Sandwiched between a weekend of Third Eye Blind shows back in June, was an Amphitheater performance by none other than the beloved Train. I'm no stranger to their live shows. I've seen them everywhere from 20,000 capacity outdoor stadiums to Tropicana Field to intimate settings such as the Mahaffey Theatre for their Christmas Show last December. No matter the venue, Pat Monahan and company always seem to bring down the house.
Their most recent Tampa stop was no exception as Train played a set full of hits to a mostly filled Florida Central Credit Union Amphitheater. (Likely cause from tickets being on Groupon for $15) I missed out on openers Matt Nathanson and The Fray, but got my spot in the lawn just as Train hit the stage.
One of the reasons Train has survived and still has the ability to play such large venues after all these years is due to the vocal ability of Monahan. The singer is an absolute beast, focusing on the vocals and belting out line after line that carries well into the last few rows of lawn space. Pat's antics really make Train an entertaining band to see live. He departed into the crowd for a few songs and even invited audience members on stage to dance with him at different parts of the night.
The other main reason is that Train is a well oiled machine now that knows what the fans want to hear. They play materials from all seven of their studio albums, but they definitely focus on the hits. Even a causal music fan would be amazed with how many Train tunes they recognize. Not one of the greatest hits was missed on the evening, keeping the crowd loud and captivated for the full set duration.
Highlights for myself was poppy '50 Ways to Save Goodbye' right into 'If It's Love' to get the crowd going from the start, as well as honoring their early work with classics in 'Meet Virginia' and 'Drops of Jupiter.' I thought the best vocal performance of the night was hearing Pat sing his heart out on 'When I Look to the Sky.'
The fans were well satisfied throughout the set, and Train even threw in a series of familiar covers to mix things up. This included Aerosmith's 'Dream On' as part of a sing a long encore. Overall, there was no better place to be in Tampa that night for $15. Train is always sounding good and putting on a fun show. I know I'll be buying tickets next summer (or hopefully this winter) for their next stop in Florida.
CONCERT RATING: 3.5 Stars
Setlist:
1. Just a Memory
2. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
3. If It's Love
4. Angel in Blue Jeans
5. Meet Virginia
6. Free
7. Freedom 90 (George Michael cover)
8. Bulletproof Picasso
9. When I Look to the Sky
10. Calling All Angels
11. Save Me, San Francisco
12. Wonder What You're Doing for the Rest of Your Life
13. The Loco-Motion (Carole King cover)
14. With a Little Help from My Friends (Beatles cover)
15. Give It All
16. Marry Me
17. Hey, Soul Sister
18. Drive By
Encore:
19. All American Girl
20. Dream On (Aerosmith cover)
21. Drops of Jupiter
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