Ricardo Maldonado
The downtown scene comes alive in the late night, long after the acts of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival have finished their sets. This year, for the third year in a row, Jazz Fest After Dark returns during May 22-24, 2015, for free, late night fun and music in nine different venues, featuring over 60 different musical artists.
Jazz Fest After Dark organizers aim to give Jazz Fest attendees a reason to stay Downtown and explore the Jacksonville nightlife with a wide range of different artists and venues, all for free. After years of having thousands of people and patrons flock Downtown for the Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest After Dark has created and continued a way to keep those people Downtown after the sun has fallen. Fear not, because even for those who did not attend the Jazz Fest, all are welcome to enjoy the vast amount of late night music and entertainment taking place in the Urban Core of Jacksonville over these three nights.
Beginning every night at 10pm on days during the Jazz Festival, the featured venues, 1904 Music Hall, Burro Bar, Hourglass Pub, Karpeles Manuscript Library, The Parlour at Grape & Grain Exchange, Rain Dogs, Underbelly, The Volstead, and Downtown Cigar Lounge will all participate in Jazz Fest After Dark, keeping their doors open and the music going until 2am, with free entry for the duration of the time.
For the first time in over fifteen years, excluding their special Christmas performances, Jacksonville’s own Inspection 12 will take the stage in downtown Jacksonville alongside other hometown heroes including Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, Whole Wheat Bread, Canary in the Coalmine, Fjord Explorer, Greenhouse Lounge and Herd of Watts, in addition to many other local favorites. Jazz Fest After Dark headliners will also feature Norway’s King of Clarinet, Felix Peikli, and the award-winning trombonist Steve Swell of New York. Jazz Fest After Dark includes such a wide range of musical artists and genres, that there is surely something for everyone during these late nights.
On Saturday, May 23, a new addition to Jazz Fest After Dark 2015 will be the Armada CW17 Watch Party. Presented by Community First Credit Union, the Armada CW17 Watch Party will be an outdoor block party taking place from 7pm-midnight. Here, attendees can cheer on the Jacksonville Armada FC as they battle the Minnesota United FC in an away game. Food, drinks and live music provided by the Big Bucks Crew can be enjoyed during the match with tickets costing only $5 until May 21st or until sold out, and then $10 at the gate. Following what will surely be a triumphant victory for the Armada, supporters can keep the party going with live performances from americana-folkgaze quartet, Fjord Explorer, as well as the dreamy, beach rock of the Dog Apollo.
If you are looking for late night fun during the Jazz Festival there is more than enough to keep you satisfied. Sneak behind a bookcase at Grape & Grain Exchange in San Marco and you will find yourself in an intimate, speakeasy style bar that is the Parlour. While enjoying some of Jazz Fest After Dark’s featured music acts, one can satiate their thirst for amazing, handcrafted cocktails, with whiskey and absinthe being a must. After this, hop over to the other side of river where The Elbow, which includes 1904 Music Hall, Underbelly, Burro Bar and Downtown Cigar Lounge, has venues all within walking distance from one another and will also feature amazing music and drinks all night long.
The Jazz Fest brings thousands of people downtown, but Jazz Fest After Dark keeps them there with something to do. Be sure to check out all that Jazz Fest After Dark has to offer with more information on venues and the full music lineup found at jazzfestafterdark.com.
Stage Schedule
Underbelly
Friday
Lance Howell – 9:00
Bonnie Blue – 9:50
Canary in the Coalmine – 11:00
Grandpa’s Cough Medicine – 12:10
Saturday
Tommy Harrison Group – 10:00
Flag On Fire – 11:05
Inspection 12 – 12:05
Sunday
Crescendo Amelia Big Band – 8:00
77d’s – 10:20
Spice & the Po Boys – 11:30
1904 Music Hall
Friday
Lucky Costello – 9:45
Squeedlepuss – 11:00
Greenhouse Lounge – 12:15
Saturday
Dr. Sirbrother – 9:00
JacksonVegas – 10:00
Parker Urban Band – 11:10
Herd of Watts – 12:30
Sunday
Kudos the Kid – 10:00
Master Radical – 11:00
Chieforia – 12:00
Burro Bar
Friday
Jeremy Rogers – 9:30
Joest – 10:15
Beau Crum – 11:00
DarkHorse Saloon – 11:45
Dredger – 12:35
Saturday
Swingin Bones of Dixie – 10:00
Jackie Stranger – 11:20
East China Sea – 12:20
Sunday
Tough Junkie – 10:00
Firewater Tent Revival – 11:00
Whole Wheat Bread – 12:30
Raindogs
Friday
Fractal – 10:00
Guy & the Yehudas – 11:00
Tambor – 12:00
Saturday
Hail Cassius Neptune – 10:30
Joshua Worden – 11:20
Grammar Tree – 12:20
Sunday
Dillon Maurer
Willie Evans Jr.
The Volstead
Friday
This Frontier Needs Heroes – 10:00
Saturday
Goliath Flores – 10:00
Sunday
Taylor Roberts / Billy Thornton – 10:00
Karpeles Manuscript Library
Friday
Steve Swell – 9:00
Jamison Williams
Thomas Milovac
Jeff Abbott
Saturday
Steve Swell – 9:00
Jamison Williams
Lenni Bukowski
Dan Kozak
Thomas Milovac
Jeff Abbott
Dayna Osan
Elizabeth Baker
Hourglass Pub
Friday
Tom Bennet Band
Swingin Bones of Dixie
Saturday
Joel Witgen – 9:00
Christina Wagner – 10:00
Strangerwolf – 11:00
The Parlor at Grape & Grain
Saturday
Felix Pekli
Armada CW17 Watch Party presented by Community First
Saturday
MORE INFO HERE
Big Bucks Crew – 7:00
Armada First Half – 8:00
Big Bucks Crew – 8:45
Armada Second Half – 9:00
Fjord Explorer – 9:45
Big Bucks Crew – 10:30
The Dog Apollo – 11:00
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