Lots happening on the concert front this Thurs., Dec. 17, from arena-level PB&R jams to seasonal a capella harmonies. More info below.The Weeknd“The Hills” could very well be the most fucked-up/sexy love track to scale to the top of the Billboard charts, vying for the spot with its ear-wormy dance floor-vibing successor “Can’t Feel My Face.” Both singles come off Beauty Behind the Madness — the sophomore studio album from fast-rising Canadian PBR&B star and frequent Drake collaborator The Weeknd, aka Abel Makkonen Tesfaye — and both contributed to his arena-playing popularity. Whether or not you believe “The Hills” includes a bassline swiped from the score of little-known film The Machine, you can’t deny his overall appeal and sincerity as an artist, not to mention his relentless knack for writing a catchy hook and crooning or wailing it out in his distinctively silky intones. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)
Nate Najar’s Jazz Holiday – 10th Anniversary Show The seasonal concert offerings continue in earnest as we draw nearer to Christmas and the week kicks off with Tampa’s favorite acoustic jazz guitarist, Nate Najar, who’s presented his “Natemas” holiday music program for the past decade. He celebrates the milestone with 15 guests – his “regular” band of Chuck Redd (drums/vibes), Mark Feinman (drums) and John Lamb (bass), and rotating players on saxophone (Ken Peplowski, Harry Allen, Jeff Rupert, Rodney Rojas and Austin Vickrey), trombone (Bill Allred, Marius Dicpetrus and Ron Moss) and trumpet (Tom Parmerter, Randy Sandke, James Suggs and Jevon Falcon). (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
High on Fire with Crowbar, Meatwound, Fire of the Ancients A headline for a recent review of a High on Fire show read, “High On Fire: Obscene Volume, Filthy Riffs, Unfuckwithable Metal,” pretty much sums up what you can expect from 17-year-old metal vets High on Fire – ferociously intense, sludge-encrusted, balls-out metal as powered by Sleep former guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike. The current tour falls behind the release of the Oakland outfit’s well-rated seventh album Luminiferous. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
Matisyahu Most artists find breakthroughs in studio LPs but Matisyahu started his rise in 2005 with his first-ever concert album, Live at Stubb’s, which ranked second on Billboard’s reggae charts that year. A decade and several albums later, the singer, songwriter and rapper once known as the “Chassidic reggae superstar” has come into his own since shedding the label, revealing a mellower, seemingly more spiritually content artist who continues to deftly blend reggae, pop and alt hip hop sounds. October saw the release of Live at Stubb’s Vol. III, a 10th anniversary celebration of the original featuring more material and supported by a similarly intimate, stripped-down tour featuring original Stubb’s guitarist Aaron Dugan, among others. (Carol Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for Perofrming Arts, Tampa)
Rockapella Christmas Hear “You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch,”“Little Drummer Boy” and “Jingle Bell Rock” along with less traditional (original) numbers like “Happy Christma-Hanu-Kwanzaa Holiday” delivered in pitch-perfect, four-part acapella harmonies when the quartet made famous by Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego? returns to town on their annual holiday tour. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
ALSO TONIGHT
NoNeed Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin
Rosedale/Enview/High./We Could Be Heroes/These Times/Brendan Ciccone Brass Mug, Tampa
Kim Walker-Smith: When Christmas Comes Tour USF Sun Dome, Tampa
Selwyn Birchwood w/Aaron Lee Tasjan Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg
CFL NORML Winter Music Festival w/Jessica Rose/The Grand Extravagant Funkghost/ Prince the Rookie Tequila's, Ybor City
Fusion Thursdays w/Thee Joker/Truk/Bassix/Instagatur Vs Joey Oh/Shadow & Light/GOGO Pegasus Lounge, Tampa