If you're the sort of person who goes to a concert to hear a perfect note-for-note performance of your favorite songs, well, good for you. If you'd prefer to hear the songs played the way the musicians would like you to hear them, and watch those musicians have fun while playing, we've got some doozies for you this weekend.
Phish is sort of a spiritual descendant of the Grateful Dead, playing intricate songs that can go off on improvisational tangents. They have a huge following (the band sold out Madison Square Garden for five nights and Boston's Fenway Park twice this summer), and this is their only stop in Florida this year, but tickets are still available for their show at 7 p.m. Friday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena ($96.50-$148).
Jacksonville's
own Tedeschi Trucks Band is at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Derek Trucks, guitarist with TTB, and Phish's Trey Anastasio have been known to play together, but they are both scheduled to hit the stage at 7 p.m. Friday at venues that are nearly 50 miles apart, so sit-ins seem unlikely. The 12-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band is touring to support the new "Future Soul" album. Tickets are $60-$196.
The Avett Brothers wrap up the rockin' weekend with a show at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The Avett's certainly can rock, but they do it with a bit of a bluegrass flair. It's the last show on the band's tour until New Year's Eve. The Secret Sisters open the show. Tickets are $78-$112.
Northeast Florida Fair
5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9; noon Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Nassau County Fairgrounds in Callahan. $10.
"Southern Nights and Fairground Lights" is the theme for this year's fair, which has racing pigs, alligator shows, live music, livestock competitions, baking contests and loads of rides. Unlimited-ride deals are available most days. Info: neflfair.org
Wasabi Con
3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9; 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10; 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. $30-$75.
This is the 15th anniversary for the pop-culture convention, which brings together fans of cosplay, anime, gaming and gaming. Professional creators and cosplayers will be on hand, along with talent contests, a goth rave, gaming tournaments and seminars. Info: jax.wasabicon.com
Groovy home tour
10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and noon Sunday, Oct. 11, starting at Norman Studios. $29.
Billed as Jacksonville's grooviest home tour, the 10th Arlington Mod & More home tour takes you inside homes built in the '50s and '60s. Geodesica, a round Spindle house, and the Sammis house, built in the early 1800s, are included in the tour. The tours start at Norman Studios, where silent films were made a century ago. Info: oldarlington.org
Phaeton Piano Trio
4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, at St. Paul's By the Sea Episcopal Church in Jacksonville Beach. Free.
Friedemann Eichhorn, Peter Hörr and Florian Uhlig are not household names in Florida, but if you were a fan of German classical pianists, you'd recognize them. They've each been playing stages around the world for at least 20 years, and joined forces in 2020. It's the opening show of the Beaches Fine Arts Series, which has been providing free classical concerts at the Beaches since 1972. Info: beachesfinearts.org
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: This weekend in Jacksonville: Concerts, cosplayers and a Callahan fair
