Formed in 1996, Florida’s AS FRIENDS RUST delivers energetic and honest melodic hardcore. Often compared to Dag Nasty or Avail, or in later years Samiam, AFR found themselves at the intersection between several genres, making them difficult to pigeonhole and thoroughly infectious to listen to.

Fronted by Damien Moyal, also of Culture and (currently) On Bodies, AFR surprised many with its brand of self-deprecating and – in a manner quite uncharacteristic to the hardcore scene at large – surprisingly personal lyrics. Combined with urgent and colorful songwriting that effortlessly blended punk rawness, hardcore urgency, rock n’ roll riffage and indie rock production, AFR was a refreshing break from the increasingly bland 90s hardcore scene so fraught with dogma and chugging metal, and built a loyal, if not fanatic, fan-base the world over.

Until disbanding in 2002, AFR churned out several acclaimed EPs and one LP on celebrated 90s labels such as Equal Vision Records, Doghouse Records and Good Life recordings, and spent every minute outside of the studio in their van, bringing anthemic singalongs to smiling stage-divers across the US and Europe.

Following an unexpected hometown reunion show in 2008, AFR has played only a handful of shows in Europe and Japan, and most recently Brooklyn, NY. This year’s performance at The FEST will be only the band’s 3rd US date since 2002.