This week's live music picks lead with a concert not by one particular musician, but rather a benefit for one.
Blues/roots rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and former Anna Maria Island resident Damon Fowler recently underwent surgery, and a multi-musician benefit concert will help raise money for his deductible and medication costs.
We also have separate shows by two other musicians who, like Fowler, are Blues Music Award-nominated acts from Florida, as well as a double-bill of Sunshine State singer-songwriters, and two Sarasota County dates for a "Siberian surf rock" band. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
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Damon Fowler Fundraiser
Blues/roots rock singer-songwriter, guitarist and former Anna Maria Island resident Damon Fowler recently underwent surgery and will require a second procedure, and while he has insurance, he is facing significant deductibles and medication costs, according to his manager. To help support him, one of his regular venues, Cottonmouth in Bradenton, will host this benefit concert.
The event will feature RJ Howson, Chuck Riley and Dave Reinhardt, as well as guest artists from across the Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida blues scene. 6 p.m. Friday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen at Flamingo Bay Brewing Co., 1910 14th St. W., Bradenton; $20; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul
Kat Riggins & Her Blues Revival
Sarasota County restaurant and blues spot Englewoods on Dearborn will welcome back Miami-born Kat Riggins & Her Blues Revival, with the band's name reflecting Riggins' desire "to help preserve this endangered species called the blues." Earlier this year, Riggins released the new album "Everyday is Saturday" and earned her latest Blues Music Awards nomination for Soul Blues Female Artist.
She's been nominated in the category for five consecutive years, along with Soul Blues Album and Contemporary Blues Album nominations. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com
Igor and Red Elvises
Also playing Englewoods on Dearborn this week, along with Blasé Café on Siesta Key, will be "Siberian surf rock" band Igor and Red Elvises. The group is fronted by Igor Yuzov, who grew up in the former Soviet Union, seeking out the forbidden sounds of rock 'n' roll.
He later moved to America and formed the Red Elvises, which has released albums including 1996's "Grooving to the Moscow Beat" and 1997's "Surfing in Siberia," and is still going strong today. 7 p.m. Wednesday; Blasé Café, 5263 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota; 941-349-9822; blasepisiesta.com; 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com
Ben Prestage
Florida-raised, self-described "Deep South Swamp Music" performer Ben Prestage will return to Celtic Ray in Punta Gorda. The musician grew up in rural Florida and later lived in Memphis, where as a street performer he started playing drums with his feet while simultaneously singing and playing other instruments, a setup he'd bring back to his home state.
His repertoire of instruments he plays includes the diddley bow, which earned him a Blues Music Award nomination for Instrumentalist — Other in 2012. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net
Grant Peeples and Sara Stovall
Cottonmouth will also feature a double-bill of Florida-based folk musicians when it hosts Grant Peeples and Sara Stovall. Tallahassee singer-songwriter Peeples is known for his originals and covers, including a rendition of Bob Dylan's Oscar-winning 2000 track "Things Have Changed" with Grammy-winning musician Ruthie Foster on his 2012 album "Prior Convictions."
Stovall is a singer-songwriter and violinist who plays in the Sarasota "Ameri-kinda-grass" group Passerine, which recently announced plans to retire the band next year. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen at Flamingo Bay Brewing Co., 1910 14th St. W., Bradenton; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul
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 benefit for musician
