New Jersey Is The World

Last weekend, without any pre-planning, two of our NJITW stalwarts did some very Jersey things: Mike D and his family went to Camp NoBeBosCo, better known to horror fans as Camp Crystal Lake. Geth and his family wound up on an impromptu trip to the legendary Wild West City, and the experience was head spinning. We discuss both in this episode, along with shout outs to the Great Divide campground and the legendary Cliff's Dairy. 

This episode was not planned. Gethard found himself with time to kill and in need of an electric car charger, and the nearest one was at the dreaeded Short Hills mall. Listen as he wanders through the land of the wealthy, in this barely edited audio, mostly marveling at the watch stores. Including that one with a red velvet rope. That one, in particular, was bad.

Mike D was able to sit down with Scot DeBockler the founder and everything else of NJ’s iconic SNK Pedals. They discuss what it’s like to start a business in NJ, the important role that NJ has played in the history of music gear and of course a very nerdy exploration of guitar pedals and amps. All the music fans out there are going to love this one.As a thank you for all the support over the years Scot shared a discount code for 10% off anything at SNK Pedals & Amplification. Just type ZEPOLE when you check out. 

First off, a big announcement in this episode. More on that to follow soon.Secondly - your voicemails! Our reactions! Lots of laughs! Lots of reminiscing. Chef Volas! Letters home from camp! Road signs that are inappropriate even for New Jersey. And much, much more!Turnpike tier patrons, you'll get a second dose of these soon including a voicemail from Rick from Bergenfield that set the discussion on fire. 

As you can see, this was supposed to be an episode of our Patreon-exclusive Garden State Gagootz. It went in a different direction. I couldn't hide this behind a paywall. Don't worry patrons - the new Gagootz is coming soon with some killer voicemails. But in the meantime, enjoy whatever the hell this is. 

It’s finally happening. Andrea has been threatening it for years, and now she’s got backup in the form of the great Kerri Sullivan, who our listeners know as the editor of New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State and the person behind Jersey Collective. This episode is the first installment of our unofficial book club. They’re starting with a conversation with Dewar MacLeod about his fantastic book Making the Scene in the Garden State: Popular Music in New Jersey from Edison to Springsteen and Beyond. It’s a really fun, accessible, informative look at the various points in space, time, and place that have helped to create and define Jersey’s rich, varied relationship with music. They talk about everything from Edison’s crappy taste in music, to the club where Bruce really got his start, to visiting the Meatlocker as an adult, and a million things in between. We think you’re gonna love this book.Making the Scene in the Garden State: Popular Music in New Jersey from Edison to Springsteen and Beyond - Use discount code RUP30 for 30% off and free shipping.Check out Jersey Collective Reads

The Devil and Daisy is a play. But it's not just a play - it's a play that involves an eight foot tall Jersey Devil puppet and a whole lot of Jersey folklore embedded deep in its roots. In this interview we talk with Alex Dawson and Dan Diana about how this play came to be, their involvement in immersive/grassroots Jersey art, how one makes an eight foot tall Jersey Devil puppet, and much much more. 

If you’ve been with NJITW for a while, you might remember a super brief stint we had way back in August of 2021 with a New Jersey Is the World role-playing game, appropriately titled, New Jersey: The Role Playing Game. It was livestreamed just for our Patreon subscribers, and it only happened three times, so even long-time listeners might have missed it.Well, since it’s the 3-year anniversary, we figured it’s the perfect time to dust it off and share it with you all. Here’s the plan: Today, everyone is getting the first installment. Then, on Thursday, our Patreon subscribers will get the rest. We didn’t finish the campaign, but we wrapped up a pretty satisfying (absolutely ridiculous) first arc, so you’ll definitely want to hear it all.We’ve done a bit of editing, but it’s still just the original livestream audio, which means you’ll catch some crosstalk, on-mic snacking, and various imperfections. But it’s really funny, and totally stupid, and we think you’re all gonna love it.