Feature / Music / Fest 21
Fest 21 Preview

For most of the 21st century, The Fest has conquered Gainesville, FL for a long weekend near Halloween. With hundreds of bands playing each year, spread across multiple venues, there’s something for anybody interested in punk-leaning, independent music from headlining main stage acts outdoors to up-and-comers playing in small bars where it’s dark all day long.

FEST 21 features a stacked lineup, with GWAR, Descendents, Quicksand, Dillinger Four, Negative Approach, Tsunami Bomb, Laura Jane Grace, Gorilla Biscuits and many (many) more taking the stage at least once.

It’s common when talking to Festers to hear the word “reunion,” because it’s never just about the music. It’s about bringing the community together, be it singing along to your favorite song or waiting in line for some Five Star.

This year we talked with six artists to gain their perspectives on Fest, what they’ll be doing at FEST 21, and what they’re up to in general.

Hit the dropdown below to get updates from Screaming Females, Brendan Kelly, Heart & Lung, Maura Weaver, Wolf-Face, and Night Jobs.

Screaming Females

Scene Point Blank: You have a really big sound as a band, and that's something that's often difficult to capture on record the same as a live show. What did you do when recording Desire Pathway to make it work?

Jarrett: Thanks for saying that it worked! I think we like to toe the line between making a really big sounding studio album but also not straying too far from what we are able to do live. So there are multi-tracked guitars and vocals, occasional additional instrumentation, and some studio effects but, at the core, most of our recordings are really just the three of us playing in a room together. So other than tracks where the goal is specifically to experiment with the studio, the bed of our recordings is essentially what we do in a live setting.

Scene Point Blank: Is this something you think about, consciously, or do you just "hire a producer and let them worry about it"?

Jarrett: Well, we hire an engineer or producer because we’ve thought about what we want to do! We are very collaborative as a band and that extends into our relationships with the people we work with in the studio. We hire them because we trust them to know more about the recording process than we do and because we find their input helpful. That doesn’t mean we just do whatever they want but it is a voice that we take very seriously.

The first time we played The Fest we slept in a tent in a complete stranger’s lawn. That is different than any other festival I’ve played!

Scene Point Blank: You're nearing 20 years as a band. What are the biggest surprises along the way? What are the most consistent elements of life in the same band for 18 years?

Jarrett: Everything has been a surprise! I did enter this project with a specific goal of longevity and of operating at a more “professional” level than the bands I was hanging around with. That doesn’t mean managers and contracts but, for example, I saw a lot of great bands never release their music on anything but burned CD-Rs, so when the time came I made sure our first album was pressed to a real CD and eventually vinyl. But I really couldn’t have imagined what it has become. I’ve met my best friends and my partner. I’ve shared stages with my musical heroes. I’ve traveled the world! The most consistent element has been our relationship as a band. We still get together in New Jersey once a week, as we always have, to play music together. We still make all our decisions by talking it out together. We still load our gear and merch into a van and drive ourselves to a gig.

Scene Point Blank: How about festivals (as a whole)? Do you have opinions about the format of many-bands-in-a-day-or-weekend? How do you feel about playing shorter sets or managing other logistics?

Jarrett: Festivals are what they are. If you go in with the right mindset it is usually fun. It probably won’t sound great. You might not have anywhere to warm up or get changed or eat anything. Sometimes you get rushed in and out from festival staff on their last nerve. But you just go with the flow and the audience is there to have a good time. So are we!

Scene Point Blank: How is The Fest different than other festivals you've played?

Jarrett: Well the first time we played The Fest we slept in a tent in a complete stranger’s lawn. That is different than any other festival I’ve played! More than any other festival, Gainesville Fest will have tons and tons of friends around. We always run into people we love who we haven’t had the chance to see in years. It almost feels more like a reunion than a festival.

Scene Point Blank: How many Fests have you played now?

Jarrett: I have actually lost count! I think this is our 5th time???

Scene Point Blank: Who is a favorite (or 3) band you've discovered while at The Fest?

Jarrett: I didn’t discover them there, but the first time I saw Oceanator live was at The Fest. A friend of mine was playing in the band at the time. We played really early in the day and Oceanator was playing super late. By the time I got to their set I felt like I had been up for a week straight and had probably logged 50,000 steps. Even after all that they just sounded so good. It felt great!

Scene Point Blank: Are there any restaurants or non-music destinations you always hit in Gainesville, or en route there?

Jarrett: Our close friends that used to live in Gainesville have moved away at this point, but they used to always have a plan for the least “Fest” spot they could think of. One year we stopped into a really fancy cocktail bar. It was nearly empty. It was such a funny experience, and much needed respite, while a parade of punks walked by the window outside.

Scene Point Blank: You've played a lot of Fests, but history is history. What makes The Fest so relevant in 2023?

Jarrett:I don’t know really. You tell me! It kind of feels like Screaming Females in a way: people keep coming so we keep doing it!

Heart & Lung

Shannon Sullivan (guitar/vocals) speaking on behalf of the band.

Scene Point Blank: Last year you closed out Saturday night (if my memory is reliable). What were some specific highlights from that set or that evening?

Heart & Lung: We had to take naps earlier in the day, but playing during the witching hour was well worth it because the crowd got rowdy. Seeing Dr. Daryl take over the pit gave us the energy we needed. We saw folks from all our various adventures in 2022, it was very much a sitcom season finale.

Scene Point Blank: How many Fests have you played?

Heart & Lung: This will be our third Fest appearance.

Scene Point Blank: What brings you back to The Fest? What makes it different from the billion other festivals out there?

Heart & Lung: At The Fest, it's acceptable to be an absolute nerd about loving the music. This way you maintain interest in old, formerly obscure bands as well as new, currently obscure bands.

Scene Point Blank: What are you looking forward to most about FEST 21?

Heart & Lung: This year we're playing in the super-headliner slot on Sunday evening. There is a 100% chance that 50% of us will be getting tattoos.

Scene Point Blank: Fest is about the music, for sure, but it's also about the community. What is something you enjoyed at FEST 20 that wasn't directly music-related?

Heart & Lung: The Gainesville ecosystem allows John to hide his leftover vegan food among the boughs of low hanging trees. He comes and gets it later, so if you see any vegan mac ‘n’ cheese balls seemingly abandoned in a bush, it belongs to John, please don’t move it.

Scene Point Blank: Are you touring to FEST 21? Anything related to that, or even just about your FEST 21 set, that you want to share ahead of time?

Heart & Lung: Unfortunately, we'll be flying to Fest. We'll have a fun cover on deck, as always, and we'll be playing some new songs.

Scene Point Blank: Your first two Red Scare releases came close together. Are you working on new material now?

Heart & Lung: Yes! We've been keeping a list of all the terrible shit that happened to us this year as new song inspiration.

Scene Point Blank: Do you prefer to release a whole album at a time, or do you write piecemeal and share songs as you create them? In other words, are there new songs in your set? Related to that, how do you approach writing a record?

Heart & Lung: We typically keep new songs in the oven for a while on medium heat. Our producer/fifth Ghost Buster, Ben Ryan, lives in Chicago so usually by the time we get in the studio we have a lot to record.

We very rarely write complete songs as individuals. John or Shannon will typically bring the core of a song -- a hook or a chorus -- and then we hash it out as a group. Miles lays on the hot sauce and Nick puts gas in the engine so we don't get slow and boring. By the end, we've played it enough times that we come up with the vocal harmonies along the way. When in doubt, just steal ideas from Top 40 radio hits.

Scene Point Blank: What do you think of the album format in 2023? Do you think streaming and other industry changes make the format less relevant than releasing a steady stream of singles?

Heart & Lung: Singles can be fun if you're good at marketing, and albums are great for showing a complete body of work. No matter what format we do, our fans would still want it on vinyl!

Scene Point Blank: You've been doing this band for a while now. What keeps it fun and interesting? What is your personal motivation?

Heart & Lung: If we were Kens, our job would be Band.

Scene Point Blank: Has that motivation changed through the years?

Heart & Lung: We all have an involuntary impulse to make music. It really helps that we make each other laugh a lot.
Scene Point Blank: What is something everybody should do while in Gainesville this year?

Heart & Lung: Tell your friends to not jaywalk or litter.

Scene Point Blank: What is something everybody should do when in Cleveland, whenever they get the chance?

Heart & Lung: Jaywalk everywhere you go.

Wolf-Face

Scene Point Blank: How many times has Wolf-Face played The Fest?

Wolf-Fart: Holy shit, 10!

Scene Point Blank: How many times has The Fest corresponded with a full moon?

Wolf-Fart:Now that you mention it, I have no idea. Is it 10?! Wait, Rain-Wolf says there has been just one full moon among the years we have played The, and that was during FEST 14... and now he's talking about mewithoutYou performing for a tree in a parking lot.

Scene Point Blank: The band is based in Florida. How often do you play Gainesville throughout the year? Tell us a bit about what the town is like when the Festers aren't taking over.

Wolf-Fart: Outside of FEST, we try to make it up to Gainesville once a year. In fact, I think we're gonna be playing with The Eradicator at Boca in December ;)

During the summer, things seem to slow down a lot, and it's just so muggy and hot there, then.

Scene Point Blank: Tying back to that last question, what makes a Fest set different than your standard gig?

Wolf-Fart: Fest always makes us feel real special. Wolf-Face doesn't stray too far from the swamps of Florida. So, it's rad seeing people from all over the country and the world howling with us in Gainesville.

Scene Point Blank: It feels like there are a million festivals these days. How is The Fest different for you?

Wolf-Fart: It seems like at FEST, everything just clicks. I know there are a ton of people who work incredibly hard to make FEST amazing every year, but it also seems like there is just an understanding and a sense of positivity from everyone involved that makes everything work so well and so easily.

Scene Point Blank: Wolf-Face has been playing for a while now. How many basketball jerseys have you worn out?

Wolf-Fart: You know, one mysteriously went missing in Chicago when we were playing some Lollapalooza after-party with Mike Kinsella lurking around backstage. Not necessarily because of that, we've definitely stripped down the uniform over the years. Michael J. is probably on his 10th pair of yellow briefs by now. He dyes those in a big pot on his kitchen stove!

Scene Point Blank: What is your favorite thing to do in Gainesville (during Fest or any time of year)?

Wolf-Fart: Say hi to Warren and eat burritos at Boca Fiesta.

Scene Point Blank: What's one non-music thing that visitors should do when in town?

Wolf-Fart: Don't forget to wipe.

Scene Point Blank: What other bands are you excited to see this year?

Wolf-Fart: Everyone, and especially freaking GWAR! Michael J. will do practically anything to get eaten, pissed on or whatever else they want to do to him! Someone please make this happen.

Scene Point Blank: Your last record was a few years ago, with one of the themes being to "your little pups." How old are they now? Is that going to influence the next record or...what are you up to as a band now?

Wolf-Fart: Our pack is always growing! We recently recorded some new tunes and should have a new EP on the way soon!

Scene Point Blank: You're clearly from the Michael J. Fox Teen Wolf Universe. What do you think of the MTV series? What's the next-best werewolf franchise?

Wolf-Fart: One too many questions!!!

Night Jobs

Scene Point Blank: Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this your first Fest as a band? (Have you attended before, as fans or in other bands?)

Matthew Day: This Fest is both a first for Night Jobs, and the three of us individually. I am excited we have the opportunity to go on a Southern Road Show.

Scene Point Blank: How did you get on this year's lineup? What was the application/approval like for you?

Matthew Day: Our drummer Dan takes tall the credit, but I believe he sent an email and we crossed our fingers. I do know that we are really proud of our latest EP, Never Happener. What better way to harness that confidence than trying for a spot at Fest? We also know that our songs can't hide the bands that influence them/us, and many of those bands are/have played Fest in Gainesville.

Scene Point Blank: I believe I said something to the effect of "this sounds like a Fest band" when I reviewed your first EP. (If not, I definitely thought that to myself.) How has this segment of the music scene influenced you?

Matthew Day: Speaking for myself, I wouldn't be able to find a Fest poster that had less than 10 bands whose music heavily influenced me. Some of those dearest to my heart actually came out of Gainesville. This year is special to me because Braid is playing. You'll find me at the show nerding out.

Scene Point Blank: You've released a few EPs so far. What do you like about this format, compared to full-length albums, for example?

Matthew Day: Night Jobs started on a framework of songs that came from previous musical projects that fizzled. Those tunes helped us become comfortable playing together, and eventually writing together. It was obvious that every new song build on that. EPs and 7”s are a great vehicle to document the growth of a band in their early years. Honestly the biggest difference recording an EP, versus an album, is the budget. It's really affordable, and doesn't require more than a couple days in a studio. We are very fortunate in Minneapolis to have people like Andy Mathison and Adam Tucker recording and producing bands. However, we are currently writing what will become our first full-length.

Scene Point Blank: With the modern music industry, it seems like singles and EPs hold more weight than ever, arguably making albums less relevant. Do you think the format of a release affects the live show in any way?

Matthew Day: Streaming services do give the impression that individual, “plays” hold a lot of weight. Those numbers lose all meaning when you're in a room with an artist. There's no tool that The Expensive Suits can use to measure that connection. However, it is fun that artists can easily stagger out a few singles leading up to a full-length release so, when they come to town, you can already sing along to some new stuff.

Scene Point Blank: What do you have planned for your set at FEST 21?

Matthew Day: Hoping the venue will let us burn an effigy of Ron DeSantis, haha!

Honestly, we want to share the songs we're proud of, and do it louder than the soundperson wants.

Scene Point Blank: What other bands are you looking forward to seeing?

Matthew Day: Omg! What a line up! You'll find us nerding out to Braid, Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, Less Than Jake, Chris Gethard, Into It. Over It., Strike Anywhere, and a bunch more.

Scene Point Blank: FEST is a stacked lineup. Have a sales pitch on why people who haven't heard Night Jobs should come check you out?

Matthew Day: One of the best ways to deal with the bummers that life brings is to gather with others and sing at the top of your lungs. Night Jobs delivers that, one loud bummed out singalong after another. You've never heard being sad sound so damn fun.

Scene Point Blank: Since this is your first Fest, what have people told you about it ahead of time? Do you get word of mouth advice about pacing yourselves or sound system tips or lodging or anything like that?

Matthew Day: For years, our friends have both gone and played. All of their advice distilled down would be: embrace the chaos; you won't get to see every band you want; and you'll leave with new rad friends.

Scene Point Blank: Are you touring to or from FEST this year?

Matthew Day: We are touring down and back. It's our first official tour! Minneapolis is a great home base because there's so many great cities only a 2-8 hour drive away. You can really maximize the weekend warrior method. Getting the opportunity to play FEST finally gives us an excuse to branch out further and play places we've never been.

Scene Point Blank: I don't know how connected you are personally to Nudieland, but is there anything you'd like to saw involving that recent tragedy?

Matthew Day: The Twin Cities is small enough that everyone involved with punk rock or DIY was either directly affected or has a friend who was. This city has such a vibrant and active basement/house show community. Places that strive to be open, inviting, and safe. This left a trail of devastation and broken hearts.

Personally, I wish the people responsible would be caught. Unfortunately, 2020 seems to have left all the “good” cops pissed off that committing murder became slightly harder for them. As a result, the police seem even less interested in helping create safe communities. I wouldn't be surprised if the police viewed Nudieland, and the queer punk rock culture it helps foster, as nothing more than “antifa.” A heartbreaking reminder gun violence in this country touches every community, that All Cops Are Bastards, and we have to care for each other more than ever.

Maura Weaver

Scene Point Blank: When did you last play The Fest? My last time seeing one of your bands (in part because your Mimes tour with Screaming Females sold out in Saint Paul--congrats) was Mixtapes at probably FEST 10 or something.

Maura Weaver: Dang, it took me a second, just because I've played so many times. It was with The Homeless Gospel Choir last year and the show was honestly incredible. It was the first time Derek (of THGC), or the rest of the band had played Fest (besides Megan Schroer and I). It was really sweet to see their first Fest reactions in real time. They loved it, even though we were incredibly tired from a long tour/delayed flight situation.

Scene Point Blank: You've played with a variety of bands in recent years, and from a distance it seems that you've maybe preferred "the background" instead of being center stage, post-Mixtapes. What led you to releasing the solo record recently?

Maura Weaver: I've wanted to do a solo record for a really long time, like since I was a teenager. At 16, I wrote and recorded songs in my room that actually sound a little similar to my new record. However, playing in bands is a little more fun and easy for me, technically... I was never challenged to bring a lot of writing to the forefront because I relied on everyone else's opinions. I've kind of been working up the courage and confidence to do my own thing for a long time. That's the only reason I haven't done it yet. I was unsure of myself, went through some depressive bouts, etc. But I still wanted to play music so I said yes to every possible band opportunity. I've also been playing in so many bands that I'm a little burnt out, so it feels natural to shift gears a bit.

Scene Point Blank: As I just said, you've played with many bands, as well as drawing the spotlight. How has the solo experience been so far?

Maura Weaver: It's been great! Nerve wracking, at first. I was so nervous to play my first shows alone, but now that I've been doing it more often, I feel a lot more confident. I played at Girls Rock camp recently which was a big highlight. The kids were so funny and sweet. It was really fun to play around in the studio (The Lodge) with the engineer/producer (John Hoffman) and make weird noises, mess with John's wild collection of outboard gear, and generally have more freedom than I've had playing in established bands.

Scene Point Blank: Tell us about recording the solo record. Was solo always your plan with it, or was it just sort of how things played out? I imagine COVID is part of the story...

Maura Weaver: It is! Megan Schroer, John Hoffman and I had been spending a lot of time together during COVID, and started The Mimes as a fun thing. That was kind of the start, as the constant creative collaboration and freedom was inspiring me to write non-Mimes songs as well. It kind of unlocked something in me. Then they ended up helping me produce and engineer my record. But I was eager to do a solo project for a long time, and because of COVID it was the first time that I didn't really have an excuse not to do it. All of my regular bands were on pause and I was unemployed. The songwriting ended up being a very good outlet for the emotions and loneliness I was feeling due to COVID.

Scene Point Blank: What strikes you about being a solo musician as compared to playing in a more collaborative environment?

Maura Weaver: So far, it hasn't been entirely different, except all of the final decisions are mine to make. The record was still a very collaborative experience and wouldn't have happened without my friends! And we are doing full band shows so that's fun. The main difference I have noticed is that the logistics and planning all fall on me now. I've never been much of a planner so that's been somewhat of a difficult adjustment.

Scene Point Blank: You did the Ogikubo Station project with Mike Park which, from my perspective, was where I started observing a new direction in your songwriting. Can you tell us about that experience? Was it a one-off or is the project likely to resume?

Maura Weaver: So weird, but the first time Mike Park and I collaborated on a song it was pre-Ogikubo, in 2012. Can't believe it's been so long. I love playing in Ogikubo Station! Mike, Megan Schroer, Sim Castro, and Justin Amans are all rotating members and they are some of my best friends in the world, so whenever we collaborate we are just laughing and having a good time. It's very low pressure. I know when we started the project, both Mike and I were interested in doing a more indie-centric project as that's a type of music we both really enjoy and hadn't really explored much before. So that was intentional. I wrote some songs in Ogikubo, but honestly most of them are Mike songs. He's a very fun person to work with and we had to put stuff on hold for a while, but we definitely want to get back in the studio. We will probably keep doing it as a low pressure project.

Scene Point Blank: You've been playing music publicly for 10+ years. A lot has changed in that time. Do you have thoughts on playing with a band in, say, 2008, as compared to leading a project in 2023? Broadly speaking, my first Fest was FEST 6 and band lineups feel much more diverse today than 15 years ago.

Maura Weaver: Oh god, it's so different now. In good ways and not so good ways. I love love love how much more diverse band lineups are now. There are way more women, non-binary, and queer people in the forefront of the music scene. It truly inspires me when I'm feeling down. I think, if they can do it, so can I! It's not as white male-centric. When I first started playing in bands, the pop punk scene was especially male-dominated and sexist. It had a huge effect on me that I didn't recognize until much later. It felt like there was so much pressure on me to perform and be perfect, as a woman. People were constantly sexualizing me yet also telling me I wasn't sexual enough. I won't go into too much detail right now, but I could write a whole thing about it. The negative for me about playing nowadays is that internet attention spans seem a lot shorter. It felt like music was more word of mouth back then. But there are pros to music being shared via the internet too. We have more control of our own narratives.

Scene Point Blank: What excites you most about playing at FEST 21?

Maura Weaver: Every time I play Fest, no matter what project I play with, the crowd is always so welcoming and fun. There's a certain kind of love you receive at Fest that makes you feel really special and important, but in a really wholesome way. Like in that moment, looking out and seeing a bunch of friends from all over the world watching -- you feel important to the people who you really love and you realize how important they are to you. The Fest was the first really wonderful show Mixtapes ever played, and our official last show... and every year there's another experience I'm extremely grateful for.

Scene Point Blank: What excites you most about attending FEST 21?

Maura Weaver: It's such an awesome lineup this year! Gorilla Biscuits is an old favorite of mine (the first tattoo I ever got was a GB tattoo). Same with Dillinger Four. I'm also excited to see some bands I've never seen, like GEL and MSPAINT. Once again, I also just really love seeing friends from all over the world in one place. Walking around Gainesville with a burrito from Flaco's and constantly running into pals. I'll be grinning for hours until my face hurts.

Scene Point Blank: To you, what makes The Fest different than other festivals?

Maura Weaver: It's so different from every other music festival I've played or attended. Everything is so close together, it's easy to get around, there's awesome food everywhere, and the Gainesville community seems at least somewhat happy to have us (lol). There's a really special sense of community I feel nowhere else. Also the weather in Gainesville at Fest-time is usually so beautiful, it really puts you in a certain kind of mood.

Scene Point Blank: What's the first thing you're going to do in Gainesville this year?

Maura Weaver: Probably get coffee from Volta. That's usually my first stop. Last year we rode into Gainesville in the back of a pickup truck and rolled up to Volta. Hoping for a similar arrival this time around.

Brendan Kelly

Scene Point Blank: You now have 2 solo full-lengths and have been playing alone on stage for a while. Are you comfortable with the solo position on stage or is it still an adjustment?

Brendan Kelly: Oh, it's something I'm real comfortable with. It's different, but that's fine. In a band, there's a lot of moving parts and when I'm alone it's just me and my questionable skills, nothing to lean on and nowhere to hide, so to speak. But it's also completely at my pace and dictated by my mood. The whole thing is a bit of a song and dance man thing that kinda developed from playing in rooms where people really didn't know what to expect, so it's a very curated thing that seems very much like it's extremely off the cuff and haphazard in order to sort of draw new people in. Again, it's very different, but it's pretty locked in at this point.

Scene Point Blank: One thing that separates your Wandering Birds material from a million other “solo punks” is that it feels like a full band -- not just a person with a guitar. Instrumentation and depth feel important, from my perspective. Do you think about this when you approach a solo set or write a solo song?

Brendan Kelly: I write the songs just as songs. I'm not really clever enough to do it with any intentionality modeled into the front end. Some of the songs for Wandering Birds translate really well to acoustic and some don't. I just have to figure out the arrangements that work best for whatever I'm doing in the moment. Anyway, short answer: No. I don't have the skills to write with intentionality.

Scene Point Blank: In your head, pre-show, is it different than a Lawrence Arms show as far as prep or getting yourself ready goes?

Brendan Kelly: Nothing. I just warm up my voice and try to get in a good headspace.

That usually involves being as blank as possible. In the case of TLA, letting my muscle memory handle the stuff that I could potentially overthink. And solo it's more like just letting everything clear out of the way so the whole thing can be pure. Sounds like some hippy shit. I wish I had better words that didn't sound like that but here we are.

Scene Point Blank: Going off my own memory, I'd guess you play Fest solo half the time, and half the time with bands. How do you land on that decision? Is it about balancing different projects and timing, or more about who is free in October of a given year?

Brendan Kelly: It's fully the third thing. I like Fest. If TLA or the Falcon can play, rad. I'll probably do solo stuff too and that's best of all worlds but if schedules don't permit (like this year) then I'll still come down and do my thing. My schedule is pretty flexible so it's easy to just grab a guitar and sleep somewhere else for the night.

Scene Point Blank: What's new with solo Brendan Kelly material. Are the Wandering Birds an ongoing project with more in the works? Do you write that in pieces, or do you sit down and crank it out?

Brendan Kelly: It's been more and more written in pieces these days and especially during the pandemic, I was just having a kind of weird brain eruption and writing all sorts of stuff. It's the first time I've had to delineate tunes and it's also the first time I have written without a cohesive final product in mind. That being said, I have a lot of Wandering Birds stuff in the hopper. If I can just get everyone
organized, there's at least one big LP or 2 EPs worth of stuff done. Post-lockdown, I can't get anyone to do shit, though. And I mean that across the board. Some people really developed laser focus during those years, but apparently not any of my homies. With a little luck I can get something put together soon.

Scene Point Blank: At Fest a lot of solo shows are early in the day? Do you approach the show differently?

Brendan Kelly: Nah. It's the same thing. And I have been lucky enough to not have been slotted early in the past, so even if I did have a different methodology for earlier shows, at Fest I think traditionally I'm usually playing at night anyway.

But to answer the question, nah. Just gotta warm up the voice and that can be a little harder in the mornings and, I guess, you're playing to people who are less drunk, which is not better or
worse, but definitely different, so that's kind of something to keep in mind when I'm solo, in terms of where the show's gonna go. But generally I'm not talented enough to do anything but the best I can if I'm up there, so that kind of eliminates a lot of the decision making in terms of approaching things.

Scene Point Blank: As a “scene vet” and “label honcho,” what is your average Fest experience like? Tell us about meeting up with old friends versus just hanging out and experiencing new things and how you balance that.

Brendan Kelly: The big thing for me at Fest is that in any given situation, I'm in a room full of people who know who I am, which is not the same thing as being in a room full of fans. I am sure there are plenty of times when I'm in rooms where everyone in the room has a negative opinion of me, which is fine. The point of this is that my experience at Fest is a lot of talking to people and trying to just not act like a dick or an imbecile, which is pretty easy since I don't think I'm really either of those things. The result of talking to people and being extra conscientious of not letting anyone think I'm trying to big time them or that I'm acting like I'm important at all (which, I can't stress enough, I am not) is that I don't really have the freedom of movement around Gainesville that would allow me to craft my destiny as much as I'd like.

I try to see bands I want to see and catch up with my homies but I spend a lot of Fest time between places chatting with people who wanna talk or whatever and so I also spend a lot of time in my hotel room just to get a little balance. I know this makes me sound like I think I'm Paul McCartney or something, but The Fest is one of the few places where the 4 or 5 people from every town that know who I am all come together in a big group, which is awesome. I love being able to meet people and hang out or take pics or whatever. It's not lost on me that it's really special that there are people who give a shit about my dumb ass and my songs. So really, the parts in transit where I meet those people are kind of the real reason I'm there. Whew. That was a really (hopefully not terribly solipsistic) long-winded way of saying “I do what I can, man, but there's no real downtime at Fest, so I also try to make sure I take some time for myself.”

Scene Point Blank: Does your role with Red Scare change your perspective at shows or events like this? Do you feel like a “representative” versus just being yourself and enjoying it for what it is?

Brendan Kelly: No, no. Being part of Red Scare is cool because the roles that Toby and I have are being Toby and Beex. If I'm not being myself and enjoying things for what they are, I'm not properly representing Red Scare. The main thing is that when I see bands that really blow my mind (which Fest is good for -- that's the first place I saw The Menzingers, for example) I can say “Hey, who puts out your records?" And if the band in question doesn't have a setup, I can ask if they're interested in/tell them about Red Scare and how we operate. Toby and I both are really into the community of punk rock and both of us love helping newer artists and just really anyone in the scene feel like they're part of it. If there's a cool band at Fest, I'd love to talk to them and help them get their music out there.

That's kind of the best part about things like Fest. You go and you don't necessarily make it across town to see whoever's set because you get caught up bullshitting with some people, but you end up making new friends and being able to connect people and, cheesy as it sounds, build bonds that strengthen the whole thing we're trying to do here, which is just ultimately have fun and make sure everyone is having
fun with a good soundtrack.

Scene Point Blank: What is your record for number of sets played at a single year at Fest? Do you recommend that approach to people in other bands or is it more fun to spread things out?

Brendan Kelly: I think that year that TLA and The Falcon were on tour I also played acoustic, so that's gotta be the record for me. I'd say if you're into that kind of thing, it's great. I'm just happy that I have three things to do that people want to see. That's so awesome and I'm really thankful for that.

Scene Point Blank: Have you considered a Fest cover set? Who would it be? (I think I saw you sing Judas Priest at a karaoke night in like...the 'Aughts.)

Brendan Kelly: Really? I bet it was Bon Jovi. I used to do a lot of Bon Jovi back then.

Anyway, I don't know. I'm not really great at doing covers. Would I be singing? Playing bass? Playing guitar? Seems like those would be three different answers, but even still, I dunno. I can't really play songs
that aren't mine just due to skill level limitations. I'd probably be into something like a Weird Al or Paul Simon cover set if it was full band, or The Buckaroos would be fun, but none of that would be
particularly good if I did it is the problem. So I'll just stick with having imposter syndrome and doing my own songs, I think.

Scene Point Blank: On further thought, I think that was Frankie Stubbs (Leatherface). I think it was Bon Joviy.

What is your favorite (Fest) Gainesville venue?

Brendan Kelly: They all change names so much that I don't even know what's what anymore. I think I played the place that we're currently calling 1984 last year and that was great. I also like the place that at one time was called 1984 that's a totally other place and that one place that at one time was called the Hardback but of course wasn't the original Hardback and now it has another name (and it was also maybe 1984 at some point too)...

I really don't know what's doin’ with these Gainesville venues but it's cool that there is such a weird web of them.

Scene Point Blank: How do you stay positive in 2023?

Brendan Kelly: Ummm...Am I doing that? The world is a good place and people, likewise, are good and kind. The bullshit and the horror of existence and the worst people are the loudest, but that's because that's aberrative. You don't hear or see the good as much because it's truly everywhere. That's important for me to remember. Not just in 2023, always.

Scene Point Blank: Any surprises you can share with us, whether that's about a FEST 21 set or new material from one of your projects?

Brendan Kelly: I mean, I told you I've got a record's worth of Wandering Birds stuff done and also I've got a record's worth of TLA songs done. Chris has been writing too, so that's something that will happen at some point. When? Now that I don't know. In the meantime, come say “Hi” to me at Fest.

I promise that I'm the best smelling person that's been doing this kinda shit for 30+ years at the whole festival.