Surfstock 4
John Easdale/Jill Sobule/Burlap to Cashmere/Coward/My Drug Hell/Weston/Holy Hand Grenade
Surf Club/Planet Surf, Ortley Beach, NJ
Below is a contemporaneous review of this show I wrote for injersey.com.
post continues....
Surfstock 4, the July 4th concert at the Surf Club in Ortley Beach, was a worthy successor to the fine previous shows on the beach. This year, sponsoring radio station FM 106.3 selected bands to give the show a well-rounded diversity of styles, and the approach seemed to work well for most audience members.
The whole of Surfstock was greater than the sum of its parts, and each performer contributed a great deal to the fun and energy of the event. Not only was the music terrific, but the atmosphere was appropriately party-like. The weather was ideal, the crowd was eager and receptive, and the bands and artists themselves were largely accessible to fans--most of the performers strolled around the beach when they weren't on stage, gladly signing autographs or simply chatting with admirers.
The headliner, former Dramarama frontman John Easdale was clearly the crowd favorite, beginning his set with an a capella rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in honor of the Independence Day holiday. Easdale structured his set cleverly, beginning with simple acoustic renditions of Dramarama favorites like "Work For Food," "Haven't Got a Clue," and "Wonderamaland." Joined onstage initially only by Dramarama guitarist Mark "Mr. E. Boy" Englert, Easdale was gradually joined onstage by Peter Wood (yet another Dramarama bandmember), and then a series of other musicians, culminating in the show-stopping electric encore of "Last Cigarette" and "Anything, Anything." Easdale--clearly enjoying himself--dug into his set with relish, and by the end of the performance, few people watching weren't on their feet.
Jill Sobule showcased many songs off of her current Happy Town album, playing with a full band to complement her sound. The singer/songwriter played selections like current single "When My Ship Comes In," "I Kissed a Girl," and "Bitter"--the latter of which Sobule used to close her set by stepping behind the drum kit and pounding the skins herself as she sang the popular song.
Making their American debut at Surfstock, My Drug Hell had two primary concerns: (a) lead singer/guitarist Tim Briffa was worried about hitting the guitar solo properly in their local hit single "Girl at the Bus Stop" (which was recorded using overdubs to give the trio a fuller sound on the record), and (b) bassist Paul Donnelly was afraid that he and his British bandmates would be the most pale people on the entire beach. But not only did they play a perfect version of "Girl at the Bus Stop," but they introduced new fans to a variety of well-performed songs, some from their album This is My Drug Hell, and some not yet recorded.
Despite their relative newness to the music world, Coward already seemed to have a decent amount of fans. The band, which kicked off a new leg of their inaugural tour at Surfstock, played rousing versions of songs from their self-titled debut, Coward. Sometimes, the band seemed to want to be in the audience as much as being on stage. They hung out on the beach for quite a long time, and lead singer Sheppard kept remarking on the stage how great the waves looked and how he wished he had a boogie board.
The other performers did just as well. Local favorites Burlap To Cashmere (who were celebrating their recent signing to A&M Records) seemed to dominate the attention of the crowd, despite their early time slot. Weston was a hit with those on the beach seeking a more dance-inspiring, energetic groove (after an initial delay, when one of the bandmembers got stuck in traffic!). And Philly band Holy Hand Grenade put on a good show even though they were sweltering in the direct midday sun.
The M.C. for Surfstock was wildman Mojo Nixon, who delighted fans by strapping on a guitar to do a rendition of "Elvis Is Everywhere." He otherwise introduced all of the other acts, occasionally fired water balloons into the crowd, and did not disappoint those who engaged him in his surreal brand of conversation.
Photo, above left: me making announcements to the crowd at Surfstock.
Surf Club/Planet Surf, Ortley Beach, NJ
Below is a contemporaneous review of this show I wrote for injersey.com.
post continues....
Surfstock 4, the July 4th concert at the Surf Club in Ortley Beach, was a worthy successor to the fine previous shows on the beach. This year, sponsoring radio station FM 106.3 selected bands to give the show a well-rounded diversity of styles, and the approach seemed to work well for most audience members.The whole of Surfstock was greater than the sum of its parts, and each performer contributed a great deal to the fun and energy of the event. Not only was the music terrific, but the atmosphere was appropriately party-like. The weather was ideal, the crowd was eager and receptive, and the bands and artists themselves were largely accessible to fans--most of the performers strolled around the beach when they weren't on stage, gladly signing autographs or simply chatting with admirers.
The headliner, former Dramarama frontman John Easdale was clearly the crowd favorite, beginning his set with an a capella rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in honor of the Independence Day holiday. Easdale structured his set cleverly, beginning with simple acoustic renditions of Dramarama favorites like "Work For Food," "Haven't Got a Clue," and "Wonderamaland." Joined onstage initially only by Dramarama guitarist Mark "Mr. E. Boy" Englert, Easdale was gradually joined onstage by Peter Wood (yet another Dramarama bandmember), and then a series of other musicians, culminating in the show-stopping electric encore of "Last Cigarette" and "Anything, Anything." Easdale--clearly enjoying himself--dug into his set with relish, and by the end of the performance, few people watching weren't on their feet.
Jill Sobule showcased many songs off of her current Happy Town album, playing with a full band to complement her sound. The singer/songwriter played selections like current single "When My Ship Comes In," "I Kissed a Girl," and "Bitter"--the latter of which Sobule used to close her set by stepping behind the drum kit and pounding the skins herself as she sang the popular song.
Making their American debut at Surfstock, My Drug Hell had two primary concerns: (a) lead singer/guitarist Tim Briffa was worried about hitting the guitar solo properly in their local hit single "Girl at the Bus Stop" (which was recorded using overdubs to give the trio a fuller sound on the record), and (b) bassist Paul Donnelly was afraid that he and his British bandmates would be the most pale people on the entire beach. But not only did they play a perfect version of "Girl at the Bus Stop," but they introduced new fans to a variety of well-performed songs, some from their album This is My Drug Hell, and some not yet recorded.
Despite their relative newness to the music world, Coward already seemed to have a decent amount of fans. The band, which kicked off a new leg of their inaugural tour at Surfstock, played rousing versions of songs from their self-titled debut, Coward. Sometimes, the band seemed to want to be in the audience as much as being on stage. They hung out on the beach for quite a long time, and lead singer Sheppard kept remarking on the stage how great the waves looked and how he wished he had a boogie board.
The other performers did just as well. Local favorites Burlap To Cashmere (who were celebrating their recent signing to A&M Records) seemed to dominate the attention of the crowd, despite their early time slot. Weston was a hit with those on the beach seeking a more dance-inspiring, energetic groove (after an initial delay, when one of the bandmembers got stuck in traffic!). And Philly band Holy Hand Grenade put on a good show even though they were sweltering in the direct midday sun.
The M.C. for Surfstock was wildman Mojo Nixon, who delighted fans by strapping on a guitar to do a rendition of "Elvis Is Everywhere." He otherwise introduced all of the other acts, occasionally fired water balloons into the crowd, and did not disappoint those who engaged him in his surreal brand of conversation.
Photo, above left: me making announcements to the crowd at Surfstock.
Labels: Burlap to Cashmere, Coward, Holy Hand Grenade, Jill Sobule, John Easdale, My Drug Hell, NJ, Ortley Beach, Surf Club, Weston, WHTG
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