In a time where we are advised not to step out, many of the NJ Local Bands are using this quarantine time to step up.
These artists are using their musical acumen to bring the energy of a live performance directly into our homes.
One of the hardest working bands on the scene right now, Bobby Mahoney and The Seventh Son kicked off the trend two weeks ago on Facebook with an hour of high energy originals that embody the term Jersey rock. They even dedicated the first song to, “Washing your hands!”
The thing I love about front man Bobby Mahoney is that he brings just as much passion and energy to his acoustic sets as he does to his full band sets. In fact, Bobby has been going the extra mile doing acoustic sets on his Facebook page nearly every single day. You can watch the bands full set here:
https://www.facebook.com/BobbyMahoneyMusic/videos/1242578815940395/
Local Rock and Rollers Morningside Lane followed suit with a fully produced hour set of crowd pleasers the following Sunday. The reactions were plentiful and positive. Drummer and good brother Brian Morelli posted on Facebook: “We’re so moved by the reactions on this video. Thank you for watching! If you’re staying safe in your home, let us bring you a literal rock show.” The live stream has already amassed over 20,000 views to which Morelli responded,”We’re blown away and I sincerely thank you. Let’s go vir-… wait…actually….”
You can view the Morningside Lane Quarantine Live Stream here.
For the second week in a row the super talented Deseree Spinks of Des & The Swagmatics took requests from viewers in front of her piano. Within seconds of the hour long streams, Des already had me grinning from ear to ear with her lively personality and big smile of her own. I’ve worked with Des before and I can tell you she is one of the most soulful and talented singers I’ve ever met. Her range is phenomenal and every note is all heart.
As they saying goes, “I don’t know what IT is, but she’s got IT” This is a must watch stream and one of my personal favorites:
https://www.facebook.com/deseree.spinks/videos/10159373526289691/
This past weekend I was super excited to see a stream from one of the most unique bands I’ve ever witnessed, (not to mention a personal favorite) Charles Laurita & The Mischief. Front man of the “alterna-funk” outfit, Charles pours his heart and soul – and trust me there is a whole lotta soul – into each and every one of his songs. Charles’ stream perfectly exemplified his passion for his art – filled with acoustic versions of original songs and even covers including The Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There” and Blackstreet’s “Yo – Diggity” I highly recommend you check out this stream and the brilliant artist that is Charles Laurita. Check out the band’s Facebook page.
Other lead singers stepped up as well such as Lower the Veil’s Damien Baldwin with a really beautiful, almost lullaby- esque cover of “Stand by Me” that you can watch here:
Ropetree’s Billy Mielnek performed several covers on acoustic guitar, including Chris Cornell’s “Cant Change Me” and Post Malone’s “Stay.” The icing on the cake was his take on Bush’s Glycerine entitled, “Quarantine.” Check out his YouTube page.
Thus far we’ve seen full bands, acoustic sets, pianists and more. Leave it to Dub Proof’s Kenny Pete to give us something completely different with a straight half hour drum jam from his drum lair. Can we get some more love for the drummers people? I for one appreciated this very unique stream featuring some cool reggae grooves and am looking forward to Kenny’s next jam this Sunday!! Click here to view.
These stellar bands are really just a tiny example of what artists all over the world are doing right now to perform and entertain. I for one absolutely love the stripped down acoustic sets, and the no crowd studio sets. In fact, there’s a sort of fun in not knowing who is going to treat you to an intimate show on any given night. With so much uncertainty in the world right now, one thing is for certain – the local music isn’t going away anytime soon. Stay tuned for more live stream coverage right here on The Pop Break.
