What Tampa lacks in seasons but we make up for in tribute bands, and there’s a slew of them playing this weekend on all sides of the bay. Puzzled as to why a Blink-182 tribute band would exist in the first place, I remember how excited young me got everytime I listened to the song “Dammit”. How fun would it be to steal my parents' Jim Beam, put on some Dickies overalls and bop around a room. And since lead singer Tom DeLonge is too busy chasing aliens these days, it's up to Blank-281 to recreate those late-90s fantasies. The three-piece tribute plays a Safe and Sound show at Crowbar on Friday night. Tickets are capped at 100, so if you want to go you better get on it.
For some further back fantasy, Brothers Again pays honor to the Jacksonville long-haired Allman Brothers at Mahaffey Theatre on Friday. The St. Pete venue’s Covid-19 protocols are intensive, including temperature checks and a mask requirement—but don’t worry, people will still be able to hear you singing along to “Melissa.”
Badfish, a Sublime tribute, finishes off the weekend of covers with a Sunday night show at Jannus Live with local favorites Ries Brothers opening. For this outside show, expect temperature checks upon entry; the venue will provide masks if you for some reason don’t have one.
Don’t be disappointed if the bands don’t sound exactly like the real thing, and remember that the mighty Tenacious D once sang, “This is not the greatest song in the world, no. This is just a tribute.”
Information on all three shows is below.
- Blank-281 Friday, Feb 26, 8 p.m. $13-$15. Crowbar, Ybor City. crowbarybor.com
- Brothers Again Friday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m. $37.50-$57.50, Mahaffey Theatre, St. Petersburg. themahaffey.com
- Badfish w/Ries Brothers/Cloud9 Vibes Sunday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m. $20. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg. jannuslive.com
See a list of Tampa Bay’s “Safe & Sound” live music venues here.
Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you up to the minute news on how Coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please consider making a one time or monthly donation to help support our staff. Every little bit helps.
Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter and subscribe to our newsletter.
This article appears in Feb 18-24, 2021.