Something headbangers unfamiliar with the state might not consider is how New Jersey’s scene reflects its shape and density. New Jersey is ranked 47th in the nation by size, but 11th by population, and its hourglass-ish shape divides it into two distinct sections: North and South Jersey. North is closer to New York; South to Philly. Each region has its own culture, venues, and promoters – and its own set of issues when it comes to maintaining a scene.
“In [South Jersey], people aren’t scared to travel for shows,” says Rob Wharton, local promoter and guitarist for Jobbstown brutal death metallers Cognitive. “Kids will drive over the bridge, Philly kids will take a train. And while Philly’s the center of South Jersey, sometimes you’ll get bands playing madcap little South Jersey venues. I had Ion Dissonance play a room for, like 150 people.”
But while some Philly fans may be more willing to travel, getting New York fans to head out of the city is still very much a struggle. “It’s very hard to book shows [in North Jersey],” says Anthony Gutter, head of record label and promotion company Gutter Christ productions. “Unless you have a super-sick headliner, you’re not gonna pull. New Yorkers don’t own cars, or they don’t want to drive into Jersey, so [a venue] has to be on a train stop. And New York and Philadelphia heads are spoiled, because they have a show every night – sometimes two or three. So they don’t need to come here.”
“We get a lot of bands who play here on their way up,” says Fred Barnes, owner of Clifton venue Dingbatz, a mainstay for North Jersey metalheads. “We had a show that was Kyng, Pop Evil, and Egypt Central, and we were lucky if we had 50 people. Three months later, they’re headlining Starland Ballroom in Sayreville.”
“New Jersey has one of the most solid music scenes on the map,” adds Maria Shields, Marketing director of Sayreville’s Starland Ballroom. “We don’t just think so; bands tell the fans each and every time they play here. A lot of talent is brewed in the Garden State, and our fans are some of the most dedicated, passionate people on earth.”