Cloaca Melodia

Garden State Arts Center/PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ.... I wrote a contemporaneous review of this concert for injersey.com. Here it is. Sometimes seeing a concert is better in the intimate setting of a nightclub or other smaller room. However, sometimes larger venues--while still not ideal--can contribute small touches which can make a show more fascinating to watch. Seeing Tori Amos perform at the Arts Center held several such unintentional touches--like the fireflies which occasionally buzzed in from the wooded areas which surround the amphitheater, blinking on and off like nature's contribution to Tori's light show. The show was also full of intentional details which distinguished it from previous New Jersey performances--to date, Tori had only played indoor halls, like the Count Basie Theater (Red Bank) and the State Theater (New Brunswick). The Arts Center, with its soaring ceiling, expansive stage, and combination seating (the actual seats plus the lawn area), was a...

The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ.... Ween was billed as The Jimmy Wilson Group. I'm certain this was the date I saw them (although they did perform on this date). I recall them playing two McCartney/Wings songs, and the show went of for a good while. Very good time.

PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ...... I wrote about this show for injersey.com when I was a music and movie writer for them. Here's my review. Jackson Brown made a triumphant and nostalgic return to New Jersey with a show at the PNC Bank Arts Center. And Browne's fans were out in force to see the man responsible for beloved '70s hits like "Doctor My Eyes" and "Running On Empty." Despite rain earlier in the day, even the lawn area was thick with concertgoers. You have to give a guy like Browne a lot of credit. Even though most of the audience was coming for his classics, Browne wasn't about to turn his show into a greatest-hits parade. He put out a new album earlier this year, Looking East , which combines the personal committment and mellow charm of his '70s output with a high-tech, '90s feel (the CD of Looking East is available with flashy enhancements of interactive text, words, and pictures for your computer). And yet, Browne is no cran...

Mighty Mighty Bosstones/Fishbone/NOFX/Pennywise/Dance Hall Crashers/Goldfinger/fluf/1000 Mona Lisas/Blink 182 Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ sorry, Mike has not yet written about this show... add your own comments if you were also there!