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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at FM in Jersey City |
Make It Happen
So, that's it. This past Friday and Saturday, The RockNRoll Hi-Fives -- the father / mother / daughter / son rock music powerhouse -- played their last-ever shows in the state where the band was born. Two of the best rock and roll cities in New Jersey, maybe in the world, got doused in confetti and loving vibes as The RockNRoll Hi-Fives bid farewell to their friends and fans with shows at Asbury Park Yacht Club and FM Jersey City.
In Asbury, the band were joined by Mulch (who cover Dentist's catalog so well, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Mulch and Dentist are the same band). At FM, Well Wisher, Shithead's Rainbow, and WAVE helped with the send-off. Fittingly, Dancing Tony Susco, who gave The RockNRoll Hi-Fives, their first-ever gig, booked the show at FM. At both venues, confetti and glitter covered the floor and the audience by the end of the night. There were hugs and maybe some tears but no sadness. Everyone the Centenos reached through their music and exuberance over the last five years is happier for the experience, and that's something you just can't shake.
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| Mulch |
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| Mulch |
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| WAVE |
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| WAVE |
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| Shithead's Rainbow |
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| Shithead's Rainbow |
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| Well Wisher |
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| Well Wisher |
As far as CoolDad Music is concerned, The RockNRoll Hi-Fives have been one of the most important bands to this site over the last five years. I received a package containing the band's first EP, Make It Happen, and a bio / press release written by good pal, Michael VM, back in 2014. I listened to the music expecting to hear songs about rainbows and the ABCs. Instead, I heard a blend of power pop, punk, and indie rock that would appeal to fans of any age, and I was floored. The band tell me that I was the first site ever to write about their music, and I still remember Joe Centeno telling me that he couldn't wait for the kids to get home from school so they could see that they'd gotten a review online.
Later, The RockNRoll Hi-Fives would open the 2014 Little Dickman Records / CoolDad Music Holiday Benefit making them the first-ever band on the first-ever show I had a hand in booking. They would play that same event the following year, and it was there that they debuted Joe's trademark cape. The RockNRoll Hi-Fives opened the CoolDadMusic Fifth Anniversary show in 2017, upstairs at Asbury Park's Convention Hall.
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at APYC |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at APYC |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at APYC |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at APYC |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at APYC |
Personally, one of the greatest things ever to come out of running this mid-life crisis project I call a blog is the friendship I've developed with Joe, Gloree, Eilee, and Evren Centeno. I still have the setlist from the show they played with A Giant Dog three days after my brother died, and the fact that they dedicated their set to my family and me from the stage during one of their most important shows up to that point is something for which I'll always be thankful. They've already opened their new home in North Carolina to me on multiple occasions. Late-night IM sessions with Joe have become part of my regular weekend post-show wind down. Our travels together through Japan -- from all the shows to eating Mexican food in an Osaka office tower to climbing on foot to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens in Kobe -- are some of my fondest memories.
The RockNRoll Hi-Fives have one, final show remaining on their calendar. It's on January 11th at Reggie's in Wilmington, in their adopted home state of North Carolina. Even after they decided to pack it in as a live act, in true RockNRoll Hi-Fives' fashion, they couldn't turn down a request from a good friend to play just one more time.
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at FM |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at FM |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at FM |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at FM |
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| The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at FM |
If you missed out on The RockNRoll Hi-Fives during their run, you missed something great. But it's still possible to take inspiration from the band. There are few better things in this world than sharing what you love with those you love. If you do that, you can't help but send some excess good vibes out into the universe. When Eilee shot those confetti cannons out into audiences, the band were showering entire crowds with love and positivity. People took that home with them, took it to work with them on Monday morning; and the world was a little bit better for it. We can all do something similar in our own lives. I'm sure of it. Just stick to the plan and make it happen.
Pics:
APYC, 12/27/19
FM, 12/28/19
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