Makin Waves with Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem

• Screaming Females recently put together a great local show at Kilkenny AleHouse in Newark
• Bob Lanza Blues Band will celebrate the release of "Time to Let Go" on Sept. 30 at Roxy & Dukes
• VooDUDES frontman Andy Bernstein has released a record by his new group, AndyB.AND
• Bitter Crush will celebrate their self-titled debut EP on Oct. 1 at The Saint in Asbury Park

Many national acts have come out of New Brunswick, including The Smithereens, Crossfire Choir, Chris Harford, Chicken Scratch, Nudeswirl, Bouncing Souls, Lifetime, Deadguy, Thursday, Midtown, The Ergs!, and Screaming Females. Among the most commercially successful are The Gaslight Anthem, who, like more than half of the aforementioned acts, clawed their way up from the city’s fabled basement scene. The resulting international prominence included a rare spot opening for Bruce Springsteen.

Yet, at the height of their success, The Gaslight Anthem chose to go on an indefinite hiatus, spurring vocalist-guitarist Brian Fallon to launch a critically hailed and commercially growing solo career. Earlier this year, Fallon released his solo debut, “Painkillers,” on his band’s longtime label, Island Records. He’s been touring ever since and will perform with his backing band, the Crowes, and opening act Ryan Bingham on Sept. 26 at New York City’s Terminal 5.

The Crowes include Gaslight guitarist Alex Rosamilia on keyboards and bassist Catherine Popper, who also played with Fallon in the side project Molly & the Zombies. The lyrical, folk-rooted “Painkillers” is a return for the songwriter to his earliest, family-inspired influences from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan. While no plans are definite, Fallon said, a second solo album likely would precede new Gaslight. He also chatted about his bandmates’ current projects and their New Brunswick history. For more, visit thebrianfallon.tumblr.com/ after you enjoy the following interview:

READ: More Makin Waves

Question: When you’re not touring, are you still living in New Jersey?

Answer: My family is there. There’s no reason to move because I kind of like it. But I am thinking of moving my location.

Q: ‘Painkillers’ is a departure from Gaslight Anthem in that it’s more singer-songwriter-oriented. Was that a creative relief to you to return your roots of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty?

A: When I learned about folk music from my mother, she started prior to them, people who began before them, like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, and gospel singers who came over to the folk realm, like Richie Havens. There was more of that going on in the house, and then later would be Dylan first, then Bruce is much later. My first experience with Bruce was hearing him as kid when everybody else heard ‘Born in the USA.’

Q: Why did you call the album "Painkillers" and make that song the title track?

A: For me, that’s what music is to people. That’s what it was to me recording and writing. It was comforting. It’s not a drug reference.

Q: As a whole body of work, is "Painkillers" a reference to the impact the album’s creative process had on you personally?

A: For me, it was a little bit relaxing. There wasn’t a lot of pressure on it. It was the first record for me to say, "Look at me. I’m the guy in Gaslight Anthem," but I’m not competing with where they left off. It was more like we had a really great run, were a great band, and may continue in the future, but for now, I’m doing this thing myself and starting to scratch the surface and explore another facet of my interests. I’m returning to the beginning of my music education.

Q: On the last Gaslight Anthem album, you dealt with your divorce. What personal aspects of your life influenced the lyrical direction of "Painkillers"?

A: That’s actually less than people assumed. People think that being a singer-songwriter is a linear process of life as you’re going through it. That’s not always the case. So that was much more exaggerated in my mind.

But this whole record is more of a current state of mind. The framework of the record is having to do with direct thought at the time. Whatever was on my mind, whatever I was thinking about — even if it was in past experience or a recent experience — it was something I was fishing around with at the time. With songwriting, it’s like going on a boat and throwing out a fishing rod in the water. You can’t dictate what it will be.

But I’m writing every single day. And taking finger-picking lessons. I’ve been learning how to do that.

Q: Songwriting also can be like a gift from God. If leave yourself open, the song can channel through you in a spiritual way. Given that, can you comment on your faith and how that impacts you and your music?

A: I grew up in a typical Christian household. I have a strong belief that there is a God, and that’s a very traditional view. I don’t know what traditional translates into in people’s minds. When I say traditional, I mean basic, normal, meat and potatoes.

But I’m never going to figure this out, at least not on this plain. I don’t know what God looks like, what He thinks, what He says, but I try to figure it out, try learn more about it. And you can use that to make you a better person in some way, have more of a peaceable effect on the planet and the world. That’s the point of the whole thing.

Religion divides people, cuts people up. For me, I think less about what everyone else is doing.  I took not judging anyone else pretty far. I don’t have any of this figured out. I can’t tell you what you’re doing wrong because I don’t have it figured out at all. I’m a student, not a teacher.

Religion is a tough topic, especially nowadays. The experience most people have with religion is that it is chaotic. There have been a lot of wars over religion and segregation and prejudice that isn’t anything like what I know about religion. But I’m just trying to figure it out. It’s one of those things that I’m never going to get right. No one knows until they’re dead.

Q: What do you think of Ryan Bingham?

A: It was an idea brought to me by the same agent. I do like the guy’s records. They’re great. When he asked to do the tour, I said, ‘Of course!’ It’s interesting because it’s a much different genre of music, but also similar. I didn’t meet him beforehand, but I think his music is super cool.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming Terminal 5 show, do you have a lot of Jersey friends coming out to it, and will you get a chance to hang out with them a bit?

A: I love playing New York, but I won’t see many people. People think that a show is a party, but for me, it’s not. It’s work to me. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but it’s a job. What I do, I take seriously. It’s not about hanging out with me. Friends come to the show and want to chat after the show, and that’s great, but it’s like someone sitting on your desk while you’re typing. Your friends don’t sit on your desk moving papers around. It’s the same thing. I want to hang out when I get home. I’m not the most people-oriented person, and I’m not a partier.

Q: Do you have a sense of how the New Brunswick basement scene has changed since you were a part of it?

A: I’m out of touch. I’m 36 years old and have kids and stuff. Young kids. They’re in that stage when you can’t go out. I could, but I don’t want to. I want to be home spending time with my family. So I don’t know what’s going on.

But I do think it was more of a scene back then. Now there’s more bands, but I don’t know if there is a scene with groups and pockets of bands that hang out together. I miss that.

Q: To what extent did Gaslight Anthem play in New Brunswick basements and how much did that initially help the band’s following to grow?

A: I don’t know if we were thinking of it as a following then. We were just doing it. We were in it. That’s where we were playing. We wanted to play for kids, like-minded people. It wasn’t really a punk scene. It was broader than that. There were all sorts of different kinds of bands and like-minded artistic people sharing what they were doing and their thoughts.

Q: Do you know what the other guys in Gaslight Anthem have been up to lately?

A: Alex (Levine) opened a restaurant in Red Bank. It’s a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop right on West Front Street. It just opened.

Ben is in a band called Bottomfeeder. He’s home and hanging out. We talk a lot, but I’m not sure what they’re doing.

Q: Bottomfeeder is a hardcore band, which is what Benny played before he joined Gaslight Anthem. He also booked hardcore and punk shows. Did you go to any of them?

A: He was doing that in New Brunswick before I met him.

Q: When you first started touring solo, did you feel pressure that you didn’t feel with Gaslight Anthem, has that been alleviated after seven months of touring solo, and having Alex and Molly in the Crowes?

A: That definitely helped. It made it not as much pressure. It’s not the same thing. It’s like going to work in this giant place, and all of sudden, you move to this local farm. I don’t know why that’s the example I’m giving to you, but it makes sense to me. There’s not as much going on. The wheels aren’t as fast. I’m just building it up again.

Q: What will happen next for you, another solo record, a Gaslight Anthem record, or another project, like Molly & the Zombies and the Horrible Crowes?

A: I’ll probably do another solo record. I won’t be doing any new bands now because I think my plate is full for good. So I’ll probably do solo or Gaslight. Right now, I have no plans, but there’s a 100 percent possibility in the future of doing another (Gaslight) record. We’re still on Island. I tend to stick with the same people.

Jersey Alive

Screaming Females, The Substitoots, Spowder, and GULPS / Sept. 21 / Kilkenny AleHouse, Newark

This is less of a live review than a scene report. And I’m very happy to report that the original music scene in New Jersey is very healthy based on the response to this show for four reasons: 1. About 100 people came to it with one day’s notice; 2. Screaming Females are still so DIY, they collected money at the door for the touring act, The Substitoots from Hawaii, and did sound for all but their own set; 3. They presented two local bands, Spowder and GULPS, who are sure to be makin waves for some time to come, and 4. Kilkenny AleHouse is a sweet spot that has the potential to be to Millennials what Maxwell’s was to Baby Boomers and Generation X.

New Brunswick’s GULPS kicked the excellent evening off with a fun mix of punk-rock sincerity and parody. Looking frighteningly like the late Freddie Mercury in his gold lame’ shirt, Manville-raised vocalist-guitarist Alex Holland masterfully controls feedback to great effect.

Originally based in Morristown and now New Brunswick, Spowder are considered by some to be New Jersey’s best up-and-coming band. They lived up to their reputation with a raucous set highlighted by “Menson,” a sonic blast of crazy fun that featured frontman Declan McCleary beating his head and the floor with a small tambourine. Opening tune “Jaime” about his guitarist bandmate also impressed.

The Substitoots proved to be a powerful trio that combined a strong Green Day-like pop sensibility with The Minutemen’s raw sense of urgency. Their infectious sense of fun is matched by strong songwriting and exciting performance. By now, they’ve probably gone back to Hawaii, but do look them up to see the next time they’ll come through.

Closing out the night was a set full of new songs by Screaming Females, whose albums get better and better with each release. While topping last year’s “Rose Mountain” poses a challenge, the New Brunswick trio proved that they will continue that creative trend. “Bird in Space,” inspired by the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi and his same-named masterpiece, was particularly powerful. For the faithful, the evening drew to a dynamic close with “Jonah” from Screaming Females’ first album, “Baby Teeth.”

Look for a Makin Waves interview with Screaming Females on Oct. 30 to preview their upcoming shows with Don Giovanni label mate Moor Mother.

Jersey Jams

Bob Lanza Blues Band / “Time to Let Go” / Connor Ray Music ( www.connorraymusic.com)

Nearly 100 years after first being recorded, blues is tough to reinvent and invigorate, but Bob Lanza Blues Band manage nicely and have fun trying on “Time to Let Go,” their latest outing for the respected Houston-based Connor Ray Music. The veteran blues-rockers open the 11-song follow up to last year’s label debut, “From Hero to Zero,” with “Mind Your Business,” a Dr. John-like strut that likely would get Frenchmen Street rockin’.

An eclectic bag of blues ensues anchored by the richly layered, B.B. King/Bobby “Blue” Bland-inspired “Your Turn to Cry,” a Creole salute, “You’re Not in Texas,” that recalls Marcia Ball, and the sexy, mid-tempo swagger of the title track. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins fans also will enjoy the sweet, soulful, energetic shuffle ‘n’ ramble of “When the Sun Comes Up,” while those who favor Muddy Waters and Otis Span will appreciate the spot-on cover of “Go No Further,” featuring tasty ticklin’ by guest pianist Randy Wall of Houston.

Check it out when Lanza and band – also bassist Sandy Joren, drummer Vin Mott, and saxophonist Rob Chaseman -- celebrate the release of “Time to Let Go” on Oct. 1 at Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse in Dunellen. Label mate Ally Venable Band, led by a hot 17-year-old Houston-based female six-stringer, will share the bill. Lanza Band also will play Sept. 26 at the Stirling Hotel in Lanza’s longtime stomping grounds of Long Hill. On Oct. 2 and 30, they’ll also be at Alba Vineyard in the Finesville section of Milford.

Bitter Crush / self-titled ( www.bittercrush.com/)

Members of two of Central Jersey’s best alt-rock bands of the late 1980s into the mid-1990s, Third Party and Whirling Dervishes, have joined forces with The Devil Machine vocalist Amy Gruber Phillips to form Bitter Crush. Tinges of ’80s and ’90s, particularly hard rock, permeate their six-song self-titled, self-released debut EP, mainly to good effect, especially on the nostalgic fun of “1977,” a salute to punk rock.

But the real treat here is Phillips. She brings an energy and edge to the project that makes it worthwhile. I imagine she’s even better live. Upcoming shows include a record release party on Oct. 1 at The Saint in Asbury Park.

AndyB.and / “My Roots Are Showing” ( www.reverbnation.com/andyvoodude)

For 30 years, Andy Bernstein has been a veteran of such seminal roots acts as the Hub City All Stars and The VooDUDES. With “My Roots Are Showing,” he steps out on his own with his new AndyB.and, featuring longtime bandmate Gary Ambrosy on guitar and a guest appearance by other VooDUDES.

The nine-song “My Roots Are Showing” is a loving tribute to the blues, country, gospel and folk music that inspired Bernstein and millions of other rockers, as well as the soul and R&B he has sung for years. Throughout, Ambrosy’s dobro and slide guitar and the organ playing of producer-engineer John Pittas tastefully compliment Bernstein’s baritone, which I always thought of as a cross between Dr. John and Johnny Cash.

The gospel clapper “One More River” and the fiddle-driven retelling of the local folk tale “Mary Ellis” stand out. Longtime Bernstein fans also may enjoy the bouncy “Slow Dancin’ Barefoot” as much as he seems to performing it. The trad jazzy, Thomas Edison-inspired “Incandescent Lightbulb Blues” also is a hoot, especially for kiddies on class trips to the Edison Museum. That track will be played on Sept. 28 during the unveiling of the Thomas Edison historical mural at the municipal center of the namesake township.

While The VooDUDES remain one of the hardest-working bands in Central Jersey, AndyB.and will be busy too with shows also Sept. 30 at Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation’s Steamy Cabaret at Reckless House in Red Bank and Oct. 30 at Westfield Memorial Library.

Jersey Talk

The Plainfield rap duo Negros Americanos will premiere their documentary short, “Lost In The Wilderness: The Story Of Negros Americanos,” on Sept. 28 at Gamba Forest, 231 Norman Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. The film tells how the bilingual rap duo came to be and traverses the jungles in Panama and the streets of Jersey, as Negros Americanos embark on several adventures crossing cultures, seeking spirituality, looking for love and chasing dreams. In addition to the screening, the evening presented by Brooklyn Wildlife will include musical performances by Christoph Carr, AKAI SOLO, and Amani Fela. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Doors at 8 p.m. Visit  https://www.facebook.com/events/1248670215183523/ …

Congrats to the local bands who will play with Alice Cooper, Clutch, Monster Magnet, Overkill, Zakk Sabbath, Twisted Sister in their farewell performance, and many more national metal and hard rock acts next weekend at Rock Carnival at FirstEnergy Ballpark in Lakewood. Kore, Rozzik, and Experiment 34 will perform Sept. 30 on the GameLoud Stage. Performing across several stages on Oct. 1 will be Colossal Street Jam, Out of Bounds, The Blackfires, Know Your Enemy, Raftree, Retrofeelya, Hot Lips, and Sixx Seconds to Mars, a Motley Crue tribute band. The Oct. 2 lineup will include Matt O’Ree, Dark Sky Choir, River Monsters, Legion, Empire Fallen, Strive, Atomic Beauty, Eli the Band, and Baelfire. Visit www.therockcarnival.com …

When WDHA DJ Larry “Lazlo” Seltzer opted to leave the station to play more Jersey bands on his own www.BlowUpRadio.com in 2000 out of his Old Bridge home, he became a hero to the thousands of acts he’s played since then. But that’s not the only reason Seltzer is a hero. There’s also the tireless work he does organizing fundraisers for the Spondylitis Association of America. This year, the 10th annual Banding Together Benefit is the biggest one yet with five concerts on four Saturdays throughout October.

The Subterraneans, Miss Ohio, John The Gun, The Brixton Riot, and The Anderson Council will perform Oct. 1 at The Clash Bar in Clifton. On Oct. 8, an afternoon show will feature Shotgun Bill, Bruce Tunkel, The Clydes, Newfoundman, Joe Pugsley of The 65's, and Pete Jager of The Extra, Inc. at Middletown Public Library. That evening, Dragonfly Music & Coffee Cafe in Somerville will host Catherine Wacha, Melissa Anthony, Peter Prasa, and Frank & Bill.

Banding Together will continue Oct. 15 at Espress Joe’s, Keyport, with Diego Allessandro, Happy Joe Canzano, Christian Beach, Tony Tedesco & Gorgo, Sean Faust, Joshua Van Ness, Jonathan Andrew, Josh Bicknell, Son Of Dov, Thomas Johnston, Keith Monacchio, Hal, Laree Cisco, Levy & The Oaks, Tri-State, Joe Schroeck, and Jersey Drive. The series will conclude Oct. 22 with Friction 57, erase:rewind, Rose Boulevard, and more to be announced at Buddie's Tavern, Sayreville.

In addition to the live concerts, a digital compilation of previously unreleased songs from 32 bands at https://spondy.bandcamp.com also will benefit Spondylitis Association Of America. Spondylitis is a genetic rheumatoid arthritic condition that causes inflammation and fusion in the vertebrae of the spine. Banding Together is personal for Lazlo because his wife, Naomi, suffers from the disease that affects more than 2.7 million others nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control. To date, BlowUpRadio has raised thousands of dollars, as well as awareness for the cause. For more info, visit www.spondylitis.org …

Linden-raised actress-filmmaker Mars Williams, star of the award-winning independent film, “Blue,” has embarked on her next project with her boyfriend, Donald Dash, a Baltimore talent also now based in New York City. They are producing a short film entitled “Paradox” inspired by real-life events that took place during the chaos that followed the police shooting of Freddie Gray last year. Williams said their intention is to show more than typically seen in crime dramas, such as “The Wire” and “Homicide: Life on the Street.” To help finance the film, the creative couple has launched a fundraising page at www.indiegogo.com/projects/paradox-art-hope#/, where you also can learn more about the film …

The Stanhope House has several excellent concerts coming up on Thursdays with national acts. They include Warrior Soul, Sept. 29; Eric Steckel, Oct. 20; Puddle of Mudd, Oct. 27; Royal Southern Brotherhood, Nov. 3; Sponge, Nov. 10, and Supersuckers, Dec. 1. Visit www.stanhopehousenj.com …

Randy Now, owner of Randy Now’s Mancave in Bordertown and the former promoter of the legendary City Gardens, will celebrate his 60th birthday with a free event from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 25 at the Mancave. Equal parts record store, consignment shop, concert venue, and nostalgic treasure trove, the Mancave was voted best and revered by many publications, including Weird NJ, whose editors, Mark Scuerman and Mark Moran, will visit from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 1. Also coming up is a visit from the Monkees Mobile on Nov. 5. However, the Mancave fell on hard times this summer, so in order to stay open, Now has launched a Go Fund Me campaign at www.gofundme.com/mancavenj. Take a visit to the Mancave to see why it should stay open. You will be glad you did. Check it out virtually at www.mancavenj.com.

Staff Writer Bob Makin: 732-565-7319; bmakin@gannettnj.com