Tune In, Turn On
Blues-rock vocalist Dana Fuchs will return to the Jersey Shore on Monday, Aug. 17, for a free Tony Mart Presents “Lundi Gras” concert at Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
The New York-based singer arrives following the March release of her latest album, “Live in Denmark,” recorded during a Scandinavian tour last fall.
Fuchs said the idea for the live recording developed through discussions with her manager, agent and Germany-based label, Ruf Records. Her previous album, “Borrowed Time,” was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting opportunities to tour behind it.
“Last fall, I went to Denmark for a mini-tour; my label, Ruf Records, and my manager decided we should record a live album there,” Fuchs said in press materials. “My previous record, ‘Borrowed Time,’ was underserved because of the pandemic, and this felt like a chance to make things right.”
“Live in Denmark” captures Fuchs and her band performing at Godset, a music venue in Kolding, Denmark. The album features the blues-rock sound and emotionally direct songwriting that have become central to her work.
Tune In Turn On recently spoke with Fuchs about the album, the personal experiences behind her songs and her return to the Jersey Shore.
DD: Let’s start by discussing your new album, “Live in Denmark.” How and when did you decide to make a live recording, and why Denmark?
DF: The decision came together faster than I expected. My agent, manager and label president all conspired and brought it up to me, and we moved quickly. Godset in Kolding is an incredible venue. We had been touring hard through Scandinavia, so the band was locked in.
European crowds, especially in Denmark, bring a kind of attentiveness that gives you permission to really go somewhere. Once we were onstage that night, everything else fell away. The audience was right there with us from the first note, and I think you can hear that on the record. It just felt like the right room at the right moment.
DD: There have been some difficult times in your life, many of which you address in your songs. Which songs are particularly personal to you?
DF: “Ready to Rise” is one of the most personal things I’ve ever put into a song. I wrote it while navigating the loss of both my parents, my sister and my brothers, all back-to-back. That kind of grief buries you. There were moments when I felt like my eyes were open, but I wasn’t really there. Writing that song was part of how I found my way back.
“Borrowed Time” cuts deep for similar reasons. It’s about reckoning with what you have while you have it. “Curtain Close” is a tribute to a dear friend we lost not long ago, and it has become an anthem for all of our lost loved ones.
Even some of my older songs carry a weight I didn’t fully understand when I first wrote them. Songs have a way of revealing themselves over time, especially after you’ve lived through more of what they were trying to say to begin with.
DD: You’ve performed at the Jersey Shore several times as part of Tony Mart concerts and return Monday, Aug. 17. What do you enjoy about playing here?
DF: I love it. Most people know by now that I was born in New Jersey. There’s something about the Shore crowd that’s completely its own thing. People come out ready to have a real night, not just watch a show.
And a certain faction of that Jersey crowd — you know who you are — always brings fresh tomatoes, which Kev loves.
The energy is immediate and warm, and there’s no pretense to it. Tony Mart has such a legendary history at the Shore, and being part of that tradition really means something special to me.
Playing Kennedy Plaza on the Boardwalk on a summer night is about as good as it gets. The Shore has always felt like home turf to me, and I can’t wait to get back there on the 17th.
Fuchs performs Monday, Aug. 17, at Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk as part of the free Tony Mart Presents “Lundi Gras” concert series.
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com
