This past Saturday, while Lollapalooza raged on in the Midwest, 15 bands from across the state gathered together to for their very own mini-festival in Central Florida. The Haven Lounge in Winter Park, Florida hosted Days of Summer II, the second installment in the Days of Summer concert series organized by 152 Productions. This 8 hour event was packed full of great music and entertainment for attendees, complete with two stages, a hotdog stand, and after dark fire performances by Metamorphic Movement. Inside, artists Nogah Mimitar and Libbi Proveaux worked on live paintings by the entrance. Starting with blank slates when the doors opened, the two painted throughout the entire event as concertgoers stopped to watch. This was a great addition to the evening, it was very interesting to see the symbiosis between the art and the atmosphere of the event, both feeding into and off of one another. By the end of the night, Mimitar’s canvas had been transformed into a one of a kind artwork that now hangs at the venue.
Since one band unfortunately had to drop out for Covid related reasons, Evershock kicked off the night one set time later than scheduled at 4:50PM. Though they were down a guitarist, the other three members put on a strong performance. Braden Showley (Vocals/Guitar) and Lucas Marino (Bass) warmed up the crowd, encouraging involvement as they clapped and danced along. These three were the youngest musicians of the night (all are still in high school) but already their talent is undeniable. Evershock released their first demo earlier this year.
Evershock:
Braden Showley – Vocals/Guitar
Valentino Terry – Guitar
Lucas Marino – Bass
Lucas Ventura – Drums
Second on the main stage was Original Issue, a newly reformed pop punk band based in Orlando, Florida. Years ago, front-man Chris LaBarbera started the band as a duo in California, but has since brought that Cali sound all the way across the country. The current lineup debuted in February of this year and their first album was released shortly after. The members of Original Issue put great emphasis on the relationship they have with their fans, chatting with those that approached them before and after the show. During their set, Chris even jumped down from the stage into the crowd to sing with them. Original Issue’s debut, self-titled album is available now.
Original Issue:
Chris LeBarbera – Vocals/Guitar
Ryan – Bass
William Castro – Guitar
Rion – Drums
While the changeover and soundcheck began on the main stage, Moss opened up the side stage that would host a multitude of acoustic performances throughout the night. In between each of the main acts, Dear Sister Kodos, Austin Palmer, Mitar, Chris and the Chemtrails, and Kristin Maldonado kept the show going with shorter, 20 minute sets.
As Moss finished his set and the projector screen rose to reveal Not Enough Space, the next main stage act, the crowd made their way back across the venue. The band dropped a new single called “Distorted” earlier in the month, and fans were excited to hear it live for the first time since it’s release. When the chorus hit, the crowd screamed along. This was far from the only high energy moment in their performance, covers of the classic emo-alt hits “Decode” by Paramore and “King for a Day” by Pierce the Veil ft. Kellin Quinn had the crowd going wild. “Distorted” is out now.
Not Enough Space:
Lizzie Kristina – Vocals
Anthony Martinez – Vocals/Guitar
Gabriel Gutierrez – Bass
Bruno – Guitar
Reece – Drums
Like with Original Issue, Benjamin Neil & Pacific Rush took to the stage to bring the West Coast all the way east. For years Benjamin Neil has been performing and releasing music as a solo artist, but formed with the band Pacific Rush in 2020. While they are a band that loves a good cover, tonight they showed up with some originals they were excited to share and the fans were excited to hear. Complete with a bass/guitar swap between Ben and Julian, and multiple high kick jumps off of the drum platform, this lively performance had everyone on their feet! While, at this time, the band has only released one cover, you can find original music by Benjamin Neil streaming on all platforms.
Pacific Rush:
Benjamin Neil – Vocals/Guitar
Chris McGraw – Guitar
Julian Montes – Bass/Vocals
Alec Szendrei – Drums
Montra, a rock n’ roll band out of Orlando, FL and a regular on 152 Productions’ lineups, began just after 8:10 PM. The band kicked things off with “Gone Too Long,” a classic sounding rock track complete with guitar solos and slides, setting the tone for their set right away. During their performance, Montra covered all tracks from their debut EP Free Spirit along with some unreleased music. Their new song “Money Maker,” a track described by vocalist Shane Duggan as having “something about it that makes you want to move,” will be a welcome addition to their catalog whenever it does come out. Free Spirit was released earlier this summer.
Montra:
Shane Duggan – Vocals/Guitar
Sam Volatile – Guitar
Gabriel Acker – Bass
Evan – Drums
Kaleia was next up, and with a background in musical theatre and a slower, more gospel sound, hers was a set unique to those prior. Her music was not the only thing that was different; technical difficulties ended up pushing her set back and unfortunately, cutting it short. When soundcheck started, it became apparent that there was an issue with the keyboard and it wasn’t able to be used. Right next to the stage, however, sat a piano. The band was able to run a microphone down to it and the keyboardist played from there. The set began around 9:15, halfway through the scheduled 30 minutes, but the next 20 were smooth sailing for Kaleia and her accompanying band! This was her first show debuting original, unreleased songs, and the passion behind her art was evident in her performance. She took time in between songs to thank the band that was there with her, showing immense gratitude for them and those there to support her. Truly this was a special night for her and everyone in attendance.
Kaleia:
Kaleia Ayelett – Vocals
All the way from South Florida, Dirty Rivals is an alt rock band and was next on the main stage. Since they are so far away, they don’t get to play in Orlando too often and this was likely the first time many in the crowd had seen them live. After an electric performance where the band played most of their 2022 debut EP Wreck Entertainment, there is no doubt that they earned the support of some new Central Florida fans. When asked if 152 should bring Dirty Rivals back to Orlando, the crowd cheered ecstatically in favor of that idea.
Dirty Rivals:
Jacob Maicol – Vocals
Nelson Brockwell – Guitar
Steven Salguero – Drums
Cinema Stereo, like Montra, is another rock band from Orlando, FL that regularly appears in 152 Productions’ shows. With these three, you can always expect an extremely high energy and entertaining performance. This set, however, was even more energetic than usual. Guitarist Sebastian Borysek and Ian Rahya (Bassist/Vocalist) were at the edge of the stage playing directly with the crowd multiple times. At one point, Ian even jumped off the stage with bass in hand to play in the crowd. The excitement the fans brought was also over-the-top, screaming and singing along to every song – from the newly released originals off of the band’s debut, self-titled album to covers of classics like “The Ballroom Blitz” by Sweet. Tonight marked the last local show for the band before they join Naked Gypsy Queens on tour in August.
Cinema Stereo:
Ian Rayha – Vocals/Bass/Keyboard
Sebastian Borysek – Guitar
Luke Pate – Drums
After a very long night, Krendon took the stage as the final act. Though it had been almost seven hours already, the crowd was ready for more! This Orlando rock band was a strong closer for the night; when 12:30 AM rolled around and their set was coming to an end, fans were still calling for one more song. The band’s newest release, an EP titled Tomorrow Is Today.
Krendon:
Carlos Rendon – Vocals/Guitar
Jimmy Alban – Bass
Israel Cappelletti – Drums
And with that, Days of Summer II has come and gone, but part III is right around the corner! 152 Productions will be hosting the third and final installment of the Days of Summer concert series on August 13th again at the Haven Lounge. Featuring another stellar lineup including bands Amapola, Delespine, Flowers for Emily, Way Out, Little Lazy, Ben Rothschild, and Default Friends, and acoustic performances by Tow, Chris From Cali, Nick Suciu, Madison Moon, and Scott Cater, Days of Summer III is sure to be another great night of music and fun. Tickets are available for a discounted price through August 12th at 152 Production’s website.
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My name is Courtney and I am a concert photographer based outside of Orlando, FL. For decades I’ve been an avid enjoyer of music and photography (separately), but recently found the joy that comes from putting them together. There is nothing that beats the rush of live music, but being able to relive that time through photographs sure comes close. Join me as I dive into the Central Florida music scene!
