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Concerts, July 25-31
by Leilani Polk, Ray Roa and Colin JoyceTHURSDAY, JULY 25
Souls of Mischief Still Infinity Tour Souls of Mischief emcees Tajai, A-Plus, Phesto Dee and Opio spent more than two decades carving out a respected niche in the Oakland, Calif. underground hip hop scene, as Souls of Mischief and members of alt hip hop collective Hieroglyphics (with Del Tha Funkee Homosapien among others). Debut full-length 93 'til Infinity is still their highest charter to date, a seminal hip hop classic with a title track that finds each emcee relating just how he unwinds — smoking blunts, swigging cooler-chilled 40s, roaming the strip looking for ‘bones’ to pick (hey, ladies), writing rhymes and freestyling, et. al — and each taking turns delivering the refrain (“This is how we chill from ’93 til…”) in his own distinct style and cadence. Last album, 2009’s Montezuma's Revenge, was recorded with producers Domino and Prince Paul (De La Soul, Handsome Boy Modeling School). All four have been working the solo tip since the hype around that album died down, but they’ve reconvened to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 93 'til Infinity, performing the LP in its entirety with a live band on their current tour. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—Leilani Polk
Col. Bruce Hampton & Pharaoh's Kitchen In usual free-wheeling manner of fostering emerging talent, Col. Bruce Hampton, aka Zambi, has taken AJ Ghent under his wing to front latest outing, Pharaoh’s Kitchen. Hampton’s name is attached to bring out the warm bodies and he presides from a seat on stage, but his spacey guitar licks and absurdist commentary are meant as accompaniment to the real star of the show, Ghent, a Fort Pierce native singer, songwriter and third gen lap steel player carrying on the legacy of his family; grandfather Henry Nelson founded the sacred steel guitar tradition and his dad’s a player, too. Dunedin Brewery hosts both shows of this two-night Thursday-Friday run. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin) —LP
A Stan Hunter Celebration A local all-star concert program that pays tribute to one of the Bay area’s most esteemed keysmen in jazz, pianist and Hammond B3 player Stan Hunter; Patrick Bettison directs, with Hunter sitting in for the finale. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)—LP
FRIDAY, JULY 26
Brock Butler w/Lather Up! Only a few weeks after his former Perpetual Groove bandmates raged Dunedin Brewery, the melancholic vocalist, songwriter and guitarist who fronted the Athens electro rock band hits New World Brewery. Brock Butler has a ridiculous ear for melody, a full repertoire of original material, and a brain packed full of ready-to-perform cover tunes. In this set-up, Butler is doing the one-man band thing, looping instrumentals he creates on his axe, lap steel slide guitar and various other instruments, singing over top. On this date he’s joined by Lather Up!, featuring instrumentalists from South Florida jam rock outfit The Heavy Pets. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
Gumbi Ortiz and New Groove City Smooth jazz gets a bad rap sometimes. Gumbi Ortiz and his presumably calloused fingers could change the conversation. The Florida-based conga player or “conguero” has been touring for the better part of two decades, but he’s recently slowed down enough to lead a collective of young musicians in New Groove City, which delivers a mix of hardcore timba and authentic Cuban salsa music. The Palladium’s Side Door is a pretty swell room to catch any show in, so expect this one to sound pretty good. (Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) —Ray Roa
Vans Warped Tour ’13 w/Reel Big Fish/The Used Chiodos/letlive./The Ataris/Hawthorne Heights/Allstar Weekend/The Black Dahlia Murder/Never Shout Never/Forever The Sickest Kids/MC Lars/Young London/Juliet Simms/Black Veil Brides/Set It Off/Beebs And Her Money Makers/many more Ah, Warped Tour. Since its inception in 1995, the travelling festival has evolved into a summertime rite of passage for teens and tweens alike (and even the parents who have to drive them there). This year, the festivities once again take over Vinoy Park where revelers will soak up copious amounts of Vitamin D (bring sunscreen!) while a few established punk rock legends like ska icons Reel Big Fish and emo heavyweights The Used lead the charge and a host of some of the genere’s most popular outfits (pop punkers Allstar Weekend, metal lords Black Dahlia Murder, and self-proclaimed “post-punk laptop rap” pioneer MC Lars) compete for the attention amongst a lineup that boasts dozens upon dozens of acts. (Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg) —RR
The Apes/The Duppies It was hard to say goodbye when beloved Tampa-based ska outfit Magadog officially called it quits last fall, but The Apes have made it sting a little less. The Tampa-based nine-piece specializes in first and second wave ska and boasts Magadog frontman Ed Lowery in its lineup. For this free Friday night shindig, the band is joined by rowdy Gainesville-based septet The Duppies, whose rocksteady on songs like “Night Food Reggae,”“Artibella,” and “One Thousand Bullets” is as sunny as it is thought provoking. (Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, Tampa) —RR
[page]Zach Deputy w/Christopher Hawley There are several ways to be enchanted by a Zach Deputy performance. You can fix your eyes on the way that the South Carolina-based one-man band manipulates the NASA mission control-style smorgasbord of pedals, controllers, and drum pads in front of him, or you can close your eyes and listen to the way he indecipherably loops all those elements together to create a strangely tropical, immeasurably upbeat, and impossible-to-not-dance-to brand of jam rock. The boy has a surprisingly soulful voice (listen to “Real” or the title track off his 2009 Sunshine LP to see what I mean) and the epitome of an infectious smile, plus opener Christopher Hawley plays some of the most innocently easy to listen to folk pop this side of Jack Johnson, so expect to not be sad at this one. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa) —RR
All Good Five-Year Party w/Beacon/Dylar Still going strong after five years of All Good Tuesdays at Crowbar, Soft Rock Renegades Jack Spatafora and Cameron Correa are ready celebrate. Heading up this special Friday night throwdown is Brooklyn-based Ghostly International-repped duo Beacon, their their atmospheric, R&B-hued synth pop marked by gentle beats, deep bass pulses and dark melodic tones hinting at something sinister lurking just beneath the surface. (Crowbar, Ybor City)—LP
Passafire w/Stick Figure The Savannah, Ga.-based outfit doesn’t tread any massively new ground in the reggae rock genre, but they paint their take on it with enough colorful organ passages and ripping guitar leads to make this evening’s entrance fee ($10) worth about 100 times its weight. The addition of Massachusetts’ Stick Figure makes the “Summer Hot Box Tour” pretty much a no-brainer. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —RR
SATURDAY, JULY 27
Green Sunshine Album Release Party w/Charlie Dandelion/Shoeless Soul An outerspace-themed party in celebration of Interstellar Funk Patrol, the new record from Green Sunshine, an ensemble encompassing a soulful female vocalist, a few rappers, horn players and a full-band that delivers an intoxicating, rocking mix of hip hop and funkadelia. Attendees are encouraged to dress up ‘as stellar and funky as your mind can imagine.’ (The Blueberry Patch, St. Petersburg)—LP
Biz Markie It’s been over two solid decades since Biz Markie painfully crooned his way into hearts of mainstream America by turning the melody of Fred Scott’s “You Got What I Need” into his hit song “Just A Friend.” While a host of other equally goofy songs never got the same kind of traction (“Pickin’ Boogers”“Toilet Stool Rap,” and “Hooker Got A Boyfriend” all come to mind), Biz has stayed true to his humorous style while managing to make sure his pop culture presence is as relevant as ever with his Yo Gabba Gabba gig. Blame it on that signature flow or that goofy gap-toothed smile coming from a hulk of a man, but Biz Markie isn’t going away and we’re all better for it. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) —RR
Toad The Wet Sprocket“But I can fly through the heavens on the power of my heart, thread my way through a string of stars, to write your name in a new constellation, bare my love to all creation” Glen Phillips sings sweetly and self-assuredly in “New Constellation,” the new single by Toad the Wet Sprocket. The Cali-bred AC-friendly alt rock quartet released five LPs and charted a few hits (“Walk on the Ocean,”“All I Want,”“Fall Down”) before breaking up in 1998, but reunited in 2006 for some sporadic touring and had finally decided to put together some new material by 2010. A fresh full-length produced is expected this fall. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
Richard Barone w/The Belltowers/DieAlps Top 40 radio was Richard Barone’s introduction to Tampa’s music scene. Before you get the wrong idea, the dude was 7 years old and has since amassed quite the curious array of accomplishments. From his time with Hoboken indie rock OGs, The Bongos, to production for Tiny Tim, to a solo career of jangly slowcore, the man’s done some interesting stuff. He’s coming back home for a solo set at our fair city’s best record store/bookstore/coffee shop, and it’s free. The Bongos are getting back together for the closing of Maxwell’s, a famed performance in their hometown of Hoboken, so provided you can’t make it all the way up to New Jersey, you can catch their front man in a similarly intimate locale for substantially less of a hit on your wallet. (Mojo Books & Music, Tampa) —Colin Joyce
Antiwarpt Pre-Party More than 30 bands perform at three venues: Steven Garrett, Genre Baptiste, Abstract Machine, Young Egypt, Hunter Gatherer, Jensen Serf Company, Just Satellites, Sonic Graffiti, DJ Moose & Squirrel (The Local 662); Glass Bottom Boat, Matthew Fowler, Kersey Williams, Avery Moore, Ten Acres, Lonly Monster, Anthony from Dead Sound, Christie Lenee, Awkward Age, Kyle Chason & The Swindlin's Hearts, Friends of Giants, Escape Tonight, The Tattered Saints (Fubar); and Archaic Interest, Article 47, Memphibians, Dead Pedestrian, Grounded, Ex-Breathers, KID AIDS, Displace, Comeback Alice (Emerald Bar). (600 Block, St. Petersburg)
[page]Kisses w/Saskatchewan/Tako Tomago Kisses is made up of soon-to-be-married couple Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson, their style of summery-hued ’80s-inspired dance music and made-for-skating-rink synth pop taking a thematic turn in new sophomore album Kids in LA, which finds Edmundson laying down hooky keyboard melodies or atmospheric texture while Kivel sings in a lightly emotive tenor about bored rich kids kicking around in LA. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)—LP
₡Δ▼ΞЛ (Coven) Do you remember Witch House? No? Well, back in 2010, some bedroom producers got all ghostly and took on weird symbols in their monikers in what was the biggest internet micro-genre since chillwave receded. The good folks at Venture Compound in St. Pete remember, and they’re bringing it back in full force for a night they’re calling ‘₡Δ▼ΞЛ’ (that’s ‘Coven’ for those of you limited to English characters). DJs Mike Bagley and Jet are set to spin the best that soupy, shrouded genre has to offer alongside a couple of live performances from the Tampa-based darkwave duo Push Button Press, and the shapeshifting noiseniks in St. Pete locals Young Egypt. (The Venture Compound, St. Petersburg) —CJ
SUNDAY, JULY 28
Cannibal Ox w/Akir/IREALZ/Kenyattah Right before the regularly scheduled Ol’ Dirty Sundays, Crowbar presents another hip hop bill that Tampa definitely didn’t see coming. Actually, no one probably saw this one coming, and while Cannibal Ox only has one great LP under their belt (2001’s Cold Vein), said LP is a bona fide classic that will get some new shine when the NYC-based duo of Vast Aire and Vordul Mega hit Ybor for an early show. There is no telling if Aire and Mega will ever make that rumored sophomore album, so this is probably going to be your best chance to pay homage. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —RR
Ol’ Dirty Sundays w/Rich Medina From his early days as a B-boy-turned-DJ in Lakewood, N.J., Rich Medina — a veritable legend in hip hop history and a member of Philly’s Rock Steady Crew — has embodied everything that Ol’ Dirty Sundays is about: passion for vinyl as a tool to make bodies move, the amazing power it holds to the individual listener and utilizing a blue-collar work ethic to parlay that enthusiasm into a lifestyle that promotes positive thinking, progression, and community. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —RR
Rebound Johnny: A Benefit for John McEwen A significant local player has been missing from the scene of late: singer, songwriter and multi-string instrumentalist John McEwen, who’s devoted decades of his career to the local scene, and can usually be seen performing with Judy Hargraves in Judy Tampa & Bunko Squad, and in her side project with Natty Moss Bond, Dirty Spoons & Trash Revue. McEwen spent several weeks in the hospital after emergency surgery for a perforated intestine, and he’s currently dealing with medical bills not covered by insurance along with the costs of rehabilitation. His musician friends throw this Sunday fundraiser on his behalf from 3 to 7 p.m. A silent auction and raffles feature donated goods, and bands that have donated their time and talents — among them Dirty Spoons, Ronny Elliott, Gumbo Limbo Cajun, Liz Hollister, Third Man Out and Pappos — perform. Cover is free but donations to the McEwen Medical fund (reboundjohnny.com) are appreciated. (Four Green Fields, Tampa)—LP
Machine Gun Kelly After five years of dropping buzz-worthy mixtapes, the pale tatted rapper from Cleveland whose swift spitting style earned him his working stage name landed a fatty record deal with Interscope/Bad Boy Records in 2011. Diddy personally oversaw production on 2012 debut full-length, Lace Up, his involvement referenced in first single “Wild Boy” with guest Wocka Flocka Flame (“Lose control like Missy but I’m a bad boy ‘cause I’m with Diddy, bitch”). In June, MGK is self-released the rock-inspired Black Flag, originally slated as a mixtape, but now touted as a second full-length available for free. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)—LP
The Psychedelic Furs w/Spacehog Less than a year after their stop at State Theatre with Lemonheads, British sextet Psychedelic Furs (“Pretty In Pink”) returns for another round of their dark, New Wave-rooted post-punk as driven by brassy-droning frontman/songwriter Richard Butler. Warming up the stage is another Brit band, glammy spacey alt rock outfit Spacehog, which you likely remember best from 1995 hit, “In the Meantime.” Spacehog is on tour behind a well-received PledgeMusic-funded fourth album, As It Is On Earth, their first fresh output in a dozen years. (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)—LP
The Monkees Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork hit the road again with a full backing band to reprise last year’s successful throwback tour. “A Midsummer’s Night with The Monkees” touches on hits (“Last Train To Clarksville,”“I’m A Believer,”“Pleasant Valley Sunday”), deep cuts from their first five albums (including a few tunes dusted off for the first time since the ’60s) and fan favorites from the soundtrack of their cult classic psychedelic film, Head. All of it is paired with rare film footage and one-of-a-kind photographs culled from the Monkees archives. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)—LP
[page]MONDAY, JULY 29
Black Sabbath Though it’s been 18 years since we’ve seen anything new from Black Sabbath and it took more than a dozen of those to bring their much-anticipated 19th studio album to fruition, the result has proven well worth the wait. Produced by Rick Rubin and released last month, 13 is a return to classic grinding form for the heavy metal trailblazers. Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi are currently joined on tour by Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk. This stop is part of the band's Farewell Tour. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa)—LP
TUESDAY, JULY 30
KEN mode w/Inter Arma/Reveal Renew A good rule of thumb for those not initiated into metal spheres: aim for the stuff that upsets metalheads. Generally, this means the band in question is pushing boundaries and pushing buttons, something that Inter Arma does exceedingly well. The Richmond, Va. quintet is making a quick return to Florida after a handful of dates with locally-based homies set and setting, but this time around is sure to be a special treat. They’re opening for Canadian noisemakers KEN mode, which blends the seemingly disparate worlds of gritty noise rock and gloomy hardcore. So if you think you might have a taste for the heavy stuff, but aren’t quite sure where to start, Orpheum on Tuesday night is the place to be. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —CJ
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival w/Rob Zombie/Five Finger Death Punch/Mastodon/Amon Amarth/Machinehead/Children of Sodom/Emmure/Huntress/many more Dragula is coming. He’s gonna be all hopped up on Rockstar Energy Drink, too. And while Robert Bartleh Cummings is Mayhem’s main draw, the 48-year-old better known as Rob Zombie isn’t the only big name at this mini music fest, which spreads about 20 hard rock bands between four stages over the better part of 10 hours at amphitheaters across the U.S. LA’s Five Finger Death Punch are touring behind the first of two LPs they’ll release this year and Atlanta, Ga.-based Mastodon have taken any predisposed ideas on heavy metal and tossed them completely out the window with albums like 2011’s The Hunter and a 2008 masterpiece, Crack The Skye, where singer Brent Hinds presents a concept album exploring ideas like astral travel and wormholes as experienced through the senses of a quadriplegic. Heavy, yes. Trippy as fuck, hell yes. (MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa) —RR
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.