A look at concerts happening this Sat., June 20, from silky R&B to Southern-fried rock to vintage pop and more.
Charlie Wilson The elder statesman of tender loving R&B otherwise known as Uncle Charlie has eight No. 1 hits on the Urban AC charts following his tenure with The Gap Band, sampled and covered by a slew of modern hip-hop and R&B-rooted artists who’ve shown up on his solo output since then, among them, good friend and frequent collaborator Snoop Dogg (who gave Charlie Wilson his nickname), T-Pain, Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake, Fantasia, and Shaggy. This arena tour follows the release of 2015 seventh studio LP, Forever Charlie, and precedes a forthcoming memoir, I Am Charlie Wilson, due out June 30. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)
Blackfoot Jacksonville is the birthplace of Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and while Blackfoot came up around the same time, the quartet never achieved the recognition of their contemporaries, possibly because their sound was heavier than both, marked by metal-technical solos and hard chugging rock grind, and didn’t fit as neatly into the Southern rock box. Still, they released 10 albums between 1970 and 1994, and though the current lineup features no original members, founder Rickey Medlocke hand-picked it continues to act as the band’s producer. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Timothy Eerie with Veiny Hands, Luxury Mane Crafting spaced-out pop-warped psych-garage out of Orlando comes Timothy Eerie, a band, not a person, that serves up weird yet somehow catchy sounds made to listen to after taking a dose, and possibly written under trippy influences. Debut release Collide~A~Scope ambles and bounces, fuzzes and sways, warps and twists into interesting directions, the vocals hooting coos, echoing lo-fi croons and tape-recorded transmissions. The three-song EP is currently available on limited edition hand-numbered, hand-stamped purple cassette, and they’ll likely be hawking copies at this Saturday night date as joined by a few fine local psych-indie rock acts. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Aquabunga Fest Be prepared to get wet when the Nine Ten throws a big ol’ water-themed blow-out in honor of the summer solstice, bringing 22 fine bands from the Bay area and beyond to play three stages over 12 hours. Food (a barbecue smoker pit paired with food by Jimbos Joint), vendors, live art, raffles, and more, are paired with live tunes by, among others, Pleasures, Lions After Dark, RedFeather, Sonic Graffiti, Young Egypt, Jellyfish Brothers, Jun and Hussar. Swimwear and shorts suggested, super soakers and other water sport toys encouraged. (The Nine 10, St. Petersburg)
Happy Together Tour with The Turtles feat. Flo & Eddie, Mark Lindsay, The Buckinghams, The Cowsills, The Association, The Grass Roots I can’t keep up with the gravy train of nostalgia tours that cycle through town. This one touches on ‘60s pop and rock. The Turtles have always been led by Flo & Eddie (vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman), are behind the hit that names this tour: “So Happy Together.” Also noteworthy: Mark Lindsay, who once led the groove-hawking Paul Revere and the Raiders (“Kicks”), and The Cowsills, a band of kin that originally inspired The Partridge Family with sunshine-y tracks like “The Rain, The Park & Other Things” and “Indian Lake,” and is currently led by one-time youngest member, Susan. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
ALSO TONIGHT
Carl Palmer Englewood Events Center, Sarasota
Applebutter Express w/Soul Purpose Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio w/Michael J Weiss Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Not Broken Yet Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
Shock and Awe II: Worlds Divide Album Release Show and Screaming At The Silence w/Psykotribe/Deabsolve State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Homegrown Hip Hop 7 The Local 662, St. Petersburg
The Bloody Jug Band Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Dixiewhiskey/Headstate/Against My Will/Auditory Armory/Camrose Brass Mug, Tampa
Blame the Dealer feat. Stegosarus The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg
Pretty Voices/Gino & The Goons/Zanesville/Dull Blades Fubar, St. Petersburg
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2015.

