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

They put a parking lot on a piece of land
Where the supermarket used to stand
Before that they put up a bowling alley
On the site that used to be the local palais
That's where the big bands used to come and play
My sister went there on a Saturday

Come dancing
All her boyfriends used to come and call
Why not come dancing
It's only natural


Most venues have a life cycle. For every Carnegie Hall or McSorley's, places that continue to thrive while barely changing after more than a century in business, countless more music halls and bars open up, do well for a while if they're lucky and they know what they're doing, and eventually close or evolve into something completely different.

The Goldhawk was both a bar and a live venue. After eight years in business, its reputation was firmly established on both counts. As a venue, it was home to the coziest, most inviting back room performance space and lounge that I've ever known, and I've been to a few. As a bar, it was Cheers to many regulars, with an eclectic crowd. Business was a little off during this time of economic downturn, as it has been at most places, but to most people who frequented the place and knew it well, it did not seem like The Goldhawk was done.

That's probably why the bar's closing hurts so much. When CBGB closed after more than thirty years, it was the end of an era, but the place was long past its prime. The club wisely prolonged its closing into a seemingly never-ending marketing event that both burnished its reputation and made them quite a bit of dough while they already had one foot out the door.

The Goldhawk Bar & Lounge did not at all seem to be on its last legs when it was announced on June 11 that it would close up shop in exactly thirty days. To the owners' credit, that month's notice was appreciated by all who were affected by the impending closing. Many of the key artists who had performed there often did farewell shows during the final weeks. The last several days were a blur: the weekly Tuesday open-mic night was jammed beyond capacity, the live bands had great crowds all week, and virtually every person I talked to there expressed a bit of sadness and disbelief that a place so vibrant and unique was about to disappear.

So the place lasted a hair more than eight years, and I was a resident DJ there for all but the first 10 months of that time. I'm proud to have been associated with such a special place for so long. I'm humbled that owners who really, really know their music entrusted me with the tunes for so many special occasions. Thank you Fran, Al, and Mike for the opportunity.

And I'm thankful I got to run the party at what may go down as the greatest event in the history of The Goldhawk, its closing night. Kerry, Butch, Justin, Andy, and especially Margaret kept the bar working smoothly all night long, despite an alcohol stock that was rapidly depleting. There was a fun but bittersweet vibe in the air. A little like New Year's Eve, except that the moment we were anxious about was not midnight, but last call.


The day they knocked down the palais
My sister stood and cried
The day they knocked down the palais
Part of my childhood died, just died


When last call came, I had time for two more songs. Of course I knew in advance what they would be. The Specials' "Enjoy Yourself" was one of the bar's unofficial theme songs from the start, and its advice to "Enjoy yourself--it's later than you think" was all too appropriate. To close it out, in the town of Frank Sinatra's birth, and the bar run by the singer of Skanatra, it was practically preordained that it had to end with "My Way."

There's more I want to write about the place, and hopefully soon I will have time to share some other memories. Keep a look out on my home page for future gigs at new and different venues. For now, enjoy the playlist. Goldhawk, we miss you already.


Saturday, July 11, 2009

9:00
Rock And Roll Music - THE BEATLES
You Only Live Once - THE STROKES
When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What's Still Around - THE POLICE
My Ever-Changing Moods - THE STYLE COUNCIL
Cruel To Be Kind - NICK LOWE
Oliver's Army - ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS
Don't Do Me Like That - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
Don't Look Back - THE REMAINS
Good Times Bad Times - LED ZEPPELIN
Summertime Blues - THE WHO
Vehicle - IDES OF MARCH
Rockin' In The Free World - NEIL YOUNG
Salute Your Solution - THE RACONTEURS
4 Songs & A Fight - THE SOUNDS
We Are All Made Of Stars - MOBY
Take Me, I'm Yours - SQUEEZE
Roll With It - OASIS
Radiation Vibe - FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE

10:00
Pop Song 89 - R.E.M.
There's No Other Way - BLUR
Atomic - BLONDIE
Heads Will Roll - THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS
Head On - PIXIES
Good Enough - DODGY
Just Got Lucky - JOBOXERS
Sole Salvation - THE ENGLISH BEAT
Sherry Darling - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
The Bulrushes - THE BONGOS
Black And White - THE dB'S
Starry Eyes - THE RECORDS
Mr. Brightside - THE KILLERS
The '59 Sound - THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM
Alex Chilton - THE REPLACEMENTS
Way Down Now - WORLD PARTY
Sympathy For The Devil - THE ROLLING STONES

11:00
I'm A Man - THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP
Move On Up - CURTIS MAYFIELD
That Lady (Part 1 & 2) - THE ISLEY BROTHERS
Doing It To Death - JAMES BROWN
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - MICHAEL JACKSON
1999 - PRINCE
Mercy - DUFFY
Girls & Boys - BLUR
Get Myself Into It - THE RAPTURE
Time To Pretend - MGMT
Daylight - MATT & KIM
Young Folks - PETER, BJORN & JOHN
Monday Morning - THE FUNDAMENTALS

12:00
Is It Any Wonder? - KEANE
Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week) - FRANK SINATRA
United States Of Whatever - LIAM LYNCH
Surrender - CHEAP TRICK
We're An American Band - GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
Roadrunner - MODERN LOVERS
Vacation - THE GO-GO'S
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker - RAMONES
This Charming Man - THE SMITHS
Inbetween Days - THE CURE
Don't You Want Me - THE HUMAN LEAGUE
Cruel Summer - BANANARAMA
The Look Of Love (Part 1) - ABC
DARE - GORILLAZ
The Seed (2.0) - THE ROOTS FEATURING CODY CHESNUTT
The Way You Move - OUTKAST (BIG BOI) FEATURING SLEEPY BROWN
Sir Duke - STEVIE WONDER
Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE

1:00
Twenty-Five Miles - EDWIN STARR
Love Child - SUPREMES
Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) - THE JACKSONS
Low Rider - WAR
Give It To Me Baby - RICK JAMES
Let's Go - THE CARS
Your Love - THE OUTFIELD
Rock The Casbah - THE CLASH
Faith - GEORGE MICHAEL
Breakout - SWING OUT SISTER
Surfin' Bird - THE TRASHMEN
You Never Can Tell - CHUCK BERRY
Burning Love - ELVIS PRESLEY
Right Back Where We Started From - MAXINE NIGHTINGALE
More Today Than Yesterday - SPIRAL STARECASE
Car Wash - CHRISTINA AGUILERA & MISSY ELLIOTT
SexyBack - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

2:00
Changes - 2PAC
Regulate - WARREN G. FEATURING NATE DOGG
Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta - GETO BOYS
Superstition - STEVIE WONDER
Freedom 90 - GEORGE MICHAEL
* Matt Azzarto speech: "We raised the bar" *
Ooh La La - FACES
Baba O'Riley - THE WHO
Silly Love Songs - WINGS
Our House - MADNESS
Come Dancing - THE KINKS
Town Called Malice - THE JAM
Enjoy Yourself - THE SPECIALS
My Way - FRANK SINATRA