Paul Rosevear

by Jim Testa

The "Close To Home" show on Wednesday, October 15 features singer/songwriters Paul Rosevear and Gerry Rosenthal (frontman of the band Big Wake,) both from Jersey City, and Philadelphia's Chris Zurich, who plays in the band New West and describes his music as "indie/electronic/trip hop/soul- influenced rock, or something."

For Rosevear, the father of a 2-year old, the opportunity to play in his own neighborhood comes as a rare treat. Since the end of his power-pop band Readymade Breakup, Rosevear has been making the rounds of local cafe's, open mics, and small clubs, but admits that fatherhood has changed his relationship with music.

"I'm looking at the long game more," Rosevear explained. "When you're younger, you want things to happen right away. I couldn't tell you what they were, but they could never come too soon. Family and parenthood change all that. I feel settled in now. Instead of worrying about where I'm going to be in six months, I'm thinking of what kind of man I'll be at 75. I look at these older songwriters - Neil Young and Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen - who are still doing it, and think that's who I want to be. We're lifers who are in the game for the long term."

Rosevear met Roland Ramos at a Ramos' CD-release show at The Dopeness in Jersey City last year. "It was just an amazing show," he enthused. "I was so impressed at all the different artists Roland brought together. He's a little magical like that. He finds places to do a show and then puts together these wonderful bills that blow your mind with the depth of local talent that he finds."

Rosevear recently released what he called a mix tape called "Strange, Volume 2," which he defines as "13 odds and ends, home recordings that are almost like field recordings. I'm not overthinking this project at all. When I feel that moment when I have a performance inside of me, I turn on the tape record. It's super raw and crude, but that's what I like about it. I like to think of the project as Daniel Johnston meets Robert Johnson."

That's a far cry from the buoyant, polished sound that Rosevear once fronted in Readymade Breakup, but his new songs have a poignancy and intimacy that RMB's power-pop rockers never approached. Fans can check out his recordings at www.paulrosevear.com.

"Close To Home" takes place tomorrow, October 15, at 479 Manila Street, Jersey City, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Donations are requested, and guests are invited to bring their own beer and wine. Please RSVP to Roland Ramos. - www.nj.com

Having honed his songcraft over several years and several bands, Rosevear stunned audiences earlier this year with the release of his debut solo EP "Broken-Nosed Poetry." This five-song gem featured his strongest material to date - an affecting acoustic collection of sepia-toned portraits, capturing the feel of longing hearts, highways and rainy days. - Smashing the Block

Paul Rosevear, singer-songwriter of Asbury Park's hook-driven pop quartet Readymade Breakup, made a solo appearance on Wednesday night at Googie's, the upstairs listening space at The Living Room on New York's Lower East Side. He played a twelve-song, 45 minute set for an enthusiastic capacity crowd.

Rosevear took the stage with an acoustic guitar, tuned for about 30 seconds and dove right into his opening number, the perky and entrancing "Figure Eight." Next came "Great Moon," a surprising stroll through ordinary life and beautiful visions. But the song that still resonates two days later is "Talking to Myself," a radio-ready pop tune from his recordings with Readymade Breakup. Rosevear tested the breadth of his vocal range on this number, and easily conveyed the strength of the full-band version. He followed this with an older Readymade number, "Ships in the Night," a pleasant ballad waltz with keening top notes.

For "Drag the Anchor," Rosevear detuned his guitar, and then couldn't get it back in tune afterwards. Or perhaps this was a planned excuse to toss the guitar aside and "play this thing here"—a monstrous white piano that took up almost half of the stage.

Rosevear's popularity and ease at the piano was promptly revealed when he tore into the key-pounding rave-up "Honey You May Be Right." This number, from the second Readymade Breakup album Alive on the Vine, brought Rosevear and the whole room to full life, with a fan base revealing itself with hoots, and hollers and lyrics.
The show took the requisite dip at around the 30-minute mark, with a sweet but sleepy memorial piece "Let's Say Goodnight," the catchy "This December" featuring dropped lyrics, and a move back to the guitar for a random yet enjoyable cover of Tom Petty's "You Don't Know How It Feels."

But Rosevear pulled it back together for a winning finale. "One One Thousand" was an enthralling, hushed meditation, and show-closer "Portland" was a straightforward two-minute acoustic vagabond crowd-pleaser. Paul Rosevear easily commands the attention of fans and newcomers, with his accessible tunes and lyrics that make you grin at your date. - blogcritics.org