“We bring life to the city,” Brauser said. “We bring life to the district.”

City officials agree that the events are legal and beneficial to the city. Cultural Affairs director Maryanne Kelleher said she had personally asked representatives from the arts community to speak out at the meeting to show the broad support for the events. She also confirmed that the complaints are coming from a small minority of residents.

“The people from the arts community are here in answer to a perceived handful of people calling in noise complaints,” she said.

She added that the festival organizers of events like Creative Grove and Groove on Grove are “operating with legal permits” and that “any noise complaint received by the Jersey City Police has been addressed.”

However, Kelleher noted that the process being used to look into noise complaints is currently “not scientific,” with cops “using their ears” to assess sound levels. Chief of staff Rosemary McFadden added that this will soon change, since the city plans on “buying decibel readers and looking into this issue.”

Photo courtesy of Uta Brauser

While much-needed revisions to the city’s entertainment ordinance – which, the thinking goes, should allow for more legal live music in small venues – continue to be hashed out at City Hall, one of the most consistent options for live music in Jersey City has become the outdoors.

But one bustling location, the Grove Street PATH plaza, is facing noise complaints from residents of an adjacent building. The complaints have led to sets being stopped short and plugs being pulled, but no citations from the city. Still, the complaints and threats of legal action have led to the creation of a new grassroots group to push back.

‘All of These Events are Operating within the Law’

Every Wednesday during the warm months, the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District (HDSID) produces Groove on Grove, an evening of free live music on the plaza, usually featuring three bands and running from 6 until about 9 pm. The plaza also plays host to Arts in Action’s weekly Creative Grove Artist & Designer Market every Friday from 2 to 8 pm, as well as twice-weekly farmers markets on Mondays and Thursday.

“All of these events are operating within the law and constraints established by the Jersey City municipal code,” city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill tells JCI. “Grove Plaza is a public park, and each of these events has obtained a Public Assemblage License.”

The events, HDSID operations manager Nikol Floros says, are intended “to promote the district and encourage people to stay in the district and patronize local businesses.” The live music series, now in its fourth year, has been a welcome addition to Downtown Jersey City’s cultural offerings. Many weeks, you can witness a small crowd on hand, with children dancing and commuters stopping in for a quick bit of post-work relaxation. (Disclosure: JCI has been a lead sponsor of Groove on Grove for two years.)

“The idea behind Groove on Grove is to invite the community to sit down, get something to eat, listen to music and stay in the neighborhood,” says (Dancing) Tony Susco, who books the bands and helps run the event. “We hope Groove on Grove cultivates a sense of community, which encourages residents of Jersey City to stay in town, and enjoy what local businesses and restaurants have to offer.”

Uta Brauser, the executive director of Arts in Action and organizer of Creative Grove, says her weekly market – like Groove on Grove — aims “to revitalize the district [and] build a cultural program for the public.”

“Creative Grove, in particular, builds — for artists and creatives — a public platform for showcasing,” she says of the market that launched in May 2009. “It has an important function in economic development in the area.”

But these arts organizers say two residents of Grove Pointe, the luxury building that sits adjacent to the plaza, aren’t pleased with the sounds associated with cultural vitality. The residents have made repeated complaints to the city, leading police to come to the plaza’s events on several occasions over the past few years. Without fail, when the cops come, adjustments are made, everything checks out OK and no tickets are issued. But the music gets stopped and the crowds are often left wondering what is going on.

“The Jersey City Police Department has received a few noise complaints. Each complaint has been addressed individually by dispatching an officer to the site on each occurrence,” Morrill says. “All three events are operating within full compliance of the code, no violations have been issued to the organizers because they have been compliant and agreeable to making adjustments when requested.”

Neither of the complainants responded to JCI’s requests for comment, but arts organizers and city officials say they have tried doing everything they can to accommodate any reasonable sound-related requests.

“Modifications have been made on our part to try to diffuse the sound of the live music,” Susco says. “We altered the layout of the stage so that it is no longer facing towards the building, and our artists and sound engineer know to keep sound levels at reasonable levels.”

If the music were quieted any more, Susco adds, it wouldn’t be much of a live music event.

“If we make any more concessions, it will be a disservice to the event,” he says.

Brauser says she has made similar adjustments, but finds that it never quite seems to be good enough.

“For the past two years I have dealt with some complaints, and worked on communicating with those who feel disturbed,” she says. “I have changed the positions of speakers and worked on sound levels, [but] found that communication never worked both ways.”

The HDSID’s Floros says that like Brauser and Susco, she’s tried to work with the unhappy residents, but acknowledges that hasn’t stopped the complaints.

“We feel that it is our duty to work with the community to be a good neighbor, and we have made changes to minimize the impact of the events,” she says. “The HDSID board is committed to doing what is best for the district stakeholders and the city of Jersey City. There are indeed a handful of individuals that aren’t comfortable with the road we are taking, but there are thousands of residents and business owners who support us — it is their vision that we seek to fulfill.”

Morrill also says the city has tried to walk the fine line between residents’ quality of life and fostering a vital public sphere, and it remains disappointed that it hasn’t been enough for the complainants.

“Jersey City supports each resident’s right to assemble in public places, as long as all required permits are granted and events operate within the law. We also recognize that events should not infringe negatively on the quality of life of residents,” she says. “In this case, the city of Jersey City made every attempt to reasonably accommodate the complainants. We appreciate the cooperation of the event organizers to address noise levels, and regret that the complainants remain dissatisfied.”

And so the storyline at play here is a new twist on a familiar tale. Artists transform derelict area into cultural destination. High-income residents move in. Artists get pushed out. Or do they? In this case, both the city government and a prominent business-oriented group have recognized the importance of fostering the arts, and they are both standing tall in the face of repeated complaints.

And thanks to Downtown resident and creative entrepreneur Luca Cusolito, they’re finding they have a lot of support.

Cusolito, who runs the marketing and social media strategy company Creative Enabler, has taken to the web to create a new grassroots group, Save JC Music.

The group has tentacles on Facebook and the web, but its cornerstone is an online petition on Change.org designed to raise awareness – and public comment – about the challenges facing cultural programming at the PATH plaza.

“I wanted to have an infrastructure in place so that if in the event these complaints escalated, the community could be better informed of these developments and ready to organize to protect their community events,” says Cusolito. “As the organizer of the Jersey City Craft Mafia and a supporter of Jersey City’s local arts community, it is imperative for me to pour my time and effort into protecting these important cultural events that provide opportunities for indie businesses and area musicians to showcase their work and gather the support of their neighbors.”

As of Monday, August 22, 772 people have signed the online petition, with many pointing out the irony of living in the heart of a city and complaining about noise.

“Since the pedestrian plaza was created at the same time that Grove Pointe was constructed, I find it difficult to understand how those inhabiting the building were not aware of the entertainment possibilities of the plaza. New York uses its plazas to that end, which is the beauty of an urban environment — something is always happening!,” Michele Dupey wrote on August 9. “To ban the arts because of that person’s poor residence choice for his or her style of living does not serve the city of Jersey City, its art community, or its residents very well.”

Others point to the vital role the events are playing in Jersey City’s fragile music scene.

“Throughout the past 10 years while I’ve been a resident here, Jersey City has had a tough time hosting live music: it seems as quickly as a new venue surfaces, another closes — and regardless, those venues are few and far to find,” Ellen Broudy wrote on August 19. “Groove on Grove offers music lovers and musicians alike a beautiful, lively, centralized space to play and listen, eat and socialize. Jersey City should learn something from its neighbor NYC. Support the arts. Keep Groove on Grove alive. New York shouldn’t have all the fun.”

And still others echo the point made by city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill earlier in this story: that the public plaza is just that – public space.

“For Grove Pointe residents to act as if the Grove Street PATH plaza is their own private driveway and NOT a public space for all of Jersey City’s residents and visitors is preposterous,” Scott Shields wrote on August 18. “They were under no such illusions when they moved there and to quash Jersey City culture just for such a small subset of its residents – many of them temporary – is unacceptable.”

An overarching theme to many of the more aggressive comments on the petition can be summarized as “if you don’t like it, then move to the suburbs.” And while none of the event organizers go quite that far in their comments to JCI, Floros points out the underlying principle: Jersey City is more than a bedroom community with quick and easy access to New York City – it is a city all its own. And “city living” is much more than a real-estate marketing slogan – it is an actual lifestyle, with both positive and negative aspects.

“There are certain concessions one must make for the convenience of living in a vibrant city,” she says.

Photo of The Ashes at Groove on Grove by Zac Clark

It seems this May the weather is once again out to foil our plans of merriment on Wednesdays (today being a crucial exception). The first Groove on Grove saw temperatures in the low 50s and last week’s show was canceled due to the rain. The May 11 show was only marginally better, with a windy low-60s forecast, but a nice crowd still turned out to check out three bands.

This week I climbed out of the PATH station to be greeted by the Porchistas. Alan (guitar/vocals), Adam (guitar/vocals) and Sam McMickle (drums) were wheeling and dealing. Once I came into view they tossed me a quick shout out (it’s nice to be recognized). The Porchistas are a socially and environmentally conscious folk rock group from Montclair who recently put out a new LP titled Save the Earth. One of my favorite tracks is the “PBR Song,” about a man that robbed PBR blind and now drinks Johnny Walker Blue.

The Ashes set up next. Shane (vocals, slide/guitar, harmonica, piano and drums), Thomas (violin, bass, tuba), Alec (trombone, mandolin, guitar), Kevin (bass, banjo) and Pat (drums) are an Americana-style country band. These fellows were all business; that is, if business is good old fashioned country jams. Bursting with wit and charisma, Shane’s voice is a singular phenomenon in the local rock scene. In fact, the Ashes are sort of their own thing — there are plenty of alt-country bands out there, but they bring something authentic to the mix. I wanted to jump up on stage and play the jug.

Fairmont is Neil (guitar/vocals), Andy (drums/samples), Christian (synths/pianet) and Sam (vocals/percussion). One of the things that makes them stand out is the use of a xylophone. Sam and Neil have a very cool dialogue when they play together, and there’s an undeniable chemistry between them that lends itself well to their songs’ subject matter. Unfortunately their set was cut short due to a medical problem with the drummer, but the band plays relatively frequently around Jersey City. Be sure to check ‘em out next time.

VIDEOS:

The series will return next week with a show by These Animals, The Radio Galaxy and Hello, Boat.

The One and Nines performing at Groove on Grove last June; they are scheduled to play this year’s Groove on Grove/JC Fridays event on June 3. (Photo: Zac Clark)

As the weather begins to warm up, the free outdoor Groove on Grove music series is set to return for its fourth year beginning with a “Cuatro de Mayo” event next Wednesday.

The schedule for the entire summer isn’t quite firmed up yet, but the first five weeks have been booked (shows begin at 6 pm):

• Wednesday, May 4: Cuatro de Mayo with Lucha DJ, Deivito y Los Pescadores, Crosstown Country Allstars
• Wednesday, May 11: The Porchistas, The Ashes, Fairmont
• Wednesday, May 18: The Broc Hempel Trio, Brendan Kibbee, Jordan Piper
• Wednesday, May 25: These Animals, The Radio Galaxy, Hello, Boat
• Friday, June 3 (JC Fridays): The One and Nines, Roland Ramos, The Black Hollies, The Milwaukees

“This year’s Groove on Grove will host new acts as well as some of our seasoned veterans,” explains booker Tony Susco, adding that, like last year, the first concert of each month with have alcohol and food sponsors.

“We are working with JC Studios, Pearl Studios, Sirelo Entertainment, the Lamp Post, Lucky 7 Tavern, Zac Clark, as well as other local music bookers to offer a diverse music selection,” he says. “Thanks to Metropolis Music and local schools, we will also showcase some truly blossoming and developing artists.”

We’ll let you know as more shows are booked into the summer; you can also always check our Cultural Calendar for live music outdoors and indoors, all over town.

This Friday began early for me as I got out to check out Creative Grove, and see how the shops would set up with Groove on Grove’s special appearance for JC Fridays. I spent some time wandering around checking out the local art scene and the available wares. With items ranging from screen printed T-shirts to homemade organic cookies and lemonade, there was something for everyone.

Around 6 pm the music started up, with four acts slated to go on.

Heather Duby kicked it off, with her voice and keys — coupled with Tom Barrett on drums and Thomas Unish on guitar — pulling the scattered crowd into the tent. I snagged my ceremonial “start of the show” beer from the Bar Majestic booth and dug in for the set. Heather Duby has this amazing sound that sort of pulls at your heart; it’s hard to put the band’s sound into words. Most of the people were swarming from the PATH and staying for a couple of songs — I’d have to imagine it was a comforting sound to start the weekend to.

Next up was the Rebecca Vallejo Project, bringing the Latin-style funk with a jazzy scat feel. I felt like I was at a jazz club in the seedy side of 1930s Chicago. Her version of “Girl from Ipanema” is amazing; she takes this and other classics makes them her own, and she does it well. After the set I saddled up to the Sawadee Booth and dug into some veggie dumplings.

Last year’s fall installment of JC Fridays was my first taste of Tris McCall; he performed as part of Overlord. Ever since then I suppose he’s been right at the peripheral of my conscious, but I just never was about to find the time to get out to see him live. After seeing him here, I have to say I really regret not finding the time — I think my life would have been slightly more bright for it. I’ve heard locals tell me things like “This guy is the David Byrne of Jersey City!” and often other bands raving about the fountain of talent and musical production that he exudes. Frankly, I take a lot of that with a grain of salt — I’m a bit of a skeptic when it comes to music. But after seeing him again — backed by the Housing Bubble — it’s so apparent that I think I must have been having some kind of auditory illusion to not realize it nine months ago. I highly suggest you find a way to get your hands on Let the Night Fall, his latest LP. Track seven — “First World, Third Rate” — is an instant hit.

Wrapping up show was the One & Nines, with eight band members crowding onto what I had previously thought was a pretty large stage. As usual, the band had a large crowd — ranging from toddlers to seniors — out for the show. Basically, if you can hear, this band is for you. While the big soulful sound is hard to pull off with proficiency, the One & Nines do it in style, with every song feeling more epic than the last. The extended brass section the band had on Friday only served to reinforce how contagious the atmosphere gets when they get on stage — just see the video! After the set was done, the crowd dispersed quickly, but that’s JC Fridays for you — there’s something going on everywhere in town.

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.

The first band was Rainbow Fresh, Union City’s jazzy rock trio. With a special set list prepared for the Cinco de Mayo, they certainly put the groove in the Groove on Grove. They were like Santana meets the Contra soundtrack for old-school Nintendo. Rich Seiner (guitar) wailed out on the high notes. Chip Moore (bass) and Kenny Soule (drums) jammed out. They set up a great vibe for the evening as the drinks flowed and food was enjoyed.

Next up was an exhibition from the North Brunswick High School Winter Percussion Group, some seriously talented youngsters who played several exercises and got the crowd dancing a little. I hadn’t seen anything like this at Groove on Grove yet; it seems like the HDSID is really pulling out all the stops this year.

With the exhibition over, DJ Lucha (aka Pat Byrne, the drummer of Any Day Parade) took over for a bit with some rock ‘n’ roll records he put together for the occasion. I took this time to mingle with the rest of the local rock scene that came out to show their support. Vera, Jeff and Will of The One & Nines, Matt & Sam of the McMickle Brothers, Alan of the Porchistas, The Milwaukees, Any Day Parade and the list just goes on. There’s one thing that unifies the local music scene here, and it’s support. Bands of all different styles and towns come together for these events.

After the DJ set Los Chispatores took over the stage. Deivis Garcia (guitar), Lou Norte (guitar), Sam McMickle (cajon), Rich Seiner (guitar) and Matt Kloss (bass) are the parts that form together this Spanish-style Flamencobilly rock outfit. They’re super-charged and guitar-driven, but with a traditional folk style. If that makes no sense to you, remember this: they pick and grin their way through some very fun and very uplifting songs. You can’t help but yell out or sing along when these guys get going.

I’d say the the first Groove on Grove was a complete success. Beverages, food, rock and a little bit of dancing — you can’t beat that. Commuters were happy to stop by as they were coming home from work. Each Wednesday there will be a new host of bands up until September. At this price (ie, free) and with the amount of talent here in town I can’t imagine a reason why you wouldn’t come out and relax with your neighbors for a few hours.

RAINBOW FRESH

LOS CHISPATORES

The full schedule for the series, which runs this year until Sept. 10, is still being nailed down by booker (Dancing) Tony Susco, but the lineups for the next two months are pretty much in place. We’ll keep you posted with any changes, and you can always find live music listings for the festival or any of Jersey City’s other venues on our Cultural Calendar.

May 12: Bern & the Brights, Plastiq Passion

May 19: Con Vivo Jersey City

May 26: Manouche Bag, Bryan Beninghove Trio

June 4 (Special JC Fridays show): The One & Nines, Tris McCall and the Housing Bubble, Heather Duby, Rebecca Vallejo Project

June 9: Forbidden Fruit, Delexio

June 16: Pat Van Dyke, Jack Parsons Moonchild

June 23: Air Panther, Modern Airs

June 30: Kelly Saint Patrick, Eliza Neals

July 7: Ace Case and the Crosstown Country Allstars, Jeremy Wallace Trio, The McMickle Brothers, Pray for the Wanderer, Any Day Parade