Two High School South seniors are headlining with their band, Mad Cats and Beehives, at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park on Friday, January 22. Although the venue is usually associated with the name of Bruce Springsteen, he never headlined on the stage, but Dylan Cohen and Michael Cintron, will have the honor. Call 609-651-6865 to reserve a ticket.
Cohen, who was born in New Brunswick, moved to Plainsboro in 1995. He began playing guitar at age 6 and sax at age 11. “I’ve been singing my whole life,” he says. “My earliest recollection of music is hearing pop music on the radio, which was my first influence.” A founding member of Mad Cats in 2008, Cohen, who also plays saxophone in the school’s wind symphony, was a member of the marching band and jazz band for three years.
Cintron, a drummer for six years, began to play the piano when he was seven. A West Windsor resident, he has been playing with the Princeton School of Rock and recently finished touring with the School Of Rock All Stars. “I have gone through many groups and have played with countless musicians,” he says. A former member of the school’s symphonic band he is in the school jazz band. He joined Mad Cats last May. “I do intend to be a professional musician and get a four-year degree in music business,” he says, noting that he hopes to attend Berklee college of Music in Boston in the fall. He is getting a head start on the business end of music by booking all of the shows for the band.
Future gigs include Friday, February 12, 7 p.m., Quaker Bridge Mall, Lawrenceville, $10.; Saturday, February 20, 7 p.m., Finnigans, Hightstown, $10.; and Saturday, April 10, 7 p.m., The Record Collector, Bordentown, $10.
“Our musical style is a twist of rock, reggae, hip hop, and punk,” says Cohen. “I come up with the main, melodic ideas and the band, as a cohesive unit, adds elements of various musical genres to the songs. The rapid pace and energy in the performance sound creates a whole new vision in the minds of our listeners. The lyrical expression is focused on love, mostly, and environmental reaction.”
— Lynn Miller
Madcats & Beehives, Stone Pony, 913 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park. Friday, January 22, 7:30 p.m. West Windsor and Plainsboro based-band includes musicians Dylan Cohen on guitar and vocals, Keith Lalley on trombone and vocals, Meggen Greenberg on bass, and Mike Cintron on drums. $10. 732-502-0600. myspace.com/madcatsbeehives.
