It was a wild week in the great rock state of New Jersey. While my column usually focuses on artist interviews, this week delivered something special. Consider it one for the New Jersey rock record books that two radio stations capitalized on.
The Foo Fighters announced two intimate shows at remarkably low ticket prices. First, Irving Plaza in NYC — capacity 1,200. Second, the beloved Starland Ballroom in Sayreville — capacity 2,500. Low prices. Old school ticket distribution. Enormous buzz. Especially for the New Jersey on-sale.
Fans lined up at Starland Ballroom just after midnight. Cars stretched for miles along local roads, all waiting for the box office to open at 10am. It was reminiscent of the old Ticketron and Ticketmaster days — camping out, waiting, making it an event.
And the fans loved every minute of it.
In our digital world, genuine in-person community moments are rare. Consequently, the Foo Fighters’ announcement created something special. Social media lit up immediately. Fans posted videos from the ticket line. Comments celebrated the music community. People described how “cool” everyone was — sharing coffee, helping strangers, playing music together. Connection still matters.
Local radio got involved too. As a former PD, I immediately started streaming local stations to see who was buzzing. Two programs nailed it — regardless of staff size or ticket allotment.
First up: Q104.3 NYC — The Jim Kerr Rock and Roll Morning Show
Jim’s recently named co-host Trevor skipped the NYC studio Wednesday morning. Instead, he drove to the enormous Sayreville ticket line — already stretching over a mile just after 3am. Trevor shot and edited videos from his car for the station’s social media. He called Jim Kerr live from the scene. He put fans on air, delivering play-by-play of the “Foo Mania” experience. Outstanding execution.
When I messaged Trevor at Q104.3 to say “Amazing Job,” his response said everything: “This is the kind of radio I grew up listening to. Jim and I had so much fun doing it — we have more things like this planned for sure.”
Next: WMGM Atlantic City — Morning host Matt Murray
Matt flies solo every morning. That didn’t stop him. He turned his listeners into reporters — having callers phone in live from the line and send photos directly to the morning show Facebook page. Furthermore, he made the ticket grab an on-air community event that listeners actually participated in.
One fan comment on the MGM Morning Show page captured it perfectly: “You can’t imagine how awesome everyone was. Sharing coffee, chairs for those that didn’t have them, food once the tent opened. Everyone was so chill it was fantastic. Made the 6 hours go pretty damn fast actually.”
Local radio can still get involved in moments like this. Moreover, you don’t need presents, tickets, or a band interview. You don’t even need a huge staff. A cell phone, a signal, and a social media account are all you need to be part of the experience.
Matt Murray told me directly: “I heard about the show the night before — informed my listeners on social media and told them — tomorrow I need you to inform me. I was not going to miss the opportunity to be live and local just because I fly solo every morning. No way. We needed to be there in some way.”
Kudos — or should I say FOOdos — to both stations and shows.
And Speaking of Kudos — Is Metalcore the New Mainstream? Absolutely.
Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Spiritbox — these bands dominate rock right now. Additionally, Dayseeker is about to join that conversation in a big way.
Dayseeker will likely grab their first #1 at Rock Radio with “Crawl Back To My Coffin” from their sixth studio album, Creature in the Black Night. The track will also deliver Spinefarm Records their first number one as well.
I first saw Dayseeker at a radio show my then-station produced — Rock the Rock Fest in 2024. I started following the band immediately. Mesmerizing modern metal with the right injection of scream and hook — their rapid growth made complete sense.
Fast forward nearly two years and Dayseeker hit #1 on the Mediabase Rock Charts. Furthermore, they delivered a killer show at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on Sunday — the night after the Foo Fighters. A genuine Jersey rock weekend. Steel Panther even played Starland on Friday night. We know what we’re doing here.
Check out my recent interview with Rory Rodriguez from Dayseeker — where we discuss Metalcore as the new mainstream — available now on the Carr Stereo Podcast in both audio and video.
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