(For the past week on Soundcheck, our contributors have been looking back at the best local concerts of 2012. Today, we're switching things up a bit. We asked our Twitter followers on @tbtsoundcheck to name their favorite local concerts of the year. Here are some of the best responses. Click the links for reviews and photos.)
Mike Lortz (@JordiScrubbings):Aesop Rock in Oct at State Theater. On leave from Afghanistan and needed the break. Saw an awesome show and cleared my mind!
(It’s the end of the year, and just as we did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Soundcheck is counting down the year’s top local music stories as determined by your humble Soundcheck editor. We’ll be counting down two each day through New Year’s Eve.)
For example: Two of Tampa Bay's biggest annual events, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday and Guavaween, switched to a festival format this year. Yes, the Jazz Holiday has always been festival-like, but by adding acts like the Avett Brothers and Bonnie Raitt, then charging for admission, organizers all but admitted it needed to adapt to survive. Likewise, Guavaween ditched its parade in favor of a mini-festival with the Hold Steady (which wasn't exactly a huge success, but still).
Oh, but there's more. 97X Next Big Thing moved from the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre to Vinoy Park in a successful effort to reclaim some of its old festival vibes. Not one but two electronic music festivals, the Sunset Music Festival and Downtown Digital, launched this spring and summer. Antiwarpt has evolved into Tampa Bay's signature local music event. Pinellas Park's England Brothers Bandshell Park hosted a couple of festival-like concerts in 2012, by the likes of Sublime with Rome andBlondie and Devo.
(All week on Soundcheck, our contributors are looking back at the best local concerts of 2012. Up today: Local photographer, Soundcheck contributor and avowed punk and metal fan Andrew Carlton.)
Morbid Angel (above, Oct. 21, State Theatre): Seeing them perform in their standard leather-studded '80s black metal gear was great. I was also pleased that they did not play any of their new material from Illud Divinum Insanus.
(It’s the end of the year, and just as we did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Soundcheck is counting down the year’s top local music stories as determined by your humble Soundcheck editor. We’ll be counting down two each day through New Year’s Eve.)
Sure, Tampa bands Tallhart, Merchandise, Zulu Wave and The Applebutter Express all found some measure of national success in 2012. But they did it the old-fashioned way. If you really want to rocket to the top in today's media landscape, you need to win a reality show.
But no one has repped the Tampa Bay music scene quite like Juliet Simms on The Voice.
Before she wowed the judges with a show-stopping performance immediately following this year's Super Bowl, Simms was a proud alum of the Tampa Bay music scene, having fronted Warped Tour veterans Automatic Loveletter. (Her brother, Tommy, was also a longtime local performer in groups like Win Win Winter). …
(All week on Soundcheck, our contributors are looking back at the best local concerts of 2012. Up today: tbt* photographer Luis Santana.)
Lil Kim and Trina (Jan. 13, Channelside IMAX): In 2012, hip-hop legend Lil Kim made her first ever appearance in Tampa (according to her) at the Channelside IMAX theaters in Tampa. Although a really odd choice for a first-time impression of Tampa the place was packed wall to wall to see her and “co-headliner” Trina, who, by the way, is no stranger to the Tampa club scene. As it was, the fine folks of Tampa Bay did not let Lil Kim down, and showed her how a hip-hop show goes down in the 813. Despite fistfights and flying wigs, bottles and shoes, the show went on. Trina’s security pulled her from the venue after the crowd became too rowdy and unsafe. Lil Kim, however, hopped on stage surrounded by her fans and did her set. She did not disappoint — she literally brought the house down. Eventually Trina came back on to a makeshift stage set up in the lobby of the movie theater and sang a few songs with Kim. After the show was over I managed to get this shot of Lil Kim being carried away by her massive bodyguard.
(It’s the end of the year, and just as we did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Soundcheck is counting down the year’s top local music stories as determined by your humble Soundcheck editor. We’ll be counting down two each day through New Year’s Eve.)
When it was announced in 2010 that Tampa would host the 2012 Republican National Convention, we wondered: Which big-name acts would show up for private parties and/or protest concerts? …
(All week on Soundcheck, our contributors are looking back at the best local concerts of 2012. Up today: Carole Liparoto, who writes weekly concert picks for tbt* and the Tampa Bay Times, posted here each Thursday as "This Week In Tampa.")
SBTRKT (March 24, Orpheum): From Slipknot and GWAR to deadmau5 and Daft Punk, musicians have masked themselves for the sake of anonymity, for spooks or scares, or sometimes, just for fun. For SBTRKT, a.k.a. London producer Aaron Jerome, wearing a tribal mask suggests ceremony and celebration. And that’s exactly what he and honey-soul vocalist Sampha delivered on a spring night at the Orpheum. Pharaohs was a surefire feet-mover with a retro, acid-house style and enough swank for even the most upscale of lounges. The downtempo Hold On showcased the group’s catlike, never-grating electronic flair. James Blake and Little Dragon are fair comparisons, but the way SBTRKT’s Jerome and Sampha bounced from live drums, keys, knobs, faders and tables was one of a kind live.
Bon Iver (June 7, Straz Center): A woodsy, pillow-soft (and potentially snoozy) set was what I anticipated from delicate strummer and beardy outdoorsman Bon Iver. What I got was a sprawling, lively evening of wintry wonder. Justin Vernon, his falsetto, two drummers, horn players, violinists and a cast of other fine orchestral players brought modest, affecting tunes to a new dimension. Lanterns flickered and burlap curtains danced as the group uncorked tunes Perth and Michicant. (If you’d have told me the A/V portion of the Bon Iver show would best SBTRKT’s stuff, I would have called you crazy.) Also of note: Opening trio Staves, a British bunch of whiskey-drinking lasses with killer harmonies. Think a cross between the Dixie Chicks and Laura Marling. If there was any act worth an immediate, post-show Googling, Staves were it for me this year.
Florence and the Machine (Sept. 25, USF Sun Dome): If ever there was a woman who could a rock an arena in a dark, flowy nightie, a Victorian-era hairstyle and pasty bare feet, by God, Florence Welch is the gal. At a newly renovated USF Sun Dome, more than 5,000 fans witnessed the London siren and most gracious host bare her soul … with soul. Shake It Out and Cosmic Love were cathartic dance-alongs. Welch encouraged lots of audience participation, too. “We want to see as many people on shoulders as possible,” she said, breaking into Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up). We met the request. “Turn to each other, shake each other’s hands, embrace each other,” she appealed during the finale of Dog Days Are Over. We did that also. An evening of grace, elation and group hugs — really, what more could we ask for?
(It’s the end of the year, and just as we did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Soundcheck is counting down the year’s top local music stories as determined by your humble Soundcheck editor. We’ll be counting down two each day through New Year’s Eve.)
Tallhart may have been the band that signed to a national label. But three other Tampa Bay artists got some big-time, largely unexpected love on a national level.
Jammy bluegrass outfit The Applebutter Express got the break of a lifetime in May, when they learned they'd been invited to perform at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. It was an unprecedented opportunity for a local band, and the group made the most of it. Ever since they returned, they've been one of the busiest acts in town.
Indie rock group Zulu Wave was also invited to perform at a national festival this year -- and while it may not have been as big as Bonnaroo, the exposure was arguably even better. The CBGB Festival saw them performing at Times Square in New York alongside The Hold Steady, Superchunk, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Duff McKagen's Loaded.
Will any of these artists be the next Tallhart, or the next Blind Man's Colour (who were, at one time, the next Animal Collective)? We'll have to wait and see in 2013.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE TOP TAMPA MUSIC STORIES OF 2012:
-- When the WWE returns to the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Jan. 7, they'll get an added dose of superstar power, as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will stop in for Monday Night RAW. He'll join John Cena, CM Punk, Sheamus, Big Show, The Miz and many, many more. This could be an all-time night for wrestling in Tampa Bay. Tickets start at $20; click here.
-- Country hotshot (and current Best New Artist Grammy nominee) Hunter Hayes is the final big name coming to the Florida Strawberry Festival. He'll perform at 3:30 p.m. March 10 -- the same day as Blake Shelton. Talk about a day full of quality country.
-- The Mahaffey Theatre has hosted shows by Jay Mohr and Jay Pharoah, and now another Saturday Night Live vet is set to take the stage there: Dennis Miller. The acerbic, intellectual, politically minded comic and radio host will perform in St. Petersburg on March 30. Tickets are $42.50-$69, and they go onsale Jan. 4. For details, click here.
-- The Black Crowes' hiatus didn't last long. They're coming back with a tour that'll hit the Mahaffey on April 30, according to a release from the band. No ticket info yet, but we'll keep you posted.
-- When the WWE returns to the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Jan. 7, they'll get an added dose of superstar power, as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will stop in for Monday Night RAW. He'll join John Cena, CM Punk, Sheamus, Big Show, The Miz and many, many more. This could be an all-time night for wrestling in Tampa Bay. Tickets start at $20; click here.
-- The Mahaffey Theatre has hosted shows by Jay Mohr and Jay Pharoah, and now another Saturday Night Live vet is set to take the stage there: Dennis Miller. The acerbic, intellectual, politically minded comic and radio host will perform in St. Petersburg on March 30. Tickets are $42.50-$69, and they go onsale Jan. 4. For details, click here.
-- The Black Crowes' hiatus didn't last long. They're coming back with a tour that'll hit the Mahaffey on April 30, according to a release from the band. No ticket info yet, but we'll keep you posted.
Well, we at last have our Florida Strawberry Festival entertainment lineup finalized and like the Plant City berry blast's signature milkshakes, it just keeps getting creamier and richer with the addition of country-blues prodigy Hunter Hayes, left, whose hit single Storm Warning makes him seem like the next coming of Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.
Hayes, winner of the Country Music Association's New Artist of the Year award and a Grammy nominee for Best New Artist, will perform March 10 at 3:30 p.m., festival organizers announced Thursday. Tickets will go on sale Jan. 7 for $15 and $20.
He joins the already impressive list of talent lined up for strawberry fest, including songwriting superstar Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Dwight Yoakam, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery and more.
Here's the lineup
Feb. 28: Foreigner (7:30 p.m.), Chubby Checker (3:30), Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra (10:30 a.m.)
March 1: Casting Crowns (7:30), Gene Watson (3:30), Caroline Kole (1)
March 2: Justin Moore (7:30), Gloriana (3:30)
March 3: Alan Jackson (7:30), Randy Houser (3:30)
March 4: Dwight Yoakam (7:30), Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis (3:30)
March 5: Martina McBride (7:30), Bobby Vinton (3:30) …
(It’s the end of the year, and just as we did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Soundcheck is counting down the year’s top local music stories as determined by your humble Soundcheck editor. We’ll be counting down two each day through New Year’s Eve.)
Did we expect them to change their name to Tallhart? No, we didn't see that coming. But it's a good name. We'll take it.
Tallhart signed to Equal Vision Records, becoming the label's second Tampa Bay band (the first, Tarpon Springs' Set It Off, released their debut Equal Vision album, Cinematics, in September). Specifically, they signed to Rory, an imprint run by Say Anything's Max Bemis; the group toured the country with Say Anything throughout the year. They even won a big-name fan in Chris Carabba of Dashboard Confessional, who called them "one of my favorite bands."
In January, the group released the album Sister of Mine. More recently, they released the above video for their song Drunk Kids, from their new EP Bloodlines, and in January, they'll enter the studio with producer Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate).
Seems tough to believe, but for Tallhart, the best could still be yet to come.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE TOP TAMPA MUSIC STORIES OF 2012:
(All week on Soundcheck, our contributors are looking back at the best local concerts of 2012. Up today: Frequent Soundcheck contributor Stephanie Bolling.)
Radiohead (Feb. 29, Tampa Bay Times Forum): Probably the best Leap Day ever. Granted, I’m not a giant King of Limbs fan, but that didn’t impede the opportunity to see one of the most significant bands of my generation. Between the hypnotic stage set and Thom Yorke’s groovy moves, the British rock stars threw the fans many bones with stretches to The Bends, OK Computer and Hail to the Thief. The sensory and audible overload made my face and heart melt right into the nostalgic soundtrack of my youth and transitioning adulthood. Hats off to these dudes for creating the musical threads of our lives.
The Ventures (Feb. 29-March 3 ,Stanleyville Theater, Busch Gardens): I know you’re all like, “What?” But, I’m like, YES. These dudes are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Playing three shows a day for four days at Busch Gardens is hardly a blowout spectacle. But it was an unlikely opportunity to snag piece of history, a representation of transitioning music, formats, venues and an era that we won’t hear live for much longer. Plus, the instrumental foursome played their top hits Walk, Don’t Run and the Hawaii Five-O theme song. Rad.
Fun. (March 7, State Theater): Riding the crest of their giant We Are Young wave, these New York City boys sold out the State and delivered a powerful, melodic and a theatrically modernized Freddie Mercury type of show. Maybe it was the energy that pop music garners, or maybe it was the love Nate Reuss dished out to the crowd, but the atmosphere and sound were solid and the setlist undoubtedly memorable. It made my heart soar like Reuss’ sopranos.
(It’s the end of the year, and just as we did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Soundcheck is counting down the year’s top local music stories as determined by your humble Soundcheck editor. We’ll be counting down two each day through New Year’s Eve.)
The USF Sun Dome has hosted some pretty major acts over the years — everyone from Frank Sinatra to Bob Dylan to the Killers to the White Stripes. So when it closed in for a $35.6-million makeover, it left a dome-sized hole in the Tampa music scene.
But over the summer, it reopened, and Tampa fans immediately saw what they were missing. Elton John, Florence and the Machine, Wiz Khalifa and others (like the MythBustersand, um, Ron Paul) immediately scheduled shows there, and USF students have taken to it. Recently, they launched a Twitter campaign, #Bulls4Babel, to try to get Mumford & Sons to play there.
Our colleague Sharon Kennedy Wynne reports here that iconic blues bar Dave's Aqua Lounge has closed. The location has been sold. We named this joint the "Ultimate Dive" in our 2009 tbt* Ultimate Bar Guide. If you've got a favorite memory of the place, located at 10820 Gandy Blvd. in St. Petersburg, you can take a bit of it home with you. Owner Dave Mamber Jr. is holding an "artifact sale" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Sunday until he has to hand over the keys on Dec. 31.
From the story:
When word spread that the lounge was closing, Mamber said local musicians begged him to have one last jam on his stage. He said this past weekend was packed with local musicians. "It was so very gratifying." …
Well, we at last have our 
Our colleague Sharon Kennedy Wynne 
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