Sheer Mag Played White Eagle Hall with Night Birds and The Smarthearts, 4/26/17

Sheer Mag by Rose Lamela

See the Show. Buy the Shirt.

Words and Pictures by Rose Lamela

Sheer Mag is a band that has been on my radar for a bit; and I have, unfortunately, missed them several times when they've been in town. This past Friday it all came together. I immediately became drawn to their catchy guitar riffs and classic rock sound about a year ago. Tina Halladay's strong vocals triggered my impulse to check out all of their songs on Spotify. The stars aligned just in time to start my weekend at White Eagle Hall in JC, and Sheer Mag became part of it.

White Eagle Hall is not only a great venue, but I always also meet cool people to talk to. I found myself chatting it up with two Elizabeth natives about music. We talked about the possible mosh pit once Nightbirds hit the stage and our excitement to see Sheer Mag live. I was also totally inspired to buy the band's t-shirt after seeing one of my new friends sporting one.

The Smarthearts opened up the show with their Philly garage punk sound. They played songs off of their 2019 release, On the Line, which I happily found on Spotify. The crowd was just hanging back until Nightbirds pounded the stage. I have seen Nightbirds before and knew it was best to hang out on the side of the stage. There were only about 7 dudes moshing; but, when I saw someone chuck their beer in the air, I knew I my seasoned instincts were correct. Even my new friend jumped in as he told me he would give the pit a try for the first time. When they started with "My Dad is the B.T.K.," the small pit intensified. They are pretty fun to see live despite my having not quite the taste for their music. I do enjoy watching lead singer, Brian Gorsegner, perform. I did once get to see him climb and hang off a lighting grid while singing. Now that's talent!!!

The Smarthearts

The Smarthearts

The Smarthearts

Night Birds

Night Birds

Night Birds

Night Birds

After my adrenaline subsided, I got ready for what I waited almost a year to hear. Sheer Mag delivered a great live performance and weaved some of my favorite songs into their set. They played some of their catchiest tunes like "Fan the Flames" and "Expect the Bayonet." I was so taken aback by Tina's voice live. It was as right on as it is on their studio albums. She sang her heart out, and I felt a Janis Joplin vibe from her, especially since she was rocking a pair of shades that look like the ones Janis wore in the late 60s.

Sheer Mag

Sheer Mag

Sheer Mag

Sheer Mag

Sheer Mag

It was a memorable Friday, and I also had someone special join me to check out the White Eagle vibes. I was happy she did not get trapped in the pit and, hopefully, will try out some more rock shows in the future. For me, it's my life; and these bands get my days going. If it weren't for bands like Sheer Mag, I would be honking my horn and yelling out the car window on my morning commutes. They all join me on my journey and help me keep the peace.

New Video from Night Birds

"My Dad Is the BTK"

NJ punks, Night Birds, just released a new video for their single "My Dad Is the BTK." I had to post it because it is all Spike Jonze "Sabotage" levels of awesome.

The song is off of the band's upcoming mini-album, Roll Credits, which is due on 9/21 from Fat Wreck Chords. Night Birds have a few area shows lined up for the fall including 10/19 at Brooklyn's Market Hotel with Radioactivity and  Spiritual Cramp as well as a two-night stint at Asbury Park Brewery on 11/9 & 10. You can head over to the band's website for all of that kind of info.

With that all out of the way, just check out the video.

Photos from a Big Weekend of Record Releases and Surf Music: Deal Casino, Hey Anna, dollys, Smalltalk, Dentist, Black Flamingos, Night Birds, MORE

Husband and wife Vincent Minervino of The Brigantines and Magdalena O'Connell organized the Asbury Park Surf Music Festival.

Nika, Run Koko, and The Asbury Park Surf Music Festival

A couple of weekends ago, I stopped into Asbury Lanes during one of their Eat, Drink, Bowl, Hang Friday nights. "Where have you been? It's been weeks."

It had been a little while since I'd been at Asbury Lanes. CoolMom's been doing a lot of traveling. I spent some time in Brooklyn for Northside Festival. The cooldaughters have their evening swim meets. I just haven't been getting out there like I usually do. I made up for lost time this weekend, though.

Friday saw record releases from both Deal Casino and Hey Anna. Deal Casino held their party for Nika at Asbury Lanes with Smalltalk, dollys, and Deaf Rhino. They absolutely packed out the place and pulled out all the stops with extra lights, smoke, and their usual all-out show. Hey Anna went a little more low-key, but no less impressive, at the Run Koko release with a late set at The Saint.

On Saturday, Asbury Lanes hosted the second annual Asbury Park Surf Music Festival. I spent from 1pm until about 1am enjoying the music, taking pictures, hanging out with friends, and -- yeah -- trying a couple of the tiki drinks. I was blown away by traditional surf bands like Blue Wave Theory and The Sharkskins. As always, our friends in The Brigantines, Black Flamingos, and Dentist were fantastic. Things got harder and darker as the day closed with great sets from Night Birds and The Coffin Daggers. Special shout out to Disco Mike, who danced non-stop, all day long to just about every band that played.

Click through on the links below for pictures from both days.

NOTE: Thanks to some slow service at the North Eats food truck pavilion, I missed one band at the festival. Sadly, that band was one of our favorites, Plato Zorba. I came back inside the Lanes and Ryan Gregg was just dismantling his keyboard. Damn. I hear there was a mummy and everything. They are a fantastic avant-garde surf band, and I urge you to check out their album Pageant of the Transmundane. Also, here are some pics from their release show a while back.

Friday, 7/10/15

Asbury Lanes
Deaf Rhino

dollys

Smalltalk

Deal Casino

The Saint
Hey Anna

Saturday, 7/11/15

The Asbury Park Surf Music Festival at Asbury Lanes

The Primitive Finks

Say Cheese!

Ron Santee wishing me a good evening.

Two of These Things Are Not Like the Others

Lately, I've felt like I've been noticing something in my pictures. A trend, if you will. So I went back through my archives to do a little research. It turns out that what I thought was a pretty widespread phenomenon is actually a pretty localized happening. With a couple of exceptions, this thing I've noticed has turned up in a pretty specific population.

See if you can tell what I'm talking about. I'm trying not to take it personally.

Night Birds Played Asbury Lanes with No Problem, Mental Abuse, and Stag Party, 3/31/15 (PHOTOS)

Another Quiet Tuesday

Tuesday doesn't get enough love. You've got your free Happy Mondays shows at Wonder Bar or, sometimes, a low dough show at The Saint. You're kind of starting to feel like you're in the home stretch on Wednesday, and then things really kick off on Thursday nights. Tuesdays -- with a few exceptions -- are usually pretty quiet. That wasn't the case last night as Night Birds brought their short tour with Edmonton's No Problem to Asbury Lanes for some Tuesday night cobweb clearing.

The city of Asbury Park continues its project to apparently pave all of the streets along the waterfront with gold, and finding a drivable path to Asbury Lanes through the network of road closures proved more than I could manage. I ended up parking next to Wonder Bar and hoofing it for a block through the weird fat rain /sleet-like precipitation.

Things got started at around 9pm. Jersey Shore hardcore band Stag Party started things off with a short but relentless set. The crowd was a little subdued for most of the night, but things did work up to a small circle pit a few times.

North Jersey punk vets Mental Abuse followed. They had several supporters in the audience, including most of the Night Birds, who sang along as the band rattled off songs from an extensive setlist.

Night Birds' touring partners No Problem started at around 10:30; and, from the first moments of their set, frontman Graeme MacKinnon was hurling himself at audience members from the stage. In between his guitar work, MacKinnon leapt, did handstands, rolled around on the stage, and bounded into the crowd. The band delivered a wild set that combined the aggression and energy of 80s hardcore with the, for lack of a better phrase, pop sensibility of late 70s punk. Really impressive. Go see them or go listen to them whenever you get a chance.

Night Birds ended the evening with their typically great set. I love Night Birds' combination of hardcore and surf... ...and the humor... ...and the Seinfeld references. Compared to the other times I've seen the band, last night was pretty tame from a crowd perspective. That didn't stop frontman Brian Gorsenger from finding willing members of the audience to scream lyrics with him into the mic. A few times, it looked like he may have been losing his own voice. He pushed through it, and it didn't put any kind of a damper on the set.

I almost stayed in last night, but I couldn't miss a chance to see Night Birds so close to home. Even if it was Tuesday. Check out photo highlights below. You can see the rest of the pics in the Flickr galleries.

Don Giovanni Records Showcase Starts Tonight. New Brick Mower.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

New Brunswick's Don Giovanni Records has grown into, quite simply, one of the most important independent record labels in the country. Nowhere is that more evident than at the label's annual showcase. Founded as kind of an alternative to the industry / corporate showcases at events like CMJ or SXSW, the Don Giovanni event features bands from the label, bands who are friends of the label, and a real sense of community.

This year's event spans three days in Brooklyn. Tonight's show is at Death By Audio and features Tenement, Vacation, Nuclear Santa Claust, The Groucho Marxists, and the Jersey Shore's Night Birds.

Nights Two and Three take place at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tomorrow night's lineup consists of Laura Stevenson, Shellshag, Upset, Worriers, and Nude Beach; while Saturday brings Screaming Females, California X, Brick Mower, Priests, and the currently Asbury-based Black Wine.

These are some great bands that I've written about often here and elsewhere (click the little tags at the bottom of this post or the "Speak Into My Good Eye" tab up above to see all of that). As of right now, it looks like tickets are still available for each night, including two-day passes to the MHOW shows. If you can't make it, watch for my coverage over at Speak Into My Good Eye.

Also, take a listen to the brand new "Shitty Parade" from New Jersey Pop Punks Brick Mower whose album Teenage Graceland comes out March 25th on Don Giovanni.

"Let's see what you can do now." Edition

Dickies / Night Birds at The Brighton Friday

I won't post the scene here for reasons of some pretty adult language and extreme violence. You can look it up yourself on YouTube. But for the last several years, I've associated this song with the first meeting between Hit Girl and Kick-Ass during the 2010 film, Kick-Ass.

You can catch the latest incarnation of bubble-gum punks, The Dickies, tonight at Long Branch's Brighton Bar along with New Jersey hardcore / surf punks, Night Birds. Maybe I'll see you there.

Rock on.

Night Birds, Born to Die in Suburbia, 2013

First Album Review Here in a While

How do you like your punk? It comes in so many forms that the term "punk" itself is kind of hard to pin down.

I'm not an authority on the genre(s). I came pretty late, after all, to the whole punk thing. Other than some Clash or Ramones, I was pretty much a classic rock kid who didn't pay much attention to what was happening in hardcore during the 1980s. But I've got a sense of what I like now.

Night Birds, a mostly New Jersey-bred and New Jersey-based hardcore quartet, produce a strain of punk on Born to Die in Suburbia that mixes the ferocity of 1980s Southern California with the wiseass attitude of the Jersey 'burbs. They round out their sound with some surf-type guitar and give the record a sense of place that screams "Jersey Shore" (the place where I grew up, not the reality TV show, obviously).

The album opens with the instrumental track "Escape from New York" and transitions seamlessly into the title track. It's an interesting pairing to me. While I wasn't born here, I got here when my parents left Brooklyn for the suburbs when I was five, and here I still am.

Born to Die in Suburbia has its share of less-than-two-minute hardcore burners like standouts "Modern Morons," "Pretty Poison," and "Villa Obscura;" but the record really shines when the band opens up and, sometimes, even slows things down a bit on three-plus minute tracks like "Nazi Gold" (includes piano!), "Maimed for the Masses," and "Less the Merrier" along with the album's second instrumental, the heavily surf-infused "Silver Alert."

I feel like hardcore punk has always been a suburban thing. Born to Die in Suburbia takes West Coast suburban aggression and melds it with East Coast suburban attitude and comes up with something I'm not sure I would have appreciated in my teens. With a few decades of life in the Jersey 'burbs under my belt, though, Born to Die in Suburbia hits me right where I live. Literally.

Born to Die in Suburbia is out now on Grave Mistake Records. You can stream / buy the album over at Night Birds' Bandcamp page.