Bamboozled: Asbury Park Rocks

Seven stages scattered throughout Asbury Park's North Beach were taken down this week after a three day music festival along the shore. Bamboozle 2012 headlined a variety of musical acts providing something for everyone on May 19, 20, and 21. Incubus, Skrillex, the Foo Fighters, and Bon Jovi were just a few of the artists to entertain the mass crowd that took over Asbury Park, NJ for the weekend.

Using wristbands instead of a classic ticket, patrons of the music festival entered on the boardwalk through Convention Hall after waiting on the massive line. 

Vendors were set up throughout the festival in addition to the large ferris wheel which people could take a quick ride on in between sets. 

Bamboozle, which is usually held in the Medowlands (MetLife Stadium), mixed it up for its 10th year by returning to its origins. In addition to returning where the festival was originally held, Bamboozle made sure to include many New Jersey born artists in its venue. Bon Jovi, a native New Jerseyian, talked of his time in the state and even became nostalgic when talking of Asbury Park on Sunday. 

"I wanted to come back and remember all the times I just wanted to play Convention Hall," said Jovi while up on the main stage at the festival. 

The Gaslight Anthem, another Jersey native band, also highlighted the idea of locality in Sunday's venue. 

Friday's line-up was less rock and more dub. New artists such as Skrillex and other electro-dj's were featured attracting the younger crowd to the shore.

Saturday was the most crowded of all the days with over 30,000 people in attendance. The Foo Fighters were the big act of the night playing a full two hour set before jetting off to NYC to play with Mick Jagger on SNL. 

Dave Grohl - Lead Singer of the Foo Fighters

Other artists on Saturday's venue included the All-American Rejects, Jimmy Eat World, and even Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D.

Although most traces of the festival are now gone from the shoreline, many people are still tweeting about the amazing time they had at the concert. Follow @thebamboozle to see more reviews from people who cannot stop talking about it. Still, despite the great response from the spectators it has yet to be determined if the festival will be returning to Asbury Park in 2013. 

Stir Crazy - Crazy Good

            Located inside the Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY there are a slew of restaurants to go to eat. Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grille is just one of the many options, but has the curb appeal to draw in a crowd. The décor of bright reds and golds with accents in black and Asian inspired cultural artwork drew me and my dinner guest to the entrance.

At the entrance there was a hostess ready at the post to seat me and my guest. There was no wait and we were seated in the dining area quickly, but it was fairly early for dinner. The ambiance in the dining area would be considered bustling. Even at the off hour of 4:30, there was a small crowd in the restaurant creating a decent noise level. The stir fry station with four su chefs was visible behind a clear barrier to the restaurant goers so that some could watch as their meal was prepared.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant made one forget that they were actually eating inside a mall. The interior design was very intriguing with all of the Asian cultural influences in the design. One noticeable aspect was the overhanging artwork of the modern enlargement of chopsticks. The dining area certaintly was visually entertaining.

The waiter came by our table quickly and asked if we had ever eaten at Stir Crazy. When we responded no, he gave us a detailed description of a unique feature at Stir Crazy called the Market Bar. The Market Bar is a create your own stir fry station where you choose the fresh ingredients to be incorporated into a stir fry.

The waiter was a knowledgeable resource on other fronts as well. When asked to explain the Szechwan Chicken, the waiter was able to explain that szechwan was a type of spicy sauce made of chili peppers and other bold flavorings. He was also able to explain that a spring roll and rice came with the Sweet and Spicy Chicken when asked what else came with the dish.

After our questions were answered, we ordered one appetizer and two entrees. The appetizer was the Chicken Pot Stickers ($6) and arrived under 10 minutes.  The presentation was clean and simple using a simple white rectangular dish and garnish. The pot stickers came with two different types of dipping sauce placed on either side of the dish with the six pot stickers lined between; one was sweet with a tang to it while the other was a more classic soy sauce flavor. The pot stickers themselves were cooked well, hot, and had a nice flavor. They had a nice crunch and combined with the sauces were delicious.

After the appetizer was cleared, it took roughly around 15/20 minutes for the entrees to arrive. One of the entrees was the Seared Miso Sea Scallops ($14). Once again, the presentation was nice in a clean white dish. The dish was armotic, especially the garlic spinach which was atop of brown rice. The miso broth and rice were rich in flavor from the red peppers and the shitake mushrooms.

The scallops were cooked well and were not rubbery, but there was a lack of uniformity between them, meaning there was a noticeable difference in size between a few. The real shining part of this dish would definitely be the spinach. Not only did it smell amazing, but it was tender and juicy to eat.

The second entrée was the Sweet and Spicy Chicken ($9.88) also served in a pleasant and clean presentation style. The chicken was crunchy and covered in a deliciously sweet chili sauce. The rice was cooked well and the spring roll contained a mix of vegetables and came with a duck sauce for dipping.

After the main courses, my dinner guest and I ordered a dessert, or actually desserts. Stir Crazy offers Just Right Bites ($2 ea. or $6 for all three) which can come in a sampler platter. The three mini desserts included in the sampler are Good Fortune Ice Cream, Asian Apple Pear Crisps, and Mango Crème Brulee. As the others before, the presentation was unique and clean. The simple white dish really made the colors of the strawberry sauce and the rich chocolate sauce stand out vividly on the plate.

The Apple Pear Crisps was the highlight of the sampler. The warm tart apples and cinnamon in the dish mixed with the brown sugar on top was a wonderful experience to taste. The Crème Brulee was also quite a good twist on the original with the fresh, sweet mango as nice touch. Finally, the Good Fortune Ice Cream, which is a vanilla ice cream rolled in almonds and crushed fortune cookies and baked, was also a nice treat. It was interesting to eat a type of “fried” ice cream.

In all, the meal at Stir Crazy was found to be quite delectable and the service was well-mannered and knowledgeable about the menu. Plates were served in a timely fashion and the silverware and platware were both clean. No problems were found with any of the orders and other people in the restaurant seemed pleased with their meals. Each dish was tasty and unique and I would return again since I had a pleasant experience at Stir Crazy.

To find a Stir Crazy near you, visit there website www.stircrazy.com. 

A Lesson in Music - STAC House Band

Music. It is everywhere. From the morning commute, to eating lunch in the cafeteria, to personal devices at home, music infiltrates a person’s life every day.  It seems so commonplace that people have seem to forgotten its importance in society and it shows with recent cuts of music programs on all levels of education throughout the country.

For the past two years, schools have been looking to cut costs and have been placing the burden onto their music programs. In 2011, the Jordan-Elbridge High School located in Jordan, NY faced a 41 percent cut in the band budget reducing it from $59,000 to $24,000. According to ABC News, the athletic program also took a cut, but at 28 percent instead. However, the athletic program started at $500,000 instead of $59,000.

Not only are high schools and middle schools dealing with cuts in music programs, but colleges are as well. The University of West Georgia decided to cancel music classes due to the budget cuts. A college located on the west coast, Orange Coast College, cut courses such as guitar and piano classes and jazz ensemble to help manage costs.

According to U.S. News, Mark Camphouse, interim chair of George Mason University’s music department claims,  “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a more troubling situation” for college music students across the country.

Students, parents, and teachers alike have growing concerns with the lack of arts available in an educational setting. Not only are the cuts taking away an outlet for students to express themselves, it is taking away a valuable resource for students to expand their learning and achievement capabilities.

Many studies have been conducted to see how music programs affect students. In a study by James Catteral entitled “Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art,” he explored the relationship between arts involvement and academic achievement. Catterall found after 12 years of research that “students who were highly involved with the arts outperformed their less involved peers.”

In another study conducted in 2009, the Psychology of Music Journal published a study which gave similar results.  An excerpt from the article reveals that “ children to a multi-year programme of music tuition…display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.”

Music programs also show an impact on a student’s mathematical capabilities. A study conducted by UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies in 1999 shows a correlation between involvement in music and proficiency in math. Maintaining a level of music study or performance at all levels of education is considered important among many for these beneficial reasons.

St. Thomas Aquinas College maintains a few courses in the field of music study. Such classes as guitar performance, music fundamentals, and development of jazz are offered to students who wish to be more immersed in music. While STAC does not offer any major dealing with music, there is a Performing Arts Minor.

There are music courses scattered throughout the curriculum at STAC; however, there was not many opportunities for students to perform various types of music at least until a few years ago. It was three years ago that the STAC Houseband was created changing the musical dynamic at the college.

The House Band allows for students as well as faculty and alumni to play and sing a wide arrangement of rock, pop, and alternative songs. Kathleen Roepken, a “founder,” a vocalist, and the outgoing president of the organization shared on how the House Band has been flourishing since its creation.

Kathleen, or Katie as she prefers, had a lot of support from the faculty with the creation of House Band. Dr. Craig Martin a professor as well as a guitarist in the band, was extremely helpful in the process of forming House Band according to Katie.

Dr. Martin supports the band because of his belief that “musicians should be creating and performing when possible.” He finds that performing live on stage enriches a musicians experience and gives students “unforgettable memories.”

A musical organization such as House Band gives student musicians a sense of belonging according to Dr. Martin. He also thinks that being in the House Band can help students improve their playing skills.

“We pretty much only play covers, and that's a really good way for musicians to develop their skills,” said Dr. Martin, “When you play a cover, you almost always have to learn something new---a new lick, a new technique, or something new about your own equipment or instrument. Performing more and more new covers constantly pushes musicians to develop their abilities.”

Dr. Martin is not the only member of the faculty who is involved with House Band. Another professor, Dr. Robert Trawick, plays guitar with the band as well. Faculty also helped in other ways according to Katie.

“We also got a lot of help from Dr. Matthews who helped us begin this by singing at the Faculty Holiday Party in the fall semester,” said Katie, “We have also gotten a lot of support from the President of the college, she comes to our shows and loves watching us perform!”

Currently, the House Band performs two shows throughout the year. One takes place during the fall semester and the other occurs during the spring semester. House Band also participates in other such events on campus as Open Mic Night. However, Katie hopes that the group can expand to do more shows.

“I would love to see more shows done, however time does not usually allow for more than one a semester.”

Katie thinks that another way the group can grow in other ways as well. Playing an outside show is something that Katie looks “forward to for the remaining band members.”

Many students have had a positive reaction to being able to participate with the House Band on campus. Kaitlin Blumberg, a sophomore, joined the House Band this year after open auditions were held to find vocal talent.

“House Band is extremely beneficial to my experience at STAC,” said Kaitlin, “I love singing, and House Band has provided me with the opportunity to perform with an extremely talented group of people.”

Kaitlin also commented on how important music is in her life and how the absent of it would really affect her.

“I truly believe that it keeps me sane. It allows me to express myself in ways that I couldn't through other mediums. …,” said Kaitlin, “Without the soaring melodies, intriguing harmonies, and enchanting rhythms of music, I feel that I would be a lesser version of myself.”

Anthony Capuano, one of the group’s bassist, has been with the House Band since its formulation. He also finds the House Band to be extremely beneficial resource on campus.

“My whole week is filled with papers, and assignments and responsibilities,” said Anthony, “But for four hours a week I can escape from all of that because of the STAC House Band.”

Anthony also talked about how the House Band contributes to the school in other ways besides being a musical outlet for students on campus.  

“I believe that the House Band has created a strong sense of school spirit. It is something that student (or the fans) can support and cheer for.”

And the fans certainly do support the House Band. Many students come out to watch the two shows and cheer on their student performers. An attendee of the most recent House Band concert, sophomore Kristine Falkowski, found the show to be entertaining.

“The concert was a lot of fun,” said Kristine, “The song choices were electric and interesting!”

The House Band is not the only organization on the STAC campus that provides students with musical entertainment or an outlet to hone their musical capabilities. Other such organizations include STAC Singers and the chance to audition for the Spring Musical presented by Laetare Players.

            Since STAC has the unique House Band, it provides student musicians with more of an opportunity to perform a genre of music not ordinarily available to them. This is just one way college students are keeping music alive throughout education. 

Treble at Princeton University: Burne Holiday

           Princeton University is known for their intense academic program making it number one on U.S. News and World Report 2012 college rankings. However, Princeton students are not just spending their time studying in the library. On the contrary, these students manage to find time to participate in a wide range of activities including starting their own band. Burne Holiday, an alternative rock band, is a group of Princeton students who balance a rigorous academic schedule with being in a band.

            Before starting their own band, Joey Edelmann, Cory Furlong, Nathan Tyrell, and Javier Masis met when they performed together with the Princeton University Rock Ensemble (PURE). PURE is musical group sponsored by the university, but these few musical artists decided to take that idea one step further.  

Cory Furlong, guitarist and vocalist, tells how PURE brought the group together.

“We played together in that [PURE] format for a while,” said Cory, “Once we became friends, collaboration along original dimensions was kind of inevitable. As a musician, there is always a desire to write your own music, and it’s a lot easier to do when you have skilled musicians to do it with.”

The group has been gaining momentum since its conceptualization back in spring 2011. This past year has been especially productive since they started booking venues on campus and on Princeton’s fabled eating club circuit.

When asked to share the best show that Burne Holiday has performed, Joey Edelmann, was excited to share his experience at playing in on campus event this past February.

 “Definitely ‘This Is Princeton,’ which was a student showcase event for alumni weekend at the Richardson Auditorium….,” said Joey, another vocalist and guitarist in the group, “We performed two of our original songs (“Static” and “Rero”) to our largest crowd yet, and everyone was extremely receptive to us, which is great. It was a moment of validation and encouragement for all the work we had put into writing the songs."

Check out Burne Holiday playing at "This Is Princeton" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHt2St7EdjE.

Not only does the group participate in on campus events, but they have also been performing on Princeton’s fabled eating club circuit. Burne Holiday has performed at such locations as Princeton Charter Club, Princeton Quadrangle Club, and has recently been invited to play at Princeton Art Museum.

 

While the group has been able to get some bookings, they still do find difficulty competing with other performances according to Javier Masis, drummer. 

“The clubs are not very receptive to live music, and as of late tend to prefer student DJs playing top 40 hits,” said Javier, “That’s not to say that students wouldn’t like to see live bands–we’ve had lots of heart-warming support from students we know and don’t know…”

While Burne Holiday has been booking a few shows over the year, the group has really been focusing on writing original songs to perform and record. Joey and Cory claim that the band has big plans for the upcoming summer and next year now the recording has been accomplished.

“We’ve been doing a good deal of recording lately, mostly centered around the original songs we have written and performed extensively,” said Joey and Cory, “But our upcoming agenda is to continue writing and book as many shows in different venues as possible. Over the summer, we hope to construct an EP or something like it.”

While the members of Burne Holiday love their music and love progressing as a band, they are still students at an Ivy League institution. Nathan Tyrell, the bass player of the group, explained what it was like balancing the life of musician as well as the life of a student. 

            "It’s super easy. Just kidding, it’s quite difficult," said Nathan, "But it really just comes down to dedication. If you really want to maintain both the band and your grades, you can and you will."

           Being a student also factors into how the group practices. Javier shared that the group doesn't have a daily practice schedule, but that they practice when they can. He also discussed that helping each other out is essential to being able to practice, play shows, and perform academically. 

           "One thing is for sure, we maximize our ability to practice and play live by helping each other out," said Javier, "If we have a show the day before one of us has an exam, the rest of us take care of set-up and take-down with no complaint, and we mold our own schedules around that of the one who’s in the toughest academic spot at that moment."

          There is no doubt that this group is highly dedicated to their music and each other. Students at Princeton University as well as others in the area should keep an eye out on this upcoming band. To learn more about Burne Holiday and when their next event is to take place "like" them on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Burne-Holiday/212782375455300.