Sponge w/Liquid Logic/D.B.D/Kenny McGee's Disease After lengthy consideration, post-grunge one-hitters Sponge have apparently decided that any gig is better than interning at Dad's accounting firm. Good for them. Why should '80s hair bands be allowed to hog the kitsch/retro market? Besides, Sponge was cool. And we know the words to more than one of their tunes. Three locals, one of whom, Kenny McGee (with Julliet) got a taste of the big time fully five years before the headliners burned brightly, will briefly provide support. (June 21, Brass Mug)
Car Bomb Driver w/Jackie Papers/The Fizz/ Cumshotte CBD returns to the State, presumably with irony, volume and 360-degree leaps honed to perfection. Former Pink Lincolns frontman Chris Barrows and his capable crew of noisy guys 'n' gals known as Jackie Papers will make one of their infrequent hometown appearances, while well-coiffed youngsters The Fizz celebrate the release of their first CD. Grinders Cumshotte may or may not break Joe Popp's record for most post-breakup gigs this time out — we don't know, we've lost count. (June 22, State Theatre)
Flo Factor/Calm/Lo/Chumley's Toy/5 Second Warning Mark For the last couple of months, Joey's Lounge (located at 7825 North Armenia in Tampa) has been providing younger heavy bands with a refreshing alternative to the previously mandatory Brass Mug residency. The shows are all-ages, the PA holds its own, and if you're early enough, you can grab some grub from the annexed restaurant. This Saturday's up-and-comer moshfest will likely feature some predictable down-tuned grooves, though Lo makes better use of melody than most, and Chumley's Toy takes a schizoid cue from the likes of Mr. Bungle. (June 23, Joey's Lounge)
The Wholigans w/Liquid Logic Not all of the Wholigans look like The Who, and nobody's ever going to ape Keith Moon with a comparable balance of talent and psychosis, but who cares? It's a good time, people. Dig out your Union Jack tee, quaff innumerable Newcastles and, for the love of Pete, try not to embarrass yourself by referring to Baba O'Reilly as Teenage Wasteland. Liquid Logic weighs in with an impressive Music Menu double mention, despite or because of the fact that I know neither who they are, nor exactly what they do. (June 23, State Theatre)
Najee The main sentence from the press release regarding this show reads as follows: The magical melodies and passionate phrasings that introduced a generation of music lovers to the distinctive sound of the phenomenal reedsmith Najee will once again serenade listeners at the beautiful historic Coliseum. The line after that goes, Cash bar. Because, seriously, who wants to be serenaded by magical melodies and passionate phrasings without five or six Jim Beam and ginger ales screaming through the bloodstream? (June 23, Coliseum)
Liberty DeVito's Fun(k) Club w/The Thrusters Raucous, energetic funk and R&B from New Orleans, delivered by a cadre of vets who've performed, variously, with Billy Joel, Mother's Finest, Blackfoot, John Mayall, The Drifters and The Marvelettes to name but a few. Expect gritty, groovy Hammond B-3 and bass-driven sensuality with a sly grin. Local surf-rock favorites The Thrusters, and their go-go girlfriends, kick things off on an entertaining note. (June 23, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Superdrag w/Pilot To Gunner/Glib Knoxville, Tenn.'s incomparable Superdrag take a little time from recording their second disc for Arena Rock Recordings (co-helmed by former Tampa stalwart Greg Glover — see the Music column) to swing through America and road-test some new material. Pilot To Gunner and Sarasotans Glib hammer out either fast, loud pop or eclectic punk, depending upon one's need to be perceived as cool. (June 24, Orpheum)
The Women Musician's Alliance Shifting Sands Concert Series w/Joshua Tree/Amanda Gerttula Acoustic duo Joshua Tree have provided tunes for Mindy Simmons, Carl Wade, and others; they'll be plying an eclectic, original set with an oldtime flavor. Violinist Amanda Gerttula's resume includes stints with Roberta Flack, Johnny Mathis, Bobby McFerrin, and George Benson, as well as orchestras worldwide. The WMA has been putting on intriguing, intimate shows like this for several years now at various venues around the area. Represent! (June 24, Woodlawn Presbyterian Church, 2612 12th St. N., St. Pete)
Aspera w/Spacious International/ Showman's Rest Aspera (formerly Aspera Ad Astra) create alternately gorgeous and jarring soundscapes, and really don't sound like anything you've ever heard before. Their new CD, Sugar & Feathered, is an eclectic, ambitious thing that employs traditional instrumentation but utterly defies category. That they can pull this stuff off live is nothing short of astounding. Spacious International's quirky post-rock sensibilities should provide for an engaging match, while Showman's Rest, a new, lo-fi band featuring former members of Tomorrow, complete the bill. (June 25, Orpheum)
Diana Krall Vocalist/pianist Diana Krall mixes contemporary jazz with accessible pop nuances and a bit of that good old after-hours torch-song vibe. The Berklee College of Music graduate from British Columbia has released five albums, most of which enjoyed crossover success with both lite-jazz fans and your average VH-1 viewer, circa '95. Would it impugn her talent in any way to mention that she's, uh, really hot as well? (June 25, Ruth Eckerd Hall)
The Devil Is Electric/This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb/Against Me!/Grabass Charlestons South St. Pete's Center Of Radical Empowerment recently scored some ink from The St. Petersburg Times, which ran a feature on the grassroots think-tank/information center/political and cultural forum. The shows help keep the lights on and books on the shelves. Most of the bands appearing at C.O.R.E. can be classified by one of the styles that end with exactly those four letters, and this weekend's gig is no exception. (June 26, C.O.R.E.)
Rod Stewart He's released 20 studio albums. He did a video that put breakdancing on MTV, arguably for the very first time. And he is the subject of rock 'n' roll's most widely known and enduring urban legend. Ladies and gentlemen — Rod Stewart. Stewart's latest disc, Human, continues the singer's flirtation with watered-down soul, though the vocal performances might be his best since the '80s. Will the white stand and taped-up mic make an appearance? You'll have to go to know. (June 27, Ice Palace)
—All entries by Scott Harrell
