Summertime and Sunshine Make A Final Appearance With Movement, Atmosphere, Sublime w/Rome, and Slightly Stoopid At the Amp

Summertime jam sessions are just something special. Much like Creedence sang about, they take on a life of their own, and they welcome everyone. While Tampa was the second to the last stop of the tour, they gave the photographers a rare treat.

Getting the ability to shoot the rest of the show anywhere in the venue, following the first three from each band at the front of the stage is rare. Big thanks to their managers for making such a rare opportunity happen!!

As the 20-year (and yet “newest”) band, The Movement proved, this was a day to get people together. Looking across the slowly filling pit before the first notes were played, there were people of all ages and walks of life in the crowd.

Opening with some very chill vibes, their choice of soft reggae was a great hit with the crowd. As people danced around, many had a drink in hand, others a joint or vape.

Across a six-song set, they gave the audience a great sampling of their music. Interacting frequently with the audience, frontman Joshua Swain did a great job of softening the heat on this humid FL evening.

Kyle Jerome’s stripped-down and classic chops on the saxophone added a welcome sense of authenticity and origin that is all too often missing. With mixed graphics including a swimming pig at the end, their set was a delight for all the senses.

Up second was Atmosphere. Formed back in 1996, the duo of Slug and Ant have been at this for 27 years now. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, they bring a unique and refreshing look to hip-hop. The ultimate “outcast” on the bill, they fill the niche perfectly.

Unfortunately for Slug, many in attendance weren’t familiar with their work. Asking for the peace signs as they started “The Loser Wins,” he had the crowd worked up and taken over by the end of the song.

As “Shoulda Known” rolled to an end, Slug keyed the fans into high gear by proclaiming “You are all doing a great job. I’d like to make a special dedication to all of you ugly motherf*ckers right now!!..I’m happy to be here! I’m happy to be alive! God Loves Ugly! Louder! x3” Not to be left out, the next song was dedicatde to the “5-7 beautiful people who made it,” as they kicked into crowd favorite “Sunshine.”

Seeing them and hearing them perform like this was in rare form. I’ve seen them win over Warped Tour crowds back in 2003, but never a reggae crowd. With Ant talking from his mixer like never before, this was the most polished I’ve seen them in some time.

Taking time to talk more to the audience, he asked people about feeling alive and then asked everyone to put their hands down. After asking who masturbated at least twice that day to put their hands up, a large percentage of people (and women) responded favorably. Gotta love Florida!! Vowing for hand sanitizer to go around, Slug closed with a tear-jerking version of “Yesterday,” the deep “God’s Bathroom Floor,” and the fist-pumping “Tryin’ to Find a Balance.”

While a short set compared to his headlining gigs, this was a blessing and a curse to shoot. Failing to nail the “connection” photograph where I caught his eye, the photographer in me was crushed. Having that moment from the crowd with my camera down soothed the soul of the fan in me. LOVE LIFE!!

Following Atmosphere is never easy. Yet night after night Sublime with Rome has been stepping to the task and succeeding. Technically a cover band (as true Sublime died with Bradley Nowell), they busted right into some of the biggest crowd favorites right off the jump. “April 29, 1992 (Miami),” “Doin’ Time,” and “Wrong Way” kicked things off. Fully loaded with lights and visuals on display, they used the background effects and graphics to make a big visual spectacle.

A cover of a cover, “Smoke Two Joints” was naturally a fan favorite and had people sparking up across the venue. Up on the lawn, some stacks were rolling, but nothing like down in the lower seats and in the pit.

While “Pawn Shop” also got many going, it was “What I Got” that had the top pop of the day. As people sang and danced along, there were more arms in the air than beers in people’s hands.

When “Santeria” hit though, that was where things shifted. As the ending song, it quickly became more like the audience was the singers, and Rome was just trying to keep up. Mixing it up in the crowd for a bit, the fans were incredibly warm, receptive, and largely looking to share their smoke and the vibe. Bradley would be proud.

Capping things off were Florida favorites Slightly Stoopid. Formed in 1994 over in the Ocean Beach section of San Diego, CA it was the parents of bassist Miles Doughty that allowed his band with Kyle McDonald and Adam Bausch to be heard by Sublime’s Nowell while he was in rehab with Doughty’s parents, and in turn, being impressed enough to offer them a record contract. With their first start coming from Sublime, they have never forgotten this.

Kicking their headling set off, they entered the stage to always inspiring, House of Pain’s classic “Jump Around.” This had fans singing along and bouncing around everywhere. Even in the photo pit security, photographers, and fans were all grooving along. As classic clips and bits of history of the band played, they took the stage.

With gallons of smoke and dark lighting, they jammed through “Top of the World,” “Officer,” and “Good Life.” With flashes of tremendously brilliant white, the stage went from darkness to daylight randomly.

With a solid 19-song main set, they even worked in covers of “Franklin’s Tower” by the Grateful Dead, “Rat in My Kitchen” by UB40, and a personal favorite “You Don’t Know How It Feels” by the late Tom Petty with a deep reggae vibe. A mellow tune, it was a perfect rendition. Slug from Atmosphere came out for a rendition of “No Cocaine,” before ending the set with “Closer to The Sun.”

For an encore, they paid tribute to the late and just announced Jimmy Buffet with their rendition of “Margaritaville”. Coming from an ocean town, they know the power of the parrot and mourned with the people of Florida Jimmy so deeply resonated with. While “Collie Man” was another great encore, it was the Beastie Boys hit “Intergalactic” with everyone back out and in full jumpsuits and helmets that topped it off. 

This was a tour to remember, and if you didn’t make it, you truly missed out. While each of these bands has more dates announced for 2023, none are together.