Weekend Sounds February 3-5

BRADENTON – There’s a lot going on in live music this weekend across Manatee and Sarasota Counties. With the Cigar Box Guitar Fest in VOTA to Reggae Relief 2023 in Sarasota. Aside from these larger events, there are also some great bands lined up at your favorite local venues. Check out the Bradenton Times Weekend Sounds to see what bands you can catch and where.

Originating in Fort Myers, The Freecoasters infuse American southern soul sounds with reggae and rocksteady rhythms. Founded in 2014, the project was the brainchild of bassist and band leader John Schiller. The vision was to blend in equal-measure '60s and '70s era American Southern soul music with Jamaican reggae and rocksteady. The union of like-minded musicians, with the vocal and songwriting talent of singer and guitarist Claire Liparulo, has generated the band a supportive and receptive following reaching outside of their home city. From humble beginnings, The Freecoasters have performed more than 500 shows, embarked on multiple national and regional tours, and produced two full-length albums; Show Up in 2016 and A Different Kind of Heat in 2021. No cover.

About the Venue:

Big Top Brewing Company is a Sarasota-based production brewery. Valuing their great town and its great history, they set out to add in great local beer. A compliment to Sarasota’s historical associations with The Ringling Circus, performing arts, famous architecture, the best art and design schools, and world-renowned tourism, Big Top Brewing artistically crafts world-class beers, inspired by their hometown. A great outdoor venue with an expansive beer garden and porch bar. 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota.

The Dr. Dave Band is a high-energy country and classic rock band. They’ve received five Reader's Choice Awards–including 2021 Reader's Choice Best Local Musical Group/Performer– for their feel-good, make-ya’ smile performances. Band leader Dr. Dave plays guitar, electric fiddle, and banjo. Dr. Dave describes their music as "Kick-grass country-rock." No cover.

About the Venue:

Since its opening in 2014, Motorworks Brewing has become one of the most awarded breweries in Florida, with over 22 national and international medals. With 20+ beers on draught, a full liquor bar, wine, and a rotating batch of seasonal and specialty brews available, Motorworks is a great place to join friends for a fresh pint of beer or a cocktail. The tree-canopied Beer Garden hosts a raised deck, games, an outdoor stage, ample patio seating, and plenty of room to dance. Food offerings from local food trucks. 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton, near the Village of the Arts.

Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio return to the Tiki stage of Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse this weekend. An accomplished musician and songwriter and an authentic rock soul and blues powerhouse singer, Twinkle has worked with Aerosmith, Dickie Betts, Rod Stewart, Gregg Allman, and countless others. In the '90s, she was signed to Warner Brothers for her debut album Haunted by Real Life, produced by Patrick Leonard (Madonna, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd) where it gained ready attention on the jazz/pop charts for its title song. Twinkle is known for her strong, bluesy, Rock Soul Radio members are lead vocalist Twinkle, guitarist Lenny Brooks, bassist Tony LeClerc, and Benny Puckett on the drums. No Cover.

About the Venue:

East of I-75 on Fruitville Road, Stottlemyer’s Smokehouse is an open-air barbecue restaurant set under an expansive outdoor tiki hut, including an old-Florida style Tiki-bar. Established by the Stottlemyer family, the family-friendly restaurant and live music venue serves brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sandwiches, and salads in a unique atmosphere. Reservations are accepted. 19 East Road, Sarasota.

Kettle of Fish has been performing in clubs, pubs, and venues across Manatee and Sarasota, as well as across Florida and the U.S., for years. Lead singer, guitarist, and band founder Dana Lawrence is one of the area’s favorite singer-songwriters, performing original music. Kettle of Fish is a band with an ever-fluid rotation of talented local and guest musicians. If you like the sound of the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Otis Redding, Robert Cray, the Neville Brothers, Buddy Guy, Stevie Wonder, the Allman Brothers, or The Grateful Dead, you will love Kettle of Fish.

On Saturday, Chris Guertin and Thorson Moore will join Lawrence on stage Guertin boasts a professional music career that has taken him to over 90 countries as the music director of cruise ships while also having performed as bassist and vocalist in several area bands. Thorson is a singer and guitarist who carries a reputation not built upon raw talent and a genius intuition of music alone, but years of impassioned dedication to the instrument. No cover.

About the Venue:

Located near downtown Sarasota at the foot of the John Ringling Causeway, Hart's is accessible by car or boat. Their rustic building is a piece of "Old Florida" amongst the downtown Sarasota condominium skyline. Set near the largest fishing pier in Sarasota County, the Saprito Fishing Pier, and nestled beside Eloise Werlin Park. Harts bait shop sells more than just bait, they offer light bites and snacks as well as beverages. There are plenty of benches, lawn space for your own chairs or blankets, and public restrooms available. A perfect bay-view, real Florida, evening-in-the-park venue to take in live music. 920 John Ringling Causeway, Sarasota.

Performing at venues around the Suncoast, The Boomers is a rock band based in Bradenton that plays a wide range of songs from 1964 to 1969. Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Bob Cary, lead guitarist Ted Mork, keyboard player and saxophonist Bob Hepler, bass player Todd Bohlmann, and drummer Mike Kennedy play an energetic mix from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Steppenwolf, The Grass Roots, The Monkees and many more of the decade's iconic bands. No cover.

About the Venue:

Mattison's Riverwalk Grille is located along Bradenton's Riverwalk Park downtown. Mattison's and its staff pride themselves on their commitment to using sustainable practices and serving only foods that are hormone and antibiotic-free. They work with small family farms and source their produce and seafood locally. While their food draws a crowd, their live music gets them on their feet– the outdoor dining patio is spacious with plenty of room for dancing! 101 Riverfront Blvd, Bradenton.

Join RJ Howson, Mike Kach & Friends for Sunday Blues and Brews!

RJ Howson picked up his skillful guitar chops performing and sharing the stage with blues icons and fellow musicians at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Rosa's Lounge, Kingston Mines, BLUES on Halstead, and many other clubs in the Windy City as well as countless other venues across the Midwest.

Mike Kach, keyboardist to Dickey Betts & Great Southern, Kach's soulful vocals can be heard on Betts originals like No One Left to Run with It, Nobody Knows, and Southbound. Kach's own ballad, Get Away, appeared on the Dickey Betts & Great Southern's live CD/DVD set Rockpalast: 30 Years of Southern Rock.

This Sunday, RJ and Kach will be joined by drummer Steve Camilleri and bassist Burt Engelsman. The four have performed together and separately with numerous other musicians and bands throughout their notable professional careers. No cover.

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 Sunday jam session 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. A jam session guaranteed to bring sound surprises you won’t hear anywhere else. No cover.