Story and photo by Thomas Iacobucci
Seven acts. Fifteen minutes. Three songs. One stage. One destination.
Concert-goers gathered Jan. 30 at Jannus Live in downtown St. Petersburg to witness Destination Okeechobee, a live event hosted by the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. The event pitted local acts from across the Tampa Bay area against each other, with the grand prize being a slot on stage at the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. The 2020 festival returns March 5-8.
Happening across the state, Destination Okeechobee featured local artists from each of the five cities it visits. This year saw St. Petersburg added to the list of other major Florida cities that include Miami, Tallahassee, Gainesville and Orlando. One act is chosen from each city, guaranteeing an audience with tens of thousands at the festival.
The St. Petersburg show included seven acts from all types of genres, aligning with the diverse theme of Okeechobee’s past lineups.
With only 15 minutes per set, each of the acts had enough time for three original songs to impress the judges and the crowd. Though it was not the sole system of rating, attendees had the power to vote for their favorite in the lineup. These votes were only factored in if the judges could not come to a unanimous decision.
The first act to grace the stage at Jannus was Sick Hot, a modern rock trio from Tampa that draws influences from classic rock and heavy metal. With two USF students, Sick Hot’s style resembles the sounds that were popular during the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. Led Zeppelin fans should take notice.
The second act was indie-synth-pop quintet, Crownz. Based out of Tampa, this five-piece combines the use of electronic sounds with high-key indie guitar riffs. A local favorite in the Tampa music scene, Crownz has previously played 97X’s Backyard BBQ, as well as 97X’s Next Big Thing.
Following Crownz was the funk-fused, jam band called The Reality. The foursome, made up of seasoned musicians, brought their independent style to the stage, standing out with their ska-inspired performance.
Tampa band WD-HAN had the stage next, playing with as much ferocity as an experienced band could. The trio is no stranger to the Jannus stage, having previously opened for Kaleo back in 2017. The band teeters on the edge of sounding like the White Stripes with soulful blues guitar riffs and massive drum fills, while also blending pop and synth beats.
St. Petersburg local and crowd favorite Kerry Courtney followed WD-HAN with a much more mellow set. Courtney, 28, is a veteran of musical competitions, having participated in American Idol back in 2016. Courtney and his backing group blend soulful indie lyrics with a folk/Americana sound that feels both moving and authentic.
Rohna appeared next on stage, upping the energy from the previous performance. Hailing from Tampa, this four-piece rocked the venue, thrashing around the stage like they have been touring for years. Combining heavy alternative, indie rock and punk, this band offered a positive energy to the crowd that remained.
Capping off the qualifying acts was Tampa local Grant Lee. Combining produced electronic sounds with intermittent guitar riffs and beats from his synth-drum pad, Lee’s house style music got the crowd dancing and shuffling, even demanding an encore after his set finished.
Though each band arrived with their own distinct sound and style, only one act could move on to the final destination.
After deliberation and a tally of crowd votes, Grant Lee received the coveted pass to play the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival next month. Lee will soon share the stage with acts such as Vampire Weekend, Bassnectar and Mumford and Sons.
