JUSTIN AND ASHLEY MOREY
DAVID (LEFT) AND GREGG LETO
is the only band member who doesn’t live in Bayonne. His stepfather is Secaucus mayor Michael Gonnelli.
AT HOME IN BAYONNE Justin Morey says that living in Bayonne is great because it is close to Jersey City and New York City, where a lot of the band’s gigs are. “It’s nice to be part of a community that’s not already oversaturated with hip spots, but has just one or two where likeminded people can come together and have a great time,” adds Ashley. Justin thinks that supporting independent shops over corporate stores will make Bayonne even stronger. He’s a fan of the bar Lot 13, which features local bands. “Lot 13, combined with old-school establishments like Al Richard’s, Churchill’s, Hendrickson’s, and San Vito, to name a few, restore my faith that the future of Bayonne may progress in the right direction,” he says. Beyond the laidback vibe and urban amenities, it doesn’t hurt that you get more for your money in Bayonne. “There are some great homes with a lot of character,” says Dave Leto. “We wanted a yard, a driveway, and a basement. That is not going to happen in New York.” Gregg Leto, Dave’s brother, who played drums for Rye Coalition after Morey left the band to concentrate on The Black Hollies, agrees. “We lived here as renters for quite a while, allowing us to save money to finally buy an old row house that dates back to 1885,” he says. “Condos in Jersey City that we were looking at cost as much as a whole house in Bayonne, so the decision was simple.” In a condo, he would never have been able to set up a makeshift recording studio in the basement.
SALON SESSIONS If you’ve ever passed the hair salon A Cut Above on Broadway late at night you might have been lucky enough to hear a practice session of Cold Fur or Life Eaters. The Leto brothers play drums for both bands, which rehearse amid the hooded hair dryers and containers of blue Barbicide.
Gregg Leto’s band, Life Eaters, has a debut LP set to release on Killing Horse Records this fall. The band has been compared to The Stooges and Thin Lizzy. They play high-energy rock and roll with a dose of punk. Cold Fur, which includes former Rye Coalition singer Cuseglio on vocals, combines elements of metal, punk, and rock and roll. Among Dave Leto’s favorite Bayonne bands are punk pioneers such as Blondie, because Blondie band member Clem Burke is from Bayonne. Leto says that plenty of modern-day music moments are being made in Bayonne: “My favorite recent memory was being at Lot 13 watching Murphy’s Law play Black Flag songs with Dez Cadena on vocals, in front of like 40 people 10 blocks from my house.” “I am psyched that there are young kids who are into music in Bayonne,” he says. “Seeing these kids walking around in Misfits shirts and classic rock tees, it’s cool that they are into learning to play an actual instrument.” Bayonne’s music future looks bright. “My four-year-old son, Jude, writes his own songs and is an avid beat boxer,” says Gregg Leto. “He loves Life Eaters and sings to every song on the album. He’s obsessed with music.”—BLP
RESOURCES
The DocumenTary:
upcoming screenings at ryecoalitionthemovie.com/screenings facebook.com/ryecoalition twitter.com/ryecoalition
SunShine anD The rain
facebook.com/pages/Sunshine-the-rain instagram.com/sunshineandtherainband twitter.com/svnshineandrain
Life eaTerS
facebook.com/Lifeeaters lifeeaters.bandcamp.com
coLD fur
facebook.com/coldfur coldfur.bandcamp.com
Life on the Peninsula ~ FALL | WINTER 2014/15 •
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