Wake N Bake festival highlights local bands

The Gainesville-native band Less Than Jake will headline the fifth annual Wake N Bake festival at High Dive on Friday and Saturday.

The punk rock, ska band is named after drummer Vinnie Fiorello’s childhood pet — an English Bulldog named Jake.

Fiorello said Jake was treated better than anyone else in his home.

“My parents would cook specific food for Jake and have a specific spot on the couch for him,” he said.

As a result, everything else became “less than Jake.”

The band consists of members JR Wasilewski on saxophone, Buddy Schaub on trombone, Roger Lima on vocals, guitar and bass and Chris DeMakes on vocals and guitar.

Having been together for more than 20 years, Less Than Jake is currently with Fat Wreck Chords, a punk-rock label based out of Northern California, Fiorello said.

The band’s sound is a “headspace” for fast, melodic punk rock with influences of reggae and ska music, he said. Less Than Jake spends time crafting music that sometimes deals with serious topics, but while playing live, the band has a “no holds barred” attitude.

The Wake N Bake festival was started by Less Than Jake five years ago after the band wanted to make more time to play in its hometown. The name Wake N Bake, an old stoner’s term, came from bass player Roger Lima.

“Wake N Bake weekend is to celebrate everything that is Gainesville,” Fiorello said.

Having the festival at High Dive made sense for Less Than Jake because High Dive, then called The Covered Dish, was one of the first places in Gainesville that gave Less Than Jake a chance to open up for a bigger band.

“Without live music and culture, Gainesville is just a bunch of soulless buildings,” said Pat Lavery, the promoter and events manager for High Dive.

He said Less Than Jake, one of the most successful bands to ever come out of Gainesville, gives back to the community unlike many of the other bands from the city.

Last year marked the first time Less Than Jake included a charity drive into the festival. Just like last year, the band is asking festival-goers to bring a few pet supplies to donate to the St. Francis Pet Care Clinic this year.

The band chose this particular charity because of the connection to Fiorello’s dog, Lavery said.

For the last five years, the band wanted to keep Wake N Bake in the same venue. Next year, however, Less Than Jake is hoping to grow the festival a bit more, which will include moving to a different location.

Fiorello said plans will be made after this year’s festival.

Also playing the festival are Florida bands Morning Fatty, Kash’d Out, Dr/veaway, The Busdrivers and Bothering Dennis. The only band playing that is not from Florida is Peelander-Z, a band from New York.

Fiorello said the key to the band’s long-lasting success is that it doesn’t take for granted the interactions with its fans.

“You’re always striving for that perfect chemical reaction between what you love to do and what people are giving back to you…for doing what you love,” he said.

Advance tickets are $15 on ticketfly.com or $18 purchased the day of the show, Lavery said. The patio opens at 6 p.m., and doors open at 8 p.m.