Every festival, every event, every annual thing has had to take a year or two off recently, but not Gasparilla. The Tampa music festival was one of the last things to happen back in early March ’20 (QRO recap), and came back in the late fall of last year (QRO recap). Now it returns to its early spring haunts in sunny Florida, Friday-Sunday, February 25th-27th:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25th
|
JW Marriot Stage |
||
|
Black Pumas, 9:30 PM Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada have quickly launched into the big-time as Black Pumas. Their psychedelic soul brought them a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist, and their 2019 self-titled debut was nominated for Album of the Year. They’ve even played the inauguration activities for President Joe Biden and last year’s Tibet House Benefit (QRO live review), albeit virtually, but since then they’ve been active on the road (QRO 2021 photos), including festivals (QRO photos at a festival), now coming to Gasparilla. |
 |
|
|
Grouplove, 8:00 PM In 2012 rock collective Grouplove (QRO spotlight on) have had two of the most enjoyable recent hits, “Tongue Tied” (QRO video) and “Colours” (QRO review) from the debut Never Trust a Happy Song (QRO photos at a festival). Live, they take it to another level (QRO live review), with a massive spectacle (QRO photos outdoors), and can even persevere in the rain (QRO live review in the rain) or on television (QRO live review at TV taping). The band (QRO interview) followed that up in 2013 with Spreading Rumors (QRO review) and tour (QRO live review), and singles like “I’m With You” and “Shark Attack” (QRO review). Then lead singers Hannah Hooper & Christian Zucconi (QRO interview with both) had a child, Willow – who has accompanied them on tour (QRO live review) behind 2016’s Big Mess (QRO review). Grouplove (QRO photos at a festival) were looking to have a big 2020 with new album Healer (QRO review) – only to release it pretty much right before everything shut down. But the group knows how to roll with the punches, doing great livestreams (QRO livestream review), great videos such as for Healer’s “Inside Out” (QRO review), covers like Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” (QRO review) & Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” (QRO review) – and then put out a new record last year, This Is This (QRO review) with singles “Deadline” (QRO review) & “This Is the End” (QRO review). And now they’re finally back (QRO photos at a 2021 festival) out on the road (QRO photos two days before). |
 |
|
|
The Aces, 6:30 PM Provo, Utah’s The Aces (QRO spotlight on) have gotten around the country with their indie-pop sound (QRO interview), including at festivals (QRO photoshoot at a festival). Also: Heart Har, 5:15 PM DJ Ku, 4:15 PM |
 |
|
| Morgan Auto Stage | ||
|
Cimafunk, 8:30 PM Melt, 7:00 PM – QRO photos from two days before SEEYOUSOON, 5:45 PM Parrotfish, 4:45 PM |
 |
|
|
Ferman Amphitheatre Stage |
||
|
GW Souther, 8:00 PM Kaelin Ellis, 6:30 PM Ghost Front, 5:15 PM Check out the locals at the Ferman Stage, like Ghost Front (QRO photos at Gasparilla ’21 after-party). |
 |
|
| Replay Guitar Exchange Stage | ||
|
Sam E. Hues, 8:00 PM Camille Trust, 6:30 PM Treis & Friends, 5:15 PM River Overlook Silent Disco, 6:30 PM |
 |
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26th
|
JW Marriot Stage |
|
|
The Revivalists, 9:00 PM New Orleans seven-piece Americana rock band The Revivalists (QRO photos at a festival) have been reviving N’Orleans rock in such hit singles as platinum “Wish I Knew You” and “All My Friends”. Look for all their friends to shimmy over on the Gulf Coast to Florida to catch their return to the festival stage (QRO photos at a Florida festival). |
 |
|
Band of Horses, 7:15 PM Before the current, unceasing wave of alt-country, there was Seattle’s Band of Horses (QRO live review), who broke through with debut Everything All the Time and “Funeral” in 2006. While guitarist/co-founder Matt Brooke left after that for Grand Archives, singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell kept on the trail, with the following year’s Cease to Begin (QRO review). Band of Horses (QRO photos at a festival) dropped a little off the radar following that, but came back (QRO live review) in 2010 with Infinite Arms (QRO review), a more polished record in ways good & bad, but picked it up in 2012 with Mirage Rock (QRO review) and 2016’s Why Are You OK (QRO review), and are riding (QRO live review) from festival (QRO photos at a festival) to festival (QRO photos at a festival), including a COVID era livestream (QRO livestream review) of Cease, as they come to Gasparilla (QRO photos at a ’21 festival) in the run-up to the release of Things Are Great (QRO live review playing new songs). |
 |
|
Margo Price, 5:30 PM The Fader once called Margo Price (QRO photos a festival) “country’s next star,” and she’s become it, winning the Grammy for ‘Best New Artist’ in 2019. There’s not a better place to find that out than at Gasparilla (QRO photos at a festival), which she comes to (QRO photos at a ’21 festival) after 2020’s acclaimed hit album That’s How Rumors Get Started. |
 |
|
Arrested Development, 4:00 PM The progressive hip-hop Arrested Development from Atlanta (QRO photos in Atlanta) were a smash hit in the early nineties with “Tennessee”, but broke up, reunited, and had struggled to regain their popularity, but they look perfectly suited for the down-home Gasparilla. |
 |
|
Also: Peach Tree Rascals, 2:30 PM Mt. Zion Gospel Choir, 1:30 PM |
 |
|
Morgan Auto Stage |
|
|
Bob Moses, 8:00 PM A duo, not a man, Jimmy Vallance & Tom Howe form electronic act Bob Moses. |
 |
|
Andy Frasco & The U.N., 6:15 PM The blues rock of Andy Frasco & The U.N. (QRO photos) just Keep On Keepin’ On. |
 |
|
Also: Cha Wa, 4:45 PM HGWT, 3:15 PM Seranation, 2:00 PM |
 |
|
Ferman Amphitheatre Stage |
|
|
Ortrotasce, 7:30 PM Vinny Virgo, 5:45 PM In the Pocket, 4:15 PM Van Plating, 2:45 PM Judyanne Jackson, 1:30 PM |
 |
|
Replay Guitar Exchange Stage |
|
|
K.III, 7:30 PM DBMK, 5:45 PM Moonthing, 4:15 PM Sick Hot, 2:45 PM Mak, 1:30 PM Check out the locals at the Replay Guitar Stage, including K.III (QRO photos at Gasparilla ’21 after-party).
River Outlook Silent Disco, 6:30 PM |
 |
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27th
|
JW Marriot Stage |
|
|
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave, 7:30 PM Another New Orleanser heading east to Gasparilla, Trombone Shorty (QRO photos at a Southern festival) doesn’t just toot his horn but also integrates more modern funk and rap into his jazz. |
 |
|
The Allman Betts Band, 5:30 PM With three sons of the iconic Allman Brothers Band, The Allman Betts Band (QRO photos in Florida) keep the Southern rhythm & blues going into the twenty-first century. |
 |
|
Mavis Staples, 3:45 PM Gasparilla welcomes artists old and young, and one of the legendary vets this year is Stax icon Mavis Staples (QRO photos at a festival), who’s played everything from Lincoln Center (QRO live review there) to The Daily Show/The Colbert Report’s ‘Rally To Restore Sanity and/or Fear’ (alongside friend/admirer Jeff Tweedy of Wilco). She comes to Florida (QRO photos at a festival) after being featured in ?uestlove’s Grammy- and Oscar-nominated documentary, Summer of Soul. |
 |
|
Amy Ray Band, 2:15 PM One-half of the iconic Indigo Girls (QRO photos at a festival), Amy Ray brings her own Band (QRO photos at a festival) to Gasparilla. Also: Tampa Metro Youth Orchestra, 1:15 PM |
 |
|
Morgan Auto Stage |
|
|
Pinegrove, 6:00 PM The literary lyricism of New Jersey indie-rock outfit Pinegrove (QRO photos) comes to Gasparilla (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2020’s Marigold (QRO review) and this year’s 11:11 (QRO review). |
 |
|
Neal Francis, 4:15 PM Singer/songwriter Neal Francis (QRO interview) has blown up (QRO spotlight on) thanks to his channeling of the easy-to-enjoy side of the seventies on this year’s In Plain Sight (QRO review) and festival appearances (QRO photoshoot at a ’21 festival). |
 |
|
Also: Kenzie Wheeler, 3:00 PM Imagination Movers, 1:45 PM |
 |
|
Ferman Amphitheatre Stage |
|
|
MRENC, 5:30 PM The Venus, 3:45 PM Boho Sideshow, 2:30 PM School of Rock Tampa, 1:15 PM |
 |
|
Replay Guitar Exchange Stage |
|
|
Kristopher James, 5:30 PM Summer Hoop, 3:45 PM Wahh World Fusion Band, 2:30 PM Boycott, 1:15 PM River Overlook DJ Kitty Mini Set: Kiddo Disco, 2:30 PM |
 |
