Live review: Iron Chic with Shades Apart & Calling Hours live at Crossroads

Garwood, NJ – 29 Jun 2024

Never too old to chase your youth

So much of getting older becomes about the chase.  Chasing down the feelings you had 20 years earlier, the passion, the firsts.  Chasing down the moments loved, the moments lost and the moments missed.  Most times the chase is fruitless.  Most times you spend so much time chasing the past that you miss the present… but every once in a while, the past and present cross paths.  Thats what happened here this evening.

I discovered Farside too late, somehow being oblivious to any of the releases prior to 1999’s The Monroe Doctrine.  By the time I stumbled into this classic, the band was on the verge of its break up in the year 2000.  I never got to see them.  Never got to watch Popeye Vogelsang on stage.  I’ve spent decades chasing down that void, somehow missing every solo performance along the way. Then, in 2023, Popeye resurfaced with Calling Hours.

The band dropped a damn near perfect record and it became my mission to finally stop chasing Popeye and to see the band the next time they came to Jersey. I was here, at Crossroads, tonight chasing resolution to my past mistakes, Calling Hours were here tonight to show the album was no fluke and they were an impeccable force together.

The 5-piece took the stage and promptly took the crowd into their hands with the powerful sounds of instant classics like “Curtain Call” and “ Heavy Future,” leading to a raucous closeout track. 

All these years chasing down a moment to sing back to and along with the man behind “I Hope You’re Unhappy” and the chase was well worth the catch.

Next up was Shades Apart. Its been over 25 years since I first saw these mainstays of my speakers. In those 25 years, I’ve gotten worse at everything, they only seem to have gotten tighter. 

The 3-piece weren’t here to eat up each inch of the stage, content to stay mostly static as they performed a medley of brilliant tracks from an illustrious career. Shades Apart split all the eras, keeping fans new and old thrilled with a stronger setlist than those of us in the crowd deserved.

As the three elder statesman of alt-punk in Jersey have aged like a fine wine, still able to put on the type of tight and studio perfect performance they always have, reminding me of why they were always one of my favorite live acts. Closing out with the hits, “Valentine,” “Stranger By The Day” and “Fist” Shades Apart reconfirmed their place in the pantheon of Garden State greats. The crowd energy was at a fever pitch as the trio exited the stage.

The next act to the stage was Iron Chic. I’ve gotta be honest, I didn’t know much about the band. I fucked up by missing out. I came here tonight to chase the artists from my past, but this newer act reminded me of what I was really chasing… THIS. This feeling. This excitement. This love. The heart and energy of the band poured onto the crowd like buckets.

These dudes were something fucking else and the entire place was sold from jump street. It was cathartic, it was passion… it was everything that made me fall in love with this shit so long ago. I forgot I was forty-something for their entire set as I watched and bobbed along to the non-stop singalong and crowd participation. 

So much of getting older is about the chase… but so much of staying youthful is feeling this passion. Thank you to Calling Hours, Shades Apart and Iron Chic for giving me something to chase reminding me what I truly was searching for.