Microwave in Tampa

About Microwave

Microwave is an emo band from Poughkeepsie that treats anxiety like it's a subject worth getting angry about. They came up in the mid-2010s streaming era without much traditional label push, just building a quiet cult following through songs that balance vulnerable lyrics with the kind of guitar work that makes your stomach hurt. Their earlier records, especially "Much Love" and "It's Not About the Guitar," established them as the kind of band that could make a song about feeling trapped sound genuinely devastating. They're not reinventing emo, but they're not trying to. They're just very good at the specific thing they do: introspective songs that still hit hard, delivered with enough restraint that the heavy moments land differently. If you've found yourself rewatching their older music videos or relating to songs about overthinking, you're exactly who this band is for.

Known for Senators, Stressful, Dog Leather, Death Wish, The Most Beautiful Thing

Microwave + Tampa

Microwave has a history with Tampa's venue circuit. They last touched down at The Orpheum in November 2022, playing to a room that gets the emo-adjacent math rock crowd. The band's chaotic, melodic approach has resonated with the city's indie rock faithful over the years, making them a reliable draw whenever they swing through.

Microwave in Tampa News

• New Winnebago Floorplans & Features Coming to Tampa RV PRO · Jan 12, 2026
• Helen R. Smolen Obituary (2025) - Tampa, FL - Boza & Roel Funeral Home Legacy | Obituary · Nov 16, 2025
• Department of Defense to restrict satellite data for hurricanes. What that means wtsp.com · Jul 2, 2025
• Tampa Microwave Delivers Multi-Orbit Terminal with O3b mPOWER-Certified Upgrade Thales Group · Jul 1, 2025
• Photos: St. Pete gives Mayday Parade three cheers for 20 years of pop-punk Creative Loafing Tampa · Apr 23, 2025

Live Music in Tampa

Tampa's always been solid for guitar-driven stuff. The city's got that underground punk spine running through it, venues like The Orpheum and Crowbar keeping things honest for bands that aren't chasing radio hits. Emo revival acts like Microwave fit naturally into a scene that values raw emotion over polish. There's an audience here that gets what they're doing.

Tampa road trip to see Microwave?

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.