Ybor City is heating up again this Friday and Saturday with WMNF 88.5’s 34th annual Tropical Heatwave 2015.
That’s right! On May 1-2, a total of eight different venues will host over 60 talented bands in what has become one of the longest running music festivals in the country.
Tropical Heatwave 2015 is a celebration of all WMNF, “Community Conscious” Radio”, has become - and - what better way to celebrate all that they’ve done over the years than to party with live music, as a community?
The premiere venue for both nights is Ybor’s bold and lively Cuban Club which will host most of the main bands the first night. Split into four stages, here's a snapshot of a few of the headliners on tearing it up on Friday May 1st:
Professor Penny Goode’s Mighty Flea Circus. Swing, “jump blues”, and rockabilly; these fleas will keep the Cuban Club’s Ballroom hoppin’ well into the night!
WAHH World Fusion Band. Deeply rooted in India’s traditional musical culture, “WAHH!” is an artful weaving together of all things jazz, rock, and funk and will keep up the funk well past midnight in the Cuban Club’s theater.
The Congress. Hailing from Denver, Colorado, and described as “equal parts rock and roll, old-school music, and outlaw country,” The Congress promises a filibuster of incredible rock in the Cuban Club’s cantina.
MarchForth Marching Band. MarchForth is a musical spectacle to be reckoned with. A “sonic explosion” delivered by 20 musicians, dancers and artisans who travel the world, year-round, MarchForth does not simply “put on a show,” but “delivers a multi-faceted, indelible experience for those who are lucky enough to be in attendance.”
If you are looking for something more quaint and low-key Friday night, your ticket includes the option to head on over to the New World Brewery which will include a full lineup headlined by Row Jomah, a jammin’ five-piece band from Clearwater, ready to “make you rethink your perception of what rock music is.”
On Saturday, the Cuban Club is once again chock-full of dynamic, live entertainment but shares it’s “Heatwave” wonder with four other venues: New World Brewery, Crowbar The Ritz Ybor, and The Ritz’s Side Room. Headliners include:
Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Straight from the soulful heart of New Orleans, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band promises to punctuate the “heatwave” with a barrage of jazz, rock, funk, and soul unlike you’ve ever seen! One of the best-known brass bands out there, these guys are full of passion and zeal and will leave your ears singing some of the most sensational tunes the Big Easy has to offer, days later.
Blair Carman and the Bellview Boys. Headlining the Cuban Club’s ballroom. Authentic 1950s style Honky Tonk/Rockabilly/Boogie Woogie/Rock n' Roll type band in the piano-pumpin' style of Jerry Lee Lewis.
Denim Blue and Miclain Keith. Influenced by such acts as The Neighbourhood, Lorde, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Jame Blake, this Clearwater-based duo will be headlining the Cuban Club’s theater.
Mojo Gurus. Known to “perform real deal rock 'n' roll with enough strut and swagger to make most of today's flavor of the month bands pale in comparison”, the Mojo Gurus will deliver a power punch as headliners on the Cuban Club’s catina stage.
Headlining the other venues on Saturday night will be: Ricky Willcox and the Moonshakes at New World Brewery, Ishi at the Crow Bar, Come Back Alice at The Ritz Ybor, and Lions After Dark in the Ritz’s side room.
To find out where the action is happening and see other bands that will be performing, click here.
This is one Heatwave you don't want to miss!
Details:
Two-day tickets allow you to roam to the various venues to see your favorite, eclectic groups for just $42 in advance online and $50 at the door.
One-day tickets are only $30 in advance online and $35 at the door.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
