Akon—yes, Akon—and partners to open ‘Goodfellas Pizza & Wings’ in Jacksonville on Saturday
Akon, alongside his partners Charles Scantling, Charleston Blue Hughes, and Andre Johnson, announced the opening of Goodfellas Pizza & Wings in Jacksonville. The new pizza spot will be holding a soft opening in Jacksonville’s Norwood area on Saturday, April 20.
Lights, water, music: Friendship Fountain to sparkle again on the Southbank
Friendship Fountain on the Southbank is set to reclaim its spotlight as it reopens after remodeling. We witnessed the mesmerizing spectacle of lights, dancing water, and music as workers tested the fountain in preparation for its grand reopening. Join the public on February 15 for the third Thursday Sip and Stroll event on the Southbank Riverwalk to celebrate this long-awaited attraction. Mayor Donna Deegan will mark the occasion by synchronizing the fountain with music. The final testing phase is almost complete, and the fences surrounding the fountain are being removed, allowing everyone to enjoy the magnificent view.
Eminem’s very first and extremely rare vinyl album will be auctioned off
Some may think that Eminem’s debut album was 1999′s “The Slim Shady,” but before the Detroit rapper was selling millions of albums worldwide, he was selling copies of his actual first album, 1996′s “Infinite,” out of the back of his car on the streets of Detroit.
Spirits giant Diageo seeks to cut ties with Sean 'Diddy' Combs amid lawsuit alleging racism
Spirits giant Diageo says it’s cutting ties with Sean “Diddy” Combs after the rapper and entrepreneur sued the company over allegations of racism in the handling of his liquor brands, according to a Tuesday court filing.
River City Beats | The Awen Family Band
Awen Family Band is a nationally touring world boogie collective founded by singer-songwriter and coddie-wompler Tim Husk. Awen Family played their first show at Kings in Raleigh, NC in June of 2019 and has since performed at festivals and venues around the country featuring an ever-changing all-star cast of artists who believe that we are moving the message from one plane to another, we don’t create the art, but are vessels for the great spirit to move through us, to inspire and to be inspired by the life around us. Awen Family has featured members of Toubab Krewe, Big Something, Firewater Tent Revival, Wigeon, Reliably Bad, Dr. Bacon, Charlie Hunter, The Kind Thieves, The Fundamentals, Self Help, TUB, , Mellow Swells, The Moon Unit, FRUTE and many other acts. Blending roots music from around the globe such as Zydeco, Bluegrass, Afrobeat, Wassoulou (West Africa), Old Time, Swing and Psychedelic Boogie topped with lyrics spreading the message for all who seek to hear. From our table to yours, we invite you to join us in celebrating music, life and each other!
1st Annual Fernandina Song Writers Festival
The Fernandina Beach Songwriter Festival is a new event being organized by three friends already immersed in the music industry but each bringing different perspectives. The Festival will feature 12 renowned songwriters, considered some of the best in the business. The songwriters will perform their hit songs and tell the history and stories of the songs.
River City Beats | Don Ugly - Artist on the Rise
On today’s segment of River City Beats we were joined by local Singer & Songwriter, Kash Erickson, known by the artist’s moniker, Don Ugly. He played for us not just one, but TWO groovy tunes of his. He started the show with his song, “Bad Games” and wrapped things up with “Her Majesty’s Mambo”. Don Ugly is from Jacksonville, FL and created the moniker while attending college in 2017. It wasn’t until Summer of 2022 where he made the decision to quit his stable career in the construction industry to follow his lifelong dream of being a songwriter. Ever since, Erickson has been traveling all over the state and country building a fan base one show at a time. To catch a local performance, you can check his music and tour schedule at his official website, www.donugly.com or follow him on any social media and music streaming platform.
River City Beats | The Shaeyln Band
The Shaelyn Band is a Florida based band capable of shifting from classic soul blues and funk to rock. They are fronted by Shaelyn (aka Shae) Mulberry, a singer and poet who can wail like Joyce Kennedy, charm like Aretha Franklin, and soliloquize like Erykah Badu. With their highly energized live show, The Shaelyn Band is poised to take on the music industry. The band took shape in 2020, after meeting lead guitar player Erik Guess at an open-mic showcase in Jacksonville, Florida. The lineup that year featured musical director and drummer, Tim Mulberry, and bassist Greg Mullins. Within a couple of years, they knew they had something special. The band recently added Keys/Organist Roy Handy, Saxophonist Kip Maranto and Background Vocalists, Mark Barner and Riole Muziq.
Christine McVie was the best part of Fleetwood Mac
My parents introduced me to Fleetwood Mac at a very young age. Their 1997 live album, “The Dance,” was regularly played in my mom’s car on long roadtrips, and I immediately became enamored with the five-piece band. I thought it was so cool that the group had three lead singers, each with their own style and unique sound.
River City Beats | American Blonde
Principal songwriter/guitarist Nata and drummer Tinka Morris are the voices of American Blonde. The sisters are a powerhouse of talent, their music a constantly evolving testament to the Delta roots that nurtured them. They’ve toured throughout the U.S. and the U.K., sharing the stage with diverse acts, including Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Brantley Gilbert, Easton Corbin, B.B. King, and others. Their high-energy stage shows have earned them spots at Music City Grand Prix, CMA Fest, Bluebird Café, The GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, and The GRAMMY Museum® Los Angeles, among other high-profile venues. The Morris sisters call Nashville home.
The Black Keys prove that midwest rock will never fade on new tour
“Let’s give it up for that midwest rock ‘n’ roll,” said The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach halfway through their headlining show at Michigan’s Pine Knob Music Theater, a venue that is known for hosting legendary Detroit rockers for over 50 years.
Jacksonville’s historic role in the founding of Southern rock
Their names are world-famous: Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, 38 Special, Molly Hatchet. Not as well known, however, is that those bands are among several who together pioneered a new kind of music nearly 60 years ago in Jacksonville. As the city celebrates its bicentennial, Southern rock endures and still thrives today.
The dream of the mid-2000s will be alive at ‘When We Were Young’ festival in Las Vegas
Grab your eyeliner and flat irons, because a music festival featuring the titans of mid-aught emo music are playing for one day only at the appropriately titled When We Were Young music festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 22.