A look at concerts happening around Tampa Bay this Wed., April 8.
Mates of State with Good Graeff, Sunbears! It’s hard to believe that Mates of State is made up of a mere two members. Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel formed the group nearly 18 years ago. They share fine lead vocal duties and use a combination of keys, synths and percussion to create airy, feel-good indie-pop that you can’t help but bop along to. Expect to hear cuts off 2011’s Mountaintops and, if you’re lucky, the duo’s rather lovely and poignant cover of Miley Cyrus ode “We Can’t Stop.” (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Seth Peterson
Have Mercy with Weatherbox, You, Me, And Everyone We Know, Head North Wow, Have Mercy is good. Hailing from Baltimore, Md. and currently rising through the ranks of what seems to be something of an emo/post-hardcore resurgence, this quartet does the cathartic, dynamic thing very well, calling to mind a heavier, more rhythmically complex version of The Jealous Sound, or a substantially more accessible Panes Mistaken for Stars. Somewhere in the middle there, then, and definitely worth a look/listen. San Diego’s Weatherbox ups the punk-scene eclecticism by careening from angular math-rock to catchy Piebald-esque anthems; Lancaster, Penn.’s You, Me, And Everyone We Know adds catchy, snotty indie power-pop to the mix; and Head North is a bit more textured and moody. (Epic Problem, Tampa) —Scott Harrell
American Aquarium with Kristopher James By now, most folks interested in North Carolina alt-country/rock act American Aquarium know they planned to call it quits after recording 2012 album Burn.Flicker.Die., only to become one of the twang-rock scene’s most talk-about acts in the waning hours of its existence. Since then, the band has managed to build on that buzz, and followed up in February with Wolves. But all you really need to know is, this is a great live rock ‘n’ roll band with great rock ‘n’ roll songs. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —SH
Michael Bolton The lantern-jawed smoky-voiced AC singer-songwriter has been belting odes of love and heartache for four decades. He’s won a few Grammys (for ’90s-era hits “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and “When a Man Loves a Woman”), charted nine No. 1 singles (though nothing beyond 1997), and sold upwards of 53 million records worldwide. His last full-length, 2013’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: A Tribute To Hitsville U.S.A., found him in the studio with Motown legends Smokey Robinson and Valerie Simpson, covering songs like the title track (with Kelly Rowland) and “You Keep Me Hanging On.” (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) —Leilani Polk
