Swoop Scoop

Written by: Josh Boyle

Everyone loves to go out and enjoy a good concert every now and then, but one of the biggest problems for out-of-town UNF students this that they just don’t know where to go for a good concert. The good news is there are multiple good music venues just a few short minutes away from UNF.

Before we talk about the local venues, for anyone that doesn’t know, UNF Student Government has an agency called Osprey Productions whose sole purpose is to provide entertainment to the students. They provide concerts including artists such as Jason Derulo, We the Kings, B.o.B., LMFAO, and many others of all genres. They also provide local artists as well as students opportunities to perform with events such as Coffee Houses and Open Mic Nights. The best part is all these events are free to the students!

But, sometimes these shows don’t meet the students’ tastes. Well, there are plenty of places to go in the Jacksonville area and most of them are right down the street. The beaches are home to hundreds of bars that always have local artists performing. This scene is great for cover bands and acoustic sets, as well as underground up and coming bands.

Even if you are not of age to enjoy the atmosphere of the bars, the beaches are still a great place for music. Freebird Live is a venue by the beaches where you can find just about any kind of music depending on which day you go. This is the place to find the better-known artists. Freebird genuinely likes to appeal to everyone’s tastes; by searching their website, you’re bound to find something interesting.

The Pit is a venue off Beach Boulevard near Hodges. The Pit is the place for the people who like the grungiest of grunge and hardcore. The Pit is known as the best metal scene in Jacksonville. If circle pits, breakdowns and hardcore dancing appeals to you then The Pit is the place to go. They also give local bands opportunities to perform and have occasional rap and hip-hop artists perform, which much of Jacksonville lacks.

Jack Rabbits in San Marco is known for the variety of genres they host. Jack Rabbits and Freebird are owned by the same owner and usually collaborate with each other when planning show. While Freebird tends to host the bigger artists most occasions, the two venues are usually pretty balanced on quality and genre of shows. However, while Freebird has the beach scene, Jack Rabbits has more of an underground feel. The entrance is simply a door with the words “Jack Rabbits” spray-painted on it. The walls and pillars are filled with signatures of artists that have performed there. This venue has the known look of a music venue and is personally one of my favorites.

For those into the electronic, trance, house, drum and bass, and any other mixed music, there are more than enough choices to pick from. Club Ocean, Aqua, TSI, Latitude 31, Sweet, and many more have events every night, usually with different atmospheres and styles. Just pick whichever venue you like on any night.

Hopefully after reading this, more students will have a better understanding of the music scene in Jacksonville. Thanks for reading my blog! Have a great winter break!