THURSDAY, APRIL 20
FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER w/NEW CRASH POSITION/SELECT START After introducing Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba to the world, helping to define emo before the mainstream got hold of it, giving Jon Bunch a stage to sing on after Sense Field broke up, and generally rocking millions of kids over the last seven years, Miami's Further Seems Forever is calling it quits. St. Pete was chosen as one of a select few U.S. cities to hit during the farewell tour. BONUS: Longtime FSF friend and local bassist extraordinaire Gregg Moore will be holding down the low-end position for this gig. Bradensota's hard-rocking New Crash Position and Tampa post-emo hard-pop act Select Start provide support. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE APPLESEED CAST/ALOHA/CANDY BARS/RED ROOM CINEMA Lawrence, Kansas' long-running Appleseed Cast has always been associated with that vein of post-punk that eventually became known as emo, but the band has also always been more arty and evocative than most of its ilk. New album Peregrine continues the trend with sophisticated arrangements and earnest catharsis. Prolific Midwestern favorite Aloha also has a new vibraphone-heavy album out; it's called Some Echoes, and it's the group's most ambitious (and overtly retro-psychedelic) effort to date. Local support comes from immaculate dream-pop outfit Candy Bars — they're the subject of this week's music feature, y'know — and the noisily atmospheric Red Room Cinema. (Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
THE SUBDUDES Formed in 1987 in New Orleans for a one-off show, the Subdudes brought a folky feel to the Crescent City's R&B sound, and blended in Cajun/zydeco, gospel, blues and more. The band split in '97, but reunited five years later, and has benefited from the rapid rise of the jam-band scene. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center) ES
COLIN HAY The former Men at Work frontman has been releasing solo records for some time, but it took an appearance on the clever NBC sitcom Scrubs a year or so back to remind Americans of that fact. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)
VERBAL SCIENCE & CHOPPER New York MC Verbal Science came to Tampa to work with Hot4Eva principal, TV-show host and noted hometown producer (and resident Friday-night Floyd's spinna) DJ Short-E. Tonight's show is in the name of getting the word out on his new single, "Watchu Ridin' On," which also features Chopper, of Bad Boy Records and MTV's Making The Band fame. (Floyd's @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)
ERIC STECKEL BAND Though he's only 15, blues guitarist Steckel is already a Sarasota Blues Festival alum who's toured with John Mayall and plays with Derek Trucks' brother, drummer Duane. The Jacksonville-based player is touring in support of a new live CD. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
CHICK COREA USF is honoring the vaunted pianist/composer and Clearwater resident with its Distinguished Master Artist Award. In two ceremony/performances, Corea will be feted by university brass and perform with the 17-piece Jazz Surge orchestra, led by Chuck Owen, head of the USF Center for Jazz Composition. The programs will be selected mostly from Chick's Spanish/Latin milieu. Corea has performed in countless formats over the years, from solo piano to raging jazz-rock combos, but playing with a big band is definitely a rare move for him. Concerts are 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at the Palladium and 8 p.m. Monday, April 24 at USF Theater 1. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg/USF Theatre 1, Tampa) ES
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS w/THE WEARY BOYS Everybody's favorite chicken-throwin', white trash lifestyle-toutin', standing-up-drummer-havin' twang-groove party returns to town. Again. This time, the group is supporting its brand new in-concert CD, Doublewide & Live. Austin-bred stumblers The Weary Boys come along for the ride, and will undoubtedly deliver the beer-soaked roots-grass that's made them so popular here in the Bay area. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
POISON THE WELL/THE FALL OF TROY/HORSE THE BAND/CRITERIA This is an interesting and diverse bill of bands that all might fit under the wide umbrella of hardcore — but not really. Instead, the styles in attendance run from the pioneering early-screamo purge of South Florida's Poison The Well to Criteria's much more melodic, anthemic and weirdly rock 'n' roll-based post-punk. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
SLOAN WAINWRIGHT/CHUKULLA Sloan is another arm in the octopus that is the musical Wainwright clan. The younger sister of Loudon III (and Rufus' aunt), Sloan has a full-bodied voice that gives weight to the airy folk she's known for. At a stop at Ringling School of Art and Design a while back, she told stories and asked the audience questions as much as she performed. It was a treat to hear her ramble on about writing songs and digging into folk history. We've got folk up to our ears 'round here, but Wainwright's special. (Fogartyville Café, Bradenton) —Cooper Lane Baker
THE BUCKINGHAMS The '60s were flush with second-tier acts riding the popularity of the new-fangled music called rock 'n' roll. The Buckinghams were a worthy member of their ranks, with such bubbly pop hits as "Kind of a Drag" and "Susan." (Largo Cultural Center) ES
THE MORNING AFTER/SHAKEDOWN Massively popular local stubble-grunge act teams up with new/old funk-rock dudes at this show. If you want a state of the mainstream rock union report on Sarasota, this show is the one to check out. (The Tavern on Main, Sarasota) CLB
CITY OF DUNEDIN'S BATTLE OF THE BANDS For the second year, Dunedin's Youth Advisory Committee and Recreation Division invite some up-and-coming local talent to duke it out for the crowd's admiration, bragging rights and 200 bucks. Random audience members do the judging. It's a nicely eclectic bill of names both familiar and new: First Things First; A.N.D.Y.; Weaksauce; Valetta; Adam to Atom; and Variety Workshop. Admission is three bucks, and the melee begins at 6 p.m. (Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center, Dunedin)
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
THE QUEERS/LASTGREATHOPE/NEW BRUISES Legendary pop-punk progenitors The Queers have been absent from the increasingly mainstream-driven punk limelight for a while now — after all, Joe is way over 30, doesn't play a pointy guitar and would rather pen an incredibly infectious chorus than a guttural ode to dismembering his ex-girlfriend. But that doesn't mean that the songs aren't still fucking classic, or that the band can't bring it live. Rising Bradensota act LastGreatHope and Tampa's killer New Bruises raise the ante. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
REVENGE FEST 2 South Tampa's youth- and band-friendly punk-sounds-and-lifestyle emporium Top 5 Records hosts the second installment of its Revenge Clothing co-sponsored fest. This year's lineup includes sets from Select Start, No Cash Value, Skylab Hoax, The Voyeurs, The Hero Dies, DC North, Malison, and more to be announced. Check out www.top5recordsonline.com for complete information. (Top 5 Records, Tampa)
FLARO ROCK-OFF FINALS Another battle-of-the-bands scenario; Reindeer Records has been putting this one on for almost as long as I've been writing about music — this year marks the FLARO high-school-age competition's 10th year. The semifinals have already gone by, and today's the big day. Young acts Good Graeff (Riverview HS), Good Question (Cypress Lake HS), Skantly Prepared (St. Petersburg HS), Slander (East Lake HS), and Thoreau (Gulf HS/River Ridge HS) vie for $1,000 and the completely arbitrary and made-up title of "Best Young Band in the State." The cheer-meter fires up at 2 p.m. (Gasoline Alley, Clearwater)
MONDAY, APRIL 24
JOE SATRIANI The guy who really showed young tablature-addicted guitarists that shred could be tasteful back in the '80s continues to thrill both his loyal fanbase and an increasing number of new listeners who stumble onto his work and just, you know, think it sounds good. And it does; the six-string maestro's latest CD, Super Colossal is a satisfying listen full of soul, humor, canny tricks and memorable melodies. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
AN EVENING OF STEEL DRUMS The St. Petersburg College Music Center (Fifth Avenue North and 66th Street in St. Pete) presents "A Presentation on Pan: The State of the Steel Drum, the Only Instrument Invented in the 20th Century." It's, you guessed it, an introduction to and celebration of this unique Trinidadian instrument, complete with appearances/performances by Ian "Teddy" Belgrave and Nestor Sullivan. For more info, call 813-451-2801. (St. Petersburg College Music Center, St. Petersburg)
TUESDAY, APRIL 25
SHOOTER JENNINGS Riding a profile-raising wave set off by his appearance in the wildly ballyhooed Walk The Line, the son of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter is taking his rocking and often tongue-in-cheek take on revved-up country to the people. While sometimes cheesy, Jennings' second album, Electric Rodeo, is nonetheless a fun and worthwhile time, simply on the strength of his personality and the fact that he obviously loves what he's making fun of. Highly recommended. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE TOOTH AND NAIL TOUR Package tours by hip hardcore labels are the new black— thanks, Epitaph and Fat Wreck. This comparatively melody-heavy jaunt in the name of lauded Christian indie/punk/hardcore imprint Tooth & Nail is headlined by the beloved Anberlin. Emery, Johnzetta, The Classic Crime and The Fold round out a bill that's quite literally doing it for the kids. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26
B.B. KING Historically, very few blues artists have lived to see 80 years old, let alone to still be touring in their octogenarian days. The trimmed-down B.B. is an overwhelming exception, though. He's still very much a blues ambassador. He's also a very nice man. One night in the late '80s, I was backstage at a Tampa Theatre show, chatting with the man, thinking I was special. Then people started filing in to say hello. Dozens of them. Apparently anyone who wanted to offer well wishes after the set was permitted to do so. B.B. was gracious to each and every one. Those days of easy access are probably over, but it certainly impressed me at the time. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) ES
IN THE RAW SEASON FINALE: DUETS & MASH-UPS This year's closing show for In the Raw, the always-killer annual original acoustic series, incorporates a new twist. A bunch of series favorites will pick other series favorites as their partners, and offer an evening of duets that's sure to be as funny and silly as it will be talent-packed. The Mystery Dates: Joran Oppelt (Auditorium) & Ivan Pena (Soulfound); Shawn Kyle (The Beauvilles) & Christina Wagner; Rebekah Pulley & Will Quinlan; Tina Louise (Knowing Stu) & Dean Johanesen (The Human Condition); and Jason Merritt (Cuban Sandwich Crisis) & Lucious P. Slugworth. (The Bank, St. Petersburg)
ERIC LINDELL Lindell's show raises money for WSLR 96.5, our own radio-free Sarasota. There are reasons to attend beyond charity, though: Lindell's music is a casual, boozy and sexy mix of blues, country and folk. His latest, Change in the Weather, is a solid entry in a very crowded field. (Fogartyville Café, Bradenton) CLB