At Least There’s Fest

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.

We're about a week from Fest 23 and we have a fitting guest for the occasion, Mike Terry of The Jukebox Romantics. The New York band has been at it for over 15 years and they've lost count of how many times they have played Fest.
Mike and I talk about the early fluctuation of band members, playing the late night shifts at Fest, their new record, recording a music video is Gainesville and much more.
The bands newest record "This One Looks Cool" is out on Sell The Heart tomorrow (October 17) and they are playing on Saturday night at Loosey's. Check out the album and check them out live. They will likely play their new album closer "The Walk to Heartwood" which is a total force of nature.