Boro 6 Music Fest

7:47pm Friday June 19: Ace Case, the Host of Friday night’s installment of the Boro 6 Indie Music Fest and front man for the Cross Town Country All-stars, strolls into my bar looking as dapper as ever. “I knew I’d find my son talking to some pretty filly at the bar.” It’s important to note that there’s a bit of a running joke between Ace and I, where people seem to be under the impression that he’s my dad. I was however talking with a friend of mine at the bar. I excused myself and we made our way to Tierney’s Tavern in Montclair where tonight’s festivities where being held. Ace clued me in to some of the finer points of Tierney’s as we made the trip. He told me to make sure I had one of their burgers. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for blondes and good pub food, and If I can't have former I'll be needing the latter

Upon entering Tierney's, Ace informs me that the Kitchen is downstairs (I’ll need to order the burger there) and the venue is upstairs. For the sake of continuity I’m going to add my Tweets as the night went forward.

Here at the Boro 6 Indie Music Fest With Ace Case. We enter and are greeted by Deivito and Katherine of Bern and the Brights 8:39 PM

Deivis Garcia (Deivito) and Katherine McGowan (Bern and The Brights) greeted me as I walked in. Deivis shows me around gives me the ten cent tour. He also tells me to make sure I have a burger. Themes for Frances are doing a sound check as Kagero shambles in with their gear. Deivis greets Kaz of Kagero. There’s a short conversation. Kaz nods and they shake hands. Shady dealings, I say! But I guess we’ll have to see what that’s about later. I found a spot at a table and unpacked my gear.

My camera bag over the last six month has become a sort of portable office for me. 8:59PM

This is the first time Im gonna get to see @kagero in full force. Im fucking psyched! 9:10 PM

Jennifer Schwartz just hit the scene looking as fashionable as ever! 9:36 PM

Jennifer Schwartz is Newark bar, Kilkenny Alehouse’s rock queen and coordinator of events with Lowel Craig. She is also the Singer/Guitarist of Una Pong, who is also playing tonight. This will be the first time seeing them live, needless to say I’m as anxious as a teenage girl with a backstage pass.

Ace Case introduces the crowd to Ben Franklin and things get under way. Ben Franklin is Billy Grey, rocking the guitar and mic. This gentleman does some outstanding pickin’ and grinnin’. His songs are pseudo-politcal. Seems like a serious message sugarcoated with a punch here and there of touch and cheek comedy. His song Teamwork is a perfect example of this. Ben Franklin’s sound could be described as the music of Violent Femmes with a little bit of over the top brashness of Tenacious D.




Kagero steps up to the plate almost before I can get my next beer. They start it up with Jethata. Deivis stirs the crowd with a bit of stomping and clapping. Kaz (guitar vocals) introduces the rest of the band. Wynn on drums, Rob on bass guitar and backing vocals, and JW on violin, This Japanese Gypsy Rock band is one of the most unique acts I’ve ever seen in local music. If you have a taste for something fun, and you enjoy a good story this band is right up your alley! You can’t help but dance to it. I ran downstairs and snagged my burger and ran back upstairs. Mere seconds before Deivis broke the ice, I jumped in right past him and started dancing. Kaz and Wynn came out into the crowd, and I found JW a stool to stand on. It’s become a tradition of the band to perch their august violinist on a chair while he does his solo for Grappa. Later, Deivis jumped in for the final howl for Red and Black. So that was what that huddle was all about earlier! The crowd got into the groove, everyone was jumping and dancing then as abruptly as it started Kagero came to a thundering halt. Everyone saluted the band as Themes for Frances took the stage. Robbie informed the crowd that you could download their new EP on their website. I highly highly suggest you check this out.




@jhwhit and of course Kagero just gypsy punked my face off....have you seen my glasses? 10:24 PM

I composed myself. By composed I mean I went to the bar for another Guinness, and started on my burger. As I munched down Themes for Frances started up. Joshua Steele (vox/guitar) Christopher Solinski (bass) Jason Tangney (drums) Jason Malmstrom (guitar) make up the Jersey bred foursome.

Dear Tiereneys Tavern #MONTCLAIR MMM MMM THATS A TASTY BURGER! 10:40 PM

TfF has a grunge style similar to Sonic Youth and Sound Garden. They have a garage rock sensibility. Their speedier harder parts regale Nirvana’s In Utero album. You can hear an influence of Color and the Shape from the Foo Fighters. They certainly bend these influences to their own sound. Unique guitar hooks coupled with Josh’s emotive vocals and Jason’s steadfast and open drumming mark these chaps for there own niche in the local scene. I look forward to seeing where they go from here.




Ace Case introduces himself disappears and resurfaces with guitar in hand. A brief interlude by Ace while Una Pong sets up. Douglass MacArthur (the HA HA HA song) is one of my favorite Ace Case specials. I picked up a great Johnny Cash style shot of Ace. Of course we all joined in for the chorus. Ace has a morbid sense of humor that really comes across when he plays this song.

Una Pong’s sound is a self-described watery analog. That term goes a long way towards colouring their sound. Jen’s Voice was distorted and robot for The Doctor Examined Me... it had a very 8 bit Nintendo feel. As the songs progressed there was a definite kinship to soundtracks for NES games like Ikari Warriors and Astyanax. Which to me are some of the best OST for games that were ever put out. UP’s tone had this dystopian sort of hopelessness about it, a sort of Big Brother is finished watching feel. Elizabeth Walsh (bass) and Jen trade off vocals during songs. Lu Norte(keys) had some sort of malfunction on the keyboard at the start of the set, which sadly never got resolved. It didn’t stop him from adding his own brand of moral support! Adam Budofsky (drums) was the backbone of the group, driving on the endeavour and adding to the suspense created by Jen and Elizabeth. The crowd got moving as the tension mounted. Then without any warning I was pulled onto the dance floor by one of the band’s fans. We danced until the end of the set with the other revelers.




Highly exhausted from the previous five bands I renewed my vigor with another Guinness as Frozen Gentlemen took flight. I was ultra excited to see these dudes again, after previewing them at Kilkenny alehouse back in March. They got right down to business as usual. They brought the rock and the crowd returned full force with the dancing. It seemed like the crazier the band got (including removal of shirts and full use of the stage) the crowd reciprocated in kind with more dancing and singing along. On their third song Deivis came up and played the distortion phone. After the shirts came off I overheard behind me “Take off your pants!” Thankfully the band did not comply. I could only imagine the kind of reaction that the ladies would have replied with after their pants came off. At that point not succumbing to the whims of 30+ twenty something girls in the room would have been a feat of will. I’m sure KISS would agree. As far as their sound, FG is sort of like the Bee Gees on amphetamines. I have to stress the good Bee Gees. They have a one of a kind style that mixes dance with rock in a way I think gets everyone involved physically, if not emotionally as well. Mido Santantos (vox, keys) is the band’s Front man calling the action and tickling the plastic whites). Quan James (vox, guitar) sings back-up with Jackie Meyer (vox, bass), together they fill out the band’s rock and funk end. Hollywood Charter (drums) tosses out a beat that ensures no one is gonna be sitting down when these cats get going!




After FG was finished, I had to admit that I was as well. Ace and I said our goodbyes and and headed for the car. On the way back to Chill Town we discussed among other things, how well the show went off over all and how the Montclair scene really bring it to the table by means of talent, support and a cadre of fans. Then we got into a discussion about Black Flag. Before I knew it we were back at Lucky 7 Tavern. I packed up my gear snagged my bike and went home, secure in the fact that Rock and Roll is alive and well in Montclair New Jersey.

Back home from Boro 6 fest. Exhausted, sweaty and feeling 21 again. Music achieves for me what make up does for 40 year old housewives. 2:33 AM