At Least There’s Fest

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.

Welcome back to ATLF! On today's show I am joined by the Washington DC band, Curse Words. The band has been honing their unique brand of sci-fi infused punk for around a decade and they have new music coming out in 2026. I talk to the band about their formation, their changes, making a video game around an album, new music, touring, and Fest.  The band is currently working on a new album and they will play some shows around that release. Check out their website for more information on all that as well as to try out that video game, it's a good time. 

Fun show today as I am joined by Dana Bollen. Dana does the "Two Weeks Notice" podcast which is excellent. In addition to his own podcasts he is the tour manager and cow bell expert for Piebald. He wears hats for tons of other bands each year. We talk about his unique workload, life on the road, leaving a corporate gig for his current life, what makes Fest specials, and everything in between. Dana is a super nice dude and he has a really unique perspective on our scene. He does a great job of sharing the highs and lows of living life on the road with some of our favorite bands. Dana just wrapped up a weekend at Warped Tour in Orlando, but you can catch up working with Unearth later this month before wrapping up the year doing holiday gigs with Piebald in December. Go say hey if you are at these shows, just a real solid guy. Also, check out "Two Weeks Notice". He often talks to bands while on the road with them and he has some very interesting guests. Check that out.

Greetings and welcome back to another episode of At Least There's Fest! Joining the show this week is Jake LeDrew of the Orlando band, Dial Drive. The group has played the last few Fests and did an Alkaline Trio set this year. Jake and I talk about the formation of the band, traveling to the Arctic Circle, being in a band that strives to tour as much as possible and more. Additionally, Jake discusses ANOTHER Florida Festival, the Florida Underground Festival. FUF brings together nearly 100 bands from Florida and then throws a big party in Sanford the second weekend of January. If you are in FL, get there. If you live up north, escape the snow and the cold and come on down!

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest! I hope everyone had a terrific Fest 23 and is back home safely. Over here, we are already gearing up for Fest 24 and you should get an episode a week until the April lineup announcement when things will kick into a higher gear. While you're here, please rate and review this podcast on the app of your choice and also follow us on Instagram. Our guest for this show is Travis Miles of The Penske File. The Ontario band has played Fest 4 times over the last 10 years and they just released their latest full length "Reprieve" at the beginning of October. Travis talks about what it was like starting out as a band in Canada, coming to Fest, the challenges of touring in the US, what it's like to have three vocalists, the joy of creating something important with your best friends, and much more.

Hello and welcome to our final episode ahead of Fest 23! What better guest to have swing by than the prolific, legendary and all-around great human, Mikey Erg! Fest 23 will be Mikey's 19th fest in 20 years and that is some impressive longevity. In the podcast we talk about all of those Fests, the most sets he ever played in a single Fest (seriously, it'll blow your mind and it honestly seems impossible), the joys and collecting records, and much much more. It is a great conversation, we could have easily filled two hours. You can catch Mikey on Sunday night at Boca Fiesta for his only (!!!) set at Fest this year. Swing by Bandcamp and support his grind.

Fest is almost here! Joining the show to celebrate is Tiff Hannay of the Lansing, MI band Rodeo Boys. The band has played Fest the last two years and will be back again for Fest 23. Tiff talks about the formation of the band, the growing pains of being a songwriter, landing on Don Gionvanni, touring with the Menzingers and Laura Jane Grace, and the joy of seeing yourself in the crowd. Rodeo Boys are touring around Fest with Weakened Friends and are playing on Saturday afternoon at The Wooly. Get in there and have some fun. You can find their latest release over at Bandcamp and all of the other familiar places.