Who's Coming to BIG Culture and Arts Festival?
Updated March 29: Article was updated to include full name of Porters Quarters neighborhood, changing it from “Porters” to “Porters’ Quarters.” It was initially reported that BIG 2025 would have seven stages and that a schedule of performances wasn’t available. Several days prior to the release of this article, Alachua County published a schedule of performances on their Instagram. The post says there will be three stages but local businesses will host several shows.
The How Bazar (HB) and Dion Dia Records (DDR) will be hosting the BIG Culture and Arts Festival (BIG 2025) on April 11 & 12.
Dion Dia Records and How Bazar:
DDR is owned by Akil Khalfani and managed by Jahi Khalfani, Khary Khalfani and Laila Fakhoury, according to state records.
HB was established in Gainesville at 60 SW 2nd St in 2020. HB is owned by Fakhoury and four other people, according to an article by Guide to Greater Gainesville.
Fakhoury told Woo Media in an interview about BIG 2025, “My Palestinian roots are what inform and inspire everything I do. Growing up, when I was in Palestine, I saw a collective culture that’s very different from what you experience here. Everyone supports each other, knows about each other, checks in with each other. Entertainment, and gathering in the name of entertainment, is a huge part of our culture, too. Palestinian people gather to hang out, talk, air grievances and relax together."
The BIG Culture and Arts Festival Background:
In April 2023, DDR hosted the BIG Sho which featured many artists in the BIG 2025 lineup.
In April 2024, HB and DDR hosted the first BIG Culture and Arts Festival at a renovated lot in Porters’ Quarters neighborhood behind The Knot climbing gym. The Alligator reported that BIG 2024 featured a wide variety of artists along with a “range of small businesses, restaurants and vendors. Gainesville restaurants like Germains, known for its crispy chicken sandwiches, and Brazilian Fun Foods gathered in the field with tents and food trucks. Jerusalem Street Food also brought a range of homemade dips and dishes like roasted garlic hummus, pita bread and grape leaves.”
BIG 2025 will feature an indoor skatepark by Lowbar.
BIG 2025 will also be hosting a film festival.
General admission tickets are priced at $48.38 while VIP tickets can be bought for $107.50.
BIG 2025 is also receiving funds from several sponsors, including but not limited to, the tourism agency for the City of Gainesville and Alachua County, West Law Firm and the Knot climbing gym.
GnvInfo asked Fakhoury to provide a breakdown of funds received by sponsors for BIG 2025, and she said she would need time to put the information together. As of this writing, GnvInfo is still waiting for Fakhoury to disclose the exact amounts each sponsor contributed to BIG 2025.
BIG 2025 is asking for donations.
Big 2025 Artists:
The Alchemist:
Owner of ALC Records, Alan Maman, also known as the Alchemist is a renowned Jewish record producer, collaborating with artists like Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Earl Sweatshirt.
Maman’s father, Mordechai Maman, was born in Morocco and grew up in Haifa, Israel. Mordechai Maman moved to California sometime in his adult life where Alan Maman was born and raised.
A February 2024 article by Hey Alma about Alan Maman states “This hip-hop mastermind is an Israeli Jew from Beverly Hills whose signature style includes glasses and a beanie. Born in 1977, he went to high school with the likes of Angelina Jolie and Monica Lewinsky. As a kid, his mother forced him to take piano lessons, but like most rebellious teens, he quickly abandoned them to play sports and chase girls…. He picked up producing when he was only 14, and after experimenting, Maman began to appreciate the rebellious lyrics and gritty sounds of hip-hop…. He gained an appreciation for international sounds from his parents, who exposed him from a young age to the songs they grew up on in Israel…. It’s in his beat laboratory that The Alchemist’s Jewish heritage becomes an unexpected but integral ingredient to his work. Listen to many of his songs, and you’ll hear the faint sounds of Hebrew lyrics and Israeli instrumentation. In his 2015 release titled ‘Israeli Salad,’ you can hear his fondness for Israeli music on full display as he combines chopped-up old Israeli songs with dusty hip-hop drum breaks. One of the highlights of the album, the cleverly named ‘Bone Thugs ‘N Haifa,’ samples a popular Tzvika Pik song he grew up listening to. This project was inspired by a trip to a record store in Israel when he came to visit family and expanded into a full project, he shared in an interview with Billboard back in 2012…. Performing in Tel Aviv [in June 2023], you could hear the Jewish pride in the crowd for how The Alchemist has brought the sounds of Israel to the ears of millions.”
In June 2023, Alan Maman stated at a concert in Tel Aviv, Israel that the city will “always be home” for him. Just a few months later, Alan Maman performed with Earl Sweatshirt at Camp Flog Gnaw while Sweatshirt dawned a keffiyeh, a symbol of Palestinian freedom and resistance.
According to a May 2023 review of “Israeli Salad,” “This album was intensely personal for Alan Maman. He was visiting his father’s homeland of Israel when he conceived of creating an entire album made from Israeli samples.... Alchemist may have released this album in 2015, but it feels far more relevant in 2023 because of the current social and political climate.”
On March 22, Fakhoury told GnvInfo she was “disappointed” after finding out about Alan Maman’s Israeli roots but that there wasn’t any chance of his show being canceled because of a contract between him and BIG 2025.
In 2021, Alan Maman and Earl Sweatshirt produced an album titled “Haram,” which has a cover depicting the severed heads of two pigs. The word “Haram” is in reference to any act forbidden by Allah in the Islamic faith, such as the consumption of pork.
In an interview about the “Haram” album, Alan Maman stated “I’m excited for this album to come out, I can’t front. I’ve been telling them for weeks. It was ready toward the end of last year, we were just getting it mastered and mixed, and I was like, ‘Damn, we’re sitting on something great.’ For me, I want to fuck people up. This is exciting to me.”
On March 27, Fakhoury was told Alan Maman’s background would be reported and she responded with the following statement:
“This isn’t a real argument in my opinion. As a producer of an album, he did not name the album. Armand Hammer is a hip-hop duo made up of two Black Americans. This album is also produced by Earl Sweatshirt who is extremely extremely vocal about his pro-Palestinian stance. Earl has shared the stage with Alchemist multiple times rapping about Palestine and wearing the Kuffeiyah.
I also am disappointed that you’re trying to misrepresent our festival and our intentions behind it. If you really decide to publish a piece that is intended to hurt a project that matters to so many people who’ve put endless love and care into it. And a project that literally sustains a number of local artists and creators — many of them being Arab, Palestinian, Muslim, etc — then I no longer want to be associated with you.
I have respected your work and your journalistic perspective since I met you + did my first interview with you. But if this is how you’d like to misconstrue something that many have put years of effort into, I cannot be connected to you anymore.
I don’t want any of our names or the festival’s name in your article. If you do use our names or the festival’s name I would consider that to be defamation and misrepresentation. Publish what you want but you know where I stand.”
Alan Maman’s discography includes tracks such as “Shalom Alechem” and “Congratulations, You Lose.”
Alan Maman does not appear to have made any statements on Israel or Palestine following October 7.
HB frequently holds events to raise donations for Palestine and markets itself as a space that embraces resistance and liberation.
Alan Maman will be performing at Gainesville in two weeks along with dozens of other artists for BIG 2025.
MIKE:
Michael Jordan Bonema is a New York rapper and record producer known professionally as MIKE. Bonema produces his work through his own record label, 10k.
Bonema was born in New Jersey but lived in England throughout his childhood before moving back to the U.S. when he was 14 or 15 years old.
Bonema and the Alchemist have a mutual connection with Earl Sweatshirt, with the three artists collaborating on the song “Sentry.”
An article by the Fader states that Bonema “talked about how his interest in rap was first spurred by watching grime videos.”
Bonema has experienced success as an artist but still goes through struggles communicating with family, telling the Fader “My mom is currently in Africa. Before I moved back to America, she was visiting Nigeria at the time because she had to work on this job that she had out there. During that process, her papers got fucked up…. I still haven't seen her since…. She checks up on me. She calls me every now and then, just trying to keep that same type of relationship. It's always hard to keep a relationship with somebody that's in a whole other country from you. It's one of those things where it comes with maturing.”
Bonema’s discography includes tracks such as “Mayors A Cop” and “What Do I Do.”
Navy Blue:
Sage Elsesser, also known as Navy Blue, is an American professional skateboarder and rapper.
Elsesser was born and raised in Mid City, Los Angeles (LA), California.
Elsesser works with fashion brands that specialize in skate-ware like Supreme and Converse.
Elsesser has worked professionally with both the Alchemist and MIKE, along with Earl Sweatshirt.
Elsesser’s discography includes tracks such as “Look in My Eyes” and he was featured on Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt's song "Nobles."
Elsesser reportedly stated in an interview with New Reader “I think there's the human condition and the human obsession with martyrdom. How we as a people have romanticized it. The way that I put that into my work is that I feel like I can speak for those who don't have the words to express what they're going through. That's why my music is mainly based on speaking to family and generational trauma. Because I know that there's people in the world that have been given certain traumas that they don't have an understanding of. There's tons of trauma that I still don't quite understand…. Martyrdom, it's like, we're obsessed with it. This God complex…. It’s something that I've kind of had to surrender to. I can't play God. I do that in my everyday life. I try to control things that are absolutely out of my control. You fall in and out of love with people, you fall in and out of love with things you're passionate about. For me, that's painting and skateboarding. But I know that my music is somewhere where I put my creativity that will ultimately inform the way that I skate in the future, and how I'm going to paint.”
Pink Siifu:
Livingston Matthews is an American rapper, singer and songwriter, known professionally as Pink Siifu.
Matthews grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio after moving from Birmingham Alabama as a teenager. Matthews said in an interview with Passion Weiss that both cities raised him, stating “At a young age, my cousin, who was like my brother, got hit by a car. I was with his mom the whole funeral—I wanted to—but I had to see her over that casket. I was like in fifth or fourth grade. It was just crazy. I learned the real shit in Birmingham. And in Cincinnati, growing up there, there were friends that were getting locked up, people dying and committing suicide.”
Mathews moved to LA as an adult in 2013 to pursue his career in music.
Matthews told Passion Weiss that he had his “last straw” with Cincinnati after falling victim to “baby mama drama.” Matthews said “I had a gun raised to my face before we left and it was because of some baby mama drama that my friend was in, and they were looking for him. We weren’t trying to tell them where he was, and they had drove all the way from Atlanta to find this nigga. It was crazy. I knew one of them that was part of the group of three, and I was looking at him like, ‘Bro, what is you doing? We’re all black people.’ They pulled a gun in broad daylight in an apartment complex. That was my last straw with Cincinnati. Now I’m here.”
Mathews told Passion Weiss he experienced homelessness in LA, stating “My ex established where we were going to be living, but I fucked up and cheated before I went out. That shit backfired completely on me, and I was homeless for a minute.”
Matthews released several projects in the mid-2020s before releasing his first solo album, “Gumbo.” Some of Gumbo's tracks were produced by the Alchemist.
Matthews' discography includes tracks such as “Blame” and “Living Proof.”
Elijah Fox:
Elijah Fox is an LA-based pianist, producer and songwriter.
Fox began playing piano when he was 11 years old while growing up in Durham, North Carolina.
Fox has worked with high-profile artists such as J-Cole, Denzel Curry and Childish Gambino.
Fox’s discography includes tracks such as “Fading” and “Wyoming.”
In an interview with Lucid Monday, Fox stated “I like my improvised piano stuff to just be a statement of the moment, me expressing what I just saw. It’s not about my ego, or how impressively I can play the piano. It’s more so like, ‘man, it was amazing that I was in this country and then got inspired to play this.’ It’s from the inspiration, like I wouldn't have played that if I had been in LA this whole time.”
Wiki:
Wiki, also known as Patrick Morales, is a New York rapper and record producer.
Morales has connections with several other rappers in the BIG 2025 lineup. In October 2021, he dropped the album “Half God” with production from Navy Blue and features from MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt.
Navy Blue reportedly told NPR that Morales “used to walk around with a knot from hitting the mic to his head during performances.” Navy Blue reportedly stated “Another difference in the process of making Half God, is that Wiki wasn't drunk. Wiki says making music had always been tied to his understanding of himself, but also to drinking.”
In an interview with Cabbages Hip Hop, Morales said he and Navy Blue “known each other for a minute, so that already made it organic when [“Half God”] happened. It wasn't like we needed to get to know each other and shit. It was just kind of getting to know each other more, in a way, because making music is just a little bit more personal a thing–so, maybe even more him getting to know me throughout the process, just as friends talking and getting to know each other, but separate from the music. When it came together, he was definitely a fan of me, I think, and I didn't realize it as much. I mean, Ratking, it was the era, everyone fucked with it, but like, he was a fan of me as an emcee. And then I could tell that because whenever we would bump into each other and see each other, he would be like, oh, we got to work or he would just show love.”
Morales' discography includes tracks such as "The Act" and “The Business.”
When talking about “The Business” with Cabbages Hip Hop, Morales stated “To me, this was more like a feeling, and still breaking some of the shit down in that way everyone feels, but you don't necessarily have the words to put it like that. The big one is the community thing. The idea of people being stuck up, but it's like, you don't even act right in the fucking neighborhood. You don't even know how to fucking talk to your neighbor, but you're stuck up about some shit. That doesn't make any sense to me. It's just like a subtle thing–if you were there, you would know. It's not just about the technicalities of gentrification. It's like, yo, have some respect.”
Kaelin Ellis:
Kaelin Ellis is a Lakeland, Florida-based instrumentalist, Twitch streamer and YouTuber.
Ellis said in an interview with After Party that Lakeland is “great for showing the push towards what you need in order to achieve a good work ethic.”
Ellis has worked with corporations such as TikTok, Netflix, Amazon, Ford, Mercedes Benz, EA, Apple, and HBO Max.
Ellis’ discography includes tracks such as “WAKE UP” and "ee."
Ellis told After Party “Right now we’re in an age where technology is at an all-time high... There is artificial intelligence that can recreate your favorite artist's record and make it sound somewhat identical... On the song ‘GET RIGHT!’ I sampled this C.S. Armstrong vocal chop that comes from the cut of this Stevie Wonder A.I. render... but is not actually Stevie Wonder, or a real person! As a producer I am just trying to blend what doesn’t make sense with something really cool, to have them hold hands; I think that’s my essential goal and the middle ground where producers figure out how everything works.”
Pearl and the Oysters:
Joachim Polack and Juliette Davis are the French duo comprising Pearl and the Oysters.
The Pearl and the Oysters Spotify bio states “The pair met at high school in Paris and immediately bonded over their mutual love for ‘70s jazz and ‘90s space-age pop. They have been writing and performing together ever since, and moved across the Atlantic together in 2015.”
Potluck and Davis delved into their background in an interview with Post Trash. Potluck said “We've always been music nerds. We went to one of the rare public high schools in Paris that offered a music program. Typically, kids would go to the conservatory since it's not built into the curriculum. We were put on the rails of studying music in a more scholarly way, and it stuck.”
Davis said, “We're extremely lucky to have grown up in a country where education is basically free. I have to mention that because it's not the case everywhere. We're able to hop into musicology after high school.”
Potluck said “It didn't feel like a very loaded decision, which would have felt so much different in the U.S. We were lucky that we could indulge in studying a hyper-particular soft science. We didn’t feel too guilty because if there's no job, at least we're not in debt.”
Davis said, “Most of the time when people go to study musicology, it's like a Ponzi scheme.”
Sometime after they graduated high school, Davis and Potluck moved to Florida to pursue their music career, and later relocated to LA.
Davis and Potluck aren’t new to Gainesville, playing a show at the Wooly on October 21, 2024. Promotional materials for the show state that Davis and Potluck “each struggled for the respect of their academic music mentors” while going to school. “The teachers wouldn't understand why you would do pop music on the side," said Davis.
Davis and Potluck’s discography includes songs such as “Vicarious Voyage” and “Side Quest.”
Mr. Floyd Larry:
Mr. Floyd Larry is an alternative rock band based out of Miami, Florida. Mr. Floyd Larry started as a solo artist and later expanded to a four-piece band. Led by Floyd Larry, the band also consists of drummer Raphael Vulcain, guitarist Danny Gushers, and another guitarist who has only been identified as “Listener 555”
In an interview with Web Tours, Larry said he was doing shows by himself for a year before connecting with his childhood friends Gushers and Vulcain. The trio started making music together. Larry said he met “Listener 555” at a show and he joined up with Mr. Floyd Larry.
Mr. Floyd Larry's discography includes tracks such as "Luxury" and "Uneasy."
Annabelle Kline:
Annabelle Kline is a DJ and playlist maker based out of New York City (NYC).
Kline is a member of the independent music curation group “That Good Sh*t (TGS).” According to the group’s website, their “mission is to build community around shared love of music. With authenticity at the core of everything we do, TGS is your go-to source for keeping up with the most impactful and innovative music of today! Join our growing community by keeping up with our artist interviews, curated live events, playlists, blog, and more.”
DDR published a YouTube video showing Fakhoury recently traveled to Brooklyn to interview Kline.
Fakhory asked Kline “how it feels being on a lineup with a lot of artists [she is] homies with.”
Kline responded “It brings tears to my eyes thinking about being on this lineup because people like MIKE, the Alchemist and Navy Blue–I remember seeing Navy Blue in 2021 and meeting him after a show and shaking because I was so afraid to like meet him and shake his hand. Same with people like MIKE and Alchemsit, these are people that I look up to so much as creatives and community builders. The Alchemist is literally one of the most important producers in Hip-Hop history, same with MIKE and Navy Blue and everyone else in this lineup, Pink Siifu, Elijah [and] Kaelin. These are all people that I feel so honored to have my name next to theirs.”
Seafoam Walls:
Singer and guitarist Jayantic Czeesekec, instrumentalist Dion Kerr, bassist Joshua Ewers, and drummer Josue Vargas comprise the Miami-based band Seafoam Walls.
Bertrand started Seafoam Walls as a solo artist in 2014 but later expanded with a full band.
Seafoam Walls’ discography includes tracks such as “Dependency,” and “You Can’t Have Your Cake and Ego Too (Happy Birthday).”
Bertnard said in an interview with TalkHouse two months back, “I’ve been working a lot, and not on music, unfortunately.”
Bernard told TalkHouse, “I try to keep my lyrics very general. I’m not bringing a lot of personal stories to my music just so that my unique experiences don’t isolate anyone listening.”
From a car accident to his guitar nearly cutting out in front of an audience, Bertnard experienced hardship when he began his professional career, he told Spin.
“The universe seemed to be sending a message. But [Bernard’s] fate changed after a chance meeting with Eva Prinz, co-operator of the Ecstatic Peace Library — including record label The Daydream Library Series — with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore,” states Spin.
Kerr told Spin, “I have two musicians in my family. My dad played a lot of folk music, so I was around a lot of fingerpicking guitars and lush harmonies. My older brother is an amazing drummer and multi-instrumentalist, and he turned me on to a lot of different stuff. I was also into the visual arts, and I got into art music and ambient music. And I was a big jazz-head at one point too, got into Charles Mingus. I try to always expand my horizons.”
Ewers told Spin, “I played mainly upright [bass] in school — mainly classical, orchestra music. Then I started playing jazz in high school. After that I was working on weekends — I’d go out and gig and start going to jam sessions. I heard about Dion just from playing in Miami, going to jams and such, trying to find other bass players in town is like a hunt. You have to really dig in the cracks. No two bass players are in the same place at the same time. But they came to West Palm [Beach] to Bumble Fest.”
“For me, it was mostly on the hip-hop blend of jazz…. I love MF Doom and Robert Glasper and all that stuff,” Vargas told Spin.
Animal Prince:
Violinist Fae Nageon and percussionist Grant McLeod comprise the Animal Prince duet, based out of Tampa, Florida.
Nageon and McLeod have been releasing singles and EPs since 2018 and dropped their first album “Have Good Dreams,” last year.
Nageon and McLeod have a connection with Gainesville, with a post on their Instagram stating “A year ago, we spent a day at Pulp Studios with Nicole Miglis and dear friends making music. We finished the session by covering a Gainesville classic-Mary Jane's Last Dance, by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This was a full circle moment for us. We are longtime fans of Nicole, and to collaborate with her in our hometown was a really special time. Now it's yours to enjoy. Gainesville forever.”
Nageon and McLedo’s discography includes tracks such as “Back and Forth” and “Didn’t You Notice?”
They Hate Change:
Andre Gainey and Vonne Parks comprise the Tampa-based hip-hop duet They Hate Change.
Parks and Gainey began making music together in 2009 after meeting at an apartment complex in Tampa.
Described as the “Musical ambassadors for the Gulf Coast,” by the Tampa Bay Times, Gainey and Parks have gained recognition for their music around the city.
DJ Mag reports “Sharing production and vocal duties, Gainey and Parks swap fiery verses that touch on themes including authenticity, gender identity and car culture, but ‘Finally, New’ speaks most of all to their unfaltering belief in the music they’re making, and their eagerness to show the world just what they’re all about.”
Parks and Gainey’s discography includes tracks such as “Some Days I Hate My Voice” and “Coded Language (Interlude).”
Zeta:
South Florida-based Venezuelan punk band Zeta consists of instrumentalists Juan Chi and Dani Debuto, with Chino Sandoval on Drums and Tony Pereira on Bass.
In 2003 Chi and Debuto found Zeta in Lecheria, the smallest municipality in Venezuela.
Zeta has been to Gainesville before, playing at Fest in 2022.
The Instagram accounts for Zeta, DDR, HB and BIG 2025 made a joint post to promote the band’s appearance. The post states “Zeta is a multidisciplinary experiment that uses their heavy, atmospheric sound as a positive force for change, considering music to be the magic wand granting space for connection and healing. We’re honored to add Zeta to the lineup, representing more genres of music [and] more areas of our community. The biggest thank you to Respite Events for helping us make this happen.”
Pereira told KTVB that Zeta’s sound “can be described as a fusion of Psychedelic rock, punk & Latin jazz, lots of traditional Latin percussion fused with heavy rock.”
Chi said in an interview with KUCR that Zeta can be described as “radical hardcore punk; power violence.”
Chi went on to say “We do [our music] thinking more on the Latino community all over the world. Being in the South is good because we get to meet with them a lot but it's actually very difficult. There's a lot of border patrol checkpoints. It's really tense…. It's even hard to understand English outside of your country. It takes a lot of focus and preparation to do it because it's not that easy to go around those parts.”
Zeta’s discography includes tracks such as “Privilege” and “The National Anthem.”
MADWOMAN:
MADWOMAN is a psychedelic indie rock band based out of Gainesville, Florida.
According to the Alachua County Library District Lead singer Leni Daigle, guitarist Chandler McFarland, bassist Riley Sechrest, and drummer Unmil Patel all grew up in Gainesville and attended local high schools, while synth player Louie Dager first moved to Florida at the age of 14.
MADWOMAN’s website states their sound has “evolved from raw neo-soul into a kaleidoscope of diverse influences that incorporates both live instrumentation and DIY electronic elements.”
MADWOMAN’s discography includes tracks such as “Nowhere To Run” and “Inside My Head.”
PRIZILLA:
University of Florida (UF) Sociology senior Isabella Ducan is PRIZILLA. Duncan leads three other band members, jazz musician McKayla Keels, drummer Justin Stirrat, and guitarist Max Bleiweis.
Duncan organized the Sunshine Music and Arts Festival in February and has worked with MADWOMAN to promote the music scene in Gainesville.
Duncan told the Alligator, “Everything else is external…. I do school, I do work, but this is what I want to do.”
Duncan’s discography includes tracks such as “Sweet Tooth” and “Meant To Be.”
.ZIP:
.ZIP is a South Florida based rap group comprised of Wahid, (Joshua Brown), Mitch SuperGiant, Pitch BLK, Vitamn, MAC, and Denny Agosto Vega.
Localhotboy:
Localhotboy, also known as Leviticus Grimes, is a rapper and DJ based out of Gainesville, Florida.
Grimes made a post about BIG 2025 on his Instagram, referencing his previous performance at BIG 2024 stating “LOCALHOTBOY BACK AT BIG. YOU KNOW HOW IM COMING”
Grimes told the Alligator last year “I feel like I am actively telling [my story].... It's not necessarily one of these stories where I came from eating sugar sandwiches, but it's just the story of, ‘Sometimes the Black guy can enjoy himself just being who I am.'"
This is Grimes' third year in a row working with DDR as he was in the lineup for the Big Sho in 2023.
Grimes' discography includes tracks such as “Get Low” and “The Essence of a Villain.”
rugh:
Guitarists and vocalists Mace Lamers and Lisa Goldstein, bassist Vic Abreu, and drummer Sawyer Lamers make up the Gainesville-based pop band rugh, the Alligator reported in May 2022.
All of rugh’s recent Instagram photos show three band members, indicating one has left. The band doesn’t appear to have any promotional images that put names to a face, making it unclear who is who.
The Alligator reported that rugh has a “radical, grassroots approach to music creation and performance.” Goldstein reportedly developed a close-knit community between rugh and the Civic Media Center.
The band’s discography includes tracks such as “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before” and “Power to Self Destruct.”
Jolt Radio:
Jolt Radio is a nonprofit organization and has been active since 2010. It serves as an independent online radio station based out of Miami, Florida. Jolt Radio is simultaneously serving as a featured artist and primary sponsor of BIG 2025. It's currently unclear who Jolt Radio is bringing to BIG 2025.
Duality:
Duality, also known as Ty Davis, is a graphic designer and DJ based out of Miami Beach, Florida.
Davis played at BIG 2024 last year and posted his performance on his YouTube channel.
Davis said in an interview with The Procrastination Radio Show “Everyone thinks I’m this super outgoing goofy dude. I just go out to a bunch of stuff, I know [how] to have a good time.”
Davis opened up with The Procrastination Radio Show about a racist professor he had in college while majoring in photography. Davis said,“A lot of my peers told me he was making some pretty racist remarks the one day I wasn’t there. It was one of those unfortunate things where I realized I’m gonna have to see this dude for the rest of the major.” The professor’s racism led to Davis switching from a photography major to only minoring in the subject, but he said it worked out because it led to him pursuing music more seriously.
Davis’ discography includes tracks such as "Trust" and “Public Energy Radio.”
Kill Zach:
Kill Zach, also known as Zach Rodriguez, is an electronic artist based out of Gainesville, Florida.
Rodriguez has previously performed at the Vivid Music Hall.
Rodriguez’s discography includes tracks such as “DRIP” and “my milkshakes bring all the hollaback girls to the yard.”
True Vine:
True Vine is a Miami-based DJ and co-founder of the Objects Don’t Dance event series.
True Vine has a video on his Instagram where he posted his favorite moments from his birthday DJ set.
00JORIDE:
00JORIDE, also known as Jordie Oritz, is a DJ, model, and stylist representing the Gainesville-based Take Out Team artist collective.
Oritz has appeared on the Molerdo YouTube channel for one of their “Basement Sessions.”
Oritz’s Instagram states he is managed by Fakhoury.
Day/Dem:
Day/Dem, also known as Dayanna Peek, is a Brooklyn, New York record producer and student at UF.
In 2023, Peek told WUFT “I started out making TikToks in my bedroom of me transitioning songs. It's been very uplifting to me because I've been able to see the growth... Within a month of me DJing I was already playing at my first party and now I’m playing at clubs.”
Peek’s discography includes tracks such as “No Pulp” and “Acid Bath.”
¡SAMBA!:
GnvInfo has not found any information on ¡samba!
PASAPORTE:
PASAPORTE is a radio show on Soundcloud that hosts music from several DJs in different countries. The description of the show states “Where the rhythm knows no borders! We are more than just a music collective; we are a global club movement, dedicated to introducing the vibrant beats from around the world, baile funk, afro beats, UK garage, etc. Noticing familiar tracks, like your favorite R&B, hip-hop, or reggaeton but over a unique style. Our mission goes beyond the notes and melodies - we are here to create a bigger community, by gathering like-minded individuals from every corner of the globe to keep dancing and creating."
It's currently unclear which artists PASAPORTE is bringing to BIG 2025.
Edmondson:
Edmondson is a Newcastle, England-based DJ who's been making electronic music for the past two decades.
Edmondson said in an interview with Truants “The house party scene in Leeds, [West Yorkshire, England] was huge then [(2006)] too, so I’d end up watching DJs of all genres playing records in sweaty basements most weekends. I was pretty enchanted by it all. I remember the second record I picked up was Mist:i:cal – Memory Jog (in HMV!), and that really felt like a moment of discovery – I didn’t know that kind of depth and expression existed in dance music and it was exactly what I was looking for at the time.”
Edmondson’s discography includes tracks such as “On & On” and “All Dressed Up and Going Nowhere.”
The Nancys:
The Nancys is a Gainesville-based indie band comprised of Luke Sechrest, Ella Norris, Theo Lorenzen and Shane Barrera.
Norris told the Alligator that she and Luke Sechrest started the Nancys in October 2023 after studying abroad together and finding a shared music taste.
Luke Sechrest is the brother of Riley Sechrest, the bassist for MADWOMAN.
In December 2023, the Nancys joined Swamp Records, a student-run artist resource agency.
The Nancys’ discography includes tracks such as “Sweet” and “Best Dressed.”
Fast Preacher:
Fast Preacher, also known as Daniel Hanson is an Orlando-based rock musician. Hansen plays in the band Fat Night while also making music as a solo artist.
Hanson’s father played drums while his mother sang, giving him a musical upbringing.
Hanson said in an interview with Folk Horn that his influences include Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
Telling Folk Horn about his EP “Figure it Out,” Hasnen said “Its kind of about the human experience. I feel like I tend to get a little existential and have been over the past couple years when it comes to expressing myself. I think it's something people can identify with. We’re in a very strange and stressful time right now.”
Hansen said he wants to collaborate with as many people as possible and that he’s made connections with musicians in Chicago, Illinois. “It’s a little more fulfilling when you’re able to get fresh perspectives on stuff you’re making,” said Hansen.
Hansen’s discography includes tracks such as “Take it, Fake it” and “Busted!”
Zion Orpheus:
Zion Orpheus, also known as Jabari Hill, is a Gainesville-based DJ who will be representing Sunshine Records Store at BIG 2025.
BIG 2025 will be Hill’s first time performing a set at a festival. He made a post on Instagram stating “Can’t wait to bring the energy and make this one unforgettable.”
Davis has a YouTube channel where he posts videos from live concerts he attends.
Dionysus:
Dionysus is a Gainesville-based jazz funk band consisting of Ivan Padilla on drums, Jose Piñeiro on saxophone, Sebastian Sayavedra on bass and David Wells on keys.
Dionysus has experience playing at concerts with previous performances at the Heartwood Soundstage and the 2022 Okeechobee Music Festival.
Dionysus’ discography includes tracks such as “Ionize” and “Bombastic.”
Crisca + The Andes Connection:
There doesn’t appear to be much publicly available information about Crisca + The Andes Connection.
Crisca and The Andes Connection appear to be separate artists, and they performed together last month for a Valentine's Day Party at Olio Creative Studio with 00JORIDE. The online event flyer states “Miami DJ duo The Andes Connection (SDRV & Rudeboy) join Gainesville favorites Crisca and 00Jordie to take you on a sweaty journey through the best of reggaeton, dembow, and more—spanning all eras and styles. Single, taken, or anywhere in between—this night is all about shaking ass, love and perreo.”
1-800-Lolita+Xana:
1-800-Lolita+Xana is a pop duo from Miami.
An Instagram post by Dejavu Sound states “1-800-Lolita and XANA are Miami-born creatives influenced by the grooves that surround them on the daily. This duo blends a variety of sounds and rhythms to honor their individual forms of artistry. A direct quote from Lolita and XANA: ‘We’re bumping purses on those decks. Every. Single. Time.’ Imagine —a passionate, grungy sanctuary on the dance floor, where each person’s experience is entirely their own. They let the beats get stupid and the crowd gets steamy.”
1-800-Lolita+Xana frequently appear on Miami Community Radio.
Drum and Bass Pro Shop:
Drum and Bass Pro Shop is a recently established electronic band out of Gainesville, Florida, playing their first show at the Atlantic on October 13, 2024. It is currently unclear who comprises the Drum and Bass pro Shop band.
CHKN+BEER:
CHKN+BEER is a collective of several DJs in Florida producing mixtapes on Soundcloud.
CHKN+BEER made an Instagram post stating DJ T. Couture will represent them at BIG 2025. The post states “This link up with [DDR] has been a long time coming. Thankful for the opportunity to partner and to support an amazing collective in Gainesville.”
Blind Records:
Blind Records is a record label producing music for Miami-based artists AJ Blaze, D0tson, 74.95, Kasey Veaux and Pazmal. It's currently unclear if Blind Records will be bringing all their artists to Gainesville or just one or two.
Sector.FM:
Sector.FM is an independent radio station broadcasting from the Gulf Coast of Florida. It's currently unclear how they’re involved with BIG 2025.
Machina Records:
Machina Records is a Miami-based record label that has produced albums such as “305 Day Pack” and “MOVIMIENTO CRIMINAL.” It's currently unclear who they’re bringing to BIG 2025.
Autonomy:
Autonomy is a DJ group appearing at shows in the Downtown Miami area. Autonomy hasn’t made any posts about BIG 2025 on their Instagram and its currently unclear which artists will represent the group.
Funkshui:
Funkshui is a Gainesville-based funk band that has performed shows in the Downtown area. The Funkshui Instagram page hasn’t made a post since June 2024 and there isn’t much public information about the band.
Trust Nobody:
Trust Nobody’s website states they are “an alternative duo hailing from South Florida, consisting of artist and rapper Aster the GEMini and singer/songwriter Rayan. With a passion for raw & unapologetic storytelling, they began making music together in 2022. Their unique sound is a blend of rock, hip-hop, and pop, creating a new and exciting sound that is all their own. Their lyrics explore themes of disillusionment, rebellion, pain, and feelings we all know too well. From throwing their own shows in Florida to recently playing their first festival Afropunk 2024, & with the release of their debut EP ‘MISERY’ coming out in 2025, they are drawing in fans of their singles, performances, and online presence & community.”
Aster the GEMini told VoyageMIA “I try to be as versatile as I can, but my music subject matter is nearly the same. touching mainly on mental health and depression, but I’m still growing who knows what my music will shift to. I'm trying to convince artists that we are all individuals, our own person. Which makes us special and unique, so it’s important that we all be ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with being yourself and living your truest life.I feel like the best type of art is true and comes from our individual experiences, thoughts, emotions etc. ,so for any artist reading this BE YOURSELF :). I don’t know what people take from my music but I know it’s helped a lot of people deal with their depression, and I’m humbled that I can help anyone at all.my art is limitless, and every day I’m growing as an artist becoming better than I was yesterday.”
Trust Nobody’s discography includes tracks such as “BLOOD!” And “Why Would I Trust You?”
Purple Kloud:
Rayvon “Purple Kloud” Rollins is an artist based out of Gainesville, Florida who frequently plays music and shows Downtown.
According to the Alachua County Library District, growing up, Rollins’ “mom sang, granddaddy played piano, dad learned guitar in high school, and Rayvon sought out all the cool music in his sister's collection. He also took guitar class at Newberry High School, but rather than reading music, he learned to play everything by ear. It wasn't until college when a bass player told him he was tuned differently in a dropped d. The bass player was so impressed by his talent, he didn't want to teach Purple Kloud too much and affect his musical instincts.”
Rollins values his independence as an artist, telling the Alachua County Library District "Let’s not become elitists when it comes to the creation of music. Just appreciate it, make your contribution, and be satisfied with that. These contracts will eat you alive if you don't read them but if you are dedicated to protecting your sound and yourself, it’s not that much of a headache. Trademark your name, copyright your music, and join a streaming service that copyrights your music as soon as you release it…. There's no excuse. Protect yourself."
Rollin's discography includes tracks such as "Rose Gold" and "Home."
Inside Jax:
Inside Jax is a recurring Jacksonville-based DJ event that is coming to Gainesville for BIG 2025. Inside Jax is currently promoting BIG 2025 on their Instagram.
Inside Jax’s Instagram states they are “curated by some of your favorite DJs who will provide open format sets, cycling through some of your favorite genres to give you vibes like no other. With a wide array of tunes hip hop, rnb, soul, throwbacks and so much more inside jax delivers! The music, the people, the drinks , the vibes… immaculate. You gotta attend and let us know how it was!”
SAMP:
Samp is a DJ and producer based in Gainesville.
Samp made an Instagram post promoting BIG 2025 that said he can’t wait to deliver his performance.
Samp is affiliated with GNV Entertainment and the Cult of Eights record label.
ISASI:
ISASI, also known as Alexander Gold is a Gainesville-based DJ and producer, and member of the Dimensions Collective.
Gold has played shows around Gainesville with other BIG 2025 artists such as SAMP and 00JORDIE.
Gold’s discography includes tracks such as “ThumpAloticus” and Messy.”
Fakksonly:
Fakksonly is a Gainesville-based hip-hop DJ. His Linktree states his occupation is to “destroy beats.”
Fakksonly serves as the brand ambassador for Sliick.
Fakksonly’s Spotify bio states “A Poet, Emcee and Advocate for Melanated Souls around the globe. Born and raised in Gainesville Fl. All for giving the Fakks of the oppression, resilience, greatness, and uplifting of my fellow Kings and Queens, Past, Present, and Future.”
Fakksonly made a post about BIG 2025 on Instagram stating “You have to do epic shit with epic people!!!!! You do not want to miss this one, I promise you!!!!”
Fakksonly’s discography includes tracks such “Master of Your Fate” and “"WTF Is Going On.”
Dude, Chill:
Dude, Chill is a folk musician based out of Gainesville, Florida. They jokingly called their performance at BIG 2025, “Big news” on Instagram.
Dude, Chill's discography includes tracks such as “composed by wind” and “Say What You Mean.”
Jordan Burchel:
Jordan Burchel is a songwriter and guitarist based in Gainesville, Florida. Last year, the Alligator reported on him challenging himself to write one song every day for 365 days.
Burchel has an upcoming show with the The Currys at the The Rind on April 6 and will be with The Nancys at First Magnitude Brewing Company on April 12.
Burchel’s Spotify bio states “After a lifetime of fearing he might be boring - and using music as a salve - Jordan Burchel stumbled upon a musical language for understanding and ultimately reckoning with days lived in half. Alternate readings of unfortunate workplace interactions evolve into synth driven anthems; Problematic Thanksgiving dinner conversations twinkle with a pop-sensibility born of late 90’s day-camp afternoons.”
Burchel’s discography includes tracks such as “Duck Yourself” and “Heads on Fire.”
Exsanguinate:
Exsanguinate, also known as Thomas Garrison is a electronic artist. According to a post by Clositer Recordings, "The work of Thomas Garrison needs no introduction to anyone who has been following power electronics and noise in the past two decades. He is always operating with meticulous intent, an overwhelming torrent of feverish terror and frenzied anger."
Yusuf:
Yusuf Shehab is a Gainesville-based DJ and audio mixer.
Shehab has performed sets at several locations in Gainesville including HB.
Shehab doesn’t appear to be on any music production platforms but he has posted videos of his performances on Instagram.
T.O.T:
GnvInfo has not found any information on T.O.T.
5LOKO:
According to Tidal, 5LOKO “is a four-piece Art Pop band based in South Florida and Puerto Rico consisting of members Raf [Limongi], [Tyriq], [Estévan], and Jesus. They broke through into the ether of ‘Indie’ music in October 2020 with their debut EP ‘2009,’with the project and subsequent singles garnering them an initial wave of hundreds of fans. In July 2023, 5LOKO released their debut album ‘New Beatles:’ a ten-track collection of standalone songs that serve as pop-packaged portals into sonically-varied worlds of emotions, feelings, and memories. The band has been shouted out by the internet’s most influential music critic Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop for their ‘New Beatles’ single ‘mushrüm,’ as well as featured in Latin-American music publication Remezcla for their song ‘New York City Art Kids.’ Their entirely self-made music videos have gathered thousands of views on YouTube, each providing fluorescent DIY visions of their respective songs, and showcasing the band’s signature style of cheeky humor. The visual and musical style of the world of 5LOKO is a sprawl of cultural and artistic influences pulled from the entire history of popular American music; an art pop synthesis rooted in the foggy-eyed nostalgia of childhood and translated through subsequent years of life experience, heartbreak, sorrow, and ecstasy. 5LOKO’s music is future-minded — fusing both singing and rapping as coexisting non-genred means of expression and using familiar sounds/feelings to pull listeners into an unfamiliar version of our current reality, one where summer is never-ending yet melancholic, and where it’s okay to dance, sing, cry, and laugh all at the same time.”
LadyBoy:
Ladyboy is a transgender pop and R&B artist. A review of his single “Tired” states “Ladyboy has created a poignant and timely anthem that perfectly encapsulates the struggles of Zillennials today. It’s not just a song; it’s a statement — a validation of the emotional weight carried by so many. In an era where energy is scarce and burnout is rampant, Tired provides a much-needed space for reflection, rest, and collective understanding.”
LadyBoy’s discography includes tracks such as "food" and “YEEYAW (brokeback mountain).”
Israel Jones:
Bronson “Israel” Jones is a Gainesville-based rapper, record producer and songwriter.
Jones’ website states he started producing music when he attended Florida A&M University. He gained a local following at the university after releasing the mixtape “God’s Pen.” Jones got connected with other artists around the university leading to his release of his next project, “God’s People.”
Jones said in an interview with Club Downloader that his influences include J Cole, Playboi Carti and Nas.
When asked what his musical themes were, Jones told Club Downloader “My trials and tribulations. That’s what gets people to come back to your music, when it feels like you’re being transparent…. I’m a human at the end of the day. As a rapper you have to have thus bravado and this ego but that's not really in my music unless it calls for it.”
Jones said his music has some spiritual themes and that he is a Christian rapper, but that he doesn’t align with any organized religions.
Jones’ discography includes tracks such as "Living Proof" and "God's Eyes."
Weatherboys:
Guitarists Jacob Da Costa and Bryce Ouzts, Tyler Colgan, and drummer Aidan Suarez comprise the Weatherboys indie band based out of Gainesville, Florida.
Weatherboys’ website states they’re known for “eccentric performances” and have “played all over Florida with bands like Ben Katzmam & Degreaser, Bendigo Fletcher, KAYKO, Parrot Fish, Daniel Nunlee, and Driptones. They’ve even been part of Indie Live & Big Fest in Gainesville as well as kick-starting their own event series ‘Let’s Get Lei’d.’”
Weatherboys’ discography includes tracks such as “What I Need.”
Mateo Calle:
Mateo Calle is a DJ based out of Gainesville, Florida.
From New Zealand to California, Calle has made music around the world.
Calle’s discography includes tracks such as “Low class with class” and “Chess.”
