FEST is taking over Gainesville this weekend for the 17th time. With punk-rock fanatics from across the globe roaming the streets, it seems like a good time to curate some of our favorite tunes to blare when we want to headbang out our emotions. The best part? You can see every band featured on the playlist this weekend.
Both The Menzingers and Flatliners will be celebrating their 11th anniversaries dominating FEST stages this weekend. Fans of these rock veterans can catch both on the Bo Diddley Plaza stage on Friday and Saturday night, respectively.
After The Menzingers, attendees should be sure to stick around to see Cursive join the long list of punk alumni. Then, on Sunday, The Get Up Kids will also finally make their FEST debut on the same stage. The band was an important proponent of punk’s rise in the 90s and toured with famous names like Green Day and Weezer.
For a change of scene, we recommend visiting The Wooly on Saturday night where Mom Jeans, a newer addition to the punk scene, will take the stage. The band accurately describes their music as self-aware but not self-indulgent. It’s a brand of pop-punk that’s not quite as hard metal as some of the other bands but has lyrics so raw and honest that it’s easy to imagine you’re friends with these four dudes from California. You can catch them right before the popular Gainesville native rockers, Dikembe.
Wondering where you can catch the rest of these songs live? Comeback Kid will be at Eight Seconds Friday. We Bless this Mess will rock the Civic Media Center the same night. You can see Adult Mom at Rockey’s in the early hours of Saturday morning. Crusades is playing their farewell show at High Dive Saturday night, and Wet Nurse will jam at Durty Nelly’s Sunday. Check out thefestfl.com for the entire lineup.
In the meantime, turn your volume all the way up and prepare for FEST 17 with this playlist.
“Obituaries” by Menzingers
“Death Cup” by Mom Jeans
“It’s Just a Matter of Practice” by We Bless This Mess
“Holiday” by The Get Up Kids
“Be Your Own 3AM” by Adult Mom
“The Signs of The Times” by Crusades
“Over It” by Wet Nurse
“Pick Up the Pieces” by Cursive
“Apology Not F*****g Accepted” by Dikembe
“Human Party Trick” by Flatliners
“Hell of a Scene” by Comeback Kid
