THURSDAY, MARCH 29
Jake Shimabukuro He's been called the Jimi Hendrix of ukulele, his nimble fingers and four-string innovation proving that Jake Shimabukuro is worthy of the comparison. He can certainly do a lot with only two octaves. Jazz and rock are his primary influences, although he incorporates elements of funk, blues, classical, bluegrass, folk and flamenco into his compositions. "If everyone played the ukulele, the world would be a better place," Shimabukuro told NPR in an interview last year, fitting with the theme of his latest record, Peace Love Ukulele. The 2011 full-length encompasses original compositions along with covers, like an impressive arrangement of Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody.” (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) —Leilani Polk
Red Hot Chili Peppers I've been an on again-off again fan of alt funk rock outfit Red Hot Chili Peppers since Blood Sugar Sex Magik, a fact that didn't make my dad happy when he caught me singing "Give it away, give it away, give it away now" and knew exactly what it meant (even though my 12-year-old self really didn't). My crush on Dave Navarro right around his stint with the band on One Hot Minute spurred my renewed interest, Californication deepened it (the return of John Frusciante gets credit for that), and it fizzled out again right around By the Way. I've been out of the loop for the last two LPs, but their 10th, 2011's I'm With You, got a decent rating from CL Writer Joel Weiss, who praised the vocal, textural and rhythmic contributions of new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, and approved of the keys recently incorporated into the Chili Peppers' sound by Klinghoffer and Flea; the vet bassist studied piano at USC during the band's hiatus and applied what he learned to the record. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa) —LP
FRIDAY, MARCH 30
Casanova's Blast! Friday: Rick Derringer w/Sound Parlor The second Blast! street party this month features a performance by guitar slinging rocker Rick Derringer, original songwriter of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo," first recorded it by Johnny Winter (who won't play it anymore), then released by Derringer himself in 1973 to higher charting success. He's also recorded with Steely Dan, playing slide on songs like "Show Biz Kids" and "Chain Lightning," and produced or appeared on albums by Alice Cooper, Todd Rundgren and KISS, among others. (Cleveland Street, downtown Clearwater) —LP
Squidly Cole and his Central Jamaica Band w/Trinity 7 Direct from Jamaica comes beat-keeping singer, songwriter and producer Squidly Cole, who's been drumming for members of Bob Marley's music-making family for a few decades; Damien, Stephen and Ziggy have all called upon his talents, sometimes for multiple records, including Ziggy's Grammy-winning Conscious Party and One Bright Day. Cole has his own repertoire of tunes fusing the sounds of dancehall, roots reggae, R&B, dub and hip hop. This tour backs his latest, last year's Bloodline. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —LP
Sarasota Slim and Nitro Bozeman An evening of blues by a pair of consummate, Florida-based bluesman who work well together. Sarasota Slim (real name Gene Hardage) grew up in Sarasota, earned his longtime handle from Rock Bottom himself (who played with Hardage in The Jungle Bushmasters and The Cuttaways), and released his eighth album, the funky Southern fried Get Up Get Down, last year. Philip "Nitro" Bozeman's instrument of choice is harmonica, and he's wailed on it for upwards of 60 years – he can even play two at once! The musician began his career in Chicago (he got the nickname "Lil Red" for his mean boxing and blowing abilities), but he re-located to the Sunshine State more than 20 years ago and he’s been kicking it around here ever since. (The Carrollwood Cultural Center, Carrollwood) —LP
Blue October w/Girl In A Coma Vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Justin Furstenfeld fronts Houston alt/experimental outfit Blue October. This is the band’s next round of touring in support of the deeply personal sixth full-length, 2011's Any Man in America. (Jannus Live St. Petersburg)—LP
The Human Condition w/ Connor Zwetsch Fresh from a Southern tour that took them to Austin for a run of dates in conjunction with this year's SXSW, Bradenton-based quintet The Human Condition serves up a set of their easy-going roots rock as led by singer, acoustic guitarist and primary songwriter Dean Johanesen. Support by up-and-coming songstress Connor Zwetsch. (Roosevelt 2.0, Ybor City)—LP
Creedence Clearwater Revisited John Fogerty may own the rights to the original Creedence Clearwater Revival name, but bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford – the other two surviving members of the original lineup – have carried on the swampy blues and country rock tradition as Creedence Clearwater Revisited since 1995. Rounding out the "new" CCR is singer/rhythm guitarist John Tristao, lead guitarist Kurt Griffey, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner. (Mahaffey Theater St. Petersburg)—LP
J2K w/The Heavy Pets A trio from Gainesville that crafts humor infused music, like the hilarious accordion-laced rocker "Spaghetti and Meatballs," the title chanted in robust, accented, multi-voice choruses. "Mountain" is a quirky sun-kissed rock ditty with a proggy-menacing interlude in its midst while, "Cosmiaaj" is pure '70s psyche-prog rock while "Laddbatory," "Snark" and "Like Your Face" reveal their jammy discotronica side. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Jimmy Buffett Calling all Parrotheads: get out your island gear and be prepared to slip into that Margaritaville lifestyle. The 65-year-old may have fallen off stage last year but Jimmy Buffett is still selling out shows and triggering tailgate parties all over the country. After his Tampa stop, he joins Kiss and The Black Keys in New Orleans to perform at the NCAA Men's Final Four. On an unrelated side note, Hollywood Beach will soon be home to a 17-story, 349-room Buffett-themed resort – a $130 million project set for completion in 2014. (1-800 Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, Tampa) —Rebecca Forman
Two Man Gentleman Band w/Poetry n' Lotion The clever and irreverent retro roots duo (guitarist/occasional banjo player Andy Bean and Fuller Condon on upright bass) have risen from NYC street performers to underground throwback sensations who now live on either side of the country, in LA and Charleston, S.C. Their just-released seventh full-length, Two at a Time (Bean-Tone Records) was funded via a Kickstarter.com campaign and recorded live to monophonic analog tape using exclusively 1940s and '50s mics and equipment from producer/engineer Wally Hersom's personal collection. Topics on the new record range from the girl whose kisses taste like "Pork Chops" to a drinker's plea at a chain restaurant, "Please Don’t Water it Down," all set against the band's trademark mix of classic R&B, Tin Pan Alley, Western swing, and hot jazz. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
Guiltmaker Kickstarter Launch Party w/Auto!automatic!!/Sons of Hippies/Zulu Wave/The Mother Machine More and more bands are turning to Kickstarter.com to raise capital for their creative projects, much of the support coming from the people who care most – the fans. Propulsive alt rock quartet Guiltmaker is the latest local band running a Kickstarter campaign. Theirs is to fund the recording of a new EP with producer Jeremy S.H. Griffith (the man behind the boards on their high-quality 2010 Emerald Coast EP) in NYC this May. Their goal is $4,500 and they have until April 30 to reach it. Visit facebook.com/weareguilty for info on how to donate (and rewards you get when you do), or drop by the official launch party; warm-up sets by prog-math rock trio Auto!Automatic!! (which funded their own 2011 album via Kickstarter) and psyche-electro rock outfit Sons of Hippies, among others. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)—LP
SATURDAY, MARCH 31
Pool Party w/ Severe Disappointments/No Loves/Crash Bang Boom A punk-fused bill headed up by two South Florida acts: hilariously doofy-cheeky Miami-based pop punk outfit Pool Party, which was recognized by Miami New Times as one of "12 Bands, Producers, and Promoters Set to Take Over the Scene in 2012" (must be that track, "Publix Anorexic Sub Chick"); and Severe Disappointments, the new project of punk scene vet Chuck Loose that features snarling femme vocals from Trish Mahoney. (The Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg) —LP
Snow Patrol w/Ed Sheeran Well-constructed anthems with a slight indie-pop sensibility were Snow Patrol's bread and butter. Two mediocre albums later, my fond memories of Final Straw and Eyes Open have faded to guilty pleasure status. The Scottish sextet no longer succeeds at converting universal emotions to great songs, as most of 2011's Fallen Empires sounds ham-fisted and overproduced. That being said, I've seen this band live twice — and considering the style of music they create, their performances were uncharacteristically ballsy. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) –Joel Weiss
Neglected Superhero CD Release Party w/A Dying Regime/Relief In Sleep/The Music Box/Valmara Punk pop quartet Neglected Superhero recorded their latest album in Valdosta, Ga., with Earthsound Recording’s Lee Dyess (Mayday Parade, Go Radio) back in 2010. They only recently accumulated enough funds to press and package For All Band Kind, and they unveil the seven-track EP at this release show. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Great Guitars of Jazz A legend in his field, 86-year-old rhythm player John 'Bucky' Pizzarelli is known for his skills on seven-string guitar. He performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and toured several times with Benny Goodman. LA native Graham Dechter, 23, began pursuing music at age 5 and earned the guitar seat at the acclaimed Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra at only 19; he believes jazz is his life's calling. St. Pete's own Nate Najar is a self-proclaimed jazz provocateur who's mastered the finger-style nylon string technique for the classical jazz guitar. While grounded in classical, he also dabbles in Latin, blues and gospel music. These three greats are joined by an all-star band that includes DC drummer Chuck Redd and NYC bassist and singer Nikki Parrott. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) –RF
Talking Animals Music Night w/Sons of Hippies/Johnny Cakes & The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypso/Rebekah Pulley & Rob Pastore/Ricky Wilcox & The Moonsnakes/Sunset Bridge/Talk To Mark feat. Scott Elliott/Tribal Style/Acme Jazz Garage/rayzilla's PBS/The Happiness Machine The next WMNF benefit concert is themed around the station’s Talking Animals program, which has featured big name guests like Alec Baldwin and Moby talking about animals and animal issues with host Duncan Strauss. For this genre-spanning showcase of indie rock, reggae, folk rock, funk-jazz and more, participating locals bands and artists have been charged with the task of presenting only animal-themed songs. My setlist predictions: "Horse with No Name" by Neil Young, "Blackbird" by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog," and Def Leppard's "Animal." (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —LP
Backline Music Festival w/Tonic/Will Hoge/Michael Tolcher & the Pros/many more World of Beer hosts this new festival headed up by Tonic, an alt rock outfit with mainstream appeal and well-known hits like their 1998 chart-topping rock anthem, “If You Could Only See,” and 1999’s maudlin riffing “You Wanted More.” Also of note: Nashville native Will Hoge, who brings alt country rock flare to the bill along with a recent album, 2011’s Number Seven. (Williams Park St. Petersburg) –RF
Infinite Skillz Mixtape Release Party w/Waystid Talent/Ruben The Hurricane/Dissaray CL Best of the Bay-winning "Hardest-Working Man in Tampa Bay Hip Hop," clever word player and headband gamer himself, Infinite Skillz, stages this party to promote the release of his new You're All Invited mixtape; $5 admission includes a copy and performances by other quality names in the local indie hip hop scene. (Fubar, St. Petersburg)—LP
Suzy Bogguss She normally occupies the country music sound spectrum, but she has been known to stray into folk territory and last year found Nashville songstress Suzy Bogguss returning to it with American Folk Songbook. She was inspired during her 2008 tour with Garrison Keillor, where she realized children were no longer being exposed to folk music, and vowed to dust off and update a collection of timeless folk songs to spread around. The 17 that made the cut include "Shenandoah," "Wayfaring Stranger," "Red River Valley" and "Beautiful Dreamer," and were fleshed out with a band that included dobro player Jerry Douglas. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—LP
Sound Parlor w/Ella Jet Fresh teenage trio Sound Parlor – Danny Scordato (keys, guitar, bass, vocals), Alex Merrill (keys, bass, vocals) and Andrea Tafelski (drums) – has an impressive repertoire of organ-grooving jazz-fused rock n' roll, with original songs interspersed amid classic rock covers by the likes of Steely Dan ("FM"), Led Zeppelin ("Misty Mountain Hop") and Paul McCartney ("Maybe I'm Amazed"). Funds from this show go towards the costs of recording a debut, already titled New Squids on the Dock. (Hideaway Cafe, St. Petersburg) —LP
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
I Am The Avalanche w/Hostage Calm Brooklyn post-hardcore/punk pop outfit hits town backing their 2011 sophomore LP, Avalanche United. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —LP
Bloody Jug Band w/Crackerbilly Band/Troy Youngblood Bloody Jug Band is made up of seven Orlando musicians who imbue their mix of swamp rock, alt country and Americana with an ominous, rambling, noir-flavored tone, the deep crusted vocals of washboard scratcher Cragmire Peace chafing against the velvety drawl of cowbell-wielding Stormy Jean. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Passafire w/Lionize/Sashamon/The Movement Jannus welcomes reggae rock/dub-flecked foursome Passafire, from Georgia, for the latest edition of its Sunday Night Reggae Series. (Jannus Live St. Petersburg)—LP
Ten O'Clock Swing Band This 18-piece ensemble – five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, a piano, bass, guitar, drums, and vocalist – pays homage to the big band era with performances of hits by Glen Miller, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, as well as a selection of contemporary standards. Bring your swinging shoes and be prepared to lindy hop and jitterbug the whole evening through. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo) –RF
MONDAY, APRIL 02
We Were Promised Jetpacks w/ Bad Veins/The New Cassettes Post-punk revivalists from Edinburgh, Scotland, We Were Promised Jetpacks crafts music that packs a driving punch and they managed to avoid the sophomore slump with 2011's In the Pit of the Stomach, which earned high marks from both Paste and Spin magazines, the latter calling it "lyrically somber but ultimately redemptive — like a healing calm after the storm." Also worthy of note: Cincinnati synth pop-rockers Bad Veins, their own second LP due in April. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —LP
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 4, 2012.