The show had been planned for almost four months, and Trunk Rock was required to sell tickets before the show. This pay-to-play method can get a little tricky, since there’s always the risk that the sellers can’t get all of the tickets sold, and the bands end up playing at a loss. But Brian Englishman, CEO of Trunk Rock Records, knew that this show was a great opportunity for the company as well as the bands on their label, so that alone was motivation to work as hard as possible to sell every ticket. Eventually the pre-sale tickets sold out, and the house was packed.

Big Wilson River, first of the two Trunk Rock bands to perform, played a lilting, unrestrained set with their signature folk-gone-electric indie rock, inciting some intense enthusiasm from the audience. (Not surprising, since the thrash-folk band generally whips the room into a bit of a frenzy.) Darrin Bradbury, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, admits that the show went surprisingly well. “It was definitely a night of success, which is something we don’t get to say very often. Especially since we’d just lost our bass player, the fact that this show was so successful is motivation enough to keep up the hard work. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did at that show.” Big Wilson River will be building on that success with their album release show on June 30th at Asbury Lanes.

Don’t Upset the Bear followed next and flung their post-grunge folk rock at the audience, which promptly became a mass of dancing and jumping bodies. The people in the crowd were clearly fans of DUTB , chanting “Don’t upset the mother fucking bear!” between songs and prompting  the band to play “Dying Smile” at the end of their set by singing the hook to them. Darrin from Big Wilson River came from backstage to sing the final song with the band, and fans from the crowd jumped on stage to join them. After a of lot crowd surfing, the set culminated in people begging the band to play an encore. Brian Sullivan, bassist of Don’t Upset the Bear, lovingly wonders at the audience’s reaction.”Our fans are crazy. I don’t know how they handle coming to our shows, do what they do, and then function the rest of the night.”

In fact, the fan support is what really seems to propel the band and keep them moving forward. Trunk Rock is cognizant of the reality that fans are what make musicians successful, and co-founder Englishman is grateful for Friday’s appreciative audience. “It was a lot of hard work and we knew it was a great opportunity, but I think the real impact behind this show came from what it meant to our fans. We’ve always had a real great support from everyone and this really proved that it is still alive. We hadn’t had a big show like this in a while and it couldn’t have gone better. I can’t help but assume that we made a great impression on the people working at Webster Hall as well.”

Brian Sullivan adds, “There’s no way to tell what it would mean to either the band or the label professionally, but I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say that it was the show to change how we look at everything that is Trunk Rock and DUTB.”

Other performances included Black Ghandi from Barcelona, Lisa Bianco from NYC, and Love Assassin from Glen Rock, NJ. Love Assassin, decked out in fancy suits, closed the show for the night. They gave Trunk Rock a shout-out, and sang “Fight for Your Right to Party,” a tribute to the recently deceased MCA from the Beastie Boys.

See more of Robin Scheibner’s photos from the show on the Lamplighter Facebook page!

Jim, who had previously owned a video store in which he’d been accumulating records for years, had decided to focus solely on selling vinyls when he realized that videos were dying out in favor of DVDs. When the opportunity arose to move his record collection into a smaller space, he jumped on it, and the store officially opened in December. When asked about its name, he laughed. “My partner is a young girl, and compared to her, I’m a dinosaur. It sounded like a good idea at the time, so we went with it.” He’s embraced the name and made it a kitsch joke for customers as they browse through the stacks, stumbling upon a triceratops in the magazine rack or a T-rex holding a business card in its teeth.

When I came to check out his place, Jim gave me a mini-tour of the different sections he’d arranged in the small room, like the boxes of discounted albums in the back, the section devoted to 45s, and the tower of music featuring local New Jersey bands. He played the B-side of Jack White’s 45 when I told him I hadn’t heard it, and ‘Machine Gun Silhouette’ crackled into the room while I poked around the Rock shelf. He seemed amused when he showed me some of the more recent bands in the mix (i.e. AFI, As I Lay Dying) and quickly moved on to the ones that he preferred (The Ramones, Tom Waits) while we talked about the appeal of owning a record.

“People tend to collect records for the artwork and stuff like that. I think the comeback is still kind of in its infancy, and it hasn’t really hit yet. But it’s a different market. It’s almost less about the music, and it’s more a collectible kind of thing. I mean, if you want to hear new music, you can go on a computer and hear it if you want. But if you want to actually own it… it’s different.”

Quite simply, Jim prefers records because they have a much better sound. For him, CDs come close, but mp3s are too compressed to get the full dynamics of the songs. Record players are the best way to hear music, because they give what’s being played its own identity. People become familiar with that one skip or that scratch on the edge, and that’s what they want to hear because that’s the way they know the song. There’s a romance that surrounds it, and Jim honors that with his store.

When it comes to choosing the music he stocks, he’s open to anything that might be worthwhile. Though he has his personal favorites, the range is far-reaching, with classics from punk, rock, and blues, as well as lesser-known artists. Currently, what he has for sale is mostly older, used records, and the younger crowd comes in looking for Led Zeppelin and Kiss, while the older crowd comes in for throwbacks for nostalgia’s sake. But he’s looking to expand his local section as the store evolves, and he already has a small supply of local music on consignment.

This Saturday should help him build on that: it’s the fifth annual Record Store Day, a concept that has gained traction and become widespread in the last few years. The goal is to celebrate music and boost appreciation for independently-owned record stores throughout the US, and Jim is going to mark the occasion with a free, all-ages, unplugged set in-store from Montclair band Those Mockingbirds. They’ll be giving a stripped version of parts of their latest album, Fa Sol La (which is featured in Jim’s local section), along with some newer songs at 6p.m. Jim is using the occasion to test the waters for future events in the store, and hopes to see more performances in his shop soon.

Because I couldn’t resist, I asked Jim what his favorite record is. “You’re gonna make me narrow it down to one? I like anything by The Kinks, The Doors, Cream. But there’s too many to say one. All I can give you is my favorite new record right now – it’s the newest Tom Waits album.”

I’m stepping out of my comfort zone because I believe in what we do here at Lamplighter. In the few months that we’ve existed as a magazine, I have met more passionate and talented people than I’ve come across in most of my life. I could attempt to deconstruct what I love so much about New Jersey and our scene–the musicians, artists, venues, shows and exhibits and readings–but I won’t be doing any favors for the alternative community by talking about the bits and pieces. What really has me so excited about being a part of this is the overall atmosphere that surrounds these people and these places. There is a certain energy, an undercurrent that connects all of the people who make up the scene, solely for a love of sharing music and art.

To take part in New Jersey culture is to enter a recursive relationship that constantly feeds off of itself, because our community is a place in which these needs are recognized and embraced. We understand each other here. Even with such divergent and obstinate (let’s face it, some stereotypes are true) perspectives in the mix, we choose to focus on what we share instead of what separates us. And there are so many things that make up our collective identity  that couldn’t be experienced anywhere else.

So yes, I can rattle off a list of names, places, and events that make us amazing, but if that’s all I can, do I’ve missed the whole point entirely. And the fact that you’re reading this tells me you understand that point. You’re a part of this, too. Maybe you’re one of the incredible contributors who’ve helped to make our first print issue a reality. Maybe you’re one of the people who helps to create that energy I’m talking about. Or maybe you just live here and you like what our magazine is doing. Whoever you are, thank you for your role in this – for making this magazine a new and essential part of the community.

Business school and work took over most of my life during my 2^nd year at William Paterson University, and I slowly started to lose my love and passion for artistic expression. But, fatefully, meeting Patrick and Nadia in my last semester in college turned that around. With the potential of being exposed to and learning about new genres of music and exploring new arts and culture(s), my burning passion for the arts has definitely been reignited. Despite of working full-time in the finance industry, I decided to join Patrick, Nadia, and Megan to bring an idea, Lamplighter, to life.

Lamplighter exposed me to a great community of alternative music and culture that I was unaware of until now. Though it has been difficult to appreciate certain genres more than others (I never listened to hardcore before my involvement with Lamplighter), it has encouraged me to expand my personal interests. Working with great friends while getting to meet new, amazing people has been a truly wonderful experience. Learning so much about the scene, it only feels right to give back to the community by helping to spread it to people like myself, those who might not even be aware of the amazing talents that are homegrown!

Though we’ve met our campaign goal, we can still collect donations until March 19^th, so I encourage anyone who is interested to take the time to pick up a copy of the magazine through IndieGoGo while you still can. Any donations beyond this point will only improve the quality of the magazine, and a better first issue can only set us in motion for a better future.

And thanks to everyone who has supported us so far!

NJ culture and things of the like are important to me for many reasons. Chief among them is dispelling a particular notion: that in order to become relevant or big in any sense of the term we must go to the cultural hub of NYC. I do not think this is entirely true. NYC is, in many ways, a bastion for all the things we hold dear (music, culture, the arts etc.) but two things hold true. (1) It is and has been dying and (2) there is nothing stopping a group of individuals from crafting their own cultural presences in their surrounding environment. Groups of people can do a lot to effect the cultural atmosphere of their environment and we should not limit ourselves to believing the fount of all things “cool” comes from Brooklyn or other dens of diseased coolness. We can play a role in fashioning our own cultural environments. In that regard, NJ culture and community must be constantly nourished and enriched for all of our goods.

Lamplighter can, in essence, serve as an aggregate. Something that serves as a particular lens through which to view the burgeoning NJ scene of culture and things of the like. It can also serve as a way to cut your chops in writing or observing trends developing, etc. We, as college aged or graduated individuals, need a space in which to either gain the experience necessary for this “real world” that we’ve been told about since we were in school and to exercise our interests in such a way that we, as humans, are fulfilled in feeling that we accomplished something as a collection of people.

My experience in Trunk Rock has been exactly what I just wrote about my idea of the purpose of what lamplighter can represent. It provided not just myself but every single person involved, band and “management” alike, with a purpose. This became our baby, something to give us a reason to work. This became more than just a hobby or a cute club to hang in. We wanted to and still want to see this through to success and we believe in every single band involved in this label. The majority of the individuals involved in this label are guys who are either reaching the end of their college education or have graduated to a world with zero prospects for them. It has been up to us to collectively carve our purpose into the annals of humanity. At the risk of blowing our purpose out of proportion. that is what, I feel, us at Trunk Rock, and those at Lamplighter and others in our age group who are equally as wayward and scared about the future are doing.

This gives us meaning, this gives us drive, this illicits the desire out of our being to make manifest something that, we feel, serves a purpose in the enriching of society. If we can strive for these things and be merry while doing it, then I think we’re onto something!

Now, after graduating from William Paterson University and working with kids with Autism, the songs I write reflect a more perceptive and optimistic person. Looking back, I realize that change is necessary. I had to start with the cliche lyrics and melodies in order to get to where I am now. This is my art. It may not be known by many or provide any income, but it’s what I do; I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do it.

Ever since Patrick, Megan, Dhruvin and I started Lamplighter, I’ve been inspired to write songs that really matter. I’m more excited about going to shows and galleries. My level of enthusiasm for New Jersey’s culture has strengthed not only because I get to work with my friends, but I also get to meet amazing, talented people who live next door to me. I want to encourage the artists, musicians, and poets in New Jersey to know that we support what they are doing. Lamplighter, to me has been and will continue to be a way to bring awareness to the culture that NJ has to offer. We don’t have to look far to find inspiration through a string of words, the vibrations of strings, or brush strokes on a canvas. We have all of those things here, right now.

It’s these things, when brought to the light, that people realize they share similar stories. By supporting and contributing to Lamplighter Magazine’s IndieGoGo campaign, we can ensure these stories are told.

Writing honestly, the sheer number of $100 donations is astounding and certainly unanticipated. This is not to exclude other donors! In fact, we have a significant list of people and organizations who are supporting our publication at various levels that we’d like to thank here:

• James Damion, James Damion Photography & United By Rocket Science
• Rob Quicke, WP 88.7FM & College Radio Day
• Rhonda Mallek, The Fine Grind Coffee Bar
• Travis Seminara, Smacktone Studios
• Karen High, The Project Matters
• Al Vasquez, Spillpeak Media
• Erick Enders, Thread Meets World
• Michael Herbert, Film Corps
• Beth Hansen, Boy Things
• Adam Copeland, Black Water
• Eric Goldberg, The Nico Blues
• Joe Seider, Feudalism
• Matt Yeager, The Death of Me
• Joe Lanza, Holy City Zoo
• Catherine McGowan, Bern and the Brights

And beyond that, we thank every individual sponsor we’ve not yet named or that has asked to remain anonymous.

We are delighted, but know that we’re not yet through, and have many more updates in store for the next two weeks. Be prepared for messages from Nadia, Dhruvin, and Megan, as well as a few messages from people outside of the Lamplighter Magazine staff. We’re also going to start with a new incentive:

If we can reach $1600 by Friday, March 9th, we will release a sample of the upcoming magazine, including the complete interview with Eric Sieglen and Mike Wuchter of Marionette.

There are plenty of ways to help us get to this point outside of donating! Visit our campaign page and you’ll find a variety of sharing tools to help spread the word. We’ll also be using the Twitter hashtags #Lamplighter #Art #Music #Culture #Poetry #NJ and #indiegogo, so if you’re going to tweet for us, try to utilize those and don’t forget to tweet to @LamplighterNJ!

Thank you for everything so far and everything that’s left to come! We truly cannot wait to give you this magazine.

• Believe I am the main wellspring of Lamplighter.
•  Do not know most of the reasons why Lamplighter exists—many of which are, again, not about me.
• Do not know I am, or at least consider myself to be, a poet.

This isn’t to be cocky or to say that everyone believes all of these things—however, if any of these have some basis in reality, I’d like to settle up now and go not a day further with anyone believing or knowing otherwise. To clarify, though I may shout from the rooftops in praise of Lamplighter, I am far from being the only person behind this website and magazine. A great collection of writers and photographers, supporting artists and musicians, poets and personalities make up the greater organization of Lamplighter. The day-to-day operations and planning, however, are managed by myself and three other great people: Megan Dermody, our Managing Editor; Nadia Nieves, our Promotions Director; and Dhruvin Dave, our Marketing Director. In the next couple of days, you’ll see messages from all of them as well.

If it was not for those three, my faithful companions, Lamplighter would not exist. It’s true! In fact, I wouldn’t have even continued with the initial idea of this project if I did not have their support. The four of us have equally conspired to create this beast, and the four of us have committed to see it through. We’re like the Three Musketeers…and one of us is D’Artagnan (You can decide who). I credit them with as much hard work and dedication as anyone credits me.

You might be asking yourself, “Why Lamplighter? Why local alternative culture?” Easy answer! We wanted to be something that pushed us to discover a better side to our local area. Growing up, all we knew were diners and terrible coffee, dirty movie theaters, and crowded malls. But in college, we found a lot of music, art, and poetry. We came across new and wonderful worlds that, we feel, other people need to know about.

Inversely, we live in a difficult time. Arts funding gets cut every year. Local shows become more expensive to see and venues have slowly been falling apart. In the last few months we’ve lost both The Irish and The Court Tavern. And all this standing in the wake of arts and entertainment industries built to support a minority, with negativity and criticism receiving more press than praise? Only the strong can survive. Lamplighter is in place to redirect this scene’s chi and realign its chakras. We’re about positivity and promotion!

Why is it important that I am a poet? For all intents and purposes, it probably isn’t. But I feel people should know this about me. It gives me more character than being the guy outside of the mosh pit, taking pictures at shows. Most don’t know I write poetry, I think, because of some bizarre stereotype that berets and dark sunglasses are necessary requirements for poets, neither of which I possess. I wear boots and blue jeans most of the time, and I only snap my fingers to get my dog’s attention. I’m not published anywhere and I’m very hard on my own writing, so I rarely read out—and yet I am a poet.

Being a poet is as important to me as writing for this magazine. I feel, in some way, I’m giving back to the community. For example, I have read my poetry a couple of different places, and people have complimented my writing or sparked some discussion. I moved someone, even if only a little. That alone is a big deal. I’ve added to a greater conversation and I’ve participated in a beautiful side of life. Lamplighter is just an extension of that process.

I hope now, armed with this information, people see Lamplighter not as “just another blog” or a money-making scheme to capitalize on a niche market. It’s a project of passion. I really do care about the community, and I don’t expect to see a dime come back to my pocket for any of my work. I’ll close saying this: I drink coffee almost every day. Wait!…Wait. Stay with me now. I drink coffee every day, casually picking up a medium paper cup at Quick Chek and fill it to the brim with a dark, delicious brew, no sugar or milk added. I don’t need it, but it certainly helps me work through late night hours, and I enjoy the taste, strange as that may be for some. On average, this cup of coffee is about $2. You don’t have to be a regular coffee drinker like me, but on occasion if you’re in the mood, would you buy a cup of coffee? It’s a simple question and, I’m sure the majority answer is “yes.”
In that case, if you are so inspired on this occasion, would you pledge $2 toward the printing of Lamplighter? This is eight quarters sitting in a change jar. It’s pocket change at the end of the day. And statistically speaking, if everyone who reads this post were to spare us just that right now, we’d reach almost 50% of our goal.

And for that donation, we’ll recognize you as a supporter in the magazine and send you a digital copy. It’s not just supporting this issue either. It’s supporting every issue from here out. Time is limited, so if you can, please visit http://IndieGoGo.com/LamplighterNJ and let us know you believe in our project.

Thank you! And I hope, together, we can do something great for New Jersey.

If you don’t already know, we, the staff of Lamplighter Magazine, are a group of plucky graduates from William Paterson University (mostly), who have undertaken this project, believing in its value though it stands in the face of a down and difficult economic time. Starting out as simply this website, we are expanding our operation into a quarterly publication.

This first issue carries great value to us because, unlike simply running the website, the print magazine will give people something to carry. Being able to put pictures and articles, the words of local writers, and interesting stories into your hands is the most direct experience in which we can engage the community outside of bringing you to an art gallery or a poetry reading.

With your contribution, you will allow us to have this experience a thousand times! Your support will provide us with the funding to print 1000 copies of the first issue. This support, however, will extend itself into further issues as we begin to seek out advertisers, who want to know the community believes in our endeavor.

Our Goal & Your Rewards

Our goal is simply to print exactly 1000 copies of the magazine. But the task of printing a magazine is no small item on the daily to-do list! As for this issue, including the perk rewards for the campaign, we need to pay for:

• Printing the magazine
• Shipping it to our headquarters
• Mailing issues out to the happy people of NJ (and beyond!)
• Mix CDs (it’s a perk!)
• Taxes & fees & etc.

Realistically, the $2000 goal only just about covers the cost of printing. We cannot pay our writers. We cannot pay our photographers or our designers. It doesn’t pay for flyers or promotion needs. It doesn’t cover the cost of our website. We aren’t even throwing a pizza party. All of this is a passionate “goodness-of-our-hearts” work for the community. If we were to pay everyone fairly, we’ve estimated the true value of our work to be way more than $5000! But that is for another time, which can only happen with your help now!

Because you are so generous to contribute to our cause, we have a nice set of rewards depending on your donation level.

What We’ll Achieve

We are not your stereotyped, lazy twenty-somethings! In the short time that our website was focal point of this project we:

Developed a strong following of regular readers
Established a positive name and brand that has content contacting us
Set a high standard for both quality writing and easily accessible content

None of that will be changing with the magazine! And, being more than just passive observers and journalists, we are members of the communities we discuss, hosting events and participating in them. From organizing music performances to reading poetry at open-mic nights, we feed the creative community as much as we write about it! In turn, we’ve seen this forge strong relationships between people and create a more meaningful life as both writers and artists.

As a contributor, by supporting our project, you are allowing us to put the community back in the people’s hands. No longer just a website or a passing press clip online, Lamplighter can now be passed from person to person, helping the most vital aspects of the community grow.

How To Help Us!

Regardless of whether or not you can contribute to our cause monetarily, you can always support us in other ways by spreading the word! Forward this campaign page to your friends and family. Post our project on Facebook and tell people why you think its important, or tweet about us. Anything to help build the discussion and have people notice our mission!

You can always like us on Facebook by going to http://Facebook.com/LamplighterNJ

or tweet with us by going to http://Twitter.com/LamplighterNJ

Of course, if you have a lot to say, send us an e-mail: info@LamplighterNJ.com

And don’t forget to visit the IndieGoGo page: http://Indiegogo.com/LamplighterNJ

After having their songs stuck in my head on an endless loop, I had to talk to them to find out a little more about what’s behind the loose, mellow sound arcs, clean harmonies, and deftly written lyrics. One Skype conversation and an email follow-up later, I discovered that these guys back up their sound with a lot of passion for what they do. Eric Goldberg (vocals, bass, guitar), Danny Goldberg (guitar), Reed Adler (guitar), Skylar Adler (drums, recording engineering), and Evan Campbell (vocals, guitar, bass, and honorary bro) have serious talent respectively, and they bring their individual ideas and styles together to create a sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

The Nico Blues isn’t necessarily punk in terms of its sound, but as Eric put it for me, they do identify themselves heavily with the principles of punk rock. The band instead seems defined, paradoxically, by a lack of definition. They reject the notion that musicians need to limit themselves to one type of genre or niche market to be successful, and tap into several sounds from past decades for inspiration.

Listening to Blame is an exercise in flexibility, as each song moves from one influence to the next, where you can hear whispers of punk’s evolution tied into today’s iteration of alt/indie rock. That’s clear when listening to the songs; they each hold their own as self-contained entities and still function as a whole to create an ultimately cohesive collection.

The goal, according to Eric, is never to write the same song twice. “We want to combine all of the best things that we’ve found throughout the decades, not be too genre-specific if we don’t need to be. We consider ourselves rock music connoisseurs. We live it and we use the bands that influence us to build off of into our own style. Music and art are all about taking what’s come before and making it your own.”

The nature of the band is very much informed by the DIY philosophy of the punk scene they give credence to. Blame was recorded in its entirety in the basement of the house the band members share, and it’s in basements that the band can often be found performing. The name of the album itself is based on the fact that, as Eric puts it, “all kinds of shenanigans can take place in basements due to the mundane of the every-day.” They’ve worked with other bands in the NJ area to put on shows, and they’re constantly looking for ways to spread the word about their own band and others that they work closely with. The group is an advocate of music as a collaborative effort, and the proof is in their most recent endeavor, the Tiny Giant Artist Collective.

“Tiny Giant is about fostering a self-sustaining New Jersey scene where bands, bloggers, and promoters can work together to promote great music… This way, New Brunswick bands and Hoboken bands can grow their fan bases together. We’ve always wanted to be part of a great scene, and we started Tiny Giant when we noticed pockets springing in up in areas like New Brunswick, Hoboken, Jersey City, and Asbury Park. By uniting all these bands under one banner, we are that much stronger. We’ll be rolling out our new website soon, www.tinygiant.org, and we hope to foster a touring circuit around the country by inspiring other bands in other areas to do the same thing we’re doing.”

 The Nico Blues legitimizes the concept that music can and should be  community-based, a point  of contact for people who are passionate about  music and willing to contribute in any way they  can, which is what the  collective is all about: the group is a growing collaboration of musicians,  writers, promoters – anyone who has a vested interest in creating a stronger  sense of community within the current scene.

Their new album, Die Happy, is set to release on Feb. 29th. The six-song EP  features “diverse tracks that are already fan favorites because we’ve been  playing them live in the past year,” according to Reed. “They’re representative  of the more unique style of the Nico Blues. It’s more us. We’re trying to hone a  sound that’s unique to our style while still remaining diverse.” You can look forward to tracks like Melodic Death Jam, Sinking or Standing, and their new single, I Could Be Your Pet. We’ll be gifted with that teaser tomorrow–yes, that’s Valentine’s Day, and the catchy new song is Nico’s love letter to us. “It’s one of our more self-explanatory songs. It’s heavy on harmonies, and it’ll probably be playing in your head for days.” Look for it on the band’s website, and hit them with a ‘Like’ on Facebook when you hear what they’ve got to share.

You can also check out tour dates for some Nico Blues love in your own area – next up is the Tiny Giant showcase  at Death by Audio this Wednesday, Feb. 15th.