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.
Festival organizer Ben Andress was kind enough to stop by the Pencil Storm compound between his endless barrage of emails, phone calls and promotional efforts for a cup of coffee and some conversation about BÜDDIESfest.
BÜDDIESfest organizer and righteous dude Ben Andress
JP: Hey Ben! Thanks for stopping by! What’s going on there in Tillsonburg? Seems like you and your neighbors are building an amazing, welcoming, healthy and cool scene in that little town that is really making a mark with regional music lovers and touring and local musicians. How did this all develop?
BA: I started booking shows a little over 20 years ago. I was in this crappy punk/nu-metal band that no wanted to book because we weren't that good. I rented a hall and booked some of my buddies to play with us. Charged five dollars at the door and the rest is history. I just feel in love with the process of hanging and listening to live music.
What was the catalyst behind BÜDDIESfest? You’d worked with Jon Snodgrass before, yeah? How did that experience lead to this event?
I always heard buddies mention Snodgrass over the years and how we would get along. After a decade of hearing his name come up I finally got the chance to book him at Paddy's Underground in Tillsonburg. The owner of the venue, Patrick and myself hit it off with Jon right away and we all became fast buddies. The idea popped up during some after-show hangs, one thing led to another and we ended up locking up some dates and just going ALL in with curating the coolest weekend of live music and buddies.
What were/are some of the challenges you faced when organizing the festival? Did it become more than you bargained for or has it developed as you’d hoped? What were some of the biggest surprises or disappointments or developments along the way?
It's been super smooth so far. The team involved with BÜDDIESfest meshes well. Patrick has amazing business and hospitality skills and is able to make sure we hit deadlines with planning. Snodgrass and myself know a lot of the same rad buddies and between the three of us were able to lock in some fantastic players. I've booked a few multi-stage music festivals over the last decade, but nothing as ambitious as Buddies Fest. Some days I do feel overwhelmed and then I have my buddies there to tell me its ALL good. Between running the calendar for a venue, running a record label and being a dad it can be a little stressful to juggle everything, but like I said we have a rad team making sure all the gears turn when they are supposed to turn.
Can you fill our readers in on what to expect when they arrive at The Mill? What will the layout be like? Where do the bands play? What will the food/drink/vending scene be like?
The official website (www.buddiesfest.com) will have a site map. The layout is pretty fantastic. There will be gates to enter the festival grounds at the end of The Mill's parking lot where you will receive a wristband. There will be in’s & out’s to allow folks access to Paddy's Underground, which is located in the basement of The Mill. You can show your wristband to access the sets at the indoor venue and head back outside to catch bands on the main stage. On the festival grounds there will be a little vendor alley with some cool buddies, a beer tent and a couple of places to grab a bite to eat. The Mill restaurant will be open all day as well.
Tillsonburg is a pretty relaxed town and we want to make this super-chill for everyone involved. A lot of details will be online and on a printed schedule as well. There will also be lots of staff around to help with any questions.
We are already planning 2026 Buddies Fest and have a few ideas and tricks up our sleeve. As Jim Morrison once said, "If you book them, they will come."
Well, Ben, on behalf of music fans everywhere, and from myself personally, an independent touring singer/songwriter, THANK YOU for putting this together. It’s going to be an amazing weekend, and we ALL can’t wait!
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit, fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos, and plays acoustic shows all over the place. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
www.thetucos.com
www.facebook.com/jeremyportermusic
www.rockandrollrestrooms.com
Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
