Live music notes

The live music scene is never particularly good in Tampa. Florida is too far away for many very good middling bands due to the long drive from Atlanta to Orlando or Tampa. Bands try to travel less that 8 hours between gigs for a myriad of reasons. Also, if a decent band is coming near, they usually hit Orlando. More bang for their buck. It is a bigger, hipper town with a better music scene.

So, having the good bands travel to Tampa is unusual. Luckily, we have a few local bands of note so the scene is not pathetic. However, lately the list has been growing in Tampa. Now a few of the bands are not in my Top 10 of bands* I am dying to see. Those bands never come near the wonderful state of Florida. A couple of nights ago Bright Eyes was in town. I would not have minded going, but did not get around to it. Luckily I saw them back in the day when they were much less disciplined and much more interesting. I have liked their music, but not found them particularly compelling since Lifted. 

Tonight brings Broken Social Scene, another band I like. However, I don't know of anyone in town that likes them, so I will probably stay home. A very interesting show is coming next month that I will definitely attend, especially if I can find some compadres to go with. Manchester Orchestra with opener Dead Confederate will be high on my list... a couple of bands I would be surprised to see in Tampa if not for their home bases in Georgia.

In the midst of all of these hip young bands my real wish tonight is to attend a concert too expensive for my blood by a bunch of 50+ guys doing music 40 years old. Tonight the legendary Cheap Trick, among the greatest power pop bands ever and truly under appreciated** is in town with Donovan (along with surprise guests) and the engineer for Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to perform that album in its entirety. The Beatles said the album was impossible to pull off live but the reviews of these Cheap trick shows have been extraordinary. That, my friends is something I would like to see. But, not for $55-$80. And, I did see them in the 80s. I even got a guitar pick with Bun E. Carlos' face.

*Frightened Rabbit, Okkervil River, Cold War Kids, Arcade Fire, The National, Nick Cave, Spoon, Jenny Lewis (solo), The New Pornographers and Devotchka are the list.

** bands get it. Kurt Cobain is quoted as saying ""We sound just like Cheap Trick, only the guitars are louder."