New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

Escape With Temporary Grace


By Gary Wien

originally published: 05/15/2006


"We're all addicted to something," exclaimed Rob Eelman. "Music is one of the few substances you can't abuse. We want to provide people an escape from the mundane reality many are forced to accept... some Temporary Grace if you will."

Escaping the mundane reality is definitely something music has done for Temporary Grace members Greg Forney and Chuck Epperly. The two met at a Wendy's restaurant in Arizona and watched their band Dislocated Styles become one of the most popular bands in the area, eventually signed to Roadrunner Records. They toured around the world and released their debut record in September 2001. Unfortunately, the timing of the release and some lyrics in the song "Fire in the Hole" crushed any hopes for success as the song was blacklisted due to reminding people of the terrorist attack.

"The Rock Rap sound was changing," said Greg Forney, "and even though we still had a tour in Japan planned for February, I knew that after being blacklisted our days at Roadrunner were numbered. Chuck and I made the decision to leave Dislocated Styles after we returned from Tokyo."

A few years later, their current band Temporary Grace is poised to return them to the top. Comprised of Greg Forney on drums, Rob Eelman on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Chuck Epperly on lead guitar and Anthony Crotta on bass, Temporary Grace ditched the "rock rap" sound in favor of good ol' fashioned rock and roll from the heart.

One listen to tracks from of "Priorities" like "Days Uncounted" and it's easy to see that the band has unlimited potential to work with. The songs deal with topics like addiction, love, and racism and show a band willing to write songs that have serious undertones amidst the steady beat.

The release is the band's first full-length CD after handing out a 4-song demo a few years back. "The demo was an opportunity to get some of our songs out and let people know about the band," said Greg Forney. "It did get our name going. There's definitely levels to it. It's funny, but you don't realize how powerful handing out 11,000 CDs is until you do it."




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



Temporary Grace spent a year in the studio recording the CD because they wanted it to sound just right. Apparently they made the right decision because within a few weeks of its release, the band was featured on Steve Hook's "The Jersey Rock Show", which runs on WRAT (95.9 FM) from Tuesday to Thursday nights. Equally as important has been feedback from the station about people requesting Temporary Grace each day.

The band has built up a solid following due to tremendous live shows and hard work in aligning with bands with similar work ethics, which help create great show lineups that make it easier to sell tickets. It's a idea that is proving highly successful.

"We can let the clubs just lump us on these shows where we're playing with five bands that aren't that good or we can align ourselves together and just do the work," explained Forney.

"The good musicians find each other just like the good bands find each other," he adds. "It's a lot easier for me to convince people to get tickets ahead of time when the people we're selling tickets know who's going to be there. I mean, wouldn't you rather see three bands play hour sets than five bands play 40 minute sets and three of whom you might not have heard of before? I prefer being able to tell people, ,AeoThis is a great band - we put them on the bill, it's not some band that just got added to the show.' And I've noticed the shows we've done like that have bigger and bigger local numbers."

Forney and Epperly used the same formula to help Dislocated Styles get big. They aligned themselves with other popular local acts. Some like Incubus and Alien Ant Farm became national names. Part of what drives them is using their previous experience and trying to build off of it.

"It's a blessing and it's a curse," said Forney. "It's the reason I can't stop because I know what the next level is like. I've tasted it and lived it and know that's what I was put here to do."


Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at gary@newjerseystage.com.




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


moe.

moe.

Friday, September 05, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

VOYAGE

VOYAGE (Tribute to Journey)

Friday, September 05, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

Almost

Almost Queen

Saturday, September 06, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 

Tower

Tower of Power

Saturday, September 06, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008
category: music


 

George

George Thorogood and The Destroyers: “The Baddest Show on Earth Tour”

Tuesday, September 09, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Centenary

Centenary Stage Company to Kick Off 2025-26 Season with John Lloyd Young

(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's 2025-26 Season will kick off with a Curtain Up! concert performance by John Lloyd Young on Saturday, September 20 at 8:00pm. This starts a celebration of their 40th season of performing arts in Hackettstown. John Lloyd Young is a Tony and Grammy winner, multi-Platinum recording artist and Presidential Appointee.



New

New Jersey Festival Orchestra Opens Season with "The Gypsy Spirit"— Two Concerts, Two Unforgettable Programs

(WESTFIELD & BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- The New Jersey Festival Orchestra (NJFO), under the baton of Music Director David Wroe, launches its 2025–26 season with The Gypsy Spirit, a dynamic season-opening celebration presented across two performances: Saturday, September 27 at 7:00pm at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, and Sunday, September 28 at 3:00pm at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge.



Party

Party Like a Pop Star: The Ultimate Girl's Night Out for All Ages

(COLLINGSWOOD, NJ) -- The Scottish Rite Auditorium presents "Party Like a Pop Star: The Ultimate Girl's Night Out for All Ages!" on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 7:00pm. This electrifying tribute show celebrates the incredible women who dominate the charts today, featuring all your favorite hits from pop's brightest stars!



Carteret

Carteret PAC presents Annie Lennox - In Conversation

(CARTERET, NJ) -- Legendary singer, songwriter, and global feminist activist Annie Lennox will take the stage on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at The Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center, for an unforgettable evening of stories, inspiration, and impact. Known for her groundbreaking music career and tireless activism, Lennox will share personal reflections on creativity, advocacy, and what it means to use one's voice for change.



An

An Interview with Daniel Donato ahead of some PA/NJ shows in September

Daniel Donato stares across the prairie, eyes fixed on the release of Cosmic Country's latest album, "Horizons". This is the 2nd release with his current lineup including Nathan "Sugar Leg" Aronowitz (keys), Will "Bronco" Clark (drums), and Will "Mustang" Mcgee (bass). On August 22, 2025, Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country played its first marquee show at the Ryman Auditorium in his home city Nashville, TN.