Burgfest is a shining hope for 2017

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The Bahamian Fyre Festival may have been a disaster, but Burgfest, the only live music festival in Rexburg, is a shining hope for 2017.

Tanner Waite, the event coordinator for Burgfest, began booking local music events in January 2016.

“Usually they just call me the music guy,” he said.

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Waite became the official music guy at the The Burg when he created the job for himself.

“I went to an open mic event and they didn’t have any equipment at all,” Waite said. “So I bought a sound system that week and just started running things.”

Equipped with the right gear but lacking an official job offer, Waite began booking bands for future events.

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“What’s cool about Burgfest, and the Rexburg music scene in general is it’s just people that really love live music.”

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“It was all out of my pocket at first,” he said. “Luckily, it’s worked out and we’ve made enough money to keep doing bigger things, like Burgfest.”

Waite said his favorite part about contributing to the local music scene is interacting with live music lovers.

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“What’s cool about Burgfest, and the Rexburg music scene in general is it’s just people that really love live music,” Waite said. “Kids here play free shows all the time; It’s never really about money.”

Bo Brusco, a local musician and founding member of the local surf rock band Vic Fox, said he is looking forward to the event which he expects will be a success.

“There will be no other show you’d hate to miss more than this one,” Brusco said. “And it’s free – fricken free – fricken Abraham Lincoln free.”

In addition to the lineup of both local bands and musicians hailing from surrounding states like Utah, Washington and California, the festival will include an acoustic tent, visual displays of from local artists and booths to interact with local businesses.

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“These bands that are coming; they’re just doing this because they love it,” Waite said. “I feel like it’s the least we can do to have a good turn out for them.”

The event will be held on July 15 and run from 5 – 11 p.m.

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