Local community-funded radio station WMNF brings a mass of local, national and regional talent to Ybor City every year for a multi-venue genre-crossing music fest, Tropical Heatwave. We're counting down the weeks leading up to the 31st annual event — set to occur on Saturday, May 12, and encompassing 13 stages and more than 60 performers — by featuring our top 10 favorite acts, the ones you can count on to bring the fire to this year's Heatwave.
So far, we've featured The Growlers, He's My Brother, She's My Sister, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, The Preservation, Barons of Tang, and The London Souls. All are great bands I plan to see at Heatwave, but so far I’ve neglected mentioning a favorite that played the fest last year and have already made their way to a headlining slot on the main El Pasaje Plaza stage – The Bright Light Social Hour.
- Troy Covey
For the few of you who haven’t experienced a show by the Austin foursome, Heatwave is an ideal opportunity. I’ve seen them play to 15, and I’ve seen them play to 700, and they proved unfailing professionals in both settings, though Bright Light thrives on the communal energy created by a thick crowd, both fueling and feeding off the wild and sweaty rock n’ roll frenzy they create with their infectious vigor.
This article appears in Apr 19-25, 2012.