Several bands visited Port City for Modern Rockfest 2014

Sierra Shepherd | Contributing Writer

On Saturday, Oct. 11, a crowd of about 2,000 gathered to enjoy performances from eight bands in downtown Wilmington as part of this year’s Modern Rockfest, hosted by Modern Rock 98.7 and Pipeline Events.

Capital Cities, Pepper, New Politics, Bear Hands, SomeKindaWonderful, IAMDYNAMITE, My Goodness and D&D Sluggers played a variety of new releases, popular hits and covers.                                                                             

UNC Wilmington alumnus Trip Brightwell attended the event.

“There were a bunch of new bands, and they were excellent,” Brightwell said. “I had heard of some, but only their hits. It was an eye-opening experience for hearing more from bands I thought I knew.”

The two-piece band,D&D Sluggers,kicked things off at 2 p.m. The local duo plays dance music, and they call their genre “chip tune.” According to their bio on ReverbNation, the band makes their catchy tunes with “a guitar, a synthesizer, a Nintendo DS and a Nintendo Game Boy.”

The energy continued with a set by Seattle’s My Goodness. If you listen to Modern Rock 98.7, then you’ve undoubtedly heard their single “Cold Feet Killer.”

Then rock duo IAMDYNAMITE came to the stage. They set themselves apart by only using maracas, drums and a guitar. The band’s harmonies and explosive sound give them a garage-band vibe.

SomeKindaWonderful followed and played their radio hit “Reverse.” The band is composed of four men and one woman. The drummer stands out with her expressive dance moves and blonde dreadlocked hairstyle. The group’s act completed with a cover of Tupac’s “California Love” and Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain.”

The crowd multiplied when Bear Hands began to play. Hailing from New York City, the band recently played in downtown Wilmington at Ziggy’s by the Sea on May 5 for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Next, New Politics seemed to truly liven the crowd with high-energy tunes and even a breakdance performance by the lead singer, David Boyd. The band members are from Denmark, with the exception of the drummer, Louis Vecchio, who is from the United States.  

Skies darkened as New Politics rocked on, and flashes of lightning began to threaten from a distance. Boyd jumped into the audience and crowd-surfed while he continued to sing. The band also threw a free T-shirt into the thronging crowd before performing their hit song “Goodbye Copenhagen.”

                                        

Boyd encompassed the excitement of the night.

“This is what life is all about: good music and good f—ing company,” he said to the crowd.

Hawaiian roots rockers, Pepper, formed in 1996, seemed to bring out the largest crowd. This was the band’s first time in Wilmington. Theyshocked the crowd with statements from lead singer/bassist Bret Bollinger.

“You can’t do this with a laptop and a Japanese DJ. You need three drunk Hawaiians to party like this,” Bollinger said to the audience. “Yell your favorite swear word on the count of three.”

Pepper then mockingly began to cover Magic’s summer hit “Rude,” but did not perform the entire song.

“I came to see Pepper. They were awesome. They were everything I wanted,” UNCW senior Cassandra Diemer said.

 

Even though a thunderstorm impended upon the festival, the downpour didn’t begin until before Capital Citieswas to appear. Many scattered to find shelter under the tents of vendors.                                                         

To the dismay of many, officials announced that due to the inclement weather, it was no longer safe to continue, even though only one band had yet to perform. As the crowd dissipated and people regretfully left the festival grounds, the undeniable sounds of a trumpet began.

Many stopped in their tracks or rushed back to the stage.

Capital Cities continued to play, acoustically, even though the show was officially over. The band performed hits “Safe and Sound” and “Center Stage” and ended the night by joining the crowd and starting a mini dance party.

Those who returned surely appreciated Capital Cities’ dedication to their fans.

“It was completely chill compared to Cali Roots [concert], and everyone was very cool about it,” concertgoer and student Carly Chambers said of the event.

The event was sponsored by Spirit Halloween. Vendors included Carolina BBQ, Ziggy’s by the Sea and Mama Rock’s Dessert Truck.