North Jersey Notes: Freedom Comes Friday, Rahway, NJ

I recently rehearsed with one of my many bands down at Soundwaves in Union, NJ, when head engineer Kenny Helmstetter introduced me to a couple of the guys from Freedom Comes Friday. I met guitarist Tim Giunta and bassist Dennis Frazier, Jr. who were quick to give me their self-titled EP which wasn’t bad at all. The CD contained great riffs in “Angels And Demons,” “One Night Stand-Off,” and my favorite track, “This Bed Tonight.” The songs were very modern and can fit right in with what’s hot right now in music.

Freedom Comes Friday is a quartet based out of Rahway, NJ, that formed in November 2008. The dual guitar attack of Tim Giunta and singer/guitarist David Feherty gives Freedom Comes Friday their signature sound that seems to be giving them some degree of notoriety today. David and Tim are supported by the spot-on drumming of Gerry Aponte and the bass grooves of Dennis Frazier, Jr. They blame bands like Taking Backing Sunday, RX Bandits, Muse, and Coheed And Cambria for influencing their diverse songwriting style.

North Jersey Notes Updates

The freaks from Ape Fight have been out of sight, but very busy! Besides working on a new CD, they have yet another song in a movie. They have a 30-second song in the upcoming movie Beware The Gonzo. The last time Ape Fight had a song in a movie, the flick, Accepted, became a cable classic. It made the boys a nice chunk of change. The Ape Fight boys have also been doing some sort of live broadcast. You have to check these guys out and listen to their live broadcast at apefight.com.

Looks like Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair Music Festival is back this year. For those who don’t remember, Lilith Fair is an all-female musician music festival, and this year my old bud, Jeryl Orsino is trying to get on. Vote for Jeryl now at ourstage.com, where you can hear also hear one of Jeryl’s songs.

And finally, do you remember when I featured the band Last Days Of Empire a couple of months ago? Well, they’re finally releasing their new CD, The Veronica Project, digitally on June 8 via iTunes, Amazon.com, and a few other digital retailers. The boys from Last Days Of Empire also have some amazing news in the works, but I’ll let you know more about that as it comes in.

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424 where you can also let me know where you’re performing next. No cover bands, please! Also, if you haven’t checked out my podcast yet, do it now at northjerseynotes.mypodcast.com!

Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!

NJN Concert Calendar

5/21—ZO2—The Edge, Rocky Point, NY
5/21—Steve Brown—The Grasshopper Too, Wayne, NJ
5/22—ZO2—Rocks Off Concert Cruise, NYC
5/24—Black Water Rising/Drowning Pool/Nonpoint—Crazy Donkey, Farmingdale, NY
5/25—Killcode/Diablo Royale—Santos Party House, NYC
5/25—Bern and the Brights—Van Gogh’s Ear Café, Union, NJ
5/26—Steve Brown—The Grasshopper, Morristown, NJ
5/27—Evan Toth—The Brown Room at Congress Hall, Cape May, NJ
5/28—Uncle Freak—Casey O’Tooles, Wayne, NJ
5/28—Last Days of Empire—Crocodile Rock Café, Allentown, PA
5/28—Steve Brown and the Fallout—The Beachcomber Bar, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/29—Ghost and the Big Sky—Peakpack All Day Music Festival, Peapack, NJ
5/29—Steve Brown—The Beachcomber Bar, Seaside Heights, NJ
5/29—Evan Toth and Friends—The Triad Theater, NYC
5/29—Will Killmore—Fiesta Cancun, Nanuet, NY
5/29—Black Water Rising—The Vibe Lounge, Rockville Centre, NY
6/4—Will Killmore—The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
6/4—The Evan Toth Trio—NJPAC, Newark, NJ
6/5—Christine Martucci—The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
6/11—Diablo Royale—Jugs and Strokers, Merrick, NY
6/11—The Briar Patch—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
6/12—Diablo Royale—Crash Mansion, NYC
6/12—Will Killmore—Bogota VFW, Bogota, NJ
6/12—Atom Strange—Local 629 Bar, NYC