At Least There’s Fest

Thank you for tuning into another episode of At Least There's Fest. Joining the show today for episode 47 is Jon Oddo from the Seattle, WA band, Dead Bars. Dead Bars plays Fest just about every year and Jon makes the argument that Dead Bars wouldn't exist without Fest. He also talks about history of the band, the current lineup, how they write songs, the diversity of styles on the new album, and m...

Hello and welcome to the 46th (!!!) episode of At Least There's Fest, thank you so much for listening.  Joining the show for this episode are Ben Roy and Chuck Coffey of the Denver band, SPELLS. The band has been around for over a decade and is playing Fest for the 5th time this fall. The band is knows for their prolific output, fun music, and lively shows. Ben and Chuck talk about how the band fo...

On today's episode I am joined in the virtual studio by John Massel. John is in the Grand Rapids, MI (my hometown) band North Lincoln who will be playing Fest for the first time since Fest 8! John talks about the formation of the band in the last century, connecting with the Gainesville scene and No Idea, touring with Planes Mistaken for Stars, unreleased tunes, his other band Spares (also playing...

Joining today's show is Peter Marullo of Protagonist. The Florida band formed in 1999 (!!!) and will be playing Fest for the 13th time this fall.  Peter shares the formation of the band, writing for two vocalists, working with Omnigone, recording new music, past tours, and much more. On the Fest front Peter impressively recalls every venue Protagonist has played at Fest (RIP to many of them) and g...

Hey, if you've enjoyed this podcast so far please consider sharing, rating, saving, and/or supporting this work via our Patreon . I don't want to have make some episodes pay only, it defeats the purpose. But I would love to not lose money. Thanks so much! Joining the show today is Maxwell Stern. Max is known for his solo work and for fronting the terrific band, Signals Midwest. The band is playing...

HUGE show today in terms of fun and in volume of bands. We have THREE bands on today's show with Mega Infinity, PWRUP, and Joker's Republic stopping by together to talk ska, Fest, and their upcoming tour to Fest. The bands talk about their local (NE) scenes, sharing band members, why everyone looks to Joker's Republic when they need a sub, touring down to Fest as a group, and the changing venue la...

Greetings and welcome back to another episode of At Least There's Fest. Our guests for the show are Duck and Becks from the NOLA band, Joystick . The band has been playing their unique blend of ska, hardcore, punk, and jazz for over 15 years. They will be playing Fest for the sixth time this fall. Duck shares about how they moved to NOLA and knew they wanted to start a ska band. They were able to...

Joining the show today is Steve Brewer of Distants. The Michigan band has played Fest the last few years and will make the long trip south again for Fest 23. Steve tells us the story of the band, their process for making new music, how breweries make a perfect home for local punk shows, and why this year's Fest will be a special show for the band. You can find their stuff on Bandcamp and at Fest t...

Joining the show today are the guys from Miller Lowlifes. The Tampa band is a recent Fest fixture, but their members have been in bands playing Fest for nearly twenty years. Mario, Matt, and Richie talk about being a Florida band, how this project started, baseball history dating back over a century, being at the FIRST Fest (we think?), their full length "Pinch Hitters", and much more.  The band i...

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest. We're only about a month away from Fest 23 and my hope is that this podcast has helped you feel connected to Fest and also helped you learn about some new bands. If you've enjoyed the podcast at all, please take a moment to rate and review on your podcast platform of choice. Joining the show today is the Brooklyn-based band, Qwam. The band has been around for...

I've enjoyed doing every single one of these episodes, but this is one I was looking forward to a great deal. New Junk City is a Fest institution at this point. They are playing for the ninth time this year and you don't want to miss it. The whole band sits for this one and we discuss how they got the band together out of a solo project, their strong merch game, why playing in a band is so importa...

On today's episode I am joined by Chance Smith of Kerosene Heights. The band just released their terrific sophomore full-length, Blame It On The Weather, on Sideonedummy.  Chance talks about how he started writing songs for Kerosene Heights right at the start of Covid on his phone and how he would go on to add band members to make the songs a reality. Over the years the band has continued to produ...

Today were are joined by Worlds Scariest Police chases. The Pittsburgh band has been making their own unique brand of punk for fifteen years. They release their first full length in seven years on September 26 via Say-10 records. The band talks about how they got together, how the band has evolved from a "joke band" to a band that "tells jokes", where they got their name, tales from as far back as...

Today's episode is our second with a band that is NOT playing Fest this year, but we're giving The Iron Roses a pass. They played Fest the last three years and hope to be back in the future. For now, they are making new music and hitting the road. Nat and Becky discuss how the band started, how important it is to keep going, the REAL value in always being yourself, the benefits of releasing music...

Fun show today! We are joined by the group 430 Steps. The Orlando band has been making grungy, groove-filled, skate punk inspired hardcore for nearly a decade. They have new music out in two days and will be playing Fest for the 7th time this fall. The whole band was here for the visit and talked about how they got together out of the ashes of an older band, growing up watching Suicidal Tendencies...

Today we are joined on the show by Gayla, Travis, and Jack from Brooklyn's Fat Heaven! The band's last full length came out via Sell the Heart in 2023, but they have some new songs coming out ahead of Fest and a new record in the works after that. Fat Heaven is the rare band with ZERO band member turnover. Forming over a decade ago the trio talks about getting together, moving in together, throwin...

HUGE show today! Joining me for a very fun discussion is James Siboni of BANE . If you're listening to this podcast you are already familiar with Bane, but I swear, this is a worthwhile listen. James talks about Bane coming back to play shows, what it was like joining a band full of people you adore, why the energy of a Bane show just hits different, and the pros and cons of being back on the road...

Helen McWilliams and Phill Hunt from the Salem, MA band One Fall stop by the show to keep our proud Massachusetts tradition going here on the show. We start out by discussing Oreos for far too long, but it was a lot of fun. We finally got to music and discussed the start of the band, making new music, making friends in the music scene, and their newest record "Cut & Run".  They also talk about...

We've got a two-fer on today's show. Joining us to chat is Brett Dierolf of the Muskegon, MI bands Snakeout and Tunnel of Love. Both bands will be playing at Fest this year after making the long journey from West Michigan. Brett talks about being in multiple bands, trying to build a scene in your hometown, booking shows, and he shares what is EASILY the most impressive/terrible story about traveli...

Thank you for joining us on another episode of At Least There's Fest. Our guests today are Kenny and Matt from the Portland, Oregon band FeverSleep. This band is made of scene veterans with deep ties to Gainesville and to Fest. The bands debut EP came out in 2023 on Ashtray Monument and they have two new splits coming out between now and Fest.  The band discusses their formation, what you get when...

Super fun episode today! Joining the pod is Chris Teti from TWIABP! Chris is a producer (for the band other projects) and is the lead guitarist for this legendary band. The band just released their fifth full length album "Dreams of Being Dust" on Epitaph this past Friday and it is absolutely excellent. Go out to your favorite record store, hit up Bandcamp, or swing by Epitaphs site and buy that t...

**Please share, save, and rate the podcast. Also please consider contributing something to the Patreon if you are enjoying listening. Thanks!**   Joining the show today is Danny Attack. Danny is an established solo artist and is also the front person for the Jacksonville, FL band, Knives. Danny and I discuss his growing up in Southern California, moving to FL, the ups and downs of being in a band...

Today's guest is Ben Snakepit from the Virginia band, Carnivorous Flower. The band started as a J Church tribute band and from there started created original tunes. Ben and I talk about how this unique formation happened, a brief overview of J Church, how three friends being in a band is such a blessing, the new music the band has coming out, and memories of playing Fest 3. The bands self-titled d...

Joining the show today is Maintenance, proudly hailing from Yonkers, NY. The entire band joined for the show and they brought some pretty serious/unique energy. We had some low volume issues at the start, so hang in there, it's worth a listen. We discuss the bands formation, their melding of several genres, the pure joy in playing live, and the collaboration cookie they have going with Itsa Cookie...

UKs Bear Away stop by the pod to discuss various aspects of their musical journey, covering technical challenges, international touring, and collaborative songwriting. The band is excited to return to Fest and the release of a 7-way split with Sell the Heart Records. Josh's integration since joining in 2022 was addressed, along with adapting to different vocal styles and the impact on their writin...