The Last Show at Common Grounds

Last night was the very last show to ever happen aat Common Grounds. It was a friends and family event. Just a little help to finish up everything at the bar, and destroy everything else. It was the most fun I've had in a while.

Averkiou played a set...

So did Worry Ship...

We watched...

We ate...

We drank...

Devon Stuart performed...

So did Dave Dupree...

Last but not least, Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves played.

Thanks, guys! Had a great time.



Do Ya Hear We Fest 2011

Last weekend I traveled to Chattanooga, TN for the 5th annual Do Ya Hear We fest.  This fest is a four day celebration of music, friends and cocktails.  I started traveling up there for fest 4 years ago. Back then, I only knew a handful of people in Chattanooga.  I've since met many remarkable people and built some solid friendships.  Aside from the kickass bands that play Do Ya Hear We, what strikes me most about this fest is the warmth, acceptance, generosity and kindness that is extended to all who come.  The people who put it on work very hard on making sure that everyone who comes has a great time.  I'd like to take the time to thank them all for their friendship and good times.  Alright, enough of this sappy b.s., let me show you what Do Ya Hear We is like.

First off, there's lots of this.  It's very hot there so it's important to stay hydrated.

Future Virgins play on Thursday night and I was super nervous I was gonna miss their set since Chattanooga is an 8 hour drive from Gainesville.  Thankfully it all worked out and I was able to see them.  They just put out a full length 'Western Problems' on PLANET-X-SOUTH RECORDS.  If you don't have it yet, get it right now! Seriously, it's my favorite record so far this year.

Shotwell.  That's Buddha (Chickenhead, Stun Guns, Jack Palance Band, Horrible Odds, Hidden Spots, Dark Rides...) playin bass. 'Nough said.

Scum of the Earth was the only Gainesville band representin.  They rocked the house, as they usually do, but in Chattanooga they played with Ryan from the Hidden Spots on drums!

40 oz Folklore was a lotta fun.  Thankfully they played early on Sunday so I'm able to remember most of their set.

Dark Rides are fantastic to say the least and their set was spot on.  Their 7" is out on Do Ya Hear We.  It's a must have!

The Hidden Spots make me so very happy.  There is no greater feeling than watching friends play incredible music.

Shellshag (trust me, that's them, but I was barely standing at this point so the picture's really crappy) wrapped up the weekend, talk about ending on a high note.  You can pick up their latest record 'Rumors in Disguise' on Don Giovanni Records.  The next time they play your town, or anywhere near your town, go see them. The experience will change your life.

This last picture encompasses the way I feel about Do Ya Hear We fest.  When it's my time to go I hope I'm surrounded by dear friends, great music and strong cocktails.

I just got these two 7 inches from Shut Up Records and they’re getting me amped up for summer.  One is the Frozen Teens/Street Legal split 7 in” and the other is the Severance Package 7 in”.  

When I think of summertime, I think of punk-rock. I’ve got decades of hot-n-sweaty memories from fests all over the country. This year I’m stoked to go see Street Legal at Do You Hear We fest in Chattanooga, TN.  This band is so much fun-- a four piece from Kansas City with super-fast bass lines and catchy vocals--a punk-rock whirlwind.

Just listening to the record gives me fest-chills. All I can think of is sleeping on floors, stumbling in and out of bars, and those perpetually-ringing ears. I’ve got butterflies in my stomach, and it’s all because off these guys.

If you ever want to put on some music before going to a show, put on Severance Package. This trio from Chico, CA, is a blast of loud and fast. This stuff will get you going. It will get you in the mood for some dark, dirty, punk-rock partying, or even just dancing on your furniture. The last time I got this crazy in my living room I broke a tooth. Don’t worry, it wasn’t mine.

Frozen Teens are also a trio, but they are from Minneapolis, MN.  I like to tell my friends, if the Monkeys and the Ramones had a baby, Frozen Teens would be it. They definitely have that Minneapolis punk flavor, but they tend to remind me of Gainesville. Old-school Gainesville. When things were more punk-rock and everyone was drunk.

These are a couple of good-looking records—vinyl candy. I like when record-making is taken seriously and even the record itself is a piece of art. Shut Up Records. Check them out.

The Hottest Show I've Ever Been To: Against Me! at Common Grounds

This show was epic in many ways. What I remember most is how hot it was in there. I was downing beers like they were tall glasses of lemonade. James and Andrew were sharing bottles of water with fans drenched in sweat. Tom looked like he'd been swimming. But nobody let the heat stop them from partying. We're from Florida. It's what we do.

Underground Railroad to Candyland

The Underground Railroad to Candyland

 I don’t want to cheapen this band by calling it stoner-rock, but I can’t think of a better way to describe it. You definitely don’t need to get high to enjoy them, but if you did, it would be quite an experience. This is one of the most visual bands I’ve heard in a while. 

Know Your Sins is an album you’ll want to take with you on a road trip. Pop it on while driving with the windows down. Day or night—it doesn’t matter.  It’s the perfect blend of zone-out and fun.

If Pee-wee Herman were a junkie, he would’ve danced to Animals! Run!  instead of Tequila.

 My friends and I recently put this album on while exploring the beach. We were sort of sight-seeing and I couldn’t think of a more perfect band to cruise to. The mission was to find this old motel from the 50's. We knew it was on A1A and had been in movies. An original kitschy Florida motel. Flamingo themed and all. Our friend had read about it in a magazine. We drove around for a while, heading to the general vicinity. URTC was blaring. We were stoned. The sun was out. It was beautiful. When we finally found it we were surprised to see it had shut down. There had been a fire. Most of it was still standing but was charred. Something about it's blackened facade made the whole thing magical.

The thing about this band is all the thought that goes into what they put out. It’s not just about the music or the lyrics. They work hard to make every facet of the album part of the experience. The theme of this release is the seven deadly sins. This record comes in seven different colors, each representing a different sin. We got the red one, which stands for anger.

It’s music for contemplation. It’s music for good times.

Try listening to Know Your Sins while driving down A1A. Better yet, put the top down and smoke a joint.  It might change your life.

Listening to the Forgetters Again Tonight

I recently got my hands on the self titled Forgetters seven inch. What bummed me out was having not heard it earlier. Being from Gainesville where Caroline and Kevin are still a big part of the community, makes it especially strange that I hadn’t heard it before. I am definitely late to this train, but at least I finally made it. 

This is a record I can see myself listening to for decades. There’s something so timeless about it. I almost want to call it punk-rock refined; a well-rounded three-piece. But it's not just for us old folk. I can see teenagers going crazy to this record, jumping around their bedrooms with fists in the air, or recklessly throwing themselves off the stage at shows. It’s that kind of music. 

This is punk-rock you can dance to. Play Vampire Lessons at your next party. You’ll get people shaking. Imagine a zombie-high-school-prom-dance-horror movie. A cool horror movie, not a lame one. This is the song you want playing in the background. 

While that song is fun, Night Accelerates is serious and poetic. Lines  like “What if the life you try to live, was diametrically opposed, to what everyone agrees, is good…good enough for most,” stopped me in my tracks. I found myself rewinding over and over again, taking time to soak in every lyric. 

One of my favorite lines is from Too Small to Fail. “I’m a lioness when it comes to you.”I just love the imagery. I want to be that cub.

 It’s poetry armed with a guitar. The kind of music to listen to alone, on rooftops at night.

Common Grounds is more than a Bar, It’s a Gainesville Icon (RIP)

When I first moved here, I imagined Gainesville to be akin to the artsy New York scene that revolved around Andy Warhol and his Warehouse in the sixties. Back then the Gainesville scene was comprised of mostly artists and musicians who have since influenced artistic communities around the world. Common Grounds was the epicenter of that scene. Where else could you sit at a bar and be served by members of your favorite bands? 

Depending on when you were there, members of Hot Water Music, Teen Idols, Army of Ponch, Averkiou, Cutman, the Grabass Charlestons, the Mercury Program, Beat Buttons, Panthro UK United 13, the Draft, and Discount  would pour you a beer, ID you, or kick you out of the place if you got too rowdy. You could pull up a stool any day of the week and find yourself caught up in conversation with members of Less Than Jake or Against Me! among the hundreds of amazing comedians, bands, and musicians that frequent the place. The venue fostered artists who travel the world like Ted Lincoln and Laura Predney and writers like Pat Hughes and the underground poet Ale Gasso who continue to write about drinking at the bar. You could run into Gainesville powerhouses like No Idea Records owner Var Thelin, Gainesvillebands.com creator Shawn Glypher Dalton, and Fest creator, Tony Weinbender. These people make things happen in this town and Common Grounds was the place that brought them all together. 

It's a sad moment in Gainesville history. We've already heard from so many of you all over the U.S. and across the pond express your sympathies and concerns. It's nice to see that a little bar in a small college town could have such an effect on a community spread throughout the world. Put your worries aside. As soon as we put this beast to sleep, in proper Gainesville fashion (it's gonna get rowdy and emotional), we'll get busy on creating the next best thing. Fest will go on. We will go on. See you soon!