Now in its fifth year, Break Free Fest is a multi-day showcase of hardcore punk, and the artists (and fans) who in the past have been marginalized in the scene. The event centers and celebrates Black and Brown voices in the DIY punk community, and took place this weekend at The Foto Club in Harrowgate and the Ukie Club at Northern Liberties.
Highlights include returning artists like screamo faves Amygdala and goth-punk outfit The Ire, as well as new voices like Philadelphia four-piece Soji, who kicked off the festival’s Friday night show at Foto Club. WXPN photographer Megan Matuzak was on hand to document that night, which also featured Philly’s Shygodwin, New York’s Compa and Material Support, and Baltimore’s Pearl.
The event as a whole will raise money for The National Bail Out Collective, which works to fight unjust mass incarceration, and the Attic Youth Center, which advocates for and supports LGBTQ+ youth. Day three of Break Free Fest comes to the Ukie Club tonight; details here. Check out photos from the festival so far below.
Soji | photo by Megan Matuzak for WXPN
Material Support | photo by Megan Matuzak for WXPN
Shygodwin | photo by Megan Matuzak for WXPN
Shygodwin | photo by Megan Matuzak for WXPN
Pearl | photo by Megan Matuzak for WXPN