THURSDAY, AUGUST 23
BUCKETHEAD'S ALL-STAR BAND JAMBOREE w/LIFE OF PI/GIDDY-UP, HELICOPTER!/ZILLIONAIRE/JARVIC 7 "Buckethead's All Star Band Jamboree" seriously tripped me up. At first, I thought maybe the crazy, wildly talented guitarist who wears a mask and KFC bucket on his head was coming to town. Then, we theorized it might have something to do with the 98Rock DJ Buckethead. Finally, after a couple of phone calls, things were set straight: "Buckethead" is what Crowbar manager Tom DeGeorge calls sound man Mark Bustin, the bassist in Life of Pi, which will be joined at this gig by several other oft-playing, recommendable indie rock outfits. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24
RONNY ELLIOTT w/HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL/THE DIVINERS/FRANK RYAN/MATT BUTCHER/ROPPONGI'S ACE Several of the Bay area's finest singer/songwriters and alt-country outfits converge for this one, which should include familiar fare along with new stuff. Elliott is close to releasing a fresh album tentatively titled Jalopypaint. Have Gun, Will Travel's Matt Burke recently told me he and his band should have their full-length debut completed by autumn. And The Diviners' Will Quinlan has embarked on another project called The Holy Slow Train, which likely means he'll incorporate some of that material into this show. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO w/SAUL ZONANA Progressive rock guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew has spent more than 30 years performing and recording with various noteworthy musicians. He's toured with Frank Zappa and David Bowie, worked as a session guitarist for artists ranging from Tori Amos to Paul Simon to Talking Heads and, since 1981, served as Robert Fripp's right-hand guitar man in King Crimson. A prolific songwriter in his own right, Belew has put out 18 solo albums in addition to heading up several eclectic musical projects. His current power trio features brother-sister rhythm section Eric and Julie Slick, who are young, fun and quite capable of keeping up with Belew's virtuosic playing. Multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Saul Zonana opens the show with his intelligent, melodic alt-pop. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
DEF LEPPARD w/FOREIGNER/STYX A funny thing happened the other night. I'm at this guy Phil's house following a group trip to the bar, and he decides to play "the local music critic" a few tunes. It's obscure stuff that I'm not falling in love with, but it's good music, mostly of a hard-rock bent. The last CD he puts in is Def Leppard's 1980 debut On Through the Night, which I wasn't exactly thrilled to sample. Turns out the album is actually not bad. It finds Leppard playing hard, groove-oriented rock with attitude — sans the glossy finish and goofiness that marks their blockbusters Pyromania and Hysteria. Of course, this show is going to be all about those albums' MTV hits: "Photograph," "Rock of Ages," "Love Bites" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me." I grew up with these songs all around me but never felt anything for any of them. If only Guns N' Roses could have kept their shit together like these guys have — now that would be a metal bonanza worthy of excitement. Note: The current Foreigner lineup doesn't include original singer Lou Gramm; Styx replaced founding member/lead singer Dennis DeYoung with Lawrence Gowan in 1999. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
TAYLOR HICKS It looks as if winning American Idol no longer punches your ticket to superstardom, but that still leaves plenty of room for a guy like Hicks to carve out a solid career. The Prematurely Graying One performed a headlining show earlier this year at a sold-out Tampa Theatre, and his legion of fans — mostly middle-age women — gave him all the adoration he could handle. There's nothing original about the guy, but he performs his inoffensive pop/R&B with such a guileless enthusiasm — with such a glad-to-be-here vibe — that it's hard not to feel good for the guy. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
KULCHA SHOK MUZIK REGGAE + SURF TOUR w/LANCE-O/4TH DIMENSION/MADE OF HEMP/DAVID KURTON Kulcha Shok Muzik is a Miami-based production company presenting acts doing the rock, reggae, hip-hop, have-a-Red-Stripe sorta thing. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
MICHAEL BURKS Having spent his teens playing in the house band of his dad's Bradley Ferry Country Club juke joint in Arkansas during the 1970s, Burks has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay on the national blues scene, known for his expressive vocals and explosive guitar exploits. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MOJO GURUS w/BLIND BUDDY MOODY Considering Mojo Gurus frontman Kevin Steele is the brother of Brett Steele, who manages both the Gurus and neo-rockabilly hero Dex Romweber, there is a pretty good chance this show will include a special guest appearance. (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg)
SEAN CHAMBERS w/RADIO CRIME Miami's Sean Chambers is highly touted ax man who spent time fronting a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band before doing his own thing. (Bourbon Street Night Club, New Port Richey)
THE STICK MARTIN SHOW "I sing a chorus in my Taurus when I'm sippin' on a Yoo-hoo/ Car crash on 19, the white trash Honolulu," goes the sing-song chorus to Pasco County rapper Stick Martin's signature track, "White Trash Honolulu." It's tough to determine how serious this guy is. His beats are legit but what to make of this guy's boasts? Here's a sample: "I'm a slightly happier Kurt Cobain/ I'm a ghetto-fied gangster hip-hop Mark Twain/ I got the three to the four to the Slaughterhouse Five." Maybe the sincerity-vs.-irony debate is beside the point. After all, whether or not Martin means it, his songs are damn catchy. Watch the "White Trash" vid a couple times and you'll be quoting him too. (The Clubhouse Tavern, Sarasota) —Cooper-Levey Baker
LOS RUMBEROS CD RELEASE PARTY The Rumberos have gigged around the Suncoast for years now, but the flamenco combo are only now getting around to releasing their debut album, titled Rumba y Sangria. Tonight at Metro in Sarasota, the band pops off its hits backing a flamenco dance show, and the venue offers up an array of Latino cuisine and drinks. (Metro Coffee & Wine, Sarasota) —CLB
A GENTLEMEN ARMY/THE FIGHT FOR THE CROWN/THE PROSPECT Bradenton's got a hot night of alt-rock up and down this lineup, headed by B-town's A Gentlemen Army, who play its hooky punk with a wild-but-never-sloppy abandon. (Rasher Tierney's, Bradenton) —CLB
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25
JUNIOR BROWN w/DEXTER ROMWEBER Hearing Junior Brown on record do his Ernest Tubb-indebted classic country routine is fine and dandy, but seeing Brown in concert bust out spellbinding solos on his self-styled, double-neck Guit-steel makes him one of the more interesting live acts making the rounds these days. Opening the show is guitarist/singer Dexter Romweber (with sibling Sara on drums). Formerly of Flat Duo Jets, Dex is cited as an influence by The White Stripes' Jack White and Cat Power's Chan Marshall in a new documentary titled Two Headed Cow. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
5th ANNUAL HEATSTROKE HOTROD HOEDOWN w/THE DOWNSHIFTERS/WHISKEY ROMANCE/WHARF RATS/SPANKIN' FRESH/PREACHER BILL AND THE PROPHETS/LARGE MAMMAL/CAPTAIN TRIPS AND THE ANGRY HIPPIES Having attended several of these shindigs during my years spent living and covering music in Bradenton, I can attest that this event is a guaranteed good time, especially if you're into hot rods, beer and rockabilly/psychobilly/punk. Headlining the show is the power rockabilly trio The Downshifters, which are fronted by P-Man, the musician/visual artist who owns P-Man's Classic Cycle Paint in Bradenton. Bands perform in the garage's loft, and attendees spill out into the street creating a lively block/keg party atmosphere replete with tasty, smoked-on-the-spot barbecue for sale. There's a $10 cover, but anyone who arrives in a car or truck built before 1971 gets in free "no matter how many people are in it. Trunk included." If you can't find the place, it's located in downtown Bradenton's tiny industrial district at 721 Seventh Ave. W. Call the shop at 941-744-1157. (P-Man's Classic Cycle Paint, Bradenton)
UNWED SAILOR w/THE DARK ROMANTICS/AUTO!AUTOMATIC!!/HISTORY Perhaps the only group on MySpace that cites New Order and The Band first and second on its list of influences, the instrumental sextet Unwed Sailor offer gauzy soundscapes, while nationally-signed Lakeland quintet The Dark Romantics deliver synthy alternative rock, and St. Pete's Auto!Automatic!! are a trio specializing in instrumentals that are far more tricky and propulsive than those of the headliner. More distinctive than actually gripping, Orlando's History blend indie-rock and metal for a sound all their own. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
ISAAC DELGADO One of Cuba's top salsa stars, Delgado defected to the U.S. earlier this year and relocated with his family to Tampa. The Los Angeles Times broke the story, and Delgado broke his silence in an L.A. Times article that ran last month. "I feel like I am starting over again from zero," Delgado told the newspaper. The piece compares him to Frank Sinatra "insofar as the Cuban singer also keeps his cool over a swinging big band and croons with jazzy phrasings on romantic numbers." (Indian Cultural Center, Tampa)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 26
JOE WALSH Pushing 60 and 13 years sober, Joe Walsh finds himself amid a flurry of activity. The Eagles have nearly completed an all-new studio album and plan a major tour in '08. For now, Walsh is touring with a newly assembled band of young L.A. musicians. Last year saw him re-grouping his late '60s/early '70s trio The James Gang and touring to considerable acclaim. For more on Joe Walsh, check out the music feature. (Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg) —ES
THE DIVE BAR STALKERS w/ROCKET 88 Local The Dive Bar Stalkers are a newly formed Southern rock/garage rock/rockabilly band led by former Mojo Guru/Roxx Gang member Jeff Vitolo. The band plays originals like "Ready for Another Round" that are exactly what the title suggests: simple, well-executed drinking songs buoyed by impressive slide guitar licks. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 28
SAL DiTROIA MEMORIAL DiTroia, who died suddenly in June at age 66, was for decades an A-list session guitarist, an acoustic specialist in New York playing on seminal albums by Simon & Garfunkel, Dionne Warwick, Billy Joel and dozens of others. A few years ago, he semi-retired to St. Pete and did occasional gigs. The Tampa Bay Fingerstyle Guitar Guild, which DiTroia co-founded, is sponsoring this fundraiser to help defray expenses his family has incurred in the wake of his death. Performing at the show will be fingerstylists Sam Pacetti and Gale Trippsmith, singer/songwriter Jeff Arthur and modern-rock band Radio Reset. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa) —ES