Weekend: Pop: Hot Ticket

Pop: Hot Ticket

By GINA VIVINETTO

David Byrne: One head may be best

David Byrne is still best known as the guy in the funny, big suit who fronted the Talking Heads. And why shouldn't he be? The Heads was one of the finest art rock bands to come out of the 1980s. And they were successful, too. Go figure.

But some folks prefer the solo Byrne,who has blended his love of world music and nutty pop to create a sound entirely his own. Byrne dabbles in film, performance art and owns and operates the ambitious Luaka Bop record label (home to his Latin music opening act Si Se').

Not bad for a guy who got his start playing ukulele after dropping out of art school.

David Byrne performs with Si Se' at 8 p.m. Friday at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. $27.50-$37.50. (813) 287-8844.

-- GINA VIVINETTO, Times pop music critic

Here comes 'The Big One'

"The Big One" is a multibill concert sponsored by WFLZ-FM 93.3 featuring Smash Mouth, LFO, Jessica Simpson and a slew of girly pop singers.

Last month, tragedy struck Smash Mouth when Presley Scott Harwell, the infant son of lead singer Steve Harwell, died of leukemia. After canceling several tour dates, the band, from San Jose, Calif., is back om the road performing the hits Walkin' On The Sun, All Star and I'm A Believer, an update of the classic Monkees' gem.

LFO are the numbskulls who namedropped the clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch in that Summer Girls hit a few years back.

Pop tart Jessica Simpson may not make the critics squeal with her sincere, sweet love tunes, but she seems nice enough, doesn't she?

Also on the Big One bill: up-and-comers Kaci, Dream, Tonya Mitchell, Eden's Crush and Willa Ford, who is more famous for being the reviled ex-gal pal of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter than for her music.

The Big One starts at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at the Ice Palace, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $9.33-$39.33. (813) 301-6600 or (813) 287-8844.

-- GINA VIVINETTO, Times pop music critic