A breakdown of shows taking place this Sat.-Sun., Feb. 21-22.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21
The Nields Katryna and Nerissa Nields have been crafting songs together most of their adult lives – at least since 1991. More than 23 years later, the sister duo from Massachusetts on tour behind their 17th album of folk-pop odes, XVII, released on Groundhog’s Day and funded with help from a successful Pledge Music campaign. (Craftsman House Gallery, St. Petersburg)–Leilani Polk
King Wawa Plying a tropical-flecked fusion of worldly sounds is Haiti-born singer, percussionist and guitarist King Wawa, whose his posi-vibing music merges the warm Méringue-inspired Kompa and slower Zouk sounds of his native home with more straightforward Afro-Caribbean and reggae pop sonic tones. (The Studio@620, St. Petersburg)–LP
Copious Jones The Atlanta-based outfit seem to care about crossing genre lines, blending a variety of styles that change from song to song and sometimes many times within just one track, ala 2012 eponymous debut. “A Place to Go” mixes classic rock guitar solos with jazz-flavored sax melodies before segueing into the folk/country balladry of “Remember Blue,” while “Pieces” has distinctly Latin flavor. The result is a sound that has a little something for everyone. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) –Seth Peterson
Hyperbolic Chamber Music 3: Strings and Hammers The third installment of the Hyperbolic Chamber Music series – a collaboration between USF New-Music Consortium and Venture Compound that strives to redefine the usual limitations of classical music, and takes it out of stuffy concert halls and into unexpected (and generally more laid-back) venues – features Strings and Hammers. The ensemble made up of Eunmi Ko (piano), Sini Virtanen (violin) and Julia Keller (double bass) focuses on chamber music of the 20th and 21st century; their repertoire for this program includes works by emerging composers like Alessandro Annunziata, Seunghee Lee, John Liberatore, and Isang Yun. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)–LP
Florida Night Heat, Radarmen, DieAlps! Florida Night Heat is best played during a slow, introspective car drive through dusty, barren terrains. The instrumental trio’s lo-fi stoner rock grooves are easy to zone out on, between the droning and pounding basslines and crunchy, reverb-drenched guitar riffs. They’ll be sharing the stage with waltz pop ensemble DieAlps! and eclectic indie rockers Radarmen. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) –Adam Hardy
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22
Tom Rush Three things you need to know about vet folkie Tom Rush: 1) He’s behind the amusing “Remember Song” that went viral on YouTube back in ’07 (he’s also called it “Modern Day Yuppie Blues”); 2) He gets credit for introducing Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Jackson Browne and others to the general public by playing their songs when he was coming up during the mid-‘60s urban folk revival; 3) He’s had a handlebar mustache for much of his adult life, and he wears it well. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)–LP
Damon Fowler The native bluesman brings a certain gracefulness to the roots rock genre with his impressive pipes and slide guitar virtuosity. His latest album, Sounds of Home, ranges from the sweet balladry of “Do It for the Love” to the fervid blues in “Thought I Had It All,” while he flexes his guitar chops with frantic riffs, shrieking solos and even syncopated finger picking in a cover of the gospel ode, “I Shall Not Be Moved.” (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) –Adam Hardy
Excision with Protohype, Minnesota Get your wonk and wobble on when Canadian dubstep producer/DJ Excision lands in Tampa only a few weeks after dropping his dramatic, bombastic sophomore LP, Codename X. This tour is touted as the last to feature ‘The Executioner,” a 420-square-foot visual and lighting installation featuring 3D video-mapped animations that are synched to Excision’s live sounds. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)–LP
Mod Sun with Dillon Cooper, Blackbear & more He might look like your average white flowing-haired bohemian dude, but Mod Sun is a Midwestern rapper who spouts cheeky (and sometimes cheesy) rhymes about playful subject matter – mostly, his love of marijuana (new track “Never Quit” asserts his attitude about getting high), his “hippy hop” lifestyle, crushes, hugs and being happy as fuck ala the title of his 2012 EP (sample track: “Stop Everything You’re Doing Right Now and Smile”). (Local 662, St. Petersburg)–LP
Ryan Bingham & Lucero with Twin Forks A double header of alt country sounds sure to draw masses of warm bodies to Ybor on this Sunday night. LA-based Ryan Bingham has a gravel-worn vocal quality and honky-tonking roots rock showcased on five LPs; the last one, Fear and Saturday Night, dropped in January on his own Axster Bingham Records label. Lucero brings on whiskey-schwilling country-punk sounds soaked generously in Memphis soul and coated in a fine layer of grit. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)–LP
Firestarter with Trophy Wives Albany, N.Y. quartet Firestarter has released three EPs and a full-length, Forget the Past, since forming in 2012; their sound hearkens back to the golden days of pop-punk and is heavily influenced by the likes of The Starting Line and New Found Glory. Trophy Wives ply a similarly peppy style of sounds, out of Providence, R.I. (Goat House, Odessa) –Adam Hardy
ALSO THIS WEEKEND
Jackson Browne *SOLD OUT* Sat., Feb. 21, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
The Supervillains Sat., Feb. 21, Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Sister Kill Cycle Sat., Feb. 21, Orpheum, Ybor City
Alex Harvey Sat., Feb. 21, Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
El Presidente Mixtape Release Party w/Solo350/Mickey Spixx/Infinite Skillz/Ladi G/Saint/The Recipe/Mason Caine/Look At Them Sat., Feb. 21, Fubar, St. Petersburg
Music & a Meal w/Dale Crider Sat., Feb. 21, Sacred Lands, St. Petersburg
The Red Elvises w/Twisty Chris & the Puddin’ Packs Sat., Feb. 21, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Fifth Annual Tarpon Springs Hootenanny and Sing-A-Long Sat., Feb. 21, Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum, Tarpon Springs
Michael Amante Sat., Feb. 21, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Lauren Hooker Sat., Feb. 21, Octagon Arts Center, Clearwater
The Screaming J’s Sat., Feb. 21, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Boney Fiend/Pig Pen/The Funeral Dazies/Los Diablos Blancos Sat., Feb. 21, The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg
Frostfang/Drastic Fall/From This Fire/Traitors Gate/NeverRight Sat., Feb. 21, Local 662, St. Petersburg
The Tampa Battle of the Bands Sat.-Sun., Feb. 21-22, Orpheum, Ybor City
The Midtown Men Sun., Feb. 22, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Skribe Sun., Feb. 22, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Ol’ Dirty Sundays: Dre Day Sun., Feb. 22, Crowbar, Ybor City
