Lovers of Gainesville’s music scene will have one last chance this weekend to enjoy a beloved local venue before it closes its doors.
Former Planets, a Gainesville-based rock band made up of Jason Small (lead vocals), Evan Johnson (guitar and vocals), Korkut Genc (bass) and Brook Stermer (drums), have been making music around town for the last two years. I sat down with Small before the band’s Friday night show at the Hardback Cafe, located at 211 W. University Ave.
We’re almost halfway through 2016, and this year has already been a better year for music than the last. Some of today’s biggest artists, including Kanye West, Beyonce and Drake, have released albums this year, but some of the best projects released have been from artists with less star power. It’s time to catch you up on some of the latest and hottest releases.
Crystal Balls, a Gainesville band made up of Kendrick Lemke, Nick Herrera and Erick Ubiles, is hitting the scene with their self-described “blackened swamp sci-fi doom metal.” I sat down with the band to talk sound and the music scene before Crystal Balls’ Saturday show at the Hardback Cafe.
A popular reggae band will visit Gainesville this week to show fans its redefined iconic music.
When Drake released “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” in February 2015, it felt like something was missing. To me, it sounded like Drake wasn’t trying at times, and the project really did feel like more of a mixtape than an album-quality project. To be clear, I still think that “IYRTITL” was very good; after all, Drake is one of the few artists that can’t miss. The scary part is, while “IYRTITL” was good, we all knew Drake could do better.
To end the first week of Summer classes, The Jam is bringing music and free beer to town.
Three bands are converging at Gainesville’s Hardback Cafe on Saturday. Eve of November, CHEW and Analogue Ghost will be play- ing sets at the venue, located at 211 W. University Ave., starting at 10 p.m., with doors opening at 9 p.m.
Swamp Records anticipates hitting a capacity of 600 people at the third-annual Swamp Records Showcase on Friday.
Hear Again Music and Movies normally retains a quiet atmosphere — until the third Saturday of April.
April has brought along a few albums worth listening to. Check them out.
Friday was a good day for hip-hop.
Ed Waldick is moving the light show from the garage to the big stage this weekend.
Jacuzzi Boys, a garage rock ’n’ roll band from Miami, will be performing at High Dive on Sunday.
Last year’s onstage antics included feathers, crazy wardrobes and boxing — but of Montreal’s lead singer, Kevin Barnes, couldn’t give any clues for the band’s upcoming show.
Comedian Bo Burnham will also be forming at the third annual Big Orange Festival tomorrow night at the Reitz Union.
DJ Khaled has become an Internet sensation through his Snapchat and other social media pages, so you may have forgotten he’s actually a DJ. Khaled has been in the game for over a decade and has become one of the best of in the rap game without actually rapping. DJ Khaled is an extremely successful DJ who got his start on Miami’s WEDR radio station and eventually released eight studio albums and appears on a number of hit singles. DJ Khaled will be performing in the Reitz Union tomorrow night at the Big Orange Fest, so here’s a quick roundup to get you ready.
The High Dive will host a sold-out St. Paddy’s Day show Thursday at 8:30 p.m., which will be packed with fans decked out in green to see Frank Turner.
On paper, there was no reason to expect Okeechobee Music Festival would be the resounding success it turned out to be: Although Florida has long played host to music festivals catering to niche markets, such as the electronic hedonists of Miami’s Ultra Music Festival or the crusty punks of Gainesville’s very own The Fest, Florida had yet to host an outdoor festival of the size, scale and broad appeal of Okeechobee. Would Floridians who were accustomed to the pulsating synths, lights and overpriced hotels of Ultra warm up to more esoteric musical ventures like the psychedelic jazz offered by Kamasi Washington, or even sleeping in a sticky, sweaty tent for four nights? Was there a possibility that acts not named RL Grime or Bassnectar would actually draw large, substantial crowds? The answer to all of the aforementioned questions was a firm yes.
The past couple of weeks have been pretty great for music. I rounded up the newest albums in case you were too busy partying over Spring Break to pay attention to the latest releases, which include a debut album, a collaborative album and even a surprise release from one of the biggest names in rap. Let’s get to it.
Solutions by The State News
