And, because The Fest can't be summed up by just one person, I reached out to several performers to get their highlights and general feelings. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences!
Tiny Stills
Kailynn West
Our favorite thing about FEST is that you're greeted with no judgement, lots of love, and can make a million friends. We played 15 shows in tons of cities on the tour down to FEST this year with our friends Devon Kay and the Solutions and Youth League and got to meet amazing people and pets on the way. Our set at Loosey's was packed and full of people singing and it was so fun. Later that night we saw Piebald at Downtown Fats with our friends from Devon Kay playing horns in that set, hugged Stuart (holy fuck), cried to the Sonder Bombs, got bodied in the Menzingers' pit in a bad way and then sat down and chatted up Banana Suit Guy. The final highlight was watching Odd Robot play "Schadenfreude," a song we covered on a split with them in 2019. [It] was amazing because we got to throw our arms around each other and sing it right back to them. FEST was full of highs, and now that we're home, we're coming down and we miss every second.
Mustard Plug
David Kirchgessner
We played our first FEST back in 2012 and have been coming back almost every year since. We had been hearing about FEST from our buds in North Lincoln for years, but we had a little hesitation in playing it. Part of that was just because of Halloween conflicts, but part of that was we weren’t sure how we’d be treated or received. Despite growing up in the punk/HC scene, we played a fair share of so called “punk” fest/tours that had a bit of a frat boy vibe. Fortunately we soon realized that FEST was the opposite of that. In those early years of us playing FEST, it felt like we were the only ska band playing, however we still felt totally accepted and appreciated. It’s inspiring to spend three days with people who share our views on DIY and inclusivity. In a lot of ways it’s more important than the music itself. Over the last couple years there have been way more ska bands added to FEST. I have to admit, I kind of miss being the oddball band. FEST was like our little secret in the ska world. That said, all the new bands are bringing new energy and ideas and it’s making me love FEST even more. After a couple years of Covid, this year’s FEST finally felt back to normal: a big, fun, punk rock family reunion weekend. We can’t wait to do it again!
Scowl
Bailey Lupo
The Fest is something I’ve wanted to attend since I was in middle school. My best friend Jason told me about it way back then before we ever started our first band together. Getting to see Hot Water Music in their hometown of Gainesville was definitely a very special experience. Getting to play with such incredible and legendary bands was an honor. It was my first time finally seeing the Menzingers which was extremely special -- also that Rancid cover blew me away. Suzie True was my favorite set of the Fest and it was great catching up with very old friends like Jaake Margo (Sweet Gloom) and Russ Wood (Eichlers). Also really want to shout out Restraining Order for touring down the East Coast with us to Fest and all the other sick hardcore bands we played with at the after show that evening -- PEZ, Ideation, The Caution Children. We definitely would love to come back again next year and hopefully spend much more time in Gainesville that week!
Middle-Aged Queers
Shaun
It was Middle-Aged Queers' first time at FEST, but we are certainly no strangers to the people and bands of this annual gathering!
Our dear friend Scott Healy of American Steel recently moved to Florida and joined us on drums for a cover of Operation Ivy's "Sleep Long." While this was a planned guest appearance, it quickly became so much more! Several Bay Area punks taking the microphone: Jen and Matt from the Hammerbombs, Stevie from Sarchasm, and Adam of Omnigone all helped us belt out a tune from a hometown band synonymous with our hometown club of 924 Gilman Street.
Here's a pretty low-quality video of the madness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grz_mxSIDpY
Broadway Calls
Ty
One of the coolest parts about Fest has always been stumbling across great bands I previously had no familiarity with. On Sunday I ran into my buddy Squid, who drums for Elway, and he told me he was in town drumming for a band called Five Hundred Bucks. Holy shit, they rule. Like a mix between Green Day and the Replacements. Check them out.
Billy Liar
Fest 20 always feels like a family reunion to me -- so many friends from all over the world wreaking well-meaning havoc across one town for one weekend, but this year was even more special due to the fact that I hadn't done it in a while. I wasn't able to make it over for Fest last year due to travel restrictions, and no one was the year before that, where I played "The Fest That Never Was" online from my living room, that is until my elderly neighbours banged on my ceiling (their floor) with presumably a mop or a broomstick. It was late with the time difference. I'm sorry, neighbours.
My first Fest full band set was at Loosey's back in 2015 and it was really nice to be back there. When we played this year, my dear friend (and often collaborator) Joe McMahon from Smoke Or Fire joined us on stage with what felt like the whole crowd singing along and that was one of my favourite shows I have ever played.
Fest felt like a dream this year, as it always does. Thanks for everything Fest friends. Hope to see you next year.
Radon
Dave Rohm
3 things stood out.
Friday night was Trash the Rental at Vecinos -- they remind me of old school Gville southern punk with metal influence. Loved it.
Sat. night was Rancho la Chua outside playing Pogues covers. Perfect for Fest and the people were loving it. Really brought the crowd together.
And then after two days of punk, Sunday morning's first show was psychedelic band Zeta outside in the Plaza. Reminded me of the Brazilian Music Ensemble that we played with in the '90s. It was great to wake up and hear a different rhythm and a lot of drumming first thing in the morning.
Sarchasm
Stevie Campos-Seligman
One of my favorite experiences of Fest this year happened the night before Fest had even begun, at the Smartpunk Records Gainesville Pre-Fest. A group of nice people near All Star Pizza offered us free pizza and beer because they had apparently ordered too much of both. We all introduced ourselves and we learned that some of them were in a band from Costa Rica called La Versión Extendida de las Cosas (The Extended Version of Things), but were coming to Fest solely as audience members this year. Their band is sick, shoutout to them! It felt like the most pop punk thing ever -- getting free pizza and making new friends after you've left your town for Fest.
