This Sat., March 5, is jam-packed with concert options. Take a look at the breakdown of highlights below…
Reggae Rise Up Festival with Dirty Heads & more It’s a cornucopia of posi-vibes, heady scents, and bouncing, swaying, shuffling and grooving sounds when the Reggae Rise Up Festival lands on the St. Pete waterfront. The event kicks off at 2 p.m. with sets by Oceanstone, Resinated, Tatanka, Sun Dried Vibes, Fortunate Youth, Stick Figure and Tribal Seeds culminating in a headlining performance by Dirty Heads, a Cali-brewed sextet with a melodic, hip hop-infused brand of alt-reggae rock that’s seen some chart success in pop-catchy odes “My Sweet Summer” and “Lay Me Down.” (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)
Alternative Press Tour with State Champs, Neck Deep, Knuckle Puck, Like Pacific The well-regarded monthly rag dedicated to alternative music presents its annual multi-band tour, and leading the fray for the six-week world tour is State Champs. The upstate New York quintet plies tight catchy pop-punk with sweetly heartfelt vocal melodies, and they’re currently on tour behind sophomore LP, 2015’s Around the World and Back. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
The Moody Blues This tour marks the 50th anniversary of lead guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge becoming members of English psych-prog band The Moody Blues with Graeme Edge, Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder, and subsequently releasing 1966 single “Fly Me High.” Though the latter two have retired from the road, the former three have soldiered on through the years; this is their first time back in Clearwater since 2012. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Boogie Woogie Piano Stomp Now in its seventh year, the Boogie Woogie Piano Stomp assembles a lineup of fine boogie blues artists to bang out odes on a pair of grand pianos set up on the Side Door stage. This year’s festivities are led by Detroit’s keys icon Bob Seeley, who’s earned comparisons to the late great "Honky Tonk Train Blues" pianist/composer Meade Lux Lewis. Also performing on this night: Baltimore-brewed booming-voiced Daryl Davis, 21-year-old German sensasion Luca Sestak from Germany, and St. Pete faves Liz Pennock & Dr. Blues. The last three Stomps were sell-outs, so don’t sleep on this one, folks. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
Southern Culture On The Skids Beloved vets of the garage-rockabilly-surf circuit, North Carolina trio SCOTS (guitarist Rick Miller, bassist Mary Huff and drummer Dave Hartman) have been doling out cheeky odes about rural living (“Dirt Track Date,” “White Trash,” “Double Wide”), food (“Too Much Pork for Just One Fork”) and freaky people, places, things and deeds (check out their Zombified EP) since the ’87, and usually draw a hefty crowd to their Bay area shows. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall I love looking back at old Herb Alpert album covers. They have such a comfortingly vintage feel, always with a bold splash of color, distinctive font and intriguing photo; I mean, Whipped Cream and Other Delights, with the model clad in chiffon and shaving cream? Classic – and apparently so popular with Alpert fans at the time that during concerts, before launching into “Whipped Cream,” Alpert would comment, “Sorry, we can't play the cover for you!” Not sure if, more than four decades later, the trumpeter who came up with vaguely Mexi-flavored AC jazz-pop continues to play the song (he has more than 40 albums to his credit), but I imagine he puts on a fine show regardless, as joined by songbird wife and collaborator, Lani Hall. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Tampa Pro Party with Yelawolf, Mike Mass Not only is Yelawolf a known skateboarder, but the Shady Records-repped Alabama rapper is pretty good at it – at least, as good as he can get fitting the extreme sport into whatever free time that falls amid recording and touring behind albums like last year’s ambitious sophomore effort, Love Story. Bet he’s gonna have fun headlining the 22nd annual Tampa Pro Party, its highlight the Converse Concrete Jam (a tricks contest) featuring a 10k purse. Find out more about the Pro Party as well as the intersecting cultures of skateboarding and music in this week’s story here. (Skatepark Of Tampa, Tampa)
Melanie Martinez with Alvarez Kings “Someone’s turning the handle to the faucet in your eyes / They’re pouring out where everyone can see them,” coos former Voice contestant Melanie Martinez on the title track of her debut album, Cry Baby. This theme of hiding vulnerabilities from the world pervades the rest of the album, too – from “Dollhouse” (“Everyone thinks that we're perfect / please don't let them look through the curtains”) to the Selena Gomez/Lana Del Rey hybrid, “Sippy Cup” (“All the makeup in the world won’t make you less insecure”). Sugary sweet vocals, makeout-ready trip-hop beats and nostalgic imagery balance her dark lyrical tendencies, however, while her sound is dreamlike yet danceable ala pop-anthem stand-out “Pity Party.” Warm-up from the even more atmospheric and hazy Alvarez Kings, a Sheffield band that blends Coldplay vocal stylings with bright, light guitars. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City) –Leanne Castro
ALSO TONIGHT
Road To Neptune Album Release Party w/Blu J.D./Dabron Kain & Doralissett/Arielle Chi & Demo/Rival/Shevonne Philidor Sat., March 5, Fubar, St. Petersburg
Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival Concert: Gary Allen Sat., March 5, Busch Gardens, Tampa
Sun Signs/The Real Clash/Rising Down Sat., March 5, Brass Mug, Tampa
Meatball Fest w/Burning Fair Verona/And One For All/Aegeus/From the Embrace/Akeldama/Prepare The Grave Sat., March 5, Local 662, St. Petersburg
Pretty Voices w/Gino And The Goons Sat., March 5, The Hub, downtown Tampa
ROAR! w/Row Jomah Sat., March 5, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
This article appears in Mar 3-9, 2016.