Continuing its reemergence as a hot music venue for local indie bands, Montclair’s landmark watering hole DLV Lounge will be hosting a Saturday afternoon backyard BBQ tomorrow at its Bloomfield Avenue digs, featuring Montclair’s own Porchistas. The band, whose unique style includes bi-lingual vocals (English and Spanish) and a wide range of musical influences, is described by founding member Alan Smith as “”Caribbean, Power-pop Mountain Music.”
Smith, who just returned from playing a few gigs in Seattle, said that the Porchistas are very much a locally based band. The band’s members are all rooted in Montclair one way or another: Smith has been here for many years, holds two degrees from MSU and teaches English there; Deivis Garcia, also a founding member, works at the Montclair Library in the children’s section; Adam Falzer is a MHS alum whose family is part of the town’s old guard; Dan Messenger, the band’s new drummer, is a baker at the Bread Company on Walnut Street and bass player Neal Winkowski, does instrument repairs at Valley Road Guitars.
“Since we’re Montclair guys, we like the idea of working with businesses in town, and helping to develop live music venues,” he explained. “While DLV isn’t new to live music — they have a sound system in place and have had live jazz there in the past — we thought we could bring a whole new kind of music and energy to the vintage setting.
Smith further noted that being down the block from The Wellmont, which has put Montclair on the concert map over the past few years, makes DLV a natural location for a downtown live music expansion. “It seems to make sense that an old, small Montclair music venue could and should reemerge as a successful music establishment in the same neighborhood as the Wellmont. It’s a win-win for local music, for the DLV and for the town.”
The partnership between the Porchistas and George Marable, who has owned DLV for more than 38 years, happened as a result of Smith and fellow band members stopping in for a drink around a year ago. They noticed the sound system, loved the space and, together with Marable, envisioned it as a great spot for the band to play. The Porchistas have played at the DLV a few times before to a packed house, and expanded Marable’s loyal customer base to include a new clientele. Long known for its “old school charm,” retro jukebox and home cooking, the DLV is poised for a resurgence of business. “It’s a Montclair gem and hopefully George can successfully re-establish it as a local music venue,” said Smith.
On Saturday afternoon, starting at 3:00, both long-time patrons and newcomers alike can sample some of Marable’s BBQ on the DLV’s back patio, and groove inside to the sounds of the Porchistas and two other bands — Earth Minor and Japanese gypsy rock phenoms, Kagero.
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In other concert happenings, New York Rat Pack and Soul Be It will be the final performers in Essex County’s Brookdale Park summer concert series, tonight, Friday, August 6, starting at 7:30pm. The New York Rat Pack tribute show features, of course, the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr., while Soul Be It is a 12-piece band that performs funk, soul, and rhythm and blues from the last four decades.
Let us know what local music you find this weekend, and have a cool time.
