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| Graphic created by Hard Pass Creative |
For so many metal artists in western Massachusetts, the 13th Floor Music Lounge was where they got to watch a dream turn into a reality.
Brian Westbrook, member of Lich King and owner of PDP Productions, had booked multiple shows at the Florence venue thanks to Promotorhead Entertainment’s John Gulow. They watched other mainstays shutter their doors, leaving a big enough space for them to grow their own ideas. The more Westbrook and Gulow got to know each other, the more they discussed just how doable their own festival could be.
“I had the sound, he had the booking,” Westbrook said. “All we needed was the space to do it.”
That space ended up being the backyard of Westbrook’s parents. Westbrook’s father had always supported his interest in music, whether it was driving the van to early gigs or bankrolling the first PA system. His mother was equally supportive, but father and son thought there was no way she would be willing to turn part of her property into a weekend of frivolous entertainment. Turns out, she was the one who suggested it.
This year, RPM Fest celebrates its 10th festival.
Getting the metal music community into the idea of what would ultimately become RPM Fest was the easiest part. One minute they were being pitched the idea, the next they were clearing out brush and making space for pitching tents. Goblet and Western Massacre, who both played the inaugural year, recall those days fondly.
“There was a lot of grassroots work to get the festival and the grounds for Brian Westbrook's backyard,” Goblet guitarist Nick Saldarini said. “We had to clear land, build stages… we got in on the ground floor. We kept showing up to help, and eventually they just asked us if we wanted to play, which is what our hope was.”
“Everybody that we knew and worked with already were now focused on this new thing that sounded awesome,” Western Massacre drummer Jeff Greene said. “We got involved in work days and volunteer shifts; I’m pretty sure everybody in the band at some point was there the first year clearing the grounds. We were very ingrained in this scene and all the people that were involved were some of our favorite people in our area, so naturally we have to do whatever we can do.”
Goblet was supporting their debut EP, Spring Thaw, the first year of the festival. Lead vocalist Jesse Pause recalls being incredibly nervous as it was his first time singing in a band. The metal community, however, was more supportive than he had anticipated.
Since then, the thrash metal band has been one of the most anticipated acts to play RPM Fest as they have played every single year. Their onstage antics have included Pause performing a burnout on his Harley, popping out of a coffin in the middle of the pit, launching t-shirts out of a hairspray-fueled cannon and making a sandwich mid-performance. It has turned into a running joke of whether or not the next year’s antics will be the one that gets them banned from the festival.
Greene and Western Massacre guitarist Kyle Leary love sharing the sandwich story, calling it diabolical. Never in all their years of seeing live music had they seen a fully grown man demonstrate the task of building a bologna sandwich mid-song. Each time Pause lifted up an ingredient, the crowd got louder. At the end of the song, an audience member grabbed it and took a bite. They had everyone in the palm of their hands.
Leary will also never forget opening for King Parrot during the first year of the festival. After their set, lead vocalist Matthew Young grabbed him as they were packing up their gear and ran right off the stage with him. He swears he was coughing up woodchips for days.
For the first few years of RPM Fest, they tried to fly under the radar. There was only so much they could do in the Westbrook’s backyard, and by the third year, they had clearly outgrown the space. The more their friend group grew, and the more word-of-mouth took over, the more people expressed interest in attending.
To this day, word-of-mouth is the premier way they promote the show. They have put some stock into advertising and an online presence, but physical flyering by way of street teams has been their biggest asset.
After using Kickstarter to fund the first year of RPM Fest, they discussed what they wanted affordability to look like moving forward. As creatives who have been on both sides of the scene, it was of utmost importance that anyone attending the festival did not feel like they were being overcharged. Adding a variety of side entertainment was one of the ways they wanted to give back to ticketholders.
What might come as a surprise is the amount of labor done voluntarily. While artists such as Goblet or Western Massacre offered their hands in exchange for a spot on the lineup the first year, others have offered their services in hospitality or marketing in exchange for vendor or sponsorship opportunities.
“We’re lucky to have a lot of people that care enough about the fest and want it to grow and thrive that are willing to help us out on that end,” Westbrook said. It’s really cool to see.”
Venue and crowd size aren’t the only changes over the last 10 festivals. Some changes were gradual, like the number of portable restrooms or the level of production. Some changes were sharper, such as booking High on Fire for this year’s music lineup. For Westbrook, every year feels a bit more like a real festival.
It doesn’t hit until just before festival weekend. As they’re starting to put up tents, that’s when he starts to realize that it’s finally coming together once again. Once everyone shows up, hundreds of tents among the trees full of people he loves and cares about, that’s when he feels the most proud.
Being one of the spearheads behind the festival, Westbrook has learned so much about where his limits lay and how important it is to know when to ask for help. He looks back on the first year of the festival, wondering how on Earth he was able to run audio for the main stage on top of everything else on his plate. Production and management has become his focus, leaving aspects such as press and sponsorship opportunities to their own department coordinators. By learning his personal limits and giving himself permission to ask for help, he has watched others thrive in their roles and make RPM Fest the best version of itself.
Westbrook and Gulow have certainly left their mark on the festival and all that gather for it. Goblet and Western Massacre discussed in depth just how much they are continually impressed by everything RPM Fest has accomplished. Because they were able to watch this festival be built from the ground up, they have an unbelievable amount of respect for everyone involved.
“Whether we're playing or not, which I hope we get to play every year going forward for the rest of eternity, I will be there,” Saldarini said. “It's come such a long way, and they've done such a good job with it, so we're very pleased that we were able to get in on the ground floor and see it come to be what it is today.”
Western Massacre credits Westbrook for their second album, The Fractured Atlas, as he saved it from ending up on a hard drive in the trash. He gave them the motivation to reassess their unfinished demos and help bring to life an album that they are still supremely proud of.
“We have endless amounts of love and respect for everything they’ve done for and achieved at RPM Fest,” Greene said. “[Westbrook and Gulow] are two of the most capable dudes I’ve ever known. They plan and execute on a level that doesn’t even make sense to my brain.”
The current iteration of the festival is straight off a page of Mad Libs. Throughout the weekend festival goers can watch a metal performance, root for a professional wrestler, perform karaoke, attend metal yoga, play drag bingo or go trick-or-treating. Local vendors sell artwork, custom leather or instruments. Fire breathers, face painters, welders… Creatives of all types gather for this weekend. There is something for everybody, and Greene suggested planning in advance to make sure you get the most out of the weekend.
“If you're a first-timer there, maybe that can be a little intimidating, but we're open arms to everybody who could possibly show up to RPM Fest,” Saldarini said.
Both bands also mentioned just how much the festival feels like a family reunion. The last time Western Massacre played, it was still in the Westbrook’s backyard. They have attended every festival since then, but this year they get to reunite with artists they haven’t shared the stage with in years, including their friends in Goblet.
Something that everyone interviewed for this piece can agree on: even if you hate camping, learn to pitch a tent and come to RPM Fest. They cannot recommend enough how valuable it is to experience the festival in its entirety. Check out as many bands as possible, lounge in the ultraviolet tent, support local artists, admire the scenery and make new friends.
Also, don’t forget to shower. Goblet helped build those showers, and they want you to think of them while you’re in there.
Tickets for RPM Fest are available here.
