The memory of Fest 10 is firmly ingrained in the mind of Matt Hodge, who volunteered at the event last October.
One night, Hodge went to have a drink at The Top and ran into Fest organizer Tony Weinbender. The two became acquainted and started talking.
Hodge told Weinbender how much Gainesville’s famed punk rock festival meant to him. Weinbender reciprocated, saying how much the efforts of the Fest volunteers meant to him.
The Fest, which is in its 11th year, will take place at 12 local venues from Oct. 26 until Oct. 28.
Last week, the Fest staff held a meeting with volunteers looking to help out at this year’s event.
After the meeting, the staff said it still had 38 volunteer spots open. There will be an additional meeting Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn to fill the spots.
“I didn’t realize [volunteering] was going to be so fun,” Hodge, 22, said.
One of the major incentives for volunteers to work at the event is the free pass. Volunteers are awarded a free Fest weekend pass for every shift they work, Weinbender said. Shifts are 8 to 10 hours long, and weekend passes cost $100. Volunteers are also given an exclusive T-shirt, designed solely for the volunteer staff.
Weinbender, 36, said that there are four types of jobs available to volunteers: stage manager, security, doors and stagehands.
Volunteers working at the doors will check to make sure festival-goers entering the venue have wristbands. Security volunteers will stand between the band and the audience, maintaining control of the crowd. Stagehands will deal directly with the bands, helping them to load their equipment and set up the stage. Stage managers will oversee the bands and the other volunteers.
The meeting concluded in less than an hour, and swarms of volunteers flocked to the schedule board to secure jobs at their desired shows.
This year, Hodge looks to reprise his position as a stagehand.
Thor Richardt, 21, is also a first-time volunteer.
“It’s not run like Warped Tour or a lot of other music festivals,” Richardt said. “It’s really locally run, and you can tell that there is a lot of community going on in it. That’s just something you have to respect and appreciate.”
He said the Fest plays a big role in making sure that fans of the punk-rock genre are represented. He is also excited to work alongside the bands and experience more of the management aspect of concerts.
“As long as I’m in Gainesville, I feel like I’m going to try to help out with Fest and push the music scene,” Richardt said. “The eventuality is that I do plan on possibly opening my own record label and throwing my own music festivals. And this is all really good experience I could definitely use to do that.”
Without the volunteers, Weinbender said putting on the festival would be impossible.
“This festival couldn’t exist if everyone who was working it was paid, because we wouldn’t be able to have 360-something bands,” Weinbender said. “We would cut it down drastically.”
Fest volunteers are not without their success stories.
Brian Forst, a guitar technician/stagehand for prominent bands like Less than Jake and New Found Glory, got his start in music volunteering at Fest 6, according to Weinbender.
Whether it’s attending the Fest for free or the prospect of networking with your favorite band, Weinbender noted the benefits of volunteering for the Fest during the meeting.
For more information about volunteering, visit www.thefestfl.com/fest11/volunteer, or email the staff at volunteer@thefestfl.com.
