New Brunswick, New Jersey music scene

New Brunswick, New Jersey's music scene has been the home to many notable rock bands. New Brunswick has been a center for punk rock and underground music; a scene that thrives on quasi-legal live shows in residential basements. These shows are host to not only local bands, but underground bands from across the country and the world. Numerous relatively unknown, self-managed (DIY) bands from this scene have gone on to receive broader acclaim.

1970s to '90s

Rock bands which started in the New Brunswick area clubs and went on to national prominence include alternative rockers The Smithereens and mainstream stadium rockers Bon Jovi.

More typically, New Brunswick bands have met with local success such as Rotator Cuff in the '90s and Crossfire Choir in the '80s. Crossfire Choir, with its striped down synthesizer punk sound, crossed over to the New York scene at CBGB where they opened for many branded punk bands – they lost their record deal with Geffen Records by cutting an album produced by Steve Lillywhite (who worked with Psychedelic Furs and U2) in London.^[1]

Many other alternative rock bands have gotten radio airplay thanks to Matt Pinfield who was part of the New Brunswick music scene for over 20 years at Rutgers University radio station WRSU. The local pubs frequented by Rutgers students, the rock bar Court Tavern (with its motto "Cruel but Fair"), and the dance club The Melody Bar hosted many local bands during the 1980s and 1990s, including The Rockin' Bricks, The Hub City All Stars, Frozen Concentrate, DP and the Greys, The Blasés, Glen Burtnik, The Slaves of New Brunswick, Spiral Jetty, Tiny Lights, The Wooden Soldiers, All God's Children, Hip Shy, No Matter, Bad Karma, Lord John, The Deal, The Mad Daddys, Rotator Cuff, Jigs & The Pigs, TWIG, The Atomic Missiles, The Stuntcocks, True Love, Loaded Poets, Anderson Council, The Fletchers, Aviso Hara, Bionic Rhoda, Buzzkill, Boss Jim Gettys, Duochrome, Lesser Koodoo, Parallax1, Moot, Stretch, Probable Cause, The Null Set, Judy Dad Called, Flyte, and BBC.

Indie rock at local bars and clubs

Local rock music luminaries include Pat DiNizio and Andy Bernstein, formerly of the Smithereens, who has been fronting local rock bands since the late '70s. Their current band is the VooDudes.

The indie rock band Pavement made their live debuts at the Court Tavern on Church St.^[2] The indie rock scene at the Court Tavern in the 1980s included touring bands such as Butthole Surfers and others that went on to successful recording careers. There was a heavy punk rock and new wave influence at the time.

Other bands to hail from New Brunswick include The Gaslight Anthem, Streetlight Manifesto, Bouncing Souls, and Hub City Stompers.

Punk, garage bands and basement shows

Some of the bands of the New Brunswick basement punk scene include The Bouncing Souls, Lifetime, Screaming Females, The Fun Ghouls, Sticks & Stones, and Yo Reg. Thursday and Midtown also started in New Brunswick. These bands keep the garage rock sound alive, generally with a stridently sociopolitical or independent message, and bound together by the "do it yourself" punk ethic. The Bouncing Souls' song "Party at 174" refers to the band's old house at 174 Commercial Avenue, and Lifetime's "Theme Song for a New Brunswick Basement Show" memorializes their humble beginnings. New Brunswick is also the home of independent labels Ferret Records and Don Giovanni Records.

Quasi-legal shows continue to be held in basements of bands, residents, and students of Rutgers University. Shows often include a lineup of both local and touring bands. House addresses and show information are distributed privately in order to deter interest from the New Brunswick Police Department. Shows are scheduled to end before 10:00pm in order to avoid breaching local noise ordinances. In addition, sound is reduced by resting mattresses on walls and muting bass drums with objects such as pillows.

References

1. ^ Robert Palmer. New York Times March 4, 1987. 
2. ^ Jovanovic, Rob (2004). Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement. Justin, Charles & Co. ISBN 1-932112-07-3.