For a decade now, Tampa Bay’s alternative rock station, 97X-FM, has brought an amazing array of talent to town for the all-day concert event otherwise known as the "Next Big Thing." This year’s show lived up to its name and reputation, the bill featuring a stellar roster of high-quality bands delivering more than 12 hours of live music at the 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre in Tampa. As an avid 97X listener, I’d been hearing songs by Sick Puppies, Chevelle, The Dirty Heads, and Cage the Elephant constantly, and was ready to see them in action. [Paper Tongues lead singer Aswan North pictured below; all photos by Andrew Silverstein]
The winners of 97X's Local Band Search, Set it Off and Not Tonight Josephine, kicked off the morning, catching most listeners on their way into the event grounds and warming them up for the long and rocking day ahead. By the time Finger Eleven hit the main stage, the amphitheatre was still looking a bit sparse, but the band plowed ahead unpeterbed with their steady and strong riffage and lyrics, playing crowd-pleasers like “One Thing,” “Living in a Dream,” and “Paralyzer.”
This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2010.