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Photos by George Kopp

Haledon, New Jersey’s own the Feelies brought their unique brand of jittery indie rock to Central Park Summerstage after two triumphant shows at Maplewood NJ’s Rent Party venue in June. Their live shows are always a showcase of the band members’ intense concentration and the signature double-drummer rhythm section of Stan Demeski on drums and Dave Weckerman on percussion with Brenda Sauter on bass.

Glenn Mercer and Bill Million displayed their jangly guitar intensity while running through a career spanning sampling of favorites including “Crazy Rhythms,” “Deep Fascination” and “Nobody Knows” and great covers, during the three encores, of the Rolling Stones, the Modern Lovers, the Velvet Underground, the Beatles
and a searing version of Television’s “See No Evil,” As Jon Pareles once wrote in the New York Times, “…they pushed the rock ‘n’ roll basics – two or three chords, an unswerving beat – toward the ecstatic, they defined those few chords with intricately interlocking parts, bearing down on them to turn repetition into a frenetic rave-up.”

The Feelies may not get out and play very often but when they do they hit it out of the park–even Central Park.

-George Kopp