Loudwire once included Paul Gilbert on its list of 10 Stupidly Fast Guitarists in Metal. Gilbert, whose best-known bands were Mr. Big and Racer X, is onstage Friday at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are here.
This is an ax-man who’s stood onstage alongside Vai, Satriani and Johnson.
Gilbert and band are on the road promoting his latest offering, WROC. It stands for “Washington’s Rules of Civility,” meaning President George, and it’s a conceptual album, with vocals, based upon a book Commander-in-Chief No. 1 is historically credited with authoring.
The book, Rules Of Civility & Decent Behaviour In Company And Conversation, was published in the 18th century. Washington based it on a French Jesuit etiquette book originating two centuries earlier.
Allrighty then.
“I’m really excited to play this music live and see how people enjoy it,” Gilbert says. “I would say WROC is one of the most musical and listenable albums I’ve ever done. There’s very little that came from my fingers. It came from my sense of melody. As I improve as a songwriter, I’ve been trying to connect with that more. I feel like this is the most successful connection to my inner melodic generator, thanks to George Washington and those who went before him.”
‘Q and music
Saturday and Sunday brings the Tampa Bay Barbecue Fest to St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park, from 1 to 9 p.m. Along with plenty of BBQ and brewskies, there’s live music all day, with country music headliners taking the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s performer is Rodney Atkins (“If You’re Going Through Hell”), while Sunday delivers Blackberry Smoke (the albums Holding All the Roses and Like an Arrow). Details and tickets are at this link.
Tonight (Thursday, May 21)
Sam Barber, who headlines tonight at the BayCare Sound, is among the contemporary country music artists whose music breathes with rock ‘n’ roll energy. The gruff-voiced Missouri native, who’s just 23 years old, is best known for the platinum singles “Straight and Narrow” and “Indigo.” The concert (with two opening acts) begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are at this link.
Tonight brings Josh Gates to Ruth Eckerd Hall – the world explorer and host of the Discovery Channel series Expedition Unknown and Josh Gates Tonight tells stories and screens videos at 8 p.m. Find tickets here.
Bob Dylan will turn 85 this Sunday, and a group of bay area and Florida-based musicians are making the occasion with a Birthday Bash called Forever Young, tonight at the Palladium Theater’s Hough Concert Hall. The 7:30, all-Bob event features Have Gun Will Travel, the Currys, Grant Peeples and Bad Dog Mama, and you can get tickets here.
Concerts Friday
Friday delivers comedian Jim Bruer to the Capitol Theatre. Tickets for the show (8 p.m.) are at this link.
Germany’s “electronicore” band Electric Callboy is onstage Friday at the Yuengling Center, on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa. The show’s at 7 p.m., and tickets are here.
Canada’s hard rocking Triumph is on a most welcome reunion tour, and it brings them to the Mid-Florida Credit Union Sunday, with April Wine. Find tickets and details here. The Catalyst spoke with Triumph drummer Gil Moore this week (read that interview here).
On the big outdoor stage at Ferg’s Pavilion at 7 p.m. Sunday: The Wilson Van, with St. Pete brothers Patrick, Paul and Mark Wilson. Read more about the Wilson family here. Tickets are at this link.
Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Event Center: After Bridge, the Orlando rock outfit formed by former members of Creed. Find tickets for the 7 p.m. concert here.
Tabla virtuoso Shankh Lahiri leads a world music band, with improvisation to the fore, Sunday at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. Shankh & Friends – A Global Music Project starts at 3 p.m.; there are tickets (and details) at this link.
Taylor Mac’s “Hir” is onstage through Sunday at TheStudio@620. Photo provided.
On theater stages
John Patrick Shanley’s volatile relationship drama Danny and the Deep Blue Sea continues Thursday through Sundays through May 31 at Jobsite Theatre, in Tampa’s Straz Center; showtimes and tickets are here.
Continuing through May 31, too, in the Straz Center’s Jaeb Theatre is the closeup magic show (with cocktails) The Magicians Table. Get details, showtimes and tickets at this link.
Taylor Mac’s dark comedy Hir is in its final weekend at The Studio@620 in St. Petersburg. There are performances tonight through Sunday afternoon; get all the deets here.
Where’s the orchestra?
Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” dominates the program for this weekend’s “America 250” concerts from The Florida Orchestra. Bob Bernhardt conducts TFO on a bill that also includes Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and music by Duke Ellington, Charles Ives, John Williams and more. The piano soloist is Michael Chertock.
It’s presented at 8 p.m. Friday in the Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall, and at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater. Find additional information, and tickets, at this link.
Tonight at 7:30, commmunity musicians join TFO for Play Out Tampa Bay, in Ferguson Hall. Admission is pay what you can.
Pianist Michael Chertock joins The Florida Orchestra for Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” this weekend in Tampa and St. Petersburg. Publicity photo.
Coming up next
May 26 Dave Matthews Band at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre
May 30 & 31 Clearwater Smooth Jazz Jam at Ruth Eckerd Hall
May 30 Kid Rock at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre
May 30 Shinedown at Benchmark Arena
May 31 Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel at the Capitol Theatre
May 31 Black Crowes & Whiskey Myers at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre
June 2 Young the Giant at the Yuengling Center
June 5 Stewart Copeland at the Capitol Theatre
June 5 Hank Williams Jr. at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre
June 5 Quiet Riot, Vixen at Ferg’s
June 5-14 St. Pete Opera “La Boheme” at the Palladium Theater
June 9 Lucy Darling at Ruth Eckerd Hall
Your Weekend Spotlight appears every Thursday in the Catalyst’s CREATE section.
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