New and Noteworthy for the week ahead

Jimmy Buffett
(April 22/St. Pete Times Forum/$28.25-$62.25)

When not suing the pants off of various fans of his music that dare put the words “cheeseburger” and “paradise” together within 500 yards of each other for any money-making venture, Buffett charges them close to a C-note to watch him waddle about on stage. Oh, and sing songs about conch fritters and parakeets. Good times for anyone over 40 pretending to be a “real” cigar smoker while wearing an ever-so-loony Hawaiian shirt.

Prince
(April 26/St. Pete Times Forum/$47.75-$75)

His name is Prince, and he is funky. Only Prince, in all of his royal-synthesized soulfulness, can pull off a phrase like that puppy. Go ahead; just try it. My name is Isaac, and I am funky; my name is Joan, and I am funky. Doesn’t quite work, does it? It’s a bold phrase for a man that, frankly, hasn’t put out anything funky since the early ’90s. This concert is all the more a swindle for the fact that his grace doesn’t play many of his old hits. Suck.

Dave Chappelle
(April 29/Improv/$35)

This show is sold out for a reason. Dave Chappelle is one of the funniest people alive right now, and is even considered by some to be the heir to Richard Pryor’s comedic throne. Chappelle’s Show is one of the funniest and most groundbreaking shows since Kids in the Hall and the best show ever helmed by an African-American. You’ll find three kinds of people at this show: morons who live by Chappelle’s self-maligned pot film, Half Baked, people who actually “get” his comedic genius and, of course, the unfunny drunk guy yelling “I’m Rick James, bitch!”