A jam-packed weekend of live music ranging from howling roots rock to nice n' easy R&B to pumping bass music, AC-friendly pop rock and cheeky-ass hip hop. More info below
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15
The Delta Saints Though The Delta Saints are based in Nashville, and their music sounds as if it were dredged straight from the dirty bayou muck of Louisiana, a blend of barn-burning bourbon-drinking roots rock and gospel-kicking Delta blues marked by howling choruses, riff-raging slide-drenched resonator guitar solos, wailing organ grooves and screaming tube-amped harmonica. Kickstarter-funded debut Death Letter Jubilee dropped last January and a concert LP, Live at Exit/In, followed this summer. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Legends of the Bass 2 with DJ Scratch-D, Atnarko Bear, Brian Busto, Sharaz, Funk Lab, Screwface & many more The next electronic music blow-out at District 3 welcomes several big names in bass-pulsing music, with the Electro & Breaks room headed up by the dark, ominous breakbeats of DJ Scratch-D from famed West Palm Beach group Dynamix II and Miami’s so-called ‘godfather of bass’ Sharaz while Orlando-based Atnarko Bear and Brian Busto of Tampa’s own HPC lead the untz in the House room with disco, techno and retro-vibing sounds. (District 3, Tampa)
Generations of Jazz: Dick Hyman and La Lucha feat. Jun Bustamante Legendary piano virtuoso Hyman has been active for more than five decades, his versatile style spanning upwards of 100 recordings and all manner of jazz styles. La Lucha is St. Petersburg’s own highly capable Latin-infused jazz group, their sound augmented by the rich throaty vocal intones of singer-songwriter Jun Bustamante. Both are featured on this night. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
Juicy J with Austin Lunden, Royce Rizzy Memphis rapper Juicy J has proven himself well beyond his Three Six Mafia membership, his solo catalog spanning three albums (with a fourth, Pure THC: The Hustle Continues, on the way); numerous guest spots (you’ve heard his maple syrup drawl in tracks ranging from Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” to Mike WiLL Made It’s “23” and B.o.B.’s “We Still in This Bitch”), and has his own repertoire of charters, most notably and ear-worm-y, “Bandz a Make Her Dance." (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Left Handed Cypher 1.0 with The Real Clash, Iatro Glitch, Rest in Satin Silence, Cansouled, Justin Hale, Figment The’emcee, ABSTRACT MACHINE with Bay Sir Shepherd Boy Records artist Direwood organized this event to introduce the Pinellas underground/indie hip hop scene to those who may not know it exists and re-expose it to the ones who aren’t conscious of its rather exciting come-up in the past few years. All manner of sundry talent is repped in 20-minute sets during Left-Handed Cypher 1.0, from the experimental whatsit of Rest in Satin Silence, to the trip-groove meanderings of Cansouled to the full-band hip hop onslaught of The Real Clash. All-ages, BYOB, $5 suggested donation. (The Fuzz Factory, Gulfport)
KEM with Joe, L’Renee Raised in the city that spawned Motown Records and signed to that renown label since his 2003 debut, silky-voiced R&B singer-songwriter KEM hits town with his serene grooving sounds on his “Promise to Love” tour backing his 2014 album of the same name, his second No. 1 R&B charter and fourth LP overall. (Carol Morsani Hall at Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)
River Rock Craft Beer & Music Festival with Sister Hazel, Melodime, Forrest Hoffar, Have Gun, Will Travel, Big Kettledrum Rock Brothers Brewing Company stages this inaugural afternoon-into-evening charity fest at the new Riverwalk Water Works Park, with all proceeds benefiting Voices for Children and Florida acoustic pop favorites Sister Hazel serving as headliners of the multi-act bill. (Water Works Park, Tampa)
Saintseneca with Alexander & the Grapes A diverse array of instrumentation is put to use in the music of Ohio’s Saintseneca. Versatile multi-talented players trade and juggle banjo, mandolin, synthesizers, acoustic and electric guitars and drum kit, along with more exotic intstruments like balalaika, baritone ukulele, dulcimer, Turkish Baglama, bulbul and even stomp box. The result adds lush texture to their heartfelt, pretty yet punk-kicking folk rock odes, which are marked by the masculine warble of frontman Zac Little and the dulcet pipings harmonies of bandmate Maryn Jones. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Rock the Beach Charity Concert with Greg Billings Band, Soul Circus Cowboys, Matt Winter Band, Shevonne, Amber Lynn Nicol & others Jeff Thal, a professional drummer and CEO and founder of HavUHeard, Inc. and its nonprofit spawn, HavUHelped, is staging several music events to raise money for local charities. Rock the Beach is an all-day affair beachside affair that features eight local bands, art and vending, a silent auctions and raffles, with a portion of proceeds to benefit the Children’s Home Society of Florida. (Shephard’s Beach Resort, Clearwater Beach)
Real Friends with Neck Deep, Cruel Hand, Have Mercy Real Friends doles out punchy, urgently driving, emo-drenched servings of pop-punk and are signed to Fearless Records, which released the Illinois outfit’s debut full-length, Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing, in July. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Prom Date with Gyrojets, Ryan Willis, Mute Speak New Orleans group Prom Date fits into the currently overflowing indie electro-pop niche flawlessly, but stands out with tight vocal harmonies (sometimes pitch-shifted or processed or encompassing breezy feminine coos), their New Wave-evocative sounds recycled into a modern dance-groove aesthetic full of multi-hued synthesizer tones and textures. For fans of Hot Chip and Metronomy. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)
O.A.R. with Andy Grammar Of a Revolution, real name O.A.R., just keeps on touring and recording feel-good roots-acoustic-hued pop rock, and their fans just keep lapping it up like fine wine. Never jumped on that bandwagon myself but I can appreciate their perseverance and ability to pack 2,000-plus venues despite only producing one AC charter, “Shattered (Turn the Car Around),” back in 2008; this tour is behind 2014 eighth effort, The Rockville LP. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
MC Chris with MC Lars You know the nasal-helium intones of nerdcore hip hop artist MC Chris from guest spots on various Adult Swim cartoons (namely Aqua Teen Hunger Force); his 8-bit production backs raps that cover geeky topics like Star Wars characters and their rides (“Fett’s Vette,” “Denger’s Dumptruck,” “Bossk on a Segway”), ninja films (a personal favorite, “Hoodie Ninja”), and in 2014 double album Foreverrr, Ghostbusters, Super Mario Brothers and wizards. Self-styled creator of “post-punk laptop rap” MC Lars employs lyrics and and song titles inspired by English and American literature, including Shakespeare, Poe and Melville, among others. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Patti LaBelle In addition to her decades-spanning Grammy-winning career as a soul, R&B and pop songstress behind such hits as “New Attitude,” “Lady Marmalade” and “On My Own” (with Michael McDonald), Patti LaBelle is also an entrepreneur with her own line of sauces and marinades and an actress whose latest gig on FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show finds her playing a take-no-shit maid who (spoiler ahead) meets her untimely end after her employer’s son gets killer-clown crazy. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
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This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2014.