Every new year, I always have a long list of resolutions for myself. One thing that never leaves the list is to find more music. I’m tired of listening to the same old music all the time. I’m tired of listening to old music on repeat because my favorite artists only drop an album every few years. As difficult as it is for me, get out of my stubborn ways and branch out. I decided to give the headliners of the Gasparilla Music Festival a listen, and I did not regret it.
Black Pumas
Black Pumas have a warm and soulful voice and I was surprised that I enjoyed their music. They are a psychedelic soul band, which doesn’t exactly align with the music I typically listen to. The band is 4x GRAMMY-nominated amongst people like Taylor Swift, Megan the Stallion, and Harry Styles. Eric Burton is the voice of the band, while Adrian Quesada takes over instrumentals.
The Revivalists
When I first heard the Revivalists music, I knew they would be the closest to my style of music. They have a folk and rock sound that reminded me of Niall Horan. They were high rolling in 2015 when Rolling Stone named them one of the “10 bands you need to know”. Their most recent album went #1 in the Adult Alternative category for Billboard. They released an E.P. in 2020 accompanied by a mini documentary called “Made in Muscle Shoals”.
Trombone Shorty
This headliner has a genre of music I never thought I’d listen to. His style is upbeat jazz, parade-style. Some of his tracks just consist of instrumental interludes, and others feature his own voice or others. He performs with his band, which together they are called “Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave”. This performer was definitely a different choice for the indie-dominated festival, but it’ll also bring something different.
As GMF 2022 is approaching, take a look at some of their lineup because you might just find your next favorite artist. I’m going to continue to make it down the list of their performers and see if I can find a new favorite one!
Here’s a playlist with all their performers in one place: