Top 6 concert picks for Sarasota-Bradenton-Charlotte: May 26-June 1

Matt Burke

Bradenton restaurant and venue Cottonmouth hosts this concert featuring the frontman of one of the Friendly City's most successful music acts, Have Gun, Will Travel. Burke is the principal singer-songwriter and a guitarist for the Americana group, which has been covered by outlets including NPR and No Depression and had their music appear on the television shows "The Good Wife" and "The Ranch." The group has a new EP on the way, and also recently released the single and music video "Our Fair City," paying tribute to Bradenton. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 26; Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen, 1114 12th St. W., Bradenton; 941-243-3735; facebook.com/cottonmouthsoul

J.P. Soars and the Red Hots

South Florida blues guitarist and singer-songwriter J.P. Soars and his group the Red Hots, which received four Blues Music Awards nominations this year, will visit both Englewoods on Dearborn and Celtic Ray this week. The group was nominated for Band of the Year, with Soars also earning nods for Instrumentalist – Guitar and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, and bandmate Chris Peet nominated for Instrumentalist – Drums. Soars is also part of the supergroup Southern Hospitality with Grammy-nominated pianist Victor Wainwright and fellow Floridian Damon Fowler. 7 p.m. Thursday; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $7; 941-475-7501; englewoodsondearborn.com; 9 p.m. Friday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

Chris Anderson

Sarasota-raised guitarist and singer-songwriter Chris Anderson plays a headlining show in his old stomping grounds this weekend at Big Top. A former member of Tampa-formed "Green Grass & High Tides" Southern rockers the Outlaws, Anderson also released the 1995 solo record “Old Friend,” with a title track co-written with Warren Haynes that was later covered on the Allman Brothers Band's final studio album “Hittin’ the Note," and released the full-length "World's Gone Crazy" as Rattlebone in 2019. Mark Serio, Mike Kach, Steve Camilleri and Pedro Arevalo join Anderson. 7 p.m. Saturday; Big Top Brewing Company, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; 941-371-2939; bigtopbrewing.com

The Champ Jaxon Band

Punta Gorda 11-year-old blues rock prodigy Champ Jaxon, who recently received a national television spotlight, returns to Celtic Ray in the same city this weekend. Jaxon appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in December, chatting with guest host and country superstar Brad Paisley, performing his song "Born in the Grove," then jamming with and receiving a Fender guitar from Paisley. Jaxon also released the album "The Grove" last year and has played on stage with "Can't You See" Southern rockers The Marshall Tucker Band multiple times. 4 p.m. Sunday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

More: Punta Gorda kid gets high-five from Brad Paisley after 'amazing' blues song on 'Ellen'

The Tan and Sober Gentlemen

Also playing Celtic Ray later on Sunday will be North Carolina's The Tan and Sober Gentlemen. The group describes its style as "Celtic punk-grass," with "aims to explore the Gaelic roots of North Carolinian music, and to play it with as much energy as humanly possible." You can hear that sound on their 2018 full-length "Veracity," at times recalling The Pogues (who they cover) or Flogging Molly with a bit more of a traditional folk/bluegrass flavor, with the new album "Regressive Folk Music" set for release later in June. 8 p.m. Sunday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; celticray.net

Myakka River Blues Bash

Myakka River restaurant and venue Snook Haven will celebrate the Memorial Day holiday with a concert featuring multiple blues musicians. Lauren Mitchell, a formerly Bradenton-based singer who earned two Blues Blast Music Award nominations in 2017 for the Sean Costello Rising Star Award and Soul Blues Album for her full-length "Desire," will headline with her band. Other performers include Belgian blues artist Jan Wellinghoff, who recently played the Sarasota Cigar Box Guitar Festival this year, and Nitro Bozeman. a Chicago blues harmonica player based out of Tampa. 11 a.m. Monday; Snook Haven, 5000 E. Venice Ave., Venice; $30 (must be purchased in advance); 941-485-7221; snookhaven.com

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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: Top 6 Sarasota-Bradenton-Charlotte concert picks, May 26-June 1