The stage is set, the guitars are amped and an eager crowd is ready to hear its favorite local band. With affordable tickets and a short drive from campus, the live performance is by students, for students.
Swamp Records is a “student-run resource agency that works to uplift musicians in the Gainesville community,” according to its Instagram page. The organization hosts performances featuring Alachua County-based bands.
Every Swamp Records show starts with finding three main things: a day, a band and a location.
Here’s a look at how those performances are made.
The Day
For 20-year-old UF accounting junior Max Goldberg, being on alert for Gainesville-related updates is a key part of his job. As a booking co-director at Swamp Records, he tries to avoid scheduling conflicts. But, he said, being based in a college town adds a layer of complication.
Gainesville is an active city, Goldberg said, and he tries to prevent scheduling conflicts with other events that could split his audience.
“I never have shows on a football game day,” he said. “Or, if I know a big artist is playing somewhere like Heartwood or The Wooly, I'm not gonna have a house show.”
Equally important is working with artists’ schedules, he added. Goldberg recalls when a big out-of-town band wanted to have a show in town, but was only available on a Monday or Tuesday — so the band didn’t play.
With students themselves at the helm, Swamp Records is aware of what days will sell well and what days won't.
The Band
Swamp Records hosts two types of performances. For-profit shows mean Swamp Records retains all proceeds. This enables the agency to host more benefit shows, where funds raised go to charitable foundations and bands often agree to play for free.
Ella Norris, lead singer of The Nancys, a band signed to Swamp Records, thinks of benefit shows as a way to give back to her community. Norris describes the shows as “killing two birds with one stone.”
“We’re very lucky to have an audience and have the ability to make people come out to a show,” Norris said. “Every once and a while, putting that to a good cause is super important.”
Apart from its signed artists, Swamp Records puts on shows with local artists it meets in the community. This grassroots-style of connection can be found in nearly everything Swamp Records does, according to Marketing and DEI Director Amanda Hiatt, including selecting a venue.
The Location
Picking a venue isn’t just about having a place to host a show. The location impacts the audience’s experience. Does the band want an intimate, indoor venue or a large, outdoor stage? It’s up to Swamp Records’ producers to design the show.
The history of a venue can say just as much about the show as the location. For instance, Swamp Records’ “Les is More” event was hosted at University Club, a gay bar in downtown Gainesville. The June 26 benefit show celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage.
“Les is More” ended up raising $1,500 for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, making it Swamp Records’ highest-grossing show to date. This number is especially impressive considering it was a summer show, which tends to not do well, according to Hiatt.
The 21-year-old UF political science and women’s studies senior described “Les is More” as her “favorite show ever.”
“It was just a dream come true, and I cried all night,” Hiatt said.
The Music
Swamp Records has its trifecta: a date, a band and a location. So, what’s next?
A lot of decision making.
Even with extensive planning, some factors, like weather, can’t be controlled. As every Floridian knows, rain is a force to be reckoned with. And when hosting a show at an outdoor venue like Heartwood Soundstage, it's Swamp Records’ greatest enemy.
Hiatt said her first benefit show got rained out. The group had to move the show and equipment inside, but the show still raised over $1,000 for its cause.
Swamp Records also contends with illness.
Hiatt said when Norris of The Nancys lost her voice right before a set, panic ensued. After exhausting the full list of at-home remedies, the show went on with a sick lead singer. The audience was completely understanding, Hiatt said.
“Everyone who's going to a show wants it to be a good show,” said Goldberg, the booking co-director. “And that's something that I always have to remind myself, is no one's gonna think this is a bad show, because something goes slightly wrong. Everyone wants to have fun.”
Contact Christopher Rodriguez at crodriguez@alligator.org. Follow him on X @ChrisRodri29386
