MIND RIOT—Long Branch, NJ
I’m really not sure how these guys escaped my grasps all these years. I’ve heard much about them and thought I already wrote about them, but it turns out I haven’t. I’m talking about the boys from Mind Riot. I came across their music video for the song “Change Your Mind” off of their latest self-titled CD, and singer Mike Rainone’s vocals and those guitar riffs are what kept me watching the video. I needed to hear more! I locked onto Mind Riot’s BandCamp, MindRiotNJ.bandcamp.com, to listen to their CD, and the songs that really stood out for me were “Eviction”, “Inside Out”, “Deranged”, and “Perfect Sky”.
A common inspiration of ‘90s hard rock and alternative music was what brought this group of family members and lifelong friends together to form what we know as Mind Riot, who is based out of Long Branch. The power of this band live is something you can only experience in person, as my singer from Rahway, Nick Hade, keeps raving about. Singer and guitarist Mike Rainone’s soaring and sonic vocals is really something that needs to be witnessed live, while he trades off guitar solos with guitarist Brian “B Money” Moyes. The pounding rhythm section created by bassist Skip Byrnes and drummer Dan Rainone leaves every fan feeling like they are what the industry is missing. And that’s “real” passion and “real” hard rock!
In March 2015, Mind Riot released their debut EP, Leave It Behind, featuring the songs “Changes”, “Solace”, the title-track, and an acoustic version of “Perfect Sky”. Then in August 2016, Mind Riot dropped their self-titled CD featuring the aforementioned notable tracks. Catch Mind Riot live at EJ’s Tap House in Seaside Heights this Saturday (5/19) as part of this year’s Jersey Shore Music Festival. Also performing will be my band Rahway, Flatleaver, Out of Bounds, Stillphase, Inversion Circus, Know Your Enemy, Aurin, Revel 9 and Police Navidad. For more info on Mind Riot, visit MindRiotBand.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Just when we thought they were taking a break, the boys from Negative Sky raised their ugly heads to open for Hatebreed a couple of weekends ago at Starland Ballroom in Slayerville, NJ. The best part about that is that they’ll be back at Starland again on June 3, opening for All That Remains! This should be a killer show! Also performing will be Eye on Attraction and Gears. I’m really happy to see the Negative ones back it. For discounted tickets and more on Negative Sky, visit Facebook.com/NegativeSkyNJ.
The boys from Ropetree just released their first single off of their upcoming new CD, The Saints of Asbury on their Stone Pony. The song is called “Empty” and I really enjoyed it! The song rocked! Now, I can’t wait to hear the rest of The Saints of Asbury on their Stone Pony. Ropetree will be celebrating the CDs release with a party on Saturday, June 30 at, where else? The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ with special guests Vextion, Lower The Veil, and December Morning. For more on Ropetree and their new CD, The Saints of Asbury on their Stone Pony, visit Facebook.com/Ropetreeband.
And finally, this Friday night (5/18), my brothers from Panzie* return to Jersey as guests of the Old Bridge Metal Militia and the Minister of Metal at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ. Also performing are my brothers in Lower The Veil, Scars of Envy, Memphis Crawl and Symetria. This will be Panzie*’s first show in Jersey since the release of their latest CD, The Joke’s On You. So, let’s get out there and show them some Jersey love! For more on this show and Panzie*, visit Panzie.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:
5/16—The Holy Smokes/Partly Sunny/James’s Big Band Classic—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/16—When Thieves Are About/Serious Matters/Right On, Kid/The Angry Pirates/Violent Island—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/18—Minister of Metal Presents Panzie*/Lower The Veil/Memphis Crawl/Symetria/Scars of Envy—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/18—Chevonne and the Fuzz/Strive/Jack Names the Planets/The Cause and The Cure—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/19—Jersey Shore Music Festival featuring Rahway/Flatleaver/Out of Bounds/Stillphase/Inversion Circus/Know Your Enemy/Mind Riot/Aurin/Revel 9/Police Navidad—EJ’s Tap House, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/19—Billy Monroe and the Soul Survivors/Jaded Past/Balkun Brothers—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/20—Nonpoint/Butcher Babies/Cane Hill/Sumo Cyco/Another Days Armor/Blud Red Roses—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
5/23—Lane Six Presents: SubVerse / Obsidian /Cheap Moves /Late Nights—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/25—Helmet/Prong—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/25—Ghost of a Gentlemen/Life Slides Down/See Plus/The Lousekateers/Broth—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ5/25—Lieder—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
5/25—Mikell’s Plot—V.F.W., Kenilworth, NJ
5/26—Shiffley / Mad Meg / Panama Dreams / Darn It All / The Big Swim—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/26—Tilted—Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
6/3—All That Remains/Negative Sky/Eye on Attraction/Gears—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
6/3—Behind the Bullet—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/7—Danny Diablo and Mars/Full Scale Riot—QXT’s, Newark, NJ
6/7—Seven Spires/Hate Storm Annihilation/Erciyes Fragment/Sacred Ash—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/15—Jersey Campfires Presents: Arc’d Angel/Sinertia/From The Concrete/Blud Red Roses—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/16—Lane Six Birthday Bash Tribute Night with Reality Suite/Tempt/New Day Dawn/Lunatic Fringe—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/23—The Pain Method “What Doesn’t Kill You…” Release Show/Blud Red Roses/Defcon -1/Lobster Chicken/Vision Serpent—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/29—Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
6/30—Ropetree (CD Release Party)/Vextion/Lower The Veil/December Morning—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
