Feature / Interviews / Fest 23
Fest 23: Artist Interviews

Words: Loren • October 18, 2025

Fest 23: Artist Interviews
Fest 23: Artist Interviews

FEST 23 takes place later this month, from Oct. 24-26 in Gainesville, FL.

Something like a billion bands are driving, flying, canoeing, and snowshoeing to the festival from across the country -- many of them for the first time and many come back to play nearly every year.

Scene Point Blank has traveled to “over half” of them (we’ve lost count -- it's a theme you’ll read in this feature) and each has been a blast, merging a strong and positive community atmosphere with great musical finds and old favorites.

This year we reached out to six bands to share their thoughts about The Fest, what they will do in Gainesville this year, and what new projects they might have in store.

https://thefestfl.com/

Read the interviews below:

  1. Reconciler
  2. Celebration Summer
  3. Miller Lowlifes
  4. Pool Kids
  5. Rodeo Boys
  6. Partial Traces

Skip to page View as a single page

Loren • October 18, 2025

Fest 23: Artist Interviews
Fest 23: Artist Interviews

Pages in this feature

  1. Opening page
  2. Reconciler
  3. Celebration Summer
  4. Miller Lowlifes
  5. Pool Kids
  6. Rodeo Boys
  7. Partial Traces

Series: Fest 23

Our coverage of the 23rd edition of the FEST.

More from this series

Related features

Fest 23 – The Wrap

Music / Fest 23 • November 15, 2025

Pure Joy The 23rd FEST in Gainesville, Florida recently wrapped up. Scene Point Blank has been to the majority of them over the past two decades, beginning at FEST 5. I've personally attended roughly half of them. And at FEST 23, I saw 44 bands in 3 days (an even … Read more

FEST LIBS 23 & Fest Moments

Music / Fest 23 • October 18, 2025

Are you ready for The Fest!? While we’re pretty sure you’re already counting down days until your trek to Gainesville, FL, we’ve got some Fest games for you to play, including a few samples from this year’s performers. Click here to play FEST LIBS -- like a fill-in-the-blanks word game … Read more

Bo Diddley Plaza: Behind the Scenes at Fest

Music / Fest 23 • October 6, 2025

For close to a quarter-century punk fans have flocked to Florida for The Fest. Boasting a lineup of 300+ bands and roughly a dozen venues these days, the festival has grown, shifted and evolved. For several years the main stage has been in a large downtown park called Bo Diddley … Read more

More from this section

J Mau & The Kiss Off

ASL interpreter

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • June 8, 2026

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative … Read more

Jason Paul + the Know It Alls

Interviews • May 8, 2026

Here in Scene Point Blank Land, I sometimes get lost in the inbox of endless submissions and new music. I find things I like, but the great digital expanse still makes the records feel, well, a little too distant. Music is supposed to be personal, even if I'm not standing … Read more

Unseemlier

Interviews • April 24, 2026

It was about a year ago I discovered Unseemlier, shortly before the release of I Have A Screw Loose, Somewhere. It's a wordy title and a somewhat unwieldy band name -- and I’ll use that “a lot going on in a little space” metaphor even further to talk about the … Read more