For live music fans, August is a time of scarcity. September, on the other hand, is all about options. All month long, you’ll have your pick of interesting shows. I’ve put our star next to seven of them, but I could have discussed many others, too: veteran bachata singer Felix D’Oleo at The Factory on Saturday […]
Tris McCall
Tris McCall has written about art, architecture, performance, politics, and public culture for many publications, including the Newark Star-Ledger, the Bergen Record, Jersey Beat, the Jersey City Reporter, the Jersey Journal, the Jersey City Independent, and New Jersey dot com. He also writes about things that have no relevance to New Jersey. Not today, though.
Posted inFood
The Vegetarian Option: Cellar 335
The path to Cellar 335 (335 Newark Ave.) is lined with red flags. For starters, it’s a tiki bar. To be fair, they call themselves a tiki cocktail lounge, and the back room takes up most of the real estate inside, but the distinctive kitsch-Asian and Far East vibe of the place will be apparent to […]
Posted inVisual Arts
“Polygon” Dazzles at Commuter Gallery
Clarence Rich and Mustart go together like beats and rhymes. Mustart supplies the gorgeous melting shapes in sherbet-colored aerosol; Rich answers with hard-edged, hallway-like designs inspired by the crystals of a chemically complex metal. A Mustart piece is often populated by gonzo characters pulled from popular media and marinated in bright paint; Clarence Rich brings […]
Posted inVisual Arts
“Vivid Visions” Comes to 150 Bay Street in Powerhouse Arts District
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the artists with works on display at “Vivid Visions” will also be showing at this year’s Art Fair 14C. The 14C logo is right there on all the official communications about the show. Curator Kristine Go is the Exhibitions Director for the Fair (she’s also one of the founders […]
Posted inVisual Arts
With “777,” Deep Space Gallery Deals Another Winning Hand
As every crapshooter knows, sevens are not always fortuitous. Stepping up and throwing one is usually profitable. But when you’re deep into the game and you’ve got bets all over the table, a seven can wipe you out. Dice gamers quickly learn to respect and fear the seven: the weirdest and most capricious of the […]
Posted inPerforming Arts
Rogue Waves August: Jersey City’s Live Music Scene
Nobody likes to tour in August. It’s hot in the bus, school’s out, and families are on vacation. Fourth of July is long over, and the novelty of outdoor festivals has wilted in the heatwaves. Big shows can wait until the calendar turns. August is often a programming dead zone for large venues and performing arts centers attached to […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Hudson County Deserves More State Arts Funding
Through its State Council on the Arts, New Jersey has granted $677,818 to Hudson County arts organizations for operations in the fiscal year of 2024. To a working artist in Jersey City, that probably sounds like a hefty purse. But it’s only a little more than two percent of the public money that’ll be granted […]
Posted inBergen Lafayette, Recreation and events
The Vegetarian Option: Pinwheel Garden
Pinwheel Garden (318 Communipaw) has a slight proximity problem. The dumpling and noodle restaurant is right next to Mordi’s Sandwich Shop. Mordi’s is not really a place to sit down for a long dinner or even a short one, but the sandwiches there are so good that alternative experiences need to be superb to justify […]
Posted inRecreation and events
Amidst Fanfare and a Parade, Art House Productions Cuts the Ribbon
It was not spontaneous, but it was sincere. Grown men and women in shiny, conical party hats paraded south on Marin Boulevard to the train station in the midday July sun. They followed a brass band, clapped, and shook noisemakers as they walked. The party favors (and pink-frosted slices of celebratory cake) were supplied by […]
Posted inVisual Arts
At the CoolVines ArtWall, Kim Bricker Chases the Sun
Kim Bricker’s work is a dare. Not a loud or boastful one, and certainly not an aggressive one, but a challenge nonetheless. Hers is the quiet, measured voice at the party that is somehow heard over the din. What she asks of you is to step close and concentrate. She wants you to use your […]