The week is finally coming to a close, and I bring you the usual breakdown of what's on tap in live music - this one for Sun., June 14.
Gipsy Kings feat. Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo Romani-French group Gipsy Kings have been crafting sultry, pop-influenced rumba flamenca odes since the late 1970s, the flicked and picked flurries of notes and breezier strummed and plucked passages on flamenco guitars paired with emotive, resonant Spanish language vocals. Last studio effort Savor Flamenco earned the 2014 Grammy for Best World Music Album. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
Dead Man’s Party: Celebrating Rocky Ruckman While it might seem like a tactless title for a memorial concert, the late singer-guitarist in question, Rocky Ruckman (of Misspent Youth, Rocky Ruckman & The Beat Heathens and Strange Puppet Band), wouldn’t mind a bit; “Dead Man’s Party” is an Oingo Boingo song he often performed during his decades-long tenure in Tampa Bay and it also alludes to his dark sense of humor. Locals that played with Ruckman appear at the concert in his honor, including but not limited to T-Bone Hamilton Band, Dukes of Juke, Mega Smegma, and Ricky Wilcox and The Moonsnakes. All donations made in Ruckman’s honor go to his family. (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg)
Tampa Bay Acoustic Music Festival: Bret Michaels The one-two punch of piercing baby blues and a repertoire packed with meaningful power balladry has earned king of bandanas Bret Michaels a font of feminine fans over the years. He does the solo acoustic thing on this headlining date for Hard Rock’s month-long fest, fresh off releasing the first single from a forthcoming solo album: “Girls on Bars,” a country-kicking ode about drinking tequila and, well, girls dancing on bars. We’ll try not to knee-jerk judge the rest of the LP based on that particular reeking pile of song. (Hard Rock Café, Tampa)
Summerland Tour with Everclear, Fuel, Toadies, American Hi-Fi Nostalgia takes a ‘90s alternative turn on the “Summerland Tour,” and the fourth annual edition finds its creators, sunny three-chord rock trio Everclear (“Santa Monica,” “I Will Buy You a New Life,” “Father of Mine”) joined by seething and surging post-grungy Toadies, which delivered a 20th anniversary re-issue of their fantastic breakthrough debut Rubberneck (“Possum Kingdom,” “I Come from the Water”) last year. Also on the bill: hard rocking pop-metal-flecked Fuel (“Hemorrhage (In My Hands),” “Shimmer”) and pop punk makers American Hi-Fi (“Flavor of the Weak”). (Screwy Louie’s Porpoise Pub, Seminole)
ALSO TODAY
Stolen Idols Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
James Armstrong Buckets Tavern & Tap, Tampa
Sunday Live Music Series featuring La Lucha Independent Bar & Café, Tampa
Krewe’s Rock w/The Lint Rollers/Big Daddy/Roctopus Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Dank Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Johnny Zoom Mermaid Tavern, St. Petersburg
Forever Taken/Life Here After/Off Set Era/Seek Well Brass Mug, Tampa
