The Fest 9 was this past weekend in Gainesville. It’s the ninth annual edition and so far — and I’m going out on a limb here writing this — I'd say it was just as debauchery-filled as the previous eight. The multi-venue Fest is known for it’s slew of punk and thrash-oriented bands, and draws some of the most patched-out, non-showered die-hards to Gainesville to celebrate their love for these still righteously underground genres. None of the bands featured at the Fest will be hitting MTV anytime soon and they’re willing, maybe even fighting, to keep it that way. From Kylesa’s tripped-out and all around brutal set on Friday night, to Asshole Parade’s human-projectile filled thrash party on Saturday, to Frank Turner's acoustic sing-fest (continuing into the parking lot after his allotted time) on Sunday, The Fest showed that music, community, and, well, damn good fun are still very much alive in this sweaty state of ours.
Valient Thorr pictured right. Check out my complete photo gallery from the event after the jump.
This article appears in Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2010.