The Last Great American Roadhouse

For the most part Main Street of Stanhope, NJ is quaint and quiet.  But every Wednesday about twenty or so punks, hippies, fans, or whatever can be seen outside smoking their cigarettes on the porch of The Stanhope House.  At about 8:30pm on March 14th the weather must have been just perfectly strange or the planets must have been nonaligned in a jumbled mess because the music blaring through the walls as I walked up was utterly Hard and perfectly Core.
The sign coming in read "No Moshing" but it didn't stop some from trying.  As I walked in I was greeted by my friend's on stage Ben Scardo and Ricky Hall of the band BDFM, making it just in time to see them play a Ukulele included cover of a Dead Kennedy's song.  Walking up to the bar a sign reads $2 Rolling Rocks and $3 PBRs.  About 5minutes later friends Collin, Kelsey and fellow writer of this blog Loren Kessel walk in.
As the night went on the music got more Hardcore and at one point insanely Metal.  So we abandoned our spot in front of the standard crowd line standing about 7 feet back from the stage and headed toward the bar.  So maybe the metal wasn't our thing, but the crowd it attracts and the comradery of the bands made the venue special.  The silence between each set invited a ghostly feeling as each group of friends talk among themselves, their voices echoing within the history of the walls.  Then maybe the most important question of the night came to light, "How long has this place been around?"  After some research I found my answer and more!  I could paraphrase but the website says it best.

"If walls could talk, the old walls of the Stanhope House (c.1794), the Last Great American Road House, would have some serious stories to tell. The club was the stomping grounds and post-show hangout of a massive array of loved blues legends.Imagine, the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn scrubbing dishes in the kitchen after a late night, jam packed gig. Picture Muddy Waters' deep, grainy voice trading chicken recipes with former club Matron, Mama Wrobleski or the original Hoochie Coochie Man, Willie Dixon stopping by for Thanksgiving dinner. All of it happened at The Stanhope House, one of the last great blues bastions left in America."

In conclusion the show was great... because the atmosphere was amazing.  I wasn't the biggest fan of the music besides BDFM but that didn't stop me from enjoying myself!  If your wondering what the venue's schedule looks like my answer is incredibly impressive, for such a small venue.  Recently a friend watched as 40 year old men threw on their old leather jackets and skanked to The Toasters.  On Sunday March 18th Post-Rock band Moving Mountains headlines for a ticket price of $12.  But the show flyer that made my pupils dilate as I read the name was... Big D & The Kids Table on May 11th for a ticket price of $12 dollars!  Oh did I forget to mention that if you enjoy blues guitarist the calender is full of $25 dollar shows to see guitarists that my generation has never heard of?  

Post by: Mike Berger

Links: http://www.stanhopehousenj.com/

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