Immersed Zine

Photos + Review by Chris Ponds

First and foremost, no one asked for my opinions, but I am here to give them none the less. What are my credentials? I have been writing about music since I was 15 and that means nothing but I have let it fuel me into enough projects that I see fit going forward with content like this. Enjoy and I ask that you keep in mind these are my opinions sprinkled with humor and I mean no offense to any of the talented musicians that played on Saturday.

I wasn’t entirely sure of what to expect when I arrived at Reggie’s for Suck Fest 2, the second event under the title to celebrate the bands signed to local record label, Suck Rock Records. The typical Batman stamp I have been used to since I was 21, was not slapped across my hand when the bouncer checked my ID at the door, but this is still Reggie’s and in that same homey vibe they generate, a night of good music, conversation and community was about to ensue for sure. No order of bands was listed and the flyer’s spiral bill design left attendees guessing who was first and last, though no one seemed to mind and there was no disappointment. I must say, I missed the first two performances by Chloe Torres and Pops Agee but was assured they were phenomenal. This is my honest review of each performance after that throughout the night. Wilmington’s music scene is growing and with projects like Suck Rock Records, we get to see a small scope of what lies within the scene. It must be noted that this is a collection of bands that does not encompass a diverse group, with Torres being the only signed woman on the label and no others to note. That being said, this is my observation of the night. 

Chloe Torres: The talented singer and bassist of the recently deteriorated Pleasure Island, performed alone at Suck Fest 2 with nothing but her four strings and a sultry punk voice people seem to be drawn to. I was formerly impressed by Torres’ voice maintaining strength while she held down the rhythm section on the Island, but yesterday we caught a glimpse of the power she holds. I look forward to seeing where she takes this project.   

Pops and Max Agee: Max Agee, founder of Suck Rock Records and musician in multiple projects on the label, credits his foundations of love and skill within music to his grandfather, recounting stories of Pop’s grand piano and porch guitar sessions. It was a wholesome treat to have Pops on the bill. You can listen to Pops and Agee’s song “Country Boy” on Spotify. 

Doggy Daycare: These four rascally boys seem silly and truthfully,it is easy to write them off before seeing them perform—chalking their social media posts up to a silly group just having fun. It’s not until you listen to Doggy Daycare, whether streaming or live, you  truly discover their full-on sound with obvious synth-punk noise band influence paired with lyrics you can’t help but want to rage scream along to. The doggy babysitters did not disappoint with their set and not all but some credit to frontman Adam Bastug, who delivers lyrics in a way that forces you to listen AND boogie.  

The Wearing Hands: I coined this band a “hillbilly King Krule” as soon as they began their set. The only out-of-town band on the bill for the festival and one of the few not on the label (yet?), they did not let down and I am proud of the crowd for giving their energy back to them, an etiquette not normally awarded to out of town bands in Wilmington’s small scene. This was a perfect placement on the bill for a funky and growling with angst sound like The Wearing Hands, because they really kicked off the energy of a night of dancing. It seems Wilmington’s younger crowd is finally starting to bring back to boogie that has been missing for some time now. 

Ridgewood: This recent point brings me to Ridgewood. Oh, Ridgewood. Seemingly tied with a few great bands in town as “Wilmington’s favorite.” I challenge you on this. Don’t get me wrong: I would give the talents of each musician their credit but it was not until this night, hearing them perform new, unreleased songs that I was finally impressed by 910’s “punk” band. These four friends, bonded by a frat house, were a college band. However, the direction they seem to be taking their sound in is what will break them out of that existence and set them on a path of success. Finally they have let their punk inspirations like Fugazi and Turnstile show through and the crowd loved it, confirmed by a sea of moshing love swirling around the room especially following their Misfits cover with Chloe Torres. I look forward to the releases of these songs and the new to come.

Beach Tub:  The “young bucks” of the label, Beach Tub has already begun making waves in the Wilmington music scene with the release of their self-titled EP. Suck Rock’s latest sign-on, they bring a youthful funk and soul sound to the label that at first seems unfitting until you hear them live. Their stage energy delivers an indie sound in a hard-hitting way. I think time will tell us the direction they will truly take, maybe their sound develops into surf rock or punk rock or something of it’s own entirely. We’ll see, I suppose.  

Cancel: Another Wilmington favorite that really seemed to lean into the heavy further than they have before, Cancel offers a certain level of skater down beat punk that pairs well with Ridgewood and Cumdawgz on the label. Cancel has had some members shuffle around this year, but their sound has not suffered from this at all. Dawson Newman and Cameron Schaeffer both held down the set with former member, Agee, on drums while Vanderwoude was out of the country. Seemingly a song credited to Newman, “Numbskull,” proves time and time again to be a favorite, always getting the crowd moving and full of energy. I say it’s safe to say there can only be more energetic, fun-filled shows and releases coming from this trio. 

NC Cumdawgz: Look, hear me out. I was not expecting to love a band called “NC Cumdawgz” as much as I did. This was my first experience seeing them live and I almost threw my camera across the room and jumped off the stage to crowd kill, I loved them so much. This may not be a professional review but it is my honest take. I thought a group of skater boys would have the energy of early punks that didn’t know how to play their instrument and just distorted their guitar but the Cumdawgz truly are a gem hiding within Wilmington. I knew I was in for a good show but I didn’t expect to find a grinding heavy hitter like this. Suck Rock has their heaviest stone and closest thing to American Hardcore we may have in town, currently. They would be wise to cling tight and book outside of Wilmington; North Carolina’s scene will love the Cumdawgz. (Again, still can’t believe I’ve written cumdawgz this many times in full seriousness.)

Lawn Enforcement: The trio of Max Agee, Dawson Newman, and Jackson DeGrappo make up Lawn Enforcement, the founding band of Suck Rock Records along with Agee’s solo project, Western Media. Lawn Enforcement brings heavy riffs and strong lyricism to the label. A band to be taken serious as time goes on, hits like “Nefarious” and “Mask” resemble artists like Happy Diving and could easily slide into the mainstream world of indie punk rock. Their performance at Suck Fest 2 was delivered as typical, their latest album full of long shreds and a phenomenal rhythm section. Worth a listen, streaming or live. 

Queen’s Giant: A band I have photographed before but never fully gotten to take in their energy. Reggie’s truly offers this southern punk oddity of a band a stage to deliver their genre-bending performance. The keyboardists and front man delivered some of the most engaging performances I saw all night, and the crowd was full of dancers with smiles stretched across their faces. What will come next with this group? Are they on the label? Will they be soon? I am interested to see the collaboration between Queen’s Giant and Suck Rock Records. 

I was impressed by the musicians and the energy of community that protruded throughout the entirety of the evening. Wilmington’s small but mighty music community continues to prove us all wrong and Suck Rock is currently a huge part of that, and I hate to stroke a bunch of men’s egos so you know I am being honest. 

All artists have music available on streaming platforms.