The Jacksonville Symphony’s 2021-2022 season includes the David M. Hicks Mozart Piano Series: an impressive roster of guest artists, all younger and celebrated pianists who are performing an equally savvy program of piano concertos composed by the 18th-century composer. In September of last year, pianist Daniel Hsu joined the orchestra for performances of Piano Concerto No. 20; last month, pianist …
Local Spotlight | 4 great tracks by Jax artists out now
New tunes from Awkward Groove, Cory Driscoll, Strangerwolf and Severed + Said
The Jacksonville Music Experience team keeps its collective ear to the ground in Duval County in order to put the spotlight on the beautiful noise emerging from the First Coast and reverberating across the globe. Here’s four great new tracks by Jacksonville artists out right now. “Delayed Sad” by Severed+Said Tragic Seeker by SEVERED+SAID Duval mope fiend John Touchton, aka …
Watch Anderson .Paak, Elmo, Cookie Monster’s New Supergroup
The multi-hyphenate visits Sesame Street to sing "What is a Holiday"
Sesame Street celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2019. And, in more ways than one, it seems that the fictional neighborhood depicted on the iconic PBS show defies our understanding of time. Case in point: Elmo should be a quinquagenarian, at least, instead of perennially three years old. Fifty years in, and the program is as relevant as ever, keeping its …
Ronnie Spector of The Ronettes has died at age 78
Updated January 12, 2022 at 7:16 PM ET Singer Ronnie Spector, who founded the girl group The Ronettes in 1961, has died after a brief battle with cancer. She was 78. “Our beloved earth angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today,” her family wrote on the singer’s website Wednesday. “She was with family and in the arms of her husband, …
7 History-Making Jacksonville Musicians You Should Know About
Though Jax is not widely regarded as a music city, Jacksonville-based artists played an outsized role in popular music in the 20th Century, and have continued to do so in the 21st. You can start in the first year of the new century, when James Weldon Johnson wrote “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” a great introduction to the history of …
11 Jacksonville-Area Music Venues Every Local Should Know
Jacksonville is fortunate to have a broad-range of music-focused establishments, from intimate listening rooms to mid-sized indie clubs to big ol’ amphitheaters (theatres if we wanna get fancy). And while the suburban sprawl of the consolidated city of Jacksonville (plus St. Johns County to the south) certainly presents a challenge, to those debating a visit to a venue across town, …
Who’s playing in Jacksonville in 2022?
Highlights from the 2022 concert calendar
After a year hiatus, followed by six to eight months of fits and starts, it finally feels like live music is cruising in fourth gear. With Northeast Florida venues finding their footing, 2022 is looking more and more like a great year for music in Jacksonville. There’s been a deluge of concert announcements in recent weeks. And while the news …
Go | Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series
Tank and the Bangas, Trombone Shorty and more headline five nights of music to benefit Ft. Mose Historic site
On February 18, Fort Mose Historic State Park will host the first of five concerts as part of the inaugural Fort Mose Jazz & Blues Series, a celebration of the cultural significance of Fort Mose, the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in what is now the United States. The series kicks off with the enduring Count …
Olivia Rodrigo | Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. Stepping into a DMV when you’re about to take your first driver’s test, while nerve wracking, is …
Just Announced | Country singer-songwriter Koe Wetzel at The Amp
The Texas native brings his irreverent brand of country to The Amp
Wildly popular country singer-songwriter Koe Wetzel will embark on a 32-date spring tour, with a pitstop at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre on May 6. After inking a deal with Columbia, the Texas-bred crooner had a message for those who thought major-label syndication might cramp his irreverent style. The then 27 year old, who was a rising a star in country …
An album made entirely of endangered bird sounds beat Taylor Swift on a top 50 chart
For most of December, Adele had the top-selling album in Australia, followed by Ed Sheeran, and then there was a collection of absolute bangers that took everyone by surprise. Songs Of Disappearance is an entire album of calls from endangered Australian birds. Last month, it briefly perched at No. 3 on the country’s top 50 albums chart – ahead of …
Go | Innings Festival brings Green Day, The Lumineers, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and more to Tampa
This Tampa-based music and baseball festival is worth a swing
Raymond James Stadium is the home of the defending NFL champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won the Super Bowl game in that facility just about a year ago. It was the third Super Bowl held there, but with a capacity running upwards of 70,000, the facility is good for much more than just football. For example, one of the …
Go | These are the best concerts in Jax this week
Sarbez birthday bash, visionary singer-songwriters Chuck Prophet and Todd Snider, plus raucous local garage rockers
There’s lots of great live music on this week’s concert calendar. Here’s what JME contributors want to see and hear in and around Jacksonville this week. NOTE: The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission even if you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta and Omicron variants …
Just Announced | Winterland IV lineup revealed
Jacksonville music fest releases stacked lineup of local, regional and national talent
In November, we learned that locally founded, independently operated music festival Winterland would return for its fourth iteration, bringing an intriguing mix of headliners including indie rock outfits La Luz and Slothrust, as well as alt-country singer-songwriter Caroline Rose and multi-hyphenate Reggie Watts to Riverfront Plaza (the former site of the Landing) on February 26 and 27. The festival runners …
Playlist | Chill out and discover new music in the Electro Lounge
Start the New Year off right with a chill new playlist
Electro Lounge welcomes 2022 with a new and ultra-chill playlist. In the lounge this week, we’ve got help from classic songstress Alice Russell, with some much-needed ambience from Thievery Corporation. In between: Bliss, Blur, Molly Burch, Sneaker Pimps, JAFFA, Noiseshaper, Alessia Cara and much more. Discover new and eclectic music, and take off into the New Year with with a visit to the Electro …
The Grammys are postponed and Sundance is moved online because of omicron surge
It’s official. The 64th annual Grammy Awards are postponed and the Sundance Film Festival has been moved online. A joint statement on Wednesday by the Recording Academy and CBS blamed the Grammy rescheduling on the omicron variant. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce …
David Bowie’s Catalog Sold for a Reported $250 Million
"The Man Who Sold The World" has been sold
Another day. Another blockbuster deal reached for the music of a legacy artist. Warner Chapell music has purchased the publishing rights to David Bowie’s entire catalog of songs, which includes ubiquitous hits like “Space Oddity,” “Heroes,” “Let’s Dance,” “Rebel Rebel,” and many more. The deal, reportedly worth more than $250 million, was struck almost exactly five years after the enigmatic …
A lawsuit over Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ baby album cover has been dismissed
A judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed against former band members of Nirvana over their iconic Nevermind album cover. Spencer Elden sued former members of the band in August 2021 for child exploitation and pornography, saying the band knowingly distributed a naked photo of him as a baby on the 1991 album cover and profited from it. Elden …
Fresh Rotation | Three new songs we really dig
Dig into fresh music from SPUD, Ben Marc and Ryan Pollie
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to concoct the tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are three new …
Local Spotlight | Three new tracks from Jax artists out now
Fresh tunes from three standout local artists
The JME team is always keeping its ears to the ground. And this week, we came across three releases from Jacksonville artists we thought were worth a share. Here’s a few locals we’ve been listening to. “TO2S” by IntricateTheAlmighty and Flash, The Samurai View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Weapen ⚡️🗡🖊 (@flashthesamurai) What’s more dangerous than …
Go | The Best Jax Concerts to Start the New Year
Dive into 2022 with folk, rock and jazz
Each and every week the Jacksonville Music Experience team identifies the best concerts in Northeast Florida. Here’s what the JME team wants to see and hear in the first week of the new year. NOTE: The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission even if you are fully …
Listen | New year, Fresh Squeeze
The best new music handpicked by the JME team
Each month, JME contributors pick the juiciest noise emanating from Northeast Florida and beyond for our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Featuring a few dozen new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists, there are no rules or genre restrictions; just songs we thought were worth a share. Follow the Jacksonville Music Experience on Spotify and our Fresh Squeeze playlist to keep your …
Crate Diggin’ | Birth-year records
What classic album dropped the year you were born?
Exile on Main St., The Rolling Stones (1972) My favorite release of 1972 was dropped on March 21 of that year, nine wailing, placenta-sealed pounds, gruntingly pressed in a limited edition of one. My second favorite release is arguably Exile on Main St. The Stones’ double LP is mired in as much pharmacological lore as it is filled with viscerally …
Lil Nas X is the boundary-smashing pop revolutionary of 2021
Rapper-singer-songwriter visionary Lil Nas X is the MVP of Gen Z. Born between the mid 1990s and early 2010s, so-called “Zoomers” have been maligned by naysayers as navel-gazing narcissists and emotionally weak snowflakes. But Gen Zers deserve props for rejecting millennials’ “bottle-up-your-emotions-and-hustle-til-ya-die” ethos, and for prioritizing self-care and confessional vulnerability. Like no other generation before it, Gen Z has made …
Fresh Rotation | 3 new tunes for your playlist
New music from Girlpool, Big Thief and Tonstartssbandht
Each and every week the JME team handpicks the juiciest new tunes from local, regional, national and international artists to concoct the tasty, tall-glass-of-a-listening-experience that is our Fresh Squeeze playlist. Each song is chosen with intention. And so we often feel like they are worthy of a broader discussion (or at least a bit of context). Here are three new songs …
Go | Concerts to see the week of NYE
Indie rock at Jack Rabbits, r&b legends ring in the New Year and emo heroes at 1904
Each and every week the Jacksonville Music Experience team identifies the best concerts in Northeast Florida. Here’s what the JME team wants to see and hear the week of NYE. NOTE: The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission even if you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta …
When ‘The Boss’ is worth $500 million, it’s time for stars to sell their back catalogs
"It's scorching hot... Hot, hot, hot!"
Bruce Springsteen’s entire back catalog – including songwriting and recordings – reportedly cost Sony Music Group north of $500 million. Even before the official announcement of the purchase in May, Sony Music Group’s chairman, Rob Stringer, told investors he’s spent about $1.5 billion just on music acquisitions since the beginning of the year. “Including rights to some of the most …
JME’s Most-Read Music Stories of 2021
Viral Limp Bizkit, Beatle-mania, Jazz Jams and new local music
We launched the Jacksonville Music Experience website in the summer of 2021––as interesting a year for music as any. In music news: vinyl records were in short supply due to high demand; Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen sold the rights to their music, while Taylor Swift sought to reclaim hers; Lil Nas X broke the internet and broke down barriers; …
Go | Gift yourself a concert in Jax this week
Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan hit PV Concert Hall, and Trella has a homecoming show at Blue Jay.
Each and every week the Jacksonville Music Experience team identifies the best concerts in Northeast Florida. As is to be expected, some venues will go dark this week for the holidays. But if you need a respite from all the tinsel-hanging, nog drankin’ or your crazy uncle’s conspiratorial monologues, there are plenty of opportunities to let live music be your …
Fleeing the Gilded Cage
The COVID shutdown stalled careers. For some opera singers, it also opened doors
If you’re interested in opera, you might know the face of the 34-year-old baritone Will Liverman. This fall, it gazed out from posters and websites advertising the reopening of the Metropolitan Opera with Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Terence Blanchard—the first staging of an opera by a Black composer in the company’s 138-year-old history — in which Liverman …
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space. What a remarkable sight to see the reunion of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss gathered around a …
How Black women reclaimed country and Americana music in 2021
If 2020 was the kickstart of a reckoning—of country/Americana music (and, really, all of America) being forced to come to terms with its history of racism and exclusion—2021 was the year of reclamation. Even as sustainable, systemic change remains elusive, Black women, in particular, have leveraged the power of streaming platforms and social media to bridge the chasms previously carved …
Local Spotlight | ‘Homeless Theatre’ by DigDog
Jax trio DigDog walk the punk-prog walk on their latest
Hysteria is in. Of course, frenzy has never truly been out of season. Contrary to the current pharma-colonization of the contemporary world, anxiety is a good thing. Agitation, emotional exaggerations, etc. might feel like the just-paroled siblings of serenity but we essentially can get off on impending something. The ancient Greeks knew this: the word “panic” was born from the …
Jax Artists rickoLus and Ángel García Team Up for a One-of-a-Kind Collab
Backed by The Ángel García Quartet and Good Pluck Trio, rickoLus will perform jazz standards, classic covers and new arrangements from his original song book
Two guys walk into a bar. One is Jacksonville’s most enduring songwriter. The other is a multi-instrumentalist and composer involved in an eclectic list of musical projects. There’s no punchline to this setup. It’s the origin story for an intriguing collaboration between two of the city’s most-respected musicians: Rick Colado and Ángel García. Under the moniker rickoLus, Colado has stacked …
Go | The Best Concerts in Jax this week
rickoLous’ lounge act, folk Xmas with The Currys, stellar indie rock from Futurebirds and icons of reggae
Each and every week the Jacksonville Music Experience team identifies the best concerts in Northeast Florida. Here’s what the JME team wants to see and hear this week. Singer-Songwriter rickoLus with the Angel Garcia Quartet – Thursday, December 16 The Bier Hall @ Intuition Ale Works | DT Jax A quartet of topnotch musicians led by Angel Garcia (LPT) will …
Get More ‘Get Back’ | What we learned from the new Beatles documentary
If you’re a fan of The Beatles or even just a regular user of social media, you’ve probably heard the buzz around the new documentary The Beatles: Get Back. Director Peter Jackson pored over more than 60 hours of footage and exponentially more hours of audio, all of which was originally captured for Let It Be, the documentary that chronicled …