Bruce has the Stone Pony. The Ramones had CBGB’s. And the Feelies? Well the Feelies have Maxwell’s.



"I feel as comfortable here as I do in my own house," Feelies percussionist Dave Weckerman, 61, says of the Hoboken bar and grill.

In the back room of the Washington Street restaurant, Weckerman and lead singer-guitarist Glenn Mercer, 56, casually eat their dinner before the night’s show. Mercer bites into his burger, while Weckerman is brought a plate of fried chicken.

The staff at Maxwell’s always makes sure the band members are well fed before entertaining the packed audience with their mix of clean and distorted guitars layered with Mercer’s even-tempered vocals.

The Feelies originated in Haledon, and have played Maxwell’s more than anywhere else. They’ve formed a meaningful and lasting relationship with one of Jersey’s most iconic venues.

Maxwell’s previous owner, Steve Fallon, managed the band for a time before they originally broke up in 1992.

They first played the back room of the bar and grill in 1980 while touring for their debut album, “Crazy Rhythms.” After reuniting in 2008, they came back to perform their first show since the early ‘90s.

Mercer even met his wife while attending a show at Maxwell’s – although he can’t recall who was playing.

Although the Feelies play rather infrequently, they still hit markets such as Boston and DC. Yet the experience is different.

“A lot of people in the audience have some connection to either somebody in the band, or somebody that knows one of us. But that’s really only here,” Weckerman says.

“It’s a very communal sort of thing.”

The Feelies make an effort to greet their fans at shows.

“A lot of clubs now just try to clear the room, and kind of frown upon that actually,” Mercer says.

But the tiny Maxwell’s creates the perfect atmosphere for the band to mingle with their fans.

“No matter who you are, there’s no place to hide,” Weckerman says.

They’ve found that larger venues elsewhere make it too difficult to interact with fans and old acquaintances.

Mercer admits he doesn’t know much of what living outside of Jersey is like. He has lived in the Haledon area most of his life. He doesn’t think New Jersey has specifically impacted his songwriting, but living in the suburbs has.

Mercer points to his influences more as “the kind of sounds that you’re surrounded by.”

“More nature, hearing the birds, and crickets, as opposed to traffic and loud noises in the city. [It’s] kind of serene and quiet.”

The band has applied their suburban roots to their recordings in a unique way. For the track “When Company Comes,” off of “The Good Earth,” Mercer and guitarist Bill Million recorded natural sounds from their neighborhood. In the background of the track a dog’s bark can be heard, as well as passing cars.

The Feelies were part of the emerging Hoboken music scene of the late ‘70s and early 80’s that Maxwell’s helped create.

It was the right atmosphere for a band that feels at home in the suburbs, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“People always ask, ‘Why don’t you relocate to the city?’” Mercer says. “Why bother?”

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