Top 10 concerts this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, North Port, Port Charlotte
It's another packed week (and month) of things to do locally, including live music. This week should be especially exciting for country music fans, with concerts by national names in the genre in Sarasota, North Port and Port Charlotte, including a two-day festival.
You'll also find multiple acclaimed blues and rock musicians visiting Bradenton this weekend during the Village of the Arts' Día de los Muertos celebration Festival of the Skeletons, and two '80s pop hitmakers playing Sarasota as part of Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall's ongoing 2023-24 season. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
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Biscuit Miller & the Mix
Bassist and singer-songwriter Biscuit Miller, a past Bradenton Blues Festival performer, will play a headlining show at the nearby Village of the Arts venue Cottonmouth. A two-time winner of the Blues Music Award for Instrumentalist — Bass, Miller has released albums including 2019's "Chicken Grease" and 2010's "Blues with a Smile," a fitting title for the charismatic performer. Along with leading his own group, Miller performed for years in the bands of other blues musicians such as Lonnie Brooks and Anthony Gomes. 7 p.m. Friday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $15 advance, $20 day of; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul
Igor & Red Elvises
Cottonmouth owner/chef David Shiplett's other Village of the Arts establishment Birdrock Taco Shack will host Igor & Red Elvises, with both venues' live music lineups being held as part of the Village's Día de los Muertos celebration Festival of the Skeletons. The "Siberian surf rock" group is fronted by Igor Yuzov, who grew up in the former Soviet Union, seeking out the forbidden sounds of rock 'n' roll. He later moved to America and formed the Red Elvises, which has released albums including 1996's "Grooving to the Moscow Beat" and 1997's "Surfing in Siberia," and is still going strong today. 8 p.m. Friday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; $5; 941-545-9966; facebook.com/birdrocktaco
Field of Dreamz Country Classic Music Festival
The two-day country music festival, featuring national names in the genre headlining both nights, will return to Charlotte County this weekend. The Ormond Beach-born Chase Rice, with No. 1 country airplay hits such as "Eyes on You" and "Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God. Amen." (the latter song featuring Florida Georgia Line, whose megahit "Cruise" Rice co-wrote), will headline Friday, returning to our area just a few weeks after playing Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre with Jelly Roll. Riley Green, whose hits include "There Was This Girl" and "I Wish Grandpas Never Died," will top the bill Saturday. 1 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday; Charlotte County Fairgrounds, 2333 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte; $55 one-day, $95 weekend, VIP options also available; eventbrite.com
Rodney Atkins
Another country star will come to town this weekend when Rodney Atkins visits the Atlanta Braves' Sarasota County spring training home CoolToday Park to take part in a benefit celebrity softball game and concert also featuring local military and first responders. Atkins rose to fame in the '00s, with his 2006 album "If You're Going Through Hell" landing four No. 1 country hit singles and topping Billboard's country albums chart. Atkins' most recent album was 2019's "Caught Up in the Country," with its title track going platinum and multiple songs featuring fellow country musician and Atkins' wife Rose Falcon. 4 p.m. softball game, 7 p.m. concert Saturday; CoolToday Park, 18800 W. Villages Parkway, North Port; $45; celebritiesandheroes.com
The Palmer Squares
After performing at downtown Sarasota's since-closed Old School Bar & Grill in the past, The Palmer Squares will return to our area to play Bradenton's Oscura this weekend. The Chicago hip-hop duo comprising Acumental and Term have released numerous albums, including with fellow MC ProbCause as Junkyard Samurai, releasing "Junkyard Samurai 2" earlier this year. Reggae-rock groups Dale and the ZDubs from Washington, D.C. and ichroniq from Tampa will also perform. 7 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Saturday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $12 advance, $15 day of; 941-201-4950; oscura.live
Ben Prestage
Florida-raised, self-described "Deep South Swamp Music" performer Ben Prestage will visit Sarasota brewery and venue Big Top Brewing Company this weekend. Prestage grew up in rural Florida and later lived in Memphis, where as a street performer he started playing drums with his feet while simultaneously singing and playing other instruments, a setup he'd bring back to his home state. His repertoire of instruments he plays includes the diddley bow, which earned him a Blues Music Award nomination for Instrumentalist — Other in 2012. Can't make this show? Prestage will also play Punta Gorda's Celtic Ray on Nov. 16. 7 p.m. Saturday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; free; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com
Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind
Also playing Birdrock Taco Shack this weekend, along with Englewoods on Dearborn, will be harmonica player and singer-songwriter Jason Ricci, another past Bradenton Blues Festival performer, and his band the Bad Kind. Ricci, a three-time Blues Music Award winner in the Instrumentalist — Harmonica category, and the Bad Kind released their latest album "Behind the Veil" on Gulf Coast Records earlier this year. Ricci also played alongside Zac Brown, Tom Morello and the Paul Shaffer Band at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction of Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Ricci will also play The Lion's Den in Port Charlotte on Nov. 10. 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; $20 advance, $25 day of; 941-545-9966; facebook.com/birdrocktaco; 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com
John Waite
Van Wezel's lineup this week will include John Waite on his 40 Years of Missing You tour. "Missing You" was the biggest hit of Waite's career, reaching No. 1 and earning a Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Grammy nomination, and was later covered by other musicians including Brooks & Dunn and Tina Turner (whose song "What's Love Got to Do with It" was knocked out of the No. 1 spot by "Missing You.") Waite is also the former lead singer of The Babys and Bad English, which scored its own No. 1 hit with "When I See You Smile," with his Van Wezel show set to draw from both bands' catalogs as well as his solo career. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $50-$85; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby will also play Van Wezel on a tour marking the 25th anniversary of his 1998 album "Spirit Trail." Rising to fame as the frontman of Bruce Hornsby and the Range, whose 1986 debut album "The Way It Is" featured the No. 1 hit title track and helped them win a Best New Artist Grammy, Hornsby then embarked on an eclectic solo career that's included touring with the Grateful Dead, winning a Best Bluegrass Recording Grammy and contributing music to multiple Spike Lee films. He's remained relevant, too, collaborating with contemporary musicians such as Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Jamila Woods and Blake Mills on his recent records. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $52-$82; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
Chase McDaniel
Big Top's live music lineup this week also includes yet another national name in country music, this time a rising star in the genre. The 29-year-old Chase McDaniel moved to Nashville after college to chase his dream of country music, and nearly packed it up and headed home to Kentucky before finding success with last year's single "Project," which landed him at No. 1 on Billboard's country digital song sales chart and No. 2 on Emerging Artists. Recently, McDaniel signed to Nashville musical juggernaut Big Machine Records/Label Group. 7 p.m. Thursday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; $22; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top concerts near me in Sarasota Bradenton North Port Port Charlotte
