✔️ = Critic's Pick
✔️ Friday Concerts in the Park w/Orquesta Infinidad The fine citizens of Tampa Bay are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to these free riverside concerts at Water Works Park, but there’s no guaranteeing that asses won’t end up shufflin’ around the lawn when Orquesta Infinidad brings some salsa, merengue, Latin Jazz, cumbia, bachata and more into the mix. You can normally catch the ensemble doing its thing at the Maestro’s space at Straz Center, but seeing the group under the bandshell will be fun as well. (Water Works Park, Tampa) INFO
✔️ Selwyn Birchwood Band Orlando-born and Tampa-bred bluesman Selwyn Birchwood lays it on thick or not at all. Big, fat guitar riffs, rolling horn sections and gritty vocals build into one hell of a performance. Whether it’s guitar, lap steel or the microphone, Birchwood commands the blues with his own distinct take and does it with a smile on his face. How classic Chicago-sounding blues bled out of this southern soul is not for us mortals to understand, so just watch and enjoy. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO —Arielle Stevenson
FRESH TODD
Review: Todd Rundgren sticks to the newer stuff at St. Pete's Mahaffey Theater
✔️Todd Rundgren He started flirting with the reunion in 2011, but now Todd Rundgren is full-on reuniting his mid-‘70s band Utopia for its first North American tour in 32 years. The band, which features Kasim Sulton, Willie Wilcox and Ralph Schuckett, also released a box set of recordings from 1974-1982, and this show is just one of two Florida dates. Expect it to be significantly different than the show Rundgren brought to the same room less than a year ago. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg) INFO —AS
✔️ The Midnight Perverts w/Brian Busto/Luihi Seija/Brian E. Jackson Romeo Ugalde was born in the U.S. and even lived in Miami, but the producer and Nëim Records figurehead actually picked up and moved to Guadalajara to start a residency at the renowned Bar Americas, where he perfected his live set, which utilizes multiple synths, effects processors and MIDI controllers to create a unique style of house music. The Midnight Perverts is Ugalde’s solo project (where his many personalities come together under one umbrella), and it sits at the top of this bill that includes a fine host of local openers. Dungeon Room at The Castle, kids. Don’t be late. (The Castle, Ybor City) INFO
BEST LOCAL ALBUMS 2017
All of Ari Chi's vibrant essence gets captured on Color Fool
Young Fungus w/Betty Dawl/Gat$/Ari Chi/Wally Clark The cool kids in Tampa are bringing back the monthly art raffle. Featuring music from astral goddess Betty Dawl, Friday’s event showcases various works by local artists which will be auctioned off while Ari Chi brings her clear-as-a-goddamn-bell voice and pristine ukulele skills to the secret downtown spot. Young Fungus and Gat$ will perform as well, and DJ Wally Clark is holding down the mix all night. A good time is in order, and chances are you’ll head home with some new locally made swag. (The Attic Café, St. Petersburg) INFO —AS
Harmonic Dream Gathering w/Minnesota/Jade Cicada/Andreilien/more A two-day EDM festival at a venue that’s sometimes a skating rink? Anything really is possible near the south-of-Gandy area (although there won’t be any skating actually allowed at Pattini’s for this one). It’s worth noting that Christian Bauhofer is headlining the festivities. Better known as Minnesota, the Santa Cruz producer has worked with another rising EDM act, Seven Lions, in the past and has recently seen his music get dropped into sets by Bassnectar, LowRiderz and Tokimonsta. Denver, Colorado producer Jade Cicada, west coast basshead Andreilien, glitch-hoppin’ producer BogTroTTeR and Montreal’s Goopsteppa are just a few more of the names that only your 22-year-old festival-loving stepchild knows about. (Pattinis Bistro and Skate, Tampa) INFO
Blast Friday w/10,000 Maniacs/Fire & Ice Natalie Merchant hasn’t been in 10,000 Maniacs since 1993, people. While the band has only released four albums since then, that doesn’t mean it won’t still be cool to catch a free show from co-founders Dennis Drew and Steve Gustafson. Last year was the 30th anniversary of the Maniacs’ In My Tribe (we all know the words to “What’s the Matter Here,” right?) so keep your fingers crossed for a lot of stuff from that album when the show hits Cleveland Street. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, or maybe even spring for a VIP ticket to sit in the first three rows. (Cleveland Street District, Clearwater) INFO
✔️ The Nervous Girls Tampa-based all-girl band The Nervous Girls wrangles all the fixings of local low-fi indie-alt. The Tampa threesome’s self-described “feminist post-punk” evokes such lady-band favorites as Sleater-Kinney. Amanda Molinaro, Anne Schipper and Lauren Schuckel hit the stage at the Lowry Parcade — which is part craft beer bar and part nerd heaven — on Friday, so feed your 1990s indie-rock-loving soul and get a few rounds of Tekken and Ms. Pac-Man in at the same time. (Lowry Parcade, Tampa) INFO —AS
Alan Parsons Project w/Carl Palmer If some of the Pink Floyd tributes that blow through just don’t cut it for you, then consider this one helmed by Floyd sound engineer Alan Parsons, who had his hands on some of the band’s biggest hits. He’ll be backed by a rock symphony orchestra at this one, and if you’re on the fence, then know that drummer Carl Palmer is bringing his Emerson, Lake & Palmer homage (ELP Legacy) to open the show. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) INFO
Yomil Y El Dany We’ve all heard of reggaeton by now (thanks Pitbull!), but Roberto Hidalgo and Daniel Muñoz (aka Yomil Y El Dany) are set to bring “trapton” to the masses soon. The Havana-based duo was nominated for Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group last year and has incorporated some of the traditional son music of its homeland into songs. It’s the hip-hop, trap and dancehall influence, however, that is going to have bodies packing into Skye on Friday night. (Skye, Ybor City) INFO
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The Independents w/The Funeral Dazies/Saganaki Bomb Squad (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO
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Blues
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The Lauren Mitchell Band (Hideaway Cafe, St. Petersburg) INFO
Hip-hop
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Classical/Chorale
Florida Orchestra Pops Series: Celebrate Broadway (David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa) INFO
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American Vinyl (Two Buks, Clearwater) INFO
22N (Smokin’ 19, St. Petersburg) INFO
The Super Delegates (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
EDM
Getter (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO
Country
Erin Cosgrove Band (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO
St. Anthony's Triathlon Kick-off Celebration w/Erin Cosgrove/The Petty Hearts (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) INFO
Experimental
Tampa Underground Music Showcase w/Terrapin/Nick Bolt/Taylor Raynor/His Hem
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DJ
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