soundcheck

SoundBytes: Of Montreal, Uh Huh Her, Souls of Mischief and more

-- Electro-pop duo Uh Huh Her will perform at the State Theatre on June 28. It's going to be a huge show, and here's why: This is the weekend of St. Pete Pride, and the group has a strong lesbian following. Leisha Hailey was a cast member on The L Word and was once named the sexiest woman alive by AfterEllen.com. She and bandmate Camila Grey made headlines when they said they were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for kissing. Tickets to their June 28 show with Daphne Willis are $25-$35, and you can get them here.

-- It's always a massive party when experimental, arty psych-pop collective Of Montreal play Ybor City, so get your tickets early to see them at Czar on July 6. Tickets are $20-$25. Click here.

-- Early-'90s hip-hop colletive Souls of Mischief will perform at the State Theatre on July 25. Tickets are $15. Click here.

-- Two excellent rappers, Sirah and K-Flay, will open for Icona Pop when the duo hits the Ritz Ybor on Aug. 18.

-- Billboard named EDM performer/songwriter/experimentalist Robert DeLong one of its 13 artists to watch in 2013, so be sure to check him out at Push Ultra Lounge in St. Petersburg on June 21. Keep an eye out here for ticket details. …

This week in Tampa: Steve Martin, Ghostface Killah, Attack Attack! and more

Let's not kid ourselves: The biggest concert in Florida this weekend is taking place over two days in Orlando, as Paul McCartney has two shows at the Amway Center on Saturday and Sunday. Your humble Soundcheck editor has a ticket to the Sunday show, and it's burning a hole in his pocket.

Closer to home, though, there are still some awesome shows this week: Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Ghostface Killah with Adrian Younge, Attack Attack!, Bad Veins, The Wilson Van, Quincy Mumford and the Reason, The Hush Sound, Hockey, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, The Original Wailers, Conrad Oberg and more. Here to walk you through it all is Ray Roa... …

Ticket Window: Jason Aldean, Imagine Dragons, Backstreet Boys, Icona Pop and more

Now that I Love It is looking more and more like the Song of Summer 2013, the newly announced Icona Pop show at the Ritz Ybor is going to become a hot ticket. Get it early when it goes onsale this week so you don't miss out.

Other Tampa Bay concert tickets with tickets going on sale this week: Obituary (June 8, Orpheum), Psychedelic Furs (July 28, State Theatre), Icona Pop (Aug. 18, Ritz Ybor), Backstreet Boys (Aug. 23, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds), Jason Aldean (Sept. 6, Live Nation Amphitheatre), Diana Ross (Sept. 10, Mahaffey Theater), Joe Satriani (Sept. 11, Ruth Eckerd Hall), Imagine Dragons (Sept. 24, USF Sun Dome) and Larry the Cable Guy (Oct. 12, Ruth Eckerd Hall).

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

Tampa amphitheatre's new name: MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds

From left: Live Nation's David Harb and Marc Abend and MidFlorida Credit Union's Kevin Jones show off the new logo for the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds on May 15, 2013.

Why, oh why, can't Tampa's largest outdoor concert venue pick a name that won't make local music fans cringe in abject horror?

The Ford Amphitheatre was a fine name. The 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre was an abomination. Recently, it's gone by the generic but non-offensive (and at least somewhat musical) name Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

The venue's new name, unveiled Wednesday, is the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds, which is not quite as ridiculous as the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, but boy, is it a mouthful -- not to mention it sounds about as cool as, well, filling out a small business loan application at MidFlorida Credit Union.

How many fans will delight in telling their grandchildren, "I saw Black Sabbath at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds back in 2013!" How often will people say, "Brah, it's gonna be so sick seeing Five Finger Death Punch at this year's Mayhem Festival at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds!"

Seriously. Look at this list. Tell us you wouldn't trade the new name for any other name on there. At this point, we would be THRILLED to swap names with the Comfort Dental Amphitheatre in Englewood, Colo.

We don't know what people will be calling this thing for short -- certainly no casual fan will use the entire nine-word, 61-letter name -- but we recommend calling it the MF Amphitheatre. Or the MF'er for short.

Sean Daly has the full story on the name change.

-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*Full Story

Green Day's 'American Idiot' returns to the stage at the Straz Center in Tampa

The rock musical has been around since Hair in the 1960s, and some of them have rocked pretty hard, such as Spring Awakening and Rock of Ages. But none rock as hard as American Idiot, the rock opera based on Green Day's smash 2004 album of the same name.

“This is the most unapologetic rock show that Broadway has seen to date," says Evan Jay Newman, music director and keyboard player with the tour that opens Friday for a three-day gig at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

"If you walk in expecting a Rodgers and Hammerstein show, you're going to be kind of blown out of your seat."

American Idiot has shows at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Straz Center. Tickets are $44.50-$79.50. Click here for details.

For more on American Idiot at the Straz, click here for John Fleming's story.

Bonus: What other albums would make for good rock musicals? Sean Daly has three ideas.

SoundBytes: Kevin James, Psychedelic Furs, Kitty and more

-- The King of Queens himself, Kevin James, is coming to St. Pete for a night of stand-up comedy. He'll perform at the Mahaffey Theater on Aug. 24. Tickets start at $52.50, and they'll go onsale May 23. Click here.

-- Eighties pop heavyweights the Psychedelic Furs are returning to the State Theatre in St. Petersburg on July 28. Tickets start at $25 and they'll go onsale Friday. Click here.

-- Country singer John Michael Montgomery always seemed like a bad fit for the Orpheum in Ybor City. Today we learned his show, which was scheduled for this Thursday, has been canceled. Instead, the show has been moved to the Friday Morning Musicale Theatre, 809 W Horatio Street, Tampa. Tickets sold to the Orpheum show will be refunded within the next week; tickets to the new show, which will feature reserved seating instead of general admission, can be purchased here. It's kind of a bum deal for JMM fans -- originally, tickets started at just $30; now, they start at $55. But hey, maybe the step up in venue will be worth the extra cash. …

SoundBytes: Larry the Cable Guy, Mindless Behavior, Icona Pop, David Liebe Hart and more

-- Hands down, the weirdest show of the summer: David Liebe Hart, above, and James Quall, the oddball singer-comic-entertainers made famous on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, are coming to Crowbar on July 2 for what is being described as "a set of puppetry, standup comedy, impressions, raps and songs!" Tickets are $10. Click here.

-- Speaking of comedy that's not for everyone: Larry the Cable Guy will return to Ruth Eckerd Hall for two shows on Oct. 12. Tickets are $49.75-$100. Click here.

-- If you miss Twenty One Pilots at the 97X Backyard BBQ on May 25, good news: They'll be joining Panic at the Disco as the support on Fall Out Boy's "Save Rock and Roll Tour," which hits the USF Sun Dome on Sept. 29. Not sure how "rock and roll" the synth-pop/hip-hop duo is, but that'll no doubt help ensure this show sells well. …

Imagine Dragons coming to the USF Sun Dome in Tampa

It's time. Imagine Dragons are finally coming back to Tampa.

The Las Vegas rockers behind huge hits It's Time and Radioactive are coming to the USF Sun Dome in Tampa on Sept. 24, the venue announced today. Tickets are $34.50-$39.50, and they'll go onsale Friday. Click here.

It's a big deal for a number of reasons. Imagine Dragons' set at last year's 97X Backyard BBQ made Soundcheck's list of 2012's best concerts not just once, but twice. Then they played a sold-out show at the Ritz Ybor alongside Awolnation. And they were all set to be one of the biggest acts at last year's 97X Next Big Thing ... that is, before singer Dan Reynolds came down with a throat infection and had to cancel.

Since then, Imagine Dragons have played a couple of sold-out shows in Orlando, but this will mark their long-awaited return to Tampa Bay. The fact that they're playing the Sun Dome confirms what we suspected all along: This was an arena band just waiting to happen. …

One year in, has the new USF Sun Dome changed the Tampa concert scene?

When the USF Sun Dome reopened last year after a prolonged $35-million renovation, it looked like it might revitalize a certain segment of the Tampa Bay concert industry. Acts like Elton John, Florence and the Machine, Wiz Khalifa, Kirk Franklin, Chris Tomlin and Keith Sweat all booked shows there. Fall Out Boy is coming this fall.

A year after the Sun Dome reopened, has it really made a difference in the shows we see coming to town?

"They have really been aggressive about marketing themselves and booking shows," said Dave Brooks, managing editor at Venues Today magazine, which recently listed the Sun Dome as second in Florida's "top stops" in mid-sized entertainment venues.

"The music industry and acts love anything new and shiny," Brooks said. "The fact that they went through this renovation gives them a lot of buzz. And it gives acts a reason to give them another look."

Click here for Erin Sullivan's full story about the renovated USF Sun Dome's full impact on the Tampa Bay concert scene.

Review: Clutch unite metal fans old and new at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg

A packed house of hundreds moved and grooved to the heavy riffs of Clutch at the State Theatre on Thursday. With a 20-year catalog and a new album, Earth Rocker, the veteran rock band from Maryland headlined a groove-heavy show along with Lionize and the Sword.

Opening the show was Lionize. As the legions of Clutch fans filed in, Lionized jam band-esque, reggae-influenced grooves caught them in a web of rhythm. Lionize had the early spectators dancing and moving, making an early positive inpact on audience members unfamiliar with their work.

Following Lionize was the second metal band of the evening, retro rockers the Sword. Although they look contemporary, with all but their guitarist sporting elements of a hipster-ish look, the Sword sounded purely metal. From the opening riff, they were no doubt heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, from song construction to lead singer J.D. Cronise’s Ozzy Osbourne-like voice and tone. The Sword rocked through several songs before closing with a cover of ZZ Top’s Cheap Sunglasses. …

Backstreet Boys coming to the Live Nation Amphitheatre in Tampa

Poor Aaron Carter. Even in a week when he has a big hometown show at the Ritz Ybor, he finds himself being upstaged by his big brother Nick.

Nick Carter and the rest of the Backstreet Boys -- including Kevin Richardson, who's been mostly absent since 2006 -- have announced a summer tour, and according to 93.3-FLZ, it'll come to Tampa's Live Nation Amphitheatre on Aug. 23. Jesse McCartney and DJ Pauly D from Jersey Shore will open the show. Tickets are $35-$75, and they go onsale Friday. Click here for details. (And if you want tickets for free, 93.3 has 'em. Click here.)

This will strike some of you 30-somethings out there as the best concert announcement of the summer -- especially now that Richardson is back in the fold -- and others as the worst imaginable night on earth. All we'll say is the Boys have found a huge audience of nostalgic fans, thanks in no small part to arena-filling tours alongside the likes of New Kids on the Block. Plus, with no chance of competition from a reunited 'N Sync anytime soon, they have the late-'90s boy-band nostalgia market all to themselves.

This week in Tampa: Tim McGraw, Kenny Loggins, Tropical Heatwave and more

This weekend brings one of the biggest events on the Tampa music scene's annual calendar, WMNF's Tropical Heatwave, featuring some 60 bands on 10 venues in and around the Cuban Club in Ybor City. If you missed our preview of Tropical Heatwave 2013, click here.

As for the rest of this week's concert listings, Ray Roa's got you covered. After the jump, get the details on shows by Tim McGraw, Kenny Loggins, Gary Sinise, Blind Willie James, Fear Factory, Aaron Carter, Nappy Roots, State Poison, Borgore, Twin Tigers, Jonn Hart, Justin Moore, Collie Buddz, John Michael Montgomery, Crown the Empire and more...

Full Story

SoundBytes: Mac Miller, Il Volo, The Internet and more

-- He's sold out Jannus Live in the past, but can Mac Miller do it again? The rapper will perform at Jannus on July 4 alongside up-and-comers Chance the Rapper, The Internet, Vince Staples and The Come-Up. Tickets are $27.50-$30. Click here.

-- Seriously, your mom is gonna have the best fall EVAR. In addition to concerts by Sarah Brightman (Oct. 6), Michael Buble (Nov. 1), Josh Groban (Nov. 8) and Andrea Bocelli (Dec. 14), Italian hunks Il Volo have announced a show at the Forum on Sept. 20. Ticket info hasn't been released, but we'll keep you posted. Click here.

-- Chiptune rockers Anamanaguchi, whose song Jetpack Blues, Sunset Hues is the theme song to Chris Hardwick's Nerdist podcast, is coming to The Social in Orlando on July 23. Tickets are $10-$12. Click here.

-- Four words: Air Sex World Championships.

-- Jay Cridlin, tbt*

Ticket Window: Justin Timberlake, Black Sabbath, Josh Groban and more

Local pop fans missed out on the biggest concert announcement of the week: Justin Timberlake, whose upcoming fall tour will only hit Orlando, not Tampa Bay. Still, he's worth the drive, wouldn't you say?

Other Tampa Bay concerts with tickets going on sale this week: Tim Allen (July 25, Ruth Eckerd Hall), Toad the Wet Sprocket (July 27, State Theatre), Black Sabbath (July 29, Live Nation Amphitheatre), Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 11, Mahaffey Theater), Rebelution (Sept. 19, Jannus Live), Josh Groban (Nov. 9, Tampa Bay Times Forum) and Justin Timberlake (Dec. 19, Amway Center).

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

Tropical Heatwave preview: Cody ChesnuTT, Beach Day, Stooges Brass band and other can't-miss acts

Now in its 32nd year, WMNF-88.5’s annual extravaganza of the eclectic, Tropical Heatwave, will bring nearly 60 bands to 10 stages in and around Ybor City’s Cuban Club on Saturday. And for the first time in years, the 2013 edition is a two-night affair, with more artists performing on two stages at the Cuban Club on Friday night.

This year’s fest features some faces who will be familiar to attendees of Heatwaves past — singer-songwriter Paul Thorn, blues chanteuse Sarah Borges and rockabilly acolytes Rocket 88, to name a few. But there are a few new and notable names worth spotlighting. Here are a few can’t-miss acts:

Cody ChesnuTT: What’s this? A Heatwave performer with actual Top 40 cred? Yes, The Roots and Cody ChesnuTT scored a hit in 2005 with The Seed (2.0), a reworking of a track from the neo-soul singer-songwriter’s acclaimed 2002 album The Headphone Masterpiece. But that hit aside, ChesnuTT has spent the better part of the last decade in self-imposed exile. IT took 10 years to record his second LP, 2012’s Landing On A Hundred. It’s an unexpected booking for Heatwave, but one that should create a great party vibe. (10:25 p.m. at the Ritz Ybor) …