Rob Zombie’s Super Monster Sex Action Tour Is Coming To Starland Ballroom

He claimed he would be swearing off horror for a while to delve into other genres, but Rob Zombie isn’t keeping his word. There’s more movies and music to be made and Zombie seems like he’s Never Gonna Stop. I’m more than cool with his self-defiance. The hard working and hard rocking horror icon, a.k.a Rob Cummings, will be unleashing his own brand of hell onto the Starland Ballroom is Sayreville, NJ on Saturday, June 6th 2015. It’s the Super Monster Sex Action Tour, and it’s gonna be insane.

Zombie’s ability to churn out new music is astounding. This guy is a creative machine. For Zombie fans, each of his albums have consistently delivered, all while throwing up a middle finger to the mainstream. I’m hoping a few new tracks will be unveiled at the sold out show.

How does he do it all? I have a hard time working, blogging, and putting the dishes away, but this guy writes and directs films AND tours in support of albums crammed with songs he writes and records with his band. Whatever magic juice he’s drinking, gimme some of that!

In the movie realm, on the horizon for Zombie is his own crowdfunded horror film, 31. Early clues such as plot, storyboards, and character design point to this being the best work of his career, which is encouraging for people who were left underwhelmed by The Lords of Salem. Not saying it’s a great film, but personally, I enjoyed it.

Also coming up, he’ll be executive producing and providing some voice work for the animated The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning. Getting Zombie on board for an installment in this franchise couldn’t be more in his wheelhouse, it’s a total no-brainer.

Back to the topic of Zombie’s concerts – they are always quite a spectacle. You won’t be hearing any A Capella or harmonizing, it’s all about the rock. You’ll have a bad case of rockneck from all the headbanging. He often throws in some surprises too. For instance, last year, at his concert in Camden, NJ, Zombie brought out the Catman himself, Peter Criss, for a special performance of “God of Thunder.” He eloquently urged his legion of fans in a courteous manner that, “Now would be the time to take out those stupid fucking phones, you might want to film this…” You can check out the entire clip courtesy of Jim Powers’ YouTube account below.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfyteTznq-U]

The Misfits Play Starland Ballroom Tomorrow Night!

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New Jersey’s own horror punk legends, The Misfits, will be playing the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ tomorrow night! And since this year’s blog motif for the Halloween Countdown is dedicated to them, I’ve selected some of their awesome videos on YouTube for you to check out.

The first video is fan-made, features Frankenstein, and it’s pretty damn cool, especially for horror lovers during the Halloween Countdown! Video created by Erik Wolfgang/”Erik Dvan” on YouTube.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q39pxpUlFo?rel=0]
The second video I found to be appropriate for the countdown was the Misfits live cover of “Science Fiction Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show from April of 2001. Thanks to Bobby Bloodfeast on YouTube.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIPhHkWKXqg?rel=0]
Finally, here’s pro-shot footage of their May 2012 concert at Mountain Creek Ski Resort & Water Park in New Jersey.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMNkpvZ-fqs?rel=0]

Steel Panther’s Stix Zadinia, A Jersey Drummer!

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Steel Panther are the Viagra addicted, horny hair metal sons of Spinal Tap. The band has been on a tear since 2003’s Hole Patrol, and 2009’s Feel The Steel. Just a  few weeks ago Steel Panther released their latest album BALLS OUT available through iTunes, Amazon or wherever you BUY music. Don’t illegally download this album because these m’fers need the money. Especially Stix cause he’s obviously been in therapy ever since missing out on the chance of drumming for Bon Jovi. Read all about the Jersey drummer in his bio pictured above that appeared in  Feel The Steel‘s CD booklet.

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 86: Overkill’s 25th Anniversary T-Shirt

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photos from Tshirtslayer.com



New Jersey metal band Overkill always offer some of the coolest looking rock t-shirts around. The shirt pictured above was printed up specially for their 25th anniversary show which took place minutes away from their where they originally formed, Sayreville’s Starland Ballroom. I love how they incorporated the Garden State Parkway sign into the tee on the front and the state of NJ on the back. Overkill has never been afraid to admit that they hailed from Jersey and that is awesome. Presently, Overkill is working on new songs for an album slated for release in early 2012.

*One of my favorite songs ever and a theme song I used when I worked in radio is Overkill’s Kick-Ass Cover of “Frankenstein.”

NJ T-Shirt Tuesday 85: The Misfits Mystic Fiend

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The brand new Misfits album “The Devil’s Rain,” is in stores today. Since the horror punks from Lodi, NJ always offer ghoulish graphics on their t-shirts, let’s take a look at one of the tees offered at The Misfits online store. The first tee has Arthur Suydam’s artwork from the new album The Devil’s Rain and on the right is the “Mystic Fiend” shirt. The Misfits play their annual Halloween show at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on 10/28/11.

WATCH: “GET SLUDGEY TO THE STARLAND!”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1_mysYJMxA?rel=0]
The Sexy Armpit’s first appearance of Sludgey (played by Miss Sexy Armpit) and guest starring the Dirty Jersey Rockers Scarlet Carson. Sludgey was made by Puppatoons. Video was written, directed, and edited by The Sexy Armpit. Please watch it and LIKE it! If you think it’s funny send it to someone who might get a kick out of it. Thanks for your support! P.S: WATCH IN HD!!!
*Get your tickets for Scarlet Carson‘s CD release party on September 24th at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville via this link at Ticketmaster.

New Misfits Album Hitting Stores In October

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Arthur Suydam’s kickass cover art!

October 4th 2011 will be an exciting day for Misfits fans because it marks the release of the first full length Misifts album of new material in about ten years. Many fans abandoned the NJ horror punk group in recent years because of all the lineup changes and direction of the music. Personally, they’re still The Misfits to me and the fact that they’re keeping the spirit of the band alive is cool. But then again, I’d probably go to see KISS even if there were no original members left. What can I say, I like their music!

The album is called The Devil’s Rain and it promises to be a treat for those hardcore fans who hung in there. The album was produced by noted punk producer Ed Stasium and it’s said to be a return to the sci-fi themes and monstrous sounds of their past. The Amazon.com sale page describes the album as “not just a continuation of a historic legacy, it’s a total reboot ushering in a new era of terror.” Sounds good to me.

Also, if you bought the Misfits last 2 singles “Land of the Dead” and “Twilight of the Dead,” they have been re-recorded for this album. Recently the band dismissed Robo for Murphy’s Law drummer, Eric Arce, now known as “Chupacbra.” Hopefully they can stick with this lineup for a while.

I’m looking forward to this new album and it’ll be a great addition to my October playlist! Also look out for The Misfits LIVE on tour. Their Halloween show happens on Friday, October 28th 2011 at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. Click HERE for tickets!

Lock Up Your Daughters, Fairfield Is Here!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL5J91OkZWU?rel=0]
When a band’s lead singer looks like Zac Efron with more testosterone, it’s only a matter of time before your daughter and/or wife falls in love them. And while having a lead singer who looks like an alum from High School Musical isn’t necessarily the key to success in the music world, not looking like McLovin does help enormously. Last weekend at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, The Sexy Armpit checked out Jersey Shows Battle of the Bands finals. I made it there just in time to catch Jersey pop-rockers Fairfield take the stage.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Z2ZngYCxM?rel=0]
The band started out with a short cover of “Lose Yourself,” which was cool even though I’m not an Eminem fan. After introducing themselves, Fairfield launched into a fun, fast paced set of tunes, some of which sound like they are step away from being heard on a preview for the next tween blockbuster or an MTV show. Singer Anthony Tortorello’s undeniable charisma on stage made it seem like he’s been wooing audiences his entire life. It was as if we were in a video game and little red 8-bit hearts of all the girls in the crowd simultaneously floated out of their chests and over to Anthony. For an up and coming band, a solid lead singer is only half the battle. Without the band backing him up, Anthony would need to incorporate some magic tricks or some really lewd jokes into the set.

Fairfield isn’t just about their frontman. This new alternative pop rock band comprises a bunch of best friends who hail from central New Jersey. On their Myspace page they cite Armor For Sleep, Taking Back Sunday, Cartel, and Paramore as their influences. On guitar there’s Francisco Ortiz Gomez and Kyle Gordon, Kevin Yanes on Bass, and Mickey Ladines on drums. I had the chance to meet Kevin and Francisco after the show and they were equally as enthusiastic to meet The Sexy Armpit. Their EP is available at their merch table after the show. Until then you can listen to their tunes at Myspace or LIKE them on Facebook!

A Twisted Christmas at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville

Twisted Christmas DVD

In my cavernous vault of Christmas tunes, one facet of my collection that has never been properly represented was hard rock and metal. Before 2006, I never would have pegged Twisted Sister as a band to record a Christmas album. Although, after A Twisted Christmas was released in 2006, it was an immediate classic. There’s obviously been many hard rock bands through the years who have released holiday songs but how many actually withstand the test of time? We’re covered from a Jersey perspective with songs from Bon Jovi and American Angel, but overall we’re hard pressed for good hard rock and heavy metal Christmas songs.

In 2007 we saw Monster Ballads Xmas released, and a year later We Wish You a Metal Xmas, but none of them had the potential that A Twisted Christmas did to become a classic. The Twisted Sister formula combined with these perennial holiday songs was a success. A Christmas album might seem like a strange move for rockers who wear costumes and makeup, but they followed through with an annual Christmas concert where the band performs Christmas tunes, and a slew of their other big songs as well. Unfortunately, the Twisted Christmas concert did not take place this year (2010) but if you would still like to experience it anyway, I suggest getting your hands on a copy of the very first Twisted Christmas Live DVD which took place at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey and released in 2007.

With the stage doused in red spotlights, bows, and silver tinsel garland, Dee Snider stormed the stage wearing a Santa Claus costume. TS then ripped into “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which also incorporates a Ramones-esque “Ho, Ho, Ho, Let’s Go!” Their version of “White Christmas” is the quintessential hard rock version of the immortal song and “Oh Come all ye Faithful,” merges with “We’re Not Gonna Take It” to create the ultimate metal Christmas song.

The Starland concert was a fast paced onslaught of holiday hard rock. Dee Snider had a blast throughout the show, especially on “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” At times the rest of the band looks like they’d rather be knitting or doing a crossword puzzle, but they come alive when it’s time for Twisted songs like “The Fire Still Burns and “You Can’t Stop Rock and Roll.” Dee, who really has a way with words, thanked the troops overseas before kicking off “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” followed by a heartwarming rendition of “Burn in Hell.”

We get to see an awesome drum solo from A.J which leads into “Silver Bells” where Jay Jay French shreds as artifical snow fell from the rafters. You’ll also see plenty of Mark slapping the bass and Eddie electrifying his guitar. Dee tells a funny, yet long winded story about getting socks for Christmas which ultimately introduces “I Wanna Rock” as they completely annihilate the audience. Finally, the band comes back out for an encore of “Heavy Metal Christmas.” It wasn’t all holiday tunes either, mixed into the setlist were Twisted Sister tracks like “Shoot ’em  Down” and “The Price.”

The DVD is well put together. Visually, you’ll feel like you are actually in the venue. The Starland Ballroom is small, but the film crew did a superb job with the limited space. When watching this concert you will quickly notice how the creative crew makes the ballroom look huge as they shoot from all different perspectives, many of which I’ve never seen done before at a Starland concert. There are also several extras including music videos for “Oh Come all ye Faithful” and “Heavy Metal Christmas” as well as an interview with the band and more. I only have one gripe with the DVD itself. They decided to delete the word “motherf*cker” all throughout the show, which I assume was to not get a parental advisory warning slapped on there.

If you’re one of those humbugs who hates holiday tunes, then this DVD is your kryptonite. But if you’re the type who can’t wait to break out the holiday music after Thanksgiving, and if you’re a Twisted Sister fanatic, then this DVD is a must own! It’s also a collectible for those fans of New Jersey popular culture, since New York’s Twisted Sister chose our little Starland Ballroom to do their first ever Christmas concert! I recommend getting this DVD before it goes out of print and you have to buy it on ebay for $80 bucks!

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thesexarm-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003YCL172&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr