Venue: Jannus Live
City: St. Petersburg, FL
Date: February 14, 2026
Review and Photographs by: James Zambon (https://jameszambon.com)
After getting a hall pass to go to a punk rock / ska show on Valentine’s Day at Jannus Live, I traded a fancy dinner for circle pits and upstrokes… and honestly, I regret nothing. Instead of a quiet dinner, it was sweat in the air, horns blaring through the PA, and a packed courtyard ready to skank the night away. With Sullvn, Zebrahead, Unwritten Law, and Goldfinger on the bill, this was queued up to be one heck of a loud, fun Valentine’s date! The night kicked off with an unexpected opener who wasn’t listed on the bill, Sullvn, who came out swinging. Tight, energetic, and clearly stoked to be there. But the real “wait… what just happened?” moment came when Dicky Barrett walked onstage and joined them for “The Impression That I Get.” The place lost its collective freaking mind. Hearing that unmistakable voice boom across Jannus felt like a little ska time machine moment, and it set the tone for the rest of the night. Zebrahead followed and absolutely leaned into the chaos. Throughout their set they had backup singers in glowing skeleton jumpsuits running around the stage and inside the barrier blasting bubble guns into the crowd and at the band. Bubbles. Skeletons. Punk rock. It was unhinged and we all ate it up! Unwritten Law kept the momentum going with that polished SoCal edge that hits perfectly in an outdoor Florida venue. Big hooks, driving guitars, and a crowd that clearly knew the words. By this point the pit was fully activated and security had settled into that “this is going to be a long one” posture.
Then Goldfinger took over and just owned the night. They ripped through some classics early on with “Get Up,” “Spokesman,” “Counting the Days,” and “Here in Your Bedroom”, and the energy never dipped. Their unexpected cover of “Just Like Heaven” was one of those beautiful left turns that lit the place up, half the crowd swaying, half still skanking, circle pit still raging. Then dropping into a punchy take on “Linoleum” sent the pit into overdrive. That NOFX nod felt perfectly placed in this lineup. Midway through the set, Goldfinger leaned into the Valentine’s Day theme in a way no one saw coming. They brought a couple up on stage so the guy could propose right there in front of the crowd at Jannus Live. He dropped to a knee, she said “yes,” and the place erupted. Feldman even offered that he could marry them right there. It was a cool, unexpected moment that fit the night perfectly. Later on, the band invited a wave of fans, including a bunch of parents with their kids, up on stage to celebrate together. Seeing multiple generations up there dancing along captured the fun, community vibe that made the whole show special. Their brief, hilarious segue into “Enter Sandman” had everyone laughing before they pivoted again with classic Goldfinger mischief. It’s that self-aware, let’s-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously energy that makes their live shows so much fun. And when those opening notes of “99 Red Balloons” hit near the end? Game over, man. Arms up. Voices loud. Exactly what everyone came for.
It was one of those nights where every band added something memorable: surprise guests, glowing skeletons, unexpected covers, metal teases, and a ska anthem closer that never fails. This was excellent use of a hall-pass on Valentine’s Day! If you can catch Goldfinger on this tour, even if you need to cash in a hall pass, I highly recommend it!
SETLIST: Get Up – Spokesman – Counting the Days – Chasing Amy – Here in Your Bedroom – Get What I Need – A Million Miles – Just Like Heaven – Tijuana Sunrise – San Simeon – Freaking Out a Bit – Open Your Eyes – Linoleum – Mable – Superman – Song 2 – Enter Sandman / I’ll Be There for You – Miles Away – 99 Red Balloons
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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries