The all-female Jersey Shore outfit Tight Lipped make punk rock sexy again, yet inject it with as much attitude as it’s ever had. The frisky four-piece led by scene veteran Joy Vay of TV Tramps infamy had been working hard in support of an excellent seven-song debut EP, “So Tight,” and will do so again hopefully soon. In the meantime, Joy is working on a new TV Tramps project, as well as a new band, Death Rattle, with TV Tramps bassist Sweet Tooth, and opening the House of Trash boutique in Asbury Park. On behalf of her Tight Lipped bandmates -- co-founding bassist-vocalist Samantha Slick, lead guitarist Lauren “Blue” Fox and drummer drummer Kat DaVille -- Joy talked about these plans, which hopefully will include a spot with Black Clouds, 19DRT and VSSLS on May 30 at the Brighton Bar as part of Makin Waves Fest 2020 if the Brighton can reopen by then.
You not only are a musician, you’re also a bartender, including at the Brighton Bar, a venue you often play. Comment on how you’re dealing with that loss of livelihood.
Surprisingly and luckily enough, my life has only been affected positively since this whole paranoia pandemic started to hit home. I was hired as a decorator on the Shadowbrook restoration crew the same week everything was shut down, plus I’m in the process of opening House of Trash boutique in Asbury Park. The New Trash Order is upon us.
Are you originally from the Jersey Shore?
Born and raised. Born at Jersey Shore Medical Center on a hot ‘n’ steamy summer morning.
What made you fall in love with punk rock?
To me, as a kid, it was weird and badass, like listening to a Jackson Pollock.
Who is in Tight Lipped, what do they play, and what other bands have they been in?
We have founding member and rock n rolla Samantha Slick on bass and vox. Lauren Blue Fox of Speed Queen and Buzzard Wagon on lead guitar, and you may have seen our drummer Kat DaVille in her other bands, The Bloody Muffs and Black Light Medusa.
What do you like most about each of them and why?
They keep it tight (laughs).
How and why do Tight Lipped take a different approach to punk?
We’re like the sexy punk rock A-Team.
What’s up with TV Tramps?
I miss playing with my boys as much as we used to and hoping to put out another record with TVT when we all can sync up. I’m actually starting another band with our bassist Sweet Tooth so look out for the heinous sounds of Death Rattle in the next six months.
In what other music projects are you involved?
I have a synthy project called Sugar Babylon with my partner in crime Taps of old school hardcore band Arrogant Response. It’s been in the works for a lil’ bit, plus some Joy Vay solo work that has yet to be defined.
Why is the Brighton Bar important?
Because it reflects the soul of rock n roll.
Is there anything I didn’t ask on which you would like to comment?
Bill Gates is the Anti-Christ.
Bob Makin is a reporter for MyCentralJersey.com and the former managing editor of The Aquarian Weekly, which launched this column in 1988. Contact him via email and like Makin Waves on Facebook.
Join us for McCarter at the Museum - renowned performing artists in one-night only events at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Jason Robert Brown is a four-time Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon In Vegas and The Connector, has performed as a soloist or with his band in venues around the world, including sold-out shows at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall. His albums as a singer-songwriter include Wearing Someone Else’s Clothes and How We React and How We Recover on Ghostlight, and Coming From Inside the House and Live In Concert with Stephen Sondheim on Concord.
With Special Guest Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe. Tony Award-nominated actress Betsy Wolfe is currently starring as Audrey in the acclaimed Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, following her recent Broadway run as Madeline Ashton in the hit musical Death Becomes Her. She previously originated the title role in Joy, the new musical inspired by inventor Joy Mangano, and earned a 2023 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her celebrated performance as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet. Other Broadway credits include starring as Jenna in Waitress, Cordelia in the acclaimed revival of Falsettos, Bullets Over Broadway, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Everyday Rapture, and 110 in the Shade, as well as her critically acclaimed performance as Cathy in the Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 65 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra, with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Her screen credits include First One In, Estella Scrooge, CBS’s Instinct, and the film adaptation of The Last Five Years. Wolfe is also the co-founder of BroadwayEvolved, the acclaimed musical theatre training program she launched in 2018 to train and mentor the next generation of theatre artists.
A limited number of early access tickets for McCarter Director’s Circle members and members of the Museum’s Partner Circle are available, on sale Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM. General public on sale begins Friday, September 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM.
Please be aware there is no public drop-off or parking at the Museum. For visitors with mobility needs, please contact the Museum at least three business days in advance of your visit to request special access to the Museum via Elm Drive. Call 609-258-3788 and select option 1 to speak to a visitor services staff member, or email Louise Barrett at [email protected].
