The Fest, one of the world’s largest punk-rock music festivals, kicked off its 2023 festivities in an unexpected location. Festival goers clustered in the Gainesville City Hall courtyard instead of a strobe-lit stage, listening to Mayor Harvey Ward rather than moshing to Gorilla Biscuits.
On Friday at 5 p.m., as a kickoff for The Fest’s 21st annual three-night punk-rock showcase, Ward and City Commissioner Bryan Eastman presented a Key to the City to Laura Jane Grace. Grace is the lead singer of the beloved punk rock band Against Me!, which formed in Gainesville in 1997.
“Today, on the holiest of days — the very first day of Fest 21 — we honor one of the great artists in Gainesville history,” Eastman said.
The Key was practically retired after Gainesville presented it to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 2006, Eastman said. Petty’s music is synonymous with Gainesville for people who grew up in Petty’s generation, and now Grace’s music represents the Gainesville he and his peers know, Eastman said.
Though Grace is one of the greatest lyricists in music history, her impact goes beyond her songs, he said. In 2012, Grace shocked the punk-rock world when she came out as transgender in a 2012 Rolling Stone article.
“Being transgender was not the conversation that it was, and I remember it hit the punk rock world like a bombshell,” Eastman said. “Her music meant so much for us, it felt like my family member had announced that they were transitioning.”
Ward read an official proclamation declaring Oct. 27, 2023, as Laura Jane Grace Day in Gainesville.
“Music saves lives,” Ward said. “That’s why it matters to recognize artists who tell the truth and who are unafraid to do so — or at least willing to do so in the face of any fear.”
In her acceptance speech, Grace recognized Gainesville for showing her the path she needed to take in her music career. She moved to Gainesville in 1997 after dropping out of high school in South Florida, she said.
Watching local bands play in Wayward Counsel and The Art Warehouse gave her the courage to actualize her dream of becoming an artist, Grace said.
Grace no longer lives in Gainesville but remembers the years spent there as the best of her life, she said.
“In Gainesville, I found the community of activists and artists and total freaks and weirdos that I wanted to come to,” she said. “Turns out, you do not need to be enrolled in UF or Santa Fe to receive a world-class education in Gainesville.”
For 27-year-old The Fest attendee Alexa Thornton, Gainesville’s punk-rock community offers a sense of belonging even among a crowd of thousands. Grace deserves the Key for being a staple in the punk-rock community, Thornton said.
“To see her be recognized for all the work she’s done in the community and the music scene, it’s awesome,” she said.
Aliya Miranda, 27, grew up in Gainesville and has attended The Fest since 2018. She’s been listening to Grace’s music since 2017, she said.
“Her music is about not being controlled by anybody else,” she said. “But at the same time, it’s very hopeful.”
This year, Miranda brought 24-year-old friend and fellow Gainesville resident Allen Fin to The Fest for the first time.
“She told me, ‘You’re not a true Gainesville-ian until you go to Fest,’” Fin said.
Fin was thrilled to start off first-ever Fest by meeting Grace, and Grace is the artist she’s most looking forward to seeing onstage, she said.
Grace will take the stage Sunday, following a three-day lineup of artists like Thursday, Descendents and Less Than Jake.
Contact Zoey Thomas at zthomas@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @zoeythomas39
Zoey Thomas is a second-year media production major and the university administration reporter for The Alligator. She previously wrote for the metro desk. Other than reporter, Zoey's titles include espresso connoisseur, long-distance runner and Wes Anderson appreciator.
