Roadhouse Blues: Saying Goodbye to A Legendary Venue (SNS week of 8/3/2025)

 BEFORE WE DIVE INTO what's happening in music, my wife and I got back from a trip to South Carolina to look at houses.   We found one outside of Conway, and plan to close in early September.   We even checked out a popular spot in nearby Little River: Patio's, which has a Tiki Bar right on the waterfront (Intracoastal Waterway), and is also a venue for many local bands, and singers, including those in beach music.  

Legendary blues venue The Stanhope House announced last week that it will close its doors, ending 50 years of music.

ROADHOUSE BLUES:   But speaking of venues,  we got the sad news that one of the oldest roadhouse bars in New Jersey, The Stanhope House, suddenly shut its doors for good last week.  While there were rumors that the place was going to be bought last year, it appeared that the place stayed open and hopes  that things would continue.   But the venue announced it was suddenly shutting down, without notice, resulting in cancelation of many further band bookings.

While many local bands played here, both original and cover, the story of The Stanhope House includes those legendary blues artists who have played here.    The place had been a fixture in the New Jersey bar scene since the mid 1970's, although the building, very rustic looking,  had actually been around since 1794, and has over the centuries served as everything from a stage house, a brothel, a canal house (the now-defunct Morris Canal was nearby), and a post office.  Among the noted blues musicians who have played there over the years, included John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, and Willie Dixon, just to name a few.  More current artists like Gary Clark Jr, have also played there in recent years.

I have been there a few times, as it was in the town next to mine, and while most of the visits were to see local cover bands with friends, my wife and I did see noted Jersey artist Billy Hector there.    There are several legendary stories that involve the venue, most notably the presence of two ghosts, one male, one female, and some workers claimed that they saw floating figures in a mirror.

As I mentioned, the place, given its age, had a very rustic look, and some of it was falling apart.    There were reports last year of the town closing it down, or the place being put up for sale, possibly being  replaced by condos.    But the place seemed to survive the year, and in 2025, things continued as usual.   Unfortunately, it all came to a screeching halt on July 30, when the place announced it was closing its doors immediately.   Seems that the new owner called a halt, but it was unknown what its future would be.  

North Jersey had been seeing a steady decline in venues like this in recent decades.    There are a few left, most notably J&S Roadhouse in West Milford, but I'd be hard-pressed to name a few others.    There are more modern places to play, such as Crossroads in Garwood, but the decor that the Stanhope House offered, made you feeling like you were going back in time.    Colorjoy, the band out of Central Jersey that features Emily MacMahon (formerly of ScreenAge), have been playing the New York City venues this year, save for one gig at Crossroads earlier this year.    I had mentioned to Emily's mother Rowena that they should do a gig at Stanhope House.   But now, it looks like that'll never happen.

Since I'm moving away from the area in a few weeks, I guess it's just as well.

HOT 100: Since I last blogged, it's an eighth and ninth week for "Ordinary" by Alex Warren.   While the top six songs are relatively new, the other songs that round out the top ten are stubborn to move remain.   "Lose Control" is still #7, spending it's 74th week in the Top Ten, and now extending its record 102nd week on the Hot 100.   I  will be paying close attention in the next few weeks to see if Billboard will add a recurrent rule for a song that spends over two years and drops out of the top ten.   Then again, it rarely drops below #10 these days anyway.  

SNS 100: Turning to my chart, it's a fourth week at #1 for "No Rain, No Flowers" by The Black Keys.  While the song is also #2 on Triple-A,  it's struggling on alternative, as it drops a notch to #29 from it's peak of #28.     "Sad Girl" by Rhonda McDaniel jumps from 6 to 2, and now is a threat to the top as early as next week.   But the entire top five is competitive as Suki Waterhouse's "Dream Woman" (holding at #3 with a bullet), Steve Cheek's "Beach Walkin'" (5 to 4 with a bullet), and Thee Sacred Souls' "We Don't Have  to Be Alone", dropping a notch to 5 but still bulleted, and all just a few points behind Ms. McDaniel.  

Three big movers into the top 10 include the latest from Anna Lavigne, "Night Dreams" (14-7) and the Impact of the Week, The Tams' "My True Love" (25-10).  With Jade Bird's "Dreams" moving 12 to 9, that makes three songs with the word 'dream' in that region.

Two other debuts in the top 20, aside from The Tams--Lainey Wilson's "Somewhere Over Laredo" (23-19), and Juliet Callahan's "Running Lights" (28-20).  Last week's Top Debut, The Jay Vons "My Mama (She Was Right)", is this week's Mover (59-30).  

NEWBIES:  Again thanks to Spotify suggesting songs based on recordings that I play frequently, Bradley Denniston has the Top Debut with "HER" at #70.  While other songs of his have gotten more plays, like "Bring Those Good Times Back", similar to The Jay Vons last week, I could have picked any songs of his (he's released a bunch this year alone).  This is a very cool, refreshing retro-pop sound that could have come out in decades prior.     It's very palatable.  Denniston is not new to the industry; he has been around for quite a while, producing songs for blockbuster movies, as well as artists like Tegan and Sara, and  Gotye (of the #1 song of 2012 "Somebody That I Used to Know").  He continues to work on music for motion pictures and Netflix series. 

Other debuts include Turnstile's "Never Enough", a good ambiance-styled alt-pop with blaring guitars at times,   Balu Brigada follows it's top 20 "So Cold" with the equally appealing "What Do We Ever Really Know".   The New Zealanders have another winner here with more alt-pop delights.    Kathleen Turner Overdrive had a major chart entry with "Best Dog" and they follow that with "Love At the End of the Line", which rocks up a storm, with the post-punkish vocals delivered in grand style.   Finally, the latest from beach music artist Wayne Free, who follows "Tequila on Ice" with his latest, "I Love Kissin You".   It's a nice, rhythmic song, with horns punctuated, with a different beat from the former hit, but just as addictive.  

AS I MENTIONED about, we are in the process of moving, which gives me little time for blogging, but I will try to get in two more this month.    August 23 will mark 15 years of Scenes 'n' Soundwaves, and there will either be a blog that week or a combined one from the week before.    Then I will return sometime in September, to announce SNS's "Song of the Summer".

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

August 3, 2025

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: THE BLACK KEYS "No Rain, No Flowers" Album: No Rain, No Flowers (4 Weeks at #1)	8
2	6	Rhonda McDaniel - Sad Girl	8
3	3	Suki Waterhouse - Dream Woman	10
4	5	Steve Cheek - Beach Walkin'	9
5	4	Thee Sacred Souls - We Don't Have To Be Alone	7
6	2	Pepper Creek - Salty Southern Saturday Night	12
7	14	Anna Lavigne - Night Dreams	6
8	10	The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - Long Haul	11
9	12	Jade Bird - Dreams	11
10	25	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: THE TAMS "My True Love" (Single Release)	5
11	11	The Tonez and Sylvia Johns Ritchie - Ladies Man	10
12	15	Fitz and the Tantrums - Man on the Moon	9
13	17	Jalen Ngonda - Just As Long As We're Together	6
14	16	Rivermist - Lady of the Island	8
15	8	Jerry Powell - Dance With Me	14
16	20	Barry Walsh - Suddenly June	9
17	7	The Black Keys - Babygirl	8
18	9	Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson - All Because Of You	13
19	23	Lainey Wilson - Somewhere Over Laredo	7
20	28	Juliet Callahan - Running Lights	5
21	26	Starbuck - Ocean Drive Nights	6
22	19	Deb Browning - Does Your Baby Got Your Back●	14
23	24	The Cure- A Fragile Thing●	24
24	34	My Morning Jacket - Everyday Magic	6
25	13	The Jay Vons - Days Undone●	18
26	31	Alex Warren - Ordinary	13
27	21	The Mac Daddy's Band - Seaside in the Sand	16
28	36	Orbis Max-  Nowhereland	6
29	30	Almost Monday - Jupiter	10
30	59	MOVER OF THE WEEK: THE JAY VONS "My Mama (She Was Right)" Album: The Word	2
31	18	Kelly Clarkson - Where Have You Been	11
32	22	Moon Soul - Don't Change	11
33	27	Ashley Clark and Matthew Simon Clark - Liberty●	19
34	29	Wet Leg - Catch These Fists	12
35	35	Starbuck - Who's Gonna' Love You	13
36	37	Too Much Sylvia - A Jukebox Playin' 45's	10
37	41	Nadia Shutkofski - Slow It Down	7
38	33	Michael Nau - No Quit▲	19
39	32	Claire Davis - Thrive	13
40	40	Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club	10
41	43	Say She She - Cut and Rewind	6
42	49	Real Estate - Pink Sky	3
43	39	The Tonez - Flip Flops	18
44	67	Arctic Monkeys - 505	2
45	45	Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild	6
46	46	Lola Young - One Thing	5
47	47	Morgan Wallen ft Tate McRae - What I Want	7
48	56	The Pozers - Ease Off My Heart	4
49	52	Ruth Morayniss - Easy Does It	5
50	54	KALEO -Bloodline	5
51	42	Sports Team - Bang Bang Bang	11
52	44	Lorde - What Was That	10
53	50	Lana Del Rey - Bluebird	7
54	38	Wilder Woods ft. Nick Waterhouse - Time On My Hands	15
55	62	The Tonez - This Love Is Real	4
56	60	Royel Otis - Moody	9
57	61	Wednesday  - Elderberry Wine	5
58	58	Bartees Strange - Sober	8
59	72	SOMBR - Back to Friends	4
60	63	Deb Browning and Michael Fite - I Never Wanted To	21
61	70	MT Jones - Punching	5
62	73	Tennis - At the Wedding	3
63	68	SadGirl - Santeria	7
64	69	Easha - Stunning	5
65	71	Lord Huron - Nothing I Need	7
66	55	The Beaches - Did I Say Too Much	8
67	78	Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers - Truth Is	3
68	48	Ruth Morayniss. - Any Day Now	19
69	66	Bush - 60 Ways to Forget People	11
70	---	TOP DEBUT:  BRADLEY DENNISTON "HER" (Single Release)	1
71	51	The Kooks - Never Know	18
72	76	Polyanna - Gravedigger	4
73	88	Role Model - Sally When the Wine Runs Out	2
74	57	Ed Sheeran - Azizam	13
75	87	Orbis Max and Tim Izzard - Further Down the Line	2
76	53	Einsteins Dad ft. Ruth Moranyiss - Black Doves●	23
77	80	Hannah Jadagu - My Love	3
78	77	Psychic Air - Phase Disintegrate	5
79	82	Sonny Russell and Cannonball Joe - Carolina Sunshine Is Calling Me	3
80	85	Moon Soul - Call	2
81	64	Jackie Gore and Terri Gore - Unforgettable	14
82	65	Miley Cyrus - End of the World	13
83	79	The Beths - Metal	8
84	94	Djo - Basic Being Basic	2
85	---	Turnstile - Never Enough	1
86	97	Northern Tracks - Moving Towards	2
87	---	Balu Brigada - What Do We Ever Really Know	1
88	74	Lissie - I'll Stand By You	8
89	---	Kathleen Turner Overdrive - Love At the End of the Line	1
90	83	The Black Keys - The Night Before●	21
91	90	Jack White - Archbishop Harold Holmes	3
92	75	Bad Suns - Communicating	7
93	81	Ty Segall - Possession	4
94	93	Kesha - Attention	3
95	---	Wayne Free - I Love Kissin' You	1
96	91	Gordi - Peripheral Lover	3
97	99	Evanescence - Afterlife	10
98	100	Mumford and Sons - Caroline	2
99	84	Seth Storer - Insomnia	15
100	89	Billie Eilish - Wildflower	20

 

Tremors:

101. Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge - Going to California

 

Tremors: Songs which have steady or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS 100.

Murmurs:

 

Margo Price - Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down

David F.Porfirio - The Things I See

Portugal. The Man ft. Lucius -Silver Spoons

The Cynz - Can't Help Thinking About Me

Wolf Alice - Bloom Baby Bloom

Dropkick Murphys - Who's Stand With Us

Say She She - Under the Sun

Bleachers - Modern Girl

Orbis Max - Used To Be

Carla Geneve - Better Believe It

Starbuck - Jim's Cafe

pMad ft. Lunar Paths - Celestial 

Tame Impala - End of Summer

Flock  of Dimes - Long After Midnight

Ruth Morayniss - All I Need

Ariel Pink - With You Every Night

Monica D. Murphy - Thank You

Murmurs: Songs which are in the queue for future adds onto the Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist.

 

Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week

 

●Songs garnering 25 plays on Spotify (“Scrobbles”) according to Last.Fm (effective October 2024)  ▲ Songs garnering 50 plays.

 

 

Songs on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists

 

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40:  Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS 100

Scenes Up and Coming:  Songs From 41-100 that are moving up the chart that have not reached the top 40

Scenes Down and Going:  Song formerly in the top 40 that are descending but still on the SNS 100.

Scenes Recurrents: Songs which had been in the top 20 and/or songs on the chart 25 weeks or more, that have dropped off the SNS 100.