Article By Nanette Wiser
Kirk Adams
St. Pete songwriter Kirk Adams wows me. Saw him at DTSP’s The Hideaway Café’s outdoor seating, socially distanced Friday night performances 8:30am-10:30pm, one of the best venues in town. His songs are addicting, and I love his CDs “Night Owls Boogaloo and Bottle Club” and “After Hours.” You may have caught him in past years at Ricky T’s or with Lords of the Ringside, a staple at the old Ringside Café on 4th Street or his other band, The Honeybadgers. Pre-COVID 19, he picked up gigs at Ruby’s Elixir, Ricky T’s, Saltwater Hippie, Middle Grounds Grill, Flute & Dram, the Ale & the Witch, The Toasted Monkey and others. Tune in to www.soundcloud.com/kirk-adams.
The Ries Brothers
I met The Ries Brothers, a duo from Clearwater, at 10 News a few years ago when they were just getting famous for their blend of rock, blues, funk, and reggae melded into a soulful-sophisticated sound. Older brother Charlie (24) sings lead vocals while simultaneously playing drums and keyboard bass; younger brother Kevin Jordan (20) plays guitar, provides background vocals and co-writes many of their songs.
Discovered by the band Chicago as teens who took them out for two tours, The Brothers’ inimitable live performances have captured fans and major festival bookings. After Supporting a G Love & Special Sauce tour in 2018, G Love asked the brothers to tour as his backing band and open his solo tour. They repeated that feat again in 2019. In between the brothers completed their own solo tours in addition to supporting major artists like Stick Figure, 311, Ballyhoo, Pepper, Galactic, Stephen Marley, and playing major festivals Rootfire, Cali Roots, Gasparilla, Sun Fest, and Summer Camp.
The duo recently completed their second full-length album, “Paint Your Emotion,” produced by John Agnello (Screaming Trees, Dinosaur JR, Patti Smythe.) The Ries Brothers have been named as a breakout artist by Creative Loafing, a favorite band by The Tampa Bay Times, and were two out of 25 selected from the state of Florida to participate in the exclusive Los Angeles Grammy Museum’s Music Revolution Project. They will perform at St. Pete Reggae Rise Up 3/20/21 with more gigs to be announced.