Features

As The FEST returns to Gainesville next week, few releases capture its spirit better than Live at The FEST, out this Friday on DCxPC Live (pre-order). It's a split that unites two corners of the punk universe on one furious slab of wax. Pressed on striking Summer Moon vinyl and limited to just 200 copies, the record documents blistering live sets from Northern Virginia’s Celebration Summer and St. Petersburg’s Wolf-Face. Two bands who might sound different, but share the same beating DIY heart. 

Celebration Summer bring melody and meaning in equal measure, channeling the emotional urgency of Leatherface and Samiam through the political pulse of D.C. punk. Wolf-Face, meanwhile, unleash their trademark blend of tongue-in-cheek werewolf lore and feral punk energy, part horror show, part sweaty catharsis. Together, their sides form a perfect FEST snapshot: community, chaos, and cathartic singalongs under the Florida moon.

Ahead of the record’s release this Friday and just before both bands return to Gainesville, we caught up with Greg Raelson from Celebration Summer and Michael J. Wolf of Wolf-Face to talk about the split, their FEST memories and their favorite Michael J. Fox movie.

PRT: First of all, how did this split come about?

Greg: Scott from DCxPC reached out to us a while back about recording something for his live series. We kept in touch as we tried to figure out the right time to make it happen. I had just bought a Zoom R20 multitrack recorder and wanted to experiment with it a bit, so I brought it with me to Fest and captured one of our most fun sets to date. We knew we didn’t want to release it as just a Celebration Summer live record, so we reached out to Wolf-Face since we’ve played Fest with them a few times and have always been fans. We pitched the idea of doing a split, and the rest is history.

Michael: It was like an itch that just had to be scratched, and baby I’ve got long nails. Seriously though, Scott aka DCxPC has been sniffing our tails ever since he got the bite at a FUF show in Orlando. No doubt, he saw a golden opportunity when he learned Wolf-Face had never released a live record.

PRT: Was there any hesitation before committing to a live album?

Greg: Not at all. It was something we had wanted to do eventually anyway, and doing it for DCxPC made it an easy decision.

Michael: My scum-bag basketball coach was a real POS. But, he did tell me three rules to live by and they’ve always stuck with me… “Never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never go near a lady who's got a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick with that, everything else is cream cheese.” Since none of that advice applies to a live album, we had no hesitation. 

PRT: Were you more nervous before this show knowing that it was being recorded for a live album?

Michael: Not at all, baby! My fur was standing on end in all the right places. Beta blockers are extracted from werewolves, by the way — I can’t tell you how, though. It’s a trade secret.

Greg: A little, yes, mostly because I’m a total novice when it comes to recording. I had no idea what I was doing, and we had already had a few recording disasters at previous shows. Something always went wrong. Since we were running everything through splitters from the stage box straight into the recorder instead of using a full DAW or soundboard setup, and since I was on stage and couldn’t monitor or adjust levels, I ended up buying a random guy a beer and asking him to keep an eye to make sure nothing peaked and adjust any gains accordingly. DIY at its finest.

PRT: What’s your all-time favorite live album by any band?

Greg: Frampton Comes Alive. I know that’s a cheesy and unexpected pick for a punk bassist, but I used to listen to it on headphones nonstop as a kid. My cousin Todd gave it to me. It’s just such a rad record with amazing energy and crowd interaction. I still think it would be incredible if some punk band covered “Do You Feel Like We Do,” talkbox and all.

Michael: Other than ours, definitely Jawbreaker’s live album.  Not only because Jawbreaker rules, but it has one of their best songs of all time that was never released or recorded anywhere else.

PRT: This one is just for Celebration Summer seeing as it’s pretty obvious for Wolf-Face, but what’s your favorite Michael J. Fox movie?

Michael: If Celebration Summer doesn’t give the answer that THEY SHOULD GIVE, I’m suing them.

Greg: If I don’t say Teen Wolf, the furry fellas in Wolf-Face might try to eat me for lunch. But honestly, I think The Secret of My Success is tough to beat. How that movie didn’t win an Oscar is beyond me.

PRT: The one-sheet for the live album mentions that “this split showcases the diverse heartbeat of contemporary DIY punk.” What’s one more band that should have been on this split that showcases a side of contemporary DIY punk that isn’t highlighted here?

Greg: I don’t know about adding a third band, but Tired Radio is probably my favorite band in existence right now. A few years back, we became good friends during a mini tour with them, Pilot to Gunner, and Goddamnit. Incredible musicians, killer songwriting, and just great people. I’d be stoked to do something with them someday.

Michael: There are so many killer bands out there right now bringing some innovation to such a saturated music space.  They of course can’t rise to the level of what Wolf-Face brings to the table but that’s to be expected.  I have a particular place in my heart for Dead Bars.  They put out stuff fairly regularly and there are always ear worms on their records that stay true to their previous songs I’ve loved but still do something new.

PRT: Seeing as you are by now Fest regulars, what is it that makes the Fest so special?

Michael: a) Wolf-Face b) sweaty crazies from all over the world who would never otherwise have the opportunity to see us and who come check out our set and sing my poetry back to me from the pit c) Celebration Summer d) taking mushrooms, getting lost in the Bouncing Souls pit, and somehow gaining consciousness way up on top of a random wall e) Five Star Pizza

Greg: I don’t know if we’re regulars, but this year will be our third, our hat trick. We’re playing two sets this time, including a Minor Threat covers set, and I’ll be joining Jon Snodgrass, Greg Norton + Buddies for a Hüsker Dü cover on Sunday night before we make the long drive home to DC.

Fest will always be special to me because it’s where this whole band idea started. My wife and I went to our first Fest (Fest 17) in 2018, right before my 42nd birthday. It was transformative. I had been around the punk scene since my first show in 1991 or 1992 (Farside at the old 8½ Club in Fullerton, California), but I had never really had the guts to actually make music apart from a short-lived attempt for a few months when I was in my early 20s. When we got home to DC, I told her, “I’m buying a bass tomorrow, learning to play, starting a band, and one day we’ll play The Fest.” Celebration Summer started in late 2019, and we played our first Fest at Fest 20. Four years later, we’re back for our third. It still feels surreal.

PRT: What’s your favorite Fest memory?

Greg: We played a pre-Fest house show with Tiltwheel, Reconciler, Madison Bloodbath, and a few others. Davey Tiltwheel joined us to co-sing our cover of their song “Hold My Hand To Make Them Go Away.” Growing up in Southern California in the 1990s, I saw Tiltwheel all the time in San Diego, and their sound has always been a huge inspiration for me. Sharing the stage with Davey was a really special moment.

Michael: One great memory is the first year we played Fest where no one had even heard of us.  We were playing one of the smallest venues of course but before our set we transformed (due to the full moon) and just walked around taking pictures with people and passing out a shitload of stickers with our set location and time written on the back basically begging people to come see us.  No one knew what the fuck to make of us.  We ended up playing to a packed house and it was such a rad feeling sharing my story with all these strangers just having a great time with us.  And the rest is history!

PRT: Since the Fest is taking place in Florida, has anyone in your band had a Florida Man moment?

Michael: Google “Buttwater Party Trick.”

Greg: I was actually born in Miami, but we moved to Southern California when I was four. My parents retired to Florida, so I’ve had my fair share of Florida experiences over the years. But my best Florida Man story has to be from my time in Navy flight school in Pensacola. There was this big event at the Florida-Alabama border that featured “mullet tossing.” Apparently, a mullet isn’t just a hairstyle; it’s also a fish. Let’s just say the whole scene was one big Florida Man moment. Ha!

PRT: Both of you are playing at Fest again this year. What are the three bands you are most looking forward to?

Greg: Definitely Wolf-Face since their show is the definition of Fest energy. Same goes for SPELLS. I’m also really stoked for Horace Pinker. It’s been way too long, and I’m glad they’re back. Also excited to catch Bear Away and Dikembe. Honestly though, some of my favorite sets every year are the random ones I stumble into without knowing who’s playing. You find some absolute gems that way.

Michael: Well, obviously you’ve gotta see both Wolf-Face sets and both Celebration Summer sets. My other must-see bands, if I can only have three: You Vandal, Rutterkin and The Miller Lowlifes