THURSDAY, AUG. 31
QUEENSRYCHE The biggest thing to come out of Seattle before grunge and trendy coffee recently released the sequel to its critically hailed and commercially successful '88 concept album Operation: Mindcrime. For this tour, the prog-metal veterans have teamed up with VH-1 Classic to raise some money for the channel's Save The Music campaign to keep music education in public schools, and will perform both halves of the Mindcrime saga in their entirety. (Ruth Eckerd Hall)
G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE Updated futuro-folk-bluesman G. Love went from being an unlikely hitmaker of the mid-'90s alternative scene to becoming an underground jam-scene favorite son. You might not have heard anything by the man and his band in a while, but the fact that this is a two-night stand at Jannus speaks volumes about the group's enduring — and possibly still increasing — popularity. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 01
SERTOMA BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL This ain't no newfangled jam-grass fusion fest. Featured acts this time around include 30-year-old bluegrass band/cultural-outreach project The Special Consensus, Tim Graves, Jeanette Williams, The Gillis Brothers, and Vince Combs & Shadetree Grass, among many, many others. The Sertoma Youth Ranch is located at 85 Myers Road in Brooksville; for more information on this three-day event, visit www.sertomayouthranch.com or call 813-985-2780. (Sertoma Youth Ranch, Brooksville)
CHRIS ISAAK To these ears, Isaak's music has not aged well. What was in the early '90s an engaging update of Roy Orbison croon-rock now sounds quite dated. Isaak sprinkles in a bit of rounded-at-the-edges rockabilly, and he always looks damn sharp on stage. Is that reason enough to attend? (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
GANDALF MURPHY & THE SLAMBOVIAN CIRCUS OF DREAMS Upstate New York's Gandalf Murphy and his crew of psych-rock-folk purveyors won over enough new fans during their performance at this year's Tropical Heatwave festival to prompt WMNF to invite 'em back for a Skipperdome show. Expect a lively, vaguely mystical blend of roots music, druggy swirl and spiritual philosophy. The group will also be appearing at Bradenton's Fogartyville Café on Saturday, Sept. 2. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
RADIO RESET CD RELEASE PARTY Straight outta Feather Sound comes this relatively new band that's been cutting its teeth mostly out of town in places like Las Vegas and Orlando. That won't prevent the quartet form throwing a hometown CD release party, though. In many regards, Radio Reset is radio-ready, with a gleaming pop-rock sound driven by the crystalline tenor (and songwriting) of Andrew Arthur. He's joined by guitarist/vocalist Andy Pardue (who co-writes), bassist Mark Allen and drummer Johnny Coryn. For those in need of a handy comparative touchstone: Radio Reset is kind of like a slightly more emo-ish version of Snow Patrol. (The Garage, St. Petersburg) —ES
NOTHING PROMISE FAREWELL SHOW Tampa's Nothing Promise has been cranking out frightening, moody metalcore since long before it became the thing to do. Despite the fact that its style is now about the trendiest thing in underground rock — and that the band recently released yet another EP of chilling material — Nothing Promise's members have decided to amicably pursue differing avenues, both musically and otherwise. Come send 'em off with a bang tonight, and show your appreciation for years of brutality. Equally punishing local acts Light Yourself on Fire (featuring former members of local legend Scrog) and Adrian's Black Eye (sporting dudes from Sadiya and Blood Spilled in Vain) provide apt support. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 02
TOBY KEITH One of the current kings of contemporary C&W, Keith spreads a lot of sawdust and fake grit on the floor of his pop-country, but that don't make it real roadhouse boogie. His latest album, White Trash with Money, has already spawned a smash hit in "Get Drunk and Be Somebody." A couple of newer and quickly rising pop-country stars have signed on for this Ford Trucks-sponsored shed jaunt — Joe Nichols' most recent airwave staple is "Size Matters," while The Show Dogs are a trio recently signed to Keith's label of the same name. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
ANNA NALICK Young pop singer-songwriter Anna Nalick was granted the dream gig of working with members of one of her favorite bands for last year's debut full-length Wreck of the Day — former Blind Melon members Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith helped produce it. Nalick's style lies somewhere between Avril Lavigne's more, ahem, "mature" stuff and breathier, more Adult Contemporary-oriented artists like Sarah McLachlan and Paula Cole. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
THE WHIGS w/THE BEAUVILLES The Whigs are an eccentric, fuzz-toned pop-rock trio from Athens, Ga. The group deftly splits the difference between fun, garage-y bounce and a more sophisticated aesthetic, and could conceivably find big fans among hipsters and the kind of older crowd that goes in for less rambunctious singer-songwriter fare. The same goes for local heroes The Beauvilles, whose alternately boisterous and sensual rock 'n' roll carries subtle undertones of everything from jazz to rockabilly to gospel. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
