I was recently forwarded a pretty cool band out of Sayreville, NJ. No, it wasn’t the second coming of Bon Jovi or Skid Row, but they were heavy and they kind of rocked. In fact, the name of the band was Circle Of Insanity, and I found my head bobbing to songs like “Fractured,” “Say Goodbye,” and their title track, “Circle Of Insanity.” I felt that the music was heavy and right up my alley, but for some reason, singer Dennis T. O’Leary was just not winning me over. There were some sections or choruses where I thought he sounded amazing, but his weaknesses were in the melodies of the verses. On the live tracks posted on the MySpace page, Dennis sounded great! He could be one of those singers who just don’t record well. Regardless, the band is really good and can play with the big boys.
Not much is known about this band of mystery since there was no bio on their MySpace page, but I do know that they are considering themselves an alternative metal band, though I’m thinking more hard rock. Now, Circle Of Insanity is not a bunch of kids just starting out. They’re an older crew of guys who are in the midst of completing their debut CD, Versatility, which features the songs that I mentioned earlier. The boys are looking to play as many high-profiled venues as possible to promote their upcoming CD. Circle Of Insanity is made up of singer Dennis T. O’Leary, guitarist Scott Michalowski and Brett Sontag, Wayne Sparacino on bass, and drummer John Tooley.
Circle Of Insanity is allegedly a great live band, so log onto myspace.com/njcircle to find out where they’re playing next. They’re also boasting about the new merchandise they have to sell, but you can only buy them at shows! Check these guys out at a venue near you and look out for their upcoming debut CD, Versatility.
North Jersey Notes Updates
The guys from Kindred Souls are doing something pretty interesting this weekend. From Friday, March 19 until Sunday, March 21 they will embark on what is being called the “NJ Diner Tour” to raise money for the New Jersey Federation of Food Banks. How do they plan on doing this? Kindred Souls plans on performing a 20-minute set at a diner in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties in a 48-hour span with a set goal of raising at least $250 per diner, which will help them buy 21,000 pounds of food. Last year, the New Jersey Federation of Food Banks distributed over 27 million pounds of food to more than 1,800 charitable programs statewide. For more info on this charitable event or to find a diner nearest you that is participating, log onto dinertournj.com or log onto kindred-souls.com.
John Rango and Friends had to reschedule their Mason Jar performance a couple of weekends ago in Mahwah, NJ. Turns out, the Echofission guitarist (Rango) had to have emergency surgery after snapping his ankle in half a few weekends ago. Doctor’s orders were to stay off his feet for at least six weeks to heal. John Rango and Friends have rescheduled their recent cancellation at The Mason Jar for Saturday, May 15, and John also wanted to apologize to anyone who went down to the show without hearing the news. For more info on the rescheduled show, log onto echofission.com.
And finally, my lady friend and I recently made a jaunt out to Hazlet, NJ, for Joe and Crystal Cattano’s official “Episode Four” release party for their reality show, Project: American Studio, which is based on the everyday happenings of their rehearsal and recording facility Aarius Studios. Joe and Crystal are still shopping the show to major networks and with the height of MTV’s The Jersey Shore popularity, Project: American Studio might just be in the right place at the moment. This fourth installment was full of laughs and drama, and it really gives you a feel of what Joe and Crystal have to go through day in and day out. At the party were familiar faces like J.D. De Servio from Black Label Society/Cycle Of Pain, the kids from Beatrix Kiddo who were featured in this episode, members of American Angel, and The Zombie Mafia. It was a fun night overall, and it was good to see people supporting something that was original and local. Watch an episode of Project: American Studio at youtube.com/projamericanstudio.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424. No cover bands, please! Also, if you haven’t checked out my podcast yet, do it now at northjerseynotes.mypodcast.com!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
NJN Concert Calendar
3/19—Our Black Friday—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/19—Lieder—Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ
3/19—Ghost and the Big Sky—The County Line Pub, Pine Brook, NJ
3/20—A Midnight Tragedy—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/20—ZO2—The Mercury Lounge, NYC
3/21—Will Killmore/Ender—Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA
3/23—Diablo Royale/Atom Strange—Gramercy Theater, NYC
3/26—Fantazma—Sussex Tech, Sparta, NJ
3/27—Rahway—Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA
3/27—Ray West’s APW—Local 269 Club, NYC
3/28—Filter Effect—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/9—Uncle Freak—The Loop Lounge, Passaic Park, NJ
4/10—Our Black Friday—The Cup Complex, Linden, NJ
4/10—Rock N Roll for Nick Benefit—Tiki Stadium, Keansburg, NJ
4/11—Ender/Fantazma—Caldwell College, Caldwell, NJ
