Jeff John would much rather talk about his second live music experience than his first one. That’s because for his first concert, John, the eldest of four children, took his younger siblings to see pop stars Tiffany and the Backstreet Boys. “I’ll never live that one down, will I?” he jokes.
For John, owner of beloved South Florida music venue Revolution Live, his affinity for live performances was solidified during his second show, when he saw rockers Skid Row and the BulletBoys perform. Since then, the Lynn University graduate has gone from concert-goer to concert-giver, opening up the Fort Lauderdale nightclub in 2004 and welcoming hundreds of thousands of fans annually.
The venue, which partners with entertainment company Live Nation, has welcomed acts from The Wailers to Katy Perry to Lady Gaga. With its 1,000-person capacity, Revolution Live is South Florida’s largest venue at the club level. It was even chosen as the ideal musical backdrop for the 2012 film “Rock of Ages,” which featured actors Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough. What’s in store for live music fans? John gives us his insights.
Crossover music: “You’re going to see more crossover acts than ever before. People like Taylor Swift and the Zac Brown Band could have been considered purely country acts back in the day, but now they’ve expanded their sound to incorporate other genres. They’ve diversified. Today, it’s not as if the traditional cowboy or cowgirl are the only people listening to country. You see all types of people listening to this mixture of Southern rock and country.”
Increase in popularity: “With all those crossover successes, that opens the way for more people to come out to these live performances. That’s because there are naturally more fans. Ten years ago, there weren’t ‘cross-country fans’; they were country fans. Now, you have people like Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton and Zac Brown; they aren’t just wearing cowboy boots. They are wearing diamonds and looking good.”
Breaking records: “Live music is probably at an all-time high in South Florida right now. More and more people are getting into it, realizing that there’s really no true substitute to seeing your favorite band live. With people like us, and cool venues down in Miami, there are so many options to have a night focused on live music.”
Collaboration sensations: “Beyond just having more diverse music these days, you’re going to see a lot more cross-collaboration between segments. For example, you have Justin Bieber, Skrillex and Diplo as this year’s biggest collaboration. Pop and electronic musicians are fusing together to create a new sound, and as a result, you’re going to see a lot more diversified music coming out.”
Music festivals: “This evolution in music allows
