It's a question I get asked often - especially this time of year. As summer approaches, concerts at the Amphitheatre get announced that are scheduled in the middle of Florida's overwhelming heat and humidity. Plus we get those daily downpours right around concert time. So why? Why on Earth do they keep doing shows in Tampa during the summertime? Doesn't it make more sense to have outdoor concerts in Tampa during the cooler months? No brainer right?
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Not so much.
While it would be more convenient for us Floridians, the way concert tours are organized, there's one big thing you're not taking into consideration. The other 49 states. Outdoor tours are very different than arena tours. Everything is different - the lighting, the sound equipment, the number of road crew needed... it's like comparing apples and oranges. When a band books a tour designed for outdoor venues like the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, the tour will also include stops at almost identical spots around the country like the Red Hat Amphitheatre in Raleigh, the Shoreline Amphitheatre in California or the XFinity Center near Boston.
While it would be nice to have a winter concert in Tampa, nobody in Boston is going to sit outside in the freezing cold for 3 hours, slipping and sliding in snow to watch a concert. Tours are generally 3 to 4 months, so concert promoters have a limited amount of time on the calendar to squeeze in as many dates in as many cities as possible. Bands also have to plot the tour out in a way that makes sense. They can't be in Tampa tonight and Wisconsin tomorrow and then California the next day. They have to go on a logical path so their crews can get everything set up in time. After Tampa, you'll usually see the tour move on to Fort Lauderdale or Jacksonville. So if you've ever wondered why you have to sweat your butt off to see that show at the Amp in August, blame your friends and relatives in the other 49 states.
