✔️ = Critic's Pick
✔️ Emo Night: Emo De Mayo w/Crate Brothers/Kam/Simple Mane Well, this was bound to happen. First Chance Last Chance’s early 2018 divorce with longtime bartender Haleigh Barchard was weird considering how many Ybor bar rats flocked to the spot to spend time with her, and now one of First Chance’s most popular events (Emo Night) has bolted, too. The party (now at The Bricks just a few blocks away) is still free, and you still aren’t allowed to request Metallica. First Chance still holds some great DJ nights (we see you, DJ Shafiq and DJ Mega), so don’t expect things to completely dry up over there. (The Bricks, Ybor City) INFO
✔️ Halftime Festival w/Snoop Dogg/T.I./Karol G/Baby Rasta y Gringo/Brytiago Organizers are hoping that the inaugural Halftime Festival becomes an annual event, and they’ve booked a formidable lineup to help make the case. Snoop Dogg arrives atop the roster on the heels of the March release of his legitimately good gospel album (Bible of Love), and he’ll be joined by T.I. (“Live Your Life,” “Whatever You Like”), plus reggaeton stars like Colombia’s Karol G, Puerto Rico’s Baby Rasta & Gringo and another boriqua, Brytiago, who in his childhood once casually took a picture with Daddy Yankee not knowing he’d eventually go down the same path. “I never imagined that years later I’d be signed under his music label,” Brytiago recently told Billboard, “it’s one of the biggest blessings I’ve received in my life.” (North Lot of Raymond James Stadium, Tampa) POSTPONED
TIMEOUT
Tampa's Halftime Festival postpones May 5 concert, organizers blame Snoop Dogg's agent
Tampa Bay Symphonic Winds: Trek Wars Sounds from Star Trek and Star Wars will clash at this post-May the Fourth concert with the Tampa Bay Symphonic Winds. It’s a free show (bring your own lawn chair) happening at Water Works Park as part of downtown Tampa’s Riverfest celebration. (Water Works Park, Tampa) INFO
✔️ George Clinton & Parliament Funkdelic w/Ms. Velvet & The Blue Wolf/Fall on Purpose/Rival & DJ Skeelow/Anthony Ortiz/Trenchfoot Shinding/more George Clinton released a new single (“I’m Gon Make U Sick O’Me”) in January and has also announced a new, forthcoming album called Medicaid Fraud Dog (which is the follow-up to Parilament’s 1980 album Trombipulation). Parliament-Funkadelic will also probably still groove after George Clinton retires from the road, but you might want to make plans to pay tribute to one of the godfathers of funk. On Friday, Clinton, a 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, told Billboard that he would quit the road life in May 2019. “This has been coming a long time,” Clinton said in a statement announcing his retirement. “Anyone who has been to the shows over the past couple of years has noticed that I’ve been out front less and less.” (Coachman Park, Clearwater) INFO
BREAK MY HEART
George Clinton to kick off last year of touring with Cinco de Mayo show in Clearwater
Lynyrd Skynyrd w/Blackfoot/Jimmie Vaughan/Bobby Lee Rodgers The only show where it’s actually appropriate to yell, “Freebird!” This one from the legendary and controversial Southern rockers (the Confederate flag is outdated, sorry y’all) is part of Live Nation’s $20 “All-In” ticket special, and you can read more about the discount tickets by visiting cltampa.com/music. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) INFO
✔️ Streetcar Live w/Lauris Vidal Lauris Vidal has very busy Saturday lined up for himself. The east coast Floridian is bringing his signature one-man band show to Ella’s for an evening Cinco de Mayo/Kentucky Derby show, but he’ll punch a ticket for the TECO streetcar in the afternoon. This rolling no-charge concert on the train tracks can only accommodate 74 people, and this is the last installment before the Streetcar Live series takes a break for the summer. Your best bet to hitch a ride is to be at Ybor City’s Centennial Park Station before the 5 p.m. start time. (The TECO Line Streetcar System, Ybor City) INFO
✔️ Jaialai w/Johnny Mile & The Kilometers Jaialai was without its bassist (or any power or water back home in South Florida) when it played Ybor City last September (blame Irma). On Saturday, we’re hoping to see a rejuvenated and refreshed version of the band play a downtown dive famous for in-your-face shows and make-you-fall-flat-on-your-face liquor drinks. Check out the band’s dreamy new single — “Broken Satellite,” released a month ago — to get acquainted, and get to The Hub early to see flamboyant Bay area rock ‘n’ roll outfit Johnny Mile & the Kilometers open the show. (The Hub, Tampa) INFO
The National w/Big Thief If there was ever a show to travel for, it’s this one featuring a band that never comes to Florida (The National) and one that we hope eventually makes its way down to our neck of the woods (Brooklyn’s Big Thief, whose 2017 album Capacity landed on many year-end best-of lists). It’s less than 200 miles to St. Augustine, and the views at this gem of a venue are worth every minute spent driving to get there. (St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine) INFO
✔️ Rockabilly Ruckus Feat. Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho–Devilles w/Toro Jones/Hot Rod Hornets/Ted Stevens and the Doo Shots/The Intoxicators/Rocket 88/Sara Rose Band Hotlanta psychobilly makes its way to the Skipperdome when Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-Devilles headline the lucky No. 13 edition of WMNF’s Rockabilly Ruckus. Fort Laudy guitarist Steve Laudicina brings his Toro Jones project to spruce up the bill, which also includes Bay area favorites like Hot Rod Hornets, Sarasota-based Ted Stevens and the Doo Shots and more. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
Orion & Green Haven w/Kerry Courtney/Spork Drinking at The Bends is surefire way to get quite litty on a Saturday, but mellow and melancholy math-rock band Orion & Green Haven is going to temper the tipsiness with some experimental guitar music for this one. Spork brings the emo, and Kerry Courtney continues giving local fans a glimpse into his post-Goodnight, Neverland musical adventures. No cover, per usual, and please take sips of water in between tequila shots, K? (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Margarita Gose Beer Release w/The Crackerbillys We'll take old time bluegrass, country, Americana and Florida folk over a mariachi band any day (honestly, feigning an embrace of Mexican culture in this day and age seems weird). That's why a low-key night in Safety Harbor may be on the docket for Cinco De Mayo. The Crackerbilly Band plays tunes, and Crooked Thumb releases its Margarita Gose while Mexican cuisine gets doled out in the parking lot. (Crooked Thumb Brewery, St. Petersburg) INFO
✔️ Donkng w/Story Mode/The Nervous Girls/Charles Irwin A pair of local bands (Story Mode, The Nervous Girls) play support when hyperactive Gainesville punk band Donkng arrives with a new single (the frenetic, bouncy “Automatic Doors”) in tow. The trio’s sound will please fans of Pavement, Parquet Courts, Women, and even Omni. Charles Irwin — yet another ukulele-using Tampa songwriter — opens the show with super-sweet songs like “What You Mean To Me” and “You Call It Romance.” (Mojo Books & Records, Tampa) INFO
✔️ Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats w/Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Good luck trying to get into this one. Nathaniel Rateliff’s May show at Jannus has been sold out for weeks now, and you can blame most of that on a new, super-soulful album (Tearing at the Seams), which throws a whole lot of heartache into the rowdy, party-starting Americana the 39-year-old bandleader introduced to mainstream audiences just three years ago (a 2015 single “S.O.B.” is the anthem of happy hours everywhere). Willie Nelson’s son Lukas opens this show. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) SOLD OUT
ALSO PLAYING
EDM
Chris Lake (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
Tribute/Cover
Main Street Boys (early) / 22N (late) (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
Shakes Society (Two Buks, Clearwater) INFO
Singer-songwriter
Kris Kristofferson (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) SOLD OUT
Ronny Elliott (The Ale & The Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
Art Premier w/Kid Loki (Black Crow Coffee Co., St. Petersburg) INFO
Acho Brother (c. 1949 Florida Beer Garden, Tampa) INFO
Folk/Americana
Cinco de Derby w/Lauris Vidal (Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa) INFO
DJ
The SET Up (The Hall on Franklin, Tampa) INFO
Retro Red Square Recall (Orpheum, Ybor City) INFO
DJ Fader (Orbit 19 Lounge, Holiday) INFO
Finding Emo w/VJ Hural Knight (Mermaid Tavern, Tampa) INFO
Star Wars Party: Revenge Of the 5th (The Castle, Ybor City) INFO
Experimental/Ambient
Deep Immersion with Rissa Wray and Infinite Third (The Body Electric Yoga Company, St. Petersburg) INFO
Rock
Trailside Phantoms (The Wild Rover Brewery, Tampa) INFO
So Sad EP Release & Queer Artists Showcase (The Maine House, Sarasota) INFO
Indienote (The Blue Note, Tampa) INFO
Covenant w/Astari Nite (Orpheum, Ybor City) CANCELED
Back Track (Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO
Classical/Chorale
Florida Orchestra Masterworks: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
Clearwater Community Band (St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus Arts Auditorium, Clearwater) INFO
Ska
The New Rulers (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
Jazz
First Saturday Jazz w/Nate Najar Trio (Independent Bar and Cafe, Tampa) INFO
Hip-hop
Jelly Roll w/Struggle Jennings (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) INFO
The Elements Monthly Hip-Hop Night: May (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
Blues
Betty Fox Band (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
TC Carr & The Bolts of Blue (River Tower Park, Tampa) INFO
This article appears in May 3-10, 2018.
