Top 8 concerts this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Palmetto, Punta Gorda

As we leave October, and welcome November and its fresh lineup of local events, there'll be plenty of concerts to catch this week, including some that are part of our area's Halloween festivities. A world-renowned DJ will headline a Halloween party in Sarasota, for instance, while some of our area's top alternative music acts will celebrate the holiday by playing a covers show in Bradenton.

Other notable concerts will include a blues music bash at a Sarasota brewery and venue, and two shows the same night at The Ringling, including the return of a monthly concert series that's free for college students. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.

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Neon Terror '80s Halloween Dance Party

Sarasota's Art Ovation Hotel will host this Halloween party with DJ Felix da Housecat headlining. Felix da Housecat, who has been named numerous years to DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs list, is known for tracks such as "Silver Screen Shower Scene," which was featured in the movie "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and the videogame "SSX 3," and remixes of other musicians including Nina Simone and Britney Spears. Val Verra, DJ Dean and Joey D will also perform at the event, which features a haunted ballroom with laser dance floor and '80s horror decor; three glowing bars, costume contest with $1,500 grand prize and $800 runner-up award, and more. 8 p.m. Saturday; Art Ovation Hotel, 1255 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota; $20 presale, $40 day of, VIP options also available; perspectiverooftopbar.com

Have Gun, Will Travel

Waypoint Bar & Grill in Palmetto will feature one of Manatee County's most successful musical acts when Have Gun, Will Travel returns there this weekend. The Bradenton Americana band has had their music appear on the television shows "The Good Wife" and "The Ranch," and been covered by outlets such as NPR and No Depression. The group most recently released last year's EP "Silver Sounds," featuring the track "Our Fair City," paying tribute to Bradenton with lyrics referencing local landmarks such as the Riverwalk and Village of the Arts. 5 p.m. Saturday; Waypoint Bar & Grill, 11000 U.S. Highway 41 N., Palmetto; 941-212-6600; waypoint27north.com

Halloween Costume Cover Show

The cover set concert is a musical tradition come Halloween time, and Bradenton venue/cafe Oscura will host this show featuring multiple Sarasota-Manatee musicians performing as some of the biggest names in rock. Bradenton's own late '90s/early '00s emo/pop-punk cover band Suburban Wasteland will perform as Blink-182, joined by three Sarasota musical acts: experimental pop-rock group The Tilt as The Cure, "skalternative rock" band Neverless as Fall Out Boy, and singer-songwriter Lesa Silvermore performing acoustic as Nirvana. Concertgoers are also "110% encouraged" to come in costume. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Saturday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; free; 941-201-4950; oscura.live

Blues Bash

Big Top Brewing Company will expand its regular Blues & Brews Sunday concert with this show featuring not one but three musical acts in the genre. Topping the bill is St. Louis native Jackson Stokes, known for his association with Devon Allman — son of Allman Brothers Band co-founder/former Manatee County resident Gregg Allman, and Allman Betts Band member alongside Sarasota native Duane Betts and Sarasota County resident Berry Duane Oakley — with Stokes having played in Allman's touring band and Allman producing Stokes' 2019 self-titled debut album. He'll be joined by two well-known Sarasota blues performers, Trey Wanvig and R.J. Howson. 1 p.m. Sunday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; free, $20 VIP; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com

Celtic Thunder Odyssey

Celtic Thunder, the group that blends traditional and contemporary Irish music, will return to Van Wezel this week. The band's lineup includes Damian McGinty, who appeared on multiple episodes of the hit Fox musical TV show "Glee" after winning the Oxygen reality series "The Glee Project." He is joined by fellow lead vocalists Ryan Kelly, Neil Byrne and Emmet Cahill in the group. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $55-$95; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

Ringling Underground

The concert series held in The Ringling's courtyard featuring live music, up-and-coming artists and free admission for students returns for another month. November's installment will feature New York City "punk-tinged indie rock" duo Um, Jennifer? headlining. They'll be joined by Tampa Bay band Pilot Jonezz, whose genre-blending sound has been described as "the bastard love child of Funkadelic and Radiohead," and Sarasota's own Neverless. 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2; The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota; $15, free students with ID and members; 941-359-5700; ringling.org

Israel Fernández and Diego del Morao

Taking place the same night as Ringling Underground, held in the Historic Asolo Theater as part of The Ringling's Art of Performance season, will be a concert by flamenco singer Israel Fernández and guitarist Diego del Morao. The duo takes the tradition of cante jondo and Spanish classical and flamenco guitar, and endows it with new elements to appeal to modern-day listeners, with the duo's album "Amor" earning a Best Flamenco Album Latin Grammy nomination. The event is part of FLAFlamenco, which also includes Spanish dancer and choreographer Rafael Ramirez's solo dance “Lo Presciso” accompanied by live musicians, and Flamenco dance and guitar lessons Nov. 4-5. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota; $30-$40; 941-360-7399; ringling.org

Igor & Red Elvises

"Siberian surf rock" band Igor & Red Elvises have been playing Florida shows over the past few weeks, and will return to our area to play Punta Gorda Irish pub and venue Celtic Ray. 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. The group is also set to play Bradenton's Birdrock Taco Shack on Nov. 3. 8 p.m. Thursday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

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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 Palmetto Punta Gorda