B.B. KING
Details: Saturday 8 p.m. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $39.50-$79.50. (727) 791-7400.
That B.B. King is an 86-year-old diabetic who plays, for the most part, in an armchair seems pretty doomy. But spend a few hours with King and Lucille, his affectionately named Gibson, and you'll know the thrill is far from gone. King, undoubtedly the greatest living electric bluesman, still bewilders with his staccato picking and note-bending know-how. Since he started recording in the late' 40s, King has released more than 60 albums.
GALACTIC
With Corey Glover, Corey Henry, Orgone
Details: Saturday 8 p.m. State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $23-$25. (727) 895-3045.
Hey Na Na, the first single off Galatic's upcoming album, plays out like a NOLA parade anthem with the guys acting as pied pipers of Carnival. With jazz, hip-hop, funk, rock, metal and world music, the new disc is a Whitman's Sampler of sound. It also features special guest rappers Mystikal and Mannie Fresh, among others. Galactic and its illustrious drummer Stanton Moore march to the State Theatre Saturday with lots of dance-spurring tunes to debut.
THE SAUCE BOSS
Details: Friday 8 p.m. Largo Cultural Center, 105 Central Park Drive. $23-$28. (727) 587-6793.
Now this is how music was meant to be enjoyed. Bill Wharton, or "The Sauce Boss," plays a mean blues slide guitar while concocting a delish Cajun gumbo onstage. Yes, Wharton's a regular here, but his show ("rock and roux," maybe?) never seems bland. Free bowl of gumbo with the price of admission.
AKRON/FAMILY
With Bad Weather California, Praything
Details: Tuesday 8 p.m. Crowbar, 1812 N 17th St., Ybor City. $11-$14. (813) 241-8600.
There's a fine line between unique and confusing. Psych-folk band Akron/Family — not a family, and not from Akron — employs Yo La Tengo-like experimentalism, tribal drumming, guitar freakouts, war cries and even the tones of a creaky rocking chair, on occasion, to keep fans grinning … or guessing.
B.J. BARHAM (of American Aquarium)
Details: Monday 8 p.m. New World Brewery, 1313 E Eighth Ave., Ybor City. Free. (813) 248-4969.
Like North Carolina's answer to Bruce Springsteen or Bob Seger, American Aquarium plays spirited, blue-collar rock with a country twang. Monday, it's just a guy and his guitar at this free solo show with the group's lead man, B.J. Barham.
Loading...