It's Sunday, and even though the weekend is drawing to a close, there's still some fine music happening all over town. Highlights of what's happening this Sun., Oct. 11, below, along with a comprehensive breakdown of everything else that's going on today and tonight.Ghost with Purson I was pretty much oblivious to Ghost until a few weeks ago, when a local music head hipped me to the Swedish band’s intellectually bizarre heavy metal tendencies and continued anonymity. The frontman is "Papa Meritus III" (ostensibly a new singer for each album but actually always the same dude), the musicians in his backing band are "Nameless Ghouls” (unknown and interchangeable so the focus remains on the music), everyone wears masks and regalia (Papa leading as a demonic skull-faced anti-Pope), and they’re "Satanic," but only as a means to satirize and criticize the Church ala Satanism's original intent. Their appearance in town behind third full-length Meliora comes at a rather appropriate time – right in the wake of the (real) Pope’s recent U.S. tour. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
Ellis Paul With a gentle rasp to his warm earnest tenor, fine acoustic guitar work and literate lyrical introspection, Boston singer-songwriter Ellis Paul has enjoyed a fruitful folk career, his wide repertoire extending over 26 years and 19 albums (the most recent was his second fan-funded effort, 2014’s Chasing Beauty), not to mention live LPs (he recorded his fourth one in April). He’s also been tapped for film ("The World Ain't Slowing Down" was the romantic theme in 2000 comedy Me, Myself and Irene, and “Nellie Bly” will appear in forthcoming drama, 10 Days in a Mad House), and he just released a second children’s book, The Night the Lights Went Out on Christmas. Paul delivers two performances on his Sunday stop; a family show at 3 p.m. and a “regular” show at 8 p.m. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Drive-By Truckers with T. Hardy Morris“It can go from this chainsaw rock ‘n’ roll to this very delicate, pretty-sounding stuff,” guitarist Mike Cooley has said of Drive-By Truckers’ 10th and latest full-length, English Oceans, which finds Cooley splitting songwriting duties with DBT primary axe slinger Patterson Hood to great effect. Some critics have argued that Cooley’s contributions outshine those of Hood; others insist that Cooley’s burst of creativity has only made Hood better. Regardless of which is true, everyone seems to agree that the Georgia quintet’s marriage of alt country twang and Southern rock crunch-and-swagger is at its strongest right now, so this show should be a scorcher. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
ALSO HAPPENING TODAY
Fall Outdoor Concert Series: Michael Ross Quartet Selby Gardens, Sarasota
Reformed Whores w/Mona Smith & Catherine Maloney Crowbar, Ybor City
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/DJ Day Crowbar, Ybor City
Rhythm Dragons Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse, Tampa
DJ Pierre PUSH, St. Petersburg
The Hummingbirds The Independent Bar & Cafe, Tampa
Rod Macdonald feat. Fiddler Rex Blazer UU Dome, Tampa
Jarekus Singleton Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa
First Night Gospel Brunch Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Tampa Jazz Club Presents: John Lamb Quintet Mainstage at HCC-Ybor, Ybor City
NoNeed/Summer Survivors/OceanStone/Seranation Local 662, St. Petersburg
The Sunday Sesh w/DJs Lyndony Uy, Luis Martinez, Knox the M.D., B.I.G. WiLLiE Gaspar's Grotto, Ybor City