Bands Hit the Beach at Sun, Sand & Swing

Five great bands will have beachgoers dancing on the shoreline at Sun, Sand & Swing on Saturday, May 24, 2 to 11 p.m., on Treasure Island Beach at 104th Ave.

Sponsored by the Treasure Island Chamber of Commerce and the city of Treasure Island, the free concert will include sets by the following performers:

• The Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Band, 3:45 p.m. These musical gourmands promise to serve up a spicy gumbo of bayou and beach jazz.
• Lounge Cat, 5:15 p.m. This versatile six-piece combo swings, swaggers and sways with old-school blues, smokin’ jazz, sizzling swing, Ska and even Motown and Latin numbers.
• Mad Beach Band, 6:45 p.m. These guys have opened for acts like The Allman Brothers, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Molly Hatchet and Pure Prairie League … and Jimmy Buffett even jammed with them on one momentous occasion. The current lineup includes harmonica bluesman T.C. Carr, Pete Merrigan, Lenny Austin, Dave Williamson, Vinnie Seplesky and Tom Kennedy on drums.
• Tom Gribbin and the Saltwater Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. From Key West to the Mississippi Delta, this band takes audiences on a musical tour of the Gulf Coast and has shared the spotlight with icons like John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett and Johnny Cash.
• The Greg Billings Band, 9:45 p.m. Billings, a founding member of Stranger and Damn the Torpedoes, now plays with a new band made up of longtime friends – most of whom have been performing in the Tampa Bay area for years. They’ll close the show with their signature classic rock sound.

The event also will feature children’s activities, food and drink concessions and a skim board competition. Bring a beach blanket or lawn chairs, some sunscreen and an appetite for some of the area’s best bands. No extra charge for the stunning sunset, weather permitting.