Making the Scene in the Garden State explores New Jersey’s rich musical heritage through stories about the musicians, listeners and fans who came together to create sounds from across the American popular music spectrum. From the beginnings of recording in Thomas Edison’s factories to Bruce Springsteen’s early years at the Upstage Club, and beyond, the book examines the sounds, sights and textures of music scenes in New Jersey.

Dewar MacLeod is professor of history at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, specializing in popular culture, American Studies, and U.S. foreign policy, and the author of Kids of the Black Hole: Punk Rock in Postsuburban California, the first study of punk by a professional historian. He is singer/guitarist for Thee Volatiles, the best punk rock band in Montclair, New Jersey.
 

Introduction: Making Scenes
1. Thomas Edison and the First Recording Studio
2. The Victor Talking Machine Company and the Scene at Home
3. Jazz at the Cliffside: The Studios of Rudy Van Gelder
4. Transylvania Bandstand and Rockin' with the Cool Ghoul
5. The Upstage Club and the Asbury Park Scene
6. "Drums Along the Hudson": The Hoboken Sound
Conclusion: Making the Scene in the Twenty-First Century
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index