Born Into Kaos/Mr Bella Nu-metal newbies Born Into Kaos tread the slightly lighter, more hook-oriented edge of contemporary heavy music; yes, that means the Linkin Park comparisons are flying. Backed by a Backstreet Boy, they're constantly touted as the Next Big Thing, but no concrete evidence has presented itself thus far. Youthful Bay area vets Mr Bella, who likewise mix the weighty with the melodic, are breaking in a new drummer following the departure of Josh Young. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for the appearance of some new material. (Nov. 15, State Theatre)
Burning Airlines w/Garrison/Closure Government Issue/Jawbox alumnus and noted producer J. Robbins continues to give up the quality stuff; Burning Airlines' latest, Identikit, blew away everybody who looks a little further than the usual posthardcore names for some good, original stuff. (See the Music column.) Garrison is a little more metallic, but no less innovative when it comes to pushing hardcore's boundaries. Brandon stalwarts Closure are said to have something cooking in the form of an upcoming European release and tour. Their dynamic, cathartic style has seen them slowly but surely build a local fanbase to match their reputation. (Nov. 16, Orpheum)
Ray Wylie Hubbard/Eliza Gilkyson WMNF brings a couple of celebrated Texan singer/songwriters to Skipper's. Ray Wylie Hubbard peppers his performances with anecdotes as hilarious as they are touching; after weathering personal troubles and an elongated career slump, his latest disc, Eternal and Now, hit No. 1 on various Americana/Roots charts. Gilkyson is something of a massive cult phenomenon in her home state, thanks largely to her inimitable vocal style and oodles of charm. (Nov. 16, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Boats/We Have Agents The Boats' latest four-song CDEP ably showcases their iconoclastic yet engaging mishmash of influences — dynamic but trancy, jazzy but rocking, they're nearly impossible to categorize but a hell of a band. Their skewed and celebratory style brings to mind a more hallucinogenic, jazz-damaged Fugazi, but you'll have to check it out for yourself. We Have Agents have been around for six months or so, garnering fans of the unclassifiable with some angular, visceral rock 'n' roll ventage. If you haven't seen a Harbor Club show recently, definitely pencil one in. The venue is once again becoming a favorite spot for its communal, VFW-gig atmosphere and high no-rules fun quotient. (Nov. 16, Harbor Club)
Marley Fest feat. Damian Marley/Julian Marley/Stephen Marley/Yami Bolo/Daddigan/The Uprising Band Twenty-three year-old Damian Marley and his Ghetto Youth Crew have made quite a stir on the reggae festival circuit by injecting soul and hip-hop influences into a traditional Jamaican sound. The new album Halfway Tree has spawned a rabid grassroots following, and U.S. shows from Lollapalooza to Shabba Ranks' World Unity Tour have already introduced Marley and cohorts to America's college/world-beat/dancehall underground. (Nov. 16, Jannus Landing)
Adam Holzman This performance by lauded classical-guitar virtuoso Adam Holzman is the inaugural concert in a new show series presented by the Florida Guitar Alliance and LaBella Guitar Strings. Holzman, who has been awarded just about every obscure, esteemed prize available to purveyors of his art, was a faculty member at USF before he became chairman of the guitar department at University of Texas. Yeah, they actually have a guitar department. (Nov. 16, Hillsborough Community College/Dale Mabry Campus)
Dick Dale/The Thrusters The one and only King of Surf Guitar returns to our shores. Those of you unfamiliar with Dale have almost certainly heard his work somewhere — if you've ever seen a movie with a razor-sharp twangy instrumental dropped into it somewhere, then you've been exposed. His influence is omnipresent, on such disparate artists as alternative space-robot weirdoes Man or Astro-Man? and openers The Thrusters, who ply a fun, if somewhat less instrumentally spectacular, version of the genre Dale helped to define. (Nov. 17, State Theatre)
The Prodigals w/The Gita Celt-rock quartet the Prodigals fuse punk abandon and rock 'n' roll rhythms to traditional Irish sounds and styles, creating an earthy, authentic, rollicking blast that makes dabblers such as Seven Nations seem like, well, the suburban VH-1 aspirants they are. This is not a show to miss, as fans of everything from Dropkick Murphys and The Clash to The Pogues or The Proclaimers will find something real to grab onto. Love The Gita or hate 'em, you gotta admit that they know how to have a good time. If sincere fun and playing to the crowd are uncool, then the Gita are proud standard-bearers of the not-hip, and I'm sure they prefer watching the hotties dance to receiving some scenester's nod of approval. (Nov. 17, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Engine Down/The Mercury Program/Fin Fang Foom Another eclectic, post-rock Aestheticized bill courtesy of Jack and a bunch of folks who got tired of power chords a long time ago. Engine Down returns to town, bringing with them an ambitious posthardcore sound that only gets called emo because nobody's come up with a word for what they do yet. Fringe favorites The Mercury Program play an enthralling, genre-ignorant style that steers clear of yawn-inducing, Low-esque napcore by dint of its use of dynamics and adventurous instrumental melodies. Fin Fang Foom have occasionally caught the math-rock tag, though their complex meanderings are definitely easier to get one's head around than most of that ilk. (Nov. 18, Orpheum)
Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine John Coltrane's drummer in the '60s. That's all you really need to know; that's all that was really needed to certify Elvin Jones as a bona fide jazz legend. But Jones has had a stirring, adventurous career since Trane entered the spirit realm in '67. His current quintet is heavy with ace players: trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis (of the New Orleans Marsalis'); saxophonist Pat LaBarbara; pianist Eric Lewis; and bassist David Pulphus. Jones' whirlwind drum style is highly influential, if virtually impossible to appropriate. Not a lot of Elvin clones out there, so see the real deal in an extremely rare Bay area performance. (Nov. 18, Tampa Theatre) —Eric Snider
Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra Fall Concert Exactly what it says it is. Don't think Simpsons-esque school-band bullshit, think talented kids interpreting complex, moving material. Part of the Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra will also perform a chamber music recital the following Tuesday, Nov. 20, at TBPAC's Louise Lykes Ferguson Hall. (Nov. 18, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center/Carol Morsani Hall)
Squad Five-O/The Blamed/Sagoh 24/7/September Engagement Those hip, spiritual folks from the Refuge bring some eclectic underground sounds to The State once again. From Squad Five-O's muscular street-rock and really, really cool hair to hyped locals September Engagement's massive, jagged heavy-emo hooks, just about everything in the New Punk pantheon gets a nod tonight. No one's going to try and shove God down your throat, either, so quit being such a whiner and go see some good bands. (Nov. 19, State Theatre)
—All entries by Scott Harrell unless otherwise indicated
This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2001.