FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25
New Granada Records 15th Anniversary Show w/Pohgoh ’94/The Tenant/Red Room Cinema New Granada celebrates 15 years of staging shows and producing records with a holiday tradition: its annual Christmas night concert for local folks actually looking to get out and let loose after all the gift-giving and family-time grubbing is over. In honor of the occasion, NG founder Keith Ulrey gets his old band back together — Tampa/Brandon’s Pohgoh, which originally prompted the start of New Granada. The original ’94 lineup will perform: Kobi Finley on vocals, guitarist Matt Slate (King of Spain), bassist Brad Richardson (Jarvik7), and drummer Ulrey (Zillionaire). Former Summerbirds in the Cellar singer/guitarist Brad Register presents The Tenant, his new electro rock Austin-based four-piece. The band will release their self-titled debut of driving basslines and synthesizer grooves — available as a multi-format six-song CDEP or two-song 7” combo — via New Granada Records the night of the show. Tampa’s “quasi-instrumental” rock band Red Room Cinema rounds out the bill with fresh songs from an album due out in 2010; NGR put out their last EP, The Black Friday Session, in 2008. Click here to read this week's music feature about New Granada. 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $7.
[image-1]SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26
Jarvik 7 w/Zillionaire/Sleepy Vikings [pictured, photo by Death Trap Photography] Not to be confused with the Jarvik-7 (among the best known of all artificial hearts), Jarvik7 is a four-piece from Tampa that makes darkly atmospheric post rock marked by stretches of drawn out instrumentals, gentle vocals and layers of psychedelia, reverb and heavy distortion. Jarvik7 delivers their live sets with a healthy dose of mutli-media visuals. Zillionaire brings a bit of punch to their own melodic, easy-going alt rock, and is currently promoting the release of a limited split 7” with German-based Enrico on Germany’s Superfluous Records. Sleepy Vikings is the new Southern-meets-vintage folk rock sextet put together by members of the now-defunct Giddy Up, Helicopter!. 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $7.
Silas w/Oceana/My Captain My King/Stell/Von Wolfe Silas combines complex guitar work and crushing, time signature-challenged drumming with gut-deep screams and spoken word lyricism. This is the St. Pete hardcore band’s farewell show, and they’re supported by a lineup of like local acts. 7 p.m., Orpheum, Ybor City, $12.
Panthro UK United 13 w/Clairmel Gainesville’s punk rock foursome Panthro U.K. United 13 (I don’t know where they came up with that mouthful) has the following insightful bio up on Myspace: “Well 2 of us had guitars, one had a bass, and then one of us got hooked on drums. Not drugs, that sucks..drums. Have you seen Pit-Pat?” 8 p.m., Transitions Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa, $7 (all ages).
[image-2]e [pictured] w/Shaun Hopper/Middle Rhythm Session While she’s making a name for herself in Philadelphia, guitar playing songstress Christie Lenée had her start right here in Tampa. She returns regularly with her nimble fingers, powerful vox and uplifting music that touches on folk, funk, pop, nu jazz and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. 8 p.m., Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa, $7 in advance/$10 dos.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27
The Gravesiders A horror punk and metal holiday after party for the kids who like their rock served in white face paint. 5 p.m., Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa, free admission.
Acho Brother The local acoustic duo made up of Hector Mayoral (guitar/vocals) and Zak Byrd (drums/programming) fuses elements of Latin, folk and electronic music, Mayoral singing primarily in Spanish and both members dishing out plenty of improvisation. 4 p.m., Ella’s Folk Art Cafe, Tampa, free admission.
An Evening with Nicholas J. White Classically-trained White presents “Bosikom: Songwriters on Songwriting,” a program of songs from his forthcoming solo EP, How a Cookie Comes Together, as well as selections by George Gershwin, Hank Williams, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Rivers Cuomo and others. White’s performance will also focus on the creative songwriting process, from the beginning notes to the lyrics to recording. ([email protected], St. Petersburg)
