Music Scene: A look at concerts and other performances on the way to Tampa Bay

Raymond James Stadium

AC/DC

TAMPA — Iconic Australian rock band AC/DC will perform on Friday, May 16, 7 p.m., at Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa.

Tickets start at $72. Visit www.ticketmaster.com.

AC/DC have returned to the road in the United States for the first time in nine years, bringing their “Power Up Tour” to venues across North America.

Much to the delight of millions of fans across North America, the legendary Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band will perform in 13 stadiums coast-to-coast. The tour shares its name with their 2020 album, “Power Up,” which bowed at No. 1 in 21 countries.

AC/DC played their very first show in the December 1973 at Chequers Nightclub in Sydney, Australia. They are one of the most influential rock bands in history, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. The band's “Back In Black” LP is the "bestselling album by any band ever" and the "third bestselling album by any artist" with global sales of 50 million and counting.

AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. The band continues selling out stadiums on multiple continents, sell millions of albums annually and generate streams in the billions.

To continue their reign as the world's greatest rock and roll band, AC/DC — featuring Angus Young on lead guitar, vocalist Brian Johnson, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and bass player Chris Chaney — is back to play to their legion of dedicated fans, which grows with every passing year.

BayCare Sound

Michael Franti & Spearhead

CLEARWATER — Michael Franti & Spearhead will perform on Friday, May 16, 7 p.m., at The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park, 255 Drew St., Clearwater.

Tickets start at $46. Visit www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Franti and his band are on the road for the “Welcome to the Family Tour.” For a complete list of tour dates and more information, visit michaelfranti.com.

Franti is a globally recognized musician, activist, and award-winning filmmaker celebrated for his high-energy live shows, inspiring music, worldwide philanthropic efforts, and unshakable optimism. Over his multi-decade career, Franti has earned three Billboard No. 1 hits with the uplifting anthems “Sound of Sunshine,” “Say Hey (I Love You)” and “I Got You,” along with six Top 30 Hot AC singles, 10 Top 25 AAA singles, and three Billboard Top 5 Rock Albums. His 13th studio album, “Big Big Love,” released in November 2023, debuted in the Top 5 on the iTunes Pop Chart behind Taylor Swift. The album features 17 tracks co-written by Franti, showcasing his signature tenacity, inclusiveness, and optimism.

Franti also fosters community offstage through his wish-granting nonprofit, Do It For The Love, which brings individuals with life-threatening illnesses, veterans, and children with severe challenges to concerts around the world. To date, the organization has fulfilled over 3,500 wishes and touched the lives of more than 15,000 people, continuing to inspire hope and connection worldwide.

Chart-topping American country artist Niko Moon also will perform.

Hauser

CLEARWATER — Stjepan Hauser — known professionally as Hauser — will perform Saturday, May 17, 8 p.m., at The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park, 255 Drew St., Clearwater.

Tickets start at $53.25. Visit www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Hauser’s rendition of “Smooth Criminal” launched him as an internet sensation after he was established as a founding member of the duo 2Cellos.

Hauser’s performance style pairs cello pyrotechnics and rock muscle. And what other classically trained cellist can say they have toured with Elton John? He has also collaborated with Andrea Bocelli and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

His music-video series, “Alone Together” features performances from his album, “Classic.”

Mahaffey Theater

Morrissey

ST. PETERSBURG — Morrissey will perform on Friday, May 16, 8 p.m., at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts — Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg. Tickets start at $86. Visit themahaffey.com.

Morrissey’s influence and music legacy is irrefutable. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in British pop as well as one of the greatest lyricists of his generation, Morrissey has 13 solo studio albums, a string of No.1 records, and an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British music. Morrissey has recently received a 2024 Social Vanguard Award in recognition for his “outstanding service and dedication to animals rights.”

As lead singer of The Smiths, he marked forever the history of music with only four albums. As a soloist, he has consolidated a sound that still reverberates today making him one of the most acclaimed voices of the last four decades. When the debut single from The Smiths, “Hand In Glove,” first emerged, the musical landscape was forever changed and launched a rich catalog of songs that includes anthems such as “This Charming Man,” “How Soon Is Now?,” “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” “Suedehead,” “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” “Irish Blood, English Heart,” “First of the Gang to Die,” and many more.

Ruth Eckerd Hall

Brit Floyd

CLEARWATER — Brit Floyd will bring its “Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary World Tour” to the Tampa Bay area with a performance on Friday, May 16, 7 p.m., at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater.

Tickets start at $45. Call 727-791-7400 or visit www.rutheckerdhall.com.

Brit Floyd returns to the stage in 2025 with their biggest and most spectacular production to date, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s classic album “Wish You Were Here,” complete with a stunning laser and light show, iconic circular screen, inflatables and theatrics.

Released in 1975 and featuring four of the band’s most beloved loved songs — including “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Welcome to the Machine,” “Have a Cigar” and the title track — “Wish You Were Here” is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time.

The show will also feature classic tracks from Pink Floyd’s magnificent catalogue of albums, including the “Dark Side of the Moon,” “The Wall,” “Animals,” “The Division Bell,” “Meddle” and much more.

Taking to the stage to perform note for note renditions of all these classic Pink Floyd tracks is the band of musicians that audiences have become to love and respect worldwide over the years, featuring long time guitarist/lead vocalist and musical director Damian Darlington and bassist/lead vocalist Ian Cattell as well as the other expert musicians that have joined the ranks of Brit Floyd over the course of the last decade.

Having performed over 1,000 shows since its launch in Liverpool, England in January 2011, Brit Floyd have circled the world, sold out tours across Europe, North America, South America, Asia and the Middle East, and performed concerts at some of the world's greatest venues, including London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall; the awe-inspiring Red Rock Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado; the historic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and 'The Showplace of the Nation', NYC's Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. The Brit Floyd show has become a phenomenon, widely regarded as the world's greatest rock tribute experience.

Music4Life Living Arts Center

David Borné

CLEARWATER — David Borné will perform on Saturday, May 17, 7 p.m., at the Music4Life Living Arts Center, 1204 Rogers St., Clearwater.

Tickets start at $25. Visit wileyhouseconcerts.org.

“Genesis,” Borné’s debut full-length album, follows the Nashville-based singer-songwriter on a path of healing: death, rebirth, and beginning again. Ethereal grit weaves throughout 13 songs produced by Jarrad K and engineered by Grammy winner Gena Johnson. Borné also worked with a cast of impressive supporting musicians: a duet with Bre Kennedy, another with Hadley Kennary, Chris Powell on drums, Lydia Luce on strings, and Liana Alpino on harp.

“I like the idea we can be our brother’s keepers and our sister’s believers, and we will be released,” he sings on the album’s first single, “I Like The Idea,” an inclusive, upbeat jaunt celebrating life’s goodness: the idea that love is all around us and that “hope is a chameleon that can blend in with the ceiling, but it’s never truly lost,” a song Borné calls his “gravestone song” because it so closely recounts what’s important to him. “Healing and growth is not a straight line so the album plays a lot off the notion that joy and suffering, light and dark, learning and unlearning all take each other,” Borné says, and adopting that perspective may just be the key to truly starting over.

Jannus Live

The Damned

ST. PETERSBURG — British punk rockers The Damned will perform on Wednesday, May 14, 7 p.m., at Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

Tickets are $40 in advance. Visit www.jannuslive.com.

Few bands have managed to maintain their manic muse, become key catalysts to a musical genre and do it with such a fantastic chaos and captivating style as The Damned. Their mix of theatrics and raw power combine to create their vaudeville immaculate and gothic horror shivers, dark music hall anthems and a perfect punk rock.

In the rules of rock ’n’ roll most bands fade away but then the Damned were never playing by the rules. One of the originals who sparked the punk rock riot doesn’t mean they had to stay there. Their trip has been long and thrillingly strange and ‘Darkadelic’ is a late period triumph that entwines their core obsessions of garage/psyche/punk rock old black and white Universal horror film soundtracks and even moments of sweet jazz which they sieve with a brooding and enthralling melody. This is a tasteful aural experience with exquisite guitar playing delivered with a breath-taking virtuosity but never loses its inventive punk rock edge.

It feels they have been waiting for decades to deal this hand that sees them surpass their early ’80s classics such as “Machine Gun Etiquette,” “Black Album” and “Strawberries” whilst nodding at what was loved on all those classic albums.

Joywave

ST. PETERSBURG — Joywave will perform on Thursday, May 15, 7 p.m., at Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

Tickets start at $32. Visit www.jannuslive.com.

Joywave are at an exciting point in their career. Not only have the act survived the pressures of their major-label debut and the dreaded sophomore slump, they’ve established themselves as the kind of band that you’re as likely to hear at a hip record store as you are at the grocery store. That said, there’s a difference between ubiquity and evolution and with their fifth full-length “Permanent Pleasure,” Joywave — vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Armbruster, guitarist Joseph Morinelli and drummer Paul Brenner — lean into guitar and string sections without sacrificing the signature sound that’s endeared the band to countless fans, whether they know it or not, over the past 11 years.

BoyWithUke

ST. PETERSBURG — Korean-American singer, musician and internet personality BoyWithUke will perform on Friday, May 16, 7 p.m., at Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

Tickets are $29.50 in advance. Visit www.jannuslive.com.

Charley Yang — known professionally as BoyWithUke — recently released what is purported to be his final album under that moniker. “Burnout,” released in November 2024, is a product of roughly a year of the now 22-year-old BoyWithUke evolving his sound, his live show, and his own work-life balance.

Since BoyWithUke was a kid, moving from South Korea to Massachusetts, he experienced what so many other first-generation immigrants go through: the feeling of not belonging anywhere and, in turn, building a mountain of self-created pressure that made him feel inadequate in all circles. Now he’s in a headspace to unpack that baggage through his music.

From the moment his Minute Long Songs on TikTok took off in 2020, BoyWithUke’s life has been moving at the speed of light: tallying nearly 1.5 billion streams, his breakout single “Toxic” reached platinum status and cracked Top 1 at alternative radio, and his performance of the song remained as the No. 1 most viewed Genius Open Mic video to date. His breakout is followed by multiple platinum records, including “Two Moons,” “IDGAF (with blackbear),” and “Understand.”

Smino

ST. PETERSBURG — Rapper and singer-songwriter Smino will perform on Sunday, May 18, 7 p.m., at Jannus Live, 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

Tickets are $40 in advance. Visit www.jannuslive.com.

The critically acclaimed artist is one of the game’s most dynamic musical disruptors. Raised in a family of musicians, the rapper, writer, and producer began playing drums in his native St. Louis at an early age. As an adult, he moved to Chicago to release his first two EPs, “S!ck S!ck S!ck” and “blkjuptr.” In 2017, Smino dropped his debut album “blkswn” — hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the 40 Best Rap Albums of the Year.

Following “blkswn” was the 2018 release of “NØIR” which landed on year-end lists from Complex, The Atlantic, REVOLT, and more. He has generated over half-a-billion streams and counting in addition to selling out U.S. headline tours in 2017 and 2019.

In 2021, Smino released his latest creation, “Luv 4 Rent,” which boasts singles “90 Proof” [with J. Cole], “Pro Freak [with Doechii & Fatman Scoop], and “Matinee” [with Kal Banx]. Freshly independent, Smino’s newest nine-track offering “Maybe In Nirvana” is an immersive experience, blending Smino’s poetic lyricism with innovative production and standout collaborations. The album reflects a deeply personal journey, exploring themes of love, resilience, and self-discovery.

The Palladium

Simon Lasky

ST. PETERSBURG — British jazz pianist/composer Simon Lasky will celebrate six years as a Tampa Bay resident and 50 years on the planet with a show on Thursday, May 15, 7:30 p.m., at the Palladium at St. Petersburg College, 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg.

Tickets start at $25. Visit mypalladium.org.

The evening will feature brand new music performed by his core band — the Simon Lasky Group — plus an exciting array of special guest performers and favorite artists from The Tampa Bay jazz scene. Expect a celebratory night with new music, favorites from his current album, and some special guests and musical surprises.

His 2024 album release, “For The Dreamers” by Simon Lasky Group, has been receiving accolades, rave reviews, and radio play across the United States. It was a finalist in the 2024 Creative Loafing Best of The Bay award in the Best Jazz Release by a Local Band category and the Best Jazz Ensemble category.

Crowbar

‘One Night Live’

TAMPA — The “One Night Live Tour” will visit the Tampa Bay area for a show on Saturday, May 17, 8 p.m., at Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Tampa.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $12.49. The event is for ages 18 and older. Visit www.crowbarybor.com or www.onenightlivetour.com.

The 14-date tour, featuring rising artists Ellie Williams, Sofia Lafuente, and Farayi Malek, kicked off on May 16 in Miami and will run for three weeks.

This collaboration is a partnership with locally owned independent venues, which are the heartbeat of their communities and vital spaces for emerging talent. Billboard describes “One Night Live” as a mission to create a viable alternative for independent artists and venues that have been hit hardest by the growing cost of live events.

Ellie Williams is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles, known for her evocative blend of sounds inspired by Fleet Foxes, Maggie Rogers, and Norah Jones. With introspective lyrics, lush atmospheric production, and haunting melodies, Ellie’s music explores themes of self-reflection, queer identity, and personal growth.

Sofia Lafuente is a Spanish-American artist and songwriter whose bicultural, bilingual upbringing lies at the heart of her introspective and emotionally charged music. Split between Miami and Madrid, Sofia has quickly made a name for herself in the Latin alternative music scene.

Farayi Malek is a Grammy-nominated vocalist, world traveler, and solo artist returning to her musical roots. Raised in Southern Idaho by a Zimbabwean immigrant father and a white American mother, she grew up playing the fiddle and embracing diverse cultures.

Hard Rock Event Center

Richard Clayderman

TAMPA — French pianist Richard Clayderman will perform on Wednesday, May 14, 8 p.m., in the Hard Rock Event Center at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5223 Orient Road, Tampa.

Tickets start at $75. Visit Ticketmaster.com or seminolehardrocktampa.com.

Clayderman is currently recognized as one of the most successful pianists worldwide, having sold over 70 million records and performed more than 600 concerts around the world.

He began studying piano at an early age under the guidance of his father, who was a music teacher. At the age of 12, he entered the Paris Conservatory of Music, where he won First Prize for Merit at 16. His early career as a professional musician saw him working as a session pianist to fund his further training and improvement.

In 1976, he was invited by a music producer to audition along with 20 other pianists for the recording of some ballads. Clayderman was ultimately chosen, and from that moment, his popularity skyrocketed.

The globally famous "Ballade pour Adeline" was one of the pieces that launched him to international stardom. He has recorded over 1,500 different musical pieces, including Yesterday (by The Beatles), The Sound of Silence (by Simon & Garfunkel), and Memory. He is known for adapting many famous classical pieces, such as Für Elise. He often performs accompanied by the James Last Orchestra.

Some commentators consider him the greatest popularizer of the piano since Beethoven himself.

The Orpheum

He Is Legend

TAMPA — Alternative rockers He Is Legend will perform on Wednesday, May 14, 6 p.m., at the Orpheum, 14802 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa.

Tickets start at $22. Visit www.theorpheum.com.

Hailing from Wilmington, North Carolina, He Is Legend formed in 2003. Bolstered by a cult fan base, their early discography encompasses “I Am Hollywood,” “Suck Out the Poison,” and the seminal “It Hates You.” It was 2014’s “Heavy Fruit” that earned them praise from the likes of Alternative Press, Revolver, New Noise, and Ultimate Guitar, among others. Since then, they have released additional albums, including 2017’s “few,” 2019’s “White Bat,” and their most recent effort, 2022’s “Endless Hallway.”

Along the way, the boys have shared the stage with everyone from Killswitch Engage and Sevendust to Gwar and Underoath.

The Straz Center

‘One Piece Music Symphony’

TAMPA — “One Piece Music Symphony” will be presented on Thursday, May 15, 7:30 p.m., in Morsani Hall at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa.

Tickets start at $75.20. Visit strazcenter.org.

Eiichiro Oda‘s manga “One Piece” has spawned a franchise since its publication debut in 1997.

A film, video games and an anime series have sprung up for fans who follow the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his quest to become King of the Pirates. “One Piece Music Symphony” spotlights the work of “One Piece” composer Kohei Tanaka, whose music from the series will be synced with hi-def visuals on a giant screen and performed by a 50-plus piece orchestra.

Robin Spielberg

TAMPA — Robin Spielberg will perform on Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m., in Teco Theater at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa.

Visit strazcenter.org.

Discover the soothing power of music with acclaimed pianist/composer Robin Spielberg, in her transformative concert program dedicated to wellness and anxiety relief. Renowned for her emotive and graceful performances, Spielberg seamlessly blends her musical artistry with deep understanding of the therapeutic effects of music.

Spielberg performs a thoughtfully curated selection of compositions, each piece chosen to promote relaxation, mindfulness, and emotional well-being. Interwoven with her mesmerizing piano performance, Spielberg shares personal insights and stories about the profound impact music can have on mental health. She explores how music can be a powerful tool in managing stress and anxiety, offering practical tips and techniques that audience members can incorporate into their own lives.

Yuengling Center

Forrest Frank

TAMPA — Grammy-nominee and double Dove-Award-winning artist Forrest Frank will perform on Saturday, May 17, 7 p.m., at the Yuengling Center, 12499 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa.

Tickets start at $29.50. Visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Frank is on the road for his “Child of God Tour Part 2.” The outing features Elevation Rhythm in support.

Frank is also a finalist for three 2024 Billboard Music Awards including Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album for “Child of God” and Top Christian Song for “Good Day.”

Last year was a non-stop year for Frank, who after being named Billboard’s Top New Christian Artist of 2023, released his genre-debut “God Is God” EP, which reached Top 5 on the Top Christian Albums chart. In July, he offered his first full-length project, “Child of God,” which held the No.1 spot on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart for 14 weeks making it the biggest Christian album debut of the year.