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Hypergoods w/Goodnight Neverland/Pajamas If Oliver Heldens (playing The Ritz on Seventh Avenue, see below) is just not your speed, then you might want to walk a block to New World where more Dutch exports — in this case it's electropop trio Hypergoods — play a brand of digifolk that sounds like the marriage of First Aid Kit and Imogen Heap. Two CL favorites — alt-folk band Goodnight, Neverland and St. Pete producer Pajamas — open the show. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) INFO
Oliver Heldens w/Brough Thee official pre-party to Sunset Music Festival features a set from this Dutch house producer who kicks off a weekend of music from every strain of EDM. The Ritz has not revealed who’ll be playing Sunset after parties on Saturday and Sunday, so fans may want to sniff around at this one to get the scoop. (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
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Tigers Jaw w/Saintseneca/Smidley Tigers Jaw has made its major label debut with a new LP (spin, released a few weeks ago), but the Scranton, Pennsylvania based outfit — built around longtime members Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins — hasn’t strayed too far from the sound that earned it loyal fans over the course of four full lengths of moody rock dating back to 2006’s Belongs To The Dead. A highlight on the bill is the inclusion of Saintseneca. The Columbus, Ohio quintet charmed at New World Brewery back in 2014, and a lot of that had to do with songs like “Happy Alone,” from its 2014 Anti- Records debut Dark Arc, which turned all that can be melancholy into smiley-faced pop music singalongs. The band has continued the trend on a recent EP (The Mallwalker, released last year) and a brand new single, “Book of the Dead On Sale,” released as a one-off just ten days ago. Smidley — the brainchild of Foxing frontman Conor Murphy — opens the show. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
Emo Night Tampa: Pre 2-Year Anniversary Party w/Connor Murphy Tampa’s emo night is throwing a big anniversary bash on June 3, but hosts DJ Mes McDonald and Oprah Spinfrey are going full birthday week style by having a Friday night edition of their monthly party (yes, it’s usually on Saturdays). Why? For starters, Tigers Jaw and Saintseneca are playing down the street (see above). Plus, it gives emo night a chance to host Conor Murphy — frontman for St. Louis post-emo gawds Foxing — as a guest DJ since he’ll be opening that Tigers Jaw show under the Smidley moniker. (First Chance Last Chance, Ybor City) INFO
Suncoast Blues Society 20th Anniversary Party w/Mike Zito/Chris O’Leary Band Most scholars say the first instances of the word “blues” in song happened in the early 1900s, and while the Suncoast Blues Society hasn’t been around nearly as long, there’s still cause to celebrate a as they mark two decades of preserving the blues in West Central Florida. St. Louis guitarist, songwriter and Royal Southern Brotherhood alum Mike Zito — fresh off the release of a new Cast Engineering signature overdrive pedal — headlines the show. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
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Plastic Pinks w/Blestian/Johnny Mile Miami’s Plastic Pinks are having a banner year. The quintet (who are basically adopted sons of St. Petersburg) had its music appear on two episodes of Iggy Pop’s BBC program where Pop himself said this of the band: “They are really good players and they're a good punk band. They do some very advanced stuff too but I like ‘66 Sexta.’ Hats off to Plastic Pinks and we're gonna hear them again on another show." The Pinks are back in town after a trip over Trump’s imaginary wall where they played Festival Marvin in Mexico City, so expect them to smell like tequila when they play the hippest dive bar in St. Pete. (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Caledonia Brewing Grand Opening Weekend w/The High Fly Dreams Caledonia Brewing celebrates its grand opening with a new beer named Citredonia all weekend. This IPA is a citrusy mixture of blood orange, Cara Cara oranges and key limes. On Friday, guests can crack up while watching live sketches by Yhali, while rockabilly band The High Fly Dreams performs live music on Saturday. The crowd can peruse the mini car show and enjoy food from the Ramen & Waffles truck, too. —Alexandria Jones (Caledonia Brewing, Dunedin) INFO
Artcore Hard Party w/Lilith/Tyrell Golden/Vomit Stardust/Quasi Mojo/Whirlynn/more (Sawgrass Gallery & Tea House, St. Petersburg) INFO
Funky D Birthday Party w/Funky Seeds/Boxcar Hollow (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Slade and the Wasters w/Gentlemen Army/Southpaw/Porno Party/Rosemary Kennedy (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
Together In Exile w/Murder The Crow/Divine Science/more (The Local 662, St. Petersburg) INFO
Akiva w/No Further Thought/Undertone/Comin' Home (Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO
Friday Concerts in the Park w/Johnny G Lyon Band (Lowry Park Bandshell, Tampa) INFO
Blast Friday Home Cookin' III w/Greg Billings Band and The Black Honkeys (Cleveland Street District, Clearwater) INFO
Dave Jordan & the NIA (Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa) INFO
Sunset Music Series w/Wendy Barmore Band (Weaver Park, Dunedin) INFO
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Pop
Train w/O.A.R./Natasha Bedingfield (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) INFO
Folk/Singer-songwriter
Kristopher James w/Michael Miller/Rebekah Pulley (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Florida Folk Scene no. 79 w/J.T. Brown/Ella Jet/Tommy Simms (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg) INFO
Tribute
The Bawdy Boys (Boulevard Burgers & Tap House, St. Pete Beach) INFO
This article appears in May 25 – Jun 1, 2017.