Amora Bliss (Top)
State Radio (Left)
Taylor Bright (Bottom Left)
The Trenton singer’s acoustic Bad Religion lullabies on tap for 9 tonight at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) gives hope to aging misanthropic anthropoids. Tickets cost $2. 21-plus.
Pure and polished tween country-pop should get this Philly singer - playing the Live & Local stage at Six Flag’s Great Adventure (1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson) at 2 this afternoon with Reed Schmidt and Rockin’ Kids Club – either a spot on “American Idol” or an opening gig for Demi Lovato. Show’s free with admission to the park. All-ages.
Guitar whiz, which at 20 was ranked by Guitar World only behind B.B. King and Eric Clapton on their list of the most popular blues artists, headlines The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) at 8 tonight. Tickets cost $32.50 in advance, $35 at the door. All-ages.
The all-chick Led Zeppelin “reinvention,” as termed by the project’s Jimmy Page, Steph Paynes, in a May ’08 interview with The Trentonian, attempts to exude the same sexual energy as the arena-rock superstars, but without all that icky Robert Plant chest-hair sweat. Instead it’s “Whole Lotta Love,” and tighter behinds, for these New York rock vixens, set to go all “Heartbreaker” on The Wonder Bar (1213 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) at 8:30 tonight. Tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door. All-ages.
Rochester snarl rockers, playing Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) at 8 tonight with One Win Choice, Black Wine and Break Even, scream it up like The Locusts wiling out inside a Midwest twister. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
Beastly Burlco crazy-core’s metallic carnage is utterly deranged. The Delran demons kick off their tour at 4 tomorrow afternoon with a mini hardcore hoedown housed at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) featuring Canker Sore, In Wake of the Plague, Doomsday Machine, Schematic, Dead Thoughts Memory, Beneath Me and A Red Sky In Mourning. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.
The National Spelling Bee
Ocean Vs. All post-punks get electro-core under a fountain of strobe lights deep inside the Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) at 9 tomorrow night. Conductor Connor Byrne tells On The Beat the “project” is “an audible and visual life experience” and “satirical performance on pretentious indie bands” aimed at non-epileptics looking to suck down an intense light show. The Adalusians and Montagna and the Mouth to Mouth play, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
New Providence speed-metal mutants, who sound like the soundtrack to a one-vehicle collision through a brick wall, headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) at 10 tomorrow night. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
Pop-punk hooks like, “I love your clothes, I love you sober, when you’re good and ready, I’ll call you over,” and songs about cheerleaders they’ll never score with, gets these weenie Weezer weakerthans plenty of Blink 182 comparisons and zero play. The guys will try to earn your much-needed friendship at The All Call Inn (214 Weber Ave., Ewing) at 6 tomorrow night. Valet Parking, Forgotten Fall, Smalltown Promise, The Hand Me Downs and The Bottom Line play, too. Tickets cost $8. All-ages.
Politically-minded roots rockers predicted Barack Obama’s election in an interview with The Trentonian in April ’08, saying his nomination sent a message to the world that the U.S. is a diverse nation of free thinkers. And with that in order, the former Dispatch players can now concentrate less on preaching the meaning of their democratic pose to instead just plain rock outside by the beach at Asbury Park’s Stone Pony Summerstage (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) at 5 tomorrow night, where Chad Stokes’ reggae-rich rhythms - think The Police here - can be appreciated for all its sunny splendor. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, open. Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at the door. All-ages.
Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues
The Monkees’ comedy relief, who according to an ’08 interview with The Trentonian sold anarchy through tomfoolery, now tours the country spinning bluesy Americana at old-time vinyl spots, like The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown), where he’ll headline gigs at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday. Psych-rockers The Gripweeds, open. Tickets cost $18 in advance, $20 at the door. All-ages.
Left of the dial power-pop Lemonhead-style melodies has these garage rockers - opening for New Brunswick’s Anderson Council at 8 tomorrow night at Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) – big upping Garden State staples The Dipsomaniacs and The Smithereens with every bouncy guitar pump. The Campbell Apartment opens the show. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
Aberrant growls and hammer-heavy breakdowns has these Atco headbangers - playing The All Call Inn (214 Weber Ave., Ewing) at 5 p.m. Saturday - paying homage to Lamb of God’s early incarnations as Burn the Priest. Further hardcore creature features include sets from Atrophia, Hope Runs Deep, Doomsday Machine, Chorea, Maesion and Schematic. Tickets cost $7. All-ages.
Hamilton post-core pretty boys kick out the slams Saosin style at 4 p.m. Saturday at Finnigans (529 Route 130 N., Hightstown) with East Coast Addiction and Circle The Sky. Tickets cost $8. All-ages.
Mount Laurel rocker’s jam-party-psychedelics mixes Sugar Ray hip-pop additives and ’80s-era Red Hot Chili Peppers funk. The crew is shindigging-it at The All Call Inn (214 Weber Ave., Ewing) at 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Bucks County bohemian groove junkies fight for their right to party at THE MIXXER - a weekend music, art and food drive at Snipes Farm (890 W. Bridge St., Morrisville, Pa.) starting at 11 a.m. Saturday with a charity quoits tournament. Concertgoers are urged to bring non-perishable food donations for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, with the top donators winning big prizes. The two-stage, 10 band lineup includes musical ranges from bluegrass to jazz, rock and funk. Besides the hosts, the bash includes sets from Justin Pope, Lyle Richards, James Dalton, Blue Sky Invention’s John Beacher, Steve Cherassky, The Mystery Men, Outside the Box, The Hustle, Wineskin, Sinking Ship and The Avaries. Tickers cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door. There will be hippies there – repeat hippies WILL be there – so camping under the stars is welcome. All-ages.
Skandalous New Brunswick two-toners shuffle their feet to the rocksteady beat at Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) at 8 p.m. Saturday. Step2Far, The Obvious and Patriot, open. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
The Georgia power-rock threesome join Jersey’s Antidote Everything at Six Flag’s Great Adventure’s (1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson) Live & Local Stage at 2 p.m. Saturday. Free with admission to the park. All-ages.
Eighties cheese-rock magicians – playing The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) at 7 p.m. Saturday - hit the really high notes while getting triumphant on prog-guitar wizardry, but not like Exodus or Venom, who’d certainly tie them up by their tattered jean jackets and knock the acid-wash right out of their aging mullets. Jersey Syndicate and Rafttree, open. Tickets cost $30 n advance, $35 at the door. All-ages.
Cynical slime-baller’s squatter-punk induce deviant behavior. The Hightstown hell raisers headline Finnigans (529 Route 130 N., Hightstown) at 4 p.m. Sunday. A Lesser Evil – now with Free Yon preservatives – A Love Like Pi, No Risk and The Great Explainer complete the bill. Tickets cost $8. All-ages.
New York alt-metal regenerators, playing Six Flag’s Great Adventure’s (1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson) at 2 p.m. Sunday with 19 Stone, have a fever for blues-soaked rock ’n’ snot with a Stone Temple Pilots feel. Free with paid admission to the park. All-ages.
New Brunswick folk journeyman, headlining the Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) at 9 p.m. Wednesday, weaves quaint coffeehouse acoustic blues for punk rockers who appreciate John Mayer. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Potty-mouthed city singer-songwriter performs with All The Right Appendages in All the Wrong Places, songstress Shannon Cole and Kevin McQuiston and the Underpaid Mercenaries at The Northstar Bar (27th and Poplar streets, Philadelphia) at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets cost $10. 21-plus.
Scott Frost’s On The Beat concert listings appears in The Trentonian every Thursday. If your band is playing around town, hit up the On the Beat webline at djscott111@aol.com. And for links to the bands above, free downloads, videos and other cool music happenings in and around the world check out http://onthebeatphilly.blogspot.com.