THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
The Soul Rebels The sounds of New Orleans fill the Ale and the Witch’s courtyard when Soul Rebels Brass Band bring their celebratory, horn-and-beats-driven mix of pop, soul, jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock to St. Pete. The eight-piece marching band-style ensemble is made up of percs men on bass and snare drums, trumpeters, trombonists, and players on sousaphone and saxophone. Their repertoire encompasses originals and a broad range of covers, including “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Annie Lennox and Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City.” (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
The xx w/Austra Tickets to this concert by British dream pop outfit The xx sold out weeks ago. If you haven’t worked out a solution yet, you’re probably SOL. Good luck. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
Col. Bruce Hampton My first phone interview, ever, and the one that pretty much spoiled me for years to come because it was so damn fun and kooky, was with the inimitable Col. Bruce Hampton. The cosmic godfather of the alternative Southern music scene wields a mean guitar and has mentored and played with a veritable who’s who of musicians since his emergence in 1963. Aquarium Rescue Unit is his most well-known group, his jazzy jam-prog rock outfit with bassist Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers) and guitar extraordinaire Jimmy Herring (Widespread Panic), among others. Since 2011, he’s performed with lap and pedal steel player AJ “Wunder” Ghent in Col. Bruce and The Realms of Ventilation, which hits Dunedin for two back-to-back nights that kick off Thursday. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)
An Evening with Richard Marx AC pop-rock singer-songwriter Richard Marx returns to make up the date he missed in December, an intimate solo acoustic set full of hit ballads (“Hold On to the Nights,” “Right Here Waiting”), upbeat swingers and drivers (“Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Should’ve Known Better”), and the odd cover song (like the Stones’ “Wild Horses”). (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
The English Beat Many in attendance at this Thursday night all-ages Jannus show likely weren’t even born at the height of The English Beat’s popularity. Formed in the late 1970s and among the leaders of the 2 Tone ska revival with their Jamaica-rooted music, the now over-50 ska band from across the pond infuses their hi-hat heavy repertoire with sultry saxophone, vocals by frontman Dave Wakeling and toaster Antonee First Class, and heavy keyboard magic. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —Kelsey Sunderland
Jake Miller w/Vers/Scott Aye Dealing in the genre of semi-childish hip-hop, while also joining the ranks of barely legal heartthrobs that girls are swooning over, is Florida-born Jake Miller. Though his lyrics are light and nowhere near as razor sharp as white rapper constituents like Macklemore and Eminem, he manages to evoke the sort of tween-aged positivity that pop-rap artists tend to overlook. Digital guitars, mid-tempo beats and simplistic chorus melodies are paired with inspiring lyrics that make it hard not to like this fresh up-and-comer. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —KS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Leon Redbone His vocals wrap around you like a blanket of warm and golden nostalgia, his deep-cultured timbre and dancing cadence paired with pitch-perfect whistling and an acoustic guitar-bopping mix of folk-jazz, blues and ragtime. Leon Redbone is a cult Canadian export you likely know best for his television theme song work on Mr. Belvedere; what you may not know is that he survived a plane crash and never travels by air as a result. This is his first time back to the Bay area in several years. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Doctor P This British dubstep producer (real name Shaun Brockhurst) delves into glitch, house, drum and bass, moombahcore and moombahton electro-scapes, and has been issuing singles as Doctor P since the whistling sci-fi-fused wompage of 2009’s “Sweet Shop.” More recent note-shredded productions feature artists like Dillon Francis (“Music Is Dead”) and vocalist Eva Simons (“Bulletproof”). (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
The Legendary JCs w/Nervous Turkey The Skipperdome roof might damn near blow right off when two acts featuring howling frontmen take to the stage — gritty punk-blues rockers Nervous Turkey (featuring harp-rager Ernie Locke), and high-powered funk-soul revue headliners The Legendary JCs, as commanded by Eugene Snowden. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Reel Big Fish w/Pilfers/Dan Potthast For those singles who hate Valentine’s Day, raise your glasses during “Beer” and toast a big “F!@# You!” to the holiday. Despite playing musical chairs with band members, Reel Big Fish maintains the trademark aesthetic of their “Sell Out” days on latest LP Candy Coated Fury. The title of the sextet’s seventh album sums up the classic Reel Big Fish sound: brassy upbeat ska punk music with a middle finger up to relationships. Drink up and skank your way into this painful pre-heart day weekend. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Shannon Kelly
Merle Haggard w/Chris Janson A legend whose name is likely known to even non-country music fans, Merle Haggard has been doling out his brand of twang for five decades. Though he had part of his lung removed after a bout with cancer in 2008, The Hag was back on stage less than two months after surgery and maintains an active studio and touring career that has him playing upward of 60 dates a year. The 75-year-old country mainstay plays guitar and fiddle along with singing in a resonant drawl. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
Will Quinlan & The Holy Slow Train w/The Laurel Canyon/Macrame Owls Not to be confused with his usual ball-bustin’ alt-country project, The Diviners, Holy Slow Train is Will Quinlan’s quieter, more introspective and melodic alt-folk outfit. This Friday night bill also features sets by The Laurel Canyon, a two-piece rock outfit featuring Shawn Kyle Beauville and Max Norton, and Tampa fivesome Macrame Owls, their pop-hooky alt rock taking a wistfully uplifting tone in new single, “Go.” (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
John Wort Hannam & Scott Duncan Canadian indie folk-roots troubadour Hannam hits town supporting Brambles and Thorns, a 2012 album full of tunes about love, heartache, the seasons and the countryside. He’s joined by fiddle-wielding collaborator, Scott Duncan. (Painted Fish Gallery, Dunedin)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Michael Kaeshammer Trio This week’s influx of Canada-bred talent continues with Michael Kaeshammer Trio. Syrupy-smooth singer, songwriter and piano technician Kaeshammer resides within a boogie woogie sonicsphere though his jubilant sound carries shades of his New Orleans jazz, R&B-soul, and pop influences. Longtime rhythm section, bassist Marc Rogers and drummer Mark McLean, rounds out his band. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
Set It Off w/Airsickness/The Music Box/Call To Start/Autograph Moon Tampa’s Cody Carson-led synth-dramatic emo-punk/alt rock five-piece Set It Off was signed to Equal Vision a few years back and has been on the national tour circuit ever since. They also finished recording a full-length debut, Cinematics, and dropped it this past September. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
David Wilcox A singer and songwriter of folk-pop music who’s been active since the late ’80s and has earned comparisons over the years to James Taylor and Joni Mitchell for his subtly poignant lyrical style, his songs lightly peppered with warm humor and offered up as dialogue in extended narratives or sung in a breathy lower register vocal that soars to a pleasant tenor. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
The Old 97’s Though Rhett Miller issued a solo record last year, The Dreamer, the lead singer and songwriter of The Old 97s also celebrated his 15th year with the band in 2012 with an expanded two-disc version of 1997 breakthrough, Too Far to Care. This tour takes that celebration on the road. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
WMNF 10th Annual Rockabilly Ruckus w/Blair Carman & The Belleview Boys/Nikki Hill/Rocket 88/Sara Rose Band/Ted Stevens and Doo Shots/Slip and the Spinouts/The Downshifters/Sarge and the Aeromen For the 10th edition of its rockabilly-geared event, WMNF brings three out-of-towners to the Skipperdone for a day of rocking and rolling. The vintage piano-driven rock and honky tonk of Ohio’s Blair Carman & the Belleview Boys is a definite throwback to Jerry Lee Lewis, right down to the namesake’s slicked back hair and greaser threads, while Saint Louis-based songstress Nikki Hill brings feminine appeal to the bill with her throaty soulful howls and dirty mix of roots, blues and R&B tunes. The final out-of-towner to hit the stage is Mississippi fivesome Rocket 88, a Heatwave favorite delivering a marriage of roots rock, hill country blues and juke-joint gospel music. Local and Florida area acts round out the daylong bill. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Vyie w/Zulu Wave/Pan Three courses of high quality indie rock are served fresh this Saturday night, opening with a set by instrumental South Carolina three-piece Pan, which crafts post rock on its face, but according to CL Contributor Ray Roa, “guitar lines play like verses, and the mountains of distorted are as crushing as any pop chorus on the radio today.” Zulu Wave injects the bill with their propulsive, strident soundscapes while the textured percussive instrumentals and femme-ethereal vocals of Atlanta’s Vyie lend their dark experimental sound an otherworldly ambiance. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Randy McAllister Texas-bred singer-songwriter Randy McAllister has big, expressive, smoky-husky vocals that climb over his balance of blues, country, gospel, Tex-Mex, rock and zydeco. He howls from his post behind the drumkit, keeping the rhythm for his band but also stepping to the forefront to wail on harmonica and do the odd washboard solo. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Jerry Joseph Singer/guitarist Jerry Joseph — who usually heads up three-piece rock band the Jackmormons and has played with Steve Kimock and Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools among others — hits town on a string of solo acoustic dates. (Crums Bar and Grill, St. Petersburg)
Ennis Sisters Maureen and Karen Ennis have been singing together since they were small, and have recorded eight albums of Celtic folk and roots pop music, the first six as a trio with youngest sister Teresa, the last few as a twosome. Their 2012 full-length Fortunate Ones is made up of traditional tunes, renditions of songs by Bob Dylan and Ron Hynes, among others, and six originals written by Maureen and long time collaborator Mark Murphy. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
Bands, Brew & BBQ: John Kay & Steppenwolf The sixth year of Busch Garden’s annual month-long music, beer and barbecue fest kicks off with a concert by John Kay & Steppenwolf, purveyors of classic rock staples like “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Born to Be Wild,” and still led by original lead singer/rhythm guitarist Kay, who remains only member from the 1963 lineup. Concerts start at 5 p.m. on the Gwazi Park stage. (Busch Gardens, Tampa)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Flogging Molly w/Skinny Lister Perfect your Irish jig at this gig when Flogging Molly’s Celtic punk brings down the House of Blues in Orlando. The band’s rowdy, fast-paced rock feaures mandolin, fiddle, tin whistle, accordion, banjo, bodhrán, and gang vocals that’ll have the whole bar singing along. Ye beware, the pirate pub sound in “Salty Dog” may just ensue a bar fight. A solo acoustic performance by Dave Hause warms up the stage, as does a set by five piece folk-punk act Skinny Lister, from London. (House of Blues, Orlando) —SK
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Jonathan Richman w/Mighty Mongo In his early life, Jonathan Richman fronted influential proto-punk/garage rock band The Modern Lovers, has been covered by anyone from Iggy Pop to LCD Sound System, and helped shape the musical character of a long list of alt-rock acts — Weezer, Violent Femmes and Frank Black among them. He’s been kicking around as a solo artist since he issued his self-titled debut on Rounder in 1989. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Scott H. Biram w/Black Eyed Vermillion/Whiskeydick Whether he’s flinging demands to the low-fi punk of “Don’cha Lie to Me, Baby,” or confidently claiming turf amid bass drum-stomping and string picking and thrashing in the country blues of “Victory Song,” Bloodshot Records artist Scott H. Biram is exploding all by himself. In a live setting, his wild range of vocal outbursts wheel over instrumentals he builds on Gibson guitar and a one-foot-powered kit, surrounded by worn amps, mic cords and other tangled cables. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Murs w/PROF/Fashawn Murs is not an idle artist by any means. The rapper was a much called-upon voice of LA’s underground hip-hop scene since his emergence in the late ’90s, and self-released various recordings along with serving as guest until his breakthrough on Definite Jux in 2003, The End of the Beginning. He’s continued to prove his solo worth in the years since but seems to enjoy collaborating as much as writing alone. He teamed up illustrator Jose Garcia and writer Josh Blaylock to produce his 2012 Kickstarter.com-funded album/graphic novel, Yumiko: Curse of the Merch Girl. He dropped two other joint endeavors last year — The Final Adventure with 9th Wonder and This Generation with Fashawn. The latter joins him on his current “Road to Paid Dues Tour.” (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Steve Miller Band A lack of radio reception during a family roadtrip into the Blue Ridge Mountains had us rocking our only tape, Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits 1974-78, on repeat. Those songs are forever embedded in my grey matter as a result. Interestingly enough, that particular comp is the highest-selling (13x platinum) album of SMB’s career, exceeding sales of all LPs that preceded it and ranked 37th overall on the RIAA’s list of best selling albums. Many of these tracks have gotten frequent enough play on classic radio stations (“The Joker,” “Jet Airliner,” “Take the Money and Run”) and in USPS commercials (“Fly Like an Eagle”) that I never ever, want to hear them again while others (like the psychedelic hippie sway of “Wild Mountain Honey” and harmonica-laced drama of “Winter Time”) still hold a soft spot in my heart and likely influenced my taste today. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2013.