In ancient times before the internet, I was part of what was known as the Mail Art Underground. This was a tight-knit network of enhanced penpals who would trade packages stuffed to bursting with all manner of goodies. Fanzines, cassettes, CDs, posters, t-shirts, fast food paper hats, trading cards, airline airsick bags (no, really), and so much more. I was invited into this group by a guy named Kenyata Sullivan.
Kenyata was the godfather of the group. From his home in Wilmington, North Carolina he maintained and monitored a sort of orderly disorder that kept items flowing thru the US Postal Service. The very first package I received had much of what I mentioned above. On one of the cassette tapes was a song from my own band Ya-Ne-Zniyoo (that was an ego boost). Another was of Kenyata’s band Pandora’s Lunchbox. That was over thirty years ago.
Recently, I was sorting thru some archival files on my harddrive and came across a text file simply titled ‘Pandora’s Lunchbox’. The file contained a link to a YouTube video for the song ‘Independence Day’ made in 1995. It’s a dark, gut punch of a song bursting with primal energy. The video is a lo-fi, haunting look at drug abuse and despair. The emotions are very real. You can feel them in your bones.
I remember this band fondly. I remember that time in my life. The music spoke to me and a friendship developed. I would drive down to Wilmington each year over Memorial Day Weekend for a festival Kenyata organized call WE Fest (Wilmington Exchange Festival). Several years into the Mail Art Underground movement, Kenyata wanted to meet everyone on the list. Instead of trying to travel the globe to to so, he had the globe come to him. It was glorious!
Taking place mainly along the streets near the banks of Cape Fear River, there were countless fanzine publishers, artists, photographers, bands, and the finest assortment of ne’er-do-wells in existence. Daily events would run nearly 24 hours. It would start a few days before Memorial Day and end a few days after. Doors to hotel rooms and houses were often left unlocked. People came and went as they pleased. The running slogan was, “No sleep ‘til Wednesday!” And somehow I’d discover more bands from New Jersey down there than in New Jersey.
After Pandora’s Lunchbox, there was The Majestic Twelve. Another amazing band spewing truth. These days, Kenyata runs Whatever Wilmington. An eclectic store full of collectibles and rarities procured over the years. In addition to music, he has been an avid collector and dealer, having started way back during eBay’s infancy. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve yet to visit the store. Life got the better of me and there’s a lot of catching up that still needs to be done.
In the meantime, I highly recommend taking a dive down the rabbit hole and discovering the magic of Pandora’s Lunchbox, The Majestic Twelve, and Whatever Wilmington (see links below).
Cheers!
Stephen
More:
Pandora’s Lunchbox
The Majestic Twelve
Whatever Wilmington
