Thursday, September 6, 2012
Rain can't stop our party! Photos from Rock the Park: Take Back the City
Posted by Chip Weiner on Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 9:40 PM
On Thursday, Sept. 6, music lovers gathered in Cutis Hixon Park to "take back the city."
In what was billed by the Tampa Downtown Partnership as a night to take back the city after last week's RNC, about 200 people gathered in Curtis Hixon Park to declare themselves free from the traffic jams, heavy police presence, and over-the-top coverage by local and national media outlets. Tampa ska band Magadog played its last local show with Halibut and Red Rock/its as the opening acts.
Ominous clouds provided a natural backdrop for Halibut's performance. The band played in a light rain and as the set ended, heavy showers began to fall.
Concertgoers scrambled for cover when the storm hit.
A shot of the Fox 13 SkyTower Radar at 9 p.m., about the time Magadog was scheduled to take the stage.
It is ironic that remnants of Isaac circled back around and caused weather patterns that contributed to tropical storm like conditions. It was that same storm that persuaded officials to cancel the first night of the RNC.
Concert goers took shelter under the walkway of the Tampa Museum of Art.
Tampa residents are a resilient bunch. They took back the city without letting rain or driving wind get in the way of a party. The event organizers did what a lot of experienced Tampa residents would do in a rainstorm: They picked up the party and moved it to The Hub, home of cheap mega-pour drinks, to hear Red Rocks/its and Magadog.
Once organizers announced that the party was moving to The Hub, concertgoers traipsed through the rain to get to the home of Downtown Tampa's strong pour.
It's just a thought, but next time, instead of canceling a night of the convention due to bad weather, have everyone do what rained out Tampa residents do: Go to The Hub! Those out-of-towners can get a street-level taste of our hometown hospitality and everybody wins. Conventioneers drink inexpensive liquor and a Tampa institution makes a profit. Economic development opportunity!
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