In the 1993 film Wayne’s World 2, Wayne Campbell has a dream. In that dream, Jim Morrison tells to put on an epic music festival. The catch? Wayne doesn’t know the first thing about how to do this. He asks Jim how to get bands to play the festival. His answer?
“If you book them, they will come.”
I suspect that 30 years is long enough that we don’t have to worry about spoiler alerts, so Wayne does just that. He ends up getting bands like Van Halen, Pearl Jam, and Aerosmith to show up at the music festival, and the fest is history.
Fast forward to 2023, and a new Waynestock enters the fold.
This time, the part of Wayne Campbell is played by Chris Reeves of Ska Punk International fame, and the festival he booked is called SPI Fest. Scheduled for March 2023, Reeves has organized a two-day festival with some of the best and brightest ska and ska-punk bands around.
Led by a healthy mix of established bands, some key up-and-comers will showcase the future of the genres. While the lineup is ska heavy, other bands and styles are represented, such as New York’s Megawave Infinity.
With half the tickets already sold, SPI Fest is already shaping up to be a big success. While organizing and managing a DIY music festival is likely a stressful endeavor, Reeves took some time out of his day to tell us a little bit more about the event.
BGM: Within the span of a year, you’ve gone from producing a podcast, to starting a record label and organizing a two-day music festival. How do you find the time, energy, and ambition to pull all of this off?
Chris Reeves: Honestly, I don’t know! It’s definitely been a whirlwind since starting the podcast in late 2020. I expanded Ska Punk International into the label in 2021 thinking of it more for international distribution for bands from outside the US. After the success of Songs For Moms 1 and Kmoy’s The Precure Album as original releases, both really set up 2022 as the year where things popped off.
It’s really been wild how quickly things have leveled up. It feels like every day I’m having to learn how to solve something new that I never dreamed I’d even have to consider. I’m also constantly packing and shipping orders now, which is a great problem to have. It’s amazing, and I’m very proud of how well all of the label’s releases did throughout 2022. I’m very excited about where we’re headed in 2023 and beyond!
How did the idea of booking a festival come about?
Well, it really started last year. Jacob Guerrero, aka Skaxdad and the bass player from Young Costello, asked if I wanted to collaborate on putting together a series of shows right before SXSW in Austin. He has been booking and promoting shows in Austin and San Antonio since at least 2014. Coming out of the pandemic, Jacob wanted to make a splash in 2021. He asked me to help promote and bring some bands he might not know.
We ended up doing three shows together. Two were unofficial SXSW shows in Austin and San Antonio, featuring Flying Raccoon Suit as the headliner as well as other bands like Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Young Costello, Los Skagaleros, Holy Schnikes, and more. A third show was an official SXSW showcase at Flamingo Cantina. It was really cool and humbling to be part of an official showcase that early into the life of the label.
The turnout for all three was really, really good, so pretty quickly talks of what next year could look like started happening. We threw out a lot of ideas for bands we could book, but as you mentioned before, SPI, the label, has been growing really quickly. It became pretty clear that some of the bands on the label should be part of it. It also helped that some people online even started mentioning it.
Basically, everyone that either of us asked said that they could travel to Texas. Before we knew it, we had a two-day event. We decided to lean into it and just call it SPI Fest. Even though we are pretty DIY compared to other festivals, we still decided to shoot for the stars with some bigger bookings. We’re extremely happy with how it turned out.
What can you tell me about SPI Fest that makes it stand out amongst other music festivals happening this year?
The main thing I wanted to focus on was to invite bands that haven’t yet been invited to play other festivals so that more people could see them. Of course bands like Tsunami Bomb, The Toasters, and The Littlest Man Band get regular offers for festivals. But most of the other bands haven’t gotten that kind of exposure yet.
Most of the bands on the lineup, even if they aren’t on the SPI label, are incredible live bands. The problem for them has been that they have only toured a little or not at all. You’d have to travel to their hometowns to actually see them play. With SPI Fest, we’re going to have them all in one place, and I think that’s pretty cool and unique.
There’s such an amazing mix of bands on the bill. Looking at the list, it almost feels like Wayne’s World 2. How surreal is it to look at the SPI Fest lineup and know you put it together?
Surreal is definitely the word. I don’t think it will really hit me that this is real until the actual day of the fest, and these bands are all in the same room. Honestly, sometimes I just look at the poster for the fest and think, “Wow, this is actually real.”
In regards to the newer bands booked for SPI Fest, who are you the most excited to see get some exposure to a larger audience?
C’mon! This is like asking me to pick my favorite kid since so many are on the label, too! If I HAVE to choose though, I’d say Simple Minded Symphony from Seattle. I flew out to see them in Seattle last year and my jaw was on the floor the entire set.
They’re an underrated band, their live show is incredible, and the new stuff they’re releasing this year is insane. SPI Fest will be their first time in Texas, too! They’re definitely going to turn a lot of heads when people see their set.
I also have to say I’m super excited for Los Kurados to be playing. They’re the sister band to Hans Gruber and the Die Hards because Kurt and Rosey are in both bands. Hans Gruber and the Die Hards have had an incredible year since we released their latest album. They are starting to get a lot of really cool show invites this year.
That band tours often, so they have a healthy fan base. But outside of Austin, most people haven’t heard or seen Los Kurados despite the bands sharing two members. Los Kurados is severely underrated, and their live show is a giant party. Every time I’ve seen them, the whole room explodes into a giant dance floor! Cannot wait for that to happen at SPI Fest, too.
Some bands like Sad Snack, Megawave Infinity, Plastic Presidents, Take Today, and Los Ocupados are also playing in Texas for the first time. I’m pretty stoked that all of them are playing. Oh! Checkered Past the Ska’d Cast are coming from CANADA to do a live episode. I’m EXTREMELY excited for them.
Asking me to choose like this is so mean!
What’s the coolest thing about the Flamingo Cantina that made you know that was the place to have your festival?
I love Flamingo Cantina. It’s such a cool space. Angela, the owner, is extremely supportive of the Austin and San Antonio ska and punk scene. Angela has been booking bands like Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Young Costello, and Los Kurados for such a long time, so her venue is like a second home for them.
Also, the energy of that room when it’s completely full is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The stage is in the corner so when it’s full, people are all around the front and the side dancing. It’s such an incredible atmosphere. There’s also an upstairs balcony that overlooks the stage, so people are everywhere, and it almost feels like a DIY house show with better sound. I love it.
For folks traveling from out of state, any tips or tricks you can offer about Texas?
Get the spicy Ketchup at Whataburger, and always say yes to tacos. If you’re a meat-eater, say yes to BBQ at every opportunity. Our BBQ is different from what you would get in other states. Something I think I take for granted being from Texas is Tex-Mex. As for non-food recommendations, Austin is a great city with a good music scene and a lot to see and do.
What is the most challenging and most satisfying thing about organizing and booking SPI Fest?
Honestly, a lot has been challenging. Even though we did some shows last year, this is a whole new level, and it has not been easy. Coordinating schedules around 22 acts with four to eight people in each one is not easy. There were many bands that said they would play, but we just couldn’t get the scheduling to work.
For some bands, Jacob and I even set up more shows for them on their way to and from Texas to make their participation in the festival possible. It feels like both of us have been working on schedules for all these bands for the past three to four months. Organizing all that has definitely been the biggest challenge.
The most satisfying thing will be having so many new and old friends in one place dancing and going crazy. Many of the people playing and attending are people I’ve been talking to a long time but haven’t actually seen in person yet. It’s definitely going to be emotional for me during the first few acts seeing all of this actually happening.
When the time comes and March 10th rolls around, are you going to be able to put your fan hat back on and enjoy the show?
I hope so! Since we’re on track to selling out soon, I’m hoping that all the financial and organizational stress will be mostly gone by the first day of the fest. Of course, things will come up, but now that the lineups are out and tickets are selling, I’m already feeling the stress getting lower and lower. I think I’ll mostly be able to put my fan hat on that weekend. Fingers crossed!
In looking back at everything you’ve done so far up until the announcement of the festival, do you have any advice for any prospective future fest organizers?
My main advice would be to just reach out and ask your dream bands. You never know who will say yes and what’s possible unless you ask! Also, when you’re choosing a venue, look for someone that understands the vibe of what you’re going for and really feels like a partner.
Shout-out to Angela and the Flamingo Cantina team for supporting us with this festival. Since this is the first time many of the bands are playing outside of their home state and in Texas, I appreciate them letting us book so many acts.
Last piece of advice I’d give? Start planning your fest as soon as possible so you give yourself as much time as possible to make it happen. The last thing you want is to find out you could have booked a dream band if you had asked a week before.
When it’s all said and done, what’s the first thing you’re going to do on March 12th?
Eat a big-ass breakfast burrito with all the bands that are still in town. To make the lineup possible, many of the bands are coming through Dallas and playing another show in Denton on March 9th. Then we’re caravanning down to Austin the next morning. Some are moving on to play in San Antonio on March 12th, the day after the fest, too. The rest are heading back home.
The morning of March 12th, most everyone will still be in town, but it will be the last time we’ll all be together for who knows how long. I want everyone to have a big ole breakfast together before we all head to our next stops.
What are your goals and dreams for a future SPI Fest?
It’s bold of you to assume I’ll survive this one! One day, I’d love to be able to turn this into even more of a proper festival over three days and across more venues or one giant field. I’d also like to have more of a mixed-genre feel and even add more live podcasts or activities like game tournaments or wrestling. Those kinds of additions would be many years away though.
I’m happy with how it is now. As many of the bands on this lineup and the Ska Punk International label grow together, I think this event will naturally grow too and that’s A-OK with me. My main focus is the label, but SPI Fest is a pretty fun thing to work on too, even if it stresses me out!
Any last words?
SPI Fest tickets are almost sold out! By the time you’re reading this, it might already be. Head to SPIFest.org to grab tickets before they’re gone! If you sign up for the Ska Punk International Patreon, there’s a $5 discount code for SPI Fest tickets too.
Also, if you’re in Denton or San Antonio, make sure to catch the other shows on March 9th and March 12th.
Lastly, check out Ska Punk International on Bandcamp or skapunkinternational.com to grab releases from the bands on the label. We also have a bunch of artists that aren’t playing the fest this year that rip, so check those out on digital, vinyl, tape or CD.
Thanks everyone for your support! See you in March!
Tickets for SPI Fest are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.