This Thurs., Nov. 19, is completely jammed with diverse musical options to segue into a big weekend of concerts ahead. Here's the breakdown.
Emily Kinney Remember Beth Greene, the wide-eyed teen with the wise old soul who brightened up the bleak vibe of The Walking Dead with her tender serenades and lightly drawling soprano – from a haunting rendition of Tom Waits’ “Hold On” to mournful folk traditional “The Parting Glass”? That’s actress/songstress Emily Kinney, and since her character’s shocking death in the AMC zombie apocalypse show, she’s been working on her music and delivered a full-length debut of honeyed folk pop odes, This Is War, last month. (Murray Theatre at Ruth Eckerd Hal, Clearwater)–Leilani Polk
Passafire with Lionize A Savannah, Ga., reggae rock band active for a dozen years, Passafire signed to Easy Star Records in 2013 and have released a few recordings since that fuse swaying island melodies and driving rock n’ roll crunch with shades of bumpin’ funk and heady dub. Recent Interval EP kicks off with the true-to-form “Wheels of Steel,” though set closer “Bobber” treads into surprising vintage ‘70s pop territories with its bouncing rhythms and warm Sunday afternoon appeal. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) –LP
Night Ranger Unplugged Did you know that “Sister Christian” – Night Ranger’s quintessential ‘80s-era power ballad about a girl growing up in a small town in Oregon and ‘motoring’ (cruising) the streets on the weekends – was actually about drummer/vocalist Kelly Keagy’s little sister Christy? His bandmates heard “Christian” when they were laying down the track and that’s what it ultimately became. The San Francisco hard rock band has been active more than three decades, released a new LP last year, High Road, and stage an acoustic performance on this night. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)–LP
Solillaquists of Sound, Blueprint with Grayskul, Jon Ditty A rather exciting lineup of hip hop talent hits Dunedin on this night. Orlando’s own Solilla set quick-syllable staccato flows and life-affirming, socially conscious lyrics against production that calls on elements of hip-hop, funk, electronic music and even metal. Coming from Columbus, Blueprint’s downtempo boom-bap beats and dense, restrained rhymes make for an interesting complement to Sollila’s fuller-bodied sound. Seattle-brewed Grayskul joins the lineup with a dark, unrelenting hip hop vibe and Jon Ditty rounds it out with his clever-intellectual rhyme schemes. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) –Andrea McCray
Tom Rigney and Flambeau Last fall’s sellout prompted Palladium to bring San Francisco-based fiddler/composer Rigney and his Flambeau collective back to the Side Door stage, their sound fusing Cajun and Zydeco music with NOLA-hued funk and blues. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)–LP
Reel Deal Thursday: The Last Waltz + Have Gun Will Travel The latest Reel Deal screening features the iconic concert film about The Band’s last stand followed by a live performance of The Last Waltz soundtrack by Have Gun, Will Travel with an all-star roster of local guests that includes guitarist Shawn Kyle (who produced their latest LP), Matt E. Lee of Poetry n’ Lotion, and lead Legendary JC, Eugene Snowden. This event has sell-out written all over it. Read more about it here. (Crowbar, Ybor City)–LP
Ol’ Dirty St. Pete with Tony Touch Coming all the way from NYC, mixtape king Tony Touch, brings venerable high quality sounds to the latest installment of ODSP. A turntable legend who came up as a b-boy during rap’s early ‘80s renaissance, Tony Touch’s production and mixes retain the feel of authentic golden-era hip-hop, and he’s worked with all-manner of reputable genre names (Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Eminem, KRS-One and Mos Def among many others) in addition to dropping solo material that has a Caribbean flair to it, with reggaeton and dancehall infusions. (The Bends, St. Petersburg) –AM
ALSO TONIGHT
HA!Man in Concert Studio@620, St. Petersburg
The Kinsey Report Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
On The Edge w/Frank Hezzalia and the Cave Trains/QueenofEx Carter/Michael Susack & Joshua Berkoff/Flaco The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg
