THE CRINGE—New York City
Sometimes these sponsored posts on Facebook actually work. Otherwise, I may have never stumbled across the band The Cringe from New York City. These guys are cool as hell! I’ve heard their song “Anything You Say” on SiriusXM and didn’t realize it was them until just now. They have this familiar dirty New York City sound with a ’70s swagger. Singer John Cusimano almost reminds me of a sober Scott Weiland and the harmonies in songs like “Whole Lotta Nothin’,” “A Little More Sleep,” and “Big Trouble” off of the band’s 2015 release, Blind Spot, really make this CD worth listening to.
According to their bio, The Cringe, fronted by singer and songwriter John Cusimano, whose members include lead guitarist James Rotondi, bassist Jonny Blaze and drummer Shawn Pelton, have been praised both for their live performances and top-shelf musicianship, as they blend their rough-sculpted textures, bold instrumental turns, and aggressive grooves into their unique sound. The Cringe’s fifth and most recent CD, Blind Spot, was produced and mixed by legendary producer, Don Gilmore, who is best known for his work with Linkin Park and Train. Over the past decade, The Cringe, from Lower Manhattan, has made a name for themselves by opening shows for legendary acts like Motley Crüe, which I am obviously jealous about, The New York Dolls, Steel Panther, Trapt, Alter Bridge, and Fuel. The band has also made believers out of fellow artists like Cheap Trick, Vertical Horizon and Sister Hazel, all of whom have invited The Cringe to open for them. The band’s biggest fan, however, might be food celebrity Rachael Ray, who is actually married to Cusimano. I knew I heard of this band before! My boss asked me to check them out because they were opening for RATT. Rachael Ray, a passionate alt-rock aficionado, fuels the crowd before her husband’s sets at Stubb’s each year during her immensely popular annual Feedback event in Austin, TX. It must be nice to have a celebrity wife. Especially one who is a giant in the food industry!
The Cringe has been on a bunch of dates opening for the legendary lineup of RATT minus the loco Bobby Blotzer. The Cringe is still out there promoting their latest CD, Blind Spot, and it seems like they play a lot of bigger shows rather than smaller clubs, but who knows? You might get lucky enough to catch them at a small club in the city or North Jersey or opening for your favorite rock band. These guys are a must see! Their music is creative and cool. You might even see Rachael Ray at one of these shows! For more on The Cringe, visit TheCringe.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The band formerly known as Downshallow reunited for a one-off show a few months back, and my brother Chino Marin (yes, that Chino Marin) caught it all on film. Downshallow recently released a live music video for their song “Psyche,” which contains the footage filmed by Chino at the reunion show. Check out the video for “Psyche” now at Facebook.com/Downshallow.
This weekend, we say good-bye to one of my favorite metal bands out of the Jersey/NYC area, Seas Of Wake! This Saturday night (5/13), the Seas Of Wake crew will be calling it quits in the only way they know how, and that’s with a Farewell Show at The Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ with Sinking Monroe, Redcoat, EchoLab, Among Us, Comb The Desert and Sean Henry Tonight And The Tonighters. You won’t want to miss this show if you’re a fan of Seas Of Wake. It will be the last time you get to see them live…well, until the reunion show at least. For more info on the Farewell Show, visit Facebook.com/SeasofWake.
And finally, as if my shameless self-promotion wasn’t enough, I need to plug this weekend’s show that Rahway is part of at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ. The band Resurge will be making their debut. Resurge is the remnants of what was Audio Empire with former Hollywood Kills singer Russell Kelley on vocals. This is set to be a huge show also featuring my bros from Corevalay, Panzie* and Brand Of Julez. Get to Mexicali Live this Friday night. You won’t want to miss this! For more info, 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:
5/11—Tura Lura/The City of Townsville/Broken Angels/Jenevieve Cruz and the Submissives/Dig A Revel—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/12—Rahway/Resurge/Panzie*/Brand of Julez/Corevalay—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
5/12—Don Jamieson/Rezorektor/Faith Remains/From the Depths/Stronger Than Death—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/13—The Inversion Circus/Metal Life Crisis/Steve Bello/The Way Out—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/13—Seas of Wake “Farewell Show”/Comb the Desert/Sinking Monroe/EchoLab/Among Us/RedCoat/Sean Henry Tonight and The Tonighters—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
5/14—Bad Case/We Were Sharks/Centerfolds/Poeta/Serious Matters/Three Cheers Too Late/Side Slam—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/16—Capture/My Enemies and I/Kingdom of Giants/Dayseeker/My Last Breath—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/16—Wicked Hollow/The Hannah’s/August on Sunday/Paraiso—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/17—Noise Brigade/Casual Friday/Empty Parking Lot/Atlas On Top—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/18—Rory Kelly/Natural Born Losers—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/19—Zipper-Head Productions Presents: The Return Of Swamp Rocker Rory Kelly—Ryan’s Pub and Sports Bar, Monroe Township, NJ
5/19—Raven/No Kings Among Wolves/The Donner Party/Fiakra/Flatleaver—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/19—The Stolen (Record Release Party)/110 Hiding Out/America Part Two/Ghost of a Gentleman/Chasing Down Sunset—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/20—End of an Era—Jersey Shore Festival, Grant Avenue Main Stage, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/20—Sekond Skyn/Life of Agony—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
5/20—Primadonnaz–Jersey Shore Fest at EJ’s Tap House, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/20—Villins—Pianos, NYC
5/20—Jersey Campfire Presents: Orbynot/Triple Addiction/Shattered Skin/Sinsanity—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
5/20—Murder Junkies/Negative Traction/Honey Trap/Aristocants/Bionic Monkey/Kill To Create/Pat Veil—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/25—Sinking Monroe/Triple Addiction—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/26—MIDNITE HELLION/Metalfier/Ryder/Eternian/Psychonaut Underground/Pussy Wolf—The Gramercy Theater, NYC
5/26—Common Wealth—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/27—Mikell’s Plot—Perth Amboy Waterfront Arts Festival, Perth Amboy, NJ
5/27—Eye of Eternity/Infinitus Mortus/Know Your Enemy/Sunday Best—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
5/28—Flud/Death By Fiction/M-16—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/3—Shyneboxx—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
6/7—September Mourning/Eye of Eternity/Libricide/Strive/Soul Unhinged/Twisting Life—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
