New Jersey native Gabe Rivera has been deadset on taking his indie rock career from his bedroom to various stages throughout the state. After working on an array of projects that include new music, Rivera is inundating himself with a new era of creativity. From January to February, Rivera is hitting some iconic spots with special guest girlbossanova joining him on stage for the last two shows in Clifton and Garwood. With tickets ranging from $10-$15, Rivera’s shows are a perfect night or afternoon out for those looking to discover new music. Just one listen and Rivera’s lush melodies will be living in your head (Rent Free).
Q. You’re starting off 2024 with a tour! How did you manage to put all the dates together, and at many classic New Jersey venues?
A. Yes! I’m so pumped to be playing my first tour and while it is a short tour and we’re keeping it local, I’m still extremely excited and grateful to be able to do it. I coordinated times that the band was available and then sent booking requests out to a bunch of my favorite venues around the state. It was simple, really.
Q. What have been your favorite venues to play thus far? What’s a new venue you see yourself playing at in the near future?
A. My favorite venue I’ve ever played at was probably The Stone Pony. The crew there is really nice and the lighting and sound are professional, which makes the experience more enjoyable for everyone. It really makes the show feel like a real concert. I see myself playing at The Stone Pony more often, and hopefully, I get to the point where I can open for bigger bands on the Summer stage in the Summer.
Q. Talk about teaming up with special guest Girlbossanova who is playing with you on the last two dates of your tour.
A. Girlbossanova is an awesome band that was on the same bill as me when I played at The Stone Pony almost a year ago. I really like their style and sound and I’ve wanted to play with them again for a while so I figured that this was the chance to make it happen.
Credit: @gaberiv_ on Instagram
Q. What are some of the most unique aspects of these venues? Do you like seeing new areas of Jersey?
A. A lot of venues have unique histories and features. For example, The Stone Pony was the venue where Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, The Jonas Brothers, and many others kicked off their career. The Pony is also by the beach, which makes for a nice outing after the concert. Crossroads has a long list of acts that have performed there, which makes it very popular and well-known in the Jersey music scene. Seeing different parts of New Jersey and playing in a bunch of different areas is always fun!
Q. Can you hint a little bit about a set list for these shows? Will it be a mix of covers and your own music?
A. The sets for the next few shows will consist of a mix of originals and covers, but will mostly be originals. This is so that my chances of breaking through are increased and so that more and more people hear my own music which is my ultimate goal.
Q. On your Instagram post announcing your tour, you teased that there might be new music coming from you soon. What can you say about this?
A. It’s true, I am releasing new music in the coming months. Right now I have two singles scheduled as well as an EP, but more information will be released about that in the coming weeks. These songs will be played in all the shows of the tour!
Tickets for Rivera’s upcoming shows are available through messaging him on Instagram