As we delve deeper into November’s local events calendar, it’ll be another busy week of concerts, with the biggest show being a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and the voice behind multiple No. 1 hits, visiting Sarasota’s Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall on what’s being billed as their farewell tour. The same venue will also host multiple concerts this week celebrating the winter holiday season, including one group that became famous for their rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” and another, Grammy-winning act with numerous multi-platinum Christmas albums to its name.
Other notable musicians visiting from out of town include a Grammy-winning blues-rock guitarist, yet this week’s concert picks also feature numerous musicians from the Sarasota-Manatee area, playing events such as an album release show, 10th anniversary celebration and a block party across two adjacent venues. Here are this week’s highlights. Event details are subject to change.
Note: After Ticket was sent to print last week, Van Wezel announced that Bruce Hornsby — who I recently had the pleasure of interviewing — postponed his Nov. 9 date at the venue, as he recovers his voice following a cold. That show is now set to take place Dec. 8.
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Straight No Chaser
Straight No Chaser, the a cappella group that rose to fame when a video of their take on “The 12 Days of Christmas” with touches including interpolating Toto’s “Africa” went viral on YouTube, will visit Van Wezel on their Sleighin’ It Tour. The group is largely known for its holiday music, releasing albums such as 2008’s “Holiday Spirits,” 2009’s “Christmas Cheers” and 2020’s “Social Christmasing.” Yet they perform other genres, too, like on this year’s album “Yacht on the Rocks,” featuring yacht rock favorites including a medley of Toto songs featuring that band’s own David Paich. 8 p.m. Friday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $57-$88; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
Big Al and the Heavyweights
Louisiana blues band Big Al and the Heavyweights will return to our area this weekend to play Punta Gorda Irish pub and venue Celtic Ray. The group is led by “Big Al” Lauro, who played in the ’90s with Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule fame as the Unknown Blues Band. Big Al and the Heavyweights often pay tribute to their Louisiana home on tracks like “Cajun Roux,” “Hey, Hey Mardi Gras” and this year’s single “Happy Mardi Gras to You,” with their most recent album being last year’s “Love One Another.” 8 p.m. Friday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net
Hymn for Her
Alt-Americana act and road warriors Hymn for Her are “back home for season,” according to Bradenton restaurant and music venue Birdrock Taco Shack, which’ll host them for a show this weekend. Featuring husband and wife Wayne Waxing and Lucy Tight — and recently expanding the lineup to include their daughter, Diver — the group performs locally, nationally and even internationally, including when they played England’s massive music festival Glastonbury in 2017. Hymn for Her has also earned recognition from Rolling Stone, which named the track “Blue Balloons” from their 2018 album “Pop-n-Downers” one of the 10 best country and Americana songs of that week. 7 p.m. Friday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-545-9966; facebook.com/birdrocktaco
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
Frankie Valli, the 89-year-old singer and frontman of the Four Seasons, will visit Van Wezel on The Last Encores Tour. With the Four Seasons, Valli scored No. 1 hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” with the group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and their story inspiring the Tony-winning musical “Jersey Boys” and its Clint Eastwood-directed film adaptation. Valli also had No. 1 hits as a solo musician with “My Eyes Adored You” and “Grease,” the titular theme song to the 1978 movie musical. 8 p.m. Saturday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; sold out as of press time; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
The Tilt and Hovercar
Bradenton cafe and venue Oscura will once again host a show featuring some of the top indie music acts on both sides of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Sarasota experimental pop rock band The Tilt, which released the new album “It Was Supposed to Be Heaven” earlier this year, will top the bill along with the ’90s musically and aesthetically-influenced Tampa Bay duo Hovercar, which put out its own new release “Killing Jar” this year. St. Pete indie rock band The Pilot Waves, who play on “Killing Jar” opening track “Cherry,” and Tampa rockers Charlie will also perform. 7 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Saturday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $5; 941-201-4950; oscura.live
Passerine CD release show
Sarasota band Passerine released its first album in seven years, “Shiny Things,” earlier this year, and will now celebrate the occasion by playing a release show at Fogartyville. Passerine performs a blend of Americana, bluegrass and folk that vocalist/violinist Sara Stovall described as “Ameri-kinda-grass.” Initially formed in 2009 after a duo performance by Carmela Pedicini (guitar/vocals) and David Brain (resonator guitar/vocals) at Sarasota Folk Festival, Passerine expanded its lineup to add Stovall and bassist/vocalist Doug Conroy, and its reach to include a 2017 European tour. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Saturday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $20, $17 members, $10 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Van Wezel will host another holiday concert this weekend with the return of neoclassical/new age group Mannheim Steamroller, founded by Grammy-winning musician Chip Davis, and its Christmas show. Mannheim Steamroller has numerous multi-platinum Christmas albums to its name, including 1984’s “Christmas,” 1995’s “Christmas in the Aire” and 2001’s “Christmas Extraordinaire,” along with multiple Halloween albums. It has put out several non-holiday releases as well, including its Fresh Aire series, with 1990’s “Fresh Aire 7” winning a Best New Age Album Grammy. 7 p.m. Sunday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $70-$105; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
Big Top & J.R.’s OPC Block Party
Big Top Brewing Company and J.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe, two of Sarasota’s top music venues and next door neighbors, will team up for this block party featuring around 20 bands playing multiple stages, benefiting the Denis V. Cooper Foundation. Damon Fowler, whose 2021 full-length “Alafia Moon” topped Billboard’s blues albums chart and earned a Blues Rock Album Blues Music Award nomination, and his group will perform along with Kettle of Fish, Zach Regan & The 776, Kara Nally Band and many others. There will also be raffles, auction items and special guest emcee Maverick Johnson from 92.1 CTQ. Noon Sunday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com and J.R.’s Old Packinghouse Cafe, 987 S. Packinghouse Road, Sarasota; 941-371-9358; facebook.com/jrsopc; free admission
The Divebombers
Sarasota roots rockers The Divebombers will return to Myakka River spot Snook Haven for what guitarist George Worthmore says will be a celebration of the band’s 10th anniversary performing there, with the show featuring T-shirt and CD giveaways, discount Yuengling pitchers and more. Before moving to the Sarasota area, Worthmore lived in New York — where he was inducted into the state’s Blues Hall of Fame — and Johannesburg in South Africa. Worthmore recently made a return trip to Africa earlier this year when The Divebombers played shows in Johannesburg, Cape Town and the Bushfire music festival. 1 p.m. Sunday; Snook Haven, 5000 E. Venice Ave., Venice; free; 941-485-7221; snookhaven.com
Paul Nelson
Grammy-winning blues-rock guitarist Paul Nelson is set to make his return to Englewoods on Dearborn this week. Nelson played in the band of and produced albums for guitar icon Johnny Winter, winning a Best Blues Album Grammy for Winter’s posthumously released 2014 record “Step Back,” which also topped Billboard’s blues albums chart and won the Blues Rock Album Blues Music Award. Nelson has produced and performed on other musicians’ records, and released 2016’s “Badass Generation” with his own band. Can’t make this show? Nelson will also play Leroy’s Southern Kitchen in Punta Gorda on Nov. 29, according to his website. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com
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