Michigan Rattlers
with Jordan Foley
Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa, Florida • April 19, 2025
by Bob Pomeroy
The Michigan Rattlers stepped into a real Florida experience when they played Tampa. The band from Petoskey, Michigan, found themselves under a canopy of 100-year-old oak trees. The venue resembles an old-time fish camp, with a restaurant that looks like a series of sheds and a stage that resembles a boathouse. The weather was perfect for an outdoor concert.
The band are on the road promoting their current album, Waving From A Sea. The Rattlers play a relaxed alternative rock with just a bit of country seasoning. Maybe it was the setting, but I got a strong Tom Petty vibe from the band’s live set. Singer/guitarist Graham Young held the audience spellbound with his breezy, relaxed vocals. Christian Wilder’s keyboards provided color and melodic flourishes.
The set was heavy with songs from the new album. Fans were pleased when they played older cuts like, “Evergreen” and “Illinois Sky.” The audience were happy to get up and dance to new songs such as “Bummer” and Gridlock (Just the Sky). After a satisfying 90 minute set, the Rattlers closed out the evening with a killer rendition of the Warren Jevon classic, “Lawyers, Guns and Money.”
Jordan Foley opened the show with a set of heartfelt originals. I liked the twisted humor of “Arguing in a Restaurant” and the love song, “Until We’re Ghosts.”
