Concert review: Afrojack makes the dancing happen at Amphitheater, Ybor City – Creative Loafing Tampa

By Kate Cillian on Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 1:00 am

Holy crap. What a party.
Even after a shower, I still feel sweaty. My feet are still tapping to the beat. My heart is still pumping from all the excitement and bass thumping. Last night in Ybor City's fully packed Amphitheater, R3hab opened up for Afrojack and they cranked out an all night dance party. This was my first trip to the Amp and I wasn't sure what to expect. At this writing, I give the club-cum-venue an 8 out of 10.

It was a rocky start, however, as the second I walked through the door, two people were on the floor and then getting kicked out. But the staff handled it well and kept their cool. Plus, everyone there made me feel welcome. The building itself is actually really nice and perfect for house music and dubstep shows. A huge disco ball hung over the expansive dance floor, and there were plenty of laser lights and TVs spinning images. An upstairs balcony featured the VIP section with a bar and even its own bathrooms. Overall, very impressive place. My only complaint — the too-high drink prices. But the place only sold top shelf liquor, and at least the drinks were mixed with a kick.
I didn't see a whole lot of R3hab's set. I was too busy people-watching, scoping out the venue, and hanging on the upstairs balcony that looked out over historic 7th Avenue. I watched some helpless chick get arrested and another wandering aimlessly down the street barefoot. The artist's music provided a perfect backdrop for all the crazy shit going on around me and plenty of people were inside enjoying it. I just needed to relax until Afrojack arrived, or I never would of made it.
Afrojack finally took the stage a little after 1 a.m., and the whole place went nuts and the crush of people vying for dance space made it feel like the crowd doubled instantly. The floor was shaking like an earth quake and I feared we'd fall through the second floor and crash down on top of the first. Luckily, no such disaster awaited.
A few songs into his set, Afrojack played a favorite, "Take Over Control" (featuring Eva Simmons). The energy was at an all time high at this point; I could almost feel a shock wave rippling through the place. Not a single person was standing still — the whole building felt like it was swaying with the beat. All I could see were glow sticks and lasers and writhing bodies. All I could feel was the bump bump bump of the bass. All I could smell were sticky, sweaty bodies. At one point, Afrojack cut out the music and all you could hear was the rumble of hundreds of voicese. That made him smile. It felt like Ultra Music Festival re-lived in a much smaller setting. Everyone was having a good time and helping each other out. This was a much better experience than my last show at The Venue.
Crowd and venue aside, this show about the artist. The thing I loved the most about Afrojack was his stage presence and how into it he really was. R3hab was kind of just up there being a DJ, not showing any emotion. But Afrojack had his eyes closed, hands in the air, and a huge smile on his face the whole time. I couldn't look away. That guy truly loves entertaining and making his fans happy. It gives me chills just thinking about it.
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