Chris DeMakes vividly recalled the first time Less Than Jake played the downtown Gainesville music venue now known as High Dive.
“We were on stage, it was pretty loud and people were getting wasted,” he said. “Then suddenly the lights came on. They locked the doors and started checking IDs and arresting people.
“The ATF was doing a raid and it was wild!” DeMakes said. “Thank God I’d just turned 21.”
That was 20 years ago, when High Dive was known as the Covered Dish and vocalist/guitarist DeMakes and his five-member punk-ska-rock band were still trying to get a little name recognition.
Two decades and eight studio albums later, Less Than Jake has seen the world — and the world has certainly seen them. But they still call Gainesville home. As proof, each year on Labor Day weekend, they host the Less Than Jake Wake and Bake Weekend at High Dive.
That’s because High Dive is the kind of concert venue musicians love. Fans can crowd the stage and reach out and touch the artists, creating an energetic atmosphere for everyone.
This weekend, High Dive is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a full schedule of events that began Friday night with a metal show headlined by the L.A.-based duo Big Business. The fun continues today with the Gainesville Girls Band Camp Showcase at 4 p.m. and a concert tonight headlined by Savants of Soul. The show also includes Oranga Tanga from Melbourne and PopCanon, an eclectic rock band that will be reunited for the first time in 15 years.
One of the persons responsible for making High Dive possible is Pat Lavery, who serves as the venue’s facility and event manager. He also is the sole employee of Glory Days Presents, which books almost every show that crosses the High Dive stage.
We asked Lavery some questions about High Dive’s first five years:
How did High Dive come to be?
Common Grounds was in the High Dive space from about 2005-2011. In May 2011, the owners of Common Grounds came to me and said they were closing by end of June that year. They felt Common Grounds had run its course, and they hoped I could have a part in keeping the venue going under a new ownership and new direction. I assembled a team and, in July 2011, after a quick cleanup and a little bit of paint, the venue reopened as Double Down Live, later to be renamed High Dive in July 2012 due to a trademark on the previous name.
Why is High Dive important to the landscape of downtown Gainesville?
High Dive is the epicenter of the local music and events scene. There is no other venue like it in Gainesville. A midsize venue with a large stage and Grade A sound system where live underground music and performance is the focus, not an afterthought, and is also available for a variety of other events like comedy, theater, food-truck rallies, movies, student organization parties, benefit events, art shows — you name it. And we are doing this all at a high level and standard that you are only going to find in bigger markets like Orlando and Tampa. Additionally, we are giving local artists the opportunity to perform on the same stage (and often open for) as large national acts.
The online publication Consequence of Sound recently listed High Dive 74th on a list of “100 Greatest American Music Venues.” That recognition has to be quite validating?
It was a shock, especially to be named above some real stalwarts in the Southeast like The Social in Orlando and the Georgia Theater in Atlanta. I’ve been telling our staff for some time that no one can beat The Social as the best venue in Florida. I’ve considered it to be the gold standard for some time, but my goal is to be the second best venue in Florida. Then this article comes out and says we are better than them. Granted, it’s just one blog’s opinion, but I was blown away. When you dedicate your entire life and all your waking moments to making something a success, yes, some national recognition like that is validating, while also unexpected. (For details, visit the Consequence of Sound article.)
What have been some of the highlights from the first five years of High Dive?
First and foremost, doing some fantastic shows at High Dive that I never thought could happen, like recently New Found Glory. They did a tour of small clubs in Florida that they haven’t played in years, or never played, and they chose us to be a part of it. Very cool.
Also, back in April Stan Lynch, the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame drummer from the Heartbreakers, played his first public show in about 15 years on our stage. It was a reunion for his pre-Heartbreakers band, Road Turkey. Such a special night that was.
Less Than Jake Wake and Bake weekend. LTJ was the first show I saw in Gainesville, and five years ago they came to us with the idea of doing a weekend of shows with them and their friends at High Dive every Labor Day weekend. They could do the show anywhere they want, but they chose us because they have a strong connection with the venue that goes back over 20 years. It’s very rewarding to work with them on this event every year.
The completely unexpected success of the Original Gainesville Food Truck Rally that we put on eight times a year at High Dive. It’s like a mini-festival in our parking lot, Beer Garden and show room, and it gets such strong support from the community. We have raised close to $10,000 for local charities through the event. Happy to give back.
The miracle gift of the mural on our wall on Southwest 2nd Avenue. Local artists Carrie and Jesus Martinez donated hundreds of hours of their time and lots of their own personal resources against many obstacles to make that happen. It was a real gift to us and to the city, and probably the most Instagrammed thing about our venue.
Most importantly though, it’s been really rewarding in the last two years to take my favorite music venue space in town and preserve its history, but also give it the aesthetic facelift that it needed to succeed for many more years. We have revamped the outdoor beer garden and completely redone the walls, ceilings, floors and sound and light system inside the venue. People who have been coming here for years have told us they think it’s the best they have ever seen it look, and that means a lot to me.
What is one of the most unusual events High Dive has hosted?
We have hosted midget wrestling several times. They bring in their own ring and set it up on the dance floor. It’s a spectacle to behold!
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