The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee hosted its 2nd BreakFEST Sunday, June 2. The event was put on my rock band New Found Glory and hundreds of dedicated fans lined up outside the venue early in the morning to get a good spot to watch the rock show. Bands started playing as early as 9:10 and signings were going on throughout the day so you could get a poster signed by your favorite bands. Many bands went to their merchandise tables to meet fans after their set and people even gave gifts to their favorite artists.
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So what is BreakFEST? This punk rock/pop punk show included a line up of new and old bands and a dazzling array of breakfast foods. From doughnuts to cold brew and juices to breakfast tacos this music food festival had everything a breakfast fan could hope for. The venue was out of this world, The Factory is an old building that was turned into a shopping mall with several vendors such as a record store, an art gallery and several food places as well. The best part about this show is the diversity in the crowd. In fact, the majority of the crowd was a good bit older than me with their children there, and yes they wore ear protection. I got to be in a mosh pit with people a good 15-20 years older than me and we all sang together and enjoyed the company of music.
Why Franklin, Tennessee? Well, one of the reasons is it is so close to Nashville, a music capital. Smaller local musicians were able to set up acoustic sessions and show off their music to hundreds or even thousands of people. Another reason is that many of the artists that performed were from the Nashville/Franklin area and it brought in artists that weren't even playing such as Rian Dawson, the drummer from All Time Low (my favorite band). This venue was perfect, in between sets you could paint your own pottery or even leave and get lunch from one of Franklin's local eateries downtown and then return for the rest of the show. It was also inside which is perfect for the Southern heat, we didn't have to worry about people overheating.
This is event was one of my favorite festivals I have been too, and it's not just because of the coffee. It was casual and laid back, I saw many of my favorite artists just walking around enjoying the music like everyone else. On one occasion I was talking with a group of people I had just met, everyone there was so friendly, and then 30 minutes later one of them got up on stage to play bass for Jetty Bones. I got to meet many different people from several states and even make new friends. When I left BreakFEST I cried in my car because of how overwhelmed I was.
Warped Tour coined "Best Day Ever" for their festival, but now that Warped has come to an end I would say that BreakFEST was my Best Day Ever, I am so excited for next year and forever grateful to New Found Glory for putting on such an amazing festival.
