Feature / Music
Pre-gaming For The Fest

Words: Scottie • Posted pre-2010

Chris Farren (Fake Problems)

Scene Point Blank: How many times has the band played The Fest?

Chris Farren: This will be our second time playing The Fest. I've also heard some talk that if you play twice in a row you can't play a third, like you have to take a year off or something? I hope not, but if that is the case, we're just going to break up and start a new band with all the same members so we can play again.

Scene Point Blank: Seeing how The Fest was dubbed the pinnacle of beard rock, which bands playing do you think have the best bearded members? Do you have suggestions or requests for facial hair at this year's The Fest?

Chris Farren: I know for a fact that Matt Agrella from Look Mexico has the most righteous beard any man could ever aspire to have. Maybe the god of facial hair will grant some Fake Problems members the ability to grow magnificent thick flowing beards.

Scene Point Blank: What have been some of the high and low points of previous The Fests?

Chris Farren: Well, first and foremost, playing The Fest last year was definitely one of the highlights of our year. It was the best response we'd ever gotten anywhere. I didn't really know people liked us until then, so that was incredible. Last year we all had a lot of fun watching None More Black, Lawrence Arms, Velveteen Pink, Minus the Bear, The Ergs, Latterman, and I'm sure so many more that I'm forgetting.

Scene Point Blank: What bands are you most psyched to see at this year's The Fest?

Chris Farren: We're pretty stoked on playing with Gaslight Anthem and Look Mexico, and then I think we'll all be out to see Smoke or Fire, The Draft, The Falcon, Hour of the Wolf, Modern Life is War, Avail, Matt & Kim, Clorox Girls, etc.

Scene Point Blank: What are you most looking forward to aside from seeing other bands at this year's The Fest?

Chris Farren: The life experiences and lessons that Tony teaches us every year at October's end.

Scene Point Blank: For all the first timers do you have any advice before attending The Fest this year or any suggestions for things to check out in the off time?

Chris Farren: Make sure you know where you're sleeping, don't be a jerk, have fun, get crazy, and eat at Flaco's in Gainesville. It's really really good.

Related features

Shrapnel Pop #1

Regular Columns / Shrapnel Pop • September 19, 2026

I was about 4 years old and in preschool. It was a “meet and greet” day and my dad took me. This was exciting, because I adored him and thought he was basically the coolest person on earth. I marched in, dragging him along behind me, and approached my teacher. … Read more

Vivabeat

Interviews • September 6, 2026

LA’s Art-Punk Pioneers Who Bridged Continents and Genres In 1978, Vivabeat emerged from Los Angeles with a sound that defied easy categorization. As I spoke with Marina and Mick years later, it became clear that this was a band always slightly out of step with the local scene -- East … Read more

Lethal Limits

Music Therapy

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • September 5, 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

UK Subs

Interviews • August 23, 2026

50 Years of Chaos: Charlie Harper and the U.K. Subs More than five decades after the first sparks of punk lit up the U.K., Charlie Harper remains one of its most enduring figures. As the driving force behind U.K. Subs, Harper has seen entire scenes rise, fracture, and reinvent themselves … Read more

Commerce or Amusement? #2

Green Noise Records

Regular Columns / Commerce or Amusement? • August 22, 2026

Are You In The Music Business? Or Just Involved In Music? Interview Series #2. Featuring Martin Winch of Green Noise Records CC: Howdy Winch! Could you start off by telling the readers a little bit about yourself and Green Noise Records? How did you come to acquire it and what … Read more

More from this section

Anathema Editions

Music / History 101 • August 11, 2026

Did you know it’s been 10 years since Anathema Editions put out its first release? To make the moment, we reached out to founder Terence Hannum to share some label history. In keeping with our “History 101” concept, SPB asked for anecdotes about 4 of the label’s releases and then … Read more

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2026)

Music • July 13, 2026

That's right: we're halfway through 2026 already, although whether that means this year is a glass-half-empty or glass-half-full kind of year... well, the jury's out. But we'll let you know in December. Despite another six months of chaos, war, conflict and uncertainty, one thing in life remains static and reliable: … Read more

Demos You Want To Check #4

Music / New Kids On The Block • July 7, 2026

The musical landscape is ever changing. New genres are popping up, new hypes burst out of nowhere and die out and new bands present themselves to the world. How on earth are you expected to keep up, right? Well, it never hurts to help! So here we are, your humble … Read more