It's Sun., April 10, and there's an impressive slate of live music throwing down on either side of the Bay. Take a look at the breakdown of highlights below.
EMEFE When he’s not laying down beats with Antibalas, young NYC musician Miles Arntzen is leading his exuberant solo project EMEFE, which finds him up front and center, singing and performing on a stripped-down drum kit joined by a few-horn section and players on guitar, bass, keys and percussion. While you can still hear the funky-chugging Afro-beat grooves that are the Antibalas bread-and-butter, EMEFE segues into a more genre-hazy crazy amalgam of influences, touching on smooth and fluid R&B melodies, weirdo Talking Heads jangle with added instrumental lushness, and even tempo-changing electro-tinged rock experimentalism. A must see. (Eckerd College, St. Petersburg)
Najee Sax player and flautist Najee has four No. 1s on the Contemporary Jazz Albums charts (including his most recent release, 2015’s You, Me and Forever). His smooth sound segues into soulful R&B realms, while his musical chops have earned him sideman gigs with the likes of Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan and Lionel Richie. This performance is presented as part of the “Mahaffey on the Move” series. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
2016 DMC Tampa Regional DJ Battle The annual battle of mixing, mashing, turntable manipulating and laptop jamming returns to Crowbar. Each DJ performs a two-minute elimination set for a panel of respected judges (including special guest DMC World Champion DJ Chris Karns). Those six deemed best in the first round move on to perform longer (six-minute) routines in the final round; the champ not only earns a fatty prize package, but a round trip ticket and hotel stay to compete in the 2016 DMC U.S. Finals (date and location TBA). Ol’ Dirty Sundays carries on as usual afterwards, with Karns joining DJs Casper, LeSage and Fader at the decks. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Boy Without Batteries, T-T)b, Nestrogen, Shadrew, Ugly Spud Bit-pop punk, chip tune thrash and a taste of technotronic dreaminess make up this idiosyncratic bill of electro-fueled sounds. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Dawes with Hiss Golden Messenger Dawes might not traverse any new sonic ground with All Your Favorite Bands; their roots-twang melodies still sound as if they were hewn from LA’s late Laurel Canyon music scene (where artists like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Carole King and the Eagles cooled their heels in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s). But their fourth and latest full-length has earned generally favorable reviews on the strength of its warm, rambling instrumentals and lyrical poignancy. On this date, Dawes is joined by North Carolina-brewed folk-rock ensemble Hiss Golden Messenger, which has country-strolling, bluesy R&B tendencies and takes clear influence from the Grateful Dead. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
ALSO TONIGHT
Tampa Bay Wine & Food Festival: All American Rejects Busch Gardens, Tampa
Stolen Idols Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
The Midtown Men Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
AntiFest Blow-out w/Divorce Ring/Virgin Flower/Burnt Hair/Bacon Grease/Wren Turco/Ola Lindefelt/Groovslave Venture Compound, St. Petersburg
Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac, Rumours Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Patel Rock School Blow-Out Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Uncle John’s Band Ale and the Witch, Ybor City
