For someone who considers the written word much easier to compose than the spoken one, this goodbye column was surprisingly difficult to complete.
Putting into 600 words just what Gainesville means to me is impossible. Discussing all the things I learned or diving into my friendships and life experiences would, somehow, be even more impossible. So I decided to dedicate this now 550 or so words to something The Avenue highlights every week — something that will be a hard goodbye in its own way: Gainesville’s entertainment scene.
While midtown bars and frat parties filled plenty of my time in school, the memories that stick out most to me are the ones I made when I stepped out of the college scene and into the local one.
It’s the memories I made at places like First Magnitude, dancing and singing with friends while the band onstage played “Wait For The Moment” by Vulfpeck. It’s times I interviewed groups like Locochino and spent more time laughing at their jokes than asking questions. It’s the raw talent I witnessed at places like the Jam and the feeling of awe I experienced when I saw about 100 locals turn up to fight for it at a city council meeting. It’s the sight of over 1,000 students packing out the Florida Theatre for internationally touring performers like Tchami and all those conversations I had at art galleries, the Hippodrome State Theatre and tiny downtown bars. And, most importantly, it’s the friendships I strengthened and the new ones I made through art, music and other forms of entertainment.
Over the past four years, Gainesville taught me that you don’t need to be in a big city to experience something new and special every night. Believe me when I say that some of the most talented individuals in the country are right around the corner, and they won’t always be around — just look at Tom Petty, Hundred Waters, Less Than Jake… the list goes on.
In addition to these experiences, the opportunity to write about the local scene made a tangible impact on me. While many of my classes preferred hard news, The Alligator gave me a place to pursue my passion of entertainment.
When I was interviewing, writing and researching stories, it never really felt like work because of how much fun I had throughout. My editor never said no to a story, even when it involved niche genres of music that she hadn’t explored much before. I tried to bring this openness into my philosophy as editor, and I hope the editor to come after me will do the same. The combination of experiencing the local scene and getting the chance to cover every part of it set me down a path for my future; I know now that a career in entertainment is the one for me in some way, shape or form.
My goodbye to the local entertainment scene will be a far cry from the hardest one I’m going to make — it’s safe to say the goodbyes to my friends and my home for the past four years will take that spot — but I really wouldn’t be the same without that or The Avenue. For all those lucky enough to spend more time in Gainesville, I’ll say this: Invest in your local entertainment scene, and appreciate it for all that it is. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and reconnect with friends, or even make new ones, through art and music. Gainesville has so much to offer between our university, college nightlife, local entertainment scene and everything in between.
And for anyone reading this, I hope each part of this city brings you as much joy as it brought me these past four years.
Natalie Rao is a UF journalism senior. She is the Avenue Editor for The Alligator.
