On Friday, the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is turning its back lot into a rave and rock circus and its grand atrium and rooftop into an immersive night of music, movement and mural making.
It’s called "The Back Lot: Rave & Rock Circus" and it puts the exclamation point on this month’s Music Walk with a fresh wave of sound, spectacle and underground energy. Israel Izzy Alpizar is the event’s architect.
“It's basically … a[n] eclectic group of artists from aerialists, fire spinners, flow artists and musicians with bands, hip-hop and EDM,” said Alpizar. “We're combining it all into one big extravaganza show.”
The aerialists include Jenna Algeo and her fellow Fit to Fly performers.
“We love to make people smile … and look scared and not know what’s happening next with our sequences,” said Algeo.
Members of Florida Luminous Outreach & Workshops will also perform in the back lot.
“We use the element of fire to connect to the music and allow our inner being to express ourselves through the art of movement,” explained Zach Garcia. “We all have our own flow and style. Some of us connect to the music more. Some of us are more techie and have certain tricks that we do within the flow of the music.”
The tech includes fire bars, poi, dragon staffs, palm torches, fire fans and more.
Music will be provided by punk ska band Bargain Bin Heroes on the new Sidney’s Rooftop stage, Adriana McDonald and her indie alternative group Shy Blossom, underground artist Sin Lied, one-man ecosystem K.So, Omnichroma, Sonido and Gravewave.
Hours are 7 to 11 p.m.
MORE INFORMATION:
Back Lot: Rave & Rock Circus runs coextensive with Music Walk on Friday, May 15.
But more than just the Davis Art Center’s back lot is involved. Friday’s event has been expanded into a full building takeover, activating the art center’s galleries and rooftop sculpture garden for an immersive night of music, art and movement.
It’s a single price of admission: $20 at the gate; $15 in advance.
2026 lineup includes:
Gravewave: The name hints at distortion and depth, setting the tone for a night that leans into the edges.
Shy Blossom: Fronted by Adriana McDonald, this indie alternative band delivers emotionally charged sets that drift between rock, folk, and pop. Built for deep feelers and overthinkers, their live shows pulse with vulnerability and intensity.
Sin Lied: An emerging voice from Florida’s underground, Sin Lied crafts immersive, cinematic soundscapes rooted in identity, mental health, and raw emotional truth. Also a co-creator of MC Shanty’s, he stands at the intersection of artist and community builder.
Omnichroma: A spectrum of sound and sensation, bringing layered energy into the night’s unfolding atmosphere.
K.So: A one-man ecosystem. Producer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and founder of The Jungle creative hub, K.So blends soulful expression with genre-fluid sound while actively building platforms for the next generation of artists.
Sonido: A rhythmic force adding global texture and movement to the lineup.
Izzy Aye Eye: The architect of The Back Lot. A free-range creative merging music, performance, and visual experimentation into a fully immersive world.
Bargain Bin Heroes: Formed in 2014, Bargain Bin Heroes is a high-energy punk/ska band that leaves everything on the stage. Armed with a set packed full of singalongs and dance-fueled chaos, they bring relentless energy to the NEW rooftop stage from 8 to 11 p.m.
Fit to Fly Silk Aerialists
For more on Algeo and the Fit to Fly silk aerialists, read/hear, “Fit to Fly silk aerialists to perform during Summer Sideshow at Davis Art Center” and “Aerial silks emerge as fitness option with performance art appeal.”
Beyond the Music and Rock Circus
In addition to the silk aerialists and fire performers, the back lot will also include live painting and local art vendors.
About The Back Lot
Alpizar introduced The Back Lot to the Davis Art Center last season, which culminated in July with the Sounds of Summer Sideshow.
“We have this back lot [behind the Davis Art Center] that reminded me of Chicago, where we used to have block parties in back alleys,” said Alpizar of his inspiration for the event.
“So I'm like, we should bring that kind of vibe over here, and then I noticed the catwalk and I'm like, wouldn't it be cool to see aerialists hanging from there?”
The first Back Lot was an unqualified success.
Word spread.
Additional dates were added.
Now, Alpizar and the Davis Art Center are concluding Year 2 of The Back Lot with Friday’s Rave & Rock Circus.
“The response has been tremendous,” Alpizar said. People love our Back Lots. It brings in a lot of people from different ages and demographics. It appeals to a variety of musical and artistic tastes. It’s family friendly, but it's also very alternative. You get to express freely who you are. It’s a place to be free and to be expressive as much as you want.”
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
