It sure was exciting to be checking out music in Parramore again for the second time in a week. Earlier it was Tommy Mot’s new frontiers over at Stonewall. A few days later and a couple blocks down was 11Eleven Fest, the highly number-themed event (the date, the bands, etc.) organized by eminent Orlando events groups Shows I Go To and Montgomery Drive.
The ambitious all-day music party featured a musical lineup that was eclectic, sometimes to the point of being bizarre. But among the 11 bands (theming!) on the bill, the organizers did pull a couple big coups for a small, unestablished festival by landing legit indie stars like excellent Hardly Art act Ian Sweet and breakout Frenchkiss Records band Diet Cig, whose closing performance was as jubilant and life-affirming a finale as they come.
The event was on the scale of a block party and was done with good production and logistics. Between a remarkably professional stage with good sound, a full roster of comedians in the taproom, food vendors, art installations and a custom drink menu themed after each of the bands on the bill, 11Eleven Fest made great use of the brewery grounds and open-air back lot to create a complete festival atmosphere.
Individually, Shows I Go To and Montgomery Drive are enterprising scene figures definitely trying to do some good stuff around here. Together their forces are exponential.
esides bringing live music to people, the GOOOAAALLL of the festival was to provide 1,111 soccer balls (more theming!) to children in need, including the kids in the immediate Parramore neighborhood, through the Orlando City Foundation. To that end, they organized a sizable event with solid bones. Although I’m the last to advocate for boring homogeneity, more clarity and unity of vision – as well as evenness of quality – with regard to the musical lineup would’ve served the festival better. Still, it was good local production that packed a lot of heart and punched above its weight.
And zooming out, it’s great to feel some new music energy coming from downtown’s west side.
