The love for ‘90s alternative appears to be alive and thriving in Tampa Bay.
A week after hosting Dave Matthews Band, the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater opened its gates to 13,000 cult-fans of 311, which proved that it’s still king of the summer concert tour. For nearly three decades, 311 — Nick Hexum, Chad Sexton, P-Nut, Tim Mahoney, and S.A. Martinez — has spent the summer consistently bringing a fun mix of rock, rap, and reggae to amphitheaters across the country during tours that often boast fun, big-name openers as a bonus to its devout following.
In previous years, 311 led star-studded concert lineups that have included Sublime with Rome, The Offspring, Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hill. This summer’s rendition featured The Dirty Heads, whose Huntington Beach vibe has made the group a Florida-favorite and recurring booking for St. Petersburg’s Jannus Live.
RELATED: Photos of 311 and Dirty Heads playing Tampa's MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater
While the fairgrounds were a little wet and muddy (probably from hosting Luke Bryan the night before), fans filed in early and spread out across the lawn to get a good spot during opening acts Dreamers and Bikini Trill. By the time the Dirty Heads came on at 8:05 p.m., most seats under the roof were occupied along with all of the space on the lawn and pit fully packed. The Cali-act seemed quite at home on the big stage as the duo of Dirty J and Duddy B raced back and forth while running through a gracious 17-song setlist. Reggae and hip-hop hits like “Vacation,” “My Sweet Summer,” and “Lay Me Down” served as lovely appetizers for the evening’s headliner.
311 took the stage at 9:45 p.m., well after dark but with fans still in a frenzy to be in the pit and see the group in Tampa for the first time since 2017’s Ybor show. While the group’s setlist over the years has typically varied from night to night, 2019’s Summer Tour has stuck with a similar, fan-pleasing format that runs through the group’s endless catalog of hits while mixing in new material from Voyager, the group’s 13th studio album released on July 12.
The set’s opening featured a delightful run of hits that included “Homebrew,” “All Mixed Up” and “Beautiful Disaster.” Frontman Nick Hexum looked and sounded as good as ever, flaunting his still-chiseled physique while harmonizing on vocals. S.A. Martinez was in action early too, jumping, skipping and waving his body around while spewing high-pitched bars in between Hexum’s vocals. His short sleeve, dotted button-up was drenched by song no.2, and would remain that way while actively running around stage throughout the night.
The group showed no rust two months into its 29th summer as a band. The crowd would ignite at the first note of each song, but the band seemed just as enthused and happy to be performing and singing along with them. One of the best moments of the night came during 1994-track, “Applied Science,” which saw the band come together at the front of the stage for a shared drum solo. It was a rare intimate moment on a night that felt like a big, celebratory gathering on each song.
While it’s hard not to think Tampa gets some sort of special treatment (we are, after all, the host-city of their craft beer partner Rock Brothers Brewing, and the launchpad for its semi-annual 311-cruise), regulars of 311 know that Saturday night’s high-energy, thoughtfully-crafted show is just what you get with this band. In 2019, 311 is as appreciative, entertaining and fun as they were in 1990, and continues to be the gem of summer concerts all these years later.
311 Setlist
Homebrew
All Mixed Up
Beautiful Disaster
What The?!
Come Original
Stainless
Do You Right
Good Feeling
Beyond the Gray Sky
Don't Stay Home
Applied Science (Band Drum Solo)
Don't You Worry
You Wouldn't Believe
Amber
Creatures (For a While)
Down
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This article appears in Aug 1-8, 2019.