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Review of Dirt Waffle by The Commons

By Gary Wien

originally published: 09/05/2005


The last album by The Commons (Come On Get Done) was a bit on the mellow side and filled with brilliant but depressing lyrics. This time around the band has evened things out with a record that has a mixture of mellow tunes, rockers, and off-beat numbers that dare you to categorize them. The end result is an interesting blend that features a bunch of songs which will grab you from the first time you hear them.

Upstage Radio has been playing a bunch of cuts from the first spin including "The Van Rolls On," "Looking Back," "Back On The Bus,"and "Lipstick." Other stations have reportedly been playing the tune "Simple Things" in rotation.

There's a lot of great tracks on this disc, and since the songs sort of defy any particular formats I could see it being played on a lot of different types of stations.

Regardless of what type of music your station plays, you're bound to agree that Keith Monacchio of the Commons is one of the best lyricists in the state. It's about time more people knew about him...




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EVENT PREVIEWS

(WEEHAWKEN, NJ) -- United Children's Music Project (UCMP) presents Venezuelan soprano María Brea and Latin Grammy–winning pianist Kristhyan Benítez in an unforgettable evening of Latin American artistry as part of its acclaimed Latin Night Thursdays concert series on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at UCMP (4710 Park Avenue) in Weehawken, NJ. Showtime is 7:30pm.
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(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Vogel presents BobFest on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 7:30pm. This is the music of Bob Dylan presented in the round Nashville style by John Cruz, Steve Delopoulos, Pat Guadagno, Renee Maskin, Rob Paparozzi, and Anne Hills.
Outpost in the Burbs presents Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan

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(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- Outpost in the Burbs presents Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan on Friday, May 29, 2026 at the First Congregational Church of Montclair. Showtime is 8:00pm.
The Newton Theatre presents So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience starring Robert Neary

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Carteret PAC presents Air Supply on May 29th

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State Theatre New Jersey presents Magical Mystery Doors on Friday

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(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- A $15,000 grant has been awarded to Riverview Jazz by Chamber Music America to be used to present two Jersey City performances by the esteemed avant-garde jazz musician Tim Berne at Pet Shop on Tuesday, May 26 and on the RWJBarnabas Plaza Stage at the Jersey City Jazz Festival on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
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