Top 10 concerts this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Englewood, Punta Gorda
While St. Patrick's Day may be the main attraction this week in March, there'll be plenty of other events taking place locally, including live music. Sarasota's annual jazz festival will return with another lineup of Grammy-winning and nominated musicians, while a variety of Grammy and Blues Music Award-winning or nominated blues musicians will also visit us this week, including at a free three-day music festival on Anna Maria Island.
Americana, rap, reggae, surf rock and the music of the Grateful Dead are also represented in this concert picks installment, with nearly half the shows taking place at one Sarasota venue. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
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Igor & Red Elvises
Before performing Saturday at Coquina Beach Seafood & Music Festival (keep reading for more on that), "Siberian surf rock" band Igor & Red Elvises will play a headlining show Friday at Sarasota's Big Top Brewing Company. The group is fronted by Igor Yuzov, who grew up in the former Soviet Union, seeking out the forbidden sounds of rock 'n' roll. He later moved to America and formed the Red Elvises, which has released albums including 1996's "Grooving to the Moscow Beat" and 1997's "Surfing in Siberia," and is still going strong today. 7 p.m. Friday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com
Coquina Beach Seafood & Music Festival
The locally based Paragon Festivals, known for throwing free, three-day festivals featuring food and live music, will next visit Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island. Along with Igor & Red Elvises, other notable musicians will include guitarist and singer-songwriter Damon Fowler, whose 2021 album "Alafia Moon" topped Billboard's blues chart and earned a Blues Music Award nomination for Blues Rock Album, who plays Friday. Also performing are Rayne Marie, Crossfire Creek Band, Billy Rice Band, Kettle of Fish, Dr. Dave Band, Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio, Kara Nally Band, Dead Set Florida and K-Luv & the United Funk Foundation. 4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; Coquina Beach, 1300 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach; free; 941-487-8061; paragonfestivals.com
Roy Book Binder
Fogartyville's live music lineup this week will include Roy Book Binder. The acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter was friends with Dave Van Ronk and Rev. Gary Davis and blends their respective folk and blues sounds into his music. Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Pedro Arevalo, who's also played bass with founding Allman Brothers Band member and longtime Sarasota County resident Dickey Betts and his band Great Southern, will also perform. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Saturday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $26, $22 members, $13 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org
Have Gun, Will Travel
Bradenton alt-Americana act Have Gun, Will Travel will play a headlining area show this weekend at Big Top. The group is one of Sarasota-Manatee's most successful active musical acts, with their music appearing on the TV shows "The Good Wife" and "The Ranch" and covered by outlets such as NPR and No Depression. The band's recent releases include the 2022 EP "Silver Sounds" featuring songs such as "Our Fair City," which pays tribute to Bradenton with lyrical references to the Riverwalk, Village of the Arts and other local landmarks. 6 p.m. Saturday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com
Sarasota Jazz Festival
Jazz Club of Sarasota's annual festival will return this week with a lineup of Grammy-winning and nominated musicians in the genre. Miami-born trumpeter Terell Stafford is music director of this year's festival, which'll feature Grammy, NEA Jazz Masters and Tony-winning singer and actress Dee Dee Bridgewater and seven-time Grammy-winning Latin jazz pianist Chucho Valdés, along with other performers such as Wycliffe Gordon, Grace Kelly and Jeff Hamilton. Along with the main stage concerts at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, there'll also be a Sunday Jazz in the Park show at The Bay, Tuesday Jazz Trolley Pub Crawl leaving from Van Wezel, and Thursday screening of "The Girls in the Band" at Burns Court Cinemas. Sunday-March 23; various venues; event prices vary; sarasotajazzfestival.com
Afroman
Having previously played downtown Sarasota's since-closed Old School Bar & Grill, Afroman will return to our area for a show at Motorworks Brewing in Bradenton. The rapper rose to fame with his song "Because I Got High," which received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance and appeared in the 2001 stoner comedy "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," whose stars Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes are in the music video. Afroman has continued to release music since then, including last year's album "Famous Player," and recently filed paperwork to run for president in the 2024 campaign. 8 p.m. Tuesday; Motorworks Brewing, 1014 Ninth St. W., Bradenton; $25; 941-567-6218; motorworksbrewing.com
Paul Nelson
Update: Sadly, after this week's edition of Ticket was sent to print, it was announced that Paul Nelson died from a heart attack while on tour. Blues Music Award-winning bassist/singer Biscuit Miller is now scheduled to play Englewoods on Dearborn on Tuesday and Leroy's Southern Kitchen on Wednesday, according to the venues' websites.
Grammy-winning blues-rock guitarist Paul Nelson will return to our area this week for two shows. Nelson played in the band of and produced albums for guitar icon Johnny Winter, winning a Best Blues Album Grammy for Winter's posthumously released 2014 record "Step Back," which also topped Billboard's blues albums chart and won the Blues Rock Album Blues Music Award. Nelson has produced and performed on other musicians' records, and released 2016's "Badass Generation" with his own band. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com; 8 p.m. Wednesday; Leroy's Southern Kitchen & Bar, 201 W. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-505-2489; facebook.com/leroyspg
Chris O'Leary Band
Singer-songwriter and harmonica player Chris O'Leary, who released his latest album "The Hard Line" earlier this year on esteemed Chicago blues label Alligator Records, is set to return to Englewoods on Dearborn this week. Prior to his solo career, O’Leary spent six years fronting the blues group The Barn Burners alongside the late great The Band drummer-singer Levon Helm. He then struck out on his own with the 2010 album “Mr. Used to Be,” which was nominated for a Best New Artist Debut Blues Music Award and won a New Artist Debut Release Blues Blast Music Award. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $7; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com
Ship of Fools reunion show
After announcing in December 2022 that they would be "going into extended dry dock," Sarasota rock band Ship of Fools will reunite for one night only for a show at Big Top. Sharing a name with a Grateful Dead song, Ship of Fools performs the music of the Dead and their classic rock contemporaries. While Ship of Fools may no longer be active, members of the band and other musicians play a monthly show as the Foolish Trio (or Foolish Quartet, or so on) at The Mable on the North Trail, with their next show set to take place on 4/20. 6 p.m. Wednesday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com
The Supervillains
Big Top will close out an eventful week of concerts with reggae ska-rockers The Supervillains. The band hails from St. Cloud here in the Sunshine State, but is a nationally known name in contemporary reggae and ska, touring across the U.S. last year along with playing some Florida dates supporting Fat Wreck Chords ska band Mad Caddies. Along with their originals, The Supervillains are known for their covers of songs outside their genre such as Billy Joel's "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," George Michael's "Careless Whisper" and Pixies "Where Is My Mind?," just releasing their take on Type O Negative's "I Don't Wanna Be Me" earlier this year. 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; $12; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top 10 concerts this week in Sarasota Bradenton Englewood Punta Gorda
