Weekend Sounds: January 5-7

BRADENTON — It's another weekend, and you know what that means. If you guessed another great lineup of local, talented musicians in Manatee, Sarasota, and surrounding counties, you would be correct. Check out The Bradenton Times Weekend Sounds to see what bands you can catch at your favorite venues.

Steve Rand 
La Norma Ristorante & Pizzeria
Friday - 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

Steve Rand is originally from the Boston area where he attended The Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, he studied jazz guitar and arranging. Rand has played and arranged for jazz bands, big bands, rock, funk, top 40 bands, theater and recording sessions throughout the country.

Rand puts his own flavorings and arrangements to smooth jazz songs by the likes of George Benson, Al Jarreau, Lee Ritenour, Earl Klugh and others.

Inspirations:
George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Frank Gambale, Juan Carlos Quintero, Larry Carlton, Andres Segovia, John Williams, Mozart, Stravinski, Julian Bream, Freddie Hubbard, Don Sebesky, Ralph Vaughn Williams, The Beatles, Claude Debussy and countless other musical giants. No cover.

About the venue:

Welcome to La Norma, a charming family-owned Italian restaurant that brings the heart of Italy to your table. Join us for homemade dishes, fine wine and live music on our patio. At La Norma, we pride ourselves on using only the freshest ingredients to create authentic Italian cuisine. Our homemade dishes and handcrafted pizzas are made with care and our fine wine list is carefully curated to perfectly complement our genuine flavors. Whether you're in the mood for a romantic dinner or a festive gathering with friends and family, our warm and welcoming atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a memorable dining experience. Come discover why La Norma is the go-to choice for Italian Cuisine on the island.

GeminiiDragon
Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen
Friday - 7:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.

From the murky bayous of Louisiana comes a fresh face to the Blues music scene. Vocal dynamo GeminiiDRAGON has channeled her love for the late 60's era and 70's blues and AOR bands/artists the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Albert King, Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Koko Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Cream and Led Zeppelin and the super group Arc Angels , to name a few, into a ferocious mix of blues rock soul…. Blues on Steroids!!!

Her inherited talent and love of an eclectic collage of music from her parents that spans several decades, and genres can be heard and felt in her voice and through her lyrics.

A chance meeting with producer and label ceo Christian Simeon (Nepotism Recordings) has formed the latest chapter in her music quest. In this collaboration, with his help and influence her first solo project is in the making and will be available soon.

Her 2 debut singles 'Like It Or Not' and ' A Storm Is A Comin'' quickly built a heavy buzz in the Blues Community.

Now with the release of her latest single “Just The Way It Is” and upcoming debut Album “Fighting Fire with Fire”, It would seem that the skies are the limit to her journey.

The album "FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE" is a culmination of her influences. The album opens with the track of the albums namesake. "Fighting Fire With Fire" starts the album with a driving rock sound that has pulsing groove and heavy drums, "JUST THE WAY IT IS" (the album's lead single) begins with an EKG heart monitor sound and proceeds to run a Texas Guitar riff down to the rough but catchy vocals, she spills her emotions all over the song.

The track "WOMAN SCORNED" has a deep Mississippi Delta meets Chicago Blues feel as GeminiiDragon sings about being a woman that stands her ground and doesn't take anyone's mess. It's a standout for sure on this album.

The tracks "HUH HUH HUH!" and "GOTTA MAKE YOU WONDER" are power rock songs with a heavy Blues influence kind of the way Zeppelin use to do it but with a howling woman from the bayous of Louisiana singing! BLACKTOP GOOD MAN bridges the modern sounds of Texas Blues and a UBO (Unidentified Blues Object) into a classic sounding song filled with rich imagery and lyrics equally!

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE is a great collection of the modern blending of the traditional and the modern Blues.

GeminiiDRAGON, her sound is what we she calls “Blues on Steroids” and it's all we hear!!! Cover $5.

Cottonmouth - Bradenton Florida’s music venue serving southern soul cuisine and live music on our beautiful patio in the Village of the Arts. Dave Shiplett and crew will to serve you and give you an evening you will long remember with seating inside and outside and art from local artists on display. Cottonmouth is the place to hang and feed your soul.

The Garbage-Men 
Birdrock Taco Shack 
Friday - 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

The band is made up of five guys from Sarasota, FL who encourage recycling and giving back by playing music on instruments that they made themselves from garbage and recycled materials.

The band started in March of 2010. After seeing Jack build his first guitar from a recycled cereal box and an old yardstick, Ollie had the idea to make a band that played music exclusively on instruments made from trash. 

The Garbage-Men now have five members and have made more than fifteen instruments that they play at their shows. They perform regularly across the country, on the streets, and at festivals and charity events.

In addition to many Florida venues, the band has played at CNN, NYC Hall of Science, Times Square, Atlanta's Fox Theater for America's Got Talent, St. Petersburg's State Theatre, Tampa's MOSI, The National Guitar Museum Exhibit, and many others.

They have been featured in The Blue Man Group Invent an Instrument, NPR's Science Friday, Time Magazine, Wired, and their PBS Gulf Coast Journal segment won an Emmy. They've been featured in a book called "Garbology," written by Edward Humes, and even appear in a Chinese middle school English textbook.

The band recently recorded a CD of some of their originals and unique renditions of hit tunes. They donate proceeds from this CD and other merchandise to both local and national charities. So far, they've raised over $6000. No cover.

The musicians are:

Ollie Gray: Drums
Jack Berry: Guitar
Harrison Paparatto: Sax, Trombone, and Violin
Evan Tucker: Bass
Austin Siegel: Chromatic Percussion

About the venue:

Located in Bradenton Florida's Village of the Arts,  Birdrock Taco Shack is not your average taco joint, but a unique funky-fun taco spot and live music venue. Owner and chef David Shiplett (who also owns the popular Cottonmouth South Soul Kitchen) doesn't serve up just any tacos. Dave has worked as a Chef in San Francisco, San Diego, Sarasota, and now Bradenton. Dine inside the eclectic artsy shack or outdoors on the porch and back patio. Great food, cool people... and TACOS! 1213 13th Avenue West, Bradenton.

Charlie Imes 
Wicked Cantina (AMI)
Saturday - 6:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

When singer-songwriter Charlie Imes penned the rhyme “I’m leaving behind a trail of sand, bringing my beach all across this land,” he didn’t just have the basis for the title track of his forthcoming album. He summed up his approach to life.

Imes comes by his coastal vibe honestly. He honed his craft on the beaches of California from an early age, entertaining friends around the fire pit with his guitar, songs and stories. But dreams of a music career got sidetracked by office work, the launch of a legal services firm and a brief stint in San Diego politics.

It was surviving stage 3 colon cancer and a serious bout of diverticulitis a little more than 10 years ago that brought Imes back to music. He was in the midst of a painstaking recovery when his doctor advised him to eliminate stress from his life. So he ditched the suit and tie, strapped on his guitar and has never looked back.

His performance style has stayed true to those early times. Whether imparting his laid-back, jazzy folk rock sound or directly addressing his audience, Imes is a above all storyteller. The songs he chooses, whether his own or borrowed from other musicians, speak to his life experiences, nuggets of which he shares with his audience. No cover. 

About the venue:

Wicked Cantina is on a mission to bring fresh, authentic (on the spicy side) Austin-style Tex Mex to town. Our restaurants are locally owned and operated by some taco-eating, margarita-drinking fanatics who can't wait to share their love of the Austin cuisine with you.

All of our food is handmade in-house daily. We specialize in delicious, Austin-style Tex-Mex as well as tasty American classics. Fresh food, fresh modern family-friendly vibe, full liquor bar and ample parking await you.

Messenger 
Mattison's Riverwalk Grille
Saturday - 6:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.

Messenger is an energetic band playing a variety of favorite songs, from classics to current hits with a powerful vocal team that includes male & female lead vocals, great harmonies and a female bass player. They perform Classic rock, a little country & billboard hits. No cover. 

About the venue:

Chef Paul Mattison, executive chef and proprietor of Mattison’s, operates a successful culinary group on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Located in Sarasota and Bradenton, each Mattison’s restaurant location is unique to its neighborhood, offering Chef Paul Mattison’s signature menu items, outstanding service, and quality ingredients, while supporting the community, regional farmers, and culinary suppliers. Mattison’s Catering is a chef-owned and operated company procuring fresh, natural, and local ingredients. Catering In-house and off-site, Mattison’s Catering Company offers experienced professionals, and custom menus.

James Varnado Blues Jam
Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen
Sunday - 5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Join James Varnado as he hosts Cottonmouth’s Sunday "Jazz and Blues Open Jam." Born in New Orleans, James Varnado relocated to Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2006. The locally known and respected drummer has years of performances under his belt. Varnado has performed and toured with the likes of George Porter Jr (The Meters), Charmaine Neville (Neville Bros Family), Tab Benoit, Mem Shannon Blues Band, Jon Cleary, Dickey Betts (of the Allman Brothers), The Dixie Cups (Doo Wop), and has shared the stage with various local bands.

The venue's stable Sunday jam offers audiences something a bit more like a variety show, leading the jam with opening songs, and welcoming a rotation of other talented local guest musicians to join the stage. No cover.

For more local music listings in Bradenton and throughout the area, check out GoTonight.com or download the GoTonight app.

Artists and local venues, you can now sign up and input your own calendar info directly into the Bradenton Times website. Click here to learn more.