FEST recap: Hot Water Music, Descendents, Beach Slang, Paint It Black, The Melvins and many more

With the Rice and Bread team back home from Fest 13, and barely standing, after as many punk rock live sets we could schmoosh into five days, we decided to do quick recap blasts of all the bands that we saw in Gainesville and Tampa, Florida during the punk music extravaganza.

Well, recaps of as many bands as we could possibly remember seeing in the amazing Fest haze, at least.

What follows are the adrenaline-fused, sometimes drunken, always stoked mini-recollections of a music festival like no other in the world.

Fest reviews GO!

The team:
Jason Schreurs (JS)
Malcolm Lasky (ML)
Amanda Starling (AS)
Pete Bataillon (PB)
Elena Vilain (photos)
James Meadows (photos)

The bands:

Astpai
Fest punks were in for a treat the moment that Astpai stepped onstage. Hailing from Austria, the hardcore band kept heart rates and energy flowing. If there was a can’t-miss set for next year’s round, Astpai would be it. (AS)

Beach Slang
On record these guys have a sort of fuzzy sound, but as a live band they take that fuzz and sharpen it into a rock ‘n’ roll edge. The room was full and energy was at an all-time high when the band came out with palm trees and beach accoutrement. Aside from A Wilhelm Scream, Beach Slang was the best thing I saw at Fest. (ML)

Bear Trade
I was super excited about checking these guys out at Fest after listening to them when they were announced. Their set at Loosey’s on Sunday (when it seemed it was almost all UK bands) was a lot of fun. Just don’t pass them a can of PBR. (ML)

The Bennies
By all accounts, Australia’s a pretty wild place. Where else would spawn a party-punk band with a singer who was Mike Patton incarnate in tie-dye pants? Someone get these guys a world tour with Mojo-era Chilis or something. (JS)

Boys
I got into this band primarily because Maura Weaver was in it and I was hoping her and her Mixtapes cohorts would be doing something after that band’s demise (Mixtapes’ final set was at Fest). That said, Boys are completely awesome and put on a great set at the Palomino Pool Hall connected to Boca Fiesta. (ML)

Chuck Ragan
I smiled, I cried, I made new friends. Thanks big Chuck; you are the man, forever and always. (JS)

Dads
The two-piece became three for the Fest sets, creating three sections of set-up, stage and sound. As predicted, melancholy waves with rare breaks for fast-paced rhythm were a theme throughout the set, which was a change in pace from their roar at Fest 12. (AS)

Dave Hause
A loose and audience-involved set. As someone who works with people who have Autism, witnessing Hause perform “Autism Vaccine Blues” with the crowd clapping along and damn near stomping a hole in the floor gave me chills. (PB)

Dear Landlord
Starting the afternoon with a classic dose of Dear Landlord vitality felt essential for the day portion of Fest. Incessant euphemisms for housing and howls set to rapid beats blasted energy. (AS)

Descendents
It was great to be reunited with one of punk’s greatest legends. But there was a desire for a more intimate setting to bond and reminisce with Milo and the gang. Age is hard on a punk, but the Descendents didn’t show it. (AS)

The Dopamines
A PBR-swilling, can-tossing free for all. Fun seemed to be had by all. (PB)

Dowsing
The experimental elements of Chicago’s Dowsing made their Fest performances impossible to extinguish. Persistent pace and a wide vocal range balanced the Midwest twinkle vibe. As a more animated and elastic set (and band), Dowsing impressed. (AS)

Direct Hit!
Direct Hit! are known for an incredibly raucous live show. Past Fests have seen them play to full-capacity crowds. This show was no less manic. There isn’t much else to say but FUCK YOU. GET PUMPED. (ML)

Fake Problems
Naples natives crooned a performance that led to hips shaking and some swoons, too. Indie’s trend at Fest could be embodied in this set: bounce, ripping lyrics, and irresistible vivacity. Sound was rarely as seductive as the ’60s-influenced bop in Fake Problems. (AS)

Gnarwolves
These guys have a lot in common musically with their past tourmates, A Wilhelm Scream. Their live show is perhaps a bit tamer, but they still put on a good show and are worth checking out. (ML)

Hot Water Music
Playing their 20th anniversary show on the last night of Fest as the mainstage’s final set was pure poetry for Hot Water Music. But not the flowery stuff about bunnies and chipmunks, the real hard stuff about “diesel and dust, something I can fix with a taste I can trust…” I could go on all day about this set, and probably keep quoting HWM lyrics out of context, but I won’t. Too many feels. (JS)

Into It. Over It.
Fuck anyone who ever said this band wasn’t a great show. The indie pop punk zest crafted a charismatic performance that left no bodies still. Frontman Evan Weiss, a master of maturity and youthful punch, drove a grounded but lively performance. As a special treat, Weiss invited Kittyhawk fronter and girlfriend Kate Gruber for backup vocals. (AS)

Kaiju Big Battle
Monsters/mutants battling. What more needs to be said? Rad! (PB)

Lemuria
Their song “Brilliant Dancer” caused the Bo Diddley Plaza to erupt for a solid two and a half minutes. Dueling vocals between Sheena Ozzella and Alex Kerns were crisp, clear, and rich. The band could have played the same song the whole set and everyone would have still been entranced. (AS)

Less Than Jake (Pre-Fest, Losing Streak set)
After a long day, I was exhausted. But I had to summon my inner 13-year-old for the album-long set (plus three bonus songs) and circle pit as is needed at a Less Than Jake show. An occasionally slick floor made things difficult at times, but LTJ was solid. (PB)

Lifetime
Lotta people stoked up about this set from Lifetime and they did the mainstage proud; tight, energetic and full of pep. Maybe I’ll actually finally go and really listen to their albums now (hey, who threw that tomato?). (JS)

Look Mexico
If there was ever a surprisingly good set, Look Mexico was it. High Dive had more legroom than any other set, but the Tallahassee natives took advantage of the space to wrap an audience with sincerity without false pizazz. (AS)

Ma Jolie (The Loved Ones)
Rumours circulating that The Loved Ones’ own Dave Hause would fly in early from Philly to join his city brothers for their tribute set were quickly squashed when I decided to day-drunk Tweet-harass Mr. Hause himself about it and got a negatory response (dude was good about it, though). Did this set by Ma Jolie still rule thoroughly, though? Um, yeeeeeah!? (JS)

Masked Intruder
I challenge you not to dance to “I Fought the Law,” and I again challenge you not to help crowd-surf Officer Bradford. Masked Intruder always bring it to Fest, and their outdoor set was no exception. What, you lost your wallet in the pit? Weird, so did a hundred or so more of us. Hmm, mysterious… (JS)

The Maxies
Small crowd, but these Greenlanders made sure everyone was involved. Fun songs, crowd interaction and a polar bear. What more could you want? (PB)

The Melvins
See that guy dancing like he’s at a ’50s sock hop because he doesn’t know how to properly process the ultra-heavy riffs of the undisputed original grunge band? That’s me. The Melvins slayed Fest 13. (JS)

The Menzingers
The craving for indie pop punk was best satiated during each of The Menzingers’ performances. Holiday Inn guests in Gainesville were treated to a coveted acoustic set from singer/guitarist Greg Barnett, which seemed to prove to the rest of us that the Menzingers can be intimate on a center stage and in the center of a small crowd. (AS)

Meridian
Folk punk isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but Meridian left a packed Civic Media Center guzzling it. Brothers Jake and Max Stern alternated between banjo and acoustic guitar, leaving impressions of horrible trips and rich memories to warm a chilly night. (AS)

Modern Baseball
Unlike most emo indie shows, it’s less moan and more bounce for Modern Baseball. Every song is a story, and the crowd was more attentive than any bedtime tale. Instead, the Brunswick, Maryland band’s pointed tongue keeps ears anxious with each note. (AS)

Nothing in the Dark (Nomeansno)
Wow. Just wowzers. Imagine being a band in small Florida town and stumbling upon the timeless, classic punk-prog-weirdo music of Victoria, BC’s Nomeansno, and then having the gigantor balls to pull off a cover set? As a lifelong Nomeansno fan who is quite protective of their amazingness, I can honestly tell you that Nothing in the Dark completely nailed this. Nailed. This. (JS)

Paint It Black
Tapping out of a hardcore pit is not something that I normally do, but in this case a reprieve to the side of the stage to fist-pump along to the world’s best hardcore band was a thing of necessity. I mean, you don’t want me to die, do you? (JS)

Post Teens
A sparse but spirited afternoon crowd watched Gainesville supa-group Post Teens turn 8 Seconds into ’80s Los Angeles punk worship in the span of their 20-minute, what, 100 song set? Who needs coffee when you have Post Teens a PBR to the side of the head? (JS)

Prawn
The High Dive couldn’t fit all of the anxious fans in line to catch the New Jersey band. Prawn was easily the most intense, kinetic post-rock show of night. Maybe it was help from friends You Blew It! that led to a smash fest in the pit that evening. (AS)

Protected Left (Propagandhi)
In a similar vein to Nothing in the Dark’s Nomeansno cover set, San Fran’s Protected Left gave a fitting tribute to Propagandhi’s classic debut album How to Clean Everything. Did most people there seem to know every single word of every single song, or was I living in some kind of punk rock mecca for 40 minutes? A bunch of both, really. (JS)

Rational Anthem
Rational Anthem has a pretty unique sound for a pop-punk band, which is definitely due in large part to the vocal stylings of Noelle Stolp. Their set at Durty Nelly’s was a fun, upbeat one with a fair bit of banter, if I’m remembering correctly (remember, lots of PBR at Fest). (ML)

Red City Radio
Energetic and involved as always; Red City Radio delivered. Sings-alongs were a given and in full force. The onstage marriage proposal was a bonus. Can’t get much more of a release than screaming “I am a fucking juggernaut!” at and with your Fest friends. (PB)

Restorations
Brilliance in the form of experimental lead-ins and quick romps generated one of the most powerful sets stumbled upon at Fest. The live rendition of “Wales” tore at every preconceived notion of sound. Only gorgeous growls emanating with ethereal chords remained. (AS)

RVIVR
In spite of a late-night performance in a Gainesville warehouse the night before, RVIVR struck at the Bo Diddley Plaza crowd with incessant energy. The ever-activists dedicated songs and silence to the voiceless in society, with each song building a special, personal fortitude that RVIVR fans lust for. (AS)

Save Ends
Seeing their Strength vs. Will set was one of the things I was most excited for this year. They didn’t disappoint; they have a very full sound, and it was nice to see them in a real venue after seeing them at my friend’s house a few times. And I finally got to hear “Resurrection Hub” live. Killer set. (ML)

Screaming Females
I was dragged here by a brand-new Fest friend and proceeded to lose my mind to Screaming Females’ blues-drenched noise rock. When their singer donned a devil’s lock and they broke into Misfits’ “Where Eagles Dare” for their encore, I think I dropped a steaming Danzig right there in the middle of 8 Seconds’ floor. (JS)

Signals Midwest
The Cleveland punks left an audience breathless with each performance (three total). The pit was packed with SM loyals; not a soul entered without learning and loving the potent lyrics and riffs. Fronter Max Stern led the stomp, but dipped into softer tones for a rare performance of “January & Seven.” (AS)

Spraynard
Conscientious and clever describe Spraynard lyricism and musicianship. The pop-punk vibes felt more like a family reunion as fans piled into 8 Seconds. Spraynard treated the audience like brothers, too; they paused a set when an overzealous stage diver attempted to plummet from a five-foot tall amp. Feeling the love, guys! (AS)

Strike Anywhere
Strike Anywhere US shows are unfortunately rare and far between. It is good, then, that their sets bubble over with energy, particularly from singer Thomas Barnett. It’s gotta be the hair, right? (ML)

Sunshine State
God, I fucking love Gainesville fucking Florida. Hometown melodic punks Sunshine State killed it, regular set and secret set, and that is just that. (JS)

Tiny Moving Parts (Bruce Springsteen)
How do you cover a great American hero at Fest? That’s right, start drinking when you wake up and don’t stop until your 1 am set that night. At least that’s what this emo three-piece did. The result? Pretty fucking sloppy and righteous. (JS)

Touche Amore
Everyone kept saying this was one of the California hardcore band’s best ever sets, but, honestly, has anyone ever seen a less-than-stellar Touche set? Add in some ghostly costumes for Halloween and the results was disturbing in all the best ways. Decent drummer, too, eh? (JS)

The Unlovables
It took 10 years to see them live. They did not disappoint. Haley may have been a bit rusty on her bass playing, but she made it through with her playful and sincere connection with the audience. Oh, and Mickey Erg and Zack Gontard, staples of the pop-punk scene, together at last. (PB)

The Walking Targets
An excellent show from Scotland’s The Walking Targets. It was slightly hampered by what I thought was vocal sound issues and certain overly rowdy crowd members. However, it was their first time out of the US, and hopefully not their last. (ML)

Whores.
What’s that? You missed the whole ’90s noise rock chaos that bands like Helmet, Unsane, Hammerhead and Karp spewed forth on unsuspecting “alt-rock” fans in the early ’90s? Pay no mind, here come Whores. to wreck your day/life. One of the heaviest, most caustic sets at Fest. (JS)

A Wilhelm Scream
One of the most rewarding feelings in life is thinking about the place you’d most like to be, and what you’d be doing. And then realizing that it is exactly what you’re currently doing. That’s what it is like to see this band play live. They played a Pre-Fest set full of oldies and oddities, and their Fest set was, hands down, the craziest explosion of energy from both sides that I have ever seen. (ML)

Wolf-Face
Beginning their Pre-Fest and Fest sets with a homoerotic projection of studly, impressively hung naked gentleman with wolf faces Photoshopped over their faces, Wolf-Face (the band) kicked the most ass per capita at Fest. And who was that odd, un-wolf-masked fellow who came up on stage and sang along to their excellent rendition of Jawbreaker’s “Boxcar” at both their sets? Take a wild stab who. (JS)

Worriers
I finally saw Lauren Denitzio’s indie punk band after many failed attempts (my fault, not theirs). How impressive they were, my inner Yoda says. Or whatever. As a side note, members of Worriers, Beach Slang and Caves pulled off perhaps the universe’s best The Weakerthans cover set at the famed Holiday Inn afterparty. (JS)

The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die
Experimental sets are common for this band, and it seemed like spoken word was the rolling theme of their Sunday set. In a haze of sound, it was easy to be lulled into a TWIABP trance. (AS)

You Blew It!
The Orlando boys bursted with two performances: a highly-anticipated Weezer cover set at the High Dive and full set at 8 Seconds. No walls, no matter the size of the venue, could contain the post-rock whines of emo punk driven by guitarist Andy Anaya. (AS)