Hoboken Rock City - The Official Blog Of DJ Mike C.

You have no weekends left in your summer share in Beach Haven, so you have no excuse not to rock out somewhere this Saturday.

I'll start with the obvious: I'm spinning quality rock & roll tunes at my regular Saturday haunt, Hoboken's own Goldhawk, starting at 10 p.m. As always, no cover, friendly bartenders, and far less B.S. than pretty much any other Hoboken bar.

If you find yourself on the other side of the river, kick it old school at the last-ever Tiswas at Don Hill's. A venerable club night that began at the height of the Britpop craze in the mid-'90s, when it was rare for anyone to dance in a New York City club if the DJ was spinning anything other than hip-hop or some form of techno, Tiswas reminded an entire generation that it was ok to shake your groove thing to guitar-based rock & roll like Blur, The Clash, The Beatles, early Stones, The Spencer Davis Group, Pixies, and Pulp.

Apparently the club night founded and still run by DJ Nick Marc will live on, but this Saturday is the last one at the Don Hill's locale where it's been a staple for so many years. I usually DJ myself on Saturday nights, so it's been a couple years since I've made a Tiswas night, but I never had anything less than a ton of fun at one. It may have been eclipsed for hipster cred by newer nights like Misshapes, but Tiswas is the club night that paved the way for rock & roll to be cool again in NYC clubs. For that, it deserves eternal respect.

Back on the mainland, this Saturday also sees the return of Tris McCall to the Brennan Courthouse, 583 Newark Avenue in Jersey City. This time, he's bringing fellow Jersey rock kids Crayon Rosary and Joe Condiracci with him to make it a killer bill at the courthouse. Cover is $8, show's at 8 p.m. Insert your own "take no prisoners" joke here.

And on the topic of Saturday nights, set aside the following one, October 1, for the first live show in years from one of the definitive Hoboken bands of the '90s, The Gefkens. The original three members will be recreating their groovy power-pop magic at Maxwell's on a bill that also boasts Marjorie Fair and The Redwalls. It's a 9:30 show, and another bargain $8 cover. Get yer ducats at Ticketweb. After the show, walk all of one block downtown and three blocks west to The Goldhawk for the band's afterparty, where yours truly will spin music that's got a backbeat you can't lose it.