A sister to the Asbury Park music scene can be found just about a half an hour north, in (surprise) a college town—New Brunswick, NJ. There’s a pretty wicked basement scene there, and many a day have I spent walking to class, listening to different bands rehearsing out of the houses I passed along the way. The DIY scene in NB is Economy—these kids do the best with what they have, and in turn are responsible for a product that is much, much larger than the sum of it’s parts.
This is exactly the kind of setting that gives rise to nationally and internationally famous (if not mainstream) R&R and it’s proven by predecessors like My Chemical Romance and The Bouncing Souls, hugely successful acts that spent their formative years playing anywhere—basements, backyards, bedrooms—while building a foundation in New Brunswick.
Big Eyes is a rock trio that’s been garnering a lot of attention in NB as of late, and with good reason. Lead singer and guitarist Kate Eldridge is a rollicking firecracker and she knowledgeably leads her stellar rhythm section ( bassist Mark Bronzino and drummer C.J. Frederick) around the band’s slightly gritty pop sensibility with ease. For those of you who are musicians, I’ll put it this way: When you see Big Eyes, the first thing you will think is ‘We HAVE to play with this band”. If you liked Bratmobile, have a place in your heart for Joan Jett, and enjoy aggressively-fun-pop-rocks-pop/rock, then take a listen. Your inner musical sweet tooth will be glad you did.
Big Eyes performs with another area favorite of mine, Gimme Drugs, and Southwork in support of regional up and comers, Brick + Mortar at The Asbury Lanes on Friday May 6th.
XOXO
Ang
