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Weekend forecast: Swon Brothers, Jane’s Addiction
The Swon Brothers, Zach and Colton, perform tonight (Thursday, Aug. 29) at Largo’s Central Park Performing Arts Center. Because the main auditorium is under renovation, the concert is being held in the smaller Parkview Room, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the leafiest, greenest parts of the City-owned Central Park complex.
A relatively intimate space, with cabaret-style (table) seating might be the best place to hang and listen to these Oklahoma siblings. They’ve released three singles this year, all of which will be collected on a forthcoming EP called Imagine Cabin Sessions.
There are no big, crackling, rocking country bands on these tunes – they’re acoustic, and spartan, and showcase the brothers’ razor-sharp harmonies. “Rifle Left Behind,” in particular, is a moving ode to a family firearm handed down through the generations, a song paying tribute to all the American veterans, heroes who gave all.
In short, pretty typical country music stuff, but oh, so powerful with just guitars, a dobro and those brotherly front porch harmonies.
Mentored by Blake Shelton, the Swons competed on NBC’s The Voice in 2014, finishing up in third place for the season. But they got a record deal out of the experience, and their self-titled debut reached No. 6 on the Billboard Country Album chart.
Tickets are going fast; click here to see what remains.
Central Park’s artistic director Rob Mondora is Friday’s guest on our Arts Alive! podcast.
Singer/songwriter Perry Ferrell and iconic guitarist Dave Navarro are still in the front rank of ‘90s alt-rock faves Jane’s Addiction, back on the road and stopping in at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre tonight at 7, with Love & Rockets on the bill. This is, fact, the reunited, classic JA lineup that made Ritual de lo Habitual back in 1990 (with bassist Eric Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins). Tickets.
Heart and Hope
At The Studio@620, there are four performances of Heart & Hope, a cabaret experience, Friday through Sunday. Musical director Juan Rodriguez has brought together five singers, from both sides of the bay, to blend their voices on musical theater songs that deal with heart, hope and the ideas of joy and resilience, all in line with the themes of The Studio’s upcoming and to-be-announced season. Read more about this event, and find tickets, at this link.
Jazz at freeFall
The Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association has assembled five bay area guitarists for a concert – it’s called Guitars Galore – Friday at freeFall Theatre. Carl Amundson, Bart Hanchey, Charlie Robinson, Vincent Sims and Jose Velandia will each play a set, with Richard Bruyn (piano), Kenny Walker (bass) and Ron Gregg (drums). Find tickets for the 7 p.m. performance here.
Chaos and Havoc
The jazz guitar concert means that the freeFall Theater stage is in use Friday, and that means that the current show, Fable, is taking the night off. But Doug DeVita’s comic drama about Gypsy Rose Lee, June Havoc and Ethel Merman trying to concoct a Broadway musical (Fable runs through Sept. 8) has performances tonight, Saturday and Sunday. Details and tickets are here.
It’s a drag
Tonight at Ruth Eckerd Hall, it’s RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. The 18+ performance, from the TV show’s 9th season, includes appearances by Angeria, Jorgeous, Plastique Tiara, Roxxxy Andrews and others. Tickets.
More concerts
Tonight: The Puerto Rican rock band Fiel a la Vega at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center. Tickets.
Tonight: Comedian and YouTube guy Kurtis Conner at the Tampa Theatre. Tickets.
The Original Wailers play Jannus Live Saturday. Not to the confused with the Marley Brothers, who have a Tampa amphitheater gig in October, this is a band that features guitarist Al Anderson, who was, in fact, an original Wailer. Tickets.
Saturday’s Spa Beach performance by the rapper mike. is sold out.
Don’t you forget about me dept.: Richard Butler and his Psychedelic Furs are regular visitors to Tampa Bay, and this time around the show is Sunday at Jannus Live. Tickets.
Sunday: Imagine Dragons at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre. Tickets.
Monday (Labor Day): Meghan Trainor at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center. Tickets.
Tuesday: Incubus with Coheed and Cambria at Amalie Arena. Tickets.
Have a great holiday weekend.
Your weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst.
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