Pig Gig

After having to take 2020 off because of the pandemic, Glenn Alexander’s annual Pig Gig resumes, Oct. 24 at the Italian American Hall in Scotch Plains. The lineup will include Alexander’s Asbury Jukes boss, Southside Johnny (who will guest with Alexander’s Shadowland band) along with The Weeklings, James Maddock, The Lonesome Pines and Blue Americana. While Shadowland will close the show, Blue Americana — the acoustic roots duo he forms with his daughter, Oria — will open it.

2:30 p.m.: Blue Americana
3:30 p.m.: Lonesone Pines
4:30 p.m.: James Maddock
5:30 p.m.: The Weeklings

You know, can’t complain. Just busy as hell, you know, the Jazz and Blues department at Sarah Lawrence

College. So, when that starts out that too nervous, and I don’t work, and then gigs of, you know, been ramping

up cancer benefit. It’s just busy as hell. I see you still doing the the quarantines thing, you know.

Yeah, we’re doing those, you know, last but probably will do them in the fall off, twice a month, if we can, you know, it’s and yeah, I mean for us that was just a It was fun. It was creative. It was you know, and we connected with a lot of people and yeah, so we’re kind of trying to keep it going as much as it seems, you know, it should in other words, why I need people about doing other

things, you know, it’s not as well as intended as it once was but it’s still pretty good. Yeah. Yeah, it’s funny how, you know, you go through life like this and and, you know, you get people, some people found that doing live performances of some kind of help them, stay in touch with fans. And I think it’s going to be it’s going to cut a change a little bit the way, you know, people go about things, you know, it’s funny how, you know, even after curly over, I think people are still going to be doing that kind of stuff, just to kind of they found that they liked it and they’re kind of service.

Yeah, I mean I you know, it’s one of those things on technology. I got to share with you. The funny thing is with shuttle and and it started with John Isley and I we were doing these broadcasts six years ago and it was sort of before the curve some people were getting on board. But man, people, you know, it was really hard to get an audience then but since the pandemic, yes, easy, obviously that was everyone’s outlet for entertainment and I think it’s not going to go away. I think people realize that very thing. Well, you know, about for a walk, you know, that they’re going to realize that. Yeah, you know, I can stay home and tune into a bunch of concerts isn’t the same as going out now. But You know, yeah

So yeah, I mean and I got to share with you, you know, compared to these little Club gigs that we do. We do a lot of you know, things for the town street fairs and Club, little Club things and stuff. And frankly. We just put up our kitchen hours on corn teams and often we took more money than than clubs pay, you know, yeah. Yeah restaurants. So yeah. Yeah. I don’t know, you know, we’re going to keep doing it ’cause it’s fun and you know see mm an audience and everyone seems to really like it. So yeah cool. So with it, seems like it mean the the lineup keeps on getting bigger every year. Is this kind of job. Do you do that way? You can kind of keeps going and going.

Yes. I mean to be honest, that that’s the the plan and usually when I started this, I had huge ideas not doing it. I have to scale way back and be realistic and but yes, I think it’s growing every year. We’re getting more. We have more sponsors on board this year than ever before wage. I’m thrilled to have The Weeklings. I mean, I know those guys offer a long time Denver. Yeah, you can work together many times and Burger and John Merjave when I started in the Jukes and of course we played together before that.

So, yeah, I’m just thrilled that they’re on board. You know, they’re I think they never really been following and James Maddock, who was just a really great singer, songwriter, you know, Great Britain. But lives in New York and New Jersey. Yeah.
Just a whole thing. I feel like, yes, it’s growing and that’s the plan. You know, how much money did you raise last time? Last time? Which was two years ago? Pre pandemic. I think our final count was $16,000, right? I don’t know that we’re going to do much better than that this year. I see. I mean, it’s funny how I try to push the sponsors ahead of time so they can be on the banner and the T-shirt and we, you know, can give them as much promo as possible. But sometimes people ma’am. You know, I don’t know. They come on board later. I was collecting checks, well, after the event, so that could happen this time, but I’m hoping to mm. No, I yeah, my goal of absolutely did it in the next time was to make $20,000. I don’t think that’s going to happen this year, but I think we could get to $60 million, you know?

Yeah. Might have to move to a bigger venue at some point. Well, that’s my hopes and I have certain things. I haven’t even done. I mean I you know, I haven’t tapped into seeing if I can get Bon Jovi ’cause I’m on a ton of benefits with him and for him. It’s right and you know, so I haven’t I haven’t seen any of those people because

You know, we wouldn’t, I wouldn’t be able to Italian American also, you know, yeah, hopefully, eventually will. Yeah.

I’ll call in some of those folks and somebody else shoot up, right? I appreciate it. Yeah. So with the the teaching, are you back at in class and everything?

Yes. Yeah, you know, I feel really dead. You know, I taught all through the pandemic. Most of it was on Zoom, all classes and lectures, and my ensembles became recording. But I did teach my private lessons in person. Even man named Sarah Lawrence is, they’re super strict. I mean, you know, all teachers and all suits have to be vaccinated. I have to wear a mask all day, you know, they got air purifiers and everything is checked regularly. So I’m okay with that. You know what I mean? I know people talk about it. The man, I’m okay with that because I want to, I want to go back to work and I don’t teaching over, Zoom was a was great. I did not leave my house. But frankly, it was a lot of work and it, it just isn’t as good for the students and it kind of sucked. Soand I know my, my daughter’s actually a sophomore in college. You get a whole first year I doom. And now she’s back on campus, but they’re still still doing most of the classes from Zoom. So yeah. Yep.

That does I that’s that’s a weird model and serial, or put that and they finally decided that. You know, they were going to put all these things in place and that if students were going to be on campus that we were going to teach that way. Yeah, it’s hard to split because I thought that was going to happen where I would have to teach a class with some students in person. And you know and zoom at the same time and man I was not, I was happy, they didn’t sort of put that rule in place,

but I got a month off of the students. I mean,

You know, I think for them learning to resume suck too, but you know, wow, you know, your daughter included for them to Wade through that and just go straight ahead. Wow.

Yeah. Yeah. I’m not sure I could have done it. So yeah, anything else going on with the Jukes or anything, you know, did you suck? I mean we have scattered work. In fact, was it? Yeah, this week. I would have normally just been getting back from from a road. We were supposed to have a whole road trip. That start would have started last Friday or something and everything about canceled. Except. We, we flew to Ohio Cleveland, Saturday, literally to do, you know, we had one off That was the only one that didn’t get canceled at the MGM there. And so we played that everything else got canceled.

Was it canceled? ‘Cause the closest there were, there were that was part of it, but not all. There were, that was one of the reasons for a couple of joints and then I guess there were promoter issues with some authors and, you know, just various things and they just pull the plug on the whole thing. So yeah, okay, which yeah, but we have, you know, we have scattered dates. I know this weekend or not this weekend next weekend. Thursday, we’re out for I think we’re up in. Connecticut, and maybe Massachusetts for a couple of gigs and we have scattered things like that, but not a lot, you know, to be honest. And we would normally be doing seven, eight, nine, six, gigs a month. We’re doing for maybe? Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. That’s okay. You’re going to perform Shadowland, I guess. Yeah, so, you know, I’m going to affect the the thing I do with my daughter is called Americana and I’m just going to open it up, you know as soon as doors open pretty much and you know, do a short set and then I have this this band called The Lonesome Pines and they’re really good. They do their own material, which is cool. Maybe a couple of covers but kind of country-ish folkish wage Americana type thing, but they’ll go on and then James Maddock will go on solo and then the weaklings which I I had asked him. I wage perfectly cool. I said, hey, you know, you can’t headline. I mean, you know, you got a good following in Bubba. Bubba. They didn’t want to do that. So they were cool there right now. You got Southside we’re not, we don’t want to headline so dead, so they’ll go on and and do like, you know, an hour or so, 15 minutes and then a few Tunes, bathroom or and then have cell site up. But his he is patience level, you know, you really got to be careful or he’ll just makes you look up and he’ll be gone, you know, so I’m just open up Chrome. Do do you know three agents or something and then bring Southside up? Will do what do we do eight tunes and, and he usually leaves and shuttle down. We’ll finish the night out. Depending on what time it is. Yeah. Yeah.

So, and I’m excited. I got to say, rooster span out of Westfield is on board two years ago. They did that in everyone went and they showed up, you know, a couple of big trays of of their Korean spicy wings and everybody’s just went crazy for that. So I’m thrilled to have them back on board. As far as food Mountain Deli. Typically provides a lot of the sides and one of their people, they’re bakes cookies, you know. So that’s really awesome and then built kleemeier it. You know, he works at Green Village packing. I think that’s he’s that’s one. I think my maybe it is his company or his partner or something and he’s got an offshoot business called swine time. So they’ll do. The pig and they usually do some hot dogs. They do sausage and peppers cabasa. Yeah. Yeah, it’s always been really good. You know, that’s a highlight and beer and wine. And, and to be honest, you know, I think that fifty bucks you could probably just if there wasn’t any entertainment at all and you just showed up that, you know, you get your money’s worth out of eating and drinking and the time so expensive. Yeah, Peta I go through that, you know, if that was another thing during the pandemic, I just stopped eating out ’cause my income was way down. And yeah, yeah. Yeah, you realize how expensive it off? Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, so that’s pretty much it, you know, the events from 2 until 8. You know, I I don’t know what you have room to run. I would love to send a list of all the sponsors.

And again, that would be awesome for us to be able to thank everyone.

Of course, you know acknowledging them. I’ll send them and then whatever you have to do is find and as far as the photo, I mean obviously I have photos but if you’ve got something new that would be fine or else. I’ll just see something old. I mean, it’s either way is fine.

Yeah. I think I sent an email last week probably. Okay.

Yeah. With a little bit of everything. In fact, I think I sent a blue Americana picture. I sent James Maddock off. Okay, I believe I sent the Lonesome Pine. I’ll check to make sure I did the wheel and some of them. Yeah, that sounds familiar. I think he did. Yeah. Okay great.

Speaker 5

Great though. The only other which is in the information that I’ll make sure you know, I put the ticket but up that’s where we’re going to plug but and they just, you know, put Big Gig in. So people just that’s the area right now where I’m just a little feel like I feel better if we had sold more tickets than getting close. We still got tickets to move. So yeah, I appreciate what you’re doing and I’m hoping these things help and we can fill the place up, you know, okay.

Pig Gig 6, a benefit for the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation in honor of Jay Alexander, takes place at the Italian American Hall in Scotch Plains, Oct. 24 from 2 to 8 p.m. Tickets are available via ticketbud.com.

The band schedule will be:

2:30 p.m.: Blue Americana
3:30 p.m.: The Lonesone Pines
4:30 p.m.: James Maddock
5:30 p.m.: The Weeklings
6:45 p.m.: Shadowland with Oria, The New York Horns and special guest Southside Johnny

NJArts.net is a co-sponsor of Pig Gig, along with Ace Brothers Service Center; American Blues Scene; Bill’s Ineffable Automobile Rehabilitation; Cioffi’s Convenience Corner; Danny Clinch Photography/Transparent Clinch Gallery; Craig R. Stock Landscape Design; Custom Construction MDH; East Coast Emergency Lighting; Father John Paladino; Grano Italian Tavern; Grillestone; Green Village Packing Co./Swine Time; Health and Fitness Professionals; JVD Towing; Joe Nizzardo; K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel; Lawn-Gevity; Lou’s Automotive; Mountain Deli; neuNERDesign; RBC Wealth Management; Romano Landscaping; Roosterspin; Rossi Funeral Home; Silverstein Works; Scotch Plains Police PBA Local 87; Scotch Plains Fanwood UNICO; TapInto Scotch Plains-Fanwood; Westfield Local NJ.

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