It’s Gasparilla weekend over in Tampa and following their famous pirate boat parade, it was time for Shipwrecked Music Festival taking place at The Cuban Club in historic Ybor City.This year they expanded into the adjacent parking lot to facilitate entry and allow more room.New this year too is the VIP area only takes up half the stage at the barrier with General Admission getting the other half. During our previous visits to Shipwrecked, VIP got the entire upfront area with GA standing behind. Under this format, there’s not a lot of reasons to pay the more expensive VIP price.With the expansion into the parking lot, the Vendor Village is removed to out here with only a few vendors remaining in their previous area near the main stage.The festival opened at 5PM and the outdoor mainstage was in progress when we arrived about a half hour later. Shipwrecked is a 2-night festival but we only attended the second day this year.DJ Audia (USA) was playing a mostly Drum & Bass set last night.The only female DJ in yesterday’s lineup, Audia is based in Detroit.The second stage is located indoors and keeping with the pirate theming, it’s called the Gallows.The opener in here was DJ Lo-G (USA) playing EDM.While outdoors last night was on the Bass side, indoors was on the House side.There were actually more patrons inside than there were outside. At least initially. DJ Jawnney (USA) was up shortly after our arrival. This Tampa-based DJ gave us a House set.Indoors is a large room with multiple bars and over the years we’ve seen it get packed in here.Back outside, dusk was setting-in.DJ AEDFX (USA) was on and we weren’t sure what this Los Angeles-based artist was playing!Maybe you’d call it Melodic Dubstep or Experimental Bass, not sure. But it was excruciating. The slow Bass would continue with Baltimore-based DJ Vide (USA) in the 7PM position. You’d expect Bass DJ’s to deliver those head-banging drops for fans of that genre but neither of these two guys did that, at least not while we were there.Spotted taking pics: Orlando club photographer Summer. Spotted tending: Orlando-based Ashley.DJ Jay Crusoe (USA) was on next inside.This Orlando-based DJ’s set had a Tech House vibe to some of it.He had the growing-crowd bouncing.Pirate-theming was of course de rigueur. We were kind of disappointed with Shipwrecked this year. Last year they had Green Velvet (USA) and a few years prior breakout star John Summit (USA). Nothing like that this year. So at this point we took a break from the festival and headed over to Centro Cantina in the Centro Ybor restaurant complex. You can never go wrong with alcoholic slurpees!Located upstairs, Centro Cantina has a great view of Ybor City’s main thoroughfare Seventh Avenue which is jammed with bars, clubs, restaurants and shops. And there were lots of Gasparilla revelers passing back-and-forth.In the booth we found DJ Fugi (USA) playing mostly 90’s & Y2K Hip Hop & Top 40 hits.There wasn’t any dancing initially until these two non-bashful types got the place started.And then it got jammed!You know it’s great music when the DJ is getting into it!Party Animals!A good time was had by all.Of course you can’t visit Ybor City without stopping by The Castle.Around midnight, the queue to get in stretched around the block.Saturday night resident DJ Tom Gold (USA) was in the perch.And the dance floor was packed!The music mostly Industrial & Goth.Spotted by the stage: Brian with his main squeeze Rebecca.Spotted on the dance floor: DJ Rob Bates (USA) with Alison and Karen.Spotted on the rental pony: Sarah, Hunter & Ozzie.You can’t get more Goth than The Castle.In the torture chamber, whippings were being meted-out. This one was definitely getting the punishment she deserved. The music is Industrial, Synthpop, Dark Wave, Power Noise.Saturday nights are themed as “Communion After Dark” and the dance floor stays jammed!Everywhere we went last night, a good time was had by all.
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