Friday, June 29, 2012

The Gainesville Connection

Gainesville Music Scene

Gainesville, Florida, Home of the University of Florida. I lived in Gainesville for a few years in the late 80's while I was a graduate student at UF. At that time there was a relatively thriving local music scene there. And apparently, Gainesville has a long history of top-notch local music, dating back to the 60's and such budding local rock stars as Tom Petty, Steven Stills (just passing through), Don Felder, Bernie Leadon, and Jeff and Marty Jourard (The Motels). In the years I was there in the '80's , there was a definite style and sound of the area that permeated the music that was unique and that I refer to as 'The Gainesville Sound'. This was a few years after the success of R.E.M. and the resulting attention Athens GA had gotten regarding it's local music scene, and Gainesville's sound had grown somewhat from that style into it's own unique brand. The bands I most remember from that time were 'WHAT anne LIKES', Hollywood actor River Phoenix's rock band 'Aleka's Attic', and the one band that most epitomized The Gainesville Sound and style at that time, probably the greatest band you've never heard of, the remarkable 'Vulgar Boatmen'. But more about them later. Over the next couple weeks I will feature music from some of Gainesville's most famous musicians, beginning with their most famous and favorite son, Tom Petty and his bands of other Gainesville locals, Mudcrutch, and then, the Heartbreakers. Stay tuned.

3 comments:

Aaron Eel said...

Ever hear of Gainsville Green? LOL...!!! A buzz of last resort, I wanna tell you.

La Piazza Gancio said...

Sounds promising. Can't wait to see where this goes.

jill hersh said...

Kudos on your blog here, good to see. I lived there then, too.. you seem to have a tailored version of that music scene, since you leave out many of the bands from the ghetto... and you forgot the musicians/people who inhabited Tom Petty's old pad, the Hill itself, with their Halloween parties that were epic in their sheer popularity and (then) legendary status as THE party of the year to be at, for local scene and music. Noise 13, Time Together, Salamander Complex and The Other Ones are just a few of the ones missing, not to mention the other offshoot people out of the Phoenix farm outside of town, who weren't River, but his father's friends from (back in) the day.