Past Events

Rockin' Jake has been hailed by many as one of the premier har-monica players in the country. His original sound is a hybrid of sec-ond line, swamp funk, blues and zy-deco with influences from Paul Butterfield, Big Walter Horton, James Cotton, The Meters, WAR, J. Geils Band, Clifton Chenier, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Based out of New Orleans since 1990, Rockin' Jake relocated since being flooded out by Hurricane Katrina, and now lives in Southern Florida. Jake has toured nationally…

SAT JUN 20 The Applebutter Express (UKULELE FUNK) Utterly charming ukes and vocals from this boy-girl (now man-wife) led group, now fortified with fiddle and upright bass, very popular with the jamband crowd, featuring stick-in-your-head originals and really clever reinterpretations of covers. w/ Soul Purpose (ROOTS REGGAE ROCK) Soul Purpose is from Sarasota, Florida, USA. A roots, rock and reggae band of original, unsigned music. A band of songwriters influenced by the great songwriting of the past. An amalgamation of styles ranging…

Organs for Organs - Benefitting LifeLink Foundation - $10 minimum suggested donation Featuring some of Tampa's very best B3 players such as: Jack Henriquez Hank Harrison Dean Germain Michael Hensley Dennis Torpedo Shawn Brown John Dash Dixon Chris Flowers Dwight Champagne Michael Alioa Nathan L.Michell Brad Trummel Also, many thanks to the sponsor, Central Music, for contributing organs for the event!  

(BLUES) T.C. Carr is one of Florida's top musical artists. He has earned a reputation as one of the premier harmonica players in the United States and Europe. He is a Florida native and passionate singer songwriter. His strong lead vocals and unique harp work demand an audience's attention and he is a fan favorite wherever he plays. T.C. has established himself as one of Florida's best blues and Americana artists. He is one-of-a-kind, truly like nothing you've ever heard!…

(ISLAND/AFRO-BEAT/REGGAE) A 23-year-old tradition continues with the ever-amazing Impulse band playing reggae, zouk and Afrobeat under the stars!

(JAMBAND/TRIBUTE) Hippies please use side door... UJB has been faithfully bringing the music and spirit of the Grateful Dead to Skipper's every Thursday at Skipper's since 1998. unclejohnsband.com

(SOUTHERN GYPSY FUNK) Come Back Alice is a Southern Gypsy Funk band. Soulful Vocals, melodic guitars, baroque style violin and funky bass & drums make up the heart of CBA’s sound. Tony Tyler (lead vocals/guitar/B3 organ), a native of Dublin, GA, began making music at the tender age of 3. With a father in the music business, it was simply in his genes, inspiring him to sing and play drums like his dad. By age 12, he was given his…

SAT JUN 27 For the Benefit of Mr. C...a benefit for Steve Connelly... featuring music, raffles & silent auction in support of Steve Connelly! Steve Connelly & the Lesser Gods, Ronny Elliott & the Nationals, Grey Market, Mercy McCoy, Rebekah Pulley & the Reluctant Prophets, Ricky Wilcox & the Moonsnakes, Rich Whitely & Co, Offshore Riot, Sara Rose Band, Spoons & Trash, Peace of Woodstock, Jade and Dirty Spoons & Trash 4PM $10 minimum suggested donation  

SUN JUN 28 The Nace Brothers (BLUES/ROCK) Fourth generation performers their musical heritage began in the latter part of the 19th century with their great-great grandfather the classically trained violinist Valandingham Nace. The legacy continued in the 1920’s and 30’s with their grandfather Percy a multi-instrumentalist and square dance caller. By the late 40’s their father was playing box suppers and square dances. Johnny Nace progressed from playing rural dances to leading the house bands on the regional radio and television…

(ISLAND/AFRO-BEAT/REGGAE) reggae, zouk and Afrobeat under the stars!

Peace of Woodstock is a show paying tribute to Woodstock, the famous three day festival of Peace, Music, Love, and Fun, in upstate New York that defined an entire generation! This show will take you on a musical journey from the acoustic opening act of the Woodstock experience, Richie Havens through the closing moments of the festival with the explosive, electric sounds of Jimi Hendrix. Also featured are songs from Crosby, Stills, and Nash, The Who, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Joe Cocker,…

Yellow Dubmarine (BEATLES REGGAE TRIBUTE) Yellow Dubmarine pays tribute to the greatest Beatles songs of all time, performing the music from the "1" album in a tightly rehearsed reggae style. The album features every number-one single released by The Beatles in the United Kingdom and United States from 1962 to 1970. Issued on the 30th anniversary of the band's break-up, "1" was the world's best-selling album of the 21st century, selling over 31 million copies. Devoted to paying tribute to The…

DieDra Ruff & the Ruff Pro Band (BLUES) DieDra was born and raised in Norfolk, Va. Her father was a minister who taught and played the piano. DieDra was placed as the lead singer in her family's singing group, that was organized by her father. She began here career in 1998, when she received her first record deal from Boogiedown Productions, in New York. She was with the company for 10 years. In 2007, she signed with Ruff Pro Records,…

KoKo Ray And The Keepers is a spin off of Koko Ray And The Soul Providers, the mind child of Ray Hansen. The band came together in 1999 after Ray relocated to Florida. While constructing the band, Ray landed guitarist, John Purcell as part of the original band lineup. Ray knew John was exactly what he was searching for. After many incarnations of personnel through the years, the band has grown to being a dynamic R & B based rock…

After 4 years touring the Southeast, The Family has become known for their unique brand of foot-stomping organic rock and roll with jazz, blue grass, and psychedelic overtones. To abundant acclaim they've released the CD 'Come and Get It', an intoxicating musical brew with influences ranging from The Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, to The Avett Brothers.

(JAMBAND/TRIBUTE) Hippies please use side door... UJB has been faithfully bringing the music and spirit of the Grateful Dead to Skipper's every Thursday at Skipper's since 1998. unclejohnsband.com

Trae Pierce & the T-Stone Band (FUNK) Trae Pierce can funk you up. A veteran of the stage, Trae has been touring with bands such as Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Dr Hook, James Brown and more for over three decades. In addition to his time on the road, Trae has produced and recorded with hip-hop, rock and blues icons such as Flo-Rida, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, and Emmylou Harris. He has made appearances on national television…

More information to come.

Soul Circus Cowboys (COUNTRY) Bring together a group of musicians with a broad spectrum of tastes and influences and you’ll likely hear discord. But add their diverse array of life experiences to the mix and suddenly their differences start to complement each other. So it is with Tampa, Florida-based band, Soul Circus Cowboys. Their eclectic blend of musical styles and roads traveled make them one of the most unique new bands on the touring circuit. “I found the best musicians in…

Voo Davis Band (GUMBO BLUES) Guitarist/singer Voo Davis announces an April 28 release date for Midnight Mist, the third CD from this talented musician whose musical sound gumbo encompasses the roots of blues, with additional flavorings from Americana and jam band spices. Produced byDavis and recorded in organic analog sound at Bogalusa, Louisiana’s Studio in the Country, Midnight Mist includes a bonus video of “Riverside Blues,” filmed in and around Clarksdale, Mississippi, that perfectly captures the spirit of the new music on the album.…

Damon Fowler Group (BLUES) With his hybrid of roots rock, blues, and sacred steel, Florida native Damon Fowler started wowing audiences with his musical exploits as a teenager, building a reputation as one of the hottest young players on the scene. Adding songwriting and vocal skills to his repertoire over the years has brought him many accolades, with critics extolling his originality and maturity as well as his technical guitar expertise. In recent years “Best of Tampa” poll, Creative Loafing…

Will Quinlan and Holy Slow Train For twenty years Will Quinlan has been a beloved singer-songwriter in the Tampa Bay area. He turns raw emotion into earnest poetry with songs that are easily on par with the best of the Americana/Indie-Folk genre." Passerine From Sarasota, Passerine’s distinctive sound combines vocal harmonies, the crisp rhythms of an acoustic guitar, the haunting voices of the fiddle and dobro (resonator slide guitar), the resonant lows of an acoustic bass. With inventive vocal harmonies and song-writing,…

Xavier Johnson was involved in a serious tubing accident on Saturday, May 16 and sustained a severe head injury, and is now in a medically-induced coma. Xavier or "X" is a starting linebacker and fullback on the Sunlake High School football team. His father, Ross Johnson, is a pastor at Gathering Pointe Church. At this time it is still too early to tell what the recovery process will include for X. With that said, the family plans to prepare for the longer…

More information to come.

Mike Davis CD Release Party feat. Les Sabler, No Money Down, Steve Arvey and Rebecca the Songbird FREE CD WITH ADMISSION!  

Iron Mike Norton (SWAMP BLUES) The king of swamp stomp, blues recording artist and producer Iron Mike Norton is described by peers and critics as one of the most innovative and creative artists in the genre. Iron Mike combines elements of modern styles like hip hop, rock and techno with traditional hill country slide guitar blues. The result is a sound truly unique to Iron Mike alone. Based out of the swamps of Florida, Iron Mike has performed for audiences…

Pato Banton & The Now Generation (REGGAE) The legendary reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England returns to the Skipperdome! Pato Banton began recording in 1982, appearing on "Pato and Roger a Go Talk" (from Special Beat Service) with Ranking Roger of The Beat. His solo debut was 1987's Never Give In and he's released a near-constant stream of crowd-pleasers since then. A bit of trivia: Banton received the nickname Pato (Jamaican Patois for "wise owl") from his stepfather, and Banton…

Applebutter Express (UKULELE FUNK) Utterly charming ukes and vocals from this boy-girl (now man-wife) led group, now fortified with fiddle and upright bass, very popular with the jamband crowd, featuring stick-in-your-head originals and really clever reinterpretations of covers. w/ Kristopher James (AMERICANA/FOLK/SOUL) From the "Friendly City" of Bradenton, Florida, alt-folk troubadour Kristopher James channels the balanced line of life, love, doubts and hopes into "captivating music loaded with soft, acoustic guitar tunes and stunning vocals" (Music Gets Me By) ... On display in songs…

Holey Miss Moley (FUNK/SOUL) Holey Miss Moley is a nine piece Funk-Flavored Rock-Soul Infused Groove Factory based out of St.Petersburg, Florida. Their high-energy sound is reminiscent of old school 70's funk melded with elements of Disco, Jazz, Soul and Hip-hop creating a superb fusion that delights and energizes the crowd getting people up and dancing all night! These musicians have collaborated together for years and it shows through their tight-knit sound and well orchestrated music. Even better, they enjoy playing together and…

Michael Baldwin was instrumental (along with his fiddling partner, Richard Leps) in bringing music to Skipper's back in the mid-70s.  They, along with some other friends, entertained many during the Sunday music sessions.  Michael wrote and performed numerous songs and had a style and charm that intrigued many.  We will gather at Skipper's to celebrate his talent and share music and memories.  Please bring your guitars, fiddles, etc. and join in the music.  Enjoy music & old friends. 

Island Night w/Impulse (ISLAND/AFRO-BEAT/REGGAE) reggae, zouk and Afrobeat under the stars!