One of bands I’ll be playing with this weekend at the Harry Dullys Memorial Show at Dingbatz is a band out of Long Island called Black Summer. Now, with a name like Black Summer, you have to be cool! Anyway, I wanted to hear what the other “black” band on the bill for Harry’s Memorial Show sounded like. So I went to their ReverbNation page to give them a listen, and they only had clips of songs like “Alive,” “Best Of Me,” and “Empty.” I loved the thunderous double bass, great bass tone, and riffs that just don’t end. Even singer Vincent Verzino’s voice was very impressive. I do, however, have one critique about Black Summer. If Sevendust didn’t exist, these guys would be amazing! Unfortunately, Sevendust does exist, and if I closed my eyes and listened to “Empty,” I would’ve thought it was a Sevendust song. I mean, there was definitely no hiding it! That doesn’t make them a bad band, though!
According to their bio, Black Summer was formed in 2011 by five guys who shared similar musical influences and a similar vision. Having these two qualities made their songwriting sessions flow cohesively. The quintet thrives on introducing their heavy melodic style to new audiences and virtually anyone who will listen. Their momentum continues to build with every live energetic show that they perform. Black Summer are comprised of Verzino, guitarists Peter Anthony and Jonathan Istrico, drummer Frankie Fizz and bassist Evan P.
In their short time as a band, Black Summer are already making strides opening for some national acts like Evans Blue, Fuel, Eye Empire and Burn Halo. The band recently released their self-titled debut CD over the summer, which features the songs that I mentioned earlier. Yes, even the Sevendust sounding song. Catch Black Summer live at the Harry Dullys Memorial at Dingbatz this Saturday (11/10) or check them out on reverbnation.com/blacksummermusic.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My boys from Atom Strange had to recently say goodbye to their bass player of two years, Matt Volpe. Matt will, however, still appear on the band’s upcoming full-length CD, The Lost Cosmonauts, which should be out by the holidays. In the meantime, Atom Strange would like to welcome Matt’s replacement on bass, Chris Charles, who spent some time in my old position in Ray West’s All Pointz West. According to the band, Chris brings with him “a solid playing technique and tone as well as an enthusiasm and dedication that is very contagious.” Stay up to date with Atom Strange and The Lost Cosmonauts on atomstrange.com.
The gang from Audio Insight has a new song out called “Bathe In The Earth.” The track is the band’s first release since their cover version of RUSH’s “The Spirit Of Radio,” marking the one year anniversary of their debut CD, Dimensions. You can give the new song a listen now at youtu.be/AUCz7T66dTY. To learn more about Audio Insight, go to audioinsightmusic.com.
And finally, just another reminder, my band BlackOcean will be taking part in a Memorial Show at Dingbatz in Clifton this Saturday (11/10) for our fallen brother, Harry Dullys. For those who didn’t know Harry, he was a staple to our music scene as the former singer of Voodoo Terror Tribe and more recently, Fate Strikes Twice. Harry tragically lost his life in a lake while on vacation with his wife, Donna. This Saturday we celebrate his life the only way we know how. The lovely Lindsay Klein from WDHA will be hosting the whole event, and also performing will be Fate Strikes Twice with special guests singing, including VEXT, Nottingham, Mother, Woods Of Arden, She Said Fire, Sundown Conspiracy, Seas Of Wake, Black Summer, Lies Beneath, Long Gone Day, and Beyond Visible. All proceeds will be going to Harry’s wife, Donna Dullys. For more info, log onto dingbatznj.com.
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, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
11/8—Eye Of Anubis/Faith In Exile/Strike Hold/Unconscious Disturbance—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/10—Harry Dullys Memorial Show (Fate Strikes Twice w/special guests/VEXT/Nottingham/Mother/Woods Of Arden/She Said Fire/Sundown Conspiracy/Seas Of Wake/Black Summer/Lies Beneath/Black Ocean/Long Gone Day/Beyond Visible—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/10—Lieder—The Local 269, NYC
11/10—King Kelly—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
11/11—Straight Line Stitch/Defiler/Dead By Wednesday/PT Grimm —Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/13—Dead Fish Handshake—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
11/15—Dark Empire/Dead Empires/Mindmaze/Make Them Remember—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/16—A Lesson In Violence/Empire Fallen/Jarr—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/17—Lower The Veil—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
11/17—Lieder—Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ
11/17—Darkness Descends/Stagger/One Brick Down/Shadows Of Dawn/Canopy Veil/Half-Witted Dogs/Scars Of Envy—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/18—My Bitter End/Sirens/Sever The King/Hold Your Grudge/Saeculus Novus/Cooking With Betty White—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/25—Whiplash/Sardonica/Pyramada/Fevervein/Arch Demon/Mindswitch—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/29—The Doomsday Prophecy/Ghost For Heroes—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/1—Ted Poley—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/1—40 Below Summer/Marc Rizzo/Judge The Fallen—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
12/6—Warrior Soul/Dirty Stayouts—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/8—Panzie*/Spread Eagle/Warrior Soul—Ollie’s Point, Amityville, NY
12/8—Generation Kill/DMZ/Audio Machine—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
