Another jam-packed weeknight of music on this Thurs., Jan. 22. Check out the breakdown below.
Antibalas and Zap Mama Modern high quality Afrobeat is a sound synonymous with Antibalas, a Brooklyn ensemble that’s been serving their Fela Kuti-inspired, Cuban and West African percussion-infused blend of funk, jazz and dub since the late ’90s. Vibrant, brass-blasted vintage-hued grooves are jammed by upwards of a dozen players, marked by multi-lingual lyrics that are chanted, hooted, called and sung, and the sonic mood ranges from dark and ominous to rays-splashed and joyous. This tour finds Antibalas cross-pollinating with Zap Mama, the project of Belgian-Congolese polyphonic/Afro-pop/soul singer Marie Daulne, who has the most heavenly soulful vocal timbre, not to mention rather impressive scatting capabilities. (Ferguson Hall at Straz Center for Performing Arts, Tampa) –Leilani Polk
Matt Woods & Rachel Kate Matt Woods tracks a lot of miles on the road, most apparent in his frequent appearances here when his home is Knoxville, Tenn. The Southern-fried rocker with country twangy swagger and folk poignant sensibilities returns to town on his “Loud Mouth Lookers Tour” with Nashville’s Rachel Kate, a soulful roots-blues songstress with low-drawling vocals and dark, sharp lyrical quality. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) –LP
Stan Hunter: A Celebration with Friends The eminent locally-based pianist and Hammond master is joined by LaRue Nickelson (guitar), Patrick Bettison (harmonica), Alejandro Arenas (bass) and Joe Bencomo (drums) for this Side Door Jazz presentation. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) –LP
Keller Williams Amid the singer-songwriters touring the jam scene circuit, Keller Williams is the most beloved, leader of the innovative one-man band live looping revolution that sprung from the early ‘00s. He’s practiced his quirky craft for more than two decades and on more than 15 studio albums, genre-jumping like his contemporaries – from acoustic rock to bluegrass, dance music, funk, folk, jazz and reggae – and infusing his lyrics with plenty of humor and warmth. He released two albums in 2013, a piano-driven Grateful Dead tribute, Keys, and Funk, which finds Williams teaming up with More Than a Little band to deliver 10 jazzy, soulful, funkified tracks that include Williams-trademarked covers of the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime,” “I Told You I Was Freaky” by Flight of the Conchords and “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer. This is a solo (sans band) date. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) –LP
Twin Courage, Kelley Swindall, Brooks Coffin On this edition of Singer-Songwriter Night @ The Bunker, Amy Snider welcomes three out-of-town talents: Greenville, S.C. acoustic-folk duo Twin Courage, who pit their masculine-feminine vocal harmonies against instrumentals calling on guitars, ukuleles, melodicas, and tambourines; Georgia country-roots songstress Kelley Swindall; and Brooks Coffin, a folk-bluegrass singer-songwriter from Montana. (Tre Amici at The Bunker, Ybor City) –LP
Chamomile and Whiskey An Americana quintet from Virginia that seasons their Blue Ridge-hewn sound – built on banjo, fiddle, guitar, upright bass and drums with a side of washboard – with elements of rock, gypsy and Irish folk music. (Florida Avenue Brewing, Tampa) –LP
Shovels & Rope with Caroline Rose Husband-and-wife Americana duo Shovels & Rope lands in town behind third and latest album, last year’s Swimmin’ Time, an homage to their hometown of Charleston, S.C. and its history, denizen and watery problems, from broken levees to rising sea levels. The couple pushes the envelope to get a full sound despite their minimal personnel, switching off on drums, guitar, harmonica and keys, delivering melodious two-part masculine-feminine harmonies, and crafting an album that is as cheerful as it is dark and gritty. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) –Adam Hardy
Hinder The band that hit the charts in 2005 with grungy power ballad “Lips of an Angel” brings their anthemic alt rock sound to Ybor. Hinder has warmed the stage for Aerosmith and Motley Crue among others, and are currently hyping a forthcoming LP, When the Smoke Clears, their first to feature new frontman Nolan Neal and fifth overall. (Orpheum, Ybor City) –Seth Peterson
