Top 5 concerts this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice

Please note: This story was written before Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the Florida Big Bend coast Wednesday morning as a Category 3 storm and affected Sarasota and Manatee counties including damage due to flooding. Before making plans, verify with venues or organizers that event details have not changed.

This week marks the start of September and a fresh lineup of local events, including live music. Like last week, this week's concert picks are composed entirely of musicians who either currently live or once lived in Florida. Yet many of those musicians have national followings, including a Song of the Year Blues Music Award winner and a reggae band playing a headlining show before heading out on a national tour.

Other noteworthy shows include a Labor Day weekend concert in Venice, a Bradenton restaurant/venue's eighth birthday bash, and a Sarasota concert series with free admission for students returning in time for the start of a new school year. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.

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Selwyn Birchwood

Bradenton restaurant and blues venue Cottonmouth welcomes a Florida native and nationally acclaimed musician in the genre when Selwyn Birchwood performs there this weekend. Earlier this year, the guitarist and singer-songwriter released his fourth album for esteemed blues label Alligator Records, "Exorcist," featuring the song "FLorida Man" that pays tribute to his eccentric home state. The album is the follow-up to 2021's "Living in a Burning House," with the opening track "I'd Climb Mountains" winning last year's Blues Music Award for Song of the Year; 2017's "Pick Your Poison"; and 2014's "Don't Call No Ambulance," which won Birchwood his other Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut. 7 p.m. Saturday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $20 advance, $25 day of; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

Labor Day Fest with John Salaway and The Divebombers

Venice's Troll Music will celebrate the holiday weekend with this double-bill of musicians with ties to the Sarasota area. Americana singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Salaway grew up in Sarasota County before moving to Nashville, releasing albums such as 2021's "Salvation," featuring guest musicians including Foo Fighters keyboardist Rami Jaffee and former Cage the Elephant member Lincoln Parish. He'll be joined by Sarasota roots rock group The Divebombers, whose members include New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee and former Johannesburg, South Africa resident George Worthmore, with the band itself recently visiting Africa for shows such as the Bushfire music festival in Swaziland. 7 p.m. Saturday; Troll Music, 628 E. Venice Ave., Venice; $15; 941-484-8765; trollmusic.org

Birdrock Taco Shack Eighth Anniversary Celebration

Birdrock Taco Shack, chef/owner David Shiplett's other restaurant and venue in Bradenton's Village of the Arts along with Cottonmouth, will celebrate its eighth birthday with a stacked lineup of singer-songwriters. Blues/roots guitarist and former Anna Maria Island resident Damon Fowler, whose releases include 2021's "Alafia Moon" that topped Billboard's blues album chart and earned a Blues Music Award nomination for Blues Rock Album, is among those set to perform. He'll be joined by Kaleigh Baker, a longtime mainstay of Orlando's live music scene, and Matt Burke, the frontman for the Friendly City's own acclaimed Americana group Have Gun, Will Travel. 5 p.m. Sunday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; $5; 941-545-9966; facebook.com/birdrocktaco

Kash'd Out

Shortly before heading out on a national tour with California's Fortunate Youth, fellow reggae group Kash'd Out from Orlando will play a headlining show at Sarasota brewery and venue Big Top Brewing Company. This year also saw Kash'd Out release their latest full-length "Butter," featuring guest appearances from like-minded musical acts including reggae rockers Pepper and "Buzzin'" rapper Shwayze. Tampa reggae band ichroniq and Sarasota "skalternative rock" group Neverless will also perform at the Big Top show. 6 p.m. Sunday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; $20; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com

Ringling Underground

Ringling Underground, held in The Ringling's courtyard with live music by up-and-coming acts and free admission for students, returns in time for the start of a new school year. Miami band Soulpax, whose sound draws from classic R&B such as Earth, Wind & Fire along with more modern influences including Janelle Monáe and Hiatus Kaiyote, will serve as this month's headliner. Tampa rapper Perception, who was recently the subject of a Creative Loafing Tampa Bay cover story, and Sarasota's own BABYL, aka singer-songwriter Ben Jacobs, also perform. 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7; The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota; $15, free students with ID/members; 941-359-5700; ringling.org

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Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top concerts near me in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice