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
Why Haven't You Joined the Florida Theater Yet? (Carolyn Will Shame You)
Dive into the heart of Jacksonville's vibrant music scene as we take you behind the velvet rope at the historic Florida Theatre with board member and marketing committee head Carolyn Klucha. What begins as a chance meeting at a Dave Koz concert blossoms into a revealing conversation about one of Jacksonville's most treasured cultural landmarks.
Carolyn pulls back the curtain on the exclusive perks of Florida Theatre membership that most locals don't know about – from guaranteed premium seating and pre-sale access to the newly renovated VIP lounge where Jacksonville's music lovers connect. You'll discover why this 1,800-seat venue, hosting over 300 shows annually, just won the prestigious Outstanding Historic Theater of 2025 award and what exciting renovations are underway as it approaches its centennial celebration in 2027.
Our conversation weaves through unforgettable performances from Yacht Rock to Mummified funk bands, exploring how the theater creates magical first concert experiences while preserving musical legacies. We share laughs about Carolyn's mission to recruit new members (spoiler: she's ruthlessly persuasive) and her unexpected journey into bourbon appreciation through a fundraiser auction win.
The episode culminates with details about the upcoming Blues, Brews, Bourbon and BBQ fundraiser on August 21st at Bowie Oaks – a perfect opportunity to support this Jacksonville treasure while sampling the best local flavors. Whether you're a longtime Jacksonville resident or planning your first visit, this episode reveals why the Florida Theatre sits at the crossroads of the city's past, present, and future music culture.
Want to experience Jacksonville's music scene like a true insider? Subscribe to Live from Jacksonville for the latest on upcoming shows, exclusive artist interviews, and your guide to every venue from intimate historic theaters to sprawling amphitheaters.
Welcome to Live from Jacksonville. I'm your host, amadeus. This is your go-to podcast for everything concerts and venues around the Jacksonville area. We have a really cool guest today named Carolyn Klucher that I cannot wait for you guys to meet. We'll get to her in a couple of minutes. Right now, let's talk about what's happening live in Jacksonville.
Speaker 1:Daily's Place just announced. Leonard Skinner rocks the red, white and blue with special guest the Curt Town Band. That's Saturday, november 8th. This is the show to support St Michael's soldiers, whose mission is to support deployed men and women in our US military, local active military and their families, and you can get ticket info and purchase tickets at dailiesplacecom. Vice Star Veterans Memorial Arena has Adam Sandler on Friday, september 5th. Disney Descendants and Zombies on Tuesday December 9th. You can go to arenajackseventscom for those and other shows Down at the Amp in St Augustine. Ub40 with special guests. The Fix are performing Saturday August 23rd. Sierra Farrell on Friday September 12th and Lee Bryce with Ashley Cook and Louis Bryce will all be at the AMP on Saturday September 13th. Get to TheAMPcom for tickets on these shows and others. And don't forget the newly renovated Ponte Vedra Concert Hall is back open. Their upcoming shows include Maddox Batson. Only a few tickets left for that show. Also, melissa Etheridge in September, lyle Lovett in October and the Wallflowers in November, plus a lot of other great shows. Go to pvconcerthallcom for all their upcoming shows.
Speaker 1:There really is something for just about everyone. Okay, if you've listened to this podcast for more than a few episodes, you know how much I love the Florida Theater. I fell in love with the theater when I was probably about 18 and just started my concert-going life there. I've seen more shows at that venue probably than any other single venue, maybe more than all the others combined. I mean, I've been going there forever.
Speaker 1:The Florida Theater, if you don't know, is a historical Jacksonville landmark and it's a nonprofit. So there are membership opportunities which I admit I should have become decades ago. Recently I met a board member there who absolutely trashed me for not being a member, but in such a fun way that we became instant friends. So I invited her on the show to help spread the word and to talk about the huge fundraising that's coming up for the Florida Theater. So let's just get right into the conversation. We're joined right now by Carolyn. Pronounce your last name for me Klucha Klucha, who I met at the Florida Theater a few weeks ago. What was the first show we saw together? Oh, dave Cause.
Speaker 2:Yes, dave Cause yeah.
Speaker 1:Dave Cause the Summer Horns tour, which I had never seen, Dave, before, and you had.
Speaker 2:Correct.
Speaker 1:And blew me away.
Speaker 2:He's amazing. I love him. And you know Kevin Stone at the Florida Theater. He's so great because he's great friends with Dave Cause. So you know I do the tug on the sleeve. I'm like I'd really love to meet Dave. So this was the second time we got to meet him.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's cool. I didn't know I was going to meet him. I interviewed Dave for the podcast a few weeks ago and then they said are you going to the show? I was like no, because I think there was another show that night. Oh, counting Crows were at the AMP and it was so hot, and so I'm like I don't have tickets. But Dave's people sent me tickets and when I picked them up the meet and greets were in the envelope. So I ended up in the VIP lounge and met you and we had such a great time. So, carolyn, you are on the board of the Florida Theater. Tell us a little bit about your position.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going into my fourth year on the board. I am the head of the marketing committee and in the past I have been co-chair of the annual ball, which is the biggest fundraiser of the year of course.
Speaker 1:And your main job is to give me hell for not being a member of the Florida Theater.
Speaker 2:That is my job to give hell to all my friends.
Speaker 1:When I met Carolyn, she was just, I mean, raking me over the coals for being such a huge fan of the theater and not being a member. By the way, I have raked myself over the coals for probably 10 years or more because I love the theater. It's been a part of my life, for my entire life. It's my number one favorite venue, probably in the world, and so, yeah, you've convinced me to become a member. Let everyone know what it means to be a member.
Speaker 2:Well, membership has lots of perks, and especially since we've gone through a major renovation over the last several years, including the installation of the new lounge on the second floor.
Speaker 1:Which, by the way, is amazing. If you haven't been up there yet, you've got to check it out.
Speaker 2:It's beautiful, it's art deco. It's a great place to have a drink. You have your own private bathroom, so you can avoid a lot of the waiting lines. But at any membership level, the main perk is that you get pre-sale notification. In addition, you also, when you claim your seats within the pre-sale time is you're guaranteed seats within the first 15 rows and they're assigned based on your membership level. And then who decides to go to any given concert.
Speaker 1:And that's a right of refusal kind of thing, right? Well, that's an option.
Speaker 2:That's a paid upgrade.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, that's a paid upgrade. Yes, correct.
Speaker 2:And so, in addition to that, you can avoid the front door lines because as a VIP, you get to go in the side door off Noonan. I mean, we immediately go to the second floor, we grab a cocktail At our level, we do drink cards and those cards are divvied out based on the amount of your membership level and of course we get access to the bathrooms, the pre-sale and obviously, of course we get to see everyone who we know at the Florida Theater there. That's where the VIPs are held most of the time.
Speaker 1:It's a great way to kind of network and get to know who else is kind of on that same level Music lovers, participants in this historic venue. It's really just a great place to network and meet new people.
Speaker 2:It really is and it's everyone. It depends on the concerts and you know like we were talking about. You know Kevin Stone and Justin. They are the guys who bring in the shows, whether you know they're by a promoter or a rental and they do a variety of programming.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's really something for everyone there. So at any given point in time, you know, we go to all sorts of different concerts and shows and so we see a lot of different types of members. We love all the genres. So obviously, you see, you know people country, people with kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when I was younger I talk about this on the podcast all the time. I'm sure the listeners are probably sick of hearing it but I worked at a record store from 84 to 90. And I really got an education on not just the genres but fans of different genres. I really learned to respect like I didn't know really who Steely Dan was, or like some of the jazz greats Like now I'm a huge Wayne Shorter fan and so I really got a good education on music fans, just like the whole thing. So now I really appreciate going, like when I saw Dave Cause, I appreciated that tremendously. The next night we saw a Yacht Rock tour. I really appreciated that as well.
Speaker 2:It's funny because when we met Dave Cause, we also met Marcel Anderson and he was the singer that Dave brought to that particular show and every concert that he comes to he brings different people to highlight. So Marcel had just released a new album and the next day I went online, I downloaded the album and all his other albums and then I texted him and I said I just downloaded your album, I go, keith, and I are sitting here listening to it. I said these are my jams. We come from Detroit, we're R&B fans first and album I go, keith, and I are sitting here listening to it. I said these are my jams. You know, we come from Detroit, we're R and B fans first and foremost Motown. And I said you know, if I'm going to promote your album, I go. Should people download it from any particular? You know whether it's Spotify or Pandora or whatever.
Speaker 2:And didn't tell me which one. So anyways, but now you know we're a huge fan and you know we just love meeting people like that. But you know to your point. You know the Yacht Rock concert was actually different from the Yacht Rock group.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And that was where we got to see Pure Prairie, League, Firefall and Pablo Cruz, which we found out later. Yacht Rock is a genre of music. Oh, you didn't know that. I did not know that.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, Because we thought it was just the group. There's an amazing documentary on Netflix I think it's Netflix right now, yeah, on Yacht Rock and the whole movement. It really wasn't called that back then. It was only recently named Yacht Rock. I think there's a Yacht Rock channel on Sirius or one of those platforms. So yeah, I mean I knew you know, just being from in the business when the Yacht Rock Tour was coming, that that's what that was.
Speaker 2:And last week we saw here Come the Mummies oh yeah, how was that?
Speaker 2:That was an amazing show. I mean the audience stood the entire time and talk about a great light show, high energy, and, you know, long gone are a lot of the horns that you used to hear with Chicago and Earth, wind, fire, and these guys bring it back. You know they're a group of super talented musicians that are under contract by other big bands and so you don't really know who they are when they come out dressed as a mummy. But we brought a friend of ours from Philly who I went to school with back in my young years and he had never heard of them, of course, but he was jamming the whole time and when it was over, what a great, energetic show. And we first saw them last year.
Speaker 2:Part of being a member also that I failed to mention is that you are invited to the vip event, which is an annual free concert for members, and we're always surprised every year at what group they're going to bring in, and so this past year was the mummies and all we could say was you guys got to have these, these guys back. Yeah, and there is a following. Apparently, they played at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall before.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that, and so it kind of got glossed over for those listening. These guys come out fully dressed as mummies, like you cannot see their face. They are completely wrapped up. Then they put on this high-energy show lots of horns, kind of like the David Sanborn show, and I hate that I missed it, but I had tickets to see the Fantastic Four movie that night, right, and so I went to that instead. I will not miss it again. Hopefully there won't be a huge movie when they come back, but the show looks amazing.
Speaker 2:It's so great and I'll tell you what it's all original music. It's no songs that you know, although you do feel when they start some of them there's a little bit of sampling. So we were trying to guess, like you know, back to like the stevie wonder days and like kind of where those come in. But no, they're all original songs never heard before. So it's like other concerts that we go to that we've never been and we say let's try it. We have zero expectations. Yeah, and we are always, always pleasantly surprised. In our first concert that made us become members was when we saw the Piano Guys. Way before they were $250, $500 tickets.
Speaker 1:Those guys are amazing.
Speaker 2:They were fantastic. We had no idea who they were. We thought they were two guys playing pianos. Well, of course you know they're not, obviously.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, amazingly, you think about all these songs I heard in the retail stores. You retail stores, you walk into it. They're always playing like piano guys.
Speaker 1:Right, right.
Speaker 2:But anyway, what happened was that? So my fiance, keith, I forgot that he was afraid of heights and we had, we had tickets on the, on the uh in the balcony and, uh, we were with another couple and I called him on the phone.
Speaker 2:I said where are you? He goes, I'm in the lobby. I said what are you doing in the lobby? He says, well, he goes, I can't sit up there. It's like looking down was just too steep for him. I said well, I'm not going to let you sit out there, so we go to walk out and leave. And on my way down there was an usher standing to exchange my tickets. I'm happy to pay, I'll upgrade whatever. But I totally forgot about this issue. And she said well, let me help you. And so she just turned around and knocked on this little gnome-like door it's like hidden in a tree trunk, I feel and out walks Numa Sae Slin, the executive director of the Florida Theater. I explained my situation. He hands me two tickets and it was row N, I'm guessing, probably media seats or something like that or whatever they had. But it was because of that service and I honestly offered to pay and he said no, here, just go right ahead.
Speaker 2:I went home that night it was 1030. I called the Florida Theater to leave a message. Someone answered the phone At 1030 at night. At 10. I talked to her for about an hour, became instant friends. She no longer works there, but we became a member and we've been members ever since.
Speaker 1:Numa is such an amazing guy. He was actually the first person I had on my podcast when I launched it, because I knew I wanted the Florida Theater to be like the highlight of this whole idea of Live from Jacksonville, because they bring in the most shows of any other venue and it's my favorite Speaking of most shows. They've got some awards for it.
Speaker 2:They actually just won the Outstanding Historic Theater of 2025 by the League of Historic American Theaters, and this is a prestigious national award that recognizes theaters for outstanding performance as restored active venues, that's insane yes.
Speaker 2:And so they. Apparently it's based on community impact, the quality of the programming and services and the excellence in the restoration or rehabilitation of the theater, which you know it's been undergoing a capital campaign now for several years. We still have a lot of work to do on the green room. You know obviously for the green room, you know obviously for the artists, because you know artists can pick and choose where they play these days and so many people love the Florida theater because it is, it is a beautiful theater.
Speaker 2:You know, it's historic it's going to be a hundred years old in 2027 and which, you know, we'll have a big celebration for that but so many people love to come back to it and the thing is is that, with all the other theaters that are either up and coming or, you know, doing restorations, their green room, which is where, if no one knows, it's where all of the people go to, like put on makeup, get dressed- you know, have food.
Speaker 1:It's like the artist dressing room. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's very, very small at the Florida Theater. So we want to make sure that they're taken care of and that makes them want to come back year after year. And the other big renovation that will happen is at the main entrance. They're going to kind of bust open to the right of that, if anyone's familiar with the Florida Theater so that we have a much larger main entryway where people can have, you know, drinks and snacks.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's cool. I didn't know that was coming and that's kind of beside the box office.
Speaker 2:Right, yes, they'll be moving it toward the box office.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's very, very cool. There was something else I definitely want to just oh yeah, how do people become members, if they want to become a member of the Florida Theater?
Speaker 2:That members if they want to become a member of the Florida Theater. That's super easy. It's floridatheatercom. You just go online and you go under membership and it will tell you all the different levels. It will tell you each line item, like as you go through the monetary amount, like what the upgrades include. So you can either buy the membership online or you can just call them and they'll get you. You get you the membership and super easy.
Speaker 1:And the membership started like 250 a year, correct, which is really really doable, absolutely, I mean so doable. There's no reason in hell that I have not become a member yet.
Speaker 2:Well, they do say, like you do like give a lot back to the theater that you've been around and helping with all of the promotions. So I'm sure that in all of that time you have earned your membership, even though it's not quite official.
Speaker 1:I do like to give back to that theater. It's funny I just turned 60. And looking back on my career you don't know, while you're going through life where you're headed and with this podcast I feel like I've kind of reached this place where I can look back and go. This is what it was all about. I love doing this podcast. I love letting people know what's coming to Jacksonville, because a lot of times I'll go on Facebook and say I saw this artist or that artist and people are like I didn't know that was happening.
Speaker 1:Well, here's your portal to know what's happening.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And the Florida Theater is one of the best places in town. They bring in more shows than any other venue.
Speaker 2:They literally. I don't know the number of shows this year, but I mean it's close. It's over 300. And you know there's 365 days in the year. So just think about that and to be honest with you. I mean, you know I'm wearing my Fleetwood Mac shirt today.
Speaker 1:And of course I'm going to see. I have tickets to see.
Speaker 2:Tusk, which is a tribute.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, some of them are tributes and some of meaning that they're they're going to be singing like them right the other ones are just singing the songs of and so the the thing is is that you know, as the groups get older, or members, you know, pass on that music was so important because I'm, you know, we're about the same age and so it was so important to us as we were growing up, and to be able to continue that on and bring back all those memories. I mean, it makes it great, right? Some people, yeah. And then the other thing is is that when the originals are there, you know, my, my theory is like I don't know if they're ever coming back. I'm going to see him yet one more time.
Speaker 1:That's exactly why right Prince died. I made a list of, like the Tony Bennett's, the Engelberg Humperdinck's, the Johnny Mathis's.
Speaker 1:I'm like I got to see these guys before because Prince was so young and these guys are still around. And I was actually when I was talking with Dave Coz. He said he got a call from Dave Sanborn, someone from Dave Sanborn's band that said we're getting ready to go back on tour, we just want to let you know. And he's like, is this a good idea or not? But then he thought yeah, it's a great idea because this music has to live on, absolutely. It's just about that music, sharing it with the fans, and I love meeting other fans of certain genres or musics or whatever.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and the other thing is is that we try, while the programming guys try, to bring in other shows, so that you know we can start bringing, you know, the younger generations up into the theater, because it won't last if the people behind us aren't going to keep coming and so we actually just bought tickets for our granddaughter Hopefully she doesn't hear this before her birthday, but for Peppa Pig that's going to be it's called Peppa Pig's my First Concert.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker 2:I love that she will be three this year my lucky number and so she'll be three and those are uh tickets we're gonna give her and grandma and grandpa are gonna go and bring her and I think it's like, I don't know, march of next year and this will be her first concert this will be her first concert what was your first concert?
Speaker 1:chicago at pine knob in detroit wow, my my dad took me my first concert without an adult, without my parents, because when I grew up here and we used to go to the uh, to the jacksonville fair concerts, I saw like crystal gale, oh my gosh, ronnie millsap, do you remember billy crash craddock? No he did. He was like an elvis kind of style, saw all those guys, but my first concert by myself was joan jett and the black hearts at six flags over georgia. Oh my gosh, and you just never forget that first concert.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And for those of us who are passionate about concerts, I think that's the moment in our lives where something happens. A light goes off when you're like. I want to do this for the rest of my life.
Speaker 2:Listen, if I could just go to concert and, by the way, that is our favorite pastime- Mine too, if we're going to go do something. If we're going to go do something, it's dinner and concert. We like all the theaters around town right, but what's cool about the Florida Theater is it's a mid-sized theater. It's 1,800 seats. You've got a great view from wherever you're sitting.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And it's just personal and the sound system is amazing. The people who come there, the entertainers, they're all personable and the ushers are the best and they're all volunteers, yeah, and they love it.
Speaker 1:They love it Absolutely.
Speaker 2:They love it yes.
Speaker 1:All right, carolyn. One last thing I want to talk about before we wrap up is Blues Brews, bourbon and Barbecue. That's right, that event is coming up. Is it August 21st? It is.
Speaker 2:August 21st it's at Bowie Oaks. Okay, oh, so it's not at the Florida theater.
Speaker 1:It is not.
Speaker 2:It is an outdoor event which, in my opinion, is super cool. They've had it both at the theater and they've had it at Bowie Oaks. The months change between August and September and most people's feedback is that they prefer Bowie Oaks. We have beer vendors that come, we have the barbecue places that come, and with the price of a ticket, you get to sample all of this. If you want to come as VIP VIP is $100. And you get to sip bourbon. And the reason we added bourbon a couple of years back is that when there was this whole movement and the younger generation was all of a sudden taking a liking to bourbon, right, and so we said well, it's no longer that they just want to drink beer, so let's add bourbon to the mix and it keeps it fresh, it keeps it different. But the regular tickets are $50. You can also get those online or you can call the box office, I believe. If not, go to floridatheatercom and you can get the tickets there.
Speaker 1:When I first saw the name with bourbon added, I thought who in the hell added bourbon? It's blues brews and barbecue. It's been that for like ever. And then you were like oh, I added that.
Speaker 2:But you know what I like to take credit for it.
Speaker 1:yes, I traveled to see Duran Duran, Like I have been doing that since 1987. And two years ago now I went to the Bourbon and Beyond Festival in Louisville because they were playing that festival and I'm a bourbon drinker. I have been my whole life. I don't drink beer. I grew up on Jack Daniels and I like different types of whiskey, so I'm actually very, very stoked that this is a thing now.
Speaker 2:Well, quick little story to add to that. So at the last annual ball we bid on a bourbon trail tour in Louisville.
Speaker 1:You and your fiancée. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:We don't drink bourbon at all. Wow, so we won it and we took the trip just earlier this year. We went in March. It was amazing and I will tell you, it is not like everyone expects.
Speaker 1:Everyone thinks you're going to get wasted.
Speaker 2:You get little sips of all of these. We went to three different bourbon distilleries, all completely different. It was an amazing time and I would totally recommend it again. But now you know we drink bourbon.
Speaker 1:It really is like a wine too, when you start tasting different notes or a smoky taste or whatever. It's amazing how different varieties of bourbon there are.
Speaker 2:And people forget that you can mix it, right. Yeah, so we have a distillery here, burlock and Barrel, down by Riverside, that we actually got to stop into when they first started, and they have like a tropical bourbon. They mixed it with a pineapple, a Sprite, and it was this fruity summer cocktail. It was delicious. I need to try that, it's great.
Speaker 1:That sounds amazing, Carolyn. I'm so glad we ran into each other at the Florida Theater. I feel like we're like old friends, Absolutely Like. As soon as we met I'm like. I feel like we're like old friends.
Speaker 1:Absolutely Like as soon as we met, I'm like I feel like I've known this girl my entire life because we are kindred spirits. That's how me and Kevin are Like we're just kindred, and Numa as well. Like. Numa feels like someone I've known my entire life because he has that same love of the music and the venue and everything.
Speaker 2:And we do, and it's like, and when you have that in common, like you can spark a conversation about anything. And so and you know the love of Jacksonville to be able to keep all of this going and keep it alive and have the support.
Speaker 1:You feel like you're it's, you're part of something bigger than yourself.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, and I'm grateful because you have podcasts like this that are encouraging, like the music scene. I've run into so many people who have either moved here or they even live here, but they don't live in the area or they won't take the time to travel Right, and they say, what is the Florida theater? And I'm like, oh my gosh, you are in for a night out. You know, we tell them, you just have to experience at least once.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then you make it your go to scene. I mean, jacksonville is so large, yeah Right.
Speaker 1:Everywhere is so large.
Speaker 2:Yeah Right, everywhere you go, you're going to travel.
Speaker 1:Absolutely so. Yeah, again, going back to why I started this podcast from the Amphitheater in St Augustine, thrasher Horn in Middleburg, so many great venues downtown, including Daily's Place and the Arena, and at the heart of it all is the Florida. Theater Absolutely I feel like everyone else is just their amazingness.
Speaker 2:And we want to stay at the top.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely Well, carolyn, thank you so much for coming in.
Speaker 2:Thanks, amadeus, I appreciate it it was great to meet you.
Speaker 1:I'm sure we're going to see each other a ton now that I'm going to become a member, after you kicked my ass about it.
Speaker 2:The Florida. At least I can say I sold a membership, that's right.
Speaker 1:Your job is done for the for everything we've talked about today. All right, that wraps up this episode of Live from Jacksonville. Thank you so much to Carolyn and everyone at the Florida Theater for all you guys do there. We love it so much. I mentioned that Lee Bryce, ashley Cook and Louis Bryce are all coming to the AMP St Augustine and I'm working on getting an interview with all three of those artists. I've never had all three artists from one show on the same podcast, but hopefully that'll be coming soon. But another episode definitely on the way soon to let you know what's happening live from Jacksonville.