Lots happening on this first day in July. Take a look at the breakdown of highlights below, then peek at what's coming up in the holiday weekend ahead.
Wonky Tonk Both the pseudonym and alter ego of Kentucky native songstress Jasmine Lorraine Poole, Wonky Tonk combines the vintage twang of classic country and honky tonk with indie punk attitude and folk troubadour restlessness, her sweetened drawl delivering a balance of poignant waxings and whiskey-soaked heartbreak (“Be weary of those you give your heart / Stayin in love is much harder than falling apart”; “‘Cause there’s nothing like, that old frontier whiskey / to help me forget, that you’re no longer mine”) and sharp social commentary (“Cleveland” off 2015 debut full-length Stuff We Leave Behind touches on food additives and big business practices). RIYL: Jenny Lewis, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Lucinda Williams. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa)–Leilani Polk
A GWAN Takeover Gwan Massive is Tampa Bay’s own rather fine hip hop collective – a loose, rotating lineup of instrumentalists, vocalists and emcees throwing down potent, ass-shaking beats and grooves infused with elements of funk, soul, rock and even a little reggae. This showcase of GWAN talent assembles collective members (and friends) into one spot for solo sets and performances in their “other” groups, including DUBB Tenn (the dub oriented project of TK and Mugdub) and The Rukus (featuring rhyme-slingers KeithElite and Rude with DJ Blenda). Also on the bill: NoNeed, Jinx, Ryan Breakdown McGown, Wally Clark and O.P. SUPA. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)–LP
In This Moment w/Hellyeah/Shaman's Harvest/Sunflower Dead Female-fronted metal bands have been on the rise as the genre has grown more diverse in sound, values, thoughts and fans. And that's awesome. In This Moment leader Maria Brink directed the band’s music video for “Sex Metal Barbie,” which finds her clad in a naval officer's uniform and pink hat that reads “SEX.” The titular character? We think yes, and live shows are just as cool. Remember Mudvayne? I don't either, but that band’s vocalist settled in Hellyeah, a metal super-group that also includes members from Pantera and Nothingface. Shaman's Harvest may sound like a vegan-inspired craft brew conceived by pagans, but alas, it’s a metal band from Missouri with some smooth and accessible tunes. Sunflower Dead meets the mandatory nu metal aesthetic of dreadlocks and goatees; luckily, the California outfit plays some surprisingly catchy tunes, or as catchy as nu metal gets. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) –Brian Roesler
Applebutter Express w/Row Jomah/The Good Bad Kids The Skipperdome get the toes tapping and heels kicking with an evening of uke-driven newgrass (Applebutter Express), jammy rocking funk-blues fusion (Row Jomah) and Naples-bred harmony-rich folk-Americana (The Good Bad Kids). (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)–LP
Stu Hamm He’s developed a rep for his virtuoso bass-playing technique (his pops, slaps and two-handed taps are showcased play during a pretty cool arrangement of Vince Guaraldi's “Linus and Lucy”), and for his session work and live sideman duties with another brilliant stringsmith, guitar whiz Joe Satriani, as well as various others, and he’s also an educator and leading clinician. Stu Hamm also has a solo repertoire that encompasses six LPs touching on blues, jazz fusion and prog rock; the most recent was 2015’s Book of Lies. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)–LP
Vans Warped Tour My first Warped Tour was in 2004. My fondest memory involved a woman at a drink cart who, every so often, in the midst of slinging Gatorades to the left and right, would retrieve a huge double-sided dido from a nearby bucket of ice and spin it overhead. I haven't seen something that unsanitary or as punk rock since. The line up for year's 21st annual edition is more diverse than ever and there's something here for everyone with artists like rapper Wacka Flocka Flame, Warped Tour veterans Atreyu and the current champs of disaffected teenage youth, Sleeping With Sirens. Big name headliners include Falling In Reverse, Good Charlotte, Less Than Jake and New Found Glory. Expect horribly overpriced water, heat exhaustion, and plenty of weirdness in the best way possible. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) –BR
Official Warped Tour After Party Operation Coexist – which provides instruments and music lessons to at-risk youths – re-partners with Never Take it Off (the self-empowerment celeb bracelet series founded by Simms siblings Juliet and Tommy) to throw the third annual post-Warped throwdown. Sleeping With Sirens hosts, joined by special guest DJ Christian McAlhaney (of Anberlin and Acceptance), plus more guest DJ sets from TBA Warped performers, appearances by and hang sesh opportunities with members of bands currently playing the tour, and a fashion show by Romantic Rock Designs. Ages 18 and up; free guest list entry for clicking “attending” on the FB event page by midnight June 30. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)–LP
Permanent Make-Up Tour Kick-Off Playfully discordant No Wave trio Permanent Make-Up (Chris Nadeau, James Bess and Susan Dickson-Nadeau) are hitting the road to continue hyping up 2015 sophomore LP Taker, but also promise a set of all-new songs for this kick-off party, which also features the live debut of noise-fuzz outfit Ethical Trash and Plural Being, from Cape Coral. (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg)–LP
ALSO TONIGHT
4th of July Party! w/Archangel/Pagan Faith/Red Calling/Alpha Decay (Brass Mug, Tampa)
TC Carr & Bolts of Blue (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
UP the ANTE Summer Concert Series w/Mosquito Teeth/Teacher Teacher/Blonk/Yogurt Smoothness (Fubar, St. Petersburg)
Summer Festival of Racing & Music w/Soul Circus Cowboys/The Black Honkeys (Tampa Bay Downs, Tampa)
Drezo (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
Nicky Jam w/De La Ghetto/Zion & Lennox/Valentino (Amalie Arena, Tampa)
The JPs (Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
Nothing Acoustic In-Store Sat., July 2, Daddy Kool, St. Petersburg
Nothing w/Wrong Culture/Abuse Sat., July 2, Local 662, St. Petersburg
Slipknot / Marilyn Manson w/Of Mice & Men Sat., July 2, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Rev. Billy C. Wirtz and Ronny Elliott feat. Steve Connelly and the Foreign Objects Band Sat., July 2, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Post-Rowdies Game Show w/Flo Rida Sat., July 2, Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg
Funeral Portrait/The Ivory/Seek Well Sat., July 2, Brass Mug, Tampa
Zack Poole Sat., July 2, Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
Ari & the Alibis Sat., July 2, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
The Elements w/SB/YBless/Laz/Gat & Cris B/Worthy/Fene Da Mayor/J Nasty/?nowledge Sat., July 2, Fubar, St. Petersburg
Ol' Glory Rising 3 w/5 Star Hooker/SaHe/Slingshot Robot/Polar Summer/Deviate The Plan Sat., July 2, State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Part CD Release Party w/Trisma/Somatic/MingusKingus/Vallam/Derridada Sat., July 2, The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg
Modern Baseball w/Joyce Manor/Thin Lips Sun., July 3, Orpheum, Ybor City
Sublime With Rome w/Dirty Heads/Bleeker/Tribal Seeds Sun., July 3, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Hot Dog Party 10: A Decade of Delicatessen w/Roadkill Ghost Choir/SAMURAI SHOTGUN/Wolf-Face/Poetry 'n Lotion/RGSM Sun., July 3, Crowbar, Ybor City
Quintron & Miss Pussycat w/Sonic Grafitti/Seafang Sun., July 3, The Bends, St. Petersburg
The All American Summer Hot Mess w/The Black Honkeys/Death, Love and Addiction/Shevonne and the Bad Boys Sun., July 3, Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
The Ries Brothers w/Angie Ray Sun., July 3, CJ’s, Treasure Island
Almost Independence Day w/The Prosecution/Channel Drive/Paper City/Mollusk Sun., July 3, Brass Mug, Tampa
All American Soul Party - JGLB with special guest Otis Velt and Souliz Sun., July 3, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
