Jersey Boys are Back in the Mix

Growing up in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, Emerson Hart grew up having a mom who was known on local TV and a father with singing chops.  The end result may have been inevitable that singing became the calling for a talented Jersey Boy. His band Tonic has scored numerous rock hits, Grammy nominations, sold millions of CD's, and Emerson even wrote the TV theme to the NBC hit series American Dreams.  The band also featured another Jersey boy in bassist Dan Lavery of Lawrenceville (and a Rutgers grad).  Lavery has also worked with The Fray a few years back.

Tonic has had one of the biggest songs of the 90's, and the most played rock song of 1997 with "If You Could Only See", off the CD Lemon Parade which sold nearly 1.5 million copies.  The band has had 4 top-10 rock hits over their career (including "Open Up Your Eyes" and "Casual Affair" from the Lemon Parade release, and "You Wanted More" from their 1999 Sugar CD), and yet the group never got the respect they deserve.

Sugar is personally one of my favorite CD's of all time.  What makes their confection great is that is a complete CD with 13 songs that you want to hear top to bottom.  You feel the pain in the song "Mean To Me", the love in "Waltz With Me" (which has to have been someone's wedding song by now), and the shortcomings in love with "You Wanted More".  What should have been Tonic's shining accomplishment came up short in sales.

The ultimate in confusion may have been in 2002, when Tonic released Head On Straight. The CD received rave reviews, scored the band 2 Grammy nominations, but nobody could seem to find the CD anywhere.  By 2003, Tonic took a break.  Now they are back!

Tonic has had a new CD out for a while, and again you may not realize it's out there.  Time for you to give love to one of the most underrated bands in music today, who have deep roots in New Jersey!  The song "Release Me" is worth your time and money to download before the American Reunion soundtrack comes out.  This brings it somewhat full circle for the group as they were in the first American Pie soundtrack in '99 with "You Wanted More".

I have gotten to know Emerson over the years, and we always joke about having gone to rival high schools growing up (he attended Red Bank Catholic, and I attended St. John Vianney - both in Monmouth County).  He and Dan are truly 2 of the good people in the music business.  Give them your support, and I promise you will be hooked on Tonic's new and old stuff!