Why is the concert scene always so dead in Jacksonville?

[Anti redneck]

Its reality. Sorry for not sugarcoating it (like I tried to). Would you like to engage in the argument that Korn and Evanescence are widely listened to by the educated and young professionals that the city has a hard time attracting and retaining? I'd love to hear that.

Perhaps you could provide a small playlist of bands we are missing out on... you know... a young and educated playlist.  Something NOT Rockville... or country, or Korn and Evanescence... or etc...

1.___________
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I admire CityLife's bluntness.

If you've ever been to some of these dime-a-dozen radio station-sponsored alt-rock festivals featuring bands like Korn and Godsmack, the crowd doesn't exactly seem the most progressive, educated bunch in the world. That's not an insult, elitist, or passing on personal judgement. You only need to look around for 30 seconds to see it. I agree with the original poster that a throng of largely (though certainly not all) drunken/stoned, shirtless, goofballs in late-stage arrested development (there's a reason most of the bands at these things are from the mid-to-late 90's) smashing into each other it isn't necessarily indicative of a thriving, mature music scene.

Every mid-sized city in the country has these festivals.

I grew up in Fort Myers, a city with no music scene whatsoever, and saw 10,000 people routinely show up for these things.

A city this size should be aiming higher.

If we're strictly talking rock, we should be aiming for bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, The Killers, The Fray, Kings of Leon, Bright Eyes, etc.

Sadly though, I have a terrible feeling more people in Jacksonville would show up for Korn than for Radiohead :/

If this were the early 2000's, Korn in Jacksonville would've been huge. I actually remember seeing them back in '99 at the old Coliseum with Rob Zombie. That show was amazingly huge. Everyone was there! Korn is just past their prime now. I notice that's the shows that this town gets mostly; bands that are just past their prime that are arriving in Jacksonville only for the first time (I think this is Korn's second time in Jacksonville).

Btw - I happen to know of quite a few Radiohead fans in Jacksonville. I think Radiohead would sell quite well here.

[Tacachale]

As a veteran music snob, the tastes of young educated people are, more often than not, every bit as bad as everyone else's.

Look, it doesn't matter who plays what type of shitty or (less frequently) non-shitty music, what matters is the money. If promoters think they can make money off an act and the logistics are there, it'll happen. If not, it won't. Our lack of mid-sized venues really affects this.

Having been involved in several successful concerts of various styles and sizes at UNF, I strongly believe there's a unmet demand for live music in town that we haven't managed to tap. I hope we figure it out.

Based on my experiences growing up in Jax and also moving away for college, students at UNF or those who stay in Jax after high school aren't exposed to nearly as much "good" or diverse music as those who go to Gainesville, Tallahassee, Orlando, or out of state. Generally speaking of course. That probably has to do with there being terrible radio stations in Jax and limited concerts.

The problem is probably a little deeper than just lack of mid size venues, but I agree it is likely a strong factor. I think the old Library could be a great mid sized venue and would do great with proximity to BG, Dos Gatos, Burro Bar, Indochine, and everything else around there. What specific size range do you think we lack? 1,000 to 2,000 people?

We have too few music venues of basically every size, though the greatest dearth is probably the size you describe. What few venues we do have of that size are generally not designed specifically for amplified concerts, and/or they're spread all over the entire metro area. It's a shame, as over the last 10 years or so that size has become more and more popular. That's why ampitheaters are so great - they're cheaper to build, you can be outside without worrying so much about the weather, and they don't feel empty for smaller shows as a big building. If we had one, or concert-specific indoor venues of a similar size like the Fillmore in Charlotte or the Nat'l in Richmond, we would get many more of the acts that currently pass us by.

[Anti redneck]

^ Wouldn't it be nice if something like that could be built? It really is too bad that this town just cannot get with the program. I wonder why that is?

[danem]

My 2 cents is that Florida Theater is nice but the acoustics are horrific for concerts. As for having new venues, it seems to be that we have enough vacant spaces that all sorts of these can be reused with the right creativity, and they could be put in all over.

[simms3]

Actually all the best indoor music venues are old buildings.  I don't think I've been to a show or a DJ set or what have you in a new building unless it were a nightclub or a large arena.

Jacksonville has many buildings it could convert to music venues...with high ceilings and balconies.  Club 5 was that way if I remember correctly...and it has potential, though it's not large enough.

[Anti redneck]

Actually all the best indoor music venues are old buildings.  I don't think I've been to a show or a DJ set or what have you in a new building unless it were a nightclub or a large arena.

Jacksonville has many buildings it could convert to music venues...with high ceilings and balconies.  Club 5 was that way if I remember correctly...and it has potential, though it's not large enough.

Club 5 was awesome. It was better as a club than a theater IMO. I actually thought the 5-points scene was better back then.

[KenFSU]

P.S.

Though I didn't step foot in Jacksonville until the early 2000s, it's worth noting that during the 90s, Jacksonville had a hell of a reputation down in South Florida for it's punk and alternative scene. The State Theater in St. Pete and the Milk Bar in Jax were routinely spoken of as two of the best places in the state to take in a show. What led to the Milk Bar closing and what happened to that scene?

[Anti redneck]

P.S.

Though I didn't step foot in Jacksonville until the early 2000s, it's worth noting that during the 90s, Jacksonville had a hell of a reputation down in South Florida for it's punk and alternative scene. The State Theater in St. Pete and the Milk Bar in Jax were routinely spoken of as two of the best places in the state to take in a show. What led to the Milk Bar closing and what happened to that scene?

There was word about the then Fire Marshal going all around the city, shutting down clubs and bars for "not complying with fire code". There's also more information about him doing it for certain reasons. Who he had ties with, I will not say, just to not start controversy.

[BridgeTroll]

Its reality. Sorry for not sugarcoating it (like I tried to). Would you like to engage in the argument that Korn and Evanescence are widely listened to by the educated and young professionals that the city has a hard time attracting and retaining? I'd love to hear that.

Perhaps you could provide a small playlist of bands we are missing out on... you know... a young and educated playlist.  Something NOT Rockville... or country, or Korn and Evanescence... or etc...

1.___________
2.___________
3.___________

Are you insinuating that Korn and Evanesence are the cream of the crop? 

I'll list bands some of the biggest bands of the 2000's that off the top of my head that haven't been to Jax or St. Augie. I probably don't remember every show, so please correct me if I'm wrong on any. Most if not all of the bands listed are headliners or near headliners at Bonnarroo, Coachella, Austin City Limits, and all the huge music festivals that go in around the country.

Arcade Fire
Radiohead       Probably the 3 biggest bands of the past 10 or so years
The Strokes

Black Keys
White Stripes
The Shins
Band Of Horses
Coldplay
Kanye West
Jack Johnson
Ryan Adams
Red Hot Chili Peppers? Have they ever been?
Bon Iver
Muse
Arctic Monkeys
LCD Soundsytem
Sufjan Stevens
The Decemberists
Animal Collective
MGMT
Beirut
The National
Jay Z
Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The 2000's is probably one of the deepest decades ever for quality music. There are just an insane amount of fairly good quality bands. I could probably name another 100 or so quality bands that play in mid sized venues in Atlanta and other large cities that we miss out on.

Thanks for the great list!  I certainly would like to see many of these bands also... though I do not fit the young professional and educated demographic.  My main point was the musical box you desire to put the young educated professional in.  My guess is that these folks musical tastes vary wildly.  I happen to know a large group in this category who attend nearly every "country act" to come to town.  While not my cup of tea... I have attended a couple of these events and I can assure you they are well attended by educated young professionals.  If you define the "concert scene" by the bands you have listed... then it is almost certainly "dead".  If you include the Jazzfest, Bluesfest, Rockville, Florida Theater, Memorial coliseum, Everbank, Metro Park, and various clubs... then the concert scene is "not so dead".

[Anti redneck]

^ Well the rock concert scene is definitely dead. I think it's even safe to say the hip-hop concert scene is dead.

[BridgeTroll]

^ Well the rock concert scene is definitely dead. I think it's even safe to say the hip-hop concert scene is dead.

AhA!  Perhaps the subject of the thread should be modified... to... "The concerts I would like to see scene is dead."

[simms3]

I have noticed a lot of acts come to Freebird...
Big Gigantic just rolled through town up here and their next stop was Freebird.  A couple of well known DJs have played there this year after rolling through town up here.  Sweetwater Brewery is sponsoring a Railroad Earth show down there apparently.  Mickey Avalon is coming for the umpteenth time.

Freebird is perhaps the classic music venue in Jacksonville, and it's not half bad.  I've seen a few shows there back in the day.

Perhaps what Jacksonville is missing is just one more venue that's slightly larger and at least as cool in town (FL Theater  is definitely not it), and promoters.  I don't think there are promoters in Jacksonville.  Everyone in Tally is a promoter of some sort.  Obviously Miami is full of them - I had a couple friends who were promoters down there in HS, and they got to go to clubs underage as a result (they grow up a little faster, ha).

[Overstreet]

P.S............... What led to the Milk Bar closing and what happened to that scene?

There was word about the then Fire Marshal going all around the city, shutting down clubs and bars for "not complying with fire code". There's also more information about him doing it for certain reasons. Who he had ties with, I will not say, just to not start controversy.

Read accounts of night club fires and you'll appreciate an active fire marshall.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Though I didn't step foot in Jacksonville until the early 2000s, it's worth noting that during the 90s, Jacksonville had a hell of a reputation down in South Florida for it's punk and alternative scene. The State Theater in St. Pete and the Milk Bar in Jax were routinely spoken of as two of the best places in the state to take in a show. What led to the Milk Bar closing and what happened to that scene?

This comment brings up another 'scene' that was really going off when I arrived in Jax in '98 - The Electronic Scene was absolutely going off.  We had DJs from around the world coming to Jax to spin at Club 5, Milkbar/Paradome, Paradome @ 618. 

Locally we had Robert Goodman was somewhat of a local legend spinning Open House on the Planet.  DJ Kenesis was making his chops after hours at Evolution.  Club Perdition was still having a weekly vampire night.  Saturady Night Seduction at Club 5.

[David]

Though I didn't step foot in Jacksonville until the early 2000s, it's worth noting that during the 90s, Jacksonville had a hell of a reputation down in South Florida for it's punk and alternative scene. The State Theater in St. Pete and the Milk Bar in Jax were routinely spoken of as two of the best places in the state to take in a show. What led to the Milk Bar closing and what happened to that scene?

This comment brings up another 'scene' that was really going off when I arrived in Jax in '98 - The Electronic Scene was absolutely going off.  We had DJs from around the world coming to Jax to spin at Club 5, Milkbar/Paradome, Paradome @ 618. 

Locally we had Robert Goodman was somewhat of a local legend spinning Open House on the Planet.  DJ Kenesis was making his chops after hours at Evolution.  Club Perdition was still having a weekly vampire night.  Saturady Night Seduction at Club 5.

And then came the raids.

Evolutions was a pretty unique club for Jax. I remember it not getting busy until at least 3 am.  I do remember them pulling in a decent dj at least a few times a month. The cover charges were pretty steep, but we'd pay them. But I digress, that was less of a concert scene and more of an all night party. Scene.