Ever since 1996, a bunch of indie bands and zinesters of all types get together to network, rock out and generally have a great time. It happens along Cape Fear in the shrinking historic district of Wilmington, NC around Memorial Day. This party was formed by Kenyata Sullivan from friendships he made in the late 80s/early 90s trading stuff with pen pals thru the US Mail..
Back in the early days it was cassettes and handmade zines among stranger things like the Kentucky Fried Chicken paper uniform hat I once received. This evolved into CDs, DVDs and yes, now some of the zines have glossy covers. Even more recently MySpace.com and various podcasts have played a big roll. But make no mistake, this is still true indie, real DIY.
It’s not that fake shit like when some major label creates a smaller affiliate, chocks it full of hip ‘alternative rock’ and calls it indie. Or when a mega popular magazine uses the word ‘fuck’ in their commentary about some new indie band. All of what you see and hear at W.E. Fest is paid for with the blood, sweat and money of the artists.
There’s no pretense here. No ego. No bottom line except to rock, have fun and be true to the indie spirit. What more would you expect from a festival whose ticket price is a mere $1 per night.
Wanna know more? Check out their website and MySpace:
www.wefestival.com
www.myspace.com/wefestallstars
