By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Review: Jack Kays Washed Up Dried Out Tour with Games We Play-Tampa Orpheum, February 11, 2025
At the beginning of the year, I stumbled across a video by Jack Kays for the song “Get A Job!” It consisted of Kays in a living room performing an acoustic version of a pop-punk song with his friends! The lyrics seemed honest and fresh, with a message that speaks to today’s “lost generation.” I listened to his new album, “Deadbeat!” and, man, this guy is raw. He touches on the topics of depression, anxiety, addiction, living at home, staying up all night (because “I’ll sleep when I am dead”), and the general hopelessness of Gen Z. Kays is a troubadour in the vein of Frank Carter, one of my favorite punk protest artists. I listened to his EP in the car for a solid month when I saw he was planning to tour Florida with his Washed Up Dried Out Tour
On Tuesday, April 11th, I took an Uber to the Orpheum in Tampa, Florida. The parking has been nonexistent since the venue moved from Ybor City to North Tampa. I didn’t want to park at Walmart, cross a major intersection, or walk down Nebraska Avenue at night. Just so you know, going to the Orpheum is worth it because the independent venue has great pop-punk and edgy bands.
I wasn’t sure of the popularity of Jack Kays and if people would venture out on a Tuesday night. Surprisingly, the venue was filled wall-to-wall with 20-somethings eager to get their pop-punk fix. I perched near the stage and waited for what turned out to be a fun, high-energy show.
At approximately 8 p.m., Games We Play, AKA Emmyn Calleiro, performed pop-punk to a very receptive audience who knew the lyrics to every song. Calleiro is originally from Miami but currently resides in Nashville (like everybody nowadays). Backed by a bassist and drummer, he was engaging, animated, had a good voice, and entertained the audience with cheeky banter between songs. He joked about his ‘bro being a virgin” and “how he needed to get laid tonight. He announced a romantic song was coming up and asked the couples to do a “big makeout session” during the song. The couple in front of me locked lips for a good three minutes.
After Games We Play left the stage, there was about a 45-minute intermission before Jack Kays began at about 9:30 p.m. Wearing a Black Flag shirt and his signature shaved head, he began the concert with “Throwaway.” The performance appeared sedate initially as Kays strummed his electric guitar flanked by a wild-hair bassist and drummer. The place was crowded, but admittingly, Tampa audiences need prodding to move. It’s unlike Detroit, where they freely interact and show artist appreciation. During the set, Kays tried to get the audience going “like Orlando’s show last night.” Finally, he told the audience to split in the middle and encouraged circling. The ice was broken from then on, and Kays and the band fed off that energy.
From the fast pop-punk songs like “Get A Job!” and “Drinking Song” to poignant moments (Kays asked for a moment of silence for his friend Sam, who died of an overdose) before performing “My Promise (90 Days).” Kays grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is in the heart of OxyContin territory. I-75 appears to be the opioid highway as drugs flow freely between Cincinnati/Louisville and Florida.
Sam is also mentioned in his song “Plan B,” which reminisces about the simple times of high school—smoking weed, skating, and dreaming. Perhaps one of my favorite evening songs was the tender “Need Me,” with its romantic lyrics and haunting melody.
Another special moment was when Kays hopped onto the acoustic guitar to perform and defiantly held it high above his head. The guitar had the phrase “DEI or DIE” taped across its back. It was a Woody Guthrie’s This Machine Kills Fascists moment. This declaration cut through the audience like a knife and gathered a roar of applause.
About halfway through the show, the audience was working into a frenzy. There was a flurry of stage-diving and crowd-surfing.
Kays and the band fed off the energy as they pranced and moved around the stage. He asked, “Did the guy from Orlando show up tonight who promised to shave his hair off?” Apparently, he didn’t, but that prompted an audience member to volunteer to go on stage and have his hair shaved off by his girlfriend. I’ve seen a lot of wild shows, but this was admittingly my first “head shave” moment. The fellow’s curly locks were shorn right on stage before he and his girlfriend dove into the audience and were carried across the sea of hands.
The show was one of those that went by rapidly–and you didn’t want it to end. Well, it did, but with a smile on my face as I summoned Uber. I hope Rock At Night can cover the band during their UK tour. I cannot wait till the next time I see him live. He will perform at the Long Beach, CA, leg of the Warped Tour. Please come to Orlando!
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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
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