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 Demi and Shug of Pucker Up! 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 you? What song in your set feels the most like an invocation… the one that pulls everyone fully into your world?
Demi: For anyone discovering us for the first time, we believe they should know that we are from the music capital of the world (Northeast Pennsylvania, Scranton, SWB) — I feel like the song that pulls everyone into our world would be “Guitar Hero.” It captures Pucker Up! both sonically and emotionally.
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”?
Demi: When the dust settles this year, I want campers saying they felt the sense of shared community and empowerment at our set. –
Everyone talks about “the scene”.. what’s something the scene gets right right now, and what’s something you hope improves?
Shug: The SWB scene is doing a great job supporting the new bands that are popping up, especially the younger ones. I want to see more all ages spaces and showing up to shows when possible.
If your set is a ritual… what are you trying to summon… and what are you tryin to burn to the ground?
Shug: Summoning prosperity and inclusion, burning down cliques and oppressive forces. -Shug
Every scene has unwritten rules… which ones do you think need to be broken right now?
Demi: I think the one that needs to be broken is sticking by your homies through *everything*… if your homie is a bad person, hold them accountable. The scene we’re in seems to try to sweep poor behavior under the rug. We don’t do that here.
Camp 6(66) turns into a full-on horror movie… who becomes the final survivor, and who gets picked off immediately?
Demi: not sure who the final survivor would be, but every member of Pucker Up will get picked off immediately… 😂
Campfire set… middle of the woods… things are getting strange… what song are you playing when it all turns a little unhinged?
Demi: we’re playing “Humiliation” when it all turns a little unhinged. just play the first 10 seconds of the song and you’ll see exactly why.
The punk, ska and hardcore scenes haven’t always been the most inclusive spaces… as artists who break the traditional mold, have you felt resistance… or had to fight harder to be heard?
Shug: Yeah of course, our area is known for it’s hardcore scene, and we’re kinda on the fringe of that. We don’t really fit the look or the sound of the bands that have come out of our area, but we’re so grateful for the people who have given us a chance and the space to explore sonically.
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?
Demi: What made me want to come back for this year’s Camp Punk was seeing the sense of community last year. I’ve never been to Camp before 2025, but always heard great things about it. Thought it was hyped up, but seeing it first hand confirmed all of the good i’ve ever heard about it.
The lineup this year feels like a carefully assembled coven… which acts are you most excited to witness summon their energy live?
Shug: Body Count, Michael Cera Palin, and PUP!
What lies ahead for you after Camp Punksylvania 2026… what’s the next chapter you’re writing?
Shug: We’re recording and dropping some new music, hopefully a music video, and then we’ll be disappearing for a while. Come and see us while you can!
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/