The Jersey City Independent "

The crew behind the annual 4th Street Arts & Music Festival has put together a number of original fundraisers in the past few years, from a mac & cheese bake-off to a chili cook-off. Now they are at it again, having lined up an eight-band battle at Parlay Studios this Sunday.

The “Last Band Standing” event will feature the bands Easter Vomit, In Musth, Plastiq Passion, Devi, Shayfer James, Los Huevos and Prison Pretty, all of which have at least one member hailing from Jersey City, according to Max Michaels, one of the event organizers.

And while he is reluctant to disclose any details of how the competition will unfold, so as to not tip off any of the bands or the crowd, Michaels promises “some surprises,” and says they have “definitely put a lot of thought into keeping it interesting.”

We caught up with him this week to find out a little more about the show, this year’s 4th Street festival and the state of the Jersey City music scene.

How did the idea to do a battle of the bands come about?

One of the members of the 4th street arts crew, Jesse Amoroso, who happens to be quite the music aficionado, was questioning the exposure that’s possible for Jersey City based bands. Meanwhile, we were brainstorming fundraising opportunities for the 4th street festival. The ideas came together and we started planning about four months ago. We had some delays but in the last couple months interest has skyrocketed and the event has organically grown.

What do bands get out of it?

First off, exposure and recognition, especially for the winner. We have a very professional, well-known panel of judges who will help to promote the winner after it’s all said and done. As for prizes, we have gift baskets of music gear, recording time in a pro studio and, most important, the honor.

How do you think this event fits into the broader live music scene in Jersey City?

More than anything, we’re hoping it gets exposure for the bands and that local business owners (i.e. bar owners) see the talent pool we have locally and begin to start think about booking shows. The lack of venues is a big obstacle in getting the word out about the great music scene we have down here and if we can help trigger the creation of more venues, we’re happy.

Think you guys will do another battle after this one?

That’s completely dependent upon the response this event receives and on how the music scene progresses in Jersey City over the following year. We’re hoping events like this will inspire others to get involved and spark growth in the Jersey City music scene.

What else is in store as you gear up for October’s festival?

There are a lot of ideas on our plate right now. Jersey City Art School, led by Thomas Carlson, is putting together a group of artists to help design and create murals for the festival. Gocha Tsinadze and Uta Brauser are planning an interactive installation, but this one is still on the drawing board. There are a also a bunch of other plans on board with more coming daily. It’s just a matter of work and time to bring them all to fruition.

Anything else to add?

We’d like to thank our sponsors most of all. New Jersey Beer Company is providing their locally brewed beers, which are delicious, for the event. Metropolis Music is providing the prizes. Homefront Studios is providing some studio time along with Moonlight Mile Studios. Made with Love is providing some tasty treats for the event as well. Finally, we thank Tony Susco’s Rock-it Docket for helping with promotions and being a general support of the arts in Jersey City.

Also, we’d like to thank the musicians and residents of Jersey City for making this event what it is. Without them, this wouldn’t have came together as easily as it has.

THE DETAILS
Last Band Standing; Sunday, August 22 from 2 to 6 pm; Parlay Studios, 161 2nd St. Admission is $5 at the door.

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