Rock the Universe, one of Florida's most popular music festivals, is mixing elements both new and old to provide fans with another fun, spiritual experience.
By combining mainstream headliners, including Switchfoot and Anberlin, with a new "fan zone" where concertgoers can actually meet some of the featured performers, the event at Universal Orlando Resort is expected to continue the tradition of good music and message.
Matt Thiessen, lead singer of alternative band Relient K, is excited to be headlining 10 years after the band's premiere appearance in the popular festival.
"I remember being really nervous the first time we played Rock the Universe," Thiessen said. "They kept asking us back over the years, and that just kind of made it way more relaxing, just to kind of be able to come back and be a part of it and have more songs. We were getting better as a band. I guess the beauty of it is now that we still get asked back 10 years later, and we're going in it just really stoked to be a part of it, and I think that translates."
The two-day event, taking place Sept. 9 and 10, has become a meeting point of both popular artists and those on the rise who share a common interest.
"We work with a lot of the record labels. We try to monitor who the next up-and-coming acts are gonna be," said Jim Stout, director of talent booking and casting at Universal Orlando Resort. "We look at the billboard charts. We monitor the Christian charts. We see who the next cutting edge acts are. And based on that, we make our decisions on who we want to headline the events and who we want to showcase as the next big thing."
The mainstream appeal mixed with the Christian music genre is a one-of-a-kind combination that attracts audiences of all backgrounds and tastes.
"We are very fortunate with Switchfoot, Anberlin and Relient K that they are Christian bands that [are] also mainstream genre, so there's a huge crossover appeal. So our event is not just limited to Christian as a genre; it's open to everyone," Stout said.
The event has a reputation of drawing crowds far and wide, and Gainesville's audience is no exception.
No matter preference or perception, the goal of the concert is to thrive both socially and spiritually.
"There's an inspiration of some sort that comes through your soul," Stout said. "It doesn't matter whether you are religious or not, or what your beliefs are. There's a sort of positive energy. I think that makes it different from a typical rock concert."
Individual, one-night passes start at $59.99 if bought the day of, but prices vary based on group rates and special vacation packages available. Tickets can be purchased through Universal Orlando Resort's website, universalorlando.com.
Relient K will be a headliner on Saturday at this year's Rock the Universe at Universal Orlando Resort. Other headliners for the two-day event include Switchfoot, Anberlin, Casting Crowns, Third Day and David Crowder Band.
