At Least There’s Fest – Details, episodes & analysis

Thank you for joining us for the FIRST episode of "At Least There's Fest"! '

Joining the pod on this journey is Jon Lewis of FEST INSTITUTION, The Dopamines. Jon talks about his first Fest (Fest 7) and why their first ever set lasted only 3-4 songs. 

Do the right thing and buy some Dopamines merch from Rad Girlfriend, Anxious and Angry, or Bandcamp. They promise to spend all the money on booze.

Florida's Virginity has been a Fest staple since 2019. Their energetic live show and heart-on-sleeve lyrics are always a hit. Their new EP "Fidelity Castro" is out now and they MIGHT have some new stuff in the mix (hints in this episode). 

Joining the pod today is singer and guitarist, Casey Crawford. Casey got his start at Fest doing stand-up comedy before getting back into music. We talk about the therapy Fest provides and how music and live music in particular help provide the community we all value so much.

This is, as you'll hear, a big show for me. Christine Atturio (Little Low) and Mike Assatly (Unseemlier and Little Low) drop by to do the pod and talk about their new albums, both out on Sell The Heart Records.

Christine and Mike are MA scene veterans and have both played Fest in previous bands. However, they talk here about Little Low and Unseemlier, who just put out my two favorite albums of 2025. They talk about how music helps them put their introspective natures to work, growing up in MA, drinking too much, and seeing Bane way back when.

Mike and I also share a brain in how we prepare for things. Hang on until the end when he hauls out his homemade doc of Fest bands he plans on seeing each day. 

Swing by the Sell The Heart Records shop and just order both of these records, you will not be disappointed. You can also find their Bandcamp sites here and here.

"Dark Beer Archives" Music Video

Joing the pod today is Anna Troxell from the Austin, TX hardcore band, Mugger. Mugger has an EP and an LP out on Quiet Panic and is currently working on new music.

Anna grew up in the Philadelphia hardcore scene and is also in the band Creepoid who recently had some of their classic shoegaze albums repressed.

We discuss growing up in the Philly hardcore scene (before the internet!), moving to Austin, being married to a bandmate, and how you are never too old to pick up new things. 

Mugger is playing Saturday of Fest at Vivid and it is a show you do not want to miss!

Mugger Bandcamp

Creepoid Bandcamp

Quiet Panic 

Welcome back to "At Least There's Fest" a podcast dedicated to profiling and celebrating the bands that make up the best weekend of the year, Fest weekend. 

Our guest today is Andy Pohl, founder of Sell The Heart Records. Andy talks about the formation of the label, being in bands himself (including Fest band Tsunami Bomb), the ups and downs of running a label, and why Fest is so important.

Sell The Heart is the real deal in supporting bands and their vision and celebrating their work. They have multiple bands at Fest each year and Fest 23 is no different.  

The label is celebrating their 15th anniversary (!!) with a two day event in the Bay area on August 1st and 2nd. Check out the pod for more on that or visit the Sell The Heart socials for more details.

Please follow us on Instagram and save the pod wherever you find your podcasts for the most up to date episodes and news. Thanks for your support and see you in Gainesville.

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest! Our guests for this episode are Steven and Randy from Florida punk legends, Dikembe. Dikembe has been in the Florida/Fest scenes for nearly 15 years and have new music coming out prior to Fest 23.

Both Steven and Randy have been going to Fest since it was in single digits and some of the stories they have to tell, you will not want to miss. It is always so interesting to hear how Fest has changed and improved as the years go by.

Dikembe hits the road on July 17 with Kerosene Heights and Swiss Army Wife (both Fest bands!) for a two week run. Catch them if they are in your neighborhood!

July 17: Atlanta

July 18: Nashville

July 19: Newport, KY

July 20: Chicago

July 22: Detroit

July 23: Pittsburgh

July 24: Massapequa

July 25: Philadelphia

July 26: DC

July 27: Durham

Hello and welcome back to "At Least There's Fest"! We are officially only 99 days from Fest 23 and these band profiles are just going to keep coming and coming. Thanks for following along and supporting these bands.

Stopping by the podcast today is Beau Crum of the Jacksonville band, Tides. Tides has a split and single out with new music on the way. They are playing Saturday night of Fest at Vecinos so be sure to check that out. 

More immediately they are playing Jacksonville on July 19 and will then do four dates in Florida this September with The Raging Nathans. Those will all be great shows.

Welcome to another episode of At Least There's Fest! Our guest today is the delightful Joseph Lazzari of the Atlanta band, Reconciler.

Reconciler has played the 8 or so Fests and look forward to playing again this year (at The Wooly no less!).

We talk about the formation of the band, how being is a band differs from being a solo artist, and how we can all collectively use and create art to get through tough times.

Reconciler has some of the best merch in the game, checkout their Bandcamp so you can proudly sport a shirt that says "All Billionaires are Criminals" to your next family gathering.

Joining the show today we have Jeremy Quitko and Travis Johnides of Bitters and Distractions. The band is proudly "acoustic punk" and their unique take on the genre will surely fit right in at Fest this fall.

The guys talk about how the two of them grew up on Long Island together but never connected as musicians until the formation of the band. They also talk about the pros and cons (but mostly pros) of being a band of two and why they are so excited to travel down the Fest this year. 

Bandcamp

On today's episode, we welcome Justin and Liam from Glazed to the podcast. Glazed hails very proudly from Jacksonville, FL and has over a decade together as a band.

We discuss the start of the band, developing their chops covertly in a church, the Jax scene, begging to be on Fest, getting the call as a replacement band, and how excited they are to play again this year.

You can check out their music on all streaming platforms and on their Bandcamp. They have a couple of Jax dates ahead of Fest, check them out. Great dudes.