The Outta Control Tour is just getting started, with Nonpoint’s stop in Tampa (Ybor City, if we’re getting technical). You wouldn’t be able to tell it was just the second tour stop because all of the bands played like the tour was in full swing, bringing a ton of energy to the stage, with every band sounding like a well-oiled machine. This stop on the tour saw the bands take over The Ritz Ybor, a century-old theater in the historic Cuban neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Tampa.

SUMO CYCO

Opening the night was Sumo Cyco, a female-led hard rock band from Ontario, Canada. They brought a fun energy that got the crowd riled up and ready for the night ahead. Vocalist Skye Sweetnam was having a ton of fun, at one point going into the crowd and singing in the pit. The band was having a lot of fun on stage as well, interacting with the crowd and feeding off that energy.

SOiL

Next up was SOiL, which brought the crowd to a near fever pitch. SOiL is a bit heavier than the other bands, so this is where a majority of the headbanging and moshing took place. The band dipped into their back catalog to play some of their earliest material, such as “Pride” from 2004’s Redefine, which got a huge response from the crowd. It’s always interesting seeing a band that’s been around for three decades play songs across their discography and get different responses from different eras of fans throughout the room, especially at a show with such a wide variety of fans of different ages.

NONPOINT

Finally, the night ended with the headliner, Florida’s very own Nonpoint, taking the stage. The band came out swinging with 2021’s “Ruthless”, before following that up with a brand new track entitled “Is It”. The band continued through the night, playing both fan favorites and newer hits, including even more unreleased songs that the band will be recording later this year.

Vocalist Elias Soriano spent downtime between songs thanking everyone who showed up, shouting out his parents and family who made the short trip up to see them perform. Eventually, he invited Sumo Cyco vocalist Skye Sweetnam up to perform alongside the band for two songs. Sweetnam once again got a huge reception from the crowd, and both vocalists made for an amazing duo.

The highlight of the night was the band’s cover of “In The Air Tonight”, which the entire venue sang at the top of their lungs. The energy of the crowd was electric during the entire set, but it was really amazing to be in the middle of so many people doing their best Phil Collins impression.

For a band approaching three decades, it’s almost always impossible to please everyone coming out to see you. Against all odds, Nonpoint played an impressively stacked setlist of songs that ensured not a single fan left unhappy. The unsung bonus of the night was the show kicking off at 6:30 and concluding before 10 PM, which felt almost surreal compared to my normal routine of shuffling out of venues sometime after midnight.

The Outta Control Tour runs through the middle of May, so there’s still plenty of time to catch this amazing lineup of bands when they roll through your town this spring.