SOJA is Finally coming to Orlando!!!

SOJA (Soldiers of Jah Army) is finally coming to Orlando!!! Many of us have waited for this show for a very long time! They are going to be in town jamming with our very own home grown: THE SUPERVILLAINS!!!

The Show will be at The Plaza Theatre on 425 N. Bumby Ave. Orlando, FL 32803.
Tickets are available via:
The Plaza Theatre Box Office
Call the Plaza Theatre at 407-228-1220
Ticketmaster
Park Ave CDs (UCF & Winter Park)
Message Alex Baugh & the Crazy Carls or The Sweet Kings on MySpace

Tickets are $12-$14 in advance depending on where you buy them. The show is ALL AGES, and doors open at 7pm with show beginning immediately after.
Come check out the first ever SOJA show in ORLANDO!!! There will be many more to come, but there is always only one first show!!!

Milka last show ever tonight!

One of Orlando’s best is performing their farewell show tonight at the Social. This is your last chance to get a dose of MILKA! Milka has graced stages in local Orlando clubs over 9 years now. They have toured the country, and even built a great following in Puerto Rico. Over the years they gave us three great albums under the management of Ana Raina, who is now working with Adam Purdy, manager of Afterglow Radio. The newest studio album of Milka showed great potential and enormous growth for the band. It is too bad to see them go. They are blowing up the Social stage tonight with fellow Orlando bands Junkie Rush and Gargamel!, who have rocked with them many times over the years. I hope nothing but the best for all of the band members, and hope all their future projects go well. Whoever has never seen Milka, this is your last chance. If you miss out, you missed out!

Afterglow Radio w/ 12 STONES

Afterglow Radio is performing this Friday at New Port Richey with 12 Stones at Bourbon Street Night Club. Get your tickets now for only $8 in Advance. Live in Orlando? Jump on the Afterglow Radio bus for only $30 and get a free ride, free booze, and a ticket to the show. For more info e-mail me at endagonbooking@gmail.com or contact Afterglow Radio on their myspace.

New Music Festival in Florida?

I said it once, and I say it again, Florida is going to be a new hot spot for Music. Central Florida currently has the strongest music scene in the Southeastern United States right along with Atlanta, GA. Yes, this is my personal opinion, but try to find a stronger scene in the southeast and show me. One of the hottest new indie labels, Fueled by Ramen, comes out of Florida, and great new management companies such as Fly South Music group which features Paramore, and many other great artists. As my experience in the music scene grows, I learn more and more how many people all over the country know Mike McRaney and his gang at the Social and from Foundation. He is like an underground household name. We have a lot of great growing music festival such as Langerado, Earthday Birthday, Florida Music Festival, Anti-Pop Music Festival, and the growing Rock for Hunger Fest, and very soon maybe another major music festival held in South Florida by new super power music company Live Nation. They are currently in negotiation with starting a major music festival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL as of 2009. Check it out here.

Videos from FMF 2008

Here are some of the vidoes I have taken at Florida Music Festiavl 2008:

The Aristocracy



Blue Man Group



Von Ray



More Videos to come from Florida Music Festival 2008!

Picks of the Week

With Florida Music Festival going on this week, I'm just going to give you guys my Florida Music Schedule this far. There are a couple of blanks to fill in, but I will make sure everyone reading has a good line-up to start their nights off, and end them with. Top secret: Friday I will actually not be at FMF. I'll run by to catch one of my all time favs Von Ray, but I'll be hanging out at the House of Blues with another one of my favs NONPOINT!!! See you at FMF 2008!!

Thursday:
9pm The Aristocracy @ The Social
9:30pm The Iccarus Account @ City Arts
10pm Hot Vegas @ Café Annies
10:30pm Blue Man Group @ Wall Street Plaza
11pm Gerry Williams Band @ The Social
11:30pm Hydrosonic @ Back Booth
12am Poverty Branch @ Wall Street Plaza
12:30am Afterglow Radio @ Central Station Rock Bar
1:30am Munk Tung @ Back Booth

Friday:
7pm Chris Burns @ Central Station Rock Bar
7:30pm Pmberley @ AKA Lounge
8pm No Circus @ Wall Street Plaza
9pm The Secret State @ Central Station Rock Bar
9:30pm Get into the Social
10pm Between the Trees @ The Social (This is supposed to be the surprise band, ooops!)
10:30pm Sugarfreemusic @ Wall Street Plaza
12am Radio Reset @ Central Station Rock Bar
12:30am Von Ray @ Wall Street Plaza

Saturday
7pm Film “Skid Row” @ City Arts
7:30pm Union Made @ Wall Street Plaza
8pm Woodale @ AKA Lougne
10pm Daylight District @ Café Annies
11pm Treal @ Café Annies
11:30pm The Fling @ Tanqueray’s
12am PRAS @ Wall Street Plaza
12:30am Thomas Wynn @ Cheyenne

Top 10 Orlando Bands Not at Florida Music Festival 2008

So the politically influenced music festival will always leave out some top talent in order to satisfy their friends and most importantly their wallets. This years Florida Music Festival top 10 Orlando bands that did not make the fest is quite an awesome line-up. If these 10 bands were performing, this festival would be even more amazing than it is. Enough with the BS, here are my top 10 bands of 2008 that are not playing Florida Music Festival:

1.) Kaleigh Baker
Are you kidding me? Florida Music Festival did not select Kaleigh Baker? Is it because the people selecting the bands have no clue about music, or are the people of FMF intimidated that every music industry rep would by all over her? Kaleigh Baker is not only this years number one Orlando artist that is no performing at FMF, but if I was an A&R for a major label or any label, she would be the first artist out of Orlando I would sign. No offense to anyone else playing the fest. You are all great, but she is just even greater!

2.) Social Ghost
The Next artist out of Orlando I would sign is not performing at Florida Music Festival either (no worries Poverty Branch, you guys would be next). The second band I would be all over is Social Ghost. They are one of the most talented Orlando bands, and are moments away from making it big time.

3.) BackRive
I’m not saying this because I’m their booking agent, but if you have been to one of the last two BackRive shows in Orlando, you know why they are a missing piece from Florida Music Festival. Their last two shows at BackBooth the place was packed. Just a few weeks ago, they had people singing the lyrics to every song including the one that is not even recorded yet! There was also the craziest mosh pit to a local show I’ve seen since the Grumpy, Deroot days at Hard Rock Live.

4.) K-G & the Band
Last year the Legendary JC’s were invited to play the fest, and did not have to submit for the event. This year the band out of Orlando that should have been hand picked out of the bunch is K-G & the Band. They are one of the most talented bands in the Southeastern United States when it comes to the World/Jam Band/Funk scene. They are the next big thing in this genre.

5.) Cori Yarckin
Where the hell did FMF-2008 screw up on this one? We have Social Ghost and Cori Yarckin playing the day before FMF at AKA Lounge with Jimmie’s Chicken Shack and Junkie Rush. How is this show not part of Florida Music Festival 2008?

6.) Junkie Rush
Talking about the same concert with Cori Yarckin and Social Ghost. This is ridiculous! We have three of Orlando’s finest bands in the past three years playing this show.

7.) G-Ro (If StuMpP was still together, this would have been #1)
G-Ro (linkin to his blog, cause it will help page ranking.....you can find his myspace from there....awesome educational blog though too, make sure to read some of the great articles including track star Tuesdays), homie if you were not partially retired, you would be on the top of this list. If this guy keeps in rhyme shape, he is the next big thing for the Orlando hip-hop scene, keeping right up there with Swamburger from Solilla.

8.) The Supervillains
Time to throw in some heavy weights. As excited as I am about Von Ray performing the main stage at FMF this year, are you F**king kidding me? What’s up with FMF and has been bands headlining the fest? The Supervillains and Junkie Rush would make an awesome end of the night for a Friday at FMF.

9.) Solilla
More heavy weights. If FMF was not so political and had Orlando’s true best talent performing at Florida Music Festival, these guys would be one of the main acts representing our scene. It is about the Florida Music Scene here at FMF isn’t it? Because these guys are the greatest thing for Hip-Hop that has ever happened to Orlando.

10.) The Legendary JC’s
Yes, the did headline last year for one of the nights, but what an amazing Orlando band to not have at Florida Music Festival. I can picture it now. Wall Street Plaza on a Friday night with The Supervillains, Solilla, Junkie Rush, and The Legendary JC’s. Now that would be Florida Music Festival at its greatest.

Not hating the way things are going this year, just voicing my opinion on the top 10 bands that did not make it this year. But what the hell do I know.
Peace,

Chris G.

BackRive CD Release Party Video

My boys in BackRive had an amazing CD Release Party at Back Booth full of singing a long, mosh pits, great opening bands with Traverser + 7 Blue Skies + Theory of Disorder. They played some brand new songs, and all the hits from the current album. Check out the videos below from their amazing performance at Back Booth.

Top picks of the week

We have a great weekend of music ahead of us in Orlando, Fl and Tampa, FL as well. Check out my top picks of the week.

Thursday May 1, 2008
I got a great show coming up at Central Station Rock Bar as Fusik from Miami, FL is spending two nights in Orlando, FL.
Fuisk + the Forefathers
Doors: 9pm Show: 10pm

Friday May 2, 2008
K-G is back performing in Orlando with a very special night at Backbooth in Downtown Orlando located at 37 W. Pine St. Orlando, Fl 32801
K-G & the Band + Kaleigh Baker + Fusik @ Backbooth
Doors: 8pm Show: 8pm

Saturday May 3, 2008
I got back to back nights at Backbooth with my other artist Backrive finally releasing their long awaited debut album.
Backrive + Traverser + 7 Blue Skies + Theory of Disorder @ Backbooth
Doors: 7pm Show: 8pm

Sunday May 4, 2008
In the Tampa area? Go check out the Secret State at the Crowbar for an amazing night of Rock N’Roll. Crowbar is located at 1812 17th Street Tampa, FL 33605.
The Secret State + Radio Reset + Uncrowned + Still Life
Doors: 8pm Show: 8:30pm

Welcome!

What’s up! This is my new personal Blog. You’ll find stuff on the local Florida music scene, any bands coming through town, reviews from shows, info about venues and artists I book for, and pretty much anything else I’m doing in the music scene locally, and soon around the country and world. I’m the Executive Director for Rock for Hunger. Rock for Hunger is a nonprofit organization based out of Orlando, FL that focuses on helping the homeless off the streets and tutoring kids in low income neighborhoods; using music as its driving force to make a change locally and around the world. I also work for Endagon Entertainment as the Vice-President/Booking Agent. Through Endagon Entertainment I book for K-G & the Band, BackRive, and for the venue Central Station Rock Bar in Downtown Orlando. Lot’s of stuff going on. Check the site frequently for videos, interviews, and lots of other cool stuff going on in the music industry.
Peace,

Chris G.