by jon bosworth jaxvillain@yahoo.com
Jacksonville is always teeming with musicians, and in the ebb and flow of the city’s cultural growth, there are spurts of times when there are just a multitude of outstanding bands, but no venues to support them. Then there are times when there are tons of venues, but not enough stable original bands to fill the stage. The one constant is the lack of support most of the bands get. When a Jacksonville bands draws fifty people to a show, that is considered a good night. In most towns, there isn’t nearly the same amount of talent, and people turn out like crazy. Why is this?
I can’t make bars beat the price of drinking at home, but maybe if some local paper started really trying to cover the local music scene, you people would feel informed enough to go out of your homes for more than just PlanetFest and Warped Tour. What paper would do such a thing? EU is who.
A year ago Middleburg’s own Red Jumpsuit Apparatus performed for barely more than 20 people at Jack Rabbits. Now their album has gone gold, they are all over MTV, and they sold out one of the largest venues in town. I remember playing shows with Yellowcard and booking them in one of the Conmoto Trench Festivals, and now they are superstars with their own line of shirts at Hot Topic. So Jacksonville can make the hit-makers. It isn’t all about Lynryd Skynyrd and Limp Bizkit, really great bands can spring up from here. Brass Castle moved up to Atlanta because they felt Jacksonville was holding them back, and as soon as they arrived they were greeted with a record deal from the same label, more or less, that signed the Allman Brothers back in the day. Hopefully the wait is almost over for those holding onto the home turf, but even these musicians understand that their success could be easier if they were in a more central place with a thriving scene.
In this issue EU highlighted some of the groups that are on their way to great things. We are leaving out Whole Wheat Bread, Summer Obsession, and some of the bands that may still call Jacksonville home for the sake of including bands that can use the attention. We focus very specifically on the bands that have made their name known. The bands featured in these pages are far from a complete list of Jacksonville’s music scene, but it is a great primer for some of the most talented bands we’ve come across in the past couple of years.
The Cadets are the whole point of Jacksonville music to me. They didn’t used to be. When I first moved from Orange Park to Riverside and started running with the Jacksonville music scene, I thought I knew it all because I knew Gizzard, Dampading, and Fin Fang Foom. But what I didn’t know about yet was The Cadets. That’s mostly because they were still in high school. Being in high school didn’t stop them from donning their coverall flight suits and taking a stage littered with strange tubings and space materials. They were our own little Man or Astro Man. They played at Einsteins, Milk Bar, Moto Lounge, and all of the regular places, I just never saw them.
When I was a manager at Tinseltown, shortly thereafter, there was this crew of nerdy math rockers that worked for me. They were all in a rock band called The Cadets. I finally caught a live performance and marveled at the way they deftly collided the worlds of Modest Mouse indie with Man or Astroman kitsch and a little surf guitar. They officially became my favorite new band.
Flash forward a few years when I have come to know The Cadets well because my new band at the time, Clarity, played with The Cadets all the time. We booked a show with them in Gainesville. It was amidst that show, while Chuck (guitarist/singer), walked into the crowd during this intense guitar solo, and as a finale, Cash (drummer), was standing on his drum kit and fell backwards through the front window of the venue, smashing it and nearly killing himself, that I realized it. The Cadets are the best band I’ve ever personally known.
Flash forward to 2002. The Cadets are working on a new album and they are booked to play my club, Rock & Roll Pizza. They are the big act on one of our biggest nights. After their set, the band went out front and had some strange and heated conversation, then Cash came back in and told me The Cadets just broke up. And broke up they remained…until now.
With Chad living in New York, Isaac in Georgia, Chuck in Gainesville, and Cash here, it seems unfathomable that it could happen, but I heard rumors that The Cadets were trying to finish that same album three years later. I happened to be booking a benefit show at The Pearl for a mutual friend, and I invited them to play. They agreed. After that they started writing new songs and now they are gearing up for the release of that CD they started in 2002. It’s called On the Death of Science as a Major World Religion.
And each of them is a genius in their own right. Chuck is finishing up his engineering degree at the University of Florida, although he could probably be a rocket scientist. Chad Matheny, the bass player, works for a non-profit organization in New York that is fighting global warming, and he also plays disjointed folk/math/indie rock as Emperor X. Isaac, the other guitarist, is finishing his degree in Georgia and drummer Cash Carter recently owned Moon Colony Razorblade with Max Wood and plays with Thee Harmonious Fist and New Berlin. These kids have always worked double-duty.
I was Cash’s ride from our photo shoot on Sunday, so I took him by the Shangrala house, fed him a cheap can of beer, and picked his brain about the state of the Cadetian Empire.
EU: When will the new album come out?
CC: April 29th on Discos Mariscos. You can pre-order it on discosmariscos.com right now and it should be available at iTunes in a week or so.
EU: What sort of touring is planned?
CC: We’re planning on touring. We will definitely do a three city CD release tour here, Gainesville, and in Tallahassee. We are hoping to do something overseas, but nothing is finalized yet.
EU: How has Discos Mariscos helped you release the new album?
CC: They’re getting some good attention right now. They have connections with Pitchfork Media and a lot of other places. In reality, we’re all paying for the album. Max [Wood] is chipping in as a fifth member, but he pretty much is a 5th member anyhow. They will help get us the reviews and recognition for it. They know Lou Barlow and shit. Our friend Brian got it to a label overseas. Jerry Love from Teenage Fan Club got a copy of the album and apparently he loved it. They’re one of my favorite bands of all time, so I freaked out when I heard that. Plus they have national distribution and a website that gets hit a lot.
EU: How hard has it been having The Cadets spread out around the country?
CC: It’s very difficult. If we weren’t this spread out the album would be out and we would be working on new material. Chuck isn’t far, so it’s not as hard for he and I, and if I had a car I’d drive down there and we’d be writing. It’s kind of nice not having the urgency, but if we all lived in the same city and were practicing every day or even every week… It has stunted our growth, but hopefully this album will do something about that. I think we all see this album as a breaking point. If we see this album to be a failure, we might do music a different way. We’ve been a band for 12 years, so if the album gets a good push and doesn’t go anywhere, then that’s our shot.
We’re all extremely proud of this album. There a couple of songs we recorded that we were surprised we had done. It’s quite a few steps above anything we’ve done. If we continue in the way we’re going, it’s something I’ll be proud of the rest of my life. I already am, but the next album will be amazing. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but that’s how I feel about it.
There is no other band like Shangrala. With songs that are rich with singable hooks, without becoming hokey chorus-driven ditties, layered with complex levels of melodies to create an enormous, almost symphonic sound, Shangrala transports you from the smoky club where you’re watching them to some ethereal plane that is exciting. They rock hard when they decide to break out the catharsis of the song, but during the rest you can choose whether you want to let the gentle notes and Jude’s airy voice whisper you into a dreamlike trance, or pay closer attention and realize that the song you are listening to has keyboards, layers and layers of guitar, a cacophony of vocals, and…is that a violin? But the complexity isn’t distracting. Sometimes it isn’t even obvious. They so seamlessly fold them together that it ultimately creates one melody.
If you are into hardcore punk rock, Shangrala might not be a perfect fit for you, but if you enjoy really well thought out music that you can sink your teeth into, Shangrala is Jacksonville’s little secret. Well, not little. At last count there were five members, but rumor has it that they just added a sixth. It isn’t uncommon to see Jared Bowser, formerly of Bernard, appear on stage with Shangrala, and he was recently added to the lineup to provide extra instrumentation ranging from guitar to drums.
Jude Kahle is the singer and he also plays rhythm guitar. Brian Jerin plays guitar and provides backup vocals. Walt Hill plays keyboards, drums, and an assortment of digital devices. Will Hill plays bass (and refreshes his Myspace page between songs), and Mike Von Balson on drums. I met up with Jude and Brian at Jenkins and asked them some questions over pork sandwiches.
EU: When will the full length be out?
BJ: Summer 2007. We’re still working out the quirks of the recording since we did it ourselves.
JK: We’re trying to make it sound the best we can, considering that we are recording it ourself for free.
EU: What shows do you have lined up?
BJ: We have 2 local shows. One at the Murray Hill Theatre with Cool Hand Luke on February 23, then at Nosh Supper Club on the 23 of March with Crash the Satellites.
EU: What makes a Shangrala show stand out from other live shows?
JK: I like to watch Mike and Walt play. Each of us are doing something neat and different.
BJ: Walt plays the Rhodes and drums simultaneously. We have all of these people on stage and that makes for a good live performance. Someone that comes to see us could answer that better. But for a band that practices once a month, we just strive for excellence, to play as well as we can, and I think we do a good job.
EU: How long does a song take to write?
JK: A couple of months. We only practice a couple of times a month. It takes a couple months to get everything down until we’re ready to play it out. Making sure all the parts work together.
BJ: We’ve been together for more than 2 years and we have a little more than 10 songs, so we write five songs a year.
EU: Will you guys release a live album?
JK: If we could get it recorded right.
BJ: According the Rock and Roll Handbook, the fifth album should be double live. Once you’re established with four albums full of Grammy-award winning hits…
EU: How are you getting your music out to the world?
BJ: We’re working with Atlas Distribution to put out this first record. Mike, who runs it, has connections in Europe and Japan. We’re waiting to see how it goes when the record is done. We’ve been talking to a publicist that has been working with us and we have a family of storks that Jude and I befriended that said they will carry our CDs across the world and drop them off in all of the villages. Our music is also featured in a couple of independent films that have yet to get picked up.
EU: What is your favorite stage to play in town?
BJ: I like Murray Hill and Jack Rabbits equally. Murray Hill has a great sound system and a big stage. Jack Rabbits also has one of the best sound systems in town.
JK: It’s sometimes hard to get people to Jack Rabbits because of the smoky atmosphere, that’s the only complaint I get about Jack Rabbits.
EU: How is the new record coming along?
JK: We’re trying to find the happy medium between recording a record yourself for free and trying to make it sound the best it can. It will never be perfect, since we’re recording it in our living room, but we want to make it sound as good as we can. That’s how we will continue to record with the band. Where we are not under pressure.
EU: Are you ever going to play with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra?
BJ: As long as Fabio can keep up.
JK: Tell Fabio to give us a call. Instead of Mike playing to click, he can play to the conductor.
Christina Wagner is a very attractive woman. When you first meet her, it’s her wit, style, and radiant smile that draw you in, but once you’ve heard her sing, you’re hers forever. Christina and I used to work together at Rock & Roll Pizza and she was great at concocting strange and bizarre drinks after hours for the rest of the staff and myself, but I never learned to fully appreciate her songwriting ability until she performed at the Conmoto Trench Festival last year.
The Burrito Gallery stage was floundering between “experimental” bands that were less music-oriented and more absurdist in nature. People were leaving as fast as they arrived and it seemed as though the weirdos at the beginning were going to scare off any potential patrons to the BG stage for most of the day. Then Christina Wagner swept in, followed by an enormous family. That gave me a sense of relief, but then when she played, everything with the festival was suddenly alright.
Her voice is strong and smooth, not like the passive aggressive acoustic performers that usually crawl up on that lonely stool with an acoustic guitar and a mic. Whereas many female singer/songwriters rely on a voice that breaks intentionally, like Edie Brickell, or do the whole hippie-chick thing, Christina if easy-going and funny as she adjusts her microphone, and then instantly her music wraps around you and her sultry voice is earnest and deeply intoned.
From the faint hint of her Spanish heritage in the way she strums her guitar to the rock edge to her insightful choruses, Christina is easily one of the best solo performers in the region, which is why she plays frequently in Orlando and Tampa, as well as Jacksonville. I called her up to ask her a few questions about being Christina Wagner.
EU: How do you keep yourself so pretty and sassy?
CW: Oh, wow. Are you serious? Is that a real question?
EU: The first question of the interview, yes.
CW: I guess I sleep a lot. I don’t consider myself pretty or sassy, I’m bitchy and I wear a lot of makeup. Who writes these questions?
EU: I do
CW: (Laughing) You’re an idiot.
EU: I know. Check this lack of transition: How old were you when you started playing guitar?
CW: Nice segue. I first picked up the guitar when I was probably 12 years old. When you’re Spanish, you hang guitars and instruments on the wall as decorations. It looked pretty and it was on the wall next to the maracas, so I picked it up and played it.
EU: How old were you when you wrote your first song?
CW: My first song was on the piano, and I was 8 or 9 years old. No words, just piano. I was probably 14 when I wrote a song with words, and I remember it being awful, but who doesn’t have an awful first song?
EU: When did you first perform on stage?
CW: It was on a dare by Chris Estes. I think it was two songs with him and Jude back during their Quiet Ninjas shenanigans; about 4 or 5 years ago.
EU: Here’s my well thought out question, are you ready?
CW: I can’t wait. Is it asking me my cup size?
EU: Although your music has some of the passion and zing of rock, it comes from some distinctly different origin, what musical influences have allowed you to develop such a distinct and unique sound?
CW: Well, I like Tom Waits and Johnny Cash a lot. I listen to Billy Holiday and a lot of classical music. That and really bad 80s metal bands.
EU: How has working at Jack Rabbits and seeing all of those shows impacted the music you write?
CW: Its good and bad. Good because you develop a lot of friendships that continue on. There are a lot of bands that I developed relationships with years ago and it’s like having family over when they come through town. It’s also frustrating because of the lack of support that Jacksonville gives for some of these bands. There are these amazing bands that come through and play for like 20 people. No matter what you do, you can’t get more people than that because Jacksonville just doesn’t support live shows anymore.
EU: You say “anymore,” do you think there’s been a decline?
CW: Definitely. I remember going to the Milk Bar and there were 40 or 50 kids at every show.
EU: When can we expect the new album?
CW: I’d say fall of this year.
EU: If you had a band, what type of music would you play?
CW: Hmmm. I don’t know, but it would have to have some song with a unicorn in it. Maybe wizard rock? Wizard rock, definitely. It would be very majestic.
EU: When is your next show?
CW: I am playing in town with Gunwitch and Pilar at House of Jam in Mandarin on February 24th.
It wouldn’t be fair for me to spend a lot of time telling you about this band because I used to be in it. In fact, I was one of the founding members. It was my leaving that started the rotation of musicians that have since rotated in and out of the lineup. Essentially Crash the Satellites is Paul Paxton on guitar and vocals and Julia Gregory on drums. This core songwriting duo was the force behind Clarity, a formidable indie garage rock band (I was also in that band), and they are now the core of Crash the Satellites. With Paul and Julia is Brian Blades, a skilled guitarist and underrated songwriter, who joined ranks with Paul and Julia to form Crash the Satellites back in 2001. The newest member is Dan Shelton. Dan recently replaced bass player Heath Valdez, and his background is mostly with area jazz bands. Accomplished as he may be, I am still a little disgruntled about Heath getting the boot, because Heath was true to my bass lines and wrote some stellar ones himself. But my opinion is not relevant here.
After Terry Case, a member of the band New Berlin, recorded their debut album Learning to Land, they invited him to play guitar as a third guitarist. I thought they were daft, but the product was amazing. So when Terry quit, they tried to recoup that enormous sound by enlisting Tracy Shedd’s bass player, Richard Dudley, on third guitar. That didn’t pan out and the band is back to being a four piece.
Paul and I were supposed to do an interview over some beers, but he wasn’t feeling well, so I sent him these questions via email.
EU: When will we hear the next CtS album?
PP: Possibly as soon as this summer. We have to complete a few more songs in order to fill a full length album, but the songs are coming along pretty quickly, and we’re happy with our recording options so far.
EU: What are your touring plans for 07?
PP: There have been recent talks about touring, possibly before our next release, and certainly afterwards. For now we are trying to build our following in regional cities, also performing with more national acts, which will help us get into better venues on future tours.
EU: Are you writing new material?
PP: Yes, more than ever actually. The writing seems to come rapidly at times and then whither away other times. My notebook is a complete jumbled up mess right now, with half finished songs. I’m scared to open it because it’s hard to pick one and stick to it. If I flip through the pages, the other songs will pull me in. I’m cursed with having to write three or four songs at once, or none at all.
EU: Is your music taking a new direction now that you are back to just two guitars, or is the composition essentially the same?
PP: It’s mostly the same. We’re not able to layer as many melodies at one time, but we are more easily able to focus and tweak the main melodies. I don’t think the composition process is ever going to change really. Whether it’s two or three or eight guitar layers, there’s always going to be that one part that could use a little bit more.
EU: Are you getting any college radio play from Learning to Land?
PP: We are getting some, but that’s another thing that we plan to focus on more before the next tour. We are mostly getting regional college radio play, and features on various podcast shows like Insomnia Radio.
EU: Where did you record that album?
PP: In your garage! With a lot of help from Terry Case.
EU: Where are you recording the next album?
PP: We are trying a few different options. We recently recorded some tracks at The Fort Studios with Pete Thorton, and may return to do some more. There’s also a producer in Gainesville that we’d like to record some songs with. We’re trying to capture a very specific rawness for our next record.
EU: Who would you cite as a major influence on your music?
PP: I like how bands like Sebadoh or Swervedriver can make clever beautiful songs that make you want to listen all day, but then come out of nowhere with a brick and just pound you in the face relentlessly. It’s truly awesome. That’s what made me want to play in a band.
EU: Who is your favorite local band?
PP: I really can’t choose just one. Fin Fang Foom (if that counts), The Cadets, Tuffy, New Berlin, Julius Airwave…
EU: Any crazy stage show ideas in the works?
PP: Haha, I’m not planning on lighting more people on fire, if that’s what you’re asking.
There are few bands more authentically Jacksonville than DANG! I don’t mean that they play 80s hair rock covers at beach bars, although I am certain they would get a kick out of doing that every now and then, but more that they are carrying on a sort of forgotten tradition of rock music for muscle cars. Their brand of Southern rock is light-hearted, but weighed down by enormous balls.
They’ll bring to mind Southern Culture on the Skids, Supergrass, and maybe even a little Jon Spencer with just a hint of that thing that makes it seem approachable to everyone from your mechanic to that elitist indie rocker snob with the weird haircut. DANG! is not scared to play PlanetFest or the fair, and yet they are closely tied to the underground scene, so you are just as likely to catch them at Ouroboros or Yesterdays.
With equal measures of coolie new music comparisons and plenty of super 70s rock band comparisons, DANG! Just might be the perfect band for any situation. Book them at your bar alongside one of those 80s cover bands, or let them headline your indie rock showcase, they’ll always be a perfect fit. I sent them a few questions via email to see what they are planning in the near future.
EU: When can we expect a DANG! release?
D!: Summertime
EU: What are your touring hopes for the coming year?
D!: The Southeast for the next few months...East coast by fall...
EU: Is your music taking any new direction or are your newer songs still accomplishing your original goals?
D!: It’s the same dance but with a few new steps.
EU: What venues have been especially accommodating to your success?
D!: Jack Rabbits, Fuel, Eclipse...
EU: What do you do differently when selecting shows that has helped you generate so much buzz so quickly?
D!: We like playing venues that give us free alcohol.... then a quick buzz is easy to generate.
EU: Who is your favorite local musician to play with?
D!: There is a ton of great music in Jacksonville right now... we love to play with Hand of the Host and we’re really looking forward to doing something with Sensei...
EU: Who would your dream tour be with?
D!: Nashville Pussy!
EU: When and where is your next show?
D!: March 30-31 Emergenza Fest Battle at Fuel... if you buy your tickets ahead of time from us you can save $$$. myspace us...
EU: How is the Emergenza Festival coming along?
D!: Good. We made it through the first round. We’ll see where it leads us.
EU: What is your favorite stage in town?
D!: Jack Rabbits.
EU: Is there anything else you wish people knew about you?
D!: Kirk writes movies. Check out plaidwall.com
EU: What is the best way to get ahold of you for booking?
D!: www.myspace.com/dangtunes or through our management at AdamDeli_dang@yahoo.com
EU: Give me a brief description of your music.
D!: Growling over a 1-4-5 in the key of E, but it’s like Jesus said “come and see..”
Nobody has been personally responsible for a greater quantity of Jacksonville’s best live shows than Anne and Tim Hall. As the owners of Jack Rabbits, currently celebrating its eighth anniversary, they have put on more live shows in Jacksonville than most bands perform their entire careers. Do the math. No less than four bands per night, seven nights a week (excepting Christmas Eve) for eight years. And that’s only at Jack Rabbits. The Halls also book almost every show at Freebird Live, as well as many of the shows at Martini’s Music Hall, The Florida Theatre, and Plush.
“I’m always open to new places. Matching an artist to the right venue is part of what I bring to the table.”
All of this isn’t even to mention the fact that they produce the second stage at 107.3 Planet Radio’s PlanetFest each year. When the Halls arrived here from “(Sweet Home) San Diego” they saw a “desperate need” for a live club devoted to original music. But they didn’t just bitch about it with musicians at backyard barbecues and two-bit dives like the rest of us (I’m talking mostly about me there) but rather invested their entire lives in bringing Jacksonville what it needed to step up as a major city.
Because of this position, he has seen more bands go from unknown locals to gigantic international superstars, and has some wise words for musicians trying to break out of the local circuit and make it to the next level. Speaking of bands that went from obscurity to superstardom, I caught up with Tim Hall, which is an impressive task by itself, while he was opening the doors of Plush to a sold out crowd for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus show. He didn’t even have a second to breath, so I emailed some questions to him and this is what he said.
EU: In the last eight years, what changes have you noticed in the local music scene?
TH: More has changed than stayed the same. Just sheer numbers: there are more venues, more local bands, and there is more original music. There are so many places to play. Just off the top of my head – Starlite, Mellow Mushroom, and European Street for acoustic artists; Thee Imperial and Fuel for hardcore/punk etc; TSI, NOSH, and Yesterdays for indie/eclectic alternative; French Quarter and Freebird Live for hard rock/alt rock. And, of course, Jack Rabbits where I go out of my way to host as many different styles of music as I can. With that many venues, there’s no excuse for not getting out there and honing your craft. Stage presence, musicianship, and songwriting; for many musicians nothing can take the place of that interactive process of sharing their music with a live audience.
EU: What is the awards ceremony you put together in San Diego every year?
TH: The San Diego Music Awards – I didn’t put it together. A long time business associate/friend, Kevin Hellman, started it and made it happen. It started when I was still living in San Diego. I thought it was great for the scene and went out of my way to support and help. I always handled the actual awards “show” (the awards alternate with performances by the nominees) – almost a stage manager role. Even though I’ve been in Jax for ten years now – he still flies me out to San Diego the week before the event to run the show. (One year I just couldn’t take time off from Jax, he did it without me. Apparently things didn’t go so well, because he goes out of his way to make it harder and harder for me to say no every year!) Of course, I enjoy the trip – catching up with old friends, etc.
EU: Do you think Jacksonville could support a similar event?
TH: Yes, Anne and I both would like to see it happen here in Jacksonville. We think there is enough homegrown talent [to support] an event to bring more recognition and awareness of the local music scene – one done right – in the spirit of recognition and support, not bad/good competitiveness. Yes Jacksonville could wrap its arms around that I think.
EU: What are the biggest obstacles to the live music scene right now?
TH: The physical size of our market. URBAN SPRAWL SUCKS. You can live in Jax and still have to drive for a half-hour to see a show in Jax. But then urban sprawl sucks in so many ways. (Is there any way that Urban Sprawl is good?)
Issues specifically with the live music scene is the lack of some (hell, ANY) broadcast (radio/TV) coverage of Jax bands. I am VERY frustrated that not ONE commercial radio station has a specialty show devoted to local Northeastern Florida musicians. Jacksonville is too big of a market not to have this!! I would be happy to put some of my own time and money to making something like this happen. When a local artist signs a record deal or sells 500,000 records, WHERE IS THE COVERAGE??? Shinedown, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Yellowcard have received more national recognition than local!
EU: You’ve seen many bands go from obscurity to superstars in your career. Does Jacksonville have an adequate enough of a club circuit to launch a fair amount of artists into professional success?
TH: Yes. What the “scene” suffers from is not a lack of talent or opportunity. It’s a lack of mutual support and cooperation. (Right now the scene feels “cliquish” – too many tiny little pockets of support for a select few bands. It should open up soon.)
Nothing pisses me off more than hearing local bands complain that no one is there supporting their show when I know that not one person in their band is out there supporting other local bands. (The ones that really, really piss me off are the ones that can’t be bothered to watch the band playing right before and/or after them!) It’s the one constant I’ve always found. When a local music scene is strong, local bands are supporting other local bands. When that happens there’s this spectacular creative process. Nothing can take its place
EU: Who are some of the most impressive local bands that you have watched as they changed and reformed and renamed and whatnot?
TH: Julius Airwave has gone through peaks and valleys in the past six years – and the music they are doing now is their best yet! Reggie’s most recent band, The Black Kids, is promising. The last vocalist of OBC has a new project called FEDUP that really kicks serious rock-butt. Rebecca Zapen is definitely Jacksonville’s best kept secret. Umm, Eileen sounds great as well. I know I’m leaving out a few. But the short version is that
Jacksonville’s local music is on the upswing and is evolving into something special
EU: What bands should people especially look for at your remaining anniversary shows?
TH: If you like country, swing, or rockabilly you HAVE to check out Big Sandy & the Fly Rite Boys with Shawn Lightfoot Brigade on Thursday, Feb 15 or Southern Culture on the Skids with Tornado Bait on Saturday, Feb 17. Indie rockers shouldn’t miss out on DEERHOOF Friday, Feb 16th. Fans of Hip Hop/rap would enjoy Busdriver (opening for Deerhoof) another great indie type show is The Black Kids, Little Brazil and Eileen on Mon Feb 19. If you’re into metal, well too bad, you missed the show last night with Psychostick and Indorphine
EU: Anything else you want people to know?
TH: All things considered, I consider myself very lucky – I absolutely love what I do. I’ve been doing it since 1985 and still get a rush when a show, big or small, is a success.
When the Murray Hill Theatre first opened as the alcohol-free live music venue, my bandmate and best friend Heath wanted us to pretend to be a Christian band and play there, then shock all of the “Youth Groupies,” as we called the Christian rocker teens, with our drunken rock and roll antics. While I talked him out of it, because I had been a Christian rocker teen that wished there was a club like the Murray Hill when I was that age, I did get him to attend a Smell of Wonder show with me there once. I held my breath when Tony Nasrallah opened the show up with a group prayer, fearing Heath would have some sort of outburst in that quiet moment.
The Murray Hill Theatre of today has come a long way, especially since Tom Rossmanith joined the team about 4 and a half years ago. Back when they first opened, you couldn’t force a an average non-Christian kid into that place, but now it isn’t even thought about twice when a band says they are performing there. They don’t open shows with a group prayer from the stage anymore, but they still focus on creating a positive and spiritually nourishing environment, instead of the negativity of most venues, which double as smoke-filled bars and don’t really care about caring for their patrons.
The Hill of today also has one of the best stages in town for a live band. With a stage as large as the Freebird, an outstanding sound system, and one of the only professional lighting rigs on a stage that hosts local acts, The Hill has come a long way. In addition to hosting great shows, they also have worship nights and nights for swing dancing. All of this is not even to mention their café, recording studio, and music store. I called Tom up to ask him a little about how The Hill has grown over the last few years.
EU: What changes have you seen the club go through since you’ve been there?
TR: Well, it has gone through a lot of aesthetic changes to make it look and feel more like a live music club, including replacing carpet and wall hangings. We’ve upgraded our PA and lighting. We’ve intensified our street team and grass roots marketing, which has helped out a lot. I’d like to think we’ve become a legitimate player on the national and local live music scene.
EU: Where did you live before Jacksonville?
TR: Fort Wayne, Indiana. I have promoted live music since 1990. There was a live music club called The Wreck in Indiana that I helped start.
EU: What was the scene like there and how does it compare to here?
TR: There wasn’t much of a live music scene, we did a lot of national shows. The local music scene here is definitely one of the best in Florida if not one of the top in the country. To come from Jacksonville as a band means something. It’s awesome.
EU: What changes have you seen in the local music scene since you’ve been here?
TR: I think, because there’s a lot of bands and competition, it has had to produce more quality music. The quality of the music in every genre is always getting better. Just because of the sheer number of bands popping up, to get noticed you have to be better than the other bands.
EU: What makes Murray Hill Theatre different from other venues in town?
TR: Obviously we’re bigger than most, maybe not Freebird, but our capacity is 700. We have professional sound and lighting and two stage rigs. We’re a Christian/positive music venue, so that separates us. In some eyes it de-legitimizes us and in some it legitimizes us. We are alcohol-free, so people come for the music. We don’t have the bar to fall back on, so we have to produce shows that bring people. We have a lot of generosity from sponsor businesses and corporations, but most of our operating expenses have to come from the door.
EU: Are you open to any bands performing there or are there some restrictions?
TR: There are some restrictions. We’re looking for Christian/Positive bands.
EU: What is the single greatest misconception you come across about the The Hill?
TR: I think that our image is that we’re just an alcohol-free environment and not a legitimate music venue, but if you ask the bands or the people that come here, even one time, they will say that we put on great shows. People think we’re not legitimate because we’re not a bar and have restrictions on the types of bands, but we treat the bands and the patrons extremely well. We put on great shows. We have the facilities and the equipment to make great shows happen.
EU: What is The Hill’s relationship like with other clubs in the neighborhood and other bookers in town?
TR: I know Tim Hall and we speak from time to time and try not to book similar type of stuff on top of each other. We keep track of what the other clubs are doing. We try to stay away from booking the same genre on a same night.
EU: How does a band get to play The Hill?
TR: They can go to murrayhilltheatre.com and we have booking information there.
The patriarch of Jacksonville’s local music scene
For booking email christina@jaxlive.com
Positive/Christian Bands
For booking go to murrayhilltheatre.com
St. Augustine’s official live music hot spot
For booking call (904) 460-9311
The Beaches has a new punk in town
Go to www.myspace.com/landsharkcafe for booking.
Home of the Lynryd Skynyrd Legend
For booking send a press kit to tim@jaxlive.com
The smallest stage in Five Points
Call them at 356-4444 in the evening for information on booking.
Downtown’s live and local room
For booking information go to theeimperial.com.
For booking visit them at www.myspace.com/frenchquarterjax.
For information on booking, go to fuelin5pts.com
For booking go to brewsterspit.com/thepit.htm
We could not quite find out how to book this venue, but try sending a message to www.myspace.com/4699486 and see how that works out for you.
For booking visit thehouseofjam.com.
Downtown’s hipster indie spot.
For booking information go to clubtsi.com.
Special thanks to Dennis Ho for taking our rock star pictures. Go to indierockphoto.com to hire this stellar photographer for professional hi-res press shots taken with real film.
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