Fifteen years out from their last show in 2011, NJ post hardcore vets Rye Coalition had no plans to play again. Then Caterwaul called. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in,” Jon Gonnelli says, quoting Michael Corleone, on what the booking means. It means a lot.
Thirty-three years into the Jersey City four-piece’s existence, they’ll take the stage at Zhora Darling in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 6, closing the second night of a three-day weekend that also features Mike Watt + The Missingmen, Didjits, Dazzling Killmen, The Crosses (formerly of Die Kreuzen), Coliseum, Season to Risk (see our recent feature here), Great Falls, P.O.S., and a long stretch of younger bands operating in adjacent territory.
That’s the marquee booking of Caterwaul 2026, the fifth edition of an event that’s quietly become one of the most stubbornly off-grid rock festivals in the US. June 5 through 7, one venue. We last sat down with co-founders Conan Neutron and Rainer Fronz in 2023, when the fest was at Palmer’s and Mortimer’s and still finding its shape.
Three years on, the room has gotten bigger, the booking sharper, and this year leans further into mixing genre-bending newer artists with names from underground rock’s deeper bench. Should have come back sooner.This is also the first edition without Fronz on the floor.
On April 12, after more than twenty years of heart failure and six years living with an LVAD, Fronz went into severe arrhythmia and his defibrillator fired multiple times in a row. The doctors moved him to status 1 on the transplant list, the highest priority, meaning he’s next in line when a match becomes available in his region. He’s been in the hospital since, waiting. A GoFundMe set up at the end of April has so far raised roughly $9,500 of an $11,000 target across 90 donations. Fronz remains in good spirits, is still hoping to be at the fest he’s spent five years building, and was generous enough to answer ten questions for IDIOTEQ from his hospital room.
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“I am quite focused on staying alive right now,” he says. “I am trying my best to help coordinate what I can from my hospital room while waiting for a new heart. It is very hard not being at Caterwaul. I’m used to being in the thick of it: running around, answering questions, solving problems, putting out small fires, and helping keep the whole machine moving. This year, I have to accept that I can’t physically do all of that, and that has been one of the harder parts for me.”
The bands on this year’s bill don’t pretend the absence isn’t strange. “Without AmRep there is no Rye Coalition,” Gonnelli says, in reference to Fronz’s years at Amphetamine Reptile, the Minneapolis label whose roster shaped his generation of underground rock. David Silver of Season to Risk goes further: “Rainer and AmRep are single-handedly responsible for making the city a noise rock epicenter and bringing us all together.” Laila Eskin of Heet Deth pictures him in the crowd: “When the fest is in full swing, you’ll be seeing him reclining and smiling at each set. It’s gonna be sad not to see him there.” Nate Carson of Point Line Plane, who has only ever emailed Fronz: “What a literal visionary.”
What follows are two interviews.
The first is with six bands on this year’s bill: Rye Coalition, Season to Risk, Coliseum, Heet Deth, Point Line Plane, and Body Stuff. The second is with Fronz himself: on Caterwaul, on his label Learning Curve Records (In Lieu, USA Nails, Missouri Executive Order 44, and a long list beyond), on his years at Amphetamine Reptile, on the state of Minneapolis in 2026, and on watching the fifth edition of his fest come together from a hospital bed.
Tickets for Caterwaul 2026 are on sale at caterwaul.org. Rainer Fronz’s GoFundMe is at gofundme.com.
Caterwaul has been called everything from a noise rock weekend to a gathering of the best underground bands going right now, but those framings tend to flatten what actually happens in the room. From your side as a band on this year’s bill, what does playing a fest like this one specifically mean, and is there a particular set across the three days you’re quietly planning to watch like a fan rather than as an artist?
Jon Gonnelli of Rye Coalition: Nice question, thank you. Playing Caterwaul this year means so much to Rye Coalition. We hold a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for not only being included in such illustrious musical company but also for anyone and everyone, friends, family and fans, who are still interested in hearing our music and seeing us perform live.
This privilege is no way ever lost on us, and we feel so lucky after all these years, thirty-three to be exact, to put our best intentions forward and be welcomed into the thriving continuation of a DIY community, at large.
Rye Coalition also feels impending ecstasy to begin again in The Twin Cities, that have always welcomed our band with open arms since our first tour where we slept at Extreme Noise, and the many times thereafter we came through Minneapolis and St. Paul to have some of the all-time greatest shows of our bandโs existence (and weโve played a lot of good shows).
The response and warmth are in no small part due to the beautiful and kind people who make up the Minneapolis/St. Paul DIY punk scene, and we are so very much looking forward to seeing some of those friends.
Those kinds of lasting friendships formed when we literally kids that endure are really the greatest honor of doing this. So, what can you really say about the Caterwaul line-up? Itโs an insanely stacked bill! In terms of star power, to be included or adjacent to anything involving bona-fide legends like Didjits & Mike Watt, yes please & thank you very much.
In terms of friendsโ bands, canโt wait to see Panel! Looking forward to reconnecting with Orlock on Saturday as Chris was in hose got cable, a band was a very formative influence on Rye Coalition when we first started touring and refining our musicianship in 1994. Also, old pals New Brutalism, love them. Psyched to check out sets by The Hammer Party & Stress Positions. And of course, Dazzling Killmen!
David Silver of Season to Risk: Caterwaul is a classic punk rock DIY get together, rather than a corporate โfest eventโ. Everyone there loves challenging music, hence the โundergroundโ tag for bands that donโt neatly fit into a genre. Weโre stoked to be playing with Mike Watt and others Friday night, but will be on the road out of town early the next day on tour.
Steve Tulipana of Season to Risk: Birdhands, Missingmen and Didjits are all on my fanboy list.
Ryan Patterson of Coliseum: I am a huge Didjits fan and Iโm sad they are playing a different day than us and Iโll be unable to see them. I saw them at the Touch & Go 25th anniversary fest in 2006 and they were incredible. Iโm so happy theyโre playing again. But Iโm obviously excited to play right before Dazzling Killmen, Iโve known Nick for years and have always dug his bands (Sicbay is a particular fave) so itโs going to be great to see the Killmen in the flesh.
Laila Eskin of Heet Deth: Playing Caterwaul is playing a room with your weirdo peers from all over. Lots of receptive people who make it feel like a weirdo family reunion (to me). When youโre witnessing Caterwaul, you get inspired by all of the artists reaching for the edges of music in all sorts of ways! Itโs also a great place to get yelled at by all sorts of people via music!
A couple of sets Iโm excited to see are Art Star, Resurrectionists, Stress Positions and Dazzling Killmen.
Nate Carson of Point Line Plane: Despite being pretty familiar with this scene for a long time, I have never personally attended Caterwaul. Itโs funny because I actually lived in Minneapolis in โ93-โ94 and saw some fantastic shows there back in those days. The Fudge Tunnel/Pain Teens gig at 7 th St Entry was particularly memorable, as was seeing Sepultura on Choas AD tour at First Ave.
As an agent, my clients Whores have played Caterwaul in years past and only had wonderful things to say about the experience. So the first thing Iโm excited about is actually being there and immersing myself in a room full of people who have such open ears.
Secondly, this will be the first โfestivalโ that Point Line Plane has been invited to since we rebooted. We are hugely thankful to get the blessing and anointment from such a respected event. We are also endlessly grateful that our friends and SKiN GRAFT labelmates Dazzling Killmen are taking us out on the road for a few dates around Caterwaul. I donโt think weโll ever tire of watching them destroy with such power and precision.
Curran Reynolds of Body Stuff: I am thrilled to take part in this yearโs Caterwaul. I love the city of Minneapolis and this is Body Stuffโs first time playing there. In my junior high days, living out in the woods in Maine and discovering bands in the pages of Rolling Stone, albums such as Husker Duโs Zen Arcade, Soul Asylumโs Hang Time, and The Replacementsโ Donโt Tell a Soul got a lot of play on my Walkman. Then a few years later I discovered AmRep.
I have gotten to know the Caterwaul folks over the past few years and I love their vision of building community through outsider rock nโ roll. Thereโs a real excitement in seeing dozens of bands traveling in from all over the place to summon a vibe of peace through noise. Rye Coalition, Dazzling Killmen, Coliseum โ so many good ones this year.
Rainer Fronz built Caterwaul out of the same instinct that got Learning Curve and his years at Amphetamine Reptile off the ground, and right now he’s on a transplant list while the fifth edition of his fest comes together without him on the floor. Without it getting too heavy, what does it mean to you to be part of this particular edition, and is there anything you want to put on record about him while there’s still a chance to say it directly?
Jon Gonnelli of Rye Coalition: We were not aware at all of this and hearing it for the first time makes us want to send our deepest compassion and love to Rainer, all his close friends and family.
Without AmRep there is no Rye Coalition, as the total body of work that label represents truly shaped our creative identity as a band and individual musicians, pushing us to be curious and get better at writing, playing and focusing our intention to not be cookie cutter copies of anything going on around but using our imagination and influences to inform & set goals as to where we wanted to go creatively.
David Silver of Season to Risk: Weโre humbled and proud to be invited to play. Minneapolis has always been a home away from home for us with great crowds in every show, and Rainer and AmRep are single-handedly responsible for making the city a noise rock epicenter and bringing us all together.
Ryan Patterson of Coliseum: Weโve very happy to be part of Caterwaul this year and weโre sending Rainer our best wishes!
Laila Eskin of Heet Deth: Rainer has been a friendly and steadfast presence at Caterwaul, when the fest is in full swing, youโll be seeing him reclining and smiling at each set. Itโs gonna be sad not to see him there! I want to thank him for helping make a community that spans the globe through Caterwaul. For understanding music from all walks.
Nate Carson of Point Line Plane: Rainer is someone I have only been in contact with via email. I hope I get to meet him. What a literal visionary.
Curran Reynolds of Body Stuff: I know Rainer to be a kind soul who does a lot for Minneapolis and for the world. I still have hope that he will be able to attend the fest heโs worked so hard to create.
Step out of the festival frame for a second. What’s the local scene around you actually like in 2026, the parts that don’t make it into the tour announcements, the rooms and labels and bookers doing the work that keeps it standing, and what’s the honest state of it right now, healthy, struggling, mutating into something else?
Jon Gonnelli of Rye Coalition: Rye Coalition are so very lucky to be from the fertile ground of Americaโs Golden Door, aka Jersey City, because the scene has always been and will always be eclectic, abundant and for lack of a better superlative, โfucking awesome,โ most notably because of these four little letters, โWFMU,โ the worldโs greatest radio station.
And of course, there are continually so many bands and shows simultaneously making the scene what is. Pet Shop is the JC punk bar shows headquarters.
And of course, the GarageFather aka Todd-O-Phonic Todd the hardest working promoter this side of the Hudson River has really elevated what he brings to the scene these days as just an elder statesman of star-studded classy rock nโ roll for the working people! Plus being so close to everything happening on the other side of the Hudson & East Rivers, itโs really an embarrassment of riches in terms of what you have to choose from scene-wise on any given night.
David Silver of Season to Risk: It’s a labor of love. We are back to square one, trying to make enough gas money, selling merch to survive, sleeping in one room together on tour. As life gets more expensive and the government gets more corrupt, punk rock has more value than ever.
Steve Tulipana of Season to Risk: What David said times 100!
Ryan Patterson of Coliseum: Louisville music has always thrived outside of the lines. Weโre artist punk misfits who donโt subscribe to genres or adhere to trends. We build our own worlds and forge our own paths. Iโm happy to say Louisvilleโs underground culture is as thriving in 2026 as it was in 1986, probably even moreso.
Laila Eskin of Heet Deth: I love Chicago so much, I think we have the juice when it comes to musicians and performers that truly leave it all on the stage. I get so inspired when I go to local shows because there is always an act that is ready to try new things and to create an environment that feels like youโre a part of something really important. Iโd say we have a strong scene, the bookers and labels are good at keeping their finger on the pulse, the most amazing show you can see could be any night of the week and thatโs a part of Chicagoโs magic. Itโs all because there is a whole community that believes in what Chicago musicians are capable of. The fans are what keeps everyone moving and pushing themselves to make some new noise.
Nate Carson of Point Line Plane: Iโm based in Portland, OR which is one of the best cities in the world. We have fifty operating venues here and countless bands. There are a ridiculous number of records stores, and a great community FM radio station (which streams worldwide via XRAY.FM ). Portland has never been a springboard for major pop success, but we have no shortage of creative exports. My favorites at the moment are Abronia, Mรธtrik, and Rhododendron. Seriously, check those bands out. You wonโt be sorry.
Curran Reynolds of Body Stuff: I live in NYC. Iโve been here 27 years. It seems to be thriving right now. Thereโs so much happening, you canโt keep up. On the other hand, everything is expensive.
Sticking with that thread, what other festivals or DIY initiatives have caught your attention lately, the ones run by people who actually care, where you’ve walked away thinking that’s how it should be done? Doesn’t have to be famous, more interesting if it isnโt.
Jon Gonnelli of Rye Coalition: Dark Days Bright Nights in Richmond, and what theyโve been doing the past few years embodies exactly what the question refers to in our view as does Dilly Dally in Philly. Thatโs how it should be done.
David Silver of Season to Risk: We LOVED playing Valley of the Vapors and being tourists in Hot Springs, Arkansas a town of hot water spas and crystal mines. That is a passionate music scene and a cool vibe.
Steve Tulipana of Season to Risk: Iโm excited to hit Ghost Canyon later this year with my other project Violenteer (who had a blast playing Caterwaul last year.)
David Silver of Season to Risk: Anyone putting their work, soul, and money into a mission based on art and community is doing it for the right reason, I think. There are too many to name but Iโm thankful to be friends with a ton of people doing great things themselves and with their friends.
Laila Eskin of Heet Deth: DIY initiatives that have caught my attention lately is the focus on using our art to help when we can. Iโve seen lots of benefit shows pop up in the past year and itโs rad to see how much of a positive impact a few bands can make with a show for a good cause.
Nate Carson of Point Line Plane: Pickathon is pretty utopian. One would think from the name that itโs only for bands with banjos and washboards, but they book eclectic artists from all over the world. Itโs where I discovered Altin Gรผn, Say She She, Mdou Moctar, etc. But Iโve also seen killer sets there from YOB, Ohsees, etc. There is no garbage or waste. Water is free. All of it happens in the woods and various barns. Iโm not sure if itโs still considered DIY since itโs been going for so many years and has so much infrastructure, but it sure sets an example of what a high dollar festival can deliver. Iโm also set to catch my first Fire In The Mountains later in July, which I presume will be a mind-blowing experience. The last festival I attended was Inferno in Oslo where I was a delegate last April. That was also fantastic, though the musical focus is pretty strict.
Curran Reynolds of Body Stuff: Although Saint Vitus Bar was shuttered in 2024, the guys have continued to book and promote shows around NYC at various venues. They have such a strong vision, I am stoked for them to continue doing their thing, whether thatโs getting a new permanent home or spreading the wealth around the city as they are now.
Andi Harriman books and promotes events in NYC under the name Synthicide and sheโs built something really cool. Every month is stacked with various different DJ nights, live shows, and more, tied together with a strong aesthetic.
There are many great fests happening all over the world now. Dark Days Bright Nights in Richmond, Virginia is a good one I attended recently.
Same question but for bands. Who came onto your radar in 2024 and 2025 that you’d put in front of someone who only knows the obvious names from your scene, and what specifically about them made it stick, a record, a live set, something they said?
Jon Gonnelli of Rye Coalition: Wendy Eisenberg is someone who has continually pushed, redefined & expanded the expectations and the idea for what an artist utilizing guitar is capable of in terms of songwriting incorporating pure genius level chops and continually turning their approach and output into something beautiful.
Their work in editrix is closest to fitting on the slate at Caterwaul but their solo album released this year is just drop dead stunningly beautiful work and such a gift for a fan who has been following an artist for the entirety of their output to really experience them elevate, come into their own, and really blossom to another level, where it leaves you asking, โWow, where is this person going next,โ is downright inspirational.
Amazing, and Wendy is also very adept at using their voice to shine a light on things that are truly important outside of just music within the realm of being a resource of hope because itโs impossible to look away when all see going on in the day to day affairs of the world, at large, is a nightmare. Wendy is a teacher and a guide. Check them out if you havenโt. Wish editrix was on Caterwaul! Maybe next year!
David Silver of Season to Risk: Mannequin Pussy is killing it right now.
And, we recently played on tour with rad young, obscure bands Gunk in L.A. and Holy Tears in San Diego. Sisters are ripping (with Mario from Spotlights, Blackmore from Molly McGuire and Ian Prince from Minneapolis).
Steve Tulipana of Season to Risk: Despite having a name that recalls a particular AmRep legend, Kansas Cityโs Hammerhedd is creating some very interesting art rock that reminds me of some of the more avant garde stuff that came out on SST back in the day.
These guys started out as a pre- teen metal band and have evolved into something very unique and special. I think we will be seeing a lot from these brothers in the future.
Ryan Patterson of Coliseum: Lately Iโve been really into Intermission from San Diego, Lavoro from Toronto, O-D-Ex from Denton, Die Letzten Ecken from Berlin, Total Flesh from Louisville, and many other killer new-ish bands.
Laila Eskin of Heet Deth: I think watching a Snuffed show honestly changed me, there is so much energy and emotion, itโs what got me a little more into hard core music. Itโs one of those bands you have to see for yourself!
Nate Carson of Point Line Plane: Iโm really excited about a young metal band from Iceland with a lead keytar called Mรบr. I liked their music and artful videos, but when I finally saw footage with the keytar, and then caught them live at Inferno, it really all clicked. Those kids have a bright future.
Similarly the band Rhododendron out of Portland are a very young trio who just signed to The Flenser.
Their album is gonna knock people on their heads, especially if they like powerful, dynamic prog/noise/rock/jazz/???. In more established realms, I just saw the Finnish psych/noise/metal band Oranssi Pazuzu last night and it may be the best live show Iโve seen since Magma. I hope people in this scene are aware of them because they are world class.
Curran Reynolds of Body Stuff: Some artists Iโve discovered and liked in the past couple years include Pixel Grip, Powerplant, Fatboi Sharif, Hedonist, and Genre Is Death.
Last one, on you. What’s the band actually working on right now, what’s the next thing people will hear from you, and is there something you’re chasing on this one that you haven’t pulled off on previous releases yet?
Jon Gonnelli of Rye Coalition: Rye Coalition literally had no plans to play anymore until Caterwaul came-a-knockinโ, so itโs kind of like that old Michael Corleone bit, โJust when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!โ
As long as weโre playing together and weโre always exploring new ideas, that just comes about naturally, whether itโs a riff or a โpartโ that eventually sticks around long enough and forces its way into existence as a โsong.โ Or someone brings something in to work on for fun.
Weโre so fortunate to have a natural chemistry and friendship that has spanned four decades. That is not easy to come by and to bring it back to your first question, at this stage in our lives we just feel very, very lucky and grateful to have each other in close proximity and to be able to convene and span time together is a true joy.
The song writing stuff for us at this point is kind of secondary. Itโs not rocket science and weโre definitely not trying to make Pet Sounds II: Electric Boogaloo, if you catch my drift, I mean, if we could we probably would, ya know? Really, our criteria are still the same as it was when we started, except now weโre old and only slightly better at playing our instruments and singing.
As long as something is fun to play, once everyone kind of internalizes whatโs going on or what the song is meant to get across and how each individual component contributes to that in a way that makes sense and puts their stamp on it and blesses it as worthy then weโll make an arrangement, record a demo and keep trying to collaborate through the entire process until a song is finished. Is a song ever really finished, though? Who knows, right? Itโs an interesting way to spend your time and energy, thatโs for sure.
David Silver of Season to Risk: Weโre recording a new album at our guitarist Duane Trowerโs studio where we rehearse, Weights and Measures Soundlab in Kansas City. We never want to sound like anyone else, including ourselves.
Steve Tulipana of Season to Risk: And weโd really like to finally play Japan and Europe.
Ryan Patterson of Coliseum: Coliseum is quietly, happily working on a new album. But donโt tell anyone.
Laila Eskin of Heet Deth: I am working on a full album and really rethinking what I want the future of Heet Deth to be, kind of ready to move on from being a duo and seeing what new dimensions of music Heet Deth can reach. Iโm both scared and excited for what these new collaborations with friends will bring.
Nate Carson of Point Line Plane: With the Point Line Plane reunion so fresh (our first show in 21 years was on May 1, 2026), we are focused on getting the remastered reissue of our debut album into peopleโs hands. It was never on vinyl back in the day, but that has finally changed thanks to SKiN GRAFT records, our cover artist E*Rock, and our original engineer Mookie K. The album got a sonic facelift from my favorite mastering guy Justin Weis and has now achieved its final form. But PLP was never a band to rest on our laurels, so I presume weโll start writing new material very soon after the Caterwaul jaunt. Keep an eye on all things @pointlineplaneband !
Curran Reynolds of Body Stuff: I just finished making my new album, Body Stuff 5. My goals have been the same from the start: to make the most authentic, vulnerable, explosive art I can. I keep succeeding.
Interview with Rainer Fronz
Before Caterwaul, before Learning Curve, before any of the more visible chapters, what was the moment or the room that made you realize Minneapolis underground music was going to be something you organized your life around rather than just attended?
When I moved up here from Illinois for college, I already had some preconceived notions of cool things in Minneapolis: Hรผsker Dรผ, First Avenue, Prince. After spending a few months here, getting to know people, and exploring a little bit, it became pretty clear that this was the place for me. I felt comfortable here. I didnโt feel like an outsider.
In Minneapoolis and St Paul the music scene seemed to be a lot more accessible and vast compared to what I was used to growing up. It made it way more exciting. I knew it was a community I wanted to participate in and be a part of as a fan.
Your years at Amphetamine Reptile sit in a pretty mythologized corner of American underground rock by now. Whatโs something about working there that doesnโt match the legend, the part of it you remember that gets left out when people talk about the label from the outside?
When I worked at AmRep, it was less of a label and more of a lowbrow art seller and limited collectible toy business. We still shipped back catalog, worked with distributors, and repressed albums, but it was a very slow โlabelโ time in the late โ90s and early 2000s.
The art game was always strong with AmRep, and it continued into the Zippo company, the gallery, and art shows featuring artists like Shag, Shepard Fairey, and Kozik. It was really just an extension of the label. Traditional labels were evolving into something different, and for AmRep, it evolved into more of a non-music machine for a while. Most of the bands had moved on or split up, so it made sense to move toward art.
Although it didnโt take AmRep long to circle back to one of its main thoroughbreds and start doing limited singles and shows at Grumpyโs with the Melvins. We devised a plan in the AmRep office to make a limited single of the B-side the Melvins had recorded, a Halo of Flies cover, with an Obey Giant cover. Boom: limited single, exclusive club shows at Grumpyโs were born. Which has lead to where the label is now with Hazeโs woodcut art and limited art releases. Very cool stuff.
So I guess thatโs a brief look behind the curtain. Not as sexy as an employee whipping cars going down the street or getting kicked out of showcases or anything like that. For the most part however, all the scenes from the dope guns and fu%$^ng up you video deck of AmRep industries do hold true to what the actual office life was like.
Caterwaul is in its fifth year, and the bill this time stretches from Mike Watt and Dazzling Killmen to Stress Positions and Muscle. When you started this, what kind of room were you actually trying to build, and how close has it landed to what you had in your head in year one?
I think this year and last year are the closest weโve gotten to where we want to be lineup-wise. There is some curiosity on my end about bringing in a little more pop and industrial. artists Weโre trying a hip-hop artist/noise rocker with P.O.S. this year. Heโs been blending genres his whole career, and Iโm excited to have him and Dwynell Roland play. I think it will provide a nice change of pace.
Same with bands like Panel, Flesh Narc, Bone Bag, and Muscle. Yikes, I could keep going. Those artists all bring something unique to the lineup. Up and down the bill this year, we have some very stylistically unique artists. They do say variety is the spice of life.
Thereโs a particular curatorial logic across this yearโs lineup, legacy bands sharing a weekend with much newer ones, and it doesnโt feel accidental. Walk me through how a band ends up on the Caterwaul bill, what youโre listening for, and what disqualifies something even if itโs good on paper.
Ha, is this a trick question? I wish we had a system. Each year feels a little different. It is definitely a collaborative tug of war. Conan, Melanie, and I all come to the table with bands, and we all check them out and discuss or message each other about what we like and dislike.
In recent iterations of Caterwaul, Iโve put a hard no on repeats, at least back-to-back repeats. Every other year is fine, but there are so many bands who express interest in wanting to play that it seems kind of foolish to repeat bands too often.
To bring it back to the question, the room Iโm looking for is one where we can bring bands to Minneapolis and introduce them to Caterwaul fans, and whoever else is paying attention to our event. New bands, younger bands, someone doing some wild shit. When it works out, I try to get a few LCR bands on there too, but that doesnโt always work.
Conan has a much better network from his podcast, Protonic Reversal, and from touring with his band Conan Neutron and the Secret Friends. He is better at getting the big fish.
Melanie is great at connecting with people, networking, developing relationships, finding bands she likes, and getting them interested and involved. It is pretty fun to watch.
Rye Coalition playing their first show since 2011 is the kind of booking that doesnโt happen by sending an email. How did that one come together, and is there a story behind it youโre willing to share?
That is one youโll have to ask Conan. We have been going back and forth with them for a few Caterwauls, so it has been on the stove for a while. I guess this was the year the pan finally got hot enough.
Learning Curve has put out records by In Lieu, USA Nails, Missouri Executive Order 44, and a long list beyond that. Whatโs the throughline across the roster from your end, and is there a release youโd point to as the one that most defines what the label is actually for?
Great question. Itโs a question Iโve never been able to answer the same way twice.
I started the label because I couldnโt find a job in music with an active label or music company after college, even though I thought I had made some solid connections through college radio and interning at AmRep. Early 2000s? Not a thing. TRL and the beginning of the internet ruined it.
So, against all advice, I started a label.
As for the release that symbolizes what it is for? There are two. The first is LCR001, a split between Vaz and Sicbay. Totally out of print. That one started it all. I got the money together, got the courage to ask the bands, and did it. Sold it. A landmark in the history books.
The second release is the most recent record, the Hey Colossus Heaven Was Wild LP/CS U.S. pressing. Iโm still at it. I collaborated on a release with a good friendโs label in the UK, someone I met by doing this label. Through thick and thin, LCR has taught me many lessons and given me many friends around the world.
I also know it has given people music. Whichever release or song you like, if youโre like me, it can trigger a memory, an emotion, or take you somewhere like nothing else. That is what the label and the releases are for. There isnโt just one. Itโs the first, the last, and everything in between.
Running a label, co-founding a fest, working at AmRep, playing in bands. From where youโre sitting now, whatโs the honest state of the Minneapolis scene in 2026, the parts that are healthier than people give it credit for and the parts youโre worried about?
The Metro surge crap that happened earlier this year damaged so many communities: musicians, artists, chefs, families. Honestly, everyone in the Twin Cities felt it financially in one way or another. It was also, and still is, mentally and emotionally traumatic for a lot of people here. It dragged down all aspects of life in Minnesota.
That is what I am most worried about in our city, and whatever scene concerns exist in 2026. But the state of our scene, and the people in Minnesota, is also about healing and standing up for one another. That part gives me hope.
As far as musicโฆ.
I think the overall health of the Twin Cities scene is pretty good. There are always new bands and musicians pushing boundaries.
One thing that used to happen all the time in the Cities was cross-genre shows: hip-hop, rock, alt-country, punk, whatever. The crowd would stay for the whole show and support the whole thing. It was beautiful. Now it seems like shows are more genre-specific: all rock, all punk, all whatever. Mix it up!
If you are really curious about the actual music scene in the Twin Cities, the best way to monitor it is to watch it being documented in real time by @undercurrentMPLS.
Outside your own orbit, what other festivals, labels, or DIY initiatives are doing the work the right way in your eyes right now, anywhere in the country or beyond? The ones run by people who actually care, whether or not anyoneโs writing about them.
Labels I follow and pay attention to are The Ghost Is Clear Records, Hex Records, Three One G, MPLS LTD, and Wrong Speed Records.
Festivals and things in the same family that we like include Ghost Canyon, Foreign Dissent, Wrong Speed Records All Dayer, and all things UndercurrentMPLS.
Youโre on the transplant list at Status 1 and youโre still hoping to be at the fest you built. Without making this the whole conversation, whatโs been going through your head these last few weeks watching the fifth edition come together from a hospital, and is there something you want to put on record about the people whoโve shown up for you?
I am quite focused on staying alive right now. I am trying my best to help coordinate what I can from my hospital room while waiting for a new heart.
It is very hard not being at Caterwaul. Iโm used to being in the thick of it: running around, answering questions, solving problems, putting out small fires, and helping keep the whole machine moving. This year, I have to accept that I canโt physically do all of that, and that has been one of the harder parts for me.
But Iโm also incredibly thankful. Conan, Melanie, the bands, the venue, volunteers, friends, and everyone who has checked in or stepped up in any way have made it feel possible. Caterwaul has always been bigger than one person, and this year is proving that in a very real way.
What Iโd like to put on record is this: thank you. And also, please keep showing up for it. Help where you can. Give it the care and energy it deserves. I may be stuck in a hospital room, but Iโm still very much with it in spirit, and Iโm grateful as hell to everyone helping pull it off.
Last one. If Caterwaul keeps going past this year, past the next, decades out, what would you want it to have meant by then? Not the marketing line, the thing youโd be quietly proud of if you saw it from a distance.
Loud independent music has a forum in Minnesota, and that is something cool and worth being proud of.
We created a party, and people showed up.
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