Aaron Gillespie (Underoath)
The Underoath drummer and vocalist does his first solo acoustic tour with impressive buds like William Beckett (The Academy Is ...) and Jason Lancaster (Go Radio).
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, at Backbooth, $13
Good Graeff
Their brand of feel-good cello-heavy indie pop has pricked up ears across the country since then, most recently on tour with Mates of State. They’ve timed a swing back through their home peninsula to coincide with the release of their new EP, Good Job Go. If lead single “I Want That” is any indication, expect plenty of catchy hooks, sing-along choruses and smiling faces when they make their stop at Will’s. - Thaddeus McCollum Read more.
9 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at Will’s Pub, $8-$10
Dumberbunnies
In case you wondered what the Woolly Bushmen might sound like if someone really mussed up their hair, along comes this new collab between Bushmen's Simon and Julian Palombi with former Basements shredder Phil Longo on guitar.
10 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at St. Matthew's Tavern, free
Motion City Soundtrack
It used to make us feel old when we’d see news items about albums we loved when we were younger hitting the 10-, 15- or 20-year anniversary marks. But lately, we look forward to them because it means that we’ll probably see a reunion or at least a new tour where those albums are played front to back. While those “like the album, but louder” tours have lost some of their shine – remember when setlists were surprises? – it helps when the album in question works as a cohesive whole. Motion City Soundtrack’s 2005 album, Commit This to Memory, is one such work. Frontman Justin Pierre ties the album together with lyrical themes of mental illness, alcohol abuse and troubled relationships that pretty much encapsulate what pop punk as a genre is all about. - Thaddeus McCollum Read more.
5:30 p.m. Friday, July 17, at the Beacham, $22-$30
Pato Banton
The Grammy-nominated reggae legend softly pads into town to lift you up this week, joined by local reggae fusion force Paddington Ambush.
8 p.m. Friday, July 17, at the Social, $15
Big Makk
"I'm not gonna lie when I say it's pretty cool to see your song played on a main stage festival to tens of thousands of people," Big Makk says. "So, yes, it is definitely a surreal experience." Check out our interview with Big Makk about his DJ residency at Backbooth, Shake 'n Bass, and his latest mix about to sauce up Gilt Nightclub.
10 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Gilt Nightclub, $10
Round Eye
Shanghai's Round Eye mixes up nostalgia-guilty rock & roll grooves with brash early punk tendencies, plus art-rock jazz flourishes. Then they sideswipe head-bobbers used to less committed acts with legitimately nutso stage shows. Go.
9 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Will's Pub, $7
Break the Chains
Judges from Miami, Jacksonville and Orlando will preside over B-boy and B-girl battles (first place gets a $600 prize, plus a trophy and bragging rights), as well as expo battles: DJ YNot (Orlando) goes up against DJ Potter (New York/LA), and Radd Chadd (Orlando) faces off against Sweet Face (Tampa). DJs Felix Fusik and Java J are spinning, and don’t miss the cypher King and Queen battle. - Erin Sullivan Read more.
5 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Studio One, $10
The 7th Annual SFS Summer Benefit Fest
Join more than 20 bands (The Hamiltons, Milka, more) on indoor and outdoor stages (one dubbed "Will's Dirty Laundry Pavilion"), plus cover includes home-cooked dinner while it lasts!
4 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at Will's Pub, $10
Que Sera
A metal band that seeks to distance themselves from the genre's typical heavy themes, their band name doubles as their mantra/muse.
7 p.m. Monday, July 20, at Backbooth, $10
Lord Huron, Widowspeak
Either band on its own would be noteworthy but, together, the Lord Huron and Widowspeak bill is a deep, beckoning lake of indie-rock atmosphere. With sonics that are quietly grand and melodies that are persistently lovely, headliner Lord Huron is the picture of pastoral nobility. A cinematic ideal of trail and horizon, they draw their rolling folk sound with a dreamy pop resonance to render Western panoramas in a halo of golden rays. It’s a tall, crafted aesthetic that’s placed them as one of today’s lushest, most well-rounded indie-folk bands. Dealing in a slightly different kind of reverie, the reclined breezes of opener Widowspeak weave summery, vaguely narcotic mystery like a more lucid, pop-minded Mazzy Star. - Bao Le-Huu Read more.
7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the Beacham, $23-$55
3 Doors Down
When your first hit remains your biggest hit (with its superhuman might), you better believe you tour on the 15th anniversary of its release. Kryptoni-ite.
7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at House of Blues, $40.50-$78
