Music fans unable to attend this year’s III Points Festival in Miami should look no further than one of the four cities hosting its own prologue to the main event. From aesthetic to music to a vibe only electronic music lovers can summon when dancing side by side, the Road to III Points will give attendees a taste of what the three-day affair in October holds.
III Points Festival was founded as a Miami-based music experience by UF alum David Sinopoli in 2014. This year’s pre-festival tour begins on the Florida State University campus Friday at Club Downunder and will travel to Gainesville’s The Florida Theater and Realm, located at 233 W. University Ave., on Saturday, then to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando on Sept. 1 and Sept. 9, respectively.
Each year, III Points partners with local promoters, venues and organizations in each city to produce each event. This year’s stop in Gainesville, an undervalued hub for electronic and independent music, is once again spearheaded in part by Over Easy Creative’s Les Voss.
Voss began Over Easy Creative in 2014 when he put together a lineup of Gainesville-based artists for a small-scale music festival at an old college town stomping ground, The Jam.
Voss has taken the company to new heights by teaming up with the creators of III Points for a third year, having hosted past Road to III Points events at The Jam in 2015 and Visionary Crossfit in 2016. This year’s venue will hold a larger capacity than before, an exciting accomplishment for Voss and his partners.
“I’m amazed every day at how much Over Easy has grown since we started as a single art and music festival at The Jam,” Voss said. “It’s really surreal to me, and I’m excited to keep pushing the envelope with the artists and parties we host.”
The Gainesville lineup features local acts from Miami that will be playing at the festival Oct. 13 to Oct. 15, and local supporting acts curated by Over Easy Creative, Swamp Records and Lucid Nightlife, each organization bringing one act that is aligned with the III Points brand. One of the three is Voss himself.
“Having Retrolux on board (as a local supporting act) felt like an obvious fit, with their electronic based live set,” Voss said. “They have a huge reach and Anna of Retrolux has attended both of the past Road to III Points events, so the fact that this is the first time they’re performing is very exciting. Also, Side Trakd has something special planned and will offer a more traditional DJ set.”
Of the featured talents giving Gainesville a preview of what will come in October, Nick León is a significant highlight.
León began producing music when his brother gifted him with production software when he was 12 years old. Eleven years later, Voss calls him “the best producer coming out of Miami right now.” He has produced for Denzel Curry and POORgrrrl, and recently started his own label, Space Tapes, Voss said.
León stays humble despite his years of experience over most of his contemporaries.
“I would say participating in the industry for the last couple of years is learning experience after learning experience. You learn how to talk to people, how to articulate your vision and sound,” León said. “III Points to me is always a chance to showcase yourself and show peers how far you’ve come in the last year. It’s exciting but also nerve-wracking.”
León recently helped score the film “Beach Rats,” which debuted at Sundance Film Festival and will be released Friday. He will be playing on the main stage at III Points again this year.
Previewing their work alongside León at Gainesville’s Road to III Points are Ascendants, Jeremy Ismael, Skeleton Boy, Sinopoli, True Vine and DJ THPS.
Tickets for Road to III Points: Gainesville can be purchased for $7 at eventbrite.com and for $10 at the door. Doors open at 9 p.m. at The Florida Theater and Realm.
