Seven Years of This Stuff

Dentist as Mulch at last night's CoolDad Music 7th Anniversary Party.

Lucky 7

On March 5th, 2012, I turned on the lights here at CoolDad Music. The first post, as I've mentioned many times in this space, was a review of a show at The Stone Pony featuring Titus Andronicus, Screaming Females, and Diarrhea Planet. Over the last seven years, I haven't quite risen to Pitchfork or Stereogum levels in the music blogosphere. I'm not even sure how much "bigger" the site is today than it was in that first year. And, sometimes, I'll admit that I kick myself for not working harder to grow CoolDad Music into something "more." Most of the time, though, I marvel at what CoolDad Music has become for me.

Didn't have a camera at The Pony, but here is one of my earliest shots of Screaming Females from Asbury Lanes in 2013.

I've made my very best friends in the world through this site. I've gotten to know and to spend time with people who make music and art that is meaningful to me. I've ventured to places like Los Angeles, Austin, and Japan to cover and experience music. I've been approached by strangers who tell me that what I do here has introduced them to new music or just helped them find a good show.

The RockNRoll Hi-Fives in Tokyo, Japan

It's no secret that the last year and a half has leveled me. Running CoolDad Music, though, has given me at least some focus. Three days after my brother was killed, I was taking pictures and sweating and crying with The RockNRoll Hi-Fives and A Giant Dog. A few days after I found out that my dad was dying of cancer, I was singing with Dentist and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. During the weeks that my dad was in and out of the hospital, I covered shows by CDM OGs Screaming Females and Titus Andronicus; and, about two weeks after we lost him, I was at Asbury Park Brewery with a lump in my throat as Shellshag performed "Carry On." I don't know if I would have pulled myself up and dragged myself out the door to any of these shows if I didn't have the site as an excuse. And I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't.

A Giant Dog at Monty Hall in Jersey City

Titus Andronicus at House of Independents

Shellshag at our 5th Anniversary party in 2017.

Anyway...

Thank you to anyone who's spent any time here over the last seven years. If you ever see me in the real world, please come say hello. It's always nice to meet the people who are sharing this experience with me.

Thank you to all of the venues, past and present, who have supported the site by letting me in to cover shows and take way too many pictures. I still have a lot to learn about live music photography, and you are my classroom.

Beach Slang from the last night at Asbury Lanes in October, 2015.

Thank you to my fellow bloggers. You've turned me onto some of my favorite things, and some of you have acted as excellent sounding boards during those times when I doubted whether it was even worth it to continue with this thing.

Thank you to anyone who's ever contributed to CoolDad Music. It's been the diversity of your voices that's kept things fresh around here and pushed me to try new things.

Deerhunter by contributor, Rose Lamela.

Thank you to all of the artists and labels who continue to put out the music that inspires me. I know that the music business can beat you down sometimes; but I want you to know that there are people in the world whose lives you've changed, or even saved, through your art.

Little Dickman Records

Renee Maskin at the CoolDad Music / Little Dickman holiday benefit in 2015

The Battery Electric at Asbury Lanes in 2015

Thank you to my family for supporting me in the time and money suck that is CoolDad Music. Your understanding and support is a gift I try to repay every day.

Here's to another seven years at CoolDad Music. I'll do my best to keep things fresh around here. I'll always be honest with you. We've never featured a sponsored post, a payola review, or anything like that here; and I don't plan to start. I'm truly sorry if I don't respond to all of your submissions and requests. That isn't always easy since I'm just one person, but I do read everything that comes in.

Yawn Mower at last night's 7th Anniversary Party

Spain's FAVX at last night's 7th Anniversary Party

That's about it, I guess. Stay tuned for coverage from Austin. We're gonna try to make that bigger and better than ever before this year. Onward and upward.

If you want, you can follow CoolDad Music on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Peace.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks to Alex Rosen for this logo.

Thanks

CoolDad Music has really taken it on the chin over the last 14 months or so. So have a lot of folks. That's why it means so much to the CoolFamily and me that any of you have taken the time to show some support, even if that's just meant stopping by the site to see what I have to ramble on about.

I started venturing back out to shows this week; and the hugs, the smiles, even just the hellos have meant so much. Thanks for being there through all the ups and downs. I'll do my best to continue being here for you.

We've built something really nice here, I think; and I promise to keep doing my best to keep on keeping on with this. We'll start that tomorrow with a fresh set of jam-packed show listings for your holiday weekend.

With all that said, here's some music that I've been thankful for this year. There is lots more; and, in the coming, list-filled weeks, I'll tell you all about it.

Dentist, "Night Swimming"



The RockNRoll Hi-Fives, "Same Mistakes"



Yawn Mower, "Local Summer"



Lowlight, "Can't Stop Now"



The Paper Jets, "Go On, Go On"



Roy Orbitron, "8 Million To One"



Erotic Novels, "Five Years Later"



Sharkmuffin, "Space Glow"



Titus Andronicus, "Above the Bodega"



Baked, "Hope You're Happy"



Screaming Females, "I'll Make You Sorry"



Lost Boy ?, "Never Left You"

Thanks for a Great Weekend!

Natalie Newbold of dollys

Five More Years

Saturday night was truly amazing. The RocknRoll Hi-Fives, Smalltalk, Shellshag, and dollys constituted pretty much a dream line-up for me; and they all turned in great sets. As usual, it was fun to hang and talk to everyone. I think we even fostered a new best-band-friends relationship between The RocknRoll Hi-Fives and Shellshag.

The RocknRoll Hi-Fives

Smalltalk

People onstage and off said some really inspiring and validating things to me throughout the night. That had me tearing up a few times, and it also strengthened my resolve to keep going and to try and make CoolDad Music the best it can be -- whatever that is.

Shellshag

dollys

Thank you to everyone who helped put the show together: the bands, Angie, MJ, Jenn, The Asbury Lanes Family, and everyone else behind the scenes. Thank you to everyone who showed up to the show; and, even if you couldn't make it, thank you for five-years' worth of support. Thank you, of course, to CoolMom for putting up with CoolDadMusic and for putting up with my increasing stress levels as the day got closer. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out about the show including YouDontKnowJersey.com, Makin Waves, BlowupRadio.com, Babez In Boyland, Speak Into My Good Eye, Mike, and any other outlet or individual who shared out the info. And thank you to anyone I forgot to mention.

I was pretty much dead for most of Sunday, but there was no resting. Little Dickman Records and I had our re-scheduled date with Kino Kimino at The Saint. It was TARRAlicious as Tarra Thiessen played with Kino Kimino, Ex-Girlfriends, and Sharkmuffin for what must have been her 298th, 299th, and 300th shows in the last two or three months. EVL MOMMZ made their Asbury debut. Lunch Ladies closed things out. Tarra got two cakes in honor of her 27th birthday, which is today.

EVL MOMMZ

Ex-Girlfriends

That one also had a nice turnout, especially considering it was Sunday night; and it was fun to introduce Kino Kimino and Asbury Park to each other while watching Sharkmuffin and Ex-Girlfriends let loose on the last night of their long tour.

Kino Kimino

Sharkmuffin

Lunch Ladies

I'm going to take it easy today. Edit some pictures. Maybe put up a guest post. I'll be back after it post-SXSW / post-Anniversary in the next day or two. Stay tuned. I'm in the process of putting pics up into the Flickr galleries, so check there for everything.

And, as always, thank you for giving me any of your precious time.

The 2016 Asbury Music Awards

Scott Stamper of The Saint (Top Music Venue, Small), one of the organizers and behind the scenes faces of the Asbury Music Awards

Thanks and Congrats!

OK. I'm not sure how detailed I can be in this post. I was half working / half hanging around with friends last night, but here are a few notes.

Host and Top Comedian, Taylor Allen

Corrina, Corrina kicked things off. It was cool to see them play, which I haven't in quite some time, and then take home the "Top Young Band" award again. I had to tell them, though, that when they turn 40 next year, they'll no longer be eligible. Sad.

Corrina, Corrina

There were several other memorable performances. The Vansaders (Top Punk Band) played without a pause during their set and managed to fit 7 or 8 songs into the 20 minute slot. Seaside Caves, who I don't get to see enough, blew me away. Again. Paul Ritchie of gods expressed a little nervousness about their set early in the evening, but the band won over the crowd quickly and also took home several awards (don't forget to check them out this Sunday at The Saint when Little Dickman Records and CoolDad Music bring you The Blind Shake, gods, and Psychiatric Metaphors for just $5!). The sound and production were on point all night, and every set -- Waiting On Mongo, Frank Lombardi, Colossal Street Jam, Shady Street Show Band, Daughter Vision, Cranston Dean Band, Predator Dub Assassins, whoever I'm forgetting -- looked and sounded amazing.

The Vansaders

Shady Street Show Band

gods

Daughter Vision

Our good buddy, Gentleman Jim Norton, won for Top Production / Lighting for his work over at House of Independents and kept his remarks very short in the interest of keeping the show running on time. Always working.

Jeff Crespi took home the Top Photographer award for the fourth year running. He made another heartfelt speech about how meaningful it's been for him to be accepted as an active participant in the Asbury Park music community. I can identify.

Christine Feola of House of Independents and Dark City Entertainment gave a sort of "State of the Scene" address, concluding with "There are a LOT of fucking bands in this town." And that is one of the truly amazing things about Asbury Park and its surrounding areas. There are literally 100s of bands in all genres -- some, admittedly, that get more recognition from "the scene" than others -- working, creating, and playing.

Christine Feola

That's something special about our area. It's easy to get jaded and take it for granted. But, in how many other places outside the big cities of this country can you say, "I feel like seeing some music" on a Monday or Wednesday night and just be able to do it?

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners and to everyone who made and supported music in 2016.

Finally, I'd like to say thank you to Asbury Park, The Asbury Music Awards, and everyone who voted for the three awards that CoolDad Music took home last night: Top Website, Top Publication, and Top Journalist for me. I've said this before, but I do appreciate every second that anyone chooses to spend on this site. I don't do it for awards or recognition, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say that it was a nice shot in the arm for those times when I wonder what the hell I'm doing. Thank you again for all of the support and for all of the inspiration.

I'm assuming that Asbury Music Awards will post a complete list of winners shortly. You can check the CoolDad Music Flickr galleries for the pictures I took when I remembered to take pictures.

Roadside Graves, Mikey Erg, and Lowlight Played Anchor's Bend, 9/18/16

Roadside Graves

CoolDad Music Presented

Just a note to say thanks to Roadside Graves, Mikey Erg (and Chris Pierce and Jason Nixon), Lowlight, Joe Chyb, Gentleman Jim Norton, MJ Schmitz, the staff at Anchor's Bend, everyone who came out to Sunday's show, and anyone else I may have forgotten. It was about 10 days of scrambling around to make this show happen following the cancelation of the third day of the New Alternative Music Festival. It was extremely cool to get to see Roadside Graves and Mikey Erg, who would've had sets that day, play that Sunday in Asbury Park after all.

In fact, it was beautiful.

Something about this one just felt really special. Seeing all those faces smiling and singing along with the bands... ...I don't know. Just felt like what it's all supposed to be about. Look for all of the pictures over on the Facebook page and in the Flickr galleries.

Roadside Graves

Mikey Erg Band

Lowlight

Thanks, Asbury Park!

Asbury Music Awards

I wanted to write a quick note expressing my gratitude for the outpouring of support I received last night for CoolDad Music. Not only did CoolDad Music receive awards for Top Website, Top Journalist, and Top News Publication; but also, several of you came up to me personally to tell me that you like what I'm doing here. That means more to me than I could ever say in any acceptance speech.

I'm not a musician, but I think I can identify a bit with the feeling of working on something day and night for no other reason than a love of doing it. While awards are a wonderful form of validation, the fact that you can make even a small amount of time in your life to do something that you love is a reward in itself. I would like to extend my congratulations to all of the winners, nominees, and even those who weren't nominated. Each one of you is making time to do something that feeds your soul; and, in doing so, you're feeding the souls of others. That is a wonderful thing, and you don't need an award to tell you that.

I'm telling you. In the way that people came up to me last night and told me that what I do here means something to them, I'm telling you that what you do means something to me. If I didn't have the opportunity to go out and watch you all play, I honestly don't know what I'd be doing with myself.

Thank you to all of you. Thank you to the Asbury Music Awards. Thank you to the musicians whose work I need in the same way I need food, water, and sleep. Thank you to the other photographers who I learn from every day, whether by looking at your work or nerding out with you at a show. Thank you to the other writers who constantly set me on the path to finding new music. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this site -- Allyson Dwyer, Henry Lipput, Scotch LaRock, countless guests and bands who have contributed reviews and year-end lists, and photographers who have shared their work here. Thank you to all of the venues for providing a space for great music and for rarely giving me a hard time about bringing my camera. Thank you to everyone who has worked with me on fun extracurricular stuff like putting on shows and making videos. Thank you to my family for putting up with my obsession. Of course, thank you to anyone I may have forgotten.

And thank you to everyone who spends any time at all on CoolDad Music. I'm going to keep it up here as long as I can.

I'll have some photos of last night's festivities a little bit later.

Happy 2016!

Our Friends Helped Us Raise A Whole Bunch of Money and Food for The Mercy Center of Asbury Park

The Jolly Daggers sent everybody home smiling last night at Porta.

Thanks!

I just wanted to say a few quick words of thanks to everyone who played, donated to, worked on, and came out to our show yesterday at Porta in Asbury Park. Together we raised $1100 and an Escalade full of canned goods to donate to Asbury Park's Mercy Center. We also had a wonderful time doing it.

Thanks to Porta and their entire staff for giving us the room and for letting us shake their whole building for about seven straight hours.

Thanks to all the performers -- Chris Brown, The Rock N Roll HiFives, Renee Maskin, TV Tramps, Dan Waszay, Black Flamingos, Overlake, Dentist, and The Jolly Daggers -- for donating their time and putting on great sets. I'm happy to call all of these bands friends, and you should absolutely check them out whenever you see that they're playing.

Thanks to everyone who donated to our charity auction: Augmented Asbury Park, Chunksaah Records, Phil Shepherd Photography, Rebel Supply, Big Slick Pomade Company, Scotch LaRock, Russo Music, Coffee Haüs Studios, and Little Dickman Records.

Thanks to Charlie Schafer for running the sound and managing the show.

Thanks to my partners in crime on this and several other cool things that made this year very special for me, Chris Yaniak and Amy Dickman of Little Dickman Records.

And Thanks to everyone who came out to support such a good cause on a Sunday afternoon along with anyone I, in my absent-mindedness, may have forgotten to mention. Let's do it all again next year!

I'll post some more pictures later, but also be on the lookout for shots from our great buds, Phil Shepherd and Mike Petzinger.

Happy Holidays, and keep rocking!

Thanks for Another Year

Thanks

This was a big, fun year for CoolDad Music. Thanks to everyone who read, contributed, sent me a song / album / video. Here are a few of the things (in the form of a nowhere near exhaustive list) I'm especially thankful for this year.

Before we get started, it goes without saying that I am most thankful for the love and support of the most beautiful CoolFamily. Thanks CoolMom and CoolDaughters 1 & 2.

OK. Here we go.

Even though you didn't plan it this way, thanks for playing an unannounced show on my birthday.

Thanks for blowing my mind at the Don Giovanni Records Showcase, even if I did get a moving violation in Brooklyn (Thanks, Allyson, for trying to cheer me up.).

Thanks for being so supportive and using my pictures on your records.

Thanks for coming to the show.

Thanks for hanging out.

Thanks for doing sound. Thanks for doing lunch.

Thanks for playing the carousel and thanks for coming out (especially Mom, Dad, and my brother's family. I know it was loud sometimes.).

Thanks for letting me help make your video.



Thanks for putting me in your video.



...and while we're at it, thanks for all the support and shouts out.

Thanks for working with me on so many things this year.

Thanks for letting me shoot your album cover.

Thanks for coming out to this one.

Thanks for everything, Asbury Lanes.



As it always goes with these things, I'm sure I left some stuff out of this. Thanks for sticking stickers, wearing shirts, emailing, tweeting, instagramming, messaging, mentioning. Just know that I appreciate everyone who ever has anything to do with CoolDad Music in any way. Even if you just come over and say hello during a show, it means the world to me. Have a safe and peaceful holiday however you choose to spend it.

Happy Thanksgiving.