By Nanette Wiser
TRIBUTE BANDS Boomers, rejoice! Get your blasts from the past at Capital Theater in downtown Clearwater with tributes to Eric Clapton (Journeyman 5/15), Chicago (Leonid & Friends 5/19), ACDC (Highway To Hell 5/2l), Pink Floyd (The Gilmour Project 6/7) after a yummy supper at Clear Sky, Tony’s Pizza (live music Fri./Sat.) or Sicilian Soul Fusion.
GONE COUNTRY Caught Crossfire Creek at the Daiquiri Shack Raw Bar in Madeira Beach for some boot-scooting two-step. Their high-energy one-of-a-kind performance features true-to-the-original cover versions of today’s new country hits from Luke Combs, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, LOCASH, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne and much more. Wednesday at OCC Roadhouse is country, and the band rotates in there (5/18, 6/8) as well as my other faves Horses Wild and new to me, New Orleans-born Chas Collins, a nationally touring music artist and actor based out of Nashville, TN and Clearwater, with a new single release out 5/5 @ OCC Roadhouse. Collins performs 5/14 Fat Cat Tavern Largo, 5/20 Gerstle’s Clearwater, 5/21 Whiskey Wings Clearwater and 5/28 Whiskey Wings Tyrone. The all-time best country bar in Tampa Bay, of course, is Dallas Bull, with many big-time country acts kicking up their cowboy boots here.
ACOUSTIC DELIGHTS Unplugged musicians take the ragged jag off the day at local markets, best with cool libations at Flute & Dram (Josh Geercken, Brandon Marsh), Ale and The Witch (Applebutter Express May 13), or cappuccino at Haus Coffeehouse (Gypsy Wind). Gypsy Wind’s acoustic, jazz, folk and bluegrass music is stellar, thanks to four seasoned performers on mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass and vocals who have played with legendary artists like Bill Monroe and Pat Metheny, and influenced by everyone from Beck to Thelonious Monk, and Emmy Lou Harris to Bob Dylan. You can also catch them at Florida Folk Festival 5/27, Bayboro Brewing 5/30 and James Museum 6/7.
Applebutter Express’s song “Hey My Brotha,” was featured in the Ron Howard film “The Good Lie” starring Reese Witherspoon (2015). The band’s story begins in 2004, when Kyle Biss met his future wife Shannon while working at a record store in Bradenton. Still a focused bass player, Kyle picked up a ukulele in 2010 and began to write songs, with the idea of singing with Shannon (his then girlfriend) for fun on the couch. Pretty soon the duo began making a name for themselves among the open mic community; in no time, the eclectic, tuneful duo – now known as The Applebutter Express – were the talk of Tampa. Kyle and Shannon married in 2011. Zach Rogers (bass) joined in 2015 and newest member Jason Baker (fiddle) started in 2020. Since then, The Applebutter Express has performed at such prestigious festivals as Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Hulaween, Suwannee Springfest, and many others.
