The month of August in the arts

With the orchestra and the opera still on summer break, the major museums holding their next big exhibitions for the fall and lots of venues and production companies adhering to Covid-era caution, there’s not a whole lot on the arts calendar for August.

That will change, of course, as the days and weeks roll by. Watch this space for additions, updates and news.

Here’s what we do have:

The withering musical parodies by comedian Randy Rainbow made life during the heady and horrible days of 2020 a bit more bearable, at least on social media, for a few welcome minutes at a time.

Rainbow is on the road again, with a small orchestra of veteran Broadway musicians, bringing his sassy sarcasm to Ruth Eckerd Hall Aug. 27. He’s also debuting some new material, co-written with Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns) and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast). There will also be a live Q&A with the audience.

Ruth’s list of August highlights also includes the current incarnation of Styx (Aug. 5); Steve Earle plays sister venue the Capitol Theatre Aug. 22.

Sheryl Crow

On the other side of the bay, the Mid-Florida Credit Union’s big slate of post-pandemic make-up dates and new adds looks like this: Kings of Leon, Aug. 5; Korn and Staind, Aug. 7; Alanis Morisette (with Garbage and Cat Power), Aug. 17; Chris Stapleton (with Sheryl Crow), Aug. 26.

August at the Palladium Theater is hopping with a full slate of rock, blues and jazz concerts, from the likes of vocalist Bryan J. Hughes (saluting Duke Ellington with Nate Najar, John Lamb, members of La Lucha and others, Aug. 7); St. Pete’s Kid Royal (Aug. 13); jazz trumpeter Duane Eubanks and his Quintet (Aug. 15); honky tonk pianist Victor Wainwright and his band the Train (Aug. 20); Nate Najar’s “Jazz Samba Celebration” (saluting Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, Aug. 27) and the Johnny G. Lyon Band (Aug. 28).

The Palladium’s got comedy shows from Scott Novotny, John Carfi and Bob Burr (Aug. 14) and Ward Smith & Friends (Aug. 21).

Oh, and country music comic Rodney Carrington has a date at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center Aug. 19.