Shawn Eckels at the Block Jax, Jacksonville (April 18, 2026)

We did it. We finally got to check out one of Jacksonville’s newest venue: The Block Jax, down in Southside (just north of Ikea). It was so new (the venue just had a grand opening last month – March 20) that Apple Maps gave us the wrong instructions on how to get there (since some of the roads or turning lanes weren’t updated on the map).

Before we get to Shawn Eckels (which was the reason why we showed up around noon), I do want to talk a little about the whole Block space. First of all, this is a magnificent design. It’s all open-air, but with a roof. Reminds me of an airplane hangar. The Block is very sizable, and they maximized every inch of their space. It’s fenced in with areas for kids to play. Some climbing walls for kids. A dog park (gated). A nice lawn area with chairs and tables, with a very large television screen behind a stage, that is the centerpiece. There’s a balcony/first floor that has a bar at the back, as well as additional tables and chairs. Under the roof are two massive ceiling fans to keep cool with the flowing air (although I’m not sure how helpful it was). It was a very good turn out; lots of family and their dogs out in force. I am assuming the flow of people will stay this consistent until the evening… when young people or adults will be enjoying the space for meeting friends and hanging out.

Some facts and numbers: the whole area is 2.5-acre. 10,000-square-foot covered pavilion, eight local restaurants, a brewery (!), a live music stage, and an 8,000-square-foot dog park managed by Kanine Social. 4,000 to 5,000-square-foot dedicated to family and children. Just some impressive numbers.

There are a ton of food choices, inside the Block. Reminds me of a food truck convention. I didn’t see them all, but the complete list from their website shows: Stackd Burgers, Butt Hutt Smokehouse, Chancho King, Dairy Joy, Dark Side Tacos, Hungry Owl Jax (Asian), Just Kitchen Pita Bar, Slingin Wieners Jax, and Southern Swells. We decided to try out the tacos. Not one of my favorite tacos I’ve ever had, so maybe next time, we’ll check out the hutt. Prices are what you would expect from these type of “event” food – for example, I paid $20 for three tacos and chips (no drinks).

Also, ordering food was a learning curve, if you’ve never done it from your phone before. Everything is pretty much done through Apple Pay. I do not believe any of the vendors accepts cash. You scan in a QR code, you place an order, and then you use your Apple Wallet (or Google Wallet) to pay for the order. When it’s done, you’ll get a notification.

On the television screen were sports. I don’t know my sports (go sports go!) but the internet is telling me that The Premier League Mornings Live Fan Fest, was a collaboration between the Premier League and NBC Sports. I don’t know what any of that means, but for the sports fan, I’m sure you’re jealous.

Anyway, let’s get back to Shawn Eckels, who was scheduled as “Sean Eckels” from noon to 2pm (as erroneously listed on the venue’s flyer). It’s just him and his guitar and he sang cover songs as the screen behind him plays the sports broadcast.

I had to look it up, but I can confirm that Eckels used be Andy Frasco’s guitarist (billed as Andy Frasco & The U.N.) Not sure what led up to Eckels leaving the band, the split was amicable. The guitarist wanted to start something new and different, and with Frasco’s blessing in February 2026:

 

Since Andy Frasco & The U.N. was known as a bit of a blues jam band, it probably taught Eckels how improvise and quickly catch on and learn chords under pressure. You can tell he’s a talented guitarist, as he’s learned to play so many of his favorite bands: from Stone Temple Pilots (“Interstate Love Song”) to Radiohead (“High and Dry”) to Buffalo Springfield (“For What It’s Worth”) to several Beatles songs (“Here Comes the Sun”, “Don’t Let Me Down”). If I can recognize the songs from just the music notes, that means the guitarist is playing it right.

Eckels seemed to be enjoying just playing music. It was such a nice (and hot) day, and the audience was also enjoying themselves with the Blocks’ food and lounging around to the live music. It’s just a great way to spend the afternoon. Great atmosphere, great “lawn concert” vibe. All the food variety you could want (at a cost of course!) Very casual and laid back. Just wish it was closer to my house!

P.S. I do want to address the problem with the Block. There is literally no parking. I mean there are maybe less than 50 spaces for cars (I’m probably being generous). Their website doesn’t list how much space they devoted to parking – but let’s just say that you should not count on parking at the Block. You may have to park on the other side of the street at a shopping mall and then walking over to the Block. That is one of the Blocks’ biggest weaknesses.

The other thing you should be aware of, when entering the Block, is that you cannot bring in food or drinks (that makes sense since they want to sell you the food and drinks) and you are not allowed to bring in backpacks… although if it’s a pack for diapers, it’s fine.

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