The Kickstand
July 18, 2008The Kickstand is a community oriented bike shop, venue and thrift store. If you have not heard about it — it’s about time.
The quirky warehouse has one half of its grounds devoted to the thrift shop, which raises money for its main project, the bike shop, which is housed on the other side. The stage area is somewhere in the middle. The Kickstand was started late last year by Ani Previc.
As a venue, the place has a good vibe. There is no air conditioning and it can be quite a drive from campus, but the otherwise great atmosphere is worth the discomforts. On the walls hang local artwork for sale. Painted bicycles and Christmas lights also decorate the red interior. The people are nice and everything is in the name of DIY bike repair.
It is a gigantic building, but can be difficult to find. The most helpful directions have come from Glypher, creator of Gainesvillebands.com, who backs The Kickstand as a committee member. He has a picture of the area on his news forum.
The Alligator has done two pieces on The Kickstand. The first is a multimedia article, which has pictures of the interior being constructed and is narrated by Vyki Englert. In the piece, Chelsea Carnes is quoted as stressing the importance of the venue aspect of The Kickstand.
My band opened for a show at the Kickstand somewhere in May. It was a great time. My girlfriend came down from Tallahassee to witness. My newspaper editor and her friends also came. A modest slew of others too (including a roommate).
Jon Crocker played after us, and really got intimate with the crowd, telling stories and making jokes mid-songs. Everyone sat around him in a circle in a style reminiscent of of elementary school story time. A dog hopped around the crowd and interrupted many musical moments.
The seemingly awkward highschool band, Max’s Birthday played after Crocker. Their piano driven indie music was fun. Here is a picture of what the stage looked like with them on it.
The last band to play was the Muse/Radiohead-esque Dead Songwriters. A very talented group of musicians who are originally from Ocala.
The place can only get better and I hear they have already improved the venue with new equipment. A list of upcoming Kickstand shows can be found here. I strongly urge you to support them.
I earnestly hope the place becomes big — it deserves to. The many volunteers backing The Kickstand have big hearts and great ambitions for the place.
The Kickstand has both a MySpace and a website. Check them out and go to their shows. Learn how to get your bike fixed if necissary. If you do not have one, let them help you build one.

Posted by shawandmusic


