Tampa Calling

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 »

The all-local bill celebrating the release of Not Tonight Josephine’s new CD includes Drew Street Mary, Claiborne, Look Right Penny and Ghost of Gloria. All bands have a female name in the their band name. I wonder if this was done on purpose?

Rumor has it that Drew Street Mary has a fill in bass player, as bassist Chris Cale is helping fight Malaria in parts of Africa for the summer.

“We are looking forward to this show,” stated Drew Street Mary’s Vocalist/Guitarist Todd Fulmino. “We have a short, yet powerful set including ‘Barfly‘, ‘Final Approach‘ and many other DSM favorites. Plus, we have a mystery bass player, so you have to come see who it is.”

Where: State Theater, St Pete

When: Friday, July 31, 7pm

Tickets: For sale online through Vendini

Restless again. My band stops playing and a smattering of applause fills the void of sound as the barkeep kicks on the punk jukebox. Love Comes in Spurts pipes through the shitty speakers as Richard Hell’s whiney voice affirms the nihilistic undertones of modern living. I look down at my sweat-stained shirt and a tiny button of Hell’s vacant stare pinned above my left breast pocket catches my eye. For a second, its blank straight-mouthed expression curls into a shit eating grin and he whispers up at me, “I know punk sounds better through the filter of a canned, thought-out and planned recording” as I rub my eyes, pick up my amplifier and carry it hastily out the back door.

Fresh air stings my lungs, billowing smoke escaping through the closing door behind me. I drop my keys, set the amp down on the pavement and pick them up. After throwing the amp in the back seat of my car, I reluctantly re-enter the bar from the back to finish cleaning up.

Unexpectedly, the door leads directly into my parents’ house three towns over. The sun burns through the large windows as my hands begin to shake uncontrollably. I must have really shaken something up in my head last night with that show, I tell myself in a panic. I can hear my parents arguing in the next room:

“Why can’t you use your gift of music to serve the Lord?”

Read the rest of this entry »

The “extreme store” (and my place of employment) is at it again! This Saturday, July 25, Adrenalina hosts what is known as a “flavor tripping” party in its International Plaza store.

Adrenalina has invited indie favorites Claiborne to play an acoustic set at the event, which should be met by no protests from fans since it will show off lead singer Tiffany Francum’s amazing voice. Joining them this go ‘round is

Tampa indie rock outfit, good friends of Claiborne, and one of my personal favorite local bands, The Woodwork (pictured). Although they’ve recently lost their drummer, the remaining members — Matt, Lucas, and Jeffrey — have kindly agreed to perform an unplugged set or two as well. (And if we’re lucky, they might even play their cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya”!)

So what exactly is a “flavor tripping” party, you ask? These curiously named events center around one very tiny, yet very expensive item — Miracle fruit. (More info on the fruit and details about the event after the jump.) Read the rest of this entry »

Pedals on our Pirate Ships finally sailed into Tampa on July 21! Which explains how I found myself out late on a Tuesday work night at Transitions Art Gallery to see Pedals on our Pirate Ships (Richmond), The Wild (Atlanta) and Regular Size People Fight (Tampa).

Pedals on our Pirate Ships

My friend Jeff made me some mix CDs last winter and the song that immediately caught my attention was “Peter Pan Syndrome,” with its chorus “Will you be my Wendy? Will you be my Tinkerbell? / Don’t be silly you can be my Tiger Lily still” and lines like “We don’t have goals but we have lots of fun” and “but secretly we all miss our mothers, we seek security in the arms of lovers.” When I couldn’t get the song out of my head, I looked up the band with a peculiar name, Pedals on our Pirate Ships, listened to the rest of the songs posted on their Myspace page, and was hooked.

Hailing from Richmond, VA, these folk punk rockers play extremely fun and catchy tunes with just a tinge of introspection. In “Reinventing Bryan Adams” Matt belts out “Why do they call it goodbye, doesn’t feel so good to me, why don’t we call a spade a spade, say what we really mean… look me in the eye and say loving you is fucking killing me” At the show, a small but enthusiastic crowd sang along at the top of their lungs to the crowd favorites, including “Peter Pan Syndrome” and “Night of the Living Wage.” 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 »

Gainesville’s dreadlocked singer-songwriter Chris McCarty, a local fave who hits the Skipperdome every eight weeks or so, brings his soulful acoustic groove-pop back to town, this time performing at Push Ultra Lounge for a “Ralley Florida” concert. The charitable event is held to raise awareness and funds for the statewide, grassroots “Share a Little Sunshine Tampa Bay (SALS)” viral marketing campaign to infuse much-needed revenue into Florida’s economy.

If you’re interested in doing your part, visit the SALS website (at VisitFlorida.com). Once there, upload some sort of video about Florida’s greatness, then send it out to encourage friends, family and loved ones to vacation here. Every person who sends or receives an invite will be registered to win one of 12 Florida getaways. As an added bonus, every person who sends an invitation and brings the printed online confirmation to the concert gets in for free. The show takes place Friday, July 24, at 9 p.m.; regular admission is $5 at the door.

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 let her goofy personality and head full of dreads fool you. Emily Turnage is a young musician with huge potential. “I think I’ve been playing since I was about 14,” she told me in a recent conversation. A Saint Petersburg native, this flower child finds her peace through the strings of her guitar.

Her love of guitar paved her way to joining band after band, never giving up on her dream. “I want to have 30,000 people sing my songs with me.”

Raw talent flows through her veins. She has never taken a guitar lesson in her life. “I taught me-self!” she exclaimed with a laugh.

Emily took inspiration from the music around her. “My best friend Jacob is an excellent musician and whenever he played I just fell in love with it. Hayley Williams [Paramore] influences me as well.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Tampa electro-infused powerpop five-piece, Select Start is going to be repping “Earn It Yourself” on the Kia Kevin Says stage Sun., July 26, at the St. Petersburg stop of this year’s Van’s Warped Tour.

Now, if you’ve never heard of Earn It Yourself, I can assure you that you’re not alone.

I myself wasn’t aware of the amazing “E.I.Y.” or “Earn It Yourself” philosophy created by Sarah Saturday, which is based on the idea that everyone can and should use DIY methods to work towards their goals, but not feel guilty or worried about being labeled a “sell out” when they succeed. Her idea stemmed from years of playing in a band and working in the music industry. After brainstorming with other like-minded music lovers, and with a little help from Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman, Saturday turned E.I.Y into a full-blown website that helps unsigned bands get lots of exposure and connects them with other industry professionals and normal people who are really tapped into their local scenes. Read the rest of this entry »

In three short years, the Reax/ThxMgmt Hot Dog Show has established itself as a must-attend event of the summer, providing a great opportunity to see a diverse group of bands, catch up with old friends, make some new ones, and of course, witness a hot dog-eating contest. This year, the Hot Dog Show took place on Friday, July 3, at Crowbar. I arrived just in time to see the first female victory in the hot dog eating contest (sorry – I didn’t catch her name!), which was followed by an animated performance by Bealsville/Plant City-based Shunda K of Yo Majesty! Bringing the evening to a dance party conclusion was Sunbears! (Jacksonville).

Read the rest of this entry »

I had low expectations for Stump’s Supper Club and Howl at the Moon at Channelside. I thought about all the half-hearted piano-based lounge acts that I saw in Vegas and New Orleans, and I wasn’t exactly excited to go. After wrestling with the idea, I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did.

I went on Thursday night, met up with the piano men and got a front row seat while I was waiting for them to start. The place was pretty dead at 10 p.m., but people began trickling in as the set started. It’s important to note that this isn’t your granddad’s piano bar. The songs they play are all pop hits from the last 40 years, and they draw on the crowd for suggestions. Read the rest of this entry »

If you recall, Tampa area art rockers Lush Progress held a video release party back in May. If you missed that show, and the premiere of their new tasteful and rather well-made video for “Even Now” (produced by frontman Drew Cutler and directed by Jesse Newman, still at left), check it out here: 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 »

Five years ago, any music industry conference would feature hours of discussion about how to get your compact disc into the hands of DJs on FM radio, or tips on how to press and package a CD that wouldn’t get buried on the desk of an A&R executive at some major label. A lot has happened in five years. On Saturday, June 13 and 14, Hillsborough Community College and The Artist and Writers Group hosted the Second Annual Homemade Music Symposium in Ybor City, and in the combined 18-plus hours of discussion, commercial FM radio was not mentioned one time.

Instead, Saturday’s daytime programming included panels and workshops like “Alternative Media Promotion,” “Marketing, Touring and Band Management” and “How to Get the Most Out of a Studio Session.” Panelists included bloggers (Bryan Childs, Ninebullets.net), social networking specialists (Julia Gorzka, Brand Tampa) and local media (Lee Courtney, WMNF; Curtis Ross, Tampa Tribune; Julie Garisto, St. Pete Times as well as Creative Loafing’s Leilani Polk). Mr. Courtney was the only radio personality in attendance. (Tampa’s 88.5 FM is a community station that still allows their DJs to play CDs – they even sometimes play records.).

The Homemade Music Symposium’s goal is to educate nascent and struggling musicians in the ways and means of the music business and industry trends. It also included out-of-town industry folk and special keynote speakers – this year, it was Tunecore’s Peter Wells and Tony Michaelides, a local author from Manchester, UK, who’s colleagues and contemporaries include Factory Records’ Tony Wilson, David Bowie, U2 and The Stone Roses.

Conference attendees were mostly solo singer-songwriter types, with a sprinkling of MCs, publishers and managers as well as other local bloggers and marketers looking to get involved in the music scene or learn about new media. There was a lot of talk (maybe too much) about Twitter and Facebook, and of course the familiar geographical gripe of how Florida is difficult to tour/break out of, because there are no surrounding states (The closest top 10 market is Atlanta). A good portion of the crowd was visibly older, some dressed in flowery shirts and flip flops, and plenty of eyes glazed over when the topics inevitably circled back to “Tweeting” and social networks.

Sorely missing from the panel of experts, especially on the panel labeled “Area Record Labels and Artist Managers,” were representatives from the handful of local Tampa imprints, namely ADD, New Granada and 24 Hour Service Station (Geri X, Win Win Winter and The Beauvilles). 24 Hour owner Marshall Dickson stated that he would definitely be involved next year, but that this time around he just had “too much on his plate.” The only current label owner in attendance was Ivan Pena, who runs Mohawk Bomb Records (Soulfound, Ascending to Avalon and Rise of Saturn). Pena seemed optimistic about the Tampa Bay music scene, and about the fast-changing online industry, but insisted that artists need to tour incessantly and start treating their band like a business or risk failure.

The “Music Critics” panel, unfortunately the last session of the day, seemed to be the most pessimistic. One girl in the crowd asked for suggestions on how to become a music writer. The entire panel discouraged her. It may be in fashion for music writers to be moody and begrudging, but one would think their passion for music could somehow keep their chins up, not to mention grateful that they still have jobs in the age of Rotten Tomatoes and aggregated, user-generated reviews at Amazon.com.

Read the rest of this entry »

Attention Unsigned Bands: July 5 is Deadline for Mohawk Bomb Records‘ No Lip Vol. 3 Compilation. Please submit your best song through Sonicbids. Time Left to Submit: 4d , 3h, 25m

Based in Clearwater, Mohawk Bomb Records is a new kind of records music label, focused on sharing all music with the World using online marketing, social media networks and mobile technologies. To see the entire Mohawk Bomb Records’ discography…

RT on Twitter: @mohawkbomb Deadline 2 Submit 4 No Lip 3 Comp Jul 5. Time Left: 4d , 3h, 25m http://tinyurl.com/maj92g #tampamusic #727music

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 »

A band of Florida traveling bards and minstrels aka the Citrus Circuit Tour made a stop at New World Brewery on Saturday, featuring Lake Worth’s Truckstop Coffee, Daytona’s Lauris Vidal, Gainesville’s The Takers and Bradento-based Have Gun, Will Travel.

Have Gun, Will Travel

With three new songs and a Tom Petty cover, Have Gun, Will Travel (HGWT) continues to innovate at each show. Accordingly, HGWT’s set had New World Brewery dancing up a storm and singing their hearts out to old favorites like “When We Were Kings” and “Blessing and a Curse” (affectionately know by fans as “Bop Ba Da” after the chorus that stays in your head all the way home). 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 »

Frodus Conglomerate International (1993-1999) resurrected on June 18, 2009 at Redlight Redlight, Orlando, FL, continuing what has been an outstanding ’90s hardcore reunion year (most recently the unbroken/split lip reunion at burning fight). Supporting the resurrection was Tampa’s Guiltmaker and Orlando’s Hurrah.

Frodus 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 »

Thx Mgmt brought an all-star Florida rock n’ roll show to New World Brewery last Friday, June 5, featuring Tampa darlings The Beauvilles, Orlando-based Thomas Wynn & The Believers and Jacksonville’s Shawn Fisher & The Jukebox Gypsies. The master plan was a mini-weekend tour with stops at each of the bands’ hometowns while rotating the headliner spot and introducing the out-of-town bands to new audiences. A grand idea!

Read the rest of this entry »

Ed Lowery and friends (which includes the Tampa Two Stroke Scooter Club) threw a benefit concert in support of Mike Formato, a friend injured in a serious scooter accident, at New World Brewery this past Saturday May 30. It was a eclectic evening of music featuring sets by Magadog, Light Yourself on Fire and The Boozers.

Magadog

Magadog is the band that introduced me to ska at the tender age of 16, opening up a parallel universe to the SXE/hardcore scene. When I moved to DC for college, I was surprised to find that the hardcore and ska scenes didn’t interact in any purposeful way like they do here in Tampa. When Magadog broke up, it was very sad … my friends and I had so much fun through the years with them at shows with Checkered Cabs, Skavoovie and The Epitones, The Toasters, The Pietasters and many others. When Magadog reformed in 2007, we were psyched to have them back and so far, we haven’t been disappointed! With one new record out, Sunrise…, and another on the way, Ybor City, Magadog is firmly back in the skank of things. Saturday evening’s performance had the crowd skanking the night away… who doesn’t love a little skaerobics? Read the rest of this entry »

City of Ships sailed into Ybor City last Friday, May 29, and headlined a New Granada Show at New World Brewery with Tampa favorites Guiltmaker and Gainesville-based Liquid Limbs.

City of Ships

Currently hailing from Richmond, Va., City of Ships produces a unique brand of heavy yet clever post-hardcore rock. Live, the band delivers a mega sound that is LOUD … the last time my ears felt like this (i.e., as if they were bleeding) was after a Deadguy/108 show in the mid-’90s. With long hair, and some strategic fan placement, the headbanging was ON. But to call City of Ships a headbanging rock band means you are missing the point. Their music is complex and incorporates a variety of musical influences all rolled up in a unique package. They are one of the few bands that you love listening to both on disc and live. City of Ships has a new record due out on July 21, 2009, Look What God Did To Us (Translation Loss Records), and they are touring extensively this summer across the US and Europe. In the meantime, check out their myspace page for teaser songs. Read the rest of this entry »

Mohawk Bomb Records Showcase June 13 at Crowbar during Homemade Music Symposium

Mohawk Bomb Records Showcase is happening at Crowbar: 1812 N 17th St, Ybor City, Tampa FL (directions)

The MBR showcase is part of the Homemade Music Symposium, a free music conference for bands and music professionals to share, discuss and improve the music scene in Florida. The event is happening all-day at Hillsborough Community College, Ybor City Campus on June 13-14, 2009. To view the full conference agenda, click here.

Bands/Times
9:00-9:30 – Hat Trick Heroes (Acoustic set)
9:40-10:20 – The Orchid Thief (Winner of Sonicbids Contest)
10:45-11:30 – Ascending to Avalon
11:45-12:45 – Rise of Saturn (featuring members of WeakSauce and Soulfound)

Cover is $5 or free if you purchase an All Access VIP wristband during the day at the Symposium for $10, which gives you access to 4 music venues. Sponsored by Mohawk Bomb Records and Honeycut Drums.

I am dating a guitarist. Original, I know.

The point is, though, that I have a unique inside vision to the woes that local bands endure. Joel, my boyfriend, is in the band Dreadful Memories (who freakin’ rock by the way — check them out). They work so hard, I mean really. Whenever Joel and I both have a day off, it’s hardly spent together because he needs to get to practice. All the members of the band have at least one part time job, some of them have two and all of them struggle to make ends meet.

I have bought more than my fair share of tickets to their shows, just to make sure they sell enough to be able to play. They’ve dealt with producers and agencies that seem to care only about profit rather than actually helping local bands make it. They struggle to have enough time for the band and the rest of their lives. They deal with the struggles of everyday life while trying to win the right to their dreams day after day. It just seems like they can’t get a break.

For example; drummers suck. Read the rest of this entry »

The owner of one of St. Petersburg’s favorite concert venues, Jannus Landing, is in the Pinellas County Jail after state agents busted him on charges he didn’t pay sales taxes he collected at the concert site, which has hosted shows for the likes of Katy Perry and Conor Oberst in the past year. The venue is supposed to host a free show for The Hold Steady on Thursday.

The Times reports:

John C. Bodziak, the owner and president of Jannus Landing Courtyard, was arrested by state agents today on charges that he failed to pay $208,418 in sales tax from one of Tampa Bay’s most popular concert venues.

According to the Florida Department of Revenue, Bodziak collected sales tax from patrons of Jannus Landing at 220 First Avenue N, but didn’t send the state its share over various periods from June 2004 to July 2007. Investigators say Bodziak kept more than $200,000 meant for Florida’s coffers.

Cross-posted from the Daily Loaf

WMNF’s 2009 Tropical Heatwave managed to be a scorcher in spite of torrential downpours. The best thing about Heatwave is the ability to see a wide variety of genres in one evening in close proximity. I managed to catch 10 bands this year on 5 stages: The Beauvilles, David Dondero, James Intveld, Johnny Cakes & The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso, Kinobe & Soul Beat Africa, Magadog, Modern Skirts, Will Quinlan & The Diviners, Roppongi’s Ace and Thomas Wynn & The Believers.

Read the rest of this entry »

The early evening monsoon that struck Saturday had the bands at New World Brewery running late. No worries, the music never really stopped, and though the rains would let up, the crowd would not. Packed in on the porch, those in attendance witnessed some of the best central Florida music.

The first set I caught was by the so-called “folk experimental” threesome of Lauris Vidal. The instruments may have been experimental and folk based — Vidal played everything from a homemade, wooden slide guitar to an electric banjo — but these guys are a crisp, blues-rock band. What sets them apart, though, is their use of dub & reggae influences to create a more syncopated sound.

Roppongi’s Ace rocked the mustaches off faces with their style of southern rock. I missed Ted Lukas and the Misled for some Cuban Club acts, but got back to catch the start of Will Quinlan and the Diviners’ set. These guys — simply put — are good shit. GreyMarket changed the pace, breaking out a light show & laptops to turn in a quite excellent guitar & drum driven electro rock set. (Pictured: GreyMarket guitarist Cave McCoy; photo by Phil Bardi, no glow added.)

The Sheiks played a solid, but ultimately unmemorable post-rock set giving way to a surprise late-night show featuring Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apacolypso. They opened up Heatwave at the Ballroom stage — I’m not sure how that set went over, but 1:30 a.m. at a still raging New World felt like a better time slot for the high-energy — and highly dirty — ska band. Read the rest of this entry »

Homemade Music Symposium - This a mini-SXSW in Ybor City. That’s what we are going for. We say we have the talent. Now, let’s see the support.

The second annual symposium is offered free of charge to all Tampa Bay area musicians and the general public. The numerous seminars and workshops are focused on the business of music making and will provide area musicians assistance on how to nurture and develop careers in the modern commercial environment. Woven through the two-day schedule are a number of special live performances and showcases.

What: Homemade Music Symposium

When: June 13-14, 2009

Where: HCC-Performing Arts Building-Ybor City Campus, located at the corner of Palm Avenue and 14th Street.

Cost: Conference is free to the public. We will soon have information on a multi-venue wristband for the Night Showcases.

Audience: Panels geared towards musicians and music business issues, Night Showcases for all! (18+).

Showcase Info: Mohawk Bomb Records is hosting a showcase on June 13 at Crowbar (1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City, FL 33605) featuring Mohawk Bomb Records bands and choice local talent.

Bands: Win a chance to play. Click here for details.

More info: www.mohawkbomb.com or www.artistsandwritersgroup.com

One of the best kept secrets in the Tampa Bay music scene is the fact that an extremely talented on-the-rise band plays semi-regularly at one of the area’s coolest locaI hotspots. I’m referring to Ft. Lauderdale fivesome The Heavy Pets and Pinellas watering hole/live music venue, Dunedin Brewery.

I cringe every time I use the term ‘jamband’ — it’s a descriptor that implies audiences full of happy wigglin’ hippies and sets full of stretched-out songs. Jambands are, in essence, those band that fuse rock, funk, jazz and weird – and like most music involving heavy mixing, sometimes the result is muddy crap. But when done right — like a suicide fountain drink — it’s the sweetest shit around.

The Heavy Pets have shuffled a few members around, notably in the rhythm section, which now features Jaco Pastorius’ son Felix on bass. (No shit!) The band is gaining some real notoriety in the jam scene, playing huge festivals like South by Southwest, Bonnaroo, Langerado and Wakarusa.

Tonight’s show is only $5; Dunedin Brewery has a heady special to go along with the heady tunes: $3 pints of IPA and Cask brews. Showtime: 11:30 pm.

What: The First Ever Something Planet Birthday Extravagganza

When: Saturday, May 9 @ 7pm

Where: Gasoline Alley, 14042 66th St., Largo FL 33771

Who: Rise of Saturn, Badda Skat w/ Tribal Style and Geri X

Why: The podcasting comedy troupe is turning one-year old and celebrating with a concert, Rock Band 2 tournament, beer chugging contest and a celebrity-judged jump rope contest.

How much: $6 for 21+ | $9 for under 21 (All Ages Welcome)

For more info: http://www.somethingplanet.com/

MayDay Festival was conceived a few years ago by Ted Morgan and Ben Wavel in Houston, TX, with the hopes of creating an exposure outlet for their favorite local bands.  On May 23, they will bring the rock to Orlando. Through the festival, they have helped many bands get bigger followings and gotten the local community to take more notice of their local crop of bands.

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From today until the end of May, bands can submit their EPKs through Sonicbids for a slot to play the Mohawk Bomb Records showcase during the 2nd Annual Homemade Music Symposium in Tampa, FL on June 13.

The showcase will take place at The Crowbar starting at 8pm and will feature Rise of Saturn and Ascending to Avalon, among others. The winner will get a 30-minute slot and will have a chance to meet Mohawk Bomb Records CEO Ivan Pena. Also, the winning bands will have one of their tracks featured on the upcoming No Lip Vol. 3 compilation due out this Fall.