the Avenue Music and Performance Reporter Brandy Sumner is an anthropology and English junior at UF and the music and reporter for Fall 2026. This is their second semester on The Avenue. Brandy enjoys reading, going to shows with friends, and writing in their free time.
Once a highlight of Gainesville culture, the Florida Theater spent years sitting unused, its face covered in dirt and graffiti. Now, following much work and planning, the theater is starting a new life.
From recording vocals in a bedroom closet to spending hours writing CD covers by hand, the process to create Halfway Here’s debut album was a labor of love.
The label is run entirely by 38-year-old Waylon Thornton, a local musician who’s been playing shows in the Gainesville area since he was 13.
Nestled between electrical supply stores and AC repair shops, punk music pulsed through Geeks Sept. 4 as the music venue and vintage toy store kicked off its three-day first anniversary celebration.
Created in 2021, the site offers a resource for finding information on shows happening throughout the week and those from the past. The site’s poster archive goes back decades.
Now, the duo is keeping it in the family with their alternative rock project Rustler, preparing to release their debut record Sept. 25.
“Lost Weekend” is the artist's first solo album release since “Punisher” in 2020. After the release of boygenius’s “the record” in 2023, Bridgers toured and released music as part of the indie-rock trio. She’s now circling back to a solo career.
Throughout the city, Gainesville overflows with music of every style and taste. This list highlights music venues of various genres across Gainesville.
“Florida/Woman” is about Carter’s personal experience and those of many other transgender people in Florida. The exhibit portrays the ache of a growing dilemma: The state she loves and calls home no longer feels safe, but she’s unwilling to leave because of that love.
“Hadestown: The Musical,” a live theater capture film of the production, released on Friday. The movie will be shown in theaters for a limited five-night run.
Actors Layla Edwards and Jose De La Cruz perform as characters Veronica Sawyer and JD in Gainesville Community Playhouse production of Heathers: The Musical.
Ryan Malone, owner of RM Glass, glass blows at Swamp Boogie III at First Magnitude Brewing Co. in Gainesville, Fla., on July 18, 2026.
Tattoo artist Bibi Cascio draws a flower on Hannah Barbakoff's collarbone at Emerald Scarab Tattoo Parlor in Gainesville, Fla.
Student couple Titan Wojciak and Sofia Ortiz pose in front of their new brick-and-mortar location for their coffee shop Brewing Thoughts in Gainesville, Fla., on June 24, 2026.
Emily Westerholm, the founder and executive director of Released Reentry, recites a poem at an Open Mic Poetry Nights event at Released Reentry in Gainesville, Fla., on June 10, 2026.
A Juneteenth flag is raised in front of City Hall in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Solutions by The State News
