The Jersey City Independent "

Last Wednesday’s Groove on Grove Cinco de Mayo Fiesta started off strong, with the vendors serving up cheap eats and drinks. (Dancing) Tony Susco hosted the kickoff event, which is produced by the Jersey City Downtown Historic Special Improvement District (HDSID) and sponsored by a number of local businesses, including JCI. The crowd was in a festive mood and the turnout was one of the stronger I’ve seen for Groove on Grove.

It’s been a few months since I’d been out to IM Automata Chino, and hearing that they had remodeled the inside of the venue I thought I’d stop in Friday night to see what’s changed.

This week, Lucky 7 Tavern hosted two newcomers to the weekly Songwriter’s Showcase, with Plastiq Passion and The Press braving the icy conditions to play two very fun, energetic sets. I took my leisurely stroll down to the bar to check them out.

When most people think of Tuesday in Jersey City, they don’t think of rock ‘n’ roll. But Lucky 7 Tavern (full disclosure: yes, I work there folks) has become a bit of a rock haven on Tuesdays with its weekly Songwriter Showcase — one of the few places you can still catch up with local music in this fair city.

This charismatic quintet just released a new EP, Where We Fall, and are fresh off a U.S. tour. Tree (vocals,guitar) Larry Brinkman (vocals, guitar) and Joe Daly (vocals, guitar) serve up the frontline to a host of songs about drinking and heartbreak, with Chuck Daly (bass) and Patrick Byrne (drums) bearing down for rhythm support. This is one of the must-see — or I should say must-hear — groups in Jersey City.

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Another Rainy Jersey City Friday: It seems the elements themselves conspire against us each time the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District throws an event, and the latest JC Fridays special Groove on Grove last Friday was no exception. But this is Jersey City, and there’s not much short of a flash flood that could stop [...]

Saturday I did something positively uncharacteristic. No, I’m totally joshing you — I went out to see some bands, obviously. The Crosstown Country Allstars and The Porchistas were playing at the Lamp Post.

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The clouds over Liberty State Park parted on Saturday for the second day of All Points West, but muddy feet were still the order of the day. The weather took a turn for the worse on Sunday, when heavy rains delayed the opening of the gates by five hours. Saturday’s bill was headed by Tool, [...]