This morning marked the exodus of Gainesville’s visiting punks.
The three-day music festival that took over downtown for the 13th time left Fest-goers with memories of friends and their favorite bands.
Punk veterans the Descendents drew a crowd of about 4,000 when they performed on Bo Diddley Community Plaza as Fest freshmen Saturday night, kicking their set off with the classic “Everything Sux.”
Famous for their fast-paced drumming, hard-hitting lyrical delivery and an exploding energy on stage, lead singer Milo Aukerman gave a shoutout to Volta Coffee, Tea & Chocolate for keeping him pumped throughout the set.
“It’s so great to be back in Gainesville,” he said. “Although, why is it so f*****g cold?”
He wasn’t the only one asking that question. Temperatures on Saturday hit a high of only 57 degrees, with gusts of wind from 25 to 30 mph, and a low of 42 degrees, but that didn’t keep fans away.
“The wind sucked, but seeing the Descendents was, like, magical,“ said Jeremy Smith from Hartsville, South Carolina. “It’s like seeing the people who are the best at what they do in the universe.”
He and three friends drove six hours to Gainesville for his first Fest, a trip they had been planning since the summer.
“I’ve been to Gainesville a few times before, but never for Fest,” he said. “It’s been really awesome.”
Fans hailed from all 50 states and 24 countries, including Latvia, Singapore and Costa Rica. Several international bands performed as well.
“My favorite part was actually seeing the bands from Mexico,” said Michael McKiernan about Dolores, a group that played at Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub on Friday. “They really care, and they’re really into it. Some don’t even speak English, but they work hard, and they’re out, and they feel it.”
McKiernan and his friend Jim Cox drove from Tampa to catch some sets this weekend after attending Big Pre-Fest in Little Ybor last week. For McKiernan, this is his ninth Fest; for Cox, his seventh. They and other Fest veterans were excited about the expansion to the plaza.
“I like it,” McKiernan said, “especially compared to the Florida Theater: It wasn’t the right place, especially considering the staff. Early on, the venue was great, but when it became a dance club, the staff didn’t understand who we are, so it was really awkward.”
The expansion not only pleased the fans, but the organizers. Jason Rockhill, who kept tabs on Bo Diddley, said all three days ran well and that he is looking forward to seeing what they can do with the space next year.
“I was excited about the prospects, and it’s exceeded my expectations.” he said. “It’s gone so smoothly.”
Other venues around town experienced similar success, with fans packing :08 on Sunday night during Philadelphia-emo-band Modern Baseball’s set and The Atlantic for Canadian-punk-band Single Mothers on Saturday.
A love of music was not the only love circulating downtown this weekend. In the middle of indie-punk Lemuria’s Friday-night set, a man proposed to his girlfriend on stage, and she said yes.
“Lemuria is kind of adorable in that way,” Rockhill said. “A certain kind of emo boy would propose to his girlfriend during a Lemuria set.”
Aside from a single reported arrest Saturday, Gainesville Police Lt. Brian Helmerson said the weekend went “phenomenally.”
Helmerson said the Fest organizers put a lot of effort into their preparation and organization of this year’s festival, and as of Sunday night, there were no reported noise complaints.
“They took care of it all in preparation and coordination with the police department and other entities in the city,” Helmerson said. “They also followed all the recommendations for public safety and public cleanliness. They did a great job.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 11/1/2014]
Hands reach out in support of a crowd surfer Nov. 1, 2014, during Iron Chic’s set on Bo Diddley Community Plaza. The plaza saw thousands of people throughout the weekend.
Fans on Bo Diddley Community Plaza spent Saturday and Sunday night shivering once the cold front settled in.
Crowd surfers rolled onto the stage during Modern Baseball’s set at :08 on Sunday night.
A fan takes a photo of Hot Water Music on Bo Diddley Community Plaza on Sunday night.
