THURSDAY, JULY 06
TED NUGENT Former loincloth wearer, current reality TV attraction and eternal right-wing provocateur Nugent flies solo again after using the power of his guitar skills to fend off bullets in videos as a member of Damn Yankees. It will undoubtedly rock — and you will just as undoubtedly be treated to "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Stranglehold" — but I'm a little leery of hearing any political speeches from a man who once talked a family into signing power of attorney for their teenaged daughter over to him. On the other hand, if he came out with a line of jerky, I'd certainly give it a try. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
FRIDAY, JULY 07
THE BLACK CROWES/DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS/ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BANDS This is pretty much THE show of the year for roots and alt-country fans. Though they haven't been pop stars for well over a decade, Atlanta's Black Crowes are still a spectacular, soulful, sprawling live R&B act, and have picked up more than their fair share of jam-band fans along the way. Drive-By Truckers may be the best Southern/y'allternative rock 'n' roll band still going now that Slobberbone has called it quits, and Robert Randolph and his familial crew are at the forefront of the beautiful, spiritual pedal steel-driven "sacred steel" movement. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
RINGO STARR & HIS ALL-STARR BAND Always the most well adjusted of the former Beatles, Ringo genuinely seems to enjoy going out on these familial treks. One would hope he doesn't need the money. This year's All-Starrs: '80s prance-rocker Billy Squier ("The Stroke"); workmanlike popsmith Richard Marx ("Hold on to the Nights"); veteran R&B artist Edgar Winter ("Free Ride"); dinosaur art-rocker Rod Argent ("Hold Your Head Up"); percussion dynamo Sheila E ("Glamorous Life"); and blue-eyed soul singer Hamish Stewart of the Average White Band ("Pick up the Pieces"). It's an unlikely grouping, one that will hopefully yield pleasantly surprising results. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
BOUKMAN EKSPERYANS Haitian "Voodoo Rock" outfit Boukman Eksperyans has been gaining notoriety with world-music fans outside its native island for more than two decades now. The group is known for mixing native roots music with the true sounds of the Vodou religion and a socially aware lyrical bent. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
THE COLD WAR In association with Aestheticized Presents, Tampa DJ crew Crate Brothers has set up this, the latest in an impressive series of synergistic shows/art exhibitions/cool events at which to hang. Check out art by Smile Maker and Friends, Upso, Kicking The Heart Out and Faesthetic while listening to forward-looking live sets by Giddy Up, Helicopter!, Worldwide Zoo, Mes and Joey, and Jake and The Leftovers. Red Tide's Lazy, N8, Gujon and the Brothers themselves will provide in-between spinnage. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, JULY 08
K.C.'S BOOGIE BLAST FEAT. K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND/GLORIA GAYNOR/TAVARES/SISTER SLEDGE Put on your b-b-b-b-b-boogie shoes (preferably the ones with the goldfish in the heels). The Ford Amp hosts this disco throwdown, corralling a number of acts that made dance clubs throb in the '70s. Sister Sledge did "We Are Family." Tavares (one of the better disco acts) delivered "It Only Takes a Minute." Gaynor sang "I Will Survive," an anthem for Studio 54 cokeheads everywhere. And of course, K.C. enjoyed his four years of ubiquity ('75-'79) with such paeans to profundity as "That's the Way (I Like It)," "Get Down Tonight," "Shake Your Booty" and many others. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa) —ES
LES CLAYPOOL w/THE COUP Most of the members of the Lollapalooza Generation know Claypool as the innovative bassist and singer for experimental, exceedingly stoner-friendly future-funk trio Primus. But since that threesome's heyday, Claypool has involved himself in a number of improvisational/post-jam projects — most notably his Frog Brigade and Oysterhead — and we're betting this solo show will at least split the difference between the two eras, and probably lean more heavily toward the latter. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: You must get to the show in time to see rabidly anti-establishment hip-hop crew The Coup, because The Coup is freakin' unbelievable. The revolutionary (in all senses of the word) project's latest issue of brains, rhetoric and comedy, Pick A Bigger Weapon, is easily among the top two or three rap releases so far this year. Check out the music feature for more. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
HOT TUNA At some point, Jefferson Airplane members Jack Casady and Jorma Kakounen decided to ditch the trippy and go rootsy. Hot Tuna became their primary focus in the '70s. The band went through the obligatory breakup, but by 1990 was back at full steam. Hot Tuna has been coming through town for many a year. (Skipper's Smokehouse) —ES
GENGHIS TRON/YIP-YIP/LIGHT YOURSELF ON FIRE/UH-OH SPADES!/FLYING SNAKES If you just can't get enough psychotic, frightening electro-grindcore that tests the boundaries of the definition of music, then New York's Genghis Tron are for you; seriously, is this music or not? And does it matter? Costumed Orlando duo Yip-Yip has made a name for itself amongst the arty, bloop-and-bleep-loving kid crowd by being not only creative and weird, but also actually very listenable. Local tuneage comes courtesy of evil grindcore combo Light Yourself on Fire, catchy electro-experimentalist Uh-Oh Spades!, and awesome, possibly ironic doom-metal combo Flying Snakes. (Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa)
