Gainesville Shows: personal picks

Hippity hoppity who?

2005-12-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to change things up, I made a conscious effort to steer away from the ever-recurring local bands this weekend.

This show really branches out--all the way to some other cities in Florida.

One Drop, Josh Martinez with Sleep as the Chicarones, Astronautalis and Science Non-Fiction are performing at The Side Bar (15 S.W. 2nd Street) Saturday night. They're an interesting bunch; if nothing else, I'd go to this show for the exposure to rap with a twist.

Take One Drop, for instance. This five-piece group from Gainesville (represent) combines reggae, rock, hip-hop and fusion to create a sound they describe as "organic fusionistic muzik".

Josh Martinez and Sleep are a Canadian hip-hop duo. The Chicarones (deep-fried pork skins)--well, I have no idea why that's what they call their collaboration. Regardless, these guys rap in and out of each other with grace.

Astronautalis is an indie hip-hop rapper, but it's hard to compare him to any of the other bands. His broad taste in music is reflected in his art, which is humorous and well-written.

Science Non-Fiction is an indie hip-hop group from Sarasota with an extra element--electronica. Just imagine the possibilities. Or, listen to what they do with it.

The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets cost $7.

Oh boy.

2005-11-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

Glory Days is sponsoring a night of fantastic music Wednesday.

Unique sounds from bands that aren't afraid to experiment will be at The Side Bar, 15 S.W. 2nd Street. Doors open at 9 p.m., the show starts at 10 p.m. and tickets cost $5.

Building the State, Nim Sum, Bracelet and The Silent Press will be performing.

Building the State redefines ambient. Their music is complex, with overlapping melodies and different time signatures--you could get lost in the beautiful harmonies of this four-piece group from Gainesville.

Nim Sum is idie rock with a hard, jam band twist.

Bracelet should contrast the concert with a progressive rock sound.

The Silent Press is an indie rock band with an interesting mellow sound which is interjected with sometimes-screamed lyrics. They're touring to promote the release of their first full-length album, to be called "We Started A Thunderstorm".

Dig in.

PARTY!!!

2005-11-18T01:56:00.000-08:00

Gainesville's biggest show of the year is this weekend -- The Fest 4.

This year marks the fourth annual occurrence of the festival (hence the "4" in the name). It has drawn fans from around the world in the past, and this year some of the venues have sold out.

The party starts Friday and runs through Sunday at the following locations, which are all within walking distance from each other: Abbey Road (238 W. University Ave.), Common Grounds (210 S.W. 2nd Ave.), The Side Bar (15 S.W. 2nd St.) The Atlantic (15 N. Main St.) and Club Red (102 S.E. 2nd Place, Suite 100).

It would be impossible for me to attempt to give a general overview of 111 bands, so I suggest you see for yourself (go to the Bands section) what they're all about.

Two groups that immediately caught my attention were Against Me! and The Bouncing Souls.

Against Me! is a punk band that mixes folk, emo and alternative rock styles into their sound. Originally from Gainesville, these guys made it out and have released four albums in the last decade.

The Bouncing Souls is a name I have heard quite a bit. The four members of the group will be delivering good old catchy pop-punk out of New Jersey.

See the schedule to figure out when to be at what venue. It will be a rocking weekend (don't party too hard).

I want to take you to...

2005-11-15T02:18:00.000-08:00

The big venues aren't offering a lot of genre variety this week -- punk fans, you're in luck.

From indie punk to pop punk, Atlantic has an impressive lineup for Tuesday. However, I have a soft spot for bands I used to adore.

My taste in music expanded greatly since my punk days, but listening to The Suicide Machines still brings a smile to my face.

They are headlining a show at Common Grounds, 210 S.W. 2nd Ave., Wednesday night. Stretch Arm Strong, Whole Wheat Bread and Fordirelifesake will also be performing (note the cheesy/cute band names).

The Suicide Machines have been rocking since the early 1990s. The quartet has released four albums, ranging from straight and heavy punk to fun ska-punk.

Stretch Arm Strong has some much-desired variety added into their traditional punk music. This quintet screams a bit, rocks hard and definitely has plenty of energy.

Checking out Whole Wheat Bread's Web site took me by surprise. This trio of black men in bandanas have the appearance of a hip-hop band, but after listening to their debut album, "Minority Rules," I'd sooner compare them to Green Day.

On the much more hardcore end is Fordirelifesake. I wouldn't call this group punk, just metal.

These four bands are continuing a tour of the country together after their stop in Gainesville. Don't let the chance to rock out at incredible speeds pass you by.

The doors open at 8 p.m., the show starts at 9 p.m. and the price of tickets is $10.

Da dum, da dum...

2005-11-08T01:18:00.000-08:00

Finally, there is a concert to fulfill my love for classical music and still keep everyone else awake.

And it's free -- the University of Florida Percussion Ensemble is performing at the University Auditorium, located at Union Road and Newell Drive, next to Century Tower on the University of Florida campus. The concert is Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

The group is an official UF class that meets once a week. It is directed by Kenneth Broadway, an associate professor of music.

Of interest to this particular performance is a piece by Edgar Varese called "Ionisation". Varese is known as the father of electronic music and was an inspiration to experimental rock musician Frank Zappa.

The song "Ionisation" is recognized as the first composition written solely for percussion instruments. It was composed in 1930 -- hopefully the UF Percussion Ensemble can bring the audience back in time.

Raymond Chobaz, the director of the UF Symphony Orchestra, will be a guest conductor at the concert. One piece he will conduct, "Concerto for Marimba" by Ney Rosauro, will include Broadway as a soloist.

The beat is happening, and this repertoire isn't performed live every day (get excited).

Changing it up?

2005-11-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

Sure, you could go to another club or bar this Saturday night to fill your music craving.

Or, check out the outdoor concert of the weekend--the kickoff show for the Downtown Festival and Art Show.

The lineup includes Wizbang, Mama Trish, The Gabriel Jones Band, Evening NCFBS show (a Blues jam band, from what I can gather), Terraplane, Beautiful Bobby Blackmon and Renee Austin.

Most of these are local groups without much information to be found on the Internet, save for Mama Trish and Terraplane.

Mama Trish is what this guitar-playing girl calls herself. She is from Gainesville and plays rock music with country-influenced music, as far as I could tell from the one mp3 on her Web site -- it is not much more than a personal diary, but maybe Mama Trish rocks hard live (hey, it's free).

Terraplane is a more professional rhythm and blues band. The six-piece group from Gainesville has an instrumental repertoir including guitar, bass, tenor and alto saxophone, harmonica, keyboard and drums. Check out their extensive history.

The hurricane relief benefit concert will be going on from 2 to 6 p.m., then from 7 p.m. on in the Downtown plaza (corner of S.E. 1st St. and East University Ave.).

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T22:35:00.000-08:00

It's time to put that Halloween candy to good use -- this high-energy show is the perfect accompaniment for a sugar rush.

Gogogo Airheart and Joggers will be rocking Common Grounds, 210 S.W. 2nd Ave., Thursday night.

The first group plays psychotic disco punk rock. They started up in 1996 with only two members, but Gogogoo Airheart has grown quite a bit since then.

Only around since 2001, Joggers is a four-piece indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. Their sound is similar to that of the Walkmen, an indie punk band.

For more information on the band, check out their nifty Web site -- Joggers rock.

Turn on the energy. Scream, rock and jump to the punk.

Tickets for the show cost $6.

Chill out!

2005-10-28T00:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you not in Jacksonville for the Florida-Georgia football game or partying early for Halloween, there will be a quality show for the mellow folk Saturday night.

Orenda Fink and Neva Dinova are performing at Common Grounds, 210 S.W. 2nd Ave. These indie rockers both have a dreamy feel, good musicality, and are signed to record labels.

Orenda Fink is a solo guitarist and singer from Alabama. She used to play with Maria Taylor in a melancholy pop group called Azure Ray.

She now performs in a new wave electronica style, with worldbeat influences. Her music tends to put me in a peaceful and relaxed mood.

According to a music review by Tammy La Gorce at http://allmusic.com, Fink wrote:
"after traveling extensively in India, Cambodia, and Haiti, I began to focus more on the external world than the internal. I was drawn to issues like spirituality, oppression, and the interminable spirit that underlies the human condition. I was ready to take a different approach to songwriting than I had previously with Azure Ray."

Neva Dinova, on the other hand, is a slowcore group with a bassist, drummer and three guitarists.

While that may sound overwhelming, the band uses the numerous stings to add harmonies, countermelodies and overlapping textures to the sound.

Relax and enjoy--tickets for the concert cost $8.

Keep it real.

2005-10-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

There is one valuable thing I have learned about this city's music scene: variety keeps it alive.

This week's concert lineup did not offer any bands with which I am familiar. Feeling out of touch, I took more time than usual to research the locals (even the ones that weren't headliner), and it proved surprisingly refreshing.

From one MP3 to another, the style of music jumps all over the place. The group I would most like to hear live is called Snare and a Chair.

They will also be playing with Pluscuamperfecto!, Inuit Jargon, Building Rockets, and Pet Monument, some upbeat indie rock groups. To avoid carrying on forever, I will just talk about Snare and a Chair, but more information about the rest of the lineup can be accessed through the show list at this great Web site.

Bringing down the volume a bit, this band comprises two people who describe their style as indie, punk and experimental.

After listening a sample MP3, I would just call Snare and a Chair chill-out minimalist rock -- slow beats, drawn out melodies and an overall relaxing feel.

While there are only two members of the group, the instruments include drums, tambourine and piano for one of the boys, and piano, harmonica and guitar for the other. Make sure you like it before paying for it.

I recommend going to this concert if you feel like hearing something new and different, but make sure you're not in the mood for dancing that night.

The show is Wednesday night at Midtown, 919 W. University Ave. Ticket prices range from $4 to $7.

Rock on.

2005-10-21T00:53:00.000-07:00

For the weekend, it is time to head back to the local Gainesville scene.

Atlantic, located at 15 N. Main St., will be hosting Morningbell's CD release concert Saturday night. The blues and funk-fused rock band moved from Miami to Gainesville in 2003.

Their new album, Forgetting to Wake Up, is the band's second CD to be released. To give a rough idea, they sound somewhat like the Talking Heads or The Flaming Lips.

Maybe their style can be called psychedelic pop rock, but I don't think words are quite enough to describe Morningbell's unique sound.

Gainesville bands Swayze and Maxwell Edison will be opening the show. The former plays alternative country indie-rock, while the latter specializes in piano and acoustic rock.

It looks like a well-rounded show, at the least -- the celebration should be full of fun (I am a big fan of Atlantic's relaxed atmosphere).

Stuck in the Middle.

2005-10-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

This week was probably the most challenging yet.

Because the decision was so hard to make, I will mention the two concerts that are happening on the same night, one for which I have purchased a ticket.

First, I have to put a word in for The Chris McCarty Band. These guys are spreading their music with the hometown of good old Gainesville behind them.

While they do not yet have an entry on http://allmusic.com, their popularity has grown enormously in the last two years, since they left Gainesville to tour the country.

The band's high-energy acoustic pop-rock style is easy on the ears -- if you want something catchy for the masses, catch The Chris McCarty Band at Common Grounds (210 S.W. 2nd Ave) Thursday night.

But if you're looking for an unforgettable musical experience, banjo player Bela Fleck, bassist Stanley Clarke and French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty will be rocking the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (315 Hull Road).

Each of these jazz musicians has performed around the world for at least 30 years. From acoustic to electric, bluegrass to fusion jazz, the combination of these three is something no one should miss. You have to learn about at least one of them.

Tickets can be purchased through the University Box Office (Student tickets are only $10, but the quantity is limited). Take in the talent.

Lost in Translation?

2005-10-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

Big announcement: a real, live band from Japan is coming to good old Gainesville!

Okay, I understand that may not sound exciting to everyone. How about, they play psychedelic experimental rock?

Acid Mothers Temple has been active since 1996, and http://allmusic.com lists 24 albums released (who knows how many more there are within Japan). They're signed and experienced; that's what counts.

The biography of the group is interesting, to say the least -- something about the guitarist basing it on communal values.

"Kawabata started the collective because he wanted to give unknown musicians a chance to record and release albums that would reach a wider audience," according to Todd Kristel. See for yourself.

I listened to a few MP3s, and they actually swayed me to go out and buy a ticket for the show (they are $10 at Smoke, No Future, Hyde & Zeke and Common Grounds).

Acid Mothers Temple will be performing with The Occasion on Saturday night at the Common Grounds, 210 S.W. 2nd Ave.

Broaden your horizons.

Fight, fight, fight...

2005-10-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

There is something exciting happening around here--the second round of Battle of the Bands!

Among the contestants for this Wednesday are redboy, 6 Days From Sunday, Lyndon and Alphabet City, whom I've seen before and highly recommend.

I could not find information on 6 Days From Sunday, but the other three groups are in the genre of indie rock, so it should be a fun battle to see.

Alphabet City plays in a British rock and new wave style, while redboy takes its roots from indie folk.

The Gainesville Sun's Entertainment section gives a great overview of all the competitors in the Battle of the Bands and a classification of their genre of music.

Most of the 143 bands also link to a Web site, MP3s, or a more detailed description of the group in the Gainesville Sun. Online newspapers rock my world.

Part four of the competition continues at Common Grounds, 210 S.W. 2nd Ave. Tickets cost $5.

Go Gators!

2005-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if it's because this weekend is Homecoming, but it was unbelievable how many shows there were to choose from: nine on Friday and eight on Saturday.

One group I ran into, Dasi, plays music described as original, eclectic/experimental pop with an artistic flair.

I could list all the instruments the three-person group plays, but I wouldn't have room left for anything else.

Their Web site is thorough is easily navigable. The band seems interesting and quite involved with music--their philosophy, found on the home page of the site, begins, "we believe music should be able to transform the audience into the instruments." -Dasi

The group plays on Saturday at Wayward Council, 807 W. University Ave., along with Pet Monument, a garage psychedelic indie rock band.

Sample Mp3s play after going to the Pet Monument's Web site, an endeavor worth pursuing, since there isn't any downloading involved.

I think these two bands have unique sounds that will compliment each other well in a show. It begins at 10 p.m. and tickets are from $3 - $5.

Getting Funky...

2005-10-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

I started my search this week, assuming the most well-known band playing in Gainesville this week would strike my fancy.

But after finding artists from out of town and checking out the regulars from around town, I settled on a new group: The BreakAway Republic.

The 13-piece band plays a combination of Afro-funk and jazz music, with percussion and a heavy African feel.

Since the group is new, it was difficult finding information about them. However, after learning that some of the band's members formerly played for Contraband, I looked up that group's Web site.

The official site is at http://www.contrabandrocks.com/, but I found a good summary of the band through Medusa Productions. According to them, "Contraband has managed to earn a reputation as Gainesville's foremost party band." The pictures and a brief history of the Contraband should give some insight to what The BreakAway Republic will offer. Check it out.

The concert is Tuesday at 10 p.m. at Atlantic, 15 North Main St., and tickets cost $5.

Got the Blues?

2005-09-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

As usual, there will be a wide variety of performers in town this week.

On my search for something different, I expected to run into an indie group of college students, but this Saturday brings something outside of the usual young, budding musicians: Hamhock and Slide.

I had never heard of this group before and I've only heard something close to their style of music on National Public Radio. The band describes it as "delta-style cracker blues,"according to their Web site: Hamhock and Slide.

The two guitarists are primarily self-taught, adding the banjo, slide guitar and gritty vocals to their sound.

A later performance at the Downtown Plaza Saturday was cancelled, but they will be performing at a hurricane relief benefit at Santa Fe Community College (3000 N.W. 83rd St.) from 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Gums N' Posers

2005-09-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to keep my choices in style different from entry to entry, I decided to steer away from the new and go with the old but new -- classic and alternative rock cover bands.

It is a rare occasion, but there are finally some groups coming to Gainesville who respect the art of bands from the past more than music they could create themselves. As far as I can tell, at least one headliner knows what they're doing.

Appetite for Destruction, a Guns N' Roses tribute band, and Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Band will be playing at Abbey Road (238 West University Ave.) on Wednesday.

I am usually not a huge fan of tribute bands, but Appetite for Destruction has been around. The group averages 200 shows and 60,000 miles on the road, according to their Web site.

While there, check out the Forum section of the Web site -- it offers links to forums for Guns N' Roses bands, tribute bands, musicians and more.

The show, which starts at 9 p.m., will be presented by Rock 104 and Glory Days. Wear your best 1980s clothes and hair for the costume contest.

Wear something nice...

2005-09-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Local Gainesville Bands fill the bars and clubs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but after going with a battle of the bands competition in my last entry, something different was a must.
It was difficult to get information on all the garage bands around town, so I decided to shoot big.
After searching the bigger venues, I found the schedule for the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts this weekend. Georgia-based singer Liz Wright will be there (315 Hull Road, next to the Harn Museum of Art on UF's campus) on Friday.
Her style is very mellow, combining gospel, blues, jazz and pop styles. Samples from her new CD, Dreaming Wide Awake, can be heard on her Web site: just relax.
Her soothing voice sucked me in--this is a concert I wouldn't want to miss after an all-too-stressful week of tests.
Ticket prices range from $15 to $25, depending on where you want to sit. Contact the Phillips Center, (352) 392-2787, for more information.

Dueling it out.

2005-09-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

It's too late to cover anything happening tonight, so this entry will include shows from Tuesday to Thursday. Pretty much all the options are local bands, so I sought originality instead of professionalism.
However, I couldn't help disregarding that after coming across the schedule for Common Grounds on Wednesday: the second annual Battle of the Bands!
Gainesville.com, Motherlode, Smoke, Sound Depot and 100.5 The Buzz are presenting the show, and proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross' Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund.
The competitors this week include Big Oil, Frozen Cobra, Stroker Ace and The Turkey Scratch Ramblers. It should be interesting to see alternative, acoustic blues with an Irish influence and rock music together in one night.
Just the instruments in The Turkey Scratch Ramblers got me excited--guitar, banjo, harmonica, fiddle, washboard, tin whistle and kazoo; you don't hear those every day. More information about the players can be found in the biography section of the band's Web site:
3 people, 7 instruments...
Common Grounds is located at 210 S.W. 2nd Ave. and the cover charge is $5.

Hippity hoppity

2005-09-16T01:51:00.000-07:00

I had to choose from more than twenty shows going on in Gainesville from this Thursday to Sunday. The music scene is bopping and can give you anything from obscure Gainesville garage bands to world-renound Sister Hazel this week.

After attempting to separate the musical from the non-musical, it all came down to style. If you're looking for good old American pop rock, go to the Sister Hazel concert. And if you don't want to risk your night on a new local band, go to the Less Than Jake concert (oh, Gainesville) for some punk and ska.

As for myself, I decided it was time for some change. The pick of the week is a Gainesville indie hip hop band with some jazz influences: Voice of the People. The mp3s on the band's site offer a taste of what they're about, though they don't include all the instruments the band now has: check it out.

Voice of the People's bass, guitar, drums, keyboard and a few vocalists will be at The Purple Porpoise, 919 W. University Ave., Friday night. The concert also features Poor Vida, a raggae group, and Grasshead.

Morning's not my time...

2005-09-12T23:13:00.000-07:00

After doing a bit of research on the bands playing in Gainesville this week, I learned a few things:
1) Trio de Janiero does not fill any craving I have for modern Latin Jazz
2) Kachina Weak, a local Gainesville group, is a bit too punk rock melodramatic
3) the biggest headliner from Tuesday to Thursday, the Pat McGee Band, is not surprisingly the most appealing

According to a review by David Demarest, "the Pat McGee Band managed to sell over a hundred thousand copies of their self released albums the old fashioned way: Winning over one fan at a time, live."
http://www.antimusic.com/features/05/PatMcGeeBand.shtml

That covers my doubts about their stage performance, and after listening to a few mp3s, it was clear the group had a unique, mellow and aesthetically-pleasing style.

The sextet from Virginia features a singer, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, percussionist, and drummer. They have one record produced by Giant Records, and if you're into jam rock bands with a taste of blues, this show is for you.

The PatMcGee Band performs with local Gainesville rock band Perpetual Groove at Abbey Road Tuesday, September 13. Doors open at 8 pm and the concert starts at 10.