TABLE OF CONTENTS
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MAgAziNE
Volume 7 • issue 3 • March 2017
WRitERS: Scottie Brown • terry Canter Bob Cheesman • Corrina Drost Rachael Lamb • Dawn Lemay Shobha N. Lizaso • Marissa Puckett Liz Stokes • Keith Wilkins PhotogRAPhERS: Jordan Kruger • Neal Nachman
Music News.............................3 March Scrapbook ................13 Album Reviews....................19 Club Calendar........................22 Event Calendar......................23 PuBLiShER/EDitoR: Neal Nachman
DiRECtoR oF SALES & PRoMotioNS: Liz Stokes gRAPhiC ARtiSt: Neal Nachman
DiRECtoR oF MuLti-MEDiA PRoDuCtioNS: Kenny Moore ACCouNt EXECutiVES: Liz Stokes LEgAL CouNSEL: Shobha N. Lizaso
EDitoRiAL iNquiRiES: editorial@fullaccessmagazine.com
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Jimmy Buffett to Open Margaritaville Retirement Communities Jimmy Buffett has announced plans to break ground on a string of retirement communities inspired by his classic "Margaritaville" and its themed chain of restaurants and resorts. For Parrotheads "55 and better" seeking an "active adult community" while wasted away again, the Latitude Margaritaville will open its first branch in Daytona Beach, Florida, with similar communities also in the works. "Inspired by the legendary music and lifestyle of singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett, your new home in paradise features exciting recreation, unmatched dining and FINtastic nightlife," the Latitude Margaritaville site says. The $1 billion project, a collaboration between Margaritaville Holdings and Minto Communities, aims to create 7,000 homes in Daytona Beach; since announcing Latitude Margaritaville two weeks ago, the property has already received over 10,000 registrations, Minto senior vice president Bill Bullock told Good Morning America. “It’s going to be a very fun place,” Bullock added. “We expect our first residents to be living in the community by late summer of 2018.” The Daytona Beach branch's sales office will open in late 2017, with model homes opening in early 2018. 2018 is shaping up to a busy year for Buffett as the singer's greatest hits will serve as the inspiration for a Broadway musical titled Escape to Margaritaville. While the musical won't arrive on Broadway until spring 2018, the show will debut this May with a six-week run at La Jolla, California's La Jolla Playhouse. Following that, Escape to Margaritaville will play for audiences in New Orleans, Houston and Chicago before setting course for New York. 3
Prince's Revolution Expand North American Tour Prince's original band the Revolution extended their North American spring reunion tour and hinted at future dates on Monday. The trek begins at a special concert at the late singer's home, Paisley Park, on April 21st and ends in Seattle, Washington on July 15th. The Purple Rain-era lineup of the Revolution on the tour includes guitarist Wendy Melvoin, bassist Brown Mark (Mark Brown), drummer Bobby Z (Robert Rivkin) and keyboardists Matt Fink and Lisa Coleman. After Prince died in April 2016, the Revolution reunited for three shows at the Minneapolis venue where they created Purple Rain. "When we played those shows, I choked up every single night," said bassist Brown Mark in a statement. "But now, I'm past that stage of it — now I'm looking at my happy times, remembering being a kid, joining this huge band and starting out a journey in my life I did not ever expect." "It was really intense," Revolution member Lisa Coleman told Rolling Stone about reuniting after Prince's death. "Difficult. The music was mercurial. Like, we couldn't quite grab it. I mean, we were trained to look at Prince for cues, and even if he's wrong, he's right. We were looking into a space and then looking at each other going, 'What is this?’" Grammy-winning musician Al Jarreau dies at 76 Seven-time Grammy winner Al Jarreau has died. His passing comes two days after an announcement was made on his website that he was retiring from touring due to exhaustion. Jarreau had been in a hospital in Los Angeles and was "slowly recovering," according to a statement posted on Thursday. He was 76.
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Jarreau died at 5:30 a.m. PT Sunday, according to a statement from his booking agent Bob Zievers. Gordon said in lieu of flowers or gifts, Jarreau's family requested contributions be made to the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music. Jarreau received a lifetime achievement award from the foundation last fall, and an endowment to benefit Milwaukee Public School children needing financial assistance for music programs was established in his name. First singing at church and PTA meetings when he was four or five, Jarreau told the Journal Sentinel it was at Lincoln High School where, "My love of music and singing really deepened. I began to have ideas of taking this as far as it could go. And I kept dreaming that dream and nourishing that dream." He took that dream exceptionally far. Jarreau has 20 albums to his name, and is the only Grammy vocalist to win in the jazz, pop and R&B categories. He performed 50 concerts last year, including at the White House. Jarreau is survived by his wife Susan and son Ryan.
Foreigner Releases Limited $19.77 Tickets in Honor of 40th Anniversary Tour The year was 1977. Jimmy Carter was President. Star Wars was #1 at the box office. And Foreigner’s self-titled debut album was sweeping the charts with unprecedented fanfare. Cheap Trick released their first two records this year too, Cheap Trick and In Color, and 1977 went on to be one of the most important years in rock and roll history. Foreigner, Cheap Trick and special guest Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience will launch a mammoth summer tour kicking off in Syracuse, NY on July 11th presented by Live Nation. In honor of these 40th anniversary milestones, for a limited time starting March 6th, $19.77 priced tickets will
be available at livenation.com. For some, it will “Feel Like the First Time” you bought a concert ticket at this special price! “I never could have imagined when I set out to create Foreigner forty years ago, that we’d still be touring around the world and performing the music we love all these years later,” says founding member and lead guitarist Mick Jones. “I can’t express the gratitude I feel when fans share stories of how our songs have been woven into their milestones and memories over the years. This summer we are going to celebrate these songs, and I can’t imagine a better group of friends to share this monumental tour with, than Cheap Trick and Jason Bonham who are sure to make it a true tribute to the everlasting power of rock and roll." Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, Cheap Trick is undoubtedly one of the most influential classic rock groups of the past 50 years. They have performed over 5,000 shows spanning four decades and have sold 20 million records worldwide. Cheap Trick formed in 1974 and while they have evolved throughout the years, the band continues to reach mainstream and critical success. “I was thrilled to hear Mick Jones wanted me to be involved in celebrating 40 years of Foreigner. I spent 3 years as their drummer and had a great time," says Jason Bonham. "Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience show will hit home run after home run with these timeless classics done to perfection. JBLZE started 7 years ago as a way to show my appreciation not only to my dad and the music of Led Zeppelin, but also to the fans themselves. With the amazing Cheap Trick along with the one and only Foreigner this is show not to be missed.” A limited number of $19.77 tickets will be available for the following stops. Fans can check out livenation.com for complete tour itinerary, tickets and news.
Florida’s Largest Music/Entertainment Magazine Full Access Magazine
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Let's see if I can find the words to describe Chrissie Hynde (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) of The Pretenders: Shy, quiet, assuming, needy. Hell, none of those work so let me say this, she is amazingly straightforward, blunt and honest. Maybe if you are reading this aloud please hand out earmuffs to the prudes in attendance. I'm not going to lie, there were times during our conversation that I felt a little fearful, but she quickly pulled me back in. All said and done, I ended up with exactly what I had hoped for and beyond. Buckle up! So much to talk about so I started by congratulating her on The Pretenders induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She replies, with no bones about it, “It's bullshit! We get into rock bands to get away from the establishment. You want to live outside the law. What brought about the Hall of Fame were people that wanted to be in the Hall of Fame and make a name for themselves I guess. I don't get the whole awards thing for music. I understand it for sports like the guy that hit the most home runs. I think that everyone agrees that there are certain artists that should be remembered or maybe never got their due, but the real point of making music is the making of it and someone to listen to it. The joy of making the music is the real turn on for the musician not the award. What does it mean? I think what it really brings
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by Scotti Moore
up is who all isn't in the hall of fame.” With today's musical world being completely different than when she started the band back in 1978 we talk about what she thinks is a current positive. “I think we are witnessing a change in the size of venue that musicians are playing.” She continues, “We are seeing more shows at smaller venues. Stadium rock is kind of a dinosaur that is dying and if it isn't killed off it should be. I think music has to get back to the more intimate setting to help the live show survive.” At this point, I let her know how she is every bit as real as I could hope for. Chrissie responded while laughing, “Thanks, but maybe I'm to real. That's my problem, I wish I was less real.” With a signature sound and identity, I felt safe in assuming in the beginning there had to be belief and confidence that she was on to something special. Hynde tells me in a fun tone, “Not at all, even though I have ESP. I'm kind of crazily intuitive almost psychic. I realize that now.” She goes on, “Now personally when I decided I to be a musician in the beginning I wanted to play guitar but I was to shy to hangout with the guys in the art room. I had a couple girlfriends that played but we never jammed. I wasn't good enough at that point on guitar to play along to records. I
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realized, that by knowing a few basic cords, I could write my own songs and I would know how to play those. That's how I started doing it. The bands I saw back then made me want to be a guitar player but I ended up getting sidetracked into singing. I have become the jack of all trades and the master of none. I thought, with singing though you really didn't need to do anything but just open your mouth and it would be the laziest way to get into music. Honestly, I never thought I’d pull this off. I was just thrashing around trying to get by. I wasn't that ambitious. I think it was the process of eliminating the things I didn't want to do. I just kept avoiding those and eventually it led me to what I wanted to do.” With her career that has seen this kind of longevity surely it has evolved the way you view things, like how you measure success. “Success to me means you truly enjoy what you do. I'm in a rock band, we play shows and make records. It can get real fucked up and you get stressed out, but nobody goes out to see a rock band because they anticipate a bad night. You want to have fun so the nature of what we do is to go there so other people have fun and it’s kind of a win-win. You should feel good about that scenario. You keep it like that as much as possible.” I would probably enjoy it if people recognized me when I went out in public. Chrissie tells me, “I enjoy being recognized as an artist, but not necessarily as a person. I live a very ordinary life. You would be disappointed if you knew how ordinary my life is. When I lived back in Akron, Ohio growing up I didn't know what public transportation was. When I moved to London, I found I could do all kinds of stuff on my own, I was in heaven. I wouldn't want to put myself in a position where I couldn't do the things I want to do like sitting on the doorstep eating a slice of pizza and not being bothered. If one in ten thousand people come up to me say they like my record than it just validates that I hadn't
been wasting my time and that's ok. I don't need anymore than that. I don't want to be a household name. I'm not looking to be remembered, forget me. That's not important to me. I just need to live my life then get out of here. If I can get away with it and not hurt anyone I could be happy with that.” In this era of “Disposable Music,” it seems artists need to be constantly in the public’s face, while releasing new material at a rapid pace. That brought the topic of the eight-year gap between The Pretender albums. She says, “There was another record a few years ago but I was advised to call it Chrissy Hynde. The advisors thought people were bored with The Pretenders name. The Pretenders is a working title for a band that I happen to be the leader of. The band has had line up changes and I have gone in the studio with different people but the spirit of the band is always the same. The touring remains the same. I’m not a solo artist, I can only work within a band situation. I'm not with session musicians so this is as close to an ongoing band as you can get and we actually like each other and have a blast.” Now that we have touched on recording it evolved into writing and the pressure to follow up a previous effort. “I don't feel any pressure,” Hynde says. “I'm not trying to compete with myself and I'm not trying to get a hit. All I want to do is make a song to maybe get on the radio because I like radio. If it doesn’t then tough luck but if it does, then great. I don't worry about shit, that's one of my disciplines. If they like it great if they don't that's fine too.” As our conversation is concluding she says to me, “I liked your abstract questions. You haven't asked me one question that I have had to answer repeatedly over my career and like it. This interview stuff can be very traumatic and I'm trying to be nice. I'm trying to answer the questions, but I was trying not to be a real cunt, you know. Now how is that for a closing statement.”
The Pretenders will be performing at the Amway Center in Orlando on March 21st, opening for Stevie Nicks. Tickets are still available for this show. Full Access Magazine
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by Tandra Lamia
One of the most memorable and influential musical partnerships of the 1980s will soon be visiting Central Florida! Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo have collaborated both personally and professionally for over 30 years, blazing a trail along the way and proving themselves to be an unstoppable force. Over the years, their creative partnership has yielded 14 albums, 9 Grammy nods, and 4 Grammy Awards. Full Access Magazine spoke to them shortly after the start of their 35th Anniversary Tour. Benatar, most recognized by her signature style and distinctive, powerhouse vocals in songs like “Heartbreaker,” “Love Is A Battlefield,” and “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is quick to make it very clear that without Giraldo, (“Spyder” as she affectionately calls him), none of the magic would exist. “The great thing about Spyder is that he pushes hard because I’m kind of lazy,” she says with a laugh, as she throws herself under the bus. “He really gets in there and knows better than even I know what I’m capable of. I’ll stop at 97%, but he’s really talented at finding that niche and pushing it as far as it can go. He’ll give 110% and that’s how all of that magical stuff happens.” Their partnership began in 1979, although they did not marry until 1982. Giraldo, a talented young musician whose influences included British guitardriven bands like The Yardbirds, The Who,
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and The Kinks, was an assertive guitar player with an innovative vision. He was also the perfect element to extract the passion from Benatar’s impeccable voice. They say the rest is history, with a little help from MTV, of course. Throughout the 80s, they worked at a breakneck pace touring, shooting videos, and making albums every 9 months as they were contractually obligated to do. Explains Giraldo, “If we would have had a choice, we would have done it every two years.” Benatar adds, “It’s so much better to have time to let records evolve naturally but we were constantly being forced to put out products. We were young and we had a lot of energy, but yeah, physically and creatively, it was exhausting!” Although the two are quick to dismiss terms like ‘pioneers,’ ‘legends,’ and ‘icons,’ saying they were merely ‘doing their jobs,’ Benatar acknowledges, “I don’t think it ever occurred to us at any moment in time until people started to say that to us; that we were having some kind of impact.” When asked how they’ve remained so grounded, Benatar, who quit her job as a bank teller to pursue her dream, references their upbringing and similar backgrounds. “We grew up on the East Coast. We came from working class families and a really normal family life with a normal childhood and normal friends. My father was a sheet metal worker. Spyder’s dad was a
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contractor and a carpenter. My mother was a hairdresser. You are who you are. It doesn’t leave you. You just happen to have a really good gig.” She adds that she and Giraldo were lucky to have been able to navigate celebrity life together, saying “we could protect ourselves from all the stuff that was coming from the outside.” The pair are also quite frequently asked what their secret is to sustaining such a longlasting personal relationship, to which Benatar credits good old-fashioned ‘work.’ “It’s not a big struggle. You’re kinda wired the way you’re wired. It’s not like we’re so smart or so good at this. It’s just the way we are. Luckily for us, we started everything together, so it’s the only way we know how to do it. I mean, listen, it’s work! Every relationship is work. You have to be committed and put the time in and you have to want the same things. It’s not without struggles and conflict, but it’s all very important to us so we work it out, whatever it is.” It is clear their relationship is strong and respectful. They clearly ‘like’ each other. When the two are not touring and are able to enjoy some down time, Giraldo, who has played the guitar since the age of 6, likes to perfect his golf game, yet writing songs fills his days as well, which is quite alright with him. Benatar playfully interjects, ‘…and drinking wine! He forgot to add that’! Benatar readily admits that they are both ‘big foodies,’ explaining “We cook like crazy at home in the kitchen because when we’re on the road we eat three meals a day on the go.” The two also enjoy renovating old houses and spending time with their two adult daughters. Says Benatar, “Raising two kids and having them turn out to be decent human beings is what I’m most proud of. Musically, it was all good! Winning is great…but the connection is the most important thing.” Currently, however, their time is spent traveling across the U.S. to the delight of
their diehard fans, which when speaking of, Benatar sweetly reflects, “They’re great. They’re darling!” According to Benatar, audiences who attend their shows “can expect to hear as many of the hits as we can shove in there. We did a poll before we left for a Top 10 Wish List. We’ll interject the new songs too. It’s a good 100-110 minutes. Everybody has fun, especially us! So everybody come on out! It’s really fun and we’re happy to see them all!” She then quickly adds, “We’re just glad they show up!” and Giraldo can be heard chuckling in the background. They are also excited that the release of their commemorative CD/DVD package coincides with their tour, both of which celebrate the milestones the pair have made together throughout three decades in the music industry. The lead-off single from this live CD/DVD set, “Promises in the Dark,” originally released in 1981, holds special meaning as it was the very first song they wrote together. As far as what lies ahead, Benatar and Giraldo plan to continue honing their new songs and recording once the tour is over. Giraldo is also working on a few book projects. Now in their 60s, both Benatar and Giraldo seem as vibrant, driven, and invincible as ever! Borrowing a lyric from their hit song “We Belong,” (a period Benatar describes as a very beautiful time in their lives), it seems ‘whatever we deny or embrace, for worse or for better, we belong, we belong together’ not only sums up their own relationship perfectly, but also that of their relationship with their adoring fans from all over the world.
We are hiring sales representatives throughout Florida. If interested, call Liz Stokes at 727-485-4624 Florida’s Largest Music/Entertainment Magazine
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Full Access had the opportunity to sit down with the band Judah & The Lion. The band calls their genre “folk hop.” Judah says, “It’s got a little bit of Americana and indie bluegrass with a hip hop dance style.” The band consists of Judah Akers on lead vocals and guitar, Brian Macdonald on mandolin and backing vocals, and Nate Zuercher on banjo and backing vocals. We asked them what inspires them to perform and Judah responded, “We cover different backgrounds and influences. We think that’s a big part of what makes us kind of tick as a band. We have all these different genres that we get inspired from. I know for me, as far as writing goes, just a lot of things really inspire me like going through stuff as a family, or falling in love, or having a hopeful story that happened to your grandma; anything that’s around me. Obviously other musical artist’s kind of inspire us when new records come out. We’re really inspired by Bon Iver and the Indie world, and Americana to Kendrick Lamar and the hip hop world. We’re all kind of inspired by different things.” Nate responded, “When we’re performing, we like to have fun. It’s all about the energy and vibe. We like to dance to our music and we like to go hard on stage. We want to translate to the people that are here watching. It’s just about having a good time, letting go and being loose.”
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by Liz Stokes
Brian also replied, “Yeah, we love performing live and we love bringing energy and creating environments. Trying to create a positive, happy environment with joy and love. Like Judah said, we all come from different backgrounds. I’m from Chicago and Nate’s from Colorado and Judah is from Tennessee. We met in Tennessee at school, but we all have different influences that come together and it works.” Judah tells us that they started out by him writing some songs that were on their first EP. He was a junior at Belmont at the time. He states, “Honestly, I wasn’t looking to really start a band or anything. I was just a student that wanted to hear the songs that I’ve written and record them. Just to see if people would like them or to have for my mom. I knew Nate played banjo in school, we weren’t friends or anything really, but I called him randomly, and I was like, You don’t know me, I’m just a jock and play baseball, but I have these songs. Would you be interested in playing? And he came along and brought Brian. They played music together before. We met up and really just clicked relationally. When you’re making a band, you play together and that’s great, but if you don’t really vibe together on stage, it’s not going to work. So we really vibe. We went to the Bell Tower there at Belmont and played through the first few songs, and
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we kind of felt like there was something special. And now we’re here.” They put out an album through PledgeMusic about a year ago, and we asked how that came about and if they were surprised at the response they got. Nate responded, “We did Kickstarter for our first EP, Sweet Tennessee, and that worked really well. But we had a loftier goal for the Kids These Days album. I think for the reason of needing more money, we weren’t sure if we wanted to do something where if we didn’t make our goal, we wouldn’t get anything. So with PledgeMusic, we got the opportunity to work, you get to keep whatever people give to you, you get a little bit more of a safe guarantee that we at least have something to help us toward our goal. It blows our mind that people still continue to support us.” Faith has been an important part of their lives, they are all Christian guys and they said that faith is a driving part of their lives. Nate says, “Our first CD, we made a worship EP. As we got to write more and more together, we realized that we didn’t want to be limited to a certain market. It felt kind of limited in what we could say and what we could write. Once we all three started writing about life or love; we didn’t have to limit it to talk about faith or
anything like that. As it’s gone on, we hope that people get a great idea of who actually we are, whether we’re writing about our faith directly or not.” We talked to them about their musical influences and Judah replied, “It’s so funny because we literally swing from everywhere. My dad’s side of stuff, he was very influenced by hip hop and rap. I grew up on 50 Cent and Eminem, and my mom was very big on music and loved good music like Tom Petty, Queen, REO Speedwagon and REM. I of course grew up with some of the classic country people too. So it’s kind of different for all of us. I would say that Jon Foreman is a big influence of mine and John Rzeznik from the GooGoo Dolls is another strong influence.” For Nate, he says he is more of a metal head and punk rocker, so for him he gravitates towards Avenged Sevenfold, In Flames, Green Day, Blink 182 and Dropkick Murphys. But at the moment, he is really into Kanye, Twenty One Pilots and the bluegrass world. And for Brian, he said, “Growing up, I listened to a lot of Billy Joel, James Taylor, kind of like the classics. So I think I have a lot of that in me. And I also like Indie like Radiohead or folk music like Bright Eyes and rap.” Each member is very eclectic and Judah said, “If you sat in our van you would hear a lot of different songs and types of music played.” Judah & The Lion will be touring with Incubus and Jimmy Eat World this summer. They will be coming to Tampa to perform at The MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on July 7th. This is a band you will not want to miss! With their eclectic style and great live performances, they have been captivating audiences every where they have played.
Judah & The Lion will be performing with Incubus and Jimmy Eat World at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa on July 7th. Tickets are still available for this show. Full Access Magazine
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While some artists keep trying until they find luck, Matt Stillwell was busy making his own. Hitting the Nashville pavement hard getting out his first self released single, he has been working day in and out to get to his success. Originally from North Carolina, Stillwell made the big move to Nashville to pursue his musical career after making a tough decision between music and baseball. Stillwell spent his years in college on the field until fate took a turn. "I got injured towards the end of the season, and you never know. That stuff is not a science. So, I didn't get drafted that year, and then my senior year wasn't as good‌I could've gone and played independent ball and chased it much like I'm chasing music now. But I just kind of looked at it as, whatever I was going to chase, I wanted to be able to do it for a long, long time. It just felt right, I think that was where the decision was. I've always just kind of gone with my gut, and so I did then." It seems to the country music world, his gut feeling really paid off. In releasing his debut single "Shine," he climbed the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and hasn't looked back since. "Shine" pays tribute to Stillwell's North Carolina roots, a fun country song about mason jars and moonshine. "The best advice I ever got was actually from one of my youth 15
by Victoria Rapp
group ministers. I've told her this too. It was to write about what you know. I know about moonshine; about everything and anything you experience in life. I try to do the same thing with choosing songs." His most recent single is "Ignition" an emotional hit filled with perspective and drive. "The song has had the impact that the song had on me, with a lot of people. When I first heard it, it was the thing that stuck with me the most, was that it was vague enough that people could put their own story into it. I knew that it had an opportunity to affect a lot of people," said Stillwell. He really hit the nail on the head with this single; it is a true country hit with good lyrics, relatability, not to mention a soulful country voice. "A lot of people go through things, and whether they literally pull over to the side of the road and are crying or not, it still affects them in a positive way, and that's how I first heard that song. So it's been really cool to do that, and I think there's a life for that song still. Even though it's not being actively promoted right now, I think there's a big life for that song, just because it does affect people." says Stillwell. That is what country music is all about. Stillwell, as he works to create a full length album, is taking care in picking
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and choosing the songs that will appear. Whether he is writing his own or deciding upon others he makes sure they hit his heartstrings before they touch the guitar strings. "That's why we have the Reba McEntire's and the George Strait's, and the Keith Whitley's that didn't write a lot of their own songs, but there was a chord in there that struck within them. I try to be very conscious of that in picking songs and in writing songs," Stillwell says he draws from his influences for his creative fuel. "Merle Haggard and Keith Whitley, and Johnny Cash, and Vince Gill is a big one for me. I studied what they do a lot. Their music has always touched me quite a bit, so I try to approach it more as a lesson than anything. Then going back to the songwriting community in Nashville, there are a lot of songwriters that I would rather listen to their demo of all their songs than anything else, and you learn from that." He has been playing and performing and opening up for the artists like Luke Bryan, Zac Brown and Colt Ford. Currently, he spends his time touring and furthering his career. "Now I'm able to do this at a pretty good level and grow, and it's very humbling in that. But just the very basics of waking up and doing what you love to do, it's cool. Beyond that, I love driving the bus. I don't drive it all the time, but I love it. Being on the road has been a huge part of my life through baseball and this. It's just a part of me, and it always will be." Just like the first days in Nashville, he realized he was surrounded by such creative talent, and that motivated and humbled him, he continues to pursue his passions with the same fervor today. He is working on Shinefest 2017 coming up Memorial Day weekend, an event founded and headlined by Stillwell himself. "The reason we did it was around the video. We knew we were
going to film a video for "Shine." We knew where we were going to do it, and I just wanted to invite fans and friends. So, we were like, 'This is kind of cool. Let's try to do it every year.' The cool part about it is, rain, shine, whatever, there are people there to have a good time, and you are kind of in the middle of nowhere. That whole little energy thing is really cool." 2017 holds a lot for Stillwell, touring, creating a full length album, and preparing for Shinefest 2017. But I'm just as happy as I could be about all of that stuff. So, I'm excited about it. There are a lot of new things, a lot of stuff that's yet to be determined, which I don't mind. I mean, they're all in the works, and that's what I like to do is navigate those waters." Everything seems to happen for a reason and it looks like Stillwell is exactly where he was meant to be. "There's something about doing what you love to do and having the ability to do that, I'm really blessed in that situation."
Florida’s Largest Music/Entertainment Magazine Full Access Magazine
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Keith Wilkins is a Syndicated Music Columnist, Songwriter, Promoter and Guest Radio Show Interviewer. You can reach him at keith@fullaccessmagazine.com
BAND/ARTIST NEWS: Christopher "JC" Dwight, lead singer of the Arcadia rock band Nine Mile Drive, passed away in January following his battle with brain and spinal cancer. A benefit concert was held for his family on February 25 at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg. The event featured performances by Nine Mile Drive (with special guest vocalists), Dark Summer, Sunshine & Bullets, By His Stripes, The Dood, and Polar Summer. Popular 1980’s Tampa Bay rock band, Argus, reunited last month for a special performance at the Tampa Bay Music Network’s 9th Annual Musicians Appreciation Party, which was held at Quaker Steak & Lube on January 8.
NEW RELEASES: St. Petersburg singer/songwriter, Amber Lynn Nicol, released her newest album, “Endless Summer,” last month. “Endless Summer” is Nicol’s sixth studio album to date. Nicol celebrated the release of her latest album by holding a CD release party on February 12 at Coconuts Comedy Club in St. Pete Beach.
UPCOMING RELEASES: Land O’ Lakes rock band, Stonegrey, released their new album titled “Voice of Reason” on February 3. The band celebrated their newest release by holding a CD release party at the Seminole Hard Rock Café that same night. St. Petersburg metal band, Murder the Crow, will release their new EP in April. The band will celebrate by holding an EP release party on April 29 at The Local 662 in St. Petersburg. The event will feature performances by Sunshine & Bullets, A Brilliant Lie, Polar Summer, A Lucid Interval, and Murder the Crow. Formed in 17
late 2015, Murder the Crow consists of Lance Balch, Sven Couture, David "the Dave" Scott, and Tyler Luce. UPCOMING EVENTS: “A Celebration of the Life of Earl Brown” concert was held on February 19 at the Caribbean Bay Bar in Winter Haven. A longtime veteran singer & guitarist in the Tampa Bay area, Earl Brown played in such local bands as Threat, Triple Threat, and Earl Brown’s Roxx Boyz. Brown passed away on March 29, 2016. “A Celebration of the Life of Earl Brown” concert will feature Michael Caruso, Will Stern and John Kudla (of the band Rockem Sockem Robots) performing Brown’s original songs. THIS MONTH IN TAMPA BAY MUSIC SCENE HISTORY: It was 34 years ago this month on February 23rd, 1983 when Avatar released their demo, "Living For The Night," on Par Records. Avatar would eventually change their name to Savatage. It was 22 years ago this month on February 7th, 1995 when veteran Tampa Bay musician, Billy Jones (The Outlaws), passed away at the age of 45. 21 years ago this month on February 1st, 1996, Gregg Billings announced that he would be leaving Stranger after 16 years as their lead singer. Billings gave the band until April 1st to find a new front man. One month later on March 1st, Billings would announce that he had changed his mind, and plans to continue on as Stranger’s lead singer. However, following a band meeting held on March 7th, the other members of Stranger decide to hold Billings’ to his original decision and officially part ways with the singer.
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Obituary Obituary Relapse Records ggggf by Michael Pementel
This self-titled release (Relapse) marks the tenth album from Floridian death metal gods Obituary. These guys are among the top tier of bands that ushered in a new chaotic age of ferocity and aggression. With each record Obituary has proven that they have no intension of ever slowing down. The new album contains all the best parts of the band, revving the excitement and adrenaline all the way. Both Kenny Andrews and Trevor Peres bring in corpse crushing grooves, with Andrews ripping sick solos at times. Terry Butler makes for some funky lines throughout, and Donald Tardy delivers drumming with blistering precision. John Tardy provides solid vocals that aid flow and blend screams and grueling lows. “Brave” begins and takes off with a standard drive. It’s a fun way to start the album and get the muscles warmed up in the pit. “Sentence Day” kicks things up a few notches thanks to some brilliant guitar moments. Andrews adds in little moments of flair that come through like lighting, all backed by berserk drumming. Towards the end Andrews goes off on this absolutely fucking wild solo that soars, swooping in at the right time to bring a crunching end. “Lesson In Vengeance” mixes up styles of the first two titles, taking its time in pace. One of the more forward jam tracks, it pops from time to time with electric excitement. “End It Now” is a balls to the wall thrash out fest. Harsh vocals pounce through crunching speeds, at times dropping into brutal growls. In “Kneel Before Me” we get more of the same ideas found in “End It Now”. Obituary surely has their stunning moments of technical mastery, but the attitude here is more one of an immediate punch to the face. The album embodies aggression through varying means of relentless speeds, or with 19
a slow heft that crushes the listener. From time to time there are even elements of horror like tones surrounding the music, noticeable towards the end of “Kneel Before Me”, and the beginning of “It Lives.” Picking up with some brighter notes that carry some swing to them is “Betrayed.” It feels good with a band to let the bass get some attention, and while the record does that well in general, it came through strong here. Not only does the guitar find its way into another cool solo, but there is a funky rhythm that flows throughout, adding a splendid switch up to the chemistry. “Turned To Stone” also caters to a beat down structure, and while this structure is common, it is never repetitive. It helps that the material at its core is full to the brim with excitement and solid fun. The two closers “Straight To Hell” and “Ten Thousand Ways To Die” set off the fire works for a terrific ending. With a range of variety in sound, both keep the listeners on their toes, while tearing at their eardrums. Obituary have put out one hell of a record. With everything to please fans and old school death metal heads, the self-title Obituary is a killer jam. Structure can become a little common, but not once does it ever take away from the pure bliss of rage. Devastating drive, flying solos, and harsh vocals create a whirlwind of death metal chaos that will please everyone from the beginning to the end. Ed Sheeran Divide Atlantic Records gggff by Zoe Camp
So much for “nice guys finish last.” Less than five years into his career, 26-year-old singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has achieved popotheosis, completing his evolution from a corner-pub troubadour (and occasional Taylor Swift collaborator) to a Platinumselling everyman. Don’t let dude’s awshucks temperament fool you. A global
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ascent this rapid necessitates Machiavellian tactics: deploying basic chord progressions, hummable hooks, and easily-relatable tales of breakups and makeups in order to satisfy his audience’s insatiable hunger for musical and lyrical ethos.
Taken in context alongside the bloated fantasies pushed by his competitors (The Weeknd’s coke-fueled bacchanals, Bruno Mars’ 24-karat Don Juan escapades), Sheeran’s barfly narratives represent a rare, honest view from the top: safe, low-stakes escapism courtesy of a Nice Guy with a guitar. Contrary to its title, ÷ (pronounced “Divide”) – Sheeran’s third album and first since 2014’s breakout release x – doesn’t push his art into new territory. Instead, it relocates the Sheeran show to a bigger, brighter stage, doubling down on its predecessor’s quirky folk-pop without challenging the listener’s preconceived sensibilities (with regards to both his own music and pop praxis writ large). If you’ve got any lingering doubts that the artist’s swinging hard forat the fences this time, a glance at the roster of veteran producers (Benny Blanco, Mike Elizondo, and Ryan Tedder) and guest performers (Jessie Ware, John Mayer, and Eric Clapton, the last of whom is credited as “Angelo Mysterioso”) should do the trick.
Sheeran spends the entirety of ÷’s 12-song track listing (16 if you count the deluxe edition) flipping between two styles: rousing pop anthems destined for radio success (“Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill” have accomplished this already) and snoozy ballads destined for rotation in the aisles of your local CVS (“Dive,” “How Would You Feel (Paean)”). Needless to say, the former mode proves far more interesting than the latter, the album’s sole source of enduring impact. “Shape of You” and “Galway Girl’s” marimbas and violins, respectively offer refreshing breaks from the standard fouron-the-floor fare; “Eraser” nods to late ‘90s pop, with syncopated percussion, drum machine flourishes, and Sheeran’s
Timberlake-esque croon on the chorus. It’s too bad he situates that compelling hook within a stiffly rapped, trope-laden reflection on his newfound success. (Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “I think that money is the root of all evil, and fame is hell.”)
It’s one of the most sacrosanct tenets of sonic physics and album construction — every sugar rush inevitably comes crashing down, so seamless transitions are a must. If Timberlake’s classic Futuresex/Lovesounds represents the pinnacle of pacing for a contemporary pop LP, then ÷’s the nadir, a record saddled with a persistent case of musical hypoglycemia. Each spike of upbeat pop inevitably nosedives into down-tempo, treacle balladry. The stomping “Castle on the Hill” kowtows to “Dive”’s tired blues; “Shape of You” breaks the lethargic spell shortly thereafter – but only momentarily, before we’re shooed off the dance floor for “Perfect,” another slow jam.
These dynamic oscillations aren’t just grating. Each passing cycle saps a little more life from the record, until we’re left with background music, fluff that goes in one ear and out the other. That includes the lyrics, which run the gamut from sentimental (closer “Supermarket Flowers”, which Sheeran wrote in memory of his grandmother, paints a vivid portrait of bereavement with all the mundane details, right down to packing up the “Get Well Soon” cards and throwing away the hospital flowers), to rote (“We could change this whole world with a piano”), to downright creepy (“My bed sheets smell like you”). Then again, considering how much of the album Sheeran spends in friend-zone woe-is-me mode (“Nursing a bottle and telling myself/ You’re happier, aren’t you?”; “You used to hold my hand/ And when we sipped champagne out of cider cans/ I guess if you were Lois Lane, I wasn’t Superman”), perhaps that’s a benefit in disguise.
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Bottle house Bar • 813-623-5700
5902 S Gornto Lake Rd, Riverview, FL 33578 ______________________________________
Mar 30 Apr 7 Apr 8 Apr 22
Stephen Pagano Zebron & James Soul Circus Cowboys CrushTone
Ferg’s Live • 727-822-4562
490 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 ______________________________________
Mar 1 Mar 2 Mar 3 Mar 6 Mar 9 Mar 10 Mar 11 Mar 14 Mar 16 Mar 18 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 27 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1
Actual Bank Robbers Josh Carroll Duo Cruel Curses Fast 4 Ward Amanda Keller Granny’s Gin & No Need Matt Knabe Band Trio 7Nations Ally Venable Band Andrew Ricker Duo Sunshine & Bullets Danny Brantley Band Josh Carroll Duo Polar Summer & Consinity Logan Grant Band
o’Briens • 813-661-9688
701 W. Lumsden Road, Brandon, FL 33511 ______________________________________
Mar 18 Soul Circus Cowboys
Ringside Cafe • 727-894-8465
Porkupine Come Back Alice No Filter Rev. Barry & Funktastic Soul Tony Tyler & Jimmy Jams Porkupine Come Back Alice Flatland
Mar 18 Mar 19 Mar 19 Mar 21 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 7 Apr 8 Apr 9 Apr 14 Apr 15
WMNF Karibbyan Kruze Fest Apocalypse Blues Revue Gary Dowell & Alex Lopez Lil’ Ed & Blues Imperials Allman Brothers Tribute Ras Sparrow & Wildfire Roots Roger Wilson & The Homeboys Adwela & The Uprising Betty Fox Band & Kaleigh Baker The Revelers Darcy Malone & The Tangle Kellie Rucker & Steve Arvey Ska Spring Fling! The Revolution 3 Impulse Tinsley Ellis & Damon Fowler Johnny G Lyon & JGLB
Skipper’s Smokehouse • 813-971-0666
910 Skipper Road, Tampa, FL 33613 ______________________________________
the hideaway Cafe • 727-644-7895
1756 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33704 ______________________________________
Mar 1 Mar 3 Mar 4 Mar 5 Mar 7 Mar 8 Mar 10 Mar 11 Mar 15 Mar 17 Mar 18 Mar 22 Mar 24 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 7 Apr 14
TC Carr & Bolts of Blue Mountain Holler & Geri X Fowler’s Bluff & Rosewood Creek Randall Bramblett Band TNT Groove International Betty Fox Band Billy Price & Billy Seward Cari Ray & Dean Johanesen TC Carr & Bolts of Blue Shaun Hopper John Frinzi & Michael Weiss Betty Fox Band Jamal Hasan Kelly McRae Big Kettle Drum Doug Deming Marc Von Em
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16 2nd Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704 ______________________________________
Mar 1 Mar 2 Mar 3 Mar 4 Mar 7 Mar 8 Mar 9 Mar 10 Mar 11 Mar 14 Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 17 Mar 18 Mar 21
Mar 22 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31
Porkupine Big Brother Fencewalk Den of Thieves Tony Tyler & Jimmy Jams Babyl Sound Displace Rev. Barry & Funktastic Soul Barracuda Tony Tyler & Jimmy Jams Porkupine The Red Sunday Uncle Johns Band Fencewalk Tony Tyler & Jimmy Jams
Attention Bands & Venues: Want to be listed here, Contact Liz Stokes at (727) 485-4624
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MARCH
here Come the Mummies
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Smokey Robinson
Van Wezel Perf. Arts, Sarasota
Marc Cohn
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Amos Lee
Tampa Theatre, Tampa
Kip Moore (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Willie Nelson (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Lucinda Williams
The Plaza Live, Orlando
3 Doors Down (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Kane Brown (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
overkill & Nile
The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
igor & Red Elvises
Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa
the hip Abduction & Fortunate youth
Vinoy Waterfront Park, St. Pete.
Little Big town (7:30 pm) Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Charles Esten & Clare Bowen (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Dwight yoakam
Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
Vanilla Fudge
Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
Suicidal tendencies, Crowbar & havok
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Dropkick Murphys
Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Jennifer Nettles (7:30 pm) Strawberry Festival, Plant City
6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8
Bellamy Brothers (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Clint Black
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Norah Jones
Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Richard Marx
Hard Rock Live, Orlando
Born of osiris
The Orpheum, Ybor City
Needtobreathe (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Brenda Lee (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Born of osiris & Volumes
The Orpheum, Ybor City
Dropkick Murphys
House of Blues, Orlando
Scotty McCreery (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
tracy Byrd (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
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tj Mahal
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oak Ridge Boys (3:30 pm)
9 9
10 10 10 11 11
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Blues Brothers (7:30 pm) Strawberry Festival, Plant City Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Senses Fail
The Orpheum, Ybor City
Elle King (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Paula Poundstone
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Larry gatlin & the gatlin Brothers (3:30 pm) Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Patti LaBelle (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Maddie & tae (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City Full Access Magazine
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12 12 12 12 13
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Cage the Elephant, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band & Kelsey Waldon
Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa
Rickie Lee Jones
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Paula Poundstone
The Plaza Live, Orlando
the tenderloins
Hard Rock Live, Orlando
Rascal Flatts (7:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Ryan Adams & the Marcus King Band
Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa
Joe Nichols (3:30 pm)
Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Bryan Ferry
Hard Rock Live, Orlando
Robert Earl Keen
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Rick Derringer & Edgar Winter
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
City and Colour
The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
Nails & toxic holocaust
The Orpheum, Ybor City
Runaway Country
Osceola Heritage Pk., Kissimmee
Anvil & Night Demon
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Kansas
The Plaza Live, Orlando
Casting Crowns
CFE Arena, Orlando
Casting Crowns
USF Sun Dome, Tampa
Runaway Country
Osceola Heritage Pk., Kissimmee
Runaway Country
Osceola Heritage Pk., Kissimmee
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Kreator & obituary
The Orpheum, Ybor City
Stevie Nicks & Pretenders
Amway Center, Orlando
Carrot top
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
JoJo
The Plaza Live, Orlando
After the Burial & Fit For A King
The Orpheum, Ybor City
JoJo
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Charlie Wilson & Fantasia
USF Sun Dome, Tampa
Sister hazel
Lakeland Center, Lakeland
Blue october
House of Blues, Orlando
Nitty gritty Dirt Band
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
the Menzingers
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
gabriel iglesias
USF Sun Dome, Tampa
1
Every Mother’s Nightmare
3
the Flaming Lips
1 4 4 7 7 7 7 8
Brian Wilson
9
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
10
Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando
Dinosaur Jr.
Los Lonely Boys
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
the osmonds
Lakeland Center, Lakeland
Modern Baseball
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
il Volo The Straz Center, Tampa home Free The Plaza Live, Orlando
We the Kings
The Orpheum, Ybor City
APRIL
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12 13 14 14
West End Trading Co., Sanford
Steve Miller Band
Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater House of Blues, Orlando
the Flaming Lips
Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Shovels & Rope
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
Buddy guy, Ana Popovic, Albert Cummings & Jordan Patterson Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
Jay Leno
Hard Rock Live, Orlando
Neil Sedaka
Van Wezel Perf. Arts, Sarasota
Drake White & Big Fire Dallas Bull, Tampa
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Barry goldberg, the Rides & Stephen Stills Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
tab Benoit, the Lee Boys, Jones & Dawn tyler Watson Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg
Bertie higgins
Largo Cultural Center, Largo
gnash & imad Royal
State Theatre, St. Petersburg
testament, Sepultura & Prong The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
Anthrax & Killswitch Engage House of Blues, Orlando
Panic! At the Disco
Amway Center, Orlando
Chris Rock The Straz Center, Tampa Full Access Magazine
14 15 17 19 21 23 23 26 26 27 28 29 29 30 30 30 2
testament, Sepultura & Prong
House of Blues, Orlando
Ariana grande & Little Mix
Amway Center, Orlando
Periphery, Norma Jean & the Contortionist
The Orpheum, Ybor City
Big Sean & Madeintyo
The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness & Night Riots
House of Blues, Orlando
Air Supply
Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Neil Diamond
Amalie Arena, Tampa
Red hot Chili Peppers
Amway Center, Orlando
umphrey’s Mcgee
Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Red hot Chili Peppers Amalie Arena, Tampa
Soundgarden, Starset, A Day to Remember, Pierce the Veil & Beartooth Amalie Arena, Tampa
Welcome to Rockville
Metropolitan Park, Jacksonville
Fort Rock
Jet Blue Park, Fort Myers
Coheed And Cambria & the Dear hunter Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Welcome to Rockville
Metropolitan Park, Jacksonville
Fort Rock
Jet Blue Park, Fort Myers
MAY
Ben harper
Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
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