THURSDAY, AUGUST 1
Rock the Park w/Oxford Noland/Jinx/UNRB The free all-ages concert series held the first Thursday of every month showcases local talent of all genres at downtown Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. This month’s event features the Southern-tinged indie rock of Oxford Noland (formerly Bootleggers and Baptists), groovin’ ska-fusion by UNRB, and jazzy hip-hop from rapper Jinx. The park has multiple food vendors on sight including Chipolte Mexican Grill, Pizza Fusion and Sono Café. Pets and lawn chairs welcome. (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa) —Tyler Killette
Havok w/Riptorn/Slikk Wikked/Terminal Equinox With so many so-called “thrash” metal bands out these days, it’s sometimes hard to find one that embodies what thrash metal was originally all about — a balls to the wall, no frills approach to metal — but lost or misconstrued by many up-and-coming bands of the genre. Not so with Denver natives Havok. The quartet formed in 2004, issued two independent releases, and signed with England’s Candlelight Records to issue full-length debut Burn in 2009; third album Unnatural Selection was delivered in June and marks their last release on Candlelight. Havok’s aggressive speedy style of thrash hits like a swarm of amphetamine-driven bees attacking your eardrums, unrelenting, fast and aggressive, reminiscent of acts like Exodus and Testament. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —Matthew Drozdeck
Grateful Dead: Sunshine Daydream On the same night Uncle John’s Band plays its regularly scheduled tribute show at the Skipperdome, three Bay area theaters host “Grateful Dead Meet Up at the Movies 2013.” The third annual single-night event features nationwide screenings of Sunshine Daydream, a previously unreleased concert film documenting Grateful Dead’s 1972 performance at the Oregon Country Fairgrounds to raise funds for the Kesey family’s Springfield Creamery. The original 16mm footage has been given the HD treatment, all new audio mixes, and likely looks and sounds far better than the bootlegs that were available up to this point. (Regency 20, Brandon; Park Place Stadium 16, Pinellas Park; Hyde Park Cinebistro, Tampa) —Leilani Polk
Whitesnake w/Red Line Chemistry Performing for more than 36 years and still going strong well into 2013, 1980s glam metal superstars Whitesnake continue to give fans what they want: good ol’ fashioned rock ’n’ roll. Lead by legendary ex-Deep Purple vocalist David Coverdale, the band now boasts one of their most solid lineups since the classic Whitesnake album era, which spawned two No. 1 singles, “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love?” New live DVD Made in Japan chronicles their performance at the Loud Park Festival in Saitama, Japan, on Oct. 15, 2011, with HD concert footage and both 5.1 surround and stereo sound. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —MD
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2
Lies Down/Space Monkey Blood/Lava Church/Chase Atari/Hangin’ With Mr. Carradine/The Giddy Up Gals/Mark Castle Another diverse billing from Venture Compound, dubbed a “Snack Pack” show because you get a free (cooler-chilled) pudding snack with admission. Among the highlights: The Giddy Up Gals, an Old West-inspired two-guitar femme duo made up of Hollis Smith and Tiffany Beckwith-Skinner; Mark Castle, who delivers self-styled “dumpster pop” in which he pairs cheeky idiosyncratic spoken-sneered or wailed lyrics against bleeping synth-and-beat-driven production; and experimental collective Lava Church, from Sarasota. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg) —LP
Red Room Cinema/Filmstrip/…Radarmen? Red Room Cinema builds sweeping cyclical effects punctuated by climactic bursts of energy and emotion, effervescent melodies that are pretty yet intrinsically somber sailing over galloping backbeats. Tampa’s instrumental post-rock foursome plays their 2012 release, Apsis, in its entirety on this date. Joining them is Cleveland three-piece Filmstrip, which bounces back and forth between straightforward indie rock numbers and more intricate songwriting marked by muffled vocals and stressed and distorted guitars; and …Radarmen?, a trio of former and existing musicians from various local bands like Signals from Satellites, Electric Geese and Brahm Bones, who offer up a mix of indie, post-punk and experimental music. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —TK
Eptic Bringing dancefloor bombs direct from Belgium is 19-year-old wunderkind Eptic (born Michaël Bella), who produces dirty trap-flavored dubstep driven by wonky bass drops, whirring and buzzing sound-bending, and heavy doses of 8-bit video game samples and vocal splices from hip-hop and reggae tunes. His 2013 Mastermind EP dropped in May via Never Say Die Records. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City) —LP
The Legendary JCs w/Soul Equators Nothing quite like getting down on a Friday night to the funkin’ soul revue grooves of The Legendary JCs. The 10-piece from Orlando has seen many musicians roll through the ranks, but howling frontman Eugene Snowden has been a consistent variable to the equation and the glue that holds it all together. Katie Burkess now adds feminine vocals to the brass-coated high-octane mix. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —LP
Frank Lini Owing part of his success to the nods received from his hometown stomping grounds in Fort Myers, rapper Frank Lini stops work on his impending Hoodstar mixtape mid-production to hit State Theatre with his Southern-styled flare. Although the mixtape isn’t due out until later this year, Lini’s most recent single, “60 Minutes,” packs funkier mainstream beats behind gritty, forthright rhymes that remain forceful and unyielding. Lini has collaborated with hip-hop heavyweight Rick Ross, his gospel-like prose speaking to the spirit of the streets. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Meaghan Habuda
Side Door Jazz: Heffner & Hefner A Side Door concert by the jazz and R&B-fused ensemble led by crooning chanteuse Katt Hefner and her Hammond B3 playing brother, Stan “the Man” Heffner, with back-up by guitarist Vincent Sims, saxophonist Butch Thomas, tenor sax player Ernie Calhoun, bassist John Lamb and drummer Mark Feinman. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) —LP
SATURDAY, AUGUST 3
Brutal Gwar-B-Q & Brew w/Oderus Urungus Oderus Urungus, the ringmaster of horror metal-makers GWAR, crashes his death pod onto “Toilet Earth” to get the Tampa masses wasted. The scumdogs of the universe recently collaborated with Cigar City Brewery to create the most metal beer in the galaxy: GWAR/Cigar City Impaled Ale. Though produced in small batches and intended for their annual GWAR-B-Q event in Virginia, Oderus and Cigar City put some barrels aside to be officially debuted at this Saturday party, Brutal GWAR B-Q & Brew. In preparation for the event, GWAR’s personal chef, the “Grill Ghoul,” has created a new GWAR B-Q sauce to top the brutal burgers given out with samples of Impaled Ale. In between stuffing your face and singing a few Antarctican drinking songs, enjoy live music by GWAR ATTACK (a GWAR cover band), American Fix, Black Tides Roll, and Doom Wolf. Admission is a mere $5, but the first 50 fans wearing GWAR gear get in free. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —MD
Jonas Brothers “Such a thrill of a lifetime, what a night for a good time, let the beat be your lifeline, make it feel like the first time,” croon the Jonas Brothers in “First Time,” a mellow upbeat new single and follow-up to the energetic pop-dance of “Pom Poms.” The pop rockin’ siblings — who are bonafide Disney Channel royalty — make the rounds in Florida on their current summer tour to hype the much-anticipated fifth studio album that features both tracks. V is set to be released later this fall. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) —Amina Jackson
The Howlin’ Brothers Ben Plasse, Ian Craft and Jared Green — The Howlin’ Brothers — sing in crusty three-part harmony and alternately play upright bass, banjo, fiddle, guitar and harmonica in their mix of upbeat mountain-hewn bluegrass and drunken rambling Delta blues that sounds like it came straight off the streets of New Orleans. New album Howl was produced by Brendan Benson and issued on Benson’s own Readymade Records imprint. The Howlin’ Brothers play two free shows this weekend, tonight in St. Pete and tomorrow night (Aug. 4) at The Independent Bar and Café in Tampa. (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg) —LP
Under The Covers: Through Being Cool Some of Tampa Bay’s noteworthy (and nostalgic) alternative and punk acts come together, and mix and mingle members to cover the indie, emo and punk favorites of yesteryear. Can’t Stay Cool — featuring members of Lonly Monster, Luxury Mane, The Gaslight Addition and I Hate Scranton — cover pop-punk hits by Saves the Day while members of Red Letter Day and Macrame Owls perform Alkaline Trio songs as All on Black. Covering Deathcab for Cutie is indie rock/experimental band Sun Signs, and taking on Jimmy Eat World are members of Wolf-Face, Tres Bien and Zulu Wave. The lineup also includes bands covering Modest Mouse, Nerf Herder, The Ataris, Piebald and Further Seems Further. (Fubar and Local 662, St. Petersburg) —TK
FayRoy w/Bellows San Francisco-by-way-of-Tampa Bay threesome FayRoy (Zack Hoag, Kyle Fournier and Alex Gerhard) creates delightful surf-rock with folk and psychedelic tendencies. Tracks from the band’s self-titled debut, set for release in October, inspire grooving as well as a self-guided reconnection with nature. Psych folk two-piece Bellows complements the lineup at New World, composing scenes of earthy landscapes with their sound. Experimentation with texture and dynamics allow the band to execute an instrumental flirtation during their sets. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —MH
Halcyon w/Cuba Luna Deb Hunseder and Steph Callahan of acoustic-folk duo Halcyon solidified their relationship through music in 1989. Two weeks after meeting, the couple began writing and playing gigs, twirling and weaving their dynamic harmonies together. With seven records under their belt, Halcyon has toured the United States and abroad, guitars in tow. The pair has opened for acts like Koko Taylor, Wynonna Judd, India.Arie and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Solo folk act Cuba Luna enjoys performing on the streets of Ybor City, and matches her trance-inducing yet powerful vocals with patient guitar strums. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —MH
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4
Ol’ Dirty Sundays: Mike Mass & SPON Album Release Party w/DJ Blenda/DJ Qeys Another hip-hop talent Tampa should be super proud of, Mike Mass, unveils his new record collab with Spon, Heavy Rotation, on this night, Spon’s grooving production layered beneath Mass’ conscious flowing rhymes. DJ Blenda (the Gwan Massive regular whose cuts appear on the album) and DJ Qeys (of Samurai Shotgun) also preside. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —LP
Matchbox Twenty/Goo Goo Dolls Two mainstream pop-rock bands that originally formed in the mid-1990s and experienced platinum-selling success unite for this big summer tour. Matchbox Twenty leans more to schmaltzy balladry with Rob Thomas crooning in the lead, while Goo Goo Dolls has always been rather proud of their harder alt-rock roots, though they can be just as maudlin as their tourmates. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) —LP
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6
Whirr w/Nothing Though described first and foremost as “loud,” Whirr’s blaring, smeary shoegaze is sonically dynamic, driven by lush textured guitars and propellant drums that are accentuated by the abstract echoing vocals of Kristina Esfandiari and Loren Rivera. The Northern California six-piece tours behind new mini-LP Around, which hits a more post-rock, ambient note than their previous releases, while retaining their signature sumptuousness. Philadelphia’s Nothing opens with its somber shoegaze and post rock-inspired punk, alternating between ear-shattering, industrial-laden noise and soft serene melodies. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —TK
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7
Roadkill Ghost Choir w/Eastern Sea/Easter Island/Florida Night Heat The small town Central Florida boys in Roadkill Ghost Choir stick proudly to their folksy homegrown roots with twangy alt-country tunes singed with a psychedelic rock edge. Citing Wilco and Bob Dylan as influences, RGC’s sound also jives with contemporary alt acts like Band of Horses and Dr. Dog. Their 2012 EP Quiet Light is a half-hour long mix of banjo-driven Americana and dense, haunting indie rock. Also worth noting: Austin self-styled folk’n’roll outfit The Eastern Sea, which delivers catchy, finger-picked electric guitar melodies with accents of bold keys, punchy trumpet and tinkling xylophone. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —TK
BBQ Wednesday Acoustic Series: Alexander & The Grapes Tour Kick-off St. Pete’s rockin’ folk-pop quartet Alexander & The Grapes have become a staple of the local indie music scene — a presence bolstered by the 2012 release of their first formal full-length Hemispheres, issued by Tampa record label New Granada. Though their sound is executed with organic simplicity, a careful listen to Hemispheres reveals depth and intricacies in both frontman Alexander Charos’ vocal delivery and his bandmates’ instrumental stylings. Honoring the tradition of New World Brewery’s BBQ Wednesdays series, the Grapes perform their set acoustically, for free, and preceded by special solo set from drummer Phillip Charos. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —TK
Fit For an Autopsy w/Legion/Beyond The Shore New Jersey’s Fit for an Autopsy plays a style of metal that draws on the technicality, brutality and speed of death metal and adds some hardcore breakdowns. The merciless guitar work of Will Putney and Patrick Sheridan coupled with the unyielding drumming of Josean Orta give songs like “The Conqueror” and “The Consumer” the feeling of being strapped down to a medical table and getting ripped apart without anesthesia. The band is currently touring with two metalcore outfits, Ohio’s Legion, currently supporting a just-released album Woke, and Kentucky-based Beyond The Shore, also backing a new album, Ghostwatcher. (Epic Problem, Tampa) —MD
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
