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LYR’s Babefest w/Wet Nurse/The Pauses/The Young Dead/Psychic Dose/Red Nectar/The Good Bad Kids/Snowmoon/The Palmettes/more Plain and simple, this is a sweet-ass punk-flavored arts & activism festival that grew a little too big for Fort Myers’ Nice Guys Pizza. Anyone on The 600 Block will be at the fest whether they set foot inside Fubar or not thanks to a slew of vendors set up outside. Get full details on the shindig — and read our interview with founder Angela Page — here. (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
MrENC w/Lannds/Wild Pines The dark Lort of Lakeland comes back to a favorite Tampa haunt, and he brought some company in the form of Jacksonville instrumental act Lannds and Gainesville pop outfit Wild Pines, who are supporting an October 2016 EP of soaring indie-pop (The Morning). Listen below, and get more info on Microgroove's early show (feat. Joe Popp) below. (Microgroove, Tampa)INFO
Sabaton w/Leaves’ Eyes Sabaton screwed up. The Swedish power-metal quintet named its upcoming road trip “The Last Tour” in honor of their latest LP, The Last Stand (released in 2016 via Nuclear Blast), but they’re not actually calling it quits. This is a cool chance to see the band finally headline a show, however, and don’t be surprised if the event sells out. (Orpheum, Ybor City) INFO
Pears w/The Tim Version/Station Cases/Porno Party Here’s a tasty show for you. Pears owes a lot of its sound to old school bands like Pennywise, NOFX and Lagwagon, but the band’s take on punk is wholly its own on a 2016 album (Green Star, released last April via Fat Wreck Chords) where Pears throws down fierce riffs (“Patridge”) alongside poppy singalongs (“Hinged By Spine”) and irreverent short blasts of neck-breaking thrash (“Cumshots”). A sweet trio of locals open the show. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
Austin Miller w/Geri X/Taylor Raynor Orlando songwriter Austin Miller brings a world-travelled brand of folk to Ybor City where he'll be backed by his trio and supported by two Bay area songwriters — St. Pete's Geri X (who has appeared on the pages of foreign Rolling Stone mags) and Gullwing's Taylor Raynor who'll play a solo set. Read our Q&A with Miller here. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) INFO
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Shaun Frank Shaun Frank’s road to success hasn't been what you’d call conventional. Early in his career, Frank served as lead singer for the rock band The Envy, which was signed to Richard Simmons label. They even toured the world with KISS, but seven years later we find the Vancouver producer on a different path as a touring DJ and contributing songwriter. While his music’s own success has been modest to date, he did help pen The Chainsmokers’ smash hit “Closer,” which spent 12 weeks at no 1. This is a great chance to see a multi-talented artist on the come up. (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO — LJ
Lotos Music Festival w/Stevie B/Jenny Berggren/Exposé/Rob Base/69 Boyz/Debbie Deb Who’s ready to party like it’s the 80s? Florida-native Stevie B leads a throwback lineup of 80s/90s pop, hip-hop, and dance artists into Jannus Live for a party dubbed the Lotos Music Festival. The one day event is sure to reinvigorate your inner 80s self since support includs Jenny Berggren of Ace of Base, freestyle heroines Exposé, rapper Rob Base (“It Takes Two”), singer Debbie Deb (“When I Hear Music”), and Miami bass specialists 69 Boyz. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) INFO — LJ
Magnolia Ball w/Rob Thomas Is there a better feeling than raising money for cancer research while enjoying the one of the most successful rock artists of all time? See for yourself when Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 takes the stage at Moffitt Cancer Center’s 24th annual Magnolia Ball. The event will take place at Tampa’s Marriott Waterside Hotel and costs a pretty penny (got an extra $1,500 to spare?) but all the proceeds do go towards cancer research. (Tampa Marriott Waterside, Tampa) INFO — LJ
Downtown Clearwater Craft Beer and Music Festival w/Applebutter Express/UNRB/Ajeva/more As future plans to redevelop Coachman Park and adjacent property in downtown proceed, Clearwater's first craft beer and music festival shuts down Cleveland Street — from East Avenue to Fort Harrison Avenue — with suds from more than 50 Florida breweries. Expect hometown names like House of Beer Brewing, Cigar City Brewing, Funky Buddha Brewery, 7venth Sun Brewery, Wild Rover Brewery, Darwin Brewing Co., Swamp Head Brewery and Rapp Brewing Company. Live music is featured all day across two stages — Station Square Park Stage and Garden Avenue Stage — as are local food and art vendors (cash only) and full pours of beer, wine, sangria and cider, whose $5 tickets can be purchased the day of. ATMs are available on-site. The event is presented by the Downtown Clearwater Partnership and House of Beer, which is known to put on quite the beer fest itself in Dunedin. (Cleveland Street District, Clearwater) INFO —Meaghan Habuda
Rock
Pleasures w/Infinite Third/Rogerthomas (DJ Set) (Paper Crane, St. Petersburg) INFO
Brewhouse Sessions w/SHOT/DAWNS/Gullwing (Hidden Springs Ale Works, Tampa) INFO
All Day Tuck w/WD-HAN (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
Nordjevel w/Imperial Triumphant/Promethean Horde/more (The Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO
Unknown Hinson w/Wayne “the Train” Hancock (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
2nd Annual Bands & Beer on the Bay w/The Black Honkeys/Four Star Riot/Jeriko Turnpike/Hard Luck Society (Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, Safety Harbor) INFO
The Parasites (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Joe Popp (Microgroove, Tampa) INFO
Blues/World/Jam
The Ries Brothers (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
The New Rulers (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
Chris Walker Band (Ruby’s Elixir, St. Petersburg) INFO
T-Bone Hamilton and the Blues All Stars (Firehouse Cultural Center, Ruskin) INFO
Folk/Americana
Unpainted Souls Album Release Party (Beer & Brownies, Tampa) INFO
Kevin So (Craftsman House Gallery, St. Petersburg) INFO
EDM/DJ
Funky Punk Disco w/Pete Bones/Matt Cianfoni/DJ Boomerage (Emerald Bar, St. Petersburg) INFO
Hip-Hop/R&B
Siobhan Monique (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) SOLD OUT
Wz Happening & Left Lane Ent. Presents: Neon Lights (Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO
Ignite The Night 3-Year Anniversary (Pegasus Lounge, Tampa) INFO
Classical/Chorale/Jazz
TFO: Beethoven's Emperor Concerto w/Dejan Lazic (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
This article appears in May 18-25, 2017.