Yes, Maxwell’s has sold out before. That fact is certainly not in dispute. But this night was symbolic in many ways. The original music scene in Hoboken has taken many blows over the years. There is no denying the plethora of talent that oozes out of the very foundation of this town.
And yet, the club and bar owners tend to shy away from anything but easy sell DJs and cover bands. In their defense, this is a purely business inspired course of action. It’s a well known fact that original bands cannot make a venue any money. Right?
Tonight a group of performers and supporters calling themselves Hoboken Rocks began on a journey determined to prove that theory wrong. And by the time it was announced that the place had sold out, it was clear that they were off to a very good start.
Seeing all of the familiar faces among the many, many strangers made me happy. Performing tonight were
Marc Giannotti , Crewman Number Six, Butterspy, Motel Creeps, Karyn Kuhl, High Speed Chase, eugene and a stage-filled jam session. The night ended with me being one of those who stayed until after closing. It was a fun party that had a lot of us floating on the dream of a revitalized Hoboken scene.
Still I have my doubts about whether or not this will turn things around for Hoboken. My heart hopes that the intentions of Hoboken Rocks will prove to tip the scales in our favor. History, however, is against us. For some reason despite good intentions and exceptional results, many owners in this town still turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to original music.
And, to skew the odds even more; in a town that has been featured in the Guinness Book of records for having the most bars per square mile than any other US city, Hoboken has only a handful of rooms with the capacity to handle large live shows.
Shannon’s Lounge, which actually has the largest of the live rooms, has had its share of rotten luck in the area of live music. Most recently being forced into renovations due to rumored fire code violations.
Willie McBride’s has hosted some fine shows. Still, since there is such a complete segregation of sports in the front, music in the back, often times patrons aren’t even aware that bands are playing.
The Whiskey Bar, though the host to a successful all original Battle of the Bands in 2004, still relies heavily on tribute bands for entertainment. Original music still has a chance here, I feel.
Then there is Maxwell’s; a rock ‘n’ roll landmark of legendary proportions which, in recent years, has re-established itself as a true champion of local, original bands. Thanks to a return of booker Todd Abramson after an unfortunate hiatus that found the club in a serious entertainment drought.
If the rest of the big rooms can follow suit, then the mission on which Hoboken Rocks has embarked will succeed. They also have the support of some very important local sponsors such as Upstart Studios, Guitar Bar, ArtKore and more. To learn more go to HobokenRocks.com
For now we remember this night as a sweet inauguration and continue to support local music whenever, wherever.
