New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



 

Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Check the Calendar" by Dentist

By Bob Makin

originally published: 09/02/2022

Dentist’s latest single, “Check the Calendar,” from their brand new album, “Making a Scene,” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week. PHOTO BY GARY STRACK  

The Asbury Park fuzz-pop trio Dentist has released their fourth album, “Making a Scene,” their second for the L.A. indie Cleopatra Records.

The beloved band’s latest single, the 12-song LP’s lead off track “Check the Calendar,” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.

As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Check the Calendar,” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on Sept. 2 on “Radio Jersey” at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you also can tune in any time in the archives at Radio Jersey or MixCloud.

According to the band — vocalist-bassist Emily Bornemann, guitarist Justin Bornemann, and drummer Matt Hockenjos — “Check The Calendar” is about “a summer fling that is beginning in the dead of winter. We were picturing a New Jersey winter where the energy of youth couldn’t be contained even though most people are hibernating. This was one of the last songs written for the album but one of our favorites.”




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



Emily added, “Covid definitely played a role in the songwriting process and the timeline that everything got done. We wound up with different songs and a different album than we would have otherwise, but believe that it’s better than what we were working on prior to the pandemic. That’s the silver lining that we try to see about the unfortunate situation.”

Recorded at Lakehouse Recording Studios in Asbury with production by the band, engineering by Nick Semanchick, and mastering by Jurgen Engler of Die Krupps, “Making A Scene” touches on love, loss, grief, anxiety, and nihilism — expressing that no matter what happens nothing really matters.

Other singles released prior to the album are:

* “Don’t Let Me Catch You,” which chronicles how hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

* “Let Me Let Go” about a partner so terrible in a relationship that they actually did the other person a favor by making it so easy to let them go

* “Spilled Coffee,” one of the LP’s earliest songs and a live staple. 

Speaking of live, the ever-busy Dentist will be one of the few Asbury bands participating in the star-studded Sea.Hear.Now Festival featuring Green Day, Stevie Nicks, My Morning Jacket, Billy Strings, Cage the Elephant and much more on the beach of the City by the Sea. Dentist’s set will be on the Sept. 17 date of the weekend-long adventure. The other Asbury acts are Lost in Society, The Vansaders, and Dogs in a Pile. Visit Sea.Hear.Now Festival




Reach New Jersey's largest arts & entertainment audience, click here for info on how to advertise at NJ Stage



Dentist also will play Oct. 22 at Windjammer in Brooklyn. For more about the band, click www.dentistband.com

Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at [email protected]

About the author:

New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.


EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Following the resounding success and unforgettable energy experienced at the Kaseya Center, renowned producer, musician, and visionary Sergio George raises the bar once again, taking his Festival ¡Ataca Sergio! to the next level. This time, the concept returns as a birthday celebration set for Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the iconic Prudential Center in Newark. Showtime is 8:00pm.
South Jersey Jazz Society

South Jersey Jazz Society's Concert on the Beach with the PJ Keiter Octet Set for June 5th

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- For the fifth year, the South Jersey Jazz Society (SJJS) will "unofficially" kick off the summer beach concerts on the William Morrow Beach in Somers Point with music by the PJ Keiter Octet on Friday, June 5, 2026.

The Vogel presents Pete Yorn Solo Acoustic: 25th Anniversary of "musicforthemorningafter"

(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Vogel presents Pete Yorn Solo Acoustic: 25th Anniversary of musicforthemorningafter on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 8:00pm. The New Jersey native celebrates the release of his debut album, which put him in the national spotlight.
Concerts in the Studio presents Bastards of Fine Arts on June 5th

Concerts in the Studio presents Bastards of Fine Arts on June 5th

(FREEHOLD, NJ) -- Concerts in the Studio presents Bastards of Fine Arts on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 7:30pm. The band includes Matt Keating, Jason Mercer, Steve Mayone, and Greg Wieczorek. You could say they are a new band with old roots.
The Newton Theatre presents L.A. Guns on June 6th

The Newton Theatre presents L.A. Guns on June 6th

(NEWTON, NJ) -- L.A. Guns comes to The Newton Theatre on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 8:00pm. The band has been rocking for roughly 40 years since establishing themselves as the undisputed sleaze kings of the Sunset Strip, and, eventually, the world.

Jazz Royalty Comes to the Hamilton Stage on June 6th

(RAHWAY, NJ) -- Saturday, June 6, 2026 marks the date when Jazz Royalty comes to Hamilton Stage with Dizzy Gillespie alumni and Grammy winning bassist John Lee in collaboration with 16-time Grammy winner Paquito D' Rivera.
The Chamber Music Society of North Jersey presents "Music Under the June Moon" at Anderson Park

The Chamber Music Society of North Jersey presents "Music Under the June Moon" at Anderson Park

(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The Chamber Music Society of North Jersey presents "Music Under the June Moon" on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Anderson Park. Bring a picnic and a blanket and enjoy an al fresco performance under the stars. Admission is free. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Algonquin Arts Theatre presents "The Boss Bash" featuring The B-Street Band

Algonquin Arts Theatre presents "The Boss Bash" featuring The B-Street Band

(MANASQUAN, NJ) -- Algonquin Arts Theatre will host its annual fundraising event, "The Boss Bash," on Saturday, June 6, 2026, featuring two electrifying performances by The B-Street Band — the longest-running and most requested tribute to Bruce Springsteen in the country.
Sinatra Celebration Concert To Swing in Ocean Grove This June

Sinatra Celebration Concert To Swing in Ocean Grove This June

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Sinatra Celebration Concert, a theatrical special event to honor the legendary career of musical icon Frank Sinatra, is being presented by producer Karen Morris of Sand Castle Communications and The Rat Pack Music Alliance.
Broadcast Legend Sid Mark to be Remembered at Ocean Grove Event on June 7th

Broadcast Legend Sid Mark to be Remembered at Ocean Grove Event on June 7th

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Sid Mark, the popular and iconic radio host, sadly passed away four years ago, on April 18th, 2022. Sid’s son Brian Mark, Executive Producer of Orange Productions' nationally syndicated radio program The Sounds of Sinatra with Sid Mark, will be a very special host/guest speaker, at a musical event which will highlight the legacy of his father and celebrate the 70th Anniversary of The Sounds of Sinatra broadcast program.

 

MORE EVENTS

Click on the listing to bring up its webpage


Panama Dead - A Tribute to The New Riders of Purple Sage

Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ


The Beach Boys

Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 7:30pm
State Theatre New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ


Michael Arnone's 33rd Annual Crawfish Fest (all day long from 11:30am on)

Saturday, May 30, 2026 @ 11:30am
Sussex County Fairgrounds
Augusta, NJ


Michael Arnone's 33rd Annual Crawfish Fest (11:30am - 6:30pm)

Sunday, May 31, 2026 @ 11:30am
Sussex County Fairgrounds
Augusta, NJ


Free Summer Event: MPAC Music Student of the Month Recital

Tuesday, June 02, 2026 @ 6:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC) - Vail Mansion Plaza
Morristown, NJ