Setting The (Music) Scene

AM/FM Music Festival is just days away, and you can’t miss this weekend full of free live performances

By: Hayley Power

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Credit: Hayley Power

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Frat parties, tailgates, football games, bars; that’s all I thought Gainesville would have to offer outside of academics when I arrived at UF. I kept reassuring myself that I would be too busy studying and stuck at the library to care that I was in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. While I wasn’t far off about being stuck at the library, my assumptions about Gainesville’s boring nature were completely wrong.

I’m currently writing this with faint X’s on my hands and wearing a band tee for a local musician. This image of me has become a recurring theme, and answers the looming question of how I’ve survived dying of boredom in this town. While some may find solace in the silence of Gainesville, I found mine in the beat of the music scene. Of course I’ve always loved music and going to concerts, but Gainesville has shown me a new appreciation for live music.

At the end of August 2024, when I was beginning to accept the reality that the only fun options on Friday night were going to midtown or staying in Lib West all night, I saw a poster promoting an indie live performance at the Heartwood Soundstage. I dragged my friends to the show and by the end, we were committed to seeing every one in town.

The Gainesville music scene has so much to offer. Personally, I’ve fallen in love with concert photography and I bring my camera to every show I can. But for you, you may find you love performing! Or you love hosting these shows! Or, you may just enjoy attending these incredible concerts.

In one weekend, I guarantee that you can find some kind of live music event to attend. Whether that be a small acoustic set at The Bull, a grunge house show, an indie night at the Heartwood, or any other kind of live music event, there is something for you.

This upcoming weekend, I will be showing my family a little bit about Gainesville’s music culture by taking them to the AM/FM Music Festival. AM/FM was an annual music showcase over a decade ago that has been rebooted to reflect our current music community! I thought, what better way to immerse my family in Gainesville’s music than to take them to a festival with 25 acts over 3 stages. My favorite local musicians will be attending, and maybe you can discover your favorite too! Catch music on stage at The Bull, Loosey’s, and How Bazar this Sunday, March 2nd, from 1-10PM. The best part, the entire festival is free—perfect for a broke college student Sunday.

Credit: Lily Singer

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Hayley Power is a first-year Media Production major at the University of Florida. She’s probably currently either writing a really lengthy Letterboxd review or logging an unhealthy amount of minutes on Spotify.