97X Next Big Thing Tickets

One of the best concerts I've ever been to. All of the bands did an amazing job and the venue was awesome with 15k people

All of the bands were great! We bought VIP tix for the first time to be able to have a place to sit, escape the mud pit field, mad crowds and disgusting porti-potties. that was a joke. instead I waited in line an hour to use a trashed bathroom that was overflowing human waste with no t.p and didn't sit all day d/t chair hording. It was cool to see the interviews and have food available but it was still a pretty poor excuse for vip. I have gone to this concert for the past 4 years, ever since I have lived in the tampa area, and its always a long day and a great bands but this is the first time I have been completely disgusted and annoyed by the situation. I'm not sure what prompted the venue switch and its alot closer to where Iive but it wasn't worth it

Great Show, all the bands were amazing! Bush and Monsters of men were impeccable

The entire show was great Flogging Molly was wonderful. Of monsters and men was entrancing, but bush and rise against brought so much energy to the show that I am surprised it did not cause a black out!

The wet ground at Saturday's next big thing concert at Vinoy Park. Like the ground the whole concert was good, but you got a constant of discomfort throughout. I can't speak for anyone prior to Paper Tongues, so take the rest as you will. Paper Tongues was amazing. Very high energy, super exciting and awesome. Grouplove also had an amazing performance. The rest of the opening bands, including Of Monsters and Men were good but didn't really get you excited to rock out. Silversun Pickups and fun. really underlined the mediocrity of the concert. Each of these bands come equipped with a 3-5 powerhouse singles, then a bunch of clunkers to fill space. To be honest, fun. was downright un-fun. You could hear the crowd talking and not paying attention during a number of their lesser known songs. Silversun was similarly weak. Bush was surprisingly good. For an event called, "Next Big Thing" it seemed odd that Bush, who "Used to Be a Big Thing," was performing. They did an admiral job, yet something made me think I was back in my teens, listening to their music. Rise Against was the highlight of the night, and a fitting end to the evening. However, having Bush as an opening was awkward and confusing. Aside from the bands and wet ground, beer was overly expensive, $7 for a 12 ounce cup. The ATMs ran out of cash on multiple occasions. Overall, the event ended up just feeling damp and uncomfortable.

So sad the event was in a dirty field, with people laying all over the ground. You couldn't even get around them. I missed my seat so much, too long of an event not to have a seat. Please move event back to 1-800 Ask Gary!!!! or I am afraid I will not return.

The lineup was great as always, but PLEASE move this event back to the Amphitheater. The acoustics are much better and the facilities and amenities are worth a little extra cost. I've been the last 5 yrs but don't think I'm coming back if it stays at Vinoy.

Will not go again if at this location. Not allowing lawn chairs (even the low to the ground ones) with WET grass was silly. Our blankets were soaked by the end. Accoustics were poor.

The 3 bands I went to see, sounded great... That's where the compliments end. The entire event was very disorganized, the venue was very poorly put together (1 huge line for an ATM because undisclosed to consumers this is a cash only event, followed by another huge line for "drink tickets", followed by another huge line for actual drinks, zero place to sit, huge obstructions in front of stage, etc...), the sound system was very sub par... Couldn't keep up with the changing needs of all the different musical styles of the bands, and even crashed during the headlining act. There was a 25 minute break between each act which was excruciating in itself, but since that wasn't bad enough for 97X, they used that time to shamelessly plug their sponcers with not only verbal, but also pre taped visual advertisements. By far the most disorganized and commercialized event I have ever been to. I recently attended a festival produced by 98rock, and lets say 97x could learn a lot from them.

The venue on the water was pretty cool but the band selection was weak! Almost all the bands had played the event before - back when they were fresh and new. Now these one hit wonders played songs most of the crowd didn't know for 90% of their set. I understand that bigger names need to be included to bring in a larger crowd but those bands were stale and mediocre too. Bush is about as far from "the next big thing" as a band can get. Of Monsters and Men and fun. were great but we've seen them before. The $7 beer selection was flavorless Miller Lite only! Do people really drink that crap in 2012 with all the great choices out there? I know Florida was late to the microbrew game but even the Greater Tampa area has some awesome pubs and breweries. Cigar City anyone? There should have been an attempt at a selection. I've been to over 100 festivals around the world and this was one of the lamest ones ever. Get with the program!

The bands were great but, the mic volume always seemed to be an issue....There was great music, really good food and drink options and it was nice being down by the water.

Solid show and line up - Perfect locale on a beautiful day.

This event surpassed all my expectations! All the bands that I had come for were amazing and I am so excited that I came early enough to hear twentyone pilots. I had never heard of them before and was planning on. It being there for them but it happened and I am so glad I did. I hope they are a key band next year so nobody gets to miss out on them.

The show as fantastic. All the bands put on good sets and there was plenty of food and beverages available. However, there were 5 other events going on in downtown St Pete that day so parking was horrendous. No chairs were allowed and 14 hours sitting on the ground, especially once it got wet, was not fun. So overall good event, just wish some more thought had gone in to the logistical planning.

I really enjoyed the seeing some of my favorite bands but the experience was greatly diminished by the fact that they had a giant camera crane blocking half the stage at all times. I get that they wanted to film it to make even more money but the placement of that particular camera was poorly thought out and ruined the experience for the people unfortunate enough to be anywhere but the far left side of the stage. Extreme close ups on the leader singers during most of the show meant I couldnt even see them through the giant black arm.

Loved all performances - wish we could have brought a couple chairs into the park though. More port-a-potties please!

Was a great concert overall! Definitely will be going back next year.

With my group's second trip to 97x's Next Big Thing, we were blown away more than we had even expected. As always, one of the bands we hardly knew ended up rocking our socks off while the groups we already knew and loved reminded us why we listen to them on repeat. The venue was great, hardly too crowded, but since it was all general admission on completely flat ground it was sometimes difficult to see from farther back in the crowd. Also there was no way to get water for free, so by the time we had dished out our funds on frozen lemonade and beer, the dehydration had kicked in and there was no way to quench our thirst. Overall, however, the quality of music and the beautiful bay on which the stage was built kept your mind occupied the entire day.

The entire event was great. Very loud. Wish the area was bigger though.

Amazing concert! Great lineup, fantastic location, amazing fans. I'm a veteran of festival type concerts outdoors and this one was, by far, the best. Truly mellow crowd--pleasant folks and it means a lot when parents bring their young kids and "all is well." Only dis-----------the port-a-potties were truly abysmal! Not enough and by the end of the event--they were a haz mat situation. Next year---more potties please. Oh yeah, and make sure that the sanitation stations for hand washing actually have water in them and can be used. On the whole, that was the only blemish on a great day.