Showing posts with label Florida Music Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida Music Festival. Show all posts

Friday, June 12, 2009

FMF 09 Day 4

Yes, I am finally getting around to day 4's post!

I arrived early downtown for the last day of the festival and saw at least part of the sets for 27 bands. There were some really good bands playing, and some not so good, or at least not to my liking. It was a day full of bands with exclamation marks in their names and bands with music and comedy (?) on the agenda.

I started my day at The Social to see Orlando’s Mel Martinez. It was early so there wasn’t much of a crowd yet, but the pop/rock duo was very entertaining with good music and joking between songs. Their set included “18” from Martinez’s recently released debut EP “The Door Is Open.”

Then I was off to the Wall Street main stage to see Chris Via. With songs like "Pretty Girl" and "Dream Girl" his cheery, sing along bubblegum pop is designed to make teenage girls squeal, and the few that were in attendance did just that.

Next up was Shut Up and Dance on the other Wall Street stage. The six piece Orlando band combines pop with fast-paced club beats and had a big crowd show up to enjoy their set.

After their set, I headed back to The Social to see 10 West. The six member Jacksonville band played a classic styled solid rock set, heavy on guitars and jamming, like any respectable Southern Rock band would.

The BackBooth was next on my agenda for Florida’s Pathway To Providence. The early crowd was enjoying the five piece band’s punk tinged modern rock sound, including “I Am The Tower” from their CD “Hello World.”

I caught part of the sets of a few more bands then headed off to The Social for a much anticipated show by A Cover Story. I had seen them play before (the first time being FMF 08, so I knew it would be a good show. With a 4 PM time slot, the guys had been out every day during the festival urging people to come watch their set and it paid off with a very good sized crowd. They played several songs from their soon to be released CD including the title track “Watch The Cities”.

After that I did a lot of wandering around catching bits and pieces here and there such as Jacksonville’s Captain Kid flooding the audience with t-shirts during their set, to Yellowman sound checking to reggae beats, to the peppy pop of Fort Lauderdale's Jacob Jeffries Band, to the eight piece Orlando band Shady People and their Southern Surf Rock with a Reggae beat, to the spacey experimental rock from Florida's Leone, to the costumed five piece band The Schmeltz rock pop comedy with songs “Soccer Mom” and “The Spocker,” to the high-energy of Gainesville’s T13C!, Including “I Am a Robot,” to Raging Geisha, a five piece Miami band and their fusion of pop and hip hop, to the punk, funk sounds of Orlando’s Union Made and their circus atmosphere complete with costumes and dancers.

Then I was off to be Gargameled. I’ve never been Gargameled before; it was quite interesting and kinda fun.

After that it was time to head Back to Wall Street to see Clayton Senne. I’d only ever seen him perform solo, so I was looking forward to his full band show. His pop infused soul music always draws a good crowd. I really liked his songs “Mercy” and “Walk Out The Door,” and as always he is very entertaining between songs (and he performs in his socks).

I wandered back to The Social to see the modern rock of Gainesville’s Colourslide. While they were playing, the guys from A Cover Story were loading back in; they said they’d been asked to play again. Hmmmm the next set was supposed to be a “secret (OK not so secret)” show by Between The Trees. Well maybe they weren’t playing after all, but no, there they were as well. (If I was really smart I might have been adding 2 and 2 here, but not yet.) A Cover Story took the stage and did two songs, lots of fun, always good to see them play. Then Between The Tress came onstage along with the head of Bonded Records, who announced that A Cover Story had won a recording deal with them. (I guess that’s one way to make sure the band is there when you make such an announcement – trouble was most of the band was out loading their gear back into their cars.) The lead singer (Jon C.) was inside waiting to see Between The Trees play, the look on his face was priceless!

It always amazes me how many talented indie bands there are in Orlando, let alone everywhere else, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to hear at least bits of so many during FMF, I always come away with a big list of bands to explore further. The downside is the bands I miss seeing during the festival because there are just so many good bands playing at the same time and blocks of time with not a lot to see.

Also, I am amazed at how many My Space pages are all decked out with all kinds of crap and at the same time contain little or no actual information about the bands (this from a writer doing research standpoint).

Here’s a link to the photos from Day 4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618391667620/

Thursday, May 28, 2009

FMF 09 Day 3

Day 3

I was looking forward to this day’s line-up; there were some really great bands scheduled, and a few I hadn’t seen before that I’d wanted to check out. The only downside was there were some blocks of time that I wanted to see several bands that were playing at the same time, so I knew I’d have to miss some terrific performances.

First, I headed to The Social to see Jacksonville’s Shawn Fisher and the Jukebox Gypsies again. I enjoyed this set just as much as the one the day before. They have this song called “The Boat,” well you really have to see them do this song live.

Then it was off to the Wall Street main stage for Exit The Ride, for their second performance of the festival. (I had to miss their set at the BackBooth Wednesday night because the place was just too packed.) The four-piece Orlando band played an impressive set of guitar driven rock injected with a classic sound, including “Some Kind Of Angel.”

After that I was off to The BackBooth to see One Less Reason. I was enthralled by their soulful, melodic, bluesy rock, and Cris Brown’s vocals were amazing, definitely a band to see again.

I got back to Wall Street in time to catch some of Status Green’s set on the main stage. The New Jersey band had drawn a good sized crowd for their set of up-tempo pop rock songs including “Diana.”

I hopped into Tanqueray’s to listen to part of David Anthony’s acoustic set. I really enjoyed his soft, sweet, melodic songs.

Then it was back to The BackBooth to see XOXO, a last minute addition to the festival line up. The Orlando bands punk tinged modern rock set included “Whiskey Town” and “A Song for the Reminiscent.” The band members are very entertaining between songs; check out their mom impression for a few laughs.

After that I was off to Wall Street again to see SoulSwitch on the main stage, yet another impressive band. Their heavy metal music was as melodic as it was explosive; just listen to “Possession,”

Next I was off to The Social to see Jimmy Gnecco (from Ours) in a somewhat solo acoustic set, at times during his set he was joined by various members of Plain Jane Automobile. Gnecco's songs are well suited to an acoustic setting, his intense vocals reigned supreme throughout, at times haunting and dark but always stirring.

The transition to Plain Jane Automobile’s set was immediate since there gear was already up there to accompany Jimmy Gnecco (who stayed onstage for a good portion of their set). The Orlando band played new songs as well as old favorites like “Tear Yourself To Bits” and “Blue Jeans.” During “Whisper To Me” lead singer Duke Crider jumped off the stage and sang from the pit with the fans. They closed their set with Gnecco joining them for an Ours song “Wait.”

Closing out The Social for the night was Orlando’s Big 10-4, the place is always packed for a Big 10-4 show, and this night was no exception. The band played songs from “Testing The Atmosphere” as well as their recently released EP “Magazines and Movie Screens” with the crowd singing along to every song. The band's live performance tends to take on a "feeding frenzy" atmosphere with the band feeding off the crowds energy and giving it back tenfold, it just circles around and around to a frenzied state, no one wanting it to end.


Here's a link to my Flickr page of the photos from Day 3:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618303074171/

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Day 2

Day 2 did not start off well, it was raining, making the walk between venues that much more fun and no pictures of the poor bands playing out in the rain (luckily for them the stage was covered at least).

First band of the day was Atlanta’s Well Reds. Unfortunately they were on the outdoor stage, so I didn’t take pictures; I did enjoy the music though. They closed their set with their song “Ecclesiastes.”

Of course since it was raining, some of the set times got messed up, so I had a lot of misses going on trying to see one band but getting another, or hitting between bands. The next band I got to see was another Atlanta band, Rise Of Science at The Social. Their alternative prog rock sound was distinct, often switching from frenetic to somber throughout their songs.

The rain finally let up as The James Boyd Band hit the Wall Street main stage. They put on a terrific show – really rocked the place. They have some great original songs including “End Of Me” and “You’re My Everything.” They closed out their set with a totally rocked up version of “Dust In The Wind.”

After their set, Central Florida’s My Getaway hit the other Wall Street stage; another good show. They closed their set with their song “Satellites.”

I headed up to Annie’s to catch some of Robbie Hazen’s solo acoustic set. He has some very good songs, including “Special Place.”

I trudged back down to Wall Street to see Atlanta’s State Of Man. Their hard edged rock has a pop flavor and inspirational lyrics, with themes of unity and overcoming obstacles. They opened their set with “Be Still My Heart” and “In This Place,” the title track to their new album.

I went to Central Station Rock Bar to catch Willtown, but the sets were running behind so I headed back up to Wall Street, and was glad I did. Alabama’s Hightide Blues was just taking the main stage. Very impressive band, and not just to me, the audience grew larger with each song they played. Just take a listen to their songs “Katie Can You Hear Me” or “Dreaming Alone.”

I stayed at Wall Street to catch some of InPassing’s set on the other Wall Street stage. The Orlando based band played a high energy set of pop/rock songs.

Then it was time to head back to Central Station to catch Willtown’s set. The band always puts on a good show, and this one was no exception. The only drawback was it was at Central Station with a tiny stage and not the best sound, but the band made the best of it. There was a keyboard player for this show, who was relegated to a spot in front of the stage as there just isn’t that much room for an active band to play. The set included one of my favorite songs of theirs “California.”

I did more wandering around and found myself back at Central station for Fishhawk’s set. The three piece band from Atlanta has a very creative style with a blend of alternative and electro musical styles, but it works for them.

Then it was back to Wall Street to see the rest of Shawn Fisher and The Jukebox Gypsies set. The five piece band from Jacksonville really drew in a crowd with their high energy pop/rock set. I must have liked them because I went to see them play again on Day 3.

After that on the Wall Street main stage, Between The Trees had a special acoustic show. They were filling in for the canceled headliner (Asher Roth – if anyone cares – I didn’t!) It was a good show, a great warm-up to their “secret” show the next night at The Social.

Next post Day 3

Pictures from Day 1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618112192851/

Pictures from Day 2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157618112475377/

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Big Ten Four CD release show

As usual the Big 10-4 show at The Social last Friday was a lot of fun; they never fail to put on a great show.

In Passing was the first band up, I didn’t get to see much of their show, but what I heard was pretty good. (I was hanging near the merch table waiting to get my hands on the new Big 10-4 CD as soon as it was unpacked.) The area in front of the stage was rapidly filling up, everyone wanting to stake out a spot early for the headliner’s set, so it was pretty full for Bryan Malpass and his solo acoustic set. I’ve seen Bryan before, he always does really well. I enjoyed his set so much I picked up his CD that night as well.

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Bryan Malpass My Space

http://www.myspace.com/bryanmalpass1

Bryan Malpass Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157611136339493/

Then it was time for what everyone was waiting for, Big 10-4. They opened the show with “Flipside” a song from their new CD, Magazines & Movie Screens.

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They also played several songs from Testing The Atmosphere including “Crazy,” “Walking Disaster,” and “Irony Is Thick.”

Also in the set were “We’ve Been Here” and “Good Girl” from the new CD, the new songs were just as popular as the old favorites.

The band always puts on a high-energy show with the audience happily singing, gesturing, and celebrating along with the band. Audience participation is traditional, OK more like expected at a Big 10-4 show, and if you’ve never experienced one, you need to make it a priority. And pick up a CD beforehand so you’ll be prepared.

Big Ten Four My Space:
http://www.myspace.com/BigTenFour

Big Ten Four photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kat32807/sets/72157611136666445/

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Florida Music Festival Day 3

Finally getting to posting about the last day.

Karrigan
(Pop/Rock)
Since it was early Saturday, it was a really sparse crowd for the Karrigan show at Wall Street Plaza, but the area in front of the stage was full of die hard fans wearing the bands t-shirts.


http://www.myspace.com/karriganrocks

A Cover Story
A Cover Story
(Power pop/Rock)
Another band I was very impressed by, so much so that I recently went to another show of theirs. They always look like they are having a great time on stage, and interact constantly with the crowd (and their shows always seem to have a crowd!).


http://www.myspace.com/acoverstory

My Complex Island
(Rock/Punk)
I really wasn’t impressed with them at FMF but I recently caught them again and they were much better. They power through a set with a ton of energy and really seem to be having fun up there.


http://www.myspace.com/mycomplexisland

Woodale
Woodale
(Pop/Rock)
Woodale plays some really good piano based pop/rock. I had wanted to see them live for awhile and was glad to finally get the chance. I look forward to catching another show of theirs.


http://www.myspace.com/woodale

Derek Stroker
(Blues/Rock)
I had heard about Derek earlier in the day so I made a point to check out his show. Great show! Some really good songs and terrific jazz flavored blues jams, and of course the place was packed for his show. I recently received a copy of his CD “Take A Picture, Make A Promise” and have been enjoying listening to it.


http://www.myspace.com/derekstroker


Dagnese
Dagnese
(Rock/Pop)
I have seen Chris D’Agnese several times as a solo or duo acoustic act, but FMF was the first time I had seen him performing as part of a four piece band. He had two showcases this year, one the night before at CafĂ© Annie and then this show at The City Arts Factory. Both were really good shows.


http://www.myspace.com/chrisdagnese

Thomas Wynn and the Believers
Thomas Wynn
(Southern Rock)
There’s nothing like the hard-hitting dual guitars common to good Southern rock and Thomas Wynn is carrying on well in the family tradition. The band is currently recording a CD; I can’t wait to hear it. Watching his band’s terrific performance was a great way to end the festival.




This was just a sampling of the great bands playing this year at FMF. Make sure you check my link to my Flickr page for lots more pictures from all the shows.


As always look for some good music among the many indie bands out there - so much good music to choose from.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Florida Music Festival Day 2

Day 2


I ran around like a crazy person trying to see all the bands I wanted to see.


Chris Burns
Chris Burns

(Rock/Pop/Blues/Acoustic)
I’ve seen Chris live before, and knew it would be a fun set. He’s a solo acoustic performer and puts on a very entertaining show, with his animated playing and use of live loops. He played several songs from his CD “CB Radio.” His song (hopefully on the next CD) “Dirty Jim” is a rousing ditty about a boss we all love to hate.

Willtown
(Rock/Southern Rock)
The Southern fried rock of Willtown was new to me, but yet another I certainly want to see again. I picked up a copy of their CD at the show and have been enjoying it ever since.

No Circus
No Circus

(Rock/Blues)
This band was probably the most impressive of the bands I saw. James Killgallon’s powerful vocals and guitar mastery were an awesome combination; the other musicians in the audience stood in awe of his performance.

Ambertone
(Rock)
I have seen Ambertone before and they always put on a good show, this show was just as good, and the packed crowd at Wall Street Plaza was certainly into it.

Robbie Carrico

Robbie Carrico

(Southern Rock)
I don’t watch “American Idol” so I hadn’t heard of Robbie before, but I really enjoyed his set and look forward to many more of his shows. (I bet it was fun signing all those autographs with a broken hand!)

Plain Jane Automobile
(Rock)
I have seen The Janes many times live – they are never a disappointment. The Social was packed for their set, most of which I managed to miss unfortunately (dang those schedules).

John Frank
(Rock/Pop)
John Frank is another band I have seen many times before and always look forward to seeing any chance I can. I have really been enjoying his latest CD “The Spaces Between.”

Megaphone
Megaphone

(Hard Rock)
Megaphone is yet another band I try to see regularly. They vow to rock your socks off at every show and never fail to do so. Their recent CD “for cryin out loud” is frequently in my CD player.

Vonray
(Rock/Southern Rock)
The night’s headliner, Vonray had left the scene for awhile so I have only seen them once before, and they are certainly worth seeing every chance you can get, the rest of the crowd in attendance must have agreed as they were chanting for the band to take the stage. The guitarist in Megaphone, Paul Smith, is also the guitarist for Vonray so he got to pull double duty that night. Robbie Carrico joined them onstage for their song “Drifted Away.”