239 Punk/Ska/Reggae Fest to feature 16 bands
A musical festival running more than a decade that was postponed due to Hurricane Milton is set to rock two stages in Cape Coral next weekend.
239 Punk/Ska/Reggae Fest will take to Rack’em Spirits & Times for two days of live music, and will feature 16 bands.
The free festival set for Feb. 7 and 8 is a highlight of the ever-growing music scene in Southwest Florida and Cape Coral, with roots in the community since 2010.
“We’re beyond excited to have this festival return,” said organizer and member of Bargain Bin Heroes Eric Demayo. “Getting canceled with the hurricane was a bummer, but we all have a strong adherence to, ‘the show must go on.'”
The festival, geared towards music lovers of all kinds in varying genres in punk, ska, and reggae, will see bands from all across the state come together.
“It’s a good time to check out good, regional bands, and we dabble towards the metal zone with some bands,” Demayo said. “It’s just a good plethora of bands in a good area in downtown Cape Coral. It’s a great way to experience what your regional music scene has to offer on a local level. You get to see almost 20 bands packed into two days.”
Demayo said many of the participating acts were thrilled to see the festival take shape after its postponement, and is something they look forward to each year.
“The excitement from the bands is through the roof,” he said. “We all look forward to it. We have bands from Tampa, Orlando, the west coast and one coming all the way from Tallahassee. It’s neat that you’re able to grab these bands from all different sections of the state and have this area to converge on for two nights. Bands even plan small tours around it. It’s a cool feeling that it’s become a destination for some of these groups. It’s a great way to network as well. Bands from Southwest Florida will hook up with a band from Tampa, and before you know it, they’re playing some shows together.”
The 239 Fest full lineup features:
Friday night, Feb. 7
8 p.m. – Go read theory (outside)
8:45 – Arcane arcade (inside)
9:15 – Flea Market Politics (outside)
10:00 – Duellona (inside)
10:45 – Perfect Sequence (outside)
11:30 – Misfit Cover Set (by Bargain Bin Heroes; inside)
Saturday night, Feb. 8
5 p.m.- Tonal Annihilation (outside)
5:45 – Rath and the Wise guys (outside)
6:30 – Shakers (inside)
7:15 – Foolish Relics (outside)
8:00 – Abortion Twins (inside)
8:45 – 69 Fingers (outside)
9:15 – Chilled monkey Brains (inside)
10:00 – Wolf Face (outside)
10:45 – Bargain Bin Heroes (inside)
11:30 – Except You (inside)
Demayo said he and Bargain Bin Heroes are looking forward to putting on their cover set of the popular American punk rock band, “Misfits.”
“We’ve always loved the Misfits, and from time to time have covered a song,” he said. “We came up with the idea of, ‘Well, why don’t we do a whole tribute set?’
“It’s BBH (along with one other member), but we’re trying to find a way to market this. It’ll be the start of something. We’re having a lot of fun in practices and playing the songs, that I perceive this becoming its own thing. We’re thinking of calling it ‘Crimson Ghost’ (a Misfits song and character). And this will probably be a tribute band we kick around from time to time. We’re extremely excited about it.”
Demayo said every band on the two-day lineup is worth checking out, and noted a few participants that either have deep ties to the festival, or are playing for the first time.
“Chilled Monkey Brains” from Tallahassee performed at the first 239 Fest, and have been around for well over a decade. After a short hiatus, the group is back together and getting after it across the state.
“We’ve been doing shows with them, so we invited them down to 239 Fest, and they were beyond excited,” Demayo said. “It’s been so long since they’ve played with us, it’s kind of like a reunion.”
One band making its first appearance at 239 Fest and have been making waves in the scene, is “Wolf Face” out of St. Petersburg. The band performs a-la the 1985 movie “Teen Wolf,” sporting basketball uniforms and wolf masks.
“Just their energy is awesome,” Demayo said. “They have great stage presence and their schtick adds to their music, the vibe, and their energy.
“239 Fest is just a great assortment of music, and a good time. The venue is great. We’ll alternate from the outside patio stage from inside. If you want a non-stop onslaught of music, it’s there. Or if you need a break, just stay on the opposite side of where the performances are happening.”
239 Fest is a 21-plus event. For more information, search 239 Fest on Facebook. Rack’em Spirits & Times is at 1011 Southeast 47th Terrace.