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Tampa Bay's top concert picks: Jeff Lynne's ELO, Rob Thomas, Train

Jeff Lynne from ELO performs at the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at New York’s Barclays Center. On Sunday, the legendary producer will stop by Amalie Arena in Tampa. [Associated Press]
Jeff Lynne from ELO performs at the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at New York’s Barclays Center. On Sunday, the legendary producer will stop by Amalie Arena in Tampa. [Associated Press]
Published July 3, 2019

BLUE SKIES AHEAD: Jeff Lynne's ELO

Oh, sure, Electric Light Orchestra has played Tampa Bay a few times since 1976. But Jeff Lynne's officially sanctioned ELO? Yeah, that's the catch. The legendary producer (Tom Petty, the freaking Beatles) and onetime Traveling Wilbury reformed his version of the classic rock band that made him famous back in 2014, but tours have been few and far between. Lynne's ambitious arrangements and infectious melodies on classics like Evil Woman, Don't Bring Me Down, Mr. Blue Sky and Livin' Thing have aged extraordinarily well, making his 40-year disappearance from this market all the more frustrating. On a positive note, Lynne's current tour features an opening set from Dhani Harrison, whose papa George was a close pal and collaborator. $45.75 and up. 8 p.m. Sunday. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. (813) 301-2500. amaliearena.com.

HITS FOR DAYS

It's a scientific fact: One out of every three mixtapes produced in the United States between 1996 and 2001 featured a song by the Goo Goo Dolls, Train, the Wallflowers or Rob Thomas. Look it up! Here's another fun fact: All four of them are in town this weekend!

Rob Thomas: Do yourself a favor and read Rolling Stone's recent oral history of Smooth, Thomas' mega-smash with Santana. Twenty years later, it's still a hot one, one of the biggest hits of all time and the first indication Thomas would have a fruitful career outside Matchbox Twenty. His solo shows tend to focus on solo material like This Is How a Heart Breaks or Lonely No More, but don't be surprised to hear him bust out 3 A.M. or Unwell, either. And definitely get up and dance when he swerves into Smooth. Abby Anderson opens. $64 and up. 8 p.m. Friday. Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S, St. Petersburg. (727) 893-7832. themahaffey.com.

The Wallflowers: With Bob Dylan back in the headlines thanks to Martin Scorsese's new Netflix doc Rolling Thunder Revue, it's a good time to re-appreciate his boy Jakob. The Wallflowers are overwhelmingly known for their blockbuster debut album Bringing Down the Horse, but they followed it up with some underrated singles like Sleepwalker, When You're on Top and How Good It Can Get. Get Jakob Dylan a documentary of his own! $50 and up. 9 p.m. Friday. Hard Rock Cafe, 5223 Orient Road, Tampa. (813) 387-9838. seminolehardrocktampa.com.

Train and the Goo Goo Dolls: Twenty One Pilots have been covering the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris on their most recent tour, proving to a new generation what the rest of us already knew: The Goos, right, were, are and ever shall be a better band than they ever got credit for. It's a little harder to find young bands stanning for Train, but in concert, even the most cynical fan would find it hard to resist Patrick Monahan's engaging charm as a frontman. Both bands have hit songs for days, so it should be wall-to-wall sing-alongs. Allen Stone opens. $29.50 and up. 7 p.m. Sunday. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, 4802 U.S. 301 N, Tampa. (813) 740-2446. livenation.com.

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FLOAT YOUR BOAT: Rock the Yacht

By now, we should all have our fanciest yacht captain's hats steam-cleaned for the summer, right? What's that, you say? You don't even own a fancy yacht captain's hat? Well, you only have a few days left to remedy that. Because next week, Ruth Eckerd Hall is dropping one of the seaworthiest, wine-spritzingest concerts of the year on our shores. Rock the Yacht brings an overflowing snifter of AM gold to Clearwater, with performances by Ambrosia (Biggest Part of Me), Stephen Bishop (Save It for a Rainy Day), John Ford Coley (I'd Really Love to See You Tonight), Looking Glass (Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)), Player's Peter Beckett (Baby Come Back) and Walter Egan (Magnet and Steel). If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, this is the concert for you. $33.75 and up. 8 p.m. Wednesday. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. (727) 791-7400. rutheckerdhall.com.

HERE COMES THE SON: Stephen Marley

It's hard to know exactly where Stephen Marley stands in the power rankings of musical Marleys. He does have eight Grammys, tied with brother Ziggy for the most of any Marley, including father Bob. He may not quite have the same crossover appeal as Ziggy or youngest brother Damian, but he did headline the Gasparilla Music Festival a few years back. He returns this weekend for an overdue headlining show in a venue with a lot of love for reggae history. If he's not already No. 1 on the Marley family depth chart, he'll feel like it when he leaves. $30.50 and up. 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 565-0550. jannuslive.com.