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Liner Notes

A weekly column by Tampa Tribune pop music critic Curtis Ross

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 15, 2009

Updated:

I grabbed a handful of new CDs I wanted to listen to the other day as I headed out to the car.

I was a few miles into the drive before it hit me that the three discs I'd grabbed were all by locals: "Sugar Shack" by blues-and-beyond guitarist Damon Fowler, "Anthems of a Mended Heart" by iconoclastic singer-songwriter Geri X, and "Into the Night" by alt-country hell-raisers Roppongi's Ace.

At the risk of stating the obvious, this is an exciting time for the Tampa area's music scene. And it's a great time for you to explore it if you haven't already.

Roppongi's Ace plays a CD release show tonight at New World Brewery in Ybor City. Geri X plays one tomorrow in St. Petersburg at State Theatre.

Fowler celebrates his new CD Jan. 30 at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, and then plays across the bay at Ringside Cafe in St. Petersburg on Feb. 6 and 7.

And for what you'd shell out to see The Eagles or Billy Joel and Elton John, you could see all three. And have dinner beforehand and drinks during. And hire a babysitter. And buy the CDs. And T-shirts. And so on. And the money stays in the local economy.

More importantly, you'll see and hear something fresh and new, and be part of something that's unique to the place and time you see it. Because face it, you could catch Joel and John or The Eagles anywhere and anytime on their tour route and see the same show.

Even more important is that the Tampa area has a wealth of really, really good bands - not "good for locals" but genuinely good. If you follow the herd you get treated like cattle. Celebrate what you've got or take out a second mortgage to hear a superstar replicate a CD. Your choice.

(Shameless plug: Check out Geri X on "What Goes On," the new local-music podcast on TBO Extra, with Rommie Johnson and, er, me.)

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