Who to see at Gasparilla Music Fest

You've got your tickets and your sunscreen, but which of the more than 40 acts at Gasparilla Music Fest should you definitely not miss?

🎧 We asked Ken Apperson, a long-time musician who spent the pandemic listening to and interviewing local bands for Coda Project and WMNF's Live Music Showcase.

What Ken's saying: "Some of them are operating on a level that is much higher and more professional and more entertaining than I think people expect when they hear 'local music,' " he told Ben.

• "I like to encourage the casual music listener in the Tampa Bay area to fall in love with the music here because it’s absolutely worth it."

📅 Saturday tips: Glove (3:15pm), BadCameo (5:45), The Hip Abduction (6:15pm), Perception with Katara (7:30pm). Also check out:

• Pusha Preme (5:45pm), whom Ken calls "one of the hardest working local musicians I've ever met. One of the nicest guys. When he builds an event, he builds it so everyone at the table eats. You can bet that whatever he's going to do at GMF is going to be fantastic."

📆 Sunday tips: Keller Williams' Grateful Gospel (5:15pm), Gov’t Mule (7pm). Also check out:

• Mike Mass & Wave Theory (5:15pm): "Wave Theory is Mike Mass's hip-hop label, so it’s essentially a big collection of Tampa artists on his roster, all performing one after the other."
• Ivy Alex (5:15pm): "Her voice and style are so captivating. If I could sum her up in a single word it would be 'enchanting.' From the first note she sings you are enraptured."

Parting shot: "I love how local-centric this Gasparilla is," Ken said. "It’s the perfect time to get the transplants to really fall in love with the music scene here."