This week in Tampa Bay area live music: Amos Lee, Ski Beatz, Mobb Deep, Jesse Cook, Anvil & more

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THURSDAY, APRIL 3

Branford Marsalis Quartet Of prestigious Louisiana jazz pedigree, Berklee-trained Branford Marsalis is the elder of brother Wynton by a mere year, plays soprano, tenor and alto saxophones, and cut his teeth working with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, not to mention collabing with Sting and the Grateful Dead, writing Broadway scores and even experimenting with hip-hop in his band, Buckshot LeFonque. While his sonic focus has shifted to more classical music environs in his later years, he still keeps his jazz chops tight and improv game at-the-ready with his quartet. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

Steve Hackett Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel might be the most prominent and prosperous ex-members of Genesis, but Steve Hackett flexed his lead guitar and songwriting muscles with the band from 1970 until his departure in 1977, and appeared on six seminal Genesis albums, including The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The British axeman has recorded upwards of 20 solo LPs; two of those re-imagine Genesis material he helped produce as joined by assorted guest vocalists. Hackett hits town on the next leg of dates backing the most recent one, 2012’s Genesis Revisited II, and you can expect to hear “The Chamber of 32 Doors” and “Entangled” among other cuts. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

Rock The Park: Poetry N’ Lotion/The Real Clash/Tommy Simms A triple serving of Rock the Park tastiness. Poetry n’ Lotion dishes out a clever, brass-blasted kitchen sink of fusion that touches on metal, gypsy jazz, reggae, Irish folk music, samba, psych and prog rock sonic doodads. The Real Clash brings high quality hip hop bombast with a full band (percussion, drums, guitar, bass, keys, DJ), two emcees and a howling vocalist/hype gal. And rock songwriter Tommy Simms (Win Win Winter, Automatic Love Letter) rounds it out with plaintive yet sweet vocals over heartfelt acoustic guitar-driven odes. (Curtis Hixon Park, downtown Tampa)

G-Eazy Baby-faced Oakland-bred G-Eazy was the rapper who sampled “Runaround Sue” in such a way that it tweaked your nostalgia nerve and forced you to like it instantaneously, then further reeled you with Greg Banks’ velvety crooned heartbroken hook about a girl who’s running around on him as G-Eazy’s calculating brassy-rusty rhymes jump from bitterness to anger to acceptance: “Put her on the streets like a banksy / Cause I was too swanky, and she was too skanky.” (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

FRIDAY, APRIL 4
Wolf-Face/Permanent Makeup/Empire Cinema/Cosm/Mallory Moyer A free showcase of five local bands with aesthetics touching on cheeky punk, no wave, dark alt rock, sludge metal, and experimental folk to celebrate the launch of The Burger, a new grassroots online publication reporting on the Tampa Bay music scene. Show starts at 7 p.m. sharp. (Planet Retro, St. Petersburg)

Mobb Deep w/Mike Mass/The Villainz Last tour around, hardcore hip hop duo Mobb Deep were celebrating their 20th anniversary, rappers Havoc and Prodigy having laid a few-year feud to rest and seemingly newly revitalized. The tour inspired the duo to hit the studio and kick out some new jams as well as dig into the vaults for some old ones to offer in their just-released eighth studio LP and first new effort in eight years, The Infamous Mobb Deep. The double album includes all new material on disc one (featuring production by Havoc and The Alchemist among others, and guest spots encompassing Nas, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, French Montana and Juicy J), and previously unreleased tracks from their second studio album The Infamous (1995) on disc two. Their return to the Tampa Bay area finds Mobb Deep playing a far more intimate venue, so you can bet this show will sell out if it hasn’t by the time of this printing. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Safety Harbor Music Festival w/Ben Taylor/Jennifer Knapp/Andrew Belle/Webb Wilder/Phil Madeira/Ryan Montbleau/many others More than 30 diverse musical talents practicing blues, funk, roots, country, jazz, pop, world-beat, bluegrass and more converge in Pinellas for the three-day Safety Harbor Singer Songwriter Festival. The SHSSF benefits the Safety Harbor Art and Music Center (SHAMc), a new nonprofit striving to promote education in the arts; all proceeds go towards a community arts center currently being constructed in Safety Harbor’s downtown. The event kicks off on Friday at Safety Harbor Museum & Cultural Center, with performances on Saturday and Sunday at the park.(Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, Safety Harbor)

Paul Anka The schmaltzy Canada-born, U.S.-naturalized pop crooner with the soft rock sway churned out a string of top 10 hits in the 1950s (“Diana,”“Lonely Boy,”“Puppy Love,”“Put Your Head on My Shoulder”) and while the only No. 1 he charted in the decades that followed was 1974’s “(You’re) Having My Baby,” Paul Anka is the only artist in history who’s had a record on Billboard’s Top 50 charts for six consecutive decades, a milestone he achieved after his last the release of two critically-hailed albums featuring lounge-jazz versions of rock songs, 2005’s Rock Swings and 2007’s Classic Albums, My Way. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

Jarekus Singleton w/DieDra & The Ruff Pro Band Singleton is a bluesman from Mississippi whose sound has a modern sax-coated slickness that’s balanced by ripping and searing guitar licks, funky grooving rhythms, and Singleton’s silky soulful vocals gliding over top. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

2001: A Space Odyssey Improv Soundtrack Nine musicians inhabiting experimental, electronic and noise realms (Other Organs, Lavender Smith, Leveret, Rest in Satin Silence, Montag Musique, DC9V, Wayne S., Bradley E. and David D.) put their diverse sonic talents to the test improvising a soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, on the 46th anniversary of the film’s release. Hard to tell how well it’ll actually translate but worth checking out. (Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)

80s Unplugged w/Frank Hannon/Mike Tramp/Ron Keel Two frontmen and one songwriter-guitarist from three hitmaking hair-metal bands of yore do the solo acoustic thing — Frank Hannon from Tesla (“What You Give,”“Signs”), Mike Tramp of White Lion (“Wait,”“When the Children Cry”) and Keel’s Ron Keel (“The Right to Rock”). (Largo Cultural Center, Largo)

SATURDAY, APRIL 5

Amos Lee w/Adrien Reju The roots-folk rock singer-songwriter takes a country/R&B-oriented turn in his latest Blue Note release, 2013’s Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song, which found Amos Lee laying down tracks with his touring band (a first), recording in a new studio (a converted church in Nashville), working with a new producer (Jay Joyce, behind albums by Emmylou Harris and The Wallflowers among many others), and bringing on a few feminine guests (Patty Griffin and Allison Krauss). Lee’s brassy blue eyed-soulful vocals soar in tunes that vary from the mournful sway of lost love (“Chill in the Air”) to the grooving strut of self-respect (“Loretta”). The Philly native hits town backing the album with his band, and donates $1 from every ticket sale to Musicians On Call, a nonprofit that brings music (live and recorded) to bedridden patients in healthcare facilities. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

The Wholetones w/Florida Mountain Boys The Naples-based ‘folkcore’ quintet shreds like metalheads with jazz-trained chops in their bluegrass-rootsy acoustic jams. Always a pleasure seeing these guys live, especially for free under the stars in the Witch courtyard. (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)

St. Pete Record Show At this first-ever event organized by Bananas Records staffer Russell Hause, Green Bench becomes a veritable indie music marketplace with a food truck, DJs and abundant vinyl shopping and swapping opportunities. From noon to 5 p.m., locals can riffle through offerings from Bananas, Daddy Kool, Planet Retro, Microgroove, Mojo Books & Records, and Sarasota-based newbie, Vatican City Records. With virtually every important indie music shop all gathered in one spot, there’s no telling what you’ll find. (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg)

Mephiskapheles w/The Attack/UNRB/Abortion Twins Mephiskapheles came barreling out of NYC during its ’90s-era ska revival, their own high-strung off-kilter third wave sound infused with elements of jazz, prog, punk and circus music, and their cheeky lyrical matter concerned with all things Satanic, per the Faust band name. Mephiskapheles were originally active from 1990 to 2001, but re-banded in 2012 and have been working on new material that’ll likely get tested out on this short five-date Southern jaunt. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

COPE w/Pigeons Playing Ping Pong The Tampa Bay area’s favorite jammy rockin’ n’ rollin’ quartet Cope headlines this Saturday night Skipperdome date with support from out-of-towners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, a funkadelic foursome from Baltimore with their own self-named fanbase, ‘The Flock.’ (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Fox Street Allstars w/Future Vintage/The Stone City Taken under the wing of UK funk trio The New Mastersounds, Denver area outfit Fox Street Allstars marries archetypal Southern rock swagger with soulful organ-driving funk and stomping roadhouse blues as led by ragged-voiced singer Jonathan “Skippy” Huvard. The septet hits town backing sophomore full-length Tough Talk, which features Mastersounds organist Joe Tatton among others. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)

The Hip Abduction w/Cas Haley A personal local favorite based in St. Pete, The Hip Abduction crafts vibrant, brass-soaked and beat-driven Afro pop dosed in funk, dub reggae and acoustic rock flavors, and marked by authentic stringed instrumentation (African kora). THA recorded their most recent album with Easy Star Records’ primary Michael Goldwasser and one of that label’s artists, Texas reggae soul singer-songwriter Cas Haley, warms the stage. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)

SUNDAY, APRIL 6
Deicide Tampa’s own death metal veterans Deicide rose to worldwide fame early in their storied career with the release of 1992’s Legion. After three decades of controversy, bans and lawsuits, they still rock hard. In the Minds of Evil is their 11th studio album and the first to feature the talents of new guitarist Kevin Quirion. With this latest line-up change, the band’s sound has reached a new level of sophisticated brutality that we haven’t heard from them in a long time. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —Shawn Ohtani

The Malah Denver livetronic trio The Malah builds deep house-pumping, electro-grooving instrumental soundscapes that marry traditional instrumentation — guitars, bass, drums and percussion — with programming, samplers and synthesizers. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)

Ski Beatz An esteemed, much-called-upon producer with an old school funky-soulful and groove-vibing style dusted in classy sonic accoutrements. Since his first production credit on Bizzie Boyz’s 1990 album Droppin' It, Ski Beatz has put together tracks for the likes of Jay-Z, The Cool Kids, Curren$y, Talib Kweli and Murs as well as crafting a few of his own fantastic full-length LPs. On this night, he makes two appearances, first at Orpheum with renowned NYC-bred DJ Tony Touch for “A Slap Lesson with Ski Beatz,” a launch party for Producers-Xchange.com. Then, Ski Beatz hits Ol’ Dirty Sundays and delivers an hour-long DJ set as joined by very special TBA guests. (Orpheum and Crowbar, Ybor City)

Jesse Cook The "nuevo flamenco" musician from Toronto mostly manages to steer clear of the New Age-y feel so many classical guitarists gravitate towards when practicing world-flecked styles, and his exquisitely rendered instrumentals are imbued with tremendous emotion — whether it’s the slinky ethno jazz sounds of the hunt, meant for a smoky European café and heat-filled conversation, or delicate picking and plucking over a slow and forlorn passage, break-up music for a strange land. His repertoire includes original material and covers; 2012’s The Blue Guitar Sessions features a steamy supple reading of “I Put a Spell on You” featuring vocalist Emma-Lee. No guest voices on this date, but he will be joined by his full band — flamenco guitarist Nicholas Hernandez, drummer/percussionist Rosendo “Chendy” Leon, violin player Chris Church and bassist Dennis Mohammed. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Carolyn Wonderland w/ Selwyn Birchwood Carolyn Wonderland is a badass blues rocking songstress from Texas with guitar chops and muscular, rusted-drawling vocals that tell it straight in searing numbers like “What Good Can Drinkin’ Do” (“I said bring me whiskey, bring me bourbon, bring me gin, I said don’t worry for the flavor, if it changes the shape I’m in”). She also dabbles in rambling New Orleans sonic hues and urgent driving rock n’ roll. Selwyn Birchwood kicks off the Skipperdome set with his own soulful, swampy blues revival. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)

Kadavar Kadavar launched onto world stages with the release of their 2012 eponymous debut. Fans of 1970s heavy metal bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath need look no further to get their fix. Hailing from Berlin, the trio’s sound (“warm, intense, authentic — doubtlessly a gift from bygone times”) captures every nuance of a vintage bygone era, down to fur-collared coats, mustaches, and muted golden-toned PR photos. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —SO

Suncoast Blues Society Jook Joint Party w/Brent Johnson The blues music champions of West Central Florida’s SBS present the first Juke Joint party of the year, which also doubles as a CD release celebration for Brent Johnson & the Call Up. The smoking hot blues guitar phenom (who’s been playing since age 4) presents his debut recording, Set the World on Fire, at the organization’s debut Hideaway show. Music starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $5. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
Anvil Speaking of heavy metal veterans, Canada’s Anvil has been rocking stages for 37 years. In addition to releasing 15 studio albums, the band was featured in their very own rockumentary, Anvil! This is the Story of Anvil, which earned high praise from critics and revitalized their touring career. While Anvil’s influence on the heavy metal scene is undeniable, so, too, is their staying power, as demonstrated by their high-quality latest, Hope in Hell, released last year. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg) —SO

The Reign of Kindo w/Matthew Santos/Carlisle/Airsickness The Reign of Kindo pairs piano melodies that flutter, pound, skip and prance majestically with airy complex rhythmic patterns, thick fluid basslines, occasional atmospherics — a swell of strings, picked guitar, light swishing percussion — and sweet pop-tender vocals that give their prog-jazz sound a more peaceful easy feeling. (Orpheum, Ybor City)

CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.

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