Sophomore year at FEST

For the second year in a row, I traded football for punk rock. Easy decision in my book considering how much football I photograph already. So to give up the pigskin for one weekend of live music and mosh pits was a no-brainer.

Fest is a 3-day event that brings bands and punk rock fans from across the world to Gainesville. Many of the downtown bars play host to multiple bands throughout the weekend. New to Fest this year was the addition of Bo Diddley Plaza as a venue. It’s the first time that most of the Fest-goers could watch a show at once. It made for a great crowd when a couple of the bigger bands played.

I wanted to focus on the fans just as much as the bands this year. The crowds of people who flock to Gainesville are what interest me more than the music. I feel like I only scratched the surface of what Fest is all about. But hopefully this random set of images gives you a good idea of the some of the craziness that takes place across three days.

For my Junior year of Fest, I’ll do a little more homework and try to dig a little deeper and get a little more behind the scenes with the bands and fans.

Also, so far so good for me not getting Festbola or Fest Flu or Fest Aids or whatever you want to call it. The lead singer from Less Than Jake encouraged everyone to keep washing their hands. Good advice. The week after Fest last year I got sick as a horse.

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