Interview: Ray Houska and For Real Fest 2008

By Matthew Toledo - 4/23/2008

Ray Houska is currently a first grade teacher in Lancaster, Ohio. However, back in 2004, he was an Ohio University student and singer for the hardcore band, Street Sharks. It was then that Ray reached out to his music contacts in Athens and Cleveland to organize his first DIY and basement shows. Athens is home to many music festivals, and yet Ray saw a niche that was not filled. He created an all-ages music festival, geared for the counter culture, but welcoming to all who wished to participate. And so, "For Real Fest" was born. A festival that's name is destined to be misspelled by every newspaper in town.

What started as circle pit in a class room at Ellis Hall evolved into a two-day-long music festival at the Union. This year's festival starts on Friday at 7:00 PM and on Saturday at 2:00 PM. Two dozen bands are on the ticket. Local groups, as well as bands from as far away as Florida and Vermont will perform. Anyone attending is encouraged to bring a vegan dish to add to the pot-luck. "A large percentage of the people who participate in hardcore punk choose to live a vegan lifestyle," stated Houska on the Athens Musician Network bulletin board, "We encourage our potluck to be vegan so everyone, regardless of their personal choices, can get down on some rad food."

For Real Fest is dear to many hard core punk rockers in the region. Fans have been planning to attend the show from around the nation since last year's event. It is, in a way, a pilgrimage. During previous years, throngs of people dressed in black have come down from the heat of the stage to cool down between sets. It is a time and place where folks can be themselves and not have to worry about conforming to societal norms. It's a place to let your hair down, and show off that new tattoo.

I recently had a chance to talk with Ray Houska about this Year's For Real Fest.

AMN: Hello, Ray. What, in your mind, was the biggest obstacle you encountered when planning the first For Real Fest?

Ray: Realizing that Alex Weinhardt had booked Darkest Hour at the old Baker Center that same day! But we decided to combine the two shows under the For Real Fest title.

AMN: Has planning the festival gotten any easier or harder over the years?

Ray: It has gotten easier in that For Real Fest has become a well known name in the hardcore punk community, so it is a lot easier to attract bands and patrons from all over the country. However, realizing that people plan their lives around this event, in that they have to take off work, travel, book flights, make accommodations, and so on; I feel accountable to ensure a positive experience for all involved, which is very stressful, so in that light it has gotten harder. It has also gotten easier in that many individuals in the Athens, and Ohio University communities have become involved with this event by holding fund raisers, volunteering at the fest and other shows, and by spreading the word. Without these people For Real Fest would not be seeing its 4th year.

AMN: So you've graduated and moved away to Lancaster for your first real job. Why hold the For Real Fest in Athens? Why not take it with you?

Ray: For Real Fest was my way of giving the Athens community a positive gathering in response to the numerous "fests," that are nothing more than rowdy keg parties on a street or in a field somewhere. I have no reason to relocate it. It belongs to Athens and is a reflection of the empathetic community that we have become in the DIY scene.

AMN: I know what the term DIY means. However, some of our readers may not. Could you define what DIY means for the lay person, and what it means to you personally?

Ray: DIY simply means "do it yourself." Those three words can be so powerful and inspiring. There is nothing you cannot do by yourself. We all have the knowledge to educate ourselves to the best of our individual abilities to make things happen in our lives by using whatever resources are available to us, or whatever resources we can create. DIY hardcore punk shows are only a small fraction of what various DIY communities have to offer.

AMN: The economy and fuel prices are making it hard for fans and musicians to get out to shows. Fewer and fewer people are spending their entertainment dollars on music thanks to competition from the internet, video games, movies, and so on. That said, do you think this is a good time to be a DIY musician in America?

Ray: It is always a good time to be a DIY artist. Even when times are tough, that makes working under a DIY ethic even more relevant. When we rely on others to put out our records and art, book our shows and tours, fund our gatherings, sponsor our bands, etc, we find ourselves giving those others power and placing ourselves in a vulnerable state. Those resources can always be taken away and our creative abilities can always be restricted. When we liberate ourselves from those who seek to capitalize on our talents, it is only then that our art can truly flourish.

AMN: Have you ever thought of turning your back on the teaching gig to try and book shows for a living?

Ray: Currently, I am not interested in profiting from promoting DIY gatherings. Like I said earlier, this is my way of constantly giving back to the community that has helped shape who I am today, and my way of helping foster the creativity of performing artists. Too often we see the creativity of individuals being capitalized upon by others, and I do not want to find myself ever doing that.

AMN: If you had an unlimited budget, how would you change For Real Fest?

Ray: Make it free to get in.

AMN: What are some of your favorite For Real Fest performances of the past?

Ray: Wasteland DC and The Dead Hate The Living in 2005, Inmates and I x Object in 2006, and My Revenge in 2007. However, there are reasons why bands like Insurrect, We March, and Delay return every year!

AMN: How do you go about finding bands to play the Festival? Is there any advice you can give to bands that want to get on the bill for next year?

Ray: I primarily book bands to play For Real Fest who I have worked with in the past or have formed positive relationships with. I refuse to work with groups who cannot contribute to the positive environment I seek to foster. For example, I will not add a band that conveys a sexist, homophobic, racist, or generally oppressive or negative message, and or conducts themselves in similar ways.

AMN: Well put. Looking forward to seeing you at the show.

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