THURSDAY, MAY 15
SERGIO MENDES w/SIMONE In the 1960s, best-selling Brazilian pianist/bandleader Sergio Mendes became a star in the States with smooth bossa nova and samba renditions of popular songs like "Night and Day," "Scarborough Fair" and The Beatles' "Fool on the Hill." The U.S. hits largely dried up in subsequent decades, but two years ago, Mendes returned to the American pop charts with the Will.i.am-produced album Timeless, which features a hit remake of Mendes' '60s chestnut "Mas Que Nada." Akin to Santana's Supernatural, the disc finds the headliner overshadowed by a long guest list that includes everyone from Justin Timberlake to Stevie Wonder. Although it didn't generate Supernatural sales figures, Timeless did manage to introduce the Brazilian music icon to a new generation of U.S. listeners. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
GREYMARKET w/GIRLS ON FILM/INCREDIBLE CRISIS Push Ultra Lounge continues its commendable Thursday original music series with a diverse, solid showcase featuring Tampa laptop rockers GreyMarket, Tallahassee electro-pop quartet Girls on Film and 'Burg prog-rockers Incredible Crisis. (Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg)
NONPOINT w/THE EXIES/DEEP FIELD/UNDER THE FLOOD Led by singer/rapper Elias Soriano, South Florida quartet Nonpoint arrived at the tail end of the nu metal craze, landing a hit in 2001 with "What A Day," a fierce, albeit predictable, slab of quiet-loud-quiet-loud post grunge. The band resurfaced on the pop radar in '06 when its cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" was used as the Miami Vice movie theme song. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
CORI YARCKIN w/SOCIAL GHOST/STALLING DAWN Raised in Orlando, where she still resides, a teenage Cori Yarckin starred in the short-lived Nickelodeon TV series Noah Knows Best that premiered in 2000. Now in her mid-20s (and a serious hottie — just saying), she's recast herself as a pop-rocker, replete with heavy black eye shadow, matching hair streaked red and four backing musicians who all look like the guys from Good Charlotte. The music? Serviceable hooks. Mediocre lyrics. Yarckin has a fine voice, but her tendency to over-sing American Idol-style grates. (Crowbar, Ybor)
ONE/NEW VIOLATION/SOBRIETY Montreal quartet One rocks with an icky earnestness that makes me think there's way too much Creed in their CD collection. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, MAY 16
WMNF'S TROPICAL HEATWAVE PREVIEW SHOW: DEL CASTILLO w/GROOVESECT/GANDALF MURPHY AND THE SLAMBOVIAN CIRCUS OF DREAMS/BRAVE COMBO Witness Rick and Mark del Castillo work their Spanish guitar magic two nights in a row? Sure. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
THE HORNRIMS w/NESSIE/DEADLY FISTS OF KUNG FU One of Tampa Bay's most beloved rockers, Joe Popp returns from his current digs in New York City for a highly anticipated homecoming gig with his new band, The Hornrims, a potent power-pop trio. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
THE DITCHFLOWERS w/SISEMORE Local purveyors of classic pop, The Ditchflowers should appeal to anyone who has ever dug the Fab Four. Seriously. They're that good, with lyrics that thoughtfully address the trials and tribulations of adulthood rather than opting for rock 'n' roll fantasies. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg)
THE SARAH MAC BAND w/LORNA BRACEWELL Tallahassee's Sarah Mac teams with St. Pete standout Bracewell for what should prove to be a moving evening of folk-rock at an intimate, acoustically superior venue. (Pro Star Soundstage, St. Petersburg)
SOL Y CANTO Rosi (vocals, bongos) and Brian Amador (guitar) front this decade-plus running Afro-Latin ensemble, which plays same venue next day. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
MUMPSY/TRES BIEN/THOMAS WYNN AND THE BELIEVERS/BRASS BED Orlando's Mumpsy and Clearwater's Tres Bien are a pair of young bands smartly updating the garage-rock sounds of the '60s. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
JIMMIE'S CHICKEN SHACK Melding funk, power pop and ska, the Maryland band had a few hits last decade, with the biggest being 1997's "Do Right." (Club Bourbon Street, New Port Richey)
FIREFALL The country-rock band responsible for late-'70s smashes like "You Are the Woman," "Just Remember I Love You" and "Strange Way" soldiers on minus leader/founding member/former Flying Burrito Brother Rick Roberts. In fact, the only original member of Firefall is guitarist Jock Bartley, who reformed the group in 1994. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
LARRY KEEL AND NATURAL BRIDGE Flat-picking guitarist Keel's been melding old-school bluegrass and contemporary mountain music since his days as a contract player at Disneyland Tokyo. Following that rather curious professional debut, the Blue Ridge native became a fixture on the festival circuit, penning tunes for Del McCoury and Acoustic Syndicate. Keel's neo-traditional sound is fleshed out this tour with bass fiddle, mandolin and banjo. (Ace's Lounge, Bradenton) —Amanda Schurr
FURNITURE w/THE DONE FOR/TUFF SONS Community radio station WSLR 96.5 sponsors a free jam night spotlighting local acts. Sharing the bill are the artists formerly known as Fiasco, roots reggae trio Tuff Sons, quirky indie poppers The Done For and Furniture, a largely instrumental New College collective. (Flying Dog Cafe, Sarasota) —AS
SATURDAY, MAY 17
WMNF's TROPICAL HEATWAVE Tampa Bay's best annual music fest returns with another killer lineup featuring English singer-songwriter Graham Parker, slide guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth, talking drummer Baye Kouyaté and New Orleans' funkiest brass band, Soul Rebels. See our complete schedule of Tropical Heatwave here. (Cuban Club, Ybor City)
RETARD-O-BOT w/A CURSIVE MEMORY/THE MEDIC DROID/BAUMER Local industrial favorite with a penchant for wacky lyrics Retard-O-Bot returns to the State with support from Cali-based emo upstarts A Cursive Memory, which released its debut disc, Changes, earlier this year on Vagrant. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
STEPHEN PEARCY The lead singer of B-list hair-metal band Ratt is here to lead a sing-along of "Round and Round." (Club Bourbon Street, New Port Richey)
SUNDAY, MAY 18
ACE FREHLEY I probably hate Kiss more than any act in rock history. But guitarist Ace Frehley does have chops — and doesn't seem to be an asshole like his old bandmate Simmons. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
FOGHAT w/BLUE OYSTER CULT/BOBBY FRISS BAND Be warned: Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult are both seriously lacking in original band members. (Derby Lane, St. Petersburg)
LUNA HALO w/COLOURSLIDE/WOODALE/RADIO RESET Nashville's Luna Halo play capable modern rock à la Velvet Revolver but with subtle electronica touches — and no Slash-style guitar exploits. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
TUESDAY, MAY 20
SHE WANTS REVENGE w/BE YOUR OWN PET/THE VIRGINS She Wants Revenge's dark lyrics and cold synths are straight from the Joy Division playbook — which has been recycled far too often in recent years. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
SOAP 2 w/ BEFORE DAWN/I KILL PIXLS/JOUST The re-launched answer to Dirt of years past returns for another sudsy dance party, headlined this go-around by Austin new wave house duo Before Dawn. Lending support is electro outfit I Kill Pixls, a video-game-soundtrack-turned-mad-beat-machine. (Pastimes Pub, Sarasota) —AS
This article appears in May 14-20, 2008.