Top 6 concert picks this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Englewood, Punta Gorda
By far the biggest news in local concerts this week is celebrated singer-guitarist, and this year's Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Bonnie Raitt visiting Sarasota's Van Wezel in what's arguably the biggest get of the venue's 2022-23 season. (As a bonus, "Walking in Memphis" singer-songwriter and fellow Grammy winner Marc Cohn will perform at the same show.)
Yet if you weren't able to snag tickets for the concert that's long been sold out (and remained so as of press time), fear not. There are numerous other notable shows taking place locally, including another Grammy-winning blues-rock musician set to play no less than three shows in Sarasota and Charlotte counties. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
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Bonnie Raitt
Grammy-winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted singer and guitarist Bonnie Raitt visits Van Wezel after just earning four more Grammy nominations, following the release of her latest album "Just Like That..." earlier this year. Named both one of the 100 greatest singers and guitarists by Rolling Stone, Raitt is known for classic records such as 1989's No. 1, Album of the Year Grammy-winning "Nick of Time" and 1991's "Luck of the Draw," featuring the hit tracks "Something to Talk About" and the heartbreaking "I Can't Make You Love Me." This year, Raitt also earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and "Nick of Time" was selected for Library of Congress preservation. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, known for his 1991 hit "Walking in Memphis," also performs. 8 p.m. Friday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; sold out; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org
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Emo Night Tampa
Emo Night Tampa, which has hosted events on the other side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge for years now and recently began partnering with Bradenton's Oscura, will present another free show at the venue this weekend. The lineup draws from groups throughout Florida, with Orlando indie-punks 0 Miles Per Hour being the farthest from home. Also set to perform at the show are Tampa Bay power-pop group Bad Bad Things, St. Pete heavy shoegaze act Nashira, and emo punk band Floating Boy from here in Sarasota. 7 p.m. Friday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; free; 941-201-4950; oscura.live
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David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach
Fogartyville's live music lineup this week will include the multigenerational, bicoastal blue roots duo of David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach. Jacobs-Strain is a slide guitarist and singer-songwriter who hails from Eugene, Oregon, while Beach is a harmonica player from Philadelphia who's also played the flute and sung over his five-decade professional career. Performing as a duo since 2010, Jacobs-Strain and Beach are set to soon release their debut studio album together, "The Belfry Session." 7:15 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Friday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $18, $15 members, $9 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org
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Ben Prestage
Self-described "Deep South swamp music" performer Ben Prestage will play both Bradenton's Cottonmouth and Punta Gorda's Celtic Ray this weekend. The multi-instrumentalist grew up in rural Florida before later living in Memphis, where he learned how to play drums simultaneously while singing and performing other instruments as a street performer, a one-man-band setup he’d bring back to the Sunshine State. A favorite of the Florida blues circuit, he's also developed a national and even international following, touring Europe in the past. 7 p.m. Friday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul; 2 p.m. Sunday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net
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Paul Nelson
Also playing multiple local shows this week is Grammy-winning blues-rock guitarist Paul Nelson. He played in the band of and produced albums for guitar icon Johnny Winter, winning a Best Blues Album Grammy for Winter's posthumously released 2014 record "Step Back," which also topped Billboard's blues albums charts and won the Blues Rock Album Blues Music Award. Nelson has produced and performed on other musicians' records, and released 2016's "Badass Generation" with his own band. 7 p.m. Saturday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $20; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul; 7 p.m. Tuesday; Leroy's Southern Kitchen & Bar, 201 W. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-505-2489; facebook.com/leroyspg; 7 p.m. Wednesday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com
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Abhik Mukherjee and Shankh Lahiri
Fogartyville will welcome another pair of performers this weekend when Indian classical musicians Abhik Mukherjee and Shankh Lahiri visit the venue. The New York-based Mukherjee is a sitar player who is also a founding member of Brooklyn Raga Massive, an Indian classical music artists’ collective, and director of academic affairs at Chhandayan Center for Indian Music. He'll be joined by Shankh Lahiri, who plays the tabla (a pair of hand drums) and performed earlier this year at Fogartyville along with santoor player Vinay Desai. 7 p.m. Sunday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $22, $20 members, $11 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org
Restaurant inspections: 3 Bradenton area restaurants temporarily closed for rodent activity; other inspections
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best live music concerts in Sarasota, Bradenton, Punta Gorda area
