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✔️ = Critic's Pick
✔️ Brockhampton Believe it or not, boy bands are back — and we’re glad. Mostly because the group reviving and reinventing the concept is Brockhampton, a fiercely independent Texas-based collective (we count nearly a dozen dudes in the press photo) led by Kevin Abstract, who tapped a crew of rappers, DJS, directors, camera operators, engineers, producers and graphic designers to help him unleash a fresh take on hip-hop for hungry, young fans always looking to push their own tastes. The final installment of the group’s Saturation trilogy arrived late last year, but don’t be surprised if every tween at this likely-to-be-sold-out show knows every word. (The Ritz, Ybor City) SOLD OUT
Boombox Cartel Brockhampton’s Friday-night show at The Ritz is going to spill out onto Seventh Avenue at a relatively early hour, and that’s so the venue can empty itself before a queue of Kandy Kids can let themselves in for the weekly rave. This one features Mad Decent reppin’, Mexican-born producers and DJs Americo Garcia and Jorge Medina — aka Boombox Cartel — turning the knobs for the evening. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City) INFO
BEST LOCAL ALBUMS 2017
All of Ari Chi's vibrant essence gets captured on Color Fool
Passion Color Money Release Party and Music Video Shoot Ari Chi — a young ukulele player and songwriter who released another one of CL’s favorite local albums of 2017 — teamed up with Mari So Dope and YL Ameen Spade, aka Young Local$, for a collaborative EP. On Friday, the group wants you to be in its new music video for the Passion Color Money EP. The view at downtown’s Attic Café is great, and it’ll be even better if you wear ‘90s gear for the shoot. (The Attic Café, Tampa) INFO
Paul Anka He’s 76 years old, but you can still put your head on Paul Anka’s shoulder. The Canadian singer, songwriter and actor brings that big hit (plus others like “Diana” and “Lonely Boy”) to Clearwater for this show, where we expect Anka to also pay tribute to collaborator and Muscle Shoals record producer Rick Hall who died of cancer as the rest of us rang in 2018. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) INFO
✔️ The Florida Orchestra: Final Fantasy w/Arnie Roth Cosplay is welcome and encouraged at Mahaffey Theater when the Florida Orchestra — under the baton of American composer and record producer Arnie Roth — conducts the ensemble through the music of beloved video game Final Fantasy. Bonus points since original Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu is set to be in the house taking in this performance, as well as the one in the very same room on Sunday. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO
BEST LOCAL ALBUMS 2017
FayRoy makes magic out of storm clouds on Heaven At Twenty-Seven
✔️ The Rotten Mangos w/FayRoy/Blestian This, apparently, is what happens when someone leaves fruit under the heat of a record chock full of sun-drenched, surfy psych-rock. The Rotten Mangos (from Austin, Texas, but affiliated with Los Angeles’ Lollipop Records) have a new album to show off — Couldn’t Find a Word, released late last year — and the group will also have good company at this no-cover show thanks to the FayRoy boys, whose 2017 nugget of beach-goth was one of CL’s favorite local albums of the year. (The Bends, St. Petersburg) INFO
Black Label Society w/Corrosion of Conformity/Red Fang Rock horns and long hair will fly at Jannus on Friday when Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt — better known as Zakk Wylde — brings his Black Label Society to Jannus Live. The group’s new album, Grimmest Hits, isn’t a victory lap celebrating the band’s long career either, so be prepared to hear a lot of it in St. Pete if you come out to the show where a pair of metal heavyweights — North Carolina’s Corrosion of Conformity and Oregon stoners Red Fang — open the show. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) INFO
✔️ NHL All-Star Game Concerts Kickoff w/UNRB/Ella Jet/Dean Johanesen/Tribal Style/Cliff Brown/Have Gun, Will Travel Flo Rida and Kid Rock play inside Amalie this weekend while Fitz and the Tantrums and Moon Taxi play a free Friday show at Curtis Hixon Park, but The NHL has booked a nice slate of local acts to play three days of free All-Star Game concerts at Cotanchobee Park (on the southeastern end of Amalie Arena, near the Tampa Bay History Center). Ska-punk collective UNRB reunites for the Friday show, and Saturday finds pop songwriter Ella Jet joining vintage-folkie Dean Johanesen and roots-reggae band Tribal Style on the bill. Sunday sees an appearance from hard-gigging Americana boys Have Gun, Will Travel and Grammy-winning local Cliff Brown. The best part is it’s all free and family-friendly. Get all the details on All-Star Game-related concerts here. (Cotanchobee Park, Tampa) INFO
OVER THE MOON
Yes, Moon Taxi is playing downtown Tampa's free NHL All-Star game concert
✔️Fitz and the Tantrums w/Moon Taxi Fitz and the Tantrums — alums of last year's College Football National Championship parties (the band played Ferg's!) — returns to downtown Tampa. This time the soul-pop outfit is headlining free concert and party at downtown Tampa's Curtis Hixon Park where Nashville indie-pop boys Moon Taxi (Gasparilla Music Festival alums who just released a new album) play support. Don't throw eggs at event host, Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, OK? (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa) INFO
✔️Andy Frasco & The U.N. w/Gwan Massive You're gonna have to know somebody if you want to see bare-footed blues rock showman Andy Frasco do his thing at a private Gasparilla Day Parade party in South Tampa on Saturday, so you might as well see the wild guy at Crowbar the night before. Gwan Massive — Tampa Bay's own party-starting collective of rappers, DJs and rockers — opens the show. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO
BEST OF THE BAY 2012
Best Hip-Hop: Gwan Massive
The Ale & the Witch 7th Anniversary Kickoff w/Ramblegrass One of St. Pete's best, not-so-secret places to catch a laid-back (and almost always free) concert is at The Ale & The Witch courtyard tucked into that little shopping center between Beach Drive and First Street. On Friday the craft-beer mecca kicks off a seven-day, seventh anniversary celebration with a free show by pickin', grinnin' jamgrass quartet Ramblegrass (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
Blast Friday w/Richard Elliot Tower of Power horn blower Richard Elliot (who some describe as the “James Brown of contemporary jazz”) headlines this installment of the free downtown Clearwater concert series where super-dedicated fans can spring for $29 preferred viewing seats that come with two complimentary beers or glasses of wine. Michael Bolton owns the most famous smooth jazz remake of Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman,” but we’re willing to bet that a few babies have been accidentally made to the take Elliot, 58, put to tape at the beginning of his own career. (Cleveland Street District, Clearwater) INFO
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ALSO PLAYING
Oldies
January 22-27, Busch Gardens Real Music Series w/the Diamonds (Stanleyville Theatre at Busch Gardens, Tampa) INFO
Classical/Chorale/Jazz
Rutenberg Series: Masterclass w/Noreen Cassidy-Polera (Barness Recital Hall at University of South Florida, Tampa) INFO
January 26-27, McCormick Marimba Festival: Solo Showcase (School of Music Concert Hall at University of South Florida, Tampa) INFO
Rock
Unchecked Aggression w/Abortion Twins/Tomorrows New (Brass Mug, Tampa) INFO
Allman Goldflies Band (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) INFO
The Stone Cobras w/Johnny Mile and the Kilometers/Shinraco (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
The Spazmatics (Ka`Tiki, Treasure Island) INFO
DJ/EDM
Phantasma w/DJ Nemesis/DJ Maus (SubCentral At The Iberian Rooster, St. Petersburg) INFO
Singer-songwriter
Nate Currin w/Branford Loomis (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO
Tom Rush (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) INFO
Jeremy Thomas w/Geri X/Theralix (The Blue Note, Tampa) INFO
Fourth Friday Concert w/Sarah Morey (Jaeb Courtyard at David A. Straz Center for Performing Arts, Tampa) INFO
Leon Majcen (Indian Shores Coffee Co, Indian Shores) INFO
Americana/Folk
Paleface (Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe, Tampa) INFO
Navin Ave. w/Tail Light Rebellion (Pokey's Pub, Tampa) INFO
Cover/Tribute
2 Under Cover (Buckets Grill & Tap, Tampa) INFO
Blues
Taller Trees (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) INFO
Betty Fox Brass Band (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) INFO
Worship
John and Kate Denner (United Methodist Church, Sun City Center) INFO
Misc.
This Is Spinal Tap (Tampa Theatre, Tampa) INFO
