THURSDAY, JUNE 09
Nashville Pussy w/Koffin Kats/No Loves Doling out the sort of psychobilly-soaked Southern-fried hard rock made for late night boozing and brawling, Nashville Pussy is an Atlanta four-piece fronted by husband-and-wife duo Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys, he on rhythm guitar and grating nasally barks and howls, she on blistering lead guitar and occasional backup snarls. Their last album was 2009's From Hell to Texas, which features such shit kickers as "Dead Men Can’t Get Drunk" and "Gimme a Hit Before I Go." Motor City punk-psychobilly trio Koffin Kats support. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
Los Amigos Invisibles w/Infinite Groove Orchestra Como se dice "awesome" en español? Los Amigos Invisibles is a Venezuelan band that plays a unique blend of acid jazz, discofied funk flavored with intoxicating rhythms and Latin percussion. The six-piece has exploded in the global music scene with super high-energy live shows and earned multiple Grammy nominations as well as a Latin Grammy win. Muy bueno! (Crowbar, Ybor City) –Kate Cillian
Mat McHugh Solo Acoustic w/Anuhea Mat McHugh spent eight years on the road fronting dub-rootsy Australian outfit The Beautiful Girls before a motorcycle accident forced him to take a break to recuperate in L.A., where he used his time convalescing in a cheap hotel to record a collection of stripped-down numbers that became his solo debut, 2009's Seperatista!. Two U.S. tours followed in 2010 – one with The BGs to promote that year’s Spooks, and the other as a solo acoustic artist supporting his own album, opening for John Butler, and re-discovering the thrill of performing music in its purest form to an intimate crowd of onlookers. McHugh has warm, inviting vocals and an earthy, soulfully honest quality to his songwriting. Hawaii’s modern folk-rock and island-fused pop artist Anuhea opens his current headlining tour. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg) —LP
FRIDAY, JUNE 10
Katy Perry w/Robyn No one ever said two women locking lips wasn't hot, and Katy Perry literally banked on it. Where Jill Sobule's similar 1995 admission fell onto charting ears, Perry’s sexier pop rock approach about kissing a girl was better marketed and more accepted in 2008, and became the 10th best selling single in the 21st century. The superstar artist who recently wed to Brit comedian Russell Brand has a sort of do-no-wrong sparkle and just enough rock n' roll moxy to pull off her kinda-bad girl persona. Her "California Dreams" tour comes follows the release of her third (now platinum-certified) album, 2010's Teenage Dreams. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa) —LP
Vains of Jenna w/Rise of Athera/Bad Magistrate/Autumns Pain/The Eyes of God LA-by-way-of-Falkenberg, Sweden's Vains of Jenna purvey a brand of heavy rockin’ metal that screams of its late '80s West Coast influences – hard, fast, loud, and high-voiced sneering. The foursome just released a shuffling Thin Lizzy take on Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You," which isn’t so much bad as it is just not good. (The Local 662, St. Petersburg) —LP
Jaron and the Long Road to Love Formerly one-half of late '90s duo Evan and Jaron, country pop recording artist Jaron David Lowenstein now fronts his own outfit, Jaron and the Long Road to Love, and co-writes ballads like "That's Beautiful to Me" ("Babe, you could have gone with Romeo, but you let him go, and you stayed with me instead / And every day I find new ways that make you beautiful"). His debut, Getting Dressed in the Dark, earned two nominations at the 2010 American Country Music Awards. (Dallas Bull, Tampa) —LP
Peter Baldwin CD release Party w/Dynasty/D'visitors/Florida Night Heat Because good things never last forever (especially when it comes to the Florida music scene), alt soul rocker Peter Baldwin is bidding Orlando and the greater Tampa Bay area a fond fare-thee-well as he heads to greener musical pastures in NYC. He does so with his usual class – a CD release show and freshly-pressed album, 2011's Peter Baldwin in Vodville, to show for it. The slow but fiery "Femcee" Dynasty opens with backing by funk-world outfit d'Visitors and prog-post-power rock trio Florida Night Heat. O-town’s electro-rock trip-pop three-piece The Pauses have also been added to the bill. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —LP
