Backline Music Festival w/Tonic/Will Hoge/Michael Tolcher & the Pros/many more World of Beer hosts this new festival headed up by Tonic, an alt rock outfit with mainstream appeal and well-known hits like their 1998 chart-topping rock anthem, “If You Could Only See,” and 1999’s maudlin riffing “You Wanted More.” Also of note: Nashville native Will Hoge, who brings alt country rock flare to the bill along with a recent album, 2011’s Number Seven. (Williams Park St. Petersburg) –RF
Infinite Skillz Mixtape Release Party w/Waystid Talent/Ruben The Hurricane/Dissaray CL Best of the Bay-winning "Hardest-Working Man in Tampa Bay Hip Hop," clever word player and headband gamer himself, Infinite Skillz, stages this party to promote the release of his new You're All Invited mixtape; $5 admission includes a copy and performances by other quality names in the local indie hip hop scene. (Fubar, St. Petersburg)—LP
Suzy Bogguss She normally occupies the country music sound spectrum, but she has been known to stray into folk territory and last year found Nashville songstress Suzy Bogguss returning to it with American Folk Songbook. She was inspired during her 2008 tour with Garrison Keillor, where she realized children were no longer being exposed to folk music, and vowed to dust off and update a collection of timeless folk songs to spread around. The 17 that made the cut include "Shenandoah," "Wayfaring Stranger," "Red River Valley" and "Beautiful Dreamer," and were fleshed out with a band that included dobro player Jerry Douglas. (Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—LP
Sound Parlor w/Ella Jet Fresh teenage trio Sound Parlor – Danny Scordato (keys, guitar, bass, vocals), Alex Merrill (keys, bass, vocals) and Andrea Tafelski (drums) – has an impressive repertoire of organ-grooving jazz-fused rock n' roll, with original songs interspersed amid classic rock covers by the likes of Steely Dan ("FM"), Led Zeppelin ("Misty Mountain Hop") and Paul McCartney ("Maybe I'm Amazed"). Funds from this show go towards the costs of recording a debut, already titled New Squids on the Dock. (Hideaway Cafe, St. Petersburg) —LP
SUNDAY, APRIL 1
I Am The Avalanche w/Hostage Calm Brooklyn post-hardcore/punk pop outfit hits town backing their 2011 sophomore LP, Avalanche United. (Orpheum, Ybor City) —LP
Bloody Jug Band w/Crackerbilly Band/Troy Youngblood Bloody Jug Band is made up of seven Orlando musicians who imbue their mix of swamp rock, alt country and Americana with an ominous, rambling, noir-flavored tone, the deep crusted vocals of washboard scratcher Cragmire Peace chafing against the velvety drawl of cowbell-wielding Stormy Jean. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)—LP
Passafire w/Lionize/Sashamon/The Movement Jannus welcomes reggae rock/dub-flecked foursome Passafire, from Georgia, for the latest edition of its Sunday Night Reggae Series. (Jannus Live St. Petersburg)—LP
Ten O'Clock Swing Band This 18-piece ensemble – five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, a piano, bass, guitar, drums, and vocalist – pays homage to the big band era with performances of hits by Glen Miller, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, as well as a selection of contemporary standards. Bring your swinging shoes and be prepared to lindy hop and jitterbug the whole evening through. (Largo Cultural Center, Largo) –RF
MONDAY, APRIL 02
We Were Promised Jetpacks w/ Bad Veins/The New Cassettes Post-punk revivalists from Edinburgh, Scotland, We Were Promised Jetpacks crafts music that packs a driving punch and they managed to avoid the sophomore slump with 2011's In the Pit of the Stomach, which earned high marks from both Paste and Spin magazines, the latter calling it "lyrically somber but ultimately redemptive — like a healing calm after the storm." Also worthy of note: Cincinnati synth pop-rockers Bad Veins, their own second LP due in April. (Crowbar, Ybor City) —LP
CLICK HERE to see a complete rundown of shows taking place this week and in the coming weeks.
