Flaming Lips headline Tampa's Gasparilla Music Festival

   Tampa's Gasparilla Music Festival has had some strong lineups in the first few years of existence, but the 2014 festival kicks things up a couple of notches.
   Indy gods Flaming Lips and progressive country singer-songwriter Jason Isbell -- whose album "Southeastern" is widely considered one of this year's best -- are among the acts announced so far.
    The festival is set for March 8 and 9 in Curtis Hixon Park and the adjacent Kiley Garden in downtown Tampa.

Wayne Coyne of Flaming Lips

   Also slated to appear are Los Amigos Invisibles, a Venezuelan jazz-funk band, Swedish singer-songwriter Anders Osbourne, and Americana band Delta Spirit. Lots more acts are still to be announced, festival organizers say. Last time, the festival ran only one day and featured more than 30 national acts, so it's reasonable to assume there will be significantly more than that in 2014
   Tickets are $40 for both days. You can order tickets and get other information at www.gasparillamusicfestival.com.

Tampa's Gasparilla Music Festival adds more national acts, Apple Butter Express

Best Coast at Club Nokia, New Year's Eve Dec. 31, 2011.  Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times

The second annual Gasparilla Music Festival, which returns to downtown Tampa's Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on March 9, is shaping up to be a major event.

Read more here: http://heraldbuzzworthy.blogspot.com/2012/11/gasparilla-music-festival-returns-to.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://heraldbuzzworthy.blogspot.com/2012/11/gasparilla-music-festival-returns-to.html#storylink=cp

The Meter Men featuring drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, guitarist Leo Nocentelli and bassist George Porter Jr., all of the legendary New Orleans funk group The Meters, with special guest Page McConnell (keyboardist for Phish), have just been added to the roster.

Same goes for Southern California fuzzy-guitar-pop band Best Coast, which thanks their buzz-worthy 2010 release "Crazy For You" have appeared on TV with David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien plus the cover of Spin Magazine. The group, led by Bethany Cosentino, will be opening Green Day’s 2013 arena tour.

New Orleans-based The Iguanas, which do a super job of fusing blues, classic R&B, zydeco, Cajun, Tex-Mex, and roots rock are also on the lineup.

As previously reported, Grammy-Award winners Ozomatli will play an evening set along with a special family-friendly set earlier in the day, featuring selections from their hit album "Ozokidz."

Bonnaroo veterans Apple Butter Express, whose singer Shannon Biss graduated from Southeast High in Bradenton, will join other Tampa Bay area favorites Nervous Turkey, The Hip Abduction, and Damion Suomi at this year’s festival.

"This year’s lineup is very diverse and includes something for everyone," said GMF president David Cox said in a statemnt. “We’ve got New Orleans funk, California folk, and Texas soul, along with children’s programing and more.”

General admission tickets for GMF are $25 through March 8. Tickets are available now through the GMF website gasparillamusicfestival.com. Tickets are $30 the day of the festival. Admission is free for children ages 12 and under.

Gasparilla Music Festival returns to Tampa

The second annual Gasparilla Music Festival returns to downtown Tampa on March 9 with Grammy Award-winning band Ozomatli. The genre-hopping, Latin-funk-hip hop outfit is the first of several acts to be announced in the coming weeks.

The L.A.-based band will headline GMF's Kiley Gardens Stage, playing an evening set along with a special family-friendly set earlier in the day.

Advance general admission tickets can be purchased at $20 for a limited time beginning today. Prices will increase as more bands are announced. Tickets are available through the GMF website (gasparillamusicfestival.com) and at select local ticket outlets. Admission is free for children ages 12 and under.

Along with cutting edge bands on four stages throughout downtown Tampa, this year's GMF expands upon its children's festival-within-the-festival from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Kiley Gardens, located between Curtis Hixon Park and Rivergate Tower. In addition to family-friendly entertainment on the Kiley Gardens Stage there will be arts and crafts, games and other activities for children.

"We're thrilled to enhance GMF's family-friendly component with Ozomatli's 'Ozokidz' show, and we wanted to get the tickets out early at a reduced price so that parents could take advantage," said GMF president David Cox in a statement.

Bradenton's Have Gun, Will Travel played the inaugural Gasparilla Music Festival.

—Ozomatli publicity photo by Christian L.

Gasparilla Music Festival lineup features Bradenton's Have Gun, Will Travel

Nationally-acclaimed Bradenton band Have Gun, Will Travel will play the new Gasparilla Music Festival scheduled to take place from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on March 10 at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa.

"Record review: Have Gun, Will Travel: ‘Mergers & Acquisitions’"

The local folk-rock luminaries will be joined by John McCauley's alt-country, indie rock band Deer Tick, celebrated New Orleans party-starters The Rebirth Brass Band, blues man Alvin Youngblood Hart, Miami-based sacred steel standouts The Lee Boys and soul singer-songwriter Kaleigh Baker.

Tickets cost $15 in advance. Click here to purchase.

Statement from organizers:

The Gasparilla Music Festival will celebrate the best of Tampa Bay's diverse music scene, highlighting local emerging acts and nationally recognized headliners. Set on two stages among our new parks, museums and river walk, we're transforming our downtown into a unique concert venue to host the best music event in the region.

The festival is the vision of a group of Tampa residents passionate about continuing the cultural development of the bay area: This is the concert Tampa has been demanding and you can help us deliver it.

Click for more info