Tampa songwriter John Nowicki to channel Tom Waits during full-band dive bar concert

Singer-songwriter sets can be sameish, but abnormal is the norm for Holy Terror maestro John Nowicki.

For this no-cover gig at downtown Tampa’s revered dive bar, The Hub, Nowicki’s backed by a full band complete with upright bass, all so he can growl his way through an hour-long set of tunes by Tom Waits, who is the alt-weekly version of a poet laureate.
Nowicki told CL that Waits has informed every aspect of his life as a musician and that he’s been dreaming of doing a show like this for years.

“The poetry of his lyrics, his timeless songwriting, the variety of genres he spans, the fearless experimentation (and sometimes batshit results thereof), the theatrical stage presence...I could go on. He is American Music's greatest living treasure,” Nowicki added. “The challenge of inhabiting his many characters, and pushing my voice to do them justice, is super fun. And assembling a band of guys who delight in the material as much as I do is exhilarating.”

There’s no cover to see John Nowicki play The Hub in Tampa on Saturday, March 2.

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