Lots happening in live music this Fri., Nov. 7, including two noteworthy shows at the Straz Center. More info below...The Ben Folds Experience The suburbs-rocking, piano-banging leader of Ben Folds Five and a capella group judge on The Sing Off joins The Florida Orchestra for a classy solo presentation of his new piano concerto (which apparently draws on jazz, boogie-woogie, European baroque and Gershwin-style opulence), along with orchestral arrangements of select Folds numbers —“Effington,”“Steven’s Last Night in Town,”“Not the Same,”“Narcolepsy” and “Brick” among others. (Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for Performing Arts, Tampa)
Gaby Moreno Few artists have crossed over from Guatemala to capture the hearts of American audiences, but Gaby Moreno is primed to be the latest. She has a rich, throaty-yet-sweet vocal quality, sings in both English and Spanish, plays a fine acoustic guitar, and draws on elements of blues, Latin, jazz, soul and R&B in her music. Most recently, she appeared on Hugh Laurie’s album Didn’t It Rain, crooning covers of “Kiss of Fire” (an Argentine pop song) and 1936 blues classic, “The Weed Smoker’s Dream”; this tour supports the Latin Grammy winner’s 2013 release, Postales. (Jaeb Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)
Crobot with Decepcion, Demented Truth, Dead End River“Warning, Crobot’s music has been known to turn you to stoned,” read a Twitter post by the hard-rocking metal-tinged band from Pennsylvania, their heavy-driving cock-strutting tunes fueled by the wailing vocals of Brandon Yeagley and shreddy-solos of guitarist Chris Bishop. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Perhaps with Jitters, Snacking, Banned Perhaps makes the sort of music that stretches, screeches, pulses and pushes through avant rock and experimental territories, guitars soloing math technical and progressive runs up and down the fretboards, tempos and time signatures ever-changing as the threesome builds epic compositions stretching over 30 minutes ala 2013’s Volume One and encompassing unconventional string arrangements and horn runs. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)
Tony Lucca The one-time second-place contender on The Voice and Mickey Mouse Club star, singer-songwriter Tony Lucca has been in some sort of spotlight for most of his working life. Though he’s no longer signed to the label of former Voice coach Adam Levine, his use of crowd-funding platform Petreon helped him produce forthcoming 2014 album Delilah. This date finds him crooning his folk rock odes in a rather intimate listening room setting. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Mary Chapin Carpenter with Tift Merritt Her easy-going mix of country twang and Americana paired with dulcet-drawling vocals has earned Mary Chapin Carpenter five Grammys –“Down at the Twist and Shout,”“I Feel Lucky” and crossover soft rock hit “Passionate Kisses” among the winning odes – and she’s maintained a respected status among her peers over her 27-year career. This cozy acoustic performance finds her touching on hits and deep cuts from her 13-album catalog as part of a trio with Jon Carroll (piano) and John Doyne (guitars, bouzouki). Country soulful songstress Tift Merritt warms the stage. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
The Swon Brothers Dashing third place finalists of NBC’s The Voice, siblings-led duo The Swon Brothers, are currently signed to Arista Nashville and touring behind a self-titled debut, its first single “Later On” peaking at No. 13 on the U.S. Country Airplay charts. (Dallas Bull, Tampa)
Row Jomah Yeoman’s has returned to active booking status and ramped up its offerings with a full slate of shows on tap every weekend through the end of the month, a trend that is set to continue indefinitely with local musician Jon Shea bringing the sounds back to the Davis Islands staple. Clearwater jam funk quintet Row Jomah plays on Friday while Flowers and Fowler – featuring multi-talented keysman Christopher Flowers and beat-keeping maestro Aaron Fowler – perform Saturday. Stay tuned for more to come… (Yeoman’s Road Pub, Tampa)
Paint Fumes with Woolly Bushmen, Jensen Serf Co., Mushmind Listening to Charlotte, N.C.’s Paint Fumes may result in headaches, nausea and dizziness, or it just might make you quake, shiver and shake in seizure-spastic dance moves. The foursome’s grimy, deranged blend of garage, punk and surf is dosed healthily in reverb, distortion and dissonance, and served with fiery crashing force. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Matisyahu with Radical Something He may have shed his ‘Chassidic reggae superstar’ status along with his sidelocks and full beard, but Matisyahu has maintained his Yiddish moniker (which means “Gift of God”) and loyal yamaka-wearing fanbase in addition to all the regular non-Jewish folk who dig his mix of reggae, pop and hip hop as well as his knack for espousing positivity, spirituality and thoughtful reflection; this tour supports 2014 fifth LP, Akeda. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Cheryl Wheeler New England folkie Wheeler has issued more than a dozen recordings since her 1983 debut that mix poignancy and belly-laugh humor; the most recent was Greetings: Cheryl Wheeler Live in 2012. (Craftsmen House, St. Petersburg)
CLICK HERE to see a full schedule of happenings for tonight and the rest of the week...