Get your music on this weekend; breakdown of noteworthy happenings below...
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29
The Porch Sessions CD Release Party with RedFeather, Radarmen A truly unique aural experience amid Tampa’s vibrant and varied original-music scene, The Porch Sessions is an instrumental group that foregoes math-y eccentricities in favor of atmospheric dynamics, rather like film soundtrack passages. It’s great, inspiring stuff; tonight, the band celebrates the release of three parts to a moment. With excellent support from the psych-folky RedFeather and increasingly ubiquitous Radarmen, this one’s highly recommended. (Local 662, St. Petersburg) —Scott Harrell
Spiller with Luxury Mane, Selectric Spiller is a St. Pete-spawned alt rock band that enjoyed its heyday in the mid-to-late-1990s, disbanded in 2000, and reunited for several shows in 2012 before returning to inactive status. Frontman/guitarist John McNicholas lives in Atlanta but his presence in town this weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday prompted another re-bandment with bassist Marcus McCord and drummer Vinnie Consentino, who hit Ybor for a set of Saturday night Spiller with solid local talents providing warm-up. (New World Brewery, Ybor City) —Leilani Polk
Dave Koz & Friends: A Smooth Jazz Christmas with Jonathan Butler, Christopher Cross, Maysa You can almost hear the smooth saxophone notes singing faintly in the cool fall breezes, heralding the return of jazz saxman Dave Koz and his annual holiday tour, which hits town every year with a new lineup of guests. This run falls behind the release of his fourth seasonal LP, The 25th of December – which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Album charts – and among the special guests joining him in performances of cuts off the seasonal LP (including Top 5 charter/Beatles cover “All You Need Is Love”) is Grammy-winning AC soft rock singer-songwriter Christopher Cross. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)—LP
Chris Barrows, Gino And The Goons, Los Diablos Blancos, Kid Aids This one’s got loads of local pedigree, kids. Barrows is the powerfully acerbic vocal presence and driving force behind the legendary Pink Lincolns and Jackie Papers, while Gino played drums for a slew of local and nationally respected outfits before emerging from behind the kit to front his Goons (itself a cadre of notable Bay area veterans). These are bands meant to be seen in environments like Planet Retro. (Planet Retro Records, St. Petersburg) —Scott Harrell
Chinese Mary Jane A local Americana supergroup made up of folk troubadour Ronny Elliot, roots songstress Rebekah Pulley and her multi-instrumental partner and frequent collaborator, Rob Pastore, who plays lap steel, guitar and upright bass. I imagine that, in addition to their setlist of re-arranged covers by artists like Chuck Berry and Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, the trio will also draw on original material from their respective solo catalogs. (Hideaway Café & Recording Studio, St. Petersburg) —LP
Every Time I Die with The Ghost Inside, Architects (UK), Hundredth, Backtrack One of the few ostensibly metalcore bands operating today to evince a perfect understanding of timeless rock ‘n’ roll swagger, Buffalo, NY’s Every Time I Die is as funny, grooving and unhinged as it is brutal. The group is also justifiably famous for putting on the kind of amazing, no-holds-barred shows that audiences remember and talk about for years, and tonight should be no exception. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —SH
Come Back Alice with Holey Miss Moley Get your dance grooves on when jam rock favorites Come Back Alice return to the Skipperdome with their spirited, fiddle-fueled, prog-funk-gypsy sounds; this night will feature a full-scale presentation of the Allman Brothers Band album, Live at the Filmore. Also on the bill is another jammy act from Florida that’s fast growing in popularity, psychedelic groove makers Holey Miss Moley. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Slaves with Favorite Weapon, Get Scared The new California-based project spearheaded by Emarosa and Dance Gavin Dance former Jonny Craig, Slaves, is backing a fresh debut LP, Through Art We Are All Equals, rife with urgent experimental rock instrumentals propelling through lightly synth-phonic sonicscapes and marked by slick wailing guitar riffs, heavy prog tempos and Craig’s impassioned howls wheeling over top. (Orpheum, Ybor City)—LP
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Dale Ann Bradley with Cotton Doe Eyes The International Bluegrass Association named Dale Ann Bradley ‘Female Bluegrass Vocalist of the Year’ five times. She has a clear dulcet-drawling soprano that definitely hits soaring notes, and her grassy repertoire touches on original material as well as classic country, rock and soul covers, among them, Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee” and “I Can’t Stand the Rain” by Ann Peebles. Her five-piece band includes players on guitars, banjo, mandolin and upright bass. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Kenny Rogers The holiday gravy train just keeps on rolling and the latest musician to bring seasonal fare to a concert hall near you is Country Music Hall of Famer Kenny Rogers, he of the white mane, warm husky drawl and wide repertoire of seasonal tunes (eight albums to his credit) that he can draw upon for his “Christmas & Hits” shows as joined by a local choir and children from each city; non-winter charters like “Lady,” “The Gambler” and “Islands in the Stream” are also on tap for the evening. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)—LP
Music For Mutts with The Black Honkeys, Stormbringer, Pat Dalton Gang Three local acts throw down sets of classic rock, funk and soul for the benefit of Canine Estates Inc., a Palm Harbor-based nonprofit adoption and sanctuary facility dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and finding homes for or sheltering unwanted animals (many from high-kill shelters). (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)—LP
Click here to check out a comprehensive breakdown of shows coming up this week.
