THURSDAY, APRIL 1097X Freebie Weebie: New Politics Listener-controlled rock station 97X delivers free all-ages concerts by fast-rising national talent throughout the year. ‘Course, you have to snag tickets at one of the official ‘Ticket Drop’ locations to actually get in (more info at 97xonline.com). The 2014 Freebie Weebie makes it well worth your time with Denmark’s pop-sensible alt rock trio New Politics. You’ve likely heard the lead single off their 2013 sophomore album – the hooky, heel-kicking “My Sharona”-channeling “Harlem,” which was tapped for a trailer of Disney’s Frozen and has been playing over the airwaves a lot lately. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
Authority Zero w/Donald Spence The melodic hardcore act with skate punk, Spanish and reggae-ska flavor that's been going strong since ’94, Authority Zero, has been powered by emotive and raw-voiced lead singer and songwriter Jason Devore for its full two-decade reign. Fifth and latest album The Tipping Point– recorded with Cameron Webb (Pennywise, Social Distortion) in California and issued last year – sees the studio debut of two newer players, guitarist Brandon Landelius and drummer Sean Sellers (who joined in 2011 and 2012, respectively), and the current tour features an even fresher face, bassist Mike Spero, who replaced Jeremy Wood last year. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
Coexist Music & Arts Festival Music therapy awareness and funds-raising organization Operation Coexist has only been around for a little more than a year but has already established an eminent presence in the downtown St. Pete scene promoting quality local artists with free events while advancing its cause. Coexist Music & Arts Festival promises “Diversity, peace and unity between students and the community,” and brings a diverse array of performers – The Real Clash, Makari, Selectric, Ella Jet, Lonely Drones and The Green Benchers – as well as scattered visual arts booths to USF-St. Pete’s Harborwalk lawn. The fun occurs 3-7 p.m.; further details at facebook.com/OpCoexist. (USF Harborwalk, St. Petersburg)
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Alexander & The Grapes/Diealps!/Y Los Dos Pistoles/Philip Charos A stand-out four-pack of locally-brewed music from New Granada that touches on sweeping, melody rich indie folk rock (Alexander & the Grapes), waltzing retro-hued indie pop (DieAlps!) and a whiskey-soaked yet saccharine mix of garage pop and folk-roots rock (Y Los Dos Pistoles). Grapes drummer Philip Charos opens the evening with an acoustic solo set of his own original material. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
Arturo Sandoval Concerts at Friday Morning Musicale are a rarity and when an artist adds the historic (and underused) SoHo venue to their tour schedule, I always wonder if it will stick; of the handful of acts booked here recently, one was postponed and re-scheduled months later (Gato Barbieri) and the other canceled outright (Vanilla Fudge). In the case of Afro-Cuban jazz trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval – mentored by the great Dizzie Gillespie himself – we should be good; he makes his way to Tampa Bay every few years, without fail, laying down classy brass and drawing from a repertoire than spans nearly four decades and upwards of 40 albums. (Friday Morning Musicale, Tampa)
Judy Collins A classical piano prodigy who evolved into a guitar-wielding songbird after the folk revival of the 1960s, Judy Collins jumps between traditional folk fare, covers of cuts by her folkie peers, renderings of songs by artists not typically found in the folk realm (Leonard Cohen, Stephen Sondheim, Duke Ellington, and The Rolling Stones among others) and her own art songs and singer-songwriter material. She’s currently on the road behind a just-released concert album, Live in Ireland. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Hoots & Hellmouth/Have Gun Will Travel Sean Hoots is the leader of Hoots and Hellmouth, a Philly outfit that crafts bright acoustic-driven folk and Americana music; he plays acoustic guitar and sings in a rich tenor while his bandmates provide harmonizing backing vocals and flesh out the instrumentals – Rob Berliner on mandolin, banjo, piano and organ, Todd Erk on upright and electric bass, and Mike Reilly on drums. Have Gun, Will Travel is a favorite local roots rock ensemble with vintage by-gone area sonic appeal, a poignant lyrical style and high-octane performance standards. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
Seven Lions Hitting town on his current "Worlds Apart" tour, Cali-based OWSLA-affiliated dance music producer, DJ, remixer and one-time metal drummer Seven Lions (real name Jeff Montalvo) launches from dubstep and mixed house realms into moodier and more melody-rich terrains ala his latest “moombahgoth”-styled track, “Serpent of Old,” its overall sinister sonic atmosphere built on urgent/creepy synth progressions and the piercing vocal invocations of Ciscandra Nostalghia. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
Alexi Delano Brooklyn-based electro music artist Alexi Delano straddles the line between slick minimalism and dark pulsing techno. This show is presented as part of Serious Soul with Brian Busto. Read more about him and SoHo's underground music scene here. (Hyde Park Cafe, Tampa)
Dopapod w/Greenhouse Lounge Fast-rising electro-jam rock outfit Dopapod crafts rollicking and grooving prog-jam odes, with Phish-like sonic eccentricities, impressive technicality ala Umphrey’s McGee, and a drippy funkadelic use of synthesizers all their own that balances the riffing guitars and dance-oriented rhythms. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
JD Wilkes & The Dirt Daubers w/Ophelia Legendary Shack Shakers frontman JD Wilkes has another project, The Dirt Daubers, which are still touring behind 2013 full-length Wild Moon and doling out a vintage-hued, juke-joint ready, Delta bluesy brand of Southern roots marked by upright bass grooves and the rich sneering frontgal vocals of JD’s wife, Jessica. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
The Zombies Amid the first wave of post-Beatles British invasion acts that landed on American soil in the 1960s were The Zombies, a rather influential if underrated psychedelic group with a cool jazz-groove driven by organ and electric piano. This tour marks the 50th Anniversary of their first worldwide hit and No. 2 Billboard charter, “She’s Not There” (“But it's too late to say you're sorry / How would I know, why should I care?”). No doubt you know their other high charter, the rhythmic sighing nasty-in-hindsight “Time of the Season” (“What’s your name? Who’s your daddy? Is he rich like me?”). The five-decades-old group is presently led by founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
Enter Galactic! The next avant event to come out of Venture Compound is an electro-experimental-psychedelic-noise jam celebrating and inspired by the anniversary of the first manned space flight and its human traveler, Yuri Gagarin, who recalled in post-flight report, “The feeling of weightlessness was somewhat unfamiliar compared with Earth conditions. Here, you feel as if you were hanging in a horizontal position in straps. You feel as if you are suspended." Among the performers: Rest in Satin Silence with Wayne S. Williams, Leveret, Direwood, Hell Garbage, D.J. Hollow Life, Goblin King, Dorian Nins, Esoterika and Future Lab Rats. Space and/or sci-fi costumes encouraged. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg)
Noah Gundersen An indie folk singer-songwriter from Seattle with a tender hushed vocal style who issued a series of EPs beginning at age 19 before he finally released his first proper full-length six years later, 2014’s heartfelt and personal Ledges. (Teco Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)
Dead Milkmen w/Dead Cat Lounge/The Scurvy/Nerds Raging When I was in high school, I had a headier-than-thou (the more obscure the band, the better) music friend whose all-time faves were The Dead Milkmen and Insane Clown Posse. But he introduced the latter first, and subsequently killed any desire I had to hear the former. And that was that. Decades later, I can appreciate The Dead Milkmen’s twangy, jangly, satire-soaked cow punk, and even know a few of their songs ("Bitchin' Camaro" and "Punk Rock Girl"). ICP is still dead to me. This Brass Mug date is only one of three Dead Milkmen has scheduled in 2014 so far. Get your tickets stat. (Brass Mug, Tampa)
Trace Bundy The “Acoustic Ninja” got his nickname for his acoustic guitar prowess, an impressive legato and finger-tapping technique that finds him using both hands on fret as he moves through complex finger-picked arpeggios. He also managed to bring me to tears with his emotionally resonant reading of “Pachelbel's Canon,” impeccably capturing the harmonics and mood of the 17th century song while bathing it in a modern acoustic light. (Hideaway Café& Recording Studio, St. Petersburg)
BT The IDM behemoth otherwise known as Brian Wayne Transeau has explored a range of synthetic sonic terrains in his more than two-decade career – ambient, trance, trip hop, breakbeats, big beat, glitch – along with film, TV and video game scoring, orchestral dabbling and even developing his own music-making software. Dude’s smart, prolific, and diversified. Probably why he’s been so successful for so long. This date backs his 2013 ninth full-length, A Song Across Wires. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
Sounds of the Underground A group of local underground hip hop artists converge on North Tampa to deliver a night of raps, rhymes, grooves n’ moves – ?nowledge, Logic For Beatz, Zace and Matiks. The live festivities culminate in a freestyle session featuring all four. (Pegasus Lounge, Tampa)
Stephen Marley w/Wayne Marshall Bob Marley’s fourth youngest child with Rita, Stephen Marley, does his own reggae thing – he has multiple Grammys under his belt including a Best Reggae Album win for his 2011 sophomore LP Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life– while also paying tribute to dear old dad. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
2014 Rock & Roll Swap Meet Roger Petersen brings his long-running swap to Green Bench, where, from 2 to 6 p.m., five bands of punk, garage, surf and indie rock persuasions (Bob Anthony’s new project Botomatics, Little Sheba & The Shamans, Slade & The Wasters, Switchblade Villain and The Wrenchers) play two stages while a few dozen vendors hawk rock n’ roll goodies, from vinyl to gear. Admission is $5. (Green Bench Brewing Co. St. Petersburg)
Southeast Regional DMC Battle & Ol’ Dirty Sundays After Party The prestigious internationally-renown DMC World DJ Championships – which seeks out and honors the world’s best turntablists – has officially launched for 2014, and Crowbar plays host to the Southeast Regional DMC Battle. Each participant performs a 2-minute set during the elimination round and judges select the top six, who move on to deliver a six-minute routine in the last round. The winner gets a fatty prize pack and advances to the 2014 DMC U.S. Finals. DJ Immortal and DJ Diamond The Artist play showcases amid the event, held from 7 to 11 p.m., and Ol’ Dirty Sundays kicks off the after party directly upon the Battle's conclusion. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
Frankfest Celebrate the birthday of metal and kinetic sculpture artist Frank Strunk III as he turns the big 5-0. Among the diversions: live music by indie surf n’ garage rock outfit Luxury Mane and singer-songwriter John Holt III, life-size games (Jenga, Mega Twister, Badminton, Pin the Blowtorch on Frank), a FS-III Lookalike Costume Contest, and a Frank-inspired art show. (Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
Chris Robinson Brotherhood Originally formed during a Black Crowes hiatus by its crunchy frontman, the bluesy, jammy psychedelic rock outfit Chris Robinson Brotherhood is now a regularly recording and touring side project with two albums and a third, Phosphorescent Harvest, due out at this month’s end. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
MONDAY, APRIL 14
Del Barber With a voice carrying the airy spaciousness of the Canadian prairie he calls home and poignant lyrical storytelling set against a mix of folk rock, Americana and alt country, singer-songwriter Del Barber has been winning hearts since his 2009 debut. This date falls on the eve of the release of his fourth full-length, Prairieography, a heartfelt tribute to his home and the people who live there. (Jaeb Theater at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa)
Cherub w/Carousel/Future Limited Columbia Records-signed electro pop duo Cherub frothed up from Nashville with dance house beats, synth atmospherics, funky strutting keyboard, and suggestive lyrics delivered in a soulful, sexy-affected falsetto that’s sometimes multi-layered for psych pop effect. The video for “Doses & Mimosas” off their December EP went viral with 2.2 million views, and full-length debut Year Of The Caprese is due out this May. Carousel hails from Santa Barbara and brings an urgent yet easy driving style of dance pop to the four-date “Red Bull Sound Select” tour while Future Limited, another Nashville act, delivers a dark post-punk/New Wave sound. (Cuban Club, Ybor City)
TUESDAY, APRIL 15
Tech N9ne w/Krizz Kaliko Missouri’s most respected and prolific perpetrator of unrelentingly fast, freaky and acrobatic rhyme-play — indie rapper and Strange Music co-founder Tech N9ne — rolls through town on his “Independent Grind Tour 2014,” joined by Strange labelmate Krizz Kaliko and non-Strange acts Midwest gangster rapper Freddie Gibbs, emerging Funk Volume act Jarren Benton and hyped-up SoCal hip hop group Psych Ward Druggies. (The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City)
Jazz in the Stacks In observance of Jazz Appreciation Month, St. Petersburg College stages this free library concert featuring the seven-piece Rat Pack-covering Helios Swinget with Bryan Hughes. (West St. Petersburg Community Library, St. Petersburg)
The Sounds w/Blondfire/Ghost Beach Maja Ivarsson embodies the classical ideal of a frontwoman: tangled platinum hair, high sculpted cheekbones, big slate blue eyes outlined in smudged kohl, a confident attitude, frank sexual taste (in both men and women), and a way of taking control of the stage when she’s performing with her band, Swedish indie dance rock quintet The Sounds, currently touring behind fifth full-length Weekend. A few other notable indie acts warm the stage – boy-girl siblings-led Blondfire, a fuzzy dreamy pop-tronic duo from LA, and another duo, Brooklyn-based Ghost Beach, which crafts charming retrofied synth pop. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
WMNF Presents Bob Schneider“Digging for Icicles” is a gorgeously rendered yet rather forlorn ode off Bob Schneider’s 2013 latest, Burden of Proof, its measured pacing driven by austere piano, fleshed out with restrained swells of strings, bell-like chimes and subtle backing coos, his own lead intones dipping to low, husky, mesmerizingly pretty meditations and ascending to higher-toned entreaties. (Check out the haunting animated video by Gary Dorsey on YouTube.) First single “Unpromised Land” is a more straightforward rock n’ roll call-to-arms with grinding guitars, hooting backing vocals and Schneider delivering a more muscular and commanding vocal. Both tracks reflect the shaggy-faced Austin-based singer-songwriter’s versatile sound and a visual lyrical style that’s at turns contemplative, disarming, upbeat and quirkily passionate. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16
Local Natives w/Moses Sumney While Local Natives isn’t exactly the same band that issued urgently perfect 2009 debut Gorilla Manor, the LA quintet can still write a robust, melody-rich rock track powered by percussion and the dually exquisite and ethereal vocal calls of singers Taylor Rice (rhythm guitar) and Kelcey Ayer (keys, percs, guitar), as revealed in last year’s melancholic slow-burner Hummingbird. Bassist Andy Hamm left in 2011 (Nik Ewing took his place last year), so his bandmates recorded the sophomore follow-up without him, as produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, and drawing on a greater wealth of instrumentation to add elegant lushness to their aesthetic. This date marks Local Natives’ debut in Tampa Bay, and will likely sell out, so get your tickets now, man. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
For a comprehensive list of this week's concerts and for a list of concerts in the coming weeks, click here.