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Looking ahead: October in the arts
Everyone in St. Petersburg knows that October is the month for the SHINE Mural Festival, one of the things that makes our already-unique city such an arts hub. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the week-long St. Petersburg Arts Alliance celebration of public art, which invites a dozen or more mural artists to paint on pre-assigned outdoor walls, for all to see and appreciate.
So yeah, after the 2024 SHINE (Oct. 11-20), there will be 15 bold new works bursting with creativity, as every artist – from the well-known international ones to those that hail from Tampa Bay – comes with his or her own unique vision. It’s by no means a “Florida” thing, with snarling green alligators, smiley suns and fireworks over the Cinderella castle at Walt Disney World. “Art for art’s sake” is the unofficial SHINE motto.
From 2023, the SHINE mural by Australia’s Loretta Lizzio, being created at 2875 7th Avenue S:
International artists for 2024 are Fintan Magee (Australia), NeSpoon (Poland), Abys (France) and Emmanuel Jarus (Canada).
National artists for 2024 are Seattle’s Stevie Shao and Atlanta’s George F. Baker III.
From the bay area: Up & Over, Cristi López, Frankie G, Kris Markovich and Johnny Vitale, and Quinn Cale.
Oct. 11 brings the SHINE 10 Year Retrospective Group Exhibition at the Morean Arts Center, with works from over 100 festival artists from the past decade. The Oct. 19 finale event at FloridaRAMA will have music, readings, live installations and a whole lot of good cheer.
The Florida Orchestra
Tampa Bay’s biggest band begins the new season with Ravel’s Bolero, Oct. 5 (Mahaffey Theater) and Oct. 6 (Ruth Eckerd Hall), conducted by Michael Francis, who’s beginning his 10th season as TFO musis director. Other highlights for October: For the Love of Italy (Oct. 9 and 10), Bette, Babs and Beyond (Oct. 12 and 13), Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 (Oct. 19 and 20), a “Music of Jimmy Buffett” concert (Oct. 20) and a Halloween-themed family matinee (Oct. 27).
Country music
Tampa’s 2024 for-charity Pig Jig (so named because, well, barbecue) takes place Oct. 19 in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. Country music’s Dierks Bentley headlines a day of music, beer and ‘Q.
Country’s reigning bad boy Morgan Wallen is at Raymond James Stadium Oct. 4, a makeup show for the one he last-minute canceled back in July.
Amalie Arena’s got For King and Country Oct. 11.
At Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo: Bluegrass band the Henhouse Prowlers Oct. 11.
Oct. 24 brings Carly Pearce to the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center.
R&B and hip hop
Not quite to the end of the road, Boyz II Men play the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center Oct. 3.
Hip hop high priestess Nicki Minaj slinks onto the stage of Amale Arena Oct. 5.
Next day (Oct. 6), rapper Sexxy Redd has a concert at Amalie Arena.
Rock and pop
Singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett, a frequent bay area visitor, is at Ruth Eckerd Hall Oct. 4 with his ever-present Large Band.
Originally scheduled for October 23, a Mahaffey Theater date for the Black Crowes was scrapped when the blues/rock band fronted by brothers Rich and Chris Robinson accepted an offer to tour with Aerosmith. That entire tour, of course, was canceled because of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler’s ongoing vocal issues, which led to … the Black Crowes playing the Mahaffey Oct. 6 (THIS year).
The ‘70s band America (original members: 1) has a Mahaffey Theater date Oct. 11.
Canada’s Barenaked Ladies streak across the Baycare Sound amphitheater Oct. 23.
Oct. 25 at Amalie Arena: Pop singer (and former Disney Channel star) Sabrina Carpenter.
Oct. 26 at Ruth Eckerd Hall: A high-definition screening of the 1986 Jim Henson film Labyrinth, with a live band playing behind David Bowie’s recorded vocals.
Other concerts
Reggae: The Marley Brothers appear Oct. 4 at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre.
Gospel: The legendary Kirk Franklin will be at Amalie Areana Oct. 10.
Comedy: Rob Schneider, another bay area frequent flyer, plays the Mahaffey Theater Oct. 18.
Jazz: Vocalist Samara Joy will be at the Capitol Theatre Oct. 13.
On theater stages
The Boy Who Loved Batman is world-premiering this month at the Jaeb Theatre, inside Tampa’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts. It’s based on comic book expert and film producer Michael Uslan’s memoir. The show opens Oct. 1; read all about it here.
Opening Oct. 3 at the Off-Central is The Hollow, a one-person adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, adapted and directed by Roxanne Fay and starring Alan Mohney Jr.
Weird in Florida, a walk-through, history-based comedy written by American Stage producing artist director Helen R. Murray, is set inside the walls of the psychedlic maze known as FloridaRAMA. The co-production debuts Oct. 24.
Just in time for Halloween, Jobsite Theater will open a new edition of its veteram “neo-gothic cabaret” Gorey Stories Oct. 23.
Storytellers from The Moth, both radio and podcast editionsm will spin spooky tales Oct. 10 at the Tampa Theatre.
Websites
Central Park Performing Arts Center
Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre
Seminole Hard Rock Event Center
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