WINTERLAND 2020
Jacksonville is Florida’s last East Coast hurrah before traversing into the not-always clearly outlined dry pockets of Georgia’s south. It’s the last major stop to fully soak in the Floridian vibes before spreading the gospel of Florida Man across the nation’s asphalt veins. Jax has a lot going on at the moment and Winterland 2020 is one of the coolest music fests in the state.
The brainchild of musicians Glenn Van Dyke and Lena Simon, Winterland 2020 is the third iteration of the three-day festival that takes over Jacksonville’s historic Five Points neighborhood – the city’s staunchly bohemian, arts-driven enclave. More than 40 artists will spread music and related programming across Park Street’s coolest venues like Root Down, Rain Dogs, Ale Wife and Hoptinger.
Van Dyke, a Jax native and audio engineer who made her mark as a founding member and guitarist for Brooklyn’s BOYTOY and Simon, who’s held the bassline for L.A. rockers LA Luz since 2014, brought energy to Jacksonville after seeing the vast pool of talent that is currently available. For the first Winterland, Van Dyke literally threw her savings into the wind but the overwhelming response and enthusiastic participation made it a hit with the momentum to keep on growing.
This year’s festival will have headliners like New York City’s noise rockers A Place to Bury Strangers, British ex-pat singer-songwriter Harkin, Portlandian garage rockers The Shivas and their friendly, cumbia-savvy neighbors Sávila. Florida darlings Surfer Blood and Miami’s Haute Tension will be there, too, rocking alongside three dozen Northeast Florida acts.
Intentionally or not, the festival name also conjures a rock ’n’ roll touchstone: San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom, a concert hall enshrined in scores of iconic gig posters and one Martin Scorsese concert documentary, “The Last Waltz.” It was in that converted ice rink that music promoter Bill Graham presented everyone from The Grateful Dead to the Sex Pistols, from 1966 until the venue closed in 1978.
Single day Winterland 2020 passes cost $30 but a $60 pass is good for every show across the weekend – a steal for a lineup this good.
Winterland 2020 runs Friday through Sunday, February 7-9, across various venues in Five Points, Jacksonville. GET TICKETS winterlandpresents.com ~ Abel Folgar
