Some of the biggest and best alternative bands from around the country will gather at Vinoy Park on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Floridacentral Credit Union will host 97X’s Next Big Thing at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, Fla. featuring Thirty Seconds to Mars, Stone Temple Pilots, Jimmy Eat World, The Dirty Heads, Pepper and The 1975. This will be the 13th edition of Next Big Thing, an event that is considered Tampa Bay’s largest one-day alternative festival.
Thirty Seconds to Mars will headline the festival, whose newest album LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS, was just released back in May. Their single, “City of Angels,” is both hot on the charts and can be heard all over the radio including Tampa’s 97X. Jared Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars’ lead singer and actor, is currently getting Oscar buzz for his performance in the upcoming flick Dallas Buyers Club. Having seen them twice in Chicago, Ill., I can personally say that Thirty Seconds to Mars is not only amazing live, but they also know exactly how to make their fans happy.
Next Big Thing’s headliners also include Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington. Stone Temple Pilots should make for one interesting set considering they have recently parted ways with their erratic and unstable singer, Scott Weiland. The group’s remaining members have connected with Bennington, one of alt-metal’s most dynamic voices. Bennington is also the lead singer for world-renowned rock band Linkin Park. With their new member, Stone Temple Pilots plans to record new music but still play some of their older hits.
The rest of the lineup consists of A Day to Remember, Jimmy Eat World, The Dirty Heads, Manchester Orchestra, Sleeping with Sirens (who also were headliners this past year at Warped Tour), Pepper, Frank Turner, The Sleeping Souls, Saints of Valory and The 1975. The 1975, although relatively new, have hit fame hard and fast with their chart-topping singles “Chocolate” and “Sex.” Friends at David & Goliath, a well-known apparel company, have teamed up this year with Next Big Thing in order to design a series of shirts inspired by the one-day alternative fest. Their selection was officially unveiled on Monday, Sept. 9, and since then they have released one new design every two weeks. David & Goliath’s selection for the Next Big Thing can be found at NBTees.com.
With this many talented and recognized artists, tickets are selling out fast. From now until Oct. 27, you can purchase a general admission ticket for $45. The price will then rise to $55 from Oct. 27 until Nov. 28 and again to $65 from Nov. 29 until Dec. 6. The day of the festival, Dec. 9, tickets will be available to purchase at the gate for a final price of $80, but that is only if the festival has not sold out yet. With headliners, such as Thirty Seconds to Mars and Jimmy Eat World, I would not want to take the chance of waiting until that final day. 97X is currently discussing this upcoming event throughout the week on their radio station, while also talking about the highlights from last year’s fest. For more information on Next Big Thing, you can access their website at http://www.97xonline.com.
Jacki Guenther can be reached at jaclyn.guenther@spartans.ut.edu