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There was an total vitality already permeating from St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park because it was as soon as once more become competition grounds. Because the gates opened and followers began to pour in, Reggae Rise Up Florida had formally started, reminding all that competition season is upon us. Springtime within the Tampa Bay area is often marked by temperate climate, iconic blooms, and the sounds of reggae rock spilling out from its waterfront.
Reggae Rise Up Florida has come a great distance from its begin as a single-day occasion on the Tampa Bay Buccaneer’s stadium.
Other than the inaugural yr, St. Petersburg has been dwelling to the competition, sustaining a lot of the identical vibe as its early days whereas considerably rising in measurement and stage of expertise for followers. Now a four-day occasion (as of a pair years in the past), Thursday began off the weekend robust. Calling it a warmup main as much as the total jam-packed days forward wouldn’t be honest to this night that was loaded with high-energy favorites.
With a single stage for the primary day of Reggae Rise Up Florida, the music felt like the only real point of interest with a lineup that featured Brothers Inside, By the Roots, Little Stranger, Lupe Fiasco, and Soiled Heads. Spanning from roots reggae rock with Florida natives Brothers Inside to the hip hop-style headliners, every efficiency was differentiated, but harmonized beneath the Reggae Rise Up banner.
And, allow us to let you know, Little Stranger’s onstage presence is unmatched.
It will be a problem to call one other group that makes an enormous stage really feel so full of simply two performers. Constructing a few of their beats earlier than everybody’s eyes, lyrics and freestyles have been hard-hitting, but — on the similar time — exhibiting that the duo don’t take themselves too critically. Plus, their onstage banter and crowd rapport makes each set really feel like a very completely different expertise. And this present day’s efficiency was top-tier.
Soiled Heads closed out the day on a excessive notice, setting the suitable vibe for the times to return. A band with such longevity and selection inside their discography, they delivered a well-crafted set, peppered with old-school favorites and newer hits. The entire band seemed to be having as a lot enjoyable because the huge crowd that had collected by the tip of the evening, elevating the vibe for all.
Much like the massive clean slates beginning to rework into mesmerizing murals by the hands of artists all through the grounds, the Day One performances left all with a way of craving — pleasure for what’s nonetheless to return for the remainder of Reggae Rise Up Florida 2024.
Pictures by Dale Gebelein; recap by Jessica Shvarts
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