Tampa Calling

Metal Monday came early this week with Sunday evening’s show at Czar’s Imperial Palace featuring Torche, House of Lightning and Averkiou. Death Metal, one of Tampa’s more unqiue claims to fame, has influenced a plethora of subgenres including the hardcore scene I grew up in. It was awesome to see how many old school hardcore kids made it out on a Sunday night along with a whole new group of metal afficiandos.

Torche

Hailing from Miami, Torche has a rabid fan base hooked on their unique sound – part thrash with a twist of melodic hardcore, and dare I say a bit of twang, all against a solid metal foundation. Decibel Magazine called Torche’s music a “whole new beast built from the DNA up.” Ever since Torche’s Meanderthal (Hydrahead Records) took the No. 1 spot on Decibel’s 2008 Top 40 Extreme Albums list, the band’s fan base has rapidly expanded. Thankfully, their intensity remains intact. (MORE PICS AFTER THE JUMP) Read the rest of this entry »

Here a few concert announcements I received this past weekend.

No Clubs Presents sci-fi horror metal makers GWAR with special like-minded guests Job for a Cowboy and The Red Chord Sunday, October 4, at The Ritz in Ybor City. Tickets are $19 in advance/$22 day of show, and go on sale this Saturday, August 8, beginning at 10 a.m. The 25th anniversary tour marks of the band’s “re-awakening on planet Earth” celebrates their most “sonically devouring, instrumentally challenging” album to date, Lust In Space, due out August 18 on Metal Blade Records.

Tastemakers and THX Management have finally revealed part of the lineup for Summer Jam 5 on Saturday, August 29; The Honorary Title, featuring singer-songwriter/frontman Jarrod Gorbel, will headline the show at Crowbar in Ybor City with Cory Branan. Tickets are $10 in advance/$12 dos, and can be purchased by clicking here. Confirmed local acts include The Beauvilles, The Sheaks, Guiltmaker, Shunda K of Yo Majesty, Mogul Street Reserve, How Dare You, Blind Man’s Colour and many others, though there hasn’t been any word about which of the bands will perform at New World Brewery, the other venue hosting Summer Jam 5.

It was ridiculously hot. It took me 15 minutes to realize that my white wife beater would become my face towel for the day. It was loud. It was colorful. It was my first time at Vinoy Park. And finally, at the age of 24, it was my first time experiencing Warped Tour.

It’s been three years since I attended a music festival and as I walked through the ticket line into a field filled with tents, stages, beer stands and even a slip n’ slide, I instantly recalled why I love outdoor fests; passing through the gates meant entering a world of the unpredictable and the unexpected. I didn’t know what kind of crazies I’d come across (there were bound to be some amidst the 10,000 attendees), what kind of new music I’d hear, or how pleased I’d be with the bands I was there to support. Read the rest of this entry »

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, July 30
Jeffree Star w/Artist VS Poet/Watch Out! Theres Ghosts/Lets Get It Jeffree Star is conversely ambiguous and flamboyant ­— he could be a woman or a man with his long, bright pink hair, dragtastic make-up and swaths of rock star tattoos. The LA-based self-proclaimed “Queen of the Internet” is a dance music recording artist and Internet phenom who has more than a million MySpace friends and more than 12 million hits on his most played song, “Eyelashes Curlers & Butcher Knives.” Thurs., July 30, 8 p.m., Orpheum, Ybor City, $10, all ages.

Maxwell w/Chrisette Michele Neo-soul singer Maxwell — the Grammy-nominated artist who hits the high notes in his seductive, made-for-making-looove serenades — is currently touring in support of his fourth studio album and first new effort in eight years, BLACKsummers’night. The Brookyn native’s latest features a 10-piece band that brings a lush feel to the album’s supple grooves. Soul support act Chrisette Michele actually won a Grammy for “Best Urban/Alternative Performance” in 2009 for her up-tempo “I Will Survive”-style single, “Be OK.” Thurs., July 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater; last time I looked this show was SOLD OUT, although I’m sure you can find tickets floating around outside. Read the rest of this entry »

“I’m so blessed to / have spent the time / with my family and the friends I love/ with my short life / I have met so many people I deeply care for”

These final chanted lyrics of Yeasayer’s “Red Cave” go a ridiculously long way in summarizing exactly what my recent trip to Chicago for the fifth annual Pitchfork Festival meant to me. While I’d been to the fest several times in the past (the first three, actually), this marked the first time that a huge group of old friends (LBHS stand up!) were able to meet up and enjoy the city and the music and the drunken shenanigans together. (Pictured at right: Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips; all photos by R. Kevin Rose.)

What’d I learn? well, for starters… we are all official members of the POSI-ADULT CREW. Not straight edge — not even close — but definitely upbeat and affable. Positive, if you will. A group of kids raised on (amongst many, many other things) Bad Brains’ “P.M.A.”, Seven Seconds, Dag Nasty, Gorilla Biscuits, etc., who grew into a geographically dispersed crew of adults … all of us still kinda “Screaming For Change” in our own unique ways. (LOTS MORE PICS AND SHENANIGANS AFTER THE JUMP) Read the rest of this entry »

Minneapolis indie hip-hop duo Atmosphere — made up of rap artist Slug (Sean Daley) and DJ/producer Ant (Anthony Davis), pictured (photo credit Dan Monick) — bring a smart and refreshing change to the bloated bravado found in much of modern hip-hop music. Slug raps in a personal style that often draws from his own experiences, like the uplifting “Sunshine,” about appreciating the sunny days of life and wanting to bottle them in a plastic jar, “Bust it out whenever someone’s actin hard,” or the funky fun, sample-heavy “C’mon” from the duo’s new (and free) EP, Leak at Will, about being aware of where you’re from but not falling prey to its lawless temptations. But he’ll just as soon offer up a story — “The Waitress” from 2008’s When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, looks at the antagonistic relationship between a waitress and a homeless man as told from his point-of-view, “I wonder when she’ll realize / That she’s the only reason I visit / The only woman in my world that acknowledges my existence.” Eyedea & Abilities and Attracted to Gods provide support for the duo’s Bay area show. Sat., Aug. 1, 8 p.m., State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $21. (Videos after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

Lots of new concert announcements arrived in my email box over the past three days. I’ve paired the new with a few that slipped through the cracks for your concert planning convenience. For a complete breakdown of area shows, visit our Upcoming Concerts page.

Saturday, Aug. 8 Sons of Bill, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa, $7 in advance/$10 dos; ON SALE NOW.

Friday, Aug. 14 Tracy Byrd, Dallas Bull, Tampa, $9.95 in advance, $15 at the door; ON SALE NOW.

Sunday, Aug. 23: White Rabbits w/The Fiery Furnaces, The Social, Orlando, $13 in advance, $15 dos; ON SALE NOW.

Friday, Sept. 04: Soja w/The Movement, State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $15; ON SALE NOW.

Friday, Sept. 04 Lee “Scratch” Perry, The Social, Orlando, $20 in advance, $25 dos; ON SALE NOW.

Wednesday, Sept. 16: Living Colour (pictured above), Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, $15 in advance, $18 dos; ON SALE NOW. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking over my notes from Thursday night’s show, I’m inclined to call Nightmare of You unique. Words like “nuts,” “dub” and “sultry” jump off the page, infiltrating my consciousness and recreating the music of this NYC band.

The four-piece put on an incredible show. After a little bit of gambling with members of other bands (Plushgun, Brian Bonz, and Aushua), these guys jumped on stage and rocked it. There was no need for onstage shenanigans — the music said it all. Read the rest of this entry »

Jamie Foxx has come a long way since his In Living Colour sketch comedy days. That job led to some serious acting gigs, then to an Academy Award-winning performance of Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic, Ray, then to a lucrative music career. Foxx had always played music (he began taking piano lessons at age 5 and actually released an album, Peep This, in 1994), but that role opened new doors for him as the artist proved he could not only act, but that he had a damn fine voice and knew how to use it.

With music cred came guest spots that began when Foxx was featured with Kanye West on Twista’s song chart-topping “Slow Jamz.” His “I Got a Woman” Ray Charles-inspired hook in West’s “Gold Digger” followed and the song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for 10 weeks. It was all downhill from there. Foxx proved himself a multi-talented force to be reckoned with and while virtually no one heard Peep This, Foxx’s second album, Unpredictable, sold nearly 2 million copies in the U.S. alone and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Foxx’s current 50-city North American “Blame It” tour in support of his third album, 2008’s Intuition, makes its way down to Florida and stops at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center’s Carol Morsani Hall on Monday, August 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets on sale at noon this Monday, July 27; regularly priced tickets start at $56.50.

A series of shots from the Wednesday, July 22 show featuring Reel Big Fish, the English Beat and The Supervillains at The Ritz Theater in Ybor City.

Reel Big Fish

(More pics after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

Exciting news folks. Due to an apparent overwhelming demand, Leonard Cohen (pictured, photo credit: Lorca Cohen) brings his world tour back to North America and adds some dates, including a surprising two-date Florida leg that features the artist at the BankAtlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday, October 17, and the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on Monday, October 19. (Wonder what he’s doing in the Sunshine State between dates) Tickets sale details will be released Monday, August 3…

Here’s the release

Los Angeles, CA – July 22, 2009 – To the delight of his legions of fans, Leonard Cohen will once again return to the U.S. this fall for the final leg of his critically acclaimed 2009 World Tour. Since taking the stage earlier this year at New York’s Beacon Theatre—his first stateside performance in more than fifteen years—Mr. Cohen has enchanted audiences, earning rave reviews and sold-out concerts across the globe. The highly anticipated 15-date trek kicks off October 17th at BankAtlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and culminates on November 13th in San Jose, CA, which is the fourth Northern California date of the tour. Tickets for the newly added concerts will go on sale beginning Monday, August 3, 2009. Additional tour information is available at www.LeonardCohen.com and www.AEGLive.com. (Complete tour date additions listed after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

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, July 23
Nightmare Of You (pictured) w/Plushgun/Brian Bonz/Aushua In Nightmare of You’s single, “I Think I’m Getting Older,” frontman Brandon Reilly laments about aging against jangly guitars and post-punk bounce, and right before it peters to an end, there’s a brief breakdown of lazy, watery dub. Haven’t heard the rest of the Long Island, NY, four-piece quartet’s just-released second album, Infomaniac (Bevonshire), but my curiosity is piqued. Plushgun and Brian Bonz are both Brooklynites; Plushgun does cloying electro-pop (oft-described as “infectious”) while Bonz has a husky vocals and a pleasant ambience to his organic experimental rock. Thurs., July 23, 9 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $10 in advance/$12 dos (18 and up).

Ex-Norwegian w/The Lighthouse and the Whaler /Pemberley While the name may imply far away origins (or an appreciation of Monty Python’s Flying Circus), Ex-Norwegian hails from Miami Beach and their music has the bright and shiny quality you’d expect with hand-claps, acoustic guitar and cheery vocals. Ohio’s Lighthouse and the Whaler make airy folk rock with percussive trimmings and multi-voice harmonizing that give the music a tender, rustic feel. Thurs., July 23, 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $7. Read the rest of this entry »

Google “gypsy punk” and most of the dozen or so results relate back to Gogol Bordello. Search the band specifically and you’ll find more than a million pages that mention it. While Gogol’s Ukraine-born visionary/composer Eugene Hütz isn’t interested in taking credit for spearheading a whole new movement in American music, his band’s influence is undeniable.

Gogol grew from NYC’s underground music scene, just as much a melting pot as the city itself. Hütz immersed himself in it and assembled a motley crew of talented, multi-ethnic musicians to create his gypsy punk orchestra and make his vision of infusing East-European culture into Western music a reality.

The nine-member band represents seven nationalities all told. Their sound combines gypsy and Slavic music traditions with punk rock, dub reggae, metal, rap and even some funk and grooves, and the lyrics are delivered in English sprinkled with Spanish, Ukrainian and Italian verses. Since 1999, they have released four LPs; the most recent, 2007’s critically acclaimed Super Taranta!, fully launched Gogol into the international spotlight.

Many of Gogol’s songs (including “Wonderlust King, below”) are about living a roving, responsibility-free lifestyle, though various other topics are touched upon, from the absurdly catchy “Start Wearing Purple,” about letting loose and being silly, to “American Wedding,” which pokes fun at our country’s stuffy wedding traditions (“Where is the vodka, where’s marinated herring? / Where is the supply that gonna last three days?”), to the hilarious God vs. Science debate in “Supertheory of Supereverything.”

http://cltampa.com/content/Wonderlust_King.mp3

Everyone contributes vocals to the boisterous, colorful music, like violin virtuoso Sergey Ryabtsev, capable of some of the fastest and most furious fiddle playing I’ve ever witnessed; accordion player Yuri Lemeshev, who also moonlights with the studio band on Late Night with Conan O’Brien; and attractive lady entertainers and pandemonium makers Pamela Jintana Racine and Elizabeth Sun, who alternately sing, dance, and play marching band-style percussion throughout the live shows.

Hütz is the captivating and unpredictable center of it all. He sings lead, plays forceful acoustic guitar, and, usually shirtless with sweat dripping from his thick handlebar mustache, marches back and forth encouraging playful unruliness and leading spirited singalongs. He pilots the vigorous musical spectacle and keeps both his band and the audience as amped-up as he is.

Leilani: So, tell me about the role you play in the band as ringleader. How much of your songwriting goes into what happens on stage?

Eugene: I think it’s quite obvious (laughs robustly) that I write all the songs. (VIDEOS AFTER THE JUMP) Read the rest of this entry »

(All photos by elawgrrl)

This past Saturday night, the Cuban Club Bandshell played host to a long awaited and twice-delayed show by the Avett Brothers. Once for the birth of Scott Avett’s daughter, the other due to a scheduling conflict as the North Carolina foursome opened for the Dave Mathews Band earlier in the summer. Accordingly, fans packed into the charmingly-neglected Cuban Club awaiting a trademark, knock-you-on-your-ass Avett Brothers’ performance — and they delivered.

The Avetts opened with a track from their upcoming release, I and Love and You (September 29, American Recordings) — “Laundry Room,” an entrancing song with a refrain I still can’t get out of my head. Then the band traversed through their entire catalog, with highlights that included “Distraction #74,” “Gimmeakiss,” “I and Love and You” and “Shame.”

As NPR’s Bob Boilen recently pointed out, Scott Avett sings as if he swallowed an amplifier. The long-haired, banjo thrashing hillbilly yells love songs at the top of his lungs. It’s a sweaty mess, but still ends up being captivating, raw and beautiful. The younger (and only other brother), Seth Avett, plays George to Scott’s John, Paul and Ringo, as the older Avett will sometimes take to the drum kit and keyboard. Often when drums are interspersed within a set, the music lacks punch and suffers inconsistencies — but the energy of Avetts made up for it. Not to mention the brothers, along with Bob Crawford on upright and electric bass and Joe Kwon on cello, pound the hell out of the back of their respective instruments. (Setlist and more after the jump…) Read the rest of this entry »

Less than a year after their last appearance at Clearwater’s stately Ruth Eckerd Hall, New York-based blues rockers The Black Crowes return for another round on Wednesday, October 7, with Truth & Salvage Co. to open. Tickets are $40.50 and $68, and sales begin at noon this Friday, July 24.

The tour will come after the release of the band’s eighth studio effort, Before the Frost…Until the Freeze, a different sort of double album out September 1. The first album, Before the Frost…, features 11 new unreleased Crowes’ studio songs distributed via the band’s own Silver Arrow label and Megaforce Records. The second album, …Until The Freeze, includes 8 original Crowes’ songs and a cover of Stephen Stills’ classic “So Many Times,” and it’s given away via a download code included with Before The Frost… Limited-edition vinyl copies of Before The Frost…Until The Freeze with all 20 tracks will also be available.

Here’s a video 1-2 punch that’s tough to beat.

Tuesday night, Wilco appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, with special guest vocalist Feist, to perform “You And I.”

The next day, 66-year-old ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his band played a 22-minute concert on the roof of the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater. They flew through “Coming Up,” “Band on the Run,” “Let Me Roll It,” “Helter Skelter,” and “Back in the USSR,” and sounded tight as f!@#, in this author’s opinion.

Videos after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

This time, instead of opening for of Montreal, brother-and-sister indie pop duo The Fiery Furnaces bring their own headlining tour back to town. No Clubs Presents the band at Orpheum Saturday, August 22; tickets are $13 in advance and can be purchased at Daddy Kool ($15 day of show). Here’s the full Fiery Furnaces release/bio:

Eleanor was constantly ridiculed in the crudest and least interesting manner by her brother Matthew. He, for his part, had to suffer such things as her coming in the room, and various other affronts, for instance talking, or watching the TV show she wanted, or putting on a record she might like to hear. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of you might be surprised that music isn’t my primary motivation for going to this weekend’s fifth annual Pitchfork Music Festival, but seriously, folks … that’s the god’s honest truth. I mean, I’m definitely hyped about going and checking out a handful of the bands playing there, but what has me most excited is a get-together with a group of old friends who’ll be congregating in Chi-town for the fest. A motley crew to say the absolute least. Let’s just hope none of us get arrested this weekend – unlike that other Chicago adventure that ended with my boy getting thrown in the pokey for public nudity! Three-plus days chock full o’ friends, libations, hot dogs (not really, well, kinda … I’ve never been to Hot Dougs!) and music … it just can’t come soon enough! Read the rest of this entry »

As I type this review, the memories of an unbelievable show put on by The Lonely H linger in my mind and make my heart soar. I’ve always sworn that I was born in the wrong era, and these guys give me hope that great throwback music can be found in this day and age.

To start the show, lead singer Mark Fredson gave us an important tidbit of information: “This is Eric’s first show with out a mustache. He’s had it since high school.”

Eric admitted, “I feel naked.” On that note, the audience was given a clue about the general vibe put off by these dudes: super laid back.

Hailing all the way from the rainy town of Port Angeles, Wash., The Lonely H takes us back to the classic sounds of American blues rock ala The Eagles, Tom Petty, and the Stones. This foursome has been all over the country (NY, IL, NB, MS, and more) in a crappy old van “with no AC!” When prompted, they said that “a European tour would be ideal. Like Spain or Prague.” They call themselves a “denim rock” band. What exactly is denim rock? Well, I had to ask…

Read the rest of this entry »

This just in from the Bruce Springsteen newsite: The Boss had added 25 dates to his current U.S. tour, including a stop at Tampa’s Ford Amphitheatre on Sept. 12; tickets go on sale July 24. Here’s the complete details, with the fluffery (gushing quotes from European press) edited out:

Bruce Springsteen & The Legendary E Street Band have added 25 new US concert dates to their 2009 ‘Workin’ On a Dream’ tour. Springsteen has now sold over 1.5 million concert tickets in 2009 alone, with the new dates expected to push that number over the two million mark. (Video of the band performing “The River” at 2009’s Glastonbury and complete schedule of tour dates after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

WMNF’s 4th Annual Americana Fest at Skipper’s Smokehouse went off without a hitch this past Saturday, July 11, a hand clappin’, boot stompin’ good time that showcased the vast array of talent in Florida’s Americana scene.

Have Gun, Will Travel

Originally masterminded by Ted Lukas, Americana Fest is all grown up. This year featured ten outstanding Florida Americana bands: Ted Lukas & the Misled, Will Quinlan & the Diviners, Have Gun, Will Travel, Thomas Wynn & the Believers, Nervous Turkey, Black Finger, Roppongi’s Ace, Mike Dunn & the Kings of New England, Matt Butcher and The Nine Volts plus a national headliner: Blue Mountain. Read the rest of this entry »

“Don’t stop, believing — hold on to the feeyayaling!”

“‘Cause I can’t fight this feeling anymore, I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for! And if I have to crawl upon the floor, come crashing through your door, baby, I cant fight this feeling anymore!”

“Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me!” (Think of Cartman singing it. Makes it twice as great.)

All right, enough of that. Just wanted to introduce two concert announcements I received over the weekend about two upcoming shows featuring ’70s classic rock bands known for their epic power balladry.

Journey (the current incarnation pictured at right, in case you didn’t recognize) stops at the Amway Arena in Orlando Wed., Sept. 23, with Night Ranger to open. Tickets are $126, $66 and $36, and go on sale this Sat., July 18 at 10 a.m.

And the “Cant Stop Rockin’ Tour 2009″ with REO Speedwagon and Styx (also featuring special guest opener Night Ranger) play a pavilion only Ford Amphitheatre Fri., Oct. 30. The reserved seat tickets are $59.50, $39.50, $29.50 and $19.50, with four-packs available for $60. Sales this Sat., July 18 at 10 a.m.

It’s been many weeks since I’ve made it out to a show in Tampa. I blame travels, nonspecific busyness and a lack of excitable summer concerts in the Tampa Bay area. It took Georgia’s Perpetual Groove (pictured, photo by Phil Bardi) — a band I’ve always somehow managed to miss even though they play the area frequently — to get me out of the house.

By the time the four-piece (drums, bass, guitar, synth/keys) took the stage just after 10 pm on Friday, July 10, a few hundred of Tampa’s finest heady brahs and chicks in sundresses crowded Ybor’s Crowbar Friday night. PGroove’s first set held true to their name — flowing from one disco rock groove to the next. It worked for most of the set, but I grew bored, craving more interplay, energy and stronger melodies. Read the rest of this entry »

Sludgy post-punkers The Melvins are set to release Chicken Switch, a different sort of 15-song remix CD, on Sept. 29 via Ipecac Recordings. How is it different? Apparently, instead of given a single track to work with, the remixers on Chicken Switch were provided with complete albums to produce their single tracks, and in some instances, more than one album was used as source material.

The band is also hitting the road to support NOLA heavy metal supergroup Down this August and September, which includes a stop at House of Blues in Orlando on Sept. 2.

Check out the Chicken Switch track listing and participating artists as well as the complete Melvins tour schedule after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

The Allman Brothers Band brings their 40th Anniversary Tour to Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall on Wednesday, October 21. Because of the classic jam rockers’ longtime popularity and legion of loyal fans, the show will most likely sell out. (The Allmans haven’t played a headlining date in the Bay area since their 2005 stop at the Ford Amphitheatre, likely because the annual Wanee appearances draw enough fans not to warrant an actual Florida tour.) So, if you can afford to pay $131, $101.50, $81.50 or $61.50 per ticket to see the Allmans at Ruth Eckerd, get your tickets when they go on sale, this Friday, July 10, at noon.

Seriously, I am not gonna fuck this post up with lots of words that cloud the point and I don’t want any stupid jump cut put in to increase clicks So, here it is. Cut and Dry.

Do you like Scott H. Biram?
Do you like Bob Log III?
Do you like The Black Diamond Heavies?
Do you like your blues with a punk lean?
Do you wanna see a great fucking show?

Wednesday night. The Garage. The deep blues juggernaut from Fort Wayne, Indiana that is Left Lane Cruiser is coming. You should too.

Left Lane Cruiser – Big Mamma
Left Lane Cruiser – Pork & Beans
Left Lane Cruiser – Set Me Down

Scotland’s indie rock foursome Frightened Rabbit, fronted by brothers Scott and Grant Hutchison, hits several festivals (including Pitchfork) and makes a few solo stops this July. The band (pictured at left, photo by Dave Gourley at Kelvingrove Museum) has just announced that it will return to the states for a late summer-early fall tour that kicks off in Morrison, Colo., and ends at The Social in Orlando. They also debuted a new song and played some intriguing covers at Off the Beaten Track, an ongoing video music project (check that out HERE). Here are some highlights from the release (tour dates after the jump):

The foursome will team up with friends and countrymen, The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks for a raucous Scottish invasion of the States. The band will headline the anthemic rock-filled jaunt, which kicks off in Salt Lake City on September 14, following their appearance at the Monolith Festival in Colorado, alongside Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl Talk and the Walkmen. Read the rest of this entry »

“There’s so much joy in what we do up here…” Craig Finn of The Hold Steady exclaimed to fans near the end of their set at The Ritz on July 2, 2009, “…we are all the Hold Steady!“

The joy rang loud and proud throughout their set. Fans of The Hold Steady don’t just come and watch the band — they participate and follow along with the band antics.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a holiday weekend, which means one extra day of partying down and supporting the local music scene without fear of a hangover-filled workday to follow. Here’s a quick breakdown of your best live music bets. For a more comprehensive schedule of concerts, check out our Upcoming Events page.

Thursday, July 2
Mike Dunn & the Kings of New England (pictured at right)/Will Quinlan/King of Spain Winter Park singer/songwriter Mike Dunn makes music that evokes freedom and wind in your face. His grabby, anthemic tunes send out a whiff of Americana, but at core they are pure, pop-infused rock ’n’ roll. Dunn pulls from a list of 11 confederates to make up his backing band, the Kings of New England, on any given night. No word on how many will show up at New World for this gig, but the safe bet is it won’t be all 11. Atlanta’s Rick Brantley was formerly on the bill but has been replaced by local one-man experimental rocker, King of Spain (Matt Slate). And Quinlan, well, we all know Quinlan, the dour dean of Tampa Bay’s Americana scene. Thurs., July 2, 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $7. —ES

Michael McDonald + Boz Scaggs Two of the most popular vocalists of the 1970s join together in a co-bill at Ruth Eckerd. My strong preference is Scaggs, with his round, throaty soul croon. His Silk Degrees (’76) is an unmitigated classic. Lately, Scaggs’ has added standards from the American Songbook to his repertoire, so his show will be a compendium of material over several decades. (Concertgoer alert: He’s going on first; to read more about him, check out the CL feature here.) When McDonald joined the Doobie Brothers in 1975, they went from a guitar-oriented bar band (albeit a slick one) to a Grammy-winning pop outfit dominated by McDonald’s keyboards and syrupy voice. He had a solid solo career in the 1980s, despite the blemish known as “Yah Mo B There.” Thurs., July 02, 7:30 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, $62.50-$103. —Eric Snider

Friday, July 03
Starlight Mints/Evangelicals (pictured at left, photo by Sarah Cass) You might want to take a break from the Hot Dog show and stroll up the street for Starlight Mints, a band out of Norman, Okla. (home of Flaming Lips) that would make a proper co-bill with Sunbears!. The quartet of “pop mutants” brings plenty of whimsy and weirdness to their sound, but never strays from tried-and-true rock verities: hooks, tuneful vocals, muscular rhythms. The band is backboned by synthesizers, but adds playful twists — like the cartoon horns on “Zoomba” from their new album Change Remains. Evangelicals are also from Norman, and sound as if they might’ve been to a few barbecues at Coyne’s house. Fri., July 3, 9 p.m., New World Brewery, Ybor City, $8. —ES
Read the rest of this entry »

by Denis Baldwin

This year’s Homemade Music Symposium played out over the weekend at the Ybor HCC campus, bringing together musicians, singer-songwriters, music industry professionals, entertainers, writers, photographers and most every other aspect of the music industry to discuss the state of music, the nature of creating and marketing musicians and give a taste of things to come.

Overall, the symposium was a great success. Saturday opened with “Poets of Popular Song, The Lyrics and Lyric Writers of the Great American Songbook,” featuring the piano work of Paul Wilborn and the 107-year-old Rosa Rio. After their performance, many of the attendees broke for the lunch while the rest of us sat at our tables and handed out free swag and met with people.

More pics after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

All photos by Tracy May; to check out the complete gallery, click here.

The last time I was at The Ritz was for the fateful Corrosion of Conformity show where (4) people were stabbed with (1) ultimately dying. I’d heard a lot about the near million dollar renovation the venue had gone through prior to reopening a year (really? it’s been a whole year?) ago but I had not seen it yet. What better chance than for their free, one year anniversary show featuring one of my favorite songwriters, Grayson Capps (pictured with hair swinging at right)?

The venue itself is beautiful and the acoustics are dramatically improved. Granted, I am judging the latter on one show but Grayson and the Stumpknockers were loud and they sounded great and the re-configured ballroom is infinitely more conducive to live music than it used to be. While this isn’t supposed to be a review of the venue I wanted to mention it ’cause they did a fantastic job and I look forward to seeing more shows there. Read the rest of this entry »

Musicians tend to disparage their local music scenes, but when it comes to Florida, neo-folk troubadour Lauris Vidal (pictured, photo by Charles Brewer III) says they likely don’t know how good they’ve got it. He didn’t. The 31-year-old Daytona-based musician (who plays guitar, tenor banjo, lap steel and a ukulele he crafted from a banjo neck and cigar box) grew up here, but spent five years performing for DC’s thankless audiences. “It was so cold and closed in DC, and you had to work so hard for no appreciation at all,” he told me during a recent phone coversation.

While the Sunshine State may seem like a cultural dead end, Vidal says Floridians are generally open to original music, including his own brand of shambling, Southern gothic-tinged roots. “Coming back here and playing and having people of all ages really appreciate it, and show it, felt amazing. It’s one of the reasons why I want to work so hard in Florida and help Florida’s national reputation.” Read the rest of this entry »

All photos by Mike Wilson.

“You guys are bringing it so hard, the power went out,” said lead singer Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday (pictured) when, midway through their set at The Ritz in Ybor City, the power suddenly went out while the crowd continued singing the song to the beat of only the drums.

Needless to say, Taking Back Sunday, Anberlin and Envy on the Coast brought it, and brought it hard. Except for the bass being turned up way too loud, and occasional feedback interfering with a set, this show set the standard for alternative rock shows. (MORE PICS AFTER THE JUMP.)

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This just in from No Clubs Productions:

ATMOSPHERE w/Special Guest TBA
Saturday, August 1, 2009
THE STATE THEATRE
Doors: 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $21 in advance/ $23 Day of Show
ON SALE SATURDAY 6/20/09
Ticket Link

Atmosphere is a hip-hop group from Minneapolis that centers around rapper Slug (aka Sean Daley). The son of a black father and a white mother who divorced when he was a teenager, Slug became entranced with hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing, and formed the Rhyme Sayers Collective with two high school friends — Siddiq Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn). (VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP) Read the rest of this entry »

Pontiak galloped into New World Brewery this past Thursday, June 11, the exceptional headliner of History’s last show in Tampa supported by King of Spain and Glasgow. Another splendid Thx Mgmt show – thanks Joe.

Pontiak

To get the downlow on Pontiak, check out Eric Snider’s interview with the brothers who make up this band. Live, Pontiak delivers a constantly evolving performance, its members switching instruments (who doesn’t love the impact of double drum sets?) and keeping even the most jaded scenester interested. These mistral brothers are a talented family garnering positive media attention from sources as diverse as Pitchfork and Wired. Read the rest of this entry »