David Byrne is back—and as upbeat and anxious as ever. The legendary Talking Heads frontman and all-around art-pop chameleon has announced Who Is the Sky?, his first solo album in seven years, arriving September 5 via Matador Records. Along with the album news, Byrne revealed a sprawling 68-date international tour that will kick off this fall, blending fresh material with a familiar sense of theatrical absurdity.

As Whale Feral wrapped up their sound check, one thing was apparent—this set would sound significantly different than the album they were here to promote. The album, Word’s We Can’t Read, released January 29, 2025, has a more acoustic-focused “Americana” sound throughout its track list. On the stage before me, Urban lacked his mandolin, Cagno was plugged in, Weber had an entirely new electric instrument alongside his bass guitar, and Garcia sat behind a seven-piece kit with two bass drums and eight more cymbals.

Around 8:40 p.m. on the evening of April 27^th, a 37-foot-long recreational boat with six people aboard, crashed into the back of the Clearwater Ferry, which was shuttling 44 passengers from the beach to downtown Clearwater.

One of the victims, 41-year-old Jose Castro of Palm Harbor, later died from his injuries.

FWC officials have identified the driver of the boat as Jeffry Knight, the longtime owner of Jannus Live—a 2,000 cap courtyard concert venue in downtown St. Petersburg.

Soon after Knight’s name was released, his boating and driving history surfaced and began to spread.

TBLSH’s most recent album, 2023’s Emergency Leisure, pushes the band deeper into their exploration of Cosmic Soul, while also giving us glimpses of a return to their earlier album energy. As the band hit the road starting their spring tour, guitarist, vocalist, and founding member, Curtis Roush, took some time to talk with me while I snuck away from work.

This April, Baltimore funk jesters, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, will headline the festival alongside Andy Frasco & the U.N. and Big Something. I got in touch with Turner Moore, the owner and promoter of Sunshine Music Fests, to talk about the creation of the festival and its growth over the first few years.

Last Thursday, Gary Clark Jr. returned to Tampa on his “JPEG RAW” tour. The album of the same name continues branching out beyond the blues, exploring the genres of hip-hop, funk, and soul.

At the edge of Treasure Island, beyond the condos and beachfront franchises selling neon-syrup-cocktails, lies a different kind of beach bar. Nestled between the dunes and residences of Sunset Beach, you will find a local staple called Ka’Tiki. It is a place where buckets of beer bottles are shared between beach bums and bikers. A place where people have gathered for live music and camaraderie since its opening in 1982.

Since their adolescent years opening for acts like Marcus King and The Heavy Pets, Whale Feral has encountered some growing pains. In 2020 the band relocated from their Gainesville roots to founding members Matt Urban and Ricky Cagno's hometown of Tampa. After their new slate of bay area bookings was abruptly canceled due to the Covid pandemic, they confronted another hurdle- replacing two band members. Still, the Whales didn't flounder.