Full Access Magazine - July 2017 by Full Access Magazine

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Volume 7 • issue 7 • July 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

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Music News.............................3 July 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

PuBLiShED By: Full Access Magazine • 9713 takomah trail • tampa, FL 33617 813.400.3110 (office) • 813.200.3916 (Fax)

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Lynyrd Skynyrd Sue Former Drummer Over Biopic Plans Lynyrd Skynyrd are suing their former drummer Artimus Pyle over his plans to make a biopic based on the Southern rockers and their deadly 1977 plane crash. Guitarist Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant's brother and lead singer Johnny Van Zant and the estates of other Skynyrd members killed in the crash were among those who filed the lawsuit against Pyle and co-producer Cleopatra Records Friday in Manhattan. When Pyle announced plans to turn his life story into a biopic, he acknowledged that Lynyrd Skynyrd had not authorized the film, preventing the movie from incorporating the band's music. The film was initially titled Free Bird, but a cease-and-desist notice forced a name change to Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash. In the lawsuit, obtained by Rolling Stone, Lynyrd Skynyrd argued that Pyle "is free to exploit his own personal life story" for the film, but the biopic is in danger of violating "a 1988 consent order" that members – Pyle included – agreed to concerning control of the Lynyrd Skynyrd copyright. The consent order states, "No such exploitation of life story rights is authorized which purports to be a history of the 'Lynyrd Skynyrd' band, as opposed to the life story of the applicable individual." The lawsuit also alleges that Street Survivors "may contain a potentially inaccurate or skewed portrayal of Lynyrd Skynyrd's story as filtered solely through the eyes of Pyle masquerading as the 'True Story' of a defining moment in the band's history." Street Survivors: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash is reportedly in production now. A July 11th court date has been scheduled for the lawsuit. The lawsuit notes that, since his departure, 3

Pyle has had "numerous run-ins with the law," including pleading guilty "to charges of attempted capital sexual battery and to lewdly fondling, assaulting or simulating sexual acts on two female children, ages 4 and 8." "We want this to be a good movie that tells a very passionate, intimate story about the music and the band and a rise and fall that happened so suddenly," Pyle, who survived the 1977 plane crash, said last year. "I want the movie to portray my band members the way they were: real, funny people who loved the music, loved the success that allowed us to be able to travel the world and play for kings and queens all over this planet." Beyonce Gives Birth to Twins Beyoncé and husband Jay Z welcomed a set of twins to their family. The singer gave birth earlier his week, according to multiple sources close to the couple, both Us Weekly and People report; the twins' gender has not been confirmed. The twins join five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The Carters announced the pregnancy through an elaborate photo shoot posted on Instagram in February. Less than two weeks after posting her official announcement as well as an underwater maternity shoot, Beyoncé gave a gorgeous, gilded performance at the Grammy Awards, marking her first public appearance since confirming that she was expecting the twins. The same night, the couple released a new song with DJ Khaled titled "Shining" where they referenced their yet-to-be born children. Though she carried on with her Grammy performance, the singer did cancel her headlining appearance at Coachella ahead of the April festival. Her "Telephone" and "Video Phone" collaborator Lady Gaga stepped in to replace her. Still, the singer has kept a very public profile since the announcement, posting various videos and photos of herself while pregnant and

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appearing courtside at basketball games with her husband and eldest child. She celebrated the one-year anniversary of her Grammy-nominated and Peabody-winning album Lemonade by announcing a new scholarship program for young women at select universities as well as a massive box set, complete with a 600-page hardcover book. Meanwhile, Jay Z has announced a string of festival appearances for fall, including his own Made in America festival alongside sister-in-law Solange. He will also headline Austin City Limits and New York City's Meadows Festival.

Bruce Springsteen Plans Intimate Broadway Residency Bruce Springsteen will reportedly stage an intimate Broadway residency this fall as the rocker will perform eight weeks of solo concerts at New York's Walter Kerr Theatre. "[Springsteen] wants to play a smaller house. He wants to try something more intimate, and he likes the idea of being on Broadway," a source told the New York Post of Springsteen's plans, which include five shows a week for eight weeks starting in November. The Walter Kerr Theatre, which seats 975 people, has been unoccupied since the Broadway production of Amelie closed in May. Rather than let the venue sit empty, the Kerr's owner Jujamcyn Theaters offered Springsteen the theater rent-free; Springsteen will receive ticket revenues while the Kerr Theatre will get the profits from alcohol sales. "He'll keep the lights on in the building, and they'll sell gazillions of dollars worth of booze," the source added. The Post also posits that Springsteen's Great White Way run is a precursor for a potential Broadway musical based on his recent memoir Born to Run, though that has yet to be confirmed by Springsteen or anyone in his camp.

Springsteen has been off the road since his tour celebrating his 1980 LP The River concluded in February. Since then, the rocker has appeared onstage alongside Steven Van Zandt as the E Street guitarist promotes his new solo album. In April, Springsteen sat down for an intimate conversation with Tom Hanks for the Tribeca Film Festival.

Paul McCartney Knighthood Elevated With Companion of Honour Award Twenty years after Queen Elizabeth II first knighted Sir Paul McCartney, the Beatles great has been elevated with a Companion of Honour award for services to music. "How about if we become an alter-ego band?" McCartney would recall asking the group following French road trip and Kenyan safari in late 1966 "I'm very happy about this huge honor and with the news coming on my birthday weekend and Father's Day it makes it colossal!" McCartney said in a statement. McCartney is one of only a handful of musical artists – including singer Vera Lynn, percussionist Evelyn Glennie and opera singer Janet Baker – to receive the Companion of Honour Award. Other recipients include Stephen Hawking, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who like McCartney received the honor as part of this year's Queen's Birthday Honors list, the Associated Press report. Ed Sheeran, who allegedly sliced and scarred his cheek in a faux-knighthood ceremony, took a step closer to the real thing with an MBE – Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – for services to music and charity. British singer Emile Sande also received an MBE. "Chuffed to be awarded an MBE for services to charity and music," Sheeran wrote of the honor on Instagram.

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For over 25 years, Don Felder has been known as the lead guitarist for The Eagles. He is also a singer and songwriter. I had the opportunity to talk to Don about his upcoming solo tour with REO and Styx and life after the Eagles. Don tells me that he is looking forward to the ‘United We Rock’ tour, and says, "I love these guys. We've known each other for literally decades and played together in different configurations of touring packages. They're really a great bunch of guys. Not only amazing musicians and the shows that everybody puts on stage is spectacular. But offstage, we get to go golfing on our days off together, we take over a bowling alley and go play or rent a big restaurant. It's like a big family!" Don says that their shows will be over three hours of hits after hits after hits! He says,"How can you go wrong spending your summer doing that? I'm with a bunch of guys that are a lot of fun, nice guys and having a great show to boot. That's about as good as it gets to tell you the truth." I told Don that I grew up with all of his music, REO and Styx. He responded, "I grew up with our music too!" Don was truely a fun and amazing person to interview. This year, "Hotel California," turned 40. Which of course is one of the songs Don will be performing on this tour as well as "Fast Lane,” "Heartache Tonight,"

by Liz Stokes

"The Long Run," as well as many others. These are some of the songs that Don co-wrote, recorded and toured with the Eagles in the last 27 years when he was with them. He also says he will do a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn. He says,"It gives me a chance to step outside of the containment of playing songs and play the Blues, which I love to do. Now I don't play it like Stevie Ray Vaughn, I never try to imitate him. My salute to him, playing it my way." Don also will be playing some songs from his past solo career, one of which is called "You Don't Have Me," which is on his last CD which is called, "Road to Forever." It wound up on the Classic Rock Radio Charts at number 1 for 12 weeks in a row. Don says, "It's like a pretty Rock n Roll song, it's not your typical kind of Eagles, it's more of a hard edged track. So I play everything from Blues to ‘Tequila Sunrise,’ to ‘Take It Easy.’ A lot of hits that I was part of, many years in the Eagles and then I get to step outside of that and play some things that really appease a lot of the older fans that have followed my solo career." I asked Don if there is a favorite song that he likes to perform. He states, "We have treats and surprises involved in our show. People come out and sit in on some of my songs, with other people that are on the show and it's always a surprise as to who's going to play the harmony guitar parts with

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me in "Hotel" at the end solos on that song. The last inventory was about 9 months ago, Some people come out on ‘Take It Easy,’ and since then I've probably bought 25 more and ‘Pride and Joy.’ It's always fun to have guitars." All of his guitars have played a key friends come out and play with you. I'd say role in his life, some in his career musically my most favorite song to play every night that he played on a certain record or he got is ‘Hotel,’ and from his current album, from a certain person. He tells me that he ‘Road to Forever,’ it's ‘You Don't Have Me.’” was in Manchester where he had played Don has been working on a new album golf for a charity called the NSPCC involving a lot of good friends that he has (National Society for the Prevention of either played with, toured with, played golf Cruelty to Children). He received a call with or whatever. He said that it's a bit of a from a friend of his, the head of Christie's in secret and he doesn't want to let it out of London. He said, "There's this guy that the bag too early about who's going to be made a couple of guitars and he'd really like on it. But says, "It's in the works and we've you to see." Don responded, "That's the last got about seven tracks almost finished, ready thing I need to do, go to London and look to mix and when I get off this tour, I'm at guitars. He said, ‘No, no, I'm going to probably going to do another six or seven come by your hotel and pick you up and it songs. It will likely be released at the end of won't take 30 minutes, I think you should look at these guitars.’" Don says, He didn't the year or after the first of the year." tell me who we were meeting, but we go to Don also published an autobiography book London and pull into Kensington Palace. called, "Heaven and Hell," back in 2008. He I asked why are we here?” His friend said, "It never really started out to be a book. responded, "the guy that has the guitars is The same year, I think it was 2001, when I here." They pull up to the front door and this left the Eagles. I went through a separation guy opens the door and introduces himself and divorce from my wife of 29 years. as David Linley (Lord Linley), part of the Everything that I knew in my life, marriage, Royal Family. Don says, "When we walk in family, and the house I had just built for my the door, I see a scarf that has ‘NSPCC’ and family to live in, my job, my career with the I told David that I had just played golf for Eagles; everything was just stripped away the NSPCC." He said, "That's my mom's within an 8-12 month period. I started doing charity." Don asked, "Who's your mom?" a series of daily meditations. I took a look David responded, "Princess Margaret." Don at how I'd got from a little dirt road in a said, "So here I am in Princess Margaret's white clapboard house with a tin roof, and house in Kensington Place and she's upstairs. palmetto fields of north-central Florida, to You gotta remember where I came from, a winding up being in this particular situation. dirt road in Gainesville, FL. David came I came out of these meditations having out with 2 guitars, one a steel string guitar focused on specific areas of my life. I started and one that has a nylon string. David says, filling up piles of legal pads on my meditations ‘I've made these guitars and I don't really with no intent other than that. The book play that well and we're moving. I just don't starts with us backstage and you can hear the have the room for these. He asks me if I crowd roaring. Then it goes back to my early want them.’ I said, ‘Let me think about childhood in Florida. Start with the juicy that, okay, I'll take them!’ They're treasures, stuff and then show you how we got there." and so unique, and the whole story and Don has been known to be an avid guitar history of how I acquired them. Almost collector so I asked him about it and every guitar I have has a story to go with it. how many he has. He responded, "I have It's not just like, ‘I got another Les Paul, somewhere in the neighborhood of 300. or I got this or I got that.’" Don Felder will be performing with REO Speedwagon and Styx at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa on July 18th. Tickets are still available for this shows Full Access Magazine

American rock band REO Speedwagon has been around since the late 60's and has had numerous greatest hits like "Keep On Loving You," "Time for Me to Fly," "Take It on the Run," and many, many more. Bruce Hall is the bass guitarist, lead and harmony vocals, and has been with REO Speedwagon since 1977. I had the chance to talk with Bruce about their upcoming "United We Rock" tour with Styx and Don Felder. He says, "Us and our buddies in Styx and Don Felder, We're ready to go tear it up! Basically, it's always fun to play. I love that part. The traveling part gets you down a little bit. But playing, that's the free part, I love that. The boys in Styx, that's our pals. I love the boys in Styx. And Don, he's fast becoming one of our good friends too. We played on a cruise and Don was one of the bands that played on there, so we got to meet him and hang out with him a little bit. And Dave, our guitar player, sat in with him on Hotel California, it was great. So, I think probably everybody is going to know every single song that's played that night. I gotta feeling." For being together for over 30 plus years, I asked Bruce what keeps the band together and he responded, "We obviously love each other, I mean, we are like a group of brothers. We don't bicker over little things. We have a lot of fun, but sometimes we

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have different ideas about the same subject. But it always seems to work itself out." Bruce tells me that there is several songs that he likes to perform, one of those songs is, "Time For Me to Fly" and "Back On the Road Again." He said, "Hell, I seem to like them all, I get to scream and yell and have a good old time at the mic! They're all fun and we're doing one new song this year that nobody's ever heard. It's called ‘Whipping Boy,’ which I hope people won’t get up and go to the bathroom during that song. It's a rocker, and hopefully, we can hold their attention. Yeah, that's the only new thing we're really doing. We worked on "That Ain't Love," it's a little bit of a different arrangement. And we do our ballads that people seem to like, like "Keep on Loving You," "Can't Fight This Feeling," and people love "Take It On the Run." You gotta do those songs because that's kind of why folks buy their tickets, to get to hear those songs." I asked Bruce about who are some of his biggest musical influences and he said, "It was the British invasion, I was 13 and just hit puberty when the Beatles came out and the girls were screaming for the Beatles and to let your hair grow out. Every kid I knew on my block, the Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan show, we all started growing our hair out and went and started bands. It was fun. I've been doing this for a long

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time and Paul McCartney was my original favorite bass player. He's still one of my favorites. I've got a lot of favorites. Lee Sklar, he plays with James Taylor, he plays nice stuff. There's a lot of guys who play a lot of stuff, they can play every pippity pop and they can do all kinds of stuff, but it doesn't always fit the song. I think there's a lot of guys that like to show off on bass. And on bass, you can show off if the band gives you a little moment. You gotta treat the song as a song, you can't just be doodling all over it. Anyway, that's the way I look at it, I like to play bass and I like melody bass parts. And so that's what I look for when I do my thing." Bruce still writes all the time and says, "It's therapeutic, there's something about writing songs, if you've got something on your mind that you just want to clear, figure out what it is, you want to put it into or at least make sense out of it or something. What's amazing is that these things feel like they're so personal to everyone, to songwriters. I learned this from Kevin, because he's a great songwriter. We all share the same experience, just not always at the same time. We all go through ups and downs, everybody

pretty much has the same life experiences, love and heartbreak, and just pushing on. And people need to hear that from time to time, and I'm not as good of a cheerleader as he is. He's very good at that stuff, but for me, I write a lot of them that REO doesn't play. They're more like blues songs." Don't miss REO Speedwagon, Styx and Don Felder on July 18th at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater. It will definitely be a show that you don't want to miss especially if your a fan of the 80's. This will for sure bring back some great memories!

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REO Speedwagon will be performing with Styx and Styx at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa on July 18th. Tickets are still available for this shows Full Access Magazine

by Liz Stokes

At the young age of 23, who would of thought that someone could have broken so many chart records, including being the 1st solo female country artist to get a number one hit with her debut single since Carrie Underwood in 2006. She is also the fifth solo female country artist to get back to back number one hits with her first 3 consecutive singles from her debut album. I had the pleasure of interviewing the talented and extremely sweet Kelsea Ballerini. I got to talk with Kelsea a few days before the CMT awards and the CMA Music Fest, which Kelsea co-hosted with Thomas Rhett. Kelsea tells me that she is looking forward to a crazy week with her new single, "Legends," dropping as well. Kelsea talks about her debut album and tells me that she wrote this record when she was 19 years old. "I got to put it out when I was 21, but most of that lyric in perspective and story was from my teenage years at my high school and college years. It's been really amazing to see these songs that I wrote when I didn't even have a record deal. I was just writing songs with my friends, and to see that turned into having four songs on the radio, you know, that changed my life and that's been a really cool thing." Kelsea says, "Writing songs is forever my favorite part of what I do, and I will always say that when the day comes that being an artist quits me, I will happily go write songs

for the rest of my life. I just feel like it's really fun to be able to use it like a diary and really be transparent about the truth and how you're actually feeling. It's really fun to be able to tap into other people's stories close to you, and take other people's experiences and write them for them. Those are kind of the two forms of fun writing that I really love. But anything that I record as an artist, I always just take some of my life and what I've been going through. I found that like the majority of my fans around my age, they are walking through the same kind of heartbreak, or the same kind of love, or the same kind of insecurities that I am. And if I write about that transparently, then they'll probably feel the same way." Growing up on a farm in East Tennessee, Kelsea's first concert was Britney Spears and she says, "I feel like that's the perfect title of my music because it is country pop. My first single was, "Love Me Like You Mean It," which is definitely the most, pop pushing song on the record. I think for me as a country artist, we brand ourselves and we base ourselves on being like truth tellers. The truth is, I love doing music, and I love every kind of music. And I love to write every kind of music and I feel like as long as I'm allowed to share that part, then that's a good thing. I think it's really cool. You can turn on the radio right now and you can hear country pop, and country rock, and country R and B, and country soul. You can

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hear all of it, and it's a really cool time. I think it gets more fans involved." "Peter Pan" is Kelsea's favorite song to perform. She responds, "That song changed everything, even lives. Everyone else sings it so loud, it's my favorite moment always!" Kelsea is now touring with Lady Antebellum and says, "They play for like an hour and a half, and it's so inspiring to be able to open up for them, get the crowd pumped, and then walk off stage and watch them sing these songs that have changed and shaped country music. That's the kind of artist that I want to be." Touring for Kelsea, she says, "It's like summer camp. As far as off stage, you really get to know each other's band and crews, and you explore different cities together. You hang out, and have summer nights together and it feels like summer camp, and it's really cool and you leave making new friends." After all the success that Kelsea has had, I asked her how that has changed her life. She responded,"It changed everything. I think the biggest thing is just, traveling so much, I feel like I'm hardly ever home, but that's not a bad thing at all. That's the biggest change. I went from being in Nashville all the time to being in Nashville like two days every two weeks. So yeah, that's probably the biggest change." I told Kelsea that the outfits she wears are amazing and I asked her if she is involved in the process of picking them out. She said, "I'm super involved with it, I'm the biggest girly-girl ever and it's no secret that I love glitter and I love bright colors and all that, and when I'm off stage. I'm literally in a T-shirt and sweatpants right now and that's how I choose to live. It's my favorite thing ever. But when I'm on stage, you kind of get to amplify your persona. So yeah, if I don't look like a disco ball when I walk out on stage, something is wrong! Just like music, it is more of expressing yourself. I'm 23 and it's fun to wear a pink body suit

with sparkles on it every now and again!" Kelsea tells me her biggest musical accomplishment to date is having her songs on the radio. She says, "That to me is like the biggest award you can ever get. And getting a Grammy nomination was definitely a big deal, and getting an ACM was amazing. But I think just having my songs on the radio is my test of success for myself personally!"

Don't miss Kelsea Ballerini performing at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa on July 28th, opening for Lady Antebellum. I'm sure it will be a show that you don't want to miss!

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Kelsea Ballerini will be performing with Lady Antebellum at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa on July 28th. Tickets are still available for this shows Full Access Magazine

Each year, the Country Music Association hosts the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. This festival is the largest festival of its kind. A place where fans can meet their favorite artists and enjoy the best of what country music offers. This year was no exception, and had over 100,000 country music fans spread out throughout downtown Nashville. The CMA Music Festival offers a variety of entertainment for the country music fan. Fan Fair X, the daily concerts throughout downtown Nashville, and the Nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium with some of the biggest stars in country music today. Fan Fair X features an assortment of artist and merchandise booths, stages that feature concerts, special sessions with artists to tell their stories to the fans, and the opportunity for fans to meet their favorite artists. The daily concerts have about 7 stages spread out throughout downtown. These stages feature a variety of new and well-established artists. New this year was the Budweiser Forever Country Park Stage which featured some of the artists from the 80s, 90s and 00s, including Exile, Tracy Lawrence, Billy Dean, Lonestar and Little Texas, among others. New this year was the Cracker Barrel Country Roads stage, which gave concert goers an additional nightly option if fans were not able to attend Nissan stadium.

by Neal Nachman

The Nightly shows at Nissan stadium hosted a capacity crowd of over 60,000 screaming fans. With performances from some of the biggest stars of today, and also offer special unannounced guests and unique artist collaborations. This year, one of the biggest surprise guests happened on Thursday night. Garth Brooks was a complete surprise as it marked the first time in over 20 years that Garth performed at the festival. Other special performances were Lauren Alaina performing with Cole Swindell, Linda Davis with Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton with Trace Adkins, Cassadee Pope with Chris Young, and Maren Morris with Thomas Rhett. Other highlight performances during CMA Fest was Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Maren Morris, Little Big Town, Sam Hunt, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. This was another great year of performances at CMA Fest. Those who were not able to attend the festival will be able to see some of the great highlight performances from the Nightly shows at Nissan stadium on Wednesday, August 16th which will be broadcasted on ABC at 8pm est. If you have never been to Nashville for the CMA Music Festival, you definitely need to plan to attend the 2018 CMA Music Festival to be held June 7 - 10, 2018.

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Imagine Dragons Evolve Interscope Records gggdf by Alex Flood

If success is determined by numbers, then Imagine Dragons are bathing in riches. ‘Night Visions’, their 2012 debut album, has racked up over 7 million worldwide sales to date, while mammoth single ‘Radioactive’ has shifted over 10 million. But despite these stats, they’re still tough to pick out in a crowd. It’s definitely not for a lack of universally minded hits. ‘Evolve’, the band’s third fulllength record in five years, is an ’80s-flecked, power-rock pumping station fit to burst with huge choruses. Lead single ‘Believer’ is a chart-botherer in waiting, while standout track ‘Mouth Of The River’ channels The Killers. But the four-piece’s bravado is often overdone and it all tends to blur into one. It has the effect of a band throwing everything at a wall and seeing what sticks. Occasionally they embrace a darker, more introspective side (doomy opener ‘I Don’t Know Why’; the vibey trip-hop of ‘Dancing In The Dark’), but they’re mostly unwilling to change the format. This latest effort might represent a small progression, but it’s far from an evolution. Vince Staples Big Fish Theory Def Jam Records ggggd by Joe Madden

While it’s a touch reductive to lump them both together, parallels between the careers of Vince Staples and fellow Californian Kendrick Lamar are uncanny and numerous.

Both have found success despite swimming against the musical flow, performing dense, politically charged lyrics in an era more enamoured with the simplistic sing-song decadence of Migos, Rae Sremmurd and Lil Yachty. Both have cultivated on-record personas that are part bolshy street kid, part world-weary philosopher. Both are astonishingly technically gifted, to the degree that they’re actively evolving the art of MCing. And both have an affinity for rapping over oddball, square-peg beats that sound like nothing else out there. Staples has long operated in Lamar’s shadow. He more than does alright for himself – critical acclaim, decent sales, Gorillaz guest spots – but it’s King Kendrick who’s bagged the Obama endorsement, the album-of-the-year accolades and the reverent fanbase. On Staples’ second album, however, he comes close to drawing level with his West Coast rival. Because ‘Big Fish Theory’ is one of the most ambitious, dazzling hiphop albums of 2017 so far – neck-and-neck with Kendrick’s ‘DAMN.’ Right from fiery opener ‘Crabs In A Bucket’, Staples’ propulsive, hypnotic flow has never sounded stronger. His lyrics, meanwhile, are emotionally calibrated for 2017: antsy, alienated and occasionally overcome with nihilistic despair at the state of the world. And his bleak lyrical brilliance is perfectly matched by ‘Big Fish Theory’’s experimental production. He’s always had a taste for harsh electronic funk, and he embraces that creative urge more eagerly than ever. There’s slo-mo techno, dystopian G-funk, field recordings, growling industrialism; abstract, icy grooves more indebted to Berlin than Atlanta. “We making future music,” announced Staples in the run-up to ‘Big Fish Theory’’s release. “This is my Afro-futurism.”

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Whatever this is, it’s jaw-dropping. Over to you, Kendrick. Sza Ctrl Top Dawg Records ggggz by Jamie Milton

Debut albums will often claim to be fullyformed statements of intent, or the sound of growing pains and self-discovery. SZA’s ‘Ctrl’ is neither of these. That might be because she’s been introduced a couple of times before – on misty-eyed self-released tapes ‘See.SZA.Run’ (2012) and ’S’ (2013), and then again on album-length EP ‘Z’, which announced her as Top Dawg Entertainment’s first female signing, sharing the spotlight with Isaiah Rashad and one Kendrick Lamar. Oh, and she also starred with Rihanna on last year’s ‘Consideration.’ ‘Ctrl’ skips the friendly hello and dives straight into SZA’s world. Across 45 minutes, she breathlessly leaps between genres, and laments on tired and broken relationships in a stream-of-consciousness style that fans of Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ will adore. For anyone completely new to the 26-yearold (whose moniker stands for “Self-savior, Zig-zag-zig, Allah”), it won’t take long to feel familiar. Opener ‘Supermodel’ is a real-life break-up letter translated into song. “Let me tell you a secret,” she begins, “I been secretly banging your homeboy. Why you in Vegas all up on Valentine’s Day? Why am I so easy to forget like that?” None of this is fiction. In a 2014 interview with The Breakfast Club, SZA revealed she got a call from one of her boyfriend’s friends, who let slip he’d had an orgy in Vegas. She instantly got her revenge, and then she wrote about it. SZA isn’t afraid to include all the gory details. She’s similarly at ease with exploring her own strengths and perceived

shortcomings. ‘Normal Girl’ is all bedroom bravado, but she admits she wants to be “the type of girl you take over to mama.” And ‘Broken Clocks’ is a time-stopping story of her time working in a strip club, and the sudden epiphany she had when realising she wanted to make music. Best of all is how loosely these stark portrayals thread together. Standout ’Prom’ is an out-and-out pop triumph, built from The Police-like muted guitars and teen angst. It’s surrounded by the sluggish R&B stylings of ‘Drew Barrymore’ and ‘The Weekend’’s glossy introspection. But somehow nothing sounds out of place. ‘Ctrl’’s strength is how it doesn’t strive to be one thing over the other. It effortlessly winds between narratives and genres like it’s child’s play. This isn’t a star in the making, it’s a fully-fledged talent who’s practically showing off. Halsey Hopeless Fountain Kingdom Astralwerks Records ggggz by Rhian Daly

Halsey’s 2015 debut ‘Badlands’ made her a cult popstar. ‘Closer’ made her a household name. ‘Closer’ has a trace of blandness Halsey stampedes past when working on her own. ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’ gets by on a universal quality, but there’s a personal touch you don’t find on everyday pop full-lengths. It’s a break-up album, placed in the context of a Romeo And Juliet-inspired world. The record even begins with the prologue to the Shakespearean tragedy, while the video for ‘Now Or Never’ is like her own take on Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 1996 film. The only time a guest threatens to overshadow her is on ‘Eyes Closed,’ co-written by The Weeknd. But it’s far from the best song on the record, proving Halsey’s fast moving from cult hero to global superstar.

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Ferg’s Live • 727-822-4562

490 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 ______________________________________

Jul 4 Jul 6 Jul 7 Jul 8 Jul 11 Jul 13 Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16 Jul 20 Jul 21 Jul 23 Jul 27 Jul 28 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5

Nick Blizz Josh Carroll Duo She’s That Dude Doug South & The Roundabouts Trigger City Trio Audiostar Duo Saint Sylvia Actual Bank Robbers Phase 5 Josh Carroll Duo Whiskey Throttle Railway Kings Amanda Keller Sunshine & Bullets Johnny Shelton Slot Six Unlikely Candidates

Ringside Cafe • 727-894-8465

16 2nd Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704 ______________________________________

Jul 1 Jul 2 Jul 4 Jul 5 Jul 6 Jul 7 Jul 8 Jul 9 Jul 11 Jul 12 Jul 13 Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16 Jul 18 Jul 19 Jul 20 Jul 21 Jul 22 Jul 23 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30

Uncle Johns Band Juanjamon Reggae Jam Olivia Ramano Fall On Purpose Holey Miss Moley Fencewalk Rev. Barry & Funktastic Soul Juanjamon Reggae Jam Tyler Costanzo Matthew Bistok Banned Come Back Alice Black Honkeys Fencewalk Juanjamon Reggae Jam Bob Hope Matthew Bistok Banned Bipolar Band Spazmatics Rev. Barry & Funktastic Soul Juanjamon Reggae Jam Tyler Costanzo Matthew Bistok Banned Actual Bank Robbers No Filter Stormbringer Juanjamon Raggae Jam

Skipper’s Smokehouse • 813-971-0666

910 Skipper Road, Tampa, FL 33613 ______________________________________

Jul 1

Damon Fowler Group & Betty Fox Band Jul 8 Dukes of Juke & Cigar City Rollers Jul 9 Impulse Jul 10 Greg Billings Band & Den of Thieves Jul 14 Legendary JC’s Jul 16 Alter Eagles & Connor McNamee Jul 21 Gumbo Boogie Band Jul 22 Rockin’ Jake Band Jul 23 Soul Circus Cowboys Jul 28 Hometown All-Star Jam Jul 29 Movement of Jah People Fest Jul 30 Iron Mike Norton CD Release Aug 5 Trae Pierce & the T-Stone Band Aug 8 Sam Price & The True Believers Aug 11 Greg Billings Band & Den of Thieves Aug 18 The Super Stars featuring Ronnie Dee & Rev. Funtastic Aug 19 Americana Fest

the hideaway Cafe • 727-644-7895

1756 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33704 ______________________________________

Jul 1 Jul 5 Jul 7 Jul 8 Jul 9 Jul 12 Jul 14 Jul 15 Jul 16

Jul 19 Jul 21 Jul 23 Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 28 Jul 29 Aug 2 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 9

Rosewood Creek TC Carr & Bolts of Blue Deserie and Jim & Angel Eyes The Ries Brothers Jim Gilmour & Friends Betty Fox Band Musaic Artistic Collective Kaleigh Baker & Heather Lee Justino Lee Walker & LaRue Nickelson TC Carr & Bolts of Blue Michael J Weiss Album Release Jim Gilmour & Friends Kaleigh Baker Kirk Adams Band Betty Fox Band Swearingen and Kelli CD Release Sunset Bridge Band TC Carr & Bolts of Blue Revival Ella Jet Betty Fox Band

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Attention Bands & Venues: Want to be listed here, Contact Liz Stokes at (727) 485-4624

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JULY

Van’s Warped tour

Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg

the Dwarves

The Orpheum, Ybor City

Metallica, Avenged Sevenfold & Volbeat

Camping World Stadium, Orlando

incubus, Jimmy Eat World & Judah and the Lion

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

KiSS America

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Plaza Live, Orlando

Rod Stewart & Cyndi Lauper

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Strfkr

The Orpheum, Ybor City

Bill Maher

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Paul McCartney

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Roger Waters

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Rooney & Run River North Local 662, St. Petersburg

Washed out

Plaza Live, Orlando

Sam hunt, Maren Morris, Chris Janson & Ryan Follese

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Adrenaline Mob

State Theatre, St. Petersburg

ted Nugent

Plaza Live, Orlando

New Kids on the Block, Boyz ii Men & Paula Abdul Amalie Arena, Tampa

Adrenaline Mob

West End Trading Co., Sanford

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Washed out

The Orpheum, Ybor City

he is Legend

The Crowbar, Ybor City

Streetlight Manifesto

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

he is Legend

Backbooth, Orlando

REo Speedwagon, Styx and Don Felder

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Phantogram & tycho

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Chevelle & Dinosaur Pile-up

House of Blues, Orlando

Phantogram & tycho

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

havok

Backbooth, Orlando

Kehlani

Plaza Live, Orlando

Chevelle & Dinosaur Pile-up

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Kehlani

The Orpheum, Ybor City

Ace Frehley

Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Strand of oaks

The Crowbar, Ybor City

taking Back Sunday

House of Blues, Orlando

taking Back Sunday

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

havok

The Crowbar, Ybor City

Vesperteen

Backbooth, Orlando

Vesperteen

The Crowbar, Ybor City

Ratt

House of Blues, Orlando

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23 25 25 25 25 26 27 28 28 28 28 28 29 29 29 30 1 1 1

Stars of Nashville

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

Shawn Mendes

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Stars of Nashville

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Pig

The Orpheum, Ybor City

talking Dreads

State Theatre, St. Petersburg

the Rocket Summer

The Crowbar, Ybor City

Crystal garden

The Attic, Tampa

Lady Antebellum, Brett young & Kelsea Ballerini

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Dragonforce

The Orpheum, Ybor City

Cindy Wilson

The Crowbar, Ybor City

Kickin’ Valentina

Brass Mug, Tampa

Shawn Mendes

Amway Center, Orlando

hillsong young & Free

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Prince Royce

Amway Center, Orlando

Phora

Backbooth, Orlando

Stokeswood

The Attic, Tampa

AUGUST

Nickelback & Daughtry

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

‘68

Backbooth, Orlando

Khalid

House of Blues, Orlando

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Foreigner, Cheap trick & Bonhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Led zeppelin Exp.

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Steve Everett

The Attic, Tampa

Forrest hoffar

The Attic, Tampa

Beres hammond

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

All time Low

House of Blues, Orlando

the isley Brothers

Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg

All time Low

House of Blues, Orlando

Donald Fagen & Nightflyers Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Blondie & garbage

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

Lionel Richie & Mariah Carey Amalie Arena, Tampa

Donald Fagen & Nightflyers Hard Rock Live, Orlando

Australian Pink Floyd Show Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Farruko

House of Blues, Orlando

John Mayer

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Future & Post Malone

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Matchbox twenty & Counting Crows

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Lil yachty

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

J. Cole

Amway Center, Orlando

Jason Aldean & Kane Brown

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

El gran Combo

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

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Linkin Park & Machine gun Kelly

Backbooth, Orlando

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Kap g & J.R. Donato Kap g & J.R. Donato The Orpheum, Ybor City

Social Distortion

House of Blues, Orlando

Kap g & J.R. Donato Backbooth, Orlando

Social Distortion

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Ed Sheeran

Amalie Arena, Tampa

goo goo Dolls & Phillip Phillips

Hard Rock Live, Orlando

Ed Sheeran

Amway Center, Orlando

SEPTEMBER

Kendrick Lamar

Amalie Arena, Tampa

Maze & tank

USF Sun Dome, Tampa

Pepper & tribal Seeds

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Delta Rae

Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

green Day

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Manchester orchestra House of Blues, Orlando

Apocalyptica

House of Blues, Orlando

Manchester orchestra The Ritz Ybor, Ybor City

the Afghan Whigs The Social, Orlando

Steve Earle & the Dukes Plaza Live, Orlando

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Adam Ant

Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

DMX, the Lox & Swizz Beat

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

Dark tranquillity

The Orpheum, Ybor City

Steve Poltz

The Attic, Tampa

Adam Ant

The Beacham, Orlando

Steve Earle & the Dukes

Capitol Theatre, Clearwater

Paramore & Flor

Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando

Ellis Paul

The Attic, Tampa

Chris Robinson Brotherhood & Blackberry Smoke Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Chris Robinson Brotherhood & Blackberry Smoke The Social, Orlando

Damian Marley

House of Blues, Orlando

Depeche Mode

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

the Reign of Kindo

The Crowbar, Ybor City

Damian Marley

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

tove Lo

Plaza Live, Orlando

2 Chainz

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

Brad Paisley & Dustin Lynch

MidFlorida Credit Union Amp, Tampa

2 Chainz

Venue 578, Orlando

Melvins

The Orpheum, Ybor City

Bleachers

Jannus Live, St. Petersburg