BLUE LIZARD – Ridgefield Park, NJ
Where in the world have these guys been hiding? I swear! There is such amazing music here in Jersey. You just have to dig a little deeper to find them. Take these kids from Blue Lizard,for instance. I’ve never heard of them before, yet they are from the beautiful North Jersey suburbs of Ridgefield Park. After giving their songs like “Black and Blue,” “Sober,” and “Last Chance” a quick listen, these kids can definitely hang with the big boys. There are some great riffs and lyrics in these songs and the hip-hop element gives it that Limp Bizkit meets Kid Rock feel. I haven’t heard this sound in Jersey for a while, so it could be cool again.
Blue Lizard is made up of cousins, guitarist Ryan Lamon and bassist Mikey O’Connor, and two great friends, guitarist Josh Lang and drummer Joey Wamsley. At the ripe young ages of just 10 and 7, Ryan and Mikey started playing guitar together. After years of jamming together, with both of them eventually learning the drums, they wanted to bring their love of music to a whole new level. Luckily, Ryan found Wamsley. For about 3 years, the trio did not have a singer and only jammed instrumentally, which is why their rhythm section sounds so tight. With influences like Stone Temple Pilots, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Helmet, Alice in Chains, Sum 41, and Incubus, Blue Lizard really puts out a classic, in-your-face, type of sound with vocals that are raw, guitar riffs that are classic, and drums that are so naturally played with the tastes of Bonzo, Ward, and many other awesome drummers. According to the band’s website, it looks like Joey Wamsley is no longer with the band and has been replaced by drummer Greg Alders, and it looks like this past summer they added a permanent singer to the lineup in the form of singer Ray Bentley, who seems to have quite a presence.
Blue Lizard has been playing many gigs around the Jersey music scene including spots like The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, Mexicali Live—which is now Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck—The Brooklyn Grill, Lido Bar, and many other street gigs and parties. Blue Lizard is currently looking to book some shows outside of New Jersey, which if you ask me, is where it’s really at. The band believes their music brings back a seventies-meets-nineties feel and doesn’t really sound like any band before them, but really takes their influences from all of the greats. You can catch Blue Lizard live with Trapt and Tantricat Debonair Music Hall on Friday, November 15. Also performing will be Strive and Triple Addiction. For more on Blue Lizard, visit BlueLizardNJ.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bro, Dave Incognito, and his band Incognito Theory have a new music video coming out for their song “Whiskey Fueled,” which is the title of their next album. Dave said that they were in the final stages of the record, which I guess means the album is being mastered? Anyway, Incognito Theory is performing at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ next week on Halloween night opening for American Grim and Salem Mansions. Filling in on bass for this show will be Jay Brachman from Sixty Miles Down, while bassist Mike LePond is on tour with Ross the Boss. For more info on Incognito Theory, visit Facebook.com/IncognitoTheory…. Danny McDonough, singer for The New Black posted an interesting and moving video a few weeks ago on Facebook called “You.” The video was totally not what I expected. I was expecting was a solo music video, but what I watched was a powerful message about being yourself and taking chances. The video had a positive message and kind of made me feel inspired after watching it. The video can be found on YouTube. For more info on The New Black, visit TheNewBlackOfficial.com…. And finally, for my shameless plug of the month, my band Rahway will be hauling into Dunellen, NJ this Friday night (10/25) at Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse for another Jersey Campfires Presentation with our brothers from Pierced, Nuse, Metal Life Crisis, and Of The Sic, a Slipknot tribute band. This should be a killer night and I hope to see some of you out there in lovely Dunellen! For more info on my band Rahway, 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.
