The top concerts taking place in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties this week.
Jimmy GeurtsSarasota Herald-Tribune
As we near the end of April, we're also reaching the close of snowbird and tourist season in the Sarasota area. So while there may be less touring acts than usual in this week's concert picks, they'll be balanced out by some of the many talented musicians who call our area home, several celebrating new releases.
The musicians who are visiting us from out of town this week include two country music stars, a Grammy winner, and a Brooklyn band whose music has appeared on multiple TV shows. Yet you'll also find Sarasota and Bradenton-based music acts playing shows celebrating new albums, EPs and even a movie about themselves. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
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Young Rising Sons
Bradenton venue Oscura's live music lineup this weekend includes Brooklyn indie-pop band Young Rising Sons. The group made a big splash with their 2014 debut single "High," which was named a "Next Hype" track by then-BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe and appeared on shows such as Fox's "Red Band Society" and "Last Call with Carson Daly." Previously signed to Interscope Records, the group has since gone independent, with self-releases including the 2022 album "Still Point in a Turning World." 44Blonde, Diva Bleach and MAK will also perform at the Oscura show. 6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Friday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $18 advance, $22 day of; 941-201-4950;oscura.live
Sauce Boss
Swamp-funk slide guitarist Bill Wharton, aka the Sauce Boss, is set to play a postponed show at Bradenton's Cottonmouth this weekend. Known for serving up gumbo at his shows (he inspired the Jimmy Buffett tune "I Will Play for Gumbo"), Wharton most recently released the 2021 album "Peanuts" that openswith "Let the Big Dog Eat," his signature song that was later recorded byblues-rock favorite Albert Castiglia. "Peanuts" also features some of the music Wharton contributed to the 2020documentarydirected by his daughter, Mary Wharton. 7 p.m. Friday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen,1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $12 advance, $15day of; 941-243-3735;facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul
Hymn for Her
A few weeks after releasing their new album "Bloodier than Blood," Sarasota alt-Americana act Hymn for Her will play a show at Bradenton's Birdrock Taco Shack. Featuring husband and wife Wayne Waxing and Lucy Tight — and recently expanding the lineup to include their daughter, Diver — the group's accolades include being selected to playEngland's massive music festival Glastonburyin 2017 and RollingStone naming the track "Blue Balloons" from their 2018 album "Pop-n-Downers" one of the 10 bestcountry and Americana songs of that week.Can't make this show? They're also set to play Laurel Park in Sarasota on April 27. 7 p.m. Friday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-545-9966;facebook.com/birdrocktaco
Synia Carroll CD release celebration
Another area musician playing a show Friday after recently finishing an album will be Sarasota jazz vocalist Synia Carroll, celebrating the release of her new CD "Water is My Song." The album features songs punctuated by spoken word and rhythmic interlude, blending jazz, blues, folk and Afro-Caribbean as it explores the metaphoric role that water plays throughout our lives. Carroll will be joined at this show by Tony Antonio on drums, Pete Carney on reeds, Brant Cuthbertson on bass, Mark DeRose on percussion, Tomas Pizzi on piano, Chuck Stevens on guitar and Brenda Watty on vocals. 7:30 p.m. Friday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $20 courtyard general admission, $30 house seats; 941-894-6469;fogartyville.org
Southern Grand Slam Music Festival
The annual two-day country music festival, featuring national names in the genre headlining each night, will return to Charlotte County Fairgrounds this weekend. Scotty McCreery, the "American Idol" season ten winner turned professional musician with No. 1 country airplay hits such as "Five More Minutes," "This is It" and "Damn Strait," will top the bill Friday, just weeks before releasing his latest album "Rise & Fall." Saturday's headliner is Chris Young, a fellow TV show victor (he won season four of "Nashville Star") with No. 1 country airplay hits including the Grammy-nominated "Gettin' You Home," "I'm Comin' Over" and "Famous Friends," who released his own new album "Young Love & Saturday Nights" earlier this year. Friday-Saturday; Charlotte County Fairgrounds, 2333 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte; $55 per day, $100 weekend pass, pit passes and VIP tables also available;eventbrite.com
In Transit EP release show
This weekend, Oscura will also host this show celebrating the release of the new EP "Illusionary" by Bradenton progressive/indie-rock band In Transit, whose members include Oscura co-owner Ben Bakker. "Illusionary," coming out on Gainesville record label Ashtray Monument (sharing its name with the Jawbreaker song), is the follow-up to In Transit's 2022 full-length "Signal Fires." They'll be joined at this show by Gainesville post-punk/darkwave group and labelmates Chimes, featuring former Against Me! drummer Warren Oakes among its members, and Sarasota emo-punk band Floating Boy. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Saturday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $5 advance, $10 day of; 941-201-4950;oscura.live
The Strangeways film screening and performance
Fogartyville will host another release show this week with a premiere screening of "The Strangeways — 30 Years of Ska," followed by a performance by the group themselves. Directed by Strangeways member Bruce Glasberg, the documentary follows the three-decade history of the group, with live footage at Sarasota and Tampa area venues and interviews with band members. That history includes two albums, 1998's "Corporate Monkey" and 2000's "Another Round," the former released by New York City label Moon Ska Records that was started by The Toasters frontman Robert "Bucket" Hingley. 7 p.m. Tuesday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $8, $5 members; 941-894-6469;fogartyville.org
Yates McKendree
Also visiting Cottonmouth this week will be Grammy-winning blues singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Yates McKendree. Born in Nashville and raised in a recording studio, McKendree grew up hearing and playing with musicians including John Hiatt and Delbert McClinton, winning a Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy for his work on McClinton's 2019 full-length "Tall, Dark, & Handsome." In 2022, McKendree released his debut LP "Buchanan Lane," produced by his father Kevin McKendree and featuring two songs co-written by multi-Grammy winner Gary Nicholson, with the record earning a Blues Music Award nomination for Best Emerging Artist Album. 7 p.m. Wednesday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen,1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $25; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul
The Rocket Man Show
Tribute act The Rocket Man Show, featuring the Tampa Bay-based Rus Anderson performing as a young Elton John playinghis greatest hits and wearing his extravagant costumes, will return to our area, this time at Van Wezel. Anderson appeared in the promotional material for John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, including serving as his body double for avirtual reality video. He also appeared on the 2021 E! music competition series "Clash of the Cover Bands," featuring Adam Lambert, Meghan Trainor and Ester Dean as judges. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $35-$65; 941-263-6799;vanwezel.org
Hanneke Cassel Band
Rounding out Fogartyville's live music lineup this week is the return of Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel and her band. A two-time Junior Scottish Fiddling Champion between 1992 and 1994, and winner of the 1997 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship, Cassel has continued her musical career in the following decades, most recently releasing last year's album "Infinite Brightness." She'll be joined by Jenna Moynihan on five-string fiddle/vocals and Keith Murphy on guitar/vocals, both of whom played on "Infinite Brightness," with Murphy also co-producing the album. 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Thursday, April 25; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $24, $20 members, $12 students age 13 and up; 941-894-6469;fogartyville.org
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Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
