Boy Things: 7" Fundraiser Show

Our main goal at FFOMusic is to connect music lovers with local venues, artistic news, and music professionals.  That is what makes Boy Things' Saturday, March 31st show at Bar 46 so awesome!  This is a rare show that has the potential to bring the Northern New Jersey music community together.  The show is meant as a fundraiser for their newest EP, so it's important that we support this deserving and ardent band from Hackettstown, NJ.  It's an event so charming it could be the back-story to an indie film with a cult following.

So, without further ado, I properly introduce you to Boy Things, an indie-pop-math-punk-synth-rock band full of self proclaimed "cannibals"...  The band includes Beth Hansen (vocals), Adam Cumisky (guitar), Vince Rickey (bass), Eric Dryburgh (drums), and Blake Kelevra (Synth).  So far the band has released two EPs, one that is self-titled from 2011 and "Growing Up" which was released at the beginning of 2012.


Earlier last week I spoke with Erik Dryburgh, the man, the myth, the legend, and the drummer.  Here's what he had to say:

"The title of the new EP is called Equations and well we are really excited about it. For people who come out on the 31st, we possibly will play some of the new tracks!"

When asked about shows in the future:

• "Our next show is in Vernon for Melissa and Paul's record release show on April 13th.  Then 

  we are playing in the spring, getting ready for to tour, but mostly just promoting our new EP."
  
  

How do you think the new EP sounds compared to what you've released in the past?

"It's different compared to our first EPs. The songs cover a wide variety of sounds within our genre. Unlike the first EPs that were very pop/ pop punk influenced these new songs have some more technical parts, along with strong melodies, and definitely lots of rhythmic drive. As a musician doing the band thing for a long time (don't know if you remember goodnight streetlight?) I can't remember the last time I was this happy with a band. I''m very proud of this new EP and the members of Boy Things. I'm really excited to see where we go in the future."


If you're looking to join in on the fun the show is located in Great Meadows, NJ at Bar 46.  It's impossible to miss since it's located directly on Route 46 about 2 miles outside of Hackettstown.  Links for the show and Boy Things can be found below.  You can expect to see FFOMusic there as well, so come hang out with us!  I expect the show to be as hair-raising as Beth Hansen's freak out at the end of their song "Dirty Dancing".


Event:
http://www.facebook.com/events/359933220697380/
Band:
http://www.facebook.com/BoyThings
Listen and Download the EPs here:
http://boythings.bandcamp.com/

Article By: Michael Berger

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/

http://www.facebook.com/BDFMango