Kimon & the Prophets won the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation battle of the bands and recently competed in Memphis, TN along with 110 other bands at the International Blues Challenge. Comprised of veteran musicians who have long since paid their dues in the NYC club circuit and beyond, the members of the Prophets have been in numerous bands with national releases. Early on Kimon (pronounced ky-mon) survived a long stint as guitarist and co-writer with an over-the-top, edgy NYC garage band ca...

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAN COLEMAN, ROCK ON RADIO
originally published: 2011-02-27 11:16:42

By Gary Wien

If it's Sunday night, it's time for Rock On Radio -- a weekly radio show broadcast on a mix of AM/FM and online radio stations throughout the world. Hosted by Danny Coleman, the show features interviews and live performances from artists in the New Jersey music scene broadcast and streamed from the studio at http://www.wifi1460am.com. NewJerseyStage broadcasts an encore recording of the show every Thursday (1pm and 8pm) and Friday (7pm) on our station, htttp://www.ThePenguinRocks.com -- ...

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GLEN BURTNICK TALKS ABOUT JOHN LENNON TRIBUTE
originally published: 2011-02-09 17:14:39

By Gary Wien

When I heard Glen Burtnik had some free time while stuck in Alaska, I figured I'd ask him a few questions about his upcoming tribute to John Lennon. The show, "John Lennon - 70th Birthday Celebration," takes place at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ on Saturday, February 19. It's another in a wonderful series of tributes Glen has put together for the Beatles and the Who. If you haven't checked out one of these shows, you'll be amazed at how much fun they are. Gl...

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INTERVIEW WITH DANNY WHITE
originally published: 2011-02-07 12:21:03

By Gary Wien

In recent years, you've been building up Beach Music Studios. Did you sort of put your own music career on the back burner for a while?

Not necessarily. While I certainly haven't been performing live as much over the last couple years, I've spent the time writing a lot of songs, recording them with the band, traveling & meeting many talented musicians, engineers & producers.

Did working around other musicians every day keep you focused on your own work? Or d...

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INTERVIEW WITH JAMES DALTON ABOUT "ASBURY BLUES" -- A NEW BLUES CLUB IN ASBURY PARK
originally published: 2011-01-19 14:21:03

By

Tell me about Asbury Blues. Where is it located? Is it a full bar? Restaurant?
Asbury Blues is located just a block off the path at 610 Bangs Avenue in the old Asbury Park Press building. We are a music venue with a full bar and a full menu of BBQ, Cajun and Southern inspired dishes.

What will the average week of shows look like?
Well, we are a blues club, so that is our focus, but we've got a country rock/southern rock night of music every Tuesday, live band Karaok...

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INTERVIEW WITH EMILY GROVE
originally published: 2011-01-06 22:27:57

By Gary Wien

You've had quite an amazing year locally. It seems you've made the move from upcoming star to star very quickly, what are some of your best memories of the year?
This has been a crazy year for me, with so many ups and downs and so much soul-searching and decision-making to do. My best memories are all the great people I've met (and keep meeting), and all the fun I've had playing with these people. Sonny from Espresso Joe's has supported me from Day One. Some awesome...

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JOE HARVARD TALKS ABOUT THE LONG WEEKEND
originally published: 2010-12-14 21:59:45

By Gary Wien

Congrats on the show's recent two-year anniversary. What was the original idea behind the show? Was it something you had done up in Boston or someone else?

The show's prototype began at the Plough and Stars in Cambridge in early 1989. I was principal owner of Fort Apache Recording Studios at the time, & the series began not long after we began booking rock shows at the Middle East Restaurant [we being Helldorado Productions: me, 'Skeggie' Kendall & the late Billy Rua...

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INTERVIEW WITH NICOLE LIPMAN, THE MASTERMIND BEHIND HEY COLE PRESENTS
originally published: 2010-12-13 09:07:02

By Gary Wien

Nicole Lipman is one of the hardest working people in the tri-state music business. She's also been one of the most successful. I recently got the chance to speak with her about her company, her artists, and the services she provides to her clients.

How and when did you first get into the business? Who was the first artist you worked with?

I majored in music management in college and after working for a few years in the corporate banking (yes, corporate banking) w...

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INTERVIEW WITH JON CASPI ON HIS NEW RECORD, NEW BAND - THE FIRST GUN
originally published: 2010-12-07 17:05:26

By Gary Wien

Tell me about the new band - The First Gun. How did you come up with the name?

I'll start with the name and then explain the reason we starting using it. The invention of the gun is probably one of the top-5 major events in human history. It altered power structures, interpersonal relationships, changed the way we eat, and so on. It made killing easy...for better and for worse. Of course, as a songwriter, I would love to have such a major impact on the world...partly the reason...

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ALBIE MONTERROSA TALKS ABOUT LOVE AT THE BODEGA
originally published: 2010-12-02 14:14:53

By Gary Wien

Tell me about your new project. When did it start and who's in the band?
"Love at the Bodega" was a band I started after deSoL decided to take a break from the "grind". L@theB has been together since this past summer. We have been getting together working on arrangements to songs I have been writing with my partner Sally Perez. I reconnected with Sally in Williamsburg Brooklyn. A chance meeting outside a corner Bodega and talking about music was all we needed to st...

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INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE WIRTH
originally published: 2010-10-07 22:54:57

By Gary Wien

George Wirth is one of the area's best songwriters. With vivid descriptions, his songs come to life with characters that live and breathe in ways few songwriters can match. His first record, "Lights of Brigantine" was one of the best records I've heard in the past decade. His latest disc, "The Last Good Kiss", was released over the summer and is just as good. I had the chance to interview George via email recently to talk about his career, his music, and Asbury Par...

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INTERVIEW WITH WENDELL HOLMES OF THE HOLMES BROTHERS
originally published: 2010-09-07 22:24:23

By

I caught up with Wendell Holmes after his band's set at the 2010 XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, New Jersey. The Holmes Brothers have been playing the blues for over 30 years during which time theyve shared stages and recorded with artists like Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Willie Nelson, Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Rosanne Cash, and Peter Gabriel to name a few.

While I was watching the band I couldn't help thinking that it&...

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INTERVIEW WITH BRENDA WIRTH ABOUT "ROSIE'S CAFE"
originally published: 2010-07-27 19:35:06

By Gary Wien

How long have you been setting up the Rosie's Cafe shows? What was the inspiration behind doing a show like this in the house concert tradition?
I started out by hosting Rod Picott at my friend's house in Wall, back in 2004. I had seen Rod perform at The Strand Theatre with Slaid Cleaves, then later at Harry's Roadhouse and The Saint. He was such a nice guy and terrific songwriter that I wanted to do something to help promote his music. So, I asked him if I could host a ...

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INTERVIEW WITH MARK SPINA: ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE THEATER PROJECT
originally published: 2010-07-10 19:39:46

The Theater Project is a 16-year old professional theater company based in Union County's Cranford. It is a program of Union County College and rehearses and performs in its on-campus Roy W. Smith Theater. The Theater Project hires professional actors come from all over the tri-state area, including many from New York City. It proudly receives grants from county, state, and national arts and education institutions and foundations, and is fortunate to receive many generous donations from our ...

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THE END OF THE WOODS: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS BATTEN
originally published: 2009-10-21 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

On Friday, October 23rd, Chris Batten and The Woods will play their final gig at Maxwell's in Hoboken. The band has been one of my favorite local acts over the past five years, so I was glad to get the chance to talk with Chris about the situation and what's in store for the future. The show, which also includes Tris McCall and Val Emmich, takes place during the CMJ Music Festival.

Sorry to hear that the band is going on indefinite hiatus. What was the reasoning behind the d...

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STATUS GREEN:
ON TO THE NEXT GOAL
originally published: 2009-08-31 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Status Green has not only been one of the most popular bands along the Jersey Shore for several years, but they one of the hardest working bands as well. Their hard work definitely paid off this summer when the band landed great shows at the PNC Bank Arts Center, Jones Beach, the Warped Tour in Camden, and at the Florida Music Festival. It's always great to see local acts getting a taste of success, but sometimes the good stuff gets lost in the shuffle so I contacted Lou Montessano to hear...

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INTERVIEW WITH MICK CHORBA OF THE SUCCESSFUL FAILURES
originally published: 2009-07-21 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Mick Chorba is probably best known as the man behind The Dipsomaniacs, one of New Jersey's best and sadly overlooked bands. Currently, he spends most of his time with the band, The Successful Failures, who will be releasing a new CD out in a few months. We caught up with Mick through an email interview to talk about his bands, the upcoming record, and his record company - Face Down Records.

What does it mean to you to be a successful failure? Sometimes I think nearly everyone I kn...

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INTERVIEW WITH GORDON BROWN ABOUT THE 2009 WAVE GATHERING FESTIVAL
originally published: 2009-06-10 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The Wave Gathering Festival returns to Asbury Park on June 19-21, bringing nearly 200 artists from around the world to the city. NewJerseyStage.com continues a tradition started with AsburyMusic.com to provide a comprehensive preview of the festival with schedules, artist, and area information - including the ability to create your own customized schedules! To visit our preview, click here.

We caught up with Gordon Brown of All Hour Enter...

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INTERVIEW WITH JODY JOSEPH ABOUT HER JANIS JOPLIN / STEVIE NICKS SHOW
originally published: 2009-05-27 18:39:02

By Gary Wien

On Saturday, May 30 Jody Joseph will perform a special theatrical tribute to Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park. We had a chance to catch up with Jody to ask her a few questions about the show...

Tell me a bit about your show at the Paramount. You'll be paying tribute to Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks, will the show be in two segments? Costume changes and wigs?
This production will be delivered in three flowing sequences. Not only wi...

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THE MEN IN BLUE
originally published: 2007-11-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The Blue Man Group is truly one of the most remarkable entertainment stories in a long time. The men draped in blue paint perform their brand of performance art / musical theater in cities around the world (New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Berlin, Oberhausen - Tokyo will open in December) and present special shows that tour the planet as well. Their latest show, "How To Be A Megastar Tour 2.1" will roll into the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ on November 9, 2007. I recently...

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SURVIVING THE ROCK STAR MYTH
originally published: 2007-10-31 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Richard Barone, former lead singer of the legendary band The Bongos, recently released his first book, FRONTMAN: Surviving the Rock Star Myth, a book based on his own experience and those of other rock and roll frontmen. His old band actually reunited at the Hoboken Fall Arts & Music Festival to help promote the release of Drums Along The Hudson - Special Edition finally released the way it was always intended to sound. While the band was back in Hoboken, the city took the chance to honor the ...

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10 YEARS ON THE BANKS
originally published: 2007-10-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

An Interview With David Saint, The Artistic Director of George Street Playhouse Who Is Starting His 10th Year In New Brunswick

This is your 10th year as the Artistic Director of George Street Playhouse. Did you ever imagine you'd set your roots down in New Brunswick like that?
No, I was very anxious to come here because I wanted to get back closer to New York. I had been travelling all around the country and I started out in New York and wanted to get back near home a...

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DL: NO APOLOGIES NEEDED
originally published: 2007-10-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Darryl Lynn D. L. Hughley will be coming through our area in October to promote his new HBO special and let everyone know that hes the new host of HBOs Def Comedy Jam premiering later this fall. Hes also excited about sharing his views on the world - a place he apparently thinks is severely messed up.

I had the chance to talk with D.L. about his new tour and all of the other stuff the comedian/actor has going on. You can catch him live at the following places:

October 4 - War Mem...

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INSIDE THE CAMDEN 28
originally published: 2007-09-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

One of the things I love is when filmmakers turn to their own backyards to discover rather incredible pieces of history that have largely been forgotten. Director Anthony Giacchino does just that with "The Camden 28", a documentary about 28 people who risked everything to protest the war in Vietnam. Their goal was to break into a federal building in Camden and destroy draft records.

Among the 28 were four Catholic priests and one Lutheran Minister. They were all taught how to do th...

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GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS
originally published: 2007-08-30 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Grace Potter and The Nocturnals are a band from Vermont that's as close to breaking big-time as you'll ever find. You've most likely heard their song "Ah Mary" blaring on the radio over the summer or read about their debut record, "This Is Somewhere", that critics everywhere are raving about. The band returns to New Jersey for a date at The Stanhope House on Wednesday, September 5th. Upstage had a chance to talk to Grace Potter during a brief break in the band'...

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THE GAY BLADES SET THE STORY STRAIGHT
originally published: 2007-08-30 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The Gay Blades, based in Jersey City, released Ghosts last month. Upstage Magazine takes you inside one of the state's best indie music bands. The band consists of Puppy Mills (aka The Snitch) and Clark Westfield (aka The Aristocrat of Crime). Last year they were nominated for 4 Asbury Park Music Awards including Top Male Vocalist, Top Live Performance, Top Indie Band, and Top Drummer. We were able to interview them via email shortly before the record officially was released.

Ok,...

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KATHARINE HOUGHTONON BOOKENDS
originally published: 2007-07-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

NJ Repertory Theatre in Long Branch presents another world premiere play this month. This time around it's a musical called BOOKENDS written by the playwright/actress Katharine Houghton.

Katharine Houghton is best known for her role as Joanna "Joey" Drayton, the Caucasian ingenue with an African-American fianc, whom she brings home to meet her parents, in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Her list of other films include Ethan Frome, Mr. North, The Night We Never Met, Bi...

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GOODWILL: THE FLIGHT OF EMILIO CARRANZA
originally published: 2007-07-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Robert A. Emmons Jr., associate director of the Honors College at Rutgers-Camden, directed and produced the film, "Goodwill: The Flight of Emilio Carranza," about Carranza's goodwill trip between New York City and Mexico City, which returned the favor of Charles Lindbergh's famed nonstop flight to Mexico City the year before. The film explores Carranza's life as "Mexico's Charles Lindbergh," and his death in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey on July 12, 1928.

A 12 ft (3.6 m) monument in th...

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SHOULD THE MONKEES BE IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME?
originally published: 2007-06-30 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Ok, so I'm a child of the eighties and a Monkees fan. I'll admit it. I still remember watching every one of their episodes that MTV re-ran for what seemed like several years and fell in love with their music. I even saw them live in the mid-80s at the Garden State Arts Center. It's not called that anymore, but this was before corporate sponsorships. About a month ago, I heard a DJ ask why The Monkees weren't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and it got me thinking. Why aren...

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SO FUNNY IT'S SCARY
originally published: 2007-06-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

When we checked out the performers for this year's Sketchfest, one group caught our eye immediately - Meat. Comprised of Elizabeth Ellis, Reggan Holland, Becky Poole and Livia Scott, these four women write extremely interesting and often hilarious sketches that are on the dark side. How dark? Well, their show at the festival is named "Camp Blood" - that should give you an idea. Ihad a chance to speak with Livia Scott about the group, her career, and what she loves about sketch comedy.

...

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READYMADE BREAKUP STICKS TOGETHER
originally published: 2007-05-25 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Readymade Breakup has been part of the New Jersey music scene for several years, but finally released their debut record, "isn't that what it's for". It's a brilliant disc that shows just how far the band has come from their early days when they were just a bit too eager to show how much they were fans of Ben Folds Five and were trying to create songs that they thought the record labels wanted to hear. Basically the band had to break up and take some time off before realizi...

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THE DEATH OF INTERNET RADIO? (AN INTERVIEW WITH LAZLO OF BLOWUPRADIO.COM)
originally published: 2007-05-02 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

If video killed the radio star then the Copyright Royalty Board is about to kill the online radio star. Essentially, the CRB is about to shake up the music industry with a ruling that will almost certainly force thousands of online stations to close.

The CRB has decided to tax internet radio over that of what regular broadcast radio is required to pay. The fees are in excess of revenue being generated by any internet station today. If the ruling stands, the only stations who will surv...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR, KEMATI PORTER
originally published: 2007-05-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The language in The Deacons is just wonderful. I guess that's what you expect when you have a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet like Yusef Komunyakaa penn the script?
Absolutely. You always have a heightened language because poets deal with words. The play is focused on the language. It's more language driven than story driven in terms of the internal stories that each character has to tell about what has happened to them more so than plot.

What are some of the themes you see in...

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THE MAN OF MANY VOICES
originally published: 2007-05-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Kevin Pollak has captured the attention of audiences worldwide with his range of both dramatic and comedic roles. Over the past two decades, he has appeared in over fifty films, as well as countless television projects, and has established himself as one of the few stand-up comedians to have a successful dramatic film career. In addition to his acting talents, he has also proven himself as both a writer and producer. He will be performing his stand-up act at the Rahway High School (1012 Madison ...

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ARTHUR GIRON ON LOVE AND MURDER
originally published: 2007-04-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Arthur Giron is one of the top contemporary playwrights in the country. His plays are performed continuously throughout America. He was awarded the Los Angeles Critics Drama-League Prize for "Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting" for his play, "Becoming Memories". A former Head of the Graduate Playwriting Program at Carnegie Mellon University, he has taught workshops across the land. His latest play is called "Love and Murder" and it will be premiering in April at NJ Rep.

We spoke...

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JIM WALTON TALKS ABOUT SOUVENIR
originally published: 2007-03-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

George Street Playhouse is bringing a pair of Broadway veterans to New Brunswick for Souvenir, their latest production that will run from February 27th through March 25th. The play features Liz McCartney (Mamma Mia, Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Jim Walton (Merrily We Roll Along, And The World Goes Round) as the society doyenne and aspiring singer Florence Foster Jenkins and her accompanist Cosme. The kicker is that Florence sings really, really badly. We're talking American Idol first week ...

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BLOWUPRADIO TURNS 6!
originally published: 2007-02-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Blowupradio.com is an online radio station / local music news resource that recently celebrated its sixth anniversary. The website and station is run by Lazlo, a former DJ at Monmouth University's WMCX and the Dover station WDHA. What makes blowupradio.com so unique is that the station only plays music from New Jersey artists. So if you're interested in learning more about the local music scene, there's no better starting point than here. The radio station launched on Live365 on December 15t...

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INSIDE ZELDA PINWHEEL
originally published: 2006-12-28 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Do you think Zelda Pinwheel has been ignored by local media? If so, why do you think that might be so? Are you guys just too unique?

I think ignored by the Jersey media is kind of a strong word, but it's certainly been spotty. There have been instances where certain community college radio stations have seemed to go out of their way to ignore us. On the other hand, we've had great coverage on some other college stations like WRSU in New Brunswick and WPRB in Princeton. Medi...

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THE AMERICAN BEAUTY PROJECT
originally published: 2006-12-28 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The Jersey Shore is literally filled with people deeply involved in the music industry that largely go unnoticed when they walk down the street or order a pint at the local bar. For every Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi that attracts attention wherever they go, there is a David Spelman, a man known across the world for his work with the guitar. Spelman's the Artistic Director for the New York Guitar Festival, oversees the Wall-To-Wall Guitar Festival at the University of Illinois' Kr...

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PAUL BENEDICT AS SCROOGE... BRILLIANT!
originally published: 2006-12-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

You probably know him best as Bentley on "The Jeffersons" but Paul Benedict has had a truly remarkable acting career. His body of work includes films like "The Freshman", "The Addams Family", and "Waiting For Guffman". His stage credits include runs on Broadway in Eugene O'Neill's Hughie (opposite Al Pacino), Meredith Willson's The Music Man, Terrence McNally's Bad Habits, and William Shakespeare's Richard III. This December, Benedict tackles a role from one of his favorite novels of all-tim...

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THE CREATORS OF S.O.A.P. RETURN TO ASBURY
originally published: 2006-10-25 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

This December, Asbury Park will pay a long overdue tribute to the creators of the Asbury musical sound. Many of the creators will take part in a once in a lifetime concert on December 9th at the Stone Pony and a permanent monument will be placed on the boardwalk containing the names of the musicians and performers that took the music to its limit by pushing the envelope and digging deeper to change the sound of Rock & Roll forever. We recently emailed Doc Holiday to talk about the show and mon...

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VAL EMMICH IS FREE AT LAST
originally published: 2006-10-25 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

It was roughly three years ago to the day that Val Emmich was the cover of the first issue of Upstage Magazine. Since that time he struggled as he watched his record label seemingly put his career on hold. After working his way out of his contract, he's back as an independent artist and actually enjoying life again. He's releasing his new CD "Sunlight Searchparty" this month. Upstage recently talked to Val about the new record and the last few years in limbo...

How do...

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INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN BUTLER OF SMASH PALACE
originally published: 2006-10-16 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Smash Palace will be coming to the Saint in Asbury Park on Saturday, October 21st. The bill also includes Luzer, South Of The Bridge and Porter Block. Upstage Magazine recently interviewed Stephen Butler of Smash Palace via email about the band.

Let's go back to the beginning to give people a brief history of where you and Smash Palace came from. When you first started out, your brother and you were in a band called Quincy. In a span of like six months you were signed to Co...

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A TRUE TROUBADOUR OF THE HIGHWAY
originally published: 2006-09-25 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

There are people who think they have lived interesting lives and those who wish they had, but only a few have ever lived the kind of life of Peter Case. The singer-songwriter best known for his days as the lead singer of The Plimsouls ("A Million Miles Away") will be releasing a new record in the next few months to go along with his first book - "As Far As You Can Get Without A Passport". The book shares stories from Case's life as a musician living on the streets of San Fr...

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INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT GINO DILORIO
originally published: 2006-08-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Gino Dilorio is quickly making a name for himself in the playwriting world. The Clark University Professor has his latest work, Apostacy, currently running at the New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch. His play, The Hard Way, won 1st place in the BBC's 2005 International Playwriting Competition and was one of just 3 plays chosen in the Utah Shakespeare Festival's New Plays in Progress Series. Other highlights include winning a Berilla Kerr Award for Playwriting and having his "Winterizi...

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INTERVIEW WITH KASIM SULTON
originally published: 2006-07-22 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Kasim Sulton will be performing at the Saint in Asbury Park on Saturday, July 29th. He took some time out of his touring schedule to do an e-interview with us.

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What can people expect from a Kasim Sulton solo show? Do you keep the
setlist pretty consistent through the tour or mix it up a lot?
I have such a good time playing solo shows. It' really gives me a chance to interact with the people who come out to support me and who also enjoy my mu...

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FRANK THEWES TRIUMPHS WITH PERIPHERAL DIVISION
originally published: 2006-06-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Singer-songwriter Frank Thewes is the host of Triumph Brewery's Singer-Songwriter Showcase every Thursday in Princeton and on the second Wednesday of the month at Triumph's New Hope club. The Central Jersey native and Rutgers graduate has just released a wonderful record called Peripheral Division that blends together a myriad of musical styles over intelligent lyrics.

I had a chance to interview Frank via email about the new disc, his thoughts on religion, the monthly Singer-Songwriter ...

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MAN'S BEST FRIEND COMES TO NEW JERSEY
originally published: 2006-06-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Jeremy Crisi is a cartoonist who grew up in Ocean County and is moving back to the Shore after living in Northeastern Pennsylvania for a while. His strip "Man's Best Friend" was published weekly in "The Weekender" over there. With any luck you'll be seeing it in a Jersey paper sometime soon. Hell, we'd probably publish it if we had any money to offer the guy but we're doing the next best thing - letting you know about him. If you'd like to see more of his work visit his website at: http://ph...

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INTERVIEW WITH TONY LEVIN
originally published: 2006-04-10 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

It will be another one of those special nights at the Saint in Asbury Park when Tony Levin, one of the world's greatest bass players, brings his band to town on Thursday, April 20th. Mike Black will open the show which will be a progressive rock fans dream bill.

Levin is probably best known for his work in the Peter Gabriel Band and King Crimson but he's recorded with just about everyone from John Lennong to Lou Reed, Tom Waits to Warren Zevon. The list of credits goes on and on ...

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PANDORA TALKS ABOUT SAMURAIZATION
originally published: 2006-03-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

What is SAMURAIZATION all about?
...Having my sushi and eating it, too! It's about getting happy - and about celebrating being alive - which means facing the fact that we're all going to be not alive at some point. The show's inspired by a Japanese writer named Yukio Mishima who was deeply into the Samurai culture - which stressed the importance of making bold, clear choices... (you don't see images of whiny, wishy-washy Samurai warriors..."Do I chop off his head now? or now?"). I f...

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INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER VIDAL ABOUT JAM TREE
originally published: 2006-02-25 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Christopher Vidal is Executive Assistant Director for AERIA Entertainment L.L.C. - we spoke with him about Jam Tree, a weekly show AERIA is putting on Tuesday nights at the Saint in Asbury Park, NJ.

Q) How did the idea for Jam Tree come about?
A: From the looks of the soles of my shoes and the odometer of my car, it seems to have been a long journey to center. I have traveled far and wide to see improvisational music for the past 9 years. From the Norther...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH THE STARS OF TOUR DE FARCE
originally published: 2006-02-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Each of you handles five characters in this play - a monstrous challenge in itself. Was that your biggest challenge? If not, what was?
PRENTICE -- I think for me it was probably differentiating the off-stage voices because we're also changing clothes in a huge hurry. So, to take the time to differentiate it was probably the biggest challenge. The women who are backstage changing us literally have to tell us where to go and what costume to put on because we're so involved. They're ...

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FROM THE WEST WING TO GEORGE STREET
originally published: 2006-01-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

A conversation with Emmy Award winning actor, Richard Schiff, who will be returning to the stage in George Street Playhouse's production of "Underneath The Lintel". Schiff is best known for his work as Toby Ziegler on NBC's acclaimed drama "The West Wing". We caught up with Schiff as he was rehearsing shortly before the Christmas holiday.

This is a return to the stage for you after doing television and movies for a while. What was it about Underneath The Lintel that caught your eye?...

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INTERVIEW WITH AL AUSTIN
originally published: 2005-12-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The Perfume Factory is a coming of age novel set along the Jersey Shore. It is the debut novel from Al Austin, a seasoned playwright and screenplayer writer. Al grew up in the Union Beach / Keyport area but currently lives out on the West Coast.

The book is based on a mixture of people and places that Austin has come across. Some parts have a distinctive New Jersey feel while others seem influenced by the West Coast. Austin does a wonderful job of using the Jersey Shore as a character...

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CHRISTINA ELIOPOULOS PROVES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
originally published: 2005-06-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Asbury Park filmmaker retraces her town's history in the upcoming feature-length documentary "Greetings From Asbury Park"

Christina Eliopoulos is currently serving as the Artist in Residence for the 2005 Two River Film Festival. Her credits also include co-writer of the CBS special documentary "The Wall Within" and "This is My Line" produced for a non-profit arts group Free Arts for Abused Children. Her documentary, "Greetings From Asbury Park" will debut at this year's Two River Film F...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH LITZSINGER
originally published: 2005-05-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The Last Five Years is a musical love story from Tony-Award winning composer Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Songs for a New World) that chronicles a young couple's romance with her story starting at the end of their relationship, and his beginning on the day they met. The George Street Playhouse revival brings Sarah Litzsinger and Colin Hanlon back to New Brunswick a year after they starred in the immensely successful play tick,tick...BOOM! I was able to talk with Sarah about the play and her car...

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INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD JENI
originally published: 2005-05-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Hot off the heels of his 3rd HBO Special "A Big Steaming Pile of Me," award winning comedian Richard Jeni will be performing in the New Jersey area in May and June.

You're doing a bunch of shows in our area in May and June. In fact, you've got a ton of shows scheduled for this year.Well the reason I'm doing so many dates this year is because I did a new HBO Comedy Hour that premiered in January called "A Big Steaming Pile of Me" and that was like a two-year minimum project. So to...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH RUTH WOLFF
originally published: 2005-04-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

The play was originally called The Aviators. I'm guessing you changed it because of the film.
How did you guess that? Beyond Gravity is a better title actually. Everybody kept asking, "who's the aviator?" So this is more philosophical or something like that... more interesting.

The play is really being marketed in a very vague way...
I know. It's because it's a complex play. I can't come up with one sentence but I'll try. It's about an academic couple, it takes pl...

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A LOOK INSIDE THE SET WITH CARRIE MOSSMAN
originally published: 2005-02-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Every now and then when people leave the theatre the design of the stage is on their mind. That was the case after the opening night of New Jersey Rep's production of Touch of Rapture. As the groups gathered to talk about the play, the production's sparse yet effective set design came up often in conversation. Set design is something that often gets overlooked, but set design is a very important part of each production.

I decided to talk with Carrie Mossman, the designer for this producti...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT MARY FENGAR GAIL
originally published: 2005-02-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

What do you think Touch of Rapture is about?
I think it's about love and loss. It's the idea of possessing a gift and passing it on. I've actually have always been fascinated by genetics and the idea that people will be customizing their babies and someday they may find the genetic marker for gifts such as being a musician or a painter or mathematician; someone's destiny will be completely figured out for them before they're even born. So I thought, what if a gift could be passed throu...

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DENNIS ZIMMER IS SINGING A DIFFERENT SONG
originally published: 2005-01-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

There's something interesting going on in the world of New Jersey cover bands. Several of the most popular groups are taking a break from performing Bon Jovi classics in front of their usual throngs of fans. Instead, they're finding themselves in clubs where a couple dozen people could be called a good night. In other words, they're taking a stab at the original music scene.

Two of the major players in this movement include the popular bands Big Orange Cone and The Benjamins. The form...

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INTERVIEW WITH CHARLES EVERED
originally published: 2004-12-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Charles Evered is a playwright and journalist who took his degrees from Rutgers and Yale University. Presently, he is an Assistant Professor at Emerson College in Boston. The world premiere of his play Celadine recently took place at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. The show is scheduled to run until December 12th. I spoke to Evered about the play and his wonderfully detailed female characters - a place few male writers dare to go yet a place where Evered seems to be succeeding grea...

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INTERVIEW WITH GORDON BROWN
originally published: 2004-11-27 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

What is the name of your new venture and who is involved with you?
We are proud to say the All Hour Entertainment Group is our new management/production company that is involved with developing and managing new artists. We are planning on cultivating as much as we can from our area and doing our best to get the talent out of here and on the map. Justin Rubinstein (member of Borialis) is my partner and we are currently seeking new acts. We have a national staff that also is workin...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVE MAC, HOST OF BOX OF BLUES ON WBJB
originally published: 2004-10-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Tell me about Box of Blues. What are you trying to do with the show each week?
Well, I feel that the show is really about the blues and how the blues has spread to different areas of music. I want to reach as many potential blues fans as I can. In the show, you'll hear Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and also Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Hendrix loved Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy, Albert King, etc.. Zeppelin had Willie Dixon songs on their first record. I enjoy acoustic blues ...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT MIKE FOLIE
originally published: 2004-05-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Mike Folie is a playwright currently living in New York. He is the Playwright-In-Residence for the New Jersey Repertory Theatre Company in Long Branch. Some of his recent productions there have included Naked by the River, Panama, An Unhappy Woman, Slave Shack and The Adjustment. I spoke with Folie about Lemonade, his current production being run at NJ?Rep now through June 6th.

Tell me about Lemonade. ?What is the significance of the title?
Well, it's a light comedy but it's ...

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AN INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT MIKE FOLIE
originally published: 2004-05-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Mike Folie is a playwright currently living in New York. He is the Playwright-In-Residence for the New Jersey Repertory Theatre Company in Long Branch. Some of his recent productions there have included Naked by the River, Panama, An Unhappy Woman, Slave Shack and The Adjustment. I spoke with Folie about Lemonade, his current production being run at NJ?Rep now through June 6th.

Tell me about Lemonade. What is the significance of the title?
Well, it's a light comedy but it's g...

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ANGER IS HIS ENERGY...
originally published: 2004-03-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Lewis Black is not only known as the angriest man in America, he's damn proud of it too. The stand-up comedian, who is seen weekly on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", will make an appearance at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on March 26th. Black took out a few minutes to speak with me while he was in California getting ready for the start of his tour.

People who know you know that this "angriest man" thing is really an act.
Yeah, but even as an act, it's still me even...

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ETHAN MCSWEENEY
originally published: 2003-11-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Ethan McSweeney is one of the fastest rising directors in theatre. Only in his early thirties, he has already directed both on and Off-Broadway as well as regional productions around the country. His affiliation with George Street Playhouse began during the 2000-2001 season and since 2001 he has been GSP's Associate Director.

McSweeney spoke to me via phone before one of the final rehearsals for A Walk in the Woods, which runs from November 18th to December 14th at George St.

...

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INTERVIEW WITH ALAN RACHINS
originally published: 2003-10-01 00:00:00

By Gary Wien

Alan Rachins recently finished the fifth and final year of the hit television show, "Dharma & Greg" where he played the hippie father, Larry Finklestein. Before that he had a long-running role as attorney Douglas Brackman on "L.A. Law." In addition to his television work, Alan has been in several films and theatrical productions across the country. He is currently starring in the world premiere play, "Attacks on a Heart" playing by George Street Playhouse. Alan spoke to me via phone before o...

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