Gerald Albright He’s played with the best of them (Chaka Khan, Olivia Newton-John, Whitney Houston and Phil Collins to name a few) and he’s got the hardware to prove it (Grammy nominations for days), but Gerald Albright can still surprise a crowd these days. That should be the order of the day when one of the silkiest of smooth jazz saxophonists brings his love of James Brown and Cannonball Adderly to Largo’s Central Park Performing Arts Center where he may even hop on bass. Don’t expect him to pull out samples from his work on Sony Playstation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night though (Albright is the horn on the 1997 console classic’s theme song, “I Am The Wind.”) (Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo) INFO
Tiny Office w/Lauren Mullinax She's now based in Tampa Bay, and the area is glad to have Tallahasse born-and-raised cellist, guitar player and songwriter Lauren Mullinax here for keeps. She's coming to the USFSP's Tiny Office concert series to film a session highlighting her idea that music can heal and transform people. (USFSP Connect at University of South Florida, St. Petersburg) INFO
Bölzer w/Trepaneringsritualen The violence surrounding a Neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville ignited a series of events that manifested itself in the digital music world when streaming platforms Spotify and Apple Music declared that they would be removing bands from a 2014 Southern Poverty Law Center list of “hate bands.” Included on that list? Swedish extreme metal band Bölzer.
The only problem? Frontman Okoi Jones — a man of Nigerian origins who also has tattoos of a wolfsangel, a sun cross and swastika — told Stereogum in 2014 that his tats are “ancient symbol[s] used by basically every culture on this planet at some time or another for more or less the same reason, to express their adoration for the sun, the solar power.” In the last week, he’s even reiterated his commitment to female, male, gay and animal rights while also declaring that he does not condone racism or facism. “I promote intelligence and individuality. The individual beliefs and views of an artist do not impede my enjoying his/her work,” he wrote on a lengthy Facebook post explaining his position.
“ Art is the sacred bastion and to censor it would be the death of free speech. I retain the right to oppose and fight ignorance in all it's forms for it is the death of freedom. This would include organized religion, racism, fascism and sexism.” Spotify still has Bolzer on its platform and so does Apple Music, so if you judge the appropriateness of bands by that barometer, then it looks like you’ll be alright heading to the show. (Orpheum, Ybor City) INFO
Rixe w/Pickpocket/Funeral System/Metamorphosis A new Bay area band makes its debut at this Thursday night give bar gig, and while we don’t know what Metamorphosis sounds like, we can look at the bill (which features some great, hard-driving post punk from Pickpocket and shreddy metal from Funeral System) and guess that that’ll probably be loud, fast and brave. The show is really special, however, thanks to Rixe. The French punks emerged in 2015 and are suckers for a classic “French Oi!” sound that was embraced by bands like Circle Jerks, Camera Silens and even The Dropkick Murphys. Some bands in the Oi!/skinhead camp have been accused of supporting racism and/or facism, but you need to know that many in the subgenre are actually anti-racist/facist. This one should be way more than safe for most folks who don’t have one-track minds. If you need a push, then just listen to the Coups & Blessures EP from London imprint La Vida Es Un Mus Discos. (The Hub, Tampa) INFO
ALSO PLAYING:
Mountain Holler (The Ale & the Witch, St. Petersburg) INFO
