15 minute read
SPRING CONCERT GUIDE
A rundown of the freshest concerts coming up
By Matthew Moyer
Take a whiff! Spring is in the air, as is the faint tang of sweat and beer if you’re a seasoned gig-goer here in the City Beautiful. With concert calendars (again) in full bloom across all local venues large and small — and with no signs of this phenomenon letting up (yet) — here is a look at some of the bigger and more notable events hitting Orlando in the next couple of months.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23 WJRR’s Earthday Birthday 28
The annual WJRR-sponsored rockfest at the Central Florida Fairgrounds is back this month and has a little something for fans all along the spectrum of heavy music. This year’s edition of this outdoor mini-fest will feature Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Black Veil Brides, Thrice, Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills, Ayron Jones and Lilith Czar — with four stages’ worth of music and some wrestling courtesy of Central Florida fed Atomic Revolutionary Wrestling. 11 a.m., Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive, centralfloridafair. com, $30-$199.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23 Ginger Minj
Orlando drag royalty Ginger Minj (left) returns to a local stage with Brandon Stansell, and she’s going to show you a thing or two about proper honky-tonking. Minj, fresh off making it to the finals of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars, and with recent country album Double Wide Diva poised to be released on vinyl, is surely Central Florida’s answer to Dolly Parton. Expect to hear songs from the new album and (fingers crossed) her cover of Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.” This is a different side to the multi-faceted Minj, but she’ll surely throw herself into it with her signature aplomb and innovation. 6 p.m., Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., willspub.org, $15-$60.
MONDAY, APRIL 25 The Bay Strikes Back Tour
OG titans of West Coast thrash metal have Orlando in their sights when “The Bay Strikes Back” package tour rolls into town. The heady triad of Testament, Exodus and Death Angel — three bands that have been able to balance critical clout with audience adoration through ongoing careers beginning in the 1980s — are taking their tripartite show, originally scheduled for 2021, on the road at last. Stretch your neck prior, because you will be headbanging to essential metal anthems. (This is the only Florida date of the tour.) 6:50 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., hardrock.com/live, $30-$45. “I’m raring to go!” said Elton John when he announced this rescheduled date as part of his “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” tour, and we believe him. Orlando supplicants to Sir Elton are used to the performer having to shuffle schedules — a 2018 date was postponed due to an ear infection, though to be fair John dazzled the next year with a glittery command performance. This night should be no different. Be prepared to tear up during “Tiny Dancer.” 8 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., amwaycenter.com, $66.50-$246.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Counting Crows
Alternative rock 1990s survivors and “Mr. Jones” troubadours Counting Crows headline the Hard Rock Live ahead of an appearance at Sunfest in West Palm. Counting Crows broke big in the ’90s with radio hits like the aforementioned “Mr. Jones” and “Round Here” from their debut album August and Everything After. Then they got an unexpected bump in 2004 when “Accidentally in Love” was featured on the soundtrack to Shrek 2 — even netting them a Grammy nom. Not one to rest on laurels, the Adam Duritz-led folky rockers released newest minialbum Butter Miracle, Suite One, so expect to hear a healthy dose of material from that platter during these shows. 8 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., hardrock.com/live, $56.50-$123.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Is Godspeed You! Black Emperor coming to Orlando a “turning a corner in the pandemic” moment or a Four Horsemen-kinda scenario? Why not both? Noted sonic prophets of doom Godspeed You! Black Emperor are in the midst of a world tour, which includes a rare — and lengthy — North American leg. This is the only date in Florida for the shadowy Montreal-based sound collective, one of a small handful of dates in the South. The band is touring behind newest album G_d’s Pee AT State’s End!, recorded in the autumn of 2020, isolated and at a distance. Which is very much on-brand for them. 7 p.m., The Beacham, 46 N. Orange Ave., beachamorlando.com, $30-$45.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott
Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott released their collaborative Songs of Comfort and Hope album at the end of 2020, and they’ll finally bring that comforting music IRL to Orlando. Ma and Stott headline Steinmetz Hall as part of a “Dance and Music” series at the venue. The duo have been close collaborators since the 1980s, with a number of notable recorded partnerships under their belts. This most recent one grew out of a series of home-brewed performance videos Ma was posting online in the early days of pandemic lockdown in 2020. Those blossomed into a more formal recording project that saw Stott and Ma tackling pop, classical and jazz chestnuts. 7:30 p.m., Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org, $50-$250.
SUNDAY, MAY 1 Melissa Etheridge
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Etheridge will make her Central Florida return at a new stage — the vaunted Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phil. Etheridge comes to Florida as part of her tour promoting new album One Way Out. The album’s conceit is intriguing, with Etheridge revisiting early, previously unreleased material from the 1980s and giving it new life with the benefit of age and experience. And, of course, there will be plenty of hits like “Come to My Window.” 7:30 p.m., Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org, $49.50-$379.
TUESDAY, MAY 3 AJR
Nouveau indie-pop trio AJR are bringing their comeback “OK Orchestra” tour to Addition Financial Arena near UCF. The multi-platinum young pop trio are playing Orlando as one of only two Florida shows during this jaunt — the other is in Tampa, if you’re looking for a low-key roadtrip. The threesome have run the alt-rock gamut in that particularly strange 21st-century way, collaborating with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo and appearing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Y’know, the usual. AJR’s newest album, OK Orchestra, barnstormed straight into Billboard’s Alternative and Rock Albums charts, topping both simultaneously. 7:30 p.m., Addition Financial Arena, 12777 N. Gemini Blvd., additionfiarena.com, $47-$77.
THURSDAY, MAY 5 Madeleine Peyroux, Paula Cole
Don’t sleep on this double bill. Peyroux and Cole are coming to town as part of a powerhouse co-headlining tour, but that’s not all. Peyroux will be performing breakthrough album Careless Love — now nearly two decades old — while Cole will be dusting off the songs from her own hit album This Fire (1996) as well. Jazz singer Peyroux took the world by storm with the torchy anthems of Careless while singer-songwriter Cole’s This Fire in many ways soundtracked (quite literally; hit single “I Don’t Want to Wait” was the theme of Dawson’s Creek) the latter half of the 1990s. 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., plazaliveorlando.org, $44.50-$99.50.
SATURDAY, MAY 7 Thomas Ligotti’s Gas Station Carnivals
Orlando venue the Abbey will be ground zero for fans of adventurous literature and music with an evening themed around the writings of modern horror master Thomas Ligotti. Dubbed “Gas Station Carnivals,” the night features readings of Ligotti’s work courtesy of New Orleans author Jon Padgett, accompanied by a live score conjured by composer-filmmaker Chris Bozzone. The program for the evening will feature readings of “Gas Station Carnivals,” “I Have a Special Plan for This World” (originally a collaboration with Current 93), “This Degenerate Little Town” (also a Current 93 collab) and “The Red Tower.” Opening the night is Tampa post-gaze band Push Button Press. 7 p.m., The Abbey, 100 S. Eola Drive, eventbrite. com, $25. Alternative rock survivors Afghan Whigs are kicking off their North American tour in Florida, and they’re returning to a downtown Orlando stage they’ve played several times in the past. Head Whig Greg Dulli and co. also recently released their first new single in nearly five years, the raucous rave-up “I’ll Make You See God.” For the uninitiated, the Whigs deal in a bluesy, tormented, torchy take on indie-rock, and classic albums like Gentlemen still hit hard. 6 p.m., The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., foundation-presents.com, $30.
FRIDAY, MAY 13 Wu-Tang Killarmy
Strong hip-hop gig featuring rap titans and heatseeking locals. Headlining is Wu-Tang Clan offshoot the Killarmy, featuring 9th Priest, Kinetic 9, Islord, Killa Sin and ShoGun Assason. The group is making up for lost time both with their first album in nearly 20 years (Full Metal Jackets) and this date, rescheduled due to Omicron. Also returning to Orlando is Planet Asia, a leftfield MC who has been pushing the form forward for decades, lately with Casual and HRSMN collabs. Local support comes from MidaZ the Beast, Shinobi Stalin and DJ Remington Steel, with hosting from Bernard Fleurima. Also look for a “beat battle” betwixt TzariZM and Okito. 8 p.m., The Abbey, 100 S. Eola Drive, eventbrite.com, $15-$20.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 J Balvin
Latin music megastar J Balvin returns to the Amway Center as part of his extensive U.S. tour supporting new album Jose. Balvin last played Orlando — also at the Amway Center — in 2019. Jose is Balvin’s fifth album and was released late last year. “The album was made thinking about myself and what I like to do,” said Balvin to Billboard of the 24-song magnum opus. “When I realized I didn’t have to box myself into a concept, like I did with Colores, I said, ‘The concept is me.’” If you saw his Grammy performance, you know this will be a SHOW. 8 p.m. Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., amwaycenter. com, $51-$452.
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SATURDAY, MAY 7 Ho99o9
Incendiary punk-rap firestarters Ho99o9 are making a long-awaited return to Orlando as part of a coast-tocoast North American tour. This will mark Ho99o9’s first show in the City Beautiful since 2018 at the now-defunct Blackstar. Previous to that, Ho99o9 regularly terrorized Orlando stages, particularly during an infamous and intimate pop-up show at the (also gone, damn) Spacebar in 2016. The duo of Yeti Bones and theOGM have released their second album, Skin, produced by Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and it’s a rocker. The album was presaged by the drop of first single and dense electro-industrial sprint “Battery Not Included.” Based on the new music, this might be their most physical show here yet. 8 p.m., Henao Contemporary Center, 5601 Edgewater Drive, henaocenter.com, $18.
orlandoweekly.com ● APRIL 13-19, 2022 ● ORLANDO WEEKLY 47
WEDNESDAY APRIL 13
Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Generation Y 7:30 p.m., Timucua Arts Foundation, 2000 S. Summerlin Ave., $25.
THURSDAY APRIL 14 Jon Anderson, The Paul Green Rock
Academy 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $44.50-$74.50. Widowspeak, Clairo 7 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $39.50-$75.75.
FRIDAY APRIL 15
Bill Mays 8 p.m., Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave., Winter Park, $25-$35. Jose Ramirez 9 p.m., Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford; free. Saved by the ’90s 7 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $14-$65.
SATURDAY APRIL 16
Animals As Leaders, Intervals 7 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $24-$65.
Delta Sleep, It Looks Sad, Gender Roles
7 p.m., Henao Contemporary Center, 5601 Edgewater Drive; $16. Florida Groves Festival 1 p.m., Orlando Amphitheater, 4603 W. Colonial Drive, $30-$150.
Flosstradamus, Golden Child, Flozone,
Hope For The Holidays Benefit Concert
ft. Ashanti & Keyshia Cole 8 p.m., Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee, $75$147.
Lemon City Trio, Electric Kif, Rick
Moon, DJ KUMI 7 p.m., Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford; $15. Sage Armstrong 10 p.m., Elixir, 9 W. Washington St., $10. Todrick Hall 8 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., $27.50-$57.50.
SUNDAY APRIL 17 ZETA, The Pauses, E-Turn, Strange
TUESDAY APRIL 19
Saba, Lute, Amindi 8 p.m., Vain, 22 S. Magnolia Ave., $26.
WEDNESDAY APRIL 20
THURSDAY APRIL 21
Journey, Toto 7:30 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., $75-$399. Wishbone Ash 7:30 p.m., King Center for the Performing Arts, 3865 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, $55.
FRIDAY APRIL 22 Classic Albums Live: The Beatles ‘Let
It Be’ 8 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., $18-$28. Kristina Koller 7:30 p.m., Timucua Arts Foundation, 2000 S. Summerlin Ave., $25.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Two Friends, Leondis, Veniice, Sosmoov
SATURDAY APRIL 23
Colin Hay 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $34-$45. Juan Wauters 7 p.m., Henao Contemporary Center, 5601 Edgewater Drive, $15. Roberto Carlos 8 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St.; $56.99$246.49.
Ted Piltzecker, Jeff Rupert
Quartet 8 p.m., Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave., Winter Park, $25-$35. The Cult 8 p.m., House of Blues,
AJR plays Addition Financial Arena May 3
Disney Springs, $44.50-$96.75.
SUNDAY APRIL 24
MONDAY APRIL 25 Gatecreeper, Narrow Head, 200 Stab Wounds, Fearing
7 p.m., The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., $20. Houndmouth 8 p.m., Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford, $30. jxdn 7 p.m., The Beacham, 46 N. Orange Ave., $30-$35.
TUESDAY APRIL 26
WEDNESDAY APRIL 27
THURSDAY APRIL 28
FRIDAY APRIL 29
The Pineapple Thief 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $24.50$44.50. The Story So Far 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., $37.50$52.50.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
Xavier Wulf, Eddy Baker, IdontKnowJeffery, Mikey
SATURDAY APRIL 30
Cigar Box Guitar Festival
Noon, Lake Concord Park, 95 Triplet Lake Drive, Casselberry. D.T.O. Jazz Fest 8 p.m., Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., $40-$90. Koffee, Joeboy 7 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $35-$85.
Leonard Jacome: The Venezuelan
Electric Harp 7:30-9 p.m., Timucua Arts Foundation, 2000 S. Summerlin Ave., $25. Local H, Rookie 6 p.m., The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., $22.50.
Night Winds, Chasing Jonah, Neon
Parrotfish, Jen in the Right Light, Kyle
8 p.m., West End Trading Company, 202 S. Sanford Ave., Sanford, $8. Pavlo 7:30 p.m., Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., $40$60.
SUNDAY MAY 1
Dan Kelly and Tomorrows Bad Seeds
MONDAY MAY 2 Dan Andriano and The Bygones, Emily
Wolfe 7 p.m., The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., $20.
TUESDAY MAY 3
James Arthur, Nina Nesbitt 8 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $32.50-$65.
Kelsy Karter, Niki Demar, Animal Sun
7 p.m., Henao Contemporary Center, 5601 Edgewater Drive; $13. Weathers 7 p.m., The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., $18.
WEDNESDAY MAY 4
All That Remains, Varials, Tallah 5:30 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $25-$60. Koe Wetzel 8 p.m., Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., $35-$55. Role Model 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $20-$35.
THURSDAY MAY 5
FRIDAY MAY 6
Corey Smith 7:30 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $25-$65. Ricardo Arjona 8 p.m., Amway Center, 400 W. Church St., $58.24-$247.74.
SATURDAY MAY 7 Part One Tribe, Dub-321, DJ C Lioness, The Dub Collector’s, Deadman’s Dub
7 p.m., Ace Cafe, 100 W. Livingston St., $20.
SUNDAY MAY 8
MONDAY MAY 9
WEDNESDAY MAY 11
Fast Preacher, Dirtbike, Aflaytus 8 p.m., Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., $8-$10.
THURSDAY MAY 12 Laang (from Taiwan), Dzo Nga, Steps
Of Odessa, High Pressure 8 p.m., Will’s Pub, 1042 N. Mills Ave., $10-$12.
The Dead South, Reverend Peyton’s
Big Damn Band 7 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $28-$58.75. Tommy Emmanuel 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $34-$70.
FRIDAY MAY 13
Jackyl 7 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $24$65. keshi, Rei Brown 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $29.50-$39.50.
SATURDAY MAY 14
Arijit Singh 8 p.m., Addition Financial Arena, 12777 N. Gemini Blvd., $59-$199. Five for Fighting 8 p.m., The Plaza Live, 425 N. Bumby Ave., $39.50-$59.50.
The Great American Songbook with
The John Pizzarelli Trio 3:30 & 7:30 p.m., Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., $10-$134.94. NLE Choppa, Scorey 7 p.m., Celine Orlando, 22 S. Magnolia Ave., $25. Sylvan Esso 6 p.m., House of Blues, Disney Springs, $32.50-$90. Tony Monaco 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, 1905 Kentucky Ave., Winter Park, $25.00-$35.00.
SUNDAY MAY 15 Injury Reserve, Armand Hammer, Akai
Solo 6 p.m., The Social, 54 N. Orange Ave., $25
MONDAY MAY 16
TUESDAY MAY 17
Prince Daddy and the Hyena, Macseal, Insignificant Other, California Cousins
Ho99o9 plays the Henao Center May 7
PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE HAULOT
Elton John plays the Amway Center April 27
