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SoundCheck: Huey Lewis, Chris Cornell among top live music picks

 
Huey Lewis, the frontman for Huey Lewis and the News.
Huey Lewis, the frontman for Huey Lewis and the News.
Published Dec. 5, 2013

Huey Lewis and the News

Details: Friday 8 p.m. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $49.50-$100. (727) 791-7400.

Even though he says he's "not a backward-looking guy," Huey Lewis couldn't resist taking a stroll down memory lane this year to mark the 30th anniversary of breakthrough album Sports, which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and turned Huey Lewis and the News into '80s A-listers. On this tour, the band is playing the album front to back, not just hits like I Want a New Drug, Heart and Soul and The Heart of Rock & Roll, but rare cuts like their cover of Hank Williams' Honky Tonk Blues, as well as other hits from their career.

Jay Cridlin, Times staff writer

Alabama Shakes

With Clear Plastic Makers

Details: Friday 8 p.m. Jannus Live, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. Sold out. (727) 565-0550.

A sold-out crowd waiting with baited breath will meet the Alabama Shakes when they make their bay area debut, and by all indications, the Athens, Ga.-based outfit is not poised to disappoint. Brittany Howard is the keeper of one of the country's most arresting voices, and the band's only LP, last year's Boys & Girls, is a timeless country-kissed collection of dusty, muscle-bound Southern rock sprinkled with just enough emotion and Stax-era soul to squeeze a sniffle or two out of even the hardest of hearts. The Shakes' hit single Hold On will probably make an early appearance, but the whole set list should be a spellbinding affair.

CANCELED Chris Cornell

With Bhi Bhiman

Details: Friday 8 p.m. Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S, St. Petersburg. $27.50 and up. (727) 892-5767.

Chris Cornell could probably sing his ABCs or Mary Had a Little Lamb and still leave people with their jaws on the ground. The 49-year-old grunge god with the golden voice may have made his initial mark fronting Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, but this solo acoustic tour finds him mixing cuts from all three of those projects with a trio of solo albums as well as more than a handful of covers. After Cornell's 2012 set at the Tampa Theatre, Cornell's voice was called a "work of art," and there's no reason the guy won't paint another really pretty picture this time.

Megadeth

With Fear Factory, Nonpoint

Details: Sunday 7:30 p.m. Jannus Live, 16 Second St. N, St. Petersburg. $35-$40. (727) 565-0550.

Getting kicked out of Metallica may have been the best thing ever to happen to Dave Mustaine. The 52-year-old brushed off the dismissal, going on to form Megadeth and become one of the most important metal guitarists ever. He has faithful fans who endure his perplexing rants in the hopes of getting their faces melted by the classic riffs and prog-influenced thrash found on classic Megadeth LPs like Killing Is My Business … and Business Is Good! and Peace Sells … but Who's Buying?

The Devil Wears Prada

With the Ghost Inside, Volumes, Texas In July

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Details: Sunday 6 p.m. State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $20 and up. (813) 247-2555.

Warped Tour is at least half a year away, but fans of Warped's brand of extremely catchy, best-experienced-in-the-live-setting alternative rock can satiate their thirst at the State Theatre on Sunday. Warped veterans Texas In July, Volumes and the Ghost Inside join the Devil Wears Prada, who sport a melodic, slightly electro-influenced approach to the genre's typically aggressive, body-slamming sound. This is an early show, so fans can be back in the bed well before it's time to hit the sack in advance of the work/school week.

Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group

Details: Monday 7:30 p.m. Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St., Tampa. $62-$75. (813) 274-8981.

With his "Large Band" in tow, the touches of swing, jazz and gospel that color Lyle Lovett's striking take on country and blues really shine, but things should be equally spectacular on this particular stop, where the 56-year-old living legend will be backed by his "Acoustic Group" for an intimate set within the walls of a venue that is legendary in itself. A gifted songwriter who works the stage with a beguiling, humble panache, Lovett is sure to breathe a new kind of life into favorites like If I Had a Boat and That's Right (You're Not From Texas), mix in some holiday cuts (listen to him duet with Kat Edmonson on Baby, It's Cold Outside) and enchant the crowd.

Times correspondent Ray Roa can be reached at suburbanapologist.com.