At Least There’s Fest

76:15

81: Dr. Daryl Wilson of The Bollweevils

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/04/17

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

en

51:20

80: Miranda Jayne (Fest Photo Team)

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/04/13

Here we are folks, it is Fest Lineup Week! On Friday we will find out a good chunk of the bands playing Fest 24. Before we get there though we are pleased to welcome Miranda Jayne to the podcast. Miranda has been a member of the Fest Photo Team for the past decade. We talk about getting into photography, the joy/danger/thrill of shooting hardcore shows, learning from those around you, developing your craft and much more. In addition to talking about shooting Fest, we also discuss Miranda's "Florida

en

56:40

79: Greg Barnett of The Menzingers

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/04/06

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

en

87:45

78: Tony Weinbender of The Fest

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/30

HUGE SHOW ALERT! Joining Mark and Blake for this one is Tony Weinbender, Fest found and godfather of ceremonies.Tony shares his journey through music that led him to start Fest way back in 2002. We discuss how Fest went from humble beginnings the the monster festival it is each and every fall, all while staying fiercely independent and truly one of a kind. We talk about what makes Fest unique and important for all of us and exactly how much work it takes to put this thing together. Unsurprisingly,

en

45:34

77: Michael J. Wolf of Wolf-Face

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/26

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

en

58:39

76: Dead Bars and Back Teeth

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/23

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

en

57:57

75: Uncle Peckerhead

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/16

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

en

50:36

74: Christopher Chaisson of Hedge

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/12

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

en

42:06

73: Couch Potato Massacre

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/09

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

en

37:16

72: Borderlines

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/03/02

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

en

42:59

71: Mynor Gonzalez of The Grool Brothers

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/02/23

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

en

50:28

70: Danny Lore (Against All Authority/The Valterra...

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/02/16

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

en

50:42

69: 40 Reps

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/02/12

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

en

51:40

68: James Scott (Photographer)

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/02/09

**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

en

78:05

67: Tsunami Bomb

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/02/02

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

en

46:14

66: Matt Stacks of Bong Mountain

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/01/26

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

en

46:42

65: Jordan Hill of Hell Beach

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/01/19

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

en

61:18

64: Nat Lacuna of The Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/01/12

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

en

61:58

63: Mike Natoli of Timeshares

At Least There’s Fest ·

2026/01/05

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

en

52:26

62: Jared Knapik

At Least There’s Fest ·

2025/12/29

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

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

The Vinyl Guide

At Least There’s Fest

ALTF

Music of America Podcast

Tom Pollard

America’s Dance 30 w/ Brian Fink

Brian Fink

Unforgettable Hits

John Crawley