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Archive for the ‘Crossroads’ Category

Fishbone (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, April 23, 2026)

Posted in Crossroads, Fishbone, Garwood, NJ on April 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: April 23, 2026] Fishbone

A little over two years ago I saw Fishbone open for Parliament.  I had been a big fan of their earlier stuff but hadn’t paid much attention since the mid 90s.  They have gone through an astonishing amount of line up changes.

Back in 2023, the lineup was pretty close to the original with

  • Angelo Moore – vocals, saxophones, theremin, percussion (1979–present)
  • John Norwood Fisher – bass, vocals (1979–present)
  • “Dirty” Walter A. Kibby II – trumpet, vocals (1979–2003, 2010–present)
  • Christopher Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals (1979–1994, 2018–present)

The other two guys on stage were

  • John Steward – drums (1999–2016, 2021–present)
  • Mark Phillips – guitar (2019–present)

But evidently last year nearly the entire lineup left for one reason or another and so the only two original guys are Angelo and Christopher:

  • Angelo Moore – vocals, saxophones, theremin, percussion (1979-present)
  • Christopher Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals (1979–1994, 2018–present)
  • Tracey “Spacey T” Singleton – guitar (1997–2003, 2024–present)
  • Hassan Hurd – drums (2024–present)
  • JS Williams – trumpet, vocals (2024–present)
  • James Jones – bass (2025–present)

I hadn’t realized this upheaval before this show, but I am glad that I got to see the previous lineup at least once.  Now in fairness, Angelo Moore pretty much IS Fishbone, so he’s the guy that you really want to focus on.  But having said that, the rest of the band was great.  First, it was funny that Hassan’s drumset faced the wall (as if he were in a timeout).  I’m pretty sure this was because of the size of the stage.  But he was a beast on double bass drums (and I could see that he was barefoot).  I loved James Jones’ five strig bass sound.  Fishbone has always had great bass and his was perfect.

Spacey T was on the far side of the stage so I couldn’t really see him all that well, but he played killer riffs and solos. JS Williams was a fine replacement for Walter Kibby–his trumpet was great and he was a perfect hype man. (more…)

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Tigers Jaw / Hot Flash Heat Wave / Creeks (solo) (The Arrow, Allentown, PA, March 27, 2026/Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, April 5, 2026/Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA, April 16, 2026)

Posted in Allentown PA, Creeks, Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, Grist Mil, Philadelphia, PA, The Arrow, Tigers Jaw, Union Transfer on March 27, 2026| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: March 27, April 5 & April 16, 2026] Tigers Jaw / Hot Flash Heat Wave / Creeks (solo)

About five years ago, I had seen Tigers Jaw two times in about a year.  I enjoyed both shows quite a lot but haven’t felt compelled to see them again for whatever reason.  Looking back I definitely enjoyed both shows,  But I guess there are just bands that I like better.

Checking out their tour dates, I am fascinated by the fact that, if I had wanted to, I could have seen them three times spaced apart far enough that it wouldn’t have been like seeing them three nights in a row.  They started in NY, then played Allentown.  They went up the coast to Maine and CT and then New York City and a week after Allentown they popped into Garwood.  Then they went down the east coast to Florida and back and played their second to last date in Philly.  Three area shows in 20 days!

Hot Flash Heat Wave are a  California based power pop band with a pleasant mix of post-punk and smooth emo.  The review from Troy, NY says

the group had a new-wave rock vibe to them, reminding me of a lighter-hearted version of The Smiths. The energy got heavier later on, with one of the vocalists jumping into the tight crowd in a way that was akin to a hardcore performance.

They have a retro synthy vibe and are definitely fun.  I see their older stuff is more guitar based.  So who knows what this set was like

WXPN says Hot Flash Heat Wave’s music contains surf rock staples, new wave vocal patterns, and a touch of grunge on top of them being seriously unserious on stage. Arguably, they’ve created a new subgenre of hyper pop perfect for the Tigers Jaw millennials that like to dance.

Creeks is the solo project of Jon Simmons from Balance & Composure (who are broken up, I guess).  Creeks is a band, but he was solo for these shows.

Turns out Grist Mil stepped up to fill the first slot, last minute in Allentown.  I hadn’t heard of them, but this review from Hashtag says

Grist Mil has created the perfect chill record to soundtrack the start of summer. Waves of haze and distortion move across guitars, crossing paths with bright synthesizers and emotionally packed lyrics. Fresh off shows supporting Balance and Composure and Oso Oso, fans of both bands will find appeal in the music of Grist Mil, also striking similarities to indie-electronic acts like M83, and blips of shoegaze and more pop-forward elements. The EP is written in concept, following through the main character’s tumultuous journey.

I listened to a couple songs–catchy but lo fi.  Nice.

The Crossroads show was an album release show for Tigers Jaw.

If I had thought about it more I might have tried to get to one of these shows, but at the very least Union Trasnfer sold out, so they didn’t miss me.

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AF2K (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, December 21, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in AF2K, Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, Rush, The OBGMs on December 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 21, 2025] AF2K

My friend Doug is a huge Rush fan and likes seeing all of the local tribute bands.  He told me about AF2K (A Farewell to Kings) they play primarily 70s/80s Rush songs, and that’s my favorite era.

I also love that they were playing on 12/21.

But had just had surgery and even though this was a seated show, there was just no way.

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Teen Mortgage / The OBGMs (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, September 25, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, Teen Mortgage, The OBGMs on September 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: September 25, 2025] Teen Mortgage / The OBGMs

I get excited whenever a band I’ve heard of plays Crossroads. Which is somewhat ironic as I’ve only been there once.  But it’s a nice venue and it’s fairly close and I think it would be a great opportunity.  And then something always seems to come up.

I had seen The OBGMs open for Oxymorrons in 2023 and they were great.  Great music, funny frontman and an overall great performance.  I definitely want to see them again.  How cool that they were going to Garwood.

Then I found out that Teen Mortgage was the headliner.  I’d never heard of them.

Teen Mortgage is an American punk rock duo from Washington, D.C.. The group consists of guitarist/vocalist James Guile and drummer Ed Barkauskas.  So they’re like Japandroids, except their music is faster and nastier.  I listened to a couple of live tracks and it’s all kind of samey.  Guile’s voice is old school punk without a lot of variation.  They would have been fine as the opener, but I didn’t want to see them as a headliner.

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Frank Turner / Katacombs (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, May 3, 2025[early & late show]) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Frank Turner, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Garwood, NJ, Katacombs, Philadelphia, PA, Rutherford NJ, Williams Center on May 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 3, 3025] Frank Turner / Katacombs

Frank Turner loves playing Crossroads. Any time he’s playing in the area he sems to make a point of hitting this venue.  Where it’s super late (he went on at 11PM last time) or playing two shows in a day.

The problem is that he often announces the show and it sells out before I even find out about it.  That’s what happened tonight.

Which is fine because we were off to see a performance at my son’s school today anyhow.  But still, I need a little more notice to see this guy again.

Katacombs is the name Katerina Kiranos landed on after years of building sculptural furniture of bone and wood. Born in Miami to a Spanish mother and Greek father, she spent the majority of her early life bouncing between multiple cultures and wanting to adapt.

I’ve listened to a couple of songs and really like her vibe.  Acoustic but with Spanish elements (sometimes singing in Spanish, sometimes in English).  I need to keep an eye on her to see if she plays around here again.  Although, like with Frank, Id like to see her with a band rather than solo.

And then on the day of the show, they had to move the venue!  Here’s what Frank wrote

I am stoked to be back in the USA again, and was very much looking forward to two shows at Crossroads, NJ, tomorrow. I love the venue and the folks there are dear friends.

HOWEVER. Due to circumstances beyond my and their control, the venue has had to close for the weekend. There’s nothing we can do about this, and my heart goes out to my Crossroads friends.

BUT FEAR NOT. I’m here, I have my guitar, the show must go on! So it is that, after some incredible work from my team and theirs, we’ve managed to throw a last minute replacement show together. There will now be ONE show, at Black Box @ Williams Centre in Rutherford NJ, tomorrow night. Doors at 7pm, support from Katacombs, all ages welcome.

All tickets from Crossroads will be refunded. The show tomorrow night will have a cover charge of $25 to cover the venue’s costs. You can get them at the link in my stories or at the door; it’s a 600 capacity room so everyone who was coming to Garwood should be able to get in. Please do spread the word about this as much as you can.

Thanks all for bearing with us on this one. It’s not the ideal situation, but there WILL be a show, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing you all there.

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Sparta / Moondough / Demmers / Elliot Fullam (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, May 1, 2025) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Demmers, Elliot Fullam, Garwood, NJ, Moondough, Sparta on May 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: May 1, 2025] Sparta / Moondough / Demmers / Elliot Fullam

I really enjoyed seeing Sparta last year.  The songs were intense and great.  So when they announced this tour of the Porcelain album, I was on board.  I especially wanted to go to Crossroads because it’s relatively close to me.  But this show was th same night as Devo.  And I wasn’t missing out on them.

Moondough is the recording name of one guy.

Ken Raymundo is a talented Multi-Instrumental, Singer/Song Writer from Southern California, that goes by ‘Moondough’. Possessing a unique range of musical influences, he has created a signature sound that highlights his soulful melodies, smooth guitar progressions, and funky bass lines.

Doesn’t seem like someone that should open for Sparta, but who knows.  The rest of the lineup is also all over the place.

Demmers are from New Jersey.  Their brief bio says hardcore kids in non hardcore places.  But they are in fact older guys who have played in other bands.  They have one song out on bandcamp.  I like the music but not the singer.

Elliot Fullam is from New Jersey.  He reminds me of Elliot Smith–a whispered kind of vocal style over picked guitar.  Huh, he’s also an actor who played Jonathan Shaw in the horror films Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3

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Folly / Paulson / Teenage Halloween / The Best of the Worst / Silk Sheets (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, June 21, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Folly, Garwood, NJ, Paulson, Silk Sheets, Teenage Halloween, The Best of the Worst on June 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: June 21, 2024] Folly / Paulson / Teenage Halloween / The Best of the Worst / Silk Sheets

I heard about this show because I saw Teenage Halloween open for THICK and really liked them.  I assumed they were headlining, but as more details came to light, they were in the middle of five bands I knew I wasn’t going to go.

Folly are a screaming punk band.

Hailing from northern NJ, Folly’s eclectic sound fuses the fury of hardcore, chaos of metal, urgency of punk rock, and jubilation of ska/reggae. They are known for their energized and immersive live shows,

Paulson was from Midland Park which is near where I grew up.  They apparently broke up many years ago and this is  their first show in 12 years.

The Best of the Worst are a new Jersey ska-core band.  So it’s screaming punk, with horns!

Silk Sheets are another Jersey band that are the loudest and most cathartic of the lineup.

Teenage Halloween definitely rocks, but they don;t seem to be quite heavy enough for this show.  This would have been exhausting.

 

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AF2K (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, April 25, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, Rush on April 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: April 25, 2024] AF2K

I recently met a guy through one of my daughter’s clubs.  He is a huge Rush fan, which is very cool.  He told me about this cover band AF2K (A Farewell to Kings) that was playing in Garwood.

I’ve said before that I don’t always care about cover bands all that much.  But it would have been fun to see this band with a new friend.

Musically they sound great.  I’m not 100% about the guy’s voice, but overall, they seem like quite the solid show.  They play primarily 70s/80s Rush songs, and that’s my favorite era.

As it turned out, I already had tickets to a show that night so I had to bail on this one.  But it sounds like they play around quite a lot.

 

 

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AF2K (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, April 18, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Crossroads, Frank Turner, Garwood, NJ on April 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 14, 2023] AF2K

I recently met a guy through one of my daughter’s clubs.  He is a huge Rush fan, which is very cool.  He told me about this cover band AF2K (A Farewell to Kings) that was playing in Garwood.

I’ve said before that I don’t always care about cover bands all that much.  But it would have been fun to see this band with a new friend.

Musically they sound great.  I’m not 100% about the guy’s voice, but overall, they seem like quite the solid show.  They play primarily 70s/80s Rush songs, and that’s my favorite era.

As it turned out, I already had tickets to a show that night so I had to bail on this one.  But it sounds like they play around quite a lot.

 

 

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Tigers Jaw / Another Michael / Greg Mendez (Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, October 14, 2023) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Another Michael, Crossroads, Garwood, NJ, Greg Mendez, Tigers Jaw on October 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 14, 2023] Tigers Jaw / Another Michael/ Greg Mendez

I’ve seen Tigers Jaw twice and both shows were great.  I really like their catchy pop punk, but I’m not sure I need to see them again.  But man if I was a die hard fan, here’s three days in a row of really close concerts I could go to.

And yet…  Here’s what they say about these two shows (they love playing Crossroads)

Mystery Setlists? We’re pulling out all the stops for Garwood this weekend. We’ll be playing two very distinctive sets for people who might want to come to both shows.
One of the shows setlists will concentrate on two worlds + spin, and the other will be charmer + I won’t care heavy. (Not full album plays, just most of both records, plus both sets will have some self titled oldies and newer Ep songs.)
We’re not saying which night is which combo. 🤔
So many songs. Maybe a fun cover.

I could have seen Another Michael open for Pinegrove and Ratboys.   But those shows were cancelled.  I feel like his name pops up a lot but I’ve never seen him/them.

A few years ago I wrote “From what I can tell they play a kind of mellow indie rock with lead Michael’s vocals veering into R&B styles.”  Although their new album sounds a lot more like Pinegrove than anything else.  And I rather liked it.

Greg Mendez plays mellow folk music with a gentle voice.  According to Bandcamp Daily, he is

one of the Philly DIY scene’s best-kept-secrets, the soft-spoken songwriter with a preternatural ability to craft brief yet powerful songs is enjoying a raised profile with the release of his self-titled full-length. On the strength of a few early singles, the initial run of vinyl sold out within a month of the album’s announcement, but with releases and demos dating back to 2006, Mendez is hardly an overnight success.

It’s fascinating that Tigers Jaw encourages mellow openers when their shows tend to really rock out.

 

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