It's that time of the year again. Get ready to see tattoo-clad, mohawked music fans roaming the streets of downtown Gainesville this weekend for the seventh incarnation of The Fest.
More than 250 indie and punk bands will play in Gainesville this weekend at The Fest, the city's independent music festival.
The Fest is different from a standard outdoor concert because it's more of a walking tour of the city, said Tony Weinbender, operations manager and founder of the event.
"When you come from out of town, you get the vibe of what it's like in downtown Gainesville," he said. "You do what you want and see the shows you want to see."
Weinbender said people attending The Fest get to choose between multiple venues in close proximity.
"More people, more venues, more bands," Weinbender said. "But the basic formula is always the same."
Like previous years, bands will be playing at The Atlantic, 1982, The Venue, Common Grounds, Market Street Pub and Durty Nelly's. Unlike last year, there will be bands at Backstage Lounge, The Kickstand, George's Meat and Produce, and the Reitz Union Amphitheater, which is a free show.
Starting Friday at noon, ticket holders will stop at the Holiday Inn on the corner of West University Avenue and 13th Street to pick up their passes, maps and schedules. The rest of the weekend is up to them.
More than 700 bands applied to play at The Fest - some were local, others were not.
"We choose whatever bands we think have styles that match The Fest," Weinbender said. "It's typically indie rock, punk rock, hardcore thrash and sometimes country showcases."
PJ Fancher, a sales manager for The Fest, said they'll be hosting more than 200 visitors from other countries, including attendees from Great Britain, Canada, Austria, Australia, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan, Switzerland and Spain.
Last year, 5,000 people attended The Fest. Fancher said he expects more this year.
Besides the underground bands, fans can expect to see more mainstream bands like Less Than Jake, the popular pop-punk band that started in Gainesville and performed last fall on Flavet Field.
Kenny Stewart of Glasgow, Scotland, went to The Fest last year and plans to go again this year.
He said there was more to enjoy than just watching bands.
"Going alligator-watching at 3 a.m. with the Chillerton boys while we were all half cut was entertaining," he said. "And getting totally lost in Tampa before the pre-Fest gig was character building."
Stewart described the bands and people who attend The Fest as "awesome."
"I fully expect a sore hand from excessive high-fiving again," he said.
Tickets to The Fest are available online for $55 in advance and $75 the weekend of the concert at www.thefestfl.com.
