Music Menu
THURSDAY, OCT. 13
THE DRIFTERS The venerable vocal group placed 36 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1955 to 1966, including Top 10s "There Goes My Baby," "Save the Last Dance For Me," "Up on the Roof," "On Broadway" and "Under the Boardwalk." That was a long time ago. If my Internet research is dependable, the current group includes original member Bill Pinkney, as well as Ron McPhatter, son of Clyde McPhatter, the group's original lead singer. This is a fundraising concert and dance to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. (Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club, St. Pete) ERIC SNIDER
FRIDAY, OCT. 14
BRAZILIAN GIRLS New York City's sexy, clubby Brazilian Girls play cool, trip-hoppy post-funk that incorporates multicultural influences — vocalist Sabina Sciubba sings in no less than five languages — without resorting to cheesy world beat clichés. The result is a hip party vibe with a killer soundtrack. Check out the Music Feature for more, and oh, by the way, if you haven't read it already in about 100 music magazines or websites, nobody in the band is Brazilian, and only one of them is female. Highly recommended nonetheless. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
DEVIL DOLL/THE KISSERS/SAWGRASS FLATS Think of it as a mini-reenactment of this past May's installment of WMNF's annual Tropical Heatwave, only minus, oh, about 95-percent of the bands. That's OK, though, because two of these acts were among the festival's most talked-about out-of-towners, and the third is an extremely well-respected local outfit that always does well. Tattooed pin-up queen Devil Doll brings the sultry lounge-a-billy; The Kissers do exuberant new Celt-rock tunes from their forthcoming disc Good Fight; and our own Sawgrass Flats deliver the roots/bluegrass. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY w/BRAND NEW SIN You just know that Ozzy guitarist and BLS frontman Zakk Wylde has a "Bad Motherfucker" wallet just like Jules in Pulp Fiction; the guy is scary. He's also a scary talented player, though his prodigious chops are often toned down amid Black Label Society's vicious biker-metal. Providing support is Brand New Sin, a Syracuse, N.Y., outfit whose thick, attitude-heavy sound is more than a little influenced by the headliner. While fairly by-the-numbers, Brand New Sin sounds fresh against the metalcore backdrop — think of Circus of Power trying to hang with Hatebreed. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
BATTLE BASICS SE7EN Did you know that Florida's premiere rhyme battle takes place right here in Tampa? No? What are you, some kind of nitwit? Sometimes it's hard to find out where the non-collegiate hip-hop shows are going on in the Bay area — hell, we don't even know about them half the time, unfortunately — but Battle Basics always brings out most of the best MCs in the area, and from all over the state to boot. The audience-participation factor is always entertainingly high, as well. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, OCT. 15
THE JIM PAYNE BAND Multi-tasker Jim Payne is equally well known in funk as an author (Give the Drummers Some!), producer (the first two Medeski Martin & Wood albums) and drummer (he collaborates regularly with former members of James Brown's ensemble). Tonight, he drives his namesake trio — rounded out by Sugarman 3 guitarist Al Street and equally storied session organist Adam Klipple — through a spate of material that dabbles in the jam and the jazz, but remains firmly rooted in earthy, groovy funk. (Java Junction, Clearwater)
REO SPEEDWAGON & STYX With all due respect to Ruth Eckerd Hall, wouldn't this archeological exhibit be a lot more fun and resonant if they played at a skating rink? (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
KNOWING STU CD RELEASE PARTY Female-fronted modern-rock act Knowing Stu has made a lot of friends in the Bay area original-music scene over the last year or so, and tonight, the band is getting a lot of support for the long-awaited release of its new disc, Lost in Know-Where Land. In addition to the rest of the acts on the bill — West Palm Beach's eL, Bradenton's Rumors of War and Spring Hill's Rescue 22 — the Stus will be joined onstage by members of Soulfound, Rebekah Pulley & The Reluctant Prophets, Glitter Guns and others during their performance. It's called a scene, people. (Gasoline Alley Café, Clearwater)
PARADISE ON THE BAYOU: A FUNDRAISER Tarpon Springs Fire Rescue hosts its third annual fundraiser at The Heritage Center. Proceeds go toward sending some kids in need to Florida Burn Camp; last year's fundraiser enabled TSFR to support half of the camp's entire roster. Your $25 gets you dinner, dancing to live music, and the opportunity to wear a really hideous Hawaiian shirt to a fancy and beneficial social function. For more information, call 727-938-3737. (The Heritage Center on Spring Bayou, Tarpon Springs)
SUNDAY, OCT. 16
AVENGED SEVENFOLD/DEATH BY STEREO/SAOSIN/OPIATE FOR THE MASSES You know a formerly punk-as-all-get-out band is in league with a major label when a group like Opiate for the Masses starts showing up on their bills. Metalcore act Avenged Sevenfold helped usher in the current screamo trend of melding Iron Maiden-inspired riffs to Goth-punk fashion, and were rewarded with a step up to Warner Bros., who released City of Evil just in time for this past summer's Warped Tour jaunt. Also notable is the fact that longtime punk-metal toilers Death by Stereo seem to finally be moving up on the bills they tour with; good for them. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
PRE-MAGNOLIAFEST SHOWCASE Every fall, up north of Gainesville, the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park plays host to MagnoliaFest, a weekend's worth of bluegrass, roots, jam and jazz. Several of the featured acts inevitably make their way down I-75 for a Bay-area date shortly before or after MagFest, but this year, Skipper's has stepped up to christen a semi-official showcase of appearing bands. The unarguable highlights of tonight's shindig are the appearances of Blueground Undergrass principal/jam-jazz elder statesman Rev. Jeff Mosier and Widespread Panic fiddler David Blackmon with their side project The New Traditionals. But you also get sets from The Panhandle String Band, Josh Pinkham & Friends, and the marvelously named Dread Clampett. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
CELLOMAN Wildly eccentric and entertaining musician/visionary/madman Eugene Friesen blends everything from rock to classical to a recorded whale song to narrative fiction in order to take audiences of all ages on an unclassifiable musical journey. But don't think this is just some completely whacked-out shit — Friesen's a Grammy Award-winning cellist and composer with the Paul Winter Consort, one of the most enduring and credible ensembles ever to champion obscure musical traditions from around the world. (Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, Tarpon Springs)
MONDAY, OCT. 17
AUDIOSLAVE w/SEETHER/30 SECONDS TO MARS Who would've thought, when three-quarters of the only rap-metal band that matters hooked up with one of the best singers in the history of American alt-rock, that the resulting music would be so quintessentially mediocre? Sure, Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden both sounded like Zeppelin, but these dudes are all too gifted and smart to be cranking out the premature classic rock that defines Audioslave. Actually, this whole bill serves as an example of the pervasiveness of mediocrity in modern rock — South Africa's Seether rode a boring blend of Creed-esque post-grunge and nü-metal angst into the Top Five at Five, and talented actor Jared Leto's band 30 Seconds to Mars trades in atmospheric but utterly generic emo-rock. (USF Sun Dome, Tampa)
CHRISTINE LAVIN Funny, thoughtful singer-songwriter Lavin comes to town to inaugurate the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's new, intimate "Club Jaeb" live-music series. An activist, author and humorist as well as a musician, Lavin's long been loved on the folk circuit for her willingness to disassemble the overly serious protest-song caricature of the singer-songwriter while still living up to the high standard of integrity that goes with the job. (Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
TUESDAY, OCT. 18
THE ADICTS w/THE DIFF/BANG SUGAR BANG/FORWARNED INJUSTICE All most people know about legendary Suffolk, England, punk act The Adicts is that their scary Clockwork Orange clown logo is really, really killer. Well, the group originally made a name for itself in the early '80s by actually performing in droog-like regalia, and it worked well enough that a tune from The Adicts' second independently produced album charted in their homeland in '83. But, yeah, this is definitely your basic "we're touring 'cause the kids like punk again" type of show. (Masquerade, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19
THE ROLLING STONES Can you get past the wrinkles? Can ya? Yes, most of the Stones are pushing mid 60s, but their collective facial crevices sure make 'em look like they were rode hard and put up wet. I guess 40-some years of rock 'n' roll will do that to ya. The Stones are touring with a new album out, A Bigger Bang, their most rockin' effort in years, which would bode well for them delivering a solid, rocking effort on stage. Still, it does come as something of a surprise (to me, at least) that fans get all lathered up to see these guys, and that's not even considering those through-the-roof ticket prices. (St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa) ES
WIDESPREAD PANIC This eternally H.O.R.D.E. Tour-associated Athens roots/jam act briefly caused ripples in the mainstream in the wake of the early-'90s Blues Traveler/Spin Doctors breakthrough, but this band has always been a head-down road warrior, more for the loyal live-show fans and college heads than the radio public. Founding member Michael Houser died tragically from pancreatic cancer in '02, but urged Panic to continue before his passing, and the group has faithfully followed his wishes since. (USF Sun Dome, Tampa)
