Over the next few weeks, we’ll be interviewing bands playing this year’s first-ever MidWest Friends Fest. Taking place on August 31 at The Southgate House Revival, MidWest Friends Fest features 21 local, regional, and national acts on all 3 stages, as well as a local artist and community partner showcase taking place the first half of the day.
MidWest Friends Fest 2024
- Bat Boy
- Camping In Alaska
- FinalBossFight!
- Honeycrush
- Kerosene Heights
- Manor Gates
- Mint Green
- OK Cool
- PINKSQUEEZE
- Routine Fuss
- Teens In Trouble
- The Dreaded Laramie
- Abandoned Malls of America
- Alex Kasznel & the Board of Directors
- As It May
- Bear The Moon
- Dustbin
- Ryan Rockwell
- Scarlet Street
- Tooth Lures a Fang
- The Southgate House Revival
- 5pm doors / 6pm show
Today, get to know Alex Kasznel & The Board of Directors, they are pop-punk for grownups and you do not want to miss them at MidWest Friends Fest!
For those not familiar yet with Alex Kasznel & The Board of Directors, can you introduce yourselves and tell us what to expect at a live show?
We’re easily the best-dressed pop-punk band in Cincinnati. I mean, Lost Henry had us beat for hot minute there, but we’re coming for the throne. Oh, our songs are cool too, but seriously the wardrobe is untouchable. We recently won a daytime Emmy for our appearance on the Super Satan Show based on costumes alone.
Playing on the road is all I’ve ever really wanted to do. We had a blast. Doing a different set every night in different cities across the Midwest, many of which I’d never even visited much less played, it was incredible. As far as advice, far be it from me to act like I’m the wise village elder here, but all I would say is to start planning early. Make connections with bands in other cities. Be local support for touring bands that come through Cincy, and really put work into making their shows a success. If you do that, they’ll generally do the same for you when you’re on the road. Bands gotta stick together - we’re all we’ve got!
Which band(s) are you excited to meet/network with at MidWest Friends Fest?
We’ve played with Abandoned Malls of America before and their set was super tight. Really looking forward to catching those dudes again. Also, I just saw there’s a band called Final Bossfight! on the bill. I haven’t checked them out yet, but they’ve got an A+ from me on name alone. They're probably ska. Like, you've gotta be a ska band with a name like that, right? Okay, I changed my mind: I’ll be super bummed if there’s no saxophone in FB!, but I’m gonna skank for the duration of their set anyway. Get ready, fellas.
Can you tell our readers how you got involved with MidWest Friends Fest, and what you’re most looking forward to?
A fine journalist, photographer, and general man-about-town named Jared Bowers from CincyMusic was patronizing Everybody’s Records in Pleasant Ridge one Sunday afternoon and happened to catch us doing an in-store performance. He took a liking to our sound and graciously offered us the opportunity to join the bill, and we of course accepted.
Is there anything else you would like to add or mention?
I know it’s hard to leave your house. That’s where your couch, your Netflix, and your various quadruped companions all live. Putting on pants and getting in the car - it’s a whole thing, I know. But seriously, you should brave those harsh conditions to come to the MidWest Friends Fest. You can’t stream the experience of being in a room with other humans and feeling live sound wash over all of you at the same time. Especially not when it’s coming from a dork in a shirt and tie singing bubblegummy pop songs about gentrification and enzymes. Just hypothetically.
Find out more about Alex Kasznel & The Board of Directors on the MidWest Friends Fest website, where you can also stream music from all 21 bands, follow along on social media, and purchase tickets to the event. If Facebook is more your speed, check out the event page and be sure to RSVP to let your friends know you’re ready to have some fun.
Check out the stage lineups and set times below - we’ll see you at the fest!
