It was a warm first day of June in Tampa, FL as a few hundred Okey Dokey and No Vacation fans gathered at the Crowbar to see their favorite bands.  Everyone outside the venue was buzzing with excitement as they waited for the doors to open.  Once inside, people were meeting up with friends, finding the perfect spot to watch the show, and calmly preparing for what was sure to be a very magical evening.

It was a warm first day of June in Tampa, FL as a few hundred Okey Dokey and No Vacation fans gathered at the Crowbar to see their favorite bands.  Everyone outside the venue was buzzing with excitement as they waited for the doors to open.  Once inside, people were meeting up with friends, finding the perfect spot to watch the show, and calmly preparing for what was sure to be a very magical evening.

First to take the stage was the very humble, Okey Dokey.  The Nashville band enchanted everyone with electric, yet mellow tunes that somehow transported you to a simpler time.  There was a special comradery that Okey Dokey managed to bring out amongst the crowd, especially during the band’s final song, “Wavy Gravy.”  Okey Dokey’s frontman, Aaron Martin, hopped off stage during the song and interacted with fans before climbing on top of a railing and belting out the final notes.  It was a beautiful, mesmerizing end to their set.  

Next up was the headliner, No Vacation.  The dream-pop band was very interactive and uninhibited; you could tell that they loved being up on stage.  They made jovial banter between each song, expressed their love for Tampa, and unashamedly told everyone to bop along to their songs.  Their set was filled with all of the classic No Vacation songs, such as “Mind Fields” and “Yam Yam,” as well as new songs that have yet to be released. When No Vacation played their last song of the evening, everyone was living it up and immersing themselves in the moment, especially the band.  I’m sure everyone from the concert is already counting down the seconds for No Vacation to make another trip to Tampa to play another spectacular show.    

No Vacation

Okey Dokey

By: Christine Sloman | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!

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