Few festivals capture the reckless joy and raw urgency of punk like The FEST in Gainesville, Florida. This year, DCxPC Live is bottling that chaos into wax with a limited-run 12” split featuring two bands who embody different but equally vital sides of the scene: Celebration Summer and Wolf-Face. Out October 24, Live at The FEST is more than just a record—it’s a sweaty, unpolished time capsule of punk at its most alive.
Side A belongs to Celebration Summer, the Northern Virginia quartet threading melody and political conviction into songs that feel both timeless and freshly urgent. Their live recording of “Fraud” is a melodic gut-punch in the tradition of Jawbreaker and Samiam—a cathartic anthem urging listeners to believe survivors.
Flip to Side B and you’re in Wolf-Face territory. The St. Petersburg werewolf punks, led by the mythic Michael J. Wolf, have been terrorizing stages with satirical ferocity and blistering riffs for over a decade. Their track “With or Without Boof” is everything you’d expect: fast, feral, and hilariously unfiltered—a love letter delivered with claws out.
Pressed on limited Summer Moon vinyl (only 200 copies exist), Live at The FEST is a celebration of the DIY spirit—one side vulnerable and melodic, the other wild and chaotic, both fully committed. It’s not just a split; it’s proof that punk is still gloriously alive, snarling, and evolving under every full moon.
We sat down with Celebration Summer and Wolf-Face to talk FEST memories, live energy, and what it means to immortalize chaos on vinyl. From political anthems to werewolf lore, this split is as much about community as it is about catharsis—and both bands are more than ready to let us in on how it all came together.
The pre-order for the record is here: https://dcxpclive.com/store/p/
FEST is legendary for capturing punk in its rawest form—what was it like stepping onto that stage knowing your set would live forever on vinyl?
We knew it was going to be a memorable set. It was the last time we’d be sharing the stage with Glenn. We wanted to celebrate the music and memories we created together as a band in those 30 minutes. For us, this is now more than a live record; it’s a time capsule and farewell to the original lineup of Celebration Summer.
Celebration Summer’s “Fraud” hits with both urgency and empathy. How do you balance political conviction with the vulnerability that comes through in your songwriting?
Vulnerability is power. In many ways, vulnerability is a core principle that shapes my political beliefs. Especially, under an administration that treats empathy like a fucking security threat or act of treason. I think quite the opposite; it’s central to inclusive policy-making. So, there’s not really a “balance” I try to find in my songwriting. Rather, I embrace it as a tool to empower how I express my feelings.
A split record is always a dialogue between bands. What do you think your two sides of this vinyl say to each other?
“WARNING: There’s a full moon in Gainesville tonight! Hide your Five-Star Pizza and Pabst Blue Ribbon!”
Both your bands are steeped in very different traditions of punk—one rooted in melodic D.C. grit, the other in feral theatrical chaos. How do you each see your place in the broader DIY punk continuum?
The spirit of DC and broader punk history runs deeply through just about everything we do. We’re committed to adding to that history and helping keep the spirit of DIY punk alive for the next generations.
The FEST crowd has a reputation for being both rowdy and reverent. Was there a moment in your set when you felt that electricity hit hardest?
My favorite thing about punk rock and FEST is that feeling during a live set when you just need to scream the lyrics along with the band, and you wrap your arms around the closest person to you in the crowd. I can’t explain it, but it’s just a feeling of pure connection! It’s a reminder that you’re finally in the right place with the right people. You’re safe at that moment. The most electric moment of that set was when I saw the New York homies – Bill, Marcus, Maaike, Tony & Kevin Radio – and others in the crowd doing exactly that during some of our songs. It filled me with that same feeling; I knew I was in the exact place I belonged.
Vinyl has made a serious resurgence in punk culture. Beyond the collectability, what do you think this format captures that streaming simply can’t?
Maybe I’m waxing poetic, but there is just something undeniably pure about hearing music on vinyl. In my opinion, there is sonic information or quality that digital formats can’t capture.
For Celebration Summer—your songs channel influences like Jawbreaker and Samiam while still sounding distinctly modern. What do you hope younger listeners take from your sound?
Be a music nerd, practice your instrument, and embrace the words of Ian Mackaye: “Punk is the free space.”
With only 200 copies pressed, Live at The FEST feels like a time capsule. What do you hope someone pulling this record off a shelf 20 years from now feels when the needle drops?
My #1 hope is that someone who listens to this record 20 years from now will grab their iPhone 55 to hologram facetime their friend, saying “DUDE! We should start a band!”
Peter J. Wolf – Wolf-Face replies:
FEST is legendary for capturing punk in its rawest form—what was it like stepping onto that stage knowing your set would live forever on vinyl?
We actually didn’t even know the set was gonna be released on vinyl when we played. Regardless, we simply can’t help playing a world altering set at Fest so that’s what we did. After the groundbreaking performance, Scott from @dcxpc_live saw dollar signs and realized releasing our set on vinyl would set him up for life financially. We are stoked to provide him with an everlasting livelihood and have our set live forever on vinyl!
Celebration Summer’s “Fraud” hits with both urgency and empathy. How do you balance political conviction with the vulnerability that comes through in your songwriting?
As long as I’m singing about my real life experiences, my political convictions will come through to the audience even if I’m not addressing them in a literal sense. If you know my story as a teenage werewolf who has been exploited by those in power numerous times then you can understand my political convictions.
Wolf-Face has always walked the line between satire and sincerity. On “With or Without Boof,” how do you use humor to deepen, rather than deflect, emotional truth?
There’s nothing funny about all my friends hitting puberty and having to hide untimely boners meanwhile I literally have pubes on my face.
A split record is always a dialogue between bands. What do you think your two sides of this vinyl say to each other?
I think our side represents an unachievable goal post for other, mortal bands to reach. The Celebration side represents the closest another band has come to attempting to reach that goal post.
Both your bands are steeped in very different traditions of punk—one rooted in melodic D.C. grit, the other in feral theatrical chaos. How do you each see your place in the broader DIY punk continuum?
For us, we fill a particular niche void in the scene (I.e. Teenage Werewolf punk). But, it’s truly amazing how we’ve found pack mates in some of the most unexpected places, or got the best response from crowds where we’d least expect it. For instance, playing with Slick Rick one night in Chicago and then Minus the Bear and fucking Owen (he’s a Dracula) the next night… you’d probably never guess who howled louder.
The FEST crowd has a reputation for being both rowdy and reverent. Was there a moment in your set when you felt that electricity hit hardest?
Similar to those old videos of teenage girls losing their goddamn minds when they saw the Beatles or Elvis, the Fest crowd erupts in a similar fashion when we perform and this set was no exception. I still love seeing 30 plus year old bearded men absolutely swooning when I grace the stage!
Vinyl has made a serious resurgence in punk culture. Beyond the collectability, what do you think this format captures that streaming simply can’t?
Vinyl is rad because you can actually hit others with it if you catch them streaming bullshit from people like Mike Kinsella or Metallica. So not only does it give you maximum fidelity but it can be a physical tool to help the music industry progress.
For Wolf-Face—your mythology and stage presence are as iconic as your music. Do you see the “werewolf lore” as a mask, or is it the truest form of self-expression?
What mask? I mean, I guess I can understand the confusion, but the word “mask” can be a bit triggering. Conceptually speaking, I do think a lot of my songs are about the proverbial mask most in our society have to wear at times to get by. But they’re also about embracing that mask and using it to make the change you want to see happen. In that respect, I suppose donning a mask can help people escape their inhibitions and express themselves openly in a way that’s still true to their unmasked selves. But to be clear, we don’t wear masks and gimmick bands are lame as shit.
With only 200 copies pressed, Live at The FEST feels like a time capsule. What do you hope someone pulling this record off a shelf 20 years from now feels when the needle drops?
Rock hard!
