LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus
99.9 Gator Country morning show host Amadeus shares stories that did not make it on the air, and he takes a deeper dive into those that did make the cut. Fans of Your Hometown Morning Show will enjoy a more behind the scenes look at what goes into the making of a country radio morning show. Listen daily for this PG-13 version of the top stories making pop culture headlines, artist interviews, and much , much more.
LIVE FROM JACKSONVILLE! with Amadeus
The Beat of Jacksonville: Summer Concert Preview with Dave Koz and Rob Thomas
Summer heat brings a sizzling concert lineup to Jacksonville! From legendary performers to rising stars, the city's music venues are packed with must-see shows across every genre imaginable.
Dave Koz's Summer Horns 2025 tour kicks off at the Florida Theatre on July 19, promising what the jazz saxophone legend describes as "the ultimate summer party." Fresh from his annual cruise, Koz shares his excitement about this unique horn section spanning five decades of talent – from 20-something trumpet phenom Evan Taylor to viral sensation Leo P on baritone sax. Together, they'll reimagine classics from Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, and Tower of Power. "It's all just feel-good music," Koz explains, highlighting how these timeless horn-driven hits continue to captivate new generations.
Rob Thomas brings his All Night Days tour to Daily's Place on August 2, blending solo hits with fan favorites. In our exclusive conversation, Thomas reveals his son – a Berkeley College of Music graduate – will join him on guitar. "If he wasn't my son and I just met him and saw his playing, I would have hired him anyway," Thomas proudly shares. He also discusses the Sidewalk Angels Foundation he founded with his wife, which has raised millions for animal rescues worldwide. Thomas teases his upcoming album release and hints at Matchbox Twenty's 30th anniversary celebrations on the horizon.
The concert calendar spans multiple venues with something for everyone. Shania Twain performs two nights at Daily's Place (July 29-30), while VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena hosts Riley Green, Maxwell, and comedian Nate Bargatze. The Florida Theatre welcomes the Yacht Rock Summer Tour, Ryan Adams, and Lori Morgan. For sci-fi enthusiasts, William Shatner appears at the Thrasher Horn Center on August 3 following a screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Whether you're craving country, jazz, rock, or comedy, Jacksonville's summer lineup delivers unforgettable live music experiences. Grab your tickets and be part of the excitement as the city becomes Florida's hottest entertainment destination!
Welcome to another episode of Live from Jacksonville. I'm your host, amadeus. I'm super excited because it's a busy couple of weeks coming up here in Jacksonville with live music and I've got two great guests on this episode Dave Kaz, the jazz great, and Rob Thomas, who's coming to Daily's place in a couple of weeks. Those interviews are coming up, but right now let's run down what's coming up, and it is a busy, busy few weeks. Shania Twain has two shows coming to Daily's Place Tuesday and Wednesday, july 29th and 30th. There's still some great seats available at dailysplacecom, especially on that Wednesday night show. As I mentioned, rob Thomas is one of our guests. A little later on in the episode He'll be talking about his Saturday August 8th show at Daily's Place and live with Collective Soul will be at Daily's on Friday August 8th. Dailysplacecom for these shows and more At Vice Star Veterans Memorial Arena. The Jacksonville Sharps indoor football team's last regular season home game is Saturday, july 26th and they're hosting a playoff game on Saturday August 2nd. I've been to a couple of games in the last couple months. I'm going to try to get the team's owner on an upcoming episode to chat about these family fun games. They really are a blast, also coming to the arena Riley Green with Ella Langley on Friday August 8th. That should be an amazing show. Maxwell will be here on Friday August 8th. That should be an amazing show. Maxwell will be here on Sunday August 19th and Nate Bargatze on Friday August 15th. You can check out arenajackseventscom for tickets on these shows and others. Another one of our guests on this episode is jazz great Dave Coz. He'll be telling us all about his Summer Horns tour, which comes to the Florida Theater on Saturday July 19th. The Yacht Rock Summer Tour hits the Florida Theater on Sunday July 20th. Ryan Adams is at the Florida Theater on Friday July 25th. Country music legend Lori Morgan will be there on Saturday July 26th and Jacksonville Rock Orchestra perform Faithfully the music of Journey on Friday July 26th and Jacksonville Rock Orchestra perform Faithfully the music of Journey on Friday August 8th. Floridatheatrecom for all the information on these shows.
Speaker 1:I've been reminding you guys for a couple of months that William Shatner is coming to the Thrasher Horn Center for questions and answers and behind the scenes stories following a screening of Star Trek II, the Wrath of Khan. That show's right around the corner. It's Sunday August 3rd. I'm working on getting an interview with Mr Shatner for our next episode. This is going to be a really cool event. Tickets are still available at THCenterorg, but get them quick because I think as that show gets closer this thing's going to be almost a sellout Down at the Amp, st Augustine.
Speaker 1:The Counting Crows will be here on Saturday, july 19th, goo Goo Dolls on Wednesday, july 23rd, brad Paisley on Saturday August 2nd and Cypress Hill's Dank Days of Summer Tour hits the Amp on Friday, august 8th. I saw Cypress Hill way back in the day it seems like it was a different lifetime ago and they were a lot of fun. Theampcom for tickets to any of these shows. The newly renovated Ponte Vedra Concert Hall is open for business and with some great shows on the way, including Sister Hazel on Thursday August 7th. Country singer and former Florida Georgia liner, brian Kelly, will be there on Friday August 8th. Their September lineup includes Buckethead, maddox Badson, which is virtually sold out, and Melissa Etheridge.
Speaker 1:Definitely check out pvconcerthallcom to take a look at their upcoming shows. The genres are all over the map and there's bound to be a show for you at the Ponte Vedra concert hall. Make sure you check out two five. Jackscom 5 is the new music venue in Riverside and they have a very eclectic mix of bands coming as well, including the Descendants on July 27th, blind Melon in August, buck Cherry in October, drake Milligan in November and Alan Stone will also be here in November. If you're not an Alan Stone fan, check out his music and join the club, because he is amazing. Our first guest is jazz great Dave Coz. His Summer Horns 2025 tour comes to the Florida Theater on Saturday, july 19th. I had a chance to chat with Dave last week fresh off his Dave Coz and Friends cruise.
Speaker 2:Well, I got back about a week and a half ago from that. Oh okay, it was pretty intense, as it always is, but it was beautiful. We had an amazing time. I think it might have been our best cruise to date. Been doing this for about 20 years now, so I think we got it down and we had a beautiful experience for about 5,000 people.
Speaker 1:It looked like it was so much fun.
Speaker 2:Well, it's like a floating music festival and mostly Americans about 95% Americans but it's really a melting pot. Everybody is there, all different kinds of people brought together by their shared love of music, and we just kind of shut out the outside world for a week and just support each other and have a great time and listen to a lot of music and also go to some really beautiful places. This time was the Netherlands, norway and Iceland.
Speaker 1:That sounds like so much fun. Just to get away and shut everything out sounds like a blast. The weekend before 4th of July I got out of Jacksonville because, working in radio, the news is around me all the time and I went up to New York to see a couple of shows and I didn't look at my phone and I didn't look at the news. I didn't know what was going on in the world and even though I was on the mainland, I can imagine being on a ship in another country must have been so liberating for everybody.
Speaker 2:It is, and I'm incredibly grateful to the people that decide to take these trips with us.
Speaker 2:It's one thing to put your money down and experience the whole thing, but then the thing that, for me, I never, ever take for granted is that people have given us a week of their life to entertain us. It's a huge responsibility, it's a great privilege, it's a huge honor for me, and we have about 200 people that we bring along artists, musicians, crew and staff and travel agent people along artists, musicians, crew and staff and travel agent people and then the guests come on and bring music and all the different shows, and for the artists as well, it's a chance for us to do something that's different in jazz festivals and shows on land right, but on the water it gives an artist because we're all together for a whole week, kind of marinating in the music gives the artists and musicians a chance to do things that they wouldn't normally do or that the guests would normally see them do. So there's special shows that are only available on these cruises and that's what kind of makes them very special for the artists and also, hopefully, for the guests.
Speaker 1:You got me wanting to book the next one. Come on, we're ready for you. It sounds like it. Speaking of the next one, I got to be honest with you, dave. I don't ever remember you coming to Jacksonville if it wasn't Christmas time. And when I saw this show get announced, I'm like wait a minute, dave, cause leaves his house in the summer. It feels like I only see you coming for Christmas, so I'm so excited.
Speaker 2:Well, we're very excited too. This is the first weekend of the tour we're going to be in Jacksonville, one of our favorite places to play, the Florida Theater. And yeah, we've been coming for Christmas for a lot of years, but occasionally we come at summertime. It's not the first time, but this will be the first time that this particular incarnation of summer horns is coming to Jacksonville. And for this time it's really special for me because it's a full horn session. We've got a baritone saxophone for the first time. This guy named Leo P, who's a viral Internet sensation.
Speaker 2:A young trumpeter named Evan Taylor, a very well-known, established trombone player named Jeff Bradshaw, and another saxophonist who I think is one of the young guns that's really kind of taken over our world. His name is Marcus Anderson, killer band and a singer as well, marcel's twin brother I'm sorry, marcus' twin brother, marcel Anderson. And it's really kind of an interesting thing when you look at this horn section because I think it's five different decades represented Evan is in his 20s, we've got Leo, who's in his 30s, we've got Marcus, who's in his 40s, jeff's in his 50s and me in my 60s. So it's like a cross-sectional, multi-generational thing, but for me, you know, know, getting a chance to play in that horn section.
Speaker 2:That's kind of you know, my life was playing, my musical life that is playing in in a section and the power of that is just uh, it's undeniable. So this is a really fun group. We got together for the first time on our cruise and now we are building a show, um, big summer horn show, and it's um, it's billed as the ultimate summer party. So, and that's what we're we're planning on doing is just creating this hour and a half show. That's just so much fun. You'll know every song and everybody brings their own particular energy and sense of fun and excitement to the stage. So I'm really excited about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, on one of the promos I was listening, I'm like I think I'm hearing the Jacksons. I think I'm hearing Earth, wind, fire, like this sounds like a party that's just on tour.
Speaker 2:That's exactly it, and so much of the you know. I'm not sure how old you are. I'm your age. How old are you?
Speaker 1:I just turned 60 on July.
Speaker 2:You sound very young you too. Happy birthday, by the way, thank you. The 60s are an interesting decade, you'll find out. It took me a couple of years to realize, oh, this is what the 60s are all about. But you and I are in the same age bracket and that's the era of this music, all the horn section stuff, like the bands that you just mentioned.
Speaker 2:This is the music that we grew up on, and there's so much rich material repertoire to choose from and it is all just like feel-good music. You know Earth, wind, fire, chicago, tower of Power, blood, sweat, tears all these great horn bands that gave us so much great music. That never goes out of style. That's the thing that's really amazing about it is it's just so powerful, it's so in our souls and makes us feel good every time we hear these songs. So our goal is to I don't know if we can ever say, oh yeah, we did it better than Earth, wind, fire or Chicago or those bands, but we're going to do our interpretation of these songs and give people a really, really great night.
Speaker 1:I'm excited because I love tribute bands, especially artists that are no longer with us. I talk about this on the podcast quite a bit because I love the fellowship of fans just enjoying that music, whether or not it's coming from a queen or a queen tribute band. It's just that fellowship. And as I was watching some of the promos for the uh summer horns tour, I was hearing those songs going oh, this is making me smile already, and I'm not even there yet well, that's good, that's a good thing to hear.
Speaker 2:Uh, you know, you talk about that like the tribute bands and stuff where we're bands either, uh, because they've passed on or they're retired or whatever. If the music is that good, it really deserves to continue to be played live. Yes, I just had a friend of mine let me know that David Sanborn, his band David Sanborn, passed about a year ago and his band is coming together to do shows around the United States playing David Sanborn music with another saxophone player. And you know, on one hand it's like, is that a really good idea? On the other hand, it's a great idea because it keeps all that music live and in front of people to appreciate and brings new listeners into the fold.
Speaker 2:I've been so emboldened recently by how young because I have nieces and nephews and how they are discovering the music of our era. I mean, there's all the music of this era and for their artists, right, but they're going back in time and listening to the classics and my niece, my 22-year-old niece, the other day went on and on and on about Steely Dan. Two-year-old niece the other day went on and on and on about Steely Dan. That's music of my era. And here. Somebody in their early 20s has rediscovered it and it's again working its magic.
Speaker 1:Over the weekend, Sabrina Carpenter brought Simon Lebon and John Taylor on stage to sing Hunger Like the Wolf with her, and I'm just thinking this is the coolest thing.
Speaker 2:That's a perfect example of how good music never goes away, and she's putting those guys in front of a new audience that may not have even heard of that band Right, and she's kind of giving them this platform to be heard again, which is great. I think it's awesome.
Speaker 1:I do too. I love it. Dave Cause and Friends. Summer Horns 2025. The tour will be at the Florida Theater on Saturday, july 19th. It won't be Christmas time, but we're going to celebrate like it is. It's going to have so much fun.
Speaker 2:Well, I really appreciate you giving me a few minutes to talk with you today, and I just want to say to the Jacksonville audience who we love every time that we come there which is the main reason why we keep coming back is the people that always come to the Florida Theater, which is a heritage or theater, one of the great theaters in our country and recently went through a huge renovation, right. So it looks great and it sounds great and the feeling on stage is great, and that allows for really a wonderful concert to take place every time that we come there. So we're really looking forward to it, and it's our first weekend, so come on out and check out some of the music.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dave, I've been going to that theater since I was 18. And, like I said, I just turned 60. It's as much a part of my life as breathing is, and I love it so much and really looking forward to seeing you guys. Oh wonderful.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, amadeus.
Speaker 1:Thanks for your time. We appreciate you. Thank you. I was a casual fan of Dave's before that interview, but now I'm a big fan of his. He was a nice guy. Well, rob Thomas will be at Daily's Place on Saturday, august 2nd. I had a chance to chat with him a month or so ago. Here's our conversation about his all-night days tour.
Speaker 3:I am doing. Well, man, I'm here at home in Bedford.
Speaker 1:Oh, nice to be working from home today.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, you know it's funny. I think we all learned after the whole COVID experience how many fun things we could do right here. I can make a lot of my record here, I can do interviews, I can talk to you without having to put on big boy pants.
Speaker 1:Nice. You know what? We never went. Obviously we're in a radio station, so we were in studio for the entire pandemic. The rest of the building was not sales and all that. So we would come in and do our show, wipe up after ourselves, leave and the next person would come in and do their show.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I feel like part of me thinks that the entertainment industry created COVID as a way to save money on producers and make artists have to do all the work.
Speaker 1:You may not be wrong about that. Hey, we're really excited to have you coming back to Daily's Place. It's been a minute.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, I mean it's good to be back on the road. I was out most of last year with festivals and in Australia with Matchbox, and the year before we were out all year of like last year with festivals and in australia with matchbox and the year before we were out all year. And so now when you go back over to solo, this is like a whole nother world that I, you know, that I get to revisit again.
Speaker 1:all these songs are like old friends that I get to say hi to again yeah, it's the 20th anniversary of your first solo album something to be and there's a new album coming out. I've been like sherlock holmes trying to find the release date.
Speaker 3:Well, the single's coming out just before the tour in a couple of weeks, and then the record will come out like right at the end of the tour. It's going to come out through the fall.
Speaker 1:Oh, gotcha, gotcha, Okay. I'm really looking forward to that Me too. One of my favorite songs to hear you perform live is Smooth, and I don't remember. I don't think you guys do it when you're with Matchbox. Is that right, or am I remembering that wrong?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, no, matchbox would never do smooth. I mean, we do it every night in the solo run and you know, depending on the time of the year, carlos and I you know who stayed really, really close ever since we did it. If we're on the road at the same time, we always try and find a way to hook up and do it together as well. It's such a great song. I appreciate that, man. Yeah, I mean that song is. It's funny. There's like there's Matchbox and then there's Solo and then there's Smooth.
Speaker 1:Three separate containers. You should be in the Hall of Fame three different times then, so I also know you're. I'll pick the one. Yeah, one would be nice, right? I actually went to a ceremony a few years ago for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and it just it was amazing. I want to go every year now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean it's a lot of fun. It's so much good. You know it's crazy because there's so much good music and they keep making. So every year there's more great music and new great artists. You know, I mean that's what makes it so special.
Speaker 1:It really is. It's what keeps me young. Speaking of young artists, your son is on tour with you this time around, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's taking over the role as the guitar player in the band now and some of the shows but more the ones on the West Coast are going to be his actual band. The Lucky are going to be opening up some of those shows as well.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's very cool.
Speaker 3:You know he definitely. He earned a gig. He went to Berkeley College of Music, he graduated. He's been out in la with his band. If I, if he wasn't my son and I just met him and saw his playing, I would have hired him as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been following him a little bit on instagram the last couple of weeks and so, yeah, I agree, I mean he, the guy's got chops yeah, no, he's a showboat and I love watching him like kind of come alive.
Speaker 3:the more we've been playing shows together, just watching him. The physicality of being on stage and kind of knowing what to do with your body when you're playing that's all something that you can only learn by you know, by doing it, and so I've been loving watching him become a better performer every show.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. Hey, we do this feature on our morning show called Furball Friday, where we like to help get pets adopted out, and I know you have the Sidewalk Angels Foundation. Can you tell me a little bit about that briefly?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so my wife and I started it. It's over 20 years now. We've raised millions of dollars. They go directly to no-kill animal shelters and animal rescues around the world. We've spanned it out to we have a place in Serbia that we support. We've been really fortunate. Like a good example is next January. I have three shows that we're doing just for Sidewalk Angels. Those three shows I think we're going to raise around $1.6 million and at least $1.3 million will go directly to the organizations, because everybody who works with me and for me donates their time my accountant, my manager so we don't have overhead. So the only thing we have to do is we have to pay our band, have to pay for travel and those things, but almost all the money that we raise goes directly to helping medical centers get built, helping these rescues happen. There's so many people that have boots on the ground that are doing great things in animal rescue and they need the support and the resources and that takes funding and so we try and help with that.
Speaker 1:You and Miranda Lambert need to get together and do a show.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah she's amazing.
Speaker 1:Congratulations on the Sidewalk Angels Foundation. Well, the tour will be in Jacksonville Daily's Place on Saturday, august 2nd. Tickets are available at dailysplacecom and the All Night Days album will be out later this fall.
Speaker 3:I'm really excited about it. And then next year is the 30th anniversary of Matchbox, so there's going to be no rest.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:Will there 30th anniversary of Matchbox, so there's going to be no rest. Oh my gosh, will there be a 30th anniversary tour too? I think we're going to do that, since technically, the anniversary is right at the end of the year. So I think next year we're going to do some festivals and I believe in 2027 will be like a proper tour tour.
Speaker 1:Man, I cannot wait for that. Hopefully we'll be talking to you then as well.
Speaker 3:Well, we'll be out. I mean, we're going to be somewhere near somewhere, always throughout the year, always an opportunity to catch me or Matchbox.
Speaker 1:I love that, somewhere near somewhere Always. That's nice. Rob, it's such a pleasure to talk to you. I worked in Top 40 back in the day I don't even know how long ago that was and you were always so generous with your time and we really appreciate you and we're so happy for you and Matchbox success.
Speaker 3:Were you in Jacksonville back then at the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at a station called WAPE, the Big Ape. Yeah, I've been here.
Speaker 3:Jacksonville, and I think this is a difference. This was a neighborhood that's like the point right was the station.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that was one of our stations.
Speaker 3:One of the first times we ever played a festival. We played a festival in Jacksonville with us, chris Isaac and Bob Weir.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, I remember that. Well, let me tell you something Jacksonville loves you and loves Matchbox.
Speaker 3:We have a long history together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, I know that there's other people wanting to talk to you. I so appreciate your time this morning. We can't wait to see you here in August Awesome. Thank you so much, amadeus. Thanks for the time and the help. Yes, sir, thanks, have a great day. You guys, when I got into radio 30 something years ago, of course we had no idea that podcasts would really be a thing, and I was reluctant to even start one for the longest time. But now I feel like at this point in my career and life, everything has led up to this, and I so enjoy telling you guys about what's coming up and talking to some of these artists that I've been a fan of for most of my career. So thank you so much for listening, and I'll put together another show for you in a couple of weeks and let you know what's happening live from Jacksonville.