Your weekend arts forecast: Moonflower blossoms

There’s a plethora of tribute bands out there (and, more than likely, a band called “Plethora”) and they’re all certainly staffed with solid musicians. But is impersonating someone else, down to wigs, costumes and stage mannerisms, the sincerest form of flattery or something kind of creepy and pathetic?

Find the nearest Kiss tribute band, or Zeppelin or the Stones or Queen or Fleetwood Mac, and ask them. Then report back. There are even Doobie Brothers tribute bands. Shudder.

Fortunately, some acts just want to play the music, have fun with it and let it speak for itself. Peace of Woodstock, a popular bay area group, dons the tie-dyes and granny glasses but plays songs by a dozen diverse artists who trod that famous stage in ’69. No harm, no foul. They’re not “pretending” to be anybody.

Peace of Woodstock’s founding keyboard player, organist Brad Trumbull, is also one of the guiding lights in Moonflower, performing Friday at the Palladium. This band plays the music of Santana, and Santana only.

It’s a tribute, sure. But these guys have other gigs, and they’re doing this for fun, so while guitarist Mark Barrios can rip a dynamic and explosive Latin lead out of his custom Gibson SG, he doesn’t pretend he’s Carlos Santana up there on that stage. Big difference.

Trumbull, who also doubles as the in-house organist when the Rays are at Tropicana Field (his last game was in 2019, as Covid has kept “extra” employees out of the stadium), is a Barrios fan.

“Mark is a great guitarist,” Trumbull says. “He can play any style of music from smooth jazz to hard rock. His love for Santana can be heard in his style of playing.”

The keyboardist is also a big-time Santana aficionado, and “plays” the role of Gregg Rolie, whose B3 organ runs and fills were a integral part of the early Santana band sound.

Moonflower (that’s the name of a 1977 Santana live album) also includes Manny Betancourt on percussion and vocals, Howard Kleinfeld on bass and David Nunez on drums.

“I learned to play the organ by listening to Santana, and it’s a rush when you play their songs,” Trumbull enthuses. “And the feeling you get playing it.”

If you need a label, this is percussion-heavy, Latin-infused rock ‘n’ roll. And it’s good stuff.

Tickets, info, and a live Moonflower video are here.

The other stuff

The Rose and the Beast, the walk-through, interactive theater experience, continues this weekend at freeFall, while Jobsite has mounted a streaming version of its recently-closed musical cabaret Shockheaded Peter, starting Friday. And Mayday: Captain Lerro and the Skyway Bridge is available to stream through July 21.

The St. Petersburg Saxophone Quartet plays a free concert Sunday from 12-2 p.m. at the Dali Museum’s Raymond James Community Room.