Go | The best concerts in Jax this week

There was a time when the term college radio was used to describe any rock music that was just outside the mainstream. Bands like R.E.M. and the B-52’s wore it like a badge of honor. The Replacements glorified such “Left of the Dial” music in song. 

Today, the term is used to describe a much broader array of artists working in myriad genres from hip-hop to electronic to pop. And it’s often interchangeable with the term indie. 

For fans of left-of-the-dial music, it’s a good week to get out and see a show in Jax. Two pillars of the contemporary college radio charts, and a group that’s sure to land there soon, pay the First Coast a visit. 

Here are the best concerts in Jax this week according to the JME team. 

Indie Rock

Sheer Mag, PoolBoi – Friday, October 22

Bier Hall @ Intuition Ale Works | DT Jax

Buoyed by the politically charged lyrics of singer Tina Halladay, Philadelphia-based Sheer Mag’s potent power pop has earned the band a fervent following. On the strength of 2019’s A Distant Call, the group seemed poised for a big breakthrough. Though the pandemic may have halted their plans, it didn’t stall their momentum. They’re on the road again and making a pitstop in Jacksonville on Friday. Jax’s own PoolBoi, who makes formidable power pop of its own, opens the show. Doors at 8 p.m. 

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Psych Rock 

Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Acid Dad – Saturday, October 23 

Bier Hall @ Intuition Ale Works | DT Jax

Known, and widely beloved, for their energetic performances, Los Angeles-based Frankie and the Witch Fingers is on tour in support of their latest offering of psychedelia, Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters. Fellow Greenway Records labelmates, Brooklyn’s Acid Dad and Jax’s own Kairos Creature Club, join the bill on what should be a loud and trippy evening of ethereal rock n’ roll. Door at 8 p.m. 

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Indie Pop 

Hotel Fiction – Sunday, October 24 

Jack Rabbits | San Marco 

Hailing from Athens, GA––that most-famous exporter of college radio artists–the much-buzzed-about indie pop duo Hotel Fiction comes to town in support of their debut album, Soft Focus, which features the sweet and smooth ditty “Astronaut Kids.” Myles Brandon opens the show. Doors at 7 p.m. 

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NOTE: The CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission even if you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others. In areas with high numbers of COVID-19 cases, consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.