Switching between the indoor and outdoor stages of Heartwood Soundstage, audiences hurried from set to set May 30. Many patrons weren’t deterred by the 5 p.m. rain showers and stuck around the festival until the end.
Jordan Burchel, a 35-year-old Gainesville musician, never planned for “With Everything Going On” to become a full-blown festival.
Originally meant as a celebration of Burchel’s new album of the same name, what began as a show with just a few artists quickly became a much larger production.
“We were trying to do something around the new album that was community-oriented,” Burchel said, “and it just spiraled out of control.”
The festival’s lineup included 12 artists across a wide spectrum of genres from Sterling Myles, an acoustic musician who helped put on the festival, to Lauren Woodall, who played with an indie rock band.
Rather than the type of music being played, the festival’s through line was its message.
“With Everything Going On” was meant to be a space for humor during increasingly stressful times. Burchel wanted to include artists who mixed comedy with serious topics into their sets.
“There’s sad things, but there's also acknowledgement of that absurdity and humor of daily life,” he said.
Spencer Thomas, a 34-year-old musician who travelled from Atlanta to participate in the festival, shared these goals in his own music.
Thomas sat alone on stage with just an acoustic guitar, a keyboard and a self-deprecating sense of humor. He played songs full of jokes about difficult topics like politics and social media.
“It's like working through the cynicism that we can find ourselves in in 2026 but have a positive and comedic spin on it,” Thomas said.
Even sets with sadder tones, like opening act Kyle Keller, had elements of levity throughout.
Keller’s song “Moonlight Saint” was in memory of a friend who’d recently died. Despite its somber tone, the singer mentioned happy memories and jokes the two shared.
The festival was also a celebration of community, both among artists and their audiences.
The crowd was filled with families and groups of friends. Parents watched the sets while their children ran, played tag or Hula-Hooped on the hay-covered lawn.
Many artists had family and friends in the crowd supporting them.
Ginny Aiello, a 78-year-old retired Gainesville resident, was at the festival for her nephew, performer Colin Whitlock.
“It’s just wonderful to get together with everybody,” said Aiello, who sat outside with her family throughout the show.
As the sky slowly darkened and strings of lights flickered across the venue, Burchel’s set closed out the festival.
“With Everything Going On” will be Burchel’s second official album and carries the same theme as the rest of the festival: finding space for community and joy in the face of negativity.
Burchel said he hopes to put on another festival in the future and bring together the local community to see an even wider array of artists.
Contact Brandy Sumner at bsumner@alligator.org.
Brandy Sumner is an anthropology and English junior and this summer's music and performance reporter. This is their first semester working at the Alligator. In their free time they enjoy playing guitar, reading and writing.
