It's a nice looking night in live music on this Sat., Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. You made it through alive — time to celebrate!
SWIMM with FayRoy SWIMM might have left the sandy shores of Florida behind to pursue their music-making dreams in LA, but native musicians/band founders Chris Hess and Adam Winn return here regularly (likely to visit the fam), and St. Pete is the last date on their mini tour of the Sunshine State. The psychedelic rock on fresh Beverly Hells EP blend sunny chiming strains with driving and whirling instrumental propulsion built on trippy keyboard passages, lowend that varies between easy swinging grooves and heavy fuzzed-out force, and guitars bringing breezy, crunchy or pedal-effected tones. Also performing is Indian Rocks Beach outfit FayRoy, which infuses their own warped-watery surf and ethereal psych-folk washes with threads of tinkling and curling melody. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)
Mountain Holler, Kersey Williams, Rogerthomas, STOIC Four local solo artists with diverse stylings gather for this Saturday night Fubar bill, among them, alt folk-pop songstress Kersey Williams, who has a honeyed higher register vocal tone and pretty tunes that mix Casio experimentation with plucked and strummed ukulele; and STOIC, who produces glitch-trippy, down-tempo, sample-strewn electroscapes. (Fubar, St. Petersburg)
Shoeless Soul with Troy Youngblood & Soulfish Best of the Bay-winning Rene Schlegel-led quartet Shoeless Soul took home a 2015 award this year for their textured fusion of funk, jazz, reggae and rock with international pop music sounds, and on this night, is joined by fellow comrade-in-jams Troy Youngblood, who brings the grooving blues and roots sounds of his Soulfish to the night’s tuneful feel good fun. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)
Non-Denominational Post Holiday Ruckus with Reverend Billy C. Wirtz, Ronny Elliott, Steve Connelly Humorous South Carolina native bluesman Rev. Billy C. Wirtz bangs keys and fluctuates between rusty-voiced belting and talking through odes that are pretty much stand-up routines set to passages on piano, with topics ranging from narratives about his experiences playing for redneck audiences (“Stairway to Freebird”) to the stories his mom told him to ensure he behaved (“Sleeper Hold on Satan”). This bill finds Wirtz joined by the Bay area’s favorite troubadour of wry folk rock sounds, Ronny Elliott. Guitarist/songwriter Steve Connelly, a late add, will also be performing on this night. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Marshmello It’s another anonymous (disguised by mask) EDM producer. Well, he was, anyway, until his friend, Skrillex, slipped up and revealed Marshmello’s identity while being interviewed by Katie Couric, of all people. We’ll keep his secret for now (if you’re really curious, look it up), since he continues to perform in the cranium-covering head-piece that’s shaped like his gooey namesake (with X’s for eyes and a stupid-goofy grin) while dishing out synthy-sexy trap and future bass productions. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
Rosewood Creek; Soul Saturday with Danielle DeCosmo & Blackbird Morning Hideaway Café presents two separate shows with distinctive sounds. The early (8 p.m.) set features Rosewood Creek, a roots rock and Americana quintet from St. Pete that pits masculine-feminine vocal harmonies against a textured, sunlit mix that’s heavy on strings (acoustic, electric and 12-string guitars, lapsteel, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, ukulele) and lighter on percussion. The regularly scheduled Soul Saturday music series with Danielle DeCosmo and Blackbird Morning launches a little later than usual and brings the evening to a grooving close. (Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Kristopher James, Kyle Chason, Jason Guy Smiley, Lance Howell An intriguing post-Christmas in-store featuring Florida talent that includes a few locals – richly emotive, whistle-proficient singer-songwriter Kristopher James and whiskey-kicking tunesmith Kyle Chason (of the Swindlin’ Hearts) – along with two Gainesville acts: fiery folk-punk purveyor Jason Guy Smiley and Lance Howell, frontman of Big Shoals and vigorous roots rocker in his own right. (Planet Retro Records, St. Petersburg)
Abortion Twins, Beerwolf, Unchecked Aggression Exorcise all those post-holiday demons to the tunes of three ball-busting local acts; rah-rah guitar-raging punk comedy makers the Abortion Twins (“Cocksucker in a Three-Piece Suit” and “I'm Not Elite, But I'm Better Than You” should get everyone going), eardrum-busting doom-stoner metal grind-and-burn outfit Beerwolf, and brass-blistered ska-punk force, Unchecked Aggression. (Brass Mug, Tampa)
ALSO TONIGHT
Kid Royal & the Hang Ups w/Amber Lynn Nicol Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Dean Johanesen – Live & Local Straz Center for Performing Arts Riverwalk, Tampa
Jah Reggae Movement Ringside Café, St. Petersburg
FMF (Florida Metal Fest) Battle of the Bands 2 w/Chlover/Lobotomy/RipTorn/Suffering Tool/Tyrannophobia/Unsung Destroyer Crowbar, Ybor City
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2015.