“…If indeed The Paper Jets have played their last show then guitarist/vocalist Brian Erickson, lead guitarist Mike Virok, bassist Scott Austin Miller and drummer Frank Lettieri Jr. can take comfort knowing that they not only played one of their best shows ever but did so on the same day they released one of the best albums of 2018.”

Read the full review here.

On Friday December 7, The Paper Jets ended a ten year run with a headlining release show at Asbury Lanes. Hundreds gathered for what may well be the band’s final performance and they did everything but disappoint.

In a kinder universe, this show would have been the start something bigger; the next phase for a band who has seemed both poised, and ready, for a while yet. Instead, it served as a cap-off to a sometimes-frustrating, frequently-interesting, never-boring decade that included four records, four tours, five festivals, and nine members.

As the show progressed, The Paper Jets ran through the best of their entire catalogue, featuring several cuts from their latest album Everyday Forever alongside longtime staples “Set of Rules,” Lena Lena,” and “Atlantic City.”

The performance took a turn toward the sentimental when, for the first time since January 2011, Bill Lambusta joined his former bandmates on stage for the final suite of songs. Then, before the band’s final number, manager Bill Greenwood, former keyboardist Kristen Leu, and longtime collaborator Jeff Fiedler also got on stage!

If this is the band’s final show, they couldn’t have pulled it off any better.

The Paper Jets at Asbury Lanes Set List (with Album Title):

1. CC It’s Not Me – Everyday Forever

2. Wonderful Love – Everyday Forever

3. Say I Can – Everyday Forever

4. #Lena Lena – We Are All Strange Friends

5. Elizabeth Distressed – Almost Nine

6. *Atlantic City – My Hometown: A Tribute to NJ (Bruce Springsteen cover)

7. Friends of Friends – We Are All Strange Friends

8. Jo Don’t Let Me – Almost Nine

9. Up to You – Everyday Forever

10. Go On Go On – Everyday Forever

11. Charlie It Can’t Be Done – Everyday Forever

12. *+Two & Two – Face Forward

13. +%Set of Rules – We Are All Strange Friends

14. +Cooking Up An Accident – We Are All Strange Friends

15. +^All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers cover

Annotations:

#Scott Austin Miller – lead vocals

*Frank Lettieri Jr – lead vocals

+Bill Lambusta – guitar

%Brittney Dixon – lead vocals

^Jeff Fiedler, Kristen Leu, Chris Dubrow – backing vocals

From left: Brian Erickson (lead vocals/guitar), Scott Austin Miller (bass/vocals), Frank Lettieri Jr. (drums/vocals), and Michael James Virok (lead guitar).

During an interview leading up to the release of Everyday Forever, Brian Erickson and Frank Lettieri Jr. dropped a pretty big bomb: The Paper Jets may well be through after the record comes out. Erickson asks sardonically, “Who is just dying to see us tour and release records? Sometimes you’ve gotta just say ‘no thanks’ and shut the lights out for a bit.”

Lettieri takes a more level-headed approach “I don’t believe this is the end of The Paper Jets.  This hiatus will hopefully allow us to come back at some point in the future with new songs and sounds.”

Read the full interview here.

Dust of Days:

12.06 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – 08:00p – Free Admission – w/ Tara Dente, Justin Pope, and Avery Mandeville

12.16 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – 07:30p – Free Admission – w/ Lowlight, Quality Living, and Jeff Fiedler

Brian (solo):

12.05 – Pierce Memorial Church, Farmingdale, NJ – 07:30p – Free Admission – w/ Matt Cook

12.09 – The Chubby Pickle, Highlands, NJ – 08:00p – Free Admission – w/ Matt Cook and Jesse Elliot

12.29 – Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ – 08:00p – $10.00 – w/ Lowlight, Fun While You Wait, Natalee Farrell, The Burns, Shady Street Show Band, Duane Okun, Avery Mandeville, and We’re Ghosts Now

Since then, songs continued to be shuffled in and out of the set list but last night, the band decided to put it all in order! Familiar songs like “Say I Can,” and “Charlie It Can’t Be Done,” sat alongside newcomers “Chatter,” and “My Gemini Heart,” – ten in all – to form what promises to be the band’s best record yet!

Set List (also – surprise! – new album track-list subtly revealed):

1. CC It’s Not Me

2. Wonderful Love

3. Say I Can

4. Up to You

5. Go On Go On

6. Charlie It Can’t Be Done

7. Kiss Arcana

8. Chatter

9. Watch My Fingers

10. My Gemini Heart

10.23.16 – The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ – 8:00p – All Ages – FREE w/ Fun While You Wait

11.04.16 – The Vault at Victor Records, Berlin, NJ – 7:30p – All Ages – $10 – As part of the International Pop Overthrow Festival

09.16.17 – John & Peter’s – New Hope, PA – 8p – FREE w/ The May Darlings, Dave Mooney, and Justin Pope

09.23.17 – Springfield Elk’s Lodge – Springfield, NJ – 2p – $25 adults/$8 children w/ The Vaughns

09.27.17 – Celtic Cottage Pub – Long Branch, NJ – 8:30p – FREE w/ Aunt D & the Boys

09.29.17 – The Asbury Hotel – Asbury Park, NJ – 8p – FREE w/ Jesse Elliot

10.08.17 – Noise in the Attic – Inkwell Coffee House, Long Branch, NJ – 8p – $5.00 w/ Jesse Elliot and Matt Cook

10.21.17 – Asbury Park Porchfest – 513 3rd Ave, Asbury Park, NJ – FREE

12.09.17 – The Chubby Pickle – Highlands, NJ – 8p – Free w/ Jesse Elliot and Matt Cook

06.10.17 – Transparent Clinch Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ – 1p – FREE

06.17.17 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – 8p – FREE

06.23.17 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – 8p – FREE

07.08.17 – Roxy & Dukes, Dunellen, NJ – 1p – $10.50

07.08.17 – Hansil’s, Oakland, NJ – 8p – FREE

07.10.17 – Pier Village, Long Branch, NJ – 7p – FREE || Brian & Frank will be performing an unplugged set

07.15.17 – John & Peter’s*, New Hope, PA – 8p – FREE || *Playing bass for Finding Feebas

07.19.17 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – 8p – FREE

07.27.17 – The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ – 8p – $5.00

07.29.17 – Old Franklin Schoolhouse, Metuchen, NJ – 8p – $5.00 || Brian & Frank (w/ Jeff Fiedler) will be performing an unplugged set

08.02.17 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – 8p – FREE

08.03.17 – The Chubby Pickle, Atlantic Highlands, NJ – FREE

08.12.17 – Scout’s Coffee Bar & Mercantile – High Bridge, NJ – 10a – FREE

08.12.17 – Beach Haus Brewery*, Belmar, NJ – 1:30p – FREE || *Playing bass for Matt Cook

08.12.17 – Music Sucks: A Barbecue, Ringwood, NJ – private event w/ Quality Living, A Bird, Chris Nova (of Ruby Bones) & Ben Resnick (of We’re Ghosts Now)

08.19.17 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – 8p – FREE || The Paper Jets full-band w/ Tara Dente, Jesse Elliot, Jenny & the Felines, and Dentist