8:35-9:50 p.m.
Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire Violinist/songwriter/songwriter Bird used to flee from contemporary pop music, as not to taint his sound with modern influences. Instead, he and his band Bowl of Fire reconstructed decades-old genres: classical, swing, Celtic, tango and more. In '99, Bird broke down and bought The Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin, and, little by little, the rock started to seep in. His metamorphosis can be heard on the recently released The Swimming Hour (Rykodisc), which is at turns catchy and thinky, experimental and quaint, stately and low-down. The influences have been integrated into a personalized style, an impressive new voice in the underground pop scene.
—Eric Snider
10:15-11:30 p.m.
Magic Red and The Voodoo Tribe Savoy Brown's Pete McMahon called the blues-rock playing of guitarist Magic Red cutting-edge blues for the Year 2000! Well, now it's 2001, and we get to see how far they've come.
11:55 p.m.
The Paul Thorn Band Tupelo, Miss.'s Paul Thorn took career turns as skydiver and prizefighter — even going a couple of nationally televised rounds with Roberto Duran — before settling down as a rootsy singer/songwriter. His band bulks up the man's funky, R&B-inflected tunes. His wry, confessional music has been compared to that of Chris Whitley and Freedy Johnston.
Cherokee Club/La Femme Buvette
6:50-7:50 p.m.
Fallopian Tubes They're easily one of the longest-standing Bay area bands — an all-female outfit that brings subversive humor and social commentary into a rockin' blues sound. These women place a foremost emphasis on entertaining.
—Eric Snider
8:15-9:20 p.m.
The Irritable Tribe Of Poets Drummer Jonathan Priest calls the Irritable Tribe's sound multi-ethnic improvisational music. The all-star local coalition isn't beholden to jazz or worldbeat or blues or nothin', and 75 percent of what they do is improvised. Guest spoken-word artists add beatnik vocal flava.
9:35-10:45 p.m.
Wally Pleasant With his good cheekbones and thatch of malleable hair, East Lansing, Michigan-based Wally Pleasant coulda been an indie-rock heartthrob. But instead, he chose to be a sarcastic, acoustic jokester who sings songs about malicious kids' show hosts and post-graduate syndrome, and hangs out with Dr. Demento. He will write and record a song for your special occasion, says his web site, which also says that his live shows are like escaping to a planet where everyone is nice. Someone get that man a shot of tequila — this is Heatwave!!
11 p.m.-12:15 a.m.
James Intveld Los Angeles native Intveld rocked Heatwave two years ago with his rockabilly-tinged, retro country. The crooner and multi-instrumentalist supplied the singing voice for Johnny Depp's character in John Waters' Cry Baby, as well as writing hits for Rosie Flores and sitting in with The Blasters (on guitar) and bluesman Lester Butler (on drums).
12:30-1:30 a.m.
Howie Day Singer/songwriter Day started playing in local clubs and college coffeehouses in his hometown of Orono, Maine, at 15; now 20, his reputation has grown via fans across the world who act as reps, trading their services as publicists for free merch and show tickets. His singing evokes Jeff Buckley, but his loops and impressive guitar playing are all his own.
1:55 a.m.
The Unrequited Loves If you think that Mike O'Neill's surly demeanor is a reflection of his band's sound, The Unrequited Loves will prove you wrong. O'Neill has what may be the greatest collection of garage-rock vinyl in the Tampa Bay area, and it shows in the sound his trio makes. Rounded out by bassist Keith Bartlett and superdrummer Ed Lowery, The Unrequited Loves comprise members of some of Tampa's most beloved bands, including Monday Mornings and Magadog.
Cuban Club Landing
7:30-8:45 p.m.
Blue Plate Special Eddie Rosicky (Bohemian Swingers, Lounge Cat) and company blend their diverse influences into a funky stew of bluegrass, funk and lounge.
9 p.m.
DJs
Brian Busto This is the progressive house jock's second Heatwave.
DJ Rane Named for a maker of DJ mixers, Jodi Hollander, a.k.a. Rane, combines old school rhythms with fresher-than-thou drum 'n' bass.
Courtney K Gainesville's Courtney K specializes in two-step and house.
Roving Entertainment
8-Track Gorilla Born and bred in Athens, Ga., the 8-Track Gorilla is a man in a gorilla suit, singing karaoke to a portable 8-track player. Daddy, I'm frightened. Can I have some more tequila?
—All entries by Stefanie Kalem unless otherwise indicated
