Permanent Makeup CD Release/Early Forms CD Release/Chris Stales/mrenc A rather eclectic bill of indie rock commanded by the garage-punk explosions of Tampa-St. Pete trio Permanent Makeup, which pound and shout through a release party for New Granada Records debut, The Void … It Creeps. Early Forms also celebrates the release of their first full-length, Better Broken Homes; the local super-group is composed of members of Palantine, Feral Babies and Gentlemen Please. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Muse Despite the fact that Muse’s anthemic alt rock has earned platinum-sized success all over the world, U.S. audiences didn’t really catch on until after the Twilight film franchise forced it into our ears. Not that you should judge the British three-piece by that fluff-fest — the musicians are ass-kicking, barn-burning rockers, and even if they tend to get a tad dramatic in their seething intensity, it works within their propulsive marching aesthetic. The traveling stage show in support of 2012 sixth studio album The 2nd Law features such extravagant sights and effects as an enormous pyramid of LED screens that gradually descend and “consume” the band during the show, raining balloons and confetti, and plenty of lights, fog and lasers. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)
The Queers/Teenage Bottlerocket/Masked Intruder Old hand fun-loving punk-pop rockers The Queers (est. 1982) unite with comparative upstarts Teenage Bottlerock, the latter backing 2012’s Freak Out!, their second LP on Fat Wreck Chords and fifth overall. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Colin Lake New Orleans-by-way-of-Portland singer, songwriter, and slide guitar talent Colin Lake has a warm booming vocal that sails over a blend of soul, blues, rock and folk-roots music marked by his piercing axe solos. His last record, The Ones I Love, was issued in 2011. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Every Time I Die w/The Acacia Strain/Hundredth/Vanna/No Bragging Rights “I WANT TO BE DEAD WITH MY FRIENDS!/I WANT TO BE DEAD WITH MY FRIENDS!/WIDE-EYED, BRILLIANT, DYNAMIC REST, I WANT TO BE DEAD WITH MY FRIENDS!,” Keith Buckley vigorously shrieks in the opening track off Every Time I Die’s sixth full-length, Ex Lives. I suggest adorning your manliest mustache and hard-soled dancing shoes, as the New York outfit’s epic, technically intricate hardcore breakdowns and Southern metal tirades will immediately open up the pit at their Tampa date. The video for the aforementioned “Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space” showcases destruction, warfare, and the mentally ill, the perfect imagery to compliment Every Time I Die’s signature sound — a chaotic yet beautifully organized series of gritty screams layered over dueling, rhythmically complex guitars and heavy pounding drums. Joining ETID on tour is the Acacia Strain, a hardcore-influenced metal band from Chicopee, Mass. Lead vocalist Vincent Bennett’s throaty screams don’t break for choruses, and every song features an apocalyptical climax. This lineup will bring mayhem and metal sure to tear the walls down. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —Shannon Kelly
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Blueprint An indie rapper from Ohio who brings slow-drawling storytelling chops and hip-hop production experience to his outside-of-box style. Blueprint is repped by Rhymesayers Entertainment (Aesop Rock, Atmosphere), and has collaborated with RJD2 (as one-half of Soul Position) and Illogic (as part of Greenhouse Effect). He followed-up his 2011 acclaimed LP Adventures in Counter-Culture with last year’s Deleted Scenes, a collection of cuts from the Adventures sessions. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
The Betty Fox Band Soul, blues and R&B four-piece Betty Fox Band presides for this edition of American Stage’s “After Hours” concert series, which is co-presented by Ale and the Witch. (American Stage, St. Petersburg)
Gibson Brothers w/Trinity River Bluegrass It’s another Tuesday night bluegrass show at the Skipperdome, and headlining the dusty-stomping festivities are the Gibson Brothers, who earned ‘Entertainer of the Year’ award honors. Banjo-and-acoustic guitar-playing brothers, Eric and Leigh, are backed by musicians Mike Barber (acoustic bass), Clayton Campbell (fiddle) and Joe Walsh (mandolin). (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Pink w/The Hives No one has exposed the good, bad and ugly sides of love quite so well as Alecia Moore, the commanding songstress currently known as Pink. And in light of the romantic rollercoaster she’s been ridden over the past four years — separating from longtime flame Carey Hart and writing a record about it, then going through the courting process all over again and having a kid with her (sort of) ex amid their reconciliation — who knows better all the multi-faceted turns love can take? Pink continued the trend of angst-ridden pop in her sixth studio album, 2012’s The Truth About Love, and brings her high-flying acrobatics to Tampa in support. Here’s hoping she tries to “Get the Party Started” with a few of her pre-baby, old-school hits. Swedish garage rockers/post-punk revivalists The Hives open the show. (Tampa Bay Times, Tampa) —Kelsey Sunderland
Bad Rabbits w/Air Dubai Dishing out a self-coined style of “post-R&B,” Bad Rabbits hail from Boston and marry the sounds of late ’80s/early ’90s swingbeat with modern-minded soul pop grooves. “We Can Roll,” the opening track off the fivesome’s forthcoming American Love LP, finds the powerful high-reaching howls of singer Dua Boakye wheeling over heavy guitars riffs, fuzz-zippy bass and layers of retrofied keyboards. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
