THURSDAY, SEPT. 15
TASTEMAKERS PRESENTS ROCK FOR THE CURE Tastemakers principals, resident DJs and sweet fellas Deacon and Colonic have earmarked this week's installment of the now-established Wednesday-night series for a little fundraising — all proceeds from tonight's show will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust. In addition to their usual eclectic sets, you'll also get spinnage by special guest DJ Del Ruby and live music from The Beauvilles (groovy lust-rock), The Lake Audition (angular but anthemic post-rock), The Disco Nap (cool, sexy, interesting art-rock) and Orenda (female-fronted folk/jazz/jam). (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 16
DJ Z-TRIP/BLACK SHEEP/GOLDEN CHYLD Hip-hop DJ, producer, beatmaker and sound-collage artist Z-Trip has been building original and eccentric slabs of sound since the mid-to-late '90s, but it was '01's Uneasylistening, Vol. 1 that really made the community — especially the underground rap scene — sit up and take notice. His major label debut, Shifting Gears, was released back in April, and features guest spots by the likes of Lyrics Born, Aceyalone and that anguished tool who sings for Linkin Park. And yes, that is THE Black Sheep billed on this Sony PlayStation DualPlay-sponsored shindig — Dres and Mista Lawnge are supposed to be in the house. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
GREG TROOPER Yet another folk artist winds his way down to Bradenton to play a benefit for community radio station WSLR. Trooper has eight albums under his belt and his latest features Ken Blevins, drummer for John Hiatt and others, and Dave Jacques, a John Prine sideman. Here, though, he'll be appearing solo. So what separates him from the rest of the strum-and-twang pack? Hey, don't ask me. Steve Earle liked him enough to cover one of his tracks, though. (Fogartyville Café, Sarasota) COOPER LANE BAKER
BUFFALO STRANGE CD RELEASE PARTY Buffalo Strange has been kicking around the local scene for several years now, pleasing crowds both on the cover-band/beach-bar circuit and in the jam/roots/reggae scene. (Frontman Rob Pieniak has carved himself quite a niche as a solo act, as well.) Tonight, the band celebrates the release of its latest CD, XX, with what's sure to be a lengthy Skipperdome set on the heels of a performance by local jam act Cope. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
DAN McMILLION JAZZ ORCHESTRA After five CDs and one Grammy nomination (in '02), Dan McMillion's 17-piece big-band style jazz orchestra is still going strong. The bandleader played trumpet in the Woody Herman Orchestra, and has shared the stage with folks like Peggy Lee and Joe Williams. (Palladium, St. Petersburg)
ALLON SAMS AND FRIENDS It's the most horrifying combination of words in all the English language: contemporary smooth jazz. This travesty of a genre will continue its life for one more day as part of the Van Wezel's weekly Friday Fest on the Bay. I predict syrupy and repetitive instrumentation, a nondescript rhythm section and a whole lot of finger-snapping goin' on. (Van Wezel, Sarasota) CLB
SATURDAY, SEPT. 17
PAUL MCCARTNEY Perhaps I'm not all that enthused about Sir Paul's recent musical output, but I do admire the way he's grown into his role as graying rock legend. Even though this tour is ostensibly to promote McCartney's new CD Chaos and Creation, that's not what this show is all about. He was always the Beatle who cared most about the fans (and the commercial success they provided the band), so expect this tour, like all the others, to be a real crowd-pleaser, with heavy doses of old classics. I could have scoured around online to give you a sample of tunes he'll be performing, but I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise now, would I? (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa) ERIC SNIDER
JOURNEY Look, I love Neal Schon, I love the cheesy video for "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)," I love all the old guilty-pleasure highlights. But I don't care if it's RibFest or the Ford Amp or the goddamned Tropical Princess Classic Rock Cruise with The Stars, it's not Journey without Steve Perry. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
OBITUARY/NAPALM DEATH/DEAD TO FALL Take that, screamo kids. Tampa's own Obituary came roaring back from the brink of obscurity this year with Frozen in Time, an excellent album that updated riff-heavy death metal with elements of stoner metal and a visceral, punky execution. It's among the best things I've heard so far this year. (BONUS: The band will be signing stuff and giving stuff away at Tampa's Vinyl Fever today, starting at 3 p.m.) As for Napalm Death, well, they don't ever have to put out another record if they don't want to — they're grindcore royalty, and always worth checking out live. Chicago's Dead to Fall add a little new-school flavor to the bill with its blend of European doom metal and groovy hardcore. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
EVERY TIME I DIE/HIGH ON FIRE/THE CHARIOT/THE RED CHORD Speaking of stoner metal, High on Fire's Matt Pike practically perfected the blueprint with his former band, Sleep, and his current outfit is excellent at delivering the uber-heavy, as well. Headliner Every Time I Die has been called the metalcore/screamo scene's next big breakout thing, and it might be true; they're meatier and more psychotic than most, and their latest, Gutter Phenomenon, is a hell of an album. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
THE U.S. SOILBLEED TOUR While the guitar guys and girls get pummeled in the Masquerade's main room, the industrial/harsh-electro crowd gets pummeled in the Infinity Room. European underground project Grendel (whose new EP supplied the name for the tour), God Module, and DJ Brian Matson supply the static, grind and groove. (Masquerade Infinity Room, Ybor City)
EARTHDANCE SARASOTA 2005 The phrase "trance music" is eerily appropriate: When listening to the same beat for hours on end, one's mind has a tendency to stop functioning, leaving one in a zombie-like state. There is stuff here, though, to break up the monotony, like DidgRevolution, a didgeridoo band, and what's being billed as a "cup of Stone Soup." Also, check out CVB, a 10-year-old blind kid who dominates the drums. (Ken Thompson Park, Sarasota) CLB
SIDE DOOR CABARET JAM SESSION Saxophonist Henry Ashwood Jr. hosts an intimate performance/jam/nosh in the Palladium's Stavros Great Room. Show and buffet start at 7 p.m. Interesting non-musical fact about Henry: He invented and currently has a patent pending for the "Lace Brace," a "musical instrument warmer." Funny that he invented it in Florida. The Cabaret Jams are slated to run once a month. (Palladium, St. Petersburg) —ES
HOWL AT THE MOON PARTY FEAT. DIXIE FLATLINE Tampa's own nonprofit, community-supported organic farm and educational facility hosts a little fundraising shindig for the Sierra Club under the light of the moon. Starting at 6 p.m., there'll be tours and a potluck dinner before rootsy local jam-band Dixie Flatline plays at 8. Admission is $15, and the farm is located at 6942 W. Comanche Ave., just northwest of TIA. (Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Tampa)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 18
MORGAN HERITAGE Originally made up solely of eight of Denroy Morgan's children, the enduring, R&B-influenced reggae act Morgan Heritage has carried on the musical legacy of the singer/father since the early '90s. The group's size and sound has varied considerably in the years since, though a trip to Jamaica toward the end of the last decade found the band re-embracing its musical roots. (Java Junction, Clearwater)
MINAMINA GOODSONG Atlanta's underground hip-hop clan Minamina Goodsong is on the rise; the crew just finished the Warped Tour, is a regularly featured act on its hometown's FM station 99X, and gets respectable airplay on college and community radio in markets scattered across the country. Now Minamina Goodsong returns to the road in support of its latest CD, a loosely narrative album called Four Farmer Circus. (On The Rocks, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21
LIZZ WRIGHT The sultry singer really hit her stride this year with the release of Dreaming Wide Awake, a low-key, intimate disc that builds a rootsy backdrop for her smoky vocals. Wright will perform with two guitarists, an acoustic bassist and drummer. For more on this extremely talented up-and-comer, check out the Music Feature. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa) ES
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2005.