\u201cIt\u2019s one of the most important days of the year,\u201d said Miss Cherry Delight. \u201cFrankie meant everything to us, everything to me.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n Now in its third year, the queer-led rock festival returns on May 3 with its biggest stage yet\u2013 taking over House of Yes for the first time, marking a major evolution for an event rooted in memory, community, and unapologetic sound.<\/span><\/p>\n At its core, Frankie Fest is a tribute to Frankie Maddox Rex, the late lead singer of The FMs, whose voice, presence, and spirit continue to echo through the New York music scene. But organizers are clear\u2013 this is not a memorial in the traditional sense.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are choosing to celebrate Frankie\u2019s life, as opposed to focusing on the tragedy of their death,\u201d said Matte Namer, Frankie\u2019s longtime collaborator and co-founder of the festival.<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, Frankie Fest exists as something more active\u2013 a space where memory becomes momentum. \u201cI think it was something that we knew we wanted to do pretty soon after Frankie passed away,\u201d Namer said. \u201cIt just seemed like a very natural way to honor Frankie. Performing in rock bands was such a major part of Frankie\u2019s life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That history runs deep. Namer and Frankie met as teenagers, playing together in early bands across New York\u2019s all-ages rock venues\u2013 spaces that shaped their sound and identity.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe were kind of in each other\u2019s first real band,\u201d Namer recalled. \u201cMusic was just always such a big interest for him. Frankie had an incredible voice, and just a real passion that shined through everything that they did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n That passion is now embedded into the DNA of the festival itself.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n This year marks Frankie Fest\u2019s most ambitious leap yet. Moving into House of Yes, a venue long associated with experimental performance, queer nightlife, and radical creativity, feels both symbolic and personal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a really special space,\u201d Namer said. \u201cIt\u2019s a space that Frankie always wanted to perform at, and it\u2019s by far the biggest, most ambitious Frankie Fest we\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n With two stages, a projected 750-person ticket sale, and a lineup that blends Brooklyn staples with touring acts, the scale is expanding. But the ethos remains intact.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to create something that was absolutely badass, the loudest queer and ally rock festival out there,\u201d Miss Cherry Delight said.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a polished, corporate Pride event. It\u2019s gritty, high-volume, and intentionally raw. A space for mosh pits, distortion, and connection.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis is for people who really want to rock,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/p>\n Unlike many tribute events, Frankie Fest doesn\u2019t just reference its namesake, it actively centers him. Throughout the night, Frankie\u2019s voice is woven into performances, ensuring audiences experience his artistry firsthand.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEveryone who performs is doing something that involves Frankie\u2019s voice,\u201d Miss Cherry Delight said. \u201cYou will hear him at this festival, because Frankie was just that special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Frankie\u2019s Fender Jaguar will be played on stage for the first time without him at Frankie Fest this year.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n That intentionality transforms the event from remembrance into something closer to collaboration across time.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n Part of what makes Frankie Fest resonate is its refusal to simplify community into something purely celebratory. It acknowledges both joy and difficulty, especially within artistic spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just a normal show,\u201d said Justin Mathews, a guitarist for Miss Cherry Delight and part of the festival\u2019s organizing team. \u201cIt\u2019s a celebration, but it\u2019s one that doesn\u2019t shy away from its social impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He pointed to the realities many artists face\u2013 pressure, instability, and struggles that often go unaddressed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA festival like this kind of forces audiences and participants to confront some of those things that are not serving the community,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n That includes direct action. This year\u2019s event will offer harm reduction resources like Narcan and fentanyl test strips, alongside partnerships with organizations supporting trans communities.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really twofold,\u201d Namer said. \u201cWe\u2019re raising awareness, and also helping connect people to support.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n From Brooklyn bands like Cat Crash and Villains to touring acts like Girl in a Coma, the lineup reflects the festival\u2019s growing reach. But organizers emphasize that Frankie Fest isn\u2019t defined by names alone.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not put together with paper clips and a dream,\u201d Miss Cherry Delight said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got real people, who are going to blow you away.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n Still, the most powerful moments often come from something less tangible.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n At the first Frankie Fest, organizers played a music video featuring Frankie\u2019s vocals. As his voice filled the room, the crowd erupted.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe audience started to cheer so loudly for him,\u201d Miss Cherry Delight recalled. \u201cHe would have been so proud.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n While this year\u2019s move to House of Yes marks a major milestone, the future of Frankie Fest isn\u2019t just about getting bigger.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily feel like we have to just make it bigger and bigger,\u201d Namer said. \u201cWhat feels more important is having more people be involved with it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The goal is something more expansive\u2013 a community tradition, a shared space, a reason to come back each year.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to make sure that Frankie lives forever,\u201d Miss Cherry Delight said.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n And when the music finally cuts, organizers hope the feeling lingers. \u201cI hope people walk away feeling inspired,\u201d Namer said. \u201cLike they were part of something that had an ethos.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Or, as Miss Cherry Delight put it: \u201cWhen they walk away, they\u2019re not going to be able to wait till next year.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n For more information or to purchase tickets, visit\u00a0<\/span>shotgun.live\/en\/events\/3rd-annual-frankie-fest-may-3-2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n![\"Frankie](\"https:\/\/www.amny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/processed-8D5DC1EF-F5D4-44B1-BE7C-99D2A8A4D31F.jpeg?quality=51&w=1200\" "\\"Frankie")
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