Tour Stop:

Self-described as the “Bold New City of the South,” Jacksonville sets a level of expectation that it seems adamant about living up to. Located a half hour south of the Georgia/Florida border, this river-fed enclave is one of the leading promoters, along with neighboring St. Augustine, of the arts in the Sunshine State. With a statewide transplant influx of 1,000 people a day and a fairly strong college scene to boot, J-ville does a fine job of accommodating its budding music scene with a wide variety of live venues. Springing The Blues Festival, Planetfest, 12 Days Of Xmas, Spring Music Festival and the Jacksonville JazzFest, which cater to music of all genres, are evenly spread throughout late fall, winter and early spring (the best times to hit the subtropic wing of the U.S.). A half hour down the beach, the balmy summer months are offset by St. Augustine’s Concerts in the Park series with both local and out of town acts welcomed. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Spacebar, New Roman Times, The Julius Airwave, Mofro, Band Marino and Burnseason all call Jacksonville home,
giving variety to the local scene. With Jacksonville’s growth rate, varied music scene and young crowd, every band should make this city a stop on its string of southeast gigs. St. Augustine is not very far from Jacksonville and definitely deserves to be considered when planning your band’s dates. It’s common to book a downtown Jax show and then a St. Augustine show for the next night.

Book a Gig: Venues

Jackrabbits
1528 Hendricks Ave.
San Marco/Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 398-7496
www.jackrabbitsonline.com
With great sound, a big stage, cheap beer and a dark dive-bar appeal, this small venue makes every show feel intimate and worthwhile. Pinball, a pool table and Contra round out the atmosphere. There’s plenty of room out back for tour vehicles and trailers. Expect a roster of about four or five bands. For information, email tim@jaxlive.com.

Freebird Live
200 North 1st St.
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
(904) 246-BIRD
www.freebirdlive.com
The largest venue in Jacksonville, Freebird Live is across the street from the beach and promotes both national and local bands. A large room with two levels and an exceptionally talented sound engineer, Les Targonski, make for a comfortable time. Two backstage rooms with bathrooms and couches are surprising comfort features. The standard three-band lineup of similar-sounding acts draws particularly well on the weekends. For booking send an email to Tim Hall at fbl@freebirdlive.com.

Thee Imperial
325 W. Forsyth St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 475-0488
www.theeimperial.com
You want downtown? Hit Thee (with two “e”s) Imperial. It’s oddly shaped, but becomes jam-packed on the weekends. With nightly promotions like Dirty Mondays, Hip-Hop Hell and House Party Wednesday, you can expect two things: drinking and heavy bands. Send booking info to imperialbooking@gmail.com.

Cafe Eleven
501 A1A Beach Blvd.
St. Augustine, FL 32080
(904) 460-9311
www.cafeeleven.com
With the feeling of a big venue wrapped up in an intimate coffee shop, Cafe Eleven has featured some of the best bands in the Jax/St. Aug area. The Good Life, Now It’s Overhead and Modest Mouse have all graced the stage and the crowd is always ready to listen and fill the place out. The food is very fresh and affordable, the coffee is excellent and there’s beer and wine-a-plenty. Call for booking.

Club TSI
333 E. Bay St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 424-3531
www.clubtsi.com
TSI is the premiere underground nightspot and venue of the downtown area. Just off the St. Johns River in the heart of the city, TSI hosts an eclectic lineup of local, national and international shows every week. With an impressive list of beer and wine and a good mix of club and indie music, the crowd will be filled with the cream of the “oh so cool” crop. Plan far in advance for this sought-after venue, and bring your own beer in a cooler if you’re trying to save some bucks. Contact Brendon at booking@clubtsi.com for show availability.

Promote a GIG: Media

Folio Weekly
9456 Philips Hwy, Suite 11
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 260-9770
www.folioweekly.com
Northeast Florida’s largest circulation newsweekly is also its most influential. Nineteen years old and the biggest alternative voice in the area, Folio is everywhere. Every shop, venue and convenience store has it. With an impressive calendar of events promoting everything from local music to art festivals, this free ‘zine is an essential tool for any band swinging through Jacksonville and St. Augustine. This is where people go to find shows and other things to do in the area. Make sure the venue you are playing at is advertising your show in Folio. The editorial manager is Anne Schindler and she can be emailed at themail@folioweekly.com.

Planet Radio, 107.3FM/WPLA
Clear Channel Broadcasting
11700 Central Pkwy
Jacksonville, FL 32224
(904) 642-3030
www.planetradio1073.com
On Saturday nights, the Jacksonville area’s alternative rock station, Planet Radio WPLA/107.3FM, airs a show called Forbidden Planet. DJ Robert Goodman spins local favorites from 8 p.m. until midnight. In 2004 and 2005, Forbidden Planet was nominated for PLUG awards. Email Robert@robertgoodman.net to find out how to get your music on his playlist.

Gear/ Repairs

I.C.S. Fretted Instrument Repair
11757 Beach Blvd., #6
Jacksonville, Fl 32246
(904) 646-3117
There is a dearth of trustworthy repair stores in the Jacksonville area, so bands should definitely make sure everything is in working order before arriving. In case of emergency, I.C.S has two certified luthiers on staff to handle repairs. However, it is important to call to make sure the store can and will handle the repair in question before coming in.