Well we’ve finally done it. We’ve gone back through our calendar and compiled a list of EVERY Paper Jets show that has EVER taken place (with a few Brian solo spots in there, for good measure). Years 2008 – 2010 feature notes by former ‘Jet Bill Lambusta. 2011 – the present notes have been picked up by Brian who refers to himself in the third person…a lot. Shows marked “*” indicate they’re one of Bill’s favorites. Shows marked “+” indicate they’re one of Brian’s favorites.
2008:
10/8 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – w/ John Tagleiri (douche). Drew Novelli intro/video
2009:
+*1/24 – Riverview Studios, Bordentown, NJ – w/ Timid Roosevelts, 3 camera shoot, Jeff Fiedler played keys, Jim Parker joined in for a cover of “Back in the High Life,” Bill played mandolin
2/18 – The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ – good show, band dislikes venue, show was video-taped
2/18 – The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ – good show, band dislikes venue, show was video-taped
3/6 – Axis Lounge, Carlstadt, NJ – played well, no audience, shared stage with crappy metal band
4/18 – Barrington Coffee House, Barrington, NJ – acoustic full-band, terrible idea to split up set, boring, non-energetic set
5/16 – McGuinn’s Place, Lawrenceville, NJ – decent show w/ Timid Roosevelts
*5/26 – North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA – w/ 58 Fury, “Hats” show
5/29 – Port city Pub, Wilmington, NC – decent show, okay metal band, great audience that didn’t buy any CDs
+*5/30 – Soapbox Laundro Lounge, Wilmington, NJ – WE Fest, amazing show, shared stage with Olivia Mancini & the Housemates
6/12 – Flying W Airport, Marlton, NJ – Scottie’s school “end-of-the-year” party, uninterested crowd, boring set
7/11 – McGuinns, Lawrenceville, NJ – stage lights didn’t work
7/18 – Lenora’s, Lyndhurst, NJ – w/ Billy, first show w/ short hair
8/15 – Mid August Celebration, Bayville, NJ – cops came to shut down the party, learned that Frank doesn’t like playing “Hey Sandy.”
+9/4 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – w/ the Mixxtape, Scottie punched me in the balls
10/9 – McGuinns – w/ The Mixxtape, SoCo drunken show, first show with Kristen
*10/25 – KatManDu, Trenton, NJ – Battle of the Bands (we lost), no Kristen
11/6 – McGuinns, Lawrenceville, NJ – w/ 58 Fury, Scottie & Frank feel we played poorly
11/13 – Freddie’s Tavern, Bristol, PA – w/ 58 Fury and Happy Accident, decent show
*12/17 – McIntyre’s Pub, Toms River, NJ – w/ a terrible metal band and Bootsy Spankins, Frank forgot Kristen’s keyboard, good show, large family crowd
2010:
*1/15 – McGuinns, Lawrenceville, NJ – w/ Billy and Hannah Zaic. Great show, lights were working
1/28 – Kildare’s, King of Prussia, PA – w/ 58 Fury. No Frank or Kristen. Played lame covers set. Kevin Titze sat in on drums for one song.
*2/13 – Fergie’s, Philadelphia, PA – w/ Happy Accident. First show with Rt 66 pedal. Sold 3 CDs. Jeff Metzner took pictures. Slow version of “You’ll Come Around,” with Kristen on harmonica.
2/19 – Bootlegger’s, Woodlynn, PA – w/ 58 Fury. Cool stage with stripper poles. 58 Fury lent us their wireless units.
3/5 – Riverview Studios, Bordentown, NJ – Recorded live performance. Very difficult show but rewarding. Kristen quit shortly afterward.
+4/2 – Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, DC – Played in the shadow of the Washington Monument. Packed hillside. Young girls love Scottie. Lots of walking.
4/10 – Unionville Vineyards – Brian & Tim Ryan Present: “Twin Songwriters” – Duo set. Four hours. Tim recorded it and played two new songs: “Chances Are,” and “One Day Kate.”
4/10 – McGuinns, Lawrenceville, NJ – Tim opened, no audience, halfheartedly played some covers at the end.
4/23 – All Call In, Ewing, NJ – w/ Burning Jersey. Two people in the audience. Played a lot of covers.
4/25 – The Trocadero (Balcony), Philadelphia, PA – Good turnout. Aprrox 20 people. Sold 1 CD & 1 T-shirt.
5/15 – Relay For Life, Bayville, NJ – Good show.
5/21 – Fergie’s, Philadelphia, PA – Small audience
5/23 – Jayden’s First Birthday Party, Holbrook, NY – No one cared we were playing.
6/19 – McGuinns, Lawrenceville, NJ – w/ George Petrillo. Finally, a good crowd! Ron Love.
7/3 – Wedding, Frenchtown, NJ – Groom liked it. Groom and groomsman sang, “Adam’s Song,” and “Blister In the Sun.”
7/31 – Scotttie & Jeanine’s Engagement Party, Hamilton, NJ
8/2 – Nardi’s, Long Beach Island, NJ – Lost Battle of the Bands (sponsored by The Hawk) to a band called Axis
8/14 – Mid August Celebration, Bayville, NJ – Acoustic. Played with Jeff.
10/1 – It’s a Grind Coffeehouse, Plainsboro, NJ – w/ Jackie Bors and Dust of Days. “Car Crash,” and “Can’t Hardly Wait.”
12/3 – Mercer College, Hamilton, NJ – Scottie’s “final” show. Played better than expected w/o practice. Show was recorded.
2011:
+1/22 – Levittown Library, Levittown, PA – Brian Solo w/ Sleeping Satellites. Tim Ryan was in the audience but did not perform.
+1/22 – McGuinn’s, Lawrenceville, NJ – Drew on bass, Tim on 3rd guitar. Jim and Jeff joined us for “Memories,” as the final song. Bill’s final show with The Paper Jets
3/11 – Princeton Arts Council, Princeton, NJ – Brian solo
4/9 – The Washington Monument, Washington, DC – with Jim McGee joining on a couple songs. 45 degrees and FREEZING outside.
5/27 – Triumph Brewery, Princeton, NJ – Brian solo
5/28 – Cafe Improv, Princeton Arts Council (Princeton TV), Princeton, NJ – acoustic trio
+6/10 – Hopewell Vineyards, Pennington, NJ – Brian solo w/ Jeff & Tim (we played the ‘Help’ album inadvertently in full). Possibly Tim Ryan’s final public performance.
6/10 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – first official show as a three-piece, opened for Luke Elliot
7/15 – It’s a Grind Cafe, Plainsboro, NJ – acoustic trio, played ‘Face Forward’ from front-to-back
7/30 – Hopewell Vineyards, Pennington, NJ – Brian solo with Jim McGee helping out a little. Brian drank too much wine and got sick later.
10/1 – McGuinn’s, Lawrenceville, NJ – Tremain Brown opened. First of two shows with Karen in attendance. Closed with “Memories,” in honor of Tim Ryan who died in a car crash two nights earlier. Frank pretty much nailed it!
10/15 – Mill Hill Basement, Trenton, NJ – Brian got food poisoning and witnessed a shady deal going down in the Men’s room. Amanda’s first time seeing TPJs. Lisa and Scottie accompanied Brian to CVS to get Rolaids
+11/19 – The Bitter End, NYC, NY – Bored In Town Release Party – 50 people showed up, we played well.
12/3 – Hopewell Vineyards, Pennington, NJ – Brian solo
2012:
1/21 – The Village Lantern, NYC, NY – Karen’s second (and final) time seeing TPJs in concert. Jim McGee was in the lineup
2/2 – Kelly’s Logan House – Wilmington, DE – Jim in the lineup – Jackie and Darcy in the audience. Cool venue. Charlie Gibb took photos. No audience response. Jackie took video.
3/1 – WRRC-FM – First radio spot with Ryan Hanratty & Steve Walters. Jim was in attendance for this.
3/10 – Binghamton University – Cool place to play, paid $600 plus food, plus two nights in a hotel. Jim was in the lineup
3/24 – Hopewell Vineyards, Pennington, NJ – Brian solo. Amanda was in the crowd for this, much to Brian’s delight.
3/28 – Mill Hill Basement, Trenton, NJ – Brian solo. Opened for Jake Simmons & the Little Ghosts. Packed house, unresponsive audience
+3/31 – Bar East, NYC, NY – Upper East Side Music Fest. GREAT crowd, GREAT response. Jim was in the lineup. Show was recorded. Of course, Brian can’t find the recording.
4/15 – West Chester University, West Chester, PA. Amanda took fantastic band pictures!
4/19 – Rider University Fine Arts Lobby, Lawrenceville, NJ – Brian solo – opened for the student band that Lisa played drums in.
4/24 – SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY. Booked by Alex Bellink who we met at the Bitter End. No one – literally, no one – was there. Fort Awesome. Food made Brian sick.
4/25 – Bar East, NYC, NY – UES Music Fest Round II – Greenwood and the bartender were there. That’s it. We played around midnight. Terrible show.
5/17 – Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ – Jim was there but didn’t play with us. Brian was sick. GREAT venue, FANTASTIC sound. Opened for Black Box revolution and the guy from The Academy Is
6/24 – Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ – Pay-to-pay situation that Brian was not enthused about doing. Got the “Short Woman” live video from this show. Amanda – once again – took fantastic pictures.
7/17 – Myxer, The Internet, Planet Earth – OnlineFace Forward Listening Party. Pretty fun, actually. Wish Myxer were still around.
8/3 – EJs Tavern, Seaside, NJ – First of three shows with Midnight Mosaic
9/1 – Binghamton University – Really long set (two hours?) for Binghamton’s Welcome Weekend. Huge but largely unresponsive crowd. The hot dogs were free but we opted to buy food off-campus instead.
9/7 – EJs Tavern, Seaside, NJ w/ Midnight Mosaic
9/14 – EJs Tavern, Seaside, NJ w/ Midnight Mosaic
9/14 – EJs Tavern, Seaside, NJ w/ Midnight Mosaic
9/20 – WRRC-FM – We played “Cooking Up An Accident” and “Making Me Run,” album tracks.
10/27 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA
+11/9 – Mill Hill Basement, Trenton, NJ – Brian, Jim & Jeff’s infamous power trio set
11/16 – Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ – “unplugged” in the BLC Pub. Parts of show were recorded by Ryan Hanratty.
11/24 – Bordentown Tree Lighting Festival, Bordentown, NJ – Extremely cold outdoor show. Group pic with Santa afterward.
11/30 – Triumph Brewery, New Hope, PA. Chris Kovaleski joined us as bassist for “Lena Lena,” and “Set of Rules.” Scottie played guitar.
12/14 – Breezn’ With Bierman Show, End of the World Etiquette – acoustic trio performance; debuted “Now You’re Gone.”
12/29 – The Grape Room, Philadelphia, PA – really weird band with singing bassist played after us. Snow ensured ZERO people would come out to this show.
2013:
1/17 – Mill Hill Basement, Trenton, NJ – Brian, Jim, and Jeff’s second power trio set…not even a fraction as good or fun as the first one.
2/21 – Legendary Dobbs (Upstairs), Philadelphia, PA – Great room, great crowd…except that no one paid attention. Got a decent recording of the show.
3/2 – Sullivan Hall – NYC, NY – Frank and Greenwood met Matt Pinfield. The NowhereNauts played after us. Nahtan Larson from Shudder to Think played with them, as well. Amanda made a neat “behind the scenes” video. Brian was sick before the show. He ate a vegetable panini which – ironically – made him feel better.
3/9 – Riverview Studios, Bordentown, NJ – Brian & Frank played an opening set with Jeff Fiedler & the Sleeping Satellites. Made ammends with with Bill Lambusta and then quickly performed a Sleeting Satellites set – like – within moments of each other. First time playing with Bill in two years felt surprisingly natural. Met Mick Chorba and The Successful Failures. Mike Virok played a fine solo set.
+4/4 – World Cafe Live (Upstairs) – Philadelphia, PA – Opened for Luke Elliot. The first copies of ‘Strange Friends,’ were sold here
4/23 – Colonial Bowling, Lawrenceville, NJ – Played with Shadowplay. This one kind of sucked. We supplied drums, the PA…basically everything. Did live radio interview with Ryan & Steve.
4/28 – Dublin Square, Bordentown, NJ – Amanda took some great shots of us. Brian debuted the famous Red Pants. Aunt Barbara & Uncle Tony showed to this one. We played well. No one cared.
5/2 – WRRC-FM, Lawrenceville, NJ – Full ‘Strange Friends’ album preview on Ryan & Steve’s show
5/4 – Fat Baby Bar – Terrible sound, terrible crowd. Brian’s high school friend Mike Gamba showed up by surprise which was great. Brian was ashamed because the band sounded awful. Upstairs was a club.
5/8 – Havana, New Hope, PA – Played with Jeff & Bill as ‘Sleeping Satellites,’ along with the usual Paper Jets set. Additionally, we invited Drew on stage and played “You’ll Come Around,” and “Always Will.” The first-ever public Invisible Solid reunion.
5/11 – Princeton Arts Council – Brian and Jeff played separate solo sets opening for Luke Elliot
5/11 – Woolly Mammouth – Philadelphia, PA w/ Hannah Zaic & the Damaged Goods
6/13 – Hopewell Vineyards, Pennington, NJ – Brian’s 30th birthday party. Reunited Invisible Solid. Played a set of Tim Ryan songs; ended the night with “Hey Jude,” “Bargain,” and “I Want You to Want Me,” with Jim McGee on guitar and Brian’s Uncle Bill playing bass.
6/20 – The Fire, Philadelphia, PA – There was a dog in the audience. Brian fell asleep before TPJs set.
7/9 – Checkers-N-Trophies – Kent, OH – Opened for Mothra. Place was extremely divey. Other bands were nice to us. CnT burned down (literally) a few months later
7/10 – The Dash In – Fort Wayne, IN – No stage, played with a touring band called Water…something, I don’t completely remember. Frank didn’t like the Bed n Breakfast we stayed in, claiming that the tour wasn’t the “sleeping in the van” excursion he had originally envisioned it to be. Brian felt bad; we slept in the van two nights later.
+7/11 – The Abbey, Chicago, IL (Main Stage) – Fantastic venue, great sound, free meals; we were treated like an actual band for a change and it was wonderful. Opening band was really cool and respectful. But…no audience minus Lisa and Amanda. Guess what the Chicago-style deep dish pizza did to Brian? Just take a guess. We’ll just say it didn’t make him feel any better.
+7/12 – Dillingers, New Albany, IN – Aby Laby Land and Mananabango were the two opening bands. Both really good bands and nice people.
7/26 – The Record Collector, Bordentown, NJ – ‘My Hometown’ CD release party (featuring TPJs cover of “Atlantic City”). Janet LaBelle played solo. We played three-piece acoustic. Successful Failures and Crypt Keeper Five played loud, electric sets. We were jealous.
8/10 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA
8/17 – Leftfield on Ludlow, NYC, NY – Three-tiered stage where we had to stand single-file. Very weird show.
9/21 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA
9/28 – Croton Point Park (Stress Free Summer Festival), Sleepy Hollow, NY – Beautiful surroundings; camp grounds, lots of jam bands. No one cares about rock and roll music.
10/16 – The Record Collector, Bordentown, NJ – w/ The Successful Failures. Outdoor street fair show.
2014:
1/17 – Radio 104.5 FM, Philadelphia, PA – Played “Set of Rules,” and “All These Things I’ve Done,” on Live @ 5 with Wendy Rollins. We tore it up!
1/25 – Riverview Studios, Bordentown, NJ – Strange Friends release party w/ the Levee Drivers and Jesse Elliot
+1/31 – Tammany Hall, NYC, NY – Greenwood, Greenwood’s sister Laura, and Mike Gamba showed up. That was our audience. Staff and sound were fantastic, though. Redeemed ourselves to Gamba who introduced me to jazz music when I was 16…it was important that he’d be impressed.
2/8 – Paul’s Tavern & Cabin, Belmar, NJ – Venue kind of stunk, but family and friends came out which made the evening palatable.
+3/12 – Voltage Lounge, Philadelphia, PA – played with 2blk2wht and became friends with their guitarist Matthew White
5/15 – Xfinity Live, Phialdelphia, PA – Debuted, “Jo Don’t Let Me.”
6/10 – Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL – Nice venue, small crowd. Other band liked Brian’s guitar.
6/11 – Hang Fire, Savannah, GA – Street fight outside the club, very rock and roll. A sandwich called The Conquistador – guess what it did? Yes, it made Brian sick…for the rest of the tour.
6/12 – Hummingbird Stage, Macon, GA – Arsehole band that we opened for started loading the stage before we finished our set. Jerks.
6/13 – Chapel Hill Underground, Chapel Hill, NC – Pool hall/bar. Guy wearing overalls and not much else looked like he ate ballsacks for snack before naptime.
6/14 – Juggling Gypsy, Wilmington, NC – Played w/ Ashes vs Leaves. Played Cards Against Humanity for the first time ever, too. No one except for Nathan and his friend Tanya were there, but they enjoyed it. Greenwood got trashed.
6/20 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – Homecoming show w/ Billy. Good crowd and a great response. Billy played for close to 3 hours and were borrowing Brian’s amp. He and Amanda went upstairs and fell asleep for a little bit.
8/31 – Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ – Brian solo w/ Ryan Hanratty performing as Catch Me If You Can
9/14 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ – Brian solo (with Jeff for two songs) w/ Ryan Hanratty performing as Catch Me If You Can
10/4 – The Bitter End, NYC, NY – Scottie’s first show back after breaking his shoulder. An of Brian’s extended family (which he was not expecting) showed up which made for a great crowd!
11/7 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ – Brian & Scottie played acoustically. Greenwood joined in for “Misinformed,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done.” Brittney was not happy that Frank wasn’t there…she was expecting a full-band.
12/14 – The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ – Opened for the Karma Killers who got signed to Island Records. Brian drove down from a funeral in Massachusetts and got sick five minutes before we went on.
2015:
1/3 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ
+1/9 – The Banana Stand, New Brunswick, NJ – First-ever basement show. This is where we met The Vaughns. Brittney’s band The Wolf Inside played. So did the Centennials.
1/16 – Lit Lounge, NYC, NY – Garage rock “Festival.” Surprisingly fun show with a lot of really weird bands. Brian was secretly ill before showtime.
+1/17 – Triumph Brewery, New Hope, PA – The Successful Failures opened. Fans rushed the stage, TONS of people. All-around fantastic time and – by far – the band’s best set as a trio.
2/8 – Scarlet Pub, New Brunswick, NJ – Brian solo.
+3/6 – WESS-FM, East Stroudsburg, PA – Our first performance on The Sound Wave w/ Jordan & Amanda. Played an acoustic set. Debuted our medley of “Wake Up/Round Here.”
3/13 – Radio 104.5, Philadelphia, PA – Acoustic “Live @ 5 with Wendy Rollins.”
3/13 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ. Got there late, missed The Vaughns opening set. Jordan and Jill from WESS, Brittney from the Rail House, and our friend Neo were all in attendance.
3/27 – WESS-FM – Spring Jam, interview and short acoustic set
4/1 – Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ – Scott Kammerer finally came to see us play
+4/10 – The Washington Monument, Washington, DC – Virok’s first show with TPJs. A fine return to DC!
+4/11 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – Virok joins again. Jesse Elliot and Justin Pope played, too.
4/18 – The Record Collector, Bordentown, NJ – Record Store Day acoustic trio set.
+4/30 – The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ – The Vaughns played. Neo fell in love with their singer, Anna. Virok joined us again…I think he’s probably in the band at this point, right?
+5/2 – Union County Performing Arts Center Hamilton Stage, Rahway, NJ – 200 capacity theatre show. Mostly acoustic bands except for us. Brittney was disappointed in the draw (about 120) but we brought all the bands out an ensemble version of the final song, closing a stressful night on a positive note. Again, Virok played with us. Can we just put him in the darn band already?
+5/8 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ – Last-minute put together Invisible Solid sort-of reunion with Brian on vocals and guitar, Drew on bass, Jeff on drums and Jim on lead guitar. Not bad for zero preparation. Jesse Elliot stepped up for a version of “Really Good to Be Alone,” as well. Fun to play with Drew and Jeff again.
5/22 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ – The Clydes released their album. We released our EP. Played well; no one seemed to mind.
6/7 – The Scarlet Pub – Brian solo
6/13 – Trenton Social, Trenton, NJ – Jesse Elliot’s album release party w/ Justin Pope, Gringo Motel, and the Low Doses who have a lefty bassist. Guy running sound was either a douche or high.
6/20 – Roebling Wire Works, Art All Night, Trenton, NJ – Some jerk rushed the stage and pushed Brian from behind. Brian was not happy. Got home at 5:45a and wrote “Say I Can.”
+6/22 – Live From the Dining Room, Woodbridge, NJ – Brian and Mike played as an acoustic/banjo duet. Interview. Super fun! Set was recorded.
7/3 – Welcome America Festival, Philadelphia, PA – REALLY hot out. Brian felt lethargic. No one seemed to notice. We made it onto the news.
+7/11 – John & Peter’s – Wolfasaurus Rex, Jesse Elliot, and the Low Doses played. We gave Jesse’s bassist, Ed, a 1975 Vantage bass for his 40th birthday.
7/17 – The Nest, East Meadow, NY – Brian solo. Brian quieted a loud crowd with a few cover songs. Ryan Hanratty was the headliner. John Mellencamp’s nephew Ian played and liked Brian’s set (omg omg omg!)
7/25 – The Rail House, Rahway, NJ – Officially announced Virok as a permanent member of the band, our tour, and our recording of a new album. Brian was clean-shaven and the band wore black and white.
8/9 – The Space, New Haven, CT – Really cool space, nice staff, great sound. Local bands (which we booked) didn’t stay for our set. One band – Samuel Powers – sang really heavy songs that were all apparently based on 90s TV shows. Place was largely empty and seemed to be failing what with all the “Save the Space” fundraiser flyers hanging around.
8/10 – WEMF-FM, Boston, MA – Host seemed to be under the influence. They lost their mics and realized it after we hauled all our gear up to the third floor. Virok and Brian ended up playing acoustically.
+8/11 – Club Passim, Boston, MA – Fantastic folk club with great sound! Good crowd that was very engaged. Played a short set, but we made each minute count. Frank and Virok each played respective solo sets.
8/12 – Al’s Wine & Whiskey, Syracuse, NY – Really classy whiskey bar. Leather chairs and couches. Manhattan-stylee club that took a wrong turn up the Thruway. We played well and had a nice crowd response.
8/14 – Monty’s Krown, Rochester, NY – Stage had “weak spots” in it. We had to provide our own mics, cables, and stands. Floor was sticky. Stage was sticky. Door handles were sticky. Seat cushions were sticky. Bathroom was sticky. Each of the band members “lost it” at one point or another over the course of the night. Shirts were removed. Brian started yelling. Lisa played some drums. By the end of the night, no one in the band cared anymore. Punctuated our set with three Green Day songs: “When I Come Around” (sung by Virok), “Longview” (sung by Manager Bill Greenwood), and “American Idiot” (sung by Brian).
+8/15 – Mojo’s, Jamestown, NY – FANTASTIC way to cap off a week on the road. We played an early set (10 – 11:00) and a later set (11:30 – 1:00a). People were into it, they were dancing, and the few who stuck around for both sets started singing along the second time around!
8/21 – The Dopeness, Jersey City, NJ – Virok and Brian played as an acoustic duo. Lisa gifted Brian a copy of ‘No Jacket Required,’ by Phil Collins. Musically, Virok and Brian are starting to find that “special weirdness,” and the show itself – while not the most ideal venue – went well and the crowd responded accordingly. Cryptkeeper Five and Steve Burks played.
8/23 – Pianos, NYC, NY – Lowlight headlined which was wonderful. Bassist Conor Meara didn’t show, so Renee (Lowlight singer) borrowed Scottie’s bass. Brian, Virok, and Scottie played as an acoustic trio. Crowd was a little sparse; tried to keep it entertaining in between songs.
9/11 – The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian & Virok played as a duo. Brian had a broken foot (which he didn’t yet realize). Did a version of “Atlantic City,” which was a bit of a highlight. The Wonder Bar is a really cool venue and Roy Orbitron played which was a real treat! Julian Fulton and YJY also played.
+9/25 – Black Bear Bar, Brooklyn, NY – Brian played solo. First time playing, “I Said You Don’t,” in a really long time. Played “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” as well. Surprising amount of funny cussing. The band afterward – Color Tongue – was funky and good. Greenwood, McGee, Ryan and Bridget were Brian’s audience. That was it. Still had fun. First time playing in Brooklyn since The Invisible Solid Debacle of 2006. Show was recorded.
10/2 – East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA – After narrowly avoiding getting sideswiped by a tractor trailer on I-80, Brian and Scottie played at ESU as part of College Radio day. “Set of Rules,” was a particularly big hit with the crowd. Gave out a couple of albums and made some new friends. Altogether, a fine, fine afternoon!
10/2 – Yarnspinners Podcast Taping – Brian recorded a “Storytellers” type program in two parts by playing 10 songs total. Host Brian David Rothenbeck pulls a few more personal stories from our man than he’s usually comfortable telling. He chronicles his decade in music, collaborations, losses, and gains. The usual 10 songs need not apply; Brian went deep on this one.
+10/17 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – Brian & Virok played as a duo, opening the night for Centennials, Lowlight, Jesse Elliot & the Falconnaires, and Cook Thugless. Great crowd, really fun event that each of the bands really seemed to be into.
10/24 – Le Grand Formage, Atlantic City, NJ – Brian & Scottie played an acoustic duo show in Atlantic City. Couple of cool bands, place was largely empty. Some night’s it’s entertainment; some other nights it’s work.
+10/30 – The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – Brian & Frank teamed up with Andrew & Bill from Small Planet Radio to play an entire set of Replacements songs. Other bands played covers sets by Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance, Fallout Boy, and Screeching Weasel.
11/8 – The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – The boys played a secret show, their last of the year, for a New Brunswick Today gala event. Brian started with an hour-long solo set before launching into 90 minutes with the full band. Played a few deeper cuts – “Point of View,” “As It Gets,” – alongside the standards. Scottie’s final performance with The Paper Jets. Rusty
12/2 – Yarnspinners Podcast Pt I – Brian plays solo for this Storytellersesque podcast that covers his 10 years as a musician (which was not the initial plan). It was fun and a little scary having wheeled out a number of songs that hadn’t been played since there was a Bush in the White House. But the results – while not entirely mistake-free – proved illuminating in their own way.
12/16 – Yarnspinners Podcast Pt II -Brian takes us through the latter half of his decade in music. He talks about more recent goings-on within The Paper Jets and takes us right up to the present-day.
2016:
2/7 - The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – Brian played a solo set, all the while beating back a nasty fever. Not his best night out. Managed a pair of duets with Jesse Elliot and Devon Moore of Fun While You Wait.
2/7 - The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – Brian played a solo set, all the while beating back a nasty fever. Not his best night out. Managed a pair of duets with Jesse Elliot and Devon Moore of Fun While You Wait.
3/31 – MikeRo Radio, Metuchen, NJ – Brian played a quick solo set ahead of a few forthcoming live Paper Jets shows.
4/2 – WESS-FM, East Stroudsburg, PA – Brian, Frank, and Virok play a couple songs and perform a brief set on East Stroudsburg University Radio’s annual Spring Jam program. This is the first time more than two Paper Jets have played publicly since August 2015.
4/9 – Samuel Fleming House, Flemington, NJ – Brian played an intimate solo set at this rural NJ historic landmark. Very covers-heavy. It was raining but there was wine. Jesse Elliot opened.
+4/11 – The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ – The Paper Jets debuted their new bassist, Scott Austin Miller, in front of an unsuspecting crowd as their played a last-minute warm-up set in preparation for their proper comeback show. Lowlight headlined with an unsurprising abundance of great songs.
4/17 – The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – Brian plays a much better solo set than the one he did back in February, trying out some standup comedy and debuting his stripped-down version of “Sloop John B.”
+5/3 – Live From the Dining Room, Woodbridge, NJ – Brian spent three hours telling stories and playing some favorites for Jay and Joe who have him back again for the second time within a year.
5/7 – The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – The big comeback show was not quite as mammoth as we had hoped. The set was tight and the new material went off just fine; the crowd didn’t necessarily suspect something being amiss, but the vibe was off and things felt rushed.
5/13 – Dragonfly Music & Coffee Cafe, Somerville, NJ – Brian played solo alongside Anthony Carrera and Renee Maskin. Three 15 minute sets were fun and kept the night interesting for the audience, but never quite got going for each of the performers. Just as people were starting to get warmed up, their sets were over. But overall a fun night.
6/29 – First Ave Green Space, Asbury Park, NJ – The band made the most of its chance to play outside in front of Asbury Park for the first time this Summer.
7/03 – Welcome America Festival, Philadelphia, PA -Oh wow, you’d think we were a real band playing more than one show every month-and-a-half. By far our best set of 2016. Got a little rushed at the end, but all-in-all a tight, well-put-together, and encouraging performance.
7/14 – The Inkwell, Long Branch, NJ – Brian was getting over a July 4th weekend cold so he played an admittedly restrained set.
7/19 – Chubby Pickle, The Highlands, NJ – What a difference five days makes as Brian’s voice started to return!
7/23 – Brix City Brewing, Little Ferry, NJ – Aaaaaaaand the voice is completely back! Brian’s third – and to date, best – solo show of the month.
7/26 – Pier Village, Long Branch, NJ – Impromptu set performed for Jerzey Rock and 95.9 WRAT. Brian showed up to see Steve Burks perform and ended up on the bill after a last-minute cancellation. Fun outdoor show on the Long Branch Boardwalk.
+7/29 – Kennedy Park, Asbury Park, NJ – Two hour outdoor solo set went well; felt great to be “out in it” in the middle of the Summer in Asbury.
+7/30 – FireFest, New Brunswick, NJ – The full-band is really hitting stride. well-attended and well-played.
+8/21 – Tattooed Moms, Philadelphia, PA – Brian appeared as part of the Philadelphia Podcast Festival to discuss the local music scene between Asbury and New Brunswick, as well as premiere a new song called, “Charlie It Can’t Be Done.”
8/24 – Asbury Park Yacht Club, Asbury Park, NJ – Last-minute postponement hurt our attendance (which promised to be decent). Performance was solid. Ed Pratico filled in for Miller on bass who got stuck working. The Vaughns were in attendance.
8/27 – Scouts Coffee Bar, High Bridge, NJ – Dual solo sets with Brian and Matt Monaco. Local legend Brian Molnar showed up for an afternoon-capping set, as well.
9/4 – Soft Sounds, Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – The return of the Court Tavern’s Sunday night acoustic showcase. Renee was amazing, as usual. Really took a shine to Lance Greene’s performance, as well. Nicky Karwacki has a song about seasonal affective disorder called, “It’s Ram Truck Month.”
+9/10 – The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – Opened for Small Planet Radio’s album release party and – once again – did splendidly. The Court seems to be our spot.
10/1 – October ComicCon, Hamilton, NJ – Brian solo for about an hour. A little chilly, but overall pretty fun. Played the cajon for Jesse Elliot, as well. We’re Ghosts Now, The Production, and Fun While You Wait – all friends of ours – performed, as well.
10/5 – Scouts Coffee Bar, High Bridge, NJ – Brian solo with Alex Maxwell and Brian Molnar. Great night! Part of Scouts’ new Living Room Series which features dinner and acoustic performances.
10/14 – Stockton Market, Stockton, NJ – Brian solo w/ Devon Moore (of Fun While You Wait) and Renee Maskin (of Lowlight). Lots of little kids running around. You Don’t Know Jersey showed up and did a “Pizza w/ The Band” article.
+10/15 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – The Paper Jets performed w/ Kate Dressed Up, The Vaughns, Dentist, and We’re Ghosts Now. Bob Makin took pictures and published an article about the night dubbed the “New Hope takeover.”
10/16 – The Inkwell, Long Branch, NJ – Brian solo w/ Matt Fernicola and Rachel Ana Dobken. Fun night if a little tired by the end given the previous two nights of shows.
11/03 – One World Observatory, Manhattan, NY – Brian solo w/ Renee Maskin (of Lowlight). Ever wonder what it’s like to play a show on the 100th floor of a building? Well, I don’t anymore. Renee’s set was fantastic as usual. My voice was a little scratchy. Met up w/ Derril and Dana from Lowlight and Paper Jets manager Bill Greenwood and his girlfriend Adrienne afterward for New York City hangs!
11/04 – College Radio Day, East Stroudsburg, PA – Brian solo. Got to see all my ESU homies one last time before the semester let out.
+11/18 – Asbury Park Yacht Club, Asbury Park, NJ – Got to play with Fun While You Wait which was great! Not sure The Paper Jets and FWYW actually ever performed together on the same night before. Hooray for new adventures!
12/10 – 90.5 The Night, Brookdale Public Radio, Lincroft, NJ – Brian solo. Performance and interview with Megan O’Shea. Played a couple of acoustic tunes and talked about songs I wish I had written.
12/15 – MikeRo Media, Metuchen, NJ – Brian solo. Got to play a litany of songs as Mike, the host, was getting ready for a trip to Florida and was absent from the studio for a portion of the time I was on-air. Basically, I interviewed myself.
12/16 – House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ – The moment we’ve all been waiting for! The Paper Jets play their biggest show to date: a 20(ish)-minute set on a night with, like, six other bands. They gave us a dressing room and beer. Jesse Elliot bought me vegetable fried rice. The band sounded great!
12/20 – 95.9 WRAT Christmas Special, Lake Como, NJ – Brian solo. Got to play “Little Saint Nick” by The Beach Boys which is an all-time fave!
12/30 – The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ – Closed down Brittney Dixon’s run as the manager of the Court Tavern in anti-climactic fashion. Normally we draw very well there. Tonight we didn’t.
12/31 – Riverview Studios, Bordentown, NJ (private performance) – Got to play with Alpha Rabbit and Meeko Brando; a pair of bands with overlapping members. Played better than we did the night before which is a plus. It was a private show which was not a plus. Farewell, 2016!
2017:
2/18 – Maxwells, Hoboken, NY – Just Brian and Scott that night. Played for about 90(ish) people which was cool and still set the table for a slate of other full-bands.
3/2 – Maxfields, Boonton, NJ – Brian solo. Got to play with Renee Maskin and Brian Rothenbeck; always a pure pleasure. Voice still isn’t completely back.
3/11 – Stay Gold, Belmar, NJ – Brian solo. Played a 45 minute solo set and also back up Matt Cook on the bass. Matt’s mom and Brian’s mom were both in the audience.
3/23 – John & Peters, New Hope, PA – Brian solo. Renee Maskin, Justin Pope, and Sourland also played which was awesome. Justin and Renee are among my favorite songwriters.
4/7 – Krogh’s, Sparta, NJ – Brian solo. Bar was LOUD; had to fight with the crowd but in the end, still played a solid set. Kate Dressed Up (who is amazing and uses this loop pedal) and Longlife (aka Mike and Michelle from Control) also played and were great. Chris Nova of Ruby Bones was in the audience; I stayed over his lovely house in Lake Hopatcong.
4/9 – PA/NJ Radio, Lambertville, NJ – Went live on air with Danny Coleman. Frank and Virok were there, Miller called in after having gone out with his mother for Chinese Food on her birthday. Two hour interview and some tunes got played.
+4/15 – John & Peters, New Hope, PA – First full-band Paper Jets show of the year. Rothenbeck, The Vaughns, Lowlight, and Jesse Elliot & the Falconaires also played.
4/18 – WCTC AM-1450, Somerset, NJ – Brian solo. Went on-air with Bert Baron and Bob Makin. Played two songs: “Charlie It Can’t Be Done” and “Chatter.” Singing at 8am is a new experience, entirely.
4/21 – Roxy & Dukes, Dunellen, NJ – Second Paper Jets full-band’er of the year. Yawnmower and The Black Flaminos performed whom I have never seen before. Lowlight closed it out in typical amazing Lowlight fashion.
4/26 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian solo. Played the early set. Crowd kind of shuffled in as I was playing. Probably did as much bantering as I did guitar’ing but the audience seemed to enjoy themselves. Got to play with Joey Henderson (aka ‘Splenderson’) and Pamela Flores who were both really fun. Highlight of the evening: singing “Sweet Virginia” with Splenderson.
5/19 – Asbury Park Yacht Club, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian solo opening for Ruby Bones and We’re Ghosts Now.
6/1 – Pino’s, Highland Park, NJ – The Paper Jets played along Fun While You Wait, Ser Xerri, and Anthony Carrera. Then Brian led an all-star tribute to The Beatles that featured former Paper Jet Kristen Leu on keyboards.
6/10 – Transparent Clinch Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian and Frank played the Danny Clinch Gallery with Rachel Ana Dobken, and Tara Dente.
6/17 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – Brian solo
6/23 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian solo with Matt Cook
7/8 – Roxy & Dukes, Dunellen, NJ – Brian solo with Centennials
7/10 – Pier Village, Long Branch, NJ – Brian and Frank opened WRAT’s summer concert series
7/19 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ -
7/27 – The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ -
7/29 – Old Franklin Schoolhouse, Metuchen, NJ – Brian and Frank were joined on stage by Jeff Fiedler for an opening set before Dan Whitley and then Lowlight played.
8/2 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian solo
8/3 – The Chubby Pickle, Highlands, NJ – Brian solo with Gwynne Alden
8/12 – Scout’s Coffee Bar & Mercantile, High Bridge, NJ – Brian solo
8/12 – Beach Haus Brewery, Belmar, NJ – Brian solo
8/19 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – The Paper Jets’ first full-band show in two-and-a-half months. Played with Tara Dente, Jesse Elliot & the Falconaires, Dentist, and Jenny & the Felines.
9/7 – Crossroads, Garwood, NJ – Brian solo.
9/16 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – Brian solo.
9/23 – Springfield Elk’s Lodge, Springfield, NJ – Brian solo w/ The Vaughns.
9/27 – Celtic Cottage, Long Branch, NJ – Brian solo w/ Aunt D & the Boys.
9/29 – The Asbury Hotel, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian solo w/ Jesse Elliot.
10/8 – Noise in the Attic, Inkwell Coffee House, Long Branch, NJ – Brian solo w/ Jesse Elliot and Matt Cook.
10/21 – Asbury Park Porchfest, Asbury Park, NJ – Brian solo w/ Matt Cook and Pam Flores.
11/14 – John & Peter’s, New Hope, PA – Brian & Virok w/ Finding Feebas, Rhonette Smith, Lance Scott Green, The Cold Seas, Steve Burks, and Joey Henderson
12/9 – The Chubby Pickle, Highlands, NJ – Brian solo w/ Jesse Elliot and Matt Cook.