DON'T PANIC, J.L.G, & MASON PACE @ GRAMPS, WYNWOOD, 10.14.23

Article written by: Kiara Velez; Photos by: Brooke Puls

October 14th, 2023. ‘Gramps’ in the Wynwood art district held a night with the promise of excitement from the iconic venue and amazing show lineup. A back-stage room with friends coming to hear the music, while the red hues of the heated stage lights shown upon the faces as anticipation filled the room before the first chords struck. ‘Gramps’ is a hugely notable venue in the South Florida music scene, we got to experience the amazing lineup of ‘Don’t Panic’, ‘JLG’, and ‘Mason Pace’. A night that delivered on its excitement with its unique sounds, it was a night not to miss out on.

‘Don’t Panic’ opened up the evening, with their sweet falsettos and everlasting drums leaving a mark in the darkness of the venue. This band successfully brought the energy out of the waiting crowd, playing a mix of songs from their album ‘Pilot’ and some new unreleased tunes that were felt with fans. ‘Don't Panic’, forming officially in July of 2021, mashes together each member's energy and musical inspirations together to create a deep, evolving clash of sound ranging from hard ballads to upbeat indie pop. “Nowhere to go” the lead singer MJ shouts, and we feel it right there with him, the sweet and sour guitar tones evolving into something greater that fills the bar past their sound stage. An amazing beginning to the night here at ‘Gramps’, setting up the rest of the evening with high hopes and expectations, crowd members sat stunned with their sound and will definitely be ecstatic for their next release.

Up next in the night was ‘JLG’, immediately bringing forth a jumping, dissolving sound to the front of the pit. With a new wave influence, ‘JLG’ is a band with a swagger that screams loud with its funky bass tones. Shaking hips and friends bumping to the rhythm, the crowd is captivated in the night watching the guitarists passionate moments and the band’s collective energy. And when their draining vocals come to a soft descent with their more melodic songs, ‘JLG’ leads us up again into an explosion of crazed sparks which seems it can only be held in balance by the instruments guiding it. You have to appreciate the personality this band shares with its fans together “as one”. ‘JLG’ perfectly captures the wildness and strain of the South Florida music scene, and we are eagerly waiting for their next take to the stage.

The night ended off with local legend ‘Mason Pace’, a hard-rock sound draped in a sense of doom with gothic influences. Rising for the local band, the room quickly filled with intrigue to create a crowded atmosphere at ‘Gramps’. Their hypnotic vox vocals from lead singer ‘Mason Pace’ elevated the crowd- taking us through his melodic ballads to his screaming anguish, a voice on its own sounding operatic and ringing true through the venue. Thumping knees and heads banged from the crowd as bassist Johnny showed off a range of techniques from slap bass to tones with doom metal influence. ‘Mason Pace’ captured the crowd at ‘Gramps’ with a sense of mysterious intrigue, with their next performance at Margaritaville Hollywood on October 21st, there is no doubt they will continue to hypnotize fans throughout the South Florida scene.

‘Gramps’ held the amazing show and led many people together in the night. We got a chance to hear the distinctive sounds of these bands and give much appreciation to the musicians and the venue for the great atmosphere, which will definitely have the South Florida scene audience members returning for their next show. It was a great example of the energy that can be brought out from the music that continues to captivate.