THURSDAY, MARCH 21
A Solo Evening with Bruce Hornsby The classy, rusty-voiced keysman and perpetrator of AC-charting hits like “The Way It Is,” “Mandolin Rain” and “The Valley Road” draws from influences that encompass easy riding folk, breezy AC pop-rock, light blues and jazz, and classical music, though he’s the first to acknowledge his ever evolving creativity and stylistic approaches. Regular sit-ins with the Grateful Dead and post-Dead groups, his ongoing live downloads series, and a double album of live performances from his 2007-09 tours, 2011’s Bride Of The Noisemakers, reflect his more recent improvisatory mindset. On this intimate solo date, it’s just Bruce and his grand piano. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Deftones w/Periphery Last year saw Grammy-winning alt-metal sextet Deftones issuing album number seven, Koi No Yokan, though it was their second minus recovering-from-a-near-fatal-accident bassist Chi Cheng and plus replacement Sergio Vega, who was more active in the recording of this album than the last. The band is as ferocious as ever, as in lead-off track “Tempest,” which finds frontman Chino Moreno oscillating between seethe and moan, and rage-filled roars (“I’d like you to take me, apart from the inside, then spit through the cycle, right to the end!”) over thick ominous guitars riffs and propulsive surging rhythms. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Handguns w/State Champs/Veara/City Lights Pop punk outfit Handguns hit town on their headlining “Pardon My Angst” tour backing high-octane latest album Angst, with like acts providing support. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa)
Emperor X w/Alexander Charos/The Other Ryan Willis LA-by-way-of-Jacksonville’s C. R. Matheny (better known as Emperor X) lays nasally, youthfully fresh vocals over a boisterousy skewed pop and folktronic aesthetic, his cockeyed turns at songwriting ranging from a melancholic break-up ode named ironically for a denial-of-service attack application (“Low Orbit Ion Cannon”), to the BTU-wasting air conditioner of “Compressor Repair” that the narrator keeps trying to fix because, he implores, “I want you to be cool.” Both are featured on Fourteen Live Recordings, a new Emperor X release due out later this year. He most recently set the interwebs abuzz with his geocaching art project, The Blythe Archives (a series of EP releases containing hidden clues, codes, or hints directing listeners to geocached master tapes that unlock even more material), and for his habit of burying his master tapes, one-off songs and lo-fi demos at sites around the world while he’s on tour. His performances have been described as ‘half Billy Bragg-inspired anarcho-electric sing-alongs, half Lee “Scratch” Perry lo-fi dub live sessions.’ (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)
(the) Umbrella Cult w/Physical Plant Frothing up from Sarasota’s hotbed of indie music talent, (the) Umbrella Cult purveys ’60s/’70s vintage- scuffed psych-garage pop that is has a nice dose of tooth-aching tambourine charm, strong male lead and female backing vocals, and marching upbeat rhythms. Their 2013 self-produced album, Apocalove, is intriguing enough for a return listen. (The Hub, Tampa)
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
Revival Tour: Matt Pryor, Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Jenny Owen Youngs Now in its sixth year, The Revival Tour was initially inspired by old-fashioned folk musician get-togethers and it has seen a revolving cast of guests along with receiving international praise for its stripped-down sets and live collaborations between performing artists. This tour around features Matt Pryor from The Get Up Kids, Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music, Seattle-based singer/songwriter Rocky Votolato, and NJ-based singer/songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs. (The Social, Orlando) —Shannon Kelly
Saigon Kick Reunion w/Save the Radio! Remember that acoustic guitar-driven hair metal ballad from 1992, “Love Is on the Way”? Yea, that was Saigon Kick, delivering five albums worth of hard rock direct from Miami until they disbanded in the late ’90s. This 20th anniversary tour reunites original members Matt Kramer, Phil Varone, Jason Bieler and Chris McLernon. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Inspecter 7 w/The Apes/Control This/Die Trying/Dos Proper Rudos All three waves of ska sounds collide in the vibrant, springy, Skatalites-brassy music of New Jersey-bred nine-piece, Inspecter 7, which hits town supporting a third full-length, 2012’s Escapes and Illusions. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
King of Prussia Poster Boys or: The Art of Mobile Recording is a documentary that follows two musicians — King of Prussia’s Brandon Hanick (a Dunedin native) and longtime multi-instrumentalist collaborator Nathan Troutman — as they use their traveling poster sales job to finance an ambitious project to record an album on the road for their side project, Cool Moments. The film premieres and the twosome performs this Saturday at Gasparilla Film Festival. They also play a free in-store of indie psych pop with King of Prussia at 9 p.m. sharp, hyping a new light-and-dark double album, Zonian Girls & Summer Spooks, featuring contributions from more than 20 guests. They’ll also be hawking copies of 2012 LP, Transmissions from The Grand Strand. (Microgroove, Tampa)
Tim Reynolds & TR3 w/Sol Driven Train Mostly underrated Dave Matthews Band axeman Tim Reynolds makes his annual appearance at the Skipperdome with his solo side trio, TR3, which currently encompasses bassist Mick Vaughn and drummer Dan Martier. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra New Age jazz meets nouveau Spanish flare in Ottmar Liebert’s music, though on 2012’s Dune, his bright plucks, cadenced strums and textural phrasing on flamenco guitar is joined by strains of accordion-hued melody, fretless basslines, clap-filled percussive backing and occasional electric guitar solos. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Rock Symphony Show: Roger Hodgson Breakfast in America stands as the highest international seller of UK prog-art rock group Supertramp, one-time lead singer, keys player and songwriter Roger Hodgson piping shrill melodies in platinum hits like “Take the Long Way Home,” “The Logical Song,” “Goodbye Stranger” and the piano-boppin’ title track. On his current solo tour, he plays these along with select other cuts from the Supertramp catalog backed by a full band that’s filled out by a many-piece orchestra for Ruth Eckerd’s special Rock Symphony series; lasers included. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Gringo Star w/The Sh-Booms/Wolf-Face Atlanta psych-and-pop-washed indie rock outfit Gringo Star has scaled back to three members (brothers Nick and Peter Furgiuele with Chris Kaufmann), and are on the road behind a 2012 self-recorded 7” release featuring two new tracks, “Going Way Out” and “Taller.” (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Family of the Year w/The Mowgli’s LA-based outfit Family of the Year — which is currently supporting 2012 sophomore full-length Loma Vista — hit public consciousness when their clap-and-tambourine filled multi-voice chorale, “ChugJug,” was featured in a pervasive 2010 Advil commercial. Steven Tyler has been much quoted for likening their uplifting, airy folk-Americana to “The Mamas & The Papas on acid.” LA eight-piece The Mowgli’s open the tour with their big, percussive roots rock and a joyfully infectious single that’s been all over the airwaves right now, “San Francisco” off 2012 Love’s Not Dead EP. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
OTEP w/One Eyed Doll Commanding and intense nu metal frontwoman Otep Shamaya announced that Otep’s 2013 sixth LP, Hydra — produced by Ulrich Wild (Pantera, Static X, Deftones) and released by Victory Records last year — would be their last. The conceptual work was born from a graphic novel Shamaya has been working on about a girl “corrupted by the world, corrugated by evil, ripped away from the golden, molten elixir of creativity and abandoned on the placid, jagged rocks of a cruel and barbaric island … This is a story of her personal alchemy of Theophagy, revenge and righteousness.” (Brass Mug, Tampa)
The World/Inferno Friendship Society w/Stolen Babies/The Dead Popes/Recreant A colorful collective led by theatric singer Jack Terricloth that has seen musicians like Franz Nicolay and Brian Viglione cycle through its ranks, Brooklyn’s The World/Inferno Friendship Society orchestrates lush, cheeky, upbeat, pro-anarchist tunes that fuse cabaret, punk, rock, Klezmer and swinging jazz styles, and add a boost of strings and brass. World Inferno teamed up with cartoonist Mitch Clem to present 2013’s Turnstile Comix #2, a three-song 7” vinyl EP accompanied by a 40-page comic book telling some of the group’s most outrageous stories from the road. Accordion-wielding avant metal/dark cabaret act Stolen Babies joins them on this tour backing 2012 full-length, Naught. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
Tampa Pro Party w/Big Boi/Metz The 2012 sophomore effort by beloved Dirty South/Outkast rhymer Big Boi, Dangerous Lies and Vicious Rumors, shows off his nimble lyrical prowess and expert molding of hip-hop-as-pop. Dangerous doles out addictive sonic treats, including numerous collabs that don’t jumble in a disjointed mess (as Pitchfork’s critic claimed). On the contrary, the continuity from song to song with recurring instrumentation and vocalists, is as admirable as the album’s broad stylistic scope and precise production. It’s like an old-school variety show in a record with an all-star array of duets and trios, ranging from Destiny’s Child former Kelly Rowland in “Mama Told Me” to indie acts Wavves and Phantogram. With a dynamic range highlighted by seemingly disparate elements — ethereal background vocals by way of Phantogram, rapid-fire rhymes, unusual electronic arrangements throughout and delicate acoustics in places, Dangerous is that rare example of today’s eclectic mindset done right — all thanks to one badass master of ceremonies. Big Boi hits town to headline SPOT’s Tampa Pro Party. Also on the bill: grungy, Sub Pop-repped Canadian noise-rock trio Metz. (The Ritz, Ybor) —Julie Garisto
Naughty by Nature Treach, Vin Rock and DJ Kay Gee brought East Coast hip hop to mainstream Hot 100 pop charts with call-and-response hits like “O.P.P.” and “Hip Hop Hooray,” the Bob Marley-sampled “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” and the more R&B-pop oriented “Jamboree.” The New Jersey trio’s last album, Anthem Inc., dropped in 2011. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Kerli A young, bleached-blonde dance club star gushed about by Perez Hilton (“Kerli pours those sweet melodies in our ears and we simply can’t stop slurpin’ them up!”) and fresh off the release of a new EP, UTOPIA, out this week on Island Records. (Liquid Nightclub, Ybor City)
The Casualties w/In Defence Despite never being in step with “commercial punk-rock” nor possessing the desire to do so, NYC-based street punk veterans The Casualties have proven themselves as timeless road-dogs since their 1990 inception. Because of consistently sporting fanned Mohawks, liberty-spikes, and studded leather, they might appear to be caricatures of what punk rockers are supposed to look like, but to their loyal fanbase, the foursome are the embodiment of the golden-era of street punk. (Brass Mug, Tampa) —Justin Little
Twenty One Pilots w/New Politics/Five Knives Twenty One Pilots ascended from Columbus, Ohio and were picked up by Atlantic subsidiary Fueled By Ramen last year; third full-length Vessel dropped in January. Their ear-catching sound fuses elements of hip hop and pop-hooky alt-rock as delivered by singer-songwriter Tyler Joseph (vocals, piano, ukelele, synths) and current musical cohort, drummer Josh Dun. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Caravan of Thieves w/The Hackensaw Boys A New England quartet fronted by harmonizing husband-and-wife team Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni, Caravan of Thieves brew vibrant-hued gypsy-vaudevillian jazz and folk-pop. They strum and flay acoustic guitars with Django-inspired relish while singing about candy, rattlesnakes and raising the dead as bandmate Ben Dean’s violin notes deliver rousing or mournful wailing melodies over a steady anchor of lowend double bass grooves by Brian Anderson. Dark carnival-vibing 2012 album The Funhouse maintains their unplugged sound but incorporates banjos, resonator guitars, ukuleles and plenty of found percussion. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Hymn for Her Album Party w/The Burke Brothers Country blues-cranking couple Lucy Tight and Wayne Waxing hit town frequently — hell, the Hymn for Her twosome reside and write on the road, in a 16-foot silver Bambi Airstream trailer, and our weather here is particularly nice in the winter, so why not? Lately, they’ve been raising funds via Kickstarter.com to help with the costs of releasing 2013 album Lucy & Wayne’s Smokin Flames along with its trademark jalapenos-and-bananas hot sauce. This show is one of the last pushes before the campaign ends on March 29. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Machine Gun Kelly A white tatted rapper from Cleveland, Ohio frequently compared to Eminem for his personal, rapid-fire delivery (hence his MGK handle). His debut full-length, Lace Up, was issued on Bad Boy/Interscope Records last year, featured an all-star cast of producers and guests (including Puff Daddy himself), and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, MARCH 24
Alicia Keys In her “Set the World on Fire Tour” video teasers, piano soul-pop songstress Alicia Keys offers a behind-the-scenes look at her rehearsals and preparations for the upcoming months on the road — a glimpse of the inner workings of putting together a world tour, from assembling the stage layout to the choreography, and a more intimate look at the intensive two-hours-a-day vocal practice she presses through to prepare for performing 48 nights worth of shows. Alicia introduced a new interactive feature this tour, inviting fans to send pictures of themselves through the “BlackBerry Keep Moving Hub” to be used in a music video for Keys’ song “Illuminate Me,” with each city on her tour getting its own unique video featuring fans from that city. More info at aliciakeys.com. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)
Wet Willie Band w/Jimmy Hall/Johnny G. Lyons Band/Sydney A Southern rock, R&B and blues show headlined by Wet Willie, featuring singer and harp man Jimmy Hall, at 8 p.m., with a fiery cooking opening set of slide-driven fare by Bill Wharton, “The Sauce Boss” (come hungry, leave full of gumbo) at 5:30 p.m. The Johnny G. Lyon Band and Sydney also perform. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Chick Corea & Bela Fleck Two iconic musicians who won a Latin Grammy for their 2007 album The Enchantment unite for a concert of piano and banjo duets. Prolific composer and ivories genius Chick Corea netted 18 Grammys as he carved his way through four decades of music, most notably as one of Miles Davis’ well-regarded sidemen and as a member of Return to Forever, though his awards are mostly for prolific solo output that reaches across genres into classical music and far beyond. Banjo master Béla Fleck (15 Grammys) is versed in bebop jazz, bluegrass, pop and has even explored the African origins of banjo with musicians from the continent. Together, they’ll perform each of their own most well-known fare, cuts off The Enchantment, and a mix of jazz, bluegrass, rock, flamenco, pop and gospel standards. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Natural Vibrations w/Burning Tree/Tribal Style Pepper isn’t the only reggae rock band with Hawaiian roots, but Natural Vibes (Natty Vibes for short) has remained in their O’ahu island home and released six party-vibing LPs since forming in 1996. New single “Make You Stay” is carried on melodious multi-voice harmonies and easy hand percussion. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
HRVRD w/Junior Astronomers Charlotte, N.C.’s HRVRD is fresh off supporting letlive.’s tour, and headlines this leg of dates with their cinematic angular post-rock, backing a much-anticipated sophomore full-length and debut on Equal Vision Records, From the Bird’s Cage, its underlying dissonance bringing a sense of disquiet to the record. Fellow Charlottians, Junior Astronomers, open with raw post-punk flavor. (The Hub, Tampa)
TUESDAY, MARCH 26
Queen Latifah We don’t see Queen Latifah step aside from her coveted acting career to take the stage too often, though she started as a ball-busting hip hop artist and in recent years transitioned into the role of jazz chanteuse. Once she starts her hosting gig this fall on The Queen Latifah Show, I imagine a chance to see the Jersey-born Queen belting jazz standards — as she does on this four-date Florida tour — will grow ever smaller. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27
Minus the Bear/Circa Survive w/Now Now In “Sharp Practice” off 2012’s Violent Waves, the high jagged wails of Circa Survive lead singer Anthony Green climb and wheel over beds of clean and distorted dueling guitars notes, all carried on galloping rhythmic propulsion. The Philly fusers of prog, metal and alt rock self-released and produced their fourth LP, an attempt to capture their dynamic live sound on disc. Circa Survive joins Seattle outfit Minus the Bear for this co-headlining tour. “These guys consistently put on some of the best live shows I’ve gotten to witness,” CL freelancer Andrew Silverstein wrote after Minus the Bear’s Orlando show last fall. “Yeah, they fell off the map after poppy math rock faded into obscurity in the early 2000s, but have still managed to ride on some modicum of success with a linear succession of solid-and-catchy to droll, desperate albums over the past few years. Guitarist Dave Knudson is a wildly interesting figure on stage as he taps, loops, and strums through a finger-breaking assortment of weirdly-catchy and asymmetrical riffs that have become the band’s defining trait.” Warming up the stage is Now, Now, a Minneapolis alt-rock trio with sweet-toned girlish vocal harmonies and upbeat pop appeal. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Mar 21-27, 2013.