At Least There’s Fest

We're only three weeks and change from our first Fest lineup reveal! What better way to get fully jacked than by checking in with the world's most humble and gracious werewolf, Michael J Wolf. Michael has been fronting the Florida punk band since it's inception 15 years ago and the band has been absolutely crushing it ever since. They do not hold back and have set their lasers on everyone from Jason Bateman and Lars Ulrich to Hollywood and the great entertainment establishment. Wolf-Face has been a fixture at Fest for the last decade and their live show has reached a legendary status. If you are unfamiliar with the band and their story then this is the episode for you. Michael shares the humble beginnings of the band and how they've since gone on to dominate Fest and shares stages with the likes of Streetlight Manifesto and Explosions in the Sky.

We are out of control over here at ALTF as we welcome in not one, but TWO bands for this episode. We are joined today by Jon Oddo of Dead Bars and Lewis Bloor of Back Teeth.  The bands are about to hit the road together in the UK for short tour across the country. We talk about how this tour came together, how drunken meet ups at Fest can lead to international travel plans, the magic of Fest, and much much more. Back Teeth are supporting their EXCELLENT full length record, Ultimate Warrior. Dead Bars is coming off of a terrific 2025 release of their own in All Dead Bars Go to Heaven. However, they also just released a new single and video for their song "You Look Like a Smoker", it's another classic Dead Bars banger. Check out both bands together if you are in the UK and look for them both as they continue the grind throughout 2026. They rule.

ALERT ALERT! Very fun show today as we are joined by Matthew John Lawrence, David Littleton, and Jeff Riddle from the cult classic film, Uncle Peckerhead! Mark and Blake dig into how the movie was written and created, how it was scored, the importance of making a real band make REAL music for the movie, the importance of getting the casting exactly right, and why have a "no assholes" rule is the key to success for just about everything. The cast and crew of Uncle Peckerhead are celebrating the 5th anniversary of the film with three shows this weekend on the east coast, go check that out! There will a Q/A with the team, a showing of the flim, and a live show from ALTF legends, Five Hundred Bucks (DUH). These shows are going to be outstanding. They're releasing some very cool merch for these events. Whenever it posts, you can find it here.

Greetings and welcome back to another episode of At Least There's Fest! Joining us today is Christopher Chaisson of Hedge. The Worscester, MA band has a new EP out on March 27 via Best Brother Records, and Christopher is here to tell us all about it. We discuss the history of the band, the importance of Dinosaur Jr, touring, writing new music and much more. We discuss what Fest was like over a decade ago when he played with a different band AND Mark and Blake even try to convince him to fill out a Fest application for Fest 24. Tune in to see if we made it happen. You can check out Hedge over at Bandcamp and all of the other streaming spots. You can also pre-order the new record right on Bandcamp. You can catch Hedge out on the east coast this spring.

Minneapolis-based band Couch Potato Massacre creates punk music inspired by movies, TV shows, and personal experiences. With over 100 songs in their catalog, Paul writes lyrics rapidly—often within 20 minutes—while the band performs high-energy shows. They're currently getting set to record new songs and planning some shows for the summer. Their next album MIGHT feature an 1980s theme, and there could even be whispers of a concept album. The band has long attended Fest and they talk about past visits to Gainesville In particular, Paul's Fest 23 was memorable despite a dog bite injury in August, including a surprise performance with Dollar Signs. The band balances their lighthearted project with Paul's involvement in two other bands exploring darker themes. You can find their new single on Bandcamp and streaming platforms.

Welcome back to another episode of At Least Theres' Fest! Joining the show today are Andrew and Mikey from the Portland, Maine band, Borderlines. Borderlines played Fest 11 and didn't play again until Fest 22, that's a lifetime in Fest years. The band talks about what they did in the 11 years between appearances and what it was like to be back. The guys talk about their songwriting processes, what it's like to be a band in Maine, and what they've got in store for all of us in 2026. Check them out on Bandcamp.

Joining Mark and Blake on the podcast today is Mynor Gonzalez from the Chicago-area band, The Grool Brothers.  The band played their first Fest the past fall and we look forward to seeing them at further Fests down the line. Forming a decade ago, the band was slowed by Covid like everyone else, but came back strong with their latest EP, "Ghost in the Radio Waves" in 2024.  Mynor talks about the formation of the group, the changes over the years, and how their sound has evolved and continues to change. Look out for new music and shows from them this year. You can find all of their stuff over at Bandcamp.

Sometimes the stars just align in the podcast universe and you get to talk to someone who has been making terrific music dating back to your youth and this episodes captures one of those moments. Mark and Blake talk with Danny Lore of AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY and THE VALTERRA DRAGONS. We talk about the early days of punk, specifically in South Florida where Danny spent his early years. We walk about how things have changed and how they have stayed the same. Danny crams 40 years of stories into about 45 minutes here and you do not want to skip any of this one. Truly outstanding to talk with him. He also tells us a bit more about his new band, The Valterra Dragons. We talk about the formation of the band and what they've got cooking for 2026 and beyond. You can find new record from them later on from Smarkpunk.

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest and our second episode of the week. Joining Mark and Blake today is the entire crew for 40 Reps! The Richmond, VA band has been at it for awhile now and has played the last two Fests. The band released their debut full length, "Heads Up" at the end of 2023 and it was one of our most listened to albums of 2025. Go check that thing out, it is very strong. The band talks about their formation around Covid, what it's like being a punk band in an established punk location like Richmond, what they've got in the works going forward, and why the love Fest just like all of us.

**We have some mild sound issues on this and the next episode, so I'll put up two episodes this week instead of just the one**   SPECIAL SHOW ALERT! Two firsts on this one: 1. I am joined by my new co-host, Mark! Please join me in welcoming Mark to the At Least There's Fest, make him feel like family. 2. Today we welcome James Scott, the first Fest photographer to join the show. James is based in Jacksonville and has been shooting the Fest for years. We discuss his love of hardcore, how you manage to get the shot AND stay out of the way, and we talk about the logistics of shooting Fest (spoiler alert: It's a lot). You can support his work by swinging by his Instagram (elev8d_view) and by purchasing his Fest photo book. As a proud owner of this book, I can tell you, it makes a great addition to your at-home Fest collection. 

Thank you for listening! Fun show today as we are joined by Andy and Dom from the Bay Area band, Tsunami Bomb. Tsunami Bomb formed last millennium and, a few breaks aside, have consistently been creating and performing their unique style of punk adjacent tunes. Dom, with the band from the beginning, shares the history of the band, which honestly could have been its own episode. He talks about how the band has changed over time in terms of members, styles, and just how touring bands now operate. Andy joined the latest iteration of the band and talks about what it was like to join a "veteran" band and how the band finds joy and fun in what they do now. Dom shares what's next on the horizon for Tsunami Bomb and you know we talk about Fest!

Welcome back! Joining the show today is Matt Stacks from the Michigan band, Bong Moutain. Most Festers are familiar with the band and Matt talks about playing Fest, how it has changed over the years, and why it is always so fun to play. We discuss the bands beginnings, playing with North Lincoln, the story behind their iconic/silly logo, and the challenges and joys of recording their albums live. Matt shares what it was like playing Fest for the first time and how he felt Bong Mountain was received when they first played, seeing D4 at the Florida Theater way back when and a lot more. You can find their music in all of the familiar spots. Support their grind.

Hell Beach's Jordan Hill joins the show today to discuss their extensive pre-Fest tour spanning Arizona to Florida The New Hampshire-based band shares insights into their post-pandemic evolution from studio project to touring act, featuring occult-inspired punk tunes. Jordan reveals their prolific songwriting with 22 demos in progress for a 2026 release, upcoming projects including a vinyl reissue, plus future touring plans through the Midwest and Canada. The conversation highlights FEST's unique community energy and Hell Beach's approach to touring. You can check out their latest album BEACHWORLD in all of the places.

Hello and welcome back to At Least There's Fest! Joining the show today is Nat Lacuna from The Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir and Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave.  Nat and I chat about being an artist in Savannah, touring in the South, and the formation of The Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir. We also get into how the band grew and change over the years, their multiple performances at Fest, and the importance in finding community.  We also talk about Nat's new band, Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave and how the band differs in an important way for from Holy Ghost. We dig into Holy Ghosts farewell show, happening this Saturday in Savannah. It is an absolutely stacked lineup, get to that gig if you can.

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest! Our guest today is Mike Natoli from Timeshares. The band just celebrated the 16 year mark as a group after forming in NY back in 2009. We discuss the bands beginnings there as well as their change from a NY band to a NY and Philly band. We talk about how weather influences what we feel like listening too as well as how Fest has changed since Mike first attended way back at Fest 8. We also talk about how being in a band as you near 40 is different from when you are in your 20s and the bands influences. More than any other guest, Mike also has a TERRIFIC memory of past Fests. He talks about playing at a laser tag building and some of the great shows he has seen over the years.  Timeshares released two new songs around Fest this year, check that out.

Thank you for coming back for our final episode of 2025. Today's guest is Jared Knapik a songwriter from CT. We discuss his musical evolution from childhood influences like Blink-182 and Green Day to his current solo career. Starting with guitar after receiving a bass from his brother, Jared was inspired by Dashboard Confessional's MTV Unplugged to pursue acoustic music. He began releasing original music under his own name in 2011, eventually embracing this identity despite initial regrets. Jared discusses his strategic approach to touring from Connecticut, his preference for quality over quantity in releases, and his collaborative recording process. He's currently working on new material targeting a spring/summer release.

Fun show today on At Least There's Fest as we welcome Cris Redon of Talking Props from Santiago, Chile.  The band has been the literal journey to Fest twice since forming in 2018. Cris talks about the formation of the band, what the punk scene is like in Chile, and how the band has been working hard to make a name for themselves in Santiago and beyond. We talk about how the their full-length "Passive Aggressive" came together and how they hustled to get that album put together and out ahead of a trip to Gainesville. Cris also talks about the bands chance connection with Tony from Fest and how they led to them trying to play Fest the following year. You can check out their music on all streaming platforms and their sole full length "Passive Aggressive" is available on Bandcamp.

Welcome back! Blake and Travis Omilian of Banquets explore the bands triumphant return after a decade-long hiatus with their new album "Petty Relics." Travis shares how the band disbanded in 2016 due to burnout, reformed for Fest in 2020, then pivoted during COVID to create music without pressure. They discuss modern music consumption challenges, the album's introspective themes including personal loss, and Travis's hands-on approach to fan connection through limited-edition releases. We talk about, Fest's evolution, and the band's renewed passion for creating authentic music on their own terms.

Welcome back to the show! Joining me on this episdoe are three members from Sandcrawler. The Gainesville band is no stranger to Fest, but they are a newer band and just played as this group for the first time at Fest 23. We discuss the bands formation, playing past Fests with their other bands, where they draw inspiration, recording, and they even recount some pretty great Fest memories along with their favorites sets from this past year.

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest! TV Cop, an Iowa City punk band, joins the show today. We discuss their first-time experience performing at Fest 23 and the surrounding tour. The band members also share their musical evolution from metal to punk, their DIY recording approach, and how they navigate Iowa's diverse music scene. They outlined future plans including upcoming shows, applying to Fest again next year, and recording their new full-length album "Karate City Bomb Rips." You can check out all of their stuff via Bandcamp, they're a lot of fun.