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Nite Out
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 6, 2003
Fundraising can be fun
Fans of local music need to get their patooties out to Skipper's Smokehouse this weekend to support our Tampa Bay area bands' efforts to get to the South By Southwest conference in Austin this March.
The second of five South By Southwest Showcase and Fundraisers features jam band The Gita, blues rockers Damon Fowler Group and folkie Rebekah Pulley, all contenders for slots at the industry-packed music conference where acts go to attract labels and media.
It's rigorous just being chosen to perform at the conference; dealing with the fun task of transporting your band, your equipment and your sound guy to Texas ain't easy, either.
This year, a handful of Tampa Bay area talent -- Ronny Elliott, the Washdown -- already have made the SXSW cut. Others still are waiting to hear. In the meantime, showcases like this one help put a little fun in the funding.
The showcase and fundraiser kicks off at 8 p.m. Sunday at Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. Admission is $5. For more information, call Skipper's at (813) 977-6474.
Future fundraisers, with different bands at each, include Feb. 15 at Tycoon's, 526 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; Feb. 22 at Liar's Club, 6416 N Florida Ave., Tampa; and March 1 at the State Theatre, 687 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.
-- GINA VIVINETTO, Times pop music critic