The Avenue: Music

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The Avenue

Emerging indie band The Nancys plays at Heartwood Soundstage alongside other artists

By Autumn Johnstone | Feb. 1, 2025

If one followed the warmly lit stone path right off the corner of Southeast Sixth Ave and South Main Street Friday, they’d find Heartwood Soundstage’s spacious outside venue full of fans wearing vintage clothing. But if they ventured past the crowds and merchant tables, a dark doorway would lead them into a small indoor stage where local musicians Jordan Burchel, The Nancys and Hotel Fiction performed.

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The Avenue

Falls Into Place: Mason Ramsey’s rescheduled night in Gainesville

By Tanya Fedak | Jan. 24, 2025

18-year-old country singer Mason Ramsey performed at Gainesville's Heartwood Soundstage Thursday.

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The Avenue

Twin indie-folk duo Lighthearted talks Playground and new single

By Juliana DeFilippo | Jan. 21, 2025

The 24-year-old identical twins are the founding members of the Athens, Georgia, based indie-folk duo Lighthearted, and they released their single “Borrowed” Jan. 3. Although they formed the band in 2019, the two have been playing music together since childhood.

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The Avenue

Now in style: The rise of house music

By Autumn Johnstone | Jan. 19, 2025

With a deafening bass and hues of neon colors dancing across the walls, Gainesville locals celebrated the end of syllabus week with a bang.

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The Avenue

Organized chaos: Gainesville punk scene draws on history and community

By Autumn Johnstone | Jan. 10, 2025

Respite Events hosted a concert Wednesday at How Bazar, located at 60 SW 2nd St., aiming to showcase three punk rock bands and a performance from drag artists, “The Boheme Coven.” In downtown Gainesville, where energetic nightclubs and lavish restaurants meet, lies a passion for punk rock not only as a genre, but as a way of life.

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The Avenue

Drag musician Flamy Grant discusses religious trauma with new album “Church”

By Juliana DeFilippo | Dec. 6, 2024

Grant released her most recent album, “Church,” in October and performed at the United Church of Gainesville 一 1624 NW Fifth Ave. 一 as a part of her No More Drama tour Tuesday night. Grant described her new album as truly her own. 

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The Avenue

A glimpse backstage with stars of “The Music Man” as they prepare for closing weekend

By Tanya Fedak | Nov. 4, 2024

From Oct. 16 to Oct. 27, the UF School of Theatre and Dance put on a nine-show run of the musical, which follows traveling conman Harold Hill, played by Ethan Garrepy, who goes from town to town persuading citizens of his “plan” to form a boys marching band. After collecting payments for instruments and uniforms, he skips town, starting his pursuit of his next victims. But this time, it’s a little different. 

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The Avenue

Swamp Records and #UNLITTER kick off Halloween with R.I.P. Rockfest

By Juliana DeFilippo | Oct. 25, 2024

Swamp Records collaborated with #UNLITTER to host four bands its R.I.P Rockfest show Wednesday night. This is the second year the nonprofits have worked together on the show, aiming to raise money for their organizations. 

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The Avenue

Gainesville Indie Night welcomes audiences after Hurricane Helene

By Juliana DeFilippo | Sep. 29, 2024

Gainesville Indie Night welcomed audience members Sept. 27 for a themed event that aims to highlight local indie bands and draw in new audiences. 

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The Avenue

Jazz on Main Street Gainesville fuses music and art

By Juliana DeFilippo | Sep. 21, 2024

Jazz on Main Street hosted a jam session at GFAA Gallery Sept. 19 to encourage community building and support for the arts through musical improvisations.

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The Avenue

Midnight Underground hosts monthly themed ‘Dark Dance Parties’

By Sara-James Ranta | Aug. 30, 2024

Monthly "Dark Dance Parties" at Gainesville's Midnight Underground bar attract a plethora of locals looking for a sense of community in the themed events.

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The Avenue

Rain won’t stop the rage: punk metal show moved to How Bazaar after rain-out

By Sabrina Castro | July 22, 2024

After landing in Gainesville three years ago, 24-year-old Christian “Cloud” Casey quickly discovered two things: the collaborative community of musicians in Gainesville and the opportunity to grow the city’s goth metal music scene. 

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The Avenue

A Cannes-do attitude: Why you don’t need a music degree to make music

By Noor Sukkar | July 15, 2024

It’s 2003. John Fulford’s bachelor’s degree in finance stares back at the phone that never got a call back for a second interview at the bank. He instead tunes his guitar, scrabbles some more lyrics and burns another CD. It’s 2006. His master's degree in international business is itching to make it out of Gainesville. Instead of waiting on that phone to ring, he rings TV producers in Los Angeles pitching his abundant cache of music.  It’s 2024. Comedy-drama film “Anora” wins the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival — the Palme d’Or. His music is in the soundtrack, and his career is at its peak.

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The Avenue

Rate and review: ‘BRAT’ by Charli XCX

By Bonny Matejowsky | June 17, 2024

Whether it’s the chart-topping queer pop of Chappell Roan or the catchy songwriting of Sabrina Carpenter, it’s safe to say this summer has proved that pop is in good hands. But a certain lime green album shines above the rest.

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The Avenue

DIY venue The Roadhouse closes after four years

By Ben Nielsen | June 3, 2024

The venue, located in Grove Street, announced in an Instagram post it will host its final show this summer, July 27. The decision to close arrived when its owners, event coordinator Bri Reed and their husband Justin Reed, decided to move away from Gainesville.

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The Avenue

Final curtain call: High Dive’s swan song draws crowd of Gainesville’s music lovers

By Sabrina Castro | May 20, 2024

On May 19, the historical hot spot for local music, High Dive, hosted a final show before shutting its doors for good.  

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The Avenue

Over thirty years of music packed up in 30 days: High Dive closes its doors

By Sydney Johnson | May 13, 2024

High Dive, a popular venue and staple in Gainesvilleu2019s music scene, is disappearing from its familiar spot on Second Avenue, as announced by owner Pat Lavery in an Instagram post.  The music hall, which hosted live events since the 90s, gained notoriety for giving local musicians a starting point.

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The Avenue

Gator Swifties ‘sink into the swamp’ at 'Tortured Poets Department' listening party

By Zoey Thomas | Apr. 20, 2024

If there was a better place than the UF football stadium to hear the lyrics, “in my mind, they sink into the swamp” for the first time, Gator Swifties say it has yet to be found.

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The Avenue

Big: Culture and Arts Festival transforms downtown Gainesville into artistic epicenter

By Benjamin Miller and Alexandra Burns | Apr. 15, 2024

Gainesville residents and music enthusiasts gathered outdoors at a renovated lot between Porter’s Community and South Main Street Saturday to celebrate “Big: Culture and Arts Festival.” Produced by How Bazar and Dion Dia Records, the festival featured local businesses and more than 50 solo artists and musical collectives playing between two individual stages. 

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The Avenue

Uplift GNV: Benefit concert raises funds for free therapy to local musicians

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Apr. 1, 2024

Uplift GNV’s aim is to raise funds for Upbeat’s Musicians Therapy Scholarship, which covers mental health counseling costs for musicians. Recipients of the scholarship can use the funds to cover eight private therapy sessions at Gainesville Community Counseling Center, Klausner said.