After a wild, energetic, and fun day one, Innings Festival in Tampa, Florida, was only half complete. Fans gathered Sunday morning just as they did the day prior, with no less excitement. Day two consisted of 10 more musical acts, Off the Mound with Ryan Dempster again, six more MLB icons appearing at the batting cages and speed pitching stations, and more! After the rain from the previous day, it was just chilly enough for the infamous Florida heat to be virtually nonexistent, leaving fans and artists cool and comfortable.
The Ries Brothers opened up the afternoon on the Home Plate stage with a wonderful set that prepared everyone for the rest of the day. Moving over to the Right Field stage for the second set of the day, The Heavy Heavy did a great job performing while continuing the Innings party.
With a bunch of fun going around throughout the day, festivalgoers did not forget about those batting cages and speed pitching stations, and neither did the guest MLB icons! I got to meet a few there: Andy Van Slyke, Cecil Fielder, Travis Hafner, and Tom Herr, as well as Tino Martinez, who was hanging out at the Corona tent.
Faye Webster and Bronson Arroyo and the '04 took the stage at the same time: Webster was on the Home Plate, and former MLB pitcher Bronson Arroyo and his band were on the Left Field Stage. Both bands performed very relaxed sets. The Breeders were next on the docket, bringing in some alternative indie sounds that the crowd loved.
Third Eye Blind and The Revivalists definitely pushed the crowd's energy higher, bringing in more upbeat, alternative rock sounds. As the sun began to set, Marcus Mumford performed a beautiful acoustic set with his "imaginary band," playing some of Mumford and Sons' hits, including "I Will Wait." Mumford also covered Taylor Swift's "cowboy like me," which received tremendous love from the audience. The Avett Brothers brought the Right Field stage to a close with a super fun energetic show full of a huge variety of instruments including banjo, guitar, piano, kick-drum, hi-hat, double bass, electric bass, violin, cello, and a drum set. This variety brought a lot of new sounds and excitement to the crowd. Last but not least, Dave Matthews Band performed the last set of the weekend. The crowd was so excited and amped up for the amazing show Dave Matthews was about to put on. Matthews walked out joking about how cold it was considering Florida's weather reputation. The lights, music, and crowd energy all put together were blissful. Dave Matthews Band played a wide variety of their songs, including at least one song from each of nine different albums! They closed out the night with fan-favorite "Ants Marching," which was released back in 1993, 30 years ago!
Overall, Innings Festival was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, except it happens every year... I highly recommend staying up to date with the future Innings Festival happenings here! View the full day two gallery below.
Comments