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
Whitney Cummings, A Neil Diamond Musical Star, And A Venue Glow-Up In North Florida
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Jacksonville’s live event scene isn’t just busy, it’s evolving, and the best nights are getting easier to find if you know where to look. We start with a rapid-fire rundown of newly announced shows across the region, then settle into two conversations that reveal what’s happening behind the curtain for touring artists and the venues that host them.
Comedian Whitney Cummings joins us ahead of her Jacksonville stop to talk about how stand-up survives cultural whiplash, why the room matters more than the comment section, and what it’s like to keep your act sharp while your life changes in real time. We get into the push and pull of “risky” comedy, how audiences grow up alongside performers, and why a great live show can make a divided world feel a little more human for a night.
Then American Idol winner Nick Fradiani calls in from the road to share what it takes to star in A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical. He talks tour life, the pressure of doing a beloved catalog justice, and the unforgettable whirlwind that took him from a scheduled run of shows to a last-minute flight to perform with Neil Diamond at a major benefit. Nick also looks ahead to what comes after the final curtain: new songs, studio time, and choosing the next chapter carefully.
We wrap with Dianya Markovits and Lily Snowden from SJC Cultural Events Inc. to break down the massive Pont Vedra Concert Hall renovation, the upgraded sound, new seating options, improved amenities, and how the St. Augustine Amphitheatre keeps building community through concerts, pre-show hangs, Taste of St. Augustine, and the Saturday farmers market. If you’re searching for Jacksonville concerts, St. Augustine Amphitheatre tickets, or Pont Vedra Concert Hall shows, this is your roadmap. Subscribe, share this with your concert crew, and leave a review with the next show you’re chasing.
Welcome And New Show Announcements
SPEAKER_02Welcome to Live from Jacksonville. This is going to be the longest episode I think I've put out because I have three amazing guests. Well, actually four because two are together. I have uh Whitney Cummins, the amazing comedian who's coming to town soon, Nick Fradiani from American Idol, who's starring as Neil Diamond in the touring show Beautiful Noise, and also Diana Markovitz and Lily Snowden from the Amp St. Augustine and the Ponto Victor Concert Hall will be on a little bit later on. A few shows have announced since the last episode, including Cody Johnson on Saturday, July 25th at ViceStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and at the St. Augustine Amphitheater Minute Work on Friday, July 17th, and rising country star Ty Myers on Thursday, October 8th. As I mentioned, I'll be speaking with Diana and Lily a little bit later on in the podcast.
Whitney Cummings On Comedy Now
SPEAKER_02But first, my first guest is a comedian that I've been a fan of for a very long time. Whitney Cummings will be in town on Saturday, April 11th, and I had the chance to chat with Whitney just a few days ago. Before we get into the tour, I feel like there's a 15-year overdue thank you that I owe you.
SPEAKER_01I agree.
SPEAKER_02I was a massive fan of both Two Bro Girls and your self-titled sitcom. And I just want to thank you for both of those shows. I just felt like for those years I was having so much fun watching TV.
SPEAKER_01Oh gosh, that's so nice. Yeah, that was definitely sort of a rum spring uh like kind of the gory days um of being able to make jokes before, you know, things went a little bit wild, and uh there was kind of a backlash against risky comedy. But I feel like that's coming back a little bit. The pendulum is always gonna swing, you know, in extreme ways, and that was uh definitely a really fun time. Now every everyone's like, that was problematic. It was like, oh, grow up.
SPEAKER_02Kat Dennings was already on my radar a little bit, but I had never heard of Beth Beers until two Bro Girls, and now I'm a massive fan of both. And you as well were already on my radar, but man, it I just really got a nice education of who you are and what you do from those shows.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. I appreciate that so much. That's so cool. Um yeah, Kat Dennings is brilliant. You know, I think that's you know, she was already, you know, like a movie star, but TV tends to make stars, you know. So there was a lot of uh opportunities to hire people that were already very established. Um, but Beth Bears came in, she, you know, was I don't think she had really done anything, and she was just the best person for the job. And luckily, CBS and Michael Patrick King, who I did it with, was like very um, they let us take a risk and not hire someone who was already famous and just hire the person that was the best for the job. And uh she just walked in and it was like, well, that's her. That's what we wrote. So um she's a beast.
SPEAKER_02And now she's wrapping up eight years on the neighborhood with uh with Ted the Entertainer. What a what a start you gave her.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I really should be getting commission on that, but you know, don't remind me.
SPEAKER_02And maybe Tim Allen owes you too for shifting gears.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, don't you think you all owe me money and thank yous and I mean I'm gonna I'll be sending an invoice shortly.
SPEAKER_02Well, I am here to give you your flowers because you deserve it. That's so kind. Whitney, I've never seen you live in concert, so I'm super excited that you're coming to Jacksonville. What's the current tour like?
SPEAKER_01Oh God, I'm so funny, dude. It's like kind of crazy. Um no, I don't know how to answer that question. I'm consumed with shame at all times. But what I will say is that I uh, you know, I've done six stand-up specials. I've been doing this for 20 years. Um it's the coolest job on earth. And I think that what happened, you know, with the pandemic, obviously, you know, where you are, it probably didn't last as long as in California where I am, where it was like people are still wearing masks in their cars. I think for me, I was a little bit overdue for an evolution in a software update. And I did have a kid, and uh, I'm just excited for people to see. So it's not only like a really funny show that doesn't lecture anyone on how to vote um or talk about politics without jokes, um, that I am coming with some new insights, you know, as a mom, anyone who's, you know, has kids, uh knows it it's it's a little bit different. And um I think that because of it, I have better insights for people that don't have kids and um now I can sort of fully relate to and jam out with people that do have kids because I think that, you know, as I was, you know, in my late 30s, it was like, well, I mean, a lot of people that are coming to see me have kids and I'm still talking about, you know, dating DJs on Tinder and they just it how are they gonna relate to this? I'm just excited to be able to to show everyone this kind of like new level.
SPEAKER_02It's fun to watch you be a mom on social media.
SPEAKER_01Oh man, thank you. I never know if I'm like doing too much or too little. People are like, oh, you're putting your son on social media. Like, yeah, there I don't, there's nothing else to what do you mean?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think I think you know, someone that's been around the business for a while, your audience is growing with you and they're going through the same thing. So I think it's I think what you're doing is perfect. And I've been in this business for about 30 years and I've seen it with coworkers on the air, like taking their listeners along for the ride.
SPEAKER_01I really appreciate that. And look, if it if it's not for you, that's also fine. You're allowed to not like me. I feel like we're at this time where like if someone isn't obsessed with somebody, we're like, you know, you should like, and I'm I'm down for feedback. I'm a comic. If people don't think something's funny, I'll change it, you know. So um I read the comments, like if something's going in the wrong direction, like I'll of course correct it, you know. So um people are allowed to have their opinions. There seems to be this trend now where it's like comedians, we should have First Amendment right. But then when someone's like, I don't like that joke, we're like, but you shouldn't have it. You don't have free speech, just me.
SPEAKER_02The whole country is a mess, the whole world's a mess. And that's what's fun about going to see a country.
SPEAKER_01It always was, it always was a mess. I think now we just see it more, you know. So I think all we can really do is laugh, you know?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. What do you like better? Do you like writing uh for your uh like on for your tours or for like maybe a roast or for sitcoms? What's your favorite?
SPEAKER_01Oh man, stand-up, stand up always. You know, the other stuff is like really fun to do, and uh, but always comes from stand-up. Like, you know, you never really know how something is going when you're doing those, when you're in front of a bunch of strangers, you know, that that's that's where the electricity is. And and then you don't have to wait three months for it to come out to see if people like it, you know. It's like right there in the moment. You're all at a flow state together. You come off stage, you're like, we were just in like a mass hypnosis together. And you know, the time where everyone, it seems everyone's so divided, they're not, we're not divided. We're all we all have way more in common than we don't. And if you get in a go see a stand-up comic, sit in a room with 2,000 people, like you'll see like we're not that different.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I'm a huge fan of stand-up, so really looking forward to your show. It's Saturday, April 11th at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts Terry Theater. Before I let you go, and I know you're super busy today, how's your pickleball
Touring As A New Mom
SPEAKER_02game coming?
SPEAKER_01Uh, dude, I am so confused about whether I'm good at this or not. It's so hard to tell because I'm so good at it, and then I'll be like, ah, this is easy, and then I'll start sucking. And I'm like, God, like you really have to keep on it. It's it's harder than it looks. Like the the name makes you think it's stupid and you don't have to try hard, but it's actually hard.
SPEAKER_02Well, keep at it and we'll and I'll keep following you on your socials to watch you're getting better and better.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, dude. I really appreciate it. I hope you get to make it to the show.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. Again, the show is Saturday, April 11th at the Jacksonville Center for the Forming Arts. Terry Theater, Whitney Cummings. I know you're super busy. Thank you so much for your time today. It's a real pleasure for me. I'm a big fan.
SPEAKER_01Thank you.
SPEAKER_02Okay, we'll talk to uh full disclosure, I will not be at that show because I'm actually going to Tortuga Music Festival this year. But it slipped my mind while we were chatting. Okay, the Florida Theater is staying busy as always. Comedian Allie Wong is coming Wednesday, April 1st. No fooling. Uh Taj Mahal and uh the Phantom Blues band will be at the Florida Theater on Sunday, April 12th. Taj Mahal, if you're not familiar or if you've never seen um Taj Mahal, that is a show you should look into and possibly not miss. I think it's gonna be an amazing at night. The Peppa Pig, my first concert show, it's the Florida Theater on Thursday, April 16th. The Florida Theater presents country music legend Crystal Gale at the Pontavadia Concert Hall on Saturday, April 18th. More on that show a little bit later on. Bill Murray and his Blood Brothers are coming to the Florida Theater on Sunday, April 19th, an evening of Alton Brown on April 22nd, and the amazing One Night of Queen performed by Gary Mullen and the works. I saw this show last year and it is absolutely phenomenal. Get tickets for these and other shows at Florida Theater.com. A couple of big shows coming to ViceStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 10th. It's Eric Church. Country Singer Hardy will be at the arena on Thursday, April 23rd. And Monday, April 27th, it's the legendary Barry Manilo. All these shows are online at arena.jacksevents.com and tickets available at ticketmaster.com. The Thrasher Horn Center has comedian Jeff Foxworthy on Thursday, April 23rd. Tickets for this show are selling really, really well, but there are still seats available at thcenter.org. Fivejacks and Riverside has Everclear on Thursday, April 23rd. Get to fivejacks.com for tickets. And the FSDJ Artist Series has a beautiful noise, the Neil Diamond musical, running April 14th through the 19th. This touring show stars American Idol season 14 winner Nick Fradiani. And I had a chance to chat with Nick about the show a couple of weeks ago.
SPEAKER_00I'm doing well. We're in uh right now we are in uh where the heck am I? I'm in San Antonio right now, so we got some nice weather, which is good.
SPEAKER_02Um That reminded me of a scene from The Simpsons where I forget the band, but they had to look at the back of their guitar to say what city they were in.
SPEAKER_00Well, I'll be honest with you, we do a scene in the musical where we go to a different, you know, the he's kind of the arena scene where Neil's going from city to city, and every at the end of it I say thank you to wherever we are, whatever city it is. And I'm always so paranoid I'm gonna say the wrong city because we are in a different city, you know. We've been in like sixty some odd cities. I go up to my to our our uh band director and I say, We're we're in I'll say the city named him. He's like, Yes.
SPEAKER_02I get that. Uh I'm always paranoid of it. I'm not gonna call out the A-list country singer, but there was one here in town in town re recently. Uh well, actually it's been a few years now, but he kept calling us Tampa, and we were all like, Is he drunk or was he in Tampa last night?
SPEAKER_00Unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02Hey, before we get too far into the interview, I want to ask you how Sammy's doing. I saw um your dog had got hit by a car, I guess right around New Year's.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, December 30th, and uh that's so sweet that you saw that. Yeah, he uh he's doing great. He um it's crazy. We we he went through three major surgeries. Uh he broke his leg, his most of his hip region, like his pelvis, and had stomach surgery. Uh it was pretty extensive, but he even he's kind of at like a full recovery already a month and a half later. Like he did rehab and stuff. He got out of the out of the hospital about fifteen days and then he spent uh you know, four weeks of kind of doing rehab and stuff, but he's doing fantastic. It's kind of like it's kind of shocking how dogs can recover quicker than humans can. Uh yeah, just thankful that he's alright. So thank you for asking. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Does he travel with you?
SPEAKER_00No, he doesn't. He was back in he was in New York City. It's kind of too tough because a lot of the places don't take animals, and we do have some dogs that travel with uh people on the Tortor, but with my schedule and everything, it wouldn't have been fair to him. Like I wanted to take him, but it's
Stand-Up Versus Sitcom Writing
SPEAKER_00too much.
SPEAKER_02Uh you did the benefit, the carousel of hope benefit back in October with Neil Diamond. How how was that for you?
SPEAKER_00Oh my god. I mean that was a uh that was pretty crazy. I mean, it was a last minute thing. Um we were in Memphis performing the show and I knew that he was doing this uh this gala um in Denver and he was considering um maybe trying to perform. He was gonna give a speech and he was accepting an award and there was, you know, talk that he wanted to, you know, maybe try to perform and uh I had some mutual friends that were working that were book you know, over time you'd meet a lot of the same people through different things and I knew the people that were doing the booking for it and they said, you know, your name has been brought up by Neo and his wife that maybe if you could come he would consider performing if you were up there with him. Um and so I just messaged his wife and said, Listen, I can get out there if, you know, I could make it so I only miss like one one show of the musical. So basically I did the show Friday night, flew, woke up at 3 a.m., flew to Denver and uh performed with him on Saturday, and then flew back to Memphis Sunday and did the shows. So it was pretty crazy. But it was a it was a really awesome experience. I got to sit with him in his hotel room and kinda rehearse the song, go over it, talk, you know, and talk about uh sweet Caroline and talk about guitars he's played and it was I mean, it was something I'll never forget.
SPEAKER_02So Nick, I'm a massive, and I mean massive American Idol fan. So I've known of you ever since you won season 14. I I like to follow I like to follow the careers of the winners because I am just such a a dedicated fan. What's it like for this kid who wins American Idol to go on and get to do I mean you this Neil Diamond project is a passion for you. I've seen interviews where you talked about contacting your agent and becoming like an understudy and working your way up to this thing.
SPEAKER_00Well well, thank you for following along and and um you know it's as you know you followed all the different winners, so you know how many of us have such different trajectories and and have go on, so it's such different, you know, you have some people that you know, you have your Carries and your Kelly's and these massive, massive stars that and then you have other people that kinda, you know, have great careers and some people that struggle and and it's uh it's a constant like you know, you're always trying to find your footing after it. And um and I was you know, I was kind of going through that. I mean I I I was lucky enough to be able to always perform and it it was a career for me after Idol, which is kind of the goal, but you know, it was it was getting difficult and and I was just so lucky to have found theater um in 2019 and that's kind of taken me on a on a cool journey. Uh and then yeah, this this in particular was like kind of meant to be, and it's kind of given me this second kind of wind. Um, you know, even on my own, selling a lot more tickets on my own, doing my own stuff because of the Neil stuff. I mean, I think it it shows how many fans Neil has, but his fans have kind of become mine too. I've I've gained so much of a different following, so it's it's cool to have the idol thing and now also have this Neil uh thing happening uh for my career. It's helped out quite a bit. Um But yeah, this one's been life changing. I mean, it's been going on, I've been involved with this for over four years now. And then this will be it for me. I'll be done in um in July. Um but it's been it's been definitely life-changing and uh and pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_02That kind of brings me up to what my next question was gonna be, and that is life after a beautiful noise. Have you is there anything already in the works or you know, what are you thinking?
SPEAKER_00Um Yeah, life after a beautiful noise. That's a it's a that's a weird thought because there's that's that's all I've known now for so long. But um I mean definitely uh you know, I've been writing a lot and and recording on uh you know, we had a couple layovers. We had about four weeks of layovers in these two years, as well as I've taken some vacations and uh and basically all I did on my vacations was go home and
Pickleball And Jacksonville Show Plug
SPEAKER_00record. So I have about six songs recorded and a bunch of songs written that we want to go back in and record and um so the goal is to kind of go back and and do my own thing for a little bit again. Uh I think for theater it would have to be the right fit for me to wanna to do something else right off the bat. I think I don't th I do think I will get back into it because I mean really been doing theater ever since right before COVID and all the way through. So I I would imagine I'll do it again, but it's gotta be the right thing for me because I do miss, you know, kind of doing my own thing and and performing as myself. Um and uh So yeah, I'll probably just get back in the studio. I mean I I wouldn't be surprised if there's another I mean I turned down, I was I was offered to go do the show in Australia, but I just was not able to I was just so exhausted and Australia would be the minute this ended, I would have to have gone to Australia, so I decided to not do that. But I know that there are possibilities of other countries um doing doing this musical, and I think I'll always kinda get the call from our wonderful producer Ken. So uh I think there's also a world where, you know, maybe after a year there's somewhere in London or somewhere in who knows where in Europe where uh you know they're they're doing this musical that I might go back and try it again just for cause I I don't know. I just can't imagine it going away fully for me. So I do think there will be another another time to do this show as well.
SPEAKER_02Well, coming off the Oscar nominated Song Sung Blue, maybe there'll be a a beautiful noise the movie.
SPEAKER_00I know, I know. Well, you never know, but yeah, it's amazing. I'm I mean I'm very thankful for I'm very thankful about for that movie because that's also given uh us a boost, I think. And um also just Neil, I mean, he deserves it. He's getting I'm I'm glad to see him
Local Venue Calendar Roundup
SPEAKER_00getting all these accolades and he's seeing it all, you know. Um to to to have the movie take off like this and the musical, uh especially on the road, has just been kind of spelling like like incredibly well. Um so you know, performing to millions and millions of people over the last few years, I think just his music's getting out to all different people now, you know, and different generations are learning about him and just beyond sweet Caroline, you know, because he's had so many hits and written so many hits for other people. So uh I'm really thankful that he's getting to see all this, all the love.
SPEAKER_02That's a really good point because a lot of times a lot of artists don't get their flowers until after they're gone. They don't get to see the adoration. I cannot thank you enough for your time. As I'm as I told you, I'm an American Idol fan. I almost get starstruck whenever I get to talk to an American Idol alum of any kind.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much. And and I'm excited to get to Jacksonville. I've performed uh at this theater when uh this will be my third time. I performed during the Idol finale. I mean the idol uh tour, I believe, came to this theater. Yes. And then I performed in a Bronx tale, uh, the musical in 2019 here, and now coming back a third time. And I have my my cousin, my first cousin, uh who I'm very close with, uh Kevin Maher. He lives in Jacksonville. His two sons were gonna be there, and his wife and some. I've been looking forward to Jacksonville for a long time, so I'll have a lot of family there, and uh, and so I I I promise you you will get a you will get an amazing show. So please come out and and check out the A Beautiful Noise.
SPEAKER_02I literally just got my Neil Diamond shirt in the mail yesterday, so I am I'm all ready.
SPEAKER_00Love it.
SPEAKER_02Well, Nick, thanks again for your time. We look forward to seeing you here in Jacksonville and safe travels. Tell Sammy I said hello.
SPEAKER_00I definitely will.
SPEAKER_02Thanks, Nick. I'm such a geek. All right, finally, the Pontavia concert hall recently went through a massive renovation. So I invited Diana Markovich and Lily Snowden to join me in studio to talk about the renovation as well as April shows for the concert hall and the Amp St. Augustine. We're joined right now by Lily and Diana from, well, I guess I should say the Amp, but also the Ponovigia Concert Hall. What do you guys
Nick Fradiani Joins From The Road
SPEAKER_02call the group?
SPEAKER_04SJC Cultural Events Inc., it's the 501c3 nonprofit organization.
SPEAKER_02Wait, are both of those venues nonprofit? I did not know that.
SPEAKER_04Yep. We are uh we're operated by a nonprofit organization. Yes.
SPEAKER_02So all these years I've been doing good and didn't even know it?
SPEAKER_04Well, uh you've been doing good, but it it really became a nonprofit in October of 2023 when we separated from St. John's County as a government entity. So we've either been you know owned and operated by St. John's County, we were a cultural events division um up until October 2023 when we separated and became our own nonprofit organization.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so you've been there going all the way back, not counting the time you were away. When did you start there? 2014. 2014. And Lily, how long have you been there?
SPEAKER_03Uh uh April 14th will be my one year.
SPEAKER_02One year. Okay, I have to ask this question, Diana. Does Lily know the story about what you did for me?
SPEAKER_04I don't think she does.
SPEAKER_02I got to tell you a really, really cool quick story. I'm a Duran Duran fanatic. I toured to see Duran Duran, I have since 1987. I've seen them like 70 times.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow.
SPEAKER_02They were going to be at the Amp St. Augustine and I was going to be on a cruise at the time that the tickets went on sale. So I called Diana and I'm like, if I give you my credit card number, can you give me some seats? I don't care where they are, just anywhere you know in the theater. So she said, Yeah, yeah, no problem. I go on my cruise, I get back, I email her, do we get tickets? She's like, Yeah, you're all set. So I didn't ask where or anything like that. I get there that night, I get my tickets, and they are when I say dead front center, front row, I've seen Duran Duran 70 times, and they were by far the best tickets I've ever had. Oh my gosh. And so I just I still feel like I owe you that that gratitude.
SPEAKER_04My pleasure. My pleasure. That's what we do. We kind of make these experiences happen, and that's what that's what fuels at least me and my excitement for the show and what we do is this uh you know that that Beatlemania where people just kind of lose their marbles over their favorite band. It's contagious. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's funny, we got so many great pictures from there, and I uh made some of them into black and white and blew them up on Canvas. Very cool. So they're just these really, really cool pictures of us like right up there with the band. So it was awesome. Do you have a favorite show you've seen there yet, Lily?
SPEAKER_03Oh well, Billy Strings is the classic. Yes, that's always a great show. Recently uh I saw Tadashi Trucks band.
SPEAKER_02Was that your first time?
SPEAKER_03Um yes.
SPEAKER_02Oh, very cool. Because they've been around uh obviously they're from here. Yes, so that's cool.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was amazing.
SPEAKER_02Diana, do you have a favorite show that you've seen of the Ampere?
SPEAKER_04There have been uh it's it sounds, you know, trite, but there's been so many that really have just kind of blown my mind. But I think some of the funnest ones were um uh a pit bull was one of the most fun I've ever seen. It was a Super Bowl party. It was dancing and it was confetti and it was it was just so much energy and so much fun. Um and then you've got the opposite of that where you have a band like Slowdive come in and where it's just beautiful and it's just set this this ambiance, you know, where everybody's just in the zone and in the moment. Like Kronga Band was the same thing where everybody's just kind of trans, you know, transfixed on what the band is playing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And um you look around and everybody has this shared moment together where they're just in this moment.
SPEAKER_02It's funny as you were saying that, I was thinking about the fact that there may be people in Jacksonville or North Florida that have never been. I hadn't been until the until it I guess reopened with Little Richard opening it up, and I went to that show and I was like, this is where I need to be for the rest of my life. That show is amazing. The architecture of the roof, I guess you call it a roof, um, of an outdoor uh amphitheater. But I guess it's designed so that no matter where the wind's coming from, it kind of like goes away. It's such a beautiful, beautiful theater, which is easy to create a beautiful experience with.
SPEAKER_04Thank you. Thank you. We're really proud of it. We're we are incredibly honored that it's on State Park land because you're surrounded by this gorgeous,
A Scary Dog Accident And Recovery
SPEAKER_04you know, Florida native flora and fauna, and then you see birds flying. You sometimes you might see a raccoon. Yeah. Like, you know, it but it really just sets the tone for this really great outdoor experience that you know I think a lot of people aren't used to when they go to a music venue.
SPEAKER_02Right. I think the only thing close to it is Red Rocks that I've been to myself. Um the sunsets at the amphitheater are amazing. I mean, no matter what time of year it is, you just get these amazing views of the sunset. Thanks amazing. And I really love um I I guess I'm gonna call it new, but it's not super new. But that area to the front where they cut, I guess they call it the porch.
SPEAKER_03The front porch.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the front porch. And then also the area uh off to the side that they do the meet and greets, and there's like a little what do you guys call that area?
SPEAKER_04The amp choice area. The amp choice. But yeah, the front porch is a lot of fun. Uh we've been working on a lot of like pre-parties. Yeah. And we just entered into a um and uh a partnership with Turtle Box, so they're gonna supply really great sounding outdoor speakers on that front porch. Oh, that's awesome. So it really creates this pre-party kind of atmosphere because we want people to come out and just have a good time right before the show, during the show, and then you know, after the show, they just leave feeling really, really good.
SPEAKER_02It's cool because you can tailgate without being at your car. Like you can go be with like-minded people, people who love the artists that you're going to see, and it's just a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_04Totally. And like like Lily was saying, Billy Strings, I mean, you've got Shakedown Street happening. Oh, yeah. Um, you want to talk about what happens at Shakedown Street?
SPEAKER_02What is I don't know what Shakedown Street is.
SPEAKER_03What's Shakedown? Shakedown Street is where all these vendors come and basically set up almost like a farmer's market, but for tie-dye and um grilled cheese, yes, and burritos and uh crystals and all kinds of fun stuff.
SPEAKER_02So you can can people go to Shakedown Street if they don't have a ticket to Billy Strings? Yes. Because I know all three of those shows have sold out.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02So I feel like I'm teasing people if we talk about it and they can't go.
SPEAKER_03No, you definitely can. Um probably bike or walk there. Okay. Yes, because parking, you can't park in a lot unless you have a parking pass for the show, which is very limited.
SPEAKER_02That's why I say thank God for that lodge next door. Yes, yes. Because that's a great if you get there a little late, that lodges usually have some uh some parking spaces.
SPEAKER_03Yes, so it should be a lot of fun. And our parking lot is sponsored by Beaver Toyota, and we love our parking lot. It's not only a place to put your car, but it's a place for community and gathering. I love that. Yes.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. Okay, I want to talk about shows coming to the amp, but before we get there, let's talk about the newly renovated Pontavita concert hall. I haven't been in it yet, and I cannot wait. I think this Friday night, uh, by the time this drops, this will have already happened. But Wayne Freaking Newton at the Pontavia concert hall. I was going around telling everybody I'm going to see Wayne Freakin' Newton. Except I didn't say freaking. Um Tell us about the renovation and what people can expect uh at the new building.
SPEAKER_04Um well, certainly we're we're thrilled that it's opened. It was a 14-month uh renovation, so it took a it took a while and $12.9 million worth of renovation. And a lot of that includes, you know, we had a capacity increase of 25%. So we were, you know, we can go between a standing or seated venue. A lot of people ask us, well, why is it I wanna I don't want to be standing, I want to be seated. That's great. We now have a loft set um section where there are always permanent seats. So if it's a standing show, there are some bands that want to have a standing, you know, kind of pit area. Um you can sit in the loft. We also have balcony seats now. So our again, our capacity increased by about 25%.
Singing With Neil Diamond In Denver
SPEAKER_04So seated it's around 683 seats.
SPEAKER_02Wow.
SPEAKER_04Standing, it's 1100. And that's some of the biggest, the biggest change is what it feels like on the inside. But it is uh very, very different. If you were there previous, it it had a it had a feel to it. It was a former Baptist church, it had high ceilings, you know, there were there was a lot to it that really kind of was reminiscent of that time in the 1980s. This is a completely different venue. You when you walk in, you're comp it it's a complete transformation.
SPEAKER_02It's a different vibe. I saw so many great shows there, including Tiffany, and I don't know if you were there for that or know about that, but she came off the stage and walked through the crowd while performing, signing autographs. I saw Living Color there. Yes, one of the best shows I've ever seen. Like it's so personal and so intimate. And so I'm really happy for this renovation. I can't wait to get in there and check out this venue because something like that was needed uh at the beach. I felt like it I felt like a lot of people didn't get the the venue when it was what it was. But I think now people are gonna be like, oh, this is this is a viable place to go see a show.
SPEAKER_04It is. I mean, it really it it's an experience because we've we also offer like uh enhanced food and beverage, so we like to encourage people to come out for a dinner and a show. Oh, cool. And Lily can talk about uh the some of the amazing stuff that we offer as part of our food.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, our um food and beverage director is actually the owner of Sunday gathering table in St. Augustine. His name is Ed Baltsey, and his food is amazing. We're doing like shrimp and crits and oyster sliders. Yes, it's all very North Floridian. We try to locally source as much as we can, so we like to keep it, you know, in town. Um it's all very, very, very good. I've had most of the menu myself, and I love all of it.
SPEAKER_02So I think I will have most of the menu on Friday night. I just eat like that. I'll take one of everything, please. That sounds amazing. What else is new uh and different from from uh before?
SPEAKER_03We did install our L2D L Acoustic sound system, and I would say that is a huge, huge game changer because the sound is really perfect. You can hear every instrument in the band, and it sounds amazing in there. I've had a lot of uh musician friends come out and tell me that you know it sounds completely different and it's outstanding.
SPEAKER_02I'm so excited. I was looking earlier. Part of my job as the promotions director is to kind of keep an eye on how things are selling. Sometimes I'll reach out to a venue, you know, a couple weeks out and say, hey, do you need some help with this show or whatever? And I was looking at uh Marin Morris, I think the second night, there's literally like one seat left except for the standing room. So that show's doing really well. I cannot wait to see some of these shows in the newly renovated uh Pontavitra concert hall.
SPEAKER_04Well, and that's what's really cool. You'll see someone like Marin Morris, and she will then move on to the St. Austin Amphitheater and then move on to an arena. I mean, Marin is just that kind of star, that rising meteoric star. Yeah. So this is your opportunity to see her in a really intimate setting where you're up close and personal, where yeah, someone might hop off the stage and say, Hey, I'm gonna come sing in the audience, just like Tiffany did.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. And then afterwards, if they stick around, it's easy to just get a little bit of time for a picture or whatever. When I tell you guys how much I love the venues in this market, it's the reason I started this podcast. And I'll mention some other venues maybe throughout. I hope you don't it's not stepping on toes.
SPEAKER_04I really rising tides lift off.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. I want everyone to do well because that brings more great talent here. So I'm super excited to get to the Ponamicure concert hall and check it out. Speaking of which, is there anything else we want to talk about about the new renovation before we go on onto what's coming?
SPEAKER_04I mean, I think once somebody comes on site, they'll they'll realize the full transformation that happened. I mean, it we've got two gorgeous outdoor terraces. Um, like I said, we have new balcony seating, we have the loft seating, um, our parking lot is completely redone, landscaped, everything. I mean, it's just everything has been transformed.
SPEAKER_03And we have a ton of new bathrooms, so there is never a line.
SPEAKER_02That's important. That's important to let people know about.
SPEAKER_04When and the other thing is um the Kookabera has a coffee outpost there, so you can go in there and go grab coffee anytime during the day, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Sunday, and come in, have a have a cup of coffee, maybe sneak a peek at the venue.
SPEAKER_02I did not know that. And that's another St. Augustine company, right? It is. It is awesome.
SPEAKER_04We also have them at the uh St. Augustine Amphitheater.
SPEAKER_02A few months before it opened, maybe a year into the renovation, or I don't know how long it took, but there was a drone video. Do you remember? Like going through the construction. I don't know who shot that or where that came from, but it got me so excited to see all the things that were happening inside the building.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, he did uh Brad Gleaton, um, Arial Dad does uh did um a monthly drone footage for us, and it really helped to keep that excitement going while we're closed for 14 months.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And to see that transformation because people, you know, you can talk about it, but it's not until you see it where you really are going, wow, that's completely right, you know, transformed.
SPEAKER_02I was going office to office telling everybody, you gotta pull up the website, you gotta see this drone video. It's amazing.
SPEAKER_04Thanks on me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. All right, let's talk about some of the shows coming to the Pontavitra concert hall in April. You guys have the band Perry on April 8th. This is a band that's kind of going through a re a revitalization right now.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02Were you a big fan of them? Because you're you're younger, a little younger than how I'm not gonna ask how old you are, but have you seen them before?
SPEAKER_03I uh yes, I actually saw them recently in Jacksonville in November. Oh, that's right. They were at the beach, right? Yeah, they were at um Seawalk Pavilion. Yeah. Yeah. It was really fun. It was a really fun show.
SPEAKER_02I'm really looking forward to seeing them. I haven't seen them in a few years.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I did grow up listening to them too, so that was really fun.
SPEAKER_02So you know all that stuff. When I die, yeah. I love those guys. So you guys have Jimmy Vaughn coming on April 9th. He was with the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The Fabulous Thunderbirds are coming on April 14th. Could we not just schedule them together? They don't do they play together at all anymore?
SPEAKER_04I don't think so. Yeah, not to my knowledge.
SPEAKER_02Wow. I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn back in the 80s uh opening up for Huey Lewis in the news. And then like the next year, the Fabulous Thunderbirds came to town. Yes. Like I said, this was way, way back when Jimmy Ray Vaughn or Jimmy Vaughn is amazing.
SPEAKER_04He is great. He's fantastic.
Life After A Beautiful Noise
SPEAKER_04That's really good. That's what we like to say at Pontavidra we'll have between 130, 150 shows a year. So you'll see all kinds of genres, you know. Like we love that rock. We love Americana, bluegrass, jazz, you know, blues, all of it.
SPEAKER_02It's why Billy Strings has sold out three nights. I mean, it's incredible. Crystal Gale. Oh my gosh, April 18th. That air. I know that talk about legend. Yes. I mean legend. Are you guys excited about that show? Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04Well, that's the other, like you have these people that are either on like this rising uh you know trajectory in their career, or they've gotten to a place where they've played those big arenas, where they've played those massive halls, and they've said, you know what, I want to go and do something intimate, like Crystal Gale doing an intimate show at Pontavidra, Graham Nash coming out and doing an intimate show. Um, we have just like 10,000 maniacs and Steve Earl, it's and Bruce Hornsby. Bruce Hornsby playing, you know, so close to where you're seated.
SPEAKER_02That's incredible. It is incredible. When I was, I think, in fifth or sixth grade, Crystal Gale played the Jacksonville Agricultural Fair. That's when the old Coliseum was here. Oh wow. And I saw her there as a little kid. Yeah. And now I get the chance to see her again. It's amazing. Uh we mentioned Marin Morris April 27th and 28th, and both of those shows sell in really, really well.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02So PVconcerthall.com, not org.
SPEAKER_04Nope. PVconcerthall.com.com for all those shows.
SPEAKER_02Are there any other shows coming to the Bonavisu Concert Hall that I didn't mention that you want to talk about?
SPEAKER_03Mountain Grass Unit. Oh yes, Mountain Grass Unit is coming on April 11th.
SPEAKER_02I think it is the 11th, yeah.
SPEAKER_03No, that's Daniel Donato. We'll have to edit that out.
unknownOh man.
SPEAKER_02No, I saw Daniel Donato. I don't know why I didn't put that on my list.
SPEAKER_03Daniel Donato is coming to the concert hall on April 11th, which is gonna be a really fun show. And Mountain Grass Unit is coming on April 17th.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_02I should have put everything on my list so I was a little more prepared.
SPEAKER_03No worries.
SPEAKER_02So again, uh PVconcerthall.com for all those shows, and there are so many amazing shows. It's gonna be a fun time. All right, let's talk about the amp. I used to say I was married to the amp, but I cheat cheat with Dailies Place. So now that Dailies is a little on a two-year hiatus, I'm completely faithful to the amp.
SPEAKER_04Well, thank you. Thanks for coming back. Of course.
SPEAKER_02Well, she's she's been my she's been my spouse forever. Uh I love the amp so much. Like I said, when uh with the little Richard show, yeah. I just fell in love with that place. I just feel like when I'm there, I'm home. So let's talk about some of the shows coming in April. You guys kick off April with four sold-out shows. Three nights of Billy Strings and then Santana.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_02Kudos to you guys. I saw Billy Strings for the first time. It was two years ago now. I went to Louisville, Kentucky for the Bourbon and Beyond Festival to see guess who? Duran Duran. But Billy Strings happened to be there uh at around the same time. And so uh I became a fan. You're obviously a fan, right?
SPEAKER_03Yes, I am.
SPEAKER_02You know, give a special place in your heart for bluegrass or for that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_03I do. I actually a few years ago I didn't know who he was, and I asked, I used to work at the Florida Theater, and so I had asked Kevin, you know, hey, do you know anyone selling any Billy Springs tickets? And he said, Yeah, I think I do. And so um I went for the first time, having no expectations, no idea who he was, and I just fell in love with him.
SPEAKER_02So that's exactly what happened with us at the festival up in Louisville. Like I had no idea who he was. I had a friend that worked in radio up there, in country radio, and she's like, You're gonna love this guy. And she's right. I was like, whoa. At the time, I had not seen Britney Howard either. She was scheduled to play the Florida Theater right before COVID hit, and I was super excited. I asked Kevin, can you please bring Britney Howard? And now we'll get to that, but I'm gonna get to see her at the Amp St. Augustine. Uh April 9th, it's Dwight Yoakum with American Idol winner Chase Beckham. Solid, solid show. I have to say, I'm not gonna see Dwight at the Amp because the next night he's playing Tortuga.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02And I'm going down there that night that he's playing the Amp, I'm going down the night before. This will be my first year doing three nights of Tortuga.
SPEAKER_04Wow. So I'm super.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he's opening up for Post Malone. Okay. So that should be a really yeah, that should be a fun show. Yeah. Uh so Dwight Yockum and uh Chase Beckham on April 9th. I'm a crazy idol fan too. So that's why I'm super excited about that one. April 12th is Taste of St. Augustine. Tell me about this event.
SPEAKER_04Taste of St. Augustine is brought to you by Epic. Over a dozen local restaurants come out and sample all of their food. Um, it's a really cool setup around the amphitheater because you know it's a bowl. So you can get to go to restaurant after restaurant after restaurant and sample all of their fantastic foods. It's a fundraiser for Epicure. And then it starts off with the race to the taste, which is a 5K, it's super fun 5K. And then you end up at the amphitheater and you get to sample all this wonderful food. But it's an example of the community events that we have at the amphitheater. We're not just concerts. Right. We love to have community events. Um, as we say, you know, it is a community space. We have that farmers market every Saturday morning from 8 30 to 12:30 where it's free to come. You can just come out and listen to you know some live music if you want on our front porch, sample, you know, local food trucks, but also grab your local produce and goods. Taste of St. Augustine is an example of the community events that we like to hold at the amphitheater, in addition to the, you
Pont Vedra Concert Hall Team Intro
SPEAKER_04know, we have high school and college graduations that happen there. So it's really cool. Yeah, it's great to have students walk across the same stage as somebody like, you know, uh like Dwight Yoakum has played, you know, or or Britney Howard or somebody has played, you know, they get to walk across that same stage. But the the amphitheater really uh and the concert hall serves as community spaces for a lot of events, and we love that. We love that aspect of it. We want everyone to know that the these are two venues that that service St. John's County.
SPEAKER_02I didn't realize you guys did graduations.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, oh yeah, definitely. That's cool.
SPEAKER_02And it's interesting that you would have a food tasting in a bowl. I I get the iron irony there.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's a food festival. So come out if you want to have a if you want to have a good day of trying out good local food, come out to to taste the St. Augustine.
SPEAKER_02I haven't been to a farmer's market there yet, uh, but I know how huge they are, uh, the Riverside Arts Market. How's the farmers farmers markets on Saturdays there?
SPEAKER_03Oh my god. Amazing. Yeah, yes, you should definitely try to make it down there.
SPEAKER_02I know there's a lot of farms like in Hastings or in that area. Uh do you guys get a lot of the farmers from there?
SPEAKER_03Yes. I would say what within a hundred miles, the farmers come. Yeah. And it's amazing. We get 3,200 people a Saturday.
SPEAKER_0280 mil an hour.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02That's a great way to start a day in St. Augustine.
SPEAKER_03Yes, it's it's amazing. And our bars are open during that time. So you can have a mimosa and walk around and look at the farmers.
SPEAKER_02Or maybe a bloody Mary. Or a bloody marriage. If you don't drink mimosas, yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. I'm glad to know that because I haven't really been to St. Augustine as a tourist in many, many years. I need to get down there and do that because I love there's a place called, I think it's called Pizalis, or is it Pizza Alley?
SPEAKER_04Pizzalis. Pizale's, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I love going to Pizalis for dinner. It's just a great little place. So I need to plan a day in St. Augustine. What am I talking about? I absolutely have to plan a day in St. Augustine. All right, you guys have Trace Atkins' 30th anniversary tour coming on April 16th. What a fun show he puts on.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Are you guys country music fans in general?
SPEAKER_04Um, well, we we just had Tracy Lawrence and Robert Erlow Keane over at Ponta Vidra Concert Hall, and it's such a fun vibe. People are excited. They dress up for the show, they sing along, they get up and dance. So country music is a lot of fun. We've had Brad Paisley play a few times at the Ponta Vidra, I'm sorry, at the St. Austin Amphitheater.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Huge, huge show. So we love it. We love having country um acts come.
SPEAKER_02Lily, you're probably not old enough enough to remember. I was at uh WAPE or The Big Ape for gosh, 17 years.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow.
SPEAKER_02Before we came over to Gator Country, and now that's been 20 years ago. Well. So I grew up on pop music and listening to that. I worked in a record store as a kid, but country music's kind of like coming home for me. And ever since we've been here at Gator Country, I just feel like because I grew up on hee-haw, you know, around my house, like if if the rifleman was on or something like that, it was like, everyone be quiet. You know, my dad was so country. I grew up on a dairy farm, so that's why. Uh, you guys have Foreigner come on on April 17th. Is that show sold out?
SPEAKER_04It's pretty close to it. You usually get pretty excited about that.
SPEAKER_02We're super excited about that one. Like super excited because Lou Reed's with them. Not Lou Reed, but um Lou Graham. Okay, I was like, Lou Reed. The look on your face is like, wait a minute, what? Lou Graham, because Lou Graham's the original lead singer, just that voice you recognize. And I think he's uh gonna be on, they're
The Duran Duran Front Row Story
SPEAKER_02gonna do the four album in its entirety, and then like a like a greatest hits after that. Yes. So that's gonna be a really, really special night. And I think this is their last tour, right?
SPEAKER_04It it sounds like it. Um you know, you never know. They they feel like they come back at the, you know, Robert O'King just came out of uh retirement, it was just like I'll play again. Like it's hard to give it up. It's a it's addicting, it's fun.
SPEAKER_02I think George Strait officially retired about four years ago, but he keeps doing festivals and rodeos and things, so there's always a chance to see. But if if you're a foreigner fan, do not miss this opportunity because this will probably be the only time you'll see them with Lou Graham, not Lou Reed. The Russell Mania Tour, April 24th. I'm excited about this because I'm a huge Russell Dickerson fan. I've seen him so many times. His energy on stage is unmatched.
SPEAKER_03Is it?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. And I think Dash is with him on that show.
SPEAKER_03I think so too. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I just love the name the Russell Mania Tour.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. It's fun.
SPEAKER_02It's fun. The merchandise opportunities are like endless.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah. Totally. And when an artist brings fun like that, it's just like I said, it's contagious. You want to have a good time. Like, and if you don't have a good time, you were not meant, you were just not in the mood to go to a show.
SPEAKER_02And and Russell Dickerson's one of those artists. Like, when you go see him, you know you're going to a party. Awesome. Like it is going to be an absolute party. All right, April 26th, Alabama Shakespeare. So I'm a huge Alabama Shakes fan. I cried when they broke up, but I'm a huge Brittany Howard fan. So as I mentioned earlier, I missed her at the Florida Theater during COVID. Caught her with Billy Strings in Louisville, and now they're back together and coming to the Amp St. Augustine, and I'm super pumped.
SPEAKER_03Me too. I can't wait. Did you see her on the Oscars the other night?
SPEAKER_02I did, of course, during the center's um the center's performance. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It was her and also Shabuzi was on stage with them. So it's kind of nice to get a little glimpse of both.
SPEAKER_03Yes. And Kingfish was on stage as well, and he's coming to the concert hall in a few days. In March.
SPEAKER_04In March.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I didn't know that. I don't think I I don't think I caught that. Yeah. That's so cool. That was a great performance. I feel like they should have given Britney a little more time. Yes. Like maybe maybe five minutes to do just do her things.
SPEAKER_03Just the whole show.
SPEAKER_02She's so amazing. I just I feel like she's one of the unsung heroes. You know, I mentioned uh Living Color earlier and their uh guitarist, Vernon Reed, I think is one of the most underrated and underappreciated guitarists ever. And I just feel like
Why The Amp Feels Special
SPEAKER_02Brittany Howard is just so amazing. She is. So we got tickets for that show too. So I'm super, super pumped that you guys have Alabama Shakes coming.
SPEAKER_04It's gonna be a powerhouse show. Oh my god, it's gonna be amazing.
SPEAKER_02No doubt about it. Uh is there anything we didn't cover that you guys want to talk about for either venue?
SPEAKER_04I mean, you you know it all. Yeah, I mean it's yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02You're I don't know it all. You guys know it all, but I do know uh some of the great shows that are coming that I want people to know about that maybe they didn't. Thank you. Um again, I mentioned uh before we started recording, that's what this podcast is all about, is just letting people know like how many great venues and great shows that we have. I think for me, Jacksonville is like the music capital of the South. I don't know any other city, even in Florida, that has as many venues as we do.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we're pretty we're pretty fortunate. We um we were actually just named by Billboard Magazine the top East Coast amphitheater in the United States. Yeah, I did not know that. Yeah, congratulations. A huge honor for us. And it it just, you know, like I said, we love the fact that bands are looking at North Florida. Yeah, you know, ten years ago they weren't. They were bypassing us. They would go from Atlanta down to Orlando, down to Miami, and that would be it. So for them to make us another stop, you know, and all the venues that are here in town, it's just fantastic because we're getting on the radar and more and more bands are starting to come through and say, Yeah, I'll stop there. Yeah, I'll play there.
SPEAKER_02It's funny, growing up and working at WAPE through the 90s and early 2000s, we were seeing most of the shows going to Orlando, Atlanta. I would travel frequently to Miami or Tampa or wherever to see shows. And now in the last 15, 20 years, like it's just all these great venues have come, including the little venues like Five and Riverside and Decca, like all these great little venues, as you mentioned, artists that are coming up now have a little place to go and find their audience here in North Florida. And I I just want to spend my whole life just like shouting like how great it is to come play here.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Thanks, Ami. Thank you for being so like excited about it. I mean, we're we're naturally excited about it. It's our jobs. Yeah, but to see that, like to feel that energy and be able to say, hey, come experience this for the first time or for the millionth time. Right. I mean, I met a couple who'd seen boxing 30 times and just kept coming back to the amphitheater to see him again. It's it's it's something that you know can transform you that can take you from a real bad mood to a real good mood pretty quickly.
SPEAKER_02That's the thing, is when you go to a concert, like everything else can kind of wash away for a few hours. Troubles with work, relationships, whatever it is, you're just in this zone with all these people that share this love for what you're doing. It's why I fly all over the place to see Duran Duran because I meet new Duran fans and we become friends on Facebook and we have this community, and I totally get fandom, whether it's of an 80s pop band or metal or whatever it is, I get it and I appreciate it. And that's why I want everyone to know what's going on here.
SPEAKER_04Well, thank you. Thank you so much for chatting with us and telling us, you know, being on top of all the shows. Thank you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, of course. Thank you for coming up all the way from St. Augustine. It could have been a phone interview, but the quality is so much better in studio. Yeah, no doubt.
SPEAKER_04And it's more fun to be in studio for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Yeah, absolutely. So, Lily and Diana from uh from the St. Augustine Amphitheater and the Pontavidra concert hall. Thank you for coming in and being on the show. We'll have to do this again maybe in six months or so when some new shows are announced.
SPEAKER_04That sounds good. Thanks so much, Ami. Thank you. Thanks for listening.
SPEAKER_02By the way, I did get to the Ponta Vegra concert hall for that Wayne Newton show. I'm sorry, Wayne Freaking Newton. It was amazing. The concert hall is amazing. It's so beautiful. You have to get down there. I mean, just get to their website, see what's coming, and commit to getting out there. It's a lot of fun. That's gonna do it for this episode. On my next episode, we'll be joined by Long Island Medium Teresa Caputo, and we'll tell you about any newly announced shows and let you know what's happening live from Jacksonville.