Will White Eagle Hall be Northern NJ’s next major music venue?

by JAY LUSTIG

An image from the home page of the web site, wehjc.com.

White Eagle Hall, long rumored as the next major music venue in Northern New Jersey, will begin presenting shows in April, though the first confirmed events are not concerts. Nimbus Dance Works will perform there on April 7, and humorist James Judd is booked for April 23.

(Update: The venue will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 5, with a free performance by the bands Rye Coalition and Sunshine & the Rain to follow.)

The venue’s Facebook page identifies it as a “Performance Art Theatre · Live Music Venue.” And its web site, wehjc.org, makes the case that it should be considered a state-of-the-art concert facility.

A message on the web site reads, in part, that the venue boasts …

… the latest in sound & light technology capabilities. …

White Eagle Hall  features three separate bars, 28.-ft. high ceilings; 25-ft. proscenium stage, 30-ft. wide x 25-ft. deep. with two levels of back-stage areas, including fully-equipped dressing rooms and warm up areas.

White Eagle Hall has been outfitted with the latest sound technology, creating a nearly echo-free atmosphere with enhanced aural clarity. Features include: sound isolation springs in floors and walls; custom-fabricated sound diffusion and absorption panels on ceilings; sound isolations springs on the Roof Top HVAC unit, eliminating the noise from air conditioning or heating; the stage’s sound panel has its own discreet ground, silencing unwanted hums. Even the preserved and fully restored dimpled tin ceilings have sound diffusion qualities. … 

Clearly, music figures prominently in White Eagle Hall’s plans.

Also, a March 23 message on the Facebook page hinted that White Eagle Hall will be, primarily, a rock venue:

Thank you to our friends @warlockdrums for putting together an awesome back line for us! Big thanks to our friend and homegrown Jerseycityite Joe Dwyer! #music #musician #instrumentals #drummer #beats #band #instamusic #rock #drums #beat #jerseycity #nj #njbusiness #jcmakeityours #njrocks #warlockdrums

The building, at 335 Newark Ave., was originally built in 1910, and its capacity for concert is estimated at 800 (standing) or 400 (seated), according to a Jersey Journal article last year.

According to a press release, the Nimbus and Judd shows represent “the first performances of any kind at this historic theater since rock & roll ‘battle of the band’ dances took place there more than 40 years ago.”

Explore more articles:

Leave a Comment

Sign up for our Newsletter