Maxwell w/Ro James He’s sexy, and he knows it. Still, two decades after he dropped Urban Hang Suite, Maxwell hasn’t turned down the heat. Expect the 43-year-old to run through all the sensual classics (it’s okay to cry as “This Woman’s Work” comes on) when he hits the intimate Clearwater venue, and don’t be surprised if he devotes a portion of the evening to the memory of Prince. Hold on to your seat and keep your nethers in order, however, when Maxwell tears into blackSUMMER’snight -- part two of an LP trilogy -- that reveals a falsetto that has only grown more velvety and arousing since he came back from a hiatus six years ago. If you’d like a private primer, then YouTube his May performance on “Colbert” to fluff up. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) -Ray Roa
Vibe & Direct A jamtronic three piece of guitar, drums and bass that make electro-psychedelic dance music with progressive overtones and featuring occasional multi-part vocals harmonizing over the more easy-going grooves. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)—Leilani Polk
Rock the Park w/Four Star Riot/Extra Celestial Just a few months after becoming the youngest musicians to appear on the cover of this here alt-weekly (“Grrrrls Rock” in April), Extra Celestial make a move to downtown Tampa for their debut at long-running monthly outdoor music series Rock The Park. The girls -- Casey, Devyn, Caitlin, Bellz -- slay the cover song game, but recently started promoting a new, original single, “Restart” (released in May), where they toss out fun, carefree garage rock much better than musicians twice their age. Grown ass men, Four Star Riot, blow in from Clearwater to drop off power pop for this free, pet-friendly show as well. The best part? It’s all over by 10 p.m., so you can sleep away any potential Friday hangovers.
Gruesome w/Hideous (members of Obituary, Generichrist, Lividity, Massacre, and Six Feet Under)/Meatwound/Grave Ascension/Disevered Metal has been around long enough to have a legacy, and where other genres are quick to celebrate the reinvention of their aesthetic, there’s nothing like turning on a record and hearing the tried and true sound of an old school metal band. Gruesome was born out of the residuals of metal legends Death To All and served as a subtle tribute to the band when Gruesome vocalist Matt Harvey started writing with drummer Gus Rios. What’s unfolded was a revered debut LP, Savage Land, and a brand new EP, Dimensions of Horror which gets celebrated at this mini-tour kick off show alongside Hideous and Tampa sludgecore foursome Meatwound. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
ALSO TONIGHT
Urban Gypsies (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
