Local Spotlight: Falling Through the Center of the Earth

Band Name: Falling Through the Center of the Earth
Band Members: Dan Boyle, Ari Gazetas, Dank Bill, Pat Fitzmaurice, Matt Kohanowski
Hometown: West Milford,NJ
Formed: 2014
Genre: Metal

Show Review: Skate and Surf Festival 2014

When the landmark pop-punk and hardcore festival Skate and Surf announced that it would take place for the first time in almost ten years last year, the announcement was met with overwhelming support. That support turned to jeers, however, as the even was marred by a location change that proved to be both a logistical and organizational nightmare, a weekend forecast that simply didn’t co-operate with an outdoor festival, and a rumors of heavy merch cut percentages causing several bands to refuse to sell merchandise at the festival. I was fairly critical of last year’s Skate and Surf, saying that the one saving grace was that I also was able to go to Six Flags each morning before the festival grounds opened (and Fall Out Boy playing an awesome set in the pouring rain didn’t hurt).

So when the festival was announced as returning in 2014, I made a promise to myself. Despite having gone to every New Jersey area Bamboozle/Skate and Surf since 2008, I would only go to Skate and Surf 2014 if Midtown reunited. Well, it turns out festival organizer John D’Esposito got Gabe and the gang back together for not one but two sets on the weekend. As a result, I decided to make the trek to Asbury Park for the second day of the two-day festival. The festival suffered yet another location change this year, moving from Middletown to Asbury Park, but yet again the location change ended up benefiting the festival in the long run. Moving the festival back to Asbury Park allowed Skate and Surf to go back to its roots and allowed the fans to appreciate the festival’s legacy. 

Local Spotlight: On Your Marks

 Long story short, Keep Calm and Carry On will now feature kickass local bands.  To find Madison's full statement on why this is super important to us, click here.  If you're not into that, just be sure to read Keep Calm and Carry On's first Local Spotlight, featuring the incredibly hardworking and cool guys from On Your Marks.

How to "Carry On": The New Jersey State Special

Snooki, JWOWW, Pauly D, Ronnie, Vinny. These are the cast members of the (in)famous MTV show Jersey Shore that don't actually live in New Jersey. Yet somehow, combined with Sammi Sweetheart, The Situation, and Deena (who at least can claim some semblance of Jersey roots), these classless, shameless, and filthy rich individuals have come to define the world's image of the great state of New Jersey. But as most listeners of Keep Calm and Carry On know, there is much more to New Jersey than spray tans and trying to relive your Senior Prom Weekend at Seaside (fun fact: The Situation and Pauly D are both over the age of 30). We've been the host to the highest, fastest roller coaster in the world for a few years now (here's to you, Kingda Ka), we're one of the most culturally diverse states in the country, and above all else, we've churned out more musicians than any other state (that's more opinion than fact). From Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen to My Chemical Romance and The Gaslight Anthem, the new wave of any scene "fad" makes its break on the Jersey shore. That's what this week at Keep Calm and Carry On was all about: paying tribute to the bands who got their start or their big break in the Garden State. We'll start this sampling with a song that features a band that everyone knows, but New Jersey knew about first. Listen below as Jimmy Eat World pays its tribute to Jersey in "Big Casino":

In addition, we also played some songs from bands who were home-grown in the Garden State. Thursday, Senses Fail, My Chemical Romance, and countless others have changed the game in the scene, but before all of that, they all started in a small Jersey town. One of the more lesser-known and short-lived bands from New Jersey, but still packed a big-time punch, was Hidden in Plain View. Starting in Stanhope, NJ, the band broke out of the suburbs and onto Drive-Thru records, and while they called it quits long before they should have, they still gave us some great jams, including their tribute to their home state, "Garden Statement" (Fun fact: Donald graduated from the same high school as all of the members of HIPV!):

Making a list of bands who drew inspiration from or got their start in New Jersey can go on for days. However, Keep Calm and Carry On was lucky enough to catch up with a band who's now mentioned the state in two songs, and continues to show their unconditional support for all things Jersey: Mayday Parade. Donald was able to sit down and talk with Jeremy Lenzo, bassist/vocalist for the band, after they wrapped up a trip to the UK to tour with You Me at Six. The result was a great, interesting interview, and we can't thank Jeremy enough. Check it out below! 

What'd you think of the interview? Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you next time! Be sure to listen to Keep Calm and Carry On on 91.3FM WTSR or online at www.wtsr.org every Friday night from 9-11pm!