advance tickets to kids and teens. (Ferguson Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa) INFO
Rick Thum Friday night’s live-music menu is delightfully out of the box, and this show from dulcimer master Rick Thum is definitely a highlight (casual folk fans will recognize the dulcimer as that heavenly instrument whose plucked and strummed beauty permeates Joni Mitchell’s 1971 masterpiece, Blue). Thum won’t be teaching a workshop at this gig, but a trip to Sun City Center definitely offers something different for live-music fans looking for a change. (United Methodist Church, Sun City Center) INFO
Freaklove Anti-Valentines Party w/Pleasures/Soapbox Soliloquy/Rogerthomas/Chew/Reality Asylum/Mouth Council/Blestian/Ortrotasce/Whirlynn/Sugarbear Another show for those who despise the idea of Valentine’s Day. This one collects close to a dozen Bay area rock bands and experimental acts for a party at St. Petersburg DIY stronghold Paper Crane that’ll go deep into the night thanks to DJ sets by Pleasures drummer Rogerthomas and St. Petersburg’s very own DJ Sugarbear. (Paper Crane, St. Petersburg) INFO
L8 Night Flights w/Anja Schneider Anja Schneider was just added to the phase two lineup of Ultra Music Festival, but fans won’t have to wait until March (or travel several hundred miles) to see the German DJ, producer, radio broadcaster and label boss. Her latest — 2017’s SoMe — is the most joyus, funky, spontaneous and posi thing Schneider has ever released, and we expect that energy to be bouncing off the walls when she plays the basement at downtown St. Petersburg’s Station House. (Ichicoro Ane at Station House, St. Petersburg) INFO
See a rundown of the week ahead via cltampa.com/musicweek. Visit cltampa.com/music every day to get daily concert roundups plus all the latest concert announcements and local music. Follow us on Twitter (@cl_music) and subscribe to the newsletter, too.
ALSO PLAYING
Singer-songwriter
Shawn Kyle (Nebraska Mini-Mart, Tampa) INFO
Cormac Kavanagh (c. 1949 Florida Beer Garden, Tampa) INFO
Dan Bern (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Will Erickson (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
Live & Local w/Connor Zwetsch (Jaeb Courtyard at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa) INFO
Stephen Pigman (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
Rock/Soul/Americana
The Wandering Hours (Lakewood United Church of Christ, St. Petersburg) INFO
Garden Club (Ella's Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa) INFO
Whigfest VIP Party w/Have Gun, Will Travel (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City) INFO
Gumbo Boogie (Zydeco Brew Werks, Ybor City) INFO
Gerry Williams (Sparkman Wharf, Tampa) INFO
The Black Honkeys (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Fear The Spider w/Boney Fiend/Kevin K Band/Graveyard Groupies (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
Somatic (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
lespecial (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
House Of Adversarial Affairs w/The Time Framed/The Longest Hall (Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO
Subdudes w/Tucci Project (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
EDM/DJ
#Pound Fridays w/Zomboy (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
Communion After Dark w/Mark Paradise/Jet Mike (SubCentral at Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO
Trippy Squad Takeover w/A Midd/Karlton/AC Darko/Krampus/Slick Vizion/Big Hogie (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Jazz/Classical
Ranky Tanky w/LaRue Nickelson Trio (Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon Springs) INFO
“Two Tenors” with Jazz with Jim (Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa) INFO
Smooth Jazz Cordial Band Live (Pour Yours, Clearwater) INFO
Michael Bolton (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) INFO
USF Guest Artist Recital: Contino/Unger Duo (Barness Recital Hall at University of South Florida, Tampa) INFO
Tribute
The Mersey Beatles: Four Lads from Liverpool (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
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Below is a list of clubs and restaurants that either regularly book both original music acts as well as tribute and cover bands or feature a concert calendar stocked with higher-quality residents. Follow the links to see more.
Residencies
c. 1949 Florida Beer Garden 6905 N Orleans Ave., Tampa
Hideaway Café 1756 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Jazz House Supper Club 9331 East Adamo Dr., Tampa
The Landing at Jannus 200 First Ave N., St. Petersburg
The Living Room 487 Main St., Dunedin
The Mandarin Hide 231 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Ringside Café 16 2nd St N., St. Petersburg
Ruby's Elixir 15 3rd St. N., St. Petersburg
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 5223 Orient Rd, Tampa
Tampa Armature Works 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa
The Vinoy Renaissance 501 5th Ave NE, St. Petersburg
Tribute/Cover/Open Mics
3 Daughters Brewing 222 22nd St., St. Petersburg
Barefoot Billy's Friendly Tavern 3120 W. Gandy Blvd, Tampa
Buckets Grill & Tap 4535 Gunn Hwy., Tampa
Captain Jack’s On The Water 21 Oscar Hill Rd., Tarpon Springs
Caddy's On The Beach 9000 W Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island
Café Hey 1540 N Franklin St., Tampa
Gator's 12754 Kingfish Dr., Treasure Island
Green Iguana 4029 S. Westshore Blvd., Tampa
Ferg's Live 490 Channelside Dr., Tampa
JD's Restaurant & Lounge 125 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach
Hula Bay Club 5210 W Tyson Ave., Tampa
O'Briens Irish Pub Multiple Locations, Tampa
Rick's On The River 2305 N Willow Ave., Tampa
Smokin' 19 3080-3090 34th St N., St. Petersburg
Two Buks 1915 N. Hercules Ave., Clearwater
Yeoman Cask & Lion (two locations: 202 N. Morgan St., Tampa; 200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg)
This article appears in Feb 14-21, 2019.