A hot day of food, beer, art, music and people … lots of people
The Hoboken Arts & Music Festival is going on it’s 13th year and it still attracts every type of street-fair patron you could imagine. That’s because there is a little here for everyone. I never really like these ultra-crowded affairs. Luckily there is always a way to find sanctuary off the beaten path at Duffy’s (239 Bloomfield St, Hoboken). There I had a couple of cold pints with my friends artist Ali Brief and Diana Schwaeble of The Hudson Current Newspaper.
Soon it was back on to the hot asphalt of Washington street to fight the crowds and try to mingle with friends. A highlight for me was meeting Ali’s cousin (and fellow artist) Allison Ritter. Her work consists of taking brilliantly abstract, large pencil drawings and manipulating the colors in PhotoShop creating surreal imagery.
Her young nephew was the consummate salesman telling me I needed to buy at least one thing. He even picked it out for me. It was a refrigerator magnet version of one of Allison’s pieces. This somehow led to a conversation about juice made from strawberries and people and crackers made from chicken and peanuts. Ah the imagination of a child. Or was that mine?
My biggest gripe each year remains the choices of musical headliners. It seems the Hoboken Cultural Department cannot find enough bands with true NJ roots to top the bill. How can that be? This state is more densely populated with musical talent than any other in the nation. Sure the day opened with the ever-fabulous Hoboken band The Fave. Under a tent due to impending rain (that never came) the volume was a little intense but as usual, the band rocked.
However, it’s rare that locals get the chance to really showcase here on the main stage. The headliner this year was Micky Dolenz of The Monkees. Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love The Monkees for their campy show and some of the greatest pop songs ever recorded. And those who caught his set told me it was pretty amazing. But what is his connection to Hoboken? Or NJ for that matter? It’s not enough just to have worked at WCBS-FM in New York off and on since 2005.
Why is this important? The Hoboken Arts & Music Festival is billed as a community affair. I’m not saying the bands all have to be from Hoboken, but there is no reason why they can’t all at least be from NJ or even NYC. In the past, the festival has featured Patti Smith, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, The Bongos and Ritchie Havens. All of whom have some direct and long-term connection to the area. We need to have more such billings in my opinion.
All in all it was a fun day. Mainly because I stayed out of the crowds for most of it. With every few blocks walked I’d run into other friends and it was back into a bar like Louise & Jerry’s (329 Washington St, Hoboken) for a cold drink or Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St, Hoboken) for dinner. Eventually, I ended the night at The Goldhawk (936 Park Ave, Hoboken) to hang out with The Fave.
See Also:
2008 Hoboken Arts & Music Festival – Gallery
Allison Ritter
Ali Brief
The Fave
