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Music

Tropical Heatwave: Eclectic company

Raise your tiki torch and celebrate Heatwave and its ambitious lineup of diverse sounds.

By SEAN DALY
Published May 10, 2007

TAMPA - Randy Wynne is not the sort of guy to use the phrase "big explosion of entertainment." At least not with a straight face. The 55-year-old program director at WMNF-FM 88.5 is a mellow dude, with a low steady voice and brushed-back hair. Heck, he even looks like Peter Fonda.

But this time of year, Wynne can't help but dust off the hyperbole. Such is the effect of Tropical Heatwave. Thirty-plus bands, six stages, three venues - all on Saturday night.

So "big explosion of entertainment" fits pretty darn well.

So does "demanding" and "sensory overload" and "not for the faint of heart."

Now celebrating its 26th year, Heatwave remains one of the most unusual music festivals in the country. The one-day event attracts between 5,000 and 6,000 rowdies to a rather intimate patch of Ybor City. It's a logistical minefield that Wynne, with select partners in mayhem, has spearheaded for 21 years. It's funded entirely by WMNF, a listener-supported radio station.

Not only must Wynne book the talent, he has to set the performance schedule to avoid genre overlapping and handle his biggest challenge - dealing with "the management of bodies."

"I don't think there are any other listener-supported community radio stations around that are doing an event at this scale," Wynne says.

About nine months ago, Wynne and his station cohorts started discussing who they wanted on the bill "it's all based on eclecticism" and possible themes. After a spirited debate, this year's theme is Tiki Tango, so expect plenty of Polynesian madcappery.

"The themes are more for the decorations," Wynne says with a smile. "But we actually got a tiki band this year (the Boston-based Waitiki), and there are only two real tiki bands in the country."

Bigger isn't better

Heatwave's operating budget is about $80,000 - with $36,000 of that set aside for the musical acts.

"The most we've ever spent on a band was $4,500," Wynne says. Big names can cost 10 times that or more. So Wynne searches for smaller acts that may be the next hot thing. He prefers it that way.

"I find more difficulty with the big agencies. They're not interested that this is going to be a fantastic event," Wynne says. "They're only concerned about it being a career boost for their acts."

Still, the festival has managed to court a slew of high-cool-quotient acts over the years, including Bo Diddley, Buckwheat Zydeco, Michelle Shocked, Sun Ra, Better Than Ezra and Dick Dale.

This year's headliner is roots-rock fave James McMurtry. "I've been trying for years to get McMurtry," Wynne says. "It all just worked out."

But the biggest buzz might be for Trombone Shorty, a 21-year-old talent from New Orleans on the edge of stardom.

The rest of the bill will be filled out with national bands (including the Dynamites, Infectious by Nature), Florida groups (Plain Jane Automobile, Rocket 88) and local faves (Zillionaire, Freddy Montes Y Su Son).

"Some of the bands we're even booking through MySpace," Wynne says. "That's really become a thing."

This might be one of Heatwave's most eclectic lineups ever. "It's always a challenge to get the right bands and the right chemistry," says Wynne, adding that he's always surprised to see the Tampa Bay talent shine year after year. "It's good to see the local bands compete with the national bands and holding their own."

A no-repeat policy

There is but one unbreakable rule for picking Heatwave acts: "We never bring back the same band two years in a row. Never. Some of the festivals bring back the same people. We never do."

For Wynne, planning the Heatwave is a bit easier now than it was in the '90s, when ambition got the best of WMNF.

"We tried a two-day experiment," he says. "But it was hard to promote. Plus Heatwave is so exhausting, people who stayed for the whole first day really needed to sleep the next day."

Wynne says there's always an urge for fans to keep moving and see as many bands as possible. It's a fun idea, and he's certainly had the same thought, but alas, he advises against it.

"For me, (trying to see everybody) would not be that satisfying, because you wouldn't be able to see any one band for more than three songs tops."

Instead, Wynne says people should hang around for bands outside their safety zone. In other words, punk fans should go see, say, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. And zydeco fans should check out, say, all-girl punk act Doll Parts.

"Go see bands you've never heard of," Wynne says. "Heatwave is all about discovering new bands. If they've been booked for Heatwave, rest assured the band is going to be something you'll like."

Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8467. His Pop Life blog is at blogs.tampabay.com/popmusic.

 
Tropical Heatwave 2007

The event features the Holmes Brothers, Paul Thorn Band, James McMurtry, Oteil and the Peacemakers, the Dynamites, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers and more. It begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cuban Club, 2010 Avenida Republica de Cuba, Tampa, and other Ybor City venues. $30 advance, $35 at the door, $15 after 11 p.m., $12 ages 12-20, 11 and younger free. (813) 248-2954.

[Last modified May 9, 2007, 21:10:08]