SXSW Sneak Peek

Photo by John Davisson

One week, one head cold and tons of photos later, intrepid cross-country concert photog John Davisson is back from Austin's celeb-packed South by Southwest (aka SXSW) music festival (and on his way to Miami for Ultra, no less). Check back on Monday for a full slideshow and major story from the event.

Evan Dando Winners!

Peter Rosenblum

Congrats to our Evan Dando concert ticket winners, who each entered our online contest to bring a guest to see Evan for FREE on Feb. 11 at Common Grounds:

Danielle Sessions

Gracy Castine

Allie Whalen

Kevin Kessinger

Jake Fenn

More about the show, presented by Glory Days Presents:

Evan Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He will play hits like "Into Your Arms," "Its a Shame About Ray" and more. Also playing will be Gainesville's Chris Wollard of Hot Water Music and Gainesville's Colourslide (acoustic). The doors open at 9pm and tickets are $12 in advance ($14 at the door).

Discover New Talent

You might not have heard Tori Sparks on the radio yet, but it won’t be long before this critically acclaimed singer/songwriter hits a speaker box near you. Tori’s folksy and ethereal sounds have been compared to the likes of Joni Mitchell and Ani DiFranco and her recent CD, The Scorpion in the Story, is up for six possible Grammy nominations. The Florida native (who now calls Nashville home) will stop in Gainesville this December, playing two benefit shows and showcasing her CD.

“This album is kind of a chronicle about the people I’ve met all over the country in 2008,” says Tori, who tours the country for most of the year. “One of the songs is even about someone I met in Gainesville.”

Despite her many performances nationwide, Tori is anxious to perform for her Gainesville fans.

“I’ve played in Gainesville before, but this year I feel very excited and very lucky to be doing this,” she says. “I tour so much, but I’m always happy to come back to Florida.”

Tori will play a Holiday Benefit Dinner at South Main Community Arts Center tomorrow (Dec. 17) at 8pm. She will play again on Dec. 27 at 3pm at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts to benefit the Lake Area Ministries, featuring catered desserts and drinks, photo portraits and raffles. Tickets for this second show are $125 a person or $200 for each couple.

—Michelle Profis

Girls go GaGa at Rue Bar

Contestants went all out for the Lady Gaga look-a-like contest at Rue Bar Thursday.

The girls were asked to dress, strut and dance like the newest wacked-out pop diva on the scene.

The winner won a flight and hotel stay in Miami and free tickets to the Lady Gaga concert at the James L. Knight Center on New Year's eve. We are really impressed by the winner's uncanny resemblance.

Falala Cappella at the Orange & Brew

If you weren't at the Orange & Brew last night for the Falala Cappella Holiday Concert, then you missed out. Holiday spirit was in the air as traditional Christmas carols were mixed in with a cappella versions of popular songs for a fun and musically pleasing performance for all who attended.

The Staff, UF's all-male a cappella group, opened the night with "Chomp With Me," a song to the tune of "Stand By Me" in which the line "Darling, stand by me" was replaced by "Gators, chomp with me." They also performed a cappella versions of T-Pain's "Buy U A Drank," One Republic's "Apologize" and N'Sync's "I Want You Back," among other songs.
The Sedoctaves, UF's all women a cappella group, joined The Staff on stage to sing "the version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" from the popular television show "Glee," before singing a few songs of their own, including Jordin Sparks' "One Step At A Time."

No Southern Accent, UF's only co-ed a cappella group, was the final group to perform. They sang a cappella versions of several songs, including the Miley Cyrus' hit single "Party In The U.S.A." and a medley of Michael Jackson songs arranged by Kurt Schneider that they dedicated to the late Jackson (listen to the arrangement on YouTube.) Audience members cheered and applauded throughout the concert at all the singers' entertaining performances.

Attendees also had the opportunity to donate money at the concert to benefit the Partners Program, a charity that funds the distribution of free tickets to performances presented by the University of Florida Performing Arts, for the physically and mentally challenged, at-risk students and other under-served populations.

-Story and photos by Sarah Hsu

Rap, Despite the Rain

Rainy, 50-degree weather didn’t stop loyal fans from gathering in Flavet Field to see rappers Common and Kid Cudi perform in an end-of-the-semester bash on Friday night.

With the first flicker of the stage lights, fans chanted in unison, as if on cue, “Cudi! Cudi! Cudi!” After about 15 minutes of chanting, with guys and girls anxiously looking for a sign that he was somewhere near the brightly-lit stage, Cudi made his entrance.

Dressed in a black Ice Cream hoodie, blue jeans and a Cincinnati fitted-cap, Mr. Solo Dolo’s swag was felt. He opened with a couple songs from his A Kid Named Cudi mixtape, but quickly took listeners into another galaxy when he performed songs from his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day. Umbrellas bopped up and down in unison with nodding heads as the songs "Soundtrack 2 My Life," "Simple As…," and "Up Up & Away," to name a few, blared through the speakers.

Cudi announced that he was nervous because he was going to debut a new song. People cheered him on for support, and then the beat dropped for the chart-topping single "Day 'N’ Nite." The screaming escalated into a full-fledged celebration as Cudi laughingly said “I got jokes.” A little less than halfway through the song, he started throwing beach balls into the crowd as rain-covered concert-goers passed them overhead from one side of the field to the other.

Equipped with a live band and DJ, Common energetically took the stage, dressed in a grey Gators sweatshirt. He immediately showed love to the ladies and even had a little audience participation when he pulled a woman to the stage and serenaded her with the song "Come Close." Longing eyes that said “I wish I was her,” filled the field as ladies watched intently. Lighters went up and cell phones glowed when Common performed his hit-song "The Light" in memory of J Dilla, his long-time friend and collaborator in music.

Another highlight of the show was when he took it back to the days when he was known as Common Sense, and delivered a freestyle that shouted out Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes and the rest of the Gator football team as the best team in the SEC.

Midway through his set, Common brought Kid Cudi back to the stage and they performed the song "Make Her Say (Poke Her Face)," and the pandemonium of an epic duo bringing their talent to Gainesville continued to escalate.

If ever there was a time when rainy weather on a cold, winter night felt like a sunny summer day, this is it. A dull moment was null and void as Common and Kid Cudi made it clear why they are both signed to a record label called GOOD Music.

-Margaret Francois; Photos by Sarah Hsu

Umoja Orchestra Reunited

The Gators lost the SEC Championship, but the packed house at the Umoja Orchestra concert didnt seem to realize. The band may have gone on hiatus, but the show seemed like they never missed a beat. The true highlight was the appearance of trumpet player Jason Prover, who flew in from New York City to perform with his fellow band mates and played as if he was possesed. Enjoy this recording of their song "BDD" from the show.

Umoja Reunited- BDD from Joel Mora on Vimeo.

-Joel Mora

Jingle All the Way

Tired of hearing the same Christmas songs on the radio? Spice up the season by checking out Béla Fleck and The Flecktones Holiday Tour when it stops in Gainesville tomorrow, Dec. 6.

Accompanied by bassist Victor Wooten, percussionist Futureman and Dave Matthews Band saxophonist Jeff Coffin, the diverse group has picked up a variety of awards and accolades in their 20 years performing together. Fusing jazz and bluegrass, the show will feature unique takes on classics from their Grammy award winning CD, Jingle All the Way, such as “Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Silent Night” and “The Hannukah Waltz.”

What makes their music so original? Fleck uses banjo, flute and even klezmer mandolin to create funky versions of timeless classics.

“I know that this is a show we have all been looking forward to,” says Alee Napoleon, Phillips Center office employee. “Their music is something really different that we just don’t hear nowadays. Anyone who comes definitely won’t be disappointed.”

The show begins at 3pm, with tickets staring at $34. Visit performingarts.ufl.edu for more.

—Michelle Profis; PHOTO: John Davisson

The Weekend Roundup: Stuff to Do

Whether you are staying in town or going to Atlanta for the SEC game, there will be nothing dull about this pre-finals weekend. Just to make sure you don't miss out on your much-deserved kicks, we've compiled of a list of the thunderstorm of entertainment taking over Gainesville this weekend.

First thing is first: have you checked out our Kid Cudi and Common show. Popular among the hip-hop and indie communities you can expect a wild, widely ranged crowd and lots of superstar hype. Did we mention it's free?

We hear Rue Bar is proceeding the show with a Winter Wonderland party complete with a sno-cone machine. Yum. Before Rue Bar and after Common, make your way over to Common Grounds to continue on your live music high. With the Shoddy Beatles and Morningbell rocking CGs its sure to be a good old kickback-to-the-60s time.

Make your rounds around the Gator Stompin' venues for some free/super cheap drinks, and a chance to help Toys for Tots. If you don't have your Gator Stompin' pass, make like Santa and lug around a bag of gifts tonight, many of the venues will offer free cover with the donation of a free unwrapped gift.

Ok, now drink lots of water, take a power nap and prepare for Saturday. Wake up early for the Craft Festival 2009 starting at 10am at the O'Connell Center. With over 300 vendors, it's a great chance to get your holiday shopping out of the way.

The game's at 4pm, so you know your friends are going to start gearing up early. Many of the bars around town will be offering drink specials for the game. We recommend Stubbies and Steins for its dense menu of specialty beers.

If you can pull yourself together after an afternoon of game-cheering and beer drinking, check out the Thomas Center for the annual tree lighting ceremony at 7pm. Before and after the tree lighting, Duckpond will be offering up horse-and-wagon tours of the area's luminaries, a super sweet way to precede a romantic date.

Now it's back to Common Grounds for Umoja Orchestra's first show since April, the latin-infused band of unity is reuniting for a widely awaited and much-appreciated show.

Sunday's the day for rest, so go ahead and sleep in. Try to be up by 3pm for the Bela Fleck and the Flecktones show though. The award-winning "blu-pop" band will bring its Holiday Tour special to the Phillips Center.

The day of cultural reckoning continues with the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre's hosting of "An Evening with William Shakespeare: Or I'm in the Mood for Love," a performance of some of Shakespeare's greatest love scenes at 8pm.

To take the energy back up again, the 90s Omaha, Neb., indie-rock band Cursive is making a stop in Gainesville as part of its tour. With its progressive, instrumental arrangements Common Grounds is in for great show Sunday.

Feel like a Sunday showing? Go the the Reitz Cinema for a free screening of "500 Days of Summer," at 8 and 10:30pm. This quirky romance comedy is much better than Zoey Dechanel's earlier attempt this year at a quirky romance comedy with Jim Carrey in "Yes Man." At least in "500 Days of Summer," her character is not asked to ignore the fact she's having a carefree tryst with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

-Stephanie Granada

Sevendust Rocks Hard

With his thick, black snake like dreadlocks and nose ring, Lajon Witherspoon moved like a mysterious shaman, wistfully floating across the stage at The Venue on last night (12/3). Sevendust snuck on in the dark behind the sound of loud sirens and a blinding white hot light, and tore into some of the most intense hard rock this side of 1999.

The crowd spontaneously erupted into mosh pits that cracked open unexpectedly from all angles. There was prolonged crowd surfing and fist pumping that would make a militant guerrilla revolutionary proud.

Lajon and company passed for transcendental during "Angel's son" and "Denial," two of its biggest hits. Most of the unruly crowd held up its cellphones in lieu of lighters, mainly to snap pictures but the effect was luminescent regardless of the intent.

Lajon himself was gracious and energized by the crowd. He thanked them many times and went from caged warthog to teddy bear with his high school quarterback full cheek grin. He explained that the band just got in from Chicago on a plane and immediately jumped on a tour bus to come to Florida. "I told my little girl, 'Daddy will be home soon,'" he said.

"We do everything for you," he said, in reference to the crowd. "All of this is for you."

Drummer Morgan Rose, with a flair for the dramatic, would throw his drumstick twirling into the air at least ten feet, and then catch it without missing a beat. Guitarist Clint Lowery, sporting a crew cut, handled some background vocals. Bassist Vince Hornsby wore a fedora, which somehow stayed on through his whole set and guitarist John Connolly's jump guitar move just looked so sweet when he executed it.

The band came back for an encore, thanked the crowd, and then left its instruments laying on the floor with a mountain of feedback blaring out the speakers. As for Witherspoon, he just sort of floated away. And just like he came on, man, he was gone.

--Jon Silman; Photos by Andres. G. Farfan

Common and Kid Cudi tonight for Free

It’s just what hip-hop heads and those who love thoroughly delivered gut-wrenching lyrics have been waiting for. Two of the hottest rappers in the game are coming to Gainesville. The multifaceted hip-hop veteran and entertainer, Common, and the rising star, Kid Cudi, will be performing in a free concert at Flavet Field tonight (12/4).

If you’re not familiar with these two, you’ve probably been living under a rock. The Grammy-award winning, Chicago-born rapper Common has been rocking the stage since 1992, back then he was known as Common Sense. His first major album was the critically-acclaimed 2000 release Like Water for Chocolate, which was followed by four more releases. His next album, The Believer, is set to drop next year. But some of you might know him from the silver screen. He has starred in roles alongside Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, and Angelina Jolie in movies such as American Gangster, Street Kings and Wanted.

Kid Cudi rhymed his way into millions of playlists with his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi. The Grammy-nominated, Cleveland, Ohio-born rapper soon signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label, which is also home to Common. This year, he had everyone embracing a “Mr. Solo Dolo” mentality with his chart-topping single "Day ‘n’ Nite." After announcing a possible retirement from hip-hop because of all the stress surrounding the industry, Kid Cudi recognized the need for his presence and announced that he will keep making music. His debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day was released in September.

The concert is hosted by UF’s Student Government Productions Music & Entertainment. The event starts at 7 p.m., and is free to the public. No tickets are necessary.

-Margaret Francois

Sevendust to Rock the Venue this Week

This Thursday (Dec. 3), Sevendust, of Atlanta, is bringing its bulldozer-strength rock music to Gainesville for one night of head-banging, ear-thrashing madness. The band has been steadily releasing albums and singles since it dropped onto the nu metal rock scene with its 1999 album Home, which featured the hit single, "Denial."

They scored a pop hit with the emotional ballad "Angel's Son" off Animosity, the band's 2001 album. The song was a tribute to the lead singer of 90s band Snot, who died in a car accident.

The band's latest album, released in 2008, is called Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow and features guest appearances from Chris Daughtry and Alter Bridge members Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti. The album produced the hit track "Prodigal Son" which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard rock charts.

Sevendust is known for its high-energy live shows, and The Venue is the perfect place to see a band with such a huge sound. This show could potentially melt your face off with pure rock glory.

--Jon Silman

WIN FREE TIX to see Sevendust at The Venue

Want to see Atlanta metal band Sevendust at the Venue this Thursday (Dec. 3)? You could be going for free, thanks to INsite!

The first person to e-mail editor@insitegainesville.com or RT our message on Twitter wins!

AC/DC Keeps On Rocking

AC/DC returned to Florida as one of the last dates on their Black Ice US Tour, and they gave the fans exactly what they wanted at the Amway Arena in Orlando last week: larger than life arena rock. For some 30 years now, AC/DC has delivered hard-hitting, straight-forward rock and they have done it with an inimitable bombastic style that has garnered their fans, and kept them.

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Hawthorne Heights plays Common Grounds

JT Woodruff, lead singer of Hawthorne Heights, is standing at the merch table when I walk into Common Grounds at around 8 o' clock on Sunday night. He looks like he's in disguise with a black cap, polo shirt (red rim around sleeves) and black rimmed glasses - and a mini Groucho Marx mustache.

"Are you doing no shave November?"

"Yeah," he said. "But just the mustache part."

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JT Woodruff of Hawthorne Heights

INsite got the chance to chat with JT Woofruff, lead singer of Hawthorne Heights, in between a lengthy highway sojourn en route to a show in South Carolina. The band will perform Sunday, Nov. 22, at Common Grounds.

Read the full interview on our Web site!

Hawthorne Heights play common grounds + WIN FREE TIX!!

Ohio rock band Hawthorne Heights will perform at Common Grounds this Sunday (Nov. 22) with guests Just Surrender, Monty Are I and Punchline. The show starts at 5:30pm, and you could get in for FREE!

We're giving away a set of tickets every day until the show. Follow us on Twitter to find out how!

The first person to e-mail editor@insitegainesville.com or RT our message on Twitter wins today's tix!

Badfish at the Venue

Last night (11/11) Badfish returned to Gainesville, bringing along its highly popular reggae-infused set of Sublime cover songs to The Venue. Like (just about) everybody else, I am familiar with the Sublime story and classic songs like “What I Got,” “Santeria,” and “Wrong Way.” As the band’s history goes, Sublime releases two albums, 40 Oz. to Freedom and Robbin’ the Hood, which went mostly under the radar everywhere but the West Coast. Shortly before the release of the self-titled third album which became a huge hit, chief songwriter Bradley Nowell dies of a heroin overdose in 1996; the band attains legendary status and immediately breaks up following the loss of its lead singer.

This year at the Cypress Hill Smokeout Festival, the group reunited for the first time, with a new 21-year-old lead singer, Rome Ramirez. The fate and future of Sublime is yet to be announced, as a lawsuit rages whether the two surviving members can continue to play under the same band name.

Filling in the gap for the popular ska-punk band, Badfish, named after a song on 40 Oz. to Freedom, emerged as a Sublime tribute band that has played on to beat the test of time. Since 2001, it is now going on eight years strong. Last night the band played a nice set of Sublime songs including the hits, and some lesser radio-featured songs. But Badfish didn’t just recant faithful album versions; it added a jam-band element by stretching out the songs. There was a pungent smell of appreciation in the air as fans offered up plenty of dancing and some crowd-surfing in support of the band.

The two opening bands were also reggae-infused and added to the party atmosphere at The Venue. The floor became increasingly crowded as the show progressed, and the anticipation and excitement increased.

Ballyhoo from Aberdeen, Maryland featured the traditional bass/guitar/drum sound and included a DJ to add some extra sonic elements, such as scratching, to the music. Some of the songs were for the women and some were more for the guys (something like a cross between Slightly Stoopid and Pepper).

The second band, Hours Eastly from Atlantic Beach, also offered a reggae/punk sound, but more in the Police vein (albeit with a dub singer). The sound was similar enough to Sublime that the fans were appreciative of them. The Hours Eastly guys frequently play the Gainesville music circuit, and I recommend you keep an eye out for their next appearance.


--Story and photos by John Davisson

Bear Creek Music & Art Festival this Weekend + WIN FREE TIX

**WIN FREE TIX TODAY! See below.**

Beautiful. Family. Funk. These wriggle into most informed talks about the upcoming Bear Creek Music & Art Festival, a three-day celebration of stimulation in Northern Florida. Sound, sight, touch—you name it, the festival has it. The three-year-old festival will light up the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Fla., Nov. 13 to Nov. 15, with the energy of a predicted 5,000 to 6,000 people from across the country.

“It’s gonna kick ass,” says Paul Levine, who created the festival with the help of partner Lyle Williams and a group of loyal friends they’ve worked with at other festivals for about six years.

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To win free tickets to the festival, e-mail editor@insitegainesville.com or RT our message on Twitter!

A Metal Weekend

This past weekend was my metal weekend as I caught not one, but two metal shows. Metal shows are always interesting for the crowds they attract. The fans are kinda like goth kids, but they have gotten over their depression and moved on to anger. Metal shows are an outlet for them to vent their aggression, either through mosh pits, crowd surfing, air guitar or just growling along with the vocalists. And the t-shirts are some of the most detailed shirts ever, usually with graphic horror scenes in the tradition of Iron Maiden, always trying to outdo the last band’s shirt.

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