Who would you see at The Fest 8? (Punk/Ska music festival)

October 26, 2009 1:11 PM

I'm going to be in Gainesville, Fl, this weekend for The Fest 8 and I'm wondering which bands I should see. With 200+ bands, there has to hidden gems here.

The Schedule:
http://thefestfl.com/fest8/schedule.html

The List:
http://www.thefestfl.com/fest8/schedule/

Flier:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gato-ranch/3796224712/in/photostream/

Whether you're going or not, who would you pick to see out of the +150 bands playing in the capital of beard punk?

What hidden gems are buried in the list?

Which headliners are better skipped for fresher acts?

posted by DumbPoet to media & arts (13 comments total)

You should go see Japanther, Russian Circles, Dillinger Four, Drag the River and The Methadones because they rock. You should go see Vacation Bible School because they have the best band name ever.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:24 PM on October 26, 2009

Do NOT miss A Wilhelm Scream. They will rock your face right off.
posted by General Malaise at 1:25 PM on October 26, 2009

What really stands out is Russian Circles, Torche, and Coalesce back-to-back-to-back on Friday starting at 10 pm. I saw Coalesce on one of their many reunion tours back in... '01? '02? And it was awesome. Do not miss. Russian Circles and Torche are also awesome.
posted by The Michael The at 1:25 PM on October 26, 2009

You should go see Japanther

In contrast to Coalesce, I saw Japanther open for Mogwai in 2003 and it was perhaps the worst musical act I ever had the misfortune of seeing "perform."
posted by The Michael The at 1:26 PM on October 26, 2009

thirding Russian Circles. so awesome.
posted by gursky at 1:28 PM on October 26, 2009

Defiance, Ohio and This Bike Is a Pipebomb are fun.
posted by cmonkey at 1:49 PM on October 26, 2009

Sorry to pipe in again, but here's a video of A Wilhelm Scream from last year's Fest7 in Gainesville.
posted by General Malaise at 1:49 PM on October 26, 2009

I really enjoyed Fin Fang Foom several years ago. I'd definitely see them again.
posted by saladin at 1:59 PM on October 26, 2009

I would see Andrew Jackson Jihad.
posted by hilaritas at 2:00 PM on October 26, 2009

i asked a buddy of mine and his response was: "JOHN WALSH!!! and iron chic if it did not mean you would have to miss small brown bike. the main stage and kickstand are almost 20 minutes apart"
posted by phil at 2:12 PM on October 26, 2009

You have to see:

1. Toys That Kill
2. Underground Railroad to Candyland
3. Tiltwheel.
posted by kensington314 at 2:54 PM on October 26, 2009

This is a very subjective question, but I'll tell you why I choose to see some bands and skip others. A band like Dillinger Four tours, uhh, never. So Fest is the only time a lot of people can see them. That being said, I'm a huge fan so I go see them.

On the other hand, bands like Snuff and Youth Brigade are bands I don't listen to regularly, but I don't get to see often, and probably won't get to see them again. So, if there's nothing else going on, I'll catch those guys. Also, it'd help us if you put down some bands you are going to see and we can match you up with some others.

As far as just general suggestions from me:
Matt Kurz One - His music is not so polished and kinda sloppy, but he's a one man band that plays the drums, guitar, and bass, all while singing. And he'll probably cover Purple Rain, which is a blast.

Less Than Jake - Even if you're not into the music, it's fun to see how the crowd reacts to their playing. Usually, it's a fight between the band, who wants to play newer material, and fans, who hate all their new material and only want to hear old stuff.

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Good folksy punky stuff with some oddball lyrics but a good message.


Oh, and go see Bomb the Music Industry. But not at the kickstand on Sunday night, they play a pretty shoddy show at Fest ever year (mainly cos they take 45 min to set up then get to play a 10 min set). They'll be playing a house show sometime Saturday, I'm sure of it, so just ask around and I'm sure you'll find the info.
posted by Geppp at 4:13 PM on October 26, 2009

Look Mexico is pretty legit.
posted by dunderwood at 5:46 PM on October 26, 2009