The Fest 10 releases schedule, free compilation album

Gainesville, Florida will be taken over by punk rock for the tenth time with The Fest, on October 28-30. The Fest, sponsored by No Idea Records and Pabst Blue Ribbon, was first held in May 2002, and is expected to bring over 5,000 people this year. With over two months until the Fest begins, the schedule has been released, and 300 weekend passes have been released for early sale.

The schedule, found at the Fest’s website, features well-known punk acts such as Against Me!, Hot Water Music, and the Bouncing Souls, as well as underground favorites like We Are the Union and A Wilhelm Scream. The Fest will take over ten Gainesville venues and bars, with concerts going from 1:00 pm to 1:30 am every day.

In anticipation of the festival, two compilation albums have been released for free download on Bandcamp.com. These two compilations, with 40-plus tracks in total, provide a good starting point for new fans on a number of bands playing over the weekend. In addition to some of the more popular acts mentioned above, the albums include tracks from Lemuria, The Flatliners, Smoke or Fire, and many more. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, September 15 at noon.