Why is the concert scene always so dead in Jacksonville?

[Anti redneck]

It seems like majority of the time I have to drive to another city to catch a good show. The arena was supposed to fix that and still not much has come through for at least 3 years. What gives? Why isn't more done? Does anyone else feel my pain?

[copperfiend]

What acts is the arena missing out on?

[subro]

Here's a few for starters...


Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Thu, May 3, Amway Center
Nickelback with special guests Bush, Seether, & My Darkest Days Fri, May 4, Amway Center
Roger Waters: The Wall Live, Sat, Jun 16, Amway Center
The Cult, Sat, Jun 16, House of Blues Orlando   
LMFAO with Far East Movement, The Quest Crew..., Sat, Jun 23, Amway Center   
Coldplay with special guest Robyn & more, Thu, Jun 28, Tampa Bay Times Forum
Reel Big Fish, Thu, Jul 5, House of Blues Orlando   
Dave Matthews Band, Wed, Jul 18, 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre At the Florida...   
The Tour 2012: Kiss & Motley Crue, Sat, Jul 28, 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre At the...   
Rod Stewart & Stevie Nicks - Heart and Soul..., Fri, Aug 3, Amway Center

[KenFSU]

What Jacksonville is missing is a great mid-sized venue for the acts that are too small for the arena, but too large for the theaters/clubs. St. Augustine is just killing it with their 3,500 seat ampitheater. 

[fsujax]

I saw Bob Seager and Van Halen this year at the arena, I am happy so far.

[ben says]

What Jacksonville is missing is a great mid-sized venue for the acts that are too small for the arena, but too large for the theaters/clubs. St. Augustine is just killing it with their 3,500 seat ampitheater.

3,500 seats, eh? Not to hijack the thread, but damn, school four would be a great place for an adaptive reuse into a little amphitheater

[David]

What Jacksonville is missing is a great mid-sized venue for the acts that are too small for the arena, but too large for the theaters/clubs. St. Augustine is just killing it with their 3,500 seat amphitheater.

3,500 seats, eh? Not to hijack the thread, but damn, school four would be a great place for an adaptive reuse into a little amphitheater

I thought the same thing awhile back. If I had the money and know-how I’d love to convert that place to a mid-sized live music venue.

As for the lacking music scene otherwise: There's always live music being played somewhere in town, it's just not what everyone likes. Freebirds combined with Jack Rabbits combined with the newer music venues downtown supported by the occasional big name from the Florida Theater and especially and the St. Augustine amphitheater. It's not a total wasteland, but there is a lack of diverse acts coming through.

You can see a lot of up and coming acts passing through town, but once they get notoriety they usually skip us over unless they become big enough to play an arena show. I’ve been to other venues in different cities who put the band on at a decent time which frees up the rest of your night to do whatever, but that’s just how Jacksonville seems to work with the smaller acts & younger crowds. Doors open at 9. Band goes on at 1am!

I know we shouldn’t have to rely on road trips for our live music needs, but as a Jax native I’ve just accepted the drives to Orlando, Tampa even Atlanta to catch a good act. And I usually have a good time doing it. No complaints if more started heading our way though.

[KenFSU]

Where the Ampitheater is just killing it is in the variety department.

Upcoming at the St. Augustine Ampitheater:

The Beach Boys (to be recorded for an upcoming PBS special)
The Fray
Three Doors Down
ZZ Top
Boston
Ringo Starr
Colbie Callait
Gavin Degraw
Wilco
311
Train

In the last two years, they've also had a crazy wide variety of big name acts like Toby Keith, Selena Gomez, Wiz Khalifa, Alison Krauss, Tony Bennett, Duran Duran, Rise Against, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, O.A.R, Paramore, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Creed, Aretha Franklin, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Alan Jackson, The Decemberists, and the Counting Crows.

Regardless of personal musical taste, almost all of these tours have skipped over Jacksonville in favor of St. Augustine.

That seems a problem to me.

Would love to see an open air ampitheater downtown somewhere, preferably on the river, or even something like the old Jannus Landing in St. Pete.

[cline]

What Jacksonville is missing is a great mid-sized venue for the acts that are too small for the arena, but too large for the theaters/clubs. St. Augustine is just killing it with their 3,500 seat ampitheater.

3,500 seats, eh? Not to hijack the thread, but damn, school four would be a great place for an adaptive reuse into a little amphitheater

Well, they are building an "amphitheater" and water feature adjacent to where the 200 Riverside development is going

[fsujax]

Well, the Moran theatre seats about 3,500 and Florida Theatre about 2,000. Maybe these groups would rather perform outside or maybe whoever markets the ampitheatre has much better marketers?

[David]

Interesting read on the Jax music scene:

http://www.unfspinnaker.com/news/2011/11/09/local-bands-struggle-in-jacksonville-music-scene/

Many local bands and promoters say the music scene in Jacksonville is fleeting. Lesser known bands are struggling to find gigs, and fans are daunted by the sheer geographic size of Jacksonville.

I think the Jacksonville music scene is so fractured as far as the different sectors of town and where people are willing to go. People in Middleburg don’t want to go to the Beaches and people at the Beaches don’t want to go to Riverside,” he said. “Jacksonville has the opportunity to become a really vibrant music scene, but I think there is a little bit of laziness involved.”

[Jimmy]

A lot of the indie acts I want to see tend to bypass Jacksonville.  I find myself headed to Gainesville or even Tallahassee to catch those concerts.  I assume it's because Jacksonville lacks cred as a "college town."

[copperfiend]

The St Augustine Ampitheater has done great. I don't mind the hour drive to get there. Other than Metro Park (which isn't happening), I don't know where else they would put an ampitheater in downtown.

[Kaiser Soze]

Nickelback with special guests Bush, Seether, & My Darkest Days Fri, May 4, Amway Center

[copperfiend]

^

Yeah, I wouldn't say we "missed" that one. That's like saying we missed getting hit by a car.