A lot has changed since The Fest began, way back in 2002. And while The Fest has evolved in that time, it remains focused on an independent, community experience as much as a showcase for live music. And, naturally, it's going to be impossible to express the comprehensive experience of the 20th iteration of a festival, not to mention one with 200 or so bands.
One notable change at Fest 20 is that the venues are more centrally located than ever. While I used to spend half my time on University Avenue, most venues now are all within 5 minutes, 10 max, of Bo Diddley Plaza (aka the mainstage). It's easier than ever to venue hop mid-set, and you can enjoy whoever is playing the mainstage from almost any point outside, which makes dining and getting off your feet for an hour easier than ever.
Friday
This was my first year at the new registration site: Boxcar Beer and Wine Garden. The line seemed to flow better and it didn't disrupt the flea market as much, though the booths still didn't have much elblow room. But the lakeside location is a chill spot to get the party started and it helped to get the lay of the land, being located across the street from Heartwood Soundstage, one of the less centralized venues.
This would be way too long if I went into depth on each set, so I won't include everything I saw. Playing early, Moonraker were a group I was excited to see, as The Forest is likely to be a top record for me this year. The sound was a bit off, but the passion behind the songs was on full display. It was nice to see smiling musicians in contrast to some pretty heavyhanded, personal lyrics. Maxwell Sterrn was next. The Signals Midwest frontman was passionate and on point. Let’s just say he wore the only Neil Young shirt I spotted in the crowd over the weekend and it’s a fitting metaphor for his more classic folk-rock influenced solo material that offers something a little different than the punk focus of most Fest bands.
After that, I mostly camped out at High Dive for the night. SPELLS continue to impress. I liked them a few years ago when I discovered the group (also at Fest, also at High Dive), but they’ve upped the entertainment value while also delivering a near-flawless set. The dual singers pace and dance on the floor, dressed in glitter vests that feel straight out of Blades of Glory, with strong vocals and crowd participation that builds to the full band hitting the floor joined by audience drum-alongs. Shehehe converted me next. I didn’t know the band well, but it was a powerful set and they’re on my shortlist of bands to add to my shopping list post-Fest. Then I went for a twofer, catching the first part of The Ergs! at Bo Diddley Plaza. The Ergs! are an old standby and I have yet to be disappointed. While the band isn’t very active, they’re always tight. I’d rather see them in a smaller room, but that’s the case for 99 out of 100 shows. While their general poppy sound feels sunny, there’s something underlying their music that belongs in a dingy club (or basement). It was fun, but a little "too big" in my humble opinion. Afterward, I ran back to High Dive for the rest of evening. DFMK are one of the better live bands going, with Mr. Cap always putting on a show, stealing the show as the rest of the band plays furious-meets-energetic rock ‘n’ roll. I had to eat, which caused me to miss a chunk of The Eradicator’s set next, but it was super energetic when I got back into the room, with a packed house for the squashpunk’s final Fest performance.
I won’t lie, in that travel and a full day were catching up with me and I had a lot more bands ahead. So the rest of the evening was a bit more low key and observational from the back of the room as Dead Bars played their unique version of classic rock meets drunk punk. They seem to be growing in more of a Tom Petty direction with their newer material. The show itself was tight, with John’s frontman antics seemingly inspired by the Andrew WK, we’re-all-in-this-together style of connection with the audience. They also played the 7-minute “Dream Gig,” which amused me with its lyrics about playing with the Bouncing Souls while, two blocks away, that band ran a competing set.
Following, Meat Wave was a definite change of direction. The 3-piece’s tight musicianship and angry, more technical post-punk switched the mood in the room: less anthemic and more intense, the band always impresses live and while a musical changeup, Meat Wave is heavy and arty, yet unique and DIY enough to fit on many different bills, including this one, and I recommend them strongly. Then came the final two bands of Night 1. The Dopamines entered in color-coded ski masks, insisting they were Masked Intruder while, erm, not behaving as such. The Dopamines are from my “first wave” of Fests, and they fit that mold of debaucherous, drunken and sloppy revelry. The crowd is so active and singing along so much that you don’t really care when the band misses a note. Add in clever commentary and it’s a winning late night formula. Finally, F.Y.P came out, noting it was past their bedtime which is both in tune with some of their playground-themed songs, but also fitting because many in the crowd were ready to call it a night at 2am. The band hasn’t been active for close to 20 years, but as it was always Todd Congelliere’s project, revivals and reunions make sense. And ripping through a variety of their classics reminded me how fast that band played, which I'd kinda forgotten, as well as how timeless and fun it is. The evolution of Congelliere’s bands has been so gradual, it’s striking when the band ripped into those fast and furious first notes.
Saturday
Saturday offered fewer schedule conflicts and a few openings to check out new bands which, honestly, is one of my favorite things to do at Fest. The small venues are more unique and the vibe makes up for a lack of familiarity. It’s also a chill way to get going as the day builds momentum. I started at Palomino, a venue that’s grown on me over the years, to see Celebration Summer. I found their debut record to be a little middling, but it was a potent live set that has me more interested in the group and I get their vibe a little better now. Following, I crossed downtown to Heartwood, set in a an open market complex near registration. The setting is unique and it feels like its own mini-Fest, with a midsize capacity that's kind of tucked away in its own world. My only knock is probably weather related and out of their control. The straw on the ground up front, covering the dusty soil, gave some farm vibes (and smells) that I wasn’t digging. Anyway, I stayed to watch Pkew Pkew Pkew, who played a mix of their old and upbeat songs side-by-side with their newer, more contemplative indie punk. It was a good mix of energy and it fit the venue’s more spread out, relaxed vibe perfectly. I ran back to Palomino to catch Latewaves, honestly just because I was intrigued by their merch/art. It was a nice, tight set, en route to see The Suicide Machines for the first time in probably 20 years. And they didn’t disappoint either, taking me back to my youth while the band joked that they were only going to play new songs. The band dressed as “the scariest thing they could think of” for Halloween: police. I was venue-hopping a lot early in the day, and next I hit Vecino’s for the last half of Church Girls. Tight and melodic, I plan to dig deeper into the band’s catalog after a captivating few songs before I turned around and went back to see another Philadelphia band, though wildly different in style.
The look on Dan Yemin’s face in the photos below probably says as much about the power of a Paint It Black set as I can say with words. It’s just pure and raw. While the band isn’t very active nowadays, it proved how timeless their sound is. Sticking with my contrasting sounds theme, next I finally caught Black Dots live, who play sort of an indie-punk thing that's super peppy, before going to see a rare (for me, anyway) Mikey Erg with full band show. It lived up to his Love at Leeds record from earlier this year, more steeped in feedback-friendly ‘90s rock with those pop-punk Ergy moments.
For all the shows I’ve been to, I’ve somehow only seen The Bouncing Souls once or twice, even though Manianical Laughter and the follow-up self-titled records were a big part of my formative years. Saturday's show, their second of the weekend, included a diverse mix from their catalog, including a couple of deep cuts like “Shark Attack.” They have a really unique stage precense that takes me back to the ‘90s, with Greg Attonito sort of calmly pacing as he sings. And, of course, I have to talk about the set closer, "True Believers," which brought the full Hot Water Music cast to the stage to share vocals. If you want to hear a familiar song take a new turn, replace Attonito with Chuck Ragan.
After the Souls it was time to recharge. I caught a few acoustic songs from two-thirds of Sarchasm, then the end of Worlds Greatest Dad who struck a chord. This is another “look ‘em up” band, because the set was a mix of emotionally charged punk meeting classic guitar rock and, considering that the vocalist was on cold medication and still killing it tells me a lot about how powerful their sound must be in full health. I stuck around Loosey’s to see and meet The Gloomy June (covered in SPB earlier this year), whose sythny/laptop vibes gave some new life to the party, then circled back to Bo Diddley Plaza to see Hot Water Music taking the stage for themselves. They’re a band who I’ve always liked on record, but live is a new level. The passion is a big part of it, which you can see in Ragan's neck veins when he's at the mic, trading off with Chris Cresswell song by song. Seeing it on their hometown stage added some more authenticity to an already moving set.
And then it was time to wrap up the night, this time at The Wooly. The Wooly has good sound but it lacks a little in atmosphere, as the layout kind of cuts off the energy. Anyway, Underground Railroad To Candyland returning to action was a highlight and it seemed tighter than ever, with a livelier audience too. I think one of the last time’s I saw the band was at a Fest where The Wooly was in its infancy (as The Top). This time around, clad in nylon masks, the costumed band ripped through their pogopunk with the dual live drummers deservedly stealing the show. The band is made for events like this and it was a peak moment. But it wasn’t the end of the night. Sure, I ended up skipping Dopamines (because I saw them Friday) and went to bed. But first I saw Heart & Lung live for the first time. The young band brings the energy, playing off each other more than off the crowd who, in turn, feeds off their melodic but meaningful singalong punk.
Sunday
It’s important to pace yourself at Fest. It’s just…so many bands and so much time on your feet. Good times, 100%. But by the time Sunday hits you feel different. I took it a little slower to get going on Sunday this year, casually checking out some new bands to start and trying to limit the half sets and venue-hopping, to some degree. I started at Supertwin, knowing nothing about the band. And I came away surprised in a good way. They play technical post-punkish stuff, or that’s how I took it in, on the heavier side. The dual drummers hold it together, merging with some serious guitar pedal action. Recommended. With back to back Florida bands, I watched PeZ next. They were way heavier than I was expecting, likely confusing ‘em with someone else from back in the day. Anyway, it was also powerful stuff, though a little less my jam. We’re talking intense, clenched fist hardcore with metallic flourishes. Then I crossed the road to see Minneapolis Americana rockers The Right Here. Sure, they look like they belong in a dingy bar with country twang on the radio, but there’s DIY crossover in the song structures and melodies, and it comes across even more live when you see the musicians line up at the microphones, coming together in unison.
Crossing downtown again -- a 5 minute walk -- I went to see another new band, Middle-Aged Queers. It’s tough to sum up it up in just a few words, but Middle-Aged Queers deliver in all the right ways. First, it’s energetic and lively, with a bubble machine, bright colors and positive energy. But it’s also politically minded, with a pre-Fest interview noting a goal to “get some cis-hets to squirm a little”. So there was also some debauchery, to keep you in suspense. Finally, it closed with some instrument changes and the full band, plus 3 or 4 former Gilman Street volunteers sharing the microphone on a cover of “Sleep Long” by Op Ivy. A perfect transition from afternoon to evening, with the next sets moving outside to The Backyard, where City Mouse wowed me as always, then The Raging Nathans took the stage and showed their fine-tuned road machine with a set that pulled from their many recent releases, before I made one last trip to the mainstage to see the reunited Avail.
I last saw Avail at, I think, The Fest 7. Maybe it was 6. Avail holds a special place in my heart that’s hard to explain, other than to say they’ve always been a live band first. So how would 15-ish years change that? It was clear right away that it hadn’t. Before they played, though, I should note that Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry took the stage to present Fest founder Tony with a lifetime achievement award, of sorts. It was touching as they talked about intertwined personal histories, in part because it highlighted that everyone in the crowd had a similar history of coming to support similar bands and scenes for the past 20 years. That theme would continue between songs. But for the most part, Avail dove straight into the hits, pulling from their full catalog with about 50-minutes to work with. I only watched a few full sets at Bo Diddley Plaza over the weekend as I get antsy in the big venues. But I was pulled in and singing along for the whole Avail set. It certainly rekindled some old emotions from years past, but it never felt nostalgic. It was potent and present. Whenever people asked who I was at Fest to see, they topped the list. After Fest, they top the list of best sets I saw too.
It was time to grab some food, then catch the last wave of bands. I went to see Toys That Kill, only my second time in Vivid Music Hall all weekend. They killed it as always, with a set pulling from more early material than I was expecting. While I enjoy all of Todd’s bands, TTK is special because of Sean Cole's co-writing. The two musicians just play off each other so well. I stuck around Vivid for one more band, my first time seeing long-running Chicago punks, The Bollweevils. This was another powerful set and some of the highest energy of the weekend, with Darryl frequently engaging the front of the room and sharing the microphone, in addition to his acrobatics on stage. He also gave a noteworthy nod to the late D.H. Peligro and the importance of representation in the scene.
As I said earlier, 4 days of live music is a lot, so while I wanted to see Clown Sounds, instead I opted to have a snack and a cocktail at Boca Fiesta, adjacent to the outdoor stage where they were playing. After the break, I was back on my feet to watch a fitting close to The Fest 20: the two bands who have played all twenty. Gainesville’s Nomore play peppy pop-punk that’s easy to bounce to and is a good fit to recharge your late night battery. Then came Tiltwheel to close it down. After a health scare last year, lead man Davey was back on stage to share his hard knock take on coping with life’s struggles. The setlist featured a balance from their catalog, leaning toward the faster songs with a lot of crowd participation in a way that’s only fitting for Tiltwheel, who essentially called Gainesville a second home before kicking off with “All I Care About Is Me, My Rum and You."
That was it. The Fest 20 was in the books.
Until Davey said, “And now my other band, DFMK, will play a few songs.”
There was still time on the clock and everything was set up, so the Tijuana rockers quickly gave us another 10 minutes that felt like the perfect end to the party. The normally tight band was sloppy and lost in the moment, just like everyone else still standing after approximately 40 hours of live music.
The aftermath
So how do I summarize seeing 50-some bands in an extended weekend, especially after the lack of live shows I’ve seen since COVID hit?
It felt right. It felt like home. It felt like The Fest. Sure, there’s a special anniversary with this one. But they never let it feel like nostalgia for the past or a legacy performance in any way. The Fest is about the community and the scene first, and that’s by design. There were acknowledgements of the milestone, but this isn’t a bunch of old people getting the band back together. Many bands played for the first time. Many of the bands to play at Fest 20 hadn’t been there in years, and some are noting that Fest 20 will be their last, because they have their own chapters to close. The scene is constantly evolving and The Fest is too.
Highlights: SPELLS, DFMK, Underground Railroad To Candyland, The Bollweevils
Bands I Discovered: Shehehe, Church Girls, Worlds Greatest Dad
Legacy Highlights: F.Y.P, The Bouncing Souls, Avail
My full list: Love Kills Joy, Moonraker, Maxwell Stern, SPELLS, Shehehe, The Ergs!, DFMK, The Eradicator, Dead Bars, Meat Wave, The Dopamines, F.Y.P, Celebration Summer, Pkew Pkew, Pkew, Latewaves, The Suicide Machines, Church Girls, Paint It Black, BlackDots, Mikey Erg (full band), The Bouncing Souls, Sarchasm (acoustic), Worlds Greatest Dad, Gloomy June, Hot Water Music, The Underground Railroad to Candyland, Heart & Lung, Supertwin, PeZ, The Right Here, Wolf-Face, Middle-Aged Queers, City Mouse, The Raging Nathans, Avail, Toys That Kill, The Bollweevils, Clown Sounds, Nomore, Tiltwheel, DFMK
