Loud music blasts through the speakers, people dance alongside strangers who quickly become friends, and excitement rushes through the crowded room — this is just part of what makes a Family Force 5 concert so inviting.
Family Force 5 will turn High Dive into a high-energy dance floor on Friday night. The concert — which will feature openers Arrows in Action, Growing Pains and Kendall T. — is in support of their upcoming album.
The eccentric dance-pop band is excited to play in Gainesville, said Teddy “Hollywood” Boldt, the drummer for Family Force 5. The High Dive show extends the band’s spring tour, “The Label Won’t Let Us Put Out The Album Yet, Let’s Play The Whole Thing Live For You Before It’s Out” tour, he said.
“When we were on that tour, a lot of people were like, ‘What about Florida?’” Boldt said. “So we were like, ‘Well, we love Florida, so we just got to make it work.’”
The band wants the Gainesville show to feel like a giant dance party, Boldt said.
“We’d love for people to come to our shows and lose themselves in the moment and not really care what everybody else thinks,” Boldt said. “Or how bad their dance moves are or what they’re wearing, because we’re all in the same boat.”
Although the concert will be energetic, it will also be personal. By playing at High Dive rather than a huge arena, the band will be able to more easily interact with the audience, Boldt said.
“We wanted to have these shows be in really intimate settings so that it’s just kind of a special moment for everyone even if there are tons and tons of people there,” he said.
Boldt and the other members want it to feel like they’re sitting in a living room, playing whatever the audience wants them to play and having a good time, he said.
While Family Force 5 plans on playing fan favorites, the band will also play songs from their upcoming self-titled album. While the new album is reminiscent of past ones, it is driven by an ’80s pop sound, Boldt said.
“I like to tell people that if Prince was driving the car and Tears for Fears was controlling the radio, we’re in the back seat just hanging out and taking notes,” Boldt said.
Although the album is fun and lighthearted, the band also packed in songs with vibrant meanings. “Nearsighted” talks about struggling with originality, while “Fire on the Highway” explores the feeling of escapism on a late night drive, Boldt said.
“We did get a little deeper on some songs talking about, you know, being yourself,” he said. “Not being afraid to be who you want to be.”
The album doesn’t have a release date yet due to complications related to adding a second record label, but the band hopes fans won’t have to wait much longer, he said.
Family Force 5 will tweet their location from popular spots across Gainesville the day of the show so that fans can hear about the new album and hang out with them, Boldt said.
Gainesville native Holli Manche is one of many fans eager for the Family Force 5 show. Although she has been to six of the band’s concerts across Florida, this will be the first time she sees them in her hometown.
“You could say they were my gateway band into live shows,” the 22-year-old said. “I was hooked on concerts from then on.”
Although Manche has now been to more than 50 concerts, Family Force 5 remains one of her favorite bands. The music has grown with her.
Manche said she owes her lifelong love for music and concerts to Family Force 5.
Tickets to Family Force 5 at High Dive are $17 in advance at ticketfly.com and $20 on the day of the show with an additional $3 charge for those under 21. The VIP package is $40 and includes early admission, autographs and pictures with the band. Those under 18 must be accompanied by their parent or guardian.
“We’ve got a pretty cool core of fans that love on us way too much,” Boldt said. “For anybody who hasn’t been a part of that before, hopefully we win them over and they feel like they’ve always been part of the family.”
