Savage Fest 2010
At hurdcore.com we have the privilege of meeting and introducing our fellow fans to the hardworking bands throughout our great nation. 
Whether these bands will remain as local treasures or others will find/make their break and forge a deep run though the several layers of entertainment success. Will Breitner has distinguished himself as one of the hardest working musicians at the local level in the Portland area, spearheading several bands, each with their own unique identity, collaborating with like minded musicians to promote local shows and pioneering his own effort to enable grassroots artists to begin the recording process. On Saturday, April 24th, 2010 Mr. Breitner will be organizing and performing with several other local artists in an all day metal extravaganza for the first Savage Fest to be hosted at the Camas Courthouse in Washougal, Washington. This event will showcase some of Washington and Oregon’s finest metal bands while simultaneously demonstrating what hard work and local collaboration can produce. Join the hurd and come get your metal on!
Is the Camas Courthouse an actual functioning courthouse?
WB Yes it is. It sometimes makes shows difficult actually because on Fridays you can only rent it out after 5pm.
Will SAVAGE FEST be indoors or outdoors?
WB It will be indoors
What can you tell us about the venue, why did you choose this site?
WB I chose the venue because the room is a little smaller, perfect for getting in around 150 kids and having a really intimate atmosphere where the bands can be directly interacting with the fans and friends who are at the show. There is an actual stage in the venue, but it is only about a foot off the ground, so like I said, the bands are right up in your face which is awesome as a listener.
For those, like myself, who are unfamiliar with Camas, WA – what types of food selections are there and how nearby to the show will they be?
WB Well there are a few options. Right next to the venue, there is a Burger King, Subway, Starbucks & Chevron and then if you go about a mile into the actual town of Camas you have Burgerville, Dairy Queen, Top Burger & more gas stations.
Even though this is an all day metal extravaganza, there is quite a range of sub-genres within that metal umbrella which will be on display, tell us some about the music and performers we will be seeing?
WB Well I like my shows to be diverse so you aren’t seeing the same band 18 times in one day and kids don’t get burnt out after the third band and decide to leave or something. I have two acoustic acts, a couple of rock acts, some metalcore, some straight up thrash metal, and then of course some death metal thrown in the mix. I think that diversity makes for an awesome show.
How did you select the bands and the lineup, are these all bands you know personally?
WB I selected the bands because they are pretty much all close friends of mine and great people. There isn’t a single band on the show that I haven’t worked with before and haven’t performed with before.
You are an impressive young man who wears several hats within the local music scene. You perform, promote, record and what else are you involved in?
WB Haha well thank you very much! I just try to do everything possible to put the fire back in our scene basically. I try to help my friends’ bands with getting endorsements and bigger shows and out of town shows and whatnot because I love music more than anything in the world. Me and my best friends that compose my main band …And The Sirens Sang are working on making a more professional studio, then I will be starting my own label to help smaller bands be heard and get merch and tour and stuff. We also will be doing management, local show booking, tour booking, and someday screen printing and professional CD printing. All local, all cheap. I believe that every band deserves a chance to show the world what they’ve got, but unfortunately for bands, the industry is a cash cow and everything costs so much that most bands can barely make it out of their home town, let alone put out a professional CD and merch and whatnot. I want to call it “Siren Industries” hahaha
You are currently involved with at least 3 bands that I know of, but you had mentioned maybe as many as 6? What bands are you actively playing with now and in what capacity?
WB Well my main band is called “…And The Sirens Sang”. 
We are working extremely hard right now preparing for 2 summer tours as well as about 20 shows around Washington & Oregon in the next couple of months and that band takes up most of my time. Me and three of the guys from that band are working on a side project called The Leper Legion, which sounds like The Black Dahlia Murder, but with everything that Sirens is doing in preparation for tours and to make our band as professional as possible we just don’t really have time right now. Another thing I’m working on is a project that sounds like AFI because they are the reason I started playing music. I’m doing it with Brady Johns, who is also in Sirens. Just a fun project that is a tribute to them. I have an internet based two member band called “The Assyrian Sonata“, which is on a stand-still because the other member is going into the National Guard so we have to wait about a year before we can do anything more with that but we have a full length written and demos on our myspace page currently. I have a rap project that’s for fun called “Slug Stompaz” with my brother and the guitarist Will Terada of Sirens. And I have my solo project.
Your also have a music studio (Siren Studios), is this your daytime job? From your comments the main purpose of your studio is to help grow young artists, how do you go about recording?
WB It is indeed my daytime job but I see it as more of a hobby because of how much fun I have doing it! I just wanted to try my hardest to create a place where bands could come to record an EP without spending a thousand dollars that still turned out well. First, we lay out all of the click tracks for every song so that the album will be perfectly on time and not fluctuating or anything. Then we record a scratch guitar track for the drummer to play to. Then drums, then bass, then guitars, then vocals. If there are any additional instruments such as piano or something we do those also before the vocals.
With your diverse efforts, are you at a point where you are able to “live” off of music?
WB In a sense, yes. I make pretty good money recording bands, playing in my band, and booking shows. I make enough to pay rent and have just barely enough to live off of and that to me is living the dream. It’s more than I could ever ask for and I am incredibly grateful for all of the support from my family and friends that make it possible for me to pursue this versus forcing me to go to college or whatever.
From whence came the idea for an all day metal festival?
WB Well I love metal. All kinds. I love all kinds of music actually haha I just wanted an awesome event where great bands could hang out and party with like-minded musicians and just have an awesome time. It’s somewhat of a “I know how hard you work to be in a band, so I want you to play my awesome show and have a great time” festival haha
Who are you partnering/working with to make the Savage Fest happen? Who is there to help you run the show especially when you are performing
WB My good friend Brady Johns who plays keys for Sirens runs a booking agency called “King Arthur Booking” and he has also done a TON of awesome shows, so I’m bringing him in to help run sound as well as oversee everything. While we are playing we have a few friends who will be handling the door and everything else.
What got you into metal, who were some of the most inspiring bands for you growing up?
WB As far as metal goes, it was always bands like Slipknot, Metallica, Ozzy, Megadeth and Pantera back in 7th grade. My favorite band, however, has always been AFI and I don’t think that will ever change. “Sing The Sorrow” inspires me every single day to get better as an instrumentalist, composer and singer.
Who are you listening to now, what is in your top 5 on your ipod?
WB AFI, Emarosa, The Black Dahlia Murder, Isles & Glaciers, and Rose Funeral.
How did you get into playing and performing? How do you keep your skills sharp and continue to grow in your craft when you are busy with so many things?
WB Honestly, the first time I heard “Miseria Cantare” by AFI I knew that I belonged playing guitar on a stage. I just love performing music that I have worked countless hours on and having people react to it, for the most part, in a good way. And it’s all about staying busy! I practice playing songs on guitar that I can’t play so that eventually I will get them down and better myself as a musician and I am always working on writing music in genres such as hip/hop, country, pop and rock that I normally wouldn’t play in so that I don’t get stuck in a box so to speak and I am able to progress versus write the same song every time. Me and the dudes in my band are also always working on our vocal harmonies with an acoustic guitar to keep our voices strong and fresh.
What do you enjoy most about music – writing/performing?
WB DEFINITELY performing. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing. But the feeling of actually playing a song that you’ve spent months fine-tuning is what being a musician is all about. It’s truly the best feeling in the world.
Do you just like music for itself or would you say that there is a meaning in or through or even beyond the music that inspires you to press forward in what you are doing?
WB As far as meaning goes, I write our albums about heartbreak, loneliness, abandonment and other human issues that are very close to home with me but I write them in story form so it kind of plays out as a whole big story as the album progresses. So yes, the material is very heart-felt by me and it is very touching for me to play the songs live because I write them in times where I am the weakest and it is a great release to sing it in front of a crowd and have them singing back, possibly even going through the same things that I was.
SAVAGE FEST
Sat 4/24/2010
Camas Courthouse
89 C Street
Washougal, WA 98607
18 Bands // $10
11AM – 11PM
Band Lineup – order subject to change:
1. Jack Devore (Blues, Seattle)
2. If All Else Fails ( )
3. Mourning For Memories (Thrash – Washougal, WA)
4. Edessa (Hardcore – Camas, WA)
5. Daematta (Death Metal, PDX)
6. Apsis (Progressive, PDX)
7. Ashlynn (Hardcore – Kelso, WA)
8. We Move Mountains (Metal – Maple Valley, WA)
9. Upon Departure (Metal – Longview, WA)
10. Almost Is Nothing (Thrash, PDX)
11. Chin Up Rocky (Happy Hardcore, PDX)
12. Bring Me Solace (Progressive, PDX)
13. And The Sirens Sang (Screamo, OR)
14. Aleen (Screamo, WA)
15. The Leper Legion (Death Metal, OR)
16. Idols (Death Metal, Seattle)
17. Proven (Metal, PDX)
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