Since the holidays are almost upon us and the CL offices will be closed on Thursday (Christmas Eve) and Friday (Christmas Day), I've put together a breakdown of noteworthy live music happening Wednesday through the end of the week, along with a preview of concerts taking place this weekend (December 26-27), for your planning convenience. Enjoy!
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23
Brokenmold Holiday Party with Hank & Cupcakes, Fat Night, Dynasty, Atlantic Oceans Hank & Cupcakes assailed the Crowbar stage at the Plan B Block Party a few months back. Sagit "Cupcakes" Shir switched between banging drums, executing sexy aerobic dance moves and delivering lead vocals in coos, snarls or robust belts, while hubbie Ariel "Hank" Scherbacovsky pounded and thrashed lowend sounds ranging from fatty grooves to pedal-effected ooze with his own energetic prowess. Together, clad in bright and tight threads, they delivered a heavy, pulsing wall of electro rock dosed in post-disco and synth pop flavors, their set frenetic, flamboyant and impossible to look away from. Brokenmold brings the NYC-spawned duo back for its holiday party, which also features Orlando’s funk-soul quartet Fat Night, indie folk trio Atlantic Oceans, soulful hip hop emcee Dynasty with DJ Sandman, and between-set spins by DJ's Mes and Silence. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Dénudés with Johnny Mile & The Kilometers, Hussar This almost-to-the-holidays live music shennany on the other side of the Bay eatures Dénudés, a four-piece band from Miami that pushes heavy, calculated garage rock noir and darkly roiling psychedelia built on big filthy guitar riffs, fuzzed out bass, lurching and hammering beats, and wild and raw vocal qualities. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)
Also tonight: BBQ Wednesday Acoustic Series: Andrew Brey's Holiday Hootenany (New World Brewery, Ybor City
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24
Cousin Eddie's Christmas Vacation with Moon Flag If you’re up for a party in the northern reaches of Pinellas County, the hippest bar in Holiday is hosting one on Christmas Eve with free admission (ages 21 and up only), raffles, prizes and music by Moon Flag, a covers band from St. Pete with a repertoire sliding through several decades and multiple genres; “Lovecats” by The Cure, Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” “Getting Better” by The Beatles, and Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes,” among an impressive array of others. (Orbit 19, Holiday)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25
New Granada's Annual Xmas Night Extravaganza! with Meatwound, Rec Center, Empire Cinema, Mountain Holler Traditionally, New Granada has been the sole game in town bold enough to throw a multi-band show on Christmas night. This year, more than a few decades deep into its annual Xmas Night Extravaganza, and as a very special gift to those hardy souls venturing out on the biggest national holiday of the year to take in some live tunes at a venue opening up specially for the occasion, Rec Center (which features NG chiefs Keith and Susie Ulrey) present a redux of the set they performed at Reel Deal Thursday to coincide with a screening of Over the Edge (the 1979 cult classic film that inspired the NG handle) in September. Thus the quintet abandons refined sublime alt pop melodies in favor of rocking some jams by Cheap Trick, Ramones and The Cars, among others appearing on the OTE soundtrack. The rest of the band lineup proves rather diverse and encompasses heavy, skuzzy blasting metal sounds by Meatwound, driving and roiling alt rock propulsion by Empire Cinema, and haunting acoustic folk-soul stirrings from Mountain Holler. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
Mountain Holler/Kersey Williams/Rogerthomas/STOIC Sat., Dec. 26, Fubar, St. Petersburg
Kristopher James/Kyle Chason/Jason Guy Smiley/Lance Howell Sat., Dec. 26, Planet Retro Records, St. Petersburg
Abortion Twins/Beerwolf/Unchecked Aggression Sat., Dec. 26, Brass Mug, Tampa
Shoeless Soul w/Troy Youngblood & the Soulfish Sat., Dec. 26, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
SWIMM w/FayRoy Sat., Dec. 26, The Bends, St. Petersburg
Marshmello Sat., Dec. 26, Amphitheatre, Ybor City
Rosewood Creek/Soul Saturday w/Danielle DeCosmo and Blackbird Morning Sat., Dec. 26, Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
Reverend Billy C. Wirtz w/Ronny Elliott Sat., Dec. 26, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Kid Royal & the Hang Ups w/Amber Lynn Nicol Sat., Dec. 26, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Dean Johanesen - Live & Local Sat., Dec. 26, Straz Center for Performing Arts Riverwalk, Tampa
Jah Reggae Movement Sat., Dec. 26, Ringside Café, St. Petersburg
FMF (Florida Metal Fest) Battle of the Bands 2 w/Chlover/Lobotomy/RipTorn/Suffering Tool/Tyrannophobia/Unsung Destroyer Sat., Dec. 26, Crowbar, Ybor City
Jazz Model 3 Sun., Dec. 27, Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
Blue Sunday w/DJs Cub & Ez-Rob Sun., Dec 27, New World Brewery, Ybor City
Jahafari Sun., Dec. 27, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Uncle John’s Band Sun., Dec. 27, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
