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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 21, 2002
The best kind of culture clash
Southern Culture on the Skids, a quartet from Chapel Hill, N.C., is a perennial visitor to the Tampa Bay area, packing the State Theatre last year. SCOTS -- as the act is known to enthusiasts -- raised a ruckus with songs about trailer parks, cheap women, crazy families and strong moonshine.
Singer/guitarist Rick Miller showed fans a thing or two about redneck chic. Miller wore his striped bowling shirt over a grandaddy-style tank top, red pants and blue suede shoes. And Miller dashed off tasty guitar licks that echoed those of rock 'n' roll's glory days.
Bassist Mary Huff sported a sky high bouffant, but played with fiery pluck and sang like a hellbent Loretta Lynn.
Southern Culture On The Skids is all about a good time, raucous music, and to heck with right and wrong, folks, this here's rock 'n' roll.
SCOTS, with Hatebombs as an opening act, appears at 8 p.m. Saturday at the State, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. $15. (727) 895-3045.
Weezer scored two MTV hits in 1994 with Buddy Holly, famous for its fun video of Weezer spliced into old Happy Days footage, and Undone -- The Sweater Song, both from the band's stellar eponymous debut. Its follow-up, the critically underappreciated Pinkerton, was a commercial dud. Weezer went on hiatus, with lead singer Rivers Cuomo going back to Harvard.
But six years later, Weezer went on tour (though without original bassist Matt Sharp or a current hit). The group filled the USF Sun Dome last February with almost 8,500 dancing college students.
Most of the audience's twentysomethings weren't college students when Weezer was earning critical raves, but they are old enough to remember the band's smart, bouncy pop and its clever lyrics.
The show last year was part of a promotion by Yahoo, which sold tickets online without service charge for $15. It will cost at least twice that to see Weezer this year.
The group plays at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ice Palace, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. Tickets are $27.50 plus service charges. (813) 223-1000.