This past Saturday marked the final edition of the trifecta that is Toiletfest. At first, it was unclear to me why exactly this would be the final session of the punk/hardcore festival held at Phantom Power in Millersville.
Jenkins, the main coordinator of the House of Jenk venue, stated: “Good things come in threes, so this will be the last Toiletfest, but not the last show.” The lineup consisted of Mr. Nice Guy, Pucker Up!, Knub and Destructo Disk. As someone who is still new to the Lancaster scene, I didn’t really know what to expect. However, as a day one fan of Destructo Disk, I was beyond excited.
Mr. Nice Guy provided a calm opening to an otherwise heavier show. I specifically remember the drummer and lead guitarist looked nearly identical, so you can imagine how difficult that made organizing my photography after the show. They describe themselves as a melodic punk and hardcore band. The venue itself had great sound quality, but it was not huge, so it still felt intimate. The lead singer between songs said many things, but with the same central message: “Stay alive, that’s all I ask.” While looking up at the mezzanine full of showgoers below 21 that were essentially banished away from the ground floor “21+” barricade, since the venue was still a nightclub.
Next up was Pucker Up!, a three-piece band featuring two front girls with amazing fashion sense. Self-prescribed punk/hardcore, I definitely saw immense riot grrrl inspiration in their writing. Since a punk show isn’t complete without some commentary on the world, the main vocalist said, “Be there for each other. Stop this otherness, because one day you’ll be the other, and you’ll have no one left.” This was likely a reference to the poem First They Came by a pastor named Martin Niemöller, a 1946 piece that criticized complicity and bipartisanship in Germany.
After some technical difficulties, Knub came on stage. Hardcore to the fullest extent. If this were any other crowd, injuries would have been rampant. The lead singer went anywhere in the room except the stage; at one point, his arm was wrapped around my friend’s neck, screaming lyrics together. I highly recommend listening to their album “No Spoon.” The band was simply an incredibly kind, older generation of hardcore goers.
As the headliners, Destructo Disk, came into the venue, I quickly pulled them aside for a couple of questions. You can see throughout their discography that they release music at an insane rate, 2 EPs and 6 singles in just 2024. I asked them how they were able to do this, because it seems the biggest issue for smaller bands is liking their song enough to record it, record other songs, and release them all into a single EP. The bassist, Molly, replied, “It’s crazy that you say that because we haven’t really released much music over the last year… But everything we do is DIY.” She went into detail about their label based out of Richmond, Virginia, and how that helps.
Guitarist and lead singer, Gideon, emphasized that he also felt like they weren’t releasing enough. He went on to say that they build their life around being able to practice and write, although they still have jobs. “I think it’s just about having friends and knowing people who record.” It was amazing to have this insight and reminder that you can really just go out and do it yourself. Gideon says, “You got to write music you like, and play with people you like, you can’t just force it.” They’ve been running their label, Sockhead Records, for about 7 years now. The band told me that what they’ve learned about music through that project is to not slack off, because these are other people’s passions; “Having known people who have been screwed over by DIY labels that don’t care, we didn’t want to do that.”
Destructo Disk’s set truly helped my lungs give out after a week of being sick. Giving a place for their older popular songs to shine while also showing off skills they’ve perfected over the past several years of their music journey, they showcased an immense amount of talent, passion and drive. The bassist said to the crowd that she had some family in Minneapolis, and the crowd roared back “F**k ICE,” before they queued up one of their most popular songs, “Cops/Dogs.” With the tone of anti-establishment and rebellion set into Phantom Power, the army of punks began to slam into each other from every wall of the room. I can’t tell you if anyone was singing the lyrics because I was preoccupied screaming along, but I don’t doubt it for a second.
Toiletfest truly went out with a bang this year. Bands preached community, belonging, and kindness. If I were Jenkins, it would have convinced me to host another. Shows like this bring a reminder that community is always there; the scene never dies, it just changes.
Freshman Ramona Banos is the Photography Editor. Her email is vbanos@fandm.edu.