THURSDAY, AUGUST 23
BUCKETHEAD'S ALL-STAR BAND JAMBOREE w/LIFE OF PI/GIDDY-UP, HELICOPTER!/ZILLIONAIRE/JARVIC 7 "Buckethead's All Star Band Jamboree" seriously tripped me up. At first, I thought maybe the crazy, wildly talented guitarist who wears a mask and KFC bucket on his head was coming to town. Then, we theorized it might have something to do with the 98Rock DJ Buckethead. Finally, after a couple of phone calls, things were set straight: "Buckethead" is what Crowbar manager Tom DeGeorge calls sound man Mark Bustin, the bassist in Life of Pi, which will be joined at this gig by several other oft-playing, recommendable indie rock outfits. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24
RONNY ELLIOTT w/HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL/THE DIVINERS/FRANK RYAN/MATT BUTCHER/ROPPONGI'S ACE Several of the Bay area's finest singer/songwriters and alt-country outfits converge for this one, which should include familiar fare along with new stuff. Elliott is close to releasing a fresh album tentatively titled Jalopypaint. Have Gun, Will Travel's Matt Burke recently told me he and his band should have their full-length debut completed by autumn. And The Diviners' Will Quinlan has embarked on another project called The Holy Slow Train, which likely means he'll incorporate some of that material into this show. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO w/SAUL ZONANA Progressive rock guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew has spent more than 30 years performing and recording with various noteworthy musicians. He's toured with Frank Zappa and David Bowie, worked as a session guitarist for artists ranging from Tori Amos to Paul Simon to Talking Heads and, since 1981, served as Robert Fripp's right-hand guitar man in King Crimson. A prolific songwriter in his own right, Belew has put out 18 solo albums in addition to heading up several eclectic musical projects. His current power trio features brother-sister rhythm section Eric and Julie Slick, who are young, fun and quite capable of keeping up with Belew's virtuosic playing. Multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Saul Zonana opens the show with his intelligent, melodic alt-pop. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Leilani Polk
DEF LEPPARD w/FOREIGNER/STYX A funny thing happened the other night. I'm at this guy Phil's house following a group trip to the bar, and he decides to play "the local music critic" a few tunes. It's obscure stuff that I'm not falling in love with, but it's good music, mostly of a hard-rock bent. The last CD he puts in is Def Leppard's 1980 debut On Through the Night, which I wasn't exactly thrilled to sample. Turns out the album is actually not bad. It finds Leppard playing hard, groove-oriented rock with attitude — sans the glossy finish and goofiness that marks their blockbusters Pyromania and Hysteria. Of course, this show is going to be all about those albums' MTV hits: "Photograph," "Rock of Ages," "Love Bites" and "Pour Some Sugar on Me." I grew up with these songs all around me but never felt anything for any of them. If only Guns N' Roses could have kept their shit together like these guys have — now that would be a metal bonanza worthy of excitement. Note: The current Foreigner lineup doesn't include original singer Lou Gramm; Styx replaced founding member/lead singer Dennis DeYoung with Lawrence Gowan in 1999. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
TAYLOR HICKS It looks as if winning American Idol no longer punches your ticket to superstardom, but that still leaves plenty of room for a guy like Hicks to carve out a solid career. The Prematurely Graying One performed a headlining show earlier this year at a sold-out Tampa Theatre, and his legion of fans — mostly middle-age women — gave him all the adoration he could handle. There's nothing original about the guy, but he performs his inoffensive pop/R&B with such a guileless enthusiasm — with such a glad-to-be-here vibe — that it's hard not to feel good for the guy. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) —Eric Snider
KULCHA SHOK MUZIK REGGAE + SURF TOUR w/LANCE-O/4TH DIMENSION/MADE OF HEMP/DAVID KURTON Kulcha Shok Muzik is a Miami-based production company presenting acts doing the rock, reggae, hip-hop, have-a-Red-Stripe sorta thing. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
MICHAEL BURKS Having spent his teens playing in the house band of his dad's Bradley Ferry Country Club juke joint in Arkansas during the 1970s, Burks has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay on the national blues scene, known for his expressive vocals and explosive guitar exploits. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
MOJO GURUS w/BLIND BUDDY MOODY Considering Mojo Gurus frontman Kevin Steele is the brother of Brett Steele, who manages both the Gurus and neo-rockabilly hero Dex Romweber, there is a pretty good chance this show will include a special guest appearance. (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg)
SEAN CHAMBERS w/RADIO CRIME Miami's Sean Chambers is highly touted ax man who spent time fronting a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band before doing his own thing. (Bourbon Street Night Club, New Port Richey)
