Rough Francis to Play Heavyfest May 19

Words byJohn Howland. Photo by Shyne Lynn.

Hailing from Jericho, Vermont, Rough Francis, descendants of the recently rediscovered punk legends and forbearers, Death, joins the line up at this year’s 2nd annual Heavyfest at the Magic Hat Artifactory on Saturday, May 19th. Heavyfest, put on by Magic Hat with support from Halogen Media Works and many sponsors, is a  celebration of Burlington’s own non-profit music organization Big Heavy World. The festival features talented performances by Burlington greats as well as what’s sure to be a killer after party at Nectars.

After discovering Death, a Detroit punk band from the 70s comprised of their father and two uncles, Rough Francis was formed. Getting started covering the songs that pump ferociously through their bloodlines, Rough Francis is responsible for the rediscovery and resounding reemergence of Death—who has been described by Jack White as, “Ahead of punk, and ahead of their time.” A few years later, Death has been accredited for their tireless work that took place over thirty years ago and Rough Francis has moved on to their own gut-busting yet soulful ouvre of original tracks. In fact, the boys in Rough Francis are stoked to announce the release of their newest album 'Maximum Soul Power' which they hope to drop in the fall of 2012.

“We're just really excited to get a chance to play with all our friends,” Bobby Hackney, the band's vocalist and front man, said when talking about playing Heavyfest. The band couldn’t be more appreciative of all that Big Heavy has provided them—especially the van! “You get a nice sense of community when playing Heavyfest because it is a showcase of all different local sounds. It’s a cool way to do something different with some friends,” Hackney said as the boys look forward to reconnecting with many of the musicians they grew up with, while shaking things up on stage.

Be sure to check out Rough Francis and all the sensational acts that will be taking the stage at this year’s Heavyfest. For more information and access to Heavyfest’s lineup, check out: magichat.net/heavyfest or the home page of Big Heavy World. For more on Rough Francis be sure to check out: http://www.roughfrancis.com/ Don’t miss Heavyfest!!!!!