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From 1968. Willie played Joyland, on U.S. 19 north of St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
Band or brand?<\/p>\n
As always, the following is offered as a public service.<\/p>\n
From 1975, Foghat\u2019s \u201cSlow Ride\u201d is a blues\/rock classic. There\u2019s no question about its lasting impact.<\/p>\n
Regarding Foghat, playing tonight at Ferg\u2019s Entertainment Complex. This is a re-charged \u201clegacy\u201d version of the great 1970s boogie-rock band, featuring exactly one member from the days of \u201cSlow Ride,\u201d \u201cI Just Want to Make Love to You\u201d and \u201cFool For the City\u201d: Drummer Roger Earl.<\/p>\n
Foghat was comprised of British players who found success when they came to America, signed to Bearsville Records, the New York label founded by Bob Dylan\u2019s manager Albert Grossman. Foghat\u2019s twin engines were singer\/shouter \u201cLonesome\u201d Dave Peverett and slide guitar maestro Rod Price. The former died in 2000, the latter five years later.<\/p>\n
Today, founding bassist Tony Stephens plays in a Foghat tribute band called Slow Ride. Roger Earl, for all intents and purposes, has a tribute act, too. The difference is that the drummer owns the name and the logo.<\/p>\n
The lead guitarist in Earl\u2019s version of Foghat, Bryan Bassett, was a member of Wild Cherry (\u201cPlay That Funky Music\u201d) who was hired in the late 1980s to play in a Peverett-led, post-success version of Foghat. It\u2019s a long story.<\/p>\n
Tonight\u2019s bill also includes Nazareth, the Scottish band that scored a platinum album with 1975\u2019s Hair of the Dog. The single \u201cLove Hurts\u201d became a radio staple. Distinctive lead singer Dan McCafferty died in 2022; founding bassist Pete Agnew is the sole original member in the contemporary edition of Nazareth.<\/p>\n
Tonight\u2019s concert starts at 7; tickets are here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Band or brand 2<\/p>\n Guitarist Neal Schon\u2019s blistering fretwork has been a key element of the Journey sound since the band started in the mid 1970s. Journey\u2019s \u201cFinal Frontier Tour\u201d brings Schon and company to Benchmark International Arena Friday. He is the sole original member of the band.<\/p>\n Schon and keyboard player Jonathan Cain, who signed on in 1980, co-own the name, trademark and logo. This means that they can legally perform as \u201cJourney,\u201d even though hit-era singer Steve Perry is nowhere to be found. There\u2019s a lot of bad blood under the bridge there.<\/p>\n Most recently Cain, whose wife is a \u201cspiritual advisor\u201d to the current President of the United States, has taken public flak from his bandmate for performing the Perry-era \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019\u201d at Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n Cain has announced this will be his last tour as a member of Journey.<\/p>\n Tickets are at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pitbull is at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre Saturday. Photo: Live Nation.<\/p>\n More concerts <\/p>\n Tonight at the Capitol Theatre: The Canadian outfit Classic Albums Live performs Creedence Clearwater Revival\u2019s greatest hits album Chronicle, in its entirety. Find tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Similarly, the Orlando-based Vinyl Records Live presents professional musicians playing the 1976 Boston album in its entirety, tonight at the Central Park Performing Arts Center in Largo. Find tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Singer\/songwriter Jason Mraz (interviewed Wednesday in the Catalyst<\/a>) has a solo acoustic show Saturday at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Find tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre opens its 2026 concert season with a Saturday performance from rapper\/singer Pitbull. Tickets are at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n Saturday at the Capitol Theatre, it\u2019s the return of Our House: The Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Guitarist Steve Postell was David Crosby\u2019s musical director for the last decade of the musician\u2019s life, while Jeff Pevar played guitar, sang and co-wrote with Crosby in the band CPR, as well as working with Graham Nash and the late Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. So this group has a pedigree; it also includes Kipp Lennon and Teresa James. Find tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the last weekend for \u201cAnd Then They Came For Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank\u201d at freeFall Theatre. Image: Thee Photo Ninja.<\/p>\n On theater stages Blake Smallen in \u201cI, Banquo.\u201d Photo: Jobsite Theater (via Facebook).<\/p>\n Actor Blake Smallen takes on the role of the Thane of Lochaber from Shakespeare\u2019s MacBeth in I, Banquo, performed Saturday through Monday (May 16-18) in the Shimberg Playhouse, Tampa. This is, of course, the very Straz Center stage where Jobsite\u2019s production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is currently being performed. Here\u2019s the calendar<\/a> to tell you which show has the stage, and when. And how to purchase tickets.<\/p>\n The Catalyst spoke with the Danny cast for this story<\/a>.<\/p>\n Roxanne Fay\u2019s latest one-woman show is Dream Child: The Trial of Alice in Wonderland, in which she embodies the inspiration for the works of Lewis Carroll, one Alice Liddell. It\u2019s onstage Friday, Saturday and Sunday at PowerStories\u2019 new theater, 4237 West El Prado Blvd., Tampa. Ticket link<\/a>.<\/p>\n Taylor Mac\u2019s dark comedy HIR, about a severely dysfunctional family, begins a two-weekend run tonight at The Studio@620. Find showtimes and tickets here<\/a>. Director Stephen Riordan joins us on Friday\u2019s Arts Alive! podcast to discuss the play.<\/p>\n Que el amor nos haga (Until Love Makes Us), a play written and directed by Dora Arreola, is presented (in Spanish with English supertitles) Friday (8:15 p.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m.) at Stageworks Theatre. It\u2019s a story of three immigrants from Mexico hoping to reunite in the United States; with\u00a0live music, dance and video projections. Tickets are at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n At freeFall Theatre, And Then They Came For Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank is back tonight, and closes its monthlong run with Sunday\u2019s matinee. Find showtimes and tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sunday 12-6 p.m. at the Shanna & Bryan Glazer JCC, 522 N Howard Ave, Tampa: It\u2019s ThinkTank\u2019s 6th Annual TYA Playwrights Festival Showcase. There will be readings of three brand-new plays for young audiences. Find tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Broadway tour of the musical SIX concludes its week-long stay at Morsani Hall, in the Straz Center, with Sunday\u2019s matinee performance. For all remaining showtimes and tickets, visit this link.<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Where\u2019s the orchestra?<\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s Mahaffey Theater event (7:30 p.m.) begins with a relaxed conversation between Florida Orchestra Music Director Michael Francis and Dr. Naakesh Dewan, Vice President of Behavioral Health for Florida Blue, exploring the ways how music can support emotional well-being, reduce stress and play a meaningful role in overall wellness.<\/p>\n This is followed by Francis\u2019 deep dive into Brahms\u2019 Symphony No. 4, described by TFO as \u201ca deeply personal journey of struggle, reflection, resilience and, ultimately, acceptance.\u201d Then, a full performance of the work.<\/p>\n Admission is pay what you can.<\/p>\n Brahms\u2019 Symphony No. 4 is the centerpiece of this weekend\u2019s concert, Friday, 8 p.m. at the Straz Center\u2019s Ferguson Hall; Saturday at 8 p.m., Mahaffey Theater; and 2 p.m. Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall.<\/p>\n Tickets for all concerts, which will also include Dvo\u0159\u00e1k\u2019s Violin Concerto (featuring concertmaster Jeffrey Multer) and Augusta Holm\u00e8s\u2019 tone poem Irlande, are available at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Coming up next <\/p>\n May 20 Bill Wharton The Sauce Boss at the Palladium Side Door Cabaret<\/p>\n May 21 Sam Barber at the BayCare Sound<\/p>\n May 21 Josh Gates at Ruth Eckerd Hall<\/p>\n May 21 Forever Young\/Bob Dylan Birthday Bash with Have Gun Will Travel, Grant Peeples, The Currys, Bad Dog Mama at the Palladium Theater<\/p>\n May 22 Fred Astaire Fantasy: Night at the Museum (dance) at the Palladium Theater<\/p>\n May 22 Jim Breuer at the Capitol Theatre<\/p>\n May 22 Electric Callboy at Yuengling Center<\/p>\n May 22 Paul Gilbert at Central Park Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n May 23 & 24 Tampa Bay Barbecue Festival w\/Rodney Atkins, Blackberry Smoke at Vinoy Park<\/p>\n May 24 Triumph at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre<\/p>\n May 24 Shankh & Friends \u2013 A Global Music Project at New Tampa Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n May 24 After Bridge at Seminole Hard Rock Event Center<\/p>\n May 24 The Wilson Van at Ferg\u2019s<\/p>\n May 26 Dave Matthews Band at Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre<\/p>\n May 29 Happy Together Tour at Ruth Eckerd Hall<\/p>\n See the full list of announced May events\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your Weekend Spotlight<\/a>\u00a0appears every Thursday in the\u00a0Catalyst\u2019s CREATE section.\u00a0<\/p>\n Please add us to your mailing list \u2013 send all press releases and event info to\u00a0bill@stpetecatalyst.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Pitbull-jpg-300x201.jpg\")
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