The Seventh Avenue Band Slam is arguably the most family-oriented event to ever be held at the Ritz Ybor. Nonetheless, the crowd still managed to have fun with the looming intrigue of these predominantly male bands covering Beyonce’s biggest hits. This year’s Band Slam line up consisted of a nice variety; from heavy metal, to indie rock, to even a band with an island feel. This event succeeded in capturing the amount of talent hidden in and around the greater Tampa Bay area.
To kick off the competition the heavy metal long-haired Jacksonville natives, The Artilects, opened with an incredibly entertaining spin on Destiny Child’s “Bootylicious.” To see three men simultaneously head banging to “Bootylicious” was a sight the crowd will not soon forget. Truthfully just hearing the lead singer, Josiah Baker, say the title of that widely loved classic from the nineties brought a smile to the all the fans watching.
Opening to a parent-led chant, StoneGrey took the stage next. The Land O’ Lakes natives were well represented by their hometown, and scanning the crowd, a wide amount of cowboy hats were visible which meant one thing: they were obviously far from home. The young men that collectively form StoneGrey were part of the Band Slam the previous year and returned in hopes to claim the grand prize, which includes $4,500, paid gigs, and recording opportunities.
Since they were Band Slam veterans, StoneGrey appropriately chose the Destiny’s Child hit, “Survivor” and did a rather progressive alternative take on the tune. SoneGrey’s lead singer, Eric Whitener, has a voice similar to a young David Grohl, lead singer of the Foo Fighters.
The ultimate winners of this year’s Seventh Avenue Band Slam were the Supros. From their hipster style to their upbeat and lively sound, the Supros captured everyone’s full attention for the duration of their entire set. This indie band opened with their take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and ended with their spin on Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” and were able to impress the crowd and obviously the judges with both covers.
Following the Supros were One Mile Final who possessed an island feel and a relaxing sound and style similar to that of Jack Johnson. One Mile Final did not seem to capture the attention of the audience quite as much as Supros, mainly due to the fact that they did not seem to be having as much fun on stage. Despite the fact, their take on Beyonce’s “Independent Woman” was both entertaining and quite frankly humorous to watch a grown man singing about how he is an independent woman who does not need a man.
To end this year’s line-up was The Best Day Ever, a band that included the only female performer of the whole night. From her multiple wardrobe changes to her elaborate dance moves, the lead singer held the crowd’s attention for the duration of their entire set.
To wrap up the evening’s festivities, last year’s Band Slam winners Dropin Pickup made a surprise performance of their original songs which were an incredibly soulful and relaxing sound that included a trumpet and violinist to accompany the lead singer’s soothing vocals.
The night ended with a screaming match of sorts. Each band was called to the stage and their fans now had the spotlight on them; they were to applaud and scream until their favorites emerged the winner. In the end the Supros’ fans prevailed and they were granted that grand prize.