Tune In, Turn On
With the summer season behind us, we now turn our attention to fall festivals — and there are plenty in South Jersey! One of these is the ever-popular Smithville Artwalk at the Village Greene, featuring more than 75 regional artists and, of course, the more than 60 shops and boutiques that make Smithville so special. Sue and I always stop at Cook’s Corner for its incredible selection of coffee.
One of those Smithville shops, Underground, is a punk rock, gothic and subculture shop featuring virtually anything a rock ’n’ roll lover could want — T-shirts, monster memorabilia, music merchandise, CDs, vinyl and much more.
Running the ship at Underground is Mike Spagnola, a colorful rocker who is usually dressed in black, always friendly and definitely aware of how different his shop is from the others in normally quaint Smithville.
Spagnola had a great idea this year: Hold his annual music event, Rockabilly Uprising, which normally takes place in June, on the same day as the Smithville Artwalk. Both events will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.
“We’re combining Rockabilly Uprising — our 12th year — with our September Artwalk this year,” Spagnola told us in a recent interview. “Uprising will feature two bands: Joe Castro and the Gravamen, and Billy Penn and the Inside Drivers. Our yearly pinup contest offers a $100 cash prize. Artwalk features 75 art vendors with special guests Mark and Mark from Weird NJ magazine.”
Spagnola, his partner and girlfriend, Alex Quaranta, and Underground have been in Smithville for almost two decades — an impressive feat in the difficult world of retail.
“Underground is 19 years old today. I don’t think anyone in this conservative little town thought a weird punk rock shop would last 19 weeks, let alone 19 years. But here we are, thriving. It’s unusual to find a shop like this outside of a big city,” Spagnola added.
Rockabilly Uprising and the Smithville Artwalk will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at 615 E. Moss Mill Road in Smithville. Information: historicsmithville.com.
Tune-Ups
There are Grateful Dead tribute bands — too numerous to mention — and then there is Dark Star Orchestra.
Formed in Chicago in 1997 by guitarist Scott Kadlecik and keyboardist Scott Larned, DSO is an international touring tribute band that performs complete original setlists, song by song and in order, while adapting its phrasing, vocal arrangements and musical equipment to the various eras of the Grateful Dead’s shows.
Since its formation, DSO has performed more than 3,000 shows and counting. The Grateful Dead, by comparison, played more than 2,500 concerts during its illustrious 30-year history, which ended with the death of guitarist, vocalist and spiritual bandleader Jerry Garcia in 1995.
Members of the Grateful Dead — rhythm guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir; bassist Phil Lesh; drummer Bill Kreutzmann; vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux; and keyboardists Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten — have all appeared onstage and performed with Dark Star Orchestra at one time or another.
To label Dark Star Orchestra the premier Grateful Dead cover and tribute band in the world is not a stretch; it’s a fact.
Look for plenty of tie-dyed clothing and a cool hippie vibe at Ocean Casino Resort’s Ovation Hall when DSO performs there at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Tickets and information: theoceanac.com.
