Lineup
2018’s lineup was jam-packed with some of the most dedicated changemakers in the industry
Music
Benjamin Booker
As a University of Florida College of Journalism graduate, Benjamin Booker already has a name for himself here in Gainesville. While Booker is an accomplished musician, having played at festivals the likes of SXSW, he also uses his talent to preach for change. More specifically, Booker is outspoken about his convictions considering police violence, the social issues surrounding the black community as a whole, and gun violence. In the songful track titled “Witness”, Booker speaks out about the false pretenses that often mean the life of another black person. He sings, “Thought that we saw that he had a gun / Thought that it looked like he started to run.”
Princess Nokia
“This is not a fabricated personality within in her music. […] The duality within her sound and her advocacy for equality is what allows her to be the genuine in a generation that is looking for authenticity” – Birdlessly Magazine, September 2016.
“Taking a swing at the glass ceiling that has long hindered the success of many female rappers, Nokia is one of the industry’s few MCs whose music reflects her feminist ideals” – Affinity Magazine
Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, affectionately known as Princess Nokia, is the latest alpha-female icon to emerge into the rap game. Nokia is known for her androgynous fashion, unapologetic feminism, and fervent advocacy for intersectionality. The New York City native is constantly pushing the envelope, giving female rappers the voice of legitimacy that is usually squandered in a highly male-dominated sphere of the music world.
Princess Nokia, alongside her social activism, is known for her outspokenness and ingenuity. “I’m a very eloquent, well-spoken, educated woman, and I never change my voice for nobody, because I never wanted to, because I knew that my culture was special,” says Nokia about staying true to her “ghettoness” and Afro-Nuyorican roots.
Recently, Nokia has begun encouraging others to join her in activism and donate whatever they can to her GoFundMe page for Hurricane Maria disaster relief in Puerto Rico. Donations can be made here: https://www.gofundme.com/adztf-hurricane-maria-disaster-relief
Cracker
Lead by vocalist David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman, Cracker is a country rock band from the 1990’s known for hits such as “Low” and “Euro-Trash Girl” off the Kerosene Hat album. The band came together after Lowrey’s other project Camper Van Beethoven disbanded. While Lowrey gains a lot of his fame from his music, he is currently one of the most outspoken advocates for artists’ rights. Since 2016, Lowrey has been in a multimillion dollar lawsuit with Spotify. Claiming the major streaming site does not have the proper licensing for most of the music on their platform, Lowrey believes Spotify is liable for over 150 million dollars in damages. Lowrey has expressed he is not against streaming services, but focused more on making sure artists are being paid appropriately and treated fairly.
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dirty Dozen Brass Band is the closest you can get to New Orleans without physically being there. Their electric New Orleans style jazz infused with elements from other genres such as funk and bebop can hook any listener. The band came together in 1977 after participating in the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band together, an organization dedicated to finding a positive outlet for young people to use their free time. Although the big brass band might seem like a dying art, Dirty Dozen Brass Band has breathed an unmistakable amount of life back into this form of music and has even been featured on albums by artists such as David Bowie and Elvis Costello.
War On Women
Hardcore punk band War on Women is the perfect cup of tea for the loud, remorseless feminist within us all. Frontman Shawna Potter has no qualms about speaking up about feminism and the obstacles women face within society. “I’m not going to dance around the fact that there is a war on women,” she told Bitch Media. “I’m not implying it. I’m telling you.” Potter and her bandmates have also undertaken a project called Safer Scenes. While War on Women was scheduled to perform at Warped Tour, the band wanted something to in place to help prevent harassment and violence at music events of all sizes, whether they be a large scale festival or a small house show. Alongside Safer Scenes, Potter has also dedicated time to run the Baltimore chapter of Hollaback!, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about street harassment and giving victims the tools needed to rise up against it in a nonviolent manner.
Professor Toon
The Savants Of Soul
Bringing back the motown soul of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the nine members of The Savants of Soul never fail to deliver a dynamic live performance. While their lyrics usually deal with relationships, they have recently shifted towards writing more politically charged. One of their recent tracks titled “Buy Me The Law” is sung from the perspective of a corporate lobbyist and details the role money has in American politics.
flipturn
flipturn is a five piece indie rock band known originally from Jacksonville, Florida known for their high energy sets. The band champion female representation in the music industry and implement a zero tolerance policy for any form of violence or harassment at their shows. flipturn has played Relay for Life in Fernandina Beach, Florida and the Wolfson Children’s Hospital Race back home in Jacksonville to raise money for cancer patients of all ages.
Pearl & The Oysters
After leaving Paris to continue their schooling in the United Sates, Juliette Davis and Joachim Polack fell in love with Brazilian bossa nova music while they both studied musicology. They began recording music soon after relocating to Gainesville, drawing influence from their previous fantasy-like visions of what Florida would be like.
Retrolux
Anna James and Maynard Shaye comprise the local Gainesville electronic duo known as Retrolux. Every Wednesday, Shaye hosts the Gainesville Language Exchange, an event where people from all over the world gather at The Midnight and are encouraged to speak their native language free from judgement. James not only volunteers at animal shelters, but also helps raise money for food, toys, and other veterinary supplies by hosting live shows through an organization known as SunPups.
GUTS
GUTS is an all woman indie pop band who advocate for social change by using their platform as artists, attending protests, and volunteering with the Gainesville Girls Rock Camp. Band member Kentucky Costellow is an organizer and board member of the Gainesville Girls Rock Camp. Being in a band as a queer woman, her goal is to be a role model to girls and LGBTQ youth. Everyone in the band consider themselves feminists and champions of intersectionality.
Wester Joseph’s Stereo Vudu
Stereo Vudu describes themselves as a “vudu rawk” band who write music about current with a little bit of love and a little bit of rawness. Vocalist Lacy Lou is co-creator of Water is Life Fest, an event connecting music lovers to social issues while enjoying the conscious community. The band recently protested phosphate mines endangering local Gainesville communities and are active on the east side of town which is an active food desert which deals with emminent threats of gentrification.
Wax Wings
Wax Wings are a local alternative country band highly focused on intersectional feminism. Frontwoman Chelsea Carnes is the director of Gainesville Girls Rock Camp, a summer camp that uses music and performance to promote self-esteem in young girls. Her thesis project for her Master’s in Family, Youth, and Community Science details the impact of international music performance on attitudes of xenophobia, showing exposure to foreign cultures can reduce xenophobic prejudice.
In Bed By Ten
Kathy Sohar and Scott Littler met in 2006 after leaving their original musical projects in order to form alternative punk rock band In Bed By 10. As an advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, Sohar established and has continued to volunteer every year at Gainesville Girls Rock Camp. Sohar also a co-founded Empowering Women in Technology Startups (EWITS), a program which advocating for more women in leadership roles within startup and technology companies. Littler has a son with special needs and he is a passionate advocate for issues surrounding special needs youth.
Aquanova
Aquanova is a psychedelic progressive rock band locally based in Gainesville, FL. The band is passionate about their hometown and environmental conservation. They have begun using their shows as a way to inform people about upcoming conservation efforts benefitting local wildlife and nature reserves. Aquanova acts in effort to showcase Gainesville for the hidden gem it truly is. They hope their efforts will attract larger bands and more diverse out-of-town musicians.
Hugo Sanchez
Hugo Sanchez and his production team comprised of DJ Robzilla and Cordova deliver 90’s style hip hop that also has a message. Sanchez’s lyrics are often concerned with issues such as socioeconomic inequality, gender equality, LGBT rights, the environment, and drug reform. Sanchez believes we must draw more attention to these issues because they impact our daily lives more than we know. Sanchez enacts change outside of his music by voting for progressive political candidates in elections and staying informed.
Marley The Messenger & DJ Robzilla
Combining the skilled production of DJ Robzilla with Marley The Messengers lyrical, meaningful hip hop, the two create engaging music which caters to fans of all ages and social backgrounds. They have chosen music as a way to spread awareness for racial equality, gender equality, and religious freedom.
Sooza
Mike Llerena & The Nerve
Folk punk band Mike Llerena and The Nerve are dedicated to making music advocating any sort of self improvement, whether it be addiction counselling or simply seeking support for mental health issues. Their music incorporates lyrics about taking on the world and overcoming where you are both figuratively and literally to get to where you want to be.
Maman Chaud
Maman Chaud is a veteran local Gainesville musician who has been an alt-rock and punk guitarist, songwriter and vocalist for the past 20 years, but she originally became interested in underground music through dancing in club. She is now a burgeoning DJ and producer of electronic dance music with influences from House music, American Hiphop and Soul, and UK Garage. Her DJing highlights work produced by women and people of color. She is drawn to remixing and producing dance music in protest to what is commercially available, which relies so heavily on sexist, heterosexist and racist content and imagery to sell the products. Maman Chaud works to play danceable music that does not also normalize dangerous social structures.
VOWLS
(V)owls believes in our music as an effective tool for healing ourselves and each other in troubled times and worried minds. Our music strives to be simple, effective mantras to help ourselves and hopefully others get through their days in a more positive way. We wish to inspire the community to respond with kindness and compassion to all the troubling circumstances that arise in our lives. We firmly believe that societal love is rooted in mental wellness and that compassionate understanding arises from strong self care. We believe real change has to start from within each of us and blossom outwards from individuals into all the lives they affect.
Passersby
Passersby is the dynamic SousAccordion duo performing original music colored by Latin tango, heavy bossa, Balkan wiggles, hot jazz swing, and mountaintop metal. Together, Nicholas Caputo and Ernie Roby have performed all over the country in urban public spaces, a gypsum desert, a canyon which was grand, daycare centers, an urban laboratory, and pretty much anywhere a cat can go. Part of their mission is to bring the awesome combined power of the sousaphone and accordion to people, places, birds, and things that would not or can not go to music venues, bars, concert halls, or other restrictive platforms for musical performance. Removing the barrier of the stage-to-audience relationship of ticketed performances they engage with listeners in one-on-one conversation talking about the stylistic roots of their music, the strange histories of their instruments, and the love of performance as being.
WMBT Mystery Artist
Comedy
Ian Harvie
Harvie toured for years with Margaret Cho as her opening act, then turned cross-country headliner and groundbreaking transgender comedian, playing clubs, theaters, and colleges around the US, CAN and AUS. He has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious comedy festivals: JUST FOR LAUGHS in Australia and Canada, and the MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL in Australia.
Ian made his acting debut as “Dale” in the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning TV series TRANSPARENT on Amazon. You may have also seen Ian guest starring as ”Michael” on the ABC soapy, nighttime drama, MISTRESSES; as “Chris” on FREEFORM’s hilarious, millennial sitcom YOUNG AND HUNGRY; and as himself on COMEDY CENTRAL’s THE NIGHTLY SHOW WITH LARRY WILMORE.
Most recently Harvie filmed his one-hour standup comedy special MAY THE BEST COCK WIN for SEESO (NBC’s premium comedy digital network).
He’ll be a lead in the Broadway Play LOG CABIN by the 2015 Pultizer Prize Finalist for Drama, Jordan Harrison.
Lizz Winstead
As co-creator and former head writer of The Daily Show and Air America Radio co-founder, Lizz Winstead has helped changed the very landscape of how people get their news.But she wasn’t just behind the scenes.
As a performer, Winstead brought her political wit to The Daily Show as a correspondent and later to the radio waves co-hosting Unfiltered, Air America Radio’s mid-morning show, where she brought on board Hip Hop legend, Chuck D and political big brain Rachel Maddow.Known as as one of the top political satirists in America, Winstead is currently touring the country, bringing her razor sharp insights to the stage selling out shows from LA to NYC.Lizz also gives back.
Her ongoing national comedy tour to benefit Planned Parenthood and NARAL has raised over 2 million dollars and was made into a documentary film, Smear Campaign just won “Best Documentary Comedy Short” at the Atlanta Documentary Film Festival.
Smear Campaign can be exclusively seen at: http://vimeo.com/ondemand/smearcampaign/72805081 Winstead’s first book, Lizz Free Or Die, Essays, was released in 2012 to incredible reviews and the paperback was released in May of 2013.
Micaela Fagan
Micaela Fagan is a senior at the University of Florida. She is a leading member of the Improv Groups – Theatre Strike Force, Generation Sketch Comedy and has made her mark producing & starring in popular college TV sketches & series. Micaela’s smart comedy tackles everything from LGBTQ issues & pop culture to history’s founding fathers & the constitution.
Vanessa Kinsey
This young local comedian has been tearing up the scene with their unique low-key delivery style mixing college humor, mental health advocacy, Queer issues and also helps run an inclusive womxn’s comedy workshop.
Bailey Erickson
Bailey Erickson hails from Georgia and has hit the ground running all through the southern United States. There is no subject this charming young woman can’t make audiences find hilarious – from sex positivity and dating to discrimination. She has been on Gainesville’s Changeville Comedy Festival, Fridge Comedy Festival and Daytona Beach’s Woman of Comedy Festival.
Films
Changeville welcomes you to our curated selection of provocative and socially conscious films!
We’re excited to announce that this year’s Changeville Film Festival is co-presented by Cinema Verde! Learn more about Cinema Verde at www.cinemaverde.org
The Film showcase will take place on both days of Changeville at the Hippodrome Cinema. Times and Ticketing Information can be found on our Schedule page. (All films will be individually ticketed, or discounted with a Changeville Multivenue Pass.)
Jane
Drawing from over 100 hours of never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives for over 50 years, award-winning director Brett Morgen tells the story of JANE, a woman whose chimpanzee research challenged the male-dominated scientific consensus of her time and revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.
Set to a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass, the film offers an unprecedented, intimate portrait of Jane Goodall — a trailblazer who defied the odds to become one of the world’s most admired conservationists.
The Insult
2018 Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film
In today’s Beirut, an insult blown out of proportions finds Toni, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, in court. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media circus surrounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing Toni and Yasser to reconsider their lives and prejudices.
The Florida Project
2018 Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor
Set over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World.
Fieldworks
FIELDWORKS is ABOG’s short documentary series that explores the beauty, rigor, and impact of socially engaged art through its ABOG Fellow initiatives. Season Two is produced by RAVA FIlms.
This screening of FIELDWORKS is made possible by A Blade of Grass, a nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing socially engaged art.
Saving Florida’s Springs: A Film By The Global Connection
The Global Connection – If we observe and listen closely, our world communicates to us. Some of us have been reading the signs and thus have a responsibility to be the stewards that share this message to the public so that action can be taken by our state government to protect that which should be sacred to us, the Source of Life on Earth, Water. If we don’t communicate, we simply feel lost and powerless with nowhere to share this message.
Cycle of Change
Moved by the lack of opportunity for women and youth in her community in El Salvador, Reina Molino ventures to Guatemala to study bici-maquinas—bicycle pedal-power technology. Leaving everything she knows behind, Reina embarks on an inspiring journey of self-empowerment and problem solving. Through the mentorship of Carlos, founder of the social enterprise Bici-Tec and the friendship of Geovany, Reina seeks to find her life purpose and change the lives of people in her community.
Virtual Reality
We are proud to host a selection of cutting-edge social change-focused Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality installations.
Entry is free with a Changeville Multi-Venue Pass (buy tickets here) or $3-10 sliding scale at the door. (Location and times to be announced.)
Melita
In 2026, the world is collapsing due to climate change. Anaaya, a brilliant Inuit female scientist, is appointed to find a planet that humans can inhabit.
Melita, an advanced AI, is sent to help her with this task. Together, they will embark on a journey against time and preconceptions to save humanity from extinction.
During their search for a suitable planet, the relationship between Melita and Anaaya evolves and a drastic decision changes things forever for the both of them, and the rest of humanity along the way.
Oil In Our Creeks
In this immersive VR film by Contrast VR, AJE Online, and One Third Blue, follow Lessi through her village, to the farm and into the creeks and classrooms as she shows us both the environmental devastation and the youth who provide her community with a sense of hope. Experience 180 degrees of intense landscape shots from the present showing the effects of the oil spill fused with 180 degrees of animation to show how the community appeared before the spill for a full 360 degrees of immersion. Oil In Our Creeks surrounds viewers with that past, present and future of a community grappling with the very local impact of the global oil trade.
Traces
Traces is a cinematic virtual reality film exploring the memories of one woman living with Alzheimer’s disease. In the film, the main character Willie White, an 88-year old woman living with dementia, recounts her time as a young girl living in the fields near Mason, Tennessee. As her words transport us back in time, traces of memory fall in and out—the old wooden farmhouse where she was raised, the coconut cakes her mom would make on Sunday mornings, her favorite white dress, the hymns she’d sing in the choir at church. Through these vibrant recollections, illustrated through re-enactments, we journey with Willie as she searches for the words to one of her favorite songs and the meaning of memory in this new and fragmented landscape.
Behaviorme
Virtual reality simulations designed to teach basic life skills to kiddos and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. Using the science of behavior analysis, BehaviorMe is revolutionizing the way life skills are taught and learned in clinics and schools.
Poetry For Social Good
We’re excited to announce that Canes On Da Mic Poetry Club at GHS will be presenting the second annual Poetry For Social Good showcase! Come hear some of the best spoken word poetry Gainesville has to offer at The Bull on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 6:30-7:30PM! This event is free and open to the public!
Panels & Workshops
“When music, books, film and comedy accompany movements, change happens.”
Changeville’s panels & workshops focus on aspects of activism that relate directly to artistry. Each will feature a number of experts, influencers and artists who work towards the greater social good.
Changeville Panels and Workshops are open to anyone with a Changeville Ticket. Just show your proof of purchase or wristband at the door for entry.
Location: The Midnight (223 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601)
Time: Thursday, February 8, 10-11:15AM
Workshop Led by Leif Stringer
We can only build our community when we can truly listen to each other. Learn how to do that better with radical coach and communication specialist Leif Stringer. Structural differences in social rank, economic or political power, cultural norms, or other factors, can lead people to feel less empowered or able to speak with full honesty. This can consciously or unconsciously inhibit authentic expression and connection, therefore it is necessary to learn about and acknowledge these differences, and to find ways to cross the gap they produce. Globally, there are potential obstacles to achieving nonviolence in the way that domination systems operate within not just our societies but also within ourselves. NVC gives us tools to help shift from power-over to power with, from domination systems to partnership systems.
Leif brings more than a decade of training in Nonviolent Communication to his work as a communication specialist supporting work teams, school communities, couples, and individuals to use language more effectively and powerfully, and to find more clarity and connection in their life.
Location: The Bull (18 SW 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601)
Time: Friday, February 9, 12:30-2PM
Workshop Led by Shawna Potter of War On Women
With hate crimes and harassment on the rise, knowing how to be a good ally to your fellow punks is more important than ever. “No Sexism, No Racism, & No Homophobia Allowed” is a great idea, but how do you implement it in real life? And what is it missing? This workshop should help people recognize some of the privileges they walk around with, as well as provide some skills on how to use it for good. You’ll leave with concrete methods to be a better ally for folks that experience all kinds of discrimination in your local scene. Whether you play in a band, book shows, take photos, or just wanna mosh – you have the power to create a safer scene.
Shawna Potter is an advocate, an activist, and an educator. She currently sings for feminist punk band, War On Women, runs the Safer Spaces Campaign for the Baltimore chapter of Hollaback!, which she founded, and repairs amplifiers and other musical equipment for Big Crunch Amp Repair, where she is also the manager. She is ordained to perform wedding ceremonies and watches too much TV.
Location: The Midnight (223 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601)
Time: Thursday, February 8, 3:30-5PM
Stories have the power to move people, changing opinions and inspiring actions. Join us for this panel discussing the use of storytelling for the benefit of communities whose stories may be silenced or marginalized. How can we use story to empower our communities?
Panelists:
Aaron Foley, Detroit’s Chief Storyteller
Nicole Moore, Director of Communications, Lady Parts Justice
Dr. Jaron Jones, Co-Founder, Self Narrate
Steven Butler, Artistic Director, The Actors’ Warehouse
Moderator: Taylor Durant, Director, Guts & Glory GNV
Location: The Midnight (223 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601)
Time: Friday, February 9, 9:45-11AM
Concerns about the environment are more pressing today than they ever have been. Dive deep into the issues at this panel on how we can use the arts to actually inspire environmental change.
Panelists:
Megan Murphy, Green Hands Coordinator, St. Augustine Ampitheater
Kentucky Costellow, Environmental Educator, City of Gainesville; GUTS
Trish Riley, Director, Cinema Verde
Moderator: Anna Sampson, Director, We Are Neutral
Location: The Bull (18 SW 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601)
Time: Friday, February 9, 2-3:30PM
So much of the rhetoric we hear on the news, in politics, and in our daily lives is based around fear, and specifically fear of “the other.” It is fairly easy to believe false statements about people whose stories we haven’t heard. Art is one of the most powerful ways that we can “de-other” people. This panel will be exploring how we can use art to break down stigmas and stereotypes using art.
Panelists:
Chad Moses, To Write Love On Her Arms
Talia Raymond, Minister, United Church of Gainesville; Professional Dancer
Mallory O’Conner, Author
Hazel Levy, Organizer with National Women’s Liberation (NWL) Woman of Color Caucus (WOCC), Scientist & Artist
Moderator: Nicole Harris, Teacher, GHS; Canes On Da’ Mic
Location: The Bull (18 SW 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601)
Time: Friday, February 9, 3:30-5PM
The word “ally” is used all the time in social movements but many people actually have a hard time defining what being an ally looks like. If you want to learn how to be the best ally you can be or have ever had questions that you weren’t sure how or who to ask, this panel is for you.
Panelists:
Shawna Potter, War On Women
LB Hannahs, Student Affairs, University of Florida
Will Atkins, Director, UF Multicultural & Diversity Affairs
Moderator: Dr. Jaron Jones, Co-Founder, Self Narrate