James Mastro & The Gold Stars on March 8 at Old Franklin Schoolhouse in Metuchen. Pictured from left to right are Dennis Diken, Chris Robertson, Tony Shanahan, James Mastro, and Megan Reilly. PHOTO BY BOB MAKIN
In a sold-out show, James Mastro and the Gold Stars, plus opener Renee Maskin demonstrated why Franklin Schoolhouse is a special place that focuses on community arts. One of the first things James said to the audience of about 100 as he kicked off his charming, energetic set with his band, the Gold Stars, was, "You're lucky to have a place like this." That's saying a lot because the Hoboken legend's Guitar Bar repair shop and store curates 503 Social Club, a similar space for concerts and art exhibits.
A member of seminal Hoboken band The Bongos, James also is the founder of the late ‘80s alt-rock outfit Strange Cave and co-founder of ‘90s Hank Williams-inspired country-fried Bar/None recording act The Health And Happiness Show. All three acts are among Hoboken’s best-ever bands. But the Gold Stars aren’t too shabby either. The all-star ensemble consists of Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken, Memphis-spawned singer-songwriter-keyboardist-guitarist Megan Reilly, Elk City guitarist Chris Robertson and Patti Smith bassist-producer-collaborator Tony Shanahan, also of Health And Happiness, who produced James’ long-awaited 2024 solo debut album, “Dawn of a New Error.” I say long-awaited because he’s been playing in acclaimed bands since he was 16 in Richard Lloyd Band, the side project of the lead guitarist of CBGB staple Television.
While this evening of “songs of misery and pain presented in an upbeat and cheerful manner” mainly featured “New Error” songs, it kicked off with “To Be Free” from Health & Happiness’ second album, 1995’s “Instant Living.”
The rest of the set mainly included all but one of the 11 “New Error” tracks. In response to audience enthusiasm, James said, “I’ve never been to Metuchen before. I consider myself a Jersey boy, so I’m moving here.” Then he and The Gold Stars slammed into “Three Words,” an energetic Who-like rocker propelled by Dennis’ channeling Keith Moon on drums. Another highlight was the fantastic backing, harmony and co-lead vocal by Megan.
The overachieving band then launched into “The Face of the Sun,” featuring fuzzy feedback and buzzy slide playing by Chris, who rolled ‘n’ tumbled around James’ jangle. At this point, James revealed the band hadn’t rehearsed or gigged since December, which likely added to the raw energy of the show.
Sometimes there’s beauty in chaos, and that was evident on the spare dreaminess of “Everywhere,” which chronicles James’ desire to once again dream that he can fly like he frequently did as a child. “Never Die” followed. The upbeat song about death was inspired by James’ namesake, an uncle who died on the last day of World War II. He explained that his mother named him in an effort to keep her brother alive. After a tale like that, the audience was happy to participate in a James-led singalong. Equally inspiring was Chris’ “Ziggy Stardust” guitar playing.
While conjuring the ghosts of Lou Reed and Roy Orbison on “Here Beside Me,” James showcased his Silvertone tremolo guitar, made popular by Chris Isaak. The impressive guitar playing continued with fine slide work by Chris on “Trouble.”
The high point of the night was a performance of the 2024 Makin Waves Song of the Year, “My God,” which is the cure for religious intolerance. It was sad to hear that the religious intolerant confronted James about the song while on a solo acoustic tour, but the crowd at Franklin Schoolhouse loved the John Lennon-like tune as much as I do.
The political insanity frequently fueled by the religious right that has helped to dismantle our democracy is the theme of “Right Words, Wrong Song,” which live, took a punk-tinged turn with Dennis’ frantic drumming. Also fun was longtime bandmates James and Tony trading lead vocals.
PHOTO BY BOB MAKIN
Both James and opener Renee are well played by WFMU so it’s fitting that she joined the band for the group sing of “Someday Someone Will Turn Your Head Around,” which was inspired by the beloved free-form radio station. Several of the station’s staff were in attendance.
The night began to end on a rousing note with the last of James’ original solo tunes, “River Runs Forever,” a look at how in the end, Mother Nature always will win. A river may run forever, but humans don’t, largely because we’re so destructive, the chaos of which was symbolized by a raucous rootsy jam with more fine guitar interplay between Chris on slide and James making his guitar sound like a harmonica.
PHOTO BY BOB MAKIN
Old Franklin Schoolhouse is too small for a band actually to leave the stage before an encore so the golden group stayed up for two closing covers preceded by a solo acoustic version of Health & Happiness’ “Some Stay Broke” that served as a musical eulogy for James’ recently deceased older brother John. A mightily well-blended medley followed of The Bongos’ “Bulrushes” sung by James and featuring a blistering guitar solo by him, Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot” sung by Megan and Tony, and The Smithereens’ “Blood and Roses” sung by Dennis and featuring a great solo by Chris made more fascinating by the fact that the fella who originated it, The Smithereens’ Jim Babjak, was in the room.
A group sing closed the night with the entire band taking a verse of Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me In Your Heart.” The emotional tune was made more powerful by Chris’ playing on the mandola, the deeper, richer cousin of the mandolin.
PHOTO BY JACK SILBERT
Raised in Metuchen and based in Asbury Park for a long time, Renee opened the show with the chilling “Bones” from her former band Lowlight’s 2016 debut album, “Where Do We Go from Here.” The stampeding rhythm of the old but unreleased jewel “Cigarette” followed. Then came “The Stranger It Gets,” a song about the uncertain and sometimes uneasy adventure of life.
A new bittersweet tune entitled “Wonderland” simultaneously celebrated the 94 years of joy Ocean City’s Wonderland Pier brought families like Renee’s while lamenting the sorrow of its recent demolition and forthcoming redevelopment as a 252-room resort hotel. I love the line, “I could show you something real tethered to a Ferris wheel.”
Inspired by several musician friends relocating to Music City, including Mint 400 Records label mate Tom Barrett and Morgan Wallen guitarist Tony Aichele, “Nashville” channeled the simple but stunning train rhythms of Johnny Cash. Renee then preceded one of my favorite songs, “Horses,” with a funny plug for merchandise that became an even funnier story about how legendary photographer Danny Clinch bought a box of her T-shirts that just read “Thought about horses” and gave the box to the equestrian family of Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, Renee had neglected to include her name on the merch. After a good laugh, she demonstrated how the song brilliantly compares the freedom of wild horses to the confines of feeling awkward at a party. Plus, she threw in some really amazing guitar playing.
Speaking of Danny, Renee will return to his Transparent Clinch Gallery on March 29 to celebrate the release of what will be a great single if the live performance of “Western Shores” is any indication. The edgy song was inspired by a late-night viewing of Jim Jarmusch’s “Dead Man” while battling insomnia.
At the show, Renee announced that she’s forming a new band but didn’t say with whom. She did, however, play one of their songs, “Breakers.” The impressive lyrics make ocean waves symbolic of breaking hearts and crashing lives.
Another Lowlight song, “California Blue,” which was appreciated by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chrissie Hynde when the band toured with The Pretenders, led to the rhythmic roots rocker “Hot Moon” and then a closing Townes Van Zandt-like take on the Stones’ “Dead Flowers.”
Coming up at Franklin Schoolhouse will be an open mic March 31; Amy Rigby, April 9; a Four Seasonal Poetry Reading, April 11; Roadside Graves Family Pizza Party, April 27, and Freedy Johnston and Walter Salas-Humera, May 10.
Renee also will play March 15, Sacred Bean Coffeehouse, Flanders, with Sonofdov; April 6, Pet Shop Bar, Jersey City, with Tom Barrett and the Unnamed; April 25 and July 18, The Asbury, Asbury Park; May 3, John & Peter’s, New Hope, with Mike Montrey; Aug. 3, The Starving Artist, Stockton, and Sept. 6, Wild Air, Asbury Park, with The Dust-Ups and Emerson Woolf.
And James is heading out to the industrial skies of Buffalo, Cleveland, Ferndale, and Pittsburgh from March 13 to 16 for another solo acoustic jaunt opening for Marshall Crenshaw.
Bob Makin has produced Makin Waves since 1988. Follow Makin Waves on Facebook and contact Bob at makinwaves64@yahoo.com.
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