BreakFEST
By: Nicole Juliette Hetlyn
B R E A K F E S T
Pictured above: Idle Bloom, Will Pugh of Cartel, and The Dangerous Summer
The two things that I love most in life are coffee and pop-punk music. Chad Gilbert combined those two things, and created BreakFest. Last weekend, 1,000 pop-punk fans from all over the US gathered for the biggest pop punk festival to hit Franklin. I made friends with some fans that traveled from Chicago, Michigan, and Knoxville; people were so excited to see what was about to be the first annual BreakFest. Headlined by Franklin's own New Found Glory, the festival was heavily focused on Nashville/Franklin bands: William Ryan Key of Yellowcard, Bayside. the Dangerous Summer, Daddy Issues (Nashville), Hot Rod Circuit, Free Throw. Idle Bloom, and Will Pugh of Cartel.
Pictured above: Daddy Issues, Free Throw, Hot Rod Circuit
Let's not forget a key part of this festival: breakfast at BreakFest. This was an all day festival, starting at 8am. Breakfast was severed, and there was plenty of coffee (a true blessing!). "O think most can agree that you can't live without music and you can't live without breakfast, so why not combine them into one?" Truer words were never said. I enjoyed listening to William Ryan Key sing "Vultures" on an acoustic guitar, while sipping on some coffee from Honest Coffee Roasters. There were so many local shops that were there as vendors - the food and drinks were so good!
Pictured Above: William Ryan Key of Yellowcard
Let's not forget the main event, the music! this line-up was unreal. Ten bands that radiated so much energy for a morning show! The sets started off on a lighter, a more acoustic/mellow side. I really enjoyed Daddy Issues and Free Throw, they were two bands that were literally here in my backyard of Nashville that I didn't know, but I immediately fell in love with them! I also loved hearing William Ryan Key sing his new songs live, definitely love his songs acoustic. My favorite performance of the evening was Bayside. They always have me jumping and singing along, they are incredible live. They played my Favorite song, "Sick, Sick, Sick," so I was pumped.
Pictured Above: Bayside
New Found Glory is one of my favorite bands to see in concert. They have been playing shows for 20 years, and every show is just as fun and energetic. As one of the founding pop-punk bands, they have stayed true to their roots, yet have also expanded their sound. Recently releasing an extended version of their latest release, Makes Me Sick Again, this release has a beachy 80's vibe to it. The more music NFG releases, the more I fall in love with their sound. I highly recommend catching them in concert. Be prepared to jump, sing, dance your ass off, and have a great time.
Pictured Above: New Found Glory
BreakFest was such a blast, and I truly cannot wait until next year. I've had the honor of getting to know Chad Gilbert over the past two years, and I can tell you that he truly does care about community. Chad hosts movie nights via the Movie Gang, where you can see "throwback movies" at the Franklin Theatre, while having some treats from local vendors. This festival was just another testament of Chad and New Found Glory wanting to give back to their community/fans and getting people together to celebrate music. We can't wait until next year!
Pictured Above: New Found Glory
Huge thank you to Nashville is the Reason for co-hosting/sponsoring this event! They had the awesome photo booth with literal breakfast in it, how neat?! For those of you that do not know, Nashville is the Reason, founded by Erick Charles, hosts many events here in Nashville. They truly do believe in "the scene," and help to keep rock alive. We are thankful for what they do! Check them out!
