06/19/2026
Hey everyone, Brandon Alan Lewis from Punkerton Records here.
4 years ago today, I was wrapping up my first little punk rock festival outside of Cincinnati called Hell is Ohio LLC Fest at Swine City Brewing
It wasn’t some massive event, one stage and maybe 15 bands. It wasn’t some epic festival, maybe 12 vendors. We didn’t make a dime, but we paid the bands, and in that moment, I was happy, and proud.
June 18, 2022 is the date I consider the real birthday of Punkerton Records. Not because of some announcement or milestone, but because that was the moment I realized what I was doing actually mattered.
That weekend was when something clicked for me. I knew then that this little record label of mine deserved to be taken seriously. Not by everyone else, but by me.
Maybe I could build something and be apart of something real. Maybe Punkerton could leave a tiny little mark on the universe.
That weekend also created friendships that still mean the world to me. It was very first show, and now Ryan Punkerton is part of the Punkerton team, which is still crazy to think about.
Huge Euge aka Ryan Francis aka Ryan Francis not only got an epic speedo photo of himself (which you may have seen all over Riot Fest a few years later,) he also sat me down after the first night and reminded me to take a step back sometimes and take it all in. I will never ever forget get that moment Ryan.
There are also several people in these photos I haven’t spoken to in years, and honestly, I hate that more than anything. Life moves fast, people drift apart, and things change. But I still look at those photos fondly and remember how much that weekend meant. This festival was only possible because of Samantha and Bri, you both put in so much work, and I am forever grateful for that. I hope wherever you are, you are doing well.
So for those who have been following us since HIO Fest, thank you. Seriously. You were there before any of this looked like it was going anywhere, and I’ll never forget that.
📸 by Tiffany Detzel