Gutter Girl Gets Thrilling Experience At Tampa’s Orpheum!
Gutter Girl Gets Thrilling Experience At Tampa’s Orpheum!
Hot Flash Heat Wave - The Orpheum, Tampa FL - 10/15/2025
Review by Caitlin Tuel
3-5 Minute Read
God, okay, we know I don’t normally write reviews or anything much ado about the Orpheum. I’m still gutted about the mismanagement of a phenomenal venue space in any event - Ybor or Temple Terrace. Orpheum if you’re seeing this please don’t think I hate you, I’m largely just still torn about during-covid and post-covid states of the venue and the street you called home for years. It should’ve, and could’ve, been nominated for historical awarding, but this is beyond the point and I have not reached the point in my beer to expand upon it yet - I fear I will not. Again…I love the Orpheum, it simply saddens me the last time I saw the outdoor stage in use at the current vevnue personally was Scene Queen and Set it Off in early 2023.
Regardless of the stages and (really damn good) honey ale I’m sipping elsewhere now, I stopped in recently at the Orpheum for Hot Flash Heat Wave’s “Tour Like Hell”. We know I’ve asked, but I’m choosing to believe it was a reference to Pink Floyd’s Run Like Hell, so you know I was going to be there regardless of the format. I normally do not adore large bill / late shows, but I had such a blast even if I was opening the clinic the very next day. It was such a good set, they’re a phenomenal live band, and absolutely lovely folks! I’m always blown away by kindness in our industry when I see it, so thank you everyone around me for always showing it. I love being around it. The HFHW show was not without struggle from the band prior to getting to the venue - pulled over, car issues, and a “fucked up back”. I’ve never seen anyone aside from Dave Grohl perform to their fullest capacity while injured in an office chair prior to this. It reminded me so much of a love and drive that we all share - the exact same passion we all have about music in any form individually that we all connect it to. I’m sitting at the bar writing this and listening to a live local act, if it proves the point. It’s always just nice to be around life and art. I think we all know that, but….sometimes it is the most unbelievably needed thing at that moment in your life to be able to see it. I ran into folks who got excited over me using ASL at the bar when I was turning in a lost debit card, and we were all still bonding over art and music and -
In the most condensed way, I was reminded that what I was watching in that moment is what it’s all about. Since I constantly feel like I’m losing time, very Paramore Running Out Of Time kind of way, it was nice to feel glued to the floor for a bit. I had an absolute blast with this one - editing outside for a beat and rushing back inside to hear a series of covers, even being offered the mic for Killing In The Name? I had a fucking blast, and there’s not much past that.
And while this is short and sweet, I feel like it should be. That’s how the evening felt to me - seemingly nearly gone in a blur but yet one of my favorite shows of the year.