THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Taking Back Sunday w/Bayside/Transit The competing wails of co-vocalists Adam Lazzara and John Nolan twist and clamber over Taking Back Sunday's energetic mix of emo, punk pop and post-hardcore, first introduced to national audiences with the release of debut full-length Tell All Your Friends ("Timberwolves at New Jersey," "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)"). On their current tour, the Long Island, N.Y. fivesome performs the entirety of the 2002 album to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Kreayshawn w/Rye Rye/Honey Cocaine/Chippy Nonstop "I got the swag and it's pumpin' out my ovaries," Kreayshawn rhymes in viral single, "Gucci Gucci" (39 million views and counting), her high-toned nasally disdainful drone matching the ironic sentiment. The San Francisco mistress of white upperclass rap issued her full-length debut earlier this year on Columbia, a mix of pop, hip hop, dubstep and west coast scuzz as produced by Diplo and Boys Noize, among others. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Cult of Youth w/Outmode/Craow Formerly the solo project of Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sean Ragon, currently a "post-industrial folk" music four-piece that he fronts, Cult Of Youth issued their first album as a proper band, Love Will Prevail, in September. Songs like "Man and Man" are marked by a clash of urgent violin, acoustic guitar, rising strains of trumpet, pretty surreal female backing vocals and the strong male lead of Ragon climb over deep pulsing drumbeats. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Nate Najar and John Lamb CD Release Concert Two fine locally-based jazz artists — nylon-stringed acoustic guitarist-composer Najar and upright bass vet Lamb, who recorded and toured with Duke Ellington for more than a decade — present So What's New?, a joint recording of instrumental duets. (Studio@620, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Weezer w/Ash I bet Rivers Cuomo didn't think his mildly grungy and dissonant ditty about an unraveling sweater would be the rocket that launched his band towards super alt rock stardom. "Undone — The Sweater Song" along with follow-up singles "Buddy Holly" and "Say It Ain't So" off Weezer's self-titled debut set the blueprint for their smart, quirky, infectious power pop style and they continued this trajectory with a string of LPs (from beloved 1996 sophomore LP Pinkerton to more odorous output like 2009's Raditude). Live, Cuomo & Co. are known for performing mega pop mash-ups like MGMT's "Kids" with Lady Gaga's "Pokerface" amid traditional Weezer fare. Opening the show are Irish alt rock heavyweights Ash, celebrating two decades together this year. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
Rib Fest: Buddy Guy/Jonny Lang/Come Back Alice Pairing award-winning ribs from near, far and wide with three days worth of high quality music, Ribfest returns for its 23rd year and starts with a blues licking kick as led by legendary Chicago blues singer and axeman Buddy Guy, whose technique and showmanship has influenced decades of artists, from icons like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix to imposing younger talents like Jonny Lang. The latter, a 31-year-old with the deep souful smoky vocals and gospel-soaked blues rock sound, warms up the Ribfest crowd before Guy takes the stage. Come Back Alice, a jammy funky rock band from Sarasota, opens. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg)
Eric Lindell The singer-songwriter imbues his music with influences from both the place he was born and raised (San Francisco) and the place he currently calls home (New Orleans), pitting his winsome husky croon against a fusion of ‘70s warm blues rock, tender blue-eyed pop soul and grooving R&B-imbued funk. Eric Lindell has earned high marks for West County Drifter, a two-disc set combining two recordings (2010’s Cazadero and 2011’s Between Motion and Rest) sold at gigs and not officially released until last year. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Yellowcard w/The Wonder Years/We Are the In Crowd/Sandlot Heroes A mere year after issuing their much-lauded comeback album, When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes, Jacksonville native pop punk/alt rock outfit Yellowcard has produced yet another post-hiatus LP. Southern Air debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and has earned all manner of glowing reviews, including a nearly perfect rating from AbsolutePunk.net, which wrote "Southern Air is the definitive Yellowcard album, featuring Ryan Key's most intimate and personal storytelling, Sean Mackin's most emotive violin contributions, and Longineu Parsons' ever-steady backbone behind the drum kit." (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Fujiki-Hastings Benefit Show #2: Bad Veins/Sleepy Vikings/Florida Night Heat/Zillionaire The second in a series of shows to benefit the family trust of late Candy Bars drummer Ryan Hastings, who was killed in a motorcycle accident last month. Among the bands donating their time oo this bill are Cincinnati synth rock duo Bad Veins (Benjamin Davis on vocals, keys and guitar and drummer Sebastien Schultz), currently backing a sophomore album, The Mess We've Made, marked by the duo's usual catchy appealing pop hooks. On stage, they're joined by a reel-to-reel tape player nicknamed "Irene" (sometimes introduced as the third band member) that adds a boost to their sound, and Davis is known to employ a megaphone or telephone in place of standard-issue mics. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
