Jersey Rock Band of the Week: Soraia
New Single Available Now!
Soraia just dropped a killer new single! “Bang Them Bones” is available now on all streaming platforms. It features a sweet hook and the high-octane Garage Rock sound fans have come to expect from the Wicked Cool Records artists. The track was recorded during the group’s last visit to Sweden. The Scandinavian nation has become something of a second home for Soraia. In recent years they have grown accustomed to touring and recording there. Speaking of the new single, lead singer ZouZou Mansour said:
“‘Bang Them Bones’ was written by Sulo Karlsson and recorded in Stockholm, Sweden while we were touring there in October 2023. It’s a straight Rock N’ Roll song, which I love. As soon as I heard the verse and guitar riff I wanted to do it!”
Turn up “Bang Them Bones” on Spotify!
Soraia is about to head out on a tour that will take them to Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and back to New Jersey. It kicks off on March 16 when the band rocks South By Southwest! ZouZou gave us the lowdown on the show. She said:
“Our upcoming showcase is at The Continental Club in Austin on Saturday March 16th at 11pm. We are super excited as we are going with our Wicked Cool Records family of artists. And it’s our first time playing an official SXSW showcase! We are very excited. There’s lots to do there ahead of the the show too!”
If you’re going to be in Austin on March 16, we highly recommend catching the show. However, if you can’t get away from the Garden State, you will have an opportunity to catch Soraia closer to home when they rock the Sweet Vinyl Cafe in Denville on April 27! Check out all their tour dates HERE.
Tune to Jersey Rock on 95.9 The RAT Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:30 pm to hear the new single from Soraia “Bang Them Bones.” ZouZou Mansour will call in to the show each night!
Learn more at soraia.com!
Soraia just stared a LIVE video series on their YouTube channel. The first entry is “Monster.” Check it out!
6 Great Bars I Miss In Toms River
One thing is for sure, Toms River has had it’s share of great bars and restaurants over the years. Some of my favorite are no longer with us. I cannot speak to the real old days in Toms River, as I have only been living at the Shore for 27 years, and a full time resident of Toms River for 21. However in that time I have found some gems that I love. Luckily some are still with us.
Take for instance The Office Lounge, one of my all time favorites.
Or The Miracle Pub. I was just there with the family this past Christmas Eve and had a wonderful time.
McIntyere’s in both it’s locations has always been dear to my heart and liver, and with the new incarnation of Mac’s Pub, it’s even better than ever.
Yup, there sure are a lot of great watering holes in Toms River. Meanwhile, it’s the ones that are no longer with us that seem to hold the fondest memories, much like loved ones.
The Places Where Everybody Knew Your Name.
The 6 gone but not forgotten venues that I have included on this list have 3 main criteria. First, they were places I had actually been to on numerous occasions. Second, I loved multiple aspect about them. Finally, and obviously, they no longer are in existence. For me, these were joints that you could pull up a bar stool, or grab a table, to watch the game, have some wings, or a burger, and just shoot the shit with your buddies, or many times fellow bar flies. Good food, good drinks, and usually great bartenders. That’s what made these places special to me. Meanwhile, there are other places in town that while no longer around, still make the “Honorable Mention” list. These include Tiffany’s on Route 37, Mulligans on Hooper Avenue, even the bar at Charlie Brown’s on Kettle Creek.
Again, this is my list over the last couple of decades. It is in no way meant to leave out or besmirch the legacy of other older places that were before my time. In fact, please feel free to comment on whatever page you’re reading this on, and let me know a great old Toms River haunt you remember fondly! I’d love to hear about it.
The Old Time Tavern - Dover Mall, Routes 9 and 37
While I won’t wax poetically about the restaurant, since I only ate in there once or twice, the bar was always a staple of the Rat’s pregame for the Toms River Fire Company Number One Halloween Parade. Bar snacks and beers. Many beers. Almost didn’t make the parade once or twice thanks to Carl Craft and his credit card. I put this first on the list because without question it is the number one toms River bar/restaurant I see folks talking about to this day on social media. The OTT really left its mark.
Phil's Liquor Locker Lounge - 11 Kettle Creek Road
Ohhhhh yeahhh baby. This place was great. While good old “Phil”, Philip Forgione left us last year at the ripe old age of 96, one of his lasting legacies remains, if in memory only. Phil’s Liquor Locker was like the friend you had who never gave a shit what people thought of him. He was who he was, take him or leave him. The first time my buddy took me there in 2003, right after buying my house, I saw a sign on the door that said “No Club Colors”. I literally said out loud, “What kind of clubs do they have here?” to my buddy Mike. He promptly shut me up and let me know about bikers. The drinks were good, the Mangos or some other cool band playing in front of the beer cases was great, and If you wanted a great meal there was always Jules South, right next door.
The Hub - 1850 Hooper Ave
Much like Roxy’s and Rivs battle it out today, back in the day across from Phil’s there was the Hub, perhaps the OG establishment of the Silverton section of Toms River. Another ‘come as you are’ type joint. I used to stop in for a sixer after work and the old timers would be singing karaoke at the bar and the guy at the register would be telling them to shut the F up. Haha, good times. Happy, friendly, smoke filled fun. Watched many a Jets game there too.
Pizza King/Mugsy's Sports Bar 1356 Fischer Blvd
I first ventured here in 1998 with Doug The Promo Rat to get the lowdown on the “Official” bar of the eventual Little League World Series champion Toms River East team. It was a crazy atmosphere. Later, after I moved to Silverton, I used to love to go in, sit and relax watching a game, and chow down on my favorite app: the coconut shrimp with that fruity dipping sauce. DAYUMMMM. I can still taste it!
The Huddy Brew Pub 1250 Hooper Ave
Long before the great B2 Bistro, and the places that came before it, but after the Ground Round (that my wife allegedly worked at in the early 90s), was the Huddy Brew Pub! Now I will tell you the number one reason I loved this place. It wasn’t their beer, which was good. It wasn’t their wings, which were great. It wasn’t the oddly placed bathrooms in the middle of the dining room. Nope, it was the Sunday specials. Pot Roast, Meatloaf, Beef Bourguignon over Egg Noodles, and more…JUST 8.95!!! OMG soooo good. Plus you could spin a wheel and whatever it landed on, is what you paid for your kids meals! 75 cents, a buck fifty, even free! It truly was a special place for me and my young family and one I wish I could revisit.
The Prime Time - Indian Head Plaza
I remember doing Rat football gigs at this place that is now home to Hobby Town and other stores in the Indian Head Plaza off of route 9. Always good service and people really seamed to love the food. They used to get a great football crowd with their good amount of tvs, and giant screen showing the Giants or Jets game. Interestingly another memory I have is that of going in there after it was long abandoned, after Superstorm Sandy. We were volunteering, and storing donations of food and water in the old Prime Time. I remember the eerie feeling I had still seeing some of the beer specials on the walls and the pay phone near the bathroom.
