by photojournalist Dan Fernandez
On Saturday evening, August 29th 311 and Dirty Heads brough their co-headlined “So Glad You Could Make It” tour to MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre as the 2nd to last stop on the North American tour that began in Shakopee, MN on July 11 and ended in West Palm Beach on August 30th. After a pretty heavy weather scare, as is often the case here in Florida, the crew was able to avoid any weather delays and get the show rolling right on time.
Opening the night was Rome Rodriguez based out of Fremont, CA. Rome has carved out a respectable solo career for himself after famously being associated with godfathers and surviving members of the Ragge-Dub powerhouse Sublime. Rome’s set included a mix of his original music such as “Why Me” and “Rest of My Days” as well as a few covers from his days with Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, one of which being my personal favorite Sublime Song “Garden Grove.” I especially enjoyed jamming to that one from outside of the media room.
Up next was Atmosphere, an American hip-hop duo from Minneapolis, MN made up of rapper Slug and Producer Ant. The duo has held it down since the mid 90s blending rock & roll and electronic stylings with hip hop vocals that give off a Cypress Hill meets Fred Durst kind of vibe. Atmosphere did well to bring the heat and get the crowd thoroughly hyped for the headliners to take the day.
At around 840 PM 311 triumphantly took the stage. The group immediately showed why they have been at the top of their genre going on 36 years now. 311 holds a legacy and lasting legitimacy that is nearly unheard of, even managing to anchor their own floating music festival that goes by the “311 Caribbean Cruise which is in its 15th year. Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska long before it became the capital of the 2000’s indie movement 311 grabbed the crown early on in their careers and never let go of their strong hold. As for Saturday night, I would give their performance a clean 10/10 with the group, led by front man Nick Hexum and accented by co-vocalist Doug “SA” Martinez, bringing an energy and level of showmanship that is going to prove hard to rival for future acts that I cover. While the band tore through fan favorites “Come Original”, “Beyond the Grey Sky”, their famous version of The Cure’s “Lovesong” and inarguably their biggest hit “Amber”, it was a heartfelt moment shared between Hexum and the crowd that was the highlight of their set as the singer led the audience in the singing of “Happy Birthday” via cell phone video for Nick’s eldest daughter Echo who was turning 16 on the night. After all these years it is hard to remain genuine, but that is exactly how everything that 311 did on stage felt. Whether it was banter with the crowd or back to back jams leaning against one another the entire set proved resoundingly genuine.
Once 311 relinquished the stage it was time for their co-headlining amigos to rock steady. The Dirty Heads took had some big shoes to fill following up the previous set and boy did they burst right out of them. These guys have done it all in the Reggae scene including touring with the likes of genre giants Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, Sublime with Rome, Cobra Starship and more. Founded in Orange County, California the band drew inspiration from the area’s strong reggae, punk and ska subculture, while mixing in a bit of hip-hop and even a little pop to top off the formula which also includes a full brass section. The rest has been history. Going into their second decade as a group the guys have shown no sign of slowing down, releasing their latest album “7 Seas” on June 12, 2026. On the night fans were treated to a massive 18 song set list including “Burn Slow,” another favorite of mine “My Sweet Summer,” and their spin on Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” before bringing Rome Ramirez out to jam along to their hit song “Lay Me Down” followed by Nick Hexum joining the guys on stage for “So Glad You Made It.” Dirty Heads kept the tunes flowing with “Better,” “Moon Tower,” “That’s All I Need” before wrapping their set up to a jam packed house with “Island Glow,” “Sound Boy Killa” and “Medusa.”
From start to finish the night was one to remember as the reggae community never fails to come together for a great time. The curator of this tour’s lineup deserves a bonus as each act perfectly complimented the next, providing the evening with a natural flow and making the near 6 hours of music fly by like “Wait it’s over?” While the “So Glad You Came” tour has come to an end fear not, the bands already have future dates listed on their respective websites. If you happen to see that any of these guys are coming to the area in the future, I implore you to scoop up a ticket. You will not be let down!
