Milwaukee’s long been known as the “City of Festivals,” but for the last few years the appellation’s seemed more apt than ever, with a plethora of independent events carving out their place on an already jam-packed calendar. These smaller fests have mostly distinguished themselves by appealing to devotees of a specific subgenre, by settling into an underserved niche, but one of the upstarts, Breadfest, has found success heading in the opposite direction. Instead of zeroing in, the willfully eclectic festival casts as wide a net as possible, inviting performers and fans from diverse scenes to get to know each other and have a good time.
“A lot of the motivation had come from seeing other people doing their own festivals, especially around Riverwest,” says busy local staple Myles Coyne, who along with Al Kraemer, Victor Buell IV and Eliot Sell runs Breadking Collective, the musical collective/concert promoters/record label behind the event. “I just thought it was so cool that there were so many acts around to jumble up and I was like, ‘I’d love to jump in on that,’ with our spin on it being meshing everyone together—just throwing our hands in the air and saying, ‘There are so many genres here, so here’s a bunch of them all together.’”
Now in its third year, Breadfest shows no signs of deviating from that inclusive ethos. In fact, it’s only become easier to achieve as more and more bands vie for a spot on the schedule, but according to Coyne there’s always new people and new perspectives to be brought into the fold. “Sometimes it’s difficult to get everybody together, but I think this gives people an excuse,” he observes. “It’s hard when bands feel singled out or by themselves, when they don’t know who to talk to or who to play with, but with Breadfest they see there’s a ton of other people out there.”
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Given the superficiality and cynicism that pervades the music world, you could be forgiven for wondering if that kind of high-minded rhetoric is merely concealed self-promotion, but sitting across from Coyne in conversation, his sincerity is clear. More importantly, though, is that the musicians involved can attest to Breadfest’s air of community-driven positivity. “We really enjoy playing festivals that encompass a large variety of music and bring people out to experience different venues,” says Matt Pappas, guitarist for festival regulars The Fatty Acids. “Myles is a hard worker and his effort is inspiring to all of us as musicians, so we like to support that.”
If Breadfest offers plenty of benefits to Milwaukee bands, it’s just as much of a boon for local concertgoers, who can catch some of the best the area has to offer, including emo titans Maritime, hooky synth-poppers NO/NO and the surreally soulful singer Lex Allen, plus notable touring acts such as Austin shoegazers Ringo Deathstarr, all at extremely reasonable prices. “It’s really just an invitation to come hang out, and there’s stuff for everybody. There’s acoustic shows, all-ages shows, everything,” says Coyne, justifiably proud. “There’re good vibes too. It’s a very friendly environment, so there’s no reason not to come out and say hi.”
Breadfest 2015 runs Wednesday, July 29 through Sunday, Aug. 2. For the complete lineup, visit facebook.com/breadkingmke.
