October 30, 2010
Arriving late to Fest is a lot like stumbling into town the day after a zombie apocalypse. The first evening of shows done, leaving fest-goers hung over, shuffling their feet with eyes half shut in search of their next victim. In this case, PBR not brains.

After a quick slice of pizza at Leonardo’s Nicole and I started our long day of club hopping on a quest to see as many bands as possible. Nicole had already shot 9 bands on Friday and was suffering from multiple Fest related injuries. One of which, a well bruised calf muscle, was slowing her down from her usual frantic pace. I am thankful, as I am considerably slower moving.

For the purposes of Fest I will use a distinctly Gainesville rating system to review bands . 1-5 beards. 1 beard being terrible. 5 beards being a perfect score. First up, Iron Chic at Common Grounds.

Iron Chic – Common Grounds (3.5 out of 5 beards)
When I got to Common Grounds the club was already at capacity. The line of people trying to get in to see Iron Chic was impressive which is not to imagine as the band is so damn good. Their set consisted of punchy punk guitar riffs, and harsh (but melodic) vocals similar to that of Hot Water Music. They definitely were very well received by the sweaty masses pressed together like sardines. The short tight set concluded with a cover of Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown”.

Dear Landlord – 8 Seconds (3.5 out of 5 beards)
Dressed as ICP fans (Juggalos), Dear Landlord took the stage and tore through songs from their full length, Dream Homes, and also introduced the swarming crowd to some new unreleased songs as well. The biggest complaint that I heard about the show wasn’t about the band; rather the venues inability to get the crowd inside to see the show before the 30 minutes set was finished.

Touche Amore – Atlantic (4.5 out of 5 beards)
HOLY SHIT! I went to the Atlantic having no idea (pun unintended) what Touche Amore was about. The band plays aggressive hardcore with intense vocals that drew the capacity crowd in and didn’t let go. This was Touche’s first official show at FEST and they gave it all they had. I attempted to purchase a CD but had no luck so I have yet to hear their recorded effort. I cannot wait to do so.

Alegernon Cadwallader – Common Grounds (3.5 out of 5 beards)
I saw Algernon Cadwallader (say that 5 times fast…. In fact, say it once) at Harvest of Hope earlier this year and was looking forward to another set of fun tunes from the band. They delivered, but my response was not as positive as expected. I was lucky enough to see Capn’n Jazz two times this summer and Algernon Cadwallader’s sound is extremely similar to the recently reunited Cap’n Jazz but doesn’t capture the frantic, sincere fun. Call me spoiled, but after seeing “the real deal”, the new version just isn’t as exciting.

Having run from show to show I had not had a chance to see any of my friends who came to FEST yet so I decided to make a quick stop at The Venue to see a couple people who were waiting for Cobra Skulls to play. I’ve never been a Cobra Skulls fan so I didn’t stick around. Word is that the Cobra Skulls set was uneventful but good. I don’t feel like I missed much. Too many bands, too little time.

Good Luck - 8 Seconds (3 out of 5 beards)
Having some time to spare before seeing Tampa’s Devout, I ran to 8 Seconds to see the well hyped Good Luck. The Indiana based indie-rock trio was a lot of fun and had I known their material prior to the show I am sure I would have enjoyed it much more. Next time I will make it a point to download (legally of course) some of Good Luck’s music and be better prepared.

Devout – Spin Cycle (4 out of 5 beards)
I have seen Devout a number of times throughout Florida and they never disappoint. The band’s FEST 9 appearance was no exception. The 15-minute set was brutal. Their downtuned guitars and sharp drum tone work together beautifully and their timing is impeccable. Devouts vocals fill out the bands sound, and singer Matt Welch navigated through the pit while belting out one hell of a set.

Defiance Ohio - 8 Seconds (4 out of 5 beards)
Back to 8 Seconds for a set of good ol’ folk punk from crowd favorites Defiance Ohio. I will leave it at this; If This Bike is a Pipe Bomb had a more cheerful twin sibling; Defiance Ohio would be that sibling.

Coffee Project – Civic Media Center (4 out of 5 beards)
Spawned from members of Less than Jake and Rehasher, Coffee Project has made quite a name for themselves regionally. Their FEST set took place at Civic Media Center which is actually a non-profit, volunteer run library slightly out of the way from the other venues. The library provided an intimate setting for the duo’s (Guitar/Vocals & Trombone/Vocals) fans to sing along to their favorite CP songs. Even with a broken foot and down spirit, guitarist and lead vocalist Jack Crown was able to get the crowd moving and dancing through the set. The riveted crowd hung on every lyric and filled in the extra space by singing the words at the top of their lungs. It was a VERY fun show.

PJ Bond – Big Lou’s Pizza (4.5 out of 5 beards)
PJ Bond is a relative unknown among most FEST-goers but has played with a number of well received “heavy” bands. Now he is going solo and taking his one man, acoustic guitar act all over the country. He has been a part of FEST in the past, but this year marked his first official show. Playing outdoors PJ filled the night air with his beautiful melodies and sincere heartfelt (often funny) lyrics. The passerby’s took notice. By the end of his set all of Big Lou’s patio space was taken as was the sidewalk room around the venue. I can easily say that PJ Bond was to me, one of the biggest surprises and highlights of my fest weekend.

By this point in the day Nicole and I were starting to feel the aches of FEST setting in and realized it would probably be best to take a break, eat and gain any mental acuity we’d lost throughout the day back. We headed out to get dinner. After an amazing meal and some caffeine it was back on the job. It’s hard to consider seeing some of the country’s best bands play to crowds that truly appreciate what they do work, but I won’t complain.

Cheap Girls – Common Ground (4 out of 5 beards) 
I love Cheap Girls. I really do. What is there not to like about a 3 piece rock band who writes catchy songs with clever lyrics and musicianship that while not flashy, is dead on solid? The groups’ comparisons to The Replacements and Lemonheads are very understandable. After seeing them at Harvest of Hope I picked up both of their full lengths and have listened to them a number of times. “Find me a drink home”, their first album is never grows old. The catch is that they are a MUCH better live band than recorded. I hope that Cheap Girls next record captures the energy and fun of their incredible live shows.

Dukes of Hillsborough – Rum Runners (4 out of 5 beards)
I’ll say right off the bat that I am very biased when it comes to Tampa’s Dukes of Hillsborough. I have loved everything they have released and every show I have attended since their formation almost a decade ago. The trio offers a unique sound and energy that I have never seen duplicated. Not quite metal, not quite punk, their style is all their own and if you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s your loss. Get a CD, go to their shows, just do it!

Tim Barry – Common Ground (4.5 out of 5 beards)
The capacity crowd and overflowing line at Common Grounds was primed and ready to see Tim Barry take the stage and deliver as set of his trademark acoustic folk sets packed with humor, political insight and social commentary. Barry is no stranger to giving the crowd what they came to see. His many years as frontman for Avail, and relentless touring on his own, have made him a master showman. He belted out songs from throughout his career using the time between songs to tell the stories of their origins. Songs like “Prossers Gabrielle” are about a slave in his hometown of Richmond who was hung for trying to escape and now there is talk of a parking lot being built on his gravesite. Barry minced no words about his feelings about the subject but never came off preachy or holier than thou. Undoubtedly the most unexpected event of Tim Barry’s set was the full horn section that seemed to come out of nowhere to close out his performance.

Off With Their Heads – Atalntic (Secret Show) (4.5 out of 5 beards)
Off With Their Heads are currently touring with Bad Religion and were not scheduled for this years FEST. Low and behold, they showed up anyway. Posted on the Facebook page was an announcement that they would be playing a surprise show at The Atlantic at 10:20pm. Immediately the line outside the club wrapped around the block. Sadly, only about 1/8 of the people in line got into the club to watch the band tear through a performance of their album Hospitals from start to finish. I am not sure if the crowd was due to the fact that this was a completely surprise show (the cool place to be) or because Off With Their Heads have a huge following. Either way, if you didn’t make it into The Atlantic for the show, I am sorry because it was rad!

Ninja Gun – Common Grounds (3.5 out of 5 beards)
I am not really sure how to classify Ninja Gun. I have seen them 3 times this year alone and I can never quite put my finger on their sound. Southern Folk Punk Rock? I don’t know, but I know that there should have been a larger crowd in attendance for the show. Those who went to Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies had a lot of fun I am sure, but missed out on a fun band who plays original music, not covers.

At this point I tried to make it over to The Atlantic to see Punch but just missed their set. Talk about disappointment. On the upside, I did see what many fest attendees noted as the highlight of day 1. A drunk shirtless guy with a tramp stamp and butt cleavage (who will remain nameless) dancing to Cheap Girls. With no possible chance to topping this event, I decided to call it a day and head to the hotel. The best day of bands I have seen in a long time over, my brain and body battered and dysfunctional, the only thing to do was sleep. So sleep I did.

October 31, 2010 - Halloween
After waking up, and refueling I went back to the business of jumping from club to club.

Dopamines – 8 Seconds (3 beards out of 5)
Watching the Dopamines deliver their brand of tight, fun pop punk was a great way to start the day The energetic 4 piece ripped through a set of fun and humorous snotty punk ala Screeching Weasel with less whining. Basic four chord punk done right.

Mehkago NT – Atlantic (4.5 beards out of 5)
Miami’s Mehkago NT put on one of the best and brutal hardcore shows of any band out today. The floor of The Atlantic shook violently as Mehkago fans stomped the floor to the bands d-beat political songs. The band delivered a half hour of unrelentingly powerful songs and consequently one of the best performances I saw all FEST 9 weekend.

Fake Problems – Venue (4 beards out of 5)
The common consensus among Fest-goers I spoke with was a general dislike for Fake Problems. Then again, most of those people have a deep love for four chord punk and that alone. I personally think Fake Problems are a lot of fun. I saw them open for Gaslight Anthem last month at House of Blues and really liked their performance. Sunday’s show was leaps and bounds better though. The band played songs from older albums, which have been neglected during their current tour. Singer Chris Farren made many tongue in cheek jokes about how “punk” the band was and even ended the set with a cover of Blink-182’s hit “Dammit”. I think a lot of people mistook the punk jokes as cockiness, which distracted from placing focus where it should be. Their loss.

All weekend I had been craving Ice Cream from one of my favorite Gainesville destinations, Karma Cream. The break between bands was very necessary and their Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream was amazing. I would include the trip in my beard rating scale however the idea of facial hair and ice cream don’t seem to go together.

Lemuria – Venue (5 beards out of 5)
Lemuria is one of my current favorite bands. Their two full lengths and multiple 7” records are constantly on in my car. I saw them play Transitions a few months ago and my love for the band only grew deeper. Sunday’s show at the Venue was incredible. Lemuria’s blend of Pop-punk is distinctly different than any other band I saw this weekend. Disonant guitar tone, jazz like drumming, and cute, clever vocals are the key to Lemuria’s sound. The 45-minute set consisted largely of their more popular songs but also included three new tunes “Ozzy”, “Expert Herder”, and one very new song (to me at least). They will be back in Tampa in January and should not be missed.

New Bruises – Common Grounds (3.5 beards out of 5)
Tampa’s New Bruises has been playing for years and always put on a good show. Their Common Grounds performance was no exception. Despite a few technical issues with their equipment, they managed to keep the audiences attention with their great sense of humor. Once back on track New Bruises played more of their Jawbreaker style punk rock to a very appreciative crowd.

How Dare You – Rum Runners (3.5 beards out of 5)
I have heard a lot about Orlando’s How Dare you but haven’t had the chance to see them until this Fest. Very similar to New Bruises style, yet with a more edgy feel. A very energetic performance full of lots of crowd participation.

City of Ships – Atlantic (4 beards out of 5)
City of Ships play dissonant angst filled songs. Musically they remind me of a ballsier Cursive with much more aggressive vocals. Their metal guitar sound and heavy bass and drums were unrelenting and impressive. Had I been more familiar with City of Ships’ songs, I would have probably given them a 5 out of 5 beards.

Criminal Culture – Rum Runners (4.5 beards out of 5)
Yet another “HOLY SHIT” moment at Fest. Criminal Culture are quickly making a name for themselves in the punk/hardcore community. Rightfully so as their musicianship is beyond reproach and their songs are so catchy that I was almost tempted to try singing along even though I don’t know one word. All I can say is that if Criminal Culture comes to a venue near you and you miss them, you should kick yourself. I may even come and kick you.

Chris Wollard and The Ship Thieves - 8 Seconds (3 beards out of 5)
Chris Wollard is best known for being the frontman of Hot Water Music but has been in many bands since then. The Ship Thieves combine post-hardcore grit with a southern rock feel. If you came to the show expecting to hear a rehashed HWM, you probably left disappointed. If you came to see amazing musicians play an energetic set of good rock that is just what you received.

Frank Turner – 8 Seconds (5 beards out of 5)
Frank Turner’s fest performance encompassed everything you expect from a Fest show. Sing-a-long songs, drunken celebration, crowd surfing, and surprises. Not only did Turner play a good deal of his more popular song, he played two new songs and pulled NOFX’s Fat Mike onstage to play a cover of “Linoleum”. Even Fat Mike was surprised by this move. Frank Turner’s live show makes his recorded material even more amazing.

After the show, there was supposed to be a “secret” show at the Holiday Inn but due to Frank Turner’s announcing it to the crowd, the hotel quickly put an end to that idea. Upon hearing the news, Turner told the crowd to meet him in the parking lot across from 8 Seconds to finish the show. Once there he managed to pull off two songs, including “The Real Damage” before the police shut him down. It was truly an amazing end to an amazing weekend.

Fest 9 weekend was well organized aside from some venue’s door policies and was a lot of fun. Rumor is that next years Fest will be the last. If you haven’t made it the last 9 years, this will be your last chance. Get lots of sleep, prepare for pain, and get your ass to Gainesville!


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