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Dramarama

August 12, 2023 @ 8:00 pm

$30 – $57

DRAMARAMA

“…John Easdale….one of the finest singer/songwriters of these times…” – Los Angeles Times

“One of America’s best rock bands…” – Chicago Sun Times

Dramarama’s music has appeared in/Dramarama has appeared on Ellen, Late Night with David Letterman, Private Practice, Entourage, Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Two Night Stand, Tuesdays with Morrie, Prison Break, Higher Learning, Road Trip, Mayor of the Sunset Strip, and many more.

Rooted in distorted grit, punk energy, and American songbook eloquence, and sporting three of the original “four-ish” members (“four-ish,” you ask? Well, they didn’t start out with a permanent drummer), Dramarama has always been both classic and cutting-edge. This iconic alternative rock group was formed in the basement of a record store in Wayne, New Jersey by John Easdale [singer, songwriter], Mark Englert [lead, rhythm guitar] Peter Wood [lead, rhythm guitar], and have, for the past 18-plus years, been joined by Mike Davis [bass], and Tony Snow [drums], who not only preserve but strengthen the spirit that established Dramarama as a history-making force in 1982.

As the story goes, John, Peter and Mark traded New Jersey for Los Angeles. Long before the nineties alt rock radio boom, the West Coast initially embraced the group’s single, “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You…)” (off their 1985 debut, Cinéma Vérité), as the de facto anthem of the nascent alternative nation. It notably made history as one of the most requested songs of all time on the World Famous KROQ 106.7 FM in Los Angeles. It could also be heard loud and clear everywhere from A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master to HBO’s Entourage. And although Dramarama has yet to become a household name (still the next big thing), Easdale’s work has been cited as an influence on several major bands of the last three decades.

On the heels of Cinéma Vérité’s success the band delivered a decade of fan favorite albums: Box Office Bomb [1987], Stuck in Wonderamaland [1989], Vinyl [1991] and Hi-Fi Sci-Fi [1993], and after a 10-year hiatus served up Everybody Dies in 2005. As their legacy solidified, more critical praise followed. The Chicago Sun Times christened them “one of America’s best rock bands” and the Los Angeles Times proclaimed Easdale “one of the finest singer/songwriters of these times.” And the praise continues as Dramarama’s latest release, Color TV, was named one of the Top 10 Albums of 2020 by legendary music journalist and critic Robert Christgau.

The band is having more fun than ever and exudes a confidence and ease that can only come through experience and mutual respect. As Easdale puts it, “Few things compare to that sense of uninhibitedness you feel during a great show–waving your fist, stomping your feet, singing out loud and not giving a f*ck about anything but the music. I’m proud to say that this is the feeling experienced by both the band and audience at the vast majority of Dramarama live shows–fast, tight, loud, sweaty sing-a-longs. EVERY time we play, the audience’s pleasure is our primary concern.”

“Dramarama-Rising Like Lazarus From The Ashes: …reviving the hard-driving sound that made this ­alterna-rock band so beloved by those in the know.” Jim Farber – NY Daily News

“…it is a tribute to a potent sound and enthusiastic vision that Dramarama still sounds as fresh and sharp now as when it first emerged during the corporate-rock bloat of the mid-80’s.” – David Fricke, The Trouser Press Record Guide

“…[the] band’s supercharged set blew everyone else away.” – Orange County Register

“…some of the best musicians New Jersey has ever produced” – Upstage Magazine

“…I can’t wait for the next sweaty, sing-along experience.” – Whitney Matheson, USA Today

“…the epitome of cool” – Orange County Register

Pop savant John Easdale / Dramarama…first album in 15 years is the finest of an impressively consistent career. ‘A’ #8 Dean’s List 2020 – Robert Christgau

Easdale’s longing emotions extend through the song, imbuing it with a dreamy ambience. – Big Takeover

“Up To Here” proves Easdale’s pipes haven’t aged a day, sounding exactly as they did back when they first won our hearts on their sterling 1985 debut, Cinema Verite – Consequence Of Sound

The band’s new album Color TV features some of lead singer / songwriter John Easdale’s fiercest and most moving compositions – American Songwriter

Although it’s been 15 years since the release of their last album, Dramarama are telling a lifetime worth of stories on their new EP, Color TV – SPIN

A worthy return from a damn cool band… – Cryptic Rock

Color TV may be the most vibrant record that Dramarama ever recorded. – Pure Grain Audio

15 years on, the iconic Dramarama still sound as cutting-edge, vibrant and emotive as ever – Meawww

Founding member / lead singer / main songwriter John Easdale has penned a series of mini-movies sure to induce as many tears as smiles – All Access

Most importantly it serves as a reminder you can’t keep a good band down. – Icon Vs Icon

Listening to this new album might possibly transform your black & white world into a colorful one. – California Rocker

40 VIP TABLE SEATS (EACH TICKET INCLUDES A SIGNED CONCERT POSTER)

21+ admitted

Details

Date:
August 12, 2023
Time:
8:00 pm
Cost:
$30 – $57

Venue

Wonder Bar
1213 Ocean Ave
Asbury Park, 07712
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