Furnace Fest 2024 – The End Of An Era – Birmingham

Me of little Faith – I still remember the weeks leading up to Furnace Fest 2021. The world had kind-of opened back up after Covid. The fest had already been pushed/rescheduled. I never thought they would allow thousands of punk & hardcore music fans to assemble at an old historic blast furnace in Birmingham, Alabama. Everybody had been stuck inside for almost 2 years leading the weirdest existence – but there I was at a Hopesfall pre-party show gearing up for what I did not know would become a 4-year tradition.

I clearly remember Jacob Bannon of Converge saying “this is our first show in 300 something days. We needed this, you needed this”. The whole vibe was very special. I also didn’t think the camaraderie and unity would continue and follow the next three years, but it did. 2021 will always be near and dear. Everyone was so very grateful to be in public, seeing a live show – of mind blowing bands that no one ever thought they would see again.

I’m definitely not a festival person, I can’t stand them, I’m too old haha. I don’t even like sitting through a three band set. So yes, if my grumpy old soul is a 4-year alumni, then this festival is very special. I’ve spent what little free time I had documenting it with my trusty camera over the past four years. So very grateful to be onstage with some of my childhood idols. I am also not going to deny the nostalgia factor. But at my age – this properly ran festival somehow booked my entire CD binder from 1996 onward. Not to mention (almost) every noteworthy band from NC has performed.

I’m not trying to sound arrogant, but it’s hard to explain to even rabid music fans what you just experienced when you return home. Hardcore and punk is not everyone’s cup of tea and definitely plays by their own rules. I see all these mainstream metal and punk festivals and scoff at them. If you have attended one of those fests – FF is the exact opposite.. we are not your kind (jokingly). With very little security, virtually no barricades, 3 stages, brutal karate-dancing mosh pits, and constant stage dives… you would think it would be utter chaos, violence and injury? It is to a degree but almost every attendee police themselves and looks out for one another. No corporate vibes or shady, maco crowd undertones. There is very little separation between the artist and the crowd – the way it should be. For a very brutal genre of music this is a happy peaceful place. Hardcore has its bad apples and clichés, but for the most part, it is way more communal than other genres. Hardcore also never fully made it to the mainstream, so most in attendance are super nerdy fans of a very specific genre.

I’ve always had a post-fest depression every year. Part of it is coming back to the real world after no responsibilities for almost a week. The other impart to that nostalgia factor. I didn’t fully realize that till this year when my eyes started to tear up during the Snapcase set. The music that found me – and changed my life, at age 12 was just very alive and well. A bit older, grayer, pumped full of ibuprofen and antacids – but very alive! This year that feeling was extra heavy knowing we would not reconvene in the shed next year.

I am so happy to have been a part of this. Much like Woodstock, if you were there, you were there. If they revitalize the concept, sure I’ll give it a chance, but nothing can replicate the last four years.

-JM. Driscoll
(not quite the old man yelling at clouds, but mentally still the scrawny, squirrely, excited punk rock kid)

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