PHOTOS: Screaming Females Played White Eagle Hall with Mal Blum, Radioactivity, No Men, 2/22/20. On Tour Now with PUP.

Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females by Rose Lamela

Garden Party

Most words and all pics by Rose Lamela

This is my fourth February seeing Screaming Females start the year off with a live show, and they always bring a good lineup along. The fact that they played one of my favorite venues, White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, made it even more special. They shared the stage with No Men, Radioactivity, and Mal Blum.

No Men

Radioactivity

Mal Blum

It was Screaming Females' Annual Garden Party and the show was sold out. I could hardly move from the spot I got in the front of the stage, but I managed to get some photos. The highlight of the night for me was my first time hearing Screaming Females play "Boyfriend" live. I've got to say that they are still my favorite band to see live. They always deliver to a full house of loyal fans, and it feels good to be a part of that.

Screaming Females

CoolDad Notes

I'll concur with Rosi on a few things:

• White Eagle Hall is great. I've said it before. They have been wonderful and accommodating to this site ever since they opened.
• Same goes for Screaming Females. We're coming up on 8 years since they first blew me away with their set at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park; and, ever since, they have been true friends to CoolDad Music.
• "Boyfriend" was a highlight for me as well. Marissa Paternoster handed her guitar to the crowd and threw the full force of her being into delivering the song. At one point, a helpful fan unplugged the guitar and set it gingerly on the stage only to have Paternoster walk back over, plug it back in, and send it back on its way into the hands of the audience.

Other stuff:

• I don't know. In my old age, I'm less about fighting for a spot up front and staying there all night to shoot shows. It's a good thing, I think, that I'm getting back to the point where I can enjoy shows without a camera in my hands.
• On that point, Rosi has been an invaluable contributor here. She's a fantastic photographer, and she always brings her unique voice to her posts.
• This was a typically solid line-up curated by Screaming Females. It was my first time seeing both No Men and Radioactivity, and both bands were great. Mal Blum is someone we've followed here for a long time, and they've just gotten more and more rocking with each passing year.
• State Champion Records put together an after-party at the tiny Wine Bar in the basement of Pet Shop JC just a few blocks away. That was packed to the gills for Vacation and Unclaimed Diamonds. People hanging from the pipes and lighting things on fire (I didn't find the fire thing particularly cool or intelligent if I'm being honest). Really dark in there, so no pics
• Check out all of Rosi's pics at Flickr.
• Screaming Females are currently on tour with PUP:

White Denim Played White Eagle Hall with Abram Shook, 10/5/19

White Denim by Rose Lamela

Jam Bands?

Words and Pictures by Rose Lamela

Saturday night, I went to White Eagle Hall to catch White Denim. It was a nostalgic night, since it was an Austin lineup and there were even a few fans there from the capital of the Lone Star state. I got to see White Denim in the backyard of Radio Milk Studios when I was in Austin, so Saturday was not quite the same. White Eagle Hall in Jersey City will always be one of my favorite venues, but seeing a show in a small yard in East Austin while fans climbed trees to watch is very hard to beat.

Abram Shook opened up the show and was very appreciative of the crowd's response to his music. He has a nice mellow pop sound to his songs. When I looked up his genre on Spotify I got "Electrified Dystopian Pop." I guess that is what I heard. The song "Cocaine Blonde" stuck with me and was the song I immediately recognized when I looked up his music the next day. The crowd was also in a dancing mood on Saturday, and Abram Shook took a moment to comment on that.

Abram Shook

Abram Shook

Abram Shook

Abram Shook

Abram Shook

White Denim are a "jam band." I say this because I have seen them twice and I keep denying this to myself. I am not a "jam band" kind of gal. The obvious ones never got my attention, but there is something about White Denim I absolutely love. They hardly stop to take a break. They go from one tune to another, and they will play for hours. This is something that doesn't always go over well with me unless you are Pink Floyd, and that's a whole different story.

White Denim

White Denim

White Denim

White Denim do have an amazing energy, and seeing them live is a different experience than hearing their studio albums. The room was full of dancing hippie types, and they were super friendly. The vibes were as good as Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I'm guessing this is kind of how Grateful Dead shows were?  I wouldn't know!! They rocked out some of my favorite tunes like "Magazin" and "Ha Ha Ha ha (Yeah)." James Petralli does this dance while playing the guitar that almost resembles Chuck Berry's most famous moves. White Denim are absolutely fantastic live.

White Denim

White Denim

It was a nice night, and I can't wait for Austin next year. Maybe I will start checking out more "Jam Bands." Maybe I will start to see the error of my ways and join in on what my friends have been pressuring me to listen to since high school. If the Kool Aid is as good as the vibes last Saturday, I might join in.

For all the shots from Saturday, check out Rosi's Flickr account.

Mudhoney Played White Eagle Hall with Shut Up and 50 Ft. Furies, 10/4/19

Mudhoney at White Eagle Hall

I Was, in Fact, Pretty Sick

Since before leaving for London with CoolMom, I've had some kind of upper respiratory nonsense that has left me feeling kinda shitty with a never-ending cough. I took it easy all week last week, but I wasn't about to miss our good pals Shut Up on their opening slot for the hugely influential Mudhoney at Jersey City's White Eagle Hall. So, I hopped into the CoolVan and made my way to Hudson County.

First of all, I'd like to say a special thanks to White Eagle Hall. Since they opened, they have been one of the most welcoming venues in the area to us. We here at CoolDad Music appreciate all of the support and access they've given us over the last couple of years. It's a beautiful space that puts on great shows; and, if you haven't been there yet, do make it a point to check it out when one of your favorite bands comes through.

I rolled in and got to say hi to Bob, Dan, and Jamie of Shut Up at the merch table as I was picking up my pass. I entered the performance space just as Jersey City's 50 Ft. Furies were taking the stage, and they absolutely blew me away. The band say they are "destroying the patriarchy one gig at a time." During their set, they took on targets like Brock Turner and Donald Trump. Even though the topics were serious, the delivery and the personality of the band couldn't have been more fun.

50 Ft. Furies

50 Ft. Furies

50 Ft. Furies

50 Ft. Furies

Asbury's Shut Up were up next, and they brought their usual relentless energy to tracks off of their recent Nope. The music is aggressive. Bob Paulos wails on the drums. Jamie Conner tosses her hair wildly while playing bass. Dan Matthews careens around the stage when he's not screaming at the mic. At the same time, Shut Up have such a good chemistry on stage that they make every show feel like a party among close friends.

Shut Up

Shut Up

Shut Up

Shut Up

As we waited for Mudhoney to take the stage, a few people pushed up to the front. "Is this your spot?" a woman asked me.

"I'm just gonna take pictures for three songs. Then you and your friends can have it," I said. She relayed that info to her friend, and I think they were both pretty happy about it.

Mudhoney came out and opened with "In 'n' Out of Grace" from their classic Superfuzz Bigmuff. They got to "Touch Me I'm Sick" about halfway through the set. By that point, I'd made my way up to the balcony; and I could see the crowd going nuts for every song. Throughout the set, it was easy -- and kind of amazing -- to hear the ways in which Mudhoney influenced bands that came after them, bands who've sold milllions of records from the 90s to today.

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

Mudhoney

All in all, it was a feel-good night of music on a night when I wasn't feeling good. Getting out and seeing friends and a great show at a beautiful venue proved to be some pretty effective medicine.

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.