For the second year in a row, Frankie Fest will highlight queer and LGBTQ+ ally artists while honoring the life of Frankie Maddox Rex of the local band The FMs, who passed away in May 2022.
“This is a punk rock festival. This is loud and in your face, joyful and beautiful, and we’re gonna scream together, we’re gonna mosh together. This is something where we get to jump around and hug each other and be free together,” said local musician and Frankie Fest founder Miss Cherry Delight. “We didn’t want to create something that was super tame. This is gonna be wild and free and beautiful and real rock and roll energy because that’s the real Frankie’s spirit.”
This year’s Frankie Fest will be headlined by the FMs, Miss Cherry Delight and Villins. Joining the lineup on the stages include Turbo Goth, Suroor, Cat Crash, Bad Static, T@b Grrrl, Late Cambrian, and Izzy True. The event will be hosted by Circus/Sideshow performer Faux Pas Le Fae.
“Frankie was somebody who didn’t fit that same mold, so in an event celebrating Frankie, I think having femme-fronted bands or bands made up of a mix of queer people, trans people, we have a decent amount of racial diversity on this lineup,” said Matte Namer, lead singer of The FMs. “I am excited that we were able to find some great acts. This is not a hyper-specific genre night, but it’s also well-curated and not completely idiosyncratic.”
“I’ve collaborated with hundreds of performers and media artists to produce electrifying shows that embody pleasure and rage. And I especially enjoy sharing my stage with a strong community of women and queer artists who possess unique, rebellious and culturally relevant visions,” said Delight. “I always try to include bands that Frankie loved. Frankie was a big fan of Villins and Villins loved Frankie, and last year they performed this beautiful song for Frankie that they wrote, and I just absolutely sobbed because it was so gorgeous and so thoughtful. The FMs, Miss Cherry Delight and Villins will always be staples in Frankie Fest.”
“It was so incredibly painful to hear of Frankie’s passing. This is a person that was just so inspiring in our scene,” said Jesyka of Villins. “We didn’t know Frankie super personally, but just running in those same circles means a lot — we were both just deeply gutted about that.”
“Being back in the room with a lot of the same people who remember Frankie, it sort of brought us back. You take for granted some of the amounts you have in creative communities that, even if you’re working really hard, sometimes they’re more special,” said Kareem Devlin of Villins.
This year, to add to the festivities, Frankie Fest will feature a lineup of burlesque artists, including Frankie Eleanor, Jackrabbit Slims, and Aurora North, and drag artist God Complex. The festival will also take place at Brooklyn’s Our Wicked Lady and will feature two stages.
“I’m particularly excited about the fact that we have two stages and all the bands that are involved are just so mind-blowingly amazing that I just feel very humbled that all these people are getting on board to support Frankie and Frankie Fest. I feel like there’s a lot of excitement, and Frankie would be super proud,” said Namer.
Those who come by Frankie Fest can expect to hear a great lineup of acts with some new music and classic hits.
“We’ll definitely be performing new material with our full four piece band in New York City for the first time, but also I think that it’s always just really important for us to stay connected to the moment that we’re in, whether that’s through songs that have like a societal message or aesthetic statements,” said Namer.
“We’re evolving certain things, we’re including a couple of different things in our show that we haven’t in the past, taking some new directions,” said Jesyka.
“[We] can’t speak so much to what the other acts are planning, but we can say that this is really a special scene, with all the bands just being there to hang out is really special,” said Devlin.
As the festival continues to grow, Namer and Delight are proud to continue Rex’s memory with Frankie Fest.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to do this is because Frankie didn’t have a funeral, didn’t have a viewing or a headstone or anything. If I didn’t create Frankie Fest, it just sort of feels like he’s out somewhere with no cell phone service, so I really like being able to bring him home with this festival for everyone to rock out and enjoy,” said Delight. “This is the best way that I could honor my friend so he lives inside of us with his music and the art that he left behind.”
“Oftentimes, when people come out to an event, they get to be included. It’s being entertained, but they are being part of a community and part of an experience,” said Namer. “I think we really wanna create a community and we really want to create an experience for people that they get to be a part of and continue to be a part of in future years.”
Tickets for Frankie Fest start at $19.78 online and are $25 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. with bands playing from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. This is a 21+ show.
Our Wicked Lady is located at 153 Morgan Ave. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit dice.fm.
