Thursday, May 10

EARTH, WIND & FIRE w/CHRIS BOTTI One of the biggest acts of the '70s, EWF scored a slew of hits, bolstered by horns and impeccable harmony singing. Their music was perhaps a bit trifling when compared to the giants of the era (Stevie, Marvin, Curtis, JB et al), but it had a lively pop flavor that gave it major crossover appeal. Trumpeter Botti is one of the more credible figures in smooth jazz. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa) —Eric Snider

TEN SPOKE INDIES/ OF TRUTH AND STORIES/THOREAU One of Tampa's top rock bands, Ten Spoke Indies plays a boisterous brand of power pop that occasionally drifts into darker and heavier territory than is typical of the genre. The four-piece also adds classic-rock touches like groovy wah-wah-pedal-enhanced guitar solos to the mix. Expect a party vibe; this gig is being billed as bassist Steve Dube's birthday bash. Orlando quartet Of Truth and Stories makes emo music with an arty '80s element. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

KEVIN GORDON Less than a week after playing the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Monroe, La.'s Kevin Gordon hits the Suncoast with a wallop of country-fried electric blues. The guy's no revival act, though; his blues borrow their rhythmic punch as much from the Stones as from Muddy Waters. (Fogartyville Café, Bradenton) —Cooper Levey-Baker

Friday, May 11

MOJO GURUS w/EXPERIMENTAL PILOT The Gurus have been around so long that most folks probably don't know they evolved from one of the area's premier glam-rock bands, Roxx Gang. The Gurus play a blend of dirt-rock, ratty blues and supercharged country that's gotten a nice bit of attention on Americana radio. Experimental Pilot consists of Rob and Stephen Vessenmeyer, two singer-songwriters with a long Bay area history (they were members of Men From Earth) that now make intimate, Americana-based music. (Dave's Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg) —ES

TRANS ERA w/CLENCH FIST/BURN THEORY/MR. BELLA This bill of local metal bands is headlined by Trans Era, a female-fronted foursome that has the whole Hoobastank thang going on. Clench Fist plays a moody brand of metal spiked by the over-the-top singing and sporadic death grunts of lead vocalist Steve Bruno. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

PACKWAY HANDLE BAND w/THE WHITE BITCH/THE DIVINERS Athens, Ga.-based bluegrass quintet Packway Handle Band carries on the tradition of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers with proficient picking and close vocal harmonies while updating the sound with Grateful Dead-style improvisation and Phishy noodling. Packway's repertoire includes doomsday gospel numbers, originals and such quirky covers as Madonna's "Like a Prayer." The White Bitch is nationally recognized journalist/novelist Michael Patrick Welch's self-described "one-man-electro-rock-n-r&b-band." The songs posted online are as crazy as they are catchy. But with three or four things going on at once, it's hard to imagine exactly how Welch will re-create the sound in a live setting. Should at least be interesting. Although Tampa alt-country favorite Will Quinlan recently launched his new Holy Slow Train project, he's breaking out The Diviners for this one. (Yeoman's Road, Tampa)

PAUL THORN Based in Elvis' early stomping grounds of Tupelo, Miss., Thorn can claim Tampa Bay as something of a home away from home. His earnest singer/songwriter fare — built around vividly personal songs and a direct, everyman voice — have endeared him to the WMNF crowd. Thorn is also playing Tropical Heatwave. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —ES

CHARLIE DANIELS BAND VOLUNTEER JAM w/THE OUTLAWS/MARSHALL TUCKER BAND A gifted fiddler, guitarist, singer and songwriter, Charlie Daniels went from in-demand session man in the 1960s (Dylan used him on Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait and New Morning) to one of the leading lights of the Southern rock movement in the 1970s thanks to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and hippie-friendly hits like "Long Haired Country Boy" and "Uneasy Rider." But in the past decade (and especially since 9/11) Daniels has turned into an obnoxious mouthpiece for the Far Christian Right. An unapologetic, reactionary redneck, he now performs xenophobic garbage like "It's a Flag, Not a Rag!" and maintains a popular blog called Soap Box that reads like a dumbed-down version of Ann Coulter. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)

GODSMACK People either love or loathe Godsmack for rehashing the sound of Alice in Chains, which included the song "God Smack" on their 1992 masterpiece Dirt. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)

JOHN RALSTON/OWEN/ACUTE Lake Worth's John Ralston, formerly of Legends of Rodeo, plays a polished style of indie pop that skews a bit melodramatic at times, but for the most part, his latest album Needle Bed is a solid collection of inviting melodies and upfront vocals that recall the Goo Goo Dolls' more popular work. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

Saturday, May 12

KOOL & THE GANG This pop/R&B act hatched in Jersey City had two distinct phases of stardom. The good: early-'70s churning-groove numbers like "Funky Stuff," Hollywood Swinging" and "Jungle Boogie" (used to dramatic effect in Pulp Fiction). The not-so-good: By the late '70s/early '80s, the band had gone the pabulum route with treacle like "Ladies Night," "Too Hot," "Celebration" and — even worse — "Get Down on It" and "Joanna." The hits dried up two decades ago, but Kool & the Gang still barnstorms the nostalgia trail. (Busch Gardens, Tampa) —ES

WMNF TROPICAL HEATWAVE It started in the early '80s as an ad hoc gathering of local bands, and has evolved into probably the best music festival that Tampa Bay has to offer. Eclecticism and rootsiness are the event's benchmarks. This year's headliner is exciting: the eclectic and rootsy Holmes Brothers. For the full Heatwave skinny, go to the music feature on p. 38. (Cuban Club and nearby Ybor City venues) —ES

ALLOY METAL MUSIC FEST w/ THE ABSENCE, PHOENIX MOURNING, LEFT IN ASHES, BLOOD BY DAWN, MORGUE PARTY, THE TROJAN WATERFRONT Tampa bands converge for a night of heavy-metal havoc with headliner The Absence bringing the speedy thrash. Phoenix Mourning do lean screamo and Left in Ashes, well, they're the most brutal of the bunch, playing demonic death stomps that sound truly scary — like maybe an animal or small child was sacrificed during the making of their album. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

ANTHEMS FOR ARTIE/JUSTIN LAYMAN BAND/FAREWELL VERONA/THE PROSPECT These four young area bands decided they didn't really give a shit about the lack of rock-oriented venues in town and did the old-fashioned thing: They went out and booked a VFW hall. Anthems for Artie headline with their teen-friendly punk-pop sneer, while the Justin Layman Band brings a calmer jam-band vibe to the stage. Farewell Verona plies spacey alt rock and The Prospect brings some power piano to the mix. (VFW, Sarasota) —CLB

Sunday, May 13

SAY ANYTHING w/SAVES THE DAY/MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA With its bouncy pop-punk sound and droll songs about suburban boredom, bad breakups and phone sex ("Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too"), Say Anything is one of the more interesting young bands enjoying heavy rotation these days on MTV. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

WOMEN'S BLUES REVUE The eight women who make up the Bay area's Women's Blues Revue play a Mother's Day event called Take Back the Night. All proceeds go to a group of local domestic violence agencies. The band plays a mix of straight blues and old R&B hits like "For the Love of Money." (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —ES

RICHARD GILEWITZ He's a dazzling fingerstyle guitarist in the general mold of Leo Kottke or Adrian Legg, but with his own, distinct style and technique. An in-demand clinician and educator on six- and 12-string guitar, Gilewitz is also a charismatic storyteller. (Skipper's Smokehouse) —ES

Tuesday, May 15

FLOGGING MOLLY w/CHUCK RAGAN/DRAG THE RIVER Beloved for their manic live shows, the L.A.-based seven-piece Flogging Molly is the ultimate pub band, playing a rowdy mix of traditional Irish music (whistle, fiddle, mandolin) and rock (drums, bass, electric guitar) that should bring a lively St. Paddy's Day feel to the 'burg. Chuck Ragan left Gainesville's Hot Water Music to do the solo/acoustic/harmonica thing. A smart move. Go to his MySpace site and listen to him growl the blues standard "Fixin' to Die" — it's powerful stuff. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

CHUCK RAGAN w/HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL Here's the deal: Ragan's gonna finish his set at Jannus Landing, get in his car, drive south over the Skyway and play a gig for his buddy Ben Bakker (Rumors of War) at Bradenton's best (and only true) Irish pub. Ragan used to live in Sarasota, so this will be a homecoming gig of sorts, which should prove to be a show to remember. Have Gun, Will Travel (and a couple more local acts not yet confirmed by press time) will open. Highly recommended. For more information: myspace.com/rashertierneysbooking (Rasher Tierney's, Bradenton)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16

RELIENT K w/MAE/SHERWOOD Relient K are a Christian punk band from Ohio that scored a pretty big hit last year with "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been." (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)

For venue addresses and phone numbers, see Soundboard, p. 45.

May

19 Roger Waters Ford Amphitheatre

25 Subdudes State Theatre

26 Seal Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

26 WMNF Presents Dazed and Confused Skipper's Smokehouse

June

2 Kenny Chesney w/Sugarland/Pat Green Ford Amphitheatre

3 Xiomara Alfaro Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center

6 Chicago and America Ford Amphitheatre

14 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band w/k.d. lang Ford Amphitheatre

15 Fall Out Boy w/Plus 44/The Academy Is/Paul Wall/Cobra Starship Ford Amphitheatre