My favorite NJArts.net posts of 2019

by JAY LUSTIG
Paul McCartney Hudson House NJ

Paul McCartney at Hudson House in Jersey City, Nov. 23.

This was a great year for NJArts.net, with a 47 percent page-view increase over 2018 — the biggest yearly jump, by far, in the five-year history of the site. I’m going to collect, here, my favorite post for each month of 2019 on NJArts.net: Not necessarily the most viewed post of that month, but one that I like for one reason or another. I hope you enjoy re-reading them, or catching up on what you may have missed.

JANUARY

Anne Hathaway revisits days at Paper Mill Playhouse on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

Not a long post, but people seemed to enjoy this little item about Anne Hathaway’s appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” in which she reminisced about getting her start as an actress at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. It was our most viewed post of January .

FEBRUARY

Richard Thompson’s winding road leads to Montclair

Cindy Stagoff’s in-depth, wide-ranging interview with one of our greatest living singer-songwriters, Richard Thompson, who happens to be living, now, in Montclair. (Many of Thompson’s fans, in fact, found out about that for the first time via this article).

MARCH

Howard Forever: A plan for SiriusXM, in case Stern retires

Not that anyone was asking me, but I shared, here, my thoughts on what might happen if Howard Stern retires after his current contract with SiriusXM satellite radio expires. Since it’s due to end in December 2020, that’s going to be a big subject for next year as well.

HARPIC BRYANT

From left, Morgan Fisher, Ian Hunter and Ariel Bender of Mott the Hoople.

APRIL

Mott the Hoople triumphs in long-overdue return to New York

Mott the Hoople’s reunion tour was a huge event for their longtime fans, and Cindy Stagoff captures the celebratory excitement of their Beacon Theatre concert in this review.

MAY

Southside Johnny to perform at Bickford Theatre in conjunction with Bob Gruen photo exhibit

This post announced a big event that NJArts.net co-sponsored, and that I was personally involved in: a duo performance by Southside Johnny and Jeff Kazee at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum in Morris Township, before which I interviewed Southside onstage.

JUNE

Bob Seger says goodbye to NJ with life-affirming PNC Bank Arts Center concert

In this post, Ed Silverman didn’t just review a concert but really expressed why Bob Seger has such a strong bond with his fans and why this farewell show was so meaningful.

DANNY CLINCH

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

JULY

Bruce Springsteen’s Top 70 songs of the last 30 years

Started in July but not finished until September, this project gave me an opportunity to take a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen’s music of the last 30 years (everything, basically, from Human Touch/Lucky Town to Western Stars), in some cases rediscovering music I had, frankly, forgotten about, or finding new nuances in old favorites.

AUGUST

Mick Jagger at the Tick Tock Diner? I don’t think so

At a Rolling Stones concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Mick Jagger made a joke about stopping at Clifton’s Tick Tock Diner with his bandmates for some disco fries and other food. It was obviously not intended to be taken seriously, but some in the media reported it as a fact (that was then picked up, of course, by other outlets, so it became a national story). Here, I explain why it didn’t happen.

SEPTEMBER

‘If I Should Fall Behind’ – Springsteen 70 Project, No. 1

A post about the No. 1 song in my Springsteen 70 project, “If I Should Fall Behind,” posted on The Boss’ 70th birthday.

OCTOBER

The Smithereens enter NJ Hall of Fame (VIDEOS, SPEECH TRANSCRIPTS, MORE)

One of several posts I did from the New Jersey Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park. This one is about The Smithereens, and includes text of the band members’ acceptance speeches, text of Garry Tallent’s induction speech, and videos of the speeches, their performances, and them on the red carpet.

NOVEMBER

Paul McCartney sings ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ at Jersey City’s Hudson House (WATCH VIDEO)

On Nov. 23, Paul McCartney sang a song at a private party at Hudson House in Jersey City. Video footage surfaced online, and I threw together this quick post, which became, over the next few days, the most viewed post ever in NJArts.net’s five-year history.

DECEMBER

The Springsteen-Mellencamp Connection

This was a fun post to do. As a preview of Sting’s Rainforest Fund benefit concert in New York, at which Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp both were on the bill, I took a look at 10 ways in which their respective careers have intersected, over the years.

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