It was a typical August day in Florida, temperatures in the nineties, partly sunny skies, with a chance of rain at any given time dure to the proximity of the Gulf of Mexico. The skies opened up just before it was time to open the gates at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater with The Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa Florida at 5:00pm for the The World Is A Vampire tour. The concert goers were held up in their cars keeping dry, and then skies cleared right before the gates were to open. There were long lines of people moving to the gates trying to better their position in the general admission areas in the pit in front of the stage and in the lawn, to see Smashing Pumpkins up close. The crowd estimate from the venue was 10,400 in attendance on a wet humid night. Oh yes, mixing rain with ninety degree sunshine brings up the humidity, that’s no joke, making the conditions sticky!
Instagram notice from MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater
To start the evening was the band from Long Beach, California, Rival Sons which took the stage at 6:30pm. Rival Sons played an impressive 45 minute set starting out with “Feral Roots,” the tile track off the bands sixth album released in 2019, of the same name. Scott Holiday, Mr Fuzzlord, grabbed the audience’s attention out of the gate strapping on the double neck going between the six string and twelve string frets with bluesy rocking riffs. The rest of the show was guitar/ lead vocalist Jay Buchanan’s, as he was back and forth on the stage singing his heart out.
Since 2009, Rival Sons have recorded eight studio albums that include the two 2023 releases, Darkfighter that was released in June and the newest to be released, Nightbringer in October. This is a blues based rock n roll band that really brings everything to the stage. After just being able to see the first three songs, it was evident they were a band that is hitting their stride and won’t be an opener for long as I wished I was allowed to hang out for the next four songs in their 45 minute set.
Rival Sons are:
Jay Buchanan – lead vocals, rhythm guitars, harmonica
Scott Holiday – lead guitars, backing vocals
Mike Miley – drums, backing vocals
Dave Beste– bass, backing vocals
Rival Sons Setlist:
1) Feral Roots
2) Tied Up
3) Open My Eyes
4) Mirrors
5) Get What’s Coming
6) Darkside
7) Where I’ve Been
After a half an hour set change, and after another down pour, the stage was ready for Interpol out of Manhattan, New York. The band dressed in black suits reminiscent of the 1980’s new wave era, with copying 1950’s and 1960’s styles, Interpol came on stage. They opened their set with “Toni” off the bands 2022 album The Other Side of Make-Believe. Interpol’s genre is listed as Post-punk revival which is described as stripped down back to basics garage style. I found the set interesting, but a bit slower than the Rival Sons’ previous set. Not easily described as a dance beat, but one could sway back and forth to the music.
Interpol Are:
Paul Banks – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Bass Guitar
Daniel Kessler – Lead Guitar, piano, keyboards, Backing Vocals
Sam Fogarino – Drums, Percussion
Brandon Curtis – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Brad Truax – Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Interpol Setlist:
1.) Toni
2.) Obstacle 1
3.) Narc
4.) Say Hello to the Angels
5.) My Desire
6.) All the Rage Back Home
7.) Fables
8.) Evil
9.) The Rover
10.) Roland
11.) Rest My Chemistry
12.) C’mere
13.) No I in Threesome
14.) Slow Hands
At 9:15pm, Smashing Pumpkins took the stage with flashing lights which began the long intro to “The Everlasting Gaze.” Billy Corgan was dressed in a long black button down long sleeve coat with a Freemason patch on the right chest, and with his bald head he was looking a lot like Uncle Fester from The Addams Family. The stage had lighting similar to a heavy metal show and with Billy’s gothic attire, Smashing Pumpkins has the look of muli-genre, but don’t be fooled, they are a pure alternative rock band.
The setlist had a wrinkle, a cover of “Once in a Lifetime” from one of my favorite 1980’s bands, The Talking Heads which by the way, they played masterfully. Of course, the band played their top hits, “Today”, “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, “Tonight, Tonight (Acoustic)”, ending with the final three songs “Cherub Rock”, “Zero”, and “1979” which had the crowd singing and hoping the night wouldn’t end.
The concert ended at 10:55pm, just an hour and a half, but there wern’t anymore down pours, but the humidity was just thick. Smashing Pumpkins always put on a great, back lit show, much to the dismay of the photographers at the show, but great lighting effects to the paying customers and that’s what counts. From beginning to end, The World Is A Vampire tour was a very entertaining evening of great music!
Smashing Pumpkins are:
Billy Corgan – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass
James Iha – guitars, bass, vocals
Jimmy Chamberlin – drums
Jeff Schroeder– guitars, keyboards
Jack Bates – Bass
Katie Cole – backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
Smashing Pumpkins Setlist:
1.) The Everlasting Gaze
2.) Doomsday Clock
3) Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads cover)
4) Today
5) Perfect
6) Disarm
7) The Celestials
8) Purple Blood
9) Ava Adore
10) Tonight, Tonight (Acoustic)
11) Bullet With Butterfly Wings
12) This Time
13) Spellbinding
14) Hubble Bubble (Toil and Trouble)(Manfred Mann cover)
15) Jellybelly
16) Empires
17) Hummer
18) Beguiled
19) 1979
20) Cherub Rock
21) Zero
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
