soundcheck

Review / photos: Heart, Jason Bonham revive Led Zeppelin classics at Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre

Heart, with Nancy Wilson on guitar and Ann Wilson on vocals, are joined by drummer Jason Bonham, the son of John Bonhan, for a Led Zeppelin tribute set on June 18 at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa.

It’s odd to think of Heart as contemporaries of Led Zeppelin, but for the latter half of the ‘70s, that’s exactly what they were.

Heart’s debut album Dreamboat Annie, featuring hits Crazy On You and Magic Man, was released in February 1976, about six weeks before Led Zeppelin’s Presence, which included the hit Nobody’s Fault But Mine. They never toured together, but had John Bonham not died in 1980, leading to Led Zeppelin’s dissolution, it might have happened. Ann and Nancy Wilson are staunch LedHeads to this day – when Led Zeppelin were feted at last year’s Kennedy Center Honors, Heart performed a rendition of Stairway to Heaven that brought tears to Robert Plant’s eyes.

That’s why Heart’s new Heartbreaker Tour, which stopped Tuesday at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, is such a great idea. With a little help from Jason (son of John) Bonham, the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees treated more than 5,100 fans one of the most rip-roaring tribute sets Tampa has seen in years, tearing through Zeppelin classics like Kashmir and Stairway to Heaven with, the ferocity of – pardon the pun – a barracuda.Full Story

Review: Billy Idol fills Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall with raging hits, roaring antics and more, more more

Douglas R. Clifford

Billy Idol performs at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall on June 18, 2013.

Billy Idol may not make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame anytime soon, but the pop-punk icon's many big, ballsy '80s hits -- Dancing With Myself, Rebel Yell, White Wedding and more -- are still enough to draw a big crowd, like the one that came to Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Tuesday night. Sean Daly was there, and he writes:

Two hours is a tad long for an Idol set, even a fun nostalgic one. Truth be told, his songbook is good for about 80 awesome minutes. But despite the dull parts, the famously bleached-blond growler had a couple of things working for him.

First of all, Idol's voice still sounds fantastic and he looks even better. No, really, the guy is RIPPED.He spent only two songs, Generation X openers Ready Steady Go and Dancing With Myself, fully dressed (all black leather and denim, natch).

The guy couldn't wait to show off his sweat-slick abs, and who could blame him? He remains a grinning, bad-boy sex symbol, and the ladies in the graying, game crowd of 2,180 couldn't get enough.

For Sean's full Billy Idol review, click here.

SoundBytes: KC and the Sunshine Band, Felice Brothers, Matt Nathanson and more

-- The Tampa Bay Rays have added a pair of acts to their Summer Concert Series -- one expected, one not. Disco favorites KC and the Sunshine Band, above, will perform following the Rays and Houston Astros on July 13. But first, get this: Throwback indie-folk rockers the Felice Brothers, most recently seen playing the side stage at the Gasparilla Music Festival (!) will perform following the Rays and Tigers on June 29. Who saw that one coming? Click here.

-- Singer-songwriters Matt Nathanson and Joshua Radin are coming to the Ritz Ybor on Oct. 17, according to Ticketmaster. Tickets are $21. Click here.

-- Comic George Lopez is coming to the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg on July 19. Tickets are $46-$81. Click here.

-- LMFAO's Sky Blu is coming back to Shephard's Beach Resort on July 14. Tickets are $10. Click here.

-- Psychedelic proto-metal cover act Vanilla Fudge are coming to the Friday Morning Musicale Theatre in Tampa. Tickets are $55-$100. Click here.

-- Nerdcore rapper MC Chris is coming back to Crowbar on Aug. 29. Tickets are $13. Click here. …

Sick Puppies playing free acoustic concert Wednesday at Tampa's Hard Rock Cafe

Australian alt-rock act Sick Puppies are a familiar face around here, having played countless 97X shows over the years, including a few free ones. So it should come as no surprise that they're playing another free show in Tampa on Wednesday.

The group, best known for their viral single All The Same, is making the publicity rounds in support of their upcoming album Connect, and they'll stop at Tampa's Hard Rock Cafe for a free acoustic set at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The details are here and here.

Still not intimate enough for you? You can also win a seat at a Green Room acoustic concert at 1 p.m. Wednesday at 97X in St. Petersburg. Click here for contest info.

Brad Paisley's Tampa concert to be filmed for E!'s 'Summer Concert Series'

Are you going to Brad Paisley's Tampa concert on Saturday at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre? You might just end up on television.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the E! network is filming backstage and onstage footage of the concert for E!'s Inside Track Summer Concert Series, a new segment on E! News about the lives of music superstars on concert days. Paisley's Tampa gig is one of many around the country being filmed for the Live Nation-partnered series, including the Jonas Brothers in Chicago, Big Time Rush in Phoenix and the Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty in St. Louis. The series kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday on E! with Pitbull and Ke$ha from Detroit.

No word yet on when Paisley's segment will air, but we'll keep you posted.

Bonnaroo 2013 recap, best and worst: Paul McCartney, Jack Johnson, the Lumineers, Alt-J, Solange and more

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Jack Johnson performs at Bonnaroo 2013.

It was a whirlwind of weird and wonderful at this weekend’s sold-out edition of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. An estimated 80,000 people endured mud, sweat and tears (the good kind) to see musical legends and rookies play the multi-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn. If you didn’t catch our live Tweets and photos from the weekend, you can find them at @tbtsoundcheck. In the meantime, check out our favorite Roo moments here. (We attempted to throw in some “worst moments” too, but we were at a loss, honestly.) …

John Fogerty coming to the Straz Center in Tampa

Ask a handful of artists to name the greatest American rock 'n' roll band, and you might be surprised how many name Creedence Clearwater Revival. They've certainly got the resume: Tens of millions of albums sold; smash hits like Fortunate Son, Down on the Corner and Bad Moon Rising; a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and more.

Singer John Fogerty and his inimitable growl were key components to CCR's success, as he's since proven with a fruitful solo career. In fact, his recent album of collaborations, Wrote a Song for Everyone, just entered the charts at No. 3.

Now Fogerty is going on tour, and he's just announced a gig at the Straz Center in Tampa on Oct. 27. Expect a night of classic rock hits, from Fogerty's CCR days through his own solo catalog (look for the baseball-bat guitar on Centerfield!) at the show.

Tickets start at $59 and they'll go onsale Friday at noon. Click here for details.

-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*

Drake, Miguel coming to the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa

Line up for tickets, ladies (and dudes), because two of the smoothest, slickest cats in hip-hop and R&B are coming to Tampa.

Rapper Drake has just announced a huge North American tour that, according to Pitchfork and other outlets, will hit the Tampa Bay Times on Nov. 6 -- which is big news in and of itself. But the fact that he's bringing R&B sensation Miguel to open the show? As well as hip-hop up-and-comer Future? Now THAT'S a ticket.

Both Drake and Miguel won Grammys this year -- Drake for Best Rap Album for Take Care, and Miguel for Best R&B Song for Adorn. And Miguel has already delivered one of the best performances we've seen this year in Tampa Bay, opening for Alicia Keys at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

No word yet on tickets (though a press release says they'll go onsale Friday), but we'll definitely keep you posted.

-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*

Review: Night Beds stun with stirring harmonies at New World Brewery in Tampa

Jay Cridlin

Night Beds perform at New World Brewery on June 13, 2013.

Winston Yellen sings like he ought to have a beard.

Oh, sure, he’s got a little fuzz around his cheeks, just enough to soften his intense back-country stare. But it’s nothing compared to the mountain-man whiskers possessed by Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, or Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes’ Alex Ebert.

And Yellen, the singer of Nashville-by-way-of-Colorado alt-country group Night Beds, belongs in that company. His ethereal warble is a stunning instrument, and when it’s on full display, as it was Thursday at New World Brewery in Ybor City, it’s impossible not to swoon.

It’s not every day that New World hosts an artist who has recently played both Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Later...With Jools Holland, but dozens of fans packed the patio for Night Beds, a crowd that seemingly surprised Yellen (“You beat Champaign; that was six. You beat Des Moines; that was 12. So good job, Tampa Bay.”), but which prompted a moving and interactive set of folk, gospel and indie rock.

Full Story

Ticket Window: Sigur Ros, Russell Brand, Rancid and more

We've already got our No. 1 must-see concert of the fall: Sigur Ros at the USF Sun Dome on Oct. 7. They're a band that doesn't play that frequently in the States, and they can be mind-blowingly evocative. We'll be there for sure.

Other Tampa Bay shows with tickets going on sale this week: Miss Florida Pageant (July 9-13, Mahaffey Theater), Rancid (Sept. 7, Jannus Live), Russell Brand (Sept. 20, Straz Center), Capitol Center Jazz Orchestra (Oct. 2, Largo Cultural Center), Sigur Ros (Oct. 7, USF Sun Dome), Jonny Craig and Mod Sun (Oct. 13, Local 662), Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour (Nov. 30, Ruth Eckerd Hall) and Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats (Dec. 1, Largo Cultural Center).

Click here for this week's edition of Ticket Window.

SoundBytes: Karmin, Rancid, Kris Kristofferson and more

-- YouTube juggernauts-turned-SNL performers Karmin are coming back to Tampa -- this time as the opening act on the Jonas' Brothers' upcoming tour, which stops at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Aug. 3. Click here.

-- Big punk show alert: Rancid are coming to Jannus Live on Sept. 7. And this is interesting: Singer Tim Armstrong's side project Timebomb Tim and Friends is one of the openers. The Interrupters are the other. Tickets are $26-$28.50. Click here.

-- According to Ruth Eckerd Hall's website, singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson is coming to the Palladium in St. Petersburg on Oct. 16. Tickets are $45-$65. Click here.

-- Eddie Money is coming to the Hard Rock Cafe in Tampa on Sept. 1. Tickets are $38. Click here.

-- Saxman extraordinaire Dave Koz is bringing some of his friends back to Ruth Eckerd Hall for a holiday show on Nov. 30. Among them: Keiko Matsui, Oleta Adams and Jonathan Butler. Tickets are $35-$100. Click here.

-- Jonny Craig and Mod Sun are coming to the Local 662 on Oct. 13. Tickets are $15. Click here.

-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*

Review: Say Anything, Eisley lead a revival of rock at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg loves their Say Anything, and they proved it Tuesday night with a sold-out show at State Theater.

“Thanks for the warm welcome, literally,” singer Max Bemis joked. “God, it’s hot!”

He was almost unrecognizable with his Guy Fieri-esque bleach-blond hair. But what really stood out was the amount of love this city has for him and his music.

During the Rarities and More Tour, the band’s set consisted half of songs that came out before Say Anything’s 2004 album ...Is A Real Boy and half of songs from released records.

Support for this tour included the pop band Eisley. A Say Anything and Eisley tour is literally a family affair, as Eisley is made up of four siblings and their cousin, not to mention that Eisley lead singer Sherri DuPree-Bemis is married to Max Bemis. Good looks, sense of humor, and musical abilities? Some people just have all the good genes. The two lovebirds also have a side project called Perma, and plan to release their debut album sometime in 2013. But on Tuesday, the State Theater begged for Say Anything classics, and that’s what they got.

Full Story

This week in Tampa: Heart, Grizzly Bear, Billy Idol, Porter Robinson and more

Tampa indie rock fans have been waiting for next week for a while, as it marks the first local performance by indie rock superstars Grizzly Bear. At this point, there aren't too many indie icons who have yet to visit the area (though plenty of Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons and Sufjan Stevens fans would beg to differ).

Here, Ray Roa walks you through this week's concert picks, including Grizzly Bear, Heart, Billy Idol, Earth Wind and Fire, Porter Robinson, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, the Happy Together Tour, Elvis Christ, Broncho, Imagination Movers, Donavon Frankenreiter, Samantha Crain and more... …

Icelandic band Sigur Ros coming to USF Sun Dome

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Sigur Ros, the hippest thing to come out of Iceland since Bjork, is coming to the USF Sun Dome Oct. 7. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for $29.50- $49.50.

The band toured the late night shows this spring playing the dense and soaring title track Kveikur from their forthcoming on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon back in March, marking their first television appearance in nearly a decade. They also made a brief cameo alongside Bjork on a recent episode of The Simpsons.

Kveikur, Sigur Ros’ seventh LP, is due out on June 18.Full Story

VH1’s ‘Master of the Mix’ coming to Aja Channelside

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The Season 3 winner of VH1’s Master of the Mix is coming to Tampa as part of the Florida Fresh Mix Tour.

To celebrate his win, DJ JayCeeOh and previous Master of the Mix contestants DJ Fly Guy and DJ Yonny will take the stage with some fresh. Additionally, the show will feature a Smirnoff sneaker cleaning station to get your kicks “freshened” up before the show as well as an array of free cocktails using fresh fruits and juices.

DJ JayCeeOh has worked with big-name artists such as Talib Kweli, Wiz Khalifa, J.Dilla, Sean Price, and just wrapped up a tour as the official DJ for RCA recording artist and rapper Sammy Adams.

The tour stops in Tampa on Tuesday at Aja Channelside, 290 S Meridian Ave., Tampa, from 6 to 11 p.m.