This weekend's live music breakdown...
Jukebox the Ghost“I want to get you over, by my side / When you’re next to me baby, you can only ever do right,” singer/pianist Ben Thorne pipes in “Sound of a Broken Heart,” a rather bright and buoyant dance-vibing ode about a rather melancholic topic – a relationship on the verge of ending. The first track off Jukebox the Ghost’s brand new self-titled fourth LP sets the tone for the rest – hooky, euphoric, piano-driven pop odes delivered with heartfelt spirit. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
St. Pete Day of the Dead Fest ‘14 with Victims of Circumstance, Us Ghosts, UNRB, Rise of Saturn, Chilled Monkey Brains, Kadaver Dolls, A Gentlemen Army, ShinraCo, Slade and the Wasters & many more Katomic Productions stages its annual Day of the Dead extravaganza featuring 27 bands ranging from the ska-punk explosions of Victims of Circumstance to the melodic/progressive metal mania of Kadaver Dolls; DJs, a local art and vendor market, and food trucks also included. Proceeds from the event go to anti-domestic violence organization, Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA). After party at The Bends. (Fubar, Local 662, Octave, St. Petersburg)
Tampa Pig Jig on the River with Corey Smith, Edwin McCain, Mark Bryan, Forrest Hoffar, Allen Hunt The fourth annual fundraiser for NephCure Kidney International – a nonprofit committed to finding the cure for a crippling kidney disease called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis – draws thousands of locals to downtown Tampa’s waterfront park for a day of barbecue (a competition features local celebrity judges and more than 35 teams), live music (headlined by blues-infused twang rocker Corey Smith), games, and various other family-friendly diversions. More info at tampapigjig.com. (Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa)
Dunedin Wines the Blues with Delta Swamp Rats, Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues, Legendary JCs The Downtown Dunedin Merchants Association presents its 23rd annual event, which features the usual high-quality blues-infused talent (Legendary JCs headline with their sizzling soul n’ funk revue) and a wide an array of wines, in addition to a craft beer, games and eats galore from the Tampa Bay Food Truck Rally. (Main Street, Downtown Dunedin)
David Cook Dude won the seventh season of American Idol. Remember? Great hair, smoky resonant vocals, grungy rock sound, did a cover of The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” but in the Whitesnake Trouble style? David Cook is in the midst of recording a third full-length under new label umbrella XIX Recordings (started by Simon Fuller); its first single, the upbeat, radio-ready dysfunctional relationship ode “Laying Me Low,” dropped late last year. (Capital Theatre, Clearwater)
Tab Benoit Favorite Delta blues guitar-slinger and husky-voiced singer Tab Benoit hits town a few times a year with his swampy soulful sounds and this time around, he plays both Saturday and Sunday; No Money Down opens on this night while Sunday’s early evening show finds Delta Swamp Rats warming the stage. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Triathalon A Savannah band combining elements of watery surf pop, shoe-gazey experimentalism, and raucous lo-fi rock n’ roll marked by dreamy, cooing, shuffling and swaying moments of Motown-rooted R&B. This free in-store starts at 6:30 p.m. sharp. (Microgroove, Tampa)
The English Beat with The Apes The UK-spun 2 Tone ska revival band has been playing together on and off since the late ‘70s, though Dave Wakeling’s brass-busting and skank-inducing English Beat has been active without break since 2006. We haven’t seen any fresh material since 1982’s Special Beat Service, but Wakeling announced a new studio album – For Crying Out Loud – will be released in 2015 and funded via fans on the PledgeMusic platform. (Capital Theatre, Clearwater)
CLICK HERE to see a full schedule of happenings for tonight and the rest of the week...
