Create
Calendar alert: The month of April in the arts
Spring has officially sprung, and April is blooming with more concerts, plays and festivals than the last couple of months combined. To borrow from the Fab Four, you know that can’t be bad.
What’s the biggest of the big this month? Hard to say – certainly that’d be a matter of opinion. There are, however, five concerts scheduled Clearwater’s gargantuan, outdoor BayCare Sound amphitheater, a pretty good harbinger of warmer weather to come (Tampa’s similarly-exposed Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre, however, won’t start its concert season until May).
So we’ll start in Clearwater.
Chicago at the BayCare Sound, April 11. Even as its approaches the 60-year mark, the big band from the Windy City shows little sign of slowing down. Chicago plays the bay area at least once a year. The ranks include just three original members, and two of them are non-singing horn players, but Chicago concerts are always energetic celebrations of one of the most enduring song catalogs in pop music.
Lane 8 at the BayCare Sound, April 12. Electronic dance music composer, DJ and producer Daniel Goldstein (aka Lane 8) is touring on the back of his fifth album, Childish. Also on the bill for this EDM showcase is the endearing but mysterious Otherwish, a protege of Lane 8:
Air Supply at the BayCare Sound, April 13. Like Chicago, the Anglo/Aussie Air Supply is a vintage act that seems to have a good following in these parts, as they (Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell) are annual stage visitors. A kind of soft-rock Righteous Brothers, their hits include “Lost in Love,” “All Out of Love” and The One That You Love.” 1980s dance star Taylor Dane opens.
Warren Zeiders at the BayCare Sound, April 17. The Pennsylvania country singer’s single “Ride the Lightning” earned a platinum disc (one million in sales or downloads), and his followup, “Pretty Little Poison,” doubled those numbers. The support act is Tyler Braden.
Khruangbin at the BayCare Sound, April 18. This Texas trio couldn’t get any further from ZZ Top if they tried. It’s hypnotic, largely instrumental “groove music,” reverb-drenched, semi-psychedelic and taking cues from “Thai funk,” surf rock and other disparate genres. Support act: Florida-born composer, singer and experimental music-maker Helado Negro.
The rest of the concerts
April 1 (tonight) Alexis Cole and the Helios Jazz Orchestra (St. Petersburg Jazz Festival) at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret.
April 1 (tonight) British keyboard legend Rick Wakeman at the Capitol Theatre.
April 2 Uri Gurvich-Rodolfo Zuniga Quartet (St. Petersburg Jazz Festival) at the Palladium Side Door.
April 3 The Pershounin Quartet (St. Petersburg Jazz Festival) at the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement.
April 3 Jazz saxophonist and bandleader Branford Marsalis and his ensemble at the Central Park Performing Arts Center.
April 4 Queensryche singer/songwriter Geoff Tate plays the Mindcrimes album in its entirety at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
April 4 Singer/songwriter Chris Stills (son of rock legend Stephen Stills) at the Safety Harbor Art & Music Center.
April 5 The Florida Bjorkestra plays music from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more at the Palladium.
April 5 Country singers Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis share the bill at the Capitol Theatre.
April 5 Jazz saxophonist Dylan McHann at The Studio@620.
Jason Isbell: At Ruth Eckerd Hall April 8. Publicity photo.
April 8 Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
April 9 Americana multi-instrumentalist Billy Strings at the Yuengling Center.
April 9 Americana band Old Crow Medicine Show at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
April 10 10 Micky Dolenz, the last Monkee standing, at the Capitol Theatre.
April 11 Rocking twin brothers Matthew and Gunnar Nelson perform a tribute to their late father, Ricky, at the Central Park Performing Arts Center.
April 10 Kickoff concert for the Tampa Bay Blues Festival – Ronnie Baker Brooks and the North Mississippi All-Stars at the Palladium Theater.
April 11-13 Tampa Bay Blues Festival in St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park.
April 12 Jimmy Buffett’s songwriting pal – and longtime Coral Reefer Band member – Mac McAnnally at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
April 13 Bluegrass band Henhouse Prowlers at the Central Park Performing Arts Center.
April 18 Singer/songwriter Tommy Prine at Skipper’s Smokehouse.
April 18 Crooner Michael Feinstein at the Mahaffey Theater.
April 18 Canadian jazz ensemble 480East at Central Park Performing Arts Center.
April 18 Longtime Moody Blues singer/songwriter Justin Hayward at the Capitol Theatre,
April 19 Metal bands Meshuggah and Cannibal Corpse at the Yuengling Center.
April 19 Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra (jazz) at the Capitol Theatre.
April 21 Ken Peplowski and Diego Figueiredo (jazz) at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center.
Todd Rundgren leads a tribute to Burt Bacharach, April 22 at the Mahaffey Theater. Photo by Bill DeYoung.
April 22 “What the World Needs Now,” Burt Bacharach tribute concert with Todd Rundgren and others at the Mahaffey Theater.
April 25 Beacon ’25, bay area dance concert, at the Palladium Theater.
April 25 Multi-genre violinist Damien Escobar at the Capitol Theatre.
April 26 Country mega-star Alan Jackson on his “farewell tour,” Amalie Arena.
April 27 Americana/rock heroes Wilco at the Mahaffey Theater.
Comedy
April 4 Fred Armisen at the Tampa Theatre.
April 8 Chris Tucker at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center.
April 11 Anjelah Johnson-Reyes at the Mahaffey Theater.
April 12 Kathleen Madigan at the Mahaffey Theater.
April 13 Eddie Griffin at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center.
April 16 Mark Cordes at the Central Park Performing Arts Center.
April 18 Tiffany Haddish at the Tampa Theatre.
April 24 Colin Quinn at the Capitol Theatre.
Actres and comedian Tiffany Haddish visits the Tampa Theatre April 18. Publicity photo.
The classics
The Florida Orchestra: The Four Seasons by Vivaldi at Centro Asturiano de Tampa April 4 (April 5 Mahaffey Theater concert is sold out); Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, April 10 New Tampa Performing Arts Center; April 11 Clearwater Church of the Ascension, April 2 Palladium Theater (matinee); Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition April 26 Mahaffey Theater, April 27, Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Opera Tampa: La Boheme, April 11 and 13, Straz Center Morsini Hall.
Master Chorale of Tampa Bay: Multi-media concert with The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Jocelyn Hagen, Vignettes for Marie Curie by Natalie Draper, April 25 at Hyde Park UMC (Tampa), April 26 at Palladium Theater.
Steinway Signature Series: The Art of The Piano Trio: Jazz band ARConnection, April 11 at New Tampa Performing Arts Center.
Palladium Chamber Series #5: Bach, Corigliano & Brahms: April 30-, Palladium Theater
Theater
April 2-6 Straz Center (Tampa) Broadway tour series: The Lion King.
April 10-19: Love Bird at the Off-Central.
April 11-13: A Titanic Double Feature, Tampa Fringe.
April 11-May 11 For Closure! at freeFall Theatre.
April 18 and 19: Touring company of Pretty Woman: The Musical at Ruth Eckerd Hall.
April 18-27. Tampa Repertory Theatre, The Bridges of Madison County, Jaeb Theatre (Straz Center).
April 25-May 11: Morningside at Stageworks Theatre.
April 28: Radio Theatre Project at The Studio @620.
Websites
Central Park Performing Arts Center
New Tampa Performing Arts Center
Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
Please add us to your mailing list – send all press releases and event info to bill@stpetecatalyst.com.
You can also submit your events to the Catalyst calendar, by clicking here.
