Uber Driver Says He Was Victim of Racially-Charged Assault in Gainesville, Seeks Justice

Sep 15, 2017 | Politics | 0 Comments

by Gargs Allard On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to interview Derrick Edmondson, a 58-year-old Uber driver and military veteran from Ocala, Fla. He served on the USS Kitty Hawk while in the US Navy during the Iranian Conflict. His son Derrick Edmondson Jr. has... read more

Documentary on 2010 Haiti Earthquake Gets a Screening at UF this Evening

Sep 5, 2017 | Politics, World | 0 Comments

by Gargs Allard The documentary film, Kenbe Fem, a film about the Haitian earthquake of 2010 that killed by some approximations 160,000 and left some people homeless to this day, will be screened tonight at UF’s Library West at 6 pm. I spoke with filmmaker and... read more

Hare Krishna! Film Successfully Tells the Story of Its Founder

Jul 7, 2017 | Film | 3 Comments

by Gargs Allard Film Review: Hare Krishna! the Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started it All 4.5 out of 5 Stars A handful of critics have panned Hare Krishna! for being no more than a marketing tool for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness... read more

Musical Memoirs: Going Retro to Go Forward

May 24, 2017 | Essays, Music, Music Essays, Rock | 0 Comments

Photo of my brother Kevin Allard at age 10 on December 25, 1975 by Gargs Allard I was one of those kids who was into a lot of retro things, but I wasn’t too conscious of it other than I knew what I liked when I heard it. As a result, I often overlooked the music... read more

Impressionist Pop Duo Edmondson Drops Lush, Moody Debut

May 7, 2017 | Music Reviews, Previews | 0 Comments

Album Review: Strange Durations/Edmondson by Tyler Francischine Thoughts race through your mind, but the words just won’t come to your lips. Who can you give just a glance to and communicate volumes? Your bro. The early evening sun sets the living room ablaze. Your... read more

M3 Rock Festival Starts Today at Merriweather

Apr 28, 2017 | Previews | 0 Comments

by Gargs Allard The M3 Rock Festival, replete with three days of bands from the Ghost of Music Past, some even with some of their original members, commences today at The Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD., with doors opening for the first day of a three-day... read more

The Wailers Band Brings a Rich Reggae History to the High Dive Today

Apr 2, 2017 | Gainesville Area Shows, Previews | 0 Comments

Story and photos by Gargs Allard The Wailers will play tonight at the High Dive. Doors open at 6pm and the show is expected to go until 11:30 pm. The Wailers, which formed in 1963, originally consisted of reggae greats Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. In the... read more

Ricky Kendall and the Healers Light Up Heartwood Soundstage

Apr 1, 2017 | Alt-country, Concert Reviews, Gainesville Area Shows, Music | 0 Comments

Ricky Kendall and the Healers were an appropriate choice to open the newly established Heartwood Soundstage at 619 Main Street in Gainesville on the beautiful night of March 24, not only because Ricky, Michael Claytor, Sam Moss and gang are special musical artists,... read more

It’s Holi Time in A-Town Again

Mar 30, 2017 | Rock | 0 Comments

Festival of Colors to Brighten and Enlighten North Central Florida by Gargs Allard The annual Holi Festival of Colors will take place this year on April 2 from Noon to 4 PM at the Hare Krishna Temple in Alachua on CR 235 known as New Raman Reti. We caught up with the... read more

Denny Laine Interview Previews High Dive Concert

Mar 29, 2017 | Interviews | 0 Comments

by Gargs Allard We had the good fortune of chatting with legendary musician Denny Laine of both the Moody Blues and Paul McCartney and Wings fame. He has also played and/or toured with the likes of Ginger Baker’s Air Force and the recently departed Chuck Berry, among... read more

Early Voting Turnout in Alachua County May Loom Large For Democrats

Nov 8, 2016 | Politics | 0 Comments

by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Alachua County residents showed up in high numbers for early voting this election season, nearly equaling 2008’s record-breaking year. Early voting closed Saturday, and of the 178,000 registered voters in the county, over... read more

All-American Rejects Visit Gainesville to Rock the Vote

Nov 7, 2016 | Concert Reviews | 0 Comments

Story and Photography by Alex Peterman On Friday night, the University of Florida hosted the All-American Rejects, taking the crowd at Flavet field back to their days of youth. Fans reminisced in the classic “Dirty Little Secret” right from the start and enjoyed the... read more

UF Health Shands Chooses New Chief Medical Officer

Nov 6, 2016 | Politics | 0 Comments

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – UF Health Shands announced Oct. 19 Parker Gibbs will serve as its new chief medical officer. Gibbs, a University of Florida orthopedic oncologist, said his new job, which began Monday, puts him in charge of the overall quality of care patients... read more

Game-Day Street Closure Yields Positive Results Despite Traffic Jams

Nov 4, 2016 | Gainesville News, Politics | 0 Comments

photo courtesy The Florida Independent Alligator by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The street closure officials placed on W. University Avenue on Gator football game days have yielded mostly positive results. In an effort to increase the safety of pedestrians during... read more

At 82 Leonard Cohen Still a Master Songwriter

Oct 29, 2016 | Music Reviews | 0 Comments

Music Review: You Want it Darker/Leonard Cohen – Released October 21, 2016 (Columbia) ★★★★★ by Gargs Allard Leonard Cohen said in a recent interview that if he is to live much longer, he will have to eat because he can’t see how it’s possible to get... read more

Power Companies Accussed of Ballot Trickery on Solar Issues

Oct 26, 2016 | Politics | 0 Comments

by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A solar energy amendment will be on the ballot Nov. 8, and its wording has opposition questioning the intentions of utility companies. The Florida Solar Energy Subsidies and Personal Solar Use Initiative, also known as Amendment 1,... read more

Rape Survivors Begin First Alachua County Support Group in Three Years

Oct 12, 2016 | Politics | 0 Comments

by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Survivors of rape trauma met for the first time at the Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center Oct. 3, and began an eight-week support group for the sexually assaulted. The program, which was last offered by the... read more

Lack of Funding Causes Overcapacity of Schools Difficult to Solve

Oct 12, 2016 | Politics | 0 Comments

by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. – All but three Alachua County elementary schools are over capacity, with some at 120 and 130 percent, and state funding is no where to be found to alleviate the issue. Jackie Johnson, director of communications and community... read more

Eagles Reunion Still Possible With Frey’s Son Says Henley

Oct 1, 2016 | Music News | 0 Comments

by Gargs Allard Eagles co-founder Don Henley, having said that the Eagles will never reunite again following the death of band mate Glenn Frey in January of this year, seems to have reconsidered in an interview with the Montreal Gazette by saying, “At some point... read more

Downtown Gainesville Hopping With Great Live Music This Weekend

Sep 30, 2016 | Previews | 0 Comments

by Gargs Allard The beauty of living near downtown Gainesville is that you are literally a short walk away from an array of great bands on any given Friday or Saturday night. Tonight is certainly no exception to this rule with such stalwarts as The Struts playing... read more

Director Ron Howard Captures the Splendor of Every Moment of Eight Days A Week

Sep 29, 2016 | Film | 0 Comments

Film Review: Eight Days A Week by Gargs Allard If Ringo Starr is the Yogi Berra among musicians, Ron Howard is apparently a Houdini among directors of musical documentaries. Howard, who has long given up his successful acting career to become a top-notch director,... read more

Gainesville Musician Writes Groundbreaking Bio on R&B Legend and Civil Rights Leader

Sep 28, 2016 | Gainesville News | 0 Comments

by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Local popular musician Travis Atria has co-authored the first bona fide biography of music pioneer Curtis Mayfield. Atria, University of Florida graduate and front man of Gainesville’s Morningbell, said he started working on... read more

Planetarium at SFC to Test New Laser System with Hopes for the Future

Sep 23, 2016 | Gainesville Area Shows | 0 Comments

By Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Kika Silva Pla Planetarium at Santa Fe College could soon be home to monthly, state-of-the-art laser shows, including displays to popular classic rock albums. A Prismatic full-dome laser projection system will be installed... read more

Is Uber a Safer Designated Driver

Sep 23, 2016 | Gainesville News | 0 Comments

by Shyam Allard GAINESVILLE, Fla. — While many parents of current University of Florida students have reportedly slept easier knowing that Uber has been acting as their partying child’s designated driver, it is still unclear whether the presence of Uber in the... read more