It takes moxie to plan and execute a music festival, no matter how big or small.  Luckily, Dante Lima has some to spare.  Thriller aficionados will remember Lima’s Avett Brothers interview, which ran in this hallowed space not long ago (and they will look forward to his interview with the Zombies’ Rod Argent next month).  And, Gainesville, Florida music fans will remember him from his work with Wait Wait and the Footlights.  Lima’s latest project is the AM/FM music showcase – an all-day festival at 8 Seconds in Gainesville that will benefit Haiti.  Here, Lima talks a bit about the festival.

How did the AM/FM festival come about?

Well the idea for AM/FM started when my band The Footlights found out we weren’t going to be able to play the Fest this year. Marshal Patrick, my guitar player, and I decided that the Fest is difficult for bands like us to get into, you know, bands who aren’t really hard rock or punk, but also don’t play straight up pop either. We noticed that most of the shows we’ve played here in town feature bands a lot like us. We don’t really fit in the indie/hipster scene and we don’t really fit in the punk scene, so we’re kind of in no man’s land. So the idea was to create a one-day, free festival featuring bands that felt out of place like us, or bands that we really admired that we knew would buy into our concept. We wanted to promote a musical solidarity for the bands in the middle and show that there’s more than just punk music and catchy dance music in Gainesville.

What were you looking for in the bands you chose?

There are songwriters all over this town, and I felt since I have a close relationship with a lot of them, it was my job to get this assembled. So I started calling bands, firstly Moodhosa, a band that we’d played with several times and really helped the Footlights get our start. After a show one night, their singer Jose Peruyero said, “Man, there’s really a new scene starting around here,” and I knew he’d be down. We called Paxico Via Mexico, they were in too.  I wanted to be selective about the artists though, because we weren’t just selling a show, but an idea. When we brainstormed what bands we wanted, we wanted bands who would buy into our idea of a new musical community. That’s how we got the name AM/FM, “About music, for music.” Michael Claytor and His Friends immediately popped into my head because of what they’ve been doing at Flaco’s for the past two years. They’ve played a huge role in spreading musical togetherness at no charge and they built Flaco’s Wednesday nights into what it is now. It’s really a place for sharing ideas, with no ego involved. Claytor and his band actually embody a lot of what AM/FM is about. I talked to Evan Garfield after a Shitty Wilco show and they jumped on board right away. With music in mind we consulted Bang Bang Boom because they bring a party, and D.P. because he’s the best, most melodically informed hip-hop artists in Gainesville. And the others were friends willing to help, like Dr. Chrome & The Soulbones, Dave Jacobson, Regular Size Tim, Michael J, and my former bandmate in Wait Wait, T.J. Masters. There are a lot of common threads between all the artists, so not only do we get a great, eclectic show, but a lot of friends in the same room as well. Every artist has been really supportive from the promotional side of things to the music itself.

Is there anything specific you hope the festival will accomplish?

To put on a festival it takes a great idea and total cooperation, and so far I think we have both. Marshal and I never wanted this to be a small event.  We wanted to really say something to Gainesville about how music can bring people together, and now with the earthquake in Haiti, we have even more reason to believe our festival can make a difference. We’re raising money and with the fan bases of thirteen acts, we’re hoping turnout is fantastic. We also never wanted to charge anyone, for anything. It was always in the interest to do this for the community for free, and now we’re just asking that people make donations for Haiti. I think it’s a small price to pay for a full day of great music. Aside from raising money to send to Haiti I think this can be a real jump off point for the kinds of events that can happen here, especially for free. Our sponsors have been great, and they know if the event is a success, it helps the entire community musicians and businesses alike. People like to feel like a community is reciprocal, and as long as we can get the funds to give people quality, free music, we’ll do it. But we need the community to meet us half way. A lot of sponsors have given a lot of money, not to mention bands giving their time and a lot of my friends volunteering in other areas like sound, lights and promotion. If it all goes according to planned, the crowd will be fantastic, the music will be even better and we can raise some money and show what our little circle of bands can do. If it all goes to plan, there will be another AM/FM Showcase very soon.

The AM/FM showcase will happen at 8 Seconds in Gainesville, Florida (201 W University Ave).  The show starts at 1:35 p.m., and the schedule is as follows:

Dave Jacobson 1:35-1:55
TJ Masters 2:00-2:20
Michael J 2:25-2:45
Ancient River 2:50-3:20
Michael Claytor & His Friends 3:35-4:05
Dr. Chrome and The Soulbones 4:20-4:50
The Haps 5:05-5:35
Bang Bang Boom 5:50-6:20
D.P. 6:35-7:05
Regular Size Tim 7:20-7:50
The Footlights 8:05-8:35
Paxico via Mexico 8:50-9:20
Moodhosa 9:35-10:05