Editorial: Where Do We Go From Here?

I’ve been around the scene here in Wilmington since the pandemic; a time when things seemed very different than they do now. I had just moved to a small coastal city with little conception of what was being created here: Punk-rock outfits The Girls and Ridgewood were planting the seeds for the next generation, along with a budding interest in modern rock acts like Narah and Cancel, and a surge of indie-wave bands like Pleasure Island and The 2000s. More bands were beginning to spawn with each passing week. It felt like I had walked in on a musical reenactment of the Cambrian explosion, and I loved every show. Before moving here, I had really only heard of the cities biggest band, the Blue Footed Boobies, and that was a discovery made off the recommendation of one extremely Spicoli-esque buddy of mine who stumbled across them while surfing an endless sea of Spotify playlists. One particular thing that stood out to me was that several of these prominent early bands were associated with a student-run promoter group called the Port City Experiment, which surprised me; these musicians were organizing in a bigger way than just simply cold calling, something was being built here. It was a magical feeling year.

Like most great endeavors, it wasn’t long before shit started to hit the fan. Bands that I intentionally did not mention in this article began facing public retribution for being shitty people, cliques among bands began to form too tightly, and chaotic situations involving venue startups (more shitty people) effectively nerfed a good bit of the public opinion and enthusiasm surrounding the scene. This is where the fragmentation began — what was once a unified (albeit patchwork genre-wise) group of musicians turned into several smaller and more isolated pockets. Gone were the days of jangly indie bands sharing bills and stages with punk bands. The heavy music was quickly getting heavier, dividing a lot of the audience that had made local bands “cool” again. The indie bands that popped up shortly after this divide kept a noticeable distance from their predecessors. The in-betweeners seemed to float, but never swim, and the true outsiders pretty much had to find their way on their own. Now, we arrive at the present day: A tale of two scenes.

First, the indie bands. Acts like Fudge and The John Wood Band have surpassed the local level and are now fully-fledged regional performers, touring and reaching bigger and bigger stages. Newer indie bands like Skiff (formerly Jetty) are also building hype quickly among the college aged group, all of them sharing a common aptitude for making every show a party. These guys are doing great work and are watching it pay off in real time, and the local crowds are stronger than ever in this subgroup — they’ve made an art out of coasting on good vibes and the sun-kissed youthfulness that is encoded in our city’s DNA.

Now let’s visit the heavier side of Wilmington. Bands like Lawn Enforcement, Attach, Anywhere Else, and Infinxty have taken what was an old school skate punk version of the Wilmington sound and evolved it into something more influenced by grunge, metal, and hardcore punk. At shows, the crowds are generally smaller and the lights dimmer — and these bands like it that way. Raucous moshpits, raw energy, and bone crushing riffs. In this grouping, there are also several young bands waiting to take the reins (my favorites of which are Dial 0, Crosshair, and Research Triangle). It’s a unique brand of these styles of music that continues to incorporate far-reaching influences, each release solidifying an aural evidence of this fearlessness. The heavier part of the scene is in good hands, although the pronounced shift towards more agressive palettes has me worried about alienating casual audiences that I desperately want these talented bands to capture. Hope is not lost though, as some modern national bands like Turnstile have proven that that is absolutely feasible, so that being said I’m interested to see how these heavy sounds evolve over time.

Because I mentioned the in-betweeners and the outsiders earlier in the article, I would like to include a couple of these new bands in my avalanche of mentions. Three names come to mind that I have been particularly impressed with, and they all share a vintage feel that is as comforting as it is exciting. Magic Attic has an intoxicating blend of bluesy folk rock with a proto-punk swagger, and their recent live album (produced by Lawn Enforcement’s Max Agee) was one of my favorite releases in Wilmington so far this year. Starmont passes esoteric rock and roll through a cinematic filter in a way that makes a small club feel like an arena show, complete with soaring vocals and massive arrangements. American Chestnut builds an effervescent and rich live show on a rock solid foundation in the blues, with tinges of modern alternative that break them far beyond the confines of the 1-4-5. This statement goes for every band I’ve mentioned in this article, but I would highly recommend going out to catch these bands, it’s something different and a shot in the arm that I think makes this entire scene better.

I suppose the question that’s left to ask is “where do we go from here?” In a city of such talented artists, I think we’re well past the point of me imploring you to go see these bands live. Support your local scene: go catch a show, lift these bands up on social media, buy their merch or physical music, and bring your friends! One constant about everything that’s especially true with music is it’s better when shared. The community is what makes a scene fun. It seems different now than it did 5 years ago when I moved here: More fragmented, more of a dogfight to make a living. Despite this, it’s also changed in a positive way: The artists are more creative. The sounds are more expansive and ambitious than ever. The city is primed for an incredible and innovative next wave of music, but nothing survives without us, the people who love the music. Your next favorite band is probably in the rehearsal room right now, less than 20 miles from the device you’re reading this editorial on. With that, I take my bow and let the artists of Wilmington take the stage.