Isley Brothers What was once six brothers has dwindled to two — silky singer Ronald and guitar wiz Ernie. Fortunately, they're the two sibs who most stamp the Isley Brothers' sound. With a hot album (Eternal) and single (Contagious) on the charts, this historic outfit will also play material that goes as far back as the '50s. The Isley Brothers are truly one of popular music's legendary acts, with songs ranging from the gospel-stompin' Shout to the nascent black-rock of Who's That Lady to the striated funk anthem Fight the Power. Their latest effort favors sultry, sexy ballads. (Nov. 1, Ruth Eckerd Hall)
—Eric Snider
Six Feet Under/Candiria/Lamb of God/God Forbid A word of warning: Leave the blocky black glasses and backpack at home tonight, lest ye end up with shards in your peepers and a whole bunch of broken Atom & His Package 7-inches. Six Feet Under grind, groove, and pummel without ever working the death-genre cliches too heavily. Brooklyn's Candiria is this season's indie-press pick for Big New Heavy Thing, even though the act's been around awhile; the quartet blends hardcore and metal with jazzy touches, iconoclastic time signatures and airtight musicianship. Regarding Lamb of God, really, what do you think this band sounds like? Sheesh. Relative newcomer God Forbid plys a slightly lighter, but no less jagged, sound. (Nov. 1, State Theatre)
Lucky Boys Confusion/Bad Ronald/River City High/Riddlin Kids Lucky Boys Confusion crams every pop-punk satellite convention that's ever proven commercially successful, from tongue-in-cheek white-boy hip-hop breakdowns to ska/dub inflections, into tuneage as mindlessly catchy as it is suspiciously targeted. Thousands of radio-weaned pundits swear it works; I am not one of them. Bad Ronald is a bit less eclectic but equally bent on winning over the kids in the big shorts. Someone in the record store last month dismissed River City High with a sneer, calling the guys in the band pretty boys. Whatever. It's the sounds that matter, and RCH's Won't Turn Down might be the most hooky, rocking underdog disc since Superdrag's Regretfully Yours. Keep your issues to yourself, ya jealous little cred-sucker. High-energy chordage is provided by openers Riddlin Kids, who might actually turn out to be the Ritalin Kids, and thus victims of the random flier incompetence so prevalent in our times. (Nov. 2, State Theatre)
Southern-Fried Rock Festival featuring Molly Hatchet/Black Oak Arkansas/Atlanta Rhythm Section This one is another rescheduled shindig; it was canceled in the wake of Sept. 11. Unfortunately, one of the bands from the original bill can't make it, because the members are off touring on their own (no names, but it they just might be a little further down the Menu). If your scavenger-hunt list includes a confused, tow-headed little boy of about 5 wearing a bandanna, fingerless gloves and a Harley-Davidson T-shirt that hangs down to his dirty New Balance sneaks, you need to be here. (Nov. 2, Ice Palace)
Travis Tritt One can't help but wonder exactly what brand of conditioner does such marvelous things to a man's tresses. Veteran pop-country star Travis Tritt brings his inimitable warble and boot-scootin', crowd-pleasin' twang to Ruth Eckerd. (Nov. 2, Ruth Eckerd Hall)
Marshall Tucker Band Of the original lineup, the one that scored a Top 15 hit and platinum sales with Heard It In a Love Song, only singer Doug Gray remains. Gray spent most of the '80s and '90s trying to get away from the band's signature Southern rock sound with various hired guns (NOTE: There has never been anyone named Marshall Tucker in the Marshall Tucker Band); the last two MTB albums delved into blues and gospel. Be primed for the hits on their current jaunt. (Nov. 2, Jannus Landing)
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers/Kelly Hunt Brit blues legend John Mayall, 67, has been influencing genres from swamp-rock to heavy metal since the mid-'50s and has remained vital ever since. His backup band, the Bluesbreakers has included Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Ansley Dunbar, John McVie, and Mick Taylor over the years. Mayall was nominated for a Grammy during the '90s (for Spinning Coin) and his latest effort features an all-star lineup of iconic blues guitarists both past and present. Pianist Kelly Hunt delivers a passionate boogie style of blues 'n' soul. (Nov. 2, Skipper's Smokehouse)
Toni Lynn Washington Queen of the Blues Toni Lynn Washington and her award-winning band offer up a little something different, as far as Swing Time events go. The 2001 W.C. Handy Award nominee has garnered raves worldwide. Don't worry, we're sure they'll throw enough shoe-moving shuffle around to satisfy your Zoot-suited ass. Highly Recommended. (Nov. 2, Centro Asturiano)
Judy Collins' Wildflower Festival w/Janis Ian/Richie Havens/Roger McGuinn As any self-respecting folkie probably knows, singer/songwriter Judy Collins made a lasting impact with the songs Both Sides Now and Send In the Clowns in the '60s and '70s. Her soprano voice soars on. Now in her 40th year of recording, she has 37 albums, several Top 10 hits, Grammy nominations, and gold and platinum albums all to her name. Janis Ian was only 16 when she broke through with her controversial anthem of interracial love, Society's Child, in 1967. Richie Havens emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early '60s and made his mark with a soulfully stirring voice in songs like Here Comes the Sun, Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman and the Woodstock showstopper Freedom. Roger McGuinn co-founded the The Byrds and brought forth such timeless classics as Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! (Nov. 3, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater; Nov. 4, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota)
—Dave Beehr
Shrouded In Mystery U.S. Tour A true 'space-rock' psychedelic event comes to the State, including former members of groups which belong to that greatest of pantheons — bands that you've never heard but are constantly mentioned by the bands that influenced the most obscure bands that you actually like. Bonus: they're British. Along with contemporary acid-soundtrack throwbacks (and not in a bad way) Mr. Quimby's Beard, the performers include Hawkwind keyboardist Harvey Bainbridge; former Hawkwind member and studio musician (Sting, Lemmy) Nik Turner; and experimental outfit TZamp. Additionally, the Solar Fire Lightshow will be neat stuff to look at while in various states of chemically altered consciousness; it's been 'round the world with Hawkwind, Ozric Tentacles, Farflung, and others. Looking for something a little different? Here ya go. Just don't make the potential mistake of assuming it's going to be awesome even if you're straight. (Nov. 3, State Theatre)
The Family Values Tour feat. Stone Temple Pilots/Linkin Park/Staind/Static-X/Deadsy This year's Family Values Tour nearly trades in the sarcastic connotation of its name for a sincere one. Other than death-synth-pop enigmas/cartoons Deadsy (of whom no one but rabid Alternative Press readers or frighteningly obsessive Korn fans has actually heard) the biggest controversies here revolve around a cured drug habit and whether Linkin Park rules or sucks. Highlights: Stone Temple Pilots, who turned a grunge-crutch into some seriously listenable American-rock songwriting talent, and Static-X, whose ratcheting sophomore disc Machine cored its way into the little Ministry fan that lives in the hearts of us all. (Nov. 3, Ice Palace)
Module-One/Terror Organ/Exham Priory/Bullhead Dark, noisy experimental audio and visuals where instruments meet machines in that creepy way that either sucks you in or leaves you flummoxed and with aching sinuses. The first three conglomerates ride the line between electro-organic sonic tomfoolery and cyber-age performance art. And then there's obvious Melvins aficionados Bullhead, who blend heavy-ass riff and rhythm with an avant sensibility to create a jagged, dynamic, alternately haunting and hurting mid-tempo assault that employs repetition in a much more interesting and frightening way than stoner-rock bands do. (Nov. 4, Orpheum)
The Iguanas/Nil Lara Hey, WMNF's bringing an eclectic, raucous, world music-influenced outfit to town! I swear, it's true! Seriously! Crescent City Tex-Mex/Latin groovesters The Iguanas have been shaking up The Big Easy's trademark spicy jazz-funk with their ritmo caliente for over a decade; expect another set of top-notch musicianship in the guise of an infectious good time. Nil Lara scored a couple of mildly popular singles a few years back by steeping the standard pop-singer/songwriter scenario in his Cuban heritage, and a knack for getting the emotions across. (Nov. 3, Skipper's Smokehouse)
3rd Annual Palladium Season Showcase St. Petersburg's Palladium offers up a test drive of some of the entertainment/cultural hiinks they'll get up to this concert season. Beginning at 1 p.m. (in conjunction with St. Pete's Arts Alive Museum Walk) this year's card will include performances by Pinellas Youth Symphony; Tampa Bay Composer's Forum; The Summit Swing Ensemble; Gulf to Bay Chorus; The St. Petersburg Festival Ballet; the Sunstate Opera; the Tampa Bay Gay Men's Chorus; the Pinellas County Center for the Arts (Gibbs High School); Dundu Dole (Urban African Ballet); and the Chamber Ballet. And you wanted to watch the game. (Nov. 4, Palladium)
Scott Fields, Vinny Golia & Toshi Makihara As Emit concerts go, this one should be even more challenging than usual. It combines three heady talents, all with a decidedly avant-garde bent. Composer/guitarist Scott Fields rose to prominence in the verdant Chicago free jazz scene of the '60s and '70s; his spiky forays come from another six-string astral plane. Vinny Golia plays 20 different woodwinds and various ethnic aerophones; he's performed with the likes of Anthony Braxton, John Carter, Patti Smith, the Rova Saxophone Quartet and others. Toshi Makihara is a major figure in Philadelphia's experimental and free improv scene. He combines a masterful percussion technique with vaudevillian-style humor and a staggering range of discovered and invented sound objects ranging from bicycle wheels to feather dusters to coiled Slinkys. Emit honcho Dave Manson weighs in: These are gifted musicians concerned with flow, timbre and expression so it will be musical rather than skronk-like. Admission is $8. (Nov. 5, The Lobby, above the Garden Restaurant in St. Petersburg)
—Eric Snider
—All entries by Scott Harrell unless otherwise indicated
This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2001.