among the acts
scheduled for Starland
Revamped club opens
doors this Saturday
David Lee Roth, Styx
among the acts
scheduled for Starland
BY JOLENE HART
Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE — Only two months after bidding farewell to more than two decades of music at the Hunka Bunka Ballroom, the revamped venue debuts this weekend as the Starland Ballroom.
The Jernee Mill Road club’s new management and staff will open their doors on Saturday to begin an era they hope will improve upon the club’s legacy as a popular concert destination by offering national acts on a regular basis.
Under the new ownership of Gate to Wire LLC, which includes area promoter Concerts East and other private investors, changes have taken place in all areas of the facility.
According to Tony Pallagrosi, a manager of the venue with Concerts East, the arched "barrel roof" of the structure has been raised on either end until flat, adding to the height of the interior ceiling. The additional height can better accommodate the sound and lighting equipment used by big-name artists and will offer improved sight-lines for concert-goers.
"This type of facility is not available at any other New Jersey club," Pallagrosi said.
The design of the club remains largely untouched, although several bars and a DJ booth have been rearranged to open up floor space.
"With the Starland Ballroom, we have created a venue in the market that the market needs. It’s long overdue in New Jersey and a step above others," Pallagrosi said.
The ballroom will hold its first show on Saturday night, featuring the New Jersey band Dramarama, whose members are reuniting after a 10-year absence in the area. According to Pallagrosi, the band, led by John Easdale, agreed to put together the reunion specifically for the club’s opening. The show will also feature Billionaire Boys Club and singer-songwriter Robert Matarazzo.
Former Van Halen singer David Lee Roth will perform Sunday, and other upcoming acts include the Michael Schenker Group, Fountains of Wayne, Guster, Eve 6, The Starting Line, The Used and Styx.
Pallagrosi described the "great presentation and comfortable facility" that he hopes will characterize the ballroom.
"We’re targeting the live music audience in New Jersey, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the whole metropolitan area," he said.
Management and staff are now putting the finishing touches on the facility in anticipation of the opening weekend.
"We’re working hard to tie up loose ends," Jon Vena, a spokesman for Concerts East, said yesterday.
"I’ve never seen a club opening where there wasn’t a little bit of nail-biting near the end," Pallagrosi said. "People need to come and check this out."
Tickets for Saturday’s opening night show, as well as future events at the ballroom, can be purchased through Ticketmaster, the Starland Ballroom box office, which can be reached at (732) 238-5500, or Vintage Vinyl. The venue’s Web site, www.starlandballroom.com, offers further information.