HERE COMES TROUBLE: CHRIS BROWN
Here's one way to look at the supernova career of Chris Brown, who performs at Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Friday.
Roughly 60 percent of his Wikipedia page is dedicated to his illustrious career as a singer, dancer and actor — his dozens of Top 10 hits, his Grammy award and nominations, his collaborations with artists like David Guetta, Pitbull and Kendrick Lamar.
The other 40 percent falls under two categories: "Domestic violence case" and "Other legal issues, rehab and jail."
That says it all, doesn't it? Wikipedia is the ultimate public eye, and it will never unsee Brown's anger, his tantrums, his violent past, his unmatched all-around unlikability. Even his recent proclamation that he was naming his next album after infant daughter Royalty was hard to view with anything but cynicism. Really? You're dragging her into this, too?
It's a never-ending dilemma, this business of separating the artist from the art. Can you hate Woody Allen and love Annie Hall? Revile Bill Cosby but respect To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With? Can you despise Chris Brown but still clink flutes of Cristal to Ayo?
His fellow artists don't seem that conflicted. Even after the whole Rihanna thing, in the past year alone, he has worked with Nicki Minaj, Rita Ora, Jhene Aiko and Brandy. And his One Hell of a Nite Tour features killer acts across the board, including rappers French Montana (Pop That) and Kid Ink (Worth It), trap trio Migos, singer-actor Omarion, singer Teyana Taylor and, most intriguing of all, Trap Queen crooner Fetty Wap, who currently has four songs in Billboard's Top 40.
A slate like that will persuade a lot of conflicted fans to overlook their Chris Brown misgivings. Sixty percent is still more than 40, after all. But that 40 percent isn't going away anytime soon.
The show is at 7 p.m. at 4802 U.S. 301 N, Tampa. $25 and up. (813) 740-2446. livenation.com.
BIG BILL: LADY ANTEBELLUM
It's been a minute since Lady Antebellum lit the country-pop world on fire with a string of chart-topping, Grammy-winning singles like Need You Now and I Run To You. But Lady A trumps all comers when it comes to support for their summer tour, which hits the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Saturday.
It starts with Sam Hunt, Nashville's hottest newcomer by a mile, and one of the genre's slickest purveyors of sexed-up crossover country. After writing hits for Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban, his genre-bending 2014 album Montevallo spawned three No. 1 singles (Leave the Night On, House Party and Take Your Time, which he recently performed on tour with Taylor Swift). As a singer he's still a little green, but when you hear the crowd scream for Hunt on Saturday, you'll wonder if he's not on the verge of headlining venues like the Amp all by himself.
Next comes Hunter Hayes, the guitar-slinging prodigy who's gradually trying to shed his squeaky-clean teenyboppin' image with the party-all-night summer single 21. The song inexplicably stalled on the charts, but should make for a fun sing-along on Saturday.
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Explore all your optionsAnd then there's Lady A. No longer content to fall back on Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood's ever-stellar harmonies, they're pushing country's boundaries by collaborating with EDM stars like Audien (Something Better) and Zedd (a live mash-up at this summer's CMT Music Awards). Even Bartender, the lead single from latest album 747, hops and shimmies with whiskey-soaked verve.
Top to bottom, it's the Amp's most progressive country show of the year. Don't miss it at 7 p.m. $30.75 and up. (813) 740-2446. livenation.com.
BAYSIDE HIGHS: LABOR DAY BY THE WATER
Labor Day weekend is the last, best chance of the summer to hit the beach. So it's no surprise that two of this weekend's top parties take place on the water.
First up is Shephard's Beach Resort's annual weekend bash, which this year is trading its traditional "Old Skool" lineup for a slate of big-beat EDM. Superstar Dutch DJ (is there any other kind?) Afrojack (Give Me Everything) leads Saturday's lineup, which also features DJs Don Diablo, singer Iyaz (Replay) and more. On Sunday, Grammy-nominated DJ-producer Dirty South headlines a lineup that also includes Sick Individuals, Solidisco and George Acosta. Tickets are $25 for Saturday, $20 for Sunday, and $40 for a four-day weekend pass (available online only). (727) 442-5107. shephards.com.
Way across Pinellas is a party that's a lot more laid back, but you'll need a boat to get there. Every Labor Day weekend, a group of musicians called the Cross Creek Blues Band hauls a pontoon out into St. Petersburg's Riviera Bay for a floating blues-rock jam in "P" Channel near Weedon Island. Thousands of boaters and swimmers gather at what has become the bay area's most unusual concert venue. And while the sandbar setting is the selling point, the music's pretty good, too — performers have shared stages with the likes of B.B. King, Ike and Tina Turner and Conway Twitty.
The event is free, but only accessible by boat, kayak or paddleboard. (727) 282-4425. blues-guitar-man.com.