Jersey Rock Band of the Week: Joe Deninzon and Stratospheerius
Rocking Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck on September 28!
Joe Deninzon is a true Classic Rocker, but not just in the way that you may think. He combines the power of actual Classical Music with Progressive Rock via his electric violin to produce a symphonic shredding sound. That sound is at the heart of his group Stratospheerius. Blurring the lines of musical performance, the group has become a dominant force in the New York Metropolitan area and beyond. Their recent performances at ProgStock provide the perfect evidence of that. In fact, Stratospheerius’ ProgStock sets were so epic the band decided to release them as a CD/DVD/BLUE RAY set!
“Behind The Curtain (Live at ProgStock) is available at joedeninzon.bandcamp.com! Speaking of the release Joe Deninzon said:
“This was 2 performances over 2 different years and we compiled them to make a 2-hour Live album. It’s a DVD Blue Ray…In this day and age I know it’s crazy to release something like that, but we did it anyway!”
As exciting as his work with Stratospheerius is, Deninzon actually has another project that has kept him busy as of late. He recently took a gig as the violin player with Classic Rock icons Kansas! Deninzon recently wrote of the experience in his newsletter:
“It’s been a whirlwind! Playing with a legendary band performing music I grew up listening to in some of the coolest venues in the country, for sold-out or near sold-out audiences! It’s everything I dreamed about as a kid and more!”
While Deninzon is excited to not only continue performing with Kansas, but to get in the studio with them, he still gives plenty of attention to Stratospheerius. The band has two area shows coming up in the near future. Catch them at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck on September 28 and Kennet Flash in Kennet Square, PA on September 30. Check out Joe Deninzon’s entire performance schedule HERE.
Tune to Jersey Rock on 95.9 The RAT Tuesday , Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:30 pm to hear the latest from Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius! Joe Deninzon will call into the show each night!
Learn more at joedeninzon.com.
Check out the video for “Imposter”!
Top 7 Best Places To Get Great Chicken Parmigiana In Monmouth County
One of my favorite Italian-inspired dishes to cook is Chicken Parmigiana. When I lived in Monmouth County, I had specific places to get my cutlets. I like to use very thin cutlets. When I lived in Ocean Township, there were a few places where I would buy my cutlets. I would go directly to the butcher in the meat department at Wegman’s on 35 and have him personally package my thin cutlets. I sound like a diva, but cutlets of any kind need to be thin, I believe I have OCD, no joke.
Sometimes I would get my cutlets from Drew’s Market in Spring Lake, or my neighbor who only shopped at Monmouth Meats in Red Bank, would pick me up a couple of pounds of thin cutlets when she placed her monthly order.
I met my husband when I lived in Monmouth County and he turned me on to Livoti’s, so that became another place to buy near perfect chicken cutlets.
I do have a list of places that make, in my opinion, the absolute best chicken parm. If I’m eating chicken parm in a restaurant I don’t go nuts if the cutlets aren’t super thin, it’s only when I cook them that they need to be thin. Go figure.
Monmouth County is loaded with some amazing Italian restaurants and pizzerias! I haven’t been to them all, but I have been to a lot in the many years I’ve lived in New Jersey.
Although I’m a really good cook, I like to get out of the house and try different places, and then rate them in my mind. Sometimes I take notes if the food is exceptional. I like to try to recreate the dishes I really enjoy from some of the restaurants that stand out to me.
Chicken Parm is one of my favorite dishes. I’ve ordered it many times when we dine out or order in, especially if it comes highly recommended.
My recipe calls for thinly pounded chicken cutlets, bread crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and Locatelli Pecorino Romano. basil, parsley, and onion powder. Fried lightly in a combination of olive oil and vegetable oil to raise the smoke point. I always finish off my cutlets with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
But when I’m not in the mood to cook, it’s off to one of the great Italian places for some delicious Chicken Parm.
Here are my 7 favorite places to get the best Chicken Parmigiana in Monmouth County.
Tom Hanley is the host of Jersey Rock, New Jersey’s longest running local rock show on 95.9 The RAT. He got his start in broadcasting at Monmouth University's WMCX-FM. He's hosted Jersey Rock since 2016, been on the air at WRAT since 2008, and been listening to RAT Radio since 1996! Jersey Rock is a multi-platform local music brand that provides exposure to NJ artists. The on-air program features a different Garden State band each week. Tune to 95.9 The RAT every Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday night at 11:30 pm to hear call-ins and songs from the Jersey Rock Band of the Week! Each week Jersey Rock features a different music video as the Jersey Rock Video of the Week . Between Jersey Rock's on-air and online platforms, there's opportunities for 9 different NJ bands to be featured each week. If you're in a NJ band and want to be on Jersey Rock, e-mail Tom Hanley. Send your mp3's, videos, pictures, and links to
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