THURSDAY, MAY 29

TERRENCE BREWER The San Francisco guitarist has studied under jam-jazzer Charlie Hunter, but Brewer's approach is decidedly more mainstream jazz-oriented. Possessing a warm, crystalline tone, he plays with an unhurried grace, relying mostly on elegant single-note lines. Brewer can get funky and edgier when called for, and he can really bring the swing too. He'll perform with his regular rhythm section. WMNF is showcasing him in two intimate shows: this one, moved from its previously scheduled location at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center to the WMNF studios, and on Sat., May 31 at Studio@620 in St. Pete. (WMNF Studios, 1210 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., Tampa) —Eric Snider

TODD WOLFE Former lead guitarist/songwriting partner for Sheryl Crow goes solo with a more bluesy and hard-rocking sound than that of his former employer. Wolfe also performs Tues., June 3, at Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa. (Ace's Lounge, Bradenton)

FRIDAY, MAY 30

ADRIAN BELEW TRIO w/JERRY OUTLAW & FRIENDS Adrian Belew began his career touring with Frank Zappa, who discovered Belew playing in a Nashville cover band. (You may remember Belew from Zappa's Baby Snakes concert-backstage-animated film.) He's also recorded with the likes of David Bowie, Paul Simon and Talking Heads and is a working member of King Crimson, not to mention a prolific session and solo artist with numerous albums to his credit. For the past few years, Belew has toured as a power trio with brother-and-sister rhythm section Eric and Julie Slick, alumni of Paul Green's School of Rock in Philadelphia and solid musicians who provide a spirited foundation for Belew's sonic manipulations. The music is jazz-infused electro-rock with psychedelic flavors and plenty of room for improvisation. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —Leilani Polk

RICK SPRINGFIELD w/THE GREGG BILLINGS BAND/MOTEL FUNK I'll give Rick this: He looks damn good for 58 years old. That said, his signature song, 1981's "Jessie's Girl," is — along with The Knack's "My Sharona" and The Romantics' "What I Like About You" — one of the most unlikely tunes to have such a long shelf life. "Jesse's Girl" should've been tossed in the scrap heap a week after it left the charts, but, alas, it will surely be Springfield's showstopper. This is the first three nights of concerts at A Taste of Pinellas. Springfield's scheduled start time is 8:30 p.m. Bay area acts Motel Funk (5:30) and the Greg Billings Band (7 p.m.) open up. Admission for the entire event is free. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —ES

PARACHUTE MUSICAL w/MIRROR PAL/PEMBERLEY/WHEN TIDES COLLIDE Led by pianist/singer/songwriter Josh Foster, Nashville-based quartet Parachute Musical deftly combines earnest vocals, introspective lyrics and melodic keyboard work à la Ben Folds — but with occasional guitar noise flourishes and jazz piano excursions. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)

EMMURE w/ON BROKEN WINGS/RECON/LIGELA/AFTER THE BURIAL/ENDWELL Connecticut metalcore quintet Emmure pummels listeners with the requisite speed and brutality, while lead vocalist Frank Palmeri alternates from a death-metal growl to semi-intelligible shouting to a little bit of old-school metal singing. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

SOME DANCING SKELETON w/CRASH MITCHELL FIVE Some Dancing Skeleton is led by local singer/songwriter Marlee Flanagan, a talented young woman with surfer-girl looks who accompanies herself on guitar and tells haunting tales of the country-noir variety. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg)

SATURDAY, MAY 31

PITBULL W/DJ SANDMAN Miami rapper Pitbull has implemented the crunk style of slow, heavy bass and party chants to land a passel of hit singles in recent years, including "Culo," "Go Girl" and "the Anthem." This show was originally scheduled for May 5. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

SKAFEST 2008: THE TAJ MOTEL TRIO/THE CV/THE BRENTFORD SOUND/PARANOIA DANCE PARTY!/SKUFF'D SHOES/THE LONG JOHNS/ANGRY BANANA/RUDE SQUAD/THE DISREGARDABLES/VICTIMS OF CIRCUMSTANCE/THAT BAND WITH THE FAT KIDS/CAN'T DO IT/JOHNNY CAKES AND THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSO It's ska, ska and more ska. To the best of my knowledge, all of these bands are unsigned, with most of them being local. The out-of-towners are The Taj Motel Trio and The Disregardables (both from Georgia), That Band with the Fat Kids (Virginia) and Angry Banana (Louisiana). (Transitions Arts Galley at Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)

JONNY LANG w/RAIFORD STARKE/JOSH MAGWOOD/T.J. KELLY BAND/DIVE BAR STALKERS/THE DAMON FOWLER GROUP The second night of A Taste of Pinellas is headlined by singer/guitarist Lang, who hit the scene in the mid-'90s as a 13-year-old blues phenom out of Fargo, N.D. A dozen or so years later, he's become a mature artist with an impressive, soulful voice and serviceable guitar chops. His latest CD, Turn Around, pretty much dispenses with the blues in favor of a modern, funky R&B flavor with gospel leanings, kind of like a less-wimpy John Mayer with more soul. Lang hits at 8:30 p.m. Opening up: Raiford Starke (1 p.m.), Josh Magwood (2:30 p.m.), T.J. Kelly Band (4 p.m.), Dive Bar Stalkers (5:30 p.m.) and top Bay area bluesman Damon Fowler (7 p.m.). Fireworks start at 10. (Vinoy Park, St. Peterburg) —ES

AUTO!AUTOMATIC!!/THE SUGAR OAKS/MOUSE FIRE/HOW DARE YOU/DANGERFLIGHT/SOFT ROCK RENEGADES Acclaimed, local avant-instrumental rock trio Auto!Automatic!! returns to New World again to headline the second birthday of monthly music 'zine REAX, which also includes the Jason Isbell show the same night at Crowbar (see Music Week Brief above). (New World Brewery, Ybor City)

TRACE ADKINS The country star responsible for idiotic hits like "Hot Mama" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" has been hired to help lure folks to the Rays vs. Chicago White Sox showdown. He's scheduled to perform after the ballgame; the concert free with game ticket. (Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg)

GHOST OF A TRAGEDY w/STILL LIFE/FACE PLANT/BLACK SMOKE THEORY This Tampa hardcore/metalcore outfit are obviously big Hunter S. Thompson fans: "Fear and Loathing" is the lone song posted on their MySpace site. (The Garage, St. Petersburg)

VENICE BATTLE OF THE BANDS Twenty area acts vie for bragging rights, among them Port Charlotte death-metal group We the Wretched, the infectious pop of Saint Sweetheart, prog band Grimwood, faith-based sextet Welcome Home Eleanor, the classic rock of Englewood's Dirt Road Law, punk band Jack Somebody, Venice alt act What We Aim For and Nomads of the Nook, who offer funky jams. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday at the same venue. (Venice Community Center, Venice) —Amanda Schurr

AMP YOUR VOICE W/THE PROSPECT/PATHWAY TO PROVIDENCE/CHERRYHILL/TABLE SET FOR TWO Sarasota high school students pooled their energies for this Darfur benefit, featuring a promising lineup of young local bands that includes power punkers The Prospect, Pathway to Providence and Table Set for Two. The can't-miss act here, though, is Cherryhill, a stunning, classically trained acoustic quartet helmed by pianist/singer Kaela Bratcher and violin player Caitlin Whitehouse. Its soulful, melancholy pop suggests a maturity beyond the years of these soon-to-be college music majors. (Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, Sarasota) —AS

JON CLEARY AND THE ABSOLUTE MONSTER GENTLEMEN As a session player with Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt and B.B. King, U.K. born, Crescent City-styled Cleary has proven himself an authentic purveyor of Cajun soul. Live recording Mo Hippa, the latest release from the piano man and his gents, is an inspired collection of R&B/funk covers (The Meters, Professor Longhair) and originals that captures their shack-shaking performances. (Ace's Lounge, Bradenton) —AS

SUNDAY, JUNE 1

EDDIE MONEY w/ISN'T SHE LOVELY/INYO/STORMBRINGER Hardly a year goes by that Eddie Money doesn't play a big outdoor festival around here. This time it's the closing night of A Taste of Pinellas. The pop-rock singer (and occasional saxophonist) scored several major hits in the late-'70s/early-'80s — "Two Tickets to Paradise," "Baby Hold On," "Take Me Home Tonight" — and has parlayed them into a solid, road-dog career. The 59-year-old's raspy voice has lost some of its power over the years, but those hit tunes still resonate with festival crowds. Opening up: Isn't She Lovely (1 p.m.), an all-girl rock group made up of St. Pete kids; fellow 'Burg-ites InYo, a young alt-rock band (2:30 p.m.); and the veteran classic-rock outfit Stormbringer (4 p.m.), an unfortunately named act for an outdoor festival. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —ES

DREAM THEATER w/OPETH/BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME A prog-rock group formed by a bunch of Berklee College of Music students, Dream Theater's bombastic, string-laden metal gained popularity in the '90s when the band had hits with titles like "Pull Me Under," "Another Day" and "Take the Time." (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

BOB MARGOLIN w/SANDY ATKINSON & THE REVELATIONS/RONNY ELLIOTT/CHARLIE VEGAS & THE NEW BLUES COMBO/DUKES OF JUKE This benefit show for the Childrens' Home Society of Florida is headlined by Margolin, a bluesman based in High Point, N.C., who touches on a variety of idioms, but relies on a rural bent. The other acts are locally based. Atkinson is one of the Bay area's premier blueswomen; Ronny Elliott is renowned for his folk-country narratives; Charlie Vegas and the Dukes of Juke have reps as house-rockin' blues and R&B outfits. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —ES

MONDAY, JUNE 2

THE OCEAN w/KYLESA/LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR/FLYING SNAKES/EMPYREAN/LEGIONS German metal ensemble The Ocean, which counts about two dozen members, brings the cinematic sounds and visuals to go with it. Could be interesting; just not sure how it's all going to fit into the Brass Mug. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

TUESDAY, JUNE 3

NADA SURF W/THE REPUBLIC TIGERS Nada Surf, the alt pop band that had a big hit in '96 with the single "Popular," comes to town in support of its outstandingly mature new album, Lucky. Check out my interview with the band's drummer, Ira Elliot on p. 38. Supporting the trio are up-and-coming Kansas City, Mo., indie poppers The Republic Tigers, fresh off a guest appearance on Letterman. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —AS

JUNE

7 Bogus Pomp Ritz Theater

8 Tampa Noise Fest Transitions Arts Gallery at Skatepark of Tampa

8 Stevie Nicks Ford Amphitheatre

8 Abba — The Music Mahaffey Theater

8 The Duhks Skipper's Smokehouse

9 Steely Dan Ruth Eckerd Hall

9 Eric Hutchinson w/Marie Digby/Justin Nozuka Orpheum

11 The Cure St. Pete Times Forum

11 Ladytron Czar

11 Matt Costa w/Delta Spirit State Theatre

12 Ingrid Michaelson State Theatre