Photo courtesy Gasoline Heart/Facebook
Gasoline Heart plays Stardust on Friday
This week, some notable Orlando expats make big homecomings.
Laney Jones: Although now Nashville-based, Laney is truly an O-grown product, going from young folk revivalist to budding indie-pop starlet here on these streets. Now, her horizon’s about to widen even more with Stories Up High, her first new album in six years. To properly celebrate, she’s coming home for a release show on the eve of the big record drop. In addition to indie-folk openers Someday River (whose Melrose in the Mix session will air on WUCF-TV at 8:30 p.m. that same night), Laney tells me she’ll have some special local guests sit in for kicks. (8 p.m. Thursday, May 19, Will’s Pub, $12-
$15)
Gasoline Heart, Joseph Bradshaw & the Florida Four: While it’s been years since Gasoline Heart bandleader Louis DeFabrizio relocated to NYC, he made his name here in the 407 going back to the early 2000s in bands like the Kick and Gasoline Heart. As one of the best pure rock & roll bands to emerge from here, Gasoline Heart has made a mark enduring enough to make each homecoming a big local deal. This time will be particularly historical because it’ll feature the original Orlando lineup, which reconvened to make 2020 album Big Trouble. The last time they recorded together resulted in an absolute Orlando classic, 2006’s You Know Who You Are. Now, they’re finally getting to play the new material live. The event also doubles as a solo release party for GH member Joseph Bradshaw. (8 p.m. Friday, May 20, Stardust Video & Coffee, $10)
Dion Pride: This one’s a little out of the usual way, but surely an hour’s drive is worth it to keep live company with country music royalty. Dion’s the son of recently departed legend Charley Pride, the most accomplished Black country artist of all time and simply one of the genre’s greatest voices ever. Dion is known to perform good covers from the classic American country and pop songbooks, including some of his father’s gems. (7 p.m. Saturday, May 21, Orange Blossom Opry, $30-$42)
