Armed with nothing but a guitar, singer-songwriter Tristan Harvey crooned through his set Sunday afternoon at The Jam on West University Avenue. Although he performed alone, Harvey’s musical talents consumed the acoustics of the outdoor backyard stage as he delivered both covers and original funk, soul, reggae and folk-inspired songs to an intimate, engaged audience.
Harvey was one of many performers to take the stage at The Jam during Memorial Day weekend as part of INfest, a Gainesville music and art festival that took place May 25 and 26. Organized by Chris Horrell, Lisa Smith and James McKay — a group that refers to itself as the Unindicted Co-Conspirators — INfest brought together an eclectic mix of sights and sounds largely representative of local talents who have been contributing to Gainesville’s creative scene for decades.
The two-day music festival demonstrated diversity similar to that of Harvey’s song collection. From the Root Doctors, a Gainesville-staple with music self-described as “a tasty blend of old-school blues and psychedelic garage rock,” to the Bill Perry Orchestra, an amusing experimental project whose song titles include gems such as “Don’t Think About Sex in Public Bathrooms,” INfest embraced and encouraged avenues of imaginative artistry. The festival also reached out to performers beyond central Florida’s borders, including acts such as Nashville blues singer Nicolette Hayford -- a highlight of Saturday night’s events.
“The people who have put together the festival have either been playing music, going to shows or actually putting on shows for a long time now,” explained McKay, who is also the vocalist of Root Doctors. “A lot of the bands that played here this weekend also play at a party that’s been going on in Gainesville since in the 70s. It’s a three-day party that’s held in various locations, called the Boo Party, a kind of a Halloween party. We wanted to have an event here in town that was in the spirit of those.”
INfest also showcased the work of visual artists Jim Lantz, Catherine Lisle, Bill Perry, Amanda Samuels and members of SAW, the Sequential Artists Workshop, a center for comic book artists. Attendees of INfest could peruse the artwork while nursing a pint of locally-brewed Swamp Head beer and listening to the live performances held inside The Jam’s newly-expanded stage and floor space.
Smith said that the foundation for the festival was largely based on bringing together musicians and artists who provide inspiration, entertainment and friendship to many in the Gainesville community.
“We had been tossing around the idea for a festival like this for a while. Putting everything together mostly took place between the last month to month and a half,” Smith said. She said diversity was key to this project. “(INfest organizer) Chris Horrell really wanted to make sure that we offered something for everybody. From quiet to loud types of music, younger to older and more experienced bands, we wanted to attract a really diverse group of people by providing something for everyone. By putting art into the mix, we were hoping to bring in people who are interested in that as well.”
Finding the right venue to host artists and musicians befitting these criteria was key to INfest. McKay noted that the now-closed Hardback Cafe was once a legendary music venue in Gainesville that housed a wide range of music endeavors throughout the years. It was important that INfest be held in a space that offered similar sensibilities as the Hardback. Although The Jam has been open for less than a year, it seemed like a great fit for the festival’s purpose.
“We wanted to put on the show at The Jam because it’s kind of a different venue in Gainesville,” McKay said. “They have a lot of variety in the kinds of music that is performed here. They have both indoor and outdoor stages, and the people who run it are good people.”
