Fred Fest turns thirty

The thirtieth anniversary of Fred Fest, brought to the campus by Spectrum Entertainment, took place in and around Steele hall this past Saturday, May 1. The organization this year was different than in years previous with just three local bands setting the stage for the headliner, Brand New.

Higher security limited the amount of guest tickets to one, which is less than in years previous. Each guest was required to be escorted by their Fredonia host. Signs posted all over Steele warned students that no moshing, photography, or audio/video recordings of any type would be tolerated. All guests’ bags were searched at the door.

In years past, music from local bands started much earlier and the bands had shorter sets. Having three local bands allowed for less chaos and forty-five minute sets for each band.

Over twenty local bands submitted CDs in order to be considered for an opening spot. Spectrum narrowed the choice down to five bands and held voting in the Williams Center in order to choose the first two openers: Look, The Horizon and Pardi Gras.

The headlining band for Fred Fest, which is often a cause of controversy, is chosen with as much student input as possible. There was both a message board on the ANGEL website and a poll given in the Buster Brown Bean Company locations on campus. Spectrum goes through the votes and according to Jessey Drake, Fred Fest chair for Spectrum Entertainment, “Brand New has been on our list for a very long time.”

Look, The Horizon, a four man band that formed in fall 2009, began at 3:30 p.m.. Band members Luke Miller and Eric Voellinger said they were “really pumped” to share the stage with Brand New, as well as the other local bands. Lead singer Frank DiMaria encouraged the crowd to get moving. “Don’t mosh, just move around,” he said into the mic. The group was very energetic and grateful that people came out early to see them instead of just coming for the headliner.

Following up was Pardi Gras, an electro pop band which also formed in Fall 2009. This seven member band filled the stage and drew in a crowd with a mix of both original songs and covers such as Ke$ha’s Tick Tock, a real crowd pleaser. Attempting to get the audience moving, lead singer Dillon Mealey and keytar player Seth Crane brought great energy to the stage, jumping around and clapping. At the start of their last song, Mealey announced, “This song is called Lose It, so let’s all just lose it!”

Paul’s Grandfather earned a spot on stage by winning Sound Services 2010 Battle of the Bands this past March. The band played for a growing crowd beginning at around 5:30 p.m. The group, having added several members since first forming as three in 2008, has come to be recognized for having a unique and interesting sound.

Leading ladies Karrah Teague, Becca Ryskalczyk, and Katie Preston took turns alternating between various instruments and lead vocals. Steele Hall filled with sounds of the accordion, cello and the saw as the room grew more and more crowded. The sextet finished up with “Jailbirdy,” which the crowd had been requesting through the entire set.
Brand New took the stage at around 7:00 p.m. and started off with “Sink” from their 2009 album Daisy. The crowd was growing in number and excitement as the band played several of their newer songs. The enthusiasm of the crowd really took off with a few older songs. “Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t,” “Sic Transit Gloria… Glory Fades,” and “70x7” really got the audience moving. Fredonia marked the end of a week-long tour for Brand New who had done several shows around the northeast with indie punk band P.O.S.

Many people had come out just to see Brand New. Chelsey Merrill, a junior psychology major, was not disappointed.

“There was the same amount of people as last year but everyone was much more pumped,” Merril said. “They [Brand New] seemed really enthusiastic.” The crowd started to thin out about an hour through Brand New’s set but those who remained enjoyed some more classic Brand New with “Jesus Christ, that’s a pretty face” and “Degausser.” The band did what they could to keep the audience entertained but followed the no moshing rule. Front man Jesse Lacey advised the crowd to keep moving and enjoying the show, “maybe you can’t mosh, but you can definitely dance!”

The show finished up with “Play Crack (The Sky)” and while there was no encore, most people were very happy with the hour and a half set. Collette Wdowiasz, a long time fan, was excited to see Brand New for the fourth time. “They played a lot of new stuff but didn’t forget to recognize the old stuff.”

According to Drake, the changed format of Fred Fest ran smoothly and this was a very successful event. “It all came together in the end. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.”