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Tropical Heatwave's musical sampler

Jazz and rock? Reggae and blues? It all can be heard at the annual Ybor City bash, where eclectic bands play eclectic music.

TAMPA - Tropical Heatwave offers a smorgasbord of music, and unless you have a monster appetite (and the ability to be in several places at once) you won't be able to sample everything.

Here's a rundown of what's scheduled to help you make the most of your time at Heatwave. Keep in mind that human beings and machines are involved in all this, so the schedule may get a little off-kilter. But the WMNF people are pretty adept at staging these multiband, multistage shows, so usually the schedule aberrations are minor.

5:30 p.m.: Gates open.

6 p.m.: The Feetwave Parade. This is the second annual kickoff parade; to participate, show up after 4 p.m. at Ninth Avenue and Republica de Cuba, the starting point of the parade. Wear costumes, ride tricycles, be silly.

6-7 p.m.: Heritage O.P. One of the evening's most distinctive bands, Heritage O.P. is a New York percussion-based group that plays ancient music from Africa and the Caribbean with a voice that speaks to modern audiences.

7:20-8:40 p.m.: The Waifs. If you're a Heatwave regular, you're probably a Waifs fan. The Australian band, a Heatwave fave, plays delicious, intelligent pop music with tight, sisterly harmonies.

9-10:20 p.m.: Paul Thorn. It's usually wise to avoid "Southern rock," but Thorn has a soulful style and a twisted outlook that make his music worth a listen.

10:40 p.m.-midnight: Chuck Prophet. (See adjacent story.) A sort of Wilco meets Beck, Prophet plays odd but endearing Americana. He wields a killer voice, he's backed by an amazing Farfisa-driven band, and a lot of women think he's the cutest guy in rock 'n' roll.

12:20-2 a.m.: The Gourds. Like a lot of current Texas bands, the Gourds are so eclectic that they're hard to define. They're best known for joyous, high-energy live shows.

6:20-7:20 p.m.: Saturn 5. A decent rock 'n' roll party band.

7:40-8:40 p.m.: Tribal Style. If you like reggae, check these guys out. Supposedly they have a roots sound, but they mix it up.

9-10:05 p.m.: Amandala. These local practitioners of soukous, an African dance music, have been out of action for a couple of years, but they're back with an expanded lineup.

10:25-11:35 p.m.: Jibreel and Eclectic Soul. An Orlando band led by spoken word artist Jibreel. They say this about themselves: "The journey of the music is a tapestry of the microcosm of humanity." You've been warned.

Midnight-1:30 a.m.: Rico Monaco and Sol Sons. If you like Santana you'll like these guys. They play guitar-driven, Latin-flavored rock, and their live shows are said to be great.

6:20-7:30 p.m.: Lee Boys. A straight-up gospel harmony outfit from Miami.

7:50-9:20 p.m.: Chris Ardoin. An up-and-coming zydeco accordionist.

9:40-11:10 p.m.: Lucky Peterson. With his straight-ahead, soulful electric blues, Tampa vocalist-guitarist-organist Peterson is one of the local blues scenes' prime movers.

11:30 p.m.-1 a.m.: Mofro. A North Florida band with a barefoot, moonshine-drinkin', hound-dog-on-the-front-porch sensibility.

6:15-7:15 p.m.: Barely Pink: Too bad they're playing so early. Barely Pink is a great local power-pop band in the Cheap Trick mold. They made a lot of new fans at WMNF's Beatles tribute at Skipper's when they performed a dynamic version of side two of Abbey Road.

7:35-8:45 p.m.: Midnight Ramblers. Once known as Rocket 88, they're one of the most popular Americana bands in the country.

9:05-10:20 p.m.: Ronny Eliott and the Nationals. One of those bands that's bigger in other parts of the world than in their hometown, Ronny Eliott's current outfit is one of the most respected forces in Americana. Eliott has almost legendary status locally, dating back to his days in Duckbutter and the Outlaws.

10:35-11:45 p.m.: DJ Le Spam & the Spam All Stars. Horrible name. But this group has gotten some good press for its neo-dance music.

Midnight-2 a.m.: Hip Hop Showcase. A whole bunch of Florida's best hip-hop artists all in one place: CYNE, Double Helix, Red Tide, X of Transparent Dark Productions and others.

6:30-7:30 p.m.: Patchouli. A Chicago duo brings us folk music with lyrics about peace, love, understanding, sunshine, cotton candy and butterflies.

7:50-9:05 p.m.: Irritable Tribe of Poets. A collective of instrumentalists and spoken-word artists.

9:15-10:15 p.m.: Eric "Red" Schwartz. If anyone asks you, "What do Beowulf and Dr. Demento have in common?" this guy's the answer. His odd, often deliberately offensive music is a staple on Dr. Demento's show, and he recently composed music for a college production of Beowulf. Hard to define, obviously, but sure to be interesting.

10:30-11:15 p.m.: Utah Carol. Folk-rock boy-girl harmony duo.

11:35 p.m.-12:40 a.m.: Nexus/Plexus. As the name suggests, this is an experimental jazz group.

1 a.m.-end: MOD. An odd local trio that uses lots of effects to dress up eclectic jazz.

6:50 - 7:45 p.m.: D'Visitors. Locals who mix Latin and African music with funk.

8:05-9 p.m.: The Cocktail Honeys. Among the current darlings of the Tampa Bay area alt-rock scene, Cocktail Honeys specialize in loud, driving but melodic rock.

9:20-10:15 p.m.: Big Kitty. Local garage-punk.

10:35-11:30 p.m.: Crippled Masters. A fairly new Pinellas garage band.

11:50 p.m.-12:45 a.m.: Tim Version. Hard, distinctive alt-rock.

1:05 a.m.-end: The Boats. An eclectic and popular local outfit that mixes everything from jazz to punk.

6:30-7:25 p.m.: Soupbone. Funk with a rock edge.

7:40-8:35 p.m.: Biscuit Boys. A Nashville quintet that plays high-energy country-rock.

8:50-9:45 p.m.: River Cove Ramblers: The Ramblers just came into being last year, but immediately became a local hit with their laid-back bluegrass-pop, featuring some of the area's best rock musicians.

10:15-11:10 p.m.: O Som Do Jazz. This is the latest project from local avant-garde composer David Manson, perhaps best known for the EMIT music series. O Som Do Jazz isn't quite avant-garde, but it's adventurous, mixing Brazilian rhythms and modern jazz.

11:30 p.m.-end: Chris Butler. Another Heatwave highlight, Butler was the driving force behind the semi-novelty ultra-pop band the Waitresses (I Know What Boys Like, the theme from Square Pegs) and now makes high-energy low-tech CDs that he records on Thomas Edison-style wax cylinders.

PREVIEW: The 22nd Tropical Heatwave starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at various venues in Ybor City. $25 advance; $30 at the door. Under 12 free, $10 for ages 12-21. Late-night ticket (after 11 p.m.) is $15. Go to tropicalheatwave.org for more information.