NJ pop-punk scene is back with Midtown reunion

If you grew up in New Jersey in the late '90s/early 2000s, you were either in a band, friends with someone in a band, or spent many nights at the Wayne Firehouse, Birch Hill, or even Hamilton Street Cafe.

New Jersey is home to some of the biggest breakout groups in the scene and beyond. From My Chemical Romance to Senses Fail, Saves the Day, Thursday, Houston Calls, Bigwig, and on and on and on.

You can do a deep dive and take a trip down memory lane with Cents Less (aka Crash Romeo), Lanemeyer, LWL, One Cool Guy, and Jettison.

But one of my all-time favorites growing up was Midtown.

Midtown was like the formation of a supergroup hailing from Humble Beginnings, Nowhere Fast, and the Royalties. The “Save the World, Lose the Girl” album is what introduced me to this amazing scene and eventually would lead me to meet my husband. I was in high school when “Living Well Is the Best Revenge” came out and it’s still one of my favorite albums of all time.

But enough about me, this is about the greatest news ever. Midtown is coming back! After a few teasers on social media, they announced the Resurrection tour where they’ll be opening up for My Chemical Romance at select shows including the Prudential Center show in Newark on Sept. 21.

Then they are headlining two nights at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3. Both shows are already sold out. Of course, I have my tickets and I CAN’T WAIT!

Speaking of reunions, aside from one or two shows throughout the years, Crash Romeo’s 14-year hiatus is coming to an end. Formerly known as Cents Less, another New Jersey pop-punk band that came from this era, Crash Romeo just recorded a new album with producer Chris Badami. There’s no word on a release date but from their social media posts straight out of the studio, I can tell you now it’ll be worth the wait.

Let’s be real, how epic would it be to see Crash Romeo open for Midtown in December? I think we’re all ready to relive our youth.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Morning Show Producer Kristen. Any opinions expressed are her own.

Questions, corrections, or comments? Send Producer Kristen an email at kristen.accardi@townsquaremedia.com or follow her on Instagram.

The Ultimate Guide to New Jersey Brewpubs

From the website that gave you the "Friendliest bars" and places to watch the game, comes the ultimate guide to New Jersey brewpubs.

So what's a "brew pub"?

According to Thompson Island's Article on the differences between a craft brewery, microbrewery, brewpub & gastropub, it says:

"A brewpub is a hybrid between a restaurant and a brewery. It sells at least 25% of its beer on-site in combination with significant food services. At a brewpub, the beer is primarily brewed for sale inside the restaurant or bar. Where it's legally allowed, brewpubs may sell beer to go or distribute it to some offsite destinations."

New Jersey has tons of Brewpubs, some of which have been around for years and some that have just opened in the past year.

Here is a full list of the 21 brewpubs in New Jersey according to New Jersey Craft Beer:

Every NJ pizza joint Barstool's Dave Portnoy has reviewed

Dave Portnoy, commonly known as El Presidente, is the founder of Barstool Sports. Somewhere along the way, he decided to start reviewing local pizzerias, and the concept took off. Here is every New Jersey pizzeria Dave has stopped in, along with the score he gave them.