A breakdown of concert highlights for this Sat., July 23…
NoNeed Album Release Show Tampa Bay-brewed reggae-pop rockers NoNeed have been grinding hard since busting onto the scene three years ago made up of grads from the USF School of Music program, and started hitting the national tour circuit last summer behind 2014 debut full-length All That We Are. This date celebrates the release of its follow-up EP, The Beginning, its title track opening with a mix of distorted guitar riffs and sexy sax solos before breaking into breezy swaying island grooves and few-part vocal harmonies. Party warm-up from UNRB, Summer Survivors and Seranation. Peep the Facebook invite page here. Get a copy of the new EP here. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
The Grey 8's with Funny Bunny, Smokestack Lightning The Grey 8’s craft lazy, hazy lo-fi psychedelic garage-blues from Miami that has a distinctive warbly vintage quality and a guitarist, Danny Burns, who has a gritty-booming lead vocal in tracks like “Golden Strings,” while he takes on a snottier punk tone in the fast-paced rocker that is “Unlockit.” A pretty cool (and free) Saturday night bill that also features post-disco ‘70s glam trio Funny Bunny and raucous heady-garage outfit Smokestack Lightning, both from Tampa. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)
Ken Stringfellow with Tierney Tough, Brian Merrill Even though this BYOB, standing-room show has a limit of 40 tickets, and the sell-out is certain (it might even happen before this goes live today – reserve HERE), you should be hipped to what’ll likely be a rather historic event: singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist producer and arranger Ken Stringfellow – known for his tenure with The Posies, and studio work with R.E.M. and a post-reformation Big Star among many others – is playing a super intimate in-store. So intimate that you can probably count his nose-hairs, if you can bear to tear your eyes from his mesmerizing gaze as he sings his sweetly high-toned serenades. (Microgroove, Tampa)
ALSO TONIGHT
Counting Crows / Rob Thomas Sat., July 23, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Lauren Mitchell: Unplugged and Plugged Sat., July 23, Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
Toxic Shock/The Machinist Sat., July 23, Brass Mug, Tampa
Passerine w/Ella Jet Sat., July 23, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Rosewood Creek Album Release Party Sat., July 23, Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
American Supermodel w/Four Star Riot/Save the Radio Sat., July 23, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Ted Nugent w/The Raskins Sat., July 23, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
LEO: An Expression of Love for Venture Compound w/Mark Castle/Dr. Grimm/Shifted Grim/DEA and Saint/Jon Ditty Diddier Sat., July 23, Venture Compound, St. Petersburg
Donner Reed/FrostFang/Chlover/Fero Lux Sat., July 23, Fubar, St. Petersburg
This article appears in Jul 21-28, 2016.