Murfreesboro, TN – Murfreesboro’s annual, non-profit, music, cycling and arts festival, Boro Fondo Festival, took place, this year, Septembers 19 – 21, organized by a group of volunteer, event staff featuring area bands playing along at a preset route of stops down Main St., Saturday, September 20, 2025 from beginning festival venue, almost-51-year-old, Century 21 Music & More, located at 125 Lasseter Dr., all the way to Houseland, a.k.a., the “Sager Rager,” a newer venue at 463 Evergreen St., with a last stop held at “[redacted],” formerly Crossroads Punk house, out Memorial Blvd./Lebanon Rd (suggested to carpool).

Day one took place at the Shack (not to be confused with the Wak Shack, a stop on the Saturday bike route), a spot in the cut in the Lascassas area. The venue featured a field with vendors and performances on a patio in front of a shed, with a projector showing skate videos and cartoons. 

Day two, organizers had to navigate some weather disruptions, requiring quick thinking and flexibility, but fortunately, only minor schedule changes were necessary, as most of Saturday’s bicycle route, up to a 7:00pm flash shower, bypassed Houseland, stop four, to go directly to [redacted] (formerly Crossroads Punk house).

Last year, Boro Fondo had to skip the Wak Shack and Crying Cat on the route due to weather, but they successfully hosted performances this year.

“We had everything set up, and then it was lightening, and like… It was a lot,” Houseland-runner, Alex Sager, said.

Last year was the first time Greenland Ave’s Boro Bar and Grill operated as a contingency plan navigating some weather disruptions for the entire duration of the festival, from noon to midnight, but despite the event’s success, The Boro missed this year due to Lee Roberts’ recent retirement from the 40-year-old, smoky cabaret, and the Campus Pub did not participate this year, as well, deteriorating the most recent rendition of the “Boro-muda Triangle,” [an historic bar crawl of three event venues at the Middle Tennessee and Greenland Dr. intersection, across from MTSU’s Murphy Center parking lot, as well as] an area/complimentary triangle of past Boro Fondo’s who’s triangle would make a complete box [of this year’s,] connecting Houseland to MTSU.

Boro Fondo stop of the past, Panther Creek Brewery, has also permanently closed.

“The pool of options seems to be getting smaller and smaller. With many [of the] businesses closing, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable spaces to host the event,” Alex said, to the effect of the situation.

“Seriously, it’s okay. I just take pictures, like, all day long. I do it for fun, and the pleasure of doing it,” says Alex, after breaking down houseland, cancelled, Saturday night.

The 3rd day of Boro Fondo was the “Hangover fest,” at CXR, with punks coming back around, being unable to leave for the day/seized by rain, and the property having cars parked bumper to bumper. 

A similar weather circumstance happened the previous year.

However, in the same weekend Charlie Kirk was scheduled to speak at World Outreach Church and the event revolved around his memory and Conservative Christian Values, MTSU’s 2025 Homecoming game and parade at Middle Tennessee and Greenland, that Saturday, a day after someone drove thru the Middle Tennessee and Greenland Smoothie King, as well as a pedestrian struck at that intersection, that evening, Uncle Dave Macon Days presented Roots Rendezvous, a 3 day festival at Hop Springs, coincided unplanned with the Boro Fondo Music and Bicycle Festival.  Earlier in the month, another Hop Springs event, and a spur-of-the-moment “kinda metal fest,” at The Lab coincided with a new, annual metal fest held at Big Daddy’s Handlebars, out Main St.

Picking up where left off at October shows in Grady’s Lab article/UPDATE: afternoon, Lab convo with The Lab’s Ryan and Evan, October 3, 2025:

F&P: When’s the next event, downstairs?” 

“It was shut down,” Ryan Frizzell, venue manager and art curator of Murfreesboro square cannabis shop, The Laboratory, and town muralist, said of the downstairs, back alley shows he began curating in the basement of the 25 S. Public Square, 37130, building, back in August.

F&P: Okay, you said the city shut it down. Somebody called the cops, and the cops sent the fire marshal, and the fire marshal said 49 people, max. You said it’s not 49, and he still shut it down. 

“Right. He still shut it down. He said that -He gave me his card, told me I was welcome to call up [to the fire hall] to see what –and I know the owner [of The Laboratory], he’s wanting to talk with him, himself, and see what we are allowed to have, y’know,” Frizzell said. 

“We want to continue doing events, and I know that the owner of this building, Chris Highers, he also owns [Tropic?] City, Main St. He said that if there are any shows that we can’t have here, we’re more than welcome to host them at Luna’s, over there. We can set a Lab tent over there, sell our products, have vendors in the parking lot, over there, so we’re looking at doing that,” said Frizzell. 

“[…] [But, the fire marshal] told me [to the effect of], ‘you’re zoned for a retail space. Retail spaces are only allotted to have an occupancy of 49 people,’” Frizzell said. 

“I was like (Ryan points to the front of the store), ‘y’know, our band was set up, right here- actually, here’s the other a –Evan books for our group, too. I’ll let you talk to him.  

-But you know, the band was set up right here,” Ryan continued, “and in front of the band, there was probably 25 –20 people, maybe. Tops.  We got a small space.” 

Ryan introduces Evan, a seemingly Rhinovirus-affiliated booking agent.

Evan: I do not work for the lab. We just, kind of, are all affiliated, kind of, in and out with each other, so I kinda work here, but at the same time, it’s an affiliation. 

F&P: Are you in affiliation with Hop Springs, or Boro Fondo organization? 

Evan: I have not. I have always wanted to be a -vend, for Boro Fondo. I have always wanted to be a part of Boro Fondo.

F&P: You’re more than welcome to do that, all the time. […] From what I’ve understood of them reporting on and talking with them, they’re pretty open and you’re more than welcome to vend, you just have to do it, whenever. 

F&P: You have an instagram? 

[…] Evan: I almost died last September. 

F&P: […] Just trying to consider if, instead of people having shows at different places, at different times, if there’s any talk of affiliations between the venues [to turn the place into a year-long Boro Fondo], for trying to keep up with all of that. 

Evan: That’ would be amazing. Things are better in collectives, and that’s something we’ve learned here, a lot. A lot.  

F&P: Or, if you want to burn the world down, it’s not? So, whatever you want.  

Evan: If there’s anything you need from me, I’ll send you some banners. We’ve got some shows coming up.  

Evan: WE HAVE ONE OCTOBER 25, at LAUNDRY ROOM 

F&P: I need to get out there. 

Evan: Oh, yeah. Come out. The owners very nice. It’s a nice set up.

“I’m so sad we couldn’t jump on board with the Fondo, this last time, actually. We kinda –didn’t necessarliy sleep on it, I just didn’t think of it. Y’know, when I saw it being advertised, it was kinda too late, but definitely next year I’m wanting to be part of that. I’m wanting our shop to be part of that,” said Frizzell. 

And, of Boro Fondo about the coinciding weekend events, “We weren’t really concerned about it, the types of music were fairly different as far as we were aware, and we still had a great turnout this year,” said one of the event organizers, through borofondofest.org!

[Live project of multi-instrumentalist/producer, Jess Douglass, a.k.a. Still Satellite, delivered an inspiring speech during their set about the importance of DIY counterculture and community.  Their words resonated deeply within the commonwealth of Boro Fondo, in a room adorned with graffiti]. 

“I’m Thankful for my beautiful friends,” Douglas said.

“All the Fondo volunteers, you are amazing and essential. All the artists, you’re so awesome and beautiful. Everyone who participates, YOU keep this alive. [The area’s] DIY, and community are Everything.” they continued. 

“We can depend on each other and ourselves. We have crucial, valuable things to offer to those around us. There’s no need to wait for someone else or some other entity; No need to wait for things to be delivered or dictated or limited. That’s what Fondo is about. I am deeply, horribly sad.. and angry… By things that are happening lately. It’s sad that we all know what that means, right.. We all know what we’re talking about when someone says that. We all know how real and wrong it is that rights are being snatched away right before our eyes. How scary it is that hateful, made-up bullshit is spreading around like wildfire.” 

“We see, hear and think the word ‘Palestine’ more than we ever thought we would in our daily lives I’m sure. We know what’s happening there and how helpless it feels. How hard it is to keep watching when the last thing you wanna do is see more…to think how wonderful it would be to just turn it off, how it would be wonderful to pretend that the place we live in has nothing to do with it either.” 

“But we get stuck in a cycle, of half-truth, half disconnection. It’s a fucking RITUAL of ingesting as much bullshit as we can handle, until eventually laying our heads down and trying not to think about it for a while until we get quieter and quieter, more and more bitter…” 

“The song ‘Ritual’ is about breaking that cycle. About Stepping into each day knowing that if we get quieter, we lose what LITTLE opportunity we have to make things better.” 

“DIY. Do what you can, Work with what you’ve got and reach out and depend on each other as well. Don’t rationalize what you know is wrong just because it’s a little bit more comfortable for a moment. Don’t rationalize making yourself, or ALLOWING yourself to be MADE, smaller, quieter, colder,” said Jess Douglas, of Still Satellite, and creator of area-roving, Tuesday night, Night Light. 

A debriefing, traditionally posted on the Boro Fondo organization’s Facebook page prior to the year’s festival, is being planned to review this year’s Boro Fondo and discuss improvements. Contact information or questions and concerns for a committee member, as well as how volunteer information can be found at Boro Fondo’s homesite, borofondofest.org, as well as their facebook page, Boro Fondo Festival | Murfreesboro TN | Facebook. Check posts on their Facebook page on how to join discussions and committees, as well as updates.

More information on the patterns of Boro Fondo, and the Murfreesboro Punk/Metal scene, can be found at The Murfreesboro-Local, Punk/Metal Scene (Pt. 1): The Folk & Proper Newspaper version, online – Folk & Proper News, https://folkandproper.news/2025/09/02/the-murfreesboro-local-punk-metal-scene-pt-1-the-folk-proper-newspaper-version-online/

-Or as always, “ask a punk.” 

Information on upcoming shows at Hop Springs can be found at Home – Hop Springs Beer Park, www.hopspringstn.com

More information on upcoming, local shows at The Lab, The Laundry Room, Handlebars, and Luna’s at 527 W. Main, possibly, under Chris Highers ownership, can be found, can be found at [socials, in order], respectively.

More information on Boro Fondo Fest can be found at borofondofest.org, with updated posts found at their Facebook page, Boro Fondo Festival | Murfreesboro TN | Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/BoroFondoFestival/.

Contact for the Boro Fondo Festival orgainzation can be found at Contact Boro Fondo | Boro Fondo Cycling Music & Arts Festival, as well as their Facebook page, Boro Fondo Festival | Murfreesboro TN | Facebook.