Rapper T-Pain performs on stage during filming of SKEE Live on Tuesday January 14, 2014 in Los Angeles. He headlines the Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest in Palmetto on Sunday, April 13. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP)
Live music and seared meat should be a winning combination again this weekend at the Manatee County Fairgrounds. As in previous years, the 8th annual Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest takes an eclectic roster of recording artists ranging from big stars to popular local acts and, bunched together by genre, spreads them across a three-day, national barbecue competition. This year, Friday is for country fans, Saturday should appeal to neo-soul enthusiasts and Sunday has been mostly reserved for any of the millions of people who made the robotic, rap-pop ditty “Buy U A Drank” a massive hit in 2007.
Friday
6 p.m. One Night Rodeo: Bradenton-based country duo plays pop-informed country similar to Rascal Flatts and Alabama.
Tracy Lawrence performs at the 2013 CMA Music Festival at LP Field on Thursday June 6, 2013 in Nashville Tennessee.(Photo by John Davisson/Invision/AP)
8:30 p.m. Tracy Lawrence: One of the biggest country stars of the 1990s and early ’00s, the Georgia singer-songwriter’s polished honky tonk hits include “Alibis,” “Texas Tornado,” “Time Marches On” and “Paint Me A Birmingham.”
Saturday
2 p.m. NuJazz: Sarasota-Bradenton smooth jazz band plays hits by acts such as The Rippingtons, Spyro Gyra and Boney James.
3:30 p.m. Impulse: Popular Tampa Bay reggae band has been entertaining crowds across the state for more than a decade.
5 p.m. BK Jackson: How good is 20-something Tampa saxophonist BK Jackson? He tours with Prince. Yes, that Prince. Jackson recently toured the world as a member of the pop icon’s 11-piece horn section the New Power Generation (NPG) Orchestra.
7 p.m. Lyfe Jennings: Acoustic guitar-wielding R&B singer’s introspective, soulful hits include his 2005 breakthrough single “Must Be Nice,” “S.E.X.” and “Hypothetically.”
8:30 p.m. Musiq (Soulchild): Philly neo-soul singer surprised fans last year with “9ine,” a reggae album featuring soul singer-songwriter Syleena Johnson.
Sunday
2 p.m. Trinity 7: Tampa roots reggae band led by Jamaican singer Ras Meishak has played such notable area venues as Jannus Live and Skipper’s Smokehouse in recent months.
4 p.m. Doug E. Fresh: Hip-hop hero and beatboxing pioneer can be heard providing the mouth-made percussion sounds on the classic 1985 recordings “The Show” and "La Di Da Di," both with Slick Rick.
5:30 p.m. T-Pain: The King of Auto-Tune, T-Pain ruled the airwaves and won some Grammy Awards last decade with his raps and robotic vocals about partying, most famously on “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin'),” “Bartender” and “I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper).” The Tallahassee native remains popular, scoring a modest hit recently with the single “Up Down (Do This All Day)," from his upcoming fifth studio album “Stoicville: The Phoenix.”
Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribfest
Friday-Sunday, Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto; $15-$50; 746-7470; gulfcoastribfest.com