I recently got a random anonymous email from a cell phone number who saw my email from reading this column. The email simply said that there was this band that they saw on this year’s Warped Tour that I should check out. The name of the band is Avenida, and upon giving them a listen, I thought they were pretty good. I mean, to be honest you won’t find their CD in my CD player, but I can see the kids loving this band. Songs like “Honor Betrayed,” “Sirens,” and “What We Believe” are extremely catchy and fully energetic. I can only imagine what their live show looks and sounds like.
Apparently, as people, the boys from Avenida are absolutely ridiculous! They constantly play pranks on each other leading many to believe that these guys don’t take their music careers too seriously! The truth is, as a band, Avenida are some of the hardest working musicians on the scene today. The boys have a handful of self-released EPs under their belt, which helped them land opening slots for bands like Madina Lake, Monty Are I, and Escape The Fate at venues like Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, School Of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ, and The Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown, PA, as well as earning a slot on New Jersey’s Warped Tour for the third year in a row. The members of Avenida have worked countless hours in their day jobs to finance their recordings along with a full merchandise line. With no backing, Avenida’s sold hundreds of EPs and has received tons of radio play from stations all over the tri-state area all on their own! The band is made of singer Andrew Padilla, guitarists and brothers Jeremy and Jon Bernstein, bassist Mike Payne, and drummer Tyler Gilbert.
They recently released their latest EP, Take Control, which delivers catchy riffs, skillful drumming, and vocals that fit what’s big right now in music. Their music has caught the attention of many, so you can expect to see Avenida on the road very soon! To find out where they’re playing locally or to hear what they sound like, log onto myspace.com/avenida.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES
Looks like John Fiction, former guitarist of the band The Plot Thickens, has found a new home. I just got an email from him saying that he’s playing with a band called Serotonen. John is an excellent guitar player. I had the chance to jam with him in-between bands, so even before giving this band a listen; I can only guess that they must be good. Find out where Serotonen is playing next or give them a listen at serotonen.com. I will be featuring them in the coming weeks.
My boys from Diablo Royale have a new CD out called Greedy Dogs and it sounds amazing! Nice crunchy guitars, powerful drums, and singer Adrian Barros’s voice sounds better than ever! The CD’s title track is catchy and is your typical Diablo Royale song, though you can tell right away that the band has matured as songwriters! You can hear clips of “Nothing Good,” “Promised Land,” and “Remedy” from Greedy Dogs at myspace.com/diabloroyalerock. Greedy Dogs is available for purchase now at diabloroyale.net. Catch the band live next Saturday night, Oct. 17, down at Crash Mansion in NYC for another Gotham Rocks showcase!
And finally, speaking of Diablo Royale, they’ll be opening for my band Mean Venus at our Crazy Ass American CD release party at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ, on Nov. 6. Speaking of big shows for my band, this Friday night, Oct. 9, we’ll be playing at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, opening for the legendary UFO. Also on the bill are other North Jersey Notes alumni Rahway and Infernophonic. For more info on this show log onto meanvenus.com.
That’s all for now! And remember, if your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your demos and press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424. No cover bands, please!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Concert Calendar
10/7—KrashKarma—The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
10/7—Paddy and the Pale Boys—Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
10/8—Steel Panther—Mexicali Café, Teaneck, NJ
10/9—Rahway/Mean Venus/Infernophonic/UFO—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
10/9—Our Black Friday—The Bitter End, NYC
10/9—Avenida—I.M. Automata Chino, Jersey City, NJ
10/10—Saint Caine/The Dirty Stayouts—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/10—Beatrix Kiddo—The Cup Complex, Linden, NJ
10/10—Serotonen—Lucky’s Bar, Cortland, NY
10/10—Avenida/Someone Say Something—School of Rock, South Hackensack, NJ
10/11—KrashKarma—J.D. McGillicuddy’s, Philadelphia, PA
10/11—Split Point—The Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
10/13—KrashKarma—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
10/14—KrashKarma—The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
10/15—KrashKarma—Sweeny’s, Philadelphia, PA
10/17—Diablo Royale/Shadows Lie/Borgo Pass—Crash Mansion, NYC
10/17—Crawl 2 Chaos—Uncle Mike’s, NYC
10/18—KrashKarma—J.D. McGillicuddy’s, Philadelphia, PA
10/20—KrashKarma—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
10/22—Serotonen—R Bar, NYC
10/22—KrashKarma—Doc Watson’s, Philadelphia, PA
10/23—Avenida—I.M. Automata Chino, Jersey City, NJ
10/23—KrashKarma—The Beehive, Lawnside, NJ
10/24—Black Water Rising—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/24—Beatrix Kiddo—The Italian American Club, Jackson, NJ
10/24—KrashKarma—The Sterling Hotel, Allentown, PA
