Buddies Fest
The Mill Inn, Friday, July 11 at 03:00 PM EDT
On July 11-13 the North American punk-rock community will gather in the small Ontario town of Tillsonburg, Ontario for BÜDDIESfest - a 3-day celebration of music & community born around the circle of friends (buddies, if you will) of Jon Snodgrass, Fort Collins, Colorado’s lovable, insane, talented as all hell punk-rock ambassador. (It was originally an EP collaboration between Jon and UK punk-poet Frank Turner.) Most probably know Jon from his bands Drag the River and Armchair Martian before that, but his sphere is wide, and the lineup of BÜDDIESfest is a testament to that network.
Tillsonburg is a small town that sits just about exactly in the middle of Toronto, Buffalo, and Detroit, so it’s easy to get to and convenient from several major cities and airports.
The roster of BÜDDIESfest is so impressive that people are driving, flying, and skateboarding in from every corner of the continent to take it in. We can’t list them all, but headlining Friday is Dillinger Four, from Minneapolis. Saturday and Sunday both close out with sets by ALL, the great band that formed when Milo went to college and THE DESCENDENTS disbanded in 1987. Saturday, their second singer Scott Reynolds will handle the vocals, and his replacement Chad Price takes the mic on Sunday night. ALL doesn’t play often these days, so their presence alone is a major attraction. Sets by both singers elevate that significantly.
But it doesn’t end there. Greg Norton (Hüsker Dü), with Jon are doing an all-Hüsker set. The SLIP~ons (ex-Doughboys Brock) from Vancouver are playing. Chad, Scott, and Jon (solo band and Drag the River) are doing sets. Toronto’s Pkew Pkew Pkew and Minneapolis killer RAD OWL are rocking. Single Mothers, The Flatlners, on and on……and some guy from Detroit who grew up listening to Descendents and Hüsker Dü and occasionally contributes to Pencil Storm is in there too.
