Concerts, Dec. 12-18.
by Leilani PolkTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 12
Travis Scott A young Houston-bred, LA-based rapper who’s got friends in all the right places; he was signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label as a producer, appeared on the label’s 2012 comp, Cruel Summer, and at the same time, was due to issue his debut EP Owl Pharoah on T.I.’s Grand Hustle imprint, but held it back for more re-tooling. He’s named Kanye, T.I. and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon as inspiration, and each artist makes an appearance on Owl Pharoah, as do Toro Y Moi, 2 Chainz, Wale, Theophilus London and A$AP Ferg among others. The album was ranked among Spin’s “40 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2013.”(Orpheum, Ybor City)
AURA Concert Series: Papadosio w/Earthcry AURA is among Florida’s myriad of jam band-geared festivals, held in February at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park, and specializing in live electro acts with sonic branch-offs into funk, jazz, rock and reggae territories. This concert series spotlights select acts due to play the 2014 edition. Asheville-based Papadosio heads up this bill, their dance music sound ranging from ambient to propulsive and driven by the sonicscaping of synth/keys/programming brothers Billy and Sam Brouse. For fans of Disco Biscuits. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13
Unknown Hinson w/6 Volt Radio Despite an announcement last year that he’d be hanging up his touring boots for good due to the rising costs of being on the road, the bug has taken a bite of tongue-in-cheeky and vampire freaky country n’ western troubadour Unknown Hinson (aka Stuart Daniel Baker) and he returns to the Skipperdome with his trademark brand of campy twang, new tunes off 2012 album Reloaded (“Human Oddity,”“A Smart-Ass Yankee (In A Rebel Court)”), and some of the regular Unknown standards (“Baby, Let’s Play Rough,”“Rock ‘N Roll Is Straight from Hell”). (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
The Beauvilles Revival Show w/Good Graeff/Sun Signs In the grand scheme of scenes, The Beauvilles haven’t been absent for too long — less than two years, more than one — but there’s no telling when Shawn Kyle will get a wild hair up his ass to play his potent, howling, riff-raging Beauvilles material again (this is allegedly a one-time thing), so why not enjoy the fleeting moment while it lasts? Jason Dudney returns on bass, Matt Rose picks up on drums where Max Norton left off, and two solid area acts — Sarasota’s sublime sisters-led folk pop outfit Good Graeff and experimental rockers Sun Signs — support. The $10 admission includes a CD. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Set and Setting/Wolf-Face/Jensen Serf Company/Cosm A four-pack of local indie bands touching on heavy instrumental post rock (set and setting), cheeky Teen Wolf-inspired punk (Wolf-Face), lo-fi beach-garage noise (Jensen Serf Company) and sludgy stoner metal (Cosm). (Octave, St. Petersburg)
Operation Coexist Unplugged Holiday Showcase w/Billy McKnight/Bars and Guitars/Will Erickson/Forrest Hoffar Local nonprofit music therapy organization Operation Coexist stages special concert events featuring local rising talent to raise funds and awareness for its community efforts. Among the highlights at this special acoustic holiday party are Billy McKnight, frontman of Southern rock outfit Soul Circus Cowboys, and Bars and Guitars, a trio that blends acoustic rock instrumentation with boy-girl pop hooks and hip-hop rhymes. (Hideaway Cafe and Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Mix 100.7 Acoustic Christmas w/Goo Goo Dolls/The Fray/Michael Franti/ZZ Ward/Colbie Caillat I remember attending an Acoustic Christmas back in ’02, when it was hosted by the late Star 95.7-FM and held at Mahaffey Theater; that bill featured Lisa Loeb, Duncan Sheik, Tonic and Sixpence None the Richer. (My husband was working the radio station back then — don’t judge.) This year’s 100.7-FM edition (same venue, different Hot AC station) is headed up by alt pop-rock trio Goo Goo Dolls, best known for 1990’s hits like “Iris,”“Name,” and “Slide,” currently touring behind 10th studio album, 2013’s Magnetic. Also of note: Spearhead visionary, activist and folk-reggae-pop rock fusionist Michael Franti, and bluesy singer-songwriter ZZ Ward. (Mahaffey Theater, St Petersburg)
The Rap Up w/Dynasty/The Rukus/Mike Mass/Jinx/Eyeznpowa/Queen Of Ex/Genolexis A showcase of all-star hip-hop talents from the Tampa Bay scene. Seriously, this is a show you don’t want to miss if you consider yourself a fan of the genre and aren’t already familiar with the spitters and rhyme-slingers that call our city home — and if you are familiar, you probably don’t need to read this plug ‘cause you’ve already made plans to go. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
GMFridays Music Series w/Thomas Wynne and the Believers/Damion Suomi The second installment of the free concert series hyping up Gasparilla Music Festival features two Central Florida acts with roots-imbued sounds. Thomas Wynne & crew lay down the spirited, heartening, soulful Southern rock ’n’ roll anchored by the strong soaring lead vocals and masculine-feminine harmonies of Wynn (who has a very John Fogerty-like rustiness to his intones) and sister Olivia. Damion Suomi delivers a more folk strolling and stomping mix. (Grand Central, Tampa)
[page]SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
2-Year Ventureversary: Pornojumpstart w/Sammy Satic/BlkMas/Otolathe/Hovering Humanoids/Nequam Sonitus/Smith Lavender/Mark Castle/Fevers/Lovebrrd When Jesse Vance opened Venture Compound in St. Pete’s Warehouse District a few years ago, I’m not sure even he knew that his nonprofit mixed-use studio space would grow into one of the most well-attended venues of the underground scene, both for visual media, music and the odd alternative cultural events that don’t seem to fit properly anywhere else. Vance & Co. celebrates Venture’s two-year anniversary in typical fashion — with a diverse bill of performers ranging from the beat-thumping, analog synth pushing instrumentals of Pornojumpstart (Adam Shlon), from South Carolina, to the heavy math-prog complexity of Hovering Humanoids. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)
Joe Nichols A country music artist whose eight albums include an abundance of material about women (“Just Let Me Fall in Love with You,”“She’s All Lady,”) and alcohol (“Open Up a Can,”“My Whiskey Years”), sometimes in the same song at once (“Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off,”“She Only Smokes When She Drinks,”“Let’s Get Drunk and Fight”). (Dallas Bull, Tampa)
Suncoast Blues Society Holiday Party w/Nick Moss Band/Lauren Mitchell Band Central Florida’s 16-year-old blues music organization spreads a little yuletide cheer, lick ’n’ shuffle style. Chicago-bred Buddy Guy-approved Nick Moss headlines, his rooted in the traditional blues of his home city but shambling into soul, jam rock and R&B-oriented territories with healthy doses of dueling guitars, funky organ, and vocals interchanging between the smoky intones of Moss (on lead axe and harmonica), and the soaring, classically-trained howls of guitarist/singer Michael Ledbetter. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Jon Oliva Storytellers Tour 2013 w/Herman Nebula Jon Oliva is the founder of locally-spawned heavy metal staple Savatage; the prog-metal maestro also fronts namesake act Jon Oliva’s Pain in addition to having spent a period of his guitar-shredding tenure in Trans Siberian Orchestra. During this intimate presentation, Oliva shares stories about his experiences in the context of three significant periods of his career, plays material spanning these periods (including alternate versions of classic songs), and is joined by JOP bandmate, drummer/producer Christopher Kinder. Kicking things off is Herman/Nebula, the “evoca-rock” project fronted by former Savatage vocalist Damond Jiniya. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Andrea Bocelli Italy’s crossover tenor has maintained his appeal with an expressive delivery and prolific output that ranges from pop-classical AC to opera to Latin-fused pop as with the amorous material in 14th studio full-length Passione. Here, Bocelli performs select love songs, many from the Mediterranean, with the exception of Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender,”“Quizás, Quizás, Quizás” by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés (performed as a duet with Jennifer Lopez), and “Sarà Settembre,” a version of Neil Diamond’s “September Morn” with Italian lyrics written by Bocelli. Conductor Eugene Kohn, soprano Svetla Vassileva and guest vocalist Heather Headley accompany Bocelli on this tour, and the program will likely touch on Passione and various tracks from 2009’s multi-platinum My Christmas. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)
Geri X Video Release Party w/Luxury Mane/Lushbudget/The Dags In her brand new video for skulking and grooving roots-blues number “All the Money’s Gone,” St. Pete songstress Geri X and percs n’ drums bandmate Charlie Douglas Wells pose in a series of creatively arranged time-lapse portraits — fixing hair, switching out accessories, getting painted, blowing up balloons, drinking … The track comes off White Light, Geri X’s forthcoming album and follow-up to Loyalty Sport, due out Jan. 18; this date hypes the album, video and a new Kickstarter campaign. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Bombadil w/Cats in the Basement/DieAlps! Bombadil delights and uplifts with rambling folk-pop melodies lightly steeped in psychedelia, and marked by charming multi-part vocal harmonies. Fourth and latest album Metrics of Affection (Ramseur Records) finds the quartet’s offbeat, sentimental narratives and observations covering topics varying from love and reincarnation (“When We Are Both Cats”) to the importance of gratitude and self-worth (“Thank You”). (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Pusha T A G.O.O.D. Music-repped artist, Virginia Beach rapper and one-half of hip hop duo Clipse hits town on the heels of releasing his solo full-length debut, My Name Is My Name, its production overseen by Kanye and the guest list encompassing Rick Ross, Jeezy, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell and Kelly Rowland. The album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
Dev w/Darnaa/Kid Sister Dev has a slinky or snotty sing-song rhyme style and sexy dulcet vocals that she pits against hip-hop shaded synth pop. She enjoyed a come-up after a verse from her track “Booty Bounce” was sampled for the chorus in Far East Movement’s No. 1 charter “Like a G6” (“Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard / when we drink we do it right, gettin slizzard / Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like Three 6 / Now I’m feelin so fly, like a G6”). A follow-up to her debut LP The Night the Sun Came Up is expected in 2014. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
[page]SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15
Hip Hop Against Hunger One more solid local hip hop bill brings the weekend to a close while benefiting two nonprofits — Feeding America: Tampa Bay and Metropolitan Ministries. To date, the Hip Hop Against Hunger Benefit Show (co-presented by Indigenous Ways Music and THX MGMT) has gathered more than 2, 000 pounds of food and 200 boxes of clothing for families in need. The fourth annual edition will build upon that number with performances by Samurai Shotgun, Indigenous Ways, Imagiin360 and Logic ForBeatz; DJ sets by Rahim Samad, Fader and Shafiq; and live painting and artworks on display by Lana Nonstop and Mishou Sanchez. Admission is $5 with one non-perishable food donation or a new/gently used clothing donation, $7 without. This is an early (4 to 8 p.m.) event, which means you’ve got time to grab a bite, then catch DJ Scratch make up for his too-short last set in October. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Ol’ Dirty Sundays: DJ Scratch The last time DJ Scratch was scheduled to play ODS, his flight was delayed and the Brooklyn turntablist/hip-hop icon didn’t roll into Crowbar until around 2:45 a.m. Crowbar co-owner Tom DeGeorge faced a tough decision — fines and possible jail time for letting Scratch go on, or the utter disappointment (and loss of credibility) with the people who’d shown up to see him. The compromise: Scratch delivered a seven-minute set that ended right at 3 a.m. for the few hundred devoted followers who’d stuck around, and DeGeorge promised to bring him back for a full set. This date lives up to that promise. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16
John McCutcheon Prolific multi-instrumental folkie John McCutcheon has been active since the 1970s; he’s versed on something like a dozen instruments (guitar, banjo, autoharp, fiddle, jawharp, mandolin, piano, accordion) but shows off his finest chops on hammered dulcimer. His storytelling style that has been likened to Will Rogers and Garrison Keillor. (Jaeb Theater at the Straz Center, Tampa)
A Peter White Christmas A program of smooth and fused holiday sounds from contemporary jazz guitarist White, joined by sax mistress/vocalist/songstress Mindi Abair and trumpeter Rick Braun. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17
Slow Magic w/Spies On Bikes/Young Egypt/The Soft Rock Renegades Slow Magic is an indietronic DJ/producer who keeps his identity a mystery (no aka’s here), dons a hand-crafted glow-in-the-dark tribal mask when performing live (ala SBTRKT), uses symbols in place of album titles (see last year’s ∆), and delivers shimmering chillwave instrumentals studded with samples, treated with effects and carried on mid-tempo beats. All in all, the perfect preface to All Good Tuesdays. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18
Michael McDonald: This Christmas, An Evening of Holiday and Hits Justin Timberlake appeared as a guest on Jimmy Fallon for several episodes and one of the musical skits they put together featured a surprise appearance by Michael McDonald that made for a classic moment in late night television, which found the former two impersonating McDonald in an epic rendition of “Row Row Row Your Boat,” finally joined by the man himself so that all three McDonalds (the real and the faux) are singing in hilariously accurate falsetto harmony. The snowy-haired, high octave-hitting soft rock singer-songwriter (who recorded with Steely Dan and played with the Doobie Brothers for several years before he went on to enjoy a fruitful solo career) draws from his extensive catalog on this night; Doobies-era hits (“It Keeps You Runnin’,”“Minute by Minute,”“What a Fool Believes”), solo charters like “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” (so memorably sampled by Warren G in “Regulate”) and “Sweet Freedom” (tapped for 1986 buddy cop flick Running Scared), and select seasonal fare (dude has three Christmas albums, so you could hear virtually anything). (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Trace Adkins Christmas Show This ain’t your typical country concert — and it’s not really a typical holiday concert, either, although it is billed as “reverent” and “for the whole family.” Patriotic country musician Trace Adkins supports new album The King’s Gift, made up of a dozen classic holiday hymns and carols re-imagined Celtic style. “The Christmas Show Tour” is a theatrical production that turns his stage into a cozy living room, combining narrative elements (Adkins telling stories and sharing personal anecdotes) with performances of material off Gift. The 12-piece ensemble that joins him includes a string quartet, female vocalists and various traditional instruments (weissenborn, mandolin, uilleann pipe, penny whistle). (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
93.3 FLZ Jingle Ball 2013 w/Miley Cyrus/Robin Thicke/Enrique Iglesias/Flo Rida/Paramore/Austin Mahone/Ariana Grande/Jason Derulo/Fifth Harmony/Travie McCoy Yeah, you can wait another three whole months to see Miley Cyrus when she hits the Forum in March on her solo “Bangerz” tour … or you can get an early taste of her tongue-wagging amid a widely eclectic Top 40 bill presented as part of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2013 Tour. Cyrus is joined by fellow MTV Awards controversy maker-in-arms, “Blurred Lines” groove pop star Robin Thicke. Other noteworthy artists on the bill include Latin pop sensation Enrique Iglesias, Southern bred rapper Flo Rida, Hayley Williams-fronted emo-punk pop outfit Paramore, and R&B crooner Jason Derulo. A “Pre-Show Free Show” from 3 to 5:30 p.m. on the West Plaza features additional performances by Fifth Harmony, Travie McCoy, Austin Mahone and Tegan & Sara. (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)
[page]BBQ Wednesday Acoustic Series: A Holiday Hootenanny w/Andrew Brey, Will Quinlan & Friends Mandolin picker ’n strummer Andrew Brey is joined by singer-songwriter and guitar player Will Quinlan for an unplugged presentation of seasonal-hued tunes at the free New World hump day with various TBA guests cycling on and show off the patio stage; past Brey collaborators have included lap steel player Scott Anderson (Have Gun, Will Travel), and Quinlan is frequently seen teaming up with Rob Pastore and Rebekah Pulley, among many others. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.