The dust kicked up forcing many fans to place a bandana over their mouth (I had my pink paisley one on), but it didn’t seem to stop anybody from having fun, fun, fun.

The biggest highlight for me on Saturday was Killdozer. Even if you’ve never heard of them before, you have certainly heard them. Trace the lineage of the music that became known to us as grunge, and you will find this band listed as direct ancestors. Their set that afternoon was pulsating and electric. Singer/bassist Michael Gerald proved that one can actually play an instrument and drink beer at the exact same moment, and guitarist Bill Hobson raced up the scaffolding, climbed on top of the loudspeakers, and used the metal structure to play slide with. The trio left stage with amplifiers feeding back, and the crowd (including members of the headlining acts) screaming for more.

On Sunday I caught hardcore pioneers D.O.A. Though with only one original member, (front man Joey “Shithead” Keithley) the music seemed as urgent and passionate as it was when the band formed 25 years ago. I later caught local heroes Grupo Fantasma and the radical change from punk to Latin reminded me why I love this festival so much. Anything and anyone can be celebrated here.

The Black Angels also produced big moments for me on Sunday, as the sun was setting and the stage lights began to interact with the dust in the park and added to the tribal like rhythm and heavy bass riffs.

I think of Fun Fun Fun Fest as kind of like ACL for the punk rock kids. Those of us who grew up with music meaning as much as life itself, whose friendships were forged between the latest Replacements album and the next punk rock show to hit town. For everyone who was jealous of somebody’s Dead Kennedys shirt or who checked record stores for months before finally finding that one Fugazi record, this one’s for you.