My bud Mike Camp from Jersey Campfire Productions is promoting a show at Roxy ‘N’ Dukes in Dunellen, NJ tonight (6/15) featuring a band called Apollo Under Fire, and while I know they are not from North Jersey, I had to feature them this week, because they’ll be performing in North Jersey, first of all. Second of all, they’re kind of a supergroup with members from Eye Empire, Candlebox and SoulSwitch. So, obviously, they piqued by interest. The only song Apollo Under Fire had posted was a song called “Gotta Believe” and it’s a hit! Singer Donald Carpenter from Eye Empire sounded amazing on this track. The music is commercial enough to hit Top-40 radio stations it is that good!
Over the past 20-plus years, the members of Apollo Under Fire have each soul searched their way through the music industry with a wide range of success, all the while learning more about themselves and growing closer to God. According to their bio, two of those members’ paths crossed in 2013 when singer Donald Carpenter met Peter Klett of Candlebox and Lotus Crush fame at a benefit concert both were performing at in Orlando for the Johnny Damon Foundation (yes, that Johnny Damon). Carpenter and Klett immediately felt that spark leading to what would become Apollo Under Fire. In early 2014, the stars aligned once again for the duo as they’d been presented with the opportunity to get into studio and start writing. This was when drummer Tom Costanza, a self-taught drummer from NYC, joined the band. It was during this writing process that the band name was born. By the fall of 2014, Donald, Peter and Tom had the songs written for Apollo’s debut CD ready and began the recording process. Although the bass tracks on the CD are performed by Keltt’s Candlebox bandmate, Adam Kury, they hired Floridian bass player, Stu Cox. With a full lineup in place, Apollo Under Fire began rehearsing and soon learned they needed a second guitar player to really make the songs sound full. That’s when guitarist Jimmy Kwong from SoulSwitch made his way into the band.
With the support of their dear friend and former Yankee, Johnny Damon, two years of painstaking determination and enduring patience, the guys in Apollo Under Fire have all of their pieces in place. They are managed by EMP Management, which is run by Megadeth’s David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert, and have begun building quite a following. Don’t listen to my opinion about them, though, check them out live tonight at Roxy ‘N’ Dukes and form your own opinion. Also performing will be my bros from Dead Fish Handshake and The Clocktown Giants. For more info on Apollo Under Fire, visit ApolloUnderFire.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The guys from Thank You Scientist will be releasing their latest CD, Stranger Heads Prevail, on July 29, and they’ll be celebrating the CD’s release with a party at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ with The Tea Club, Pralaya, and One Hundred Thousand. Thank You Scientist released the first single off of Stranger Heads Prevail, “Blue Automatic,” a couple of weeks ago, and the song is awesome! It’s everything you would expect from Sal Marrano and the boys. Now, I can’t wait to hear the rest! For more on Thank You Scientist, visit ThankYouScientist.net.
My old pals from Dinosaur Eyelids recently released some new music in the form of a CD called Bypass To Nowhere. Guitarist Patrick McKnight sent me a link to the band’s new music video for their song “Vernal Equinox” and I really liked it! The song had this psychedelic rock feel to it and really captured the essence of what rock ‘n’ roll is all about. It was nice to hear. You have to check out the new Dinosaur Eyelids song, “Vernal Equinox,” at youtu.be/WlnMJWOqCHc. For more on Dinosaur Eyelids, visit Facebook.com/Dinosaur-Eyelids-38113448443.
And finally, speaking of Mexicali Live in Teaneck, my band Rahway will be performing there for the first time this Friday night (6/17). This will be our first show since the Rock ‘N’ Derby Festival and you can bet my boys are ready for some Jersey love. It will be the band Arc’d Angel’s CD Release Party presented by Jersey Campfire Productions. Also performing will be my buds from Empire Fallen, Drifting Figures, Collective Man and Prodigal Sons. For more on this show, visit, RahwayBand.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:
6/15—Moon Tooth/A Balance Between/Binary Code/Torrential Downpour/Unkempt Herald—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/15—Jersey Campfire Presents Apollo Under Fire/Dead Fish Handshake/The Clocktown Giants—Roxy N Duke’s, Dunellen, NJ
6/17—Jersey Campfires Presents Arc’d Angel CD Release Party/Rahway/Empire Fallen/Drifting Figures/Collective Man/Prodigal Sons—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
6/17—The Blessings of this Curse/Seas of Wake/Proletariat/That of a Lion/Reborn Divided/Monument of a Memory/Beyond Dishonor—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/18—The Dirty Pearls/Ten Ton Mojo/Black Satellite/Bobby Mahoney—The Bowery Ballroom, NYC
6/18—Mikell’s Plot/Cory Singer/Section 8/Paulus Hook, Charlie Mac—Brook Arts Center, Bound Brook, NJ
6/18—Fractured Fairytales/Abbey Death/Knuckles And Guns/Sarcophagic/Sys2matik/Ovrl0ad/The Long Losts—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/21—Goodbye Friday/This Is All Now/Vista/Chasing Down Sunset/Flammable Animals/When In Doubt—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/22—Steve Bello/Lynch Mob—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
6/23—Lynch Mob/Ray Freeman Jr./BurningCold/Station—The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
6/23—Round2Crew/Bad Feelings/Will Jay/Dylan Holland/Zach Matari/Ben Hazlewood/The House On Cliff/Rivers Monroe—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/24—Among Us “Reunion show”/New Day Dawn/The Madeleine Haze!
6/24—Dentist—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
6/25—Ryan Chiarella and The New Breed—Claddagh in Highlands, Highlands, NJ
6/25—Dentist –Berlin, NYC
6/27—Trophy Wives/Sleep On It/Marina City—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
