Top 8 concerts this week in Sarasota, Englewood, Palmetto
The top concerts taking place in Sarasota and Manatee counties this week.
Jimmy Geurts
May is usually when it starts to slow down events-wise here in Sarasota-Manatee, but you wouldn't know that from this edition of concert picks. Performers set to visit us this week include a Grammy winner who's one of the best-selling musicians of all time, along with artists who've won or been nominated for Latin Grammys, Juno Awards (Canada's equivalent of the Grammys) and Blues Music Awards.
This week's concert picks also include two rising stars from Nashville: a country musician who recently shared the stage with Keith Urban at the CMT Music Awards, and a singer-songwriter who had a track of theirs named to a best-of list alongside names such as Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. And multiple Tampa and Sarasota musicians will play a free, daylong concert that marks the conclusion of an annual local LGBTQ+ arts festival. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
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Régulo Caro
Palmetto Mexican restaurant and music venue El Sombrero will host a concert this weekend headlined by Régulo Caro. The Mexican singer-songwriter earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Norteño (a type of Mexican music) Album for his 2012 full-length "Amor en Tiempos de Guerra," and topped Billboard's Regional Mexican Albums chart with his 2014 album "Senzu-Rah." Los Cazadores Del Cerro, originally from the Mexican town of Cerritos and now based in Houston, will also perform along with JuanmaandToxicc JR. 9 p.m. Friday; El Sombrero, 1330 U.S. 301, Palmetto; $40; 1-800-668-8080;
Chuchito Valdés Trio
Fogartyville kicks off what'll be a busy week for the Sarasota venue with the return of Chuchito Valdés on Friday. The Cuban jazz pianist hails from a musical family that includes his father Chucho Valdés, who was just here for Sarasota Jazz Festival in March, and grandfather Bebo Valdés. Chuchito has crafted his own path successfully as a musician, with seven Latin Grammy nominations to his name including dual nominations in 2013: Best Latin Jazz Album for "Grand Piano Live" and Best Folk Album for "Carnaval En Piano Charango" with Eddy Navia, who plays the charango, an Andean stringed instrument. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Friday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $32, $28 members, $16 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469;
Be Fabulous Music & Arts Pride Fest
The annual three-day festival held by local LGBTQ+ organization Fabulous Arts Foundation, formerly known as Harvey Milk Festival, will once again conclude with a free daylong, multi-act concert. This year's lineup features Sarasota electro-rock-synth-pop groupMeteorEYES, whose members include Fabulous Arts Foundation executive director and founder Shannon Fortner, and Tampa alt-rocker Summer Hoop, who has played other such music fests as Gasparilla Music Festival and 97X Next Big Thing. Fellow Tampa musician Zeta the Babe, who performs neo-soul R&B with a loop pedal, saxophone and vocals including beatboxing, will also perform along with Sarasota's Brittany Zeff, nowincolor and Grace Cespedes. 3-10 p.m. Saturday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; free, but donations appreciated;
Kenny G
Two years after visiting our area to attend a Sarasota Film Festival screening of the documentary "Listening to Kenny G" and perform at Van Wezel, the Grammy-winning smooth jazz saxophonist will return to the latter venue for a concert. Kenny G is among the best-selling musicians of all time, with numerous multi-platinum albums including 1992's diamond-selling (10 million units or more sold) "Breathless," with that same album featuring the song "Forever in Love" that won him a Best Instrumental Composition Grammy. He still continues to release new music, including last year's album "Innocence," as well as collaborating with other musicians such as The Weeknd, appearing in for the R&B star's song "In Your Eyes." 7 p.m. Sunday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $60-$85; 941-263-6799;
Maggie Baugh
Less than two months after opening for "Nashville" actor/country musician Charles Esten at Sarasota's Big Top Brewing Company, Maggie Baugh will return to the venue for a headlining show. Hailing from Boca Raton, where she grew up studying classical music, writing songs and playing shows across Florida, Baugh is now based in Nashville and released her debut album "Dear Me" last year. She also recently during a performance of his new single "Straight Line" at last month's CMT Music Awards ceremony. 7 p.m. Wednesday; Big Top Brewing Company,975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; $10; 941-371-2939;
Kat Riggins
The day before this year's Blues Music Awards ceremony, where she's nominated once again, Miami blues singer-songwriter Kat Riggins is set to play Sarasota County restaurant and venue Englewoods on Dearborn. Riggins is up for Soul Blues Female Artist at this year's Blues Music Awards, which have nominated her four consecutive years in at least one category, with Contemporary Blues Album and Soul Blues Album other categories in which she's received nominations. Those nominations were for 2020's "Cry Out" and 2022's "Progeny," respectively, both of which Riggins released on Gulf Coast Records, the label co-founded by blues-rocker Mike Zito. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $10; 941-475-7501;
Crystal Shawanda Band
Also set to perform at Englewoods on Dearborn this week will be Canadian blues musician Crystal Shawanda. She started out in country music, landing on both Billboard's country albums chart and the Billboard 200 with her 2008 debut studio album "Dawn of a New Day," before switching to the blues with 2014's "The Whole World's Got the Blues." She won one of her two Juno Awards (Canada's equivalent of the Grammys) for Blues Album of the Year for her 2020 full-length "Church House Blues," and was nominated in the same category last year for her 2022 album "Midnight Blues." 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $7; 941-475-7501;
Kyshona
Fogartyville's live music lineup concludes this week with Nashville singer-songwriter Kyshona. She comes to Sarasota about two weeks after playing the annual North Carolina roots music festival MerleFest and releasing her latest album "Legacy," featuring blues musician Keb' Mo' on the single "Carolina." She previously released the 2022 EP "The Parthenon Sessions," recorded at the titular Nashville landmark, featuring the track "Nighttime Animal" that was named one ofalongside music by such stars as Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Thursday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $24, $20 members, $12 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469;
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