By Gary Wien
originally published: 09/01/2004
New Jersey has had a rather impressive history of being the home for great rock and roll artists. Names like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi instantly come to mind, but it's been a while since the Garden State has sent someone beyond our borders and watched them get embraced by the rest of the world.
The waiting may soon be over...
New Blood Revival, led by Matt Witte, will be releasing their major label debut, Nice Girls, at the beginning of 2005. The disc is actually finished and the band is selling the CDs from their website (newbloodrevival.com) as well as at their live shows. Many of the songs are fan favorites than the local audiences in clubs from New Brunswick to the Jersey Shore have been hearing for the past year.
New Blood Revival was formed at the end of 1999 and has been a mainstay at local clubs like the Court Tavern and Stone Pony. They expanded their fanbase with succesful tours in southern states like Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. After releasing several independently released records (Campaigning For America, La Notte E Giovane (The Night Is Young, This Is The New Blood Revival, and Squirrel Girl) the band was signed to Atlantic Records.
The upcoming release was recorded in California under the production work of David Kahne who has worked with such artists as Paul McCartney, Sublime, Fishbone and Sugar Ray.
"This record is a little more produced," said Matt Witte. "It's the slickest one of them all. The way the horns sound and stuff - it's got a whole different vibe to it altogether. I really liked working with David. It was probably the best experience I ever had and I think the rest of the band thinks that too. Everybody had a really good time in the studio."
While Matt says that we wished the horns were used on more tracks on the CD, the live shows utilize the horns in ways the band has never done before. The band is touring the country and getting tighter and tighter with each show.
Since being signed, the band has opened shows for The Roots, Reel Big Fish, Authority Zero, Santana, The Wailers, Everclear and more. They will be heading on tour in support of the Toasters for most of September. The long-term schedule is still being planned, but Matt hopes for a return show in the area once the record is officially released.
"I love coming back here," said Witte. "It's always good to come back home and be able to play."
Inbetween band dates, you used to be able to catch Matt do a solo acoustic show (or a duo with Danny Wacker helping out on guitar) at places like the Harvest Moon, O'Neils, and The Champagne Porch. Those shows allowed Matt to show off his distinct story telling skill through a mix of his own tunes and classics from the first part of the century. He has an uncanny ability to weave through a myriad of musical styles and feel at home within each one.
"I miss that a lot," said Witte. "We got to do Doll's Place with Authority Zero. We did an acoustic show and that was the last time we got to play that style. The last thing I did that was pretty close to it was the Writers In The Raw thing with Steve Forbert and that was really cool. Right now, I'm not getting to do that stuff as much but we're still polished with it because we have a lot of time to kill on the road."
The Writers In The Raw Show took place at Harry's Roadhouse in Asbury Park. Matt was chosen as one of the national performers and he certainly did more than hold his own against such veteran performers as Forbert, Peter Karp and Joseph Parsons. In fact, he showed just how comfortable he is in playing the role of a future star. The cards may be stacked against anyone trying to make a living in music these days but searching the web for "New Blood Revival" will find review after review of people who saw the band as an unknown opening act and left as a die-hard fan. Even people who can't seem to find anything positive to say about New Jersey have raved about Witte and his band.
If the band is to grab hold of Jersey's rock and roll mantle it will be largely a combination of their explosive live show and radio exposure. The songs on Nice Girls could easily be heard blaring on radios around the country. They have that certain universal appeal that all great songwriters possess.
And the lyrics also can be dirty... very dirty.
Matt's has a mastery of the English language when it comes to talking about sex. He draws you in with lyrics that make you stop and think "did he just say what I think he said?"
According to Matt, the record label never pressured him to change his writing style, "but they wouldn't let us print the lyrics..." The record will be released with an explicit content warning sticker.
The band was able to start distributing the record because they were tired of waiting for its release and wanted something to promote at the shows. For a band that was used to releasing records once a year, the delay between Squirrel Girl and Nice Girls has seemed like an eternity - especially since New Blood is already looking ahead to their next record.
"We have a little less freedom in the sense that we're used to record whenever we wanted to record," explained Witte. "And now, you're more committed to one record for a couple of years.
"I mean, there's a little bit less freedom but then you get more freedom because you get the opportunity to do things that you wouldn't have gotten not being signed.
"The thing that we want to concentrate on the most is our live show. I'm ectastic with all the stuff recorded with David Khane, but I'm always looking ahead so it's hard for me too. It's like we recorded this record over a year ago. And I love it. I'm really happy with it. And we have all this new material we've been playing out in our live show. The only way to really see us is through the live show."
About the author:
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. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
You can have your events appear here,
whenever someone reads an article about
click here for more information
Singer/songwriter Evening In The Round
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJSomething Special a round robin evening of music featuring a group of the finest singer/songwriter from our local area who come together for this one of a kind show not be missed
Freestyle Takeover 3
Saturday, November 07, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJStarring Cynthia, The Jets, George Lamond, Johnny O, Nyasia, Denine and hosted by Dom G! Freaturing Dare Goes Da DJzz. After-Party available for additional fee. (Must purchase a show ticket to buy the After Party ticket)
The Righteous Brothers: Lovin’ Feelin’ Farewell Tour
Sunday, November 08, 2026 @ 3:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJBlue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers are back! With a string of #1 clas-sics, including the most played song in radio history,
You’ve Lost
That Lovin’ Fee/in’, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades. After Bobby’s death in 2003, Bill Medley con-tinued to perform to sold-out crowds around the world, but fans and friends pleaded with him to keep The Righteous Brothers alive.
Beat: Belew/vai/levin/bozzio Performing The Music Of King Crimson
Monday, November 09, 2026 @ 8:00pm
NJPAC - Prudential Hall
1 Center Street, Newark, NJFollowing more than 100 acclaimed performances across North and South America, Europe, and Japan, BEAT returns this fall for the last North American tour. Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin are joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and legendary drummer Terry Bozzio to perform the music of the three landmark 1980s King Crimson albums—Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJJoe Russo's Almost Dead is Marco Benevento, Dave Dreiwitz, Tom Hamilton, Scott Metzger and Joe Russo. We're a Grateful Dead cover band.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Rick Steves Joins New Jersey Symphony for a Symphonic Journey Through Europe
(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Guidebook author and public television host Rick Steves joins New Jersey Symphony November 7–8, 2026 for Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a concert that pairs Europe's most stirring Romantic-era anthems with high-definition travel footage and Steves' insights into European history.
Albert Music Hall to Celebrate Pinelands Folklore with Annual Jersey Devil Show on Saturday
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Halloween may have come and gone, but the Jersey Devil is always lurking in the Pines! On Saturday, November 7, 2026, Albert Music Hall will celebrate one of New Jersey's most enduring legends with its annual Jersey Devil Show, an evening combining live music, storytelling, and the rich folklore of the New Jersey Pinelands.
The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.
U.K. Folk Trio, The Longest Johns, to Perform at The Vogel
(RED BANK, NJ) -- U.K. folk trio The Longest Johns will perform at the Vogel on Sunday, November 8, 2026. They are are known the world over for their rollicking harmonies and raucous energy, blowing new wind into the sails of traditional sea shanties and work songs. They are on a U.S. tour to support their latest release End of the Earth. Showtime is 7:00pm.
State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey and Relix present Joe Russo's Almost Dead on Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30pm. The band was formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2013. While they are a Grateful Dead cover band, they are known more for interpreting songs by the Dead rather than attempting to replicate the band's work.
NJPAC presents Gregory Porter with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell
(NEWARK, NJ) -- With a voice that can fill a concert hall and make every listener feel personally embraced, Gregory Porter has become one of the most beloved artists in contemporary jazz. On Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00pm, the two-time GRAMMY® winner returns to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with special guests Madeleine Peyroux and Catherine Russell for an evening of soulful expression, exquisite storytelling and remarkable vocal artistry, presented as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
Forte Piano Music Company presents Exquisite Contrasts: Haydn & Schubert Piano Trios
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The Forte Piano Music Company presents a Piano Trio Concert - "Exquisite Contrasts" - Haydn & Schubert on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:30pm. This program brings together two landmarks of the piano trio repertoire, revealing the evolution of the genre from the Classical era to early Romanticism.
Mahwah Museum Hosts "Les Paul from Start to Finish" with Jim Wysocki
(MAHWAH, NJ) -- Come to the Mahwah Museum on Sunday, November 15, 2026 for a discussion of a 29-year friendship, rare memorabilia, and the story behind Les Paul's home with Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki from his nearly three-decade friendship with legendary musician and inventor Les Paul. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor
(PRINCETON, NJ) — The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor on Friday, November 20, 2026 in an evening of upbeat and bubbling song filled with enthusiasm and love. The concert takes place at Christ Congregation Church in Princeton. Showtime is 8:00pm. A livestream option is available as well.
