What began as an idea several years ago by New Found Glory guitarist and local transplant Chad Gilbert, and finally manifested into an inaugural event in 2018 at The Factory at Franklin’s Liberty Hall, breakfast-themed, community-focused, punk rock and alternative boutique fest BreakFest was an absolute blast in its first year and 2019 followup, and after a few years off due to the pandemic, we’re thrilled to see BreakFest return for year three this Thursday, May 26!
A novel concept (you can read more about the inspiration and backstory in our interview with Gilbert from 2018) BreakFest is a great way to bring fans of pop punk, emo, alternative, and everything in between together for a community-driven fest. This time around, it both moves to a weekday and also gets going a little later in the day, but food is still a major component, and this year’s lineup once again boasts a stellar mix of old and new acts along with a few locals, with New Found Glory, Further Seems Forever, Derek Sanders, Four Year Strong, Cassadee Pope, Better Off, The Foxies, and Be Well all set to perform. Plus, with great local venders like Bad Luck Burger Club, Daddy’s Dogs, Mojo’s Tacos, Guerilla Bizkits, Triple Crown Bakery, Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnuts, Honest Coffee Roasters, High Brow Coffee + Tea, and Java Monster all announced as well, the food side of BreakFest warrants just as much excitement.
To help you get ready for this year’s event, we’ve put together a full guide to BreakFest’s 2022 lineup below, complete with artist profiles and set times, so whether you’re checking in on an old favorite or discovering a new one, you can arrive ready to rock and prepared to sing along! You can also check out the signing schedule if you’re looking to score an autograph. And finally, for more about all things BreakFest, including a helpful FAQ section, be sure to check out the event’s website. Get your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and keep reading to learn more about the lineup in our Guide to BreakFest 2022!
BE WELL | 4:15-4:35pm
LEARN
Helmed by longtime hardcore scene musical staple and producer Brian McTernan, Baltimore’s Be Well dropped their debut album The Weight and the Cost in 2020, and just followed it up with a resonant and melodic new EP, Hello Sun. Boasting an impressive lineup featuring members of Bane, Only Crime, Darkest Hour, Fairweather, Ashes, Battery, Olympia, Beasts of No Nation, and Converge, the melodic hardcore outfight signed to Equal Vision and released an eponymous EP shortly after forming in 2019, and have been rapidly amassing buzz since.
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THE FOXIES | 4:50-5:15pm
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Energetic local poppy, electro-punk trio The Foxies have been turning heads for years with a string of buzzy singles and EPs. On the heels of some of their best tracks and recent TikTok fame, they’re prepping to release their first full-length this year. Led by frontwoman Julia Lauren Bullock, the project’s roots trace back to Phoenix, Arizona, and their 2016 debut EP, Oblivion, helped amass online buzz. In the years and across numerous great releases since, The Foxies have honed their hook-laden, punk spirited, alt rock meets indie pop sound, and have become a regular live fixture on Nashville stages and beyond, notably winning Road to Bonnaroo for a chance to play at the fest a few years back.
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BETTER OFF | 5:35-6:00pm
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Genre-defying indie, alt rock, and emo outfit Better Off broke out as one of Nashville’s most essential acts of the 2010s, drawing widespread buzz and critical-acclaim for their sophomore LP Milk. Most recently, the rockers returned with a new self-titled album, their best and most ambitious work to date. Formed initially under the name Friends over a decade ago, Better Off dropped their first album (I Think) I’m Leaving in 2013, and had inked a deal with Equal Vision and hit the road with the likes of New Found Glory and Basement by their second album. Praised for their earnest, resonant fusion of indie, pop punk, post-hardcore, emo, and alt rock, the band are one of the biggest underground punk scene fixtures to come out of Nashville in the last decade.
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CASSADEE POPE | 6:20-6:50pm
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She got her emo cred fronting Hey Monday, proved her vocal chops on the The Voice, and has crafted an impressive country pop career for nearly a decade. Recently embracing the genre-label “y’alternative,” Cassadee Pope perfectly balances her past and present with new LP Thrive. Though her breakout success with Florida pop punk group Hey Monday only last three years, the now-Nashville based singer has kept that emo scene ethos throughout her career, winning season three of The Voice after embarking on a solo career in country music, and honing her eclectic, pop-accessible sound across three great albums, most recently last year’s Thrive, Pope’s most personal, best musically representative, and impassioned work to date.
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FOUR YEAR STRONG | 7:10-7:40pm
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Like BreakFest hosts New Found Glory, Four Year Strong helped popularize the “easycore” sound of the ‘00s, fusing pop punk hooks and melodies with hardcore riffs and breakdowns. Over 20 years and seven LPs, the group have cemented themselves as one of pop punk’s most enduring acts. Hailing from Massachusetts, FYS quickly rose to prominence after their 2007 sophomore album Rise of Die Trying, and would spend the next several years becoming one of the most celebrated acts of the MySpace and Warped Tour heyday, touring the world, and graduating to major label status. Their output has slowed a bit over the years, but they continue to push sonic bounds and hone their sound, most recently with 2020’s Brain Pain.
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DEREK SANDERS | 7:55-8:25pm
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Best known for fronting Florida pop punk group Mayday Parade, Derek Sanders and his band are responsible for some of the biggest bona fide scene classics of the late ‘00s and early ’10s. One of rock’s most heartfelt and gifted frontmen, Sanders released a sentimental EP of covers back in 2020, My Rock and Roll Heart, tackling acoustic renditions of tracks meaningful to his youth, inspired by a Valentine’s Day gift to his wife. With Mayday Parade, Sanders has been prolific, releasing seven albums of earnest pop punk, alt rock, and emo pop over the last 15 years, and remaining one of the few bands of that era to retain immense popularity, thanks to some consistently great releases and frequent touring schedule.
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FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER | 8:40-9:20pm
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The iconic Florida emo/indie outfit that Chris Carrabba fronted before taking off as Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever make a rare reunion appearance with their original lineup to perform beloved debut 2001 LP The Moon Is Down in full, in honor of its 20th anniversary. Throughout the initial run in the ’00s, FSF made three albums with three different singers, before re-teaming with Carrabba live in 2010, and releasing a new album with their original frontman two years later, Penny Black. Now active again as Dashboard, Carrabba’s activity with the band has been intermittent over the last decade (as has the group’s in general, though they have also performed with second singer Jason Gleason on occasion, including last year’s Furnace Fest), making this likely one of if not the only chance to see this lineup live for the foreseeable future.
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NEW FOUND GLORY | 9:40-11:00pm
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BreakFest’s hosts and annual headliners, pop punk legends New Found Glory, are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their breakout third album Sticks and Stones (and 25th year as a band) at this year’s fest. Expect to hear plenty of other favorites (and fun covers) from their lengthy catalog as well, given that their scheduled set-time is almost double that record’s length. Formed in Florida in 1997, NFG became a seminal fixture in pop punk’s mainstream explosion in the 2000s, held up alongside icons like Blink-182 as one of the era’s most important bands. In their heyday, the rockers were touring with groups like Green Day, scoring massive hits on radio and MTV, and headlining fests like Warped Tour. Though pop punk as a whole has receded back to is independent roots over the last decade, NFG have remained one the most beloved, grounded, and consistent acts of their era, still touring regularly and returning with great new music every few years. Their BreakFest closing sets have been some of their most memorable ever, and we have no doubt that this year’s return will be another epic finale!
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