It's about rock -- not revenge -- for nerds at Taste

By Danny Travis

Over thirty bands will be performing at Taste Restaurant this weekend for Nerdapalooza, the Southeast’s biggest nerd music festival.

Whether you know it or not, Orlando is a haven for nerds. You might even be one of them as the nerd spectrum is wide and diverse and only requires an honesty about the things you love. Comic book nerds, video game nerds, music nerds and all of the other varieties will have a place to party for the holiday at the biggest nerd music festival in the Southeast.

Nerdapalooza will attract droves of these loving nerds and bloodthirsty uber-fans to Orlando for the Fourth of July weekend. This weekend music festival is primarily a celebration of nerd music, bringing with it all of the freaky, awesome culture that you can imagine.  The bands and musicians performing fall under the sub-genres of nerd-core and chip tunes with headlining acts MC Frontalot and Harry and the Potters.

The best time of the weekend may be found at the pre-party that A Comic Shop is hosting on the Thursday before the event. Free beer and pizza, and special appearances and performances by MC Frontalot and Wordburglar will highlight the evening at the store which is located on the corner of University Boulevard and Semoran Boulevard. A Comic Shop, Troma Entertainment (a film production and distribution company, one of its stars, the Toxic Avenger, will be on site), and the radio show “Talk Nerdy To Me” on WPRK 91.5 FM sponsor the event, making this weekend of nerdgasmic excitement possible. 

The tight-knit nerd community and their obsession with communication has bred the fruitful relationships that have made Nerdapalooza what it is today. John “Hex” Carter originally conceived the event and the gathering of sponsors helped it blossom. 

Aaron Haaland of A Comic Shop has a passion for nerd culture and the act of bringing nerds together for a common cause. His shop offers a friendly and open atmosphere, eschewing the common stereotype that relates comic book fandom to elitist pride. His involvement with Nerdapalooza eventually led him to team up with Andrew Grey, the host of “Talk Nerdy To Me.”  Grey invited him to be a guest on the show (which runs from 9-10 p.m. on Wednesdays) discussing comic books. This turned out to be a lasting partnership.

“A Comic Shop was the best place for nerds in town and Andrew’s radio show was the voice of nerds, so it was a classic team up situation,” says Haaland, who is also co-emcee of Nerdapalooza with Grey. “I’ll be like Flava Flav and Andrew will be like Chuck D.”

“Orlando is becoming a hub for nerd cultures. We have Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World and the huge convention that covers everything from comics to movies and videogames, MegaCon. Nerdapalooza really adds to the strong  nerd culture,” says Grey. 

Nerdapalooza will feature over thirty bands and take place at Taste Restaurant on 717 W. Smith St. in Orlando. One band will be performing at a time from noon to 2 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and there will also be vendor booths with prize giveaways.