THURSDAY, JUNE 14
Orgone w/Green Sunshine A group of vinyl-loving friends and self-taught musicians steeped in Los Angeles' DJ culture formed Orgone as an instrumental quintet in 2002, and it has since evolved into an eight-piece with a two-horn brass section and sassy femme vocalist (Niki J. Crawford) who enhance the band’s gritty raw and vigorous take on '70s-style heavy-driving funk, Afrobeat and psychedelic soul. Orgone is signed to Ubiquity Records (which also reps SF outfit Monophonics), and is currently working on their fifth full-length. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —LP
Jackyl w/LA Pussycat/Lit Up Get your Southern metal thrash on when Jackyl hits town with their hard-hitting, hard-pounding high-octane sounds to St. Pete, with high-screeching vocalist Jesse James Dupree leading the hair-flaying festivities. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Driver Friendly w/The Mother Machine Austin-based septet Driver Friendly still brandishes the pop punk tendencies of their yester years — catchy hooks, upbeat synths and keys, and general hope-amid-the-shit appeal — but has progressed to a more propulsive alt rock sound and embraced a sort of unpolished raucousness. Commanding lead vocals deliver mature lyrics bolstered by strong multi-voice choruses, a double horn punch adds brassy backbone to ascending keys and guitars, and galloping drums bring energetic momentum to Driver Friendly's triumphant feel. New self-released, self-produced third LP, Bury a Dream, is now available at driverfriendly.bandcamp.com. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
The BoDeans Purveying a warm and stirring brand of fiddle-fused roots rock for nearly three decades is BoDeans. The Milwaukee-based quintet hits town just after the release of 11th studio album American Made, which finds singer, songwriter and band creative force Kurt Neumann getting introspective as he relates his experiences and feelings about growing up in the blue collar heartland and chasing the American dream. Likely you know BoDeans from their 1993 track, "Closer to Free" ("Everybody wants to be …"), made popular in '96 via its use as the theme song in hit TV series Party of Five. Yes, you can admit you watched that… (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)—LP
FRIDAY, JUNE 15
Rays Summer Concert Series: Afrojack I could have predicted the "Jacked America Tour" would switch-out its original Tampa Bay stop from the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall to someplace better known as a venue. (Some booking agent didn't do their homework.) The new landing site – Tropicana Field for a post-Rays game concert – is also a head-scratcher, but at least the rave time vibe of Dutch house producer Afrojack (the man behind Pitbull's 2011 chart-topper, "Give Me Everything") will have a guaranteed audience. How long they'll hang around is another matter entirely. (Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg)—LP
The Bouncing Souls w/The Menzingers/Luther If Bruce Springsteen is New Jersey's favored son, then Bouncing Souls are its red-headed stepchild. Over a 25-year career, the punk rock group has proved an influential part of the DIY punk landscape and seminal in its modern evolution. This week, the foursome issued their ninth and latest full-length, Comet, which was produced by Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) and waxes on such topics as the essential humanity missing from the media in first single "Static," to the title track's theme of living life to its fullest without concern about when that life might end. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Kix Brooks You know this mustachioed Nashville country music artist formerly as one-half of musical duo Brooks & Dunn, who retired from their partnership and went their respective ways in 2009. While Brooks was more support to Dunn's lead during their 20-year tenure together, he released a solo album before they even met and after some downtime operating his successful winery and continuing work on his radio show, American County Countdown, he's re-settled into solo mode for 2012 with some live dates and a fresh-pressed starting-over single "New to This Town," featuring guest guitar by Joe Walsh. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)—LP
So Happy Together Tour w/The Turtles feat. Flo & Eddie/Gary Puckett & The Union Gap/Micky Dolenz/The Grass Roots/The Buckinghams The traveling nostalgia show that began in 1985 returns to the hall with its latest edition, headed up by the band that originally wrote "So Happy Together," The Turtles featuring original founders Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, who started performing as "Flo and Eddie" (The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie) during downtime from their post-Turtles gig with Mothers of Invention. Also on the 2012 tour is a string of schmaltzy pop makers – singer Micky Dolenz of The Monkees fame, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (“Young Girl”) and The Buckinghams ("Kind of a Drag") – and the more rock-oriented Grass Roots (“Let’s Live for Today”). (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)—LP
Loins / Permanent Makeup / Month Mind / Just Satellites Enjoy a four-sided shot of boisterous, ball-busting local music that includes a set by Loins, the new noise/punk/no wave group that has Sleepy Vikings beat-blaster, Ryann Slauson, bringing her frontwman game into play. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
The Queen Extravaganza This production pays tribute to the music and legacy of Queen as directed by the band’s iconic drummer, Roger Taylor. Nearly 40 Queen songs are represented, including all the usual anthemic or dance-inducing suspects — "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Another One Bites the Dust," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," "Under Pressure," "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions," "Somebody to Love" and "Killer Queen" — as presented by a full band that includes three back-up singers and a Mercury-channeling frontman with very powerful pipes. (Ferguson Hall at The Straz Center, downtown Tampa)—LP
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
Marty Balin Acoustic A locally-based rocker and frequent player on Bay area stages, Balin (co-founder, lead vocalist and guitarist for Jefferson Airplane and Starship) performs an intimate acoustic show of select hits and lesser-known cuts from his career-spanning catalog. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)—LP
Redliners w/Guilford Blackouts/Lemon Law/The TroTs The last date on their week-long Southeastern tour not only marks a welcome homecoming for Tampa area trio The Redliners, but their first hometown show in 2012. The trio brews up made for whiskey-drinking and ass-kicking rock n' roll, self-styled "Truck Stop Doo-Wop" that ranges from the brash rockabilly of "Born Cheater" to the Celtic punk-tinged "American Boy" and more snotty stomping rage of "The Shakes." Singer/guitarist Justin Little leads the thrust with resonant, gruff-drawling howls, and the firm bouncing lowend support and rhythms are provided by bassist Brian Breseman and drummer Chris Yack. The trio has released three albums since forming nine years ago. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Lost in the Trees w/Daytona Classically-trained singer-composer Ari Picker helms Lost in the Trees, and his background and interest in film scoring is infused in his band's expansive and cinematic folkestral sound. Picker's sweetly earnest, higher-register tenor is clear cutting melody against the N.C. collective's grandiose washes of string and horn arrangements, and occasional operatic arias of Emma Nadeau (who also plays French horn, bells and accordion) bring added drama. This tour supports Lost in the Trees' 2012 LP, A Church That Fits Our Needs. The intriguing sophomore effort finds Picker paying musical tribute to his deceased mother in a way that manages to feel uplifting amid the gentle melancholy. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
The Family Stone Remember when Afros and leopard print were the style of the times instead of faux-hawks and skinny jeans? Or maybe when soul music ruled the airwaves and the sounds of dubstep were relegated to old fax machines? Let nostalgia take over this Saturday as The Family Stone (formerly "Sly" and the Family Stone) take the stage of The Club at Treasure Island. Join the latest incarnation of the "First Family of Funk" as they revive the spirit of the late '60s and early '70s. Three original founding members (sax player Jerry Martini, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, and drummer Greg Errico) lead a septet performing hits like "Everyday People" and "Dance to the Music" for the true funk-heads of Tampa Bay. The concert begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at theclubti.com and a portion of proceeds benefit All Children's Hospital. (The Club at Treasure Island, Treasure Island) –Jean Henry
Fiesta MAXIMA w/Tito El Bambino/Prince Royce/Gocho/Adolescent's Orquesta A day-long Latin music festival as hosted by 92.5-FM Máxima Radio and headlined by Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin pop superstar Tito El Bambino. (1-800-Ask-Gary-Amphitheatre, Tampa)—LP
Good Vibrations: Brian Wilson's 70th Birthday Party and Tribute w/Talk to Mark/Ricky Wilcox and the Moonsnakes/Paul Wilborn and Blue Roses/Zulu Wave/Scone Train/Sandy Atkinson/Ronny Elliott/Rebekah Pulley Trio/Lights at Night/JezGrew/Florida Kilos/Americana Without Borders/Christie Lenée/Dirty Spoons/Acho Brother/many more Just a month after the Beach Boys performed at the Straz, WMNF is bringing together many of the usual suspects for a tribute to the band's founder, leader and recognized genius, Brian Wilson. Wilson is, as you know, touring with the Boys in support of a new album, That's Why God Made the Radio (check out my review at cltampa.com/music) and in celebration of their 50th anniversary as a group. The eclectic lineup — ranging from the Latin-inflected grooves of Tampa perennial Acho Brother leader Hector Mayoral to the power-pop jangliness of Ricky Wilcox and the Moonsnakes — promises at least 50 songs covering the Beach Boys and Wilson's music. Doors open at 5 p.m., with bands scheduled to play to midnight. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) –Anthony Salveggi
Jon Oliva's Pain w/Jet City/The Eternal Effect Billed as "Celebrating 25 Years of Savatage," this show is headlined by the one-time frontman of that locally-bred prog metal band with his current one, Jon Oliva's Pain, and embraces the legacy he helped build in a show featuring a full-album performance of Savatage’s seminal 1987 record, Hall of the Mountain King. Guitarist Jerry Outlaw joins along with another special guest axeman TBA. —LP(The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)—LP
Roger Waters The fully-realized production of The Wall in 2011 was so lucrative that Waters began planning another one before it was even over. This time around, the tour hits Orlando instead of Tampa, but fans of Pink Floyd's iconic 1979 album will find the trip well worth it. (Amway Center, Orlando)—LP
SUNDAY, JUNE 17
Rays Summer Concert Series: ZZ Top w/3 Doors Down/Gretchen Wilson I can't imagine there's much overlap between fans who like the three totally sundry acts playing this so-called "Gang of Outlaws" tour– classic long-bearded hard rockers ZZ Top, mainstream pop rock drivellers 3 Doors Down, and Grammy-winning country music songstress Gretchen Wilson. The crowd at an afternoon post-Rays game concert will probably be diverse enough that it won't matter, although they might seem more receptive and even merry if the Rays have a successful run against the Marlins. (Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg)—LP
TUESDAY, JUNE 19
The Rocket Summer w/The Scene Aesthetic/States The Rocket Summer is the performing alias of multi-instrumentalist Bryce Avary, who has that nasally, emo-pained but still hopeful howl, and alt-pop rock he builds and produces all by himself with electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, percs, synths, keys, and organ. Live, he's backed by a full band, and on this tour he promotes his just-released fifth LP, Life Will Write the Words. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Applebutter Express w/Fil Pate Fresh from a debut slot at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is Bradenton's ukulele jamgrass funky outfit Applebutter Express, led by harmonizing hubby-and-wife team Shannon and Kyle Biss, he rocking the uke and joined in buoyant instrumental jams by fiddler Joe Trivette and bassist Matt DeSear. Noted local luthier and mandolin whiz Fil Pate opens. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Explosions in the Sky w/Zammuto "Postcard From 1952" off 2011's Take Care, Take Care Take Care is the picture perfect snapshot of an Explosions in the Sky song: slow-burning, expansive instrumental post rock with a trio of guitars driving the momentum. One delivers the light low-end cradle and gliding rhythms carry intertwining melodies, paralleling drops of notes, and dueling textures that slide or scrape against each other as the whole machine escalates to a climactic lift-off replete with crashing drums, all before it scales back to quiet and contemplative. The Texas four-piece has been playing together 13 years, and Take Care is their sixth studio album and highest Billboard charter to date at No. 16. Warm-up act Zammuto is the project of singer-songwriter Nick Zammuto (former frontman of the now-defunct Books), who dropped the fruits of his current labors, an self-titled experimental electro LP, in April. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)—LP
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20
BBQ Wednesday Acoustic Series: Russ Van Cleave The Tim Version's singer-guitarist performs his punk-rooted tunes as part of New World’s hump-day grub and unplugged concert series. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
Scotty McCreery On his current run of dates, McCreery — the darling young (19-year-old) North Carolina country crooner who won the 2011 season of American Idol and went platinum with his debut, Clear As Day — stops into Tampa to play a free mid-week show. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)—LP
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.