Makin Waves ROCK CIRCUS Showcase

On Oct. 22, New Jersey’s longtime Makin Waves music columnist Bob Makin and the carnival charming Roxy & Dukes nightclub in Dunellen will present four of New Jersey’s best bands, three of its most entertaining sideshow and burlesque acts, and free homemade Halloween treats.

Dozens of music industry representatives of record labels, management companies, booking agencies, public relations firms, concert promotion companies, venues, production companies, radio stations, photography studios, and other publications will be personally invited as guests of Makin and Roxy & Dukes. Performing will be:

The Black Clouds, a veteran Jersey Shore mix of The Stooges and The Pixies produced by Seattle’s legendary Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden), about to release and tour nationally behind a third indie LP

Will Wood & the Tapeworms, a richly and diversely talented, circus-inspired punk cabaret act from North Jersey whose latest record, “Self-ish,” has gotten a national buzz in such publications as “New Noise”

Experiment 34, a young “pyscho funk” band from New Brunswick whose second video from their “Charismanic” debut EP was produced by award-winning filmmaker William DeVizia (“Let Me Down Hard”)

The Production, a New Brunswick/New York City-based theatrical horror-rock band who recently captured their politically insane, post-apocalyptic mayhem on the well-received EP, “The First Kill.”  

Between the bands will be:

New Jersey’s Queen of Burlesque, Vivi Noir, who will entertain with the aerialist and fire fan acts from her beloved Noir Follies, a troupe who performs monthly at Roxy & Dukes

“Le Pain Proof Artiste” Gisella Rose, the Human Pin Cushion, who’ll perform her flesh-hooked suspension act into one of the band’s sets

Amanda Zeiher, a tattoo and aerialist artist who is a sight to see in a Cirque du Soleil-like act.   

Makin said he wanted to combine music, sideshow and burlesque talent in order to offer the music industry and the public a fun Halloween party at which they can discover the great sounds of the bands, while experiencing the highly entertaining talent of the other magical performers. 

“This event is going to be something that the music industry never has seen before,” he said. “It won’t be like any other showcase. Why go all the way to Texas for South by Southwest, when you can come to Roxy & Dukes, be highly entertained, and find worthwhile talent with which to work.”  

No other venue is as perfect for the Makin Waves Rock Circus Showcase as Roxy & Dukes, Makin said.

The nightspot’s mix of New Orleans voodoo, carnival chic, burlesque haven, sideshow sanctuary, and incredibly loyal and nurturing support for New Jersey’s best bands makes it a popular destination for artists and patrons alike.  

“Bob Makin has been a New Jersey music writer for a long time,” Roxy & Dukes owner Jim Parks said. “He’s kinda crazy, but he knows what he’s doing. And that’s what we love about him.”

Tickets to the Makin Waves Rock Circus Showcase are $15 in advance at www.RoxyandDukes.com, $20 at the door, and free for invited music industry personnel. In addition to free Halloween treats, Roxy & Dukes’ full menu of food and drink will be for sale.

Artist interviews and additional photos are available upon request. For additional press information, contact Bob Makin at 732-565-7319 or bmakin@gannettnj.com. For more about Roxy & Dukes, visit www.RoxyandDukes.com.