May 26, 2006
Breakfast came in the form of the classically greasy Saltworks on Oleander Drive. We tried to make a funny by having Dave Jr. simply order five bacon cheeseburgers. He did, we laughed and then realized that there is a plethora of choices when ordering. Onions, chili, slaw, mustard, ketchup, mayo and so on. The joke may have bombed fast but the food was just what I needed to get my day started.
The afternoon was spend lounging on the porch of the beach house engaged in a spirited debate over the origins of heavy metal music as flocks of pelicans flew by in perfect formation. Eternally important questions such as the influence of Led Zeppelin vs. Black Sabbath were touched upon. As was the role played by Van Halen in bringing metal to the masses. Specifically getting girls to like it.
Veteran ‘fester and W.E. Fest’s second in command Lee Buffaloe would say, ‘There’s no better way to spend an afternoon then sitting on the beach talking about music.’ How right he was. This was also the day that would show Jim Testa in a new light for me. As a first class cook. We hit the super market, splitting up the chores of what to buy for the house. If I could have seven or eight people shopping with me at all times I would. It made the task more barable and even a little fun.
I was in charge of beer and water. The others had their assignments too. Jim went around stocking up on the ingredients for the next few nights of dinner. Tonight would be a mean chili. Let me tell you, it was fantastic and thankfully plentiful since we all went back for seconds and thirds. We had to eventually stop eating when it came time to get to the Soapbox.
At the Soapbox:
Tonight’s festivities were in the large downstairs lounge/arcade/bar. This would be the only night in that area. The rest of the nights were to be upstairs. We started off with Chickens and Pigs which is led by songwriter Jeff Evans. His group has seen its share of line-up changes but Jeff still manages to rock out. With him tonight on the drums is head of Eskimo Kiss Records and former Pacer drummer Kim Ware. For a simple, two piece setup, they had an amazingly full sound.
Nina57 made her debut in Wilmington as part of the band MeNotNo several years ago. This was her first official W.E. Fest and, thanks to a solid solo performance and for just being a really cool Fester, she earned the unofficial ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. She was nominated by one of our housemates (and a bandmate from The Squeaky Fromme) Dave Jr.
Her songs were strong as was her voice and guitar. I know she was nervous to be up there by herself. She spent most of the day in one of the house’s back rooms practicing her set. Normally she is with a full, loud band. Whether it was the nervous energy or just plain balls, she came thru like a trooper.
Scotty Irving (aka Clang Quartet) does not hide his faith. Nor does he try to force it on you. Yes, he wears a shirt that says “I Love Jesus. Deal With It” and even recreates the crucifixion in his act. But the music is glorious noise and the man is down to earth. No song, no meter; just an unadulterated racket that comes from found objects, drums, cymbals, toys, boss effect pedals and whatever else he can wire up to make noise. Including the wires. To watch and hear it is truly a cathartic experience I always enjoy.
I thought someone told me that Dan Bryk drove down from Canada, but his W.E. Fest bio says he is currently living in Raleigh, NC. Either way, he was very tired and had to follow the amped-noise-oomph of Clang Quartet with his own, more laid back set of thoughtful songs and pop stylings. He opened with a dedication of ‘Feelings’ for Kenyata. Later that night, he would doze off on a rocking chair at our beach house while talking politics.
Aviso’Hara played another in what is becoming a series of ‘final shows’. However they say this is really the last one. Unless they do another, which they hinted at (of course). If this is to truly be the end, it was the right way to go. Wrought with technical difficulties, drunken banter that went on forever, but once they played, asses were kicked as usual. Jim Testa once said that, when Aviso’Hara is at their best, it’s like a train running out of control around a sharp turn that somehow manages to stay on the tracks.
We had the added treat of W.E. Fest veteran and bassist for ‘Olivia Mancini and the Housemates’ Kristin Forbes getting up to sing along with the band. They needed some degree of order and she was able to inject just enough.
What do you get when you combine rock, jazz, country and Klezmer music? Why you get another fantastic band from NJ. Billy has been a WE Fest favorite of mine for a while. They have become one of those bands that, despite their close proximity to me, I only see them in NC.
While Billy does have a couple of decent, straight-ahead country numbers, I personally prefer the more experimental stew. They cleverly and seamlessly combine multiple genres into a powerful new sound. Hopefully I won’t have to drive 620 miles to see them again.
By the time the Glass City Colonels came on, I needed a break. So I stepped outside after a few numbers to get some air. This is not a slight against them at all. They are a wonderfully heavy, tight band that will knock your balls off the back wall. This was simply a very long night in a place that still allows indoor smoking.
The ever so slightly cooler night air felt good as I meandered about outside a bit. I was speaking to Lee Buffaloe when I noticed a Majestic Twelve song coming from inside the lounge. Lee said, “Oh the band must be done, they’re playing a CD now.” But something was amiss when I peaked in.
“No!” I yelled, “It’s the band! They’re playing it!” Sure enough, the boys in Glass City Colonels surprised Kenyata and everyone with their pumped-up rendition of ‘This Chevrolet’. To top it off, when they were called back for another number, treated us to my all time favorite Iron Maiden song, ‘Iron Maiden’.s
After the Show:
The after party back at the house was pretty mellow until about 3:30 AM when people just started rolling in. We had started a Dave vs. Steve battle since they seemed to be the most common names and the cause for the most confusion. Just yell either name at W.E. Fest and see how many people answer.
I thought the Steves would be a shoe in for victory when the boys from Glass City Colonels showed up. Two of the guys are named Steve. Jokingly, one of our newest housemates Caroline asked the third member if his name was Dave. Not expecing him to say yes, we all broke down laughing. In an attempt to claim victory, I ran on to the beach and proclaimed, “The ocean is Steve!” Not to be too greedy, I dubbed the river as Caroline and the harbor as Dave.
A question from Kenyata started a series of interesting, musical discussions. He asked what song it was we first heard as a child that made us realize that music was more than just background noise. I still cannot think of one particular song, but the lists that were coming from this mixed group of seemingly angry and tattooed elder punks were interesting. Most were old disco and Barry Manilow songs.
We tried to watch the sunrise, but thanks to a thick cloud covering on the horizon, it was a bit of a disapointment. Instead of the brilliat, trumpet blaring welcome of morning, it was more like the sun said, “Hey guys. What’s goin’ on? Anyone got some asperin?” So I crawled into my sofa and dozed off for a few hours. Until the air conditioner repairman came in at 9:30.
