Breakin' Even Fest 5 will take place August 9-11, 2024. It is the fifth iteration of the Washington, DC punk festival, and final occurrence. This year's lineup includes Brendan Kelly, The Dopamines, MakeWar, American Television and more (see the flyer in this post).
In fact, the event, at the 100-capacity Pie Shop venue, is booked by Steve Rovery and Bryan Flowers of American Television.
There are a few basic moods to punk. American Television fall into the singalong category. This is short, fast, and predictable melodic punk – and I don’t even slightly mean that in a bad way. Scars tears through 10 songs in probably 20 minutes, balancing whoa-ohs, harmonies and punchy power chords. It all culminates in “Bittersweet” with a refrain of “Broken bones … Read more
MakeWar aren’t like most of the other punk bands out there. They play what I call midtempo punk. It’s not built on anthems, choruses or super-fast into-the-pit adrenaline. Get It Together isn’t about fist-in-the-air release, it’s about built-up tension. The band is actively calling for people to (ahem) Get. It. Together. The tone is one of frustration and marginalization, but with a … Read more
One of the reasons I gravitate toward the pop-end of the punk spectrum is because it lacks pretention. The structures are straightforward and honest, often predictable to such a fault that it’s become cliché. That’s why an album like Developing A Theory of Integrity is so refreshing. The overall sound is gruff pop-punk with a verse-chorus-verse foundation and a lot … Read more
For most of the 21st century, The Fest has conquered Gainesville, FL for a long weekend near Halloween. With hundreds of bands playing each year, spread across multiple venues, there’s something for anybody interested in punk-leaning, independent music from headlining main stage acts outdoors to up-and-comers playing in small bars … Read more
It’s hard to believe that The Fest is in its 20th iteration. The festival always had ambition, but it’s a real testament to still be going 20+ years later. And not just because of pandemic challenges, but because punk bands tend to come and go. It would be impossible to truly … Read more
Brendan Kelly (Lawrence Arms) SPB: Does your child listen to your music at all? What does s/he think (sorry, I can't remember if you have a son or daughter--or both)? Kelly: My kids like to listen to my music in the car. They also like to listen to it on … Read more
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