What a fun event at the Tampa Museum of Art! Featuring performance art covering many genres, I…read morewished I could've cloned myself to see everything. With so many rotating acts, I feel like I missed a lot performances, but I certainly enjoyed what I saw. I was also glad the upstairs galleries were open and I spent quite a bit of time quietly wandering among the art exhibits on the second floor.
This was my first year attending GASP!, thanks to receiving General Admission tickets from Yelp in their Instagram contest. Parking was simple & plentiful in the Poe Garage, and quite reasonably priced ($1.20 per hour). Tables were easy to find, conveniently set up between the Glazier Children's Museum & the Tampa Museum of Art, so picking up our wristbands was a quick process. I was also delighted to run into Savitre & her husband Justin before we made our way onto the plaza.
Hubs immediately gravitated to the band at the far end of the plaza, as they were playing Led Zeppelin. Based on when we arrived, I think that was Jim Chambers Music Box presents Sick Hot, and I thought they were excellent as well. We waited in a short line for drinks at the outside bar; I decided to start with the St Pete Mule for $10. Then we watched Air-Earth-Fire-Water on the slope for a few minutes before going inside to get some food at Sono Café.
The food selection was embarrassing. A few pieces of toast for $3, and several slices of cheese for $5; they had been prepared ahead of time & were sitting out on the counter for who knows how long. The only other food available was paella, maybe two full serving spoons on a small plate, for $7. As we were starving, and expecting Sono Café / Mise En Place to offer more options suitable for dinner, we went with paella. It was definitely tasty but not warm.
I visited the inside bar twice during the night, choosing a beer for $7 each time. First, I enjoyed Lagunitas' Sumpin' Easy pale ale, and then I had their Aunt Sally ale (https://lagunitas.com/beer/sumpin-easy & http://lagunitas.com/beer/aunt-sally). Both were outstanding! The bartender was very pleasant & cheerful, even at the end of the night.
Upstairs, the exhibits were open & I enjoyed browsing through the galleries. In the baseball gallery, I ran into Brian & his date, and then Alicia with her friend. After a few minutes of chatting, I continued wandering, and also enjoyed the upstairs patio gallery overlooking the Hillsborough River & University of Tampa.
Now that I know what to expect, if I go to GASP! again, I would probably make a loose plan around what I knew I wanted to see. While I enjoyed the performances I serendipitously discovered, several times I found myself in the atrium or Words & Music Room between acts when nothing was happening. Further, viewing was difficult in the atrium, as the crowd was quite large all night so this short gal couldn't see much, and viewing from the staircase was not permitted. Given the $25 admission, pricey drinks, and pathetic food offerings, I'm unsure I'll attend next year.