Draw the circle. Stoke the fire. Don’t ignore the noises coming from the woods. Camp Punksylvania returns to Gilbert, PA from 19–21 June as Riot Squad Media prepares to unleash Camp Punksylvania 6(66), the sixth annual gathering of punks, ska kids, weirdos and wandering spirits at the West End Fairgrounds.
This year’s gathering embraces a darker ritualistic theme, with four stages echoing through the woods like incantations in the night as bands from across the scene descend upon the campground for one of punk’s most unique summer traditions.
TGEFM once again returns to the woods for another year of Happy Campers, and this time around we spoke with Keep Flying saxophonist/vox John James Ryan about the rituals of live performance, the strange magic that keeps Camp Punksylvania growing, the state of the scene and what exactly they hope to summon beneath the trees this June. From horror movie survival scenarios to campfire songs for the end times, nothing was left outside the circle. Feed the fire, keep your flashlight close and step carefully into the coven…err..umm… I mean conversation below.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview! You are gearing up for Camp Punksylvania in the coming months, For anyone discovering you for the first time… what should our readers know about Keep Flying? What song in your set feels the most like an invocation… the one that pulls everyone fully into your world?
Well I would say first and foremost that we are doing this because we truly love it and one thing you can expect from a KF show is fun. A nice break from some of the darkness and just some lighthearted joy to dance to. Song wise I would say 198 Broadway is the anthemic tune that brings everyone together and on the same page.
Every ritual needs an outcome… when the dust settles this year, what do you want campers to be saying about your set when they “write home”?
Similarly to the first question I hope that campers are able to take home with them the fire to push forward & do so with new things in front of them. To walk a path more decisively in the direction of what brings joy & hopefully less stress.
Everyone talks about “the scene”… what’s something the scene gets right right now, and what’s something you hope improves?
Quite honestly the scene is actually something we have always hoped would expand to consist of more like minded people who may not be aware of the kind of music we get to love at camp punksylvania. Keep flying formed in 2016 on the ashes of our old bands wanting to do things a bit differently and I hope the “scene” can continue to evolve and adapt to be inclusive to more folks who may simply be right outside the bubble and not know to turn around and walk in.
If your set is a ritual… what are you trying to summon… and what are you trying to burn to the ground?
We want to summon kindness, compassion, laughter, & motivation. We hope to burn out as much of the negative energy that is all around us. We have to.
This isn’t your first time performing at Camp Punksylvania. What makes you want to come back and perform for the cult? How has it felt being able to watch this thing grow from the inside?
Truly we love to be a part of this because we love the campers, we love Laura at Riot Squad, and we love what the people who make this all happen believe in. It’s as simple as that.
What’s one moment in your band’s history where you stopped and realized, “yeah, we’ve really built something here”?
There has been a few times where the crowd has hi jacked our set by starting our chant at the end of 198 Broadway which feels super accomplishing and gives goosebumps. A real moment of togetherness.
You’ve talked about music being fun… do you think the scene ever forgets that and takes itself a little too seriously?
No question, I think people lose sight of why we do this and it becomes competition which honestly is just not a game we wish to enter.
After years of grinding, touring, and building this thing… what’s something that still reminds you why you started Keep Flying in the first place?
As we are currently celebrating our ten year anniversary we are still blessed to have people who have been there from the launch support us to this day. That means the world to us.
Campfire set… middle of the woods… things are getting strange… what song are you playing when it all turns a little unhinged?
‘Mistakes’ on repeat and letting it really cook up.
The recent situation surrounding Punk in the Park sparked a lot of conversation… from cancellations to artists choosing different paths. How did you interpret that moment, and what does it reveal about the state of the scene?
I saw Camp Punksylvania opening their doors for artists to play this festival instead, and I agree/support that.
The lineup this year feels like a carefully assembled coven… which acts are you most excited to witness summon their energy live?
Body Count
What lies ahead for you after Camp Punksylvania 2026… what’s the next chapter you’re writing?
We have multiple releases coming this year inclusive of old songs being repressed, live songs, new versions of current songs, & brand new ones too. 2026 will be the most amount of releases for KF yet!
Before we close the circle… is there anything we haven’t summoned that you’d like to bring into the conversation?
The time & the tide wait for no one. Seize the day.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/