Instead I walked with them on to the beach, set up my little chair that gets used maybe 2 days a year but resides in my car fulltime just in case. At this point, I was not inspired to move at all and just chilled. While I zoned out on low energy and the sound of the crashing waves and screaming children, Danny and Sonny went to build a sand castle. Having none of the needed tools, they relied on their hands and architectural inspiration. The results were actually pretty impressive. And me without my camera.
We finally stopped for a quick bite at a local pizza place called Vito’s right off the beach. Much to my surprise once again, the pizza was not bad at all. Of course ordering is a different experience here. You can’t just order a slice like you can in NYC. Most New Yorkers know when you say, “Gimme a slice” or “One plain” you mean a slice of cheese pizza. In Wilmington however, if you just order a ‘slice’ they will stop and ask you, “Cheese or Pepperoni?” This would always trip northerners up and makes me laugh now that I know what to expect. Even funnier is that most places only seem to offer the two choices.
The Shows:
The lounge level of the Soapbox was converted to a large art and photo gallery courtesy of the folks at The Big Art Show. They’re an amazing group that travels the country giving exposure to local artists. As part of their traveling exhibits, they invite unsigned bands and musicians to perform. What’s more, in keeping with their community concerns, they do not charge anyone to take part nor do they take a commission on any work sold.
Once again running up and down the stairs to see what was what and where, I got to catch some great music. The two bands I caught upstairs both had a different take on their progressive elements. There was the Happy Birthday Amy who infused a unique sense of arrangement to an indie-pop aesthetic. Later in the night was Grappling Hook who found WE Fest favorite and frontman Torch Marauder at his theatrical best. The difference this time was the hemi-powered engine pumping power, smashing our skulls.
Downstairs I found NJ’s Anthony Fiumano doing a last minute fill-in set. I had seen him a couple of times at a local open mic in Hoboken so I was psyched thinking he’d have a band behind him. But my hopes were dashed as it turned out that The Chilling Details were simply setting up their stuff at the same time. Despite being sick, Anthony gave us a great set of introspective folk tunes.
The cacophonic madness of Clang Quartet was amazing as usual. This is an act the really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Scotty Irving is remarkably respected by noise artists who have gone on to legend status. The guys from Einstürzende Neubauten have gone out of their way to see him perform. He’s hung out with noise legend Z’EV. He’s also a wonderful person to just take a moment and speak to. His convictions to music and life are inspirational.
The Chilling Details have a wonderfully powerful and precise sound. Danny of Second Dan and I were talking about their sense of space in the songs that gave their simple setup a larger, stronger feel. I got to chat with singer/guitarist Frank Bressi who, in another moment of coincidence, told me he was once in the band I used to love called Casanovacane. Of course I confessed to not recognizing him because I had such a crush on their bassist Veronica. I tell folks that I’m not a typical guy who ogles women but sometimes nature takes over. But I digress.
