Music Archives - Creative Loafing Tampa

A press photo of singer-songwriter Ron Pope sitting in the driver's seat of a vintage blue car. He is looking directly at the camera with a serious expression. He has a full, dark beard and long dark hair styled into two long braids that rest over his shoulders. He is wearing a simple off-white t-shirt. The interior of the car features tan and black upholstery, and the shot is framed through the open driver-side window, capturing a glimpse of a side-view mirror in the foreground.

Music

Ahead of Clearwater show, Ron Pope reminisces about the album that opened his eyes

‘I loved that they seemed like regular guys.’

by Josh Bradley March 4, 2026March 4, 2026

His Clearwater debut next weekend is part of a quick, Florida-exclusive spring tour, which appears to be his first-ever run of shows in the Sunshine State.

Music

Photos: Andrea Bocelli showcases his timeless-as-ever voice in Tampa

Oh mi amor.

by Ryan Kern March 3, 2026March 3, 2026

Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes wearing sunglasses and a black "How we Love is who we are" shirt, posing energetically with bandmates Zac Cockrell and Steve Johnson in a dimly lit room.

Music

Back from hiatus, hypnotic soul-rock band Alabama Shakes comes to Clearwater this spring

Lamont Landers opens at BayCare Sound.

By J.C. Roddy/Cigar City SoundsMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026

Music

Photos: Everyone we saw at Punk Black Tampa 2026

It was the festival’s last time at Crowbar, ahead of the venue’s closing this summer.

by Ray Roa and Ryan Metcalf March 2, 2026March 3, 2026

Music

Pentagram String Band brings Satanic bluegrass to St. Pete on Sunday

Don’t worry this is not what happens when Mumford & Sons discovers the Ouija board.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Tampa Bay musician Ken Apperson in a radio studio, wearing small round sunglasses and headphones while speaking or singing into a professional broadcast microphone. The warm-toned studio background features acoustic foam and a gold-colored sound panel.

Music

WMNF’s new Monday morning show host is playing Rock the Park Tampa in March

Ken Apperson, a songwriter recently retired from the ‘Live Music Showcase.’

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Musician Parastoo Shafiei performs on the santur, a hammered dulcimer. She is wearing a white pinstripe shirt and round glasses, holding two delicate wooden mallets (mezrabs) over the strings of the traditional instrument in a brightly lit indoor setting.

Music

CAMPground26 festival brings out-of-the-box composition to Tampa

The three-day festival kicks off in Ybor City, with stops in Seminole Heights, West and EastTampa.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

The Deslondes band members pose for a portrait by Selwyn Figg in a rustic, wood-paneled room. The five musicians are dressed in vintage-style Americana clothing, standing and sitting together in an informal arrangement that reflects their country-soul aesthetic.

Music

Analog-loving New Orleans Americana band The Deslondes plays Tampa on Monday

Only fools will miss Sabine McCalla in the opening slot.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Interior view of the dimly lit Sun-Ray Cinema lounge and bar area in Tampa. Industrial-style sputnik chandeliers with exposed amber bulbs hang from a dark ceiling over curved booths, with colorful neon accent lighting and mural art on the walls.

Music

Sun-Ray Cinema is the best place to see a movie in Tampa—and it does concerts now, too

‘After The Movies Presents’ goes down in the lobby.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026March 2, 2026

Tampa Bay producer and percussionist Roger Thomas posing for a portrait by Mike Nyman. He wears a conical straw hat over a white knit beanie and glasses, standing against a colorful graffiti wall with wavy blue, yellow, and red patterns.

Music

Rogerthomas releases ‘Foreveryung,’ a joyous celebration of rhythm, at St. Pete show

Luke Schneider—the Nashville-based pedal steel player who’s collaborated with Margo Price, Orville Peck, S.G. Goodman, and William Tyler—is the icing on the cake.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Portrait of Tampa Bay songwriter Fessi K wearing a green and tan letterman-style varsity jacket. She has reddish-brown braided hair adorned with butterfly clips and beads, posing outdoors in front of a modern white building and a hilly landscape.

Music

Punk Black Tampa hosts its final Crowbar throwdown this weekend

Fessi K is in the lineup along with Pilot Jonezz, He.Kindly and more.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Tampa songwriter and poet Dennis Amadeus of Wolfgang Amadeus screaming into a microphone during a live performance at Tampa Sessions, wearing a black "Support Local Art" T-shirt with a full band on a green turf stage.

Music

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is back in Tampa, complete with two days of music

Wulfgang Amadeus is part of a healthy bill of homegrown musicians playing the concert starge.

by Ray Roa February 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Tampa artist Taína Enserio holding a microphone and talking in a DJ booth next to a performer at a crowded indoor event.

Music, Show Previews, Tampa Bay Journalism Project

St. Pete exploration of experimental electro is also a fundraiser for immigrant rights

by Ray Roa February 26, 2026February 26, 2026

A promotional portrait of three women in the band Thelma and the Sleaze posing confidently against a bright pink background

Music

A revamped Thelma and the Sleaze return to Tampa this weekend

They’re fundraising for a new album free of patriarchy and corporate interest.

by Selene San Felice February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

ear view of Tampa artist DJ Fader wearing a green and white Masquerades Reunion varsity letterman jacket on stage.

Music

Reunion for Masquerade’s legendary late-’90s hip-hop night happens Friday in Tampa

There’s no cover, but early arrival is suggested.

by Ray Roa February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

Randy Owen, lead singer of the country band Alabama, performing live on stage with a black electric guitar during a concert.

Music

Florida Strawberry Festival’s 11 days of concerts kicks off Thursday in Plant City

Alabama is on a lineup that traverses pop, R&B, rock, and country.

by Ray Roa February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

DJ Holographic looking upward against a high-contrast blue and black studio background, featuring her signature red curly hair and a pink jacket.

Music

Detroit’s DJ Holographic to play techno and disco in St. Pete on Friday

She’s on the lineup for the Motor City’s 2026 Movement festival.

by Ray Roa February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

Members of the Alabama-based surf rock band Daikaiju perform a theatrical, high-energy set in Tampa. One performer in a floral shirt plays guitar while another with blue body paint leans in close; both wear the band's signature kabuki-style masks under red stage lights.

Music

Daikaiju stages Magnanimous Brewing debut this weekend

The Alabama instrumental-rock outfit boasts a fiery stage show.

by Ray Roa February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

St. Paul and The Broken Bones band members posing in a minimalist, high-key studio setting. The eight-piece soul band is dressed in a mix of black and white outfits with musical instruments including a soul-style organ, electric guitar, saxophone, and trumpet against a solid white background.

Music

Before St. Pete concert, Paul Janeway talks St. Paul & the Broken Bones: ‘A lot of bands would have probably broken up’

The group brings its self-titled album to Jannus Live on Thursday.

by J.C. Roddy February 24, 2026February 24, 2026

GZA of Wu-Tang Clan performing live on stage at Amalie Arena in Tampa during a June 2025 concert.

Music

Gasparilla Music Festival 2026: GZA, Drive-By Truckers, Jai Wolf and East Nash Grass among nearly 40 new bands on lineup

Some of Tampa Bay’s best emergent local bands are also on the bill.

by Ray Roa February 20, 2026February 20, 2026