Daily Loaf

A quick breakdown of this weekend’s most worthy concerts beginning with Thursday, ’cause that’s when the weekend really starts, right? For a more comprehensive schedule of concerts, check out our Upcoming Events page.

Thursday, August 06
Hot Sun Quartet (pictured) As part of its Side Door Jazz series, the Palladium welcomes Hot Sun Quartet (aka Quarteto Sol Caliente), an instrumental ensemble that performs Latin-flavored jazz with two flamencoguitarists, a percussionist on congas, and a stand-up bassist. Thurs., Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m., Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg, $15.

So. Cal Punk Invasion w/Fear/Agent Orange/D.I./Total Chaos Plastic and fakery incites some pretty strong feelings of disgust and So-Cal is a hotbed of punkified antipathy. This bill spotlights some of the region’s finest. Fear has been rocking LA since 1977 and is credited with helping shape the sound of hardcore punk via thrashtastic, tongue-in-cheek songs about anything from beer to women to beef baloney; you may remember them from 1981’s punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization. Agent Orange hails from Orange County and gets props for being the first group to combine punk and surf rock. Fullerton’s D.I. features ex-Social Distortion drummer Casey Royer on vocals while Total Chaos out of Ponoma Valley is fronted by vocalist Rob Chaos, who’s also co-owner of Cali-based punk label SOS Records. Thurs., Aug. 6, 7 p.m., State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $23. Read the rest of this entry »

Blue-eyed soul was a term coined in the ’60s for white singers who could sing in an African-American style. Felix Cavaliere was among the first, and best, of the type (although his eyes are brown).

In the latter half of the ’60s, as lead singer for NYC-based The Rascals (initially the Young Rascals), Cavaliere set the standard for blue-eyed soul singing; his pleading tenor had a natural infinity for blues and gospel inflections. When he covered R&B standards like “Mustang Sally” and “In the Midnight Hour,” his vocals were authentic and commanding.

During the Rascals’ too-brief period of chart dominance — bookended by No. 1 singles “Good Lovin’” (early ‘66) and “People Got to be Free” (summer of ‘68) — the quartet evolved from a good-timey garage/R&B band to a maker of sophisticated pop hits like “Groovin’,” “A Girl Like You,” “How Can I Be Sure” and “A Beautiful Morning.”

Like so many acts of the period, the Rascals were overshadowed by the Beatles and other British Invasion acts. They are one of the most underrated bands in the history of rock, and their music has sturdily withstood the test of time. Read the rest of this entry »