Maxwell's
Encyclopedia
Maxwell's is a music club
in Hoboken, New Jersey
that also has a restaurant
. The intimate venue often attracts a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river.
' Maxwell House Coffee
factory was a block away on the Hudson River
) into more of a restaurant. The Hoboken band "a" (featuring Glenn Morrow, Richard Barone
, Frank Giannini, and Rob Norris; the latter three later forming The Bongos
) asked if they could rehearse in an unused back room and play a few gigs in the front for the restaurant's patrons. The live music quickly caught on and Steve started booking bands into the back room. Over time, Steve's booking taste, freewheeling personality and respectful treatment towards musicians made Maxwell's and Hoboken a looked-forward-to stop on many bands' tours. By making the blue-collar mile-square city with a rough-and-tumble reputation a cultural gathering place, Maxwell's was instrumental in sparking Hoboken's first wave of early 1980s gentrification
— the artists and musicians. In that light, it is also believed that Anne and Mario may have offered the first successful Sunday brunch
in Hoboken.
Maxwell's, having become so successful that it spawned not only Pier Platters, an independent record store near the PATH
train station
that Fallon invested in, a whole music and cultural "scene" epitomized by the Hoboken Sound (which was featured in an hour-long television special on a local NYC station), and Fallon's own record label Coyote Records, Steve hired Todd Abramson to take over the booking of the acts in the mid-1980s. Abramson has, essentially, been booking the venue ever since (except for a short period in the late 1990s after Fallon sold the club and Maxwell's was converted into a short-lived brew pub.)
At a time when one of the Fallon siblings wanted to divest of their interest in the business, Peter Buck
(guitarist for R.E.M.) bought their piece to help his friend Steve Fallon keep it open as a resource for enthusiasts of new music. Later, Bob Mould
of Hüsker Dü
, Sugar and a solo career bought out Buck's ownership for the same reasons.
When Fallon wanted completely out, he and his partners sold Maxwell's to William Sutton in December 1995 who then planned but failed to turn it into a brewpub. Booker Todd Abramson, Steve Shelley
(drummer of Sonic Youth) and Dave Post of the Amazing Incredibles and Swingadelic arranged to bring Maxwell's back, and re-opened it on July 26, 1998. While some longtime patrons miss the more free-wheeling Steve Fallon days, Maxwell's is now as vital a part of the independent music community as it was in the 1980s and 1990s.
(Richard Barone
, Rob Norris, and Frank Giannini, who was Maxwell's cook and devised their first menu), fronted by Glenn Morrow (later of The Individuals
and founder of Bar/None Records
). The Bongos
rehearsed in the club by day, were the first from the new crop of bands to be signed to a major label (RCA Records
) after a series of British singles and tours, and were seen at the time as ambassadors of the new Hoboken pop scene. In the mid-1980s R.E.M. played there on a frequent basis. The club was important to emerging trends as diverse as punk
, grunge
, and indie rock
of the 1980s and early 1990s. Bands like Husker Du
, The Replacements, fIREHOSE, the Meat Puppets
, Sonic Youth
, Fugazi, Archers of Loaf
, The Cynics
, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh
, Neutral Milk Hotel
, The Juliana Theory
, Soundgarden
, Mudhoney
, Fire in Cairo, Tad
, the Melvins, Mod Fun
, Mystic Eyes, Nirvana
, Hole
, The Afghan Whigs
, The Smashing Pumpkins
, and G Love and Special Sauce all have played there. Buzzcocks
, Blue Öyster Cult
, The Fall, the Minutemen
, The Mess Around, Robyn Hitchcock
, Katrina & the Waves, Flipper
, Rain Parade
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
, The Cowsills
, Wire
, The Pogues
, Pylon
, Rufus Wainwright
, Martha Wainwright
, Joe Jackson
, Schoolly D
, Crime and the City Solution
, Killing Joke
, Kevin Ayers
, John Cale
, Snakefinger
, Living Colour
, David Byrne
, The Slits
, X, Joan Jett
, Dick Dale
, Royal Crescent Mob
, The Stations, The Strokes
, Matt Nathanson
, John Doe
, Mary Lou Lord
, Electric Six
, and The Ataris
also made appearances on stage at Maxwell's. The Bongos
, The Cyclones, The Individuals
, Urban Allies, Gut Bank, The Fleshtones
, and The dB's
were mainstays in the beginning with The Feelies
playing frequently towards the later half of the 1980s. They continue this tradition today with bands like The Dirtbombs
, Lemuria
, Crooked Fingers
,, Stars
and Longing for Liberace
.
's "Glory Days
" were filmed at Maxwell's on May 28, 1985. The music video was directed by Hoboken resident John Sayles
.
In the early 1990s Maxwell's was voted the "Best Club In New York — Even Though It's In New Jersey" by the New Yorker Magazine.
In the 2005 Village Voice Best of NY poll, Maxwell's was voted "Best Reason to Leave the State for Dinner and a Show". Also in 2005, The New York Times
wrote that Maxwell's was "so New York that it's in New Jersey".
New Order
played one of their first American concerts at Maxwell's. Depending on who you talk to, either it was a shambles with the band not so ready to play after the demise of Ian Curtis
from Joy Division
, or it was a fantastic show, according to Tony Wilson
, the Factory Records
chief who wrote a recollection of the event in an opinion column in London based Uncut
magazine's July 2006 issue.
In 1989 the band Nirvana
released their debut album Bleach
on June 15 and went on tour to support sales of the album. They appeared at Maxwell's on July 13, 1989 and early in the day before the show photographer Ian Tilton took several pictures of the band around Hoboken whilst John Robb interviewed them for a front cover feature for Sounds
music paper. The picture of frontman Kurt Cobain
has since been used in dozens of magazines, newspapers and websites before and after his death.
The video for the song "Away" by The Feelies
, directed by Jonathan Demme
was recorded at Maxwell's in 1988. After a seventeen year hiatus The Feelies reunited to appear at Maxwell's in July 2008, and they made appearances again in July 2009 and 2010 .
("Live at Maxwells"), the Meat Puppets
("Live at Maxwell's 2.08.01"), My Chemical Romance
("The Black Parade Is Dead!
"), and Imperial Teen
("Live at Maxwell's
").
The indie rock
band Yo La Tengo
rents out the club for the 8 nights of Hanukkah
every year, though not in 2006 or 2009.
Maxwell's is not very large, in fact it holds only about 200 people and is considered dark. The live music at a club in a residential area has led some neighbors to complain about the noise as well as dancing in the streets during the early days of the club before the expansion into the back room for appearances by musical acts. A Hoboken restaurant survey website gave Maxwell's a rating of 3.33 out of a possible 5 in October 2008.
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
in Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
that also has a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
. The intimate venue often attracts a wide variety of acts looking for a change from the New York City concert spaces across the river.
History
The club was opened in August 1978 by Steve Fallon. When the Fallon family bought the corner building in uptown Hoboken with its street-level tavern, Steve's sisters Kathryn Jackson Fallon and Anne Fallon Mazzolla along with brother-in-law Mario Mazzola were interested in turning the factory workers' tavern (General FoodsGeneral Foods
General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the USA by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The name General Foods was adopted in 1929, after several corporate acquisitions...
' Maxwell House Coffee
Maxwell House
Maxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. Introduced in 1892, it is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently second behind...
factory was a block away on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
) into more of a restaurant. The Hoboken band "a" (featuring Glenn Morrow, Richard Barone
Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida who gained attention as frontman for The Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created major concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and New York's...
, Frank Giannini, and Rob Norris; the latter three later forming The Bongos
The Bongos
The Bongos were a rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey, primarily active in the 1980s. With a unique blend of British Invasion-flavored power pop, jangly guitars, and dance beats they made the leap to national recognition with the advent of MTV.-Biography:...
) asked if they could rehearse in an unused back room and play a few gigs in the front for the restaurant's patrons. The live music quickly caught on and Steve started booking bands into the back room. Over time, Steve's booking taste, freewheeling personality and respectful treatment towards musicians made Maxwell's and Hoboken a looked-forward-to stop on many bands' tours. By making the blue-collar mile-square city with a rough-and-tumble reputation a cultural gathering place, Maxwell's was instrumental in sparking Hoboken's first wave of early 1980s gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
— the artists and musicians. In that light, it is also believed that Anne and Mario may have offered the first successful Sunday brunch
Brunch
Brunch is a meal eaten between breakfast and lunch. The word is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch.-Origin of the word:The 1896 supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary cites Punch magazine which wrote that the term was coined in Britain in 1895 to describe a Sunday meal for "Saturday-night...
in Hoboken.
Maxwell's, having become so successful that it spawned not only Pier Platters, an independent record store near the PATH
Port Authority Trans-Hudson
PATH, derived from Port Authority Trans-Hudson, is a rapid transit railroad linking Manhattan, New York City with Newark, Harrison, Hoboken and Jersey City in metropolitan northern New Jersey...
train station
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
that Fallon invested in, a whole music and cultural "scene" epitomized by the Hoboken Sound (which was featured in an hour-long television special on a local NYC station), and Fallon's own record label Coyote Records, Steve hired Todd Abramson to take over the booking of the acts in the mid-1980s. Abramson has, essentially, been booking the venue ever since (except for a short period in the late 1990s after Fallon sold the club and Maxwell's was converted into a short-lived brew pub.)
At a time when one of the Fallon siblings wanted to divest of their interest in the business, Peter Buck
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
(guitarist for R.E.M.) bought their piece to help his friend Steve Fallon keep it open as a resource for enthusiasts of new music. Later, Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
of Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
, Sugar and a solo career bought out Buck's ownership for the same reasons.
When Fallon wanted completely out, he and his partners sold Maxwell's to William Sutton in December 1995 who then planned but failed to turn it into a brewpub. Booker Todd Abramson, Steve Shelley
Steve Shelley
Steven Jay Shelley is an American drummer, best known as the drummer of alternative rock band Sonic Youth.-Biography:...
(drummer of Sonic Youth) and Dave Post of the Amazing Incredibles and Swingadelic arranged to bring Maxwell's back, and re-opened it on July 26, 1998. While some longtime patrons miss the more free-wheeling Steve Fallon days, Maxwell's is now as vital a part of the independent music community as it was in the 1980s and 1990s.
Bands
The first band to play at Maxwell's was "a" which included the three original members of The BongosThe Bongos
The Bongos were a rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey, primarily active in the 1980s. With a unique blend of British Invasion-flavored power pop, jangly guitars, and dance beats they made the leap to national recognition with the advent of MTV.-Biography:...
(Richard Barone
Richard Barone
Richard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida who gained attention as frontman for The Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created major concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and New York's...
, Rob Norris, and Frank Giannini, who was Maxwell's cook and devised their first menu), fronted by Glenn Morrow (later of The Individuals
The Individuals (New Jersey band)
The Individuals were a Hoboken, New Jersey-based band led by Glenn Morrow and featuring Janet Wygal , Janet's brother Doug Wygal , and Jon Light Klages...
and founder of Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records
Bar/None Records is an independent record label based in Hoboken, New Jersey.-Early history:Tom Prendergast started Bar/None in early 1986. Having previously worked in pirate radio and booked and promoted bands in his native Ireland, Prendergast moved to Hoboken in 1982 and started Pier Platters...
). The Bongos
The Bongos
The Bongos were a rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey, primarily active in the 1980s. With a unique blend of British Invasion-flavored power pop, jangly guitars, and dance beats they made the leap to national recognition with the advent of MTV.-Biography:...
rehearsed in the club by day, were the first from the new crop of bands to be signed to a major label (RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) after a series of British singles and tours, and were seen at the time as ambassadors of the new Hoboken pop scene. In the mid-1980s R.E.M. played there on a frequent basis. The club was important to emerging trends as diverse as punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
of the 1980s and early 1990s. Bands like Husker Du
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
, The Replacements, fIREHOSE, the Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Fugazi, Archers of Loaf
Archers of Loaf
Archers of Loaf is an American indie-rock band originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, formed in 1990. The group toured extensively and released a total of four studio albums, a collection album, numerous singles and EPs, and a live album which was released after the band broke up in...
, The Cynics
The Cynics
The Cynics are an influential Garage rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band, consisting of guitarist Gregg Kostelich, drummer Bill Von Hagen, vocalist Michael Kastelic, bass player Steve Magee, and keyboardist and later founder of New York City's Bellwether gallery Becky Smith, debuted...
, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh
Sebadoh
Sebadoh is an American indie rock band, formed in 1986 in Westfield, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney and Dinosaur Jr bass player Lou Barlow. Along with such bands as Pavement and Guided by Voices, Sebadoh helped pioneer lo-fi music, a style of indie rock characterized by low-fidelity recording...
, Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
, The Juliana Theory
The Juliana Theory
The Juliana Theory are an American rock quintet from Greensburg and Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The Juliana Theory signed to Christian record label Tooth & Nail Records despite not being a Christian band. The group later signed to Epic Records for the release of the album Love. The Juliana Theory...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
, Fire in Cairo, Tad
Tad (band)
Tad was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington led by Tad Doyle. Among the first of the many bands which came out of Seattle in the grunge era, Tad was notable for the fact that its music had a noticeable 1970s metal influence, rather than the punk which influenced most other grunge bands...
, the Melvins, Mod Fun
Mod Fun
Mod Fun are an American power pop/garage punk band from the New York City area. Mod Fun were originally active in the early to mid 1980s, and played an integral part in New York City's burgeoning garage rock revival scene of the time. By mid 1986 they were widely regarded as one the best known...
, Mystic Eyes, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
, The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs were a soul-influenced American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. PopMatters described the band as "beyond simple genre categorization, and though lauded by the music press, never got their just due."-Band history:...
, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, and G Love and Special Sauce all have played there. Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
, Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, The Fall, the Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
, The Mess Around, Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Hitchcock
Robyn Rowan Hitchcock is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano and bass guitar....
, Katrina & the Waves, Flipper
Flipper (band)
Flipper is a punk band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge,, punk rock and noise rock bands...
, Rain Parade
Rain Parade
The Rain Parade was a band active in the Paisley Underground scene in Los Angeles in the 1980s.-History:The band was founded by college roommates Matt Piucci and David Roback in 1981, originally as The Moving Sidewalks. David's brother Steven Roback joined the band shortly thereafter...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, The Cowsills
The Cowsills
The Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island. They specialized in harmonies and the ability to sing and play music at an early age. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and Barry, then shortly thereafter added John...
, Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
, The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
, Pylon
Pylon (band)
Pylon is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The band's danceable jangle pop sound influenced the Athens music scene and the 1980s American pop underground. Allmusic wrote that Pylon's "role as elder statesmen of the alternative rock explosion is unassailable".-History:All four members of...
, Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
, Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, Schoolly D
Schoolly D
Jesse B. Weaver Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Career :...
, Crime and the City Solution
Crime and the City Solution
Crime and the City Solution was a rock music band formed by Australian singer and songwriter Simon Bonney.They had four distinct line-ups: Sydney in 1977–78, Melbourne in 1979, and two groupings in Berlin from 1985–1990. The only common member in all four line-ups was Bonney.Other members included:...
, Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
, Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers is an English singer-songwriter and was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement...
, John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, Snakefinger
Snakefinger
Philip Charles Lithman , who performed under the stage name Snakefinger, was an English musician, singer and songwriter. A multi-instrumentalist, he was best known for his guitar and violin work and his collaborations with The Residents.-History:Lithman was born in Tooting, South London, and came...
, Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
, David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
, The Slits
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up , who died of cancer in October 2010, and Palmolive , with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and...
, X, Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
, Royal Crescent Mob
Royal Crescent Mob
Royal Crescent Mob was a four-person punk-funk band from Columbus, Ohio, that was formed in 1985. Also known to their fans as the R.C. Mob the band members included "Brian Emch" , David Ellison , Harold "Happy" Chichester and Carlton Smith . The band released five albums of material and one ep in...
, The Stations, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson
Matt Nathanson is an American singer-songwriter whose work is a blend of folk and rock music. In addition to singing, he plays acoustic and electric guitar, and has played both solo and with a full band. His work includes the platinum-selling song "Come On Get Higher".-Early life and college...
, John Doe
John Doe
The name "John Doe" is used as a placeholder name in a legal action, case or discussion for a male party, whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld for legal reasons. The name is also used to refer to a male corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown...
, Mary Lou Lord
Mary Lou Lord
Mary Lou Lord is an indie folk musician, busker and recording artist.-Biography:Mary Lou Lord first gained notice playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations Lord became friends with...
, Electric Six
Electric Six
Electric Six is a six-piece metro Detroit-based band that plays what has been described as a brand of rock music infused with elements of "garage, disco, punk, new wave, and metal." The band met recognition in 2003 with the singles "Danger! High Voltage" and "Gay Bar", and subsequently recorded...
, and The Ataris
The Ataris
The Ataris are a rock band from Anderson, Indiana. They have released five studio albums, and their most recent E.P. was released on November 25, 2010 on the Gainesville, Florida based label, Paper + Plastick. It contained the brand new tracks "All Souls' Day" and "The Graveyard of The Atlantic"...
also made appearances on stage at Maxwell's. The Bongos
The Bongos
The Bongos were a rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey, primarily active in the 1980s. With a unique blend of British Invasion-flavored power pop, jangly guitars, and dance beats they made the leap to national recognition with the advent of MTV.-Biography:...
, The Cyclones, The Individuals
The Individuals (New Jersey band)
The Individuals were a Hoboken, New Jersey-based band led by Glenn Morrow and featuring Janet Wygal , Janet's brother Doug Wygal , and Jon Light Klages...
, Urban Allies, Gut Bank, The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones
The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.- 1976-1979 :The Fleshtones were formed in 1976 in Whitestone, New York by Keith Streng and Marek Pakulski The Fleshtones are an American garage rock band from Queens, New York formed in 1976.- 1976-1979 :The...
, and The dB's
The dB's
The dB's are a jangle pop/power pop group who came into prominence in the late 1970s and 1980s. The bandmembers were Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby and Gene Holder, all of whom were from Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
were mainstays in the beginning with The Feelies
The Feelies
The Feelies are a rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008 and most recently released an album in 2011....
playing frequently towards the later half of the 1980s. They continue this tradition today with bands like The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
, Lemuria
Lemuria (band)
Lemuria is an indie/punk rock band from Buffalo, New York formed in 2004. Lemuria has recently released their "The First Collection" EP compilation and the LP, "Get Better"...
, Crooked Fingers
Crooked Fingers
Crooked Fingers is a North Carolina band led by former Archers of Loaf lead singer Eric Bachmann. The band was previously based in Seattle, Washington and Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Denver. The band released albums on WARM Records and Merge Records before going completely independent in 2008...
,, Stars
Stars (band)
Stars is an indie pop band from Canada. Originally formed in Toronto by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman, the band relocated to New York City and then subsequently to Montreal, where they are currently based.-History:...
and Longing for Liberace
Liberace
Wladziu Valentino Liberace , best known simply as Liberace, was a famous American pianist and vocalist.In a career that spanned four decades of concerts, recordings, motion pictures, television and endorsements, Liberace became world-renowned...
.
Notable events
Parts of the music video for Bruce SpringsteenBruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
's "Glory Days
Glory Days (song)
"Glory Days" is a 1984 song, written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. In 1985, it became the fifth single released from his massively successful album Born in the U.S.A.-History:...
" were filmed at Maxwell's on May 28, 1985. The music video was directed by Hoboken resident John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
.
In the early 1990s Maxwell's was voted the "Best Club In New York — Even Though It's In New Jersey" by the New Yorker Magazine.
In the 2005 Village Voice Best of NY poll, Maxwell's was voted "Best Reason to Leave the State for Dinner and a Show". Also in 2005, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that Maxwell's was "so New York that it's in New Jersey".
New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
played one of their first American concerts at Maxwell's. Depending on who you talk to, either it was a shambles with the band not so ready to play after the demise of Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
from Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, or it was a fantastic show, according to Tony Wilson
Tony Wilson
Anthony Howard Wilson, commonly known as Tony Wilson , was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC....
, the Factory Records
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester based British independent record label, started in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, which featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Joy Division, New Order, A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Northside and James and...
chief who wrote a recollection of the event in an opinion column in London based Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
magazine's July 2006 issue.
In 1989 the band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
released their debut album Bleach
Bleach (album)
Bleach is the debut album by the American rock band Nirvana, released in June 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989...
on June 15 and went on tour to support sales of the album. They appeared at Maxwell's on July 13, 1989 and early in the day before the show photographer Ian Tilton took several pictures of the band around Hoboken whilst John Robb interviewed them for a front cover feature for Sounds
Sounds (magazine)
Sounds was a long-term British music paper, published weekly from 10 October 1970 – 6 April 1991. It was produced by Spotlight Publications , which was set up by Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left "Melody Maker" to start their own company...
music paper. The picture of frontman Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
has since been used in dozens of magazines, newspapers and websites before and after his death.
The video for the song "Away" by The Feelies
The Feelies
The Feelies are a rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008 and most recently released an album in 2011....
, directed by Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
was recorded at Maxwell's in 1988. After a seventeen year hiatus The Feelies reunited to appear at Maxwell's in July 2008, and they made appearances again in July 2009 and 2010 .
Live albums
Several bands have recorded live albums at the venue, including the Reigning SoundReigning Sound
The Reigning Sound is an American garage punk band originally based out of Memphis, Tennessee, now located in Asheville, North Carolina. The band's current lineup includes former Oblivians and Compulsive Gamblers frontman Greg Cartwright on lead vocals and guitar, David Wayne Gay on bass, Lance...
("Live at Maxwells"), the Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
("Live at Maxwell's 2.08.01"), My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
("The Black Parade Is Dead!
The Black Parade Is Dead!
The Black Parade Is Dead! is a CD/DVD from My Chemical Romance. It is the band's second live album, and was released on June 30, 2008. The DVD features My Chemical Romance's final performance as "The Black Parade" from the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico on October 7, 2007 and as "My...
"), and Imperial Teen
Imperial Teen
Imperial Teen is a San Francisco-based indie pop group made up of Roddy Bottum primarily on guitar/vocals, Will Schwartz primarily on guitar/vocals, Lynn Truell primarily on drums and backing vocals, and Jone Stebbins primarily on bass and backing...
("Live at Maxwell's
Live at Maxwell's
Live at Maxwell's is the first live album by indie rock band Imperial Teen. The album was recorded on July 31, 2002 at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. It was released between their third studio record On , and their fourth studio record The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band , and was released...
").
Ongoing events
In addition to serving as a concert venue, Maxwell's offers monthly swing music by owner Dave Post's accomplished band Swingadelic, provides a forum for local musicians (with its free "New Jersey Songwriters in the Round" concerts), and opens itself up to weekly Tuesday DJ nights. Maxwell's also sponsors monthly art exhibits on its walls, with supporting opening events.The indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
rents out the club for the 8 nights of Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
every year, though not in 2006 or 2009.
Criticism
As a music venueMusic venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
Maxwell's is not very large, in fact it holds only about 200 people and is considered dark. The live music at a club in a residential area has led some neighbors to complain about the noise as well as dancing in the streets during the early days of the club before the expansion into the back room for appearances by musical acts. A Hoboken restaurant survey website gave Maxwell's a rating of 3.33 out of a possible 5 in October 2008.
Further reading
- Pierson, Melissa HolbrookMelissa Holbrook PiersonMelissa Holbrook Pierson, born in Akron, Ohio, is a writer and essayist of non-fiction. She is a life-long motorcycle enthusiast and this is reflected in many of her books...
The Place You Love is Gone: Progress Hits Home (2006, ISBN 0-393-05739-9) - Barone, RichardRichard BaroneRichard Barone is a rock musician born in Tampa, Florida who gained attention as frontman for The Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created major concert events at Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl and New York's...
FRONTMAN: Surviving the Rock Star Myth (2007, Backbeat/Hal Leonard Books, ISBN 0-87930-912-1, ISBN 978-0-87930-912-1)