By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa Correspondent
The first Lionfest Music Festival was held in Tampa on a bright and sunny Saturday, which warmed up to a pleasant 70 degrees on this February “winter” day. There were plenty of food trucks, which included everything from Japanese dumplings to French croque monsieur sandwiches among the available fare. An impressive stage decked with a substantial P.A. system, as well as a smaller stage featured local acts as well as world-renowned artists like world beat Patchouli, R&B Grammy-award winning Trae Pierce and the T-Stone Band, eclectic gypsy-folk Come Back Alice and alt-Americana band The Applebutter Express. Late in the evening DVJ Luna put his magic to work.
Some of the kids from King High School, like singer/musician Tionna Damani, King High School Jazz Band, and alumna Betsey Giammattei got things rolling earlier in the day. As the afternoon rolled on, it became exceptionally chilly, and Cia Bella! warmed up the crowd with their Pitch Perfect-type a capella singing.
By the time the sun lowered, the sound stage was transformed to full light mode with shining green side pillars, colored LED lights, and a visual screen. It spoke “party time” and a crowd gathered near the stage to welcome Trae Pierce and the T-Stone band, which put on an electric show full of funk and screaming electric guitars. The temperature was in the 40s by then and Rock At Night departed. Sorry, guys! You can check out some of the photo highlights of the day below:
Photo Gallery
Line-Up
The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission to Rock At Night and the photographer. Use of any image is a violation of the United States and International Copyright laws.
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
