Creepshop

For our second installment of Weekend Rock, we bring you Creepshop, a band hailing from Belmar, New Jersey, comprised of Lambo (guitar/vocals), Darren (guitar/vocals), Jimbo (drums/vocals), and Chris (bass/vocals). With a rich sound full of purity, they bring the rousing, red-blooded heart and soul back to rock and are currently on the rise seeking world domination. To put it plainly, these guys f***in’ rock.

Having recently played a show at The House of Independents in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on June 22, 2023, I was able to catch up with the bassist, Chris, to throw a few questions his way about the venue and what it’s like with the live crowds post-COVID.  To see what you may have missed at the show, we have some kick-ass photos courtesy of our very own Jeff Crespi.

What’s that? Never been to the House of Independents? Well, here’s a little info on the venue. They are known as the premier downtown Asbury Park music venue and are set to host so many amazing bands this summer including one of my faves, Less Than Jake, on July 16th. You can learn more by visiting their website at www.HouseofIndependents.com.

MaM: As far as other venues go, how does the House of Independents compare? Is it one of your favorite places to play?

Chris: House of Independents was fantastic. Just to stand on their stage and hear our music through their system was such a thrill. Prior to our own show there, we've seen plenty of other bands play House of Independents over the years, and the sound mix is always absolutely stellar, so props to Jim Norton, their production manager and sound engineer. On a side note, the very first concert that we ever caught there was Eagles of Death Metal back in 2017, and that's still one of those legendary shows that we talk about within the band. Just the fact that Creepshop is now playing the same venue as that epic Eagles of Death Metal show seems like further proof of simulation theory. This can't be base reality.

MaM: What was the crowd energy like at the show on June 22nd and do you feel, from a live standpoint, that more patrons are coming out to enjoy live music again post-COVID? 

Chris: The really fun thing about that show was sharing the stage with Hollow Heroes and The Vibrotones and benefitting from their crowd energy. Both of those bands totally delivered, and a lot of our friends who originally came out to see Creepshop have been telling us how great those first two bands were. And likewise, I hope that everybody who came for Hollow Heroes and The Vibrotones but stuck around for Creepshop had fun watching our set. Regarding Covid, of course it's great to be playing real venues again. I think people appreciate live music more than ever before, because now they realize that it can be taken away, as awful and Orwellian as that might seem. That being said, we're a tough band to lock down. We're Kevin Bacons in a Footloose world. 

MaM: What are your upcoming shows, and do you have plans to play The House of Independents again soon? 

Chris: We would LOVE to play House of Independents again, whether it's another headlining gig, or an opening gig, or opening for the opener. As for upcoming shows, we're always on the road, as far north as Asbury Park as far south as Spring Lake, New Jersey, and everywhere in between. We have some bars on the calendar, and we'll probably squeeze in a backyard party or two. As the old Rancid song goes, "Got a garage or an amp, we'll play anytime." 

To check out Creepshop and their music, just hit one of the links below.

CREEPSHOP (creepshopband.com)

CREEPSHOP (@creepshopband) • Instagram photos and videos

CREEPSHOP Belmar NJ - YouTube

*Cover photo by Jeff Crespi www.jeffcrespirocks.com

Where will we end up next? Got a suggestion on where we should end up next? Holla at us: the_nicolebrice@mixedaltmag.com or mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.