Every city has its own music that articulates its life and energy and the people who live there. While Pensacola has plenty of examples of local music, a band closely intertwined with the local community and UWF is Classic June. They are a rock band with an ever-growing popularity and skill. 

Classic June was formed in June of 2016 by three guys while they were still in high school, with only the plan of playing the music that they grew up on and having a good time doing it. Two of their three members are actually UWF students, Jesse Bumann and Nolan Costa. Their third member, Chris Crowley, is not a UWF student but is a Penascaola local. 

Once they decided to compete in a high school battle of the bands competition, they earned their name with the help of a band name generator. At the time, the type of music they played was strictly classic rock. When they formed, they got Classic June and the name stuck. 

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In response to being asked how they have improved since forming, the three members are can mutually agree that they have become tighter instrumentally and their vocals have improved ten-fold. In part, this is thanks to a focus on harmonies and phrasing. 

When Classic June improvises during a song, they are able to explore more, rather than staying within the boundaries of the song. By fine-tuning this skill, their song-list has diversified, and they have become very good at moving through different kinds of music within a show comfortably. 

While the pandemic forced Classic June to take three months off without band practice or shows, they were able to get by through sharing videos on social media with their fans to stay connected. Once restrictions started to lift, they had the opportunity to perform sporadic shows and get back into the routine of things. 

Since the start of 2021, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of shows Classic June has played. As a whole, the band has recovered very well. 

Classic June performs live on the third Friday of every month at Gallery Night. They will be performing in front of O’Riley’s Irish Pub from 7 to 10 p.m. Some of their favorite songs to perform include Whipping Post, One Of Us Is Wrong, Call Me The Breeze, I’m A Man, and Pride. 

For more information on Classic June, they can be found at: 

Facebook: @ClassicJuneBand 

Instagram: @classicjuneband