This past Sat., April 30, WMNF presented its 35th Annual Tropical Heatwave, condensed back down to a single day, but expanded to 10 stages and featuring more than 50 bands.
I was determined to take in as much as possible, since I discovered many of my current favorite artists at past Heatwaves. Just getting ready for it is a process, from hearing previews of performers on the station in the week's leading up to the fest to printing out the itinerary, pouring over it mindfully, and circling just those ones I wanted to make a point of checking out. Here's my play-by-play of highlights.
5:30 p.m.: My first stop was the Tropical Breeze Stage, not far from where I stashed my car, and the set by Kansas Bible Company was already underway. Members of the eight-piece jumped between instruments (which included sax, two trumpets, three electric guitars, bass and drums) and traded off on vocals in a set that was heavy on new material (Kanas Bible Company has a new album coming out in June), and contrasted heavier prog rock-hued offerings with slower, jazzier sounds sometimes within a single song. It's a tough time slot, opening up Heatwave as music lovers are only just starting to trickle in, and it was pushing 90 degrees at this outdoor stage, but Kansas Bible Company managed it quite well.
6:15 p.m. I’d had Vanessa Collier ’s time slot circled ever since I'd heard her music and interview on WMNF. I was impressed coming in, but was blown away by her performance. WMNF DJ Cameron Dilley summed it up best: “She got up there in front of an empty room, came in and took it ... There wasn’t one iota of energy not focused on her.”
The dance floor at the Italian Club filled up before Collier finished her first number, “Tongue Tied”. Collier blared away on sax, set up amid a clutter of players on drums, keyboards, bass and guitar. It was a small ensemble for the large stage but the sound filled the room and spurred the crush of bodies on the tile floor.
Collier proved just as raw, gritty and accessible as she is talented and alluring. She owned the stage, laughing, smiling and engaging the crowd as she delivered a set of original material (including "Bad News Bears," a top three finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition) and cover tunes; during BB King’s “When Love Comes to Town,” her sultry soulful voice and captivating energy drew the crowd closer to the stage, while Chris Smither’s “Love Me Like a Man” gave her the chance to let her bandmates shine.
I’m not sure if I had ever seen a grown man swoon but it happened on more than one occasion during Collier’s set. She charmed the living crap out of everyone in attendance and was easily a festival highlight.
I'd intended on limiting my schedule to artists I hadn't already seen, but Dropin Pickup was up right after Collier and Matt Woods followed downstairs in the Italian Club’s cantina. Both artists have new music coming out and I was eager to get a listen, so I couldn't resist sticking around.
7:40 p.m. Dropin Pickup hit the stage to a sparsely populated room fresh after playing a 4 p.m. set in downtown Tampa at RiverFest, but neither of these factors seemed to detract from their explosive energy as the band hit the stage and launched into “Alexander Supertramp” with their characteristic, break-neck energy. Lead singer Mike Farrell was quick to acknowledge
Collier and WMNF as he sipped from a glass moonshine jug, then kicked into my favorite track off their A Settling of Sorts LP, “Poseidon,” its conclusion featuring one of the most passionate call-and-responses sections I’ve ever heard. Typically, Farrell and company hold that song until the end of the set but they cut loose with it early on Saturday.
Fans sang along to nearly every word of “Crutch”, the song’s driving, pulsing bass line and Rumore’s blaring solo compelling twisting of hips and raising of hands, while one of their more popular numbers, "It’s in You," found a handsome trumpet solo from Javon Falcon leading the journey and Farrell banging on a gigantic djembe drum he’d brought onstage along with his traditional one.
Matt Woods was due to start and I was getting ready to head his way, but I’m glad I stayed because I got to hear one of Dropin Pickup’s new numbers, “Compunction.” Representative of the group’s evolution, it features a wicked viola riff that you just don’t hear in any other music. At one point, viola player Nick Ewing hopped off stage as he sawed away furiously on the instrument. They closed with “Hunger,” Farrell picking up the giant djembe and pounding away at it mercilessly.
I still have not seen a group that’s matched Dropin Pickup’s intensity. Drummer Denny Umphreys is so animated, you expect him to levitate.
8:38 p.m. I’ve seen Matt Woods perform several times and occasionally with a drum kit, but never with a full band. For this set, he was joined by a lead guitarist (Matt Hebert), bassist (Jeremy Mackinder) and drummer (Jon Whitlock), and they added so much to an already great performance.
Woods’ is a consummate singer-songwriter and can woo a crowd all on his own. Woods proved himself a capable main stage act with support from a band. Woods has a new LP coming out and he drew heavily from it with “Bed Sheets” and “Fireflies,” the latter one of Woods’ “love songs.” ( "Let’s get these love songs out of the way so we can get back to heartache and blues where I’m more comfortable at,” he said, comically noting, “we’re on the front end of a month-long tour and we’ve already broke down twice.”).
“Bound to Lose” really hammered home his heavier rock n' roll vibe, evocative of the Allman Brothers and finely showcasing his vocal chops. You’d think a country-Americana singer would employ hearty twang and grit, but Woods has real skill, possessing incredible range, breath and mic awareness. He capped his set off with a beautiful rendition of “Dead Man’s Blues” that now contained a sexy, electric guitar solo. His band upped the tempo of the whole set and it was a real treat, even to a Matt Woods die-hard like myself.
9:45 p.m. Making my way to the next venue, I popped in for a bit of The Bright Light Social Hour’s set at the Tropical Breeze but I’d seen that particular Austin-bred groove rock group before, and while I enjoy their long jams and trance-like sound, I chose to trod on.
9:50 p.m. I ended up at The Ritz, ready and raring to go for The Mantras. By 10:20, the North Carolina ensemble was still doing their sound check. I was a bit miffed as I’d passed up stopping by two other stages to get there before their 9:55 p.m. start time. Finally, at 10:30, they kicked off their set. The group had some trippy jams but I just couldn't hear any of the vocals. I moved to three different spots inside the venue and was still unable to catch a beat on the lead singer’s vocals. To make matters worse, the stage lights (theoretically supposed to light the performers) were aimed at the crowd. In the dark venue, with my pupils already straining to see the stage, the light felt blinding and started giving me headache. Remained for three songs until the lack of vocals and the overbearing lights drove me out.
10:50 p.m. I slipped into Tequilas as the Acme Jazz Garage was half way into a rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” with a saxophone playing in place of the vocal parts. The glowing stars that hung from the venue's rafters added a nice ambiance to extended jams that were haunting and hypnotic. However, I was in the home stretch of my Heatwave pilgrimage and still searching for that next group to blow me away.
11:05 p.m. I slide into Crowbar for Reckless Eric, where he played solo, on stage with an acoustic-electric guitar, playing narrative-type songs in a sort of Buddy Holly-Bob Dylan fusion. It was pretty cool but it wasn’t the speed I was looking for, so I moved on to Cigar City Cider & Mead.
11:20 p.m. My rule about not seeing any more artists I’d seen, was adhered to. I know Geri X’s music but I realized I’d never seen her live before. It was nice to grab a seat and rest my feet for a few minutes before her set.
Geri X is truly a one-woman show even when joined by other musicians. On this night, it was just her and a drummer. Not that it matters, she holds the show quite well on her own, her ethereal vocals drawing everyone in. Geri X reminded me one of my favorite female vocalists, Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star, and it was a real treat to get to experience a performance by her for the first time.
11:55 p.m. On my way to New World Brewery, my attention was snagged by Ra Ra Riot warming up at the Tropical Breeze stage. WMNF’s Scott Elliot came out to introduce them and his sales pitch impressed me enough, I decided to stick around. I was very glad I did, because Ra Ra Riot was the next group that blew me away.
The New York outfit fashions is, for all intents and purposes, an indie rock group and but they are far more than that. The string section of violin (Rebecca Zeller) and electric cello (Emily Brausa) really cut them into a unique chamber pattern and they hooked me right away. Lead singer Wes Miles crooned in a high-toned tenor but vaults seamlessly up into falsetto realms beautifully, and while not carrying an instrument, he sometimes hopped over to a keyboard to lay down some vibes. Zeller jumped over to keys, too, at one point and delivered backup vocals as happy couples bopped around joyously in the crowd. Ra Ra Riot is the kind of infectious music you want to put on a road trip playlist; their rolling, upbeat rhythms will help put some miles under your tires.
When “Don’t Punish Me” came on, I suddenly realized I’d heard this group before. They were one whose name I'd jotted down on a piece of paper because I'd heard this great song with heartfelt lyrics and an ethereal sound ... and then I lost that piece of paper. Finally, “I Need Your Light” capped off the transformative experience, and I was off to take in every last bit of music I could handle.
1:07 a.m. Back to the Italian Club for a bit of CelloJoe, a cellist/beatboxer who was pretty interesting, but at that point, I needed something more up-tempo to finish off the night.
1:15 a.m. I found what I was looking for at Crowbar with Dash Rip Rock, a straightforward New Orleans three-piece. Bill Davis is the group’s frontman and lead guitarist, and he leads the rocking, raunchy trio with a Ted Nugent flair and wacky, campy style of stage banter. Their track, “I Want to Spank Them Panties” says it all. They followed it up with a grungy and iconoclastic rendition of “I Saw the Light” as the set’s intensity continued to spike. At one point, Davis hopped up on one of the house speakers and used the corner of it to drag up and down the frets of his guitar. This threw the most faithful of the crowd into a frenzy. Davis upped the ante again, using a metal support pole to rub out reverberations on his guitar neck, then used a beer bottle as a slide. Upping it even more, he handed the bottle to a fan in the crowd, and actually played while the fan dragged the beer bottle up and down the guitar’s neck. It was a wild and borderline debaucherous set full of high quality showmanship, and was a great way to end my Heatwave.
The 35th annual Tropical Heatwave was a marathon, but I enjoyed every moment of it. I managed to see a dozen of the more than 50 artists at seven of the 10 venues. There just aren’t enough occasions when you can take in so much great music in such a short span. I definitely missed having Cuban Club in the mix, especially its theater, but WMNF managed to do fantastic job of assembling a unique, engaging and diverse lineup nonetheless. I wish there were two or three Heatwaves a year.
Check out more photos from Tropical Heatwave by Brian Mahar here.
