Once again Fest approaches us and as you well know there are members of Punktastic that wait all year in anticipation of that weekend in Gainesville in Florida where they take the pilgrimage to Punk Rock Mecca. To kick off some of our Pre-Fest coverage and to get you in the mood (and buying a ticket!) we've got Maryam Hassan, Conor Mackie and Jeff Takacs talking about why they love to Fest as punters, bands and press. This week we have Jeff, who thinks Fest is the perfect fit for him...

You know that feeling when you put on a shirt and fits just perfectly, as if the fabric was stitched just for you?  You look in the mirror and the design of the shirt, whether it’s emblazoned with the name of your favorite band or a pattern that you just love, your face beams with delight over this perfect-fitting, perfect-looking shirt.

Now imagine taking that feeling and applying it to a city and the people within in at a certain point in time.  For me, that magical alignment of the stars occurs each October in Gainesville, Florida during the three-day punk rock bliss that is Fest.  During the other 362 days of the year, I tend to be shyer, straddling the line between extrovert and introvert and usually experiencing a mild discomfort while out and about in the world.  However, during Fest, this square peg doesn’t feel out of place.  People call Fest the “punk rock family reunion,” and as corny as that may sound, especially to those who have never made the trip, it really is true.  But why is that?  What sets Fest apart from other music festivals?  I’ve been to many festivals in my day and have thoroughly enjoyed them, but they aren’t Fest.  I’ve really tried to figure out what it is that makes Fest so special and have come up with two main reasons.

Without exaggeration, the amount of positivity that flows through Gainesville during Fest is immeasurable.  We have all been to shows in our life where one person in the crowd works with all of their might to ruin the experience of the show for everyone around them.  During Fest, it’s as if there is a mystical bubble around the city that prevents those jerks from coming into the venues throughout the weekend and only allows in positive and supportive music fans.  In reality, there is no magical bubble and all of the credit for the positive vibes during Fest comes from its founder Tony Weinbender and his awesome team of volunteers.  Each year as a part of the Fest preview episode of my podcast Rocket Fuel, I interview Tony and talk about what’s to come for the festival.  He is incredibly unique in that he is extremely driven, yet equally as humble.  He is genuine in his cause for putting on the best party each year and isn’t motivated by profit margins or bottom lines.  Sure, he has to avoid going into the red when the Fest ends each year, (although in the early years, Fest did operate in the red) but he isn’t trying to maximize profits or even compete with other festivals.  He is singularly focused on creating a festival where it is the best party of the year and that’s it.  It is in that driven yet humble mindset that creates an environment that spreads to the large volunteers who make Fest happen and to where Festgoers can party their socks off and have the best weekend of the year.

Another reason that sets Fest apart for me is the music itself.  Now you may think, “dude, there are tons of punk rock festivals out there,” and you are totally right.  However, it is Fest’s showcasing of smaller independent bands that can be remarkable.  One of many examples I have seen over the years (I started attending Fest annually at Fest 6) occurred last year at Fest 13 when the West Virginia band Rozwell Kid played their set at Durty Nelly’s, one of the Fest’s smaller venues at a 200 person capacity.  Much to the band’s surprise, not only was the place packed to the point where the humidity within the four walls was over 100 percent, but many of those people stuffed into the place knew the words to their songs.  All the words to all of the songs.  This is an experience that these smaller bands don’t get to have as they tour the country supporting their records.  This experience was so much for the band’s singer/guitarist Jordan Hudkins, that he commented about it seemingly after each song.  It’s pretty safe to say that the show was the best show Rozwell Kid had that year, and quite possibly ever as a band.  And what makes Fest so special is that what Rozwell Kid experienced is unique to Fest.  Many bands have commented over the years that Fest seems to be where all of their biggest fans congregate for one show each year.

The population of the world is roughly 7.125 billion.  How many of those people get super stoked about a band like Rozwell Kid or Cheap Girls or Red City Radio?  There just aren’t too many people who share in the love of these independent bands like we do and it really is an awesome thing to take over a small college town with many of them.  That is why so many friendships are borne during these three days in Gainesville that transcend state and country boundaries.  That is why people like me keep coming back year after year, eager to see our favorite bands play and excited for the new bands that we will discover.

As if a positive, fun atmosphere filled with like-minded punk fanatics wasn’t enough to make Fest the best weekend each and every year, there are other aspects to Gainesville that are not to be ignored.  The food in downtown Gainesville is very legit and it is all within walking distance to the FESTivities.  If you ever wanted to try a gator burrito (and who wouldn’t?) then Boca Fiesta has you covered.  If you want great Cuban cuisine, Flaco’s is there, just across the street from 8 Seconds and next to Durty Nelly’s.  Need some vegetarian and vegan options?  The Reggae Shack and Karma Cream have many options for meals and desserts (they have rad meat and dairy options, too!)  that will keep you coming back for more.  Seriously, many Festgoers that I know get almost as stoked about their food options for the weekend as they do for seeing their buds from across the country and across the planet and to pick up that rare vinyl that their favorite band put out just for Fest.

Something a bit overlooked in the hype of Fest is the venues that host these meaningful shows.  While a couple of the venues leave a little to be desired (I won’t name names to protect the innocent), many of them are excellent for hosting punk shows and they are all run extremely well,  by volunteer stage managers who are working their shift for the love of putting on this awesome party every year.  Gainesville is home to some of my favorite venues, with the Atlantic and High Dive (formerly known as Common Grounds) coming to mind.  Both have their amount of unique charm, with the Atlantic having these amazingly tacky and awesome framed velvet paintings throughout the space and High Dive having their outside area called The Porch.  I am frankly always happy when I learn that some of my favorite bands are playing those spaces.  I love that during Fest all (or most) venues are indoors and have the feel that you are going to a show, instead of a huge outdoor festival.  Even when Fest had an outdoor venue last year at Fest 13, it didn’t feel like an outside music festival like Warped Tour or Riot Fest, it felt more intimate and was certainly better-sounding.  These spaces that host Fest are a part of the fabric that makes it the special and awesome weekend that it is and they shouldn’t be forgotten.

So each year as the Fest lineup is announced, this anticipation begins to build inside of me.  An anticipation of seeing old friends, making new friends, stuffing my face with awesome food and seeing my favorite bands, all within a three day span.  As the summer fades and the fall begins to creep its way into the calendar and into the atmosphere, the anticipation is almost to the point of being unbearable.  I just can’t wait to put on my perfectly fitting shirt and make the trip to Gainesville and am grateful for the chance to get to do it each and every year.

Some photos in this piece are from Nicole Kibert. Check out her brilliant photos here.