Weekend forecast: Concerts, a con and a movie

Let’s start with the weekend’s sold-out shows: Tonight’s collegiate piano concert at the Dali Museum; Saturday’s Theo Valentin/Fred Johnson swing music performance at freeFall Theatre; the concert by jazz guitarist Larry Carlton (Sunday) at the Central Park Performing Arts Center. No tickets remain for any of these events.

Now that that’s out of the way, what’s going on?

Electric blues guitar player Damon Fowler resides in South Hillsborough County, but like so many journeyman stringbenders, the road is his home.

Fowler and his trio are established on the blues club circuit, in this part of the country, and they also play as many local gigs as they can fit in.

That’s what’s happening Friday night on the Side Door stage, inside St. Petersburg’s Palladium Theater. The intimate concert is the official release show for Fowler’s new album, Barnyard Smile, which entered the Billboard Blues Album chart at No. 6.

Damon Fowler (right) with record producer George Harris. Photo by Bill DeYoung.

George Harris produced the album at his Creative World Recording Studio in Largo.

His 2019 release Alfia Moon (also produced by Harris) debuted at No. 1 on the chart; it was followed by Damon Fowler and Friends, Live at The Palladium, recorded you-know-where.

Raves Living Blues: “Fowler is as expressive a songwriter as he is a singer and instrumentalist. He’s preaching an otherworldly, Americana-themed gospel from a six-stringed pulpit. He is a roots guitar guru.”

Tickets for Friday’s 8 p.m. show are here.

Saturday brings another local hero, jazz saxophonist Jeremy Carter, to the Side Door for a show with his band. Tickets for the 8 p.m. performance, which is called Pure Imagination, are here.

Carter is Friday’s guest on our Arts Alive! podcast.

Now in its ninth year, Tampa Bay Screams is the area’s longest-lived horror and cult movie fan convention and celebration. There’s a dealers’ room, celebrity guest appearances and a whole lot more, 5-9 p.m. Friday and noon-5 p.m. Saturday at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center. Find tickets and details here.

Retro date night at the Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, Saturday at 7 p.m.: A 40th anniversary screening of Prince’s semi-autobiographical (and groundbreaking) film Purple Rain. This is what it looks like when doves cry. Tickets here.

Tonight at the Capitol: Standup comedian, wild and crazy guy and co-star of the old Jackass stunt show Steve-O. Tickets.

Country artist Walker Hayes will be onstage Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center, Tampa. Tickets.

Your weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst. 

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