Weekend concert picks

By Carole Giambalvo, tbt* columnist
In print: Friday, May 9, 2008

The Red Elvises

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ADVERTISEMENT Rebekah Pulley Uh Huh Her

With Truckstop Coffee

FRIDAY 8 p.m. Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. $15-$20. (813) 971-0666.

It's Russian surf-rock, reggae and rockabilly, and it's worth the rubles. Red Elvises refugees Igor Yuzov and Oleg Bernov fled the hammer and sickle for a life of "rockenrol" in America in the early '90s. Bernov plays the oversized bass-balalaika, a traditional Russian instrument; Yuzov croons in a thick Russian accent; and both typically dress in loud animal prints. But make no mistake, this act's got grooves that scream more than a shtick.

tbt* Ultimate Local Music Showcase

Featuring Rebekah Pulley and the Reluctant Prophets, Win Win Winter, the Bird Street Players, Aych, Blind Buddy Moody, November Foxtrot Whiskey

SATURDAY 5 p.m. Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. $5-$10. (813) 977-6474.

Celebrate local music and enjoy performances by some of Tampa Bay's brightest. Rebekah Pulley will debut some new material, including Tumbleweed, an airy and calming ditty she wrote during gridlock on the Howard Frankland Bridge. (If only we utilized our time stuck in traffic so well.) Other special treats may include collabs between quick-witted rapper Aych and the sassy, brassy Bird Street Players. We won't toot our own horns any further — we'll let them handle that — but we'll be there, and we urge other Tampa Bay artists to come drop off a demo, chat about new work and celebrate the local scene.

Young Jeezy

With Ghetto Dynasty, Tata

SATURDAY 10 p.m. Club Underground, 802 E Whiting St., Tampa. $35. (813) 221-4582.

He's quick to remind you in a slow Southern drawl (backed with a few yeahhhs) that he's the "Snowman," a "Trap star," or simply a dealer. But Young Jeezy clarifies on tracks like The Realist that this isn't trendy rap talk, it's his life. Jeezy's featured on the hot Shawty Lo Dey Know remix and Usher's Love in This Club.

Uh Huh Her

With Angie Mattson

SUNDAY 7:30 p.m. Orpheum, 1902 Republica de Cuba Ave., Ybor City. $12. (813) 248-9500.

Whoops. We goofed and told you about this show a month too early (April 12). Hopefully it only gave you more time to prepare. Leisha Hailey of Showtime's The L Word teams with singer-producer-multi-instrumentalist Camila Grey to form the exceptional Uh Huh Her. Ambient synths, cosmic rock riffs and luscious vocals will no doubt rock your Mother's Day. At times (Explode), Uh Huh Her gets a little Ladytron-ish with extra electro, but more often play shimmery pop-rock a la The Cure. The new Not a Love Song is a must-have.

98 Rockfest

Featuring Kid Rock, 3 Doors Down, Serj Tankian, Shinedown, Filter, Theory of a Deadman, Skratch-N-Sniff, Five Finger Death Punch, Saving Abel

SUNDAY 11 a.m. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. $35-$45. (813) 832-1000.

Some called it a problem, others a party, when more than 250 people were treated for heat exhaustion, dehydration and alcohol intoxication at last year's Rockfest. Either way, 98 Rock assures us that this time around, the setting will allow for full enjoyment of the rock. Attendees can bring sealed water bottles and seek shade under the tree-lined portion of the venue. Show highlights include System of a Down's charismatic Serj Tankian bringing falsetto and jumpy, anti-establishment pitches amid the metal. And while it's been more than a decade since Hey Man Nice Shot, the rasp of Filter's Richard Patrick is still something to experience. (Their new album debuts next week). Mississippi nice guys 3 Doors Down are an easy target of the "corporate rock" critique because of their lighter style and bundle of radio hits, but don't argue they're not good at what they do.



Also playing

Tim McGraw Fri. With Halfway To Hazard, Jason Aldean. 8 p.m. Ford Amphitheatre, 4802 U.S. 301 North, Tampa. $29.50-$59.50. (813) 740-2446.

Trace of Day Fri. With Crisis In Hollywood, Spinlight, Victims of Circumstance. 8 p.m. Garage Bar, 662 Central Ave., St Petersburg. $6. (727) 553-9212.

Grayum Fest 6: In Spaaaaaace Sat. Featuring Safety, The CV, Rest Of Us, Virgins, Cutman, Cruiserweight, Arm The Poor, Dirty Money, TransFM, and Architects. 5 p.m. Transitions at SPOT, 4215 E Columbus Drive, Tampa. $10. (813) 382-3477.

The Dead Science Sat. With The Buddy System, Giddy-Up, Helicopter!, Super Secret Best Friends, Travel Like Trains. 8 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City. $8. (813) 241-8600.

BAAMO Showcase Sat. Featuring the Human Condition, Rebekah Pulley, Lorna Bracewell, Have Gun Will Travel. 10 a.m. Saturday Morning Market, Central Avenue and 2nd Street, St. Petersburg. Free.

Stephen Marley Sat. 7 p.m. Jannus Landing, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. $23. (727) 895-3045.

Tinsley Ellis Sat. 9 p.m. Cotee River Seafood Festival, Sim's Park, 6341 Bank St., New Port Richey. Free or suggested $2 donation. (727) 819-1665.

Yolanda Adams Sun. 2:30 p.m. USF Sun Dome, 4202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. $25-$50. (813) 974-3002.

The Spencer Davis Group Mon. 7:30 p.m. Largo Cultural Center, 105 Central Park Drive, Largo. $29-$32. (727) 587-6793.

God Forbid Wed. With Death Angel. 6:30 p.m. Boomerz, 6990 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. $16.75-$20. (727) 391-7066.

Trenton Thurs. With Alexander and the Grapes, Tator Junktion, Thoreau. 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Nightclub, New Port Richey. $6-$8. (727) 843-0686.

Sergio Mendes Thurs. 7:30 p.m. Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street S, St. Petersburg. $37-$52. (727) 892-5767.

Cori Yarckin Thurs. With Stalling Dawn, Social Ghost, Southside Serenade. 9 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City. $6. (813) 241-8600.

Nonpoint Thurs. 7 p.m. Jannus Landing, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. $16.50-$20. (727) 895-3045.
Contact Carole at carole.giambalvo@gmail.com