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Weekend forecast: And still more musical chairs
It’s not the real thing, but it comes with a certificate of authenticity. Sort of.
Friday at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater is Our House: The Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. At first glance, this looks like another in a long line of tribute shows – made even more confusing by a recent Stub Hub social media ad selling it as “Crosby, Stills & Nash,” with no other words, no disclaimers, no photos, no nothing.
Since David Crosby died in 2023, that would’ve been quite a feat.
There happens to be a direct lineage here to CSNY. It’s a “family and friends” show. The band includes keyboardist James Raymond (Crosby’s son) and guitarist Jeff Pevar, both of whom were in the band CPR with him; and Steve Postell and Michelle Willis, who also worked toe-to-guitar with Crosby in his later years. Neil Young’s sister Astrid, who sang with brother on numerous occasions, will open the concert and perform with the others later in the all-acoustic evening.
Uber-fans will recognize the names Henry Diltz and Stephen Barncard, photographer and recording engineer, respectively. They’re scheduled to “tell tall tales” about the good old days and the classic albums, via film between songs.
OK, so maybe Our House is a tribute band after all. The argument could be made. But it’s got an interesting pedigree, which makes Friday something of a special occasion. Tickets.
(Coming Friday: The Catalyst interview with James Raymond.)
It’s understandable if you get your classic rockers mixed up these days. While many of the original musicians have either retired, passed on or – in quite a few cases – been given the boot from their respective outfits, the bands themselves live on as “legacy” acts – in other words, trading on the name and the potent memories of days gone by.
This is entirely a different animal than tribute acts, who are impersonators.
And your Weekend Forecast is here to clear things up about Styx and Foreigner, Saturday at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheater.
Styx has had a fairly solid lineup for years, with longtime classic-era members Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young still in the ranks. The guy you won’t see is singer, songwriter and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung (no relation), the voice on most of the group’s classic songs. He and the others are not on speaking terms.
Founding bassist Chuck Panozzo has been known to play the occasional gig with his old bandmates.
As for Foreigner, there’s no one left from the days of “Hot Blooded,” “Cold as Ice” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Founding guitarist Mick Jones owns the copyright on the band name, but as of 2023 was no longer touring. Distinctive lead singer Lou Gramm left the flock decades ago (he’s coming to the Palladium Theater in December).
Opening act John Waite (from the Babys and Bad English) remains John Waite. Tickets are here.
At the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center Sunday is Asia (“Heat of the Moment,” 1982). This was one of the decade’s biggest English supergroups, with members of Yes, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Today’s Asia has but one original member, keyboard player Geoff Downes (main-focus singer and songwriter John Wetton died in 2017). Focus, Curved Air and Wishbone Ash’s Martin Turner are also on the ticket, as is an art show by Roger Dean, who designed legendary album covers for Yes, Asia and a host of others. Tickets.
New Kids on the Block (Friday at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre) includes all five of the same guys who constituted this foundational boy band since the mid ‘80s. That’d be Jordan Knight, Donnie (Very Scary People) Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Jonathan Knight. They’re no longer boys, of course, nor are they new kids, but they are, in fact, the originals on their 40th anniversary tour. Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff are on the bill too. Find tickets here.
Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.) brings the annual Al Downing Honors ceremony to the Palladium’s Hough Hall stage. The event pays tribute to individuals who have encouraged the understanding and appreciation of jazz in the Tampa Bay area. It’s sponsored by the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association – members of the Downing family will present the awards, and the Al Downing All Stars will perform. Tickets.
Texas guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan, co-founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, is onstage at the Capitol Theatre Sunday with his Tilt-a-Whirl Band. Find tickets here.
Comedian Danny Bevins. Photo provided.
Side Door comedy
We’ve already introduced everyone to standup comedian Jimmy Shubert, who’ll headline Friday at the Palladium Theater’s Side Door Cabaret. Opening the show is bay area native Danny Bevins, a familiar face on local, regional and national stages. From his official bio: “His mouth has gotten him arrested, fined, and fired from every job he’s ever had, but for the last ten years it’s propelled him to tour the world and preform on some of the most prestigious stages in comedy. The son of a Jesus freak and a Green Beret, Bevins straddles the line between temptation and authority. He’s loud, audacious, opinionated, cocky, animated, charming, irreverent, sarcastic, facetious, ridiculous and dangerous. He is an American smartass.” Find tickets here.
On theater stages
The Rocky Horror Show is in full swing at Jobsite Theater (find tickets here). The show’s musical director Jeremy Douglass is Friday’s guest on our Arts Alive! podcast.
Doug Robinson’s comic fantasy The Figs continues at American Stage. Tickets.
And it’s the final weekend for LAB Laughs, the collection of live comedy shorts at LAB Theatre Project in Tampa. Tickets are here.
At the movies
There’s nothing quite like experiencing Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction on the big screen. You can thrill to its undiluted 1994 rush Saturday (7 p.m.) at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets.
Your weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst.
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