Ribfest 2003 rolls into Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg this weekend, so bring your appetite for good food and good fun.
By GINA VIVINETTO
Published November 13, 2003
[Times files: 1998]
Grills will be smokin’ at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg as vendors cook up their best at the 2003 Ribfest.
[Publicity photos]
Little River Band
BTO
Get Back
(The Cast of Beatlemania)
Creedence Clearwater Revisited
Loverboy
We don't go to Ribfest to hear the latest in pop music, we go for the ribs, darn it. Meantime, we'll groove to whatever kooky musical entertainment organizers have lined up for us, smacking our lips on barbecue, washing it down with brew.
Some years the tunes are better than others. One thing we've learned to expect is an eclectic lineup that spans the decades of rock 'n' roll. This year's musical fare appeals to the classic rock lover in us.
Here's the musical lineup:
FRIDAY:
Also on stage:
6 p.m. Tampa's Stormbringer.
7 p.m. Elevated
8 p.m. BTO (Bachman-Turner Overdrive). Best known for Takin' Care of Business back in the early 1970s, BTO, from Canada, also scored big with You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet and Roll on Down the Highway.
SATURDAY:
1 p.m. Charlie Souza & the New Tropics, featuring former Tom Petty bassist Souza.
2 p.m. Out Drive
4 p.m. Idlewild (Allman Brothers tribute band)
5 p.m. The Gregg Rolie Band, featuring Rolie, Journey's original keyboardist
7 p.m. Heatseekers
8 p.m. Creedence Clearwater Revisited, featuring CCR rhythm section Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford. The blues-rock combo gives new life to Creedence Clearwater Revival classics such as Susie Q and Bad Moon Rising.
SUNDAY:
1 p.m. KLIK
1 and 2 p.m. Get Back (the cast of Beatlemania)
3 p.m. Golden Vanity
4 p.m. Little River Band. Formed in 1975 in Melbourne, Australia, it is best known for 1978's charming Reminiscing.
5 p.m. Octane
6 p.m. Loverboy. One of the younger bands on the bill, Loverboy, also from Canada, scored hits in the early 1980s with Turn Me Loose and Working for the Weekend.
RIBFEST 2003
Friday through Sunday at Vinoy Park, Seventh Avenue NE at Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg. In addition to food and music, there's also a Corvette show noon to 3 p.m. Sat., a Harley-Davidson show (noon to 3 p.m. Sun.) and children's activities. Benefits Northeast Exchange Club service projects. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat.; and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. Tickets are $6 per day advance (plus Ticketmaster service charge), $10 at the gate. Free for kids 12 and younger. Food items are priced individually. Call (727) 528-3828 or visit www.ribfest.org
NOTE: Coolers, cameras, alcoholic beverages and pets are not permitted; blankets and small lawn chairs are allowed. All purses and bags will be subject to search at the gate.
THE FOOD:
If watching burly men slave over a hot fire is your idea of entertainment (and really, who wouldn't find that entertaining?), you'll get your fill at Ribfest. Men (and it is mostly men) come from all over the nation - nay, the world - to marinade, baste, chop and serve up succulent savories. What a great day to be doing the low-carb thing.
RIB VENDORS:
Aussom Aussie, Sydney, Australia
Bibb's BBQ, Naples, Fla.
Billy Bones BBQ, Sanford, Mich. Bonedaddys BBQ, Midland, Mich.
Camp 31, Castleberry, Ala.
Desperado's, Hinckley, Ohio Fat Fred's Famous BBQ, St. Petersburg
