The distortion of guitars slams in your ears, followed by a squeal and the reckoning of drums. Looking around, the whole crowd is moving and jumping — this is the scene of a concert in St. Pete.

        St. Pete’s music scene isn’t only entertainment. It’s a prominent place for the local community to connect and for new bands to expand their audience. 

      “It’s really cool to see all the people in the huge arts scene that St. Pete has because, compared to other parts of Florida, I think it’s kind of hard to see that. So just being able to see that and be able to experience it, especially coming from California, it’s almost like being at home,” junior and concert-goer Henry Copestake said.

     Music is also beneficial to the local economy. It was projected that last year, arts and entertainment in St. Pete generated 132.5 million dollars. It provides tourism to St. Pete, giving money to hotels, restaurants and more in the area. 

     Local venues, such as Jannus Landing, OCC Roadhouse and the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater, are some of the most popular places to hear music in Tampa Bay. These venues allow artists from all over to come to St. Pete, offering new music genres to the community, from punk rock to reggae.

     Copestake was able to take advantage of the reggae scene at the last Reggae Rise Up festival downtown. “I hadn’t been, like, introduced to reggae that much before, so being able to be there and seeing all these great reggae fans really opened my eyes to the genre,” Copestake said.

     The community at local shows is explosive. The crowds and bands fuse together in order to create a vivacious type of energy. Venues like Jannus Landing only have standing or pit room, which allows people to dance and become involved in the performance.

     “It’s very high energy, very energetic. I’ve only been to rock concerts, but they are all very high-energy. It’s the embodiment of the term ‘loud,’” said five-time MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater attendee and freshman Alex Leblanc.

     One of the most important aspects of live music is that it allows up-and-coming bands to expand their audiences. In today’s age, with an abundance of bands online, it can be challenging for groups to get an audience. Small venues allow artists of all popularities to experiment with their live shows and grow a more dedicated fanbase.

     “The Damned, as far as a band, is one I have never listened to that much before, so being able to look up all the songs that were played and then be able to listen to them and have fun while remembering the cool moments I had at Janus is great,” Copestake said.

     The scene creates a sense of community and unity in St. Pete. 

     “Music means a lot to me. One of the biggest parts of music for me is being able to, one, draw parallels between the songs that I listen to and my life, and two, being able to relate to them,” Copestake said. “I think it’s nice to be able to do that, to be able to use it when I need to, to be able to escape from some situation or problem that I might have.”