97X Next Big Thing was only the third concert I've ever attended and it would be the first one I've had in this atmosphere. My previous experiences were a Nickelback and Saliva show at the USF Sun Dome in 2001 and earlier this year, the 97X Backyard BBQ show at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, FL. This time, I would go the "The Amp". It used to be the Ford Amphitheater and now it's the 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheater. But I'm just going to call it The Amp for short. I've heard and read mixed reviews about this venue, so I had been a little cautious.
Getting to the Amp was another issue in itself. I overslept and ended up stuck in the off ramp traffic for an hour, due to 2 lanes converging into one and the wrap around convoy leading into the entrance. Not the Amp's fault. Unfortunately, I did miss GROUPLOVE, a band I had been looking forward to seeing. By the time I arrived inside, Manchester Orchestra began playing on the side stage and I believe I could hear an acoustic performance by Cage the Elephant off in the distance. Regardless, I wanted to get in line for The Pit.
This would be the area I would practically handcuff myself to for ten hours. This would be by far the closest I have ever been to a stage. And I will have to say, the security guards at the Amp were top notch, on top of everything, I felt completely safe in The Pit and I would gladly go back with complete confidence.
Sorry for the poor lighting, I just wanted to take a photo of the rest of the venue. You have your general seating areas and then the lawn behind that. Somewhere in the middle would be the VIP area, a place I would very much like to experience in the future!
This is most likely my best photograph from that day, as I was able to zoom in on Ritzy Bryan, lead singer of The Joy Formidable. I heard their single "Whirring" on 97X several months ago and I've seen them perform on Conan.
Ritzy was very energetic that day. She and the rest of her bandmates did not disappoint me!
This is Young the Giant doing their sound check ahead of their performance. During this time, AWOLNATION played at the side stage, but I did not want to lose my place in The Pit, so I remained in place.
This is Sameer Gadhia, the lead singer of Young the Giant. It was a very good performance and I absolutely loved "Cough Syrup".
The next band was an old favorite of mine, Taking Back Sunday. This is lead singer Adam Lazzara'
Taking Back Sunday played every single one of my favorites, such as "Make Damn Sure" and "Cute without the E".
Cage the Elephant was perhaps the most energetic act I had seen that day. I wasn't afraid to bop my head during their songs. Had it not been for holding the camera, I may have even fist pumped the air.
Cage the Elephant's lead singer, Matthew Shultz, was all over the place that day, including several crowd surfing moments and even standing up as he crowd surfed. I wish I had been able to take a photo of that moment, but I did get this iconic shot of Shultz.
Cage the Elephant's lead singer, Matthew Shultz, was all over the place that day, including several crowd surfing moments and even standing up as he crowd surfed. I wish I had been able to take a photo of that moment, but I did get this iconic shot of Shultz.
My new favorite band, Foster the People, had just been amazing. This was a band I had seen through Youtube streams of Coachella, Lollapalooza and ACL. I had missed their performance in Orlando in September and I was more than thrilled to have them come back to the Sunshine State. Unfortunately, it was during their performance where my digital camera died on me and I was forced to use my cell phone the rest of the night.
Mark Foster was several feet away from me quite a few times.
Bush really took me back to nostalgic times as a teenager. When I was about 13 or 14, I always wondered what it would be like to attend a live performance of Bush and thanks for 97X, my little boyhood dream had been fulfilled. This is guitarist Chris Traynor.
I wish I had my digital camera during Bush. Gavin Rossdale ran by me as he ventured through the Amp, going all the way up to the lawn section and back. I almost lost my voice singing my favorite, "Glycerine".
A Day to Remember may have been the loudest band of the night. Things got wild with toilet paper being thrown around, beach balls flying all over and Gumby throwing out t-shirts.
Like Matthew Shultz, Mark Foster and Gavin Rossdale, A Day to Remember's Jeremy McKinnon had been all over the stage.
And in a moment where I needed a real digital camera the most, this was the only photo I have of Sublime with Rome. Rome Ramirez wore a light shirt, which made him appear angelic to my cell phone camera. It was a great way to end the show and closed out on Sublime's old hits.
All in all, I had a blast at 97X Next Big Thing. Would I go again? Definitely? Would I go back to the Amp? Only if I can get back in the Pit! Will I get a better digital camera and batteries? It'll be a requirement for me in 2012!
In closing, I'd like to thank Carey and Leisure for making this concert a reality, the staff at the Amp for making my time there quite enjoyable, all the bands that were there, including the ones I unfortunately missed, such as FUN, Sleeper Agent, GroupLove and Manchester Orchestra and I would like to thank 97X for giving me a great experience.
Don't forget to check out my other post of where these bands are headed to next!
Can't wait until 2012!
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