THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9
WALTER MEEGO w/THE MORNING BROTHERS/STAVROS Chicago electronica duo Walter Meego works the Daft Punk angle in crafting agreeable dance pop for the fun-loving indie set. It's the same fat beats and glossy synths you've heard countless times, with vocoder-ized vocals that reinforce the robotic nature of the endeavor and repeat lines like "I do it for a girl" or "da, da, da, da, da, da" as the choruses. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
BLUES TRAVELER During the mid-'90s jam-band boom, New Jersey's Blues Traveler emerged as the most melodic of the bunch, issuing lightweight, hook-laden roots-rock numbers best exemplified by the back-to-back smashes "Run-Around" and "But Anyway." The hits dried up about a decade ago, but Blues Traveler retains a loyal following thanks largely to energetic live shows marked by the harmonica excursions of frontman John Popper. Blues Traveler's fanbase apparently includes Bruce Willis, who offers vocals in the form of a rant on "Free Willis," the closing track of the band's new disc, North Hollywood Shootout. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
KAMELOT w/ADRIFT/MENA BRINNO Credit Tampa prog-metal outfit Kamelot — they're huge in Europe, dude — for embracing the symphonic approach favored by the Dungeons & Dragons set in the mid-'90s — about a decade before it became played out. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10
CREATIVE LOAFING CONCERT SERIES: RACHEL GOODRICH/AUTO! AUTOMATIC!!/THE OAKS/THE BASIQS The latest edition in CL's concert series features Miami singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Rachel Goodrich, a plucky 24-year-old about to release her wonderfully eclectic full-length debut, Tinker Toys. Tampa math-rock instrumentalists Auto Automatic!!, Orlando indie folk outfit The Oaks and Tampa avant hip-hop twosome The Basiqs round out the diverse lineup. For my interview with Goodrich, click here. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE SPAM ALL STARS w/ACHO BROTHER/THE HIP ABDUCTION Miami's Spam Allstars have spent the past decade putting a welcome new spin on funk music. The nine-piece ensemble parties it up with a seamless assemblage of soul, rhythm and blues, various Latin styles, electronica and hip-hop. The backing unit for DJ Le Spam (aka Andrew Yeomanson) includes percussionists, horn players, a guitarist and flutist. It's smart yet also makes you wanna shake y' ass. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
MARTINA MCBRIDE W/JACK INGRAM/JASON MICHAEL CARROLL Former Garth Brooks protégé Martina McBride typifies the female contemporary country singer. She has a capable, generic voice with just the slightest twang, and mostly employees a stable of songwriters who pen her greeting card love tunes ("I Love You"), treacly hymns ("God's Will"), and faux feminist anthems ("This One's for the Girls"). (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
EVERLAST w/THE LORDZ Former House of Pain rapper Everlast surprised the music world with his 1998 genre-hopping album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which featured the folk-y, socially conscious and quite catchy hit "What It's Like." A few weeks ago, Everlast dropped Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford. His first album in four years, it mainly sticks to contemporary alt-rock and blues. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
CHRIS McCARTY w/THE MIGGS Gator Country strum-pop/jam fave (and serial Skipperdome headliner) returns for a fundraiser benefiting the Hillsborough County Children's Special Needs Foundation. The event will include the raffling of spa things, dinner certificates and fishing trips. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
BRAHM BONES w/MEMPHIS TRAIN UNION Double bill of local rustic rockers with a penchant for loud, twangy guitars should play well in this intimate downtown venue. (Kelly's Pub, Tampa)
MAMMA MIA ... IT'S ALMOST ABBA With all things ABBA — except, uh, anything involving the actual band members — sweeping the nation like an Old Testament plague, I guess it's only fitting that the Bay area is treated to a performance by this tribute act, which "recreates the music of Swedish pop sensation ABBA, like no other." I wasn't able to procure any sound samples, so I guess we'll just have to take their word. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
MATT BUTCHER & THE REVOLVERS w/ WILL QUINLAN & THE DIVINERS/WIN WIN WINTER/RONNY ELLIOTT/LAURIS VIDAL Local bills don't get much better than this one: Orlando indie folk standout Matt Butcher and his band the Revolvers are joined by Tampa alt-country luminary Will Quinlan and his backing unit the Diviners, plus there is free-wheelin' indie rock badasses Win Win Winter and hillbilly soul great Ronny Elliott. Highly recommended. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
THE INDEPENDENTS W/MAGADOG/JOHNNY CAKES AND THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYSCO/FLAT SLANLEY/LONGJOHNS South Carolina's all-things-horror-loving The Independents team with local third wavers Magadog for an evening of high-end ska. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
DAVID ALLAN COE With a stint in prison on his resume and an album of X-rated songs to his credit, David Allan Coe helped pioneer the country outlaw movement of the 1970s. He penned Johnny Paycheck's signature tune "Take This Job and Shove It" and Tanya Tucker's breakthrough smash "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)." As a singer, Coe's biggest hits are the perennial saloon sing along "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," "Longhaired Redneck" and "The Ride." His other notable accomplishment is discovering Allman Brothers Band/Gov't Mule guitarist/singer Warren Haynes, who played with him through the early 1980s. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
STATESMEN OF JAZZ: NATE NAJAR TRIO, FEATURING JOHN LAMB The re-launched Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College kicks off its season with a strong, straight-ahead jazz concert featuring an all-star group of Arbor Records players, the best known of which is guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Local guitarist Nate Najar leads the opening act. More info in See & Do. (Palladium, St. Petersburg) —Wayne Garcia
SOUTHERN ROCK'S FINEST "FEAT. FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ALLMAN BROS., MOLLY HATCHET, MARSHALL TUCKER, THE OUTLAWS, & PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE" How do I put this politely? A collection of talented journeymen including bassist Charlie Souza (according to his website, he played on Gregg Allman's 1973 solo album, Laid Back, but he isn't credited in the CD liner notes) come together to play Southern-rock standards. Same Palm Harbor-based musicians also go by the band name Lavafish. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
JOHNNY G. LYON BAND The namesake bandleader is a rock-solid blue guitarist and over-the-top frontman known for his ribald ways on stage. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13
WILLY PORTER Milwaukee-based singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist specializes in the finger-picking style that recalls the likes of Leo Kottke and Richard Thompson. He also possesses a rich voice, which he lends to finely detailed songs about life's trials and tribulations. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15
MIKE RELM DJ/turntablist Relm hails from San Francisco and has worked with Dan the Automator, Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Mike Patton, to name a few. He's like the West Coast Kid Koala, his shows fusing audio mash-ups and turtablism with video manipulated in real-time with a digital turntable. His Tampa stop is supported by Sideshow and Mes Music. (Crowbar, Tampa) —Leilani Polk
Correction: The Matt Butcher show is Sat., Oct. 11, New World Brewery, Ybor City. An incorrect date originally ran.
