With the Gainesville summer heat creeping higher and higher, this weekend is a time to kick back with some cold beer and cool tunes.
Gainesville’s High Dive,located at 210 SW 2nd Ave., is hosting a weekend-long celebration for their 5th year anniversary, where both beer and music will be generously flowing.
The jams will kick off with metal band Big Business from L.A. headlining on Friday. Big Business features members of the legendary metal band Melvins and is known for their electrifying live performances.
Local soul/funk/R&B band Savants of Soul is headlining on Saturday. The tuxedo-clad musicians are returning from a two week tour through the southeast and are releasing a brand new album.
We caught up with High Dive’s Facility and Events Manager Pat Lavery, who has been working with the venue since the very beginning.
How have you seen the Gainesville music scene change over the past five years?
Gainesville in general has changed a lot in the 5 years since High Dive opened, with a population that is growing and a lot of new people moving into town who are interested in local culture. I would say the scene was at a low point when we opened in July 2011. There are more local bands now and people eager to see new up and coming bands come to Gainesville. Additionally, I think the Gainesville scene is starting to get some national focus on it again, which we saw earlier in the year when High Dive was named #74 on the list of the top 100 music venies in the country by Consequences of Sound. We were ranked above venues like The Social in Orlando or Georgia Theater in Atlanta.
How does High Dive serve the Gainesville community?
High Dive is the epicenter of the local music and events scene. There is no other venue like it in Gainesville, and without it there would be a huge hole in the local music scene. High Dive is a midsize venue with a large stage and Grade A sound system where live underground music and performance is the focus, not an after thought, and is also available for a variety of other events like comedy, theater, food truck rallies, movies, student organization parties, benefit events, art shows, weddubgs – you name it. All of these things are happening under one roof. And we are doing this all at a high level and standard that you are only going to find in bigger markets like Orlando, Tampa, etc. Additionally, we are giving local artists the opportunity to perform on the same stage as large national acts and often open for them too.
What’s the most exciting part about your job at High Dive?
It is very satisfying to day-in and day-out put on great shows that appeal to a very wide variety of people. For a lot of people that come to High Dive, that show is one of the highlights of their year, and we get to be a part of that. I also really enjoy giving local bands the opportunity to open for national acts and give them the tools to advance their reach outside of Gainesville.
