Here are our picks for this weekäó»s best arts events in Pinellas County. (Weäó»ll skip the commentary for once!)
TunnelVision: The Musical, Friday June 9
Tim Cain founded Boy’s Entrance in Chicago in 1991, taking glam rockäó»s subtext of sexual fluidity and exploration and making it explicit. For the bandäó»s 25th anniversary, he has put together a concept album and accompanying rock opera exploring sexual obsession in the context of the AIDS epidemic. With flashy costumes and trippy graphics and nudity, this promises to be an over-the-top celebration of Pride not just in sexuality, but plain old creativity.
8 p.m., $25, through June 18
The Studio @620, 620 First Ave., St. Petersburg
HO99O9, Saturday June 10
Itäó»s pronounced äóìHorror,äó and the duo more than live up to the intensity and strangeness of the name. Part of a new generation of conceptual hip-hop-adjacent acts including Death Grips and clipping, Ho99o9 add hardcore punk to the mix, with results that are raucous and wildly unpredictable.
This is also one of the last few shows at the Local 662, which will be closing its doors at the end of the month.
7:30 p.m., $10
The Local 662, 662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Happy Together Tour, Saturday June 10
Yes, this äóÖ60s-pop-nostalgia-carousel is one of those weird concerts where one-hit wonders get trotted onstage to cycle through their past glories äóñ but if you take it for what it is, itäó»s a pretty good one. Featured acts include The Turtles, The Association, The Cowsills, and The Box Tops, as well as members of The Archies and Three Dog Night.
7 p.m., $40-65
Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
Chad Mize, 4D3 Opening, Saturday June 10
Known for his clean, design-based sensibility, Mize has become one of the most prominent visual artists in St. Pete, and even a defining force in the cityäó»s visual culture. Here, heäó»ll celebrate the milestone of his latest birthday with a new batch of clean lines and clever ideas.
6 p.m., free
Leslie Curran Gallery, 1432 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
Dave Mason, Tuesday June 13
Dave Mason isnäó»t quite a household name on the order of a David Crosby, but heäó»s still one of the most important musicians of the long 1960s. Mason first rose to prominence as a member of Traffic, the group behind mainstay äóìFeelinäó» Alright.äó During his solo career, he was behind other psychedelic-country classics including äóìHole in my Shoeäó and äóìWe Just Disagree.äó This appearance is part of a tour reviving his near-perfect 1970 album äóìAlone Together.äó
8 p.m., $41-$60
Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater
Honorable Mentions
It opened last month, but Florida Craft Artäó»s new fiber exhibit just got an appreciative writeup in the Tampa Bay Times. Have a read, and if you find your interest piqued, head out before the show closes for good on June 17.
