As New Rock City makes its long-awaited US debut, Jersey’s Best Answers highlights the artists helping bring the festival’s unusual journey full circle. Founded by a New Jersey native and built overseas before returning home, the event carries a story that mirrors the paths many bands themselves have taken. Taking place 1 March at Crossroads in Garwood, New Jersey, the festival marks a rare homecoming moment for a scene shaped as much by movement as by place. In this installment, TGEFM spoke with New Jersey upstarts Memorial Field about their music, their connection to the scene and what it means to be part of this first stateside chapter. The conversation touches on the festival, the broader punk and emo community and the moments that still make live shows matter.
For anyone discovering Memorial Field through New Rock City, how would you describe your band in your own words? Is there a song in your current set that best represents where you’re at creatively, and why that one?
Post-hardcore. I wouldn’t say there’s a single song that represents us necessarily. We all have a lot of different influences,
so we try to run those influences through a post-hardcore lens.
What stood out to you about New Rock City when the offer first came in, compared to other festivals or shows?
That they responded. Can you believe the pricks at Goldenvoice and C3 still haven’t responded to our respective submissions to Coachella and Lollapalooza yet?
What do you hope people who catch Memorial Field at New Rock City walk away with… even if they don’t know your band yet?
A t-shirt. Merch is always the best way to support bands you like.
What have been some of the most memorable moments or experiencesyou had as part of the band? What’s been the most unexpected? The weirdest?
Had a show opening for RATT in Oswego, NY in the middle of a giant field filled with bikers…..That one was also sorts of weird.Opened for the dolphin show at Six Flags…absolutely had a Spinal Tap vibe. Got kicked off a Stone Temple Pilots bill because the Meat Puppets needed a last-minute gig so my band got the boot. Fuck those guys.
Jersey has a reputation for punching above its weight in punk and emo. What does “Jersey” mean to you musically, as an artist and a fan of the scene?
I’m not sure it really means anything specific to me. I’ve lived in Jersey a long time, but I’ve also lived in Boston and
Chicago. I’ve found that it’s the people you interact with who leave the strongest impressions and have the biggest influence on your life, more than the places themselves. I’m sure one morning the sun will rise just right over Route 17, the glimmer will catch my eye, and inspire me to pen the next great Garden State epic—but until that time…
That said, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, and I definitely feel fortunate to have access to such a vibrant, large music scene.
We’ve all got a few, what is your biggest regret? A gig you turned down, advice you didn’t take, what one thing do you wish you handled differently as a musician?
Playing in bands with shitty names. It’s always a red flag.
Looking back a year from now, what would make this New Rock City appearance feel meaningful to you?
If there were plentiful stage dives.
NRC is a smorgasbord of fantastic acts. Who are you most excited to see?
Excited for the international acts in general. Nice to have a mix from abroad.
What does a “good show” look like to you in 2026, and has that definition changed over time since forming the band?
As long as it’s packed in, it’s a good show.
Our readers are always looking for their new favorite. What acts,
not on NRC, have been impressing you lately?
Good Teal put out an amazing record last year that everyone should hear and Best Dressed Ghost puts on one hell of a show and is not to be missed, both from Jersey.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/