Here's your rundown of killer local and national shows for Saturday & Sunday, including WMNF's Americana Fest, Machine Gun Kelly, Bellos, Dubbest and more.
SAT 19
WMNF Americana Fest w/Nikki Lane/Rebekah Pulley & the Reluctant Prophets/Beartoe/Ronny Elliott with Chinese Maryjane/Will Quinlan and The Diviners/Big Shoals/The Burke Brothers/Devon Stuart/Wiltshire and The Chosen Few/The Hummingbirds For its latest multi-band fest, WMNF turns to roots music and brings a new sweetheart of the outlaw country scene to headline the festivities: Nikki Lane, a South Carolina belle now living in LA and making waves since the release of her 2011 Walk of Shame LP, her lightly smoky sugar-coated drawl belying her sometimes sharp tone and the mature subject matter of her songs; 2014 sophomore follow-up All or Nothin’ was produced by (can you guess?) Dan Auerbach. A well-stacked lineup of local and regional talent repping roots rock, folk rock, Americana, newgrass, swamp blues, alt-country and all the twang in between round out Americana Fest, which kicks off at 4 p.m. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Machine Gun Kelly “I owe my life to my own advice, follow your muthafuckin’ dreams until those visions come to life,” Cleveland-based Machine Gun Kelly spits on “D&G,” off his 2013 latest Black Flag mixtape, which features guest spots by Pusha T, Meek Mill, Wiz Khalifa and French Montana among others. The 24-year-old tatted-up rapper — who started battle rapping in middle school to combat bullying and used words to defend himself against fists — is known for his rapid-fire chops (hence the name) and is currently signed to P. Diddy’s Bad Boy Records imprint. (Amphitheatre, Ybor City)
Greenhouse Lounge w/Redstar/Future Vintage Who could’ve predicted that electronic music would so effectively cross paths with psychedelic rock and jammy persuasions? Jacksonville-based trio Greenhouse Lounge may be hiding a crystal ball, given their uncanny combination of wobblin’ bass, funky beats, hosing guitar solos, and high-octane drumming. Expect the unexpected with his group: their improvisational shows mix everything from tracks off their recent LP Freak Out/Now Reflect to covers of hip-hop hits like Gucci Mane’s “Beamin’.” But they pull it all together so effortlessly, you’ll wonder why psych-jam EDM wasn’t a genre much sooner. (Crowbar, Ybor City) –Cody Smith
Treasure Island/Switchblade Villain/Broken Things Planet Retro throws another free show, this particular lineup all local bands with plenty of kick. Among them, the Ray Vega-led Switchblade Villain, which takes its garage-punk influence from classic-era acts like The Sonics and The Cramps, and Treasure Island, serving up “Florida punk 'n’ roll from the darkside of the beach.” (Planet Retro, St. Petersburg)
Dubbest Another reggae-rock band froths forth from the collective swaying masses — this one Dubbest, from Boston, which pits the customary R&B-sweet vocal harmonies against a distinctive blend of bouncing roots, echoing dub and drippy psychedelia, with strains of melodica to brighten up the sonicsphere, and a fat effected bass (or is that keyboards set to clavinet?) paired with wah-wah guitar to add a bit of grooving funkiness. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)
Bellows w/Archaic Interest/Porch Sessions As Bellows, Brooklyn’s Oliver Kalb crafts lovely experi-pop odes with poetic lyricism that’s both deep and poignant (“For Rock Dove” examines love amid themes of death and the relentless passage of time). He cycles through varying pop moods on 2014 latest, Blue Breath, from glo-fi ambient and melancholy with thick fuzzy synths and bursts of sonic flotsam, to more uplifting and densely textured instrumentals, to stripped-back anti-folk ramblers. All of it is anchored by his chiming, breathy-sweet multi-tracked vocal harmonies. Blue Breath was recorded by Kalb in five bedrooms over three years, but he’s joined by a full band (drums, keys, bass) for his tour. For fans of Sufjan Stephens. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
SUN 20
Bird Street Players w/The Brand New Opiates/Tribal Style Three local acts get the Skipperdome grooving, swaying and moving with this weekend-closing bill as headed up by Bird Street Players, an outfit that starts with a solid foundation of beat-mining percussive-fused funk that branches out to reggae, soul, rock and blues territories. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones Detroit-brewed, Bradenton-based singer-guitarist Deming crafts a greasy, harmonica-blown blend of Southern blues, vintage roots and country swing, the perfect accompaniment to Ella’s Soul Food Sunday menu. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa)