Boys Like Girls in Tampa

About Boys Like Girls

Boys Like Girls formed in Boston in 2005 and became one of the defining pop-rock bands of the late 2000s. Built around Martin Johnson's vocals and the band's knack for crafting hook-laden songs, they carved out space between emo sincerity and pop radio accessibility. Their 2006 debut album spawned "The Great Escape," a track that defined a moment when relatably awkward romance could soundtrack your entire high school experience. "Two Is Better Than One" featuring Taylor Swift proved they could do earnest duets without irony. Even as taste shifted, they remained good at what they did: writing songs about wanting someone, losing someone, or pretending not to care. They've never stopped touring or releasing music, proving there's a persistent audience for this particular brand of careful vulnerability wrapped in power chords.

Their crowds are engaged without being frantic. People sing every word to the familiar stuff. There's genuine affection in the room rather than nostalgia-drunk irony. They're reliable musicians who play tight, don't oversell the drama, and seem aware they're working in a legacy.

Known for The Great Escape, Thunder, Two Is Better Than One, Love Drunk, Be Your Everything

Boys Like Girls + Tampa

Boys Like Girls rolled through Busch Gardens in May 2024 and leaned into their catalog's range—opening with the understated "Sunday at Foxwoods" before hitting the expected beats with "Love Drunk" and "Two Is Better Than One." What made the set interesting was how they threaded together deeper cuts and unexpected covers: a medley mixing "The Only Way I Know How to Feel" into Thunder and Stuck in the Middle, then a wild mashup of Born in the U.S.A. into Heart Heart Heartbreak. They closed on "The Great Escape," which they played twice—maybe a nod to how the song itself keeps wanting another go. It felt like a band that knows how to keep things moving.

Boys Like Girls in Tampa News

• Jonas Brothers Setlist: JONAS20 Greetings From Your Hometown Tour Ticketmaster Blog · Dec 15, 2025
• North American tour by rising Florida songwriter Nep among best new concerts coming to Tampa Bay Creative Loafing Tampa · Dec 2, 2025
• Boys Like Girls Announce Tour with iDKHOW and Arrows In Action idobi · Nov 3, 2025
• Jonas Brothers Add More Arena Dates To ‘JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour’ Pollstar News · Oct 2, 2025
• The All-American Rejects & Boys Like Girls To Tour With Jonas Brothers Rock Sound · Mar 24, 2025

Live Music in Tampa

Tampa's pop-rock scene has always had room for bands like Boys Like Girls—acts with enough hooks to fill venues like Busch Gardens but enough self-awareness to avoid the stadium-rock clichés. The city's gotten better at hosting mid-tier touring bands in recent years, creating a pocket where pop-punk and emo-adjacent acts can actually draw. It's the kind of place where a band can build a setlist that respects both the hits and the people who've stuck around for the deep cuts.

Tampa road trip to see Boys Like Girls?

Skip the strip and head to Hyde Park, Tampa's most livable neighborhood with tree-lined streets, independent shops, and genuine character. Stay nearby and eat at The Bricks of Hyde Park for elevated Southern cuisine in a refurbished historic building. Spend an afternoon at the Dali Museum in nearby St. Petersburg—it's legitimately world-class and a solid hour drive but worth it. Walk along Bayshore Boulevard at sunset before the show. The whole vibe is understated enough that Johnson will feel like the most exciting thing happening all weekend.