With the holidays over, and the North still frozen, right now is prime time for touring acts coming through Florida. This week weäó»ve got a slate of giants, from country music to hip hop to comedy, along with some quieter but equally worthy events in visual art.
Artist Talk: Greg Smithäó»s Breakdown Lane
Saturday, January 21
Accompanying the new Museum of Fine Arts exhibit on photography and road trips, Greg Smithäó»s äóìBreakdown Laneäó (2013) casts a critical eye on some of those mythic tropes by recasting the open road as risky and chaotic. The artist, a Guggenheim Fellow, drops by to discuss the work and the big questions it explores.
3:30 p.m., Free
Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Pete
More Info Here
Kenny Rogers äóñ The Gambleräó»s Last Deal
Sunday, January 22
The gambler has decided to fold äóÖem. Late last year, he told Billboard that heäó»s äóìdone everything I set out to do,äó, and after this final tour will neither return to the road, nor record new music. Unlike his usual annual tour, which focuses on Christmas music, the Last Deal performance will focus on a full-scale career retrospective, heavy on the hits.
1 p.m., $60-175
Ruth Eckerd Hall, 111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
Info and Tickets Here
Run the Jewels
Tuesday, January 24
Iäó»ve been a massive fan of El-P, one half of Run the Jewels, since his first solo record fifteen years ago. So itäó»s been personally gratifying to watch the steady rise of his noisy, mouthy duo work with Killer Mike become, not just the last vestige of quote-unquote underground hip hop, but a rallying point for people a lot younger than many of us. These shows have a reputation as burn-the-house-down affairs äóñ so be sure to hydrate.
7 p.m., $25-30
Jannus Live, 16 2nd Street North, St. Pete
Tickets Here
The Last Waltz 40
Monday, January 23
The Bandäó»s 1976 The Last Waltz concert/movie/album is a touchstone for both the 1960s, and the genre of alternative country it eventually helped give rise to. This is essentially a tribute act honoring the anniversary of the event, but with some spectacular star wattage including Goväó»t Muleäó»s Warren Haynes, Michael McDonald, John Medeski äóñ heck, theyäó»ve even got a Neville brother.
8 p.m., $53-$150
Ruth Eckerd Hall, 111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
Tickets and Info Here
Jerry Seinfeld
Thursday, January 26th äóñ Friday January 27
When someone makes several hundred million dollars in show business, they can hardly be blamed for spending the rest of their lives enjoying it äóñ in fact, itäó»s practically the only sane thing to do. And yet here is Jerry Seinfeld, co-creator of perhaps the greatest and most revered television comedy ever made, climbing back on stage to hold a microphone under a too-hot spotlight. Itäó»s nonsensical. Itäó»s maddening. And it shows the dedication-verging-on-insanity that it takes to create something so perfect in the first place.
Three Shows, Tickets $60-175
Ruth Eckerd Hall, 111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
More Info Here
Honorable Mentions
Tour De SHINE Mural Bike Tour, 9:30 am, Sunday, January 22nd. More Info Here.
