DEAD CASSETTE · HOMIEFEST '25

This was one for the books. 

Seven months ago I met this goofy dude named Daniel. The first night we met in person we demolished a basket of wings and a couple shots of whiskey, before joining a group of strangers sitting at the bar for a game of Cards Against Humanity. I knew right away he was my kinda people. A couple months, and some coffee meets, concerts, and driving lessons later (he taught me how to drive a stick!) Dan auditioned to be the new vocalist for Dead Cassette. 

I was already familiar with the band, having seen them a couple times previously myself, and absolutely thrilled for him. I had just been at the last show they ever played with their former vocalist, and I knew he had some pretty crazy pipes to live up to. 

Dan kept me posted during the audition process, sending me clips of his cover versions of their songs, and messaging me excitedly when they would give him feedback. While they were still thinking over their decision, I saw that they were playing in Akron with a substitute vocalist and suggested we should hit the show together. Sure enough, barely a couple days after I mentioned it, they reached out to invite him personally. I knew that had to be a good sign! 

That was the first evening I got the chance to get to know the guys. We shared a couple rounds and a few laughs, and I figured out pretty quickly that they were my kinda people, too. 

To everyone's thrill, after the boys took the stage they pulled Dan up there to sing a couple songs. Needless to say, he absolutely nailed it! And when I found out he snagged the gig I couldn't have been prouder, or more sure that he has ended up exactly where he's meant to.

It's been nearly four months since that night. Since then, I'd like to think I've come to call these faces friends. You couldn't ask for a better group of dudes to bring the laughs, the passion, the empathy, and a metric shit ton of talent. They are genuinely some of the best people in the local music scene, on and off the stage. 

At the end of April, I got the pleasure of seeing them play again (for the fifth time!) at Musica, in Akron — such a seriously good venue! The lineup happened to include a list of some pretty great bands that included a few other friendly faces. I bought my ticket early on, because I knew that it was going to be a can't-miss event. And you know that I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to bring my camera along, either! 

Somewhere along the way, everyone started referring to the show as Homiefest. A name I quickly realized couldn't have been more appropriate. When I arrived that night, I couldn't believe how many people I got to hug and catch up with. At most shows? I see one or two acquaintances. But this was different. This was special. And there's not a single soul in that room that didn't feel the same way.

The comradery was palpable. It was in the drinks that we downed, the sweat we wiped off our brows in the moshpit, the arms we threw over each other's shoulders, and in the lyrics that we sang back to our friends on the stage. 

The crowd broke out into a chant several times that night, shouting the moniker in enthusiastic unison.

"Homiefest! Homiefest!"

As I've been working through editing these photos since then, I've often thought to myself; how freaking cool is it that I know so many talented people that are doing what they love. And hey, how lucky am I that I get to document them while they do the damn thing?

Between my dear friend Daniel, the dudes of Dead Cassette, the bands that shared that stage, (whose photos I'll be sharing in a follow up post, btw!), or even the couple hundred people who came together to fill that venue — I'd like to think we were all exactly where we were supposed to be that night.

And that's about as slightly awesome as it gets.
— See what I did there?

Dead Cassette's new single, Sink or Swim, drops on May 9th.
Grab your floaties, and make sure you're following along.

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