At Least There’s Fest

Joining the show today we have Jordan Hill from Hell Beach returning to the those and he brought along his good friend Devon Kay of Devon Kay and the Solutions as well as Direct Hit! Jordan and Devon both fill us on what they have been up to with their projects as well as giving us some hints of what may lay ahead (new music!). We also discuss the ups and downs of touring and how you find the rights bands with which to hit the road. To that end, Devon and Jordan will be touring together starting this weekend at Stoop Fest in Lansing, MI as both of their bands travel to Pouzza Fest. You can find their full schedule of stops on their socials, and both bands put on a terrific live show. If you cannot make to any of those shows, I do have some good news: Hell Beach is playing Fest 24! **Itsa Coookie on Instagram** **Theme song "The Walk to Heartwood" by Jukebox Romantics**

Hello and welcome back to At Least There's Fest! Joining us on the program today is Tony Truzzolino from the New York band, Tired Radio. Tired Radio was just announced on that first Fest 24 lineup drop and they will be returning to play Fest for a fourth straight year. We are psyched to have them on the pod and back in Gainesville. Tony tells us about their brand of "bummer punk" and how it is helpful to him and how we can all use music to help us navigate the murky waters of life. He also talks about the origins of Tired Radio and how it shifted from a solo project to the terrific full-band sound we hear now on the records and at shows. We also dig into the importance of establishing real connections with those around us. Tony talks about how vital this is in building our community and getting a band started. This is a necessary step in being in a band and being a human and it cannot be faked. We all smell it when it's fake. You can catch Tired Radio at Fest 24 this fall and you can follow them at all of the familiar places. ***Check out Itsa Cookie Bakery on Instagram***

Happy Fest lineup day! We are thrilled to celebrate this joyous occasion with a special Friday episode with a band that will be playing Fest 24, marking their fifth time making the trip to Gainesville, The Bollweevils! Dr. Daryl Wilson fronts the band and was kind enough to treat Mark and Blake to over an hour of punk history, the growth/pause/continuation of The Bollweevils and much more. Daryl talks about the importance of Naked Raygun, growing up going to shows and finding community, why he became a doctor, juggling your passions, and how we were are all in this thing to help each other out. It's really a fun conversation. We also talk about his new band, Pressure Set and how a guy with a family, a job, and a band, juggles all of this and starts a NEW band. You honestly get more energy just by talking to the guy. Good stuff. You can see The Bollweevils at FEST 24 and look for remastered stuff from them along with new music from Pressure Set. ***Check out Itsa Cookie Bakery on Instagram***

If you like hearing podcast hosts stumble through being starstruck then this is the episode for you! Joining Mark and Blake for this one is Greg Barnett of The Menzingers. The Scranton, PA band has been active for over TWENTY years now which is just as wild to you as it is to Greg. We talk about the bands long history and how they keep churning out strong record after strong record. We dig into the bands early years, moving from Scranton to Philly, touring constantly, band dynamics, signing to Epitaph, and what the future holds for the band. If you want to hear about NEW MENZINGERS MUSIC, you'll want to listen to this one. Most importantly, we spend a LOT of time talking about Fest. The Menzingers are among the all-time leaders in most Fests played (trust me, I counted) and we play a fun game of lightening round questions, where Greg shares a ton of really good Fest stories. It's honestly, just the most fun. The Menzingers are going to be busy in the coming months, so keep an eye on all of their socials for news on all that good stuff. ***Check out Itsa Cookie Bakery on Instagram***

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.