For those who follow the site, I've been to Fest a lot -- like, I lost count of how many times but it all started at FEST 6, which I think was in 2007. It's certainly about the music first, and I saw approximately 61 bands over 4 days, 3 of which were part of the official event with a packed Thursday night show beforehand. I'll cover tone and highlights and a whole lot more, but first I'll philosophize.
Going into FEST 24 I was a little nervous. The venue where I've spent the most time in recent years wasn't a participant this year. That's fine. Things change. But, also, there was no replacement of comparable size and I like my small venues. I don't envy Fest planners who have to make sure venues aren't too empty or too full. It's a hard balance. The trend on this year's schedule seemed to be, after the big two venues, that mid to small venues featured mystery sets from bigger bands to bring in a late night crowd. That's great for the venues, but it can make for less elbow room and less freedom to wander from place to place if you want to make sure you see a particular band at a particular time. All things said, the system worked much better than Fest in the '00s but I did feel locked into a space sometimes as the night progressed. Which is a minor complaint, because I also tended to really enjoy everything I saw. And sometimes the best sets at Fest are the sets you didn't plan on seeing. I think the biggest difference between repeat Festers and first-timers is a focus on finding new music versus seeing headliners.
Now, onto my adventure...
I got to town on Thursday, checked into my room, and quickly hit a ridiculously stacked lineup at Palomino and Boca Fiesta, which honestly showcased close to 20 bands that were on my to-see list for the weekend. Because it was an unofficial show, I won't go deep into details, but I'll add that seeing favorites early allows more flexibility when two bands you want to see get booked for the same time slot. Fest requires planning, flexibility and a willingness to change directions on the fly. It is a choose-your-own-adventure carnival of music, comedy, wrestling and more. It's also a marathon, so you have to approach it carefully. I went big on Thursday and ended up taking Saturday a little bit slower than usual -- which paid off as I was able to keep going until F.Y.P said (not literally), "That's a wrap," at about midnight on Sunday evening.
Friday beginnings
The Fest registration line is a thing of legend. It can be long and slow, previously snaking young punks through a blistering hotel parking lot near downtown and, later, lining them up parkside -- also in the sun and on public sidewalks. This year it took place at First Magnitude Brewing, a short walk from downtown, just past the alligators and turtles at Depot Park. The edge-of-downtown element played better. The brewery has a large footprint with an outdoor patio (and stage, of course), with trees, shade and away-from-traffic spots for Fest goers to meet and greet, taking Malort shots via supersoaker, chatting about favorite bands with new best friends, and sharing war stories of past Fests (and, we hope, playing SPB's own FEST LIBS game). But I digress. The line was a breeze compared to some previous years, and the flea market was nicely integrated into the check-in experience alongside music from Slingshot Dakota and Five Hundred Bucks.
In the past I've bounced between picking Fest highlights and a play-by-play recap style. This year I'm aiming in the middle. I saw a lot of bands. The thing about Fest is that I saw a ton of bands; I saw a ton of great sets; more notably, I didn't see any duds. There were maybe 3 sets out of the whole that just weren't my jam. And even in those cases, I often view it as a welcome timeout so I can chill for a minute before the next three hours of intensity. The worst bands, to this humble writer, are "just fine" but they are never bad.
Friday had a tall order, as I went big on Thursday. But MakeWar was the first real whoa-moment of FEST 24. Tired Radio were great before them, but I'd just seen them on Thursday so they didn't get a highlight shoutout here. MakeWar play melodic punk that's really hard to classify. It's catchy but it's not anthemic. It's sometimes midtempo, but it packs a real emotion punch and the band is even better live than on record, something they've proven time and again seeing them. They've released 4 records in just over a decade, which I feel like highlights their approach. They're active and enthusiastic, but they aren't rushing their work either. It's thoughtful, plotted punk rock.
Wolf-Face are one of a few bands that just give off Fest vibes for me, and not just because they are Floridians. The band have a gimmick, for sure, but it's potent punk rock with real messaging that cuts through the wolf masks and basketball jerseys that recall a certain 1980s movie about a teenaged werewolf. They know their schtick and they play it up well, with gigantic inflatable basketballs thrown around the pit like beach balls relentlessly. The band's message is about finding your pack, in a sense, which is a fitting theme for Fest. It began in the early 200s as a music festival but it has evolved as a respite for likeminded individuals to get away from an underwhelming day to day for a long weekend in Gainesville each year. Wolf-Face needs a full moon to be themselves. Fest offers its own lunar phase for long-time attendees. And because Wolf-Face is equal parts angry punk and party music, they're a perfect tip off for the event. (To underscore that party element, the band covered Andrew W.K. for a full set on Saturday.)
I saw Home Front in Minneapolis in 2025 so I knew what to expect as they took the stage later Friday night but the band has grown both in popularity and in stage presence. I will call their post-punk influenced take on anthemic punk "booming." Vocalist Graeme McKinnon has a powerful voice and delivery, equally rooted in streetpunk and oi as it is in post-punk and perhaps early goth, while the band hits equally hard with driving, energetic beats that include an electric drum set. It's fun to watch the drums, but just as fun to watch McKinnon jump and scissorkick across the stage. It's a big sound that brings a nightclub (or in this case, a nighttime outdoor plaza) to life.
Random awards of the day
- Best chill vibes: Slingshot Dakota
- Biggest whoa: Ghost Rat
- Favorite new discovery: Cape Crush
- Most positive vibes: The Bollweevils / Toys That Kill back-to-back
- Oops, I missed it: Raging Nathans
Saturday
Nothing beats a rushed breakfast because you want to get to a pool hall to see a very early afternoon first set ever from a new band. That would be Pressure Set, featuring members of The Bollweevils, SPELLS and more. They even brought in John from Dead Bars for a song (which is sung by Mike Weibe of Riverboat Gamblers on their new album).
SPELLS followed Pressure Set and it's hard to really write new words after singing praises of their energy in past years. As a whole, Palomino is an imperfect venue. The stage is about a foot high and it's really a pool hall that Fest takes over. It's basically a big open room with a stage in the corner, which can mean spotty views but, for a band that ignores the stage anyway, it's the perfect setting to rampage through the crowd in an interactive set that included friendly roasts of the audience, clap-along sessions and, of course, matching band uniforms. If you see SPELLS at Fest or elsewhere, odds are good that you will be a part of the show instead of merely a spectator. In the best way possible. Plus, the catchy pop-structured singalongs get in your head fast. You can probably sing along the first time you see them. It's been fun to see the band's journey (and, yes, bassist Chuck contributes to Scene Point Blank and shares some more thoughts later in this piece). In the name of journalistic integrity I'm hesitant to call them out here, but it was truly one of my favorite moments of the weekend. And not just because I got to talk with Chuck in person afterward, though that human element is a key dynamic of the festival overall that can't be overstated.
PUP
I've known of PUP for a long time now and I've always liked their peppy tone, but I mostly just listened to the singles without delving deep. Live at the main stage, the band got to show off their prowess and big, power-pop influenced sound and it quickly converted me into a fan. While their set was tight and fun, more importantly, it was clear that they were having fun. Even with the bigger stage, they frequently interacted with each other just as much as with the crowd. They may have been playing to an entire downtown audience, in a sense, but it felt like it would be similar vibes in their practice space or a local Toronto club.
Sam Russo
I think I first heard UK singer-songwriter Sam Russo on a four-band split 7" a long, long time ago. I liked it, but that style has a tendency to blur together for me so it's been gradual exposure over the years before I kind of dove into his last two full-lengths. As a UK based musician, he doesn't play my area and Fest is a rare opportunity to drink it in. He played The Backyard at Boca Fiesta, which is a colorful outdoor patio space that often features upbeat, party-centric bands on Fest weekend so it was a nice changeup to see a somber audience singing along to every word. That included Tim of Elway, who joined him on take, seemingly spontaneously, for an on-the-fly harmony.
Random awards of the day
- Best chill vibes: upstairs at University Club
- Biggest whoa: Brightr covering Hot Water Music
- Favorite new discovery: Bad, Bad Things
- Most positive vibes: Wolf-Face (Does Andrew W.K.)
- Oops, I missed it: Lagwagon
Sunday
I went all-in on Sunday, knowing it was my last chance to venue hop and take in music before heading north again. It was probably the best weather of the weekend too, which likely influenced that. Sawpaw were my first band of the day, and their chill country-punk was a perfect Sunday afternoon pick-me-up.
I've always loved Tim Barry's material, even as it has wildly changed tones from the hardcore of Avail to the no-hyphens-necessary folk of his solo career. I was curious how he'd vibe in the open format tent venue, Depot Village, and he was damn perfect. While he knows how to capture a stage like the best of them, he prefers to play the floor with the people and this open layout worked to his tone perfectly, letting his voice soar among the open air as fans of all ages sang along. It's intimate music, meant to play played in an intimate setting without frills. His set also proved to me that Depot Village was much larger than I'd previously thought -- it's very spread out and handled the crowd nicely with the sound quality holding up from a distance as well.
As I've hinted at earlier, I like discoveries. I had earmarked Octopoulpe as a unique artist to see, a multimedia/drummer act from Seoul, but friends pointed to the curiously named Kitty Kitty Meow Meow at the same time, playing in the dark corner stage of University Club and described as "power-pop/hardcore," which made no sense to me on paper. I caught a couple of Octopoulpe's songs and liked it, but I wanted a different mood at that time so I walked 3 blocks and was immediately taken aback at the raw energy from Kitty Kitty Meow Meow. The young Tampa trio played peppy power-pop, as advertised, to a young crowd adorned in cat ears. They had a clear crowd and it was fun and revitalizing to bring new energy as the sun was setting for the night. I was honestly already a fan during the poppy part of their set, and I should mention that while poppy it's also very aggressive -- I literally entered to see a snare knocked over midsong. But then the band suddenly changed singers and turned into a hardcore group -- the fun kind of hardcore. While it wasn't the first time I saw hardcore performed by a someone wearing a dress, I use that imagery to establish a mood. This was not a macho, do The Gorilla set at all. It had all the energy of a basement show and it felt exactly like one in the dimly lit (impossible for me to photograph) University Club. They are a young, hungry band and it shows. Energy and positive vibes are contagious and they are what the world needs right now more than ever.
FEST 24 featured many Todd Congelliere bands, from Toys That Kill to Underground Railroad to Candyland to F.Y.P. All are great bands I adore, but I've seen them all and written about them before. I was most excited to see Jumpstarted Plowhards, which features the great Mike Watt on bass. They played as a trio at The Backyard and, from the back of the room, there was something of a hush when they started to play. We couldn't see Watt and were curious what was happening. Moving closer, of course, it all came together as the 68 year-old was seated for the set, playing in tandem with drummer Jimmy Felix with a contagious grin on his face for the whole set. Watching his fingerwork losing myself to the rhythms of the band was a uniquely touching experience that, much like Kitty Kitty Meow Meow above, showcases how universal live music can be whether it's your first time at a festival or your hundredth time. While Jumpstarted Plowhards are largely about their rhythm section, it's also fun to see Congelliere play in a different styled band. I had to limit my photos here, but watching Watt and Congelliere bump elbows as they departed the stage is hard to put into words. It was an expression of pure joy in the moment and a fitting wrap to a long weekend (though I did see two more bands after -- including F.Y.P, who were great as ever).
Random awards of the day
- Best chill vibes: Drag The River
- Biggest whoa: Kitty Kitty Meow Meow
- Favorite new discovery: Justin Francis / Bat Boy
- Most positive vibes: Middle-Aged Queers
- Oops, I missed it: Sparta
Is that a wrap?
Fest is an experience for sure. I saw at least 30 hours of live music (underestimating) over four days and walked several miles. I caught up with old friends. I shared lodging with friends I met at Fest. I made new friends, exchanged contact info, talked to artists, got hit with thrown inflatable basketballs and endless Halloween candy, and had a bunch of PBRs too. I laughed, I cried, I talked about creative collaborations and I lost myself in the moment repeatedly. It's about the music. It's about the community. It's a moment to put the world on pause, put in some ear plugs, and let yourself go.
I saw a lot of long-time favorites, discovered new music, and during one 10-minute, 3 block walk I literally left the intriguing Octopoulpe show, saw 3 songs of Justin Francis that made me pause everything, then discovered Kitty Kitty Meow Meow. And I missed seeing Sweet Gloom at that same moment.
There is so much good music.
It was a great time as always. I've never been disappointed, except in myself for missing bands, and I will be back again. Next year marks 25 Fests. It's crazy when you think about it. But, when you go there frequently, it just makes sense. Don't take the good things in life for granted. Embrace the moment and find connection
Bands I saw (listing likely incomplete):
Thursday: Bat Boy, Don't Panic, Human Issue, Suck Brick Kid, Arcadia Gray, Reconciler, Debt Neglector, The Dreaded Laramie, Raging Nathans, Too Many Daves, Quit, HLLYH, Gully Boys, Horace Pinker, Tired Radio, Feversleep, Five Hundred Bucks
FEST 24: Slingshot Dakota, Five Hundred Bucks, Ghost Rat, Tired Radio, MakeWar, Wolf-Face, Home Front, The Flatliners, Cape Crush, The Bollweevils, Toys That Kill, Pulley, Pressure Set, SPELLS, Bad Bad Things, Big Sad, PUP, The Tim Version, Panthro U.K. United 13, Bouncing Souls, Wolf-Face (Does Andrew W.K.), Sam Russo, Houseghost, Black Guy Fawkes, Brightr, Davey Tiltwheel, Sawpaw, Middle-Aged Queers, Blind Adam and the Federal League, Shehehe, Bat Boy, Christy Costello & The CC Club, Tim Barry, Flying Raccoon Suit, Drag The River, Too Many Daves, Octopoulpe, Jonathan Francis, Kitty Kitty Meow Meow, Bouncing Souls, Flagman, Jumpstarted Plowhards, Tiltwheel, F.Y.P
