Taking place over the long Memorial Day weekend, Wilmington, NC's WE Fest is one of the nation's longest running and most entertaining DIY music festivals. The bands span all genres of music. But, it's not only music, there is also film, art, and tons of other interesting events. Perhaps the best part of this festival is it has managed to keep itself clear of corporate interference! There are no major label sponsors. No big time promotion companies hogging all the showcases. None of the stuff that has put a damper on SXSW and CMJ Music Marathon over the years. What's even better is each night of the festival only costs $1 admisison.
The complete schedule is listed below. Indie rock-wise, it seems like opening night is going to be pretty amazing with new wave tinged
LA Tool & Die and pop powerhouse
The Noises 10 each headlining their specific stages, duking it out at the end of the night. Some other great bands in attendence this year include Atlanta's
Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun, DC's
Olivia & the Housemates, & Wilmington's
Ponchos From Peru.
If you live within a few hundred miles and are looking for something fun to do, we strongly urge you to attend.
Most Events At The Soapbox Laundrolounge Unless Otherwise Noted.Thursday May 21stGround Level (Laundro Lounge): Music 3-23:00pm - The Blarney Blarney Broughs (Wilmington, NC)
4-5pm - Music TBA
5:00pm - Crys Matthews (Boone, NC)
6:00pm - Fever and the Fallin' Rain (Durham, NC)
7:00pm - Maverick Central (Charlotte, NC)
8:00pm - Hand Grenade (Myrtle Beach, SC)
9:00pm - Politics of Confession (North Carolina)
10:00pm - Low Victor Echo (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Po-et (Wilmington, NC)
12:00am - Some Ambulance (Myrtle Beach, SC)
1:00am - L.A. Tool and Die (Charlotte, NC)
Second Floor ArtBox Gallery:7:00pm - Art Opening
Artists (All 5 evenings):
Joel Fernando: video sculptures, photography, design experimentation (Wilmington, NC)
Agata Zietek: printmaking, thread stitching, (Wilmington, NC)
Alex Vanderfleet: wood-fired pottery, found-object sculpture, recycled metal sculpture, (Greensboro, NC)
Addie Wuensch: Acrylic painting, jewelry (Wilmington, NC)
Seagh Mulligan: Ink, watercolor, acrylic, illustrations, on-site painting (Wilmington, NC)
Nii Narku (Peter Thompson): acrylic (Ghana, Africa)
Cammeron Batanides: Watercolor, charcoal, acrylic, oil, murals, onsite-painting (Wilmington, NC)
Laura Johnson: photography (Wilmington, NC) Keith Ketchum: photography (Wilmington, NC)
9:00pm - DJ NatePhil (Wilmington, NC)
+ Films: Broken Wings Productions
Main Stage (Top Level):3-6pm - Music TBA
6:00pm - 686 (Wilmington, NC)
9:00pm - Fashion Show
DJ Faith Coleman
Alexa Castillo
Kelsey Gibbs
+ Hair & Makeup by Nsalo Salon (Wilmington, NC)
Music booked by ArtSync Magazine:
10:00pm - Sai Collins and the Getaway Drivers (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Bruce Piephoff (Greensboro, NC)
12:00am - The Noises 10 (Charlotte, NC)
On-Site Art Stage (Top Level):8:30-10:30 - TBA
10:30-1:30 - Seagh Mulligan, painter
Acoustic Stage/Backbar (Top Level):10:00pm - Little Miss Sabotage and the Cornflowers (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Rick Perry (Wilmington, NC)
12:00am - Seth Varnem & Faith Coleman (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - Daniel Wuensch (Wilmington, NC)
Friday May 22ndBijou Park:4-8pm - Street Festival: Out Impact Inc.
4:00pm - Music: Mark Janes
4:00pm - Street Painter: Brittany Lane
6:00pm - Music (drums): Perry
Ground Level (Laundro Lounge):3:00pm - Ghost Cats of the South (Raleigh, NC)
4:00pm - River City Ransom (Raleigh, NC)
5:00pm - Pistolero (Atlanta, GA)
6:00pm - Analog Daze (Charlotte, NC)
7:00pm - Sketch Comedy/Improv: Guerilla Theatre (Wilmington, NC)
Music booked by Bootleg Magazine:9:00pm - Dylan Gilbert (Charlotte, NC)
10:00pm - Marionette (Richmond, VA)
11:00pm - Kurt Reifler (New York, NY / Louisville, KY)
12:00am - The Dry Heathens (Durham, NC)
+ live painting by Mat Curran
Second Floor ArtBox Gallery:6:00pm - Art Opening: (See Thursday listing for artists.)
9:00pm - DJ NatePhil (Wilmington, NC)
+ Films: Broken Wings Productions
Main Stage (Top Level):3:00pm - Kevin Scanlon Band (Asheville, NC)
4:00pm - Calisus (Baltimore, MD)
5:00pm - Mindcrosser (Wilmington, NC)
7:30pm - Dance: Forward Motion Dance (Wilmington, NC)
8:00pm - Fashion Show
Arrenda's Unique Boutique (Wilmington, NC)
Lula Balou (Wilmington, NC)
+ Hair & Makeup by Nsalo Salon (Wilmington, NC)
9:00pm - The Holly Days (Charlotte, NC)
Americana Showcase booked by Encore Magazine:10:00pm - Jesse Stockton Trio (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Jackson Ave. (Charleston, SC)
12:00am - The Woolwine Complex (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - Onward, Soldiers (Wilmington, NC)
On-Site Art Stage (Top Level):7:30-10:30 - Artist TBA
10:30pm - Artist: Steph Hart
12:30-2am - Artist TBA
Acoustic Stage/Backbar (Top Level): booked by Bottega Art & Wine Gallery10:00pm - Mark Herbert (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Jason Ward (Wilmington, NC)
12:00am - Zeke Roland (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - The Amazing Bill Saffos (Wilmington, NC)
Saturday May 23rdBijou Park: Street Festival4:00pm - Magician: Chino Leon (Fayetteville, NC)
Ground Level (Laundro Lounge):3:00pm - Octopus Jones (Myrtle Beach, SC)
4:00pm - Clang Quartet (Stokesdale, NC)
5:00pm - The Cedar Circuit (Wilmington, NC)
6:00pm - The ExMonkeys (Raleigh, NC)
7:00pm - Sketch Comedy/Improv: Guerilla Theatre (Wilmington, NC)
9:00pm - Illicitizen (Charlotte, NC)
10:00pm - The Paper Jets (Minneapolis, NJ)
11:00pm - Puritan Rodeo (Chapel Hill, NC)
12:00am - Whispaz (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - Olivia and the Housemates (Washington, DC)
Second Floor ArtBox Gallery:4:00pm - CanvasNC - alternative buying option for artists
7:00pm - Art Opening: (See Thursday listing for artists.)
9:00pm - DJ NatePhil (Wilmington, NC)
+ Films: Broken Wings Productions
Main Stage (Top Level):3:00pm - Sunlit Coast (Wilmington, NC)
4:00pm - Oceans Over Monuments (Wilmington, NC)
5:00pm - Dare Dukes (Savannah, GA)
7:00pm - Fashion: Sharna Couture
+ Body painting by Grace
+ Hair & Makeup by Nsalo Salon (Wilmington, NC)
7:30pm - Dance: Forward Motion Dance (Wilmington, NC)
8:00pm - Kameshia Rogers (Wilmington, NC) 9:00pm - Chalkine Beauty (Richmond, VA)
Music booked by The Starving Artist Magazine:10:00pm - Southern Sub-Culture (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - The Day We Confess (Wilmington, NC)
12:00am - NitPicknShitKickr (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - Faith Collapsing (Wilmington, NC)
On-Site Art Stage (Top Level):8:00pm - Painter: Brittany Lane
10:00pm - Painter: Seagh Mulligan
Acoustic Stage/Backbar (Top Level):Poetry & Acoustic booked by Ryan David Miller
9:30pm - Gabriel Mortali (acoustic) (Wilmington, NC)
10:15pm - Jon Senna (acoustic) (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Cappavellie The Renegade Black Cherokee (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
11:30pm - Mary Scott Chancey (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
12:00am - Sparks (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
12:30am - Kurt (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - Starr Porter (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
Sunday, May 24thGround Level (Laundro Lounge):3:00pm - Gray Young (Raleigh, NC)
4:00pm - Shine River (Charlotte, NC)
5:00pm - Pink Kodiak (Savannah, GA)
6:00pm - Ponchos from Peru (Wilmington, NC)
7:00pm - A Fucking Elephant (Pennington, NJ)
8:00pm - Ivory (Wilmington, NC)
9:00pm - The Amboys (Asbury Park, NJ)
10:00pm - The Pneurotics (Chapel Hill/Durham, NC)
11:00pm - Jimmy Bleeds Black (Wilmington, NC)
12:00am - Western Civ (Chapel Hill, NC)
1:00am - Sean Cox (Brunswick, NJ)
Second Floor ArtBox Gallery:7:00pm - Art Opening: (See Thursday listing for artists.)
9:00pm - DJ NatePhil (Wilmington, NC)
+ Films running all night!
Main Stage (Top Level):4:00pm - Film screenings: "Shout Out to 1909" - Film with Performance
Local and out-of-town filmmakers include:
Sean Galvin / Airlie Pelletier / Jenn and Will Mullins / Oliver Mellan /
Carl Kruger and Ally Parker / Rocco Taldin
Steve Gibbs / 910 Noise / Eric Everington / Jordan Lernard
Giorgio / Nate Panning / Joel Fernando / Blake M.
Aaron Hock / August Träger & Ryan Lewis / Blake Mccray
9:00pm - Nikki Talley (Asheville, NC)
10:00pm - Dim the Darklit (Wilmington, NC)
11:00pm - Billy (New Brunswick, NJ)
12:00am - Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun (Atlanta, GA)
1:00am - Club Awesome (Atlanta, GA)
On-Site Art Stage (Top Level):9:00pm - Painter: Sarah Blair
Acoustic Stage/Backbar (Top Level):Poetry & Acoustic Stage booked by Ryan David Miller9:30pm - Mike Blair (acoustic) (Wilmington, NC)
10:15pm - Scott Urban (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
10:45pm - Jean Jones (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
11:15pm - Joe Miller (poet) (Wilmington, NC)
11:45pm - Luke Mitchem (acoustic) (Virginia)
12:30am - Stacie Fredrich (Virginia)
1:00am - Donny Hue and the Colors (acoustic) (Brooklyn, NY)
Monday May 25th Ground Level (Laundro Lounge): Music 3-23-7pm - Music TBA
6:00pm - soultron (Wilmington, NC)
7:00pm - Blue Marble Beat (Cary, NC)
8:00pm - Hearts by Darts (Baltimore, MD)
9:00pm - Battle Rockets (Carrboro, NC)
10:00pm - Terminal Reynaldo (Jersey City, NJ)
11:00pm - The Guruvs (Fayetteville, NC)
12:00am - Sleeps a Genius (Wilmington, NC)
1:00am - Sirens for Sleeping (Wilmington, NC)
On-Site Art Stage (Top Level):9:00pm - Painter: Kat Fairbank (Southport, NC)
Second Floor ArtBox Gallery:3-6pm - Film: Broken Wings Productions
7:00pm - Art Opening: (See Thursday listing for artists.)
9:00pm - DJ NatePhil (Wilmington, NC)
Main Stage (Top Level):8:00pm - Chasing Eden (Wilmington, NC)
Music booked by Animocity Entertainment
9:00pm - Battle Squad (Jacksonville, NC)
10:00pm - 1099 Boys
11:00pm - J. Quinn
12:00am - Apex
Acoustic Stage/Backbar (Top Level):10:00pm - Greg Koons (Harrisburg, PA)
11:00pm - Ms. Daydream (Wilmington, NC)
11:30pm - Mila Levine (New York, NY)
To celebrate the June 23rd release of The Trouble With Flying, Orba Squara took to the road on a first ever 10 day road trip across country. The idea was "...to play some new music, meet some new people and, along the way, see what we've been missing." The entire trip has been beautifully documented as a really fantastic web project (the likes of which none of us here at VivaIndieRock have ever seen!). We highly recommend you check it out. Not only will you feel like you are part of the journey, but you will also get to preview all of the tracks on the new record as you explore.
