WMNF stages Springsteen tribute show in Tampa

   Community radio station WMNF occasionally puts on these really cool tribute shows with a bunch of area bands all playing songs by some major artist. They've done Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and a lot of others.
   This weekend, at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, WMNF will present a show they're calling "Bruuuuce!," in honor of Bruce Springsteen's 65th birthday earlier this week (Sept. 23, to be exact).

Bruce Sorungsteen

  Over the course of eight hours, more than 20 bands and solo acts will performed more than 50 Sprinsgteen songs, including the "Born to Run" album performed start-to-finish, and 10 singer-songrwriters performing one song each from "Nebraska."
   Bands include  Al Torchia & The Tattered Saints, Blue Dice, Glad All Over, Parson Brown, Talk to Mark, Ted Lukas & The Misled, The Hack Pack, The Irish Buskers, Troy Youngblood and The SoulFish, The Hummingbirds, Sunset Bridge Band, J.A.D.E., Wizards and Koko Ray & The Keepers.
   It runs from 4 p.m. until midnight Saturday, Sept. 27. Skippers -- which is a cool mostly-outdoor venue with a rustic Florida feel -- is at 910 Skipper Road in north Tampa. Tickets are $13 in advance and $16 at the door. Call 813-238-6001 or go to wmnf.org for tickets, or call 813-971-0666 for venue information.

TONIGHT: 'Man V. Food Nation' viewing party

Skipper's Smokehouse will be throwing a 'Man V. Food Nation' viewing party this evening for good reason — the iconic Tampa restaurant/music venue is in it.

Adam Richman and crew were at the Skipperdome in February to shoot an episode for the reboot of "Man V. Food," now re-imagined as "Man V. Food Nation."

The revised concept involves the public more in a particular town, getting recommendations for local favorites and has members of the public doing the beloved/dreaded Food Challenges.

Richman didn't do the Food Challenge at Skipper's but he did eat a Grouper Reuben and Gator Ribs "and if you follow in his, er, mouthsteps(?) and order either of them today, you'll receive two-for-one admission to Island Nite (reggae every Wednesday) so you can dance off those calories," reads the press release.

Visit the MVFN page on the Travel Channel site for more info about the show and to see behind-the-scene photos,

9 p.m in the Oyster Bar and Smoking Garden.
Free.
Skipper's Smokhouse

Can’t be here in person? Watch in on Brighthouse 54 (standard), 1267 (HD)and Verizon 170 (standard), 1623 (standard), 670 (HD).

Rhett Miller on Bob Dylan giving permission for "Champaign, Illinois"

Just got off the phone with Old 97's frontman/solo artist Rhett Miller.

He was at the Stewart International Airport near his home in Hudson Valley, N.Y.

Shaky cell connection and 15 minute limit — Miller had another phoner coming in as soon as my time ran out — didn't allow for the lengthy type piece I did with him previously.

But we covered some cool topics including the long genesis of "Champaign, Illinois," off the Old 97's latest album "Grand Theatre Vol. 1."

The song sets new lyrics to the Bob Dylan classic "Desolation Row."

Miller said it took a decade to get permission for release. The band's new manager finally found a way to get a recording of "Champaign, Illinois" to Dylan last year.

"Then they told me he wanted to read the lyrics," Miller said. "So I frantically started typing."

Dylan's reaction?

"This is great."

Miller now shares a songwriting credit with Dylan on "Champaign, Illinois."

"It's a huge honor," he said.

Look for my feature on Miller to run in the Herald —I'll link to it here as well — prior to the Old 97's' March 2 performance at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa. WMNF (88.5) is presenting the show.

Bradenton Beach-resident Damon Fowler on national release 'Devil Got His Way'

DAMON FOWLER by TIFFANY TOMPKINS-CONDIE/ttompkins@bradenton.com

Here's my interview with Bradenton Beach-resident Damon Fowler, who just released "Devil Got His Way" on Blind Pig Records.

Fowler returns from the Bahamas just in time for a WMNF (88.5)-sponsored CD release party Saturday at Skipper’s Smokehouse in Tampa. “Devil Got His Way,” his second album for the prestigious Blind Pig Records, came out Jan. 18. It has already received glowing reviews from top Americana publication No Depression and daily newspapers such as the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Philadelphia Daily News. Many of the songs on “Devil Got His Way” were written in Bradenton Beach.

 Continue reading.

Damon Fowler Group with Mike Kach (keyboards) performing "Devil Got His Way" track 

"You Go Your Way" at Daytona Blues Festival Oct. 2010