Lots happening this weekend and it all starts on this Fri., Oct. 23. Check out the breakdown of highlights below, plus take a peek at the weekend ahead.Warren Haynes with Justin Townes Earle Shortly after Warren Haynes announced he’d be removing himself from the Allman Brothers Band mix for good, that particular Southern rock stalwart called it quits and played its final show last October. Ashville’s smoky-voiced axeman is now the ostensible leader of the jammy wailing blues and Southern-friend rock pack, both as frontman of Gov’t Mule and as a solo artist in his own right; this date follows the release of his third full-length, Ashes & Dust, a collab with grassy outfit Railroad Earth. On tour, he’s backed by Nashville Americana group ChessBoxer (which plays a warm-up set, too), with drumming duties handled by Jeff Sipe (Aquarium Rescue Unit). Fine folk-blues songsmith Justin Townes Earle and his band warm the stage. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Jason Aldean with Cole Swindell, Tyler Farr, Dee Jay Silver Country rock kingpin Jason Aldean is bringing his big ol’ arena tour to town behind his cleverly-titled platinum-certified sixth LP, Old Boots, New Dirt; it’s his second album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and fourth at the top of the Country charts. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)
Headhunterz A relentlessly active Dutch DJ who drops music seemingly nonstop (he has releases on Ultra, Spinnin’ and Revealed) amid bringing his whirring and thumping, hardstyle-skewed mix of progressive, big room and electro house styles to venues ranging from giant festival fields to more intimate nightclub confines. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
UB40 feat. Ali Campbell, Mickey & Astro The original ‘70s-era leaders of the British reggae/ska-pop outfit – Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue – have reunited and are actively touring again amid recording a fresh fan-funded LP. Find out more in Gabe’s Q&A with Campbell here. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
Cheap Trick In his review of Cheap Trick’s last performance here in 2013, Gabe Echazabel wrote, “It's a pretty safe assumption that when attending a concert by favored sons of Rockford, Ill., you're going to get a loud, energetic blast of pure, unadulterated rock 'n roll. Every time.” The power pop band led by Robin Zander (a Bay area resident) has been at it for more than four decades, and according to Gabe, “still knows how to thrill fans and give them plenty of bang for their buck.” Likely the reason that, as of today, this show is SOLD OUT. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Attic Records Presents Mark Bryan The co-founding singer, songwriter and lead guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish has been producing solo material since 2000. While Darius Rucker has been enjoying a fruitful country music career since Hootie went semi-active in ‘08, Bryan continued writing, formed a boutique music group that helps indie artists get discovered (under which he also delivers his own original songs) and occasionally hits the road to play dates like this intimate one in St. Pete. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Alma Contra Album Release Party with Young Egypt, Mark Castle, Bay Sir CL awarded Alma Contra a BOTB award in 2014 –“Best Local Producer You Haven't Heard Of”– and it’s likely you still aren’t versed on the experimental music maker. He layers found sounds, synth textures, samples, beats and other odd sonic accoutrements from a range of electro sonicspheres and puts them together into original tracks (like the ones on the Colour of Martyrs EP/cassette release he presents on this night) and remixes (like his working of Lana Del Rey’s “High By the Beach,” a mix of wonky shifted rhythms, deep basslines, lo-fi synths and ambient interludes amid trap-jungle-glitch breakdowns). (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)
Matt Butcher & The Schoolyard Band with Mike Dunn & the Company Nashville by-way-of-Orlando via Birmingham, England singer-songwriter-guitarist and harmonica slinger Matt Butcher has always drawn from a diverse pool of influences, though his sound has always held a roots-spun quality that’s been both honed and broadened by his time in the country’s twang capital. The Kids Are Gone, his 2014 LP with The Schoolyard Band (drummer/percussionist Pete Pulkrabek and bassist Cullen Tierney), was inspired by music of the ‘60s and ‘70s, was recorded live to two-inch tape on vintage gear, and and definitely has a warm AM quality along with more blues-boogie stomp ala the organ-fueled title track, straightforward barn burning rock n’ roll like harmonica-howling “Will to Be Weird,” and sunny bass grooving in “Tripping Over the Stars." An Orlando Americana rock outfit with plenty of barroom-kick and grit, Mike Dunn & the Company (currently celebrating the release of third LP, Hard Luck Soft Rock), provides support at this FREE Friday night show. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
ALSO TONIGHT
Rising Down/Bangarang/Lions After Dark/Outside Atlas/Ari Chi Fubar, St. Petersburg
The Getbye Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
Damon Fowler Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Field Gray/Chlover/Untoten Krieg Brass Mug, Tampa
Juanjamon Band Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
The Peterson Brothers Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
Dropin Pickup w/Kristopher James/Black Coast Royals Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Lounge Cat The Underground at Moscato’s, St. Petersburg
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND
Uke It Out: Tampa Bay Ukulele Festival w/Renee and the Rollers/Tom Hood and the Tropical Sons/Poly Essence/JCT 27/AmandaLynn/Alex Bonyata and Bella Beyer Sat., Oct. 24, New World Brewery, Ybor City
Red Elvises w/Holey Miss Moley Sat., Oct. 24, Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
Cimorelli Sat., Oct. 24, State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Joey Bada$$ w/Denzel Curry/Bishop Nehru/Nyck Caution Sat., Oct. 24, Orpheum, Ybor City
Jennifer Nettles w/Brandy Clark/Ryan Kinder Sat., Oct. 24, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Tampa Pig Jig w/Eli Young Band/The Revivalists//Nikki Lane/many more Sat., Oct. 24, Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa
Barb Wire Dolls w/F/Car Bomb Driver/Saganaki Bom Squad Sat., Oct. 24, Fubar, St. Petersburg
Gun Hoes/Johnny Mile & The Kilometers/UFO Sex Scene Sat., Oct. 24, The Bends, St. Petersburg
Soul Saturday w/Danielle DeCosmo & Blackbird Morning Sat., Oct. 24, Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg
The 2nd Annual Ignite the Fright w/Genolexis/many more Sat., Oct. 24, Pegasus Lounge, Tampa
Guavaween Party w/Baby Anne Sat., Oct. 24, Amphitheatre, Ybor City
The Wrenchers/Bride Of Chaotica Sat., Oct. 24, Neptune Lounge, Tarpon Springs
The Mojo Gurus w/Hymn for Her Sat., Oct. 24, Ringside Café, St. Petersburg
An Intimate Evening with Shawn Brown Sat., Oct. 24, Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
Acme Jazz Garage Sat., Oct. 24, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Denise Moore and Then Some Sat., Oct. 24, The Underground at Moscato’s, St. Petersburg
Uncle John’s Band Sat., Oct. 24, Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
Tributepalooza w/Kalus In Chains/Wasted Years/Tomorrows Dream Sat., Oct. 24, Brass Mug, Tampa
Charles Neville & Gent Treadly Sun., Oct. 25, Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Fortunate Youth w/Stranger/Sensamotion Sun., Oct. 25, Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Bertie Higgins and The Band of Pirates w/Rob Falsini Sun., Oct. 25, Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/Statik Selektah Sun., Oct. 25, Crowbar, Ybor City
Soulfly w/Soilwork/Decapitated/Shattered Sun Sun., Sept. 25, State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Lady and the Bard Sun., Oct. 25, Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa
Wonk Unit/Raging Nathans/Personal Best/Uberyou/Red Car Burns/more Sun., Oct. 25, Xtra Medium, Largo
Pentimento w/Better Off Sun., Oct. 25, Epic Problem, Tampa
Will Clarke Sun., Oct. 25, Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg
Castle Courtyard Day/Night Party w/Oona Dahl/Ms. Mada/Matuss Sun., Oct. 25, The Castle, Ybor City