Part 1 of a Dive into the Gainesville Dance Music Scene
Having to write yet another article about the Gainesville dance music scene, I was almost out of ideas. It felt like the local nightlife had become, shall we say, predictable. While there were undoubtedly events happening, nothing seemed groundbreaking enough to warrant a story – especially not from a writer of my supposed caliber (chuckle if you must, I’m serious!). It felt like the dance clubs in our little college town were stuck in a loop, with promoters quick to copy any formula that seemed to work for someone else.
Then it hit me last Saturday night: why not use my decade of dance club experience (and whatever brain cells are left from those years) to profile the dance clubs in Gainesville that, in my opinion, were doing it right? Okay, that requires opinions, and someone might disagree with me (gulp). But, screw it! I ironed my best dress pants, pulled on the obligatory black shirt, and headed out into the Gainesville club scene to investigate.
Jetset, a place I’d never been but heard tales of its attractive clientele (both female and male, for the ladies reading), seemed like a good starting point. I wasn’t disappointed. You know you’re early when you’re waiting outside for the doors to open – that was my experience last Saturday. Luckily, Jetset’s location at 232 SE 1st Street (downtown, next to the Hippodrome) offered plenty of “scenery” to keep me occupied while I waited.
From the moment you approach the entrance (okay, I didn’t actually pay, coolness has its perks), Jetset impresses. The rumored attractive people were indeed present (many in skimpy Halloween costumes, no less), and the décor was impressive. An open-air courtyard greeted me first, featuring two bars, a small stage, seating, greenery, and even a stand-up coffin (Halloween décor, naturally).
Inside, the main bar and table area drew attention. On a balcony overlooking a modest dance floor, a DJ was playing mainstream hip-hop to kick things off. I hoped it was just a warm-up and that some house music would drop later. No such luck! While owners Stephen Moss and Tony Hernandez appreciate house, they clearly understood the Gainesville crowd’s current preference: hip-hop, and plenty of it.
“We play a little bit of everything, but you have to play hip-hop,” explained Hernandez, a former manager at the legendary Simons club during its peak. He mentioned hiring DJs from out of town and that Jetset attracts around 350 people nightly on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Moss, his partner, previously owned Lush (now Vibe), another spot that occasionally featured house music. But, as Hernandez pointed out, it was 2003, with a 2 am closing time, leading to a more mainstream, commercialized nightlife.
To navigate the unpredictable nightclub business, Jetset also operated as a café during the day. Hernandez showed me a menu boasting enticing dishes like the “epicurean feast” (smoked gouda, cream havarti with pesto, monchego, and more), “coldwater wraps” (Alaskan smoked salmon with baby greens in a blini), and the “chicken roll-up” (lightly breaded chicken breast stuffed with crab, roasted red pepper, and herbed cream cheese).
While the menu tempted my taste buds, the Jetset crowd was equally captivating. One employee in a devil costume, in particular, commanded attention – and received plenty from the guys. I could only imagine the atmosphere at Jetset’s second annual Halloween Costume Ball that night (October 30th). However, not everyone was completely sold on the Miami-style nightclub/café concept.
“I didn’t really like Jetset as a nightclub,” commented Julia Virnstein, a University of Florida public relations senior. “They were trying for an upper-class vibe, and Gainesville isn’t really an upper-class town.” Virnstein, a self-proclaimed “house music enthusiast” from central Florida, did enjoy Jetset’s early Friday evening wine-tasting sessions. She also liked the swing above the dance floor, used by female dancers (though she wasn’t a fan of all the female staff).
After a couple of drinks (tough job, I know), I moved on to my next stop: Vibe nightclub. This venue, located at 6 E. University Ave., near the corner of University and Main St., had gone through a few iterations since I’d been in Gainesville. Before 1999, it was part of Full Circle, then Lush until 2001 (under Jetset co-owner Stephen Moss), and now Vibe, under owner Tom Mendez.
Moss and the Lush team started with ambitions to bring sophisticated, upscale nightlife to Gainesville, with creative cocktails served by attractive staff and quality music, ideally house (sound familiar to Jetset?).
“When it was Full Circle, it was more geared towards punk and hardcore,” explained promoter Austin Horton, who began at Lush and continued with Mendez at Vibe as promotional director. “Lush was the first to introduce glamorous, South Beach-style nightlife to Gainesville. We’ve carried that on with Vibe.” This upscale clubbing came with expectations, including strict dress codes prohibiting jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers, requiring dress pants, nice shirts, and dress shoes.
“Some places get too extreme with dress codes,” Virnstein noted, citing a pet peeve about the current nightlife scene, a shift from earlier times. “It’s their way of keeping the riff-raff out.” She also observed another change: many club flyers now featured scantily clad women. However, she conceded, “Sex sells.” While Vibe wasn’t explicitly selling sex (that would make it the busiest club in town), they emphasized the improvements made since becoming Vibe.
“Our main floor rivals the best clubs in Florida,” Horton claimed, describing the top level of the three-story venue. This was where most of the high-energy music was played, with patrons enjoying the JBL Pro sound system, Martin intelligent lighting, and the occasional blast from Gainesville’s only liquid nitrogen effect system. Other upgrades included new paint, a new liquor cabinet on the second-floor mezzanine, new linoleum, and a hand-laid granite bar top with imported Italian glass tiles in the first-floor lounge.
Saturday was hip-hop night at Vibe, with DJs Chique and Percy James providing the booty-shaking, hip-grinding beats. But Vibe was also open on Wednesdays (Ladies Night, with Chique and Percy James upstairs and Kenny K in the lounge), Thursdays (80’s Night, with DJ Donna upstairs and electroclash with Steve Aeffect in the lounge), and Fridays (Donna playing classics upstairs and DJ Paranoid spinning hip-hop and dance in the lounge).
Alongside its resident DJs, Vibe hosted guest house DJs like Sean Cusick (NYC), Austin Leeds (Miami), Steve Porter (Philadelphia), Three (Tampa), Dave Dresden (Los Angeles), Phil K (Australia), and many others. Horton mentioned these DJs often praised the club. “It’s phenomenal,” Horton said. “It’s great when you have incredible DJs from Australia, New York, L.A. wanting to return. We believe house is a viable music form and want to bring world-class, quality music to Gainesville.”
Virnstein confirmed Vibe’s house music quality, saying, “When Simons [her long-time favorite] started playing only hip-hop, I went to Vibe because they played good house.” Indeed, Vibe now rivaled – and arguably replaced – Simons as the go-to venue for fresh, creative dance music regularly. They were set to prove it again on Thursday, November 6th, with Miami’s Oscar G (resident DJ of Club Space) bringing his progressive house style. But on Saturday, hip-hop dominated Vibe, so I quickly grew bored and crossed the street to my final stop: Simons.
As I’d written before, Simons – at 10 S. Main St. – hosted some of Florida’s best electronic music events (some called them “raves”) in the 90s. This legendary venue introduced top Southern DJs like residents Joe C., Boyd Westerman, Kyle Hogan, and DJ Three (from Tampa). Simons also featured international stars like Sasha & John Digweed, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, LTJ Bukem, Union Jack, Keoki, Aphrodite, and many more.
Today, Simons had adapted to the quieter dance scene and attracted a new crowd with updates. A powerful sound system, fresh paint, more seating, a VIP area, a larger bar, and a striking 700-gallon custom fish tank were new additions. The club also introduced an R&B/hip-hop night (Fridays) for the first time, drawing the trendy college crowd.
“I’d like to see the old scene back, but you have to make money,” said bartender Aaron Pressell, who earned most tips on Fridays, while Saturdays (electronic music) were much slower. Bartender Charles Fields described Simons’ hip-hop Fridays as “hot and sweaty, filthy and fun.”
“Fridays [at Simons] are get-laid night,” Virnstein commented, also noting a perceived increase in male patrons. “I don’t go to Simons much anymore.” Apparently, neither did many electronic music fans, I concluded, walking through the club. The only packed area in Simons was The Loft – where hip-hop was playing. Someone, please shoot me now.
Tonight (October 30th), Simons was hosting its Halloween “Around the World” party, sponsored by wheredaparty.com, with drink specials and DJs JD, Handy, and Percy James. But manager Dave Armstrong reminded me that electronic music was still on Saturdays, with DJs Boyd Westerman, Joe C., Steve Chadwick, and Captain Bli rotating weekly.
As I was ushered out onto the street with crowds of other club-goers at 1:50 am on Saturday, I reflected on the Gainesville dance music scene. Hip-hop was definitely dominant, but clubs were still a popular pastime for Gainesville’s student-heavy population. The concerning part was the lack of risk-taking and originality. But then again, why would a promoter book Sasha & Digweed and risk an empty club when Percy James could pack the place?
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