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This week's top Tampa Bay concerts: Queen, Adam Lambert, Heart, Bush, Rebelution

 
Queen and Adam Lambert will perform at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday. [Courtesy of the Lede Company]
Queen and Adam Lambert will perform at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday. [Courtesy of the Lede Company]
Published Aug. 14, 2019

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Queen, Adam Lambert

Countless Queen tribute bands have performed in Tampa Bay over the past half century. Heck, a bunch are coming to town in the next few months, beneficiaries of a seemingly endless Bohemian Rhapsody boom. But no version of the actual band itself has ever played closer than Lakeland ... until now. Freddie Mercury may be long gone and bassist John Deacon long retired, but guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor soldier on with Adam Lambert, a Mercury-like ball of glitter in his own right, behind the mic. If that sounds like a watered-down version of the band that wowed Live Aid, (A) you're selling Lambert short, and (B) you might just be salty that you got shut out of this wildly sold-out show. Expect a night of wall-to-wall hits, and more than 15,000 fans stomp-stomp-clapping along in, well, rhapsody. 8 p.m. Sunday. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. (813) 301-2500. amaliearena.com.

COMING BACK AGAIN: Bush, Live, Our Lady Peace

The late '90s get an unfair rap for being a terrible era for radio rock. But as a guy whose first-ever concert was Third Eye Blind, Our Lady Peace and Eve 6, I'm here to stand up for bands like Bush and Live. And Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida is right there with me. "Live just always got me with the lyrics," Maida said by phone recently. "Like, anyone that could say 'placenta' in a song and that become a hit, I thought that was pretty interesting. ... So there's definitely certain bands we have an affinity for, and we have parallels with, that exist against the perception of what music was like for that moment." Right on, Raine. So this summer's tour uniting Bush (Everything Zen, Little Things), Live (Lightning Crashes, I Alone) and Our Lady Peace (Clumsy, Superman's Dead) is more than just a nostalgic night out. It's a necessary correction to the "'90s rock sucks" narrative. Long live the Buzz Bin! $25 and up. 7 p.m. Friday. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, 4802 U.S. 301 N, Tampa. (813) 740-2446. livenation.com.

YOU'VE GOT JUICE THERE, FELLA: Mac Sabbath, Okilly Dokilly

First of all, you're not dreaming. There really is a McDonald's-themed Black Sabbath Tribute band called Mac Sabbath, and there really is a Ned Flanders-themed punk band called Okilly Dokilly, pictured. One sings Frying Pan instead of Iron Man, the other sings originals based on deep-cut Simpsons references, like Purple Drapes and White Wine Spritzer. They both perform in costume, and they're on tour together this summer. The world's a de-diddly-lightful place, is it not? Playboy Manbaby opens. $17 and up. 8 p.m. Friday. Crowbar. 1812 N 17th St., Tampa. (813) 241-8600. facebook.com/crowbarlive.

THESE DREAMS GO ON: Heart

In the end, this was inevitable. Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson were always going to get back together, even after a 2016 backstage family kerfuffle that turned so physical police had to get involved. The Sisters Wilson just had too much history to split on such unsavory terms. Sure enough, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers reunited this summer to headline a femme-fronted rock roadshow, including fellow legends Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and sultry pop outlaw Elle King. That's a whole lot of attitude on one bill. Here's hoping it brings the Wilsons even closer together, so we can keep hearing Barracuda and Crazy On You for years to come. $22.50 and up. 7 p.m. Saturday. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.

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LOCAL SECRET: Latimore

Even if you know the soul and R&B hits of Blues Hall of Famer Latimore, you probably don't know he's a Tampa Bay resident. The Let's Straighten It Out singer likes to keep it that way, he told the Times in 2017, saying that playing everywhere but his own backyard near Riverview helps him stay sane. So it's a rare, rare treat indeed to have the nearly 80-year-old Latimore, who has been recording since the '60s, finally play a local concert. Spread the word. The St. Pete Florida Blues Band, a collection of musicians and local media personalities including Eric Deggans, Roy Peter Clark and Paul Wilborn, will open the show with a tribute to Ray Charles. $22 and up. 8 p.m. Saturday. Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 822-3590. mypalladium.org.

MANE GIG: Pedro the Lion

Maybe the difference between David Bazan and Pedro the Lion is negligible. Bazan was the only constant, driving force behind the indie-rock project, which released a string of thoughtful, spiritual and beloved albums between 1998 and 2004. And he's still the only link to the past on Phoenix, his first new album under the Pedro the Lion moniker in 15 years. But in promising to focus this comeback on Pedro songs instead of his many solo and side works, he's acknowledging the powerful nostalgic pull those old albums still hold over longtime fans. That may be all the connection those fans need. Mewithoutyou also performs. $23.50 and up. 7 p.m. Saturday. The Ritz Ybor, 1503 E Seventh Ave., Tampa. (813) 390-0397. ritzybor.com.

RISE AGAIN: Rebelution

Didn't get enough irie vibes at Vinoy Park's Reggae Rise Up festival in March? Head back Sunday for Rebelution. The California reggae-rockers have plenty of local connections, having played countless shows at Jannus Live and even created their own beer with Tampa's Rock Brothers Brewing. This will be their second headlining concert at Vinoy Park (not including Reggae Rise Up, which they've also headlined). Bring a tank top and pray for sunny weather. Protoje and Collie Buddz open. $35 and up. 6 p.m. Sunday. Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg. etix.com.

IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO TODAY: Hippiefest

Okay, so Woodstock 2019 turned out to be a bust. If you want something approaching a real Woodstock experience on this weekend's 50th anniversary of the iconic fest, you're going to have to come to Clearwater. The Capitol Theatre on Friday will host Hippiefest, a show featuring a pair of actual Woodstock veterans, Ten Years After (I'm Going Home) and Sha Na Na's Henry Gross (Shannon). They'll be joined by Vanilla Fudge and Big Brother and the Holding Company in a show filled with songs from the '60s and '70s. Gross said he has little nostalgia for a Woodstock brand that's been repackaged and resold ever since 1969 ("What 'Woodstock spirit'? It was a gig. It was entertainment"), but he's still glad he and other artists for that era are still touring. "The music's beautiful. What, should they stop living?" he said. $45 and up. 7:30 p.m. Friday. Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. (727) 791-7400. rutheckerdhall.com.

RELATED: Woodstock was a myth. Sha Na Na's Henry Gross, who played before Hendrix, wants to bust it.