Top 10 concert picks in Sarasota, Anna Maria Island, Port Charlotte

As we bid farewell to February and enter March, it'll be another packed, varied and star-studded week for concerts in our area. Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, for instance, will host a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter with multiple hit songs (and a music festival) to her name, as well as one of the biggest crossover successes in classical music.

This week also marks the return of an annual reggae block party, headlined by a Grammy-winning group with a song that's been played on television and movie screens for decades. An Anna Maria Island concert series will feature a big name in '70s rock, while another concert series in Sarasota centering on indie music returns with an up-and-coming act from right here in Florida. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.

Looking for fun things to do?Top 5 events in Sarasota and Bradenton area this weekend

More fun this month:100-plus things to do in March in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties

Ticket Newsletter:Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday

Anthony Gomes

Joyland throws its second annual Mardi Gras party at its new location off University Parkway, featuring live music by blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Anthony Gomes. Born in Toronto to a French-Canadian mother and Portuguese father, Gomes now resides in the St. Louis area and released his latest Billboard blues album chart-topping full-length "High Voltage Blues" last year. Along with Gomes, the Mardi Gras party will also feature free masks and beads until they're gone. 9:30 p.m. Friday; Joyland, 8341 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota; $20.90 advance, $25 day of, $31.35 ages 18-20; 941-210-4110; joylandsarasota.com

The Tannahill Weavers

Celebrating 55 years since their origin in 2023, the traditional Scottish group The Tannahill Weavers visit Fogartyville this weekend. Hailing from Paisley, Scotland and named after the town's weaving industry and Scottish poet Robert Tannahill, The Tannahill Weavers are known as one of the premier performers of the country's traditional music. The group still features two original members: guitarist/lead vocalist Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie (flute, whistles, bodhrán and harmony vocals.) 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Friday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $30, $25 members, $15 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org

Osfest

The annual block party Osfest, held by local reggae favorites Jah Movement in honor of the late Democracy Reggae Band member (and Jah Movement frontman Damie Caines' father) Oswald "Ham" Caines, returns to downtown Sarasota. Jamaican band Inner Circle, best known for the song "Bad Boys" that later became the theme to the show "Cops" and the "Bad Boys" films (and served as the title track to their Best Reggae Album Grammy-winning full-length), headline. Kumar Bent, formerly of Grammy-nominated reggae group Raging Fyah, also performs along with Jah Movement, Propaganjah, Juliette Mills, Soul Purpose, Youth Movement and multiple DJs. 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday; The Gator Club, 1490 Main St., Sarasota; $40, $100 VIP, free under age 12; jahmovement.com

Grand Funk Railroad

The Center of Anna Maria Island's Bradenton Gulf Island Concert Series continues with classic rockers (and Homer Simpson's favorite band) Grand Funk Railroad. The group rose to fame in the early '70s with their No. 1 hits "We're an American Band" and their rendition of "The Loco-Motion," along with other songs including "Some Kind of Wonderful." The group no longer includes lead singer/guitarist Mark Farner, who also visited Manatee County for Palmetto's Fourth of July fest in 2019, but does still feature fellow founding members, drummer/vocalist Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher. 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Saturday; The Center of Anna Maria Island, 407 Magnolia Ave., Anna Maria; $65 and up; 941-778-1908; centerami.org

Rich Redmond, Keio Stroud

Joyland also hosts an event this weekend showcasing multiple drummers, including two based in the music hub of Nashville who've worked with big-name artists. Rich Redmond, who's recorded and toured with artists such as country star Jason Aldean, is set to appear along with Keio Stroud, whose credits include touring with famed country duo Big & Rich. Dave Stark, president of the Florida Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and a Sarasota County resident, will also perform. 3 p.m. Sunday; Joyland, 8341 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota; $30, $20 Percussive Arts Society members, free ages 12 and under; 941-210-4110; joylandsarasota.com

Abbie Gardner and Marc Douglas Berardo

Fogartyville also hosts a double-bill of folk musicians, Abbie Gardner and Marc Douglas Berardo, this week. Dobro player Gardner is known both for her work as a member of the trio Red Molly and as a solo artist, including last year's album "Dobrosinger." Singer-songwriter Berardo's first steady music gig was at a biker bar in Butler Beach, Florida in 1988 and he has performed ever since, releasing albums including "Whalebone," featuring Gardner on the song "My Mistakes." 6 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show Sunday; Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Court, Sarasota; $22, $18 members, $11 students ages 13 and up; 941-894-6469; fogartyville.org

Sarah McLachlan

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan will return to Van Wezel this week for "an intimate evening of songs and storytelling," accompanied by cellist Vanessa Freebairn-Smith. McLachlan rose to prominence with her 1993 album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy," which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and had her biggest commercial success with 1997's "Surfacing," featuring the hit singles "Angel," "Adia" and the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy-winning "Building a Mystery." McLachlan's other accomplishments include founding the traveling music festival Lilith Fair and singing the Oscar-nominated "Toy Story 2" track "When She Loved Me." 8 p.m. Tuesday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $74-$145; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

Yo-Yo Ma

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma also performs at Van Wezel this week, joining the Sarasota Orchestra and guest conductor Peter Oundjian for a concert. A 19-time Grammy winner in genres including classical, folk and world music, Yo-Yo Ma has also performed on film soundtracks such as the Oscar-winning score for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and collaborated with other musicians, including with Miley Cyrus and Elton John on a cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters." He's become a well-known pop culture personality in the process, appearing on shows such as "Desus & Mero" and cameoing as himself in last year's film "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story." 7 p.m. Thursday, March 2; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; sold out; 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org

Ringling Underground

The concert series Ringling Underground, held in The Ringling's courtyard and featuring indie music acts and free admission for students, returns with Cathedral Bells headlining this month. The Orlando dream-pop group started as a solo project of Matt Messore, formerly of Florida emo favorites You Blew It!, before becoming a full-fledged band with releases including the 2021 full-length "Ether" and recent single "Clinging to the Ground" with Rew. Miami-Tampa psych-pop group Blonde Gentlemen and Sarasota's Me Umbra also perform. 8 p.m. Thursday; The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota; $15, free members/students with ID; 941-359-7500; ringling.org

SIRSY

After recently playing Bradenton's Birdrock Taco Shack, and shortly before opening for country singer Corey Kent at Sarasota's Big Top, upstate New York pop-rock group SIRSY will perform another local headlining date at Punta Gorda's Celtic Ray. Comprising vocalist-drummer Melanie Krahmer and guitarist Rich Libutti, SIRSY has a sound larger than one might expect from a duo, with the pair known to play multiple instruments live. The group's releases include the full-length "Coming Into Frame," with the opening track "Cannonball" appearing on the Showtime series "Shameless." 8 p.m. Thursday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

If you would like to be considered for this story, please email ticket@heraldtribune.com with your event information at least 10 days before our Thursday publication date. Show schedules are subject to change; check with venues in advance to confirm or for questions on COVID-19 protocols.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Best live music concerts near me Sarasota Bradenton Anna Maria Island