LIVE: BRIGHTSIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL – April 27, 2024

Venue: Central Florida Fairgrounds

City: Orlando, FL

Date: April 27, 2024

Review and Photographs by: Stephanie Gray (https://stephgrayphoto.mypixieset.com/)

It was the perfect April Saturday afternoon for the Brightside Music Festival. The weather was beautiful, there was a slight breeze wafting from the lakeside views that kept concertgoers cool and refreshed. The Central Florida Fairgrounds was completely bursting with vendors ranging from band merchandise, to beer tastings. There were plenty of food and drink options available to be enjoyed by the diverse crowd. Patrons of all ages were in attendance, from young to the elderly, truly a testament to the timelessness of music.

I was fortunate enough to make it to the festival in time to catch Zebrahead’s set. You could feel the positive energy of the crowd radiating throughout the venue as the punk rock band from Cali got everyone fired up. Zebrahead’s lead singer Ali Tabatabaee was charismatic, and encouraged the crowd to participate. I personally have not witnessed such a large circle pit at 2:30 in the afternoon before, but Zebrahead made it happen! Near the end of their set, someone from stage surfed the crowd in a watermelon float. As far as opening bands goes, Zebrahead knocked it out of the park. Next in the lineup was Unwritten Law a rock band with clear fans in the audience. When they played “Seein’ Red” there was a sea of voices singing along. Lead singer Scott Russo regaled the crowd with stories of being arrested, and other such shenanigans. Giving a truly personal feel to the concert experience. The band transitioned to a slower song, before kicking the everyone back up with two fast crowd pleasers. Keeping the energy amped and ready for Save Ferris. I personally have been a fan of Save Ferris since I was in high school, so I was excited to see them perform live. They certainly did not disappoint with their ska punk sound! The entire band entered with such an infectious energy that you could not take your eyes off of them. Monique Powell stood center stage in an amazing silver dress, which later she would remove to reveal her second look of the evening; a black corset bodysuit. The band kept the energy rolling, finishing off their set with “Come on Eileen” a cover they are well known for. Following Save Ferris was Face to Face, another Cali punk rock band whose setlist was very high energy punk rock. The crowd was very engaged as they sang along to their favorite songs. Before the last song, lead singer Trever Keith joked with the audience that they needed to end the set because “Scott’s gotta poop.” As you looked across the audience you could see a little girl on her Dad’s shoulders holding her hands up with double “rock and roll” signs. The night was just getting started as Story of the Year was next.

Story of the Year really turned the volume up to ten! If you thought the crowd was amped before, well Story of the Year saw that challenge and rose up to it. They were the first band that I saw someone crowdsurfing for at this festival. The sheer volume when everyone erupted into song when they played “Tear Me to Pieces”, and then again with their finisher “Until the Day I Die” proved that their fanbase had come to party tonight. Good thing too, because next up was ska/punk rock band Goldfinger who kept the crowd super engaged. Their setlist was full of high energy songs, and everyone was singing and dancing throughout the crowd. Lead singer John Feldmann joined in with the crowdsurfing before finishing off their set with “99 Red Balloons”, a song I had been waiting for them to play. At this point of the night, I looked around and noticed that the crowd had grown significantly. 311 was about to be on stage and you could tell it was going to be a good time! They opened with “Beautiful Disaster” a crowd pleaser, which had everyone moving and singing along. When they played “Come Original” the energy really picked up. For “Applied Science” the entire band  played an extended drum solo and the crowd could not get enough. They finished off their set with “Down” to really set the tone for headliner Sublime.

This tour with Sublime is the first with Jakob Nowell as a full-time member of the band. Taking up the torch and continuing on his Father’s legacy was no small feat; however Jakob commanded the stage with a presence that was both reminiscent of Bradley, yet still uniquely his own. Fans sang along to each and every song that was played. The energy filled the completely packed fairgrounds as fans truly enjoyed this once in a lifetime experience. The band finished their set with “Santeria”, and the crowd erupted with a lengthy applause. There was a long interaction with Jakob at the end, but no encore. As fans exited the venue I caught snippets of excited chatter amongst the patrons. Two men exclaimed happily about their love for music festivals, and that they will be attending as many as possible this year. Another woman explained that Sublime hadn’t toured as Sublime since 1997, a fact I actually did not know before Saturday. I am so happy that the concert/festival community has regained it’s glory post COVID. Seeing a crowd this large supporting and taking care of each other throughout the day is just as inspiring as the music. Thank you to the performers, staff, and concert community for always being kind, and looking out for the person next to you. The staff and fans really do make the experience magical, let’s keep being awesome!

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries