I recently came across a very cool band out of Brooklyn, who is actually performing at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ this Friday night (8/4). The name of the band is Sun And Flesh, and I only got to hear one song by way of a music video called “I Don’t Care” on the band’s website. I really enjoyed the video and the music and felt singer Christoph Manuel had something going on there. I wanted to hear more. So, I Spotified them (yes, I made Spotify a verb). I got to listen to tracks off of their 2015 self-titled CD like “Purge,” “Open Flame,” “Cyanide” and “Yuck Fou.” How can you not love a song called “Yuck Fou”? These songs rocked!
According to their bio, Sun And Flesh formed back 2012, but in making a long story short, singer and guitarist Christoph Manuel and guitarist Stefan Reinberger caught the attention of legendary vocal coach, Melissa Cross, who presented the duo to legendary producer, Josh Wilbur, known for his work with the mighty Lamb Of God. Upon meeting Wilbur, the band would refine and finalize their lineup to perfection by enlisting a monstrosity of a rhythm section in drummer Jon Serwinowski and bassist Matt Brewster. Sun And Flesh would go on to release two CDs on their own, along with numerous music videos and multiple DIY tours, winning over fan after fan as they live out of their van. The band is said to be “never disillusioned or discouraged by hard work.” Sun And Flesh continues to create their self-described “anthems for the restless.”
Sun And Flesh is currently wrapping up a jaunt around the Northeast culminating with shows at Dingbatz in Clifton this weekend and a show at the Alternative Gallery in Allentown, PA on August 19 with AMORA, Castors Hollow, and Voices In Vain. I always said there’s some good music coming out of Brooklyn. You just have to know where to find them. For more on Sun And Flesh, visit SunandFlesh.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Making their Jersey debut at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ this Friday night (8/4) is Vagus Nerve, Doc Coyle from God Forbid’s new project. I actually ran into Doc and my bro, Mother guitarist, Mike Gowen, out at NAMM in Anaheim, CA back in January, and Mike was telling me that he was playing in a project with Doc out there, but I had no idea it had become a full-time project. Well, this Friday night, they make their Jersey debut, and I’m hearing some amazing things about this project. Also performing will be my boys from Pralaya, Lethal Affection and Sun And Flesh. For more info on Vagus Nerve, visit VagusNerveBand.com.
Another cool show hitting our shores next Friday night (8/11) at Mulcahy’s Pub in Wantagh, NY will be Bret Michaels, and it’s no secret that I’m not this huge Bret Michaels fan, but what is cool is that my brothers from Killcode, who are taking a break from festivals, and Brand Of Julez, who are taking a break from the road, will be opening the show for Bret along with a band called Like It. For more info on this show, visit Muls.com or one of the bands’ Facebook pages.
Finally, by now, we know of the tragic accident in Florida claiming the life of David Zablidowsky, also known as David Z, and severely injuring the rest of the members of Adrenaline Mob including tour manager Jane Train, who at the time of this writing was still in critical condition. These are all local guys, whom we all have interacted with at one time or another. I’ve run into singer Russell Allen and guitarist Mike Orlando many, many times at Dingbatz or Starland Ballroom, and David Z I’ve talked basses with and even opened for and written about ZO2 quite a few times. ZO2 was the band David performed in with his brother, Pauly. David was extremely humble, which makes having to write this about him incredibly hard. Jane is someone I remember from the band Little Sister, whom I’ve seen many times at Studio One in Newark, NJ back in the day. My heart goes out to the Zablidowsky family and to the rest of the Adrenaline Mob camp, and I wish a speedy recovery. They are definitely one band who has seen enough sadness.
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:
8/2—Kingdom of Giants/Kriminals/Beyond the Void/Across the White Water/The Artisan/Less Than Ruined—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/4—Asphalt Grey—The Sussex Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJ
8/4—Vagus Nerve featuring Doc Coyle/Pralaya/Lethal Affection/Sun And Flesh—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/5—RYDER/Symetria/Baby Face Finster/Dark After Dawn/Glass Divide/Obsidian—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/5—Billy Monroe and The Soul Survivors—Rivera’s, Fair Lawn, NJ
8/6—Frank Dimino “The Voice of Angel”/Triple Addiction/Bad Habit/Brianna Musco—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/11—Gotham—The Headliner Night Club, Neptune, NJ
8/12—Paralysis/Xenophile/Total Waste/Finix—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
8/14—Prophets Of Addiction “Unplugged”—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/19—Inside Riptide at “Rock the Canal Music Festival”—High Force Canal Park, Wharton, NJ
8/19—FIXER—DROM, NYC
8/19—Ashley Mckinley/Sutton Thomas/Out of Bounds/Triple Addiction—Paul’s Tavern, Lake Como, NJ
8/19—Stabbing Westward/Panzie*–Gramercy Theatre, NYC
8/19—Holy Smoke/Shadowplay/Distorted Sun/Kid Felix—Harper’s Pub, Clementon, NJ
8/19—Surf and Flesh/AMORA/Castors Hollow/Voices In Vain—The Alternative Gallery, Allentown, PA
8/25—Rahway/ Drella/Lethal Affection/Crimshaw/Brand of Julez—Lucky 13 Saloon, Brooklyn, NY
8/27—Rock Against Dystrophy featuring Ashes Of Your Enemy/Diesel America/Broken Past/Psychoprism/Rock Against Dystrophy All-Stars 2017—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
9/1—Flatleaver/Over The Mountain—Paul’s Tavern, Lake Como, NJ
9/15—Jaded Past—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
9/17—Midnite Hellion/Obituary/Exodus—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
