Tampa saw some big names on Friday as Train stopped in town for the “Drops of Jupiter: 25 Years in the Atmosphere” tour at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre. Kicking off the night with fellow 2000s stars Barenaked Ladies and Matt Nathanson, Train celebrated the 25th anniversary of its platinum-selling record. Even though some delays were brought about due to a bit of Florida weather that caused the evening to run late, there was no shortage of excitement from start to finish.
Once Train made their grand appearance, Pat Monahan did his best to not let the weather play any sort of damper on the energy by engaging directly with the crowd from the jump. Instead, they seemed to turn the moment into another positive for the show, giving fans a show for having waited patiently throughout the storms by making it a fun, energetic and memorable evening. The Barenaked Ladies and Matt Nathanson played within the breaks and kept the show moving between the acts. Hit after hit from “Hey, Soul Sister” to “Drive By” and the power anthem “Drops of Jupiter,” the crowd was singing along to every word as the night carried on. Monahan’s voice was in top shape and held its own through the energetic catalog of hits, embodying all of the passion and feeling that fans expect from a Train show.
This is what really turned the show into an amazing night: the energy that Train has always infused into its performances created a connection that transcended just the audience; they turned the venue into a room of 20,000 people as one as the chorus of each of the massive hits turned into a giant, deafening singalong where everyone got to relive their early 2000s glory days.
Matt Nathanson came in, playing all of his emotionally moving hits, before Barenaked Ladies’ comedic take and hits kept the party going as well, setting the stage perfectly for Train. Twenty-five years after the hit album that defined so much of the 2000s pop-rock sound, Train proved that their music can still connect with audiences of all ages, from longtime listeners to first-time concert-goers.