THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Less Than Jake Skip the routine date night dinner-and-a-movie, and enjoy funnel cakes, carnival rides, and a ska-mantic Valentine’s Day with Less Than Jake. The Gainesville five-piece puts on a punk-heavy ska show complete with sax and trombone. Best known for 2003 hit “She’s Going to Break Soon,” LTJ has been touring strong since 1992; though their last album of fresh material was 2008’s GNV FLA, 2013 comp Greetings and Salutations contains two brand new tracks. (Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa) —Shannon Kelly
Sheryl Crow w/Holly Williams Nine-time Grammy-winning songstress Sheryl Crow has been popping up all over this past year. Serving as bandleader on the Matt Damon-pirated episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Discussing ex-fiancé Lance Armstrong on Entertainment Tonight after news of his performance-enhancing drug use came out. Performing a duet with Willie Nelson, “If I Were A Carpenter,” during a tribute concert in Austin honoring late country great Johnny Cash that was recorded and offered as a live DVD/CD release in August. Her last album, 2010’s 100 Miles to Memphis, found Crow abandoning her pop-rock roots in favor of a more soulful vintage sound. This is her first time back to Ruth Eckerd since her 2008 sold-out show. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Jane Monheit She’s collabed with Michael Buble, Ray Brown Jr. and Tom Harrell among others and has been kicking around the pop-jazz-cabaret scene since her 2000 debut. The vocalist with the sugared sultry delivery is hyping a forthcoming (out April 16) 11th album, The Heart of the Matter, which includes anything from The Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers/The Long and Winding Road” to her own take on the Sesame Street classic, “Sing.” The album also features Monheit’s first original tune, “Night Night Stars.” (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Alan Parsons Live Project For the next installment of its symphony rock concert series, Ruth Eckerd welcomes Alan Parsons, the pioneering producer, engineer, singer, songwriter and composer known for working on such influential albums as Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and The Beatles’ Abbey Road in addition to issuing his own catalog of well-regarded material. Clearwater is the only symphonic date on his current tour. Click here to read a Q&A with Parsons. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Acoustic Basement Tour Spawned from a successful stage at Warped Tour, the Acoustic Basement Tour presented by Vans features intimate, stripped-down sets of pop-punk, alt-rock, emo and post-hardcore music (both original material and covers) from Brian Marquis (Therefore I am), Geoff Rickly (Thursday), Vinnie Caruana (I Am The Avalanche/The Movielife), Koji, and A Loss For Words. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —SK
Jefferson Starship An intimate “almost acoustic” performance by the current incarnation of Jefferson Starship. The 1970s/early ’80s rock band is still piloted by its post-Airplane founding members, singer/guitarist Paul Kantner and multi-instrumentalist David Freiberg, and rounded out by longtime drummer Donny Baldwin, guitarist Slick Aguilar, keysman Chris Smith, and Cathy Richardson doing her best Grace Slick on lead vocals. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals w/Futurebirds Described as a “musically powerful and conceptually dazzling work,” Grace Potter & the Nocturnals’ fourth studio LP, The Lion The Beast The Beat, is full of catchy power-pop ballads and arena rockers produced by Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Wilco), and featuring a knob-turning sit-in by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys on the track, “Loneliest Soul.” Auerbach also helped write first single “Never go Back”; its video premiered on VH1 and helped further launch Potter’s sexy howl into the national spotlight. This tour around, Grace and Co. compile each night’s setlist based on song requests received via Twitter. Fans submit suggestions via twitter.com/gracepotter and use the hashtag #GPNsetlists. Athens country-psych rock sextet Futurebirds open. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Fishbone w/Whole Wheat Bread Serving a crazy fusion of ska punk and funk metal since ’79 is LA native septet Fishbone, their sound marked by quirky vocals, wailing brass, and heavy guitars with random melodic breaks. Jacksonville natives Whole Wheat Bread warm up the stage on Fishbone’s current tour. Drawing on their rap background, the three-piece flows rhymes on top of punk-rock instrumentals and choruses. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —SK
Carolina Chocolate Drops Among the very few full-time working string bands entirely made up of African American musicians are Carolina Chocolate Drops, which found their music embraced by new and appreciative audiences when fourth LP, Genuine Negro Jig, won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 2010 awards. Their 2012 follow-up Leaving Eden offers more fresh arrangements of traditional folk, jazz and blues tunes. The core threesome of Don Flemons (4-string banjo, snare and bass drums, jug, guitar), Rhiannon Giddens (fiddle, 5-string gourd banjo, 5-string banjo) and Hubby Jenkins (5-string banjo, mandolin, guitar) are currently joined by cellist Leyla McCalla. (Ferguson Hall at Straz Center for Performing Arts, Tampa)
Noel Paul Stookey & John McEuen Stookey is the famed singer-songwriter who spent nearly 50 years of his career performing as part of Peter Paul and Mary, and has been rolling solo since 2009. Multi-instrumentalist troubadour John McEuen was a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and his 2012 album with sons Jonathan and Nathan, The McEuen Sessions, has been hailed as one of his most important to date. The two folk music icons land in St. Pete and deliver two shows — one at 4 p.m., the second at 9 p.m. (Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds w/Lions After Dark/Jahguar Sister Sparrow brings a high-octane gospel-soaked fusion of funk, blues, reggae and rock to town direct from Brooklyn. Throaty-voiced singer and chief songwriter Arleigh Kincheloe leads the nine-member ensemble, which includes a two-piece horn section (trumpet and trombone), a howling tube-amped harp player (her brother Jackson), and tight players on bass, guitar and drums who know how to lay it down. This tour supports 2012’s Pound of Dirt, their sophomore LP. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Antsy McClain & The Trailer Park Troubadors w/The Burns Sisters Wry-humored folkabilly slinger Antsy McClain focuses on a less moneyed way of life and those interesting characters that fit within it. Heroes Last Forever finds McClain honoring the diversity of people who’ve made a lasting impact on his life, both personally and professionally, with songs like “Aunt Beulah’s Road Kill Overcoat,” “Everything’s a Dollar,” “John Lennon as an Old Man” and “The Ballad of Skippy and Rover.” His well-practiced backing band, The Trailer Park Troubadours, support McClain’s pleasant tenor with a lightly vintage mix of country jazz, Tex-Mex and soulful R&B. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Clearwater Sea Blues Festival w/Kenny Wayne Shepard/Magic Slim/The Lee Boys/Hamilton Loomis (Saturday); Coco Montoya/Ruthie Foster/Moreland & Arbuckle/Trampled Under Foot (Sunday) The multi-day waterside festival launches on Friday, but the music doesn’t start until Saturday with a bill of artists headed up blues rock singer, songwriter and finger-licking guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who’s gearing up to release a sixth studio album. On Sunday, Coco Montoya brings his fiery, Cali-brewed blue-eyed soulful sounds to the headlining slot. Folk-blues songstress Ruthie Foster delivers another Sunday highlight. (Coachman Park, Clearwater)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17
The Del McCoury Band and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band Both groups have more than five decades of music-making experience — one in bluegrass, the other in jazz — and together, they explored the shared influences and overlapping histories of the two genres in 2011 album, American Legacies. This performance to make-up the date that was postponed last September promises to be a rare treat. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
Whigfest w/Thomas Wynn & The Believers/WOODY/Cope/Tallhart/Le Blorr/Have Gun Will Travel/Roadkill Ghost Choir/The Groves/Vagabond Swing/The Happiness Machine/Jensen Serf Company/RedFeather/Gareth Asher/many more A brand new indie music and visual arts fest hosted by Attic Records launches in downtown St. Pete this Sunday. The epicenter of activity and main performance stage is located at Jannus, where energetic soul-blues-roots jam rockers Thomas Wynn & the Believers and alt-folk singer-songwriter Woody headline. Four other stages scattered in and around the venue at nearby establishments like Mandarin Hide and VUE 19 (where the electro-dance acts get the bodies groovin’) host a wide-ranging high-quality lineup of local and regional talent that totals more than 15 hours of music throughout the day. Find out further details on p. 7. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Johnny Winter w/Mojo Gurus Of the two music-making Winter brothers, Johnny is the axeman who follows the thick tonal sound and assertive soloing of the Texas blues rock tradition, and is ranked among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Ida The pretty piping vocals of Elizabeth Mitchell and Karla Schickele wind around the gently masculine intones of Daniel Littleton, their harmonies carrying over subdued roots-flecked instrumental melodies they produce as Ida. The NYC-based songwriters return to the Tampa Bay area for the first time in 13 years, on their sole Southeastern date, and are joined by violinist Jean Cook and drummer Ruth Keating. A special afternoon children’s concert by Elizabeth Mitchell & You. (Watermark Church, Tampa)
Anberlin Among Central Florida’s select few acts to get signed to a major label and gain international renown, Winter Haven fivesome Anberlin delivers life-pondering lyrics amid a distortion-laden alt rock atmosphere as led by the serenades of frontman Stephen Christian. This tour backs 2012 sixth full-length, Vital. (Beacham Theatre, Orlando) —Kelsey Sunderland
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Jon Snodgrass and Cory Branan w/Matt Burke “Down on the corner of what I want, and what I tend to get / Day-drinking and dreaming of you, I let the ashtray smoke my last cigarette,” Cory Branan croons in the lead-off track from his 2012 Bloodshot Records debut, MUTT, his vocals two parts coarse drawl and one part charming warble, his phrasing lightly evocative of both Springsteen and Petty. His frequent musical compatriot, folk punk singer/guitarist Jon Snodgrass of Drag the River fame, is a prolific talent who’s on the road behind his 2012 More Buddies, More Fun EP, which features guest spots by songwriting buddies Ben Nichols (Lucero) and Frank Turner, among others. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Caspian w/Junius/set and setting A post-rock triple header as led by expansive instrumental sextet Caspian, from Massachusetts, and filled out by another out-of-towner, the more brutally driving Junius, described by Rolling Stone as “a perfect hybrid of Neurosis and The Smiths.” (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Leann Rimes Her rise to fame came long before LeeAnn Rimes became a tabloid favorite for her extramarital activities, in notably simpler times — the early ’90s. While the country/pop star’s twang may not be as prominent these days, she’s gained an edge with lyrics that are a bit more diverse and personal as “Borrowed” reveals. The first single off forthcoming 14th studio album Spitfire relates Rimes’ emotions during her affair with Eddie Cibrian (now her husband) in poignant lines like “‘I know you’re not mine, only borrowed.” She closes the Florida State Fair’s concert series playing to one of the largest country music fanbases in the U.S. (Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa) —KS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19
Jukebox The Ghost w/Matt Pond/The Lighthouse And The Whaler In what has become an annual stop, Jukebox The Ghost returns to Crowbar to deliver another set of their super peppy indie piano pop and dance time fun backing 2012 album Safe Travels, which incorporates new instrumentation like bass, accordion, congas and strings. Also on the bill is another New York-by-way-of-Philly artist, singer-songwriter Matt Pond backing a just-released full-length, The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand. Interestingly enough, Pond and regular collaborator, guitarist/singer Chris Hansen, hired on a crew of Orlando musicians to fill out their live band — Tierney Tough of The Pauses, Rawnson Forpahl from Saskatchewan and Loud Valley, and The Great Deceivers’ Tre Hester. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Desaparecidos w/Joyce Manor Literally translated to mean “disappeared ones,” Desaparecidos is the Omaha-based sociopolitical post-hardcore/crunchy emo punk rock project led by Bright Eyes visionary Conor Oberst, who delivers a more aggressive vocal amid the strident instrumentals. (Beacham Theatre, Orlando)
Travis Tritt: Up Close and Solo Acoustic w/Aaron Parker Though he hasn’t released any new material since 2007’s The Storm, platinum-selling country music star Travis Tritt has 10 studio albums under his belt and plenty of stories to tell during the intimate acoustic performances he delivers on his current solo tour. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
St. Pete Jazz Festival Kick-Off w/Whitney James & Helios Jazz Orchestra Now in its fifth year, the SPC-hosted event moves off campus and into the ‘burg community, launching with Nova Lounge’s regularly scheduled and always swinging Third Tuesday big band jazz night with the 18-piece Helios Jazz Orchestra. For the fest edition, Helios is joined by supple-voiced NPR-approved crooner Whitney James. (Nova 535 Events Facility, St. Petersburg)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Lotus w/Moon Hooch Not to be confused with Flying Lotus (the producer), Lotus is the live jamtronic five-piece from Denver and Philly that fuses elements of jazz, funk, house music and rock in their grooving instrumentals, which are studded with blips, zips, other electro sonic shifts and breaks, synthesizer drama and sci-fi soundscapes, and guitars jumping between rhythmic riffage and note-shredded solos. This tour hypes a brand new live-to-analog album, Build, issued Feb. 19 on SCI Fidelity. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
St. Pete Jazz Festival: Coltrane/Cannonball Tribute The jazz fest’s second day pays cool tribute to two influential sax masters who both appeared on Mile Davis’ seminal Kind of Blue: the legendary John Coltrane and Tampa-born Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. Local saxophone players Austin Vickrey and Jeremy Powell join upright bassist Alejandro Arenas, guitar slinger LaRue Nickelson and drummer Ian Goodman for this special program. (ARTpool Courtyard, St. Petersburg)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Feb 14-20, 2013.