BreakFEST 2019 Artist Spotlight: Microwave

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 last year at The Factory at Franklin’s Liberty Hall, breakfast-themed punk rock and alternative day fest BreakFEST was an absolute blast in its first year, and we’re thrilled to see the event return for year two, hopefully the start of an annual tradition, on June 2!

A novel concept (you can read more about the inspiration and backstory in our interview with Gilbert from last summer) BreakFEST is a great way to bring fans of pop punk, emo, alternative, and everything in between together in the daytime, to enjoy great tunes and great food, 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, Real Friends, Hawthorne Heights, Mae, The Early November, Microwave, Jetty Bones, H.A.R.D., Love You Later, and Doll Skin all set to perform. Plus, with great local venders like Frothy Monkey, Honest Coffee, Five Daughters, High Brow Coffee, Tiny Little Donuts, Mojo’s Tacos, Juice Bar, Triple Crown Bakery, Muletown Coffee, and Ruby Sunshine all announced as well, the breakfast side of BreakFEST warrants just as much excitement.

To help you get ready for this year’s event, we’ll be highlighting a different performer each day until BreakFEST weekend, with daily Artist Spotlight features (similar to what we’re also doing ahead of Bonnaroo). So, whether you’re checking in on an old favorite or discovering a new one, you’ll arrive ready to rock and prepared to sing along! And finally, for more about all things BreakFEST, including a helpful FAQ section, be sure to check out the event’s website.

BreakFEST is an all ages event, and, as the concept would suggest, it kicks off early, with doors set to open at 8 a.m. You can still get GA tickets for less than $40, or upgrade to $100 VIP, which grants you special balcony seating, a separate bathroom and bar, special entry, and some freebies like a t-shirt and poster. Food and beverage are not included in the price of admission, but there will be a well-curated selection of local goodies that are well worth the cost.

Get your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and keep reading to learn more about the lineup in our BreakFEST Artist Spotlight…

LEARN

While they first managed to capture broader acclaim and establish themselves as one of the indie rock and post-hardcore scene’s most indispensable up and coming talents with their 2014 full-length debut, Stovall, it was couple years earlier that Microwave formally came together in the suburbs of Atlanta, initially an outlet for frontman Nathan Hardy as he returned home from a Mormon missionary trip, and began to sever tires from the church and explore the world outside of it. Recruiting high school friend and drummer Tito Pittard, and eventually guitarist Wesley Swanson and bassist Tyler Hill to round out the lineup, Microwave found some DIY level buzz with early EPs like Nowhere Feels Like Home and When the Fever Breaks Again in 2013, as well as through initial touring efforts, which frequently brought them to Nashville to play DIY haunts, and managed to put them on our radar early on as a nearby band to watch.

By Stovall, Microwave had signed to buzzy indie label SideOneDummy, amassing critical acclaim throughout the indie and punk sphere, and landing the band on the road with acts like The Wonder Years, Jimmy Eat World, Motion City Soundtrack, Man Overboard, Have Mercy, and many more, as well as spots at events like Warped Tour, Wrecking Ball, and Riot Fest in the following years. Funneling punk sensibilities into an indie and eclectic sound, also channeling elements of emo and post-hardcore, the band were able to capture much of the emotion and aesthetic of many memorable scene classics with their debut, powered by the gut-wrenching earnestness and confessional delivery of Hardy, who spent much of the first LP navigating the life experiences, excess, mistakes, and revelations of a world free of his religious upbringing. With 2016 followup Much Love, Microwave dialed up the angst and dark, internal conflict, moving beyond a wide-eyed view of a world anew into a jaded reflection on its reality, with Hardy finally comfortable in his journey to personal liberation, and yet still gripping with the existential implications. Due for a followup, Microwave return to town seasoned from several years on the road, and remain one of the most raw, eclectic, and earnest up and coming rock bands around.

LISTEN | “Stovall”