It's another big week for concerts in the Sarasota area, especially for fans of two particular musical genres.
Reggae will be represented by The Expendables at Big Top in Sarasota, The Freecoasters at Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda, and a full day of music at Maxine Barritt Park in Venice. Then Oscura in Bradenton will host a triple bill featuring two of the biggest names in contemporary and classic hardcore punk, as well as a rising star in the genre from Florida.
There'll also be concerts featuring blues/boogie-woogie, jazz, and "Epic Rap Battles of History," as well as a free, multi-genre and multi-venue Oktoberfest-themed event. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
party, fall festival
The Expendables
Sarasota's Big Top Brewing Company, which regularly used to host nationally touring musical acts at its former Big Top Live location, will welcome Santa Cruz, California reggae-rockers The Expendables at its current Fruitville Commons space Friday. The group's albums include 2004's "Gettin' Filthy," which features some of their most popular songs such as "Sacrifice," later a downloadable track in the 2008 video game "Guitar Hero World Tour."
The band's newest album, 2023's "Pleasure Point," features a reggae-fied cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and guests including members of Ballyhoo! and Pepper. Matt & Zack (Matt Walden and Zack Couron) will open. 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Friday; Big Top Brewing Company, 3045 Fruitville Commons Blvd., Sarasota; $36.88; 941-225-8438; bigtopbrewing.com
The Freecoasters
Punta Gorda's Celtic Ray Public House will host a return visit by ska-reggae-soul group The Freecoasters on Friday. While the band hails from nearby Fort Myers, they've found fans nationally, playing This is Not Croydon Fest in the Philadelphia area earlier this year with such big names in ska as Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Toasters and fellow Floridians Against All Authority.
Jesse Wagner of Los Angeles reggae band The Aggrolites also produced their two full-lengths, 2021's "A Different Kind of Heat" and 2016's "Show Up." 8 p.m. Friday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net
Epic Rap Battles of History
Oscura in Bradenton has become an increasingly popular venue for concerts and comedy shows alike, and on Saturday, it'll host a show blending both when Epic Rap Battles of History performs there. The YouTube channel featuring famous figures battle rapping each other has more than 15 million subscribers and some videos with more than a hundred million views, such as Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates and Rasputin vs. Stalin.
Along with creators Peter Shukoff (Nice Peter) and Lloyd Ahlquist (epicLLOYD), the series has featured appearances by guest stars such as Snoop Dogg and "Weird Al" Yankovic. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Saturday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $35 advance, $40 day of; oscura.live
Damon Fowler/Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
Cottonmouth will host a double-bill of talented musicians who call Florida home when it welcomes Damon Fowler and Rev. Billy C. Wirtz. Guitarist, singer-songwriter and former Anna Maria Island resident Fowler topped Billboard's blues albums chart and earned a Blues Music Award nomination for Blues Rock Album for his 2021 full-length "Alafia Moon."
Wirtz, along with hosting the weekly radio show The Rhythm Revival on WMNF, has a dedicated following as a musician, blending irreverent lyrics with serious boogie-woogie piano chops. 6:30 p.m. Saturday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen at Flamingo Bay Brewing Company, 1910 14th St. W., Bradenton; $20; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul
Reggae Nights on the Island
Along with the previously mentioned reggae shows, Maxine Barritt Park in Venice will host this free event featuring multiple musicians in the genre. Mighty Mystic, who was born in Jamaica (and is the brother of Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness) and is based in the Boston area, will headline.
He released his debut album "Wake Up the World" in 2010, featuring musical guests such as Shaggy, and most recently released last year's "Walk Tall." The Rhythm-Inya, Cariiës and Collé Kharis will also perform. 3-9:30 p.m. Saturday; Maxine Barritt Park, 1800 Harbor Drive S., Venice; free; 941-667-0183; facebook.com/reggaenightslive
ROCKtoberfest
Seven area rock acts will play as many locations in University Town Center, with a lineup featuring Jack'd Up at The Green at UTC (also the event's check-in site), Madkap at Ford's Garage, Rearview Mirror at PopStroke, One Eyed Jacks at Florence and the Spice Boys, J Santi and the Vital Groove at Anna Maria Oyster Bar, The Everyday People Band at Oak & Stone, and Jason White at Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe.
The event is free, but donations benefit Suncoast Charities for Children, which provides financial support to local nonprofits serving children, teens and adults with special needs through events that also include Sarasota's annual Thunder by the Bay Music & Motors Festival. 6-9 p.m. Saturday; The Green at UTC, 125 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; free, but donations being taken; utcsarasota.com
Angel Du$t and Agnostic Front
Oscura will also host this show featuring two of the biggest names in contemporary and classic hardcore, respectively, in Angel Du$t and Agnostic Front. Angel Du$t formerly featured members of fellow Baltimore band Turnstile (and just contributed a rendition of "Sunshower" to the remix version of Turnstile's album "Never Enough," among other guests including Elton John and Hayley Williams), and released their own latest album "Cold 2 the Touch" earlier this year.
New York's Agnostic Front released influential '80s hardcore records such as "Victim in Pain" and "Cause for Alarm" and are still putting out new albums, like last year's "Echoes in Eternity." Jacksonville's Step 2 This will also perform. 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Sunday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $30 advance, $35 day of; oscura.live
Carl Fischer & Sunshine City Brass
Jazz Club of Sarasota's Monday Night Jazz Cabaret series, featuring live jazz music in Florida Studio Theatre's John C. Court Cabaret on Monday nights, will continue with trumpeter Carl Fischer. A member of Billy Joel's band since the mid-2000s, Fischer has also been a member of Blood, Sweat & Tears and spent years with the late fellow trumpeter Maynard Ferguson.
Fischer, who lives in St. Petersburg, will perform with his Sunshine City Brass band at the Sarasota show, which is a little over a week from their Oct. 17 date at Clearwater Jazz Holiday. 6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Monday; John C. Court Cabaret, 1265 First St., Sarasota; sold out as of press time; 941-260-9951; jazzclubsarasota.org
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top Sarasota area concerts this week include reggae, hardcore punk
