Well into the 2000s, Gainesville’s big three -- Hot Water Music, Less Than Jake and Against Me! -- had secured their places as the city's premier bands, each with their own distinct sound.

They had all signed to major labels and were touring the world, but still make sure to come back home and play an occasional local show.

The Fest had seen its popularity rise, too, and there were enough recording studios, labels and venues for bands to go around.

But by this time, bands were less concerned about the prospect of being scooped up by record companies. That’s because the do-it-yourself mindset was being cemented in Gainesville as a new wave of bands were building their brand.

“It’s just do whatever you want, however you want, and don't worry about somebody else stepping in,” said drummer David Bell.

DIKEMBE AND DIY

Like many other Gainesville bands, Dikembe’s formation happened organically with friends jamming together. Technology had evolved over the years, allowing the musicians to put out their own music online for free.

“I was excited that people liked the music,” said Bell, the band’s drummer. “I thought it was cool.”

The band then went on tour, signed to a label and were quickly asked to play at The Fest.

“There were a lot of people there,” Bell said. “A lot more than I think any of us were expecting. They all seemed to know the words and we had music out for maybe six months at that point.”

The band within a few years had released two albums. When it came time for the third, they had an uncomfortable exchange with their label. They wanted to release an EP and needed money for gear upgrades. The label, however, wanted a full-length album and was hesitant to throw funds their way.

“All of our equipment is broken, always,” said bassist Randy Reddell.

The bandmates eventually decided to self-release their EP, started Death Protector, a recording studio/label based out of their house, and released their third record. They made sure to help their friends’ bands put out music, too, with some of the money they made.

“We’re not making any money from any of it,” Reddell said. “We’ve actually lost a lot of money.”

The band says the DIY mentality allows more freedom when dealing with promoters, venues and labels, which can be overwhelming at times.

“There can be a lot of hands that are involved in the process of just putting on a show for one night for certain places,” Bell said. “I think record labels are way more hesitant to throw money into most bands. They want sure-fire investments.”

Dikembe is seen as one of the new leaders of Gainesville’s current music climate who help others book shows, give them a place to sleep when touring, or by helping put out music.

This year marked a significant step in their movement, as they hosted the first Death Protector Fest in downtown Gainesville, a free festival featuring a dozen other up-and-coming bands, such as Slingshot Dakota, Pool Kids and Woolbright.

But Dikembe by no means invented the do-it-yourself mentality, nor do they claim to have.

Gainesville’s music scene has been, by nature, DIY for decades. Even Tom Petty’s Mudcrutch farm festivals in the 70s were self-promoted.

Less Than Jake drummer Vinnie Fiorello says he remembers when his band was pressing their own T-shirts, creating infolds for cassette tapes and booking their own shows. 

“Gainesville had a unique perspective on doing it yourself,” he said. “It was definitely more a DIY mindset than anywhere else in Florida where those other punk scenes were.”

Even The Fest, despite its international success, does much of its own work and relies heavily on volunteers.

“It’s just me. It’s as DIY as it gets,” said Fest founder Tony Wienbender.

GIVING BACK

Not all music in Gainesville’s current scene is considered punk, indie or alternative. But many of the musicians who saw success through those genres stayed in Gainesville and are responsible for the city’s musical diversity.

Jen Vito, of No More, helps put on Changeville, a rising festival that uses music, film and comedy to drive discussions on self-awareness and social change. The event is in partnership with the Frank conference, which is organized by students and faculty that work for the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

Each year, the event brings a host of artists from different genres -- including rap and pop -- that have positive messages to share with attendees. Before that, Vito organized the local V-Fest, an all women's music festival, but stopped after realizing it left out other marginalized musicians.

She now helps run Gainesville Girls Rock Camp, a weeklong camp that uses music as a way to build creativity and self-esteem for girls and gender-nonconforming youth. By the end of the camp, the group writes and performs a song in front of a large crowd.

“We kind of bring them into this environment that we curated to be really empowering and inclusive, and then you see the results of that,” Vito said of the camp.

Her work as a community events coordinator has been her way of giving back to the community.

Gainesville also hosts the Free Friday Concert Series, a weekly event funded by city government. Local musician and guitar shop owner Mike Boulware has helped organize the event through the years.

His band The Imposters, a Beatles cover band, usually kicks off the series, which offers a mix of jazz, blues and rock throughout the months.

As for Fiorello, his work with Paper and Plastick, a local record label, has consistently pushed out music for bands, some local. His bandmate, Roger Lima, runs a studio called Moathouse, where he’s produced and records music for other notable rockers, including his side project Rehasher.

Local venues, like Loosey's and Boca Fiesta, also owned by musicians, help keep live music afloat by offering a space to play. Some venues give bands all the money from door sales at the end of the night, with no hassle, to help them get to their next gig.

Even Hot Water Music invites still invites local bands, like Dikembe, to share the stage with them when playing Florida shows to help give them exposure.

And it’s worth noting that The Fest’s lineup is much more than punk music, as it also offers rock, indie, ska, emo, folk and Spanish music.

“There's not two bands that sound the same at all,” Redell said. “There’s such a wide variety of bands.  It’s crazy diverse.”

And despite putting on one of the largest music festivals the city has ever seen, Wienbender, Fest’s creator, also helps sponsor free shows around town from time to time and has been known to give a band some much-needed help to push out a record.

“I think what makes Gainesville special … is that Gainesville in its truest essence is it’s a very friendly town,” Wienbender said. “I think because it's small, we all have to get along, we all see each other constantly, and we’re all part of this fight and struggle in a way to keep the scene alive and keep the music going.”