A week with post-hardcore and emo’s rising bands

Written by: Hannah Fulkerson & Madi Roybal

Images By: Marcus Arreguine

Hannah Fulkerson

January 2-4th in what was almost sunny Los Angeles, Post Everything fest was held by Foster Hilding and Dead Mothers Collective. I got the opportunity this year to experience the amazing curated lineup and ask questions about how this festival came to be. 

On January 2nd, we drove in from Dallas, Texas for the first day of the festival. Packed in the car for at least 19 hours, we were relieved to not only stretch our legs out but land head first into what would be an amazing week of music.  Last year, Post-everything was formerly known as screaming southwest showcase two, “keeping the same impetus just a new fest” Hilding said. The name change came from breaking the music bubble outside of the Southwest area in order to consider the lineups that have bands everywhere from New York to Colombia. The two promoters, Foster Hilding & Nyle, have been booking DIY for a handful of years, but recently a lot more since the revival of scenes post-COVID 19. They saw an opportunity to gather people together and strengthen the community surrounding them.

With over 32 bands in four days, everything had to be organized, mixed, and recorded with extreme diligence in order to be enjoyed by the community. Intentional is a word I would use to describe the events entirely. Taking into account Stuff Fest, each day at an event run by Dead Mother Collective, you could feel the clear intention between the curated lineups for each day and location. The community was especially abundant at the festival, meeting new people and artists, growing closer to those I knew before the fest, and being introduced to new music or bands I thought I’d never get to see live. “Introducing people to these bands that need to be heard”, was something Hilding was particular about and I can attest was the forefront experience.

The majority of the bands I got to see were either artists I never dreamed of seeing perform live or others I hadn’t heard of. Going in blind for these performances is something I have a deep love for when it comes to booking DIY, considering not a lot is directly streamable and garnering attention is harder these days. A lot of the artists had great releases leading up to this festival. For example At First, At First, and My Point of You from Texas, their release of “Texas, Hold Me” on December 19th was captivating not only on stream but also live and in person this weekend.  Being from the same area in Texas I felt extremely spoiled to have them on this lineup. They are amazing people and I’m very thankful for them and their talents. Texas, Hold me and Holidays in United States release of “This Is My Second Rodeo”, are my two favorite buzzer-beater releases of 2025, experiencing them live and in a new state for the first time was for lack of professionalism “literal chills”.

California overall was an amazing experience with just as breathtaking surroundings which only elevated the festival’s environment. Three new bands I discovered from the lineup were Soccer, Sesame, and Wazoo. Wazoo released an EP on January 9th called “The Finer Things in Life”, an amazing listen which I would highly recommend checking out. I, and the rest of my team which made this entire experience possible, am very appreciative of the memories Post Everything and Stuff Fest gave us.

I hope to continue to keep in touch and work with everyone involved, as well as grow closer with the people I got to spend time with on this trip!

Madi Roybal

I would have to say that my favorite sets were the fat lady sang set at post everything in la, the cash only tony’s set in pomona, and the holidays in the united states show at the boxing ring in san diego. fat lady really blew me away with their stage presence; clad in suits, they all filed on the stage, absolutely shredded, and then filed off in silence while the crowd begged for more. I was absolutely floored after their set, truly.

the cash only tony’s set in Pomona was honestly perfect. the lights, the acoustics, and closeness of that smaller venue gave it that “homey” feel while still being entirely professional and organized. the vocals were insane and gut-piercing as always, and the participation from the crowd made it such a memorable show.

lastly, the holidays in united states set in that chaotic san diego boxing ring was so great. despite that diy-show’s usually have some last minute issues and the constant noise complaints we got from the owners next door, the holidays guys kept cool under pressure and absolutely delivered a note-worthy  performance that got everyone swaying and jumping around. i love that the guys from holidays look like they’re enjoying themselves on stage too, clearly grinning for all to see, making the music that much more impactful for everyone in the crowd.

One aspect I enjoyed aside from the music was how everyone (musicians, promoters, fans, and friends) got together after the shows or after certain sets and were able to decompress, eat local cuisines, or just grab a drink afterwards. the community aspect of the music scene and art scene is always so near and dear to my heart. it’s so important and beautiful to see people from all over (texas, california, new york, etc.) bridge their differences and come together over a shared appreciation for music. I just get so mushy inside, i love it.

Playlist of artists we saw that you should check out 🙂