By now you guys should have figured out we here at NHIE love two things: eating and music. But there is one thing we love even more, and that is birthdays! We always try to plan something big for each other’s birthdays; like weekends in Sarasota, bar crawls, or something else awesome. Lucky for me, my birthday was next up and when the boys asked what I wanted to do I was stumped. Last year we did a limo ride to Clearwater and St. Pete for the night, which was a blast but expensive. So when I saw in the TBT that Grace Potter and the Nocturnals would be playing at Jannus Live I knew what may birthday plans would include.
Nicholas went ahead and ordered the tickets for the group but since we never do anything half assed, we decided to see about getting VIP. Let’s just say going to MacDinton’s has its advantages, and knowing the right people doesn’t hurt either. With our plans all in place we cruised over the Howard Frankland and towards Downtown St. Pete. We grabbed a slice of pizza and met some friends at The Kitchen for a drink before the show. Tip: If you’re going to a show at Jannus and don’t want to wait in line to get in, grab something to eat or drink at The Kitchen and you can get right in by showing your receipt at the door. You’re Welcome 🙂
We headed inside and upstairs to VIP. It got us upstairs on the balcony that overlooks the crowd and is set off to the right of the stage. Up here we had a bar and a bathroom but not a ton of standing room. If you are going to be VIP at Jannus, get inside early and get a spot right in front. Either that or spend $500 for a private suite (which is ridiculous) We unfortunately missed the memo and headed back downstairs to get a better view. It didn’t take us long to get a spot towards the front and just in time for the show to start.
Nicholas and Ryan had already seen Grace Potter before at Lollapalooza in Chicago but it was Rob and I’s first time. We had heard she put on an amazing live show and they were not kidding. We had such a blast singing along and dancing. (and the drinks didn’t hurt either) Not only was it an amazing show, it was a long show too. Usually they come out, do their songs, do like one or two encore songs and call it a night. Not Grace Potter and the aptly named Nocturnals. They played their set for over 2 hours and she even covered a few songs and put her own spin on them.
(To check out more videos from the show, stop by our YouTube channel )
Having worked at a radio station I’ve seen tons of shows- but this ranks top 3 easily. Jannus Live is such a great place to see a show. It’s large enough to have a good crowd but small enough that it’s intimate. You truly feel like you are in your backyard with a couple hundred of your closest friends. After the show we headed into MacDinton’s to grab a post show drink. Living in South Tampa we sometimes forget about all the amazing bars, restaurants, and venues St. Pete and Clearwater have to offer, especially because when we go out we like to have a good time, but getting a DUI on the way home is no ones idea of a good time (and no one wants to pay a cab $50ish dollars to go across the bridge) Which is why somebodyyyy.. (I’m looking at you Bob Buckhorn) needs to get a shuttle bus situation in place.
It definitely provided a great kick off to my birthday weekend. And although it was no limo ride around the Bay, or a weekend away, sometimes good music, good drinks and good friends are all you need.
Happy Birthday to Me! – Allison
NHIE Guys 