JJ Grey A walk towards the new Rock Brothers Brewing facility in Ybor City finds a building well under construction, but not quite complete. Owners have confirmed that two sold out shows from Florida swamp folk hero JJ Grey are still on. They’ll take place, as planned, in The Attic, a 150-capacity listening room above the Rock Brothers Brewing tasting room which was given a temporary permit to operate last week. (The Attic, Ybor City) INFO
Phantom Heart LP Release Show w/J.T. Brown/Pajamas/Forrest Hoffar St. Pete songwriter J.T. Brown is celebrating the release of his new LP, Phantom Heart, with a pair of release shows. This Ybor set is the first installment and finds Brown, 32, joined by fellow strummer Forrest Hoffar as well as one of Tampa Bay’s best new live acts, Pajamas, which is fronted by Mouse Fire frontman Shane Schuch. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
The Florida Orchestra: The Legend of Zelda We’ve never been shy when it comes to video game music (Mega Jam anyone?), and there’s no way we’re not writing about the Florida Orchestra as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka’s 8-bit masterpiece. Amy Anderson and Deah McReynolds will lead TFO and The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay Ensemble Singers though classic repertoire and new scores that will be expertly timed to high definition video on a big screen. We’re totally thinking this thing is going from Death Mountain to the Overworld and back. Icing on the cake is that costumes are encouraged. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
Passafire w/Unmotivated The Savannah College of Art & Design has been known to pump out brilliant architects, writers and painters, but who knew that the school produced reggae-rock bands, too? There’s at least one out there, and they play under the Passafire moniker. The group’s self-titled 2006 debut was culled together from songs written and produced while frontman Ted Bowne (a film and photography major) was taking classes in Savannah, and on Friday the band arrives in St. Pete for a totally free show alongside The Burg’s own Unmotivated. You don’t need a ticket for this show, so just show up, be a nice person and you’ll be alright. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) INFO
The Spill Canvas w/Natalie Claro Are you the person who loves to request songs out loud during concerts? Well this is the show for you. The Spill Canvas are reaching out to the “Requestour” in all of you for their latest acoustic jaunt, which stops in St. Pete on Friday. The idea is that fans are picking exactly which songs the South Dakota emo band play at each show. They probably won’t play “Self-Conclusion” thirteen times in a row, but it is likely that this is the last tour before Nick Thomas and the boys go to work on a follow up to 2012’s Gestalt. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg) INFO
Andrew Duhon w/Strangetowne/Kristopher James Between the JJ Grey show at The Attic and J.T. Brown’s album release at Crowbar, Eighth Avenue is already an Americana/Florida folk music lover’s dream, but the avenue’s anchor, New World Brewery has a doozy going on, too. New Orleans songwriter Andrew Duhon has one of the cleaner voices this side of the Mississippi, and he knows how to get it on tape, too. In 2014 his album The Moorings was nominated for Best Engineered Album along with Queens of the Stone Age’s Like Clockwork). The award went to Daft Punk that year, but that’s aight because a Grammy isn’t going to sing sweet Southern soul into the mic for you anyway. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) INFO
Wolf-Face w/Sunshine State/The Tim Version/Low Season It’s free show palooza in St. Pete tonight (read: Passafire at Jannus, Pleasures at Green Bench, Redfeather at Ale & the Witch, Fast Talkers at Cage Brewing), and this one is the furriest of the bunch. CL’s favorite lupine punks Wolf-Face are on the bill, and they’ll be supported by fellow hometown homies The Tim Version and Low Season. Visiting for Michael J. Wolf’s Nutcracker Bash are Sunshine State from Gainesville. (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
Gullwing w/Luckily I’m The Hunter/Thoth Hate vocals in songs? You should go to Microgroove tonight where the Seminole Heights record shop is hosting a free show (donations accepted for touring bands, fuckers). Love instrumental rock that’s tinged with a little emo? Then you should definitely show for this one featuring Pensacola’s Luckily I’m The Hunter who arrive supporting a new LP, Novageist released this summer. (Microgroove, Tampa) INFO
Young Thug w/King Nazte/DJ Kutmaster For the record, Young Thug has a show at Orlando’s Venue 578 on December 16, and while doors in O-Town are early (7 p.m. EST) CL Tampa is a little skeptical about the prospect of the 25-year-old “Picacho” rapper turning around quick enough to do a full set for fans who didn’t want to make the drive. As of press time promoters were certain Thug would be in the building but were checking with his touring management to confirm how long the set would be, and we’ll leave it at that. (AJA, Tampa) INFO
DJ Ku This isn’t a show we would normally list, but Blue Martini has hosted its fair share of solid music makers like Toronto livetronic trio Keys N Krates, who played in 2013. Tampa’s own DJ Ku (Red Bull Thre3style finalist) opened that show, and he’ll be on site again on Saturday as the swanky lounge enters its final weeks at International Plaza (reports have Blue leaving in 2017 to make way for a restaurant). (Blue Martini, Tampa) INFO
DJ Mega They told everyone they were going to be different and all over the place as far as music went, and tonight new St. Pete resto Iberian Rooster continue to prove that by booking one of Tampa Bay’s longest running DJs (and Pete’s dad) to play the underground bar. (Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO
Resinated Stout Beer Release w/Seranation/Paint The Town Red Kenny Mullins is a brand new father, but the frontman for St. Pete reggae makers Resinated is also about to be the proud poppa of a locally brewed stout from Mad Beach Brewing named after his band. The brew is a bourbon and oak aged potion with hints of cinnamon, which arrives just in time for the winter holiday. (Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company, Madeira Beach) INFO
Green Grass & Yule Tide Jam w/ The Outlaws/Henry Paul Band Tom Petty ain’t the only guy celebrating a 40th anniversary around here. Decades after they broke out of Tampa, Florida to become the first act signed to Arista under Clive David, The Outlaws are still giving back. And while so many of the players have changed or passed away over the years, frontman Henry Paul soldiers on. The Outlaws just released a double album celebrating their legacy, and you can expect them to work through a lot of it tonight. Have a listen below. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) INFO A previous version of this article had the show happening on Monday, we regret the error.
ALSO PLAYING
Sarah Mac Christmas Show (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Third Friday Music Series (Main Street Safety Harbor, Safety Harbor) INFO
Wax w/The Palmer Squares (Venom Custom Choppers, New Port Richey) INFO
Jim Chambers Music Box Holiday Show w/Inkblot/Sick Hot/Extra Celestial (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
Flaw w/Progressive Chemistry/Coldclock Knockout/Aegea/3D Burn (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) INFO
Pleasures w/Rogerthomas/Panamory (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg) INFO
Fast Talkers (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
Redfeather (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
Winter Chill w/ DJ Mike Bison (Mermaid Tavern, Tampa) INFO
Christmas With The Celts w/Marcille Wallis and Friends (United Methodist Church, Sun City Center) INFO
Fundraiser for Victims of the Oakland Warehouse Fire w/Abstract Machine/Memory Code/Jackrabbit/Mr. Handsome/Weekend Plans (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg) INFO
Row Jomah (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa) INFO
This article appears in Dec 15-22, 2016.
