20 years after releasing its debut album All’s Well That Ends Well, Craig Owens revived his old band with a new lineup for an anniversary tour this fall, which dropped into the historic Ritz Ybor. Hawthorne Heights, Emmure, and Big Ass Truck were also on site, making the gig feel like a true Warped Tour throwback. See Caitlin Carter’s photos below.

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The Tampa Bay area’s live music scene will soon get a much needed mid-size venue that can host 3,500 fans. This afternoon, Strategic Property Partners (SPP), primary owners of Water Street Tampa announced plans to build a massive complex across the street from the recently-renamed Benchmark International Arena.

The still-unnamed venue will be privately-financed, according to a press release, which added that the development will also include a 250-room hotel, 1,000 parking spaces , plus 100,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment.

SPP, which will partner with Vinik Sports Group (VSG) to manage the venue, expects to break ground on the project in 2027.

The project—proposed for a vacant lot between Morgan and Jefferson Streets and the Selmon Expressway—fills a void in the Bay area music scene, which does not have a venue this size.

VSG already owns or operates two arenas—Yuengling Center and Benchmark (capacities of approximately 10,000 and 20,000 respectively)—and there are several venues that can host around a couple thousand (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Jannus Live). Carol Morsani Hall at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts holds about 2,600 seats.

The press release added that, “the venue is expected to attract more performers to downtown Tampa and give fans more opportunities to experience live music, immersive experiences, and intimate shows designed for this scale.”

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “It strengthens tourism and creates new experiences for residents and visitors, all within steps of the Riverwalk and Convention Center.”

A rep for the proposed venue told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Live Nation is not a partner in the financing or ownership of the venue, adding that diverse programming will be led by VSG.

Last summer, the global concert giant—which is at the center of an antitrust probe by the Department of Justice—shared plans to spend $1 billion opening or breaking ground on 18 venues across the country including a 3,500-seat concert and events venue in downtown Orlando’s Westcourt development.

Last month, the promoter, which works with Benchmark and Yuengling Center to help book shows, posted $8.5 billion in Q3 revenue—all while a report from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) detailed how a majority of smaller mom-and-pop venues are on the verge of extinction despite collectively generating $153 billion in economic output collectively. 

In 2023, CL detailed how the Bay area music scene was alive and well, but faced significant challenges.

Tom DeGeorge, Southeast Director for NIVA told CL that he hopes new venue operators will lean into independent to help program the room, but assumes that Live Nation will run the show.

The rep for Tampa’s proposed new venue told CL that, “While the full programming strategy is still being finalized, there is an intention to work with a range of partners and promoters to ensure the venue attracts a broad mix of acts and experiences.”

NIVA’s report, DeGeorge noted, said while Florida ranked in the top three in nine of 10 categories related to independent concert venues’ effect on the local economy, including employment and tourism—”monopolization, corporate development and predatory ticketing practices” have rendered 65% of indie venues unsustainable.

“I would hope that our city leadership as well the developers in this case looks towards local, but unfortunately, based on everything I’ve seen in the way we operate, I’m not quite sure that’s something that we should count on or if there’s enough people that believe it’s worth fighting for anymore,” he added.

Once open, Tampa’s new 3,500-seat venue would join similarly-rooms in Los Angeles (Dolby Theatre), Philadelphia (Metropolitan Opera House), Boston (Roadrunner), and Chicago (Salt Shed).

UPDATED 12/18/25 9:30 a.m. Updated with comment saying Live Nation is not a financer or owner of the venue.

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A recording of Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” brought Stevie Nicks onstage last Sunday night—and fittingly so. It was Petty, Nicks told a crowd of 15,000, who gave her a big single, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” that launched her career.

The 77-year-old songwriter wedged the 1981 hit between an effortlessly cool medley of “Outside the Rain” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” at Benchmark International Arena where longtime guitarist Waddy Wachtel handled the late Petty’s vocals with ease.

Nicks evoked the Gainesville icon’s memory again in reviving her cover of “Free Fallin’.” The recorded version from a “Party Of Five” soundtrack is fine, but it was more than a singalong last Sunday, with Nicks’ clarion call of a vocal enchanting the sold-out arena.

That a Florida man made his presence known so prominently during the 15-song, two-hour and 15-minute set was apropos, too.

After the opening song (a cover of Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ “Not Fade Away”), Nicks turned small-talk about a Sunshine State deluge into magic.

“Lotta rain,” she said about the weather. “I made a fantastic six-minute recording of the rain on my hotel window…I’m gonna put it on loop and sleep to it.”

There wasn’t a lot of time to blink during last Sunday’s show, however, where fans came dressed in looks from Nicks’ many eras.

Nearly 45 years after Bella Donna hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, its creator remains one of the world’s most enchanting pop stars. Enigmatic and accessible at the same time, Nicks holds audiences in the palms of her bejeweled hands.

A twirl after the Prince-inspired heavy-synth of “Stand Back” drew a big cheer and was a reminder of how Nicks can masterfully move between rock and pop (that Prince felt compelled to play keys on the lead single from The Wild Heart is a whole other story). That album’s title track featured a vocal that was somehow even warmer than it was on record 44 years ago. As the song bled into “Bella Donna,” it was clear that Nicks is aging just as well as her storied catalog—and capes, too, apparently.

“This is the original ‘Bella Donna’ cape. It’s never been mended, it’s stayed perfect all these years,” she said, showing it off.

Some of her most iconic tracks—”Edge of Seventeen” plus “Gypsy” and “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac (which played the same room in 2019)—were also magnificent, especially in the hands of longtime guitarist Waddy Wachtel.

But of course, even precious metal fades. Despite “Gold Dust Woman” somehow being more anthemic than it is on Rumors, Nicks’ appearance in Tampa last Sunday was a return delayed after she suffered a fractured shoulder over the summer.

She addressed that accident in onstage banter, telling the crowd that she danced her way through rehab, but perhaps illustrated how she moves through life in showing off the cape from “Stand Back.”

“This is another original cape, but this one has been mended so many times,” she explained, but you’d never know—it’s perfect.”

As the world burns around us (just listen to “The Lighthouse,” making its live debut on Nicks tour), the queen of classic rock made everything feel pretty close to perfect last Sunday night.

Images of late Fleetwood Mac keyboardist and songwriter Christine McVie were shown on the big screen during acoustic set-closer “Landslide.” 

Nicks, flanked by an eight-piece band, shows no signs of wanting to leave the road, and Tampa will undoubtedly get another chance to dance, but hearing her smoky vocal sing about climbing mountains felt especially poignant last Sunday night.

We’re all getting older, too, afterall.

Setlist for Stevie Nicks at Benchmark International Arena (Tampa, Florida) on Dec. 7, 2026

• Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly and the Crickets)
• If Anyone Falls
• Outside the Rain>Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)
• Stop Dragging My Heart Around
• The Lighthouse
• Wild Heart>Bella Donna
• Stand Back
• Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty cover)
• Gold Dust Woman (Fleetwood Mac)
• Gypsy (Fleetwood Mac)
• Edge of Seventeen
• Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac)
• Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)

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The penultimate show of Haitian-Canadian emcee Kaytranada’s co-headlining tour with French EDM duo Justice rolled into Tampa’s recently-renamed Benchmark International Arena (FKA Amalie Arena) last Saturday for a night of stages lowering from the ceiling and beats that couldn’t get much more hypnotic. See Yvonne Gougelet’s photos below.

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While night one of Vans Warped Tour was going hard and heavy two hours away in Orlando last Saturday, All Time Low and a plethora of fellow alt-rock bands brought the sadboi goods to fans who couldn’t make that drive—or get tickets in time—at The BayCare Sound at Clearwater’s Coachman Park. See Caitlin Carter’s photos below.

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There weren’t a lot of people in the pickle juice dunk tank, but maybe the old hardcore heads were saving their energy for the show. Last Friday at the Skatepark of Tampa, Grillo’s Pickles picked up the tab for a stacked bill that included reunion sets from Kids Like Us, The Mongoloids, Orange 9MM, plus more music from Bold.

All photos by Dave Decker

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Earlier this month at downtown Clearwater’s BayCare Sound, T-Pain proved why his name still commands the intersection of hip-hop, R&B, and pop, 20 years after he first broke the mold of those genres. For starters, his “TP20” tour stop would be deemed the first-ever sold-out show at the two-year-old Coachman Park venue.

The show on Oct. 14 began promptly at 8:30 p.m., the stage split by two towering metallic “X”s forming a glowing corridor through which T-Pain emerged in a bedazzled emerald suit, framed by Art Deco visuals and a “Great Gatsby”-style monologue, that introduced him as both myth and man. The motif was a great choice of cinematic symbolism, whereas if Jay Gatsby threw parties to escape time, T-Pain’s show was about reclaiming it—a declaration that 20 years in, he’s still the one writing the script.

From the moment the beat dropped on “Kiss Kiss,” the crowd was in motion. The setlist was an unrelenting sequence of anthems: “Blame It,” “Booty Wurk,” “Good Life,” “Bartender,” “Buy U a Drank,” “All I Do Is Win”—a body of work so recognizable that it felt like a collective memory unspooling. When he paused after “I’m Sprung” to joke, “If you’re an original T-Pain fan, you’re officially old,” the audience roared in both laughter and realization, that while work might be tomorrow morning, nostalgia is rarely, if ever, this danceable.

Musically, the night was tight, crisp, and meticulously curated. While no live band was present, T-Pain’s dancers matched the precision of the production, with every light cue and beat drop serving the same function as T-Pain’s melodic sensibility: clear, deliberate, and built for joy. For the artist who popularized autotune—after being criticized for using it, no less—it is poetic to hear T-Pain wield it live, with such control. It was an instrument. His instrument. Technology turned into texture, sculpted by a visionary who understands that sound is a feeling, more than a mathematical equation.

Further, the visual design reflected that sense of feeling, and self-curation. The stage blended old-Hollywood glamour with futuristic maximalism: geometric LED displays, emerald-green spotlights, and dancers in shimmering black and gold attire. The entire aesthetic felt like a remix of eras, mirroring the duality of his music, which is timeless yet digital, rooted in Florida’s swagger but global in sound.

In the same vein, the show also had an undercurrent of autonomy. Between songs, T-Pain revealed that he’s funding the entire tour himself, and in an era when most artists who rely on sponsorships and conglomerate backing are trying to break away, this level of independence is both audacious and telling. It reframes T-Pain’s career not just as a story of novelty, but of ownership. Twenty years after major labels claimed T-Pain needed them to succeed, he’s continuing to sell out amphitheaters. This time, on his own terms.

The show’s energy crescendoed toward the final stretch. By the time “Low” hit, the amphitheater had become a single organism, bodies moving in sync beneath a canopy of strobes. “Buy U a Drank” followed with the precision of muscle memory, every lyric shouted back in perfect sync. And as the final chorus of “All I Do Is Win” detonated, T-Pain stood center stage, arms raised, absorbing the moment.

If there was ever doubt that T-Pain’s legacy would age well, his stop in town settled it, as it was clear T-Pain’s genius lies in his music and his curation, as his choice of openers reflected the same foresight that’s defined his career. Hip-Hop duo Earthgang, fused high-octane energy with introspective boom-bap, bridging the sonic gap between the underground and the mainstream. Rising star Armani White, came before with an undeniable stage presence—his drummer and DJ in lockstep, and his charisma sharp and infectious, proving that viral fame can translate to performance craft. And rising rap star Asaka The Renegade, opened with grit and narrative, transforming personal struggle into swagger, his story of homelessness turned into propulsion. Together, they embodied what T-Pain has always represented: originality, reinvention, and faith in the next wave.

And perhaps, that is the essence of the TP20 Tour. It’s a victory lap, yes, but also a statement about persistence and perception. For all his hits, T-Pain has also been a teacher, showing that sound can evolve without apology, that technology can hold soul, and that independence doesn’t mean isolation. As the lights dimmed and the crowd slowly filtered out, it was hard not to recognize the full weight of what had just taken place. A Florida native, two decades deep into a genre he reshaped, stood on his throne—not reliving his past, but performing his proof.

All photos by Isaiah Stephens/Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

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At the first weekend of the 24th annual music festival, alt-rock fans were blessed with the likes of Cage The Elephant and Japanese Breakfast, while hip-hop stans got T-Pain and Tampa Bay’s up-and-coming favorite daughter, Doechii. With festival costs rising by the day, hopefully ACL won’t turn out its lights anytime soon. See Tracy May’s photos below.

The post Everything we saw at weekend one of Austin City Limits [PHOTOS] appeared first on Creative Loafing Tampa.

Three years after bringing his Big3 basketball league to the building, Ice Cube was back at downtown Tampa’s hockey arena—this time as a rapper.

The 56-year-old actor and co-founder of N.W.A. was supposed to play the room formerly known as Amalie Arena on Sept. 11, but postponed his “Four Decades of Attitude” gig to last Sunday when he was joined onstage by Lil Eazy-E, son of Cube’s late N.W.A bandmate Eazy-E.

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Last night in Clearwater, the Tedeschi Trucks Band delivered a show that was equal parts craft and conviction, showcasing why the ensemble is quite possibly one of the best live jam touring acts out. In the clear October air at the BayCare Sound—one of the most acclaimed outdoor venues in the country—seats were near capacity, as friends and families brought blankets for the lawn, and die-hard fans filled the pricey lower sections. 

Promptly at 7:30 p.m., the 12-piece band took the stage with the poise of veterans who know exactly what they’re there to do. The set began in melodic fashion, with “Crazy Cryin’” and “Fall In,” easing the crowd into the night before picking up steam with “Let Me Get By” and “I Feel So Bad.” It was a well-paced performance that favored tight arrangements and layered musicianship, over improvisational excess. When the band did choose to stretch out, it felt intentional, almost pre-planned; a rehearsed spontaneity, from a group that has refined the balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian elements of music and soul.

Susan Tedeschi’s vocals remain a standout: smoky, assertive, and rooted in a way that doesn’t require embellishment. Her tone has always sat at the crossroads of rock and blues, and live, it carries an astounding clarity that cuts through the band’s density. Meanwhile, Derek Trucks swerves between his, and his collaborators lane, sometimes leading and sometime supporting. His guitar tone is expressive, with an innate and subtle showmanship, full of truly talented bends and phrasing, that make even familiar licks sound new. Together, the two leaders of the band perform in phenomenal tandem—two distinct musicians with shared instincts, rather than matching styles.

Existentially, what’s most compelling about Tedeschi Trucks Band is the background that shapes their unique brand and sound. Trucks grew up in Jacksonville, raised on the Allman Brothers’ circuit and steeped in Southern improvisation. Tedeschi came up in Boston, trained in the church and rooted in the blues. This being said, their solo and collaborative careers reflect an intersection of traditions that is distinct and diverse. You can hear the South in their rhythm section, the Northeast in their polish, and the broader lineage of gospel and Black American music that informs nearly everything they play.

That blend gives the band’s “soul” a particular texture. It’s not borrowed, and it’s not purely nostalgic—it’s interpretive. Moreover, their choice in bandmates further symbolizes their epistemic perspective, with a dual-drummer setup in Isaac Eady and Tyler Greenwell, Kebbi Williams’ restless saxophone, and Alecia Chakour’s backup vocals, all of which contribute to their obvious praxis in service to something collective.

Towards the end of the set, “Midnight in Harlem” landed like a collective exhale, before the rollercoaster’s final drop. Trucks’ opening solo had that familiar, slow-burn tone that feels conversational, and Tedeschi’s delivery gave the song its weight. And finally, in climax, “Pasaquon” gave Tedeschi and Trucks the space to stretch out, joined by Warren Haynes for the closer “Space Captain,” where everyone on stage met in a confident, blues-driven crescendo.

By the end of the 90-minute set, there was no grand finale or showy exit. Just a wave, a bow, and the sound of an audience satisfied. The Tedeschi Trucks Band doesn’t need tricks or shock value. Their performance at BayCare Sound was a reminder that real artists revel in the chance to exact their musical will over the universe, through originality, work, and consistency. And in honoring what they do so well, with care, precision, and grit, they remind you that humanity, in the end, is most about where you come from and how you choose to carry it forward.

Opening act Duane Betts set a comfortable tone to start the evening. His set was loose and unhurried, leaning on blues phrasing and rock familiarity. It wasn’t designed to steal focus, just to warm up the crowd, a task he handled with grace and a kind of quiet confidence that matched the night’s overall rhythm.

Tedeschi Trucks Band setlist (BayCare Sound, Clearwater—Oct. 12, 2025)

Got My Mo-Jo Working (But It Just Won’t Work on You) (Ann Cole with the Suburbans cover)
Crazy Cryin’
Who Am I
Fall In
Isaac/Kebbi Jam
Let Me Get By
Just Won’t Burn (Susan Tedeschi song)
Part of Me
I Feel So Bad (Chuck Willis cover)
1 Future Soul
Keep On Growing (Derek and the Dominos cover)
Midnight in Harlem
I Want More
Beck’s Bolero (Jeff Beck cover)
Pasaquan (with Warren Haynes)
Space Captain (Matthew Moore cover) (with Warren Haynes)

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