Here's a look at all the concerts happening tonight.
Atmosphere with Prof Dem, Atlas, and DJ Fundo We recently experienced Aesop Rock and Astronautalis. Sage Francis is coming through soon and on Friday Atmosphere blows in from Minnesota to give us another dose of hyper-conscious rap more focused on things of a cerebral nature than they are fixated on wealth and the pursuit of fancy swimming pools. A new album (last year’s Southsiders) finds the duo turning a more serious page lyrically, but the duo — Sean Daley and Anthony Davis — will still bust out older tunes from their earliest albums (ie: the Sad Clown series of EPs) that showcased the boys more playful, lighthearted side. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —Ray Roa
Grandpa’s Cough Medicine Hailing from Jacksonville, this bluegrass-based trio eschews the genre’s uplifting spiritual elements in favor of dark themes and punky aggression. The group’s album Jailbird Blues was included in the Florida Times-Union’s list of 2011’s best releases. (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg) —Scott Harrell
The Ataris with Children of Orion and ShinraCo
Can you believe that it’s been a decade and a half since you learned how to play "San Dimas High School Football Rules" on your dinky Squier guitar? We’re sure The Ataris can’t either, but at least frontman Kristopher Roe (the only founding member left) is bringing his group’s breakthrough 1999 LP Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits to town for a celebration where the midwest emo royals will play the whole thing front to back while mixing cuts from their four other albums into the whole nostalgia-filled set. (Brass Mug, Tampa) —RR
Dar Williams The smart, earnest and unique New England singer-songwriter who first came to national prominence in the mid-’90s continues to please longtime fans and earn new followers both on the road and in the studio. Her latest recorded effort, In The Time of Gods, was released by Razor & Tie in 2012. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) —SH
Enter Shikari with I The Mighty, Stray From The Path, Hundredth, and Marmozets UK four piece Enter Shikari have been mainstays in the punk scene for over twelve years combining socially conscious lyrics with hardcore rock and electronica. Lead singer Roughton “Rou” Reynold’s frothing, vitriolic vocals are a battering ram hammering home his message and rocketing songs like “Anaesthetist,” an adamant stance against the privatization of England’s healthcare system, into the stratosphere. Enter Shikari comes to St. Pete behind latest album The Mindsweep, released back in January to critical acclaim by Ambush Reality. Fellow Brit punk band Marmozets warm the stage along with Long Island hardcore outfit Stray from the Path among others.(State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Seth Peterson
Lil Wyte Memphis-reared MC Lil Wyte was originally discovered by members of Three 6 Mafia, who signed him as a solo artist in the early ‘00s following the breakup of his original crew. Since then, Wyte has has hung around the periphery of southern hip-hop, often being lumped in with the likes of Bubba Sparxxx due to the hue of his skin, but Wyte’s got a quick and clever flow compared to many of his peers’ sizzurp’ed-out drawls. (Local 662, St. Petersburg) —SH
Turkuaz & Spiritual Rez with The Groove Orient It’s easy to see why Turkuaz describes itself as “an army of multiple instruments that’s part freight train, part T-Rex.” The nine piece act from Brooklyn has everything you could want from a great funk band: powerful vocals, a slapping bass line, and a clean horn section. It is Turkuaz’s mission to “shake all the walls and booties of every room they play” and that mission has always been successful. Co-headlining with Turkuaz is Boston septet Spiritual Rez who blend reggae and funk sounds into a dancing experience that will leave you screaming for more. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —SP
Nickelback with Pop Evil Quite possibly the most lyrically ungifted songwriter in modern rock music, Chad Kroeger will march his world infamous band Nickelback into that ampitheatre we once called Gary for a hair-raising (good or bad, we’re not sure) set of songs like "Photograph" and "You Remind Me". The worst part of it all (besides our balls out cynicism about a guy who is probably trying his durndest?) is that the opening act — Pop Evil — might actually have a name that perfectly describes their actual sound. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) —RR
ALSO TONIGHT:
Zoso – The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Halcyon with Geri X feat. Katie Talbert Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
The Suncoast Singers: A Century of Music Part 2 Largo Cultural Center, Largo
Dead Cat Lounge with Unchecked Aggression Stoney’s, Tampa
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 1, 2015.