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Concerts, June 6-12
by Leilani PolkTHURSDAY, JUNE 6
LL Cool J feat. DJ Z-Trip w/Ice Cube/Public Enemy/De La Soul A four-pack of hip hop groundbreakers from back in the day flow, rip, rhyme, and flash some old school bravado on the “Kings of the Mic Tour” as led by the grandmaster of sexy himself, LL Cool J. The multi-platinum ladies-loving vet and sometime actor issued his 14th studio album, Authentic, in April, which also marked his third decade as a hip hop artist. Another successful rapper-actor, Ice Cube, enjoyed a fruitful solo career in his post-N.W.A. days with ‘90s charters like “It Was a Good Day” and “Check Yo Self,” though he still hits the studio regularly in the midst of a busy film schedule and a new album, Everythang's Corrupt, is slated for the fall. Public Enemy celebrated a 25th anniversary last year, emcees Chuck D and Flavor Flav joined by DJ Lord since 1999 to deliver “Fight the Power,”“Bring the Noise” and other PE odes. And alternative trio De La Soul has been bringing soulful jazzy flavor to their production since forming in 1987; you likely remember “Me Myself and I” off 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
Flux Pavilion Another young dubstep producer/DJ with a rad alias, Flux Pavilion is Joshua Steele, who delves into brostep and more house-influenced moombahcore aesthetics. He’s also the perpetrator behind fizzy, much-sampled and remixed club-banger, “I Can’t Stop,” most famously used in the Jay-Z/Kanye album, Watch the Throne. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
Centuries/Olde Shame/Blast and the Detergents Three discordant acts rage the Epic Problem stage as led by West Palm Beach’s hardcore punk outfit Centuries, roaring through muddy down-beat distortion just as easily as galloping barrages of sound. Olde Shame delivers “self-destructive hell punk” from Richmond, Va., with the spoken grunt poetry and blustering bellows of vocalist M. Raftery bowling over top. Finally, the Nadeau brothers plus drummer Ben Mast bring on dark jarring punk as Blast and the Detergents. (Epic Problem, Tampa)
FRIDAY, JUNE 7
High Road Ale Party with Have Gun Will Travel If your music triggers the creation of an original alcoholic beverage, you know you’re doing something right. Bradenton folk-rockers Have Gun Will Travel get credit for the first installment of Rock Brothers and Cigar City’s music-inspired craft beer series: High Road Ale, a citrusy pale ale named for HGWT’s newest single, “High Road,” and out just in time to commemorate the band’s seventh anniversary. Have Gun reminisces on Florida’s good ole days with nostalgic tunes like “Salad Days” and “When We Were Kings,” their style ranging from classic country to gritty blues to fiery roots rock and Americana. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg) —Tyler Killette
David Koz & Friends Summer Horns Tour The smooth Cali sax man kicks off his summer tour in Clearwater as he gears up to drop a new album, Summer Horns (out June 11) he produced with three other contemporary jazz saxophone players — Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot. The foursome offers up sax-imagined interpretations of brass section-driven songs by the Chicago, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone and others, and all three join him on this tour. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
Rascal Flatts w/Cassadee Pope The next mega country music tour to land at the newly re-named MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre (and you thought 1-800-Ask Gary was bad?) is Rascal Flatts, perpetrators of such No. 1 singles as “Bless the Broken Road” and “Stand.” Rising country songbird Cassadee Pope, a native of West Palm Beach, found her twangy niche on The Voice, which she won as coached by none other than Blake Shelton. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)
Cheap Girls w/Make Do And Mend/Diamond Youth Anyone who follows Cheap Girls likely wonders how they ever find time to record amid such a relentless touring schedule. The Michigan natives have a loud, nostalgic, bare bones alt-rock style that simultaneously echoes The Replacements and Smoking Popes while remaining undeniably charming and unique. Labelmates Make Do And Mend combines melodic punk stylings with post hardcore punch, and relative new comers Diamond Youth tap into the sludgier end of alt rock ala Queens of the Stone Age. (Epic Problem, Tampa)—Daniel Figueroa
Fleetwood Mac Rumblings about the latest Fleetwood Mac tour began in earnest when the solo schedules of both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham died down. After they recorded some new material with bandmates Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, and released it on this year’s Extended Play (which Buckingham calls "the most Fleetwood Mac-y stuff ... in a long time”), the soft roots rock foursome hit the road again. The setlist on their 75-date world tour includes ‘70s-era staples (“The Chain,”“Rhiannon,”“Go Your Own Way”), ’80s highlights (“Gypsy,”“Big Love”) and a few EP cuts (“Sad Angel,”“Without You”). (Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa)
[page]UNRB CD Release w/Mighty Mongo/Danfield/True Angries St. Pete’s UNRB distills an effusive, jaunty blend of ska, punk, jazz, funk and even polka music marked by the pleasantly tuneful lead vocals and electric ukulele melodies of frontman Noel Rochford, solid lowend and rhythmic back-up by bassist Nic Giordano and drummer Eric Allaire, and layers of bright blasting brass from a four-member horn section — Ben Datin (trumpet), Dan Smith (tenor sax), Matt Weihmuller (bari sax) and Andy Pilcher (trombone, euphonium, tuba). The septet presents their debut full-length, Inform the Masses, at this CD release celebration with support from some other skanky locals. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Kurt Elling w/Whitney James Sophisticated soulful jazz vocalist/composer Kurt Elling has a Grammy win to his name (for 2009’s Dedicated to You) and 10 nominations to back it up, including one for last year’s 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project. The nine-track album pays tribute to the famed NYC building housing music industry studios, offices and significant songwriters who’ve logged works in the Great American Songbook. Among his selections are “On Broadway,” its ‘60s soul given a loose and rock-groove treatment by Elling while he shows off his vocalese chops, and a reading of Carole King’s “So Far Away,” which he transforms into a gentle, melodic lullaby with atmospheric sonic textures and gliding saxophone. He’s backed by a full band for this performance in support of the album; CLICK HERE to read David Warner's story and interview with Elling. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
SATURDAY, JUNE 8
Obituary w/Druid Lord/SinGod Hard to believe it’s been nearly two years since death metal legends Obituary performed in their Tampa hometown. This date finds the foursome fresh off the “Rotting Slowly in the Pacific Rim Tour”— which backed recently-released anthology, The Complete Roadrunner Collection 1989-2005— and playing a special one-off at Orpheum. The all-ages show will be filmed for a multi-camera HD webcast streamed live, worldwide, via Unation.com, marking the band’s first ever pay-per-view performance. Support by doom/death metal outfit Druid Lord and metal/hardcore band SinGod makes for one very heavy event. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —Matthew Drozdeck
The Antitype w/SAHE/Maverick Hunter/When I Awake The Antitype has been around since 2011, though the Tampa-based foursome — spawned from two members' former project, Collision Sequence — was strictly instrumental until the recent introduction of vocalist Guy DiGiovanni. His intense howls are just what the group needed to escalate their already captivating and versatile brand of progressive metal to new heights. Live, they deliver an impressive visual experience (usually involving light displays), and they play out rarely, so you won’t want to miss them on this night. For fans of Between the Buried and Me. (Brass Mug, Tampa) —Mina Abgoon
Variance w/Malaya/A Gentleman Army/Civil Action/The Hanging Chads The Tampa Bay Area has been cultivating a rather under-appreciated music scene and some of its brightest alt rockers come together on this bill, from seasoned local vets like female-fronted Variance to barely-in-their-teens upstarts, The Hanging Chads. Civil Action and Malaya offer a heavier approach to alt-rock while A Gentleman Army brings an early ‘00s punk sound. (Local 662, St. Petersburg) —Daniel Figueroa
St. Pete Blues Allstars In the next edition of its ongoing Side Door Series, Palladium welcomes back the St. Pete Blues Allstars. The grooving local collective (which includes keys mistress Liz Pennock and her longtime compadre, guitarist Dr. Blues, among others) plays a program of jump and Chicago-style blues. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)
John Clark Band CD Release Party w/The Laurentians/Dumb Blind Luck Elder local statesman of folk rock and Tre Amici favorite John Clark is joined by his full band (lead guitarist Christian Ystrom, drummer Bill LaGrandier and bass player Jason Hawks) at this release party. The foursome plays a new eponymous EP in its entirety, including slide-drenched Southern rock odes like “Hairless Monkey” and “Dark Natured,” Clark’s rusted tin vocals carrying overtop. (Hoffman Porges Gallery, Ybor City)
Nervous Turkey w/Booker Norton Get your blood pumping, heart thumping and feet jumping with a Saturday night serving of Nervous Turkey. Ernie croons in deep, sandpapery growls or bellows vigorously as he wails on guitar, or he rages amped-up harp while Aaron pounds out the rhythms and Mark keeps the organ grooves going in the trio’s mix of down and dirty funk, blues and rock n’ roll. Booker Norton whets the appetite with their guitar-and-drums soul-rock bombast. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Iceage w/Lower Escapist/Egos Matador Records scooped up Copenhagen noise-punk quartet Iceage and released their sophomore LP You’re Nothing in February. Despite label backing, Iceage self-produced the whole affair and kept the filthy sonic sheen of their original sound intact while tightening up and delivering a dozen dense, distortion-and-reverb-washed songs clocking in at just under a half-hour. You’re Nothing has been inundated with praise, which includes a gushing 8.6 “Best New Music” rating from Pitchfork.com. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
[page]Judy Tampa & Bunko Squad w/Dirty Spoons & Trash Revue/Skully Folk-Americana singer-songwriter Judy Hargraves is Judy Tampa and Bunko Squad is her band, which includes acoustic bassist Anne VanAtta, John McEwen on acoustic guitar, Irish bouzouki and vocals, harmonica and guitar player George Pappas, and drummer Harry Hayward. This intimate Hideaway bill celebrates the release of their new single, “Best Man in the World.” Beloved local songstress Natty Moss Bond, keys player Steve Peake and guitarist Sam Bond joining Judy and Bunko to become the fun rambling Dirty Spoons & Trash Review, which is also performing along with Skully, another related band featuring three frontwomen — Natty, Anne and the captivating Reina Collins. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
Suncoast Blues Society Anniversary Party w/John Nemeth/RJ Howson Suncoast Blues Society celebrates 16 years with soulful bluesman John Németh, an Idaho-bred, Memphis-based singer, guitarist and harmonica virtuoso who was active for more than a decade before the buzz really started in earnest; 2013 found him with five Blues Music Award nominations. Warming up the stage for his Tampa date is Bradenton’s RJ Hownson, whose sound is rooted in the roots rock and Chicago blues of his native city. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra An orchestra of three despite the name suggesting otherwise. Asheville-based namesake Jonathan Scales leads on steel pans, which don’t quite lose the island hue but take on a novel polyrhythmic complexity and more varied tones in the hands of Scales and amid a jazz fusion aesthetic shaped with support from bassist Cody Wright and beat-keeper Phill Bronson. The trio was recently signed to Ropeadope Records. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)
SUNDAY, JUNE 9
The Airborne Toxic Event w/Leagues In 2008, amid loads of high praise from other music media, Pitchfork.com gave The Airborne Toxic Event’s debut full-length a 1.6 rating for unoriginality. Since then, the LA band released two more dramatic indie rock LPs, gave birth to multiple radio hits and developed their own distinctive sound. Punchy keys create the pop-rock feel of the catchy-chorused “Changing,” while rolling basslines and steady beats build intricate effects in songs like “Timeless” and “Sometime Around Midnight.” Lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist Mikel Jollett sings about love, loneliness and heartbreak — but mostly heartbreak — and a fluttery viola accentuates the band’s overall melancholy. Jollett even alludes to his own recurring despondence in “Elizabeth,” a song about a girl who chides, “All your songs are sad songs. Why do you always have to see the worst of it?” Though you may leave the show needing some Prozac, at least your ears will feel happy. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —TK
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/Grandmaster Caz & Charlie Chase Two members of NYC’s old school hip hop collective The Cold Crush Brothers hit town to spin, emcee and get the bodies moving as part of the weekly Sunday dance party hosted by DJs Casper and LeSage. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
The Resignators w/Victims of Circumstances/Stop the Presses Australia hasn’t birthed many ska bands, let alone notable ones. The Resignators are fast trying to change that with their surprisingly eclectic brand of ‘psychoska,’ their sound see-sawing between laid-back reggae rock and mad-dashing punk-ska dosed in rockabilly and swing, the mix of melodic vocal harmonies and rah rah choruses broken up by lively horns tooting jauntily or screaming ominously amid the instrumentals. (Local 662, St. Petersburg)
Black Taxi w/The Laurel Canyon The NYC four-piece’s electronic yet folky, synthesized yet acoustic style has been dubbed ‘grit-pop’ and ‘dance-punk.’ Think jangly like Talking Heads, and groovy and strutting ala The Strokes and OK Go. Black Taxi embellishes straightforward rock instrumentals with glockenspiel, trumpet, keys and synths to deliver funky, danceable tunes. Two-piece The Laurel Canyon builds a 1970s rock vibe with influences of gospel, blues and grainy psychedelia that hits both heavily and more intimately. (Skipper’s (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —Tyler Killette
MONDAY, JUNE 10
Jake Shimabukuro Seems like guitar virtuosos are a dime a dozen nowadays, which is why Grammy award-winning musician Jake Shimabukuro stands out amongst his peers with the ukulele. He started playing uke at four and has come a long way in the more than three decades since, now considered one of the best four-string wielders around. Combining jazz, funk, classical, and flamenco aesthetics, Shimabukuro’s fingers dance up and down the petite fret to create some of the prettiest musical arrangements you’d ever have the pleasure of hearing. What the ukulele lacks in strings, it more than makes up for in joyfulness, something Shimabukuro knows firsthand. “I’ve always believed that it’s the instrument of peace, because if everyone played the ukulele this world would be a much happier place,” he’s said. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) —Matthew Drozdeck
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Say Anything w/Eisley/HRVRD/Northern Faces When promoting their “Rarities and More Tour,” California indie punk outfit Say Anything promised to play songs, new and old, they’d never played live before — a treat for diehards but possibly a disappointment for those hoping to hear favorites like “A Walk through Hell” and “Alive with the Glory of Love.” But if the setlist isn’t as memorable as usual, the performance surely will be. Skinny jeans-favoring frontman Max Bemis, whose dramatic vocal delivery has grown even more theatrical over the years, tends to strut across stage in his signature grandiose style, breaking only for the occasional one-handed backwards somersault. Folk-influenced indie rock outfit Eisley happens to be fronted by Bemis’ slightly less angsty wife, Sherri Dupree, who makes dreamy chamber melodies and sings in mesmerizing vocal harmonies with her band of siblings. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Tyler Killette
Dwight Yoakam There’s no forgetting a name like Dwight Yoakam, even if you have no idea what the heck he’s done aside from rocking out some fine country music and appearing in the odd film. (Remember him as the asshole boyfriend in Sling Blade?) He’s covered songs by a diversity of artists outside the twangy realms — Queen, The Clash, Cheap Trick, the Grateful Dead — and written a host of inspired originals. And last year he collaborated with Beck, Kid Rock, and Ashley Monroe of Pistol Annies on 2012 studio LP, 3 Pears. Johnny Cash named him a favorite, so that should tell you something… (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
The Tallest Man On Earth w/Strand Of Oaks The Tallest Man on Earth is the performance moniker of Kristian Matsson, a diminutive Swede with gigantic charisma. He returns to Orlando to perform tunes from third studio album There's No Leaving Now, and he’ll most likely test-drive a new song or two. I first saw Mattson in O-Town four years ago, when he commanded the room with just his acoustic guitar and bellowing, raspy and uniquely-hewn vocals, the dynamic showman’s eyes growing wide with a range of emotion as he ambled to and fro. Folk-pop fans will appreciate Mattson’s signature Nick Drake-influenced finger picking, and his lyrical poetry is just as impressive. Philly-based opener Strand of Oaks is a promising folk-rock act that’s all at once mythic, eloquent and absurd. (The Beacham, Orlando) —Julie Garisto
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
The Neighbourhood w/The 1975 A slinky, hip-strutting electro-rock track and possibly among the catchiest 2013, The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” works with a seemingly awkward refrain (“’Cause it's too cold, for you here and now / So let me hold, both your hands in the holes of my sweater”) because of its expert vocal phrasing, the bump and groove that carries it along, and the unexpected melodic sweetness of the acoustic guitar-driven interlude that interrupts it all so easily and brings the track to a slowed-down close. “Sweater Weather” is the first single off the breezy California alt rock quintet’s debut full-length, I Love You, which dropped via Columbia in April. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.