PAT- ALL ELSE FAILED (Pennsylvania)

1. Playing this year, off the top of my head is a tough one, but the first thing I jump to is when we played in 2014 right before Turmoil and I was secretly wishing I could just leave my shit set up and continue playing!  This year there are so many great bands; Turning Point, Code Orange, some great bands.  I'd probably just say Code Orange since the drummer does the majority of the vocals and there is a lot of room on the stage - the bass player gets to dance around a lot, so I'd like to take some of that space from him and throw down with them.

2. What’s not to love?  Right now it's at the top of the game! Probably Black Bird or Grindcore House. Mark and Mike are friends of mine so it's great to see my friends from the scene out there running businesses and that's what Philly is all about; doing it, taking it, and making something your own!

3. The 76ers ownership!

4. We've played 3 times and I've been to at least 2 others, so I've been to 5 or 6 total.  Favorite moment has to be watching Touche Amore the first year we played because they were the last band before we played and I was just watching them getting so amped up because we hadn't played in 4 years, and they just played such a killer set that it got me in the proper mindset to actually play again!

5. My Vice Presidential pick would be Joe Biden - but not the real Joe Biden - the 'Onion' Joe Biden - The Onion Caricature of Joe Biden, 'Uncle Joe Biden.'  He's a weed dealing grimy uncle type character and it's just brilliant. The first thing I'd change would be - I think the one thing that drives our hyper-partisanship is that each election seems so fucking important that you almost don't care who you're voting for you just care about the party because of the supreme court justices, because a supreme court justice has a lifetime term.  I would get rid of the lifetime term so that there is less at stake with each party winning - it would encourage people to vote their conscience more because if you lose its not such a big deal - I mean, it's always a big deal, but like this year, I'm going to vote for Hillary Clinton, who I don't love, but I can't have Donald Trump in. That's mainly because there is a chance he'll get to nominate 3 Supreme Court Justices - and they'll get lifetime terms. If there wasn't a lifetime term, it wouldn't be so vital that your party wins, and you could vote for the person instead of the party. 

RILEY- POWER TRIP (Texas)

1. Probably Killing Time, then Turning Point runner up even though I'd probably sound terrible, then maybe Integrity as a third - or Breakdown, I'd love to do that for sure.

2. The food.

3. The casual racism.

4. Ok, today was my favorite - it was my favorite time that we've played here, the energy was just perfect, I kind of expected people to be tired of us, I think this is our 4th or 5th year playing so I figured people would be over it, so I would say the whole set today was the best moment.  Or when I stage dove to E-Town Concrete while eating a hoagie. I ate a hoagie during "Mandibles" and I was stage diving and singing along while spitting hoagie everywhere; and a bunch of meat fell on this giant dude in a wife beater and he was so mad at me, but I was just like "Don't worry man - it's vegan!"

5. Our roadie Hood would be the VP and the first thing I'd change is to make sure that every American who needs it gets real deal free healthcare. We need to look after our people. If I was going to have any mission as president it'd absolutely be to take care of our poeple and make sure we are the healthiest country in the world. I would look at psychiatric reform, prison reform, I would invest in the mental health in our society, and education too. Mental health and education for sure, focus in on those.  

RACHEL- MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD (California)

1. Killing Time.

2. My favorite thing about Philly is True Hand Tattoo, Mike Skee has a shop and he did a lot of my stuff and I love him!

3. Getting here.

4. This is my first This Is Hardcore. As for my favorite moment, it's tough since this is my first one, but I'll say that I had a delicious cookie here - haha!  Actually, I'll take that back, seeing friends, I've seen a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time so I'll use that over the cookie. The cookie and the people!

5. My VP would be Justin - the other guitar player in Most Precious Blood and Indecision, he's been involved in just about everything I've done since I was about 20. First thing, I would build a wall around Donald Trump, close him in so I never have to see his disgusting face again!

ACE- BREAK AWAY (Virginia)

1. Well, Floorpunch is my favorite band so it's pretty easy for me, it'd be Floorpunch.

2. Steve's Prince of Steaks.

3. It's kind of dirty, which I guess I don't mind too much.  I don't really like the sports teams since I'm an avid Washington (DC) sports fan.  Oh, and it's a little confusing to get around sometimes.

4.  I've been here 3 times, I would say our set today was my favorite moment because it was a lot of fun. Oh - and the first time I saw Breakdown was here, that could be my favorite memory.

5. My Vice President would be honestly, since he didn't get the nomination, my VP would probably be Bernie Sanders and I would try to implement some of the social reforms he campaigned for while running for the democratic nomination.

JEREMY- LIFELESS (Delaware)

1. All Out War.  By far.

2. I was going to say the Asian Garden, but that's not it, it's the Penn History Museum, that's my favorite tiny little 'jawn' museum that I go to; it's got mummies and old ass shit, I love it.  I love a lot of stuff about Philly, but I'm thinking outside the box. Another good thing is the New Harmony vegan restaurant!

3. Probably heroin, all the drugs here; seeing once vibrant go, and those neighborhoods are all destroyed now, that's my least favorite thing.

4. I've been to 8 This Is Hardcore's and my favorite memory or moment was…you know what?  I really fucked with E-Town Concrete 2 years ago, one of the best sets by far!

5. Who would be my VP?  My dog, literally. My dog.  First thing I'd change - I'd get rid of Obamacare cause that shit fuckin sucks!

RICHIE- WISDOM IN CHAINS (Pennsylvania)

1. All Out War.

2. The food, great food in Philly and it's cheap as fuck. Most typical cities are expensive but Philly's cheap, the food's good, the people are crazy, it's PA!

3. You know what?  As far as the local government, it's a little bit corrupt to be honest.

4. I've been to every This Is Hardcore except one. My favorite memory is one year it was real hot when they had it at the other place, and Joe Hardcore was showing everybody how to cool off by applying cold drinks to your wrists and the back of your neck, he said it would drop your body temperature, but he took it so serious that I thought watching it was funny!

5. Vice President I'd have to go with Andrew Dice Clay, he would satisfy the Trump vote, and then I would implement some programs for prisoners. If you're a non violent prisoner, if you gain your doctorate in jail, you get out as soon as you're done, as soon as you graduate.  If you've got a 30 year bid for a non violent crime, you take the doctorate, in 8 years - boom - you're out, because if you're a doctor you're not gonna commit a crime again.  I'd implement that program, create a smarter America, invest in the product which is Americans!

REBA- CODE ORANGE (Pennsylvania)

1. I am going to go ahead and say Eternal Sleep which is a Pittsburgh band playing tomorrow - they're my boys and they're heavy as fuck!

2. I lived here for a little bit and it sucked, but I love coming here and playing shows, so the best part about Philly is the hardcore scene which is fucking awesome.

3. The worst thing about this city is that it's so dirty and I don't feel safe.

4. I think we've played 5 times and I went to one before that so 6 times, and the biggest moment from the fest is either the first time we played or 2 times after that because we had just put out a new record and it meant a lot.  A lot of people came out, our friends all showed up and supported us, it was sick - it was the first time we felt at home with This Is Hardcore.

5. Haha! I'm really not qualified but let's just say Eric Balderose my bandmate, guitar player, would be my vice, and I'd just give more money to local venues.

KEN- TURNING POINT (New Jersey)

1. Youth Of Today without a doubt.  I've been into hardcore since '85 and when they came out it just blew me away!  I've been straight edge forever, but when they came out that just helped solidify how I felt about everything.

2. Great restaurants, great people, and there is always something to do!  I can't narrow it down to one thing.

3. Driving around the city - trying to get anywhere takes a long time, so I'd have to say the traffic.

4. This is actually my first This Is Hardcore and I only live a half hour away, that's pretty sad!  I was out of hardcore for a little while with the family and everything and now I'm back in, so to pick a memory, I'd have to say Youth of Today.

5. I'm drawing a blank on this one!

PAT- ANGEL DU$T (Maryland)

1. Probably True Love just so I could be on stage with all of them. Just to be on stage with Derrick while he's playing drums and have Alec kick me in the head with the highest jump…

2. It's an hour and a half from my house.

3. That it's an hour and a half from my house.

4. I've only been to This Is Hardcore a few times. My favorite part of it was probably when Turnstile was playing and they covered an Angel Du$t song, and I was like 'let's go man!'  It was just fun because those are my boys, we're friends, so to see them cover that song was sick!

5. If I was president I would be elected on Friday, assassinated on Saturday, and buried on Sunday.  My Vice President would be Gerrard Way from My Chemical Romance and I'd change it so that everybody in the world gets the most brand new techonology where every single person gets a hovering car and a hover board, everyone can fly for free so you don't have to stay in the same spot forever.

JEFF - ZAO (Pennsylvania)

1. Ringworm

2. Definitely not the sports teams.  I always have good food here, I know it sounds cliché but you know, coming to Philly and getting a good cheesesteak is great, but no matter where I go someone always tells me I went to the wrong place!

3. The Flyers, being a Penguins fan I can't hang with the Flyers…

4. This is actually our first time here. It seems nicely organized, when you put that many bands in one venue over the course of a couple days it's usually just a clusterfuck but everything here is just run so smooth here, I've had a harder time playing a 3 band bill at a club!

5. I'd throw Bernie in there! First thing I'd try to change…honestly I would try to put a complete across the board ban on political advertising - it drives me crazy. Even the playing field!

DOMINIC- TRUE LOVE (Michigan)

1.That's a tough one. Instantly my mind jumps to my friends' bands, so Freedom!

2. The food. Love it, can't get enough - lots of vegan spots.

3. A lot of places smell. Yeah, it kind of smells like sewage.

4. This is my 2nd time. I think this year seeing Youth Of Today was sick.  I've never seen them before so I was just excited to be there with all of my friends!

5. My Vice President…I don't trust any of my friends haha, so I'll take a pass on that, but the first thing I'd change would be to give everybody money man, make 'em rich!

JEFF- BREAKDOWN (Maryland)

1. Youth of Today.

2. I guess it's the This is Hardcore Fest.

3. The Flyers.

4. I think we've played like 4 times. Favorite thing?  I don't know if I have an answer to that question, everything stands out!

5. Vice President would be Mr. Bernie Sanders, then I'd step down and just let him do his thing!

JORDAN- NATION OF WOLVES (Pennsylvania)

1. I'd go with Floorpunch.

2. The culture and attitude of the city. People don't really act any better than anyone else.

3. The accent. Wait, not that. Route 76. No, parking - it's 6 minutes for a quarter and a lot of the meters don't take cards.

4. I've been to all of them and 2 or 3 years ago when Civ played and Mike Judge came out and they played "New York Crew" - that was my favorite moment.

5. I've never thought about this before…definitely not something that was on my radar that you might ask. The change would be since I've been selling Volkswagens for the past 13 years I'd change the EPA emissions regulations for diesel engine vehicles because it's been screwing up my business! As for the VP, I'd go with Larry David- it would make me seem less neurotic and make me feel better about myself and my eating habits!

AARON- JESUS PIECE (Pennsylvania)

1. Dude, that's a hard ass question - I don't know!  From what I've seen so far, Youth Of Today's set was insane, and I'm not crazy about the band, but just for the fest I would love to play that set!

2. I love everything about Philly!

3. The parking association, straight up, I hate it.

4. Been to This Is Hardcore 3 times and I don't think I have a favorite memory, I would assume that this one will be my favorite after we play tomorrow - preemptive strike!

5. I would pick my roommate Mike Russell as my Vice President and the first thing I'd change is work toward some sort of police reform, but I'm sure the country as a whole has way bigger problems than just police.  Maybe improving relations or at least stopping all the bombings and the "somewhat of a war" we are still fighting!

KARL- STRENGTH FOR A REASON (Pennsylvania)

1. Probably Wisdom In Chains because I've been friends with them so long that we consider each other pretty much like brothers and their words speak to me. Plus Joe from Wisdom in Chains was in my band - we started off together in 1997 - he was our original drummer and we always shared a lot of the same beliefs. We always believed that the message was the most important part, that's what made it hardcore - speaking to someone and knowing that there was a message behind the music.

2. I'm from Northeast PA and my favorite thing about Philadelphia is the music scene, but I also love the Philadelphia Eagles, anybody who ever knew me knows I have season tickets to the Eagles, I've been going for 20 years of my life, I grew up on them and I make the 2 and half hour journey every Sunday that they're playing at home.

3. Probably the traffic - 76 is terrible, 95 is terrible. It feels like there is pretty much one way in and one way out and it's a 2 lane road with millions of people on it!

4. I've been to This Is Hardcore every year but one, we were in Europe and we missed it, that was the only year I've missed it. We've played it 6 or 7 times, maybe 8, but my favorite memory I'd have to say is probably the first year that it moved to the Electric Factory from the Starlight Ballroom because I didn't know how people would react in a bigger venue, but people came out and supported the music, supported the bands, and it showed that people love hardcore!

5. If I was elected president I'd probably select one of my best friends Chris Nace, he does our merch for us and he always has good guidance, very opionated, he's quick to tell you if you're right or wrong, and he's always looking out for your best interest.  First thing I'd change is money, everything is about money anymore, it's so expensive just to live. I'd make it more like back in the old days when it wasn't so hard to just get by working a normal job. 

TYLER- MALACE AT THE PALACE (Florida)

1. I'd say Terror if they were still playing but I'll go with Incendiary.

2. This Is Hardcore.

3. The air, the smell, I get sick everytime I come up here!

4. I've been to This Is Hardcore twice and my favorite memory is Rock Bottom's set with all the toilet paper - that was just hilarious!

5. I'd pick Joe Hardcore as my Vice President and we would change re-entry to the fest!

BRIAN- IRON PRICE (Maryland)

1. After Integrity last night probably them!

2. It's not too far from my house and it seems to be the epicenter for all the big shows!

3. Everything is really spread out - it's hard to get from one place to another without it being a pain in the ass!

4. I used to be an ass and can't remember some of these fests but I'm pretty sure I've been to 5.  As for my favorite moment, there was one year when it was still at the Starlight Ballroom and it was like 110 degrees inside and people were still going fucking crazy, passing out, falling backwards and shit!

5. I don't know, but I'd pick somebody capable and just put all the pressure on them so they'd be the one who got all the attention, probably Scott Ian from Anthrax. I would try to make the federal government have as little power to getting anything done because it seems thats what they do one way or the other, they fuck it up. Just do nothing and let people figure it out!

RICK- STRIFE (California)

1. I thought Incendiary's show yesterday was pretty rad, that would be fun!

2. Given that I'm a tourist - we are staying in Old City and it's just cool to see the history everywhere!  Being from Los Angeles, we're a relatively new city in comparison to the East Coast, so being able to walk down a street and it's the oldest residential street in America - that's pretty cool. Oh, and we went to Betsy Ross's house, it's interesting and shit I just probably wouldn't have done when I was younger, but now I just enjoy checking out the city wherever I might be, but the scenery here is great and Philly is fucking amazing!

3. The heat right now, the humidity.  I'm not used to that shit!

4. This one is my favorite for sure! This is our 3rd one, and I like that it's grown and it seems to have grown in the right way. I'm no expert in putting on a festival but Joe and everyone involved have done such a great job keeping it honest and real. Seeing so many smiles and kids going off - it's multi generational, you've got people my age, people older, younger, you've got little kids running around, it's a pretty magical thing. I think it's my favorite fest I've ever been a part of.

5. Not to get brownie points but I'd pick my wife, she's the smartest person I know, and she'd do a better job than me.  And I don't know what I'd change, there is too much to mention all at once!

JJ- NO ZODIAC (Arizona)

1. Down To Nothing would have been really cool.

2. Philly Cheesesteaks.

3. How humid it is!

4. This is my first year at This Is Hardcore and my favorite memory would be watching Incendiary's set.

5. My mom would be my VP and I'd give the death penalty to all rapists and pedophiles.  All of them.

DANNY- RUINER (Washington)

1. I had a hard enough time learning Ruiner's songs so I don't really know - maybe All Else Failed - I haven't seen them in years, so I'll go with that!

2. I'll go with the Flyers, I used to be a Caps fan growing up in Baltimore, but I've been to more Flyers games over the years - don't tell anyone!

3. Currently the humidity. I live in the Northwest now so my body isn't used to this anymore.

4. This is my 3rd time and I'll go with this interview as my favorite moment!

5. My Vice President would be Rob Sullivan because no one would assassinate me because they wouldn't want to get yelled at on a daily basis and I would find a way to get rid of humidity!

BILL- FLOORPUNCH (New Jersey)

1. Turning Point.

2. This Is Hardcore.

3. This Is Hardcore.

4. Floorpunch has played a ton of them - my favorite memory is when we played at the older venue and we covered a couple Breakdown songs and Jeff (from Breakdown) got on stage with us and had a diaper on his head because it was so hot! That's the coolest memory for me.

5. I'd probably pick Jimmy Gestapo because that dude is funny as hell!  What would I change? Shit, I don't know man, there is a long list of stuff.  I'd get rid of taxes, I hate paying taxes.

GARRETT- YEAR OF THE KNIFE (Delaware)

1. Ah man, probably Integrity because they're one of my favorite bands of all time. They invented that chugging heavy style that everyone kind of worships now - that and it's definitely something to be able to say you joined Integrity, I mean how many people can say that…I guess tons, haha!

2. I like Philly, its kind of charming with how gruff it is.  Other than that, Philly has a great music scene! 

3. I'm only from 30 minutes away so it's nice that I can go home when I'm done because if you're just walking around at night sometimes you feel like someone is going to jump out and shank you in the kidney!

4. I've been to This Is Hardcore since the 2nd one except 2011. My favorite memory is probably seeing Ink And Dagger with Geoff Rickley doing vocals - I liked Thursday when I was younger and it was cool seeing him with a band you didn't think you'd ever see.

5. I'd have to say our guitarist Brandon - he always backs me up in awful humor and the first thing that we'd probably change together…I don't know, he'd probably wind up legalizing crack even though we're a straight edge band, I don't know why, he's really into that shit - it's insane! Personally though, I'd make every release come out on vinyl instead of CD 'cause fuck that shit!

JOHN- TEN TON HAMMER (Pennsylvania)

1. It's tough but I'd probably say All Else Failed because I like them that much and I've been seeing them for years, and I could probably figure out all their songs because I've listened to them that much, so they'd be my go to - their Pennsylvania legends, you know?

2. I like the fact that it’s a big city but it's small enough that everyone knows each other - there is a good sense of community without it being small.

3. It smells like shit and it's full of trash!

4. I've gone every year except the first year, and there is a lot of good memories. Getting to see so many bands I wanted to see were here - my first time seeing Suicide File was here in either 2008 or 2009, Ink and Dagger was super cool, the Bane pizza party was super memorable, the Rock Bottom last show of course, obviously I'm a little biased, but that is the coolest thing I've ever done.

5. That's a tough one - you're giving me a brain buster here! I guess I'd have Ryan Gosling be my Vice President because he's really good looking, and there are too many things to change so it's hard to pick something, but I'd probably legalize all drugs because treating drug problems as crimes and not health issues has put a lot of people in jail and fucked a lot of things up!

MARC- TIMEBOMB (Pennsylvania)

1. Blistered.  Easily.

2. How blunt people are.

3. Too many people.

4. I've been every year, and playing the first time!

5. Danzig and fixing medicare.

JOSH- RUDE AWAKENING (Massachusetts)

1. That's a tough question - probably Killing Time.

2. Cheesesteaks.

3. Crackheads.

4. Been to This Is Hardcore 3 times. First time we played was summer of 2012 - a bunch of our friends came out early that year, they all wore Hawaiian shirts and represented our area of Massachusetts and its pretty cool to reflect upon that!

5. That's crazy, I don't keep up on politics at all!  Bill Murray. Bill Murray would be my VP, and we'd make actual real hoverboards - not these fake ones.