Southern rock grew up along the St. Johns River. The Allman Brothers Band came together in Jacksonville in 1969 after jam sessions at a house in the Riverside neighborhood, and Lynyrd Skynyrd came out of the same city. Tom Petty was a Gainesville kid long before the Heartbreakers. Florida kept feeding rock radio after that, with Creed from Tallahassee, Matchbox Twenty from Orlando and Limp Bizkit back in Jacksonville.
How the tours move
The biggest rock tours play the stadiums and arenas. Summer belongs to the amphitheaters, with large outdoor stages in Tampa and West Palm Beach and plenty of lawn seating. Classic rock bands and veteran solo acts spend the winter in performing arts centers and casino theaters, where the snowbirds are waiting with good seats and early dinner reservations.
Lawn seats and afternoon storms
An outdoor show in July comes with heat and, most days, a four o'clock storm that blows through before the opener. Keep a poncho in the car, check your ticket for the night's rules, and give I-4 or I-95 more time than seems reasonable.
The list below covers every rock date we carry statewide. To narrow it down, start with Jacksonville, Tampa or West Palm Beach, and find heavier bills on the hard rock and metal page.
