Fans of the Tampa Bay music scene - The Party Train

Welcome to the first edition of a new editorial series that will run in the St. Petersburg Live Music Bar Scene Column called the “Fans of the Tampa Bay Music Scene”. The “Fans of the Tampa Bay Music Scene” will focus on all of the unique fans that help support the local music scene by faithfully going out to the venues on a regular basis in order to show their support for their favorite bands.

This edition of the “Fans of the Tampa Bay Music Scene” will focus on the group of supporters known as “The Party Train”.

If you are an avid fan of the Tampa Bay music scene that goes out regularly to the local live music bars to watch your favorite bands perform, then most likely you have ran into a group of fans who always carry brightly colored tambourines in the audience... dancing to the music of the band, and having a great time. The name of the group is called the “Party Train”, and for the last two years the group has been one of the biggest supporters and followers of the Tampa Bay music scene.

The Party Train began as an idea in Monica Rocheford’s head. Rocheford is a music fan who simply love’s live music, dancing and just having fun. In the summer of 2009, Rocheford went out to see a local band perform at a bar in Clearwater. It was while she was at the bar when she ran into another fan by the name of Jill Asbury-Parker....

“We were at The Shipwreck in Clearwater listening to The Saloonatics, they were The Stumble B’s back then, and we decided  to dance, so we got up and danced to one of our favorite songs by Tom Petty which is “Last Dance with Mary Jane”... We have been dancing ever since.” - Monica Rocheford

After their chance meeting at The Shipwreck, the two ladies met up with a third lady, “Lil’” Teri Ross, and went out to a Blues Festival in Dunedin. The three women were walking around the festival looking at all the vendors when they came across one vendor who was selling all kinds of battery opperated blinking items. That’s when a selection of blinking tambourines caught their eyes...

“We checked them out and asked the price and Teri Ross and myself each bought one.  She bought green and I bought blue. Jill did not want a tambourine at that time, but now she really loves them! When the band started playing we slapped our tambourines like crazy. Four Star Riot was playing and we had a great time.  People around us seemed to get into the music and smile and dance.  This was certainly a happy time and everyone forgot their troubles for a while.” - Monica Rocheford

After the festival, Rocheford went home with an idea...

“I starting looking for tambourines and thinking this area would be a great party atmosphere, and the bands would enjoy that we were having fun and dancing.” - Monica Rocheford

The group of live music fans & supporters grew in size before too long and soon adopted the name of “Party Train”. Though there are usually two of them that go out as often as they can to support the live bands, the group consists of many more...

“We have additional members in the Party Train which are Teri, Michelle, Momasita, Maew, Bobby, Debbie, Mary, Anna Lee, Mark, Liz and Hajo, Terri, Tim and Rita, Yolanda, Karen, Marcine, Will, Michael, Cyndi, Darlene, Dawn, Linda, Krystle, Madison and Barbie.” - Monica Rocheford

Armed with their blinking tambourines, blinking sunglasses, and even cubes that light up in their drinks... The Party Train started showing up all over the local scene to check out their favorite bands. However, the group has grown so big, goes out so often, and sees so many bands that they have had to start being extremely organized when planning their events...

“We do most of our communicating on Facebook. Jill and I work on the calendar for each month that lists where the Party Train is going to be on each day of the week." - Monica Rocheford

The list of bands that the Party Train follows is extremely lengthy and impressive. Just as impressive is how far they travel to see their favorite bands...

“We have our favorites, but we love them all.  There are 90 plus bands that we have seen since Party Train began. We travel as far north as Homosassa, St. Petersburg to the south and Orlando to the East and also other states.” - Monica Rocheford

The Bands the Party Train follows include:

Article-7, Baker Act Band, Big Deal, Big Foot, Bitter Sweet, The Black Honkeys, Blackfoot, Black Jack Bomber, Black Rose (no longer together), Blisterine, Bob Hope Band, Bret Michaels, Bus Stop Band, Category Three, CC Beaglehead, Chad Montana and Big Fish, Chrome, Circle Sky, Clearwater All Stars, Cosmic Voodoo (no longer together), Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, Delta Doctors, Den of Thieves, Diamond Gray, Doobious Arbuckle, Eclipse, Evil Monkey, Fat Tractor, Floydsum, Four Star Riot, Gary Schutt, Gerri Diamond and Blackjack Blues Band, Greg Billings Band, Harvey Myers, The Hazies, Horses Wild, Hunks of Funk, Jaded, Jenna Stone Band, Jeremy Thomas Band, Jeteye, Jimmy Suvoy and the Experiments, John Mellencamp, Kansas, Kenny McGee, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kole, Lawless Intent, Leonard Brothers, Little Deuce Coupe, Little River Band, LostNFound, Loudmouth, Man vs. Clam, Mark Shane, Maroon 5, Marshall Tucker Band, Mayhem Junkies, Midnight Rush, Motown, The Orbs, Papa Cherry, Peter Hill Band, Phoenix, Poison, Porch Full of Idiots, Protocol, Psycho Mojo (no longer together), Rebel Pride, Rebound, Recoil, Regina AaMacha, Rendevous Band, Rick Hatfield, Sandy Atkinson and The True Loves, Slickside, Sobriety X, Soul Circus Cowboys, Steve Santos Band, Steve Cristo and Company, Stormbringer, Storm Surge, Sunza Beaches, Sweet Spot, The Sweet Tea Band, Tee Blue, The Tommy Gunn Band, Train, Throwing Stones, Tribute for Frankie Toler Band, Twisted Logic, Undercover Betty, The Untouchables, Voices of Jazz, Wikkid, The Wild Cards, Wooden Nickel Band, and Wylie Fox (no longer together).

“We are still counting... We take pictures of the band and the venue that they play at and post them on Facebook as well. There are so many bands we want to see, just don’t have the time for it.... We do like to relax at home once or twice a week.  I think the longest we have gone in a row was 13 days with no day off.  Sometimes we see two or three bands in one day. We are [A] pooped Party Train at the end of that fast track ride.”

“The bands we follow also support other bands by seeing them on their off nights and even during breaks... We consider them part of the Party Train and our family.” - Monica Rocheford

The Party Train also shows up at local benefit concerts & events as well, including the Brittany Nation Foundation Against Drunk Driving’s “Designated Driver Awareness concerts", and Wildstock which took place this past October in Wimauma.

“We also support benefits as much as we can.  We are strong believers as much of our bands are of helping those in need.” - Monica Rocheford

So what keeps the Party Train going you ask? Why do they do what they do? Are they just a bunch of groupies or do they actually have a mission or goal?

“Contrary to some beliefs, we are not groupies, but supporters of live music, fun and dancing.  We like to bring a little light to everyone’s life. There are so many talented musicians in our town, let alone other towns and other states and all over the world! We would like to let them know that they are appreciated. After all, we all just want to be appreciated, don’t we? In this economy, it is really hard for the bars to survive while hiring bands and the bands are always searching for new bars as the old ones close or decide not to have bands anymore.  It is really rough, so the Party Train is a stress reliever and an exercise program... If you are going to sweat, you might as well be dancing. I want to see everyone we come in contact with to have a smile on their face, feel good and feel the vibration of love for the time we are together.” - Monica Rocheford

The Party Train continues to grow in numbers and in size, they have big plans for the groups future...

“My dreams are to one day have a party bus and responsibly take the Party Train to and from the bands and bars without having to worry about driving. Breakfast and a hotel room would be a whole package, but I dream big.” - Monica Rocheford

If you would like to know where the Party Train will show up next, or want to view the numerous photos taken at all the shows and events that they have attended, you can visit their official facebook page.

© copyright 2011 KAM Music Publishing.