Top 10 concert picks this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Punta Gorda

The big news this week in local concerts is the return of Bradenton Blues Festival to Riverwalk this weekend. Along with the three-day festival itself, multiple musicians performing at the event will also play headlining shows at other venues in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

You'll find acclaimed blues musicians not even on the festival's lineup in our area as well this week, including another three-day festival in Sarasota. Other notable shows include a supergroup featuring members from multiple big-name rock and country bands, and a Grammy-nominated musician playing a concert on the lengthy list of local winter holiday celebrations. Here are this week's highlights. Details are subject to change.

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Generation Radio

A supergroup featuring members from bands that are household names in rock and country, Generation Radio will return to the Sarasota area for a show at Joyland. The band's lineup includes former Rascal Flatts bassist/singer Jay DeMarcus, former Chicago bassist/vocalist Jason Scheff and drummer Steve Ferrone, formerly of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Average White Band. Generation Radio also released its self-titled debut full-length earlier this year, with a sound that — as the group's name suggests — recalls the type of rock one would hear on the radio in the 1980s. 7:30 p.m. Friday; Joyland, 8341 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota; $62.70-$156.75; 941-210-4110; joylandsarasota.com

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Mike Zito and Crystal Shawanda

Before performing at Bradenton Blues Festival, guitarist and singer-songwriter Mike Zito will play a headlining show in Punta Gorda with another acclaimed blues musician, Crystal Shawanda. Zito won his latest Blues Music Award earlier this year, in the Blues Rock Album category for 2021's "Resurrection," as well as releasing the live album "Blues for the Southside." Shawanda, meanwhile, started out in country music before a successful switch to the blues, winning a Blues Album of the Year Juno Award (Canada's equivalent of the Grammys) for 2020's "Church House Blues." 7 p.m. Friday; Punta Gorda Woman's Club, 118 Sullivan St., Punta Gorda; $28.50-$48.50; 941-677-0290; thephoenixradio.com

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J.P. Soars and the Red Hots

After recently performing at Big Top Brewing Company, South Florida blues guitarist and singer-songwriter J.P. Soars and his band the Red Hots will play another area show at Punta Gorda's Celtic Ray. The group earned four Blues Music Awards nominations earlier this year, including Band of the Year, B.B. King Entertainer and Instrumentalist — Guitar for Soars, and Instrumentalist — Drums for Chris Peet. Along with leading his own band, Soars has also played in the supergroup Southern Hospitality with Grammy-nominated pianist Victor Wainwright and fellow Floridian Damon Fowler. 9 p.m. Friday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

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Hymn for Her

Also set to perform their second local show in as many weeks is alt-Americana act Hymn for Her, who will visit Bradenton's Birdrock Taco Shack during Village of the Arts' monthly Artwalk. Featuring husband and wife Wayne Waxing and Lucy Tight, the group toured Europe earlier this year, which they previously visited when they played England's music festival Glastonbury in 2017. Hymn for Her has also earned recognition from Rolling Stone, which named the track "Blue Balloons" from their 2018 album "Pop-n-Downers" one of the 10 best country and Americana songs of that week. 6:30 p.m. Friday; Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-545-9966; facebook.com/birdrocktaco

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Laney Jones and the Spirits

The same weekend she plays Orange Blossom Revue in Lake Wales, alongside such big names in Americana as Margo Price and The Wood Brothers, Laney Jones and her band the Spirits will perform a headlining show at Sarasota's Fogartyville. Raised in Florida and now based in Nashville, Jones most recently released this year's album "Stories up High," with a sound that recalls indie-folk favorites Big Thief. Her previous releases include her 2016 self-titled full-length, also landing on Rolling Stone's 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know that same year. 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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Bradenton Blues Festival

The 11th annual music festival featuring national and international names in the blues return this weekend to its longtime home of Bradenton Riverwalk, after taking place for the last two years at LECOM Park. Serbia-born blues guitarist/singer Ana Popovic will headline Saturday's main concert along with other musicians including Mike Zito and Florida's own Albert Castiglia, who will perform separate sets then together as the Blood Brothers. The weekend also includes a Friday concert headlined by Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe, and Sunday's Blues Brunch with Dustin Arbuckle & the Damnations. Friday-Sunday; Bradenton Riverwalk, 452 Third Ave. W., Bradenton; $20 Friday, $55 Saturday, $65 Friday and Saturday, $90 Sunday; bradentonbluesfestival.org

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Siesta Beach Seafood & Music Festival

The annual three-day festival returns to Siesta Beach, featuring food, drink and live music everyday. Singer Annika Chambers, who won her latest Blues Music Award this year in the Soul Blues Female Artist category, will headline Saturday along with her husband, Canadian guitarist Paul DesLauriers. The rest of the lineup includes some of the area's most popular rock, blues and soul artists including Jack'D Up, Gas House Gorillas, and K-Luv & the United Funk Foundation (Friday); Undr8ed, Twinkle and Rock Soul Radio, Memphis Lightning, and Yaya Diamond Band (Saturday); and Kettle of Fish, Dr. Dave Band and 22N (Sunday). Noon-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key; 941-487-8061; paragonfestivals.com

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Biscuit Miller

Bassist/singer-songwriter Biscuit Miller will play a Bradenton Blues Festival afterparty at nearby restaurant and venue Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, then perform another, headlining show at Englewoods on Dearborn. Miller, who's not playing this year's festival but has in past years, has earned accolades including two Blues Music Awards in the Instrumentalist — Bass category. He'll perform at the Cottonmouth show with Steve Arvey and James Varnado. 8 p.m. Saturday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul; 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $7; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com

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Nora Jean Wallace

Another show taking place at Cottonmouth this weekend, and another Bradenton Blues Festival performer set to perform a local headlining show, is singer and songwriter Nora Jean Wallace, playing a blues brunch event. Formerly known as Nora Jean Bruso, Wallace is an eight-time Blues Music Award nominee, dating back to her 2004 album "Going Back to Mississippi." Wallace most recently released 2020's "Blueswoman," which earned her latest Blues Music Award nomination in the Traditional Blues Album category. 11:30 a.m. Sunday; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; $25; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

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Chris Isaak

The long list of winter holiday celebrations both onstage and off-stage in the Sarasota area includes this Van Wezel show by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Isaak, visiting the venue on his Everybody Knows It's Christmas Tour. The tour supports his album of the same name released earlier this year, featuring renditions of yuletide favorites such as "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bell Rock" as well as the original track "Almost Christmas," his second holiday album following 2004's "Christmas." Isaak rose to fame in the early '90s for songs such as his moody hit "Wicked Game" as well as "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" off his 1995 album "Forever Blue" that earned him two Grammy nominations. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; $52-$106; 941-263-6799; vanwezel.org

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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 in Sarasota, Bradenton, Punta Gorda area