Big Eclectic to Showcase Local Music, the New Face of Big E's

When Danny Tuma traveled from Michigan in January to take part in a six-month internship, he was pleasantly surprised by the thriving artistic community he discovered in Sarasota. His taste buds were pleased, too, when he discovered the pastries at .

Located across the street from , Big E’s has been a popular hangout for an eclectic crowd of art students and other local creative types since it opened its doors in 2003. Artists, musicians, writers and students frequent the coffee shop, taking advantage of its late night hours and refreshingly affordable prices.

When Tuma met Van Jazmin, an illustration major at Ringling College and Public Relations Director for the budding local arts ‘zine, Zigzag, the two were brought together by their shared passion for the local music scene. They also share an appreciation for the small coffee shop that keeps its customers fed and caffeinated at all hours of the day and night.

Together, Tuma and Jazmin hatched the plan for Big Eclectic, an event designed to celebrate the diverse local art and music scene while brining customers through the doors at Big E’s.

Big E’s recently underwent a large scale makeover, in which over the course of one night, volunteers cleaned, organized and repainted the coffee shop in a tremendous collaborative effort.

“It really speaks for the culture built up around here,” Jazmin said. “It’s a culture of hope, sharing, and co-existing – what makes this place really great is that the focus is on people rather than the business aspect of it all.”

Jazmin and Tuma hope that Big Eclectic, which is a free all-ages event, will bring more business to Big E’s by drawing in new customers and highlighting the coffee shop’s fresh new look to the regulars who haven’t been in since the renovations.

 “We really want people who have never been here before to give it a try,” said Jazmin, who mentioned that Big E’s staff will be grilling up the succulent smells of summer in front of the shop during the event, in hopes of enticing passersby to come in for the show.

Big Eclectic, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 26, from 4pm – 12:30am, will feature 13 diverse music, poetry and comedy acts. The music acts range from electronic to folk and bluegrass, with a little bit of everything in between – including a number of acoustic pianists.

“We’re really excited to revive the idea of live acoustic piano,” said Jazmin. “You just don’t see that honky tonk music genre around these days, so it should be really interesting to bring it back.”

Local pianists Frankie Alibro, Vanessa Chastain, and Will Sime – who will also be performing with his funk and hip-hop band, S.N.A.P.M. – will take turns at the piano. Acoustic guitarists such as Steve McAllister and Erin Hood will also take their turns performing and the band, Passerine, will bring fiddles to the stage to lend a side of contemporary bluegrass twang to the event.

Another local favorite, Scone Train, will be performing during Big Eclectic, as well as Cats in the Basement, Traphik 3:16, Truman Adams and Patrick McBratney of Uprise Art Collective. Event organizer, Tuma, will also be performing an electronic mix of house, dubstep, and drum and bass music under the moniker, DJ Fraud.

“One of our goals is to get people dancing and have some real lively energy in here,” said Jazmin, who added that during the evening portion of Big Eclectic, Christmas lights around the border of the ceiling will create a more ambient setting than a typical night at the coffee shop.

Jazmin went on to explain that a very unique aspect of the event is that most people who have been accepted to play during Big Eclectic are individuals who frequent Big E’s.

“There’s this really strong sense of community here,” Jazmin explained. “Most of the people who are playing on Sunday are people who really appreciate Big E’s, but it goes beyond that – it extends outside of Big E’s. The other businesses in the strip have been really supportive of the event as well.”

Jazmin said that Growler’s Pub and Chips Fresh Mex, the two businesses that flank Big E’s, are both staying open late on Sunday to be involved with the event. Along with extending business hours for the evening, Chips will also feature an all day $2.50 special on all Mexican import beers and sangria.

Along with the music, poetry and art, Big E’s will also tantalize the taste buds during Big Eclectic. The coffee and gourmet sweets shop will be sampling out fresh baked cookies and pastries in an effort to spread awareness about its selection of vegan and gluten-free dessert items.

“It’s one of the few places around there that offers several gluten-free dessert items, but most people don’t even realize it,” said Jazmin. “As time goes on, it’s moving further and further in that direction, so we want to get the word out to locals who are looking for that.”

Tuma, whose internship will soon be drawing to a close, will be returning to Michigan in July. However, he said that he is greatly inspired by the creative scene in Sarasota and excited to have the opportunity to host such an ambitious collaborative event during his time here.

“Since I’ve only been here for a few months, I don’t necessarily know the local scene particularly well,” Tuma said, “but I’ve had a fantastic experience being immersed in the local culture and the arts and music scene. I’ve just met so many great people, so I’m excited to be part of this. Having the opportunity to put on an event during a six month internship is a really cool thing.”