The week is coming to a close and you need something to do tonight. Why not some live music? Here are some highlights for this Fri., Aug. 7, along with a preview of what's to come this weekend...Brick + Mortar John Tacon and Brandon Asraf trade off sweetly tuneful lead vocals and harmonies as Brick + Mortar, the former working drums, percussion and samples, the latter doling out traditional and effected lowend grooves. The result is drum-and-bass-pulsing alt pop that is warm and bright yet somehow ominous and propulsive; “Train” off new Dropped EP sets a tender plea (“I wanna run away with you, I wanna take the train with you”) against instrumentals powered by hand claps and heavy pounding beats, while “Because We Love You” proves darker, grittier and more insistent and sinister as it roils to an abrupt finish. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—Leilani Polk
Slander Derek Anderson and Scott Land, the LA duo otherwise known as Slander, are purveyors of self-styled “heaven trap,” building on the glitchy hip hop-rooted sound with euphoric trance-like builds amid all the bass-bumping and clipped samples. Slander’s claim to EDM fame is a festival trap remix of Showtek’s “We Like to Party” with NGHTMRE, which has clocked more than 4.7 million plays on Soundcloud since it was posted last January. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)—LP
Chris Staples with Lemolo, MrENC, The Porch Sessions Originally hailing from Pensacola, singer-songwriter and former Twothirtyeight frontman Staples now calls Seattle home, and tours under his own name plying sophisticated, textured melodic pop when not leading Discover America. Fellow Washingtonian Lemolo has her own hypnotic, dreamy take on contemporary indie-pop, “Orlampa” act MrENC adds dramatic electronic flourishes, and Tampa’s own Porch Sessions is always recommended for its surging, tidal instrumental work. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —Scott Harrell
Jorma Kaukonen The one-time Jefferson Airplane guitarist and current Hot Tuna leader doesn’t seem to spend much time resting on his laurels. In fact, the 74-year-old blues and folk rocker likely does more than most men half his age; Kaukonen still actively tours with Hot Tuna in both acoustic and electric formations, he continues to record and release new solo material (his 12th outing, Ain’t In No Hurry, dropped in February), and he supports it with live dates at venues that put his remarkable finger-style acoustic guitar prowess front and center. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—LP
ALSO TONIGHT
Part Time Models/Beer Wolf/Male Order Brides The Bends, St. Petersburg
Forrest Hoffar w/JT Brown Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
Rod MacDonald Heritage Museum, Tarpon Springs
Backtrack Blues Band Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
Seminole Heights Songwriters night w/Shae Krispinsky/Jeff Brawer/Dan Padilla/Rodney Smith/Russ Van Cleave Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
Ari and the Alibis Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Legendary JCs w/Serotonic Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Simply Abigail Beer & Brownies, Tampa
Mama Bone’s Birthday Blowout w/Green Sunshine/Holey Miss Moley Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
PeeWee Longway Skye Nightclub, Ybor City
F.I.L.T.H. w/Forgiving Silence/Thicket/Nation of Decay Brass Mug, Tampa
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
CAIN w/Slikk Wikked/Unsung Destroyer/Guverra/Lacerate Sat., Aug. 8, Brass Mug, Tampa
The Ries Brothers Sat., Aug. 8, Murray Studio Theater at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
La Lucha with Jun Bustamante: Plays 1985! Sat., Aug. 8, Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
The Cheaters Sat., Aug. 8, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
The Hummingbirds Sat., Aug. 8, Beer & Brownies, Tampa
Black Coast Royals/Michael Snayd/Lesa Silvermore Sat., Aug. 8, Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse, Tampa
Flat Land w/Ajeva/Holey Miss Moley Sat., Aug. 8, The Amsterdam, St. Petersburg
The Duppies/The Snails/The Freecoasters/Sketchie Sat., Aug. 8, New World Brewery, Ybor City
Florida Fest (West) 2k15 w/King Conquer/The Last Ten Seconds Of Life/Barrier/Adaliah/Destructions Of A King/Here Comes The Kraken/Left Behind/Dealey Plaza/Reveal Renew/Apnea/I Shot The Albatross/Aera Cura/Untomoria/We Have Been Compromised/A Sense Of Discovery Sat., Aug. 8, Local 662, St. Petersburg
Transcendental Telecom w/Poster/Fictional Friends Sat., Aug. 8, The Bends, St. Petersburg
Emerson Hart w/Shawn Kyle/Kristopher James Sat., Aug. 8, Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St Petersburg
Uncle John’s Band w/Dean Johanesen Sat., Aug. 8, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
The Strange Trip Sat., Aug. 8, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
The Florida Hangover w/Awake/Aware/more TBA Sun., Aug. 9, Local 662, St. Petersburg
Jillian Stein Sun., Aug. 9, Beer & Brownies, Tampa
Jill Scott Sun., Aug. 9, Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
Colbie Caillat Sun., Aug. 9, Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Vibes of the Bay w/Oxford Noland/Zulu Wave/Archaic Interest/Luxury Mane/DieAlps!/RedFeather/JT Brown/Kristopher James Sun., Aug. 9, 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg
Under the Willow Sun., Aug. 9, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
La Lucha Sun., Aug. 9, Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
The Alternate Routes Sun., Aug. 9, Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St Petersburg