The Gasparilla Music Festival presented by SYKES (“GMF”), which kicks off the highly anticipated spring break and outdoor music festival season, has revealed its first round of musical performers. With more artists to be announced shortly, the growing line-up includes Gogol Bordello, Gaslight Anthem, Trampled by Turtles, The Budos Band, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Dumpstaphunk, Hiss Golden Messenger, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Hot 8 Brass Band, Margo & the Pricetags, and Packway Handle Band. Local favorites include The Hip Abduction, Miggs Band, Selwyn Birchwood, Thomas Wynn & the Believers, RedFeather, and Mt. Zion Baptist Gospel Choir. Now in its fourth year, the festival promises its most eclectic and impressive musical line-up to date and will be announcing other top acts and local favorites in the upcoming weeks.
In addition, the festival has announced that Early Bird discounted ticket pricing will continue until the full lineup is announced in January. GMF takes place March 7-8 in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Garden.
Past performers at GMF have included The Flaming Lips, Trombone Shortly, Jason Isbell, RJD2, Ra Ra Riot, Rebirth Brass Band, Deer Tick, Best Coast, Dawes, and Ozomatli among many others. In keeping with the Festival's theme of bringing together a massively wide range of genres - from Brazilian Gypsies to Brookly Funkmasters, country folk duos to Orlando Swamp Rock, Brass Bands to Church Choirs - GMF continues to offer something for every musical palate.
A sampling of the caliber and diversity included in this preliminary announcement includes: Selwyn Birchwood was the winner of the 2013 Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge; Roadkill Ghost Choir has garnered rave reviews from the tastemakers at SPIN, Rolling Stone and Relix; Gogol Bordello has scored several early TV appearances with Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Letterman; Packway Handle Band has been voted Athens' Best Bluegrass Band three years running in the readers' choice Flagpole Magazine Music Awards; festival favorites Trampled by Turtles have graded stages at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Coachella and Stagecoach; Daptones artist The Budos Band have made fans worldwide with their infectious instrumental AfroSoul music including appearances on NPR; Hiss Golden Messenger debuted on The Late Show with David Letterman just a few weeks ago; and Nashville's Margo & the Pricetags, whose voice and songwriting has been compared to that of Loretta Lynn's, was featured in Rolling Stone's "10 New Artists You Need to Know for Fall 2014". More information on all of these GMF performers can be found at: http://gasparillamusic.com
The four performance stages are centered in the cultural playground of downtown Tampa between the Tampa Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. This grand venus is just across the river from the historical Henry Plant Hotel along the city's scenic Riverwalk. There is not a more pictuersque and unique location for a music festival. GMF takes place amidst the several months long legendary Gasparilla celebrations that make Tampa a top destination for revelers of all ages.
Part of the Gasparilla Music Festival's mission is to support and promote music and education. The organization is involved throughout the year in several initiatives including their "Recycled Tunes" program which collects used musical instruments to refurbish and donate to local schools and their continued efforts to provide scholarships to local music students. GMF also supplies financial and mentoring assistance to other non-profits and rallies to promote transportation alternatives. The festival aims to not only entertain but to engage the shared, powerful experience of live music to help sustain, inspire and encourage a stronger sense of community.
The Gasparilla Music Festival takes place March 7 & 8, 2015.
