\\<\/iframe\>
✔️ = Critic's Pick
✔️ Paul Thorn Band w/Carly Burrus In February, CL spoke to Paul Thorn in the days before his band and the Blind Boys of Alabama headed to Muscle Shoals’ FAME studios to finishing recording his still-untitled album of gospel music. Well, it’s been just over a month since the release of Don’t Let The Devil Ride, and Thorn is ready to show it off. Just don’t expect that contemporary gospel sound. “That’s not the school I came from,” Thorn, 52, told CL, adding that Elvis probably made some of the best gospel records. “I came up singing black gospel and old-school country gospel.” Rising country songwriter Carly Burrus — whose self-titled debut album features catchy commentary on stubborn joy, female independence, strong faith and big hair — opens the show. (Capitol Theater, Clearwater) INFO
PAUL & THE PULPIT
Interview: The gospel according to Paul (Thorn)
✔️ The Florida Orchestra Presents The Music of Michael Jackson w/James Delisco This one was supposed to be a tribute to Prince, but licensing conflicts with the Purple One’s estate — where infighting seems to be the raison d’etre — have complicated that plan. Refunds and exchanges have been available to anyone who was upset by the diversion, but we’re willing to bet that not too many people were going to skip out once Jacksonville vocalist James Delisco (who was in Kinky Boots during the musical’s Broadway run) stepped in to help the orchestra perform Michael Jackson’s megahits, including “Thriller,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and many more from the King of Pop’s 40-year career dating back to the Jackson 5. Conductor and arranger Brent Havens leads this one, where a full rock band will join the show, too. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
Dru Cutler w/Tom Kersey Formerly Bay area-based songwriter Dru Cutler returns for one of his semi-regular hometown shows, and this one at the laidback digs of St. Pete’s Independent beer bar finds the Brooklyn boy joined by a cellist (Tom Kersey) who’ll add an extra layer of sound to the already highly listenable, often vulnerable strain of pop-folk Cutler plays on his new album Bring Closer the Distance (released one month ago). (Independent Bar, St.Petersburg) INFO
Friday Concerts in the Park w/Chello Hollyday It’s getting to be that time of year when butt sweat becomes a certainty. Enjoy the last few days of relatively reasonable weather (and warm up for the weekend’s free shows at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park) with this free Motown-flavored affair at River Tower Park in Sulphur Springs. (River Tower Park, Tampa) INFO
✔️ Shiba San Until 2014, when he embarked on his first North American tour, things were relatively silent in the camp of French producer and DJ Shiba San. Not anymore. On Friday he brings a unique blend of Chicago house and French hip-hop to SoHo in support of a new EP (Off to Funk, released via Relief Records). The effort is just two master cuts and a couple of shortened mixes, but expect Shiba San to go long for the crowd at this sometimes overlooked nightspot. (The Kennedy, Tampa) INFO
THE VINYL COUNTDOWN
Empire Cinema's debut album leads a list of Bay area treasures worth seeking out at Record Store Day 2018
✔️ Empire Cinema w/Hello Joyce Two weeks ago, Empire Cinema gave eager fans the chance to own advance vinyl copies of its self-titled debut full-length as part of a Record Store Day special. On Friday, the Tampa indie-rock trio officially releases the effort with a show that takes place among the stacks at Seminole Heights record shop Microgroove. It’s $7 to get in (but you might as well pay the $15 option, which includes a copy of the album), and fans of local music should get there early to catch a set from Hello Joyce, which released one of CL’s favorite local abums of 2017. (Microgroove, Tampa) INFO
Benefit Show for Joshua Taylor w/Michal Clark/Community Couch/Joyeater/Snacking Joyeater — a new band featuring members of DRUG, Gutless and Piss Ghost — is the highlight on a stacked, punk-leaning bill featuring some of the area’s best local emo (Snacking), uke-jams (Community Couch) and singer-songwriter fare (Michael Clark). The best part is that the sum of concertgoers’ $10 donation will go towards sending local boy Joshua Taylor to the Ringling College of Art & Design with some cash in hand. (Cross Pointe Church, Largo) INFO
✔️ Joe Bonamassa One night wasn’t enough for Joe Bonamassa, so the Grammy-nominated blues-rock guitar god is playing Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall twice as he supports his and Beth Hart’s 2018 album, Black Coffee. Not sure if Bonamassa will be playing the 1952 ES-175 and 1958 Fender Musicmaster guitars he picked up in Orlando on Monday, but we’re willing to bet they’d sound good backed by a stacked band featuring trumpeter Lee Thornburg (Tower of Power, Supertramp), keyboardist Reese Wynans (Double Trouble, Captain Beyond) and bassist Michael Rhodes (Notorious Cherry Bombs, the Cicadas). (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) INFO
\\<\/iframe\>
ALSO PLAYING
DJ
Communion After Dark Presents A Post-Punk and DarkWave Evening w/DJ Paradise/DJ Maus (SubCentral At The Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO
Rock
The Grizzly Atoms w/Teacher Teacher/Faraday (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Machine Kid (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
Sunset Music Series: Fire and Ice (Weaver Park, Dunedin) INFO
The Black Honkeys (The Neptune Lounge, Tarpon Springs) INFO
Phil Anselmo & the Illegals (pantera) w/King Parrot (Brass Mug, Tampa) CANCELED
Lassyu w/The Boats/Dead Cities (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg) INFO
Comedic/Misc./Extra
Dr. Dirty John Valby (Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa) INFO
Tribute/Cover
Petty Hearts (National Tom Petty Tribute) w/Shawn Scheller and the Contenders (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
70s Night w/Disco Inferno (Following Daytona Tortugas vs. Clearwater Theshers at Spectrum Field, Clearwater) INFO
Den of Thieves (Two Buks, St. Petersburg) INFO
Markus Lee and the Pride (Smokin’ 19, St. Petersburg) INFO
Andrew Lewis (The Living Room on Main, Dunedin) INFO
Sobriety X (Buckets Grill & Tap, Tampa) INFO
No Filter (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
Country
Colt Ford (Dallas Bull, Tampa) INFO
Alan Jackson w/Lee Ann Womack (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) INFO
Pop
Ella Jet & Future Soul (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
Aster and Ivy w/The Young Something/Babyblu/Charles Irwin (The Blue Note, Tampa) INFO
This is TRC w/Pussyfoot/Sick Hot (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
Singer-songwriter
Chris Harman (c. 1949 Florida Beer Garden, Tampa) INFO
EDM
#Pound Fridays w/Svdden Death (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
Hip-hop
May 11-13 Rolling Loud Miami (Miami (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens) INFO
Americana
American Songbook Series w/Paul Wilborn and the Blue Roses (American Stage Theatre Company at Raymond James Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
This article appears in May 10-17, 2018.