We all had one last nightcap in Second Dan’s room before calling it a night. As we walked out to go to all our respective rooms, I noticed their drummer Sonny walking out too. I just figured he was staying in another room or something. As we would find out the next morning, he actually was just going for what his buzzed mind thought would be a relaxing walk around. Upon returning to the band’s room, the door was locked and he had no key.
After several failed attempts to wake the others by pounding on the door, he sat on the ground and fell asleep with his head against the door. Some time later, the night manager found him. Figuring he was just some local drunk, he threatened to call the cops. It took a little effort, but Sonny was able to convince him that he was actually a guest who was locked out of his room. It took a little more effort to get someone in the room to open the door, but what we now have is another classic ‘guy from NY almost getting arrested at a hotel in Wilmington’ story.
Day 3: Waffle House
The plan was to wake up and go back to the Goody Goody for breakfast. But being a Saturday and this place having like 4 tables and maybe 8 or 10 seats at the counter, the line was out the door, spilling into the parking lot. So we opted for Waffle House as it was surprisingly empty. I’ve never had a bad meal at a Waffle House. It’s an average place with all of teh southern breakfast staples, but it’s no Goody Goody! I was happy that I didn’t wear my new Goody Goody tee shirt as originally planed. Not sure how that would have gone over.
One kid working there asked if we were in a band, I let the boys from Second Dan do the talking since I was in fact not in a band. They told him about WE Fest and he proceeded to tell us about all the kinds of music he hates. Emo, indie, rock, metal, country. We were baffled because he started off telling us that he was really into bands and music. I for one could not figure what he meant by that and was too hungry to really care to ask.
Outdoor show at Fanboy
Fanboy Comics in Wilmington is this massive place filled with new, classic and hard to find comics and collectibles. They also have a very impressive stock of tee-shirts. If you’re into that sorta thing, this place is like Disney Land, Times Square and the Vatican rolled into a friendly local shop.
Second Dan was scheduled to play an acoustic show inside the store. Despite the tight room they were totally into making it work. When Margo showed up from Organic Entertainment (the bands NY PR firm) she had a revelation. Why not set up outside in the parking lot? After all, her partner Paul Anthony had worked his butt off to get them a PA for the day which honestly would not be needed for the indoors show. So why not turn it up outside? That they did and it was brilliant.
As we sat, stood and leaned in the comfort of the shade, the band set up in the parking lot under the blazing sun. It was a much more chill and relaxed set than their rock mayhem the night before. A sorta acoustic/electric hybrid with electric guitar and bass, acoustic guitar and a snare/hi-hat set up. Traffic slowed to catch a few bars as they flew by. Some pulled over and sat in their cars for a few more bars. The folks who run the produce shop across the road stood outside and listened for a while.
Brief Beach Time
Hunger was setting in strong. Meredith—part of the Organic contingency—was concerned about the rising heat and her rapidly dropping blood sugar. So we packed everything up and made very loose plans for everyone to find food and meet at the beach a little later on. Danny and Adam from Second Dan and I headed down with band mates Dan and Sonny following behind in their beefy, muscle red Mustang rental. There are plenty of places to eat there so I figured I’d grab a bite after we parked.
