THIS WEEK
Paul Thorn with Kristopher James
When it comes to songwriting, less is more, and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who’s spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop. Maybe he learned the power of minimalism from his years as a pro boxer; maybe it just comes naturally. But whether he’s targeting heads, hearts, hips or the occasional funny bone, he somehow manages to condense large nuggets of wisdom into tight little mantras, the kind embroiderers stitched onto pillows before internet memes existed. Kristopher James captivates audiences throughout the southeast with his songs and stories, touring with his band in theaters and club venues, as well as supplying direct support for acts such as First Aid Kit, Marc Broussard, Ryan David Harris, Morgan James and MaggieRose. See them perform at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at Heartwood Soundstage, located at 619 S. Main St. Tickets are $35.64 when purchased in advance or $41.27 on the day of the show. For more information, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com.
Chomp the Block
Celebrate the Gators during Celebration Pointe’s Chomp the Block! The official block party of the Florida Gators is held every Friday before home football games. The events feature food and drinks from onsite restaurants and food trucks, live music, giveaways and games along with special appearances by University of Florida celebrities. The next event is set for Oct. 3 ahead of the Florida vs. Kentucky game. Celebration Pointe is located just off Interstate 75 and Archer Road. A Chomp the Block party is held each home-game Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. with a kids’ zone with child-friendly games such as a bounce house, face painting and balloon animals. The exclusive block parties are part of a comprehensive, ongoing partnership program with the Florida Gators. For more information, visit celebrationpointe.com.
‘Wait Until Dark’
In “Wait Until Darl,” the newest production from the High Springs Playhouse, a sinister con man, Roat, and two ex-convicts, Mike and Carlino, are about to meet their match. They have traced the location of a mysterious doll that they are very interested in to the Greenwich Village apartment of Sam Hendrix and his blind wife, Susan. Sam had apparently been persuaded by a strange woman to transport the doll across the Canadian border, not knowing that sewn inside were several grams of heroin. When the woman is murdered, the situation becomes more urgent. The con man and his ex-convicts, through a cleverly constructed deception, convince Susan that the police have implicated Sam in the woman’s murder, and the doll, which she believes is the key to his innocence, is evidence. She refuses to reveal its location, and with the help of a young neighbor, figures out she is the victim of a bizarre charade. But when Roat kills his associates, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues between the two. Susan knows the only way to play fair is by her rules, so when darkness falls she turns off all the lights leaving both of them to maneuver in the dark until the game ends. See a performance at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, plus 2 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 3-26 at the High Springs Playhouse, 130 NE First Ave. in High Springs. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit tinyurl.com/3h37ydbj.
Magic City Hippies
Magic City Hippies have carved out a distinct place in the indie landscape, blending Miami’s sun-soaked swagger with funk, psych-pop and grooves. What began as the Robby Hunter Band evolved in 2015 with the release of “Magic City Hippies,” the album that gave the trio its name and solidified a sound both laid back and relentlessly kinetic. Since then, the band has built a reputation for genre-fluid songwriting and high-energy performances, earning spots at major festivals including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and Lollapalooza. See them perform at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at Heartwood Soundstage, located at 619 S. Main St. Tickets are $35.64 when purchased in advance or $41.27 on the day of the show. For more information, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com.
Great Halloween Costume Sale
Dance Alive and The Next Generation are set to present their annual event, dubbed The Best Ever Great Halloween Costume Sale, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 4 and Oct. 11 at 1325 NW Second St. The sale will offer adult and children’s costumes from hip-hop, jazz, ballet, contemporary and tap as well as prom dresses. Some of the costumes have never been worn. All costumes will be sold for $5. All profits will go to support DANB’s arts education programs. For questions or donations, call 371-2986 or email [email protected].
Gainesville Art Circus
Heartwood Soundstage is set to present its annual Gainesville Art Circus, now in its fourth year, from 3 p.m. Oct. 4 to 2 a.m. Oct. 5. Organizers say it is a day to celebrate the art and music scene of Gainesville with live DJs, live bands, arts and crafts, face painting, live art, art vendors, aerialists and more. Tickets can be purchased online. It is $33.39 for a VIP ticket, $24.38 for a general admission ticket, $18.75 general admission when purchased as a group of four, and $18.75 for a student ticket. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St. For more information, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com.
Maria Ioudenitch
Originally from Russia, where she began playing violin at age 3, violinist Maria Ioudenitch pours her heart into every note. Expect comfortable and familiar classics along with exciting, lesser-known compositions. During her visit, Ioudenitch will also share her talent with local students as part of the Rural Arts Initiative. See her perform at 2 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Phillips Center, located at 3201 Hull Road. Tickets are $40 for reserved seating and $12 for University of Florida students. For more information, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
Music at Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church will feature a chamber orchestra concert led by Dr. Chris Goddard of works by Scarlatti, Corelli, Mozart, Fine and JS Bach’s cantata “Contented Peace” (BWV 170) at 4 p.m. Oct. 5 at the church, located at 100 NE First St. Attendees can enjoy a reception in the Parish Hall after the show. For more information, visit holytrinitygnv.org.
NCFBS Blues Challenge
The North Central Florida Blues Society is an affiliate of the Blues Foundation, which holds the International Blues Challenge every year in Memphis. As an affiliate, the North Central Florida Blues Society holds a regional competition, which allows for a winning band, solo/duo and self-produced CD to compete as a representative of the North Central Florida region in the IBC in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee, in the Beale Street Historic District. This year, they will hold the Blues Challenge at 7 p.m. Oct. 5 at Heartwood Soundstage. This year’s participants include Bear & Robert, Bill Ricci and Jasper Smitty. The NCFBS has been represented in Memphis since 2008. Four different NCFBS acts have advanced to the Semifinals, and both 21 Blue and the Sauce Boss made the Finals for Best Self-Produced CD. Tickets to the Gainesville event are $13.12 when purchased in advance and $18.75 on the day of the show. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St. For more information, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com.
ONGOING
‘RENT’
Gainesville Community Playhouse’s newest production is Jonathan Larson’s “RENT,” with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 12. Set in New York City’s bohemian East Village during the early 1990s, “RENT” follows a group of friends and artists as they navigate the challenges of love, loss and survival amidst the AIDS epidemic. The story centers on Mark, a filmmaker, and his roommate, Roger, an aspiring musician with AIDS. As they struggle to pay rent and find meaning in their lives, they confront themes of friendship, identity, and the harsh realities of living and dying in America. “RENT” is a celebration of life, love and the resilience of the human spirit, urging audiences to live fully in the present and embrace each day. Content advisory: mature themes and language; strobe lighting. Tickets are $24 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $12 for students at gcplayhouse.org. The Gainesville Community Playhouse is located at 4039 NW 16th Blvd.
‘SIX: Teen Edition’
The global musical phenomenon “SIX” is getting a royal remix for young performers. Buchholz High School is presenting their own performances of “SIX: Teen Edition,” a specially adapted version of the smash-hit West End and Broadway musical that has captivated audiences around the world. Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, “SIX” transforms the six wives of Henry VIII into fierce, fabulous pop icons, each reclaiming her story through powerful solos and show-stopping harmonies. Now, with the “Teen Edition,” this electrifying show has been carefully revised while retaining the heart, humor and empowering message of the original. In this concert-style musical, the queens form a girl group and take turns telling their stories and competing to see who had the toughest life with Henry VIII. As the show unfolds, they discover the power of sisterhood and rewriting history on their own terms. It includes contemporary music styles inspired by Beyoncé, Adele and Ariana Grande. “SIX: Teen Edition” will run Oct. 3-7 and Oct. 11-14 with Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows at 7 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Ticket prices for general admission are $15 online and $17 at the door; student tickets are $12 online and $15 at the door; group tickets are $10 when purchased online, and tickets are free for Buchholz High School faculty. Tickets can be purchased online at buchholzdrama.com/six.
‘French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 – 1950’
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida is presenting a major exhibition, “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950.” The blockbuster exhibition, chosen for display during the Harn’s 35th anniversary, showcases more than 55 paintings, drawings and sculptures from the Brooklyn Museum’s esteemed collection of European art. Ranging widely in scale, subject matter and style, and encompassing the key avant-garde movements that emerged in and around Paris from 1850 to 1950, the works on view were produced by some of the era’s leading artists. The exhibition is on view through Jan. 4, 2026. The works of art in French Moderns span the era between the Revolution of 1848 and the conclusion of World War II — a period marked by significant social, intellectual and political upheaval in France. This era saw the emergence of avant-garde artistic movements, including Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism and Surrealism, that left a lasting impact on the Western artistic tradition. These key movements are represented in the exhibition through examples by the era’s leading artists, including Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Caillebotte, Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Gabriele Münter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and others. The exhibition is organized into four sections: Landscape, Still Life, Portraits and Figures, and The Nude. Beginning with the landscapes of Corot and the birth of plein-air (outdoor) painting, the exhibition surveys the innovative styles and techniques developed by artists from the Realism of Courbet to the light and atmosphere of Monet and the Impressionists, to the Surrealism of Yves Tanguy. “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950” is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue including thematic essays and interpretive object entries by the exhibition’s co-curators. For more information, visit harn.ufl.edu/frenchmoderns. Admission is free. The Harn Museum is located at Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road.
Horse Feeding
The Retirement Home for Horses provides lifetime care to elderly horses seized by law enforcement agencies, rescued by the SPCA or humane societies, as well as horses retired from government service such as police patrol or state and federal parks. They allow visitors to tour the property and feed treats — carrots, apple slices and bananas provided by the visitors — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday. Mill Creek Farm Retirement Home for Horses is located at 20307 NW CR 235A in Alachua. For more information, or to support the nonprofit, visit millcreekfarm.org.
Community Nights
Community Nights are free weekly events hosted by South Main Station and Heartwood Soundstage that include a rotating calendar of jams, skillshares, concerts, arts markets, food and drink specials, and other activities each Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. The event has grown in popularity with families, locals, musicians, and college students since its launch in 2024. The event takes place at South Main Station, an arts, food, and entertainment campus adjacent to Depot Park that spans the Southeast corner of Main Street and Depot Road. Community Nights always feature free live music and drink specials at Heartwood Soundstage’s lawn bar, but any given week can also include skillshares on music and videography, kids’ activities, film screenings, and opportunities to sample local food and drink at South Main’s businesses, which include Humble Pie Pizzeria, Grand Scheme Brewery, Bingo Deli, and Afternoon Coffee. The first Wednesday of every month always features an open-air arts market of local makers and an old-time music jam. More information is available at heartwoodsoundstage.com.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.gainesville.com ’
