Elyse has been involved in the music industry since she founded Stars and Scars at the tender age of 16. She has interned at Max Cruise Entertainment, Eyeball Records, and fuse tv, in addition to working at Crossroads nightclub and Clear Channel Online Music & Radio. At Ramapo College, Elyse organized over 20 concerts as the President of RamaShows. Having developed a passion for booking, she started promoting shows back home in central New Jersey. Through S&S, Elyse has been able to interview some of her favorite bands, sneak backstage, hang out on tour buses, and make nearly all of her wildest dreams come true. All that's left is to marry William Beckett.
Katie McKenna
Booty Shaker the Ticket Taker
Production Assistant
aka KT
I like to move and groove to the beat of my own drum and other people's drums. I love to dance and sing. I am very loud at the most inappropriate times, and I love to laugh. I am also a professional make-up artist just finishing school. At shows, I like to take pictures of the bands, take your tickets, and of course, dance my ass off. Back in NJ and loving my hometown of M-town, I'm ready to paint your face, take your picture and rock out.
Logan Ball
Stage Lighting & Production
aka Interlaced Fate
Born in the heart of Central Jersey, you might have seen him with his face painted for no reason at all, other than for the randomness of it. A jack of all trades, and master of a few of them, this is the guy at the shows who takes pictures, sells candy, helps move things around, and handles the rowdy individuals (who are about as rare as a bonafide Bigfoot sighting). He enjoys nearly every form of rock music out there from punk to heavy, rap rock to opera metal, and even J-Rock. He currently attends Centenary College in North Jersey, finishing up his BA in English Lit, and will be hurting for work after graduation.
Nate Bear
Chief Executive Officer of Magic Toes
Grand Imperial Lintball
Nate Bear maintained many years of popular support in his essential role as Chief Executive Officer of Magic Toes. That was until he ran for the influential Grand Imperial Lintball position, a move that caused an uproar. Detractors cite a conflict of interest in Mr. Bear's dual office holding. Supporters say the two positions are coletely unrelated. In the end, experts claim than only an awesome show where everyone dances for 3 hours straight would put this debate to rest.
Brendan Delehanty
Admissions Nazi
Brendan Delehanty is currently a music student at Rider University's Princeton campus. In his spare time, he helps his friend Elyse man the admissions table at the Stars & Scars shows. Don't try and sneak past him because he sees and hears everything.
Steven Deblat
Photographer
My name is Steven Deblat. I've been taking pictures since I was in sixth grade. I love music and I love writing, but especially photography. Don't be surprised if I wind up taking your picture, my camera is always with me. I'm a real nice guy with the best girlfriend and the best friends I could ask for.
Stephen Crispini
Graphic Designer
Stephen (pronounced Stee-ven) is an illustrious Illustrator ninja, wielding razor sharp vector graphics with no regard for public safety. By day, he is a mild-mannered creative director for a small college in Ramsey, NJ. By night, however, he roams the streets keeping the city (or suburban town) safe from the dirty underbelly of society that is bad design. Superfluous descriptors aside, Stephen is a graduate of Ramapo College, and is known to enjoy music, nature, vegetarian-friendly foodstuffs, and acting in a manner completely unbecoming of a mature adult.
Keep checking back for updated features!
A Love Like Pi's Tour Kickoff Review July 24, 2009 by Tyler Clark
Remember how great it was the first time you listened to Fall Out Boy and thought, "Wow, these guys are gonna be huge"? Nothing compares to seeing a band live for the first time and being completely blown away. You become ecstatic as you realize you're experiencing something so incredible that no definition of perfect could ever describe it. That's how I feel every time I watch A Love Like Pi, so I couldn't wait to see them play at their tour kickoff show on Friday, July 24.
The opening spot belongs to Dunfor. From the start, they unleash an onslaught of noise aimed straight at the audience. Dunfor are loud and aggressive with all the confidence of a headliner! They play fast songs in quick secession, trying to squeeze in as many as possible. Songs with subtle grunge undertones paired with a Misfits cover create an amazing sound and a hard act to follow!
Fredrick Dedrick take center stage and get set to play their second show ever! They start off with the quiet and catchy song "Tarantula Downpour." They continue playing mellow pop songs, creating an atmosphere that's pleasant and soothing. The band play in perfect harmony together! Fredrick Dedrick choose to end their awesome set with the fast paced and bouncy song "Dig Dug."
The Hook Club are up third and ready to provide Beastie Boys-inspired hip hop. It can be intimidating being the only hip hop act on the card, but The Hook Club don't let that slow them down. They come out swinging, filled with out of control energy and a tidal wave of dope beats and rhymes. The Hook Club are on fire as they tear through song after song, refusing to slow down for even a second. All their hard works pays off as they finish their set and gain the audience's approval!
Last but not least is A Love Like Pi, playing their last local show before going out on tour. Seeing A Love Like Pi live is always a fun experience because they put on an amazing show every time. From the first note to the last, Pi's deep connection with the audience is evident. As the crowd sing along to each and every word, the band becomes more and more fired up! Everything comes to a head as Pi reach the last song of their set. The room becomes a tornado with everyone getting sucked into the chaos! No matter how far and wide they travel, nothing will ever compare to the feeling of seeing A Love Like Pi play their hearts out inside this tiny church.
Check out tons more photos, reviews and interviews at starsandscars.com!
The Air I Breathe - 5.29.09
A Love Like Pi – 4.4.09
The Call Out - 12.13.08
A Love Like Pi - 10.31.08
The Brightlife - 10.31.08
When We Scream Hero - 12.13.08
Between Me and You - Shout Out to S&S
Nostalgia - 10.4.08
Stars and Scars LLC's Details
Status:
Single
Here for:
Networking, Friends
Hometown:
Middletown, NJ
Zodiac Sign:
Aries
Stars and Scars LLC is now on Facebook! Posted at 6:21 PM Apr 20, 2008 view more
Remember the late great NJ music venues Birch Hill, Hamilton St. Cafe, Club Krome and Bloomfield Ave. Cafe? Every weekend, you'd hit up a show to hang out with your friends, see your favorite bands and discover new music. The local scene was truly alive...Until the venues started closing, bands began to struggle and fans experienced a major void.
Enter Stars and Scars. We miss what you miss! S&S strives to recreate the sense of community and respect that shows used to have. Our goal is to someday open a music venue that New Jersians can call home. In order to do so, we need your help! Come to our shows, contribute to our webzine and become part of our movement to revive the NJ music scene!
"Stars and Scars LLC began as a self-published fanzine coming out of Middletown, NJ. They have since blossomed into one of the best indie music promoters in the area. Working with a strong DIY ethic over the years and a undaunted sense of pride and love for local musicians, Stars and Scars has become able to successfully network with local artists both well known and emerging in order to create venues that never cease to attract a diverse crowd." - Ubbo Zine
"Everyone at Stars and Scars is a close friend, and they provide a stress-free and fun environment for all the bands playing at their shows." - Anthony Manginelli, The Call Out
"It's great to know that there are people in NJ who still care about creating great shows." - Jaclyn Falk
"The difference is that you love music, and the majority of NJ promoters love money." - Adam Bird
During freshmen year of high school, I went to my first local show at a small, dingy, sweaty hall in the middle of nowhere, New Jersey. Despite the less-than-glamorous location, what I found there was truly beautiful - a community of young people, coming together to play music, share stories, make friends and for a moment in time, forget about their troubles and just have fun.
As I stood in that packed room, surrounded by smiling faces screaming the words to every song, I felt welcomed. I had discovered a magical place where we were all equal - as bands and fans, as lovers of music and kids just wanting to belong. We all belonged in that moment and never wanted to let it go.
In the early 2000s, the local music scene was alive and well. We went to shows every weekend, not just to see bands we knew but to uncover new artists. Venues became more than just places to see shows – they were our hangouts, our homes. We had “our” couch, “our” corner, “our” parking spot. It wasn’t routine. It was life, and it was exciting.
Things haven’t quite been the same since then.
I cite Skate and Surf 2004 as the plateau of the NJ show-going subculture. None of the bands on the 3-day fest were really “big,” at that time in regard to mainstream success, but they were big to us, and we knew they’d move on to greater things (whether we wanted them to or not). Local bands like No Hollywood Ending shared the bill with Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance - prior to the peak of their careers.
Just like the tiny show at M&M Hall four years earlier, the thousands of kids that flocked to Skate and Surf were tantamount to the bands they loved. Clever fans weaved in and out of backstage areas and those too nervous to do so could still hang out with The Starting Line near the buses or stroll the boardwalk with Midtown. Bands were accessible, and they cared about their fans.
To younger people, this description may sound a bit like Bamboozle, but I assure you, the two are complete opposites. Anyone who attended any of the Skate and Surf Fests knows this. Bamboozle feels big, corporate, trendy...Skate and Surf felt diy, unique and punk rock. Maybe it was Asbury Park. Maybe it was that five years ago, things were just...different.
I started to feel a change in Fall 2004 when I began attending college. The tectonic plates of New Jersey were shifting away from each other, dispersing fans, dissolving bands and crumbling venues in the cracks. All that remained was apathy.
I was thrilled to discover that my college had a concert-organizing club and flabbergasted to find that they were essentially doing nothing. Were they crazy? Hundreds of dollars to play with, multiple venues to use, the chance to rebuild a community, and they weren’t taking the bait? Over the next three years, I learned that they weren’t crazy.
Sure, we had a few great shows at Ramapo, but most of them fell into the category of so-so. I tried everything. Themes, genre-specific shows, mixed-genre shows, local bands, out of state bands, signed bands, $5 admission, $3 admission, FREE admission...Why the hell didn’t anybody care?!
Before I could blink, it was 2008 and time to go back to the drawing board. I had graduated, quality shows were few and far between, but I still had passion brewing inside of me. If I couldn’t do it in north Jersey, maybe I could do it in central.
Nowadays, there are a select few shining stars in the local scene. Bands that promote the crap out of themselves and truly care about creating art. Not just music - good music. These are the artists that make you feel infinite - time and space aren’t even on your radar; there’s something bigger out there waiting for you. Unfortunately, these bands are a dying breed of supernovas.
The majority of the current music-makers in this state have either never experienced what a show can and should be, or they have and for whatever reason, they don’t possess the drive to recreate it. This detachment carries over to the show-goers, who then lose motivation to even come out.
I’m wondering what will break the cycle. Will it be the return of Skate and Surf in 2010? Or has music in New Jersey just rolled so far downhill that we can’t possibly hike back up? What do we need to elevate us again? The only idea I have is creating the next great local venue, which, if I ever hit the lottery, I promise you I will.
To all the kids who never experienced Birch Hill or Hamilton St., I want more than anything to give you what those places gave me. If you never attended Skate and Surf, I hope that next year, you get to feel one ounce of what I felt in 2004.
In the meantime, I leave my vision and company up to you. There are no scheduled shows for Stars and Scars after Halloscream. If you have an idea, pitch it to me. If you’ve found the next crop of outstanding local bands, let me know. If there’s something we haven’t tried that you think we should, I’m open to hearing it. After nearly a decade of seeing what this state can do and how quickly we lost our radiance, I am taking not a step down, but a step back. I urge you to rebuild your scene in whatever way works. I’ll be here to help.
Elyse Jankowski - Owner, Stars and Scars LLC
Want to be considered for our shows? Message us and include: Dates/venues/your draw at your 3 most recent shows in NJ + your e-mail address
Why play a Stars and Scars show? We care about YOU! You receive $3 of every ticket you sell and/or from each walk-in to see you - not $1 per ticket like those other promoters! Pizza dinner plus snacks and beverages will always be provided for you! (first come, first serve)
We book dedicated, hard-working local bands that understand the importance of promoting themselves. We are looking for bands who draw 20+ people to see them play - the more experience you have playing shows and the bigger your fan base, the better for everyone!
To cover our expenses, each band we book MUST draw 20+ people in order to receive $3 per ticket. We do not require ticket sales; however, they are very helpful! We understand it can be frustrating to sell tons of tickets before a show, so we only ask that you try to sell 8 tickets in advance (can request more) and draw 12+ walk-ins night of show. If requested, tickets will be mailed to you approximately 3 weeks before the show date. If you do not draw 20+ people from your ticket sales and/or walk-ins, you will only receive $2 per person and may not be considered for re-booking.
Sorry, we do not give guarantees. If you are an out-of-state band, please expect $10-$20 for gas money. Additional payment may be given based on draw at the discretion of S&S staff. We aren't like other promoters - all profits from Stars and Scars shows go into our savings account, not someone's pocket! We want to continue running shows forever and open a venue someday, so please understand our policies and future expenses to keep this going. Thank you!
Note from Elyse - I am not a fan of bands that jerk me around. If I offer you a show and you never respond, book another show on the same date, violate our agreement or confirm then cancel, I will not work with you again.
well well well! how have you been. my fingers are hurting from the endless typing. I think its awesome to write back then copy and paste! hope you enjoyed the music as well write back :)
Saturday November 14th @Hangar 84 20 South 6th Street - Vineland, New Jersey Show Time - 6 p.m. - ALL AGES www.myspace.com/hangar84 order tix online @ http://hangar84.frontgatetickets.com/
Hello, thanks for accepting us,we are DavesArtRoom a rock/punk/pop/stomp band, please
stop by anytime & say hello,,,,& let us know what you think,, if interested, you can become a paid online music promoter atwww.theindustree.com/davesartroom ,thanks , have a great day & peace to you.
............
Sent from my iPhone
hiya bb!! we got some NEW MUSIC for y'all!! we are releasing THE PURPLE EP on Monday Oct 26th!! the first single from the EP, called "Sweet Sensation", will be featured on CBS' "Ghost Whisperer" this Friday!! we also got an amazing new limited edition "Sweet Sensation" t-shirt going on sale Monday too!! check out our new blog for all of the details!! xoxo
will we be friends forever? hope you enjoyed the music hopefully we will be in town soon..would you and friends come out..it be a party a dance party even.
hey wassup? hope your yr is going great cus i know this is the best yr of my life so far. i really hope this message gets to u and u are doing really awesome. i have been just soo excited about everything i have set out to do and the October 10th release is just really taking a life of its own. when u get the chance u should check it out already on napster. feel free to holla at me anytime and o yea i do have a song on there for my beautiful women of course, make sho to get back at me im not too busy for u, ttyl
Well what do ya know :) thanks for giving us a shot hope you enjoy the music..what is up how have you been? write back for sure if you can if not totally cool but then we will feel a tad alone :(
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