Orlando, FL
Orlando might conjure some unappealing thoughts of sickly-sweet pop bands like Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and LFO, but this Florida city has a burgeoning rock scene that forgoes its Disney reputation. A selection of small-to-midsize venues welcomes everything from acoustic singer/songwriters to heavy rockers, hip-hop to funk. More venues are starting to take a chance on original music, but it's a competitive city for entertainment and club owners expect a draw. Bands can make a straight shot from Atlanta (six and a half hours) and Jacksonville (two hours) and on to Miami (just under four hours), so Orlando makes a great stop for a Southeast tour looking to going that extra mile. The Florida Music Festival & Conference (www.floridamusicfestival.com) takes place May 14-17 and is accepting band submissions now.
Guide to Gigging in Orlando
Book a Gig: Venues
The Social
54 North Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 246-1419
www.thesocial.org
A great midsized venue with a capacity of 400, The Social books many different genres from electronica to punk to hip-hop, though any given week is guaranteed to feature many a Southeast Performer favorite, like Summerbirds in the Cellar, Manchester Orchestra and Band of Horses. Don’t call to book, instead email your EPK (or website URL if you don’t have an EPK) to bookings@thesocial.org along with your band’s show history. Or mail a press kit to the P.O. Box 3007, Orlando, FL 32802.
AKA Lounge
68 East Pine St
Downtown Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 839-3707
www.akalounge.com
Tucked away upstairs at the corner of Pine and Magnolia Streets, AKA Lounge may be hard to find but the club’s support of local original bands makes the effort worthwhile. To audition, add AKA Lounge’s MySpace (www.myspace.com/aka_lounge) to your friends and send them inquiries there. Also keep an eye out for bulletins posted by the club’s MySpace, as they will often announce auditions.
BackBooth
37 W Pine St
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 999-2570
www.backbooth.com
A great venue for touring and local bands, this 350-capacity venue hosts a variety of genres from hip-hop to punk, rap to funk, though bands of various rock varieties tend to be more frequent. Kingsbury, Richard Buckner and Unknown Hinson have all performed there recently. Booking is done through Parafora Music; send an email to booking@backbooth.com with your band’s information.
The Haven
6700 Aloma Ave
Winter Park, FL 32792
(407) 673.2712
www.thehavenrocks.com
The Haven is happy to support local and regional acts, but the booking folks like to have a full club too so bring proof that you can get a good draw. If you are an out-of-town band new to Orlando, then the venue recommends that you try to do a gig-swap with a local act. To book a show, send your band’s basic information (such as musical style, contact, MySpace and/or website, dates, etc.) to havenbooking@bellsouth.net and wait patiently to hear back.
The Peacock Room
1321 N Mills Ave
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 228-0048
myspace.com/thepeacockroom
Located outside of the crazy “downtown hoopla,” as manager Tania Bernard says, The Peacock Room caters towards a younger crowd and the selection of music (indie rock, emo, punk) reflects that. To book a gig, email Bernard at tatankab@aol.com with a brief bio and available dates.
Promote a Gig: Media
The Orlando Weekly
100 W. Livingston St
Orlando, FL, 32801
(407) 377-0400
www.orlandoweekly.com
This free alternative weekly is a great source for music listings as well as larger pieces on upcoming shows. Lindy Shepherd (ext. 216) is the arts and culture editor and Amber Guffey (ext. 262) is the calendar editor. Both can be reached by filling out a form on the contact page. There is also a form on the site for submitting information to the calendar section.
The Orlando Sentinel
633 N. Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 420-5000
www.orlandosentinel.com
The more tradition paper of Orlando, The Orlando Sentinel still offers a hefty selection of music reviews, previews and news. Jim Abbott (jabbott@orlandosentinel.com) has a blog on the site called Soundboard, which chronicles pop music and culture throughout the city as well as covering music for the paper.
Gear/repair:
Guitar Factory
2816 Edgewater Drive
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 425-1070
www.guitarfactory.us
New, used and incredibly custom guitars and other instruments are available for sale and professional service and repair is available. If you come on a Saturday, light repairs can be done while you wait. Call ahead or email wfels@cfl.rr.com to set up an appointment.
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