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Friday, March 29, 2024
<p>Green Day tribute band American Idiots will perform at High Dive on Friday alongside Weezer tribute band Weeze. Doors open at 9 p.m. for the 10 p.m. show.</p>

Green Day tribute band American Idiots will perform at High Dive on Friday alongside Weezer tribute band Weeze. Doors open at 9 p.m. for the 10 p.m. show.

Tribute bands Weeze and American Idiots are set to stage a live rock performance at the High Dive, located at 210 SW Second Ave., this Friday night. The bands will be covering the music of legendary rock bands Weezer and Green Day.

American Idiots, a tribute band to Green Day, is fronted by lead singer Chris Friday, who said he remembers hearing “Basketcase” for the first time after his brother played it in protest of having to do chores. Consequently, Friday had to do the chores himself.

Friday’s idea to form a tribute band began in 2005 after he saw Green Day perform live, he said.

“It changed my world,” said Friday, who then went on to gather bandmates. Alec Pitts (bass), Don Young (drummer), Anthony Young (lead guitarist) and Friday are extremely dedicated to capturing the original spirit of Green Day, and this spirit shows in the rave reactions of their crowds.

Green Day actually played at the High Dive during the ’90s, and it is up to American Idiots to carry the torch Friday.

Weeze, fronted by lead singer Niles Austin, is a band that is firm in its mission to deliver an authentic, energetic Weezer experience.

Weeze began in Gainesville where brothers Jacob McCravy (bass/vocals) and Jon McCravy (guitar/keys/vocals) joined forces with Kenneth Noble (drums) and Niles Austin. Weeze is not a stranger to playing live gigs.

“We just plug in and go,” Jon McCravy said.

Weeze recognizes the talent they have for putting on an outstanding live performance and works hard to replicate the feel of the live shows they’ve attended. The band plays hits such as “I Want You To” that always manage to work up the crowd.

“We played this one show a year ago; we had one of the fans come up to us and ask us if we were Weezer,” Jon McCravy said.

Pat Lavery, the exclusive promoter of High Dive, has his reasons for booking Weeze and American Idiots twice.

Lavery remembered a gig featuring Weeze and American Idiots back in February. “We had a huge crowd of college kids, most who were born in the late ’90s after both Weezer and Green Day’s debut albums came out,” he said. “Everyone was singing along to every word of each bands’ one hour plus set of Weezer and Green Day tunes... As someone who went to shows in Gainesville in the ’90s, it was like stepping into a time machine.”

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Those passionate fans and energetic performances are why the bands have been doing tribute shows for so long.

“This is pretty much all I do for a living,” Jon McCravy said. “It’s a drive, you feel like you have to do it. It’s a lifestyle.”

The show Friday promises to be a memorable one for local Weezer and Green Day fans.

“Despite whatever b.s. is going on in everybody’s lives, we just want them to forget about it and give them something to believe in,” Friday said.

The doors open at 9 p.m., and the show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

Green Day tribute band American Idiots will perform at High Dive on Friday alongside Weezer tribute band Weeze. Doors open at 9 p.m. for the 10 p.m. show.

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