THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3
The Tiger Lillies This long-running London trio with a knack for the perverse and bizarre purveys a mix of gypsy, cabaret and neo-opera, against it weaving tales about prostitution, murder, drug addiction, hell and other twisted topics. (Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center, Tampa)
Between the Buried and Me w/Animal As Leaders/Tesseract The prog-metal pacesetters known for their pulverizing math rock and death metal soundscapes are set to burn through Tampa in support of their latest effort The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues; this is their first release since departing Victory for Metal Blade Records. Guitar virtuoso Tosin Abasi leads Washington, D.C.-based opener Animals As Leaders. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City) —Christopher Spata
Rock the Park w/Guiltmaker/Michael Christmas/J'nelle The November installment of THX Management's outdoor music series features three disparate acts: propulsive post-rock foursome Guiltmaker, which is currently one of 10 bands competing in the 97X-hosted Local Band Search to play at the station's December concert fest, Next Big Thing; Michael Christmas, a fuzzy lo-fi surf garage outfit with a sort of Surfer Blood appeal; and R&B neo soul songstress J'nelle, a Blake grad with a sultry croon. (Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Yellow Nostalgia w/Acho Brother Dubbed "Salsa for Sustainability," this two-band bill of Latin fusion features Yellow Nostalgia (aka Nostalgia Amarilla), an ensemble that puts a modern spin on their percussive-driven Afro-Puerto Rican roots music or "bomba"; and Acho Brother, a duo that features guitarist/vocalist Hector Mayoral and drummer Zak "Canaray" Byrd experimenting with electronics, folk and Latin rock. (The Roosevelt 2.0, Ybor City)
Don Schlitz A country music artist best known for his clever, thoughtful and poignant lyrical capabilities, Don Schlitz has written a few dozen No. 1 singles, including his signature song, "The Gambler" (made famous by Kenny Rogers) and "Forever and Ever, Amen" (a collab with Paul Lester Overstreet performed by Randy Travis). He's also penned tunes for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Reba McEntire, Allison Krauss, and George Strait, among many others. He has plenty of his own solo-produced material as well; 2010 saw the release of his LP Allergic to Crazy, along with a greatest hits compilation. This "Nashville insider concert" kicks off the Palladium's Songwriter Series. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
AIDS Wolf w/Unicorn Hard-On/Yip-Yip/Skeleton Warrior/Diamond Man If Montreal trio AIDS Wolf are using their awful name as a sort of sonic description, it works; they definitely produce the sort of sounds you might hear from a wolf slowly dying from an incurable disease — loud, abrasive, sometimes confusing and overall discordant noise rock with No Wave and Beefheart influences, and a female lead who prefers choking squeals to singing. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
MarchFourth Marching Band w/Beeb$ and Her Money Maker$ Fire-eaters, stiltwalkers, burlesque dancers — yes, it's a kaleidoscopic vaudevillian-style performance of theatrics and musical prowess as presented by the high-spirited, energy-pumping MarchFourth Marching Band (M4 to fans) and its 20-odd members. Funky electric bass grooves and guitar riffs, many-voice choruses, a five-piece percussion corps holding down the stomping rhythms, and a seven-piece brass section all brew up a mix of swampy Louisiana funk and jazz, eastern European gypsy music, Brazilian style Afro-beat, and good ol' fashioned rock 'n' roll. A must see. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
Fishbone Exploding onto the L.A. underground music scene in the 1980s, Fishbone helped pioneer the fusion of punk, funk, ska and soul, and did it with a furious gusto that inspired artists ranging from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Les Claypool to No Doubt. They never recorded a hit album, but they've gained massive cult fame over a three-decade career of wild ups and downs that served as the subject for the new documentary, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, which explores their music and its relationship to black culture. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —Christopher Spata
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway Concert A weekend of ukulele appreciation that culminates with a Saturday concert showcase featuring an array of ukulele talent. Among the performers are Gerald Ross, known for his polished skills on both uke and Hawaiian lap steel guitar, and his regular guest appearances on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion; songwriter, guitarist and uke man Manitoba Hal, who offers a unique take on blues standards; The Barnkickers, a vintage-meets-modern two-piece made up of upright bass player Steve Boisen and his youthful uke-playing daughter Amanda; and husband-and-wife harmonizing team Marv and Kathy Reitz, both on uke, he on guitar, saxophone and clarinet, she on bass. (Lake Tarpon Resort, Tarpon Springs)
Martina McBride Nashville's multi-platinum country music star and so-called "Celine Dion of Country Music" performs at the second annual Dollars for Doorways charity event, which raises funds for Mayor's Mentors & More and its college/technical scholarships for low-income youths. (Demens Landing, St. Petersburg)
Bubba Sparxxx / Nappy Roots In the early '00s when rappers from the lower half of the country were riding the "dirty south" tidal wave for all it was worth, few were dirtier or southier than tractor-wheeling, pig-wrassling Georgia boy, Bubba Sparxxx, who blew up in 2001 with "Ugly" off of Dark Days, Bright Nights. Known for their positive, feel good vibe, six-man group Nappy Roots hit platinum in 2002 with Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz. Their new album, Nappy Dot Org, came out this month. This show should be a nice throwback to a crunkier era (when people said "crunk"). (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —Christopher Spata
