By Allison Candreva, November 2008
People scrambled for party poppers and maracas as the band played one last time. With orange and green balloons flying toward the stage, Common Grounds looked like a big party minus a clown.
Shaggy hair laced with streamers, Matt Brink sang to the packed room looking out on the crowd through his black-rimmed glasses. Parachute men floated across the room, as Averkiou finished up the Pop Mayhem show and the last set they would ever play.
Or so they thought… Read the rest of this entry »

By Matt Walker, October 2008
With Fest 7 fast approaching, we decided to check in with one of the quintessential Fest bands, Grabass Charlestons. Grabass has been a staple in the Gainesville punk scene for eight years this month, with over 450 shows behind them and still counting. Will Thomas (drums/vocals), Dave Drobach (bass) and P.J. Fancher (guitar) make a point of having fun while playing catchy, smart and energetic punk rock, which makes for some of the best live shows in town. Here, Fancher, who also works at No Idea Records and with The Fest, talks about past Fests and future plans. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jimmy Newlin, September 2008

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley founded the Athens-based Drive-By Truckers in 1996 after years of toiling in earlier, unsigned acts like Adam’s House Cat, The Screwtopians and Horse Pussy.

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By Elizabeth Leva, August 2008

More than a decade ago, lashing musical and individual personalities sent two budding musicians in two different bands in search of change.

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By JB Roe, July 2008

Continuing the legacy of the thick-as-molasses explosions of doom since the final 2004 break-up of floor, Miami’s Torche has been touring and recording with two full-length releases and an EP under their belt.

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By Josh Fleet, July 2008

Members of the Gainesville-based family band Morningbell entered an OurStage.com contest to play at Bonnaroo, one of America’s biggest summer-rock ‘n’ roll festivals and then forgot about it.

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By Giselle Mazur, June 2008

It was a beautiful autumn day in 2003 and The Fest 2 was well under way. The streets of Gainesville were abuzz with the usual Fest underground punk rockers and delinquents as Sean Carlson, then 17, looked around and thought, I could totally pull something like this off in Los Angles. 

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By JB Roe, June 2008

In the world of stand-up comedy, there is only one Neil Hamburger. Dressed in a sharp bow tie and tuxedo, a tasteful comb over and a drink or two to keep the blood flowing, Mr. Hamburger has toured the world with his unique brand of humor and class from clubs to pizza joints alike.

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By Susan Cohen, May 2008

            Pop Mayhem:  an oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp, living dead or Microsoft Works.

            But Joe Baca, Josh Ney and Dan Sostrom (with help from Pablo Rios, Travis Fristoe, Carly Nelson and Ciera Galbraith) are creating some Pop Mayhem with their new music festival, May 7-10 with day shows at the Kickstand and night shows at Common Grounds. Performing are local bands like Oh Fortuna and Nervous Systems, as well as national acts like Human Television and Erin Tobey. Read the rest of this entry »