The Greater Gainesville music scene offers a little something for everyone
Even on a quiet Monday night, Gainesville’s music echoes loud and clear.
It might be the rhythm of Gainesville native Don Felder’s pen scratching paper as he etched the lyrics to “Hotel California.” It might be JJ Grey singing about that little place on the Alachua County line, with the funny name of Lochloosa. Or, it might be the cars rolling by out on 441 in Gainesville born-and-raised Tom Petty’s iconic hit, “American Girl.”
Whether past, present or even into the future, music runs deep in Greater Gainesville. Its loud presence has been heard around the world.
Famous Musicians and Bands tied to Greater Gainesville
- Tom Petty — grew up in Gainesville and started several local bands, including Mudcrutch, which would eventually become Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, Ron Blair, Mike Campbell — founding members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers either born, raised or started out in Greater Gainesville
- Don Felder — The Eagles’ lead guitairst, born and raised in Gainesville
- For Squirrels — American alternative rock band based in Gainesville
- Sister Hazel — alternative rock band formed in Gainesville
- Stephen Stills — musician, songwriter, producer associated with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- Less Than Jake — American ska punk band
Famous songs that reference Greater Gainesville
“American Girl”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; rock
Well, it was kinda cold that night/
She stood alone on her balcony (Ooh)/
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by/
Out on 441 like waves crashin’ on the beach
“Seminole Wind”
John Anderson; country
So blow, blow Seminole wind/
Blow like you’re never gonna blow again/
I’m calling to you like a long-lost friend
But I know who you are/
And blow, blow from the Okeechobee/
All the way up to Micanopy
“Lochloosa”
JJ Grey & Mofro; R&B/soul, blues, folk
Homesick but it’s alright/
Lochloosa is on my mind/
She’s on my mind
I swear it’s ten thousand degrees in the shade/
Lord have mercy knows, how much I love it
“Gainesville”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; alternative/indie
Homegrown in the headphone/
Sandy loading up the van/
Singing through the speaker/
You’re all right, anywhere you land
Gainesville was a big town/
Gainesville was a big town
“Gainesville Rock City”
Less Than Jake; alternative/indie, rock
All my past mistakes
And every misspent day
Proves that I’ll never change
I’ll always stay the same
I wouldn’t have it any other way ( x 4)
Gainesville Rock City ( x 3)
A booming live music scene in Greater Gainesville
Greater Gainesville has a considerable number of music venues that offer live music for patrons to enjoy and provide new bands a place to shine.
- Heartwood Soundstage — Heartwood is a laid-back venue with an outdoor, multi-stage sound space that hosts a variety of bands and musicians from jazz to indie to iconic classic rock cover bands.
- High Dive — One of the most popular venues for not just live music, but also many events and entertainment acts, High Dive has a full calendar of events year-round in downtown Gainesville.
- Backyard Palomino — This is another outdoor space with a little more grit. When there is not an outdoor market or trivia night going on, the Palomino hosts a lot of punk rock bands.
- Hardback — This little music hub on the outskirts of downtown that hosts a wide variety of local talent and super friendly crowd.
- Bo Diddley Plaza — The main stage for FEST keeps the entertainment running all year long here in the heart of downtown with plenty of free shows and events. Passersby downtown often drift into the plaza when live events happen, drawn to the sound of music or cheering coming from the venue.
- The Wooly — Part of the Top empire, the Wooly is king when it comes to hosting a party. One of the main venues for FEST, the Wooly stays busy with touring bands year-round in addition to their Record Fairs and Emo Dance Nights.
- The Bull — A more intimate setting at the Bull hosts a variety of jazz quartets, acoustic artists and open mic nights. It is perfect for a low-key date night with live music and a glass of wine.
FEST re-emerges
The event that punks everywhere know, love and, unfortunately, missed during the pandemic came back with a vengeance in October 2021.
The annual punk and alternative music festival, called FEST, absolutely rocked Halloween weekend. Downtown streets literally pulsed with the beat, turning the city into a living, breathing, musical beast.
For one weekend only, the college town shapeshifts into a soundstage. The asphalt quakes beneath the seism of Doc Martens for a three-day binge of Miller High Life and punk, metal, indie, alternative music and everything in between.
From humble beginnings in 2002 with 60 bands and four venues, FEST now hosts nearly 300 bands performing at around 15 stages and venues across downtown.
While punk is the predominant genre, an eclectic variety including indie, metal and ska can be heard. Bands and FEST-goers flock here from around the world, most notably from the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Canada.
FEST comes every October, but exact dates for the 2022 event were not confirmed by press time.
WestFest Music Festival
The City of Newberry hosts a family friendly music festival each year, where country music fans set up lawn chairs and blankets for a concert in Lois Forte Park. The headliner in April 2022 was the country-rock band hailing from Florida, the Tobacco Road Band. Attendance is free, and dates for 2023 are TBD.
By Jewell Tomazin and Madison Rae