Feature / Music / Fest 20
The Fest 20: Dead Bars, Catbite and more

Scene Point Blank has covered The Fest thoroughly since its inception in 2002. The site has personally sent attendees to Fests 6-13, then 17-18 in varied capacity, and we’ve back for The Fest 20. Oh, and we shared some remote memories when shutdowns kept it from happening in 2020, too.

It’s been a big part of our history. It’s been a big part of many people’s histories. It’s also still thriving and as vibrant as ever, so we don’t want this to sound like an obituary. The Fest 20 takes place at the end of October and we’re pumped to go there again.

So we caught up with a few bands to share their thoughts about it. We talk with Dead Bars, who have played at 6 Fests, to share what they enjoy (it’s a list), plus more in-depth interviews with Catbite, who have played Fest twice, to learn when a band becomes a “Fest veteran,” Captain Asshole, who only played once thus far, and finally we asked some rookies about what they expect and why they’re excited to play: Middle-Aged Queers.

The Fest 20 occurs in Gainesville, FL from Oct. 28-30, 2022.

Earlier this summer we shared interviews with Hot Water Music, No Trigger, MakeWar, and City Mouse about Fest too.

Dead Bars’ Top Ten Non-Mainstage Bands To See At The Fest 20

Words: John (vocals)

The most beautiful part of Fest is discovering new bands you've never seen or heard of. Here are my Top Ten non-mainstage bands that I'm most excited to see, and why I think you should too!

1) Toys That Kill

We've played a lot with them over the years and can honestly say that they are the most fun. Go jump up-and-down and have some damn fun!

2) Folly

NJ Ska-core? I know it doesn't make any sense but when you experience Folly live, you'll get it!

3) DFMK

Passionate, fearless, and gritty. DFMK is one of the best live bands in the scene right now.

4) City Of Caterpillar

An influential band from my youth. They also just put out some new shit which is actually awesome. Looking forward to seeing them for the first time at Fest!

5) Rebuilder

Rebuilder have so much heart when they perform. Catchy, fun songs with a lot of energy. They are truly inspiring to watch live, and you will not be disappointed!

6) Wolf-Face

Who let the wolves out?! Just go to their show.

7) Scowl

They did a tour with Limp Bizkit this year so I kinda want to talk to them and see what the fuck that was all about.

8) Zeta

I don't do drugs but I think Zeta would be cool on drugs.

9) SheHeHe

Amazing band that makes you feel like you're part of the family at their live show. Don't miss it!

10) Lone Wolf

Don't know much about them other than we performed with them a few years back, and they were one of the tightest live bands I've ever seen. Stoked they are coming back to Fest!

Catbite

Scene Point Blank: This is your third Fest. Let's get some memories.

Tim: Against Me! doing 4 of their albums over 2 nights.

Chris: My most cherished memory from last year's Fest was finally meeting Adam Davis from Omnigone in real life after being internet friends for a few years. We all instantly hit it off and he came to our hotel to hang and bullshit with us until like almost 6am. Also, our No Doubt cover set was absolutely wild!

Brit: My best friend Kay was with us last year and we dressed up as devils and romped around all of Fest (:

Scene Point Blank: Do you remember your first impression of Fest? What was your first thought when you arrived, or your takeaway at the end of the weekend?

Tim: first thought was super overwhelmed when we got to check in at the Holiday Inn; end of weekend I was exhausted and happy.

Chris: After having so many friends and fellow musicians talk so highly about Fest for years and years and encouraging me to go, my first impression after my first day there in 2019 was literally, “Oh, I get it now. I see what all the hype was about, this is an incredible experience.”

Brit: First thoughts of Fest was how had I never been to one before when I’m from Florida, lol. My takeaway is that it's a beautiful time seeing old friends and meeting new and seeing lots of sick fucking bands!

Scene Point Blank: Were you nervous when you applied to play for the first time?

Tim: I don’t think so.

Scene Point Blank: Do you feel like "Fest vets" at this point?

Tim: Yeah, for sure. Once it feels like a family reunion, then I feel like I’m a vet

Chris: I definitely don’t feel like a “vet” at this point knowing there are bands that have played Fest 10-15 times. I think I more feel like I’ve been around the block and get how it works and the layout of everything.

Brit: I think we can’t be considered Fest vets until 25 years from now.

Scene Point Blank: What stands out to you about Fest crowds, as compared to a random tour stop?

Tim: it feels more like a vacation, and we kinda approach it as that rather than a regular show/tour.

Chris: Fest feels like a family reunion of sorts: there are a bunch of friends and bands and friend’s bands where you’re like “I’m not sure when I’ll see you next…but I’ll see yous at Fest”

Brit: Ditto to what Tim and Chris say.

Scene Point Blank: Are you touring to Fest 20?

Tim: Nope, flying in style, lol!

Scene Point Blank: Can you tease what's in store for your set(s) at Fest 20?

Tim: CATFITE!! (And also our Catbite set will be really good and hopefully the power won’t go out like last year!!)

Chris: CATFITE!!!

Brit: CATFITE !!

Scene Point Blank: Who are the bands you're looking forward to seeing most (from a fan's perspective)?

Tim: Flatliners, Menzingers doin’ the On The Impossible Past album, Cobra Skulls.

Chris: Being a hardcore kid, while also being a ska kid (yes, you can be both), PAINT IT FUCKING BLACK! See yous in the pit for sure! Oh, and The Menzingers playing the entire On The Impossible Past record is going to be batshit! Philly represent!

Brit: La Dispute, Flatliners, Vicious Dreams, Sweet Pill.

Scene Point Blank: Who are the bands you're looking forward to seeing most (because they're friends you haven't seen in a long time)?

Tim: The Bad Time Records and adjacent ska fam.

Chris: All of our fellow Bad Time Records bands, for sure! Plus like every band that’s on Fest the we’ve had the opportunity to play with before…and there’s a lot of them. Like if I had to list them I think I’d list half of the bands playing this year.

Brit: Excited to see our friend Chris Farren who we played with on tour with Jeff Rosenstock in the beginning of June!

Scene Point Blank: Who is a lesser-known band you think everyone should check out at Fest 20?

Tim: Bacchae

Chris: Bacchae

Brit: Church Girls!

Scene Point Blank: I'm sure you get a million questions about the state of ska in the 2020s. That said, how do you feel the current ska scene fits with the broader Fest scene?

Tim: I played Fest with my old ska band at Fest 14 and it was very very very differently received than now -- which is kinda like everywhere else. People in the masses are paying attention to ska again and that’s dope as heck.

Chris: I feel that they’re very complimentary of each other. In both scenes everyone is there for the music and to have the best time possible.

Scene Point Blank: Is "ska revival" a good or a bad term?

Tim: Yeah, it’s fine. Ska has obviously been around and thriving all over for decades with varying popularity. A lot of people are abandoning the stigma that ska is corny or taboo or whatever and that rules. Ska is great and I’m happy we’re able to introduce people to our music and our fellow ska friends’ music.

Chris: “Ska Revival” = good , “Fourth Wave” = bad.

Scene Point Blank: While punk, at heart, aims to be inclusive, to me it seems like the ska scene has historically been more diverse both in terms of artists and audience. First, do you think that's accurate and, if so, do you have any deep thoughts on why (and what other scenes can do to be more inviting)?

Chris: I’m not going to out what scenes aren’t the most inviting. I don’t think I have to. Most people generally know who/where/what they are.

I think what sets the ska scene apart from other scenes is that ska music, from its inception in the ‘60s in Jamaica, was founded on the ideas and ideals of unity and harmony. This notion, I feel, was absolutely reaffirmed within the 2-tone bands of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s in England. I feel this through line has been carried by ska bands across the decades and continues to do so.

Scene Point Blank: We're all struggling to stay positive with the current state of the world. What do you do to keep yourself balanced or, alternately, motivated for action?

Tim: Always working on something new, giving myself things to do and always being busy is what keeps me going.

Chris: We try to keep ourselves busy by constantly working on projects, whether it is covers or collabs. We usually have a few things in the works at any given time.

Scene Point Blank: Does touring still feel fresh after all the COVID interruptions and challenges?

Tim: Yeah, because we’ve never really toured before. We were amping up to start touring in 2020 but obviously had to cancel everything. I’ve toured a bunch in my life, and coming out of the pandemic with a fresh band and fresh perspective, I’m able to approach our touring schedule with a smarter attack than I might have several years ago.

Chris: Fresher than ever, honestly! With people not having attended shows for the better part of two years, I feel like the energy and excitement in the rooms we have been playing is palpable and growing.

Scene Point Blank: You just released Wavebreaker #2 with Mike Park. Two related questions here:
1) Bad Time announced Wavebreaker as a 7" series and, at #2, you already released a 12". Was that intentional or did the recording session just prove extra fruitful?

Tim: 12”s just look way cooler and aren’t more expensive. We could have fit the 4 songs on a 7” but go big or go home. Am I right or am I right?

Scene Point Blank: 2) What is your experience with Mike Park, leading up to and through this record? (And how did Wavebreaker #2 come to be?)

Tim: Mike Park is so freaking cool, but we literally have yet to meet him in real life. We became friends online over the pandemic and eventually Mike Sosinski from Bad Time Records asked us if we wanted to do a split with Mike P. We obviously said yes, but didn’t have any new songs. We then decided to do two covers for our side, but then Mike Park said, “How about I write you a song?” So he did (“Spiral”), and we arranged it into a Catbite song.

Scene Point Blank: What song from Nice One is the most fun or meaningful for you to play live at this moment in time?

Tim: “Excuse Me Miss” because it is about a relationship with someone that me and Brit, our singer and my wife, were in that was great but, at the same time, kinda fucked us both up mentally. And honestly it probably was a leading inspiration to us starting Catbite. We have been ending the set with it lately, so it’s kinda our last hoorah to get out any last bit of energy and leave it on stage.

Chris: “Call Your Bluff” for me right now because that song was based on Brit’s experiences of people telling you to give up on your dreams because it isn’t going to work out for you. A wise man once said, “Fuck the haters because they don’t mean a thing, this is what style we bring”…A wise man also once said, “So here I am, doing everything I can. Holding on to what I am, pretending I'm a superman.”

Scene Point Blank: Are you working on new material?

Tim: Oh yeah. I got riffs for days, baybee!

Chris: Almost always, in some capacity or the next.

Scene Point Blank: Are there any surprises (that would no longer be surprises) in the works, like new cover songs or a new direction in sound on stuff you're working on?

Tim: We have so many things recorded and half recorded -- got surprises for days. I even surprise myself because some of these we recorded like a year ago!

Scene Point Blank: Do any of you have cats? What are their names and favorite toys?

Tim/Brit: Derek - guitar strings. Amanda Bynes Too - food. Xena - dangling string/empty amazon box.

Chris: My sweet baby cat's name is Betty and her favorite toy is attempting to wake her humans up in the morning for breakfast.

Scene Point Blank: And, to wrap this up, I asked Kole (who contributes to SPB and, for the uninitiated, sells merch for Mustard Plug) if he had any questions for you. Hope you're ready for this:

Kole: If Catbite and Mustard Plug covered a song together, what song would it be and how soon do we get to hear that?

Tim: Hi Kole!

So, we’d cover “Trashin’ The Camp” off of the Tarzan soundtrack. Dave from Mustard Plug would sing Rosie O’Donnel’s parts and Brit would sing Phil Collins’ parts. We’ll probably record it this winter while we’re taking two months off touring for me to get a hip replacement and have it out on a flexi disc by late spring.

Chris: Oh boy…I think we’d crush a cover of “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass to be quite honest.

Scene Point Blank: Anything you'd like to add?

Catbite: SEE YOUS AT FEST!

Captain Asshole

Scene Point Blank: First, we're conducting this interview in English over email. So tell me a bit about when you learned English and your comfort level with the language?

Max: At the time when we were kids, you started to learn English in 5th grade, so roughly at 11 years old -- but I think they start even earlier now? I spent way too much time on internet forums when I was younger and now have a lot of English-speaking friends, plus my sister moved to the US. So, I’d say my comfort level in written English is pretty excellent. Spoken English I still fall back to the most rudimentary English a lot.

Scene Point Blank: How do you say "Captain Asshole" in German?

Max: A word for word translation would be Kapitän Arschloch.

Scene Point Blank: I'm going to ask a few Fest questions, then more band stuff.

Max: This is Captain Asshole's second Fest, but you've attended several more, correct? When did you first attend and was this band your first to perform at the event?

Max: started attending with Fest 15 and went to 16, 17 and 18. So 20 will be my 5th. I dragged the band along for Fest 17 when we still didn’t play, and things worked out for us the following year. Yes, Captain Asshole was the first band to play Fest for either of us.

Manu: When we were at Fest 17 (where we did not play) we brought a lot of koozies and gave almost every person we met our very first Captain Asshole koozie. Still believe that’s the reason we got to play there.

Max: Exactly! It’s like punk rock business cards.

Scene Point Blank: Tell us about getting accepted to play at Fest 18. Were you expecting it? What was the first thing you did when you got the news?

Max: I was in conversation with Craig who does Foreign Dissent in Orlando the Monday before Fest, where he invites a handful of the international bands playing Fest. He couldn’t really fit us into his event as he already had plenty of white men playing and wanted to diversify his line up a little, understandably. He still forwarded us to Tony and from there on we got into conversation. I wouldn’t say I expected it, but we had the tools and contacts to make it happen and tried our best.

First thing I did was probably tell the others and then stress out about how to actually book a tour in the US. But it all worked out thanks to a lot of very kind people we are now able to call friends!

Scene Point Blank: I imagine there's a lot of planning to make an international show work, especially if it's a one-off. Do you bring your own equipment?

Max: Oh no, we’re definitely not bringing our own equipment. We heard lots of stories before about that turning into a nightmare. For Fest 18 we bought the cheapest stuff we could find at Guitar Center and also had some help for drum parts from our buddies in Cold Wrecks.

This time we asked the guys in Jukebox Romantics if they’d be down to share their gear with us. Usually when they come to Germany around Booze Cruise Festival they also rely on help of other bands and I guess they’re happy to repay the favor to another band. Karma or something like that.

It just got a little stressful (as our set times initially clashed) but that is sorted out by now.

Scene Point Blank: If you had to pick one or two favorite Fest moments as a music fan, what are they?

Max: Too many to count, honestly. Also many of my favorite Fest memories are not that much music related but about seeing international friends once a year. And I can’t really just view it objectively as a music fan, the best thing was standing on the Loosey’s stage playing our own songs.

Manu: Yeah, would agree with that. If I had to pick another moment it would be the set of Mom Jeans at Fest 17. They were not really big in Germany back then but the show at Wooly’s (I guess?) was an absolute killer.

Scene Point Blank: How did you feel about your Fest 18 set? I caught the last half, just after Jawbreaker played.

Max: Thanks for catching part of the set!

Yes, we got this ridiculously cool stage time right after Jawbreaker finished outside. I was lucky enough to get to see them in Munich, otherwise I would have been bummed that I had to miss them to prepare our own set. [After] Jawbreaker is finished, all the people were heading towards the indoor venues so that was cool. It was probably the most we’ve seen people sing along to our songs except for maybe hometown shows in Munich which was really wild to witness.

We got people on stage to sing with us, I made a rather poor crowd surf attempt at the end and accidentally wrestled one of my friends to the ground…it was a mess and it was great.

Manu: Yeah, I think as a musician who is writing their own songs, the most beautiful moment is when you see people sing along to your songs. That’s super wild.

Scene Point Blank: Was it hard to keep your energy going when you had one of the last sets of the whole weekend?

Max: Not that hard. I wasn’t that nervous about a show in quite a long time, so the adrenaline helped to keep going.

Scene Point Blank: Will you approach Fest 20's set differently, since it's not so late into the 3-day event?

Max: I don’t really think so. We’re 3 years older now so we should probably take it a bit slower but, knowing us, we most likely won’t. We’re also not touring down from New York so that helps to conserve energy. And we all kind of like playing earlier because it means you can start the real party afterwards sooner.

Manu: I bet that we will already be wasted when we’re entering the stage.

Scene Point Blank: Name a few bands on your “must see” list for Fest 20.

Max: There’s a lot and I’m sure I’ll miss a few here and I’ll probably also miss some of the actual sets even though they’re must see.

The Copyrights as they’re the only band I’ve seen each Fest I went to so far.

Cobra Skulls, The Holy Mess and Paint It Black as I most likely won’t get another chance to see them.

Otherwise it’s just about seeing friends do their thing, so I’ll try to make it to Royal Dog, The Jukebox Romantics, Trophy Jump, Small State, Shehehe, Lost Love and a bunch of others.

Manu: Oh yeah, there are a lot of must sees and I hope that I will make it to all of them. For example: La Dispute, Iron Chic, The Holy Mess, Lightweight, Into it. Over it…

Scene Point Blank: Have any tips for first time Festers? (Or lessons that you've learned the hard way).

Max: Pace yourself in terms of booze. You’ll make many great memories and it would be great to actually remember them the next day.

Also go and watch the small bands. You’ll have plenty of time to catch the headliners when they tour, but some of those smaller bands might not come to your city or possibly country.

Scene Point Blank: Sbäm released your record in Europe, and Say-10 in the US. How did you get involved with Say-10?

Max: I think there were several aspects working together that in the end helped us getting involved. Step 1 was that I very vaguely knew about Say-10 and Adam through my Fest friend Lauren. Step 2 was that my old band Little Teeth released our album on Say-10 so I already had a foot in the door and step 3 was that Sbäm already worked on several releases with Say-10 and so they went with it.

Scene Point Blank: Your name is silly and you have a lot of playful lyrics, yet the band itself feels serious -- there is meaning and not just a joke. Is this something you sought out to do, or is it more a reflection of your personalities?

Max: I think it’s probably a bit of both. We didn’t want to write super silly pop-punk songs, we wanted our lyrics to have meaning. But, at the same time, we mostly enjoy life and I think people shouldn’t write songs that make them sound like they're miserable all the time when they’re not. The silliness of song titles etc. is balancing it out a bit.

Manu: I think when we started this band the lyrics were not as serious as they are now. We wrote a lot about drinking -- I mean, we still do -- but today it feels different. Now we take the whole band more seriously and we write about things that really bother us. Sometimes it’s stupid, sometimes funny and often emotional or sad.

Scene Point Blank: Similarly, you work in a lot of American pop culture references -- were you raised on American media?

Max: I never thought about it that way, but probably yes. I’m not sure if Americans realize the foothold their pop culture has around the world.

Scene Point Blank: Tell us a bit about the scene in Munich. Where do you fit in, and how it is in the so-called post-COVID environment?

Max: Munich is tough. We don’t really have many DIY spaces so setting up a show yourself is difficult. It’s costly but, also, it’s just difficult to get a free date at one of the few venues where you could make it work. So you have to rely on established promoters to make things happen.

I think it took us a while to find our spot in the scene and early on it seemed like there’s a bit of gatekeeping if you don’t fit into a subgenre niche perfectly, but we arrived now and when you know people it’s a great little scene.

Scene Point Blank: In other interviews I've read, you've said your first record was a collection of songs built over time. Then this year's Successfully Not Giving Up was a more solid concept. Are you working on #3 or is it still too early for that conversation?

Max: I think for most bands the first album is most likely a collection of the first material and then you find your sound and write more focused for the follow-up.

There are always song ideas floating around, but currently we’re still very focused on promoting our last release. In between recording Successfully Not Giving Up and actually putting it out we had a change of drummers so him learning our currently released 25 songs also took some of our time.

Scene Point Blank: Do you prefer writing new songs, playing live or a steady mix of the two?

Max: Playing live is more fun in my opinion, but a good mix of both is absolutely necessary.

Manu: I love the moment when a rough idea or a riff is coming to life in the rehearsal space in a full band arrangement. That’s pure magic.

"The bigger issue is that nobody is buying pre-sale tickets so planning a tour without having any idea of the turnout is challenging and you see lots of shows getting canceled"

Scene Point Blank: How are live shows around the EU right now? Is touring possible or are COVID regulations too uncertain or unpredictable?

Max: Touring is generally possible during the summer. We’ll have to see what happens in fall or winter. Case numbers will increase, and some regulations will probably be put into place again. Currently the regulations are quite small to nonexistent. The bigger issue is that nobody is buying pre-sale tickets so planning a tour without having any idea of the turnout is challenging and you see lots of shows getting canceled because the pre-sale is just at an unsustainable low. Hell, even huge bands like Millencolin just canceled their tour because of that very reason.

Scene Point Blank: I suspect you get compared to a lot of “Fest bands” based on your rough-around-the-edges style of poppier punk. What band, that you get compared to, do you think is the most fitting or you take as a personal compliment?

Max: Back home people don’t know that much about the “Fest scene” so you get compared to bands like Blink-182 as that’s the only pop punk band some people can think of. It’s a compliment, for sure, but not really that fitting.

At some point we started to get compared to the Latterman style of bands and that’s a huge compliment as well and much more fitting.

Scene Point Blank: You namedrop Spanish Love Songs on "Post Malort." Has anyone in the band said anything about it to you? (Do you know them personally?)

Max: We already had the song “No More Spanish Love Songs” on our first album. So it’s kind of a running gag at this point, I guess?

Dylan, the singer of Spanish Love Songs, commented on the Fest Friends Facebook group that he maybe would have to sing the song with us but, unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

So there’s actually two songs where they are mentioned and some people claim that there’s even more references and occasionally ask if we have any beef with them. Nope, they’re a great band and as far as I can tell they’re lovely people. We were just having fun with it and now we kind of have to keep it going. Be prepared for the Spanish Love Songs namedrop on Captain Asshole LP#3.

Scene Point Blank: Anything you'd like to add?

Max: Thank you for interviewing us and thanks everyone for reading along. See ya at Fest: Sunday at Loosey’s. Let’s celebrate summer in October!

Middle-Aged Queers

Scene Point Blank: Tell me a bit about the band. Your name is blunt. You have a theme song. Is Middle-Aged Queers a "concept band"? What made the group evolve from concept to reality?

Shaun: It all started with a party at my house in 2018. Josh had mentioned to me an idea for a "Middle-Aged Queercore" band and I thought it was brilliant. Niki was also at the party and despite years of overlap in the local scene, Josh and Niki had never met until that party. I'd all but had forgotten the band idea until Josh posted on Facebook that he was looking for additional members for the band and Niki and I were two of the first to respond.

Scene Point Blank: Had any current members played together in the same band before?

Shaun: No, but now Fureigh and I both play in another band: The Homobiles!

Scene Point Blank: I think the theme is fairly self-evident by your name. But what is different with this band (compared to others you've played with) when on stage or backstage (or with the audience)? Does it feel different when performing with people who are all members of the LGBTQ community?

Josh: There is an open-ness with this band, that brings a larger freedom of expression for me that was missing in other punk bands. I haven't felt that since the ‘90s and my time with The Insaints.

Shaun: I have played in The Cost (Lookout Records) with other queer members, but we weren't a queer band. This band feels different in the sense that while we are on the road, we are more guarded and aware of our surroundings and each others' safety, a factor that wasn't necessarily on the forefront of everyone's mind when on tour in bands that weren't comprised of queer members. On stage, I try to feel like I'm a tad more confrontational with the audience. The LGBTQ crowd are in on the jokes and if I can get some cis-hets to squirm a little, great!

Scene Point Blank: What strikes you as a queer band in 2022 compared to when you started touring or playing music regularly? This is a big question, so answer as short or detailed as you'd like.

Shaun: "Queercore" has always been a rather nebulous term, even in the early days of Tribe 8 and Pansy Division. Now, it can mean just about anything. And finding queer musicians has never been easier. As a teen, I would purchase albums from OutPunk Records without knowing anything about the artists. Now, I just have to pull out my phone and bring up one of hundreds of playlists.

"We're also brewing up a pretty sweet little surprise for our set that people with an affinity for East Bay punk rock will enjoy."

Scene Point Blank: You seem to have an affinity for Motley Crue. Are you going to continue through their full catalog with your album covers/titles?

Shaun: I'm not sure! The next album is Shout at the Hetero. We've talked about continuing on with their catalog but we could go a different direction. Theatre of Pain was a pretty terrible Motley Crue album, in my opinion. Part of the reason for doing it was to get a cease and desist letter from Motley Crue but so far they haven't bothered.

Scene Point Blank: What other non-punk bands inspire/influence you?

Shaun: I would say that the lyrics of later Carcass is a big influence in how I write. The industrial group Babyland has also stayed in constant rotation throughout my life.

Josh: My playing is mostly influenced by The Stranglers, Joy Division, Wire, and all of the ‘90s hardcore and indie pop that I listen to.

Scene Point Blank: Does that influence carry into your live show?

Shaun: Both Babyland and Carcass. We use samples in our live set that were no doubt influenced by both bands. Babyland was also known for their use of fire and smoke, along with chaotic interactions with the audience, which I certainly do when we play.

Scene Point Blank: I have to ask...your name is similar to another punk band...have you crossed paths with them?

Shaun: Ya know, I didn't even think about them when we decided on our name. I was never really into that era of pop-punk so I get why I just didn’t think about it. When we played 2021 Punk Rock Bowling, I was certain we would cross paths with them. But they were playing the side stage and we were playing a club show. As far as I know, they're not even aware we exist. Maybe one day we'll get a cease and desist letter from Joe Queer?

Scene Point Blank: Are you touring to Fest?

Shaun: We've done so much in 2022, there really wasn't a way for us to take more time off to play more shows this year. We are playing that Friday in Holiday, FL (a suburb of Tampa) because it was cheaper for us to fly into Tampa than it was to fly into Gainesville. It's going to be at a new all-ages, DIY spot called The Vault. I'm hoping the Tampa younglings who couldn't make it to Fest can at least have that show as a consolation prize.

Scene Point Blank: As "middle-aged" musicians, how frequently can you tour? I imagine you have a tight schedule, be it family, career, or other competing priorities.

Shaun: It's difficult, for sure. I would love to tour more but it would need to be something really worth our while like Laura Jane Grace offering us an opening slot. (Laura, call us!)

Josh: I'm old, it hurts.

Scene Point Blank: Is this your first Fest with Middle-Aged Queers, or your first Fest overall?

Shaun: First Fest all around! I "retired" from punk rock in 2003, right as Fest was starting off.

Josh: I toured in Florida in the ‘90s when I was in Fang but, yeah, definitely my first Fest!

Scene Point Blank: Do you remember first hearing about Fest or what got you intrigued?

Shaun: I believe the first time I heard of it was when our friends in American Steel got back together. They came back talking about what a fun time they had. I would occasionally see flyers online, see the lineups and think "Woah, that looks fun!" but I could never make it.

Scene Point Blank: As attendees/fans, what are you looking forward to?

Shaun: Stoked to see City of Caterpillar and Terminal Bliss, for sure. I'm also excited to see Braceface. I have no idea how a band that good hasn't blown up yet.

Josh: I love to watch new bands (to me) and I am always excited about discovering new music, so I'm just looking forward to all of it.

Scene Point Blank: Members have been in several other bands. I imagine you've played Gainesville at some point. Any general thoughts about the community?

Shaun: I was telling an old bandmate that I was excited to finally play Gainesville and he informed me that I had in 2002. He specifically asked if I remembered crashing a party, getting naked and shooting Roman candles out of my asshole on their front lawn. I do not remember any of that. I quit drinking over 16 years ago soooo... there's a period of my life that is one big blackout. But if Gainesville is the type of city that let's drunken queer 22-year-olds crash their parties and get naked, I'm certain it is a very good place.

Scene Point Blank: As performers at Fest 20, what are you most excited about? (Have you studied the schedule, the bands playing before/after you, or your "competition" yet?)

Shaun: We are playing Boca Fiesta & Palomino on Sunday and it's all the homies: City Mouse, Bumsy and the Moochers, and Raging Nathans who we played with this year at Pouzza Fest in Montreal. I am super stoked we're on an all-day rager with some really excellent people. We're also brewing up a pretty sweet little surprise for our set that people with an affinity for East Bay punk rock will enjoy.

Scene Point Blank: After you conquer The Fest 20, what comes next?

Shaun: Rest! We hit 2022 pretty hard. We have played more shows this year than we have all our prior years combined. We're going into a brief hibernation before we pop out in 2023. If we don't see our shadows, we'll spring into action again!

Josh: Middle-Aged Queers has more planned, fer sure. More music, more fun is on the horizon.