SISTER SALVATION—Frenchtown, NJ
As I searched for a band to feature this week, I came across a band that I will be sharing the stage with this weekend at One Centre Square in Easton, Pa. The promoter, Tom Taylor told me that these guys sold a crapload of tickets when they opened for Puddle of Mudd up at the Sherman Theatre in Stroudsburg last year. I figured they were worth the listen and checked out a song called “Rewind”, and it wasn’t terrible. Crunchy guitar riffs and powerful vocals. Where have these guys been?
Sister Salvation is a hard rock quartet out of Central Jersey’s Frenchtown. They originally formed as a cover band called Babyface Finster by singer Joey Amabile and guitarist Jeff Lepore. After a short-time together, they grew a following into the 700s on Facebook as Babyface Finster and soon realized that they had something special, and the band began to write original music. Having years of music experience, songwriting came easy for the band comprised of singer Joe Amabile, Joe’s son JR on drums, his nephew Lenny Sours on bass and guitarist Jeff Lepore. The synergy for the originals clicked as Joe and Jeff had worked together in past in original projects and JR and Chris were simply hungry to just make music, which they do under the name Sister Salvation. Each member draws from certain genres of rock to hard rock that they enjoy, creating the sound that they’ve been out there promoting.
Each one of Sister Salvation’s songs is unique and the energy in these songs really show up in Sister Salvation’s live performance. In their short time playing as Sister Salvation, they have played direct support for ‘90s rockers Sponge, played with Ritchie Ramone, Puddle of Mudd, Saving Abel, Tantric, Adelitas Way, Enuff Z Nuff, Bulletboys and The Plot in You, Buckcherry, Lit, and Alien Ant Farm. The band still currently plays as its alias Babyface Finster, but musically concentrates on its originals as Sister Salvation. For more info on Sister Salvation, visit SisterSalvationBand.com, or catch them live this weekend with Puddle of Mudd at One Centre Square in Easton, Pa.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My old singer J from Mean Venus might not be singing and performing anymore, but he’s certainly spawned some of his talent onto his daughter, Lily, who seems to have picked up where J left off. Lily’s been performing with the School of Rock and she sounds amazing! There is no website for Lily yet, that I know of, but keep your eye out for this up-and-coming young singer, Lily Schnatter.
The guys from Dark Sky Choir finally released their latest CD, End of Days, a couple of weeks ago. The disc was produced by the band’s bass player, who also happens to be Disturbed’s bass player, John Moyer, and features the songs “Static Death”, “Misery”, “Lost In Oblivion”, “Villany” and anchored by a great cover of Motley Crue’s “Knock ‘Em Dead Kid”. Trust me, you really need to impress me if you’re going to cover Motley Crue, and I have to say that this was a pretty good take on the Crue classic. Dark Sky Choir is currently on the road with fellow Jersey boys Monster Magnet. For more on Dark Sky Choir, visit DarkSkyChoir.com.
And finally, more shameless plugs from me and my band Rahway! After an energetic set at Starland Ballroom with Kix and Brick’s Black The Sky, me and the slumlords of New Jersey, Rahway will be heading to One Centre Square in Easton, PA to open for the newly sober Puddle of Mudd this Saturday night (10/20). Also performing will be New York City’s Year of the Locust and this week’s feature band, Sister Salvation. For more info and discounted tickets for this weekend’s show with Puddle of Mudd, 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:
10/18—Tyler Hilton/Marly Kay—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
10/18—Mercy Union/Pkew Pkew Pkew/Red City Radio/The Penske File—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
10/19—Lane Six Presents: Zebra—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
10/19—“Minister of Metal” Presents TEMPT/Metalland/Marvin Sunk/No Phizz/Kenny K and the Way—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
10/20—Rahway/Puddle of Mudd—One Centre Square, Easton, PA
10/20—Don Jamieson/Barren/Scottish Windows/Signal 7—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
10/21—Jaded Past—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
10/21—Shiwan Khan/The Rebellion Lost—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/21—Dead Fish Handshake/Stabbing Westward—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
10/24—Tantric/Wayland/Paralandra/Talia—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/26—Big Redd Memorial Show featuring Sygnal To Noise/Out Of Bounds/Uni V. Sol/Ropetree/Sekond Skyn—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
10/26—Kip Winger—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
10/28—High Anxiety/Why Lions?/The Jersey Panic—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/2—One-Eyed Jack/Splintered Sunlight—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
11/17—Monroe reunion show—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
