Top 9 concerts this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Punta Gorda, Englewood

We enter December this weekend, and from the first day of the month, it'll be full of live music, including Sarasota-Manatee's biggest annual music festival. Along with the festival itself, featuring a lineup of Grammy-nominated and Blues Music Award-winning artists, there'll be multiple afterparties and other related shows nearby in Bradenton.

Another multi-day music festival will take place this weekend on Sarasota's Siesta Beach, with a lineup that includes Blues Music Award-winning talent too, while the list of local winter holiday events includes a Christmas show by a Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.

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Liverpool Legends

Louise Harrison, George Harrison's sister and a former Sarasota resident who died earlier this year at 91 years old, helped assemble this tribute act performing the music of her brother's band, the Beatles. This show will be a special celebration commemorating Louise's life and contribution to the Beatles, featuring narration by Louise and special guests Robyn Bell and members of The Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota. Liverpool Legends and Louise also both took part in 2011's "Fab Fan Memories: The Beatles Bond," which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album. 8 p.m. Friday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $36-$80; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones

On the first night of Bradenton Blues Festival, restaurant and venue Cottonmouth in the nearby Village of the Arts neighborhood will throw an afterparty featuring the Friendly City's own acclaimed blues band Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones. The group was nominated for four Blues Blast Music Awards this year: Blues Band and Bass Guitarist of the Year, Live Blues Album for "Groovin' at Groove Now!" recorded in Basel, Switzerland, and Historical or Vintage Recording for the 20th anniversary reissue of their debut "Double Down." The Blues Blast Music Awards also nominated Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones in the Blues Band category in 2019. 8:30 p.m. Friday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

Bradenton Blues Festival

The 12th annual blues music festival held on Bradenton's Riverwalk returns this weekend, headlined by two-time Band of the Year Blues Music Award winner Rick Estrin & the Nightcats on Saturday. They'll be joined by Grammy-nominated musicians such as harmonica player Mark Hummel, performing with James Cotton Band in a tribute to the late Cotton; guitarist Lurrie Bell, son of another late blues harmonica great, Carey Bell; and John Primer, who just earned his latest Grammy nomination for his album "Teardrops For Magic Slim Live at Rosa's Lounge." There'll also be a Friday concert headlined by Blues Music Award-nominated guitarist J.P. Soars' Gypsy Blue Revue with violinist Anne Harris. 5-8:40 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-6:25 p.m. Saturday; Bradenton Riverwalk Pavilion at Rossi Park, 452 Third Ave. W., Bradenton; $65-$75 both days, $55-$65 Saturday only, $20-$30 Friday only; bradentonbluesfestival.org

Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival

Along with seafood and other cuisine, beverages both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and the backdrop of world-famous Siesta Beach, this free, three-day festival will feature a full live music lineup. Those performing will include the married duo of Houston-born singer Annika Chambers, a two-time Soul Blues Female Artist Blues Music Award winner, and Canadian guitarist-singer Paul DesLauriers, a two-time Maple Blues Awards (Canada's equivalent of the BMAs) Entertainer of the Year. They'll perform Saturday, with other musicians throughout the weekend including Sean Chambers, Kettle of Fish, Twinkle & Rock Soul Radio, Memphis Lightning, Trey Wanvig, and K-Luv and the United Funk Foundation. Noon-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key; free admission; 941-487-8061; paragonfestivals.com

GeminiiDRAGON

After opening day one of Bradenton Blues Festival, GeminiiDRAGON will headline a show at Cottonmouth's sister restaurant/venue in Village of the Arts, Birdrock Taco Shack. The Louisiana singer performs a blend of blues with rock and soul that she calls "blues on steroids," citing rockers Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin as influences alongside blues musicians such as Albert King and Koko Taylor. She's released two albums in as many years, 2022's "Fighting Fire with Fire" and this year's "Equinox," with a third — aptly titled "3" — slated for release in February. 7 p.m. Saturday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-545-9966; facebook.com/birdrocktaco

Steve Arvey

Cottonmouth will also host an afterparty the second night of Bradenton Blues Festival featuring another locally based blues act, Steve Arvey, with the event doubling as a birthday celebration for him. Born and raised in the blues hub of Chicago, Arvey later moved to Florida and has since become one of the area's busiest blues performers, both solo or playing with other musicians including Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, boogie-woogie pianist and host of WMNF's "The Rhythm Revival." Arvey is also known for playing the cigar box guitar, performing at cigar box guitar festivals in Sarasota and Bradenton. 8:30 p.m. Saturday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

A Seraphic Fire Christmas

Grammy-nominated, Miami-based vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire will celebrate the holiday season with A Seraphic Fire Christmas, featuring a program of songs including "Silent Night," "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree" and others. The concert shares a name with Seraphic Fire's album that earned them a Best Small Ensemble Performance Grammy nomination in 2012. (That same year, another album they performed on — "Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45" — also earned a Grammy nomination for its producer Peter Rutenberg.) The ensemble has released numerous albums since then, including multiple Christmas albums, the most recent of which is this year's "The Apple Tree." 7 p.m. Tuesday; St. Boniface Episcopal Church, 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Sarasota; $62; seraphicfire.org/tickets

Brandon Santini

Along with its Bradenton Blues Festival afterparties, Cottonmouth will host a talented artist in the same genre this week when Brandon Santini visits the venue. The harmonica player and singer-songwriter has been nominated for multiple Blues Music Awards, including Instrumentalist — Harmonica last year and in 2020, and Blues Blast Music Awards, winning in the Contemporary Blues Album category for his latest full-length, 2019's "The Longshot." Santini's song "Got Good Lovin'" also appeared in an episode of the Emmy-nominated, Natasha Lyonne-starring and Rian Johnson-created Peacock series "Poker Face" earlier this year. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $10 advance, $15 day of; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

Jeremiah Johnson Band

Also visiting from out of town, and rounding out this blues-heavy week, will be St. Louis guitarist and singer-songwriter Jeremiah Johnson, playing Englewood and Punta Gorda. Last year, Johnson released the full-length "Hi-Fi Drive By," which reached No. 1 on Billboard's blues albums chart. He also earned his first Blues Music Award nomination last year, in the Blues Rock Album category for his 2020 full-length "Unemployed Highly Annoyed." Can't make either show? He's also set to play Cottonmouth on Dec. 8. 8 p.m. Wednesday; Leroy's Southern Kitchen & Bar, 201 W. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-505-2489; facebook.com/leroyspg; 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com

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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 9 concerts this week in Sarasota Bradenton Punta Gorda Englewood