By Nanette Wiser
Tune up inside with dozens of concerts, bands and more. If you love to dance, catch The Shakes Society around town (just saw them at Finley’s in Largo, a great Friday/Saturday hang-out). Laugh it up at Sunshine City Comedy Club or get tickets for Jerry Seinfeld when he performs 9/28 at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Here’s what’s on our music and nightlife dance card.
Our favorite mermaid Gloria West is back in August only, slipping in from Key West with some local concerts including 8/4 Castellano & Co. featuring Gloria West live at Club 201 in downtown St. Pete and at Floridian Social Club for The Party of the Year 8/24. Recently engaged, she’s taken Hemingway’s town by storm, with her old school jazz with an island twist and incomparable pipes and phrasing.
COWBOY MOUTH On 8/24 @7:30pm, this popular New Orleans-born band comes to Central Park Performing Arts Center. Much like gumbo, Cowboy Mouth uses a potent blend of musical ingredients – rock, blues, punk, funk, country, pop, soul and whatever else feels good – to create their bodacious, kickass tunes. Frontman, drummer, and co-founder Fred LeBlanc has asserted “if The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth.” For three decades, the band has perfected their wonderfully rambunctious style performing before 10 million+ people at 3,000+ concerts. “With every show, no matter where it is, we try to turn it into New Orleans during the middle of Mardi Gras,” LeBlanc proclaims. “It’s like a southern gospel revival without the religion” – unless your religion is rock ‘n’ roll.JAZZ HANDS Celebrate jazz icon Al Downing’s birthday 8/6 @2pm with the Al Downing All Stars Band at Hough Hall/Palladium Theater. With two jams weekly at downtown The Hangar (Monday and Thursday), it’s always a good time. O Som Do Jazz performs at Evy’s in Clearwater 9/21 @7:30pm; the CJH Young Lions and Alex Malkovich open for the band @6pm. Get your tickets now for September’s Kenny Loggins with Pablo Cruise 9/16, Chicago for Hooters 40th anniversary celebration 10/7 and October’s Clearwater Jazz Holiday at The Sound with amazing acoustics, ample seating, delicious food trucks and outside the venue, a splash pad, oversized checkers and chessboard and other delights. Jose Ramirez kicks off his national fall tour at The Palladium 9/8 after a whirlwind European while James Suggs toots his horn most Sundays at The Studio Public House downtown.
RETRO ‘70s, BABY! The Palladium Theater celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Watkins Glen Summer Jam with performances by Steeln’ Peaches, Uncle John’s Band, and Have Gun Will Travel. The music of the Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, and The Band will be honored in celebration of the largest musical gathering ever, Watkins Glen Summer Jam 1973, and yes, I was there! It’s my era and you can celebrate with me at Good Night John Boy, or with Ron Goldstein’s Seventies Songbirds debuting at Cage Brewing in July while sporting bell bottoms from ArtPool. On 9/16 Peace Frog’s tribute to The Doors at CPPAC will serenade Jim Morrison lovers. At Cage Brewing, 9/8, Greggie and the Jets – A Tribute to Elton John perform his classics in glitz costumes and glasses. Even The Kind Mouse got in the spirit recently with their 70s fundraiser at Verducci’s. Mama Mia, here we go again.