I called it. Back in October 2014. I said, “You watch. As soon as Maxwell’s is back up and running, the uptown Hoboken music scene will really take off.
Yes it’s true that Smokin’ Barrel (1313 Willow Ave), Finnegan’s (734 Willow Ave) and The Ale House (1034 Willow Ave) have been hosting music for some time, but each of them recently stepped up their games. Both Finnegan’s and The Ale House have installed new sound systems and expanded their live music nights. I’ve heard rumors that The Turtle Club (936 Park Ave) is planning to upgrade their system, too.
It’s a very exciting time in town, especially for original musicians. The bottom line is this; The more opportunities for any live music means more opportunities for original music. And in the spirit of this uptown expansion, both The Ale House and Finnegan’s debuted their Open Mics this past Sunday.
The Ale House
Chris ‘Gibby’ Gibson at The Ale House
Taking over the afternoon slot, The Ale House Open Mic runs from 4pm – 7pm and is hosted by Mike Murphy (with help from Chris ‘Gibby’ Gibson of Upstart Studios who set up their new system).
Finnegan’s
Eoin Finnegan (owner) at Finnegan’s
In a perfect case coincidence, Finnegan’s scheduled their Open Mic from 7pm-11pm hosted by Gerry Rosenthal of Big Wake. Adventurous types can actually hit both.
Want More?
Hoboken has two amazing open mics downtown. Wednesdays at Northern Soul (577 First St) and Thursdays at The Dubliner (96 River St).
Also, bwè kafe (1002 Washington St) hosts their monthly Hoboken Spoken night of music, poetry and more.
