Dave Matthews Band and Gov’t Mule Rock the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre

Wednesday July 28, 2010 the recently renamed 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre hosted Dave Matthews Band with Gov’t Mule opening. At 7:00pm the Amphitheatre was looking pretty sparse, even in the General Admission pit area where fans were pushing each other to get closest to the sage and to the first glimpse of Dave.

Dave accompanied Gov’t Mule as they took the stage to give them a proper introduction to kick off the music of the evening. Some of their songs sounded as though they were channeling Neil Young with that country-Americana twang. Their amazing melodies, strong guitar riffs and fluid transitions drew in the fans, keeping people steadily trickling in during their set.

Gov’t Mule was one of those bands that everyone kind of knows, or at least should know in some way, but may not be able to name a single song they’ve ever played or heard. They definitely warmed up the crowd for DMB, leaving them with quite the act to follow and ended with a rocking jam-session complete with a sweet saxophone solo, establishing the laid-back vibe of the concert.
By about 8pm people were pouring in and what first looked sparse was now packed. The beer was flowing and we watched as the General Admission Pit, an area that I’d heard an avid DMB fan claim was a necessity for their shows, was too full for most of the fans to move, let alone dance.

The Dave Matthews Band took the stage around 8:30 and the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre
audience gave a roaring welcome to them all. Dave immediately sang with such intensity in his voice and I knew we were all in for an evening to remember. The sunset amidst the sky after the thunderstorms just made the ambiance all the more romantic, complementing the wonderful Dave Matthews Band style and music. Watching them in action, Dave especially, was more exhilarating and entertaining than I’d even imagined.

The lights and added video screens made the stage a very groovy place. It was evident that Dave was feeling every note he played from head to toe: his closed eyes to hit the right notes, his foot keeping time to each strum. His talent radiated off the stage, just adding more positivity to the vibe and the crowd was feeding off of it.

Dave Matthews Band quickly commanded the attention of the audience showing they were quite the musical force to be reckoned with. This was one of those shows where taking notes was unnecessary; you had to dance with the crowd, sing along, and take it all in!

There were very few fans found sitting. It was hard to be still when DMB busted out songs like “Big Eyed Fish” and “Warehouse.” They kept it pretty up-beat considering a great deal of their hits were a bit softer. It was the kind of show that made you nostalgic, taking you back to the first time you heard, “Crash into Me.”

Those soulful, sensual notes that Dave hit soothed the soul and could make his harshest critics fall head over heels for him. I’ll admit that I had a big love-hate relationship with Dave Matthews Band for a long time. When I was younger I thought they were overrated and I couldn’t stand that “I Did It” song. But, then I gave them a chance and I fell for them. They have a unique sound that’s so easy to listen to, you can’t even complain about them really. My husband admitted he couldn’t name one single DMB song but he knew he’d heard most of them. I caught him rocking out and singing to a few.

The chemistry among the band was impressive. I’ve seen groups who have played together for much longer, play less in sync with one another. No one missed a beat and every single player was able to shine. They finished each others’ “phrases.” When the horns came in it was distinct and just added to the musical quality. Watching the violin player and Dave have little string-battles was hilarious, and made some musical marvels. The guitar players were strong and really gave depth to the songs and Dave’s finger-picking and rocking out on that guitar was hypnotic.

I have to give DMB credit where credit is due, they rocked it! It was a mind-blowing performance and watching it all happen on stage was like being taken to an entirely different level. Even the slower tempo songs revved up the crowd. The passion of the musicians was evident all around, from the smooth, rhythmic changes to the lyrical storytelling and dynamic sounds coming from the wide array of instruments rocking on that stage.

I’d heard a few Dave fans say that they’d heard them play better sets. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed he didn’t play anything from “Everyday,” and only played one song from “Busted Stuff,” but in turn he played a lot from “Under the Table and Dreaming.” They even played a brand new song, one in which Dave claimed “We’d never played that before so we’re just glad we got through it.”Dave Matthews Band left their fans electrified, excited and all danced out. For a

Wednesday night, what more could you really ask for. They are great performers, to say the least, and for my first DMB show, it just left me wanting more. Although they didn’t play all my favorite songs, the night was nothing short of awesome, and it seemed like Dave Matthews Band had just as much fun as his audience did.

An Evening with Weird Al Yankovic at the Mahaffey Theater

Parody-master and satirical singer, Weird Al Yankovic, stopped in St. Petersburg on Sunday, July 25th to oblige his many fans with a fun-filled tour. Al’s been around for almost thirty years bringing Polka, musical parodies, strange stories, hilarious antics, and his wonderful Weirdness to audiences all over. With his curly mane of hair longer than ever, and a newly released Fall ‘09 album, Al was ready to rock, and that he did!

My husband is a big Al Fan. He loved ALTV, UHF and had seen him twice live prior at state fairs. I memorized his album “Bad Hair Day” by the time I was 11 but had never had the opportunity to watch him in action until last night. We arrived at the Mahaffey excited to see another new venue, especially in St. Petersburg. We were surrounded by Al fans of all ages.

This was the most diverse audience I’ve ever seen. There were people that must have been at least 65 alongside children as young as 4. Kids and their parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters all knew the words and were laughing along with his every move.

Al had a huge screen that was split into thirds with amazing video intros for the show and for certain songs. He had montages, clips from ALTV, video clips from shows where he’d guest starred or been mentioned, and random little skits here and there to keep the audience enthralled throughout the evening.

The Theme from ALTV kicked off the show, then Weird Al took the stage and with accordion in hand he busted out one of his infamous polka montages with parodies of “Poker Face,” “Womanizer,” “Right Round,” “I Kissed a Girl,” “Fireflies” “Blame It,” “Break Your Heart,” and “Tik Tok,” to really get the crowd going. I was surprised to see it was not a full house but the energy of the crowd was contagious. As soon as Al started playing around, we were all hypnotized by his comedic stage presence.

He had amazing costume changes, sported the quintessential Al crazy shirts with strange patterns and flamboyant colors, and even had his band put on costumes to complement him from time to time. After the opener he played, “You Make Me,” complete with some psychotic, arm-flailing dance moves causing my husband to chuckle and say, “He’s Al-tastic!”

I was laughing the entire night with the rest of the audience, a rare occurrence at most concerts, in my experience. Any songs he didn’t play during the official set were almost all acknowledged in his video interludes. He played selections from his entire catalog, which made it possible for every single fan to enjoy the show to the fullest.

“Good Old Days” came on, then “Smells like Nirvana” was played with cheerleaders to back up Al after he’d dressed grunge-like with a blonde wig to personify Kurt Cobain. “Skipper Dan,” then an amazing parody of James Blunt called, “You’re Pitiful” followed. For the mocking of “You’re Beautiful,” Al shed layers from under the blue raincoat, ending up with a sequined shirt, then a shirt that read “Atlantic Records Still Sucks,” then a “Spongebob” tee. Al then shed his pants to reveal a pink tutu and heart-patterned boxers to complete the outfit, and proving his devotion to his craft.

Amidst the video clips we saw ALTV faux interviews with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Robert Plant, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, and Celine Dion, When I looked up the band was sporting Devo outfits to rock “Dare to be Stupid,” followed by the recent hit, “CNR.” To keep the mix going he played bit from the UHF soundtrack, “Let Me Be Your Hog,” continuing the rocking with, “Canadian Idiot.”

“Wanna Be Ur Lovr,” constituted a change into a full-on red, zebra suit. “Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies,” “Whatever You Like,” a Gilligan’s Island Parody, “Ebay,” “Bedrock Anthem,” “Another One Rides The Bus,” “Ode to a Superhero,” and the classic, “Gump” pushed the audience into the second hour of the epic set, and they were ready for more.

Complete with a red leather jacket and attempts at Jackson-like dance moves, “Eat It,” was performed, followed by “Craigslist.” Finally he played the one I’d been waiting for that I still knew all the words to, “Amish Paradise.” Just after, complete with a hoodie fashioned with the song title on the front, and riding on a Segway, Al rapped some “White and Nerdy.”

For the big finale he’d been made up and conformed into being “Fat,” “You know it!” During the song he’d jump on the stage and his audience members would pop out of their seats in unison as if to be affected by his largeness. He ended the evening with a standing ovation and smiles etched into the faces of his fans.

Persuaded back to do an encore, Al, his band-mates, with whom I suspect was his road crew, came out in Jedi, StormTrooper, Imperial Guard, and even Darth Vader costumes ready for “The Saga Begins.” To round out the Star Wars tribute, they finished with “Yoda,” which included an interlude of almost completely indecipherable chants, sounds, and chatter by Al and the band making quite the spectacle. They were in perfect unison during this crazy exchange to finish out the night.

It was “Al-tastic” indeed! The night was amazingly hilarious, and one that will never be forgotten. Whether it was your first Weird Al experience or your 50th the Mahaffey theater show definitely left fans feeling weirder than ever before!

Ringo Starr And All Starr Band Rock Ruth Eckerd Hall July 13, 2010

Almost a week after his 70th birthday Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band left the crowd star-struck at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall. The backdrop for the stage was a huge, psychedelic star with star-gazer lilies all over. It was a sold out show hosting a different audience than I’d become accustomed to at Ruth Eckerd. It was chock-full of hippies, Beatles fans, 70’s music alumni, and fans of this year’s line-up of the All Starr Band.

Yes, the “All Starr” is indeed a pun intended. In his eleventh line-up Ringo brought with him Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Wally Palmer, Richard Page, Rick Derringer, and Gregg Bissonette. Ringo was definitely the glue that held it all together but this was an amazing gathering of musicians onstage.

The lights dimmed, the applause started and the All Starrs came out and then introduced the great Ringo Starr, who took the stage with his hands making peace signs and a big smile. Everyone in the crowd got up to give him the standing ovation he deserved. For being 70, Ringo looked great, and seemed to be feeling good and full of energy. The BeatleMania and perhaps the corny-nostalgic part of me fought off a tear while in awe of this music-legend.

They opened with “It Don’t Come Easy.” People were shouting “Happy Birthday” to him and Ringo thanked them joking, “You can always send the gifts to the dressing room.” There were two drum sets on the stage, one for Ringo to periodically play, and one with a drummer constantly keeping beat with the rest of the band. Mostly Ringo rocked out on center stage but three songs into the set, they changed it up, and the crowd loved it.

Ringo introduced Rick Derringer, once the lead singer of the McCoys, who said that his parents had made it to the show and claimed, “They still had the Billboard Chart where the McCoys song was #1 and the Beatles “Yesterday” was #2, although that only lasted a week.” Then they played that old #1 hit, “Hang on Sloopy.” The show had officially taken off.

The chemistry with these guys was amazing and it was great to see this group of musicians brought together to just reminisce, rock out and have fun. Edgar Winter was introduced next and busted out the 70’s classic, “Free Ride” complete with a sweet keyboard solo on a keyboard he had strapped around him so it lay flat on his waist. He claimed he was the first musician to play the keyboard in this fashion so he could move around the stage, and not be stuck in one place.

Winter then introduced Wally Palmer, a Detroit-native who played with “The Romantics,” and kept the crowd going. Everyone was singing along to “Talking in Your Sleep,” and for this piece Edgar Winter played a great saxophone solo.

They threw the Beatles-classic “I Wanna Be Your Man” into the rotation then introduced Gary Wright to play “Dream Weaver,” which he attributed some of his inspiration for this song to George Harrison. The psychedelic background with colors changing and lights all over got kind of romantic, and the crowd was in love.

Ringo and His Starrs played all those songs that have been on the radio for decades that are so contagious, you know all the words to, but you could never get sick of. It was then that Richard Page was introduced as the former lead and bass player of Mr. Mister to play the 80’s-rific tune, “Kyrie,” prompting the entire audience to clap along to the beat. With that, they had finished the first rotation and moved onto the next throwing Ringo in the middle here and there. Each of Ringo’s Starr’s had the chance to rock out to their fullest and amp up the audience to the max.

It was one of those great concerts where instead of being tired and wondering how long they’ll play or when it will end, you can’t wait to hear what’s next, hoping they play all night! They played for two hours and ended with a tune that Ringo claimed hadn’t gotten such a good response at their other shows. He said he’d leave it up to the Clearwater audience to decide whether or not to keep it on the set list.

So, when they played, “With a Little Help from My Friends” the crowd went completely nuts, therefore deciding that they keep it as part of the show. For the first time since the opening everyone in the audience was standing, singing and dancing.

The big finale was a Lennon-esque tribute of “Give Peace a Chance.” Ringo was left with yet another standing ovation as the audience sent their love to Ringo as he left the stage. The All Starrs took their finale bows. Disappointingly there was no encore but the crowd exited Ruth Eckerd on a major music high after this awesome blast from the past on a Tuesday night with Ringo and his All Starr Band!

Ice Ice Baby was Too COLD!

July 9, 2010 Vanilla Ice took over the stage at the Tropicana Field after Cleveland stung the Rays with a victory. Unlike usual protocol for the Rays Concert Series there were no wristbands, no VIP section, and anyone who attended the game could hit the field afterwards to watch the show.

When I saw that Vanilla Ice was coming to the Tampa Bay area, I thought, why not? I mean who doesn’t like “Ice, Ice Baby”? But I shortly realized the man only had one song, so perhaps it may be a short show. Then my husband reminded me that he did the Ninja Turtles 90’s theme song so I was pretty stoked to see Rob Van Winkle in action.

It turns out that “Ice, Ice Baby” was indeed “Too cold, too cold” as the performance was quite chilling. Vanilla Ice rode onto the field in a Ray’s logo-covered Hummer, while the stage was being set up. There were skeleton-ghost-clownish figures all over the stage, both props and people in costumes. People had rushed to the stage. Most of the fans were drunk, twenty-somethings but some were familes with kids in tow trying to get a glimpse of Vanilla Ice himself.

After a foggy intro Rob Van Winkle appeared and the show had begun. Being in the crowd was intense. He opened with “Dirty South” and his harsh and no longer teenage voice bounded through the Tropicana Field. His angry, nonsensical lyrics keep people’s attention for the first few minutes but a quick glance through the field showed the fans wanting one thing: to hear “Ice, Ice Baby.”

I can’t lie, it was all pretty bad. His scruffy and scraggly voice made his older songs sound terrible. There was so much hype and very little to show for it. Half of the audience probably didn’t even know who Vanilla Ice was, let alone what songs he was famous for.
To introduce “Ninja Rap,” he said, “I still love the Ninja Turtles,” yet he changed the song. It wasn’t the same, and neither was “Ice Ice Baby.” It was like he was trying to be Eminem meets ICP, with his dancing clowns and kicking water bottles all over the crowd.

It didn’t matter what song he was playing, he still managed to get the “Ice, Ice Baby” hook into every song. During his performance of “Ice, Ice Baby,” which was reminiscent of nothing from the 90’s, he had girls from age 8-28 on stage being sprayed with water. He only played 45 minute set and after the first song we left the crowd to get away from the drunken masses.

It was pretty disappointing. Perhaps the expectations were too high but it wasn’t even entertaining. Every other song he plugged his upcoming album and his website. Rob Van Winkle produced two cult classics and somehow seemed annoyed to go, “Back to the Old School,” as he called it. He was trying to be rough and tough and badass in his Hustler t-shirt but he just fell flat.

I think my husband summed it up best when he said “At least we got to see the Rays, I mean they lost and that was still the high point.”

Taking off clothes with Barenaked Ladies

Who doesn’t love Barenaked Ladies? Both nude females and the band are always a hit! On Saturday June 26th after the Rays played the Diamondbacks the Barenaked Ladies rocked the stage on Tropicana Field.


The Concert Series at the Trop experience was quite interesting. The Rays won, leaving the crowd elated and ready to rock on 90’s night with BNL and sing along to their chart-toppers. After the game the fans were lining up ready to rush the field and get a place near the stage. Those without wristbands hung around in the stands and caught the concert by big-screen TV.
They set up the stage in about 35 minutes and then the Barenaked Ladies were introduced by a radio personality who announced that they had a new album called “All in Good Time” coming out later this year. The Barenaked Ladies came out, a couple wearing their Rays T-Shirts, and greeted the eager audience.


They opened with “The Old Apartment,” and after the lead singer said “Hello, we’re from the 90’s!” He went on to explain that although they don’t consider themselves just a “90’s” band, that since most of their number ones came in the 90’s they had no problem rocking on 90’s night with the fans at the Trop.


“Get in Line” was played next, followed by “Falling for the First Time.” Then front-man Ed Robertson, said “I know that sports fans are a superstitious bunch, I just want to point out that you invited Barenaked Ladies to come play and you won!” From there he went to say that for every time the Trop would invite them back, the Rays would win. They launched into a little rap-montage about how this would be a new pattern to start.


“Who Needs Sleep?” was followed by a little sneak peak at their new album and a few songs from earlier work to bring the 90’s back one note at a time. The fans were singing a long, some audience members were just intrigued by their performance. They were very animated on stage and played around a lot. Even if you didn’t know any of the words, they Barenaked Ladies kept you completely entertained.


Of course they played “One Week,” “Too Little, Too Late,” “It’s All Been Done,” and “Pinch Me.” They played my personal favorite, a huge crowd pleaser, “If I Had a Million Dollars,” and finished with a cover of “Magic” with a little hip-hop, freestyle montage throwing in a few dance steps here and there to leave the crowd smiling as they left. They came back for a quick encore, leaving the crowd with “Brian Wilson.”


Their set was pretty short. Maybe 80 minutes at best but they won over the audience easily. Kids loved it, parents loved it even more, and anyone who fell in love with the Barenaked Ladies in the 90’s left completely satisfied. BNL had fun on stage, which made for a great way to celebrate the Rays victory on 90’s night at the Trop. We should have BNL back again and again just to keep the Rays at the top of their game!

Earth, Wind and Fire at Ruth Eckerd Hall Make the World a Better Place

Amidst the thunderstorms during hurricane season, Earth, Wind and Fire came to Clearwater on Tuesday Night, June 29th, 2010. With no opener, there was a full house promptly at 8pm in anticipation of the performance.

With the exception of the Backstreet Boys concert, I’m pretty sure that Ruth Eckerd Hall hosts almost the same audience with every show. People-watching was quite interesting and the crowd was pretty diverse. The EWF stage set-up was filled with percussion, bongos, snares, and a full on drum set. There were instruments all over the place!

The lights dimmed and the show had begun. About nine musicians took the stage with no sign yet of the three main men that made up Earth, Wind and Fire. Red lights, a loud instrumental introduction, and a circular opaque screen allowed EWF to take the stage as a kind of retro-psychadelic – funkadelic aura hit the crowd. Everyone was standing up and ready to take a trip back to the 70’s and party!

The bass player had leopard-fringed bell-bottoms on with a puffy white shirt that was something out of Seinfeld, while the two lead singers wore sparkly, loud tops and jeans. They opened with “Boogie Wonderland” and the night of disco had officially begun. All of the band members were multi-talented as they moved from playing one instrument to another. Only the drummer and the horn section were stationery, and even the horn section had some sweet dance steps to keep up with the rest.

Everyone was moving and dancing throughout the show; the crowd went nuts! It was disco-tastic! I had a devout fan sitting next to me and asked how familiar I was with the music. I realized throughout the show that EWF played all those funky disco classics that we’ve danced to, that we all know but can never remember who played it.

Ladies were going crazy but I couldn’t stop watching the bass player. His outfit alone was eye-catching but he must have channeled Rick James because his stage presence was this hypnotically, manic, funky attitude that had everyone grooving right along with him. The band had a lot of fun on stage. Their chemistry was amazing.

They played all of their greatest hits like “September,” “Let’s Groove,” “Sing A Song,” “Fantasy,” and “Shining Star.” One song kind of blended into another in what turned out to be a Disco Jam Session. At one point water was poured on the drums to make a splash as the two lead singers played percussion solos.

There were various degrees of fan-hood and ages throughout the seats of Ruth Eckerd Hall. The die-hard fan next to me explained that their original lead wasn’t with them so it just wasn’t the same. He admitted that they were putting on a great show but in so many ways it just wasn’t the same as his first experience with them in the 70’s. I overheard another fan commenting on a friend bringing her daughter. She said, “She knows one song,” and the other gentleman commented, “I know about 5.” It was shortly after this that my concert neighbor commented that everyone should be up dancing and singing along, no one should be sitting!

They took a break about an hour in to let fans refill on drinks and for them to change clothes and dry off. The bass player came back with fringed jeans complete with a USA flag and symbol on each leg, and the leads came back with more loud, sparkly shirts and suit jackets. They did band-member introductions and started a set of what they referred to as “Baby-making numbers,” which consisted of slow songs like “After the Love is Gone” and tunes sweet enough to sing you to sleep.

The lead hit some high notes that could shatter glass and wowed the crowd. You could hear the passion in the piercing notes that even Mariah Carey and Celine Dion couldn’t hit. The second part of the set kept the crowd going and they ate it all up. The played for over two hours and then came back to adorn their devout fans with an encore.

Earth, Wind, and Fire are no doubt great performers, but their music and stage presence is definitely something unbeknownst to my generation! Tuesday night was the definition of a blast from the past, and their true fans fell in love with them even more! EWF may be a man short, but they are definitely not lacking anything when it comes to their performance, and their fans would most certainly agree. I think they all left Ruth Eckerd Hall with disco-fever, because I sure did!