The Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie, and Incubus will headline the HFStival this September. Yes, you read that correctly. The legendary HFStival is back.
The event, billed as “One Day, One Stage,” will be at Nationals Park on September 21. This will be the first HFStival in 13 years.
The Washington Nationals and I.M.P. are reviving the concert that was hugely popular when alternative rock station WHFS hosted it. In its heyday, the festival quickly sold out RFK Stadium and was the largest on the East Coast. Past concert locations have included Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
“Quintessential HFStival acts have been doing an unprecedented business, selling more tickets than they ever came close to back in the day, so it all made sense to bring back the HFStival,” said Seth Hurwitz, owner of I.M.P., the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, and The Atlantis and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lincoln Theatre, in a news release.
Some of the 11 bands in the lineup have played at previous HFStivals, including Violent Femmes, Bush, Incubus, Filter, Garbage, and Lit. Also set to play in September are Jimmy Eat World, Girl Talk, and Tonic.
Fans of Ben Gibbard will love that his bands, The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie, will perform the albums Give Up and Transatlanticism, respectively. It’s the 20th anniversary of both albums.
Over the years, other well-known acts jammed at the festival, including The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, No Doubt, Beck, Oasis, blink-182, and The Offspring. At past festivals, bands not on the roster have played. In 2001, Green Day made a last-minute appearance.
A lottery system will be used for tickets. The lottery is open through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. You’ll find out if you have tickets by June 21.
“We used this lottery system when we opened The Atlantis with 44 ‘underplay’ shows, and everyone appreciated that they had the same chance at scoring tickets,” said Hurwitz. “It’s a fan-friendly system for what’ll be a high-demand festival.”
Feature image by kondrukhov/stock.adobe.com
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